Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
First Application (first + application)
Selected AbstractsThree-Dimensional Catheter Positioning During Radiofrequency Ablation in Patients: First Application of a Real-Time Position Management SystemJOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 11 2000NATASJA M.S. DE GROOT M.D. Three-Dimensional Reai-Time Position Management. Introduction: Precise localization of target sites for radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) of arrhythmias is hampered by the relative inaccuracy of X-ray localization procedures. This study evaluated the efficacy of a three-dimensional (3D) real-time position management system in guiding RFCA procedures in patients. Methods and Results: Patients (n = 30, age 59 ± 20 years) referred for ablation of either atrial flutter (n = 10), ventricular tachycardia (n = 15), or accessory pathways (n = 5) were studied. The real-time position management system uses ultrasound ranging techniques to track the position of an ablation catheter relative to two multitransducer reference catheters, positioned in the right atrium or coronary sinus and the right ventricle. Each catheter contains three or four ultrasound transducers. The distance between the transducer(s) is determined hy calculating the time necessary for an ultrasound pulse to reach other transducers, assuming the speed of sound in blood is 1,550 m/sec. The proximal His bundle was marked at the beginning and the end of the procedure as an electrical landmark to verify reproducibility. After identification of target sites, the position of each lesion created with the ablation catheter was marked. Successful ahlation was achieved in 94% of the patients. The distance between the location of the proximal His hundle as marked at the beginning and at the end of the procedure was 2.0 ± 1.2 mm (range 1.5 to 3.5). Conclusion: The new 3D real-time position management system facilitated RFCA procedures as it allowed accurate and reproducible 3D tracking of the mapping and ablation catheter. [source] ChemInform Abstract: Synthesis of C2 -Symmetric Sulfide and Its First Application in Highly Enantioselective Synthesis of Chiral Aziridines.CHEMINFORM, Issue 19 2008Yuan Gui Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a "Full Text" option. The original article is trackable via the "References" option. [source] First Application of Ionic Liquid to Reactions Involving Organotellurium Compounds as Intermediates.CHEMINFORM, Issue 49 2005Lei Wang Abstract For Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text. [source] First Application of Calixarenes as Extractants in Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids.CHEMINFORM, Issue 33 2004Kojiro Shimojo Abstract For Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text. [source] ChemInform Abstract: Enantioselective Synthesis of a Novel Chiral 2,9-Disubstituted 1,10-Phenanthroline and First Applications in Asymmetric Catalysis.CHEMINFORM, Issue 18 2010Mecheril Valsan Nandakumar Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a "Full Text" option. The original article is trackable via the "References" option. [source] An epidemic of allergic contact dermatitis due to epilating productsCONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 2 2002A. Goossens Over a period of 19 months, 33 cases of acute allergic contact dermatitis from Veet® epilating waxes and/or the accompanying tissue (Reckitt Benckiser, Massy, France) were observed in France and Belgium. The lesions started on the legs and spread to other parts of the body, especially the face, and were sometimes so severe that hospitalization and/or systemic corticosteroids were required. Primary sensitization occurred as early as after the first application in several patients. Patch tests were performed in 26 of the patients and produced strong positive reactions to the tissue (25 times) and/or the wax (13 times). The allergenic culprits in the wax were modified-colophonium derivatives (colophonium in the standard series testing negatively in all except 4 patients), while methoxy PEG-22/dodecyl glycol copolymer and to a lesser degree lauryl alcohol turned out to be the main causal allergens in the tissue. [source] Neurite Outgrowth on Nanocomposite Scaffolds Synthesized from PLGA and Carboxylated Carbon Nanotubes,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 12 2009Hyun Jung Lee Abstract Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been suggested as suitable materials for biomedical applications, especially in the neural area. It is essential not only to investigate the biocompatibility of CNTs with the neural system but also to determine proper methods for applying CNTs to neuronal growth. This work represents the first application of CNTs by electrospun poly(D,L -lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) scaffolds for a neural system. We synthesized electrospun nanocomposites of PLGA and single-walled carbon nanotubes functionalized by carboxylic acid groups (c- SWNTs), and investigated neurite