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Considerable Reduction (considerable + reduction)
Selected AbstractsProspective comparison of course of disability in antipsychotic-treated and untreated schizophrenia patientsACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 3 2009J. Thirthalli Objective:, To compare the course of disability in schizophrenia patients receiving antipsychotics and those remaining untreated in a rural community. Method:, Of 215 schizophrenia patients identified in a rural south Indian community, 58% were not receiving antipsychotics. Trained raters assessed the disability in 190 of these at baseline and after 1 year. The course of disability in those who remained untreated was compared with that in those who received antipsychotics. Results:, Mean disability scores remained virtually unchanged in those who remained untreated, but showed a significant decline (indicating decrement in disability) in those who continued to receive antipsychotics and in those in whom antipsychotic treatment was initiated (P < 0.001; group × occasion effect). The proportion of patients classified as ,disabled' declined significantly in the treated group (P < 0.01), but remained the same in the untreated group. Conclusion:, Disability in untreated schizophrenia patients remains unchanged over time. Treatment with antipsychotics in the community results in a considerable reduction in disability. [source] Ethinyl Estradiol, Not Progestogens, Reduces Lamotrigine Serum ConcentrationsEPILEPSIA, Issue 9 2005Arne Reimers Summary:,Purpose: To study the interaction between lamotrigine (LTG) and hormonal contraception. Methods: LTG serum concentrations of female patients using either no hormonal contraception (n = 18), an ethinyl estradiol (EE)-containing (n = 11), or a progestogen (PG)-only,containing compound (n = 16) were analyzed. Patients were recruited prospectively, and blood samples were drawn during drug fasting and at steady-state conditions. Comedication with enzyme inducers, valproate, topiramate, or sertraline was not allowed. Some patients changed groups and thus served as their own controls. Samples were analyzed by a gas chromatography/ mass spectroscopy method. The Mann,Whitney U test was used for statistical comparison of the groups. Results: The LTG serum concentration-to-dose ratio (CDR), expressed as (mg/L)/(mg/d) was significantly lower in women using EE than in the control group (mean ± SD, 0.010 ± 0.004 vs. 0.017 ± 0.006; p = 0.003). The CDR in women using PG was 0.02 ± 0.007, which was not statistically different from controls. No difference was found in CDR between women using either oral, topical, or parenteral PG. Five women switched from the control to the EE group and experienced a considerable reduction in CDR. An increase of the CDR toward control level was seen in the two women who changed from EE to PG. Conclusions: It is the EE component of oral contraceptives that interacts with LTG. The PG-only compounds did not alter LTG serum concentrations in this study. These findings should be considered when counselling women with epilepsy in the childbearing ages. [source] The correlation between cerebral glucose metabolism and benzodiazepine receptor density in the acute vegetative stateEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 6 2002J. Rudolf This paper compares the results of parallel positron emission tomography (PET) studies of regional cerebral glucose metabolism with the radiotracer 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and benzodiazepine receptor (BZR) density by PET using the BZR ligand 11C-flumazenil (FMZ), a tracer of neuronal integrity, in nine patients with acute vegetative state (AVS, duration <1 month). Overall glucose utilization was significantly reduced in AVS in comparison with age-matched controls (global metabolic rate for glucose 26 ,mol/100 g/min in AVS vs. 31 ,mol/100 g/min in controls). FMZ-PET demonstrated a considerable reduction of BZR binding sites in all cortical regions that grossly corresponded to the extent of reduction of cerebral glucose metabolism assessed with FDG-PET, whilst the cerebellum was spared from neuronal loss. In controls, cortical relative flumazenil binding was not lower than five times the average white matter activity, whilst in AVS, nearly all values were below this threshold. There was no relevant overlap of the data of relative flumazenil binding between both groups. The comparison of FDG- and FMZ-PET findings in AVS demonstrates that alterations of cerebral glucose consumption do not represent mere functional inactivation, but irreversible structural brain damage. [source] The sensitivity of phytoplankton in Loch Leven (U.K.) to changes in nutrient load and water temperatureFRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2008J. ALEX ELLIOTT Summary 1. Loch Leven is a shallow, eutrophic lake in Scotland, U.K. It has experienced much change over the 30 years that it has been studied; this has primarily been due to reduced nutrient loads to the lake through active catchment management. Its recovery has been slow and, therefore, we used a phytoplankton community model (PROTECH) to test its sensitivity to changing nutrient loads and water temperature. 2. PROTECH was initialized to simulate the observed phytoplankton community in 1995 and was then repeatedly run through a combination of step-wise changes in water temperature and nutrient load (two treatments were simulated for nutrient load: one changing both nitrate and phosphorus, and one changing just phosphorus). The effect on total chlorophyll- a concentration, cyanobacteria abundance and phytoplankton diversity was examined. 