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Experimental Methods (experimental + methods)
Selected AbstractsVolume of distribution at steady state for a linear pharmacokinetic system with peripheral eliminationJOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 6 2004Leonid M. Berezhkovskiy Abstract The problem of finding the steady-state volume of distribution Vss for a linear pharmacokinetic system with peripheral drug elimination is considered. A commonly used equation Vss,=,(D/AUC)*MRT is applicable only for the systems with central (plasma) drug elimination. The following equation, Vss,=,(D/AUC)*MRTint, was obtained, where AUC is the commonly calculated area under the time curve of the total drug concentration in plasma after intravenous (iv) administration of bolus drug dose, D, and MRTint is the intrinsic mean residence time, which is the average time the drug spends in the body (system) after entering the systemic circulation (plasma). The value of MRTint cannot be found from a drug plasma concentration profile after an iv bolus drug input if a peripheral drug exit occurs. The obtained equation does not contain the assumption of an immediate equilibrium of protein and tissue binding in plasma and organs, and thus incorporates the rates of all possible reactions. If drug exits the system only through central compartment (plasma) and there is an instant equilibrium between bound and unbound drug fractions in plasma, then MRTint becomes equal to MRT,=,AUMC/AUC, which is calculated using the time course of the total drug concentration in plasma after an iv bolus injection. Thus, the obtained equation coincides with the traditional one, Vss,=,(D/AUC)*MRT, if the assumptions for validity of this equation are met. Experimental methods for determining the steady-state volume of distribution and MRTint, as well as the problem of determining whether peripheral drug elimination occurs, are considered. The equation for calculation of the tissue,plasma partition coefficient with the account of peripheral elimination is obtained. The difference between traditionally calculated Vss,=,(D/AUC)*MRT and the true value given by (D/AUC)*MRTint is discussed. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 93:1628,1640, 2004 [source] Shock waves,Phenomenology, experimental, and numerical simulationMETEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE, Issue 9-10 2005Klaus Thoma First, the principal phenomena of shock wave generation and propagation, predominantly in solid media, are presented, and then analytical and numerical mathematical treatment of shock wave processes on the basis of mass, momentum, and energy conservation laws will be described and discussed. Experimental methods of shock wave investigations by means of impact and explosive techniques are summarized, including hypervelocity acceleration facilities and high-pressure explosive devices. Shock pressure barometry by means of mineralogical evidence of distinct material phase transitions and characteristic shock structures is also discussed. [source] Thermodynamics of Hydrogen and Hydrogen-Helium Plasmas: Path Integral Monte Carlo Calculations and Chemical PictureCONTRIBUTIONS TO PLASMA PHYSICS, Issue 3-4 2005V. S. Filinov Abstract In this paper we study thermodynamic properties of hydrogen and hydrogen-helium mixtures with the help of the direct path integral Monte Carlo simulations. The results are compared with available theoretical and experimental methods based, in particular, on chemical picture. We investigate the effects of temperature ionization in low-density hydrogen plasma. We also present a number of calculated isotherms for hydrogenhelium mixture with the mass concentration of helium Y = 0.234 in the range from 104 K to 2 · 105 K. In the density region where a sharp conductivity rise have been observed experimentally the simulations give indications for one or two plasma phase transitions, in accordance with earlier theoretical predictions. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] ON THE PREFERENCES OF PRINCIPALS AND AGENTSECONOMIC INQUIRY, Issue 2 2010MARCO CASTILLO One of the reasons why market economies are able to thrive is that they exploit the willingness of entrepreneurs to take risks that laborers might prefer to avoid. Markets work because they remunerate good judgment and punish mistakes. Indeed, modern contract theory is based on the assumption that principals are less risk averse than agents. We investigate if the risk preferences of entrepreneurs are different from those of laborers by implementing experiments with a random sample of the population in a fast-growing, small-manufacturing, economic cluster. As assumed by theory, we find that entrepreneurs are more likely to take risks than hired managers. These results are robust to the inclusion of a series of controls. This lends support to the idea that risk preferences is an important determinant of selection into occupations. Finally, our lotteries are good predictors of financial decisions, thus giving support to the external validity of our risk measures and experimental methods (JEL C93, D81, D86). [source] DOES ETHICAL THEORY HAVE A PLACE IN POST-KOHLBERGIAN MORAL PSYCHOLOGY?EDUCATIONAL THEORY, Issue 2 2010Bruce Maxwell Philosophers tend to assume that theoretical frameworks in psychology suffer from conceptual confusion and that any influence that philosophy