outgrowth from SH-SY5Y cells on these nanocomposites as compared to that on fibrous PLGA alone. Cells on our PLGA/c -SWNT nanocomposite showed significantly enhanced mitochondrial function and neurite outgrowth compared to cells on PLGA alone. We concluded that c -SWNTs incorporated into fibrous PLGA scaffolds exerted a positive role on the health of neural cells. [source] High-resolution seismic imaging in deep sea from a joint deep-towed/OBH reflection experiment: application to a Mass Transport Complex offshore NigeriaGEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2010S. Ker SUMMARY We assess the feasibility of high-resolution seismic depth imaging in deep water based on a new geophysical approach involving the joint use of a deep-towed seismic device (SYSIF) and ocean bottom hydrophones (OBHs). Source signature measurement enables signature deconvolution to be used to improve the vertical resolution and signal-to-noise ratio. The source signature was also used to precisely determine direct traveltimes that were inverted to relocate source and receiver positions. The very high accuracy of the positioning that was obtained enabled depth imaging and a stack of the OBH data to be performed. The determination of the P -wave velocity distribution was realized by the adaptation of an iterative focusing approach to the specific acquisition geometry. This innovative experiment combined with advanced processing succeeded in reaching lateral and vertical resolution (2.5 and 1 m) in accordance with the objectives of imaging fine scale structures and correlation with in situ measurements. To illustrate the technological and processing advances of the approach, we present a first application performed during the ERIG3D cruise offshore Nigeria with the seismic data acquired over NG1, a buried Mass Transport Complex (MTC) interpreted as a debris flow by conventional data. Evidence for a slide nature of a part of the MTC was provided by the high resolution of the OBH depth images. Rigid behaviour may be inferred from movement of coherent material inside the MTC and thrust structures at the base of the MTC. Furthermore, a silt layer that was disrupted during emplacement but has maintained its stratigraphic position supports a short transport distance. [source] A mixed logit model of health care provider choice: analysis of NSS data for rural IndiaHEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 9 2006Bijan J. Borah Abstract In order to address the persistent problems of access to and delivery of health care in rural India, a better understanding of the individual provider choice decision is required. This paper is an attempt in this direction as it investigates the determinants of outpatient health care provider choice in rural India in the mixed multinomial logit (MMNL) framework. This is the first application of the mixed logit to the modeling of health care utilization. We also use the multiple imputation technique to impute the missing prices of providers that an individual did not visit when she was ill. Using data from National Sample Survey Organization of India, we find the following: price and distance to a health facility play significant roles in health care provider choice decision; when health status is poor, distance plays a less significant role in an adult's provider choice decision; price elasticity of demand for outpatient care varies with income, with low-income groups being more price-sensitive than high-income ones. Furthermore, outpatient care for children is more price-elastic than that for adults, which reflects the socio-economic structure of a typical household in rural India where an adult's health is more important than that of a child for the household's economic sustenance. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Functional expression of a locust tyramine receptor in murine erythroleukaemia cellsINSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2001J. Poels Abstract The LCR/MEL system (Locus Control Region/Murine Erythroleukaemia cells) was employed to express and characterize the Locusta migratoria tyramine receptor (TyrLoc), an insect G protein-coupled receptor. Functional agonist-dependent responses were recorded in stable, tyramine receptor expressing cell clones (MEL-TyrLoc). Tyramine elicited a dose-dependent increase of cytosolic Ca2+ -ions and an attenuation of forskolin-induced cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP) production. Octopamine was shown to be a weak agonist for both responses. In addition, yohimbine proved to be a potent tyramine receptor antagonist. This study reports the first application of the LCR/MEL expression system in functional assays for G protein-coupled receptors and therefore expands the capabilities of this system by exploiting the functionality of the signal transduction pathways. [source] Incentive effects in the demand for health care: a bivariate panel count data estimationJOURNAL OF APPLIED ECONOMETRICS, Issue 4 2003Regina T. Riphahn This paper contributes in three dimensions to the literature on health care demand. First, it features the first application of a bivariate random effects estimator in a count data setting, to permit the efficient estimation of this type of model with panel data. Second, it provides an innovative test of adverse selection and confirms that high-risk individuals are more likely to acquire supplemental add-on insurance. Third, the estimations yield that in accordance with the theory of moral hazard, we observe a much lower frequency of doctor visits among the self-employed, and among mothers of small children. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Efficacy of Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. against the tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris L., in strawberriesJOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2008R. Sabbahi Abstract Beauveria bassiana has a high insecticidal potential to control the tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris, a significant pest of strawberries. Screening experiments showed that L. lineolaris adults were susceptible to several B. bassiana isolates. Another screening test with Coleomegilla maculata, a natural enemy found in strawberries, was also performed in order to select the isolate having lower entomopathogenic impact on this insect. Based on data obtained from both insect species and on the ecozone origin of the B. bassiana isolates, INRS-IP and INRS-CFL isolates were selected for further experiments. The LC50 values of these two isolates against L. lineolaris adults were 7.8 × 105 and 5.3 × 105 conidia/ml, and average survival time (AST) values were 4.46 and 4.37 days at a concentration of 1 × 108 conidia/ml respectively. Results also indicated that L. lineolaris nymphs are susceptible to the selected isolates. During field experiments, using a randomized block design with four replicates, INRS-IP and INRS-CFL isolates were applied at two rates (1 × 1011 and 1 × 1013 conidia/ha) weekly during a period of 4 weeks. These multiple applications triggered a significant reduction of L. lineolaris nymphal populations in strawberries. Twenty-four days after the first application, a significant difference was observed between the mean population densities of surviving nymphs in all B. bassiana -treated plots (less than one insect per five plants) compared with those in control plots (four insects per five plants). During the field experiment, persistence of insecticidal activity and viability of B. bassiana conidia were also monitored. The results showed the presence of viable and infective conidia up to 6 days after each application on strawberry foliage. Moreover, the multiple applications of B. bassiana at the rate of 1 × 1013 conidia/ha triggered a significant reduction in strawberry fruit injuries induced by L. lineolaris feeding behaviour compared with the control plots. [source] PTR-TOF-MS and data-mining methods for rapid characterisation of agro-industrial samples: influence of milk storage conditions on the volatile compounds profile of Trentingrana cheese,JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 9 2010Alessandra Fabris Abstract Proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry (PTR-MS), a direct injection mass spectrometric technique based on an efficient implementation of chemical ionisation, allows for fast and high-sensitivity monitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The first implementations of PTR-MS, based on quadrupole mass analyzers (PTR-Quad-MS), provided only the nominal mass of the ions measured and thus little chemical information. To partially overcome these limitations and improve the analytical capability of this technique, the coupling of proton transfer reaction ionisation with a time-of-flight mass analyser has been recently realised and commercialised (PTR-TOF-MS). Here we discuss the very first application of this new instrument to agro-industrial problems and dairy science in particular. As a case study, we show here that the rapid PTR-TOF-MS fingerprinting coupled with data-mining methods can quickly verify whether the storage condition of the milk affects the final quality of cheese and we provide relevant examples of better compound identification in comparison with the previous PTR-MS implementations. In particular, ,Trentingrana' cheese produced by four different procedures for milk storage are compared both in the case of winter and summer production. It is indeed possible to set classification models with low prediction errors and to identify the chemical formula of the ion peaks used for classification, providing evidence of the role that this novel spectrometric technique can play for fundamental and applied agro-industrial themes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Photothermal antimicrobial nanotherapy and nanodiagnostics with self-assembling carbon nanotube clustersLASERS IN SURGERY AND MEDICINE, Issue 7 2007Jin-Woo Kim PhD Abstract Background and Objectives Unique properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) would open new avenues for addressing