3. Whilst changes in temperature had little effect, variations in the nutrient load produced a range of responses. Increasing only the phosphorus load caused a large increase in Anabaena abundance and total chlorophyll- a concentration. However, the opposite response was recorded when nitrate load was changed as well, with Anabaena increasing its biomass under reduced nutrient load scenarios. 4. The key factor determining the type of response appeared to be nitrogen availability. Anabaena, a nitrogen fixer, could exploit the phosphorus resource of Loch Leven under limiting nitrogen conditions, allowing it to dominate under most of the scenarios tested apart from those supplying extra nitrogen to the lake. The model predictions agree with the observed data, which show that Anabaena continues to dominate the summer phytoplankton bloom in Loch Leven despite the considerable reduction in phosphorus supply from the catchment. This research provides a possible explanation for this. [source] Effects of soil frost on soil respiration and its radiocarbon signature in a Norway spruce forest soilGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2009JAN MUHR Abstract Apart from a general increase of mean annual air temperature, climate models predict a regional increase of the frequency and intensity of soil frost with possibly strong effects on C cycling of soils. In this study, we induced mild soil frost (up to ,5 °C in a depth of 5 cm below surface) in a Norway spruce forest soil by removing the natural snow cover in the winter of 2005/2006. Soil frost lasted from January to April 2006 and was detected down to 15 cm depth. Soil frost effectively reduced soil respiration in the snow removal plots in comparison to undisturbed control plots. On an annual basis 6.2 t C ha,1 a,1 were emitted in the control plots compared with 5.1 t C ha,1 a,1 in the snow removal plots. Only 14% of this difference was attributed to reduced soil respiration during the soil frost period itself, whereas 63% of this difference originated from differences during the summer of 2006. Radiocarbon (,14C) signature of CO2 revealed a considerable reduction of heterotrophic respiration on the snow removal plots, only partly compensated for by a slight increase of rhizosphere respiration. Similar CO2 concentrations in the uppermost mineral horizons of both treatments indicate that differences between the treatments originated from the organic horizons. Extremely low water contents between June and October of 2006 may have inhibited the recovery of the heterotrophic organisms from the frost period, thereby enhancing the differences between the control and snow removal plots. We conclude that soil frost triggered a change in the composition of the microbial community, leading to an increased sensitivity of heterotrophic respiration to summer drought. A CO2 pulse during thawing, such as described for arable soils several times throughout the literature, with the potential to partly compensate for reduced soil respiration during soil frost, appears to be lacking for this soil. Our results from this experiment indicate that soil frost reduces C emission from forest soils, whereas mild winters may enhance C losses from forest soils. [source] Hydro-climatic impacts on the ice cover of the lower Peace RiverHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 17 2008Spyros Beltaos Abstract Since the late 1960s, a paucity of ice-jam flooding in the lower Peace River has resulted in prolonged dry periods and considerable reduction in the area covered by lakes and ponds that provide habitat for aquatic life in the Peace,Athabasca Delta (PAD) region. Though major ice jams occur at breakup, antecedent conditions play a significant role in their frequency and severity. These conditions are partly defined by the mode of freezeup and the maximum thickness that is attained during the winter, shortly before the onset of spring and development of positive net heat fluxes to the ice cover. Data from hydrometric gauge records and from field surveys are utilized herein to study these conditions. It is shown that freezeup flows are considerably larger at the present time than before regulation, and may be responsible for more frequent formation of porous accumulation covers. Despite a concomitant rise in winter temperatures, solid-ice thickness has increased since the 1960s. Using a simple ice growth model, specifically developed for the study area, it is shown that porous accumulation covers enhance winter ice growth via accelerated freezing into the porous accumulation. Coupled with a reduction in winter snowfall, this effect can not only negate, but reverse, the effect of warmer winters on ice thickness, thus explaining present conditions. The present model is also shown to be a useful prediction tool, especially for extrapolating incomplete data to the end of the winter. Copyright © 2007 Crown in the right of Canada. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The role of waves in ice-jam flooding of the Peace-Athabasca DeltaHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 19 2007Spyros Beltaos Abstract Since the late 1960s, a paucity of ice-jam flooding in the lower Peace River has resulted in prolonged dry periods and considerable reduction in the area covered by lakes and ponds that provide habitat for aquatic life in the Peace-Athabasca Delta (PAD) region. To identify the causes of this trend, and to develop mitigation or adaptation strategies under present and future climatic conditions, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms that lead to breakup of the ice cover and jamming within the delta reach of Peace River. Because the lower Peace is extremely flat, the long-period waves caused by spring snowmelt are not generally capable of dislodging the winter ice cover, even under conditions of very high flow. The ice cover decays in place and rubble generation, an essential condition for ice jamming, does not occur. However, major jams do, on occasion, form in the middle section of the river and make their way to the delta via repeated releases and stalls. Each release generates a steep wave which can greatly amplify the hydrodynamic forces that are applied on the ice cover and bring about its dislodgment. This is quantified for the lower Peace River by applying recently developed methodology to local hydrometric data. Detailed in situ observations in the spring of 2003, and additional data from 1997 and 2002, fully corroborate this conclusion. Implications to other flat rivers of northern Canada are discussed. Copyright © 2007 Crown in the right of Canada. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Ice regime of the lower Peace River and ice-jam flooding of the Peace-Athabasca DeltaHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 19 2006Spyros Beltaos Abstract The Peace-Athabasca Delta (PAD) in northern Alberta is one of the world's largest inland freshwater deltas, home to large populations of waterfowl, muskrat, beaver, and free-ranging wood bison. Beginning in the mid-1970s, a paucity of ice-jam flooding in the lower Peace River has resulted in prolonged dry periods and considerable reduction in the area covered by lakes and ponds that provide a habitat for aquatic life in the PAD region. Using archived hydrometric data and in situ observations, the ice regime of the lower Peace is described and quantified, setting the stage for identification of the conditions that lead to ice-jam flooding and replenishment of Delta habitat. The first such condition is the occurrence of a mechanical, as opposed to a thermal, breakup event; second, the river flow should be at least 4000 m3/s; and third, an ice jam should form within the last 50 km of the Peace River. The type of breakup event depends on the freeze-up stage and spring flow. The former has increased as a result of flow regulation, and the latter has decreased owing to changing climatic patterns. Both trends tend to inhibit the occurrence of mechanical breakups and contribute to less frequent ice-jam flooding. Potential mitigation strategies are discussed. Copyright © 2006 Crown in the right of Canada. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Hydrogen as burner fuel: modelling of hydrogen,hydrocarbon composite fuel combustion and NOx formation in a small burnerINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 11 2005Mustafa Ilbas Abstract The objective of this work is to investigate numerically the turbulent non-premixed hydrogen (H2) and hydrogen,hydrocarbon flames in a small burner. Numerical studies using Fluent code were carried out for air-staged and non-staged cases. The effects of fuel composition from pure hydrogen to natural gas (100%H2, 70%H2+30%CH4, 10%H2+90%CH4, and 100%CH4) were also investigated. The predictions are validated and compared against the experimental results previously obtained and results from the literature. Turbulent diffusion flames are investigated numerically using a finite volume method for the solution of the conservation equations and reaction equations governing the problem. Although, three different turbulence models were tested, the standard k,, model was used for the modelling of the turbulence phenomena in the burner. The temperature and major pollutant concentrations (CO and NOx) distributions are in good agreement with the existing experimental results. Air staging causes rich and lean combustion regions thus lower NOx emissions through the combustor exit. Blending hydrogen with methane causes considerable reduction in temperature levels and thus NO emissions. Increasing the mixture ratio from stoichiometric to leaner mixtures also decreases the temperature and thus NO emissions. Hydrogen may be considered a good alternative fuel for burners, as its use reduces the emission of pollutants, and as it is a renewable synthetic fuel. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Modelling of an ethanol-water distillation column assisted by an external heat pumpINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 12 2002S. B. M. Oliveira Abstract This paper presents a simulation of an ethanol,water distillation column assisted by a vapour-compression heat pump. The heat pump is of the external type, i.e., it uses a working fluid (refrigerant) different from that of the column. A simulation model was developed and four different working fluids were studied: R-11 and R-114 and, as substitutes, the column own fluids, water and ethanol. Results from the simulation model have shown that considerable reduction in energy consumption can be achieved with the installation of a heat pump. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Nanofilled polyethersulfone as matrix for continuous glass fibers composites: Mechanical properties and solvent resistance,ADVANCES IN POLYMER TECHNOLOGY, Issue 3 2010M. Aurilia Abstract Polyethersulfone (PES) is high performance thermoplastic polymer; however, its applications are limited by the poor resistance to several classes of solvents. Fumed silica and expanded graphite nanoparticles were used to prepare nanofilled PES by a melt-compounding technique with the view to improve the barrier properties. Solvent uptake at equilibrium and solvents resistance of nanofilled PES compounds were investigated by three different methodologies: (1) weight increase by methylene chloride absorption in a vapor-saturated atmosphere, (2) solvent uptake of acetone at equilibrium, and (3) decay of storage modulus induced by acetone diffusion. The storage modulus