might have on psychology should be positive. Going against this grain, Dan Lapsley and Darcia Narváez attribute the Kohlbergian paradigm's current state of marginalization within psychology to Lawrence Kohlberg's use of ethical theory in his model of cognitive moral development. Post-Kohlbergian conceptions of moral psychology, they advance, should be wary of theoretical constructs derived from folk morality, refuse philosophical starting points, and seek integration with literatures in psychology, not philosophy. In this essay, Bruce Maxwell considers and rejects Lapsley and Narváez's diagnosis. The Kohlbergian paradigm's restricted conception of the moral domain is the result of a selective reading of one tendency in ethical theorizing (Kantianism). The idea that moral psychology may find shelter from normative criticism by avoiding ethics-derived models overlooks the deeper continuity between "ethical theory" and "psychological theory." The confusion and barrenness of psychology is not to be explained by calling it a "young science"; its state is not comparable with that of physics, for instance, in its beginnings. (Rather with that of certain branches of mathematics. Set theory.) For in psychology there are experimental methods and conceptual confusion. (As in the other case conceptual confusion and methods of proof.) The existence of the experimental method makes us think we have the means of solving the problems which trouble us; though problem and method pass one another by.1 [source] A DIAGNOSTIC READING OF SCIENTIFICALLY BASED RESEARCH FOR EDUCATIONEDUCATIONAL THEORY, Issue 3 2005Thomas A. Schwandt This essay offers a diagnosis of what may be at stake in the current preoccupation with defining science-based educational research. The diagnosis unfolds in several readings: The first is a charitable and considerate appraisal that draws attention to the fact that advocating experimental methods as important to a science of educational research is not an inherently evil thing to do. Subsequent readings are grimmer, suggesting more deleterious consequences of the science-based research movement for the entire enterprise of educational practice and research. The central thesis of the essay is that making arguments about method and science the focal point in the current quarrel may be largely beside the point. Instead, educational researchers should join the political and public (not just the academic) conversation about the place of educational science in society and about how science is both implicated in and confronts the politics of what counts as knowledge. [source] High-Temperature Electrochemistry: A ReviewELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 6 2004Gregory Abstract High-temperature electrochemistry remains a relatively unexplored field of research, although in recent years significant developments have been made. This report details the main experimental methods and approaches to heating an electrochemical system under both isothermal and non-isothermal conditions and gives an insight into the experimental and electroanalytical results obtainable under such conditions. It has been shown that the promotion of mass transport at high-temperatures, through diffusion or convection, often results in increased current signals. This increase benefits electroanalytical measurements by lowering detection limits. High temperatures also usefully enhance the sensitivity of systems with sluggish kinetics. [source] Frequencies of micronuclei in bank voles from zones of high radiation at Chornobyl, UkraineENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2000Brenda E. Rodgers Abstract A population of Clethrionomys glareolus (bank vole) from a highly radioactive area within the Chornobyl, Ukraine exclusion zone was sampled in June 1997 and in June and October 1998. Internal radiation doses from radiocesium were estimated to be as high as 8 rads/d. Total dose, which takes into account the internal dose from radiostrontium and the surrounding environment, was estimated to be 15 to 20 rads/d. In contrast, individuals from a reference population lying outside of the exclusion zone registered negligible levels of contamination. We used the micronucleus test in a double-blind study to analyze blood samples from 58 individuals. We scored more than 600,000 polychromatic erythrocytes (PCEs) but could not reject the null hypothesis that the frequency of micronucleated PCEs in voles exposed to radiation was equal to the frequency in unexposed voles. Results of our study stand in sharp contrast to earlier reports of increased frequencies of micronuclei in rodents exposed to fallout of the Chornobyl accident, but with radiation doses that were orders of magnitude lower than those reported here. Radioresistance and experimental methods are possible explanations for these differences in the results. [source] Formation and Stability of the Gaseous Species LiAlCl4, Li2AlCl5 and LiAl2Cl7 , Mass Spectrometric and Quantum Chemical StudiesEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 26 2008H. Saal Abstract The formation of the gaseous species LiCl, Li2Cl2, AlCl3 and LiAlCl4 was shown by mass spectrometric studies of the reaction of solid LiCl with gaseous AlCl3 at 575 °C. Besides AlCl3 and Al2Cl6, the gas complexes LiAlCl4, Li2AlCl5 and LiAl2Cl7 were formed during the evaporation of liquefied LiAlCl4. The structures of the molecules under discussion were computed by quantum chemical DFT studies. Thermodynamic data of these molecules were determined by experimental methods (mass spectrometry), and the results were confirmed by theoretical calculations. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008) [source] Thermal Behavior of Tetrahydropyran-Intercalated VOPO4: Structural and Dynamics StudyEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 3 2007Klára Melánová Abstract The thermal behavior of tetrahydropyran-(THP-)intercalated VOPO4 was probed by an extensive combination of experimental methods (XRD, DSC, FTIR, solid-state NMR) and quantum chemical calculations. Two temperature-induced transitions were detected and all polymorphs exhibit a high degree of molecular order and tight packing of THP in VOPO4. The first reversible thermal transition at around 100 °C was attributed to boat/chair conformation changes of the THP molecules. Most probably, a low-temperature boat conformation of the guest molecules present in the interlayer space of VOPO4 changes to a high-temperature chair conformation. This rearrangement of the THP molecules was confirmed by variable-temperature 13C CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy. Quantum chemical calculations using a B3LYP functional and 6-31G(d) basis set also support this idea. The second change at around 140 °C is probably caused by a weakening of the donor,acceptor bond between the oxygen molecule of THP and the vanadium atom of the host and the formation of a disorder in packing of the THP molecules. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007) [source] Derivation of Recovery Kinetics From Stress Relaxation Tests,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 3 2010Sheila Bhaumik The recovery behavior of a commercial aluminum alloy 3103 was investigated by the means of two alternative experimental methods: stress relaxation (SR) and double tension tests (DT). In case of SR, the stress,time evolution after deformation was recorded, and for DT the yield stress after several recovery times were measured. The DT tests were further sub-divided into tests with and without external load during recovery. The results revealed that the recovery kinetics is clearly accelerated by the external stress during the SR. However, the difference between the DT and SR stresses is much larger. It is caused by continued dislocation glide after the deformation, which causes continued plastic elongation of the specimens. This is demonstrated quantitatively by appropriate evaluation models for both experiments. In contrast to DT, the SR evaluation accounts for the elastic SR due to plastic elongation, but the recovery parameters are the same ones as for DT. This makes it possible to replace DT by SR experiments, which are materially less laborious. [source] Lattice Monte Carlo and Experimental Analyses of the Thermal Conductivity of Random-Shaped Cellular AluminumADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 10 2009Thomas Fiedler The effective thermal conductivity of open- and closed-cell aluminium foams with stochastic pore morphologies has been determined by numerical, analytical and experimental methods. A three dimensional analysis technique has been used where numerical calculation models are generated based on 3D computed tomographic (CT) reconstructions. The resulting three dimensional grid models are used for thermal Lattice Monte Carlo (LMC) analyses. The second part of this paper addresses experimental measurements of open-cell M-pore® and closed-cell Alporas® cellular aluminium. Finally, results obtained using both approaches are compared to classical analytic predictions. [source] Characterization of Zebrafish Cx43.4 Connexin and its ChannelsEXPERIMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 6 2003T. Desplantez Connexins (Cx) form intercellular junctional channels which are responsible for metabolic and electrical coupling. We report here on the biochemical and immunohistochemical characterization of zebrafish connexin zfCx43.4, an orthologue of mammalian and avian Cx45, and the electrophysiological properties of junctional channels formed by this protein. The investigations were performed on transfected COS-7 cells or HeLa cells. Using site-directed antibodies, zfCx43.4 cDNA (GenBank accession no. X96712) was demonstrated to code for a protein with a Mr of 45 000. In transfected cells, zfCx43.4 was localized in cell-cell contact areas as expected for a gap junction protein. zfCx43.4 channels were shown to transfer Lucifer Yellow. The multichannel currents were sensitive to the transjunctional voltage (Vj). Their properties were consistent with a two-state model and yielded the following Boltzmann parameters for negative/positive Vj: Vj,0= -38.4/41.9 mV; gj,min= 0.19/0.18; z = 2.6/2.3. These parameters deviate somewhat from those of zfCx43.4 channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes and from those of Cx45, an orthologue of zfCx43.4, expressed in mammalian cells or Xenopus oocytes. Conceivably, the subtle differences may reflect differences in experimental methods and/or in the expression system. The single channel currents yielded two prominent levels attributable to a main conductance state (,j,main= 33.2 ± 1.5 pS) and a residual conductance state (,j,residual= 11.9 ± 0.6 pS). [source] A steady-state modeling approach to validate