challenges to realize rapid and sensitive antimicrobial diagnostics and therapy for human pathogens. In this study, new CNTs' capabilities for photothermal (PT) antimicrobial nanotherapy were explored in vitro using Escherichia coli as a model bacterium. Study Design/Materials and Methods Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were incubated with E. coli K12 strain. CNTs' locations in bacteria and laser-induced thermal and accompanied effects around CNTs were estimated with TEM and PT microscopy, respectively. Multi-pulse lasers at 532 and 1064 nm with 12-ns pulse duration were used for irradiating sample mixtures at different laser fluences. Cell viability was evaluated using a bacterial viability test kit and epi-fluorescence microscopy. Results This study revealed CNTs' high binding affinity to bacteria, their capability to self-assemble as clusters at bacteria surfaces, and their inherent near-infrared (NIR) laser responsiveness. Cell viability was affected neither by CNTs alone nor by NIR irradiations alone. Notable changes in bacteria viability, caused by local thermal and accompanied bubble-formation phenomena, were observed starting at laser fluences of 0.1,0.5 J/cm2 with complete bacteria disintegration at 2,3 J/cm2 at both wavelengths. Furthermore, ethanol in reaction mixtures significantly (more than one order) enhanced bubble formation phenomena. Conclusion This first application of laser-activated CNTs as PT contrast antimicrobial agents demonstrated its great potential to cause irreparable damages to disease-causing pathogens as well as to detect the pathogens at single bacterium level. This unique integration of laser and nanotechnology may also be used for drinking water treatment, food processing, disinfection of medical instrumentation, and purification of grafts and implants. Furthermore, the significant ethanol-induced enhancement of bubble formation provides another unique possibility to improve the efficiency of selective nanophotothermolysis for treating cancers, wounds, and vascular legions. Lesers Surg. Med. 39:622,634, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Noninvasive detection of pulmonary tissue destruction in a mouse model of emphysema using hyperpolarized 129Xe MRS under spontaneous respirationMAGNETIC RESONANCE IN MEDICINE, Issue 4 2010Hirohiko Imai Abstract In the present study, a chemical shift saturation recovery method in hyperpolarized 129Xe MR spectroscopy measurements was applied to two groups of spontaneously breathing mice, an elastase-induced emphysema model and a control group. Parameters detected were those related to lung structures and functions, such as alveolar septal thickness, h, the ratio of the alveolar septal volume relative to gas space volume, Vs/Va, and the transit time of blood through the gas exchange region, ,. To investigate the potential of these parameters as biomarkers, an attempt was made to detect physiologic changes in the lungs of elastase-treated mice. Our results showed that Vs/Va was significantly reduced in elastase-treated mice, reflecting emphysema-like destruction of the alveolar wall. Compared with histologic results, this degree of reduction was shown to reflect the severity of wall destruction. On the other hand, significant changes in other parameters, h and ,, were not shown. This study is the first application of hyperpolarized 129Xe MR spectroscopy to a mouse model of emphysema and shows that the Vs/Va volume ratio is an effective biomarker for emphysema that could become useful in drug research and development through noninvasive detection of pathologic changes in small rodents. Magn Reson Med, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] On the application of a non-CPMG single-shot fast spin-echo sequence to diffusion tensor MRI of the human brainMAGNETIC RESONANCE IN MEDICINE, Issue 1 2002Mark E. Bastin Abstract The strong sensitivity of Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) fast spin-echo (FSE) sequences, such as rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (RARE), to the phase of the prepared transverse magnetization means that artifact-free single-shot diffusion-weighted images can currently only be obtained with a 30,50% reduction in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). However, this phase sensitivity and signal loss can be addressed in FSE sequences that use quadratic phase modulation of the radiofrequency (RF) refocusing pulses to generate a sustained train of stable echoes. Here the first application of such a non-CPMG single-shot FSE (ssFSE) sequence to diffusion tensor MR imaging (DT-MRI) of the human brain is described. This approach provides high SNR diffusion-weighted images that have little or no susceptibility to poor B0 magnetic field homogeneity and the strong eddy currents typically present in DT-MRI experiments. Magn Reson Med 48:6,14, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Online motion correction for diffusion-weighted imaging using navigator echoes: Application to RARE imaging without sensitivity