decay was measured by means of dynamic mechanical analysis on samples immersed in an acetone bath. The collected data were fitted to an ad hoc model to calculate the diffusion coefficient. The produced nanofilled PES showed a significant improvement in barrier properties and considerable reduction in acetone uptake at equilibrium, in comparison with the neat PES. Nanofilled PES compounds were also used to produce continuous glass fiber composites by the film-stacking manufacturing technique. The composites exhibited, by and large, improvements in flexural and shear strength. Their solvent resistance was evaluated by measuring the variation of mechanical properties after exposure to acetone for 1 and 5 days. These tests showed that the composites produced with the nanocomposite matrix did not exhibit higher solvent resistance than those prepared with neat PES, probably because of the deterioration of the fiber/nanocomposite-matrix interfacial bond in the wet state. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Adv Polym Techn 29:146,160, 2010; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary. DOI 10.1002/adv.20187 [source] The efficacy of an improved form of the mass-trapping method, forthe control of the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Gmelin) (Dipt., Tephritidae): pilot-scale feasibility studiesJOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 5 2002T. Broumas Improvements consisted of the extension of the active life of the toxic trap used, active life referring both to its attracting and killing properties, as well as in trap deployment, which combined efficacy and low cost. The method was compared to bait sprays applied from the ground, which constitutes the current standard method for the control of this pest. Both pest population density and fruit infestation levels, the main parameters used for the evaluation of the two methods were considerably lower during all 4 years of tests in the orchards protected by mass trapping compared with those in the orchards protected by bait sprays. Furthermore no complementary measures were required in the mass-trapping orchards for acceptable crop protection, which was not the case under certain conditions, prior to the introduction of the recent improvements. The cost of the mass-trapping method was approximately US$ 0.40 per tree per year compared with US$ 0.35 for bait sprays (figures of the Greek Ministry of Agriculture). However, the mass-trapping method reduces the amount of insecticide used for olive protection by 99.5% (15 mg a.i. per tree per year as opposed to 3 g in the case of bait sprays). A considerable reduction in the cost of the mass-trapping method is expected with the extension of its use and the mass production of materials used, especially traps. [source] Modulation of expression of LDH isoenzymes in endothelial cells by laminin: Implications for angiogenesisJOURNAL OF CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2008V.B. Sameer Kumar Abstract Endothelial cell (EC) matrix interaction is critical in angiogenesis. Although matrix components can regulate the process of angiogenesis by acting as a reservoir of various cytokines, it is not clear if extracellular matrix (ECM) can modulate the production and activity of angiogenic cytokines. Investigations were therefore carried out to study the influence of the basement membrane (BM) protein, laminin (Ln) on the activity of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the major angiogenic cytokine, using isolated human umbilical vein ECs (HUVECs) in culture. Analysis of the biochemical markers of angiogenesis confirmed proangiogenic effect of Ln. The levels of VEGF protein and mRNA were not different in cells maintained on Ln, collagen I or polylysine substrata. Chorioallantoic membrane assay using VEGF isolated from cell extracts however revealed that Ln increased its angiogenic potency. Immunoblotting and HPLC analysis showed considerable reduction in poly adenosyl ribosylation of VEGF associated with a significant decrease in the levels of NAD+, in cells maintained on Ln substrata. Further, a shift in the isoenzymic pattern of LDH towards the B rich forms and an upregulation of LDH B gene were observed in cells maintained on Ln. Ln modulates expression of LDH gene through ,6,4 integrin mediated downstream signaling involving p38 mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathway. It thus appears that Ln can affect aerobic metabolism of ECs by modulating the expression of LDH isoenzymes resulting in a decrease in the level of NAD+ that can cause a reduction in the poly adenosyl ribosylation of VEGF altering its angiogenic potency. J. Cell. Biochem. 103: 1808,1825, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Climate change and its impact on the forests of KilimanjaroAFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 2009Andreas Hemp Abstract Cloud forests are of great importance in the hydrological functioning of watersheds in subhumid East Africa. However, the montane forests of Mt. Kilimanjaro are heavily threatened by global change impacts. Based on an evaluation of over 1500 vegetation plots and interpretation of satellite imagery from 1976 and 2000, land-cover changes on Kilimanjaro were evaluated and their impact on the water balance estimated. While the vanishing glaciers of Kilimanjaro attract broad interest, the associated increase of frequency and intensity of fires on the slopes of Kilimanjaro is less conspicuous but ecologically far more significant. These climate change-induced fires have lead to changes in species composition and structure of the forests and to a downward shift of the upper forest line by several hundred metres. During the last 70 years, Kilimanjaro