an in vivo mechanism of the GAL regulatory network in Saccharomyces cerevisiaeFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 20 2004Malkhey Verma Cellular regulation is a result of complex interactions arising from DNA,protein and protein,protein binding, autoregulation, and compartmentalization and shuttling of regulatory proteins. Experiments in molecular biology have identified these mechanisms recruited by a regulatory network. Mathematical models may be used to complement the knowledge-base provided by in vitro experimental methods. Interactions identified by in vitro experiments can lead to the hypothesis of multiple candidate models explaining the in vivo mechanism. The equilibrium dissociation constants for the various interactions and the total component concentration constitute constraints on the candidate models. In this work, we identify the most plausible in vivo network by comparing the output response to the experimental data. We demonstrate the methodology using the GAL system of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for which the steady-state analysis reveals that Gal3p neither dimerizes nor shuttles between the cytoplasm and the nucleus. [source] The roots of microbiology and the influence of Ferdinand Cohn on microbiology of the 19th centuryFEMS MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS, Issue 3 2000Gerhart Drews Abstract The beginning of modern microbiology can be traced back to the 1870s, and it was based on the development of new concepts that originated during the two preceding centuries on the role of microorganisms, new experimental methods, and discoveries in chemistry, physics, and evolutionary cell biology. The crucial progress was the isolation and growth on solid media of clone cultures arising from single cells and the demonstration that these pure cultures have specific, inheritable characteristics and metabolic capacities. The doctrine of the spontaneous generation of microorganisms, which stimulated research for a century, lost its role as an important concept. Microorganisms were discovered to be causative agents of infectious diseases and of specific metabolic processes. Microscopy techniques advanced studies on microorganisms. The discovery of sexuality and development in microorganisms and Darwin's theory of evolution contributed to the founding of microbiology as a science. Ferdinand Cohn (1828,1898), a pioneer in the developmental biology of lower plants, considerably promoted the taxonomy and physiology of bacteria, discovered the heat-resistant endospores of bacilli, and was active in applied microbiology. [source] Maximum-likelihood estimation of haplotype frequencies in nuclear familiesGENETIC EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue 1 2004Tim Becker Abstract The importance of haplotype analysis in the context of association fine mapping of disease genes has grown steadily over the last years. Since experimental methods to determine haplotypes on a large scale are not available, phase has to be inferred statistically. For individual genotype data, several reconstruction techniques and many implementations of the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm for haplotype frequency estimation exist. Recent research work has shown that incorporating available genotype information of related individuals largely increases the precision of haplotype frequency estimates. We, therefore, implemented a highly flexible program written in C, called FAMHAP, which calculates maximum likelihood estimates (MLEs) of haplotype frequencies from general nuclear families with an arbitrary number of children via the EM-algorithm for up to 20 SNPs. For more loci, we have implemented a locus-iterative mode of the EM-algorithm, which gives reliable approximations of the MLEs for up to 63 SNP loci, or less when multi-allelic markers are incorporated into the analysis. Missing genotypes can be handled as well. The program is able to distinguish cases (haplotypes transmitted to the first affected child of a family) from pseudo-controls (non-transmitted haplotypes with respect to the child). We tested the performance of FAMHAP and the accuracy of the obtained haplotype frequencies on a variety of simulated data sets. The implementation proved to work well when many markers were considered and no significant differences between the estimates obtained with the usual EM-algorithm and those obtained in its locus-iterative mode were observed. We conclude from the simulations that the accuracy of haplotype frequency estimation and reconstruction in nuclear families is very reliable in general and robust against missing genotypes. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Elastic properties of dry clay mineral aggregates, suspensions and sandstonesGEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2003Tiziana Vanorio SUMMARY The presence of clay minerals can alter the elastic behaviour of rocks significantly. Although clay minerals are common in sedimentary formations and seismic measurements are our main tools for studying subsurface lithologies, measurements of elastic properties of clay minerals have proven difficult. Theoretical values for the bulk modulus of clay are reported between 20 and 50 GPa. The only published experimental measurement of Young's modulus in a clay mineral using atomic force acoustic microscopy (AFAM) gave a much lower value of 6.2 GPa. This study has concentrated on using independent experimental methods to measure the elastic moduli of clay minerals as functions of pressure and saturation. First, ultrasonic P - and S -wave velocities were measured as functions of hydrostatic pressure in cold-pressed clay aggregates with porosity and grain density ranging from 4 to 43 per cent and 2.13 to 2.83 g cm,3, respectively. In the second experiment, P - and S -wave velocities in clay powders were measured under uniaxial stresses compaction. In the third experiment, P -wave velocity and attenuation in a kaolinite,water suspension with clay concentrations between 0 and 60 per cent were measured at ambient conditions. Our elastic moduli measurements of kaolinite, montmorillonite and smectite are consistent for all experiments and with reported AFAM measurements on a nanometre scale. The bulk modulus values of the solid clay phase (Ks) lie between 6 and 12 GPa and shear (,s) modulus values vary between 4 and 6 GPa. A comparison is made between the accuracy of velocity prediction in shaley sandstones and clay,water and clay,sand mixtures using the values measured in this study and those from theoretical models. Using Ks= 12 GPa and ,s= 6 GPa from this study, the models give a much better prediction both of experimental velocity reduction due to increase in clay content in sandstones and velocity measurements in a kaolinite,water suspension. [source] Prediction method of critical power by film flow rate measurement and subchannel analysisHEAT TRANSFER - ASIAN RESEARCH (FORMERLY HEAT TRANSFER-JAPANESE RESEARCH), Issue 5 2005Miyuki Akiba Abstract This paper presents a method that can estimate the critical power of boiling water reactors, BWRs, with regard to spacer geometry. The current experimental method for estimating the critical power for BWR design requires many trained experts and expensive facilities to conduct the experiments. In the present method, the liquid film flow rate of adiabatic gas-liquid two-phase flow and a subchannel analysis of the actual BWR flow condition are measured experimentally and analyzed. In the experiment, deposition enhancement coefficients of three spacer geometries,a ferrule, an egg-crate, and a ferrule spacer with twisted tape (CYCLONE spacer),were estimated by measuring the liquid film flow rate of air-water two-phase flow flowing up in a vertical square (4 × 4) rod bundle that simulated the rod bundle of a BWR. Using these coefficients, the critical powers for bundles using each type of spacer geometry were calculated in the subchannel analysis. This method was validated using previous critical power data in the actual BWR flow condition. The critical powers predicted by this method agreed well with those of the experimental data. The result confirmed the effectiveness of this experiment-simulation combined method, as well as the advantage over current experimental methods in terms of human and facility costs. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res, 34(5): 309,323, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/htj.20069 [source] Progress with Molecular Electronic Junctions: Meeting Experimental Challenges in Design and FabricationADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 43 2009Richard L. McCreery Abstract Molecular electronics seeks to incorporate molecular components as functional elements in electronic devices. There are numerous strategies reported to date for the fabrication, design, and characterization of such devices, but a broadly accepted example showing structure-dependent conductance behavior has not yet emerged. This progress report focuses on experimental methods for making both single-molecule and ensemble molecular junctions, and highlights key results from these efforts. Based on some general objectives of the field, particular experiments are presented to show progress in several important areas, and also to define those areas that still need attention. Some of the variable behavior of ostensibly similar junctions reported in the literature is attributable to differences in the way the junctions are fabricated. These differences are due, in part, to the multitude of methods for supporting the molecular layer on the substrate, including methods that utilize physical adsorption and covalent bonds, and to the numerous strategies for making top contacts. After discussing recent experimental progress in molecular electronics, an assessment of the current state of the field is presented, along with a proposed road map that can be used to assess progress in the future. [source] Ceramic,Polymer Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3/Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) Composites with Different Type Composite Structures for Electronic TechnologyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED CERAMIC TECHNOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Hong Wang Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 (BST)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) composites with 0,3, 1,3, and 2,2 type structures were prepared and studied. The effect of composite type on the dielectric properties of BST/PMMA composites was comprehensively investigated by both theoretical and experimental methods. The 1,3 type composite shows the highest permittivity and dielectric tunability, while the 2,2 and 0,3 type composites