lossMAGNETIC RESONANCE IN MEDICINE, Issue 5 2001David G. Norris Abstract This article describes the first application of true online motion correction to diffusion-weighted RARE imaging. Two orthogonal navigator echoes were acquired and zeroth and first-order phase corrections applied in less than 8 ms between a diffusion-weighted magnetization preparation and data acquisition using the RARE sequence. The zeroth-order phase correction was realized by pulsing the system's B0 -coil: the first-order error corrected with appropriate magnetic field gradient pulses. Online correction ensured that no irreversible signal loss could occur in the imaging experiment. Diffusion-weighted images of the brain were obtained from healthy volunteers. EGG-triggered acquisition was applied at 400 ms after the R-wave. Data were acquired on a matrix of 256 × 256 with a RARE factor of 16 and a b -value of 804 smm,2. The images obtained with online motion correction showed a remarkably high image quality, while those acquired without motion correction were severely degraded by artifacts. Magn Reson Med 45:729,733, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Two constructive embedding-extension theorems with applications to continuity principles and to Banach-Mazur computabilityMLQ- MATHEMATICAL LOGIC QUARTERLY, Issue 4-5 2004Andrej Bauer Abstract We prove two embedding and extension theorems in the context of the constructive theory of metric spaces. The first states that Cantor space embeds in any inhabited complete separable metric space (CSM) without isolated points, X, in such a way that every sequentially continuous function from Cantor space to , extends to a sequentially continuous function from X to ,. The second asserts an analogous property for Baire space relative to any inhabited locally non-compact CSM. Both results rely on having careful constructive formulations of the concepts involved. As a first application, we derive new relationships between "continuity principles" asserting that all functions between specified metric spaces are pointwise continuous. In particular, we give conditions that imply the failure of the continuity principle "all functions from X to , are continuous", when X is an inhabited CSM without isolated points, and when X is an inhabited locally non-compact CSM. One situation in which the latter case applies is in models based on "domain realizability", in which the failure of the continuity principle for any inhabited locally non-compact CSM, X, generalizes a result previously obtained by Escardó and Streicher in the special case X = C[0, 1]. As a second application, we show that, when the notion of inhabited complete separable metric space without isolated points is interpreted in a recursion-theoretic setting, then, for any such space X, there exists a Banach-Mazur computable function from X to the computable real numbers that is not Markov computable. This generalizes a result obtained by Hertling in the special case that X is the space of computable real numbers. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Molecular detection of predation by soil micro-arthropods on nematodesMOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 7 2006D. S. READ Abstract The relative importance of the factors driving change in the population dynamics of nematodes in the soil is almost completely unknown. Top-down control by micro-arthropod predators may have a significant impact on nematode population dynamics. We report experiments showing that mites and Collembola were capable of reducing nematode numbers in the laboratory and were feeding on a targeted nematode species in the field. A PCR-based approach was developed for the detection of predation on three species of slug- and insect-pathogenic nematodes: Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita, Heterorhabditis megidis and Steinernema feltiae. The collembolan Folsomia candida and the mesostigmatid mite Stratiolaelaps miles were employed as model predators to calibrate post-ingestion prey DNA detection times. Fragments of cytochrome oxidase I (COI) mtDNA were sequenced and species-specific primers were designed, amplifying 154-, 154- and 203-bp fragments for each of the nematode species. Detection times for nematode DNA within the guts of Collembola were longer than in mites, with half-lives (50% of samples testing positive) of 08.75 h and 05.03 h, respectively. F. candida significantly reduced numbers of the nematode H. megidis, with rates of predation of ,0.4 nematode infective juveniles per collembolan per hour over 10 h. Four taxa of field-caught micro-arthropod that had been exposed to the nematode P. hermaphrodita for a period of 12 h were analysed and significant numbers of three taxa tested positive. This is the first application of PCR techniques for the study of nematophagy and the first time these techniques have been used to measure predation on nematodes in the field. [source] Follow-up: An analysis of the U.S.-Uruguay bilateral investment treaty, the new model's first applicationALTERNATIVES TO THE HIGH