has lost nearly one-third of its forest cover, in the upper areas caused by fire, on the lower forest border mainly caused by clearing. The loss of 150 km2 of cloud forest , the most effective source in the upper montane and subalpine fog interception zone , caused by fire during the last three decades means a considerable reduction in water yield. In contrast to common belief, global warming does not necessarily cause upward migration of plants and animals. On Kilimanjaro the opposite trend is under way, with consequences more harmful than those due to the loss of the showy ice cap of Africa's highest mountain. [source] Non-blanchable erythema as an indicator for the need for pressure ulcer prevention: a randomized-controlled trialJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 2 2007Katrien Vanderwee MA Aims and objectives., To evaluate whether postponing preventive measures until non-blanchable erythema appears will actually lead to an increase in incidence of pressure ulcers (grades 2,4) when compared with the standard risk assessment method. Background., To distinguish patients at risk for pressure ulcers from those not at risk, risk assessment scales are recommended. These scales have limited predictive validity. The prevention of further deterioration of non-blanchable erythema (grade 1 pressure ulcer) instead of the standard way of assigning prevention could be a possible new approach. Design., Randomized-controlled trial. Methods., Patients admitted to surgical, internal or geriatric wards (n = 1617) were included. They were randomly assigned to an experimental and a control group. In the experimental group (n = 826), prevention was started when non-blanchable erythema appeared, in the control group (n = 791) when the Braden score was <17 or when non-blanchable erythema appeared. In both groups, patients received identical prevention, either by using a polyethylene,urethane mattress in combination with turning every four hours or by using an alternating pressure air mattress. Pressure points were observed daily and classified according to the four grades of the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel. The Braden scale was scored every three days. Results., In the experimental group, 16% of patients received preventive measures, in the control group 32%. The pressure ulcer incidence (grades 2,4) was not significantly different between the experimental (6·8%) and control group (6·7%). Conclusion., Significantly fewer patients need preventive measures when prevention is postponed until non-blanchable erythema appears and those patients did not develop more pressure ulcers than patients who received prevention based on the standard risk assessment method. Relevance to clinical practice., Using the appearance of non-blanchable erythema to allocate preventive measures leads to a considerable reduction of patients in need of prevention without resulting in an increase in pressure ulcers. [source] A practical valence bond method: A configuration interaction method approach with perturbation theoretic facilityJOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2004Lingchun Song Abstract The previously developed valence bond configuration interaction (VBCI) method (Wu, W.; Song, L.; Cao, Z.; Zhang, Q.; Shaik, S., J. Phys. Chem. A, 2002, 105, 2721) that borrows the general CI philosophy of the MO theory, is further extended in this article, and its methodological features are improved, resulting in three accurate and cost-effective procedures: (a) the effect of quadruplet excitation is incorporated using the Davidson correction, such that the new procedure reduces size consistency problems, with due improvement in the quality of the computational results. (b) A cost-effective procedure, named VBCI(D, S), is introduced. It includes doubly excited structures for active electrons and singly excited structures for inactive pairs. The computational results of VBCI(D, S) match those of VBCISD with much less computational effort than VBCISD. (c) Finally, a second-order perturbation theory is utilized as a means of configuration selection, and lead to considerable reduction of the computational cost, with little or no loss in accuracy. Applications of the new procedures to bond energies and barriers of chemical reactions are presented and discussed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 25: 472,478, 2004 [source] EXPERIMENTAL AND NEURAL NETWORK PREDICTION OF THE PERFORMANCE OF A SOLAR TUNNEL DRIER FOR DRYING JACKFRUIT BULBS AND LEATHERJOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING, Issue 6 2005B.K. BALA ABSTRACT This article presents the field performance of a solar tunnel drier for drying jackfruit bulbs and leather. The drier consists of a transparent plastic-covered flat-plate collector and a drying tunnel connected in series to supply hot air directly into the drying tunnel using two direct-current fans operated by a photovoltaic module. The drier has a loading capacity of 120,150 kg of fruits. Sixteen experimental runs were conducted for drying jackfruit bulbs and leather (eight runs each). The use of a solar tunnel drier led to a considerable reduction in drying time and dried products of better quality in comparison to products dried under the sun. A multilayered neural network approach was used to predict the performance of the solar tunnel drier. Using solar drying data of jackfruit bulbs and leather, the model has been trained using backpropagation algorithm. The prediction of the performance of the drier was found to be excellent after it was adequately trained. It can be used to predict the potential of the drier for different locations, and can also be used in a predictive optimal control