show lower permittivity as well as lower dielectric tunabilities. The experimentally measured dielectric properties are in agreement with the theoretically calculated values. The results help in understanding and tailoring the dielectric properties of ceramic,polymer composites by choosing a suitable composite structure. [source] Experiments in Environmental Economics and Some Close RelativesJOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SURVEYS, Issue 3 2006Bodo Sturm Abstract., It is not only the great number of papers written on environment economics that make it worth dealing with this special branch of experimental research, but the environmental problem in all its facets seems to serve as a catalyst for identifying some methodological problems of the experimental method. For this reason, we will not only try to give an overview of recent experiments in environmental economics but also add some thoughts on the methodological implications of this work. We identify three direct connecting factors for the experimental method and environmental economics. First, social dilemmas are, in many cases, at the core of environmental problems. Experiments are able to test theoretical hypotheses for individual behavior in such social dilemma situations. The second connecting factor comes from the field of applied experimental work and can be characterized as the testbedding of institutional arrangements for the solution of environmental problems. The last direct application of experimental methods to environmental economics concerns the individual evaluation of environmental resources. [source] Hunger, light level and body size affect refuge use by post-settlement lingcod Ophiodon elongatusJOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2006M. E. Petrie Using experimental methods, body size, nutritional state (hunger) and light level were investigated as possible determinants of the extent to which juvenile lingcod Ophiodon elongatus used structural refuges. In the laboratory, older, larger individuals (134,162 mm total length, LT) exhibited a higher propensity for structure use than did smaller juvenile fish (78,103 mm LT). In fish of both body sizes, increasing hunger levels caused fish to emerge more readily from refuges than satiated individuals, with this effect most prominent for smaller fish. Diel patterns of ambient illumination were simulated in the laboratory, and refuge use by large individuals decreased significantly in response to lower nocturnal light levels, a pattern that was not observed in the smaller size class. These results indicate an ontogenetic shift in refuge use. During the summer, as post-settlement fish grew larger, they tended to increase affinity for structurally complex habitat, and also showed divergent patterns of behaviour in relation to hunger and light level. [source] Do egg size and parental care coevolve in fishes?JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2005N. Kolm A phenomenon that has attracted a substantial theoretical and empirical interest is the positive relationship between egg size and the extent of parental care in fishes. Interestingly, despite the effort put into solving the causality behind this relationship over the past two decades it remains largely unsolved. Moreover, how general the positive relationship between egg size and parental care is among fishes is also poorly understood. In order to stimulate research exploring egg size and parental care variation in fishes, the potential selective forces from both natural and sexual selection on egg size and parental care are discussed. Recent empirical findings on how oxygen requirements and developmental times may differ between differently sized eggs are incorporated into a critical view of the current theory of this field. Furthermore, it is suggested that the up to now neglected effects of sexual selection, through both mate choice and sexual conflict, can have strong effects on the relationship between egg size and parental care in fishes. In light of the recent developments of comparative and experimental methods, future approaches that may improve the understanding of the relationship between egg size and care in fishes are suggested. [source] A MODEL FOR TEMPERATURE AND MOISTURE DISTRIBUTION DURING CONTINUOUS MICROWAVE DRYING,JOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING, Issue 1 2005D. BOLDOR ABSTRACT A heat and mass transfer model of continuous drying of farmer stock (in-shell, uncured) peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) in a planar microwave applicator was developed and investigated. Transport phenomena equations previously developed for batch-type microwave drying were successfully adapted to account for the spatial variation of the electric field inside the applicator. The theoretical equations developed, together with experimental methods, were used to determine the effect of microwave power level and dielectric properties on the temperature profiles and reduction in peanuts' moisture content (mc). The temperature profiles from the solution of these equations matched the experimental ones determined using fiber optic temperature probes inserted into drying peanut pods. An exact theoretical determination of mc reduction during microwave drying was not possible due to the dependence of dielectric properties on mc. The surface temperature distribution of the peanut