algorithm. [source] Comparative Study of Quality Changes Occurring on Dehydration and Rehydration of Cooked Chickpeas (Cicer Arietinum L.) Subjected to Combined Microwave,Convective and Convective Hot Air DehydrationJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 6 2006A.A. Gowen ABSTRACT:, Convective hot air dehydration (100 °C) of cooked chickpeas was compared with the combination of microwave,convective hot air dehydration, in terms of microstructure, density, color, texture, dehydration, and rehydration. In the combined drying experiments, 2 levels of microwave power (100 W and 200 W) were investigated, combined continuously with convective air drying at 100 °C. Compared with convective hot air drying, combination drying led to a considerable reduction in dehydration time. Combination drying also improved the porosity of the finished dehydrated product, leading to faster rehydration kinetics. Cryogenic scanning electron microscopy micrographs showed that chickpeas subjected to combined drying experienced less shrinkage than those dried by convective hot air. Combination drying at the higher (200 W) level produced a darker (P < 0.05) rehydrated product with significantly lower relative rehydrated moisture content (P < 0.05) when compared with the lower (100 W) level of combination drying. [source] Potential Application of Hot Rehydration Alone or in Combination with Hydrogen Peroxide to Control Pectin Methylesterase Activity and Microbial Load in Cold-stored Intermediate-moisture Sun-dried FigsJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 3 2004D. DEMIRBÜKER ABSTRACT: Sun-dried figs contain a considerable amount of pectin methylesterase (PME) activity (22 JAM COOH/ min/g). The enzyme causes softening and loss of desired gummy texture in cold-stored intermediate-moisture (IM) sun-dried figs brought to a 28% to 29% moisture range. Partial reduction of PME activity (28%) delayed undesirable textural changes in IM figs rehydrated at 80 °C for 16 min. The heat treatment did not cause a considerable reduction in microbial load. However, the addition of 2.5% H2O2 to the rehydration medium at 80 °C reduced the initial total mesophilic aerobic count of figs by at least 90% and turned the figs from a brown color to a desirable and stable yellow-light brown. The in situ fig catalase remains after rehydration at 80 °C. Thus, by reducing the contact period of figs with H2O2 or by pureeing figs, it is possible to eliminate residual H2O2 and to obtain safe and SO2-free light-colored fig products. [source] Using Nanotechnology for the Substitution of Hazardous Chemical SubstancesJOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2008Challenges of Definition, Measurement Summary It is often assumed that nanotechnology (NT) holds the potential to provide a substantial contribution to the solution of various ecological problems, including high consumption of energy and materials and the generation of waste. However, problems surrounding the use and release of hazardous substances remain largely unexplored. For this reason, the Scientific Technical Option Assessment (STOA) Panel of the European Parliament initiated a study on "The Role of Nanotechnology in Chemical Substitution." The subject and aim of the study was an investigation into preexisting and potential applications of NT that could lead to a reduction in hazardous substances by providing substitutes for them. In terms of method, it was based on electronic searches of the literature, expert interviews, and an expert workshop. This article discusses the results of the project. It focuses on the methodological challenges and the principal problems resulting from a combination of the broad and ill-defined concept of NT and the specific concept of hazardous substances. The hazardous substances addressed had to be reduced to a manageable number, and the term substitution was understood according to the characteristics of NT and the way in which the latter could reduce the use of hazardous substances. Although several applications of NT were identified that could lead to a considerable reduction in the use of hazardous substances, ambiguities in both the concept of NT and the concept of substitution in relation to NT prevent a comprehensive assessment of the potential of NT in respect to substitution. [source] Irritable bowel syndrome symptoms and health related quality of life in female veteransALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 2 2010D. P. GRAHAM Summary Background, The status and determinants of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in female veterans with and without irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are unknown. Aim, To compare HRQOL in female veterans with and without IBS symptoms and examine the contribution of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety to HRQOL. Methods, A cross-sectional study of 339 female veterans. Self-report questionnaires were used to evaluate IBS symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and HRQOL. Results, Symptoms consistent with IBS were present in 33.5% of participants. Female veterans with IBS symptoms had significant reductions in physical component score and 5 of 8 Health Related Quality of Life subscales and on 7 of 8 Irritable Bowel Syndrome Quality Of Life subscales than female veterans without IBS symptoms. Compared with the US general female population, female veterans had significantly lower Health Related Quality of Life physical component score and mental component scores (MCS) irrespective of IBS symptom status. Differences in the MCS score were most explained by depression, while those in the physical component score were most explained by anxiety. Conclusions, Irritable bowel syndrome symptoms in female veterans are associated with considerable reduction in HRQOL. However, female veterans, regardless of IBS symptom status, have lower HRQOL compared with the general US female population. Aliment Pharmacol Ther,31, 261,273 [source] Towards the End of a Long Transition?POLITICS, Issue 3 2008Bipolarity, Instability in Italy's Changing Political System This article analyses the significance of the 2008 general election for the prospects of an early conclusion to Italy's transition from a First to a Second Republic. The election saw not only the return of Berlusconi to power, but also a radical simplification of Italian politics, with a considerable reduction in the number of parliamentary groups and the emergence of much more straightforward and clear-cut governing and opposition roles. The likelihood of a successful conclusion to the transition was increased by the agreement of governing and opposition forces in the immediate aftermath of the campaign to search actively for mutually acceptable institutional reforms. [source] Rheological behavior of gel-filled raw natural rubber and styrene-butadiene rubber with reference to gel-matrix intermixingPOLYMER ENGINEERING & SCIENCE, Issue 6 2009Suman Mitra Natural rubber (NR) and styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) latex gels were prepared by sulfur prevulcanization technique with varying amounts of curing agent and accelerator systems to generate gradient in crosslink density. These gels were characterized by solvent swelling, dynamic light scattering, atomic force microscopy, and mechanical properties. Crosslinked NR gels were intermixed with neat SBR matrix and vice versa. Rheological behavior of chemically crosslinked gel-filled NR and SBR was studied by capillary rheometry. Intermixing of crosslinked gels in the rubber matrices resulted in a considerable reduction in apparent shear viscosity and die swell values. This behavior was found to be dependent on several factors like gel concentration in the matrix, crosslink density of the gels, their size, and distribution. The effect of temperature on viscosity was studied extensively following the Arrhenious-Eyring model. A shear rate-temperature superposition mastercurve was constructed to predict the melt viscosities of the systems as a function of temperature. The change in die swell values was related to the change in first normal stress difference. The scanning electron photomicrographs of the extrudates revealed that presence of gels markedly improved the surface roughness of the raw rubbers. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers [source] EARLY EXPERIENCE WITH CLINICAL INDICATORS IN SURGERYANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 6 2000B. T. Collopy Background: In 1997 a set of 53 clinical indicators developed by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) and the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) Care Evaluation Programme (CEP), was introduced into the ACHS Evaluation and Quality Improvement Programme (EQuIP). The clinical indicators covered 20 different conditions or procedures for eight specialty groups and were designed to act as flags to possible problems in surgical care. Methods: The development process took several years and included a literature review, field testing, and revision of the indicators prior to approval by the College council. In their first year 155 health-care organizations (HCO) addressed the indicators and this rose to 210 in 1998. Data were received from all states and both public and private facilities. Results: The collected data for 1997 and 1998 for some of the indicators revealed rates which were comparable with those reported in the international literature. For example, the rates of bile duct injury in laparoscopic cholecystectomy were 0.7 and 0.53%, respectively; the mortality rates for coronary artery graft surgery were 2.5 and 2.1%, respectively; the mortality rates after elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repair were 2.5 and 3.7%, respectively; and the post-tonsillectomy reactionary haemorrhage rates were 0.9 and 1.3%, respectively. Results for some indicators differed appreciably from other reports, flagging the need for further investigation; for example, the negative histology rates for appendectomy in children were 18.6 and 21.2%, respectively, and the rates for completeness of excision of malignant skin tumours were 90.7 and 90%, respectively. The significance of these figures, however, depends upon validation of the data and their reliability and reproducibility. Because reliability can be finally determined only at the hospital level they are of limited value for broader comparison. Conclusion: The process of review established for the indicator set has led to refinement of some indicators through improvement of definitions, and to a considerable reduction in the number of indicators to 29 (covering 18 procedures), for the second version of the indicators (which was introduced for use from January 1999). The clinical indicator programme, as it has with other disciplines, hopefully will provide a stimulus to the modification and improvement of surgical practice. Clinician ownership should enhance the collection of reliable data and hence their usefulness. [source] Computational relaxed TP model transformation: restricting the computation to subspaces of the dynamic model,ASIAN JOURNAL OF CONTROL, Issue 5 2009Szabolcs Nagy Abstract The tensor-product (TP) model transformation is a recently proposed numerical method capable of transforming linear parameter varying state-space models to the higher order singular value decomposition (HOSVD) based canonical form of polytopic models. It is also capable of