bed measured using infrared pyrometry was well correlated with internal temperature profiles. [source] Validation of video versus electromyography for chewing evaluation of the elderly wearing a complete dentureJOURNAL OF ORAL REHABILITATION, Issue 8 2007E. NICOLAS summary, Chewing efficiency may affect nutritional status in the elderly. Many elderly patients are complete denture wearers, and often present cognitive problems. Those two factors make evaluation of mastication difficult with experimental methods. Analysis of video recording may be a simple way to routinely assess chewing parameters. This study aimed at validating several parameters of video evaluation versus electromyography (EMG), which is considered the ,gold standard'. The design was a prospective randomized study, carried out at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France. Twelve complete denture wearers chewed four model foods differing in hardness. Sessions were videotaped and EMG recordings were registered. Mastication time, number of masticatory cycles and cleaning time were recorded simultaneously by video and EMG. Two investigators independently analyzed the videos twice, in random order. Evaluation of criterion validity: a positive video/EMG correlation was found for the parameters ,chewing time' (0·89, Pearson) and ,number of masticatory cycles' (0·94, Spearman), whereas no statistical difference was found between these two EMG and video variables (t -test). Inter and intra-rater reliability gave a positive intraclass coefficient (ICC) for duration of mastication (0·86,0·98), number of masticatory cycles (0·90,0·97) and cleaning time (0·90,0·98). Discriminatory ability was studied using anova (P = 0·01): variation was significant in masticatory duration (F = 10), number of masticatory cycles (F = 10) and cleaning time (F = 4). Video may be a useful assessment tool in prosthetic rehabilitation and can be applied to help choose the type of food (solid, semi-liquid or liquid) to administer to dependent persons, particularly those suffering from dementia. [source] Liposome transport of hydrophobic drugs: Gel phase lipid bilayer permeability and partitioning of the lactone form of a hydrophobic camptothecin, DB-67JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 1 2008Vijay Joguparthi Abstract The design of liposomal delivery systems for hydrophobic drug molecules having improved encapsulation efficiency and enhanced drug retention would be highly desirable. Unfortunately, the poor aqueous solubility and high membrane binding affinity of hydrophobic drugs necessitates extensive validation of experimental methods to determine both liposome loading and permeability and thus the development of a quantitative understanding of the factors governing the encapsulation and retention/release of such compounds has been slow. This report describes an efflux transport method using dynamic dialysis to study the liposomal membrane permeability of hydrophobic compounds. A mathematical model has been developed to calculate liposomal membrane permeability coefficients of hydrophobic compounds from dynamic dialysis experiments and partitioning experiments using equilibrium dialysis. Also reported is a simple method to study the release kinetics of liposome encapsulated camptothecin lactone in plasma by comparing the hydrolysis kinetics of liposome entrapped versus free drug. DB-67, a novel hydrophobic camptothecin analogue has been used as a model permeant to validate these methods. Theoretical estimates of DB-67 permeability obtained from the bulk solubility diffusion model and the "barrier-domain" solubility diffusion model are compared to the experimentally observed value. The use of dynamic dialysis in drug release studies of liposome and other nanoparticle formulations is further discussed and experimental artifacts that can arise without adequate validation are illustrated through simulations. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 97:400,420, 2008 [source] Advances in laser technology for isolated attosecond pulse generationLASER PHYSICS LETTERS, Issue 4 2009C. Vozzi Abstract In this review we report on recent advances in laser technology, which have contributed to the fast development of attosecond science. In particular we will concentrate on two experimental methods for the generation of high-peak-power, fewoptical-cycle laser pulses with controlled electric field, which are crucial for the generation of isolated attosecond pulses. The first method is the hollow-fiber compression technique, introduced in 1996 and now routinely used in several laboratories. So far, isolated attosecond pulses have been generated by using few-cycle pulses produced by such compression technique, in combination with active stabilization of the carrier-envelope phase. More recently, few-cycle pulses tunable in the infrared region have been generated by optical parametric amplification with passive stabilization of the carrier-envelope phase. Such parametric sources represent excellent drivers for the generation of harmonic radiation with an extended cutoff, and offer the possibility to extend attosecond science towards the soft-X rays region. Finally, we will briefly discuss the basic elements of attosecond metrology. (© 2009 by Astro Ltd., Published exclusively by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA) [source] Density Fluctuations