generating various types of convex TP models, a type of polytop models, for linear matrix inequality based controller design. The crucial point of the TP model transformation is that its computational load exponentially explodes with the dimensionality of the parameter vector of the parameter-varying state-space model. In this paper we propose a modified TP model transformation that leads to considerable reduction of the computation. The key idea of the method is that instead of transforming the whole system matrix at once in the whole parameter space, we decompose the problem and perform the transformation element wise and restrict the computation to the subspace where the given element of the model varies. The modified TP model transformation can readily be executed in higher dimensional cases when the original TP model transformation fails. The effectiveness of the new method is illustrated with numerical examples. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society [source] Commercial Hospital Discharge Packs for Breastfeeding WomenBIRTH, Issue 1 2001J. K. Gupta A substantive amendment to this systematic review was last made on 23 March 1999. Cochrane reviews are regularly checked and updated if necessary. ABSTRACT Background: For centuries, there has been controversy around whether being upright (sitting, birthing stools, chairs, squatting) or lying down has advantages for women delivering their babies. Objectives: The objective of this review was to assess the benefits and risks of the use of different positions during the second stage of labour (i.e., from full dilatation of the cervix). Search strategy: Relevant trials are identified from the register of trials maintained by the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group, and from the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register. Selection criteria: Trials were included which compared various positions assumed by pregnant women during the second stage of labour. Randomised and quasi-randomised trials with appropriate follow-up were included. Data collection and analysis: Trials were independently assessed for inclusion, and data extracted by the two authors. Disagreements would have been resolved by consensus with an editor. Meta-analysis of data is performed using the RevMan software. Main results: Results should be interpreted with caution as the methodological quality of the 18 trials was variable. Use of any upright or lateral position, compared with supine or lithotomy positions, was associated with: 1Reduced duration of second stage of labour (12 trials,mean 5.4 minutes, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.9,6.9 minutes). This was largely due to a considerable reduction in women allocated to use of the birth cushion. 2A small reduction in assisted deliveries (17 trials,odds ratio (OR) 0.82, 95% CI 0.69,0.98). 3A reduction in episiotomies (11 trials,OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.64,0.84). 4A smaller increase in second degree perineal tears (10 trials,OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.09,1.54). 5Increased estimated risk of blood loss > 500ml (10 trials,OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.34,3.32). 6Reduced reporting of severe pain during second stage of labour (1 trial,OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.41,0.83). 7Fewer abnormal fetal heart rate patterns (1 trial,OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.11,0.91). Reviewers' conclusions: The tentative findings of this review suggest several possible benefits for upright posture, with the possibility of increased risk of blood loss > 500 mL. Women should be encouraged to give birth in the position they find most comfortable. Until such time the benefits and risks of various delivery positions are estimated with greater certainty when methodologically stringent trials data are available, then women should be allowed to make informed choices about the birth positions in which they might wish to assume for delivery of their babies. Citation: Gupta JK, Nikodem VC. Women's position during second stage of labour (Cochrane Review). In: The Cochrane Library, Issue 4, 2000. Oxford: Update Software. [source] Veterinary Drug Usage and Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria of Animal OriginBASIC AND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY, Issue 4 2005Frank M. Aarestrup There are large variations in the amounts of antimicrobial agents used to produce the same amount of meat among the different European countries, which leaves room for considerable reductions in some countries. The emergence of resistant bacteria and resistance genes due to the use of antimicrobial agents are well documented. In Denmark it has been possible to reduce the usage of antimicrobial agents for food animals significantly and in general decreases in resistance have followed. Guidelines for prudent use of antimicrobial agents may help to slow down the selection for resistance and should be based on knowledge regarding the normal susceptibility patterns of the causative agents and take into account the potential problems for human health. Current knowledge regarding the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in food animals, the quantitative impact of the use of different antimicrobial agents on selection of resistance and the most appropriate treatment regimes to limit the development of resistance is incomplete. Programmes monitoring the occurrence and development of resistance and consumption of antimicrobial agents are strongly desirable, as is research into the most appropriate ways to use antimicrobial agents in veterinary medicine. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||