during the Early Stages of Polymer Crystallization: An OverviewMACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS & ENGINEERING, Issue 4 2008Jimmy Baert Abstract The present work provides a critical review of polymer crystallization studies using SALS; experimental methods, analysis techniques, observations and their relations with respect to other techniques are discussed. Furthermore, the fact that nucleation might be accompanied by large scale density fluctuations has been investigated for the flow-induced crystallization of iPB. SALS was applied to measure density and orientation fluctuations, whereas complementary results were obtained from optical microscopy. The observations from both crystallization and melting experiments seem to indicate that the detected density fluctuations result from the presence of weakly anisotropic structures, rather than being an indication of densification before the onset of crystallization. [source] Liposome/water lipophilicity: Methods, information content, and pharmaceutical applicationsMEDICINAL RESEARCH REVIEWS, Issue 3 2004Georgette Plemper van Balen Abstract This review discusses liposome/water lipophilicity in terms of the structure of liposomes, experimental methods, and information content. In a first part, the structural properties of the hydrophobic core and polar surface of liposomes are examined in the light of potential interactions with solute molecules. Particular emphasis is placed on the physicochemical properties of polar headgroups of lipids in liposomes. A second part is dedicated to three useful methods to study liposome/water partitioning, namely potentiometry, equilibrium dialysis, and 1H-NMR relaxation rates. In each case, the principle and limitations of the method are discussed. The next part presents the structural information encoded in liposome/water lipophilicity, in other words the solutes' structural and physicochemical properties that determine their behavior and hence their partitioning in such systems. This presentation is based on a comparison between isotropic (i.e., solvent/water) and anisotropic (e.g., liposome/water) systems. An important factor to be considered is whether the anisotropic lipid phase is ionized or not. Three examples taken from the authors' laboratories are discussed to illustrate the factors or combinations thereof that govern liposome/water lipophilicity, namely (a) hydrophobic interactions alone, (b) hydrophobic and polar interactions, and (c) conformational effects plus hydrophobic and ionic interactions. The next part presents two studies taken from the field of QSAR to exemplify the use of liposome/water lipophilicity in structure,disposition and structure,activity relationships. In the conclusion, we summarize the interests and limitations of this technology and point to promising developments. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Med Res Rev, 24, No. 3, 299,324, 2004 [source] Density functional study of graphene overlayers on SiCPHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (B) BASIC SOLID STATE PHYSICS, Issue 7 2008Alexander Mattausch Abstract Despite the ongoing "graphene boom" of the last three years our understanding of epitaxial graphene grown on SiC substrate is only beginning to emerge. Along with experimental methods such as low energy electron diffraction (LEED), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), ab initio calculations help to uncover the geometric and electronic structure of the graphene/SiC interface. In this chapter we describe the density-functional calculations we performed for single and double graphene layers on Si- and C-terminated 6H-SiC surfaces. Experimental data reveal a pronounced difference between the two surface terminations. On a Si-terminated surface the interface adopts a 6,3 × 6,3 unit cell whereas the C-face supports misoriented (turbostratic) graphene layers. It has been recently realized that, on the Si-face, the large commensurate cell is subdivided into patches of coherently matching to the substrate carbon atoms. In our calculations we assumed the "coherent match" geometry for the whole interface plane. This reduces the periodic unit to the ,3 × ,3R 30° cell but requires a substantial stretching of the graphene sheet. Although simplified, the model provides a qualitative picture of the bonding and of the interface electron energy spectrum. We find that the covalent bonding between the carbon layer and the substrate destroys the massless "relativistic" electron energy spectrum, the hallmark of a freestanding graphene. Hence the first carbon layer cannot be responsible for the graphene-type electron spectrum observed by ARPES and rather plays a role of a buffer between the substrate and the subsequent carbon sheets. The "true" graphene spectrum appears with the second carbon layer which exhibits a weak van der Waals bonding to the underlying structure. For Si-terminated substrate, we find that the Fermi level is pinned by the interface state at 0.45 eV above the graphene Dirac point, in agreement with experimental data. This renders the interface metallic. On the contrary, for a C-face the "coherent match" model predicts the Fermi level exactly at the Dirac point. However, this does not necessarily apply to the turbostratic graphene layers that normally grow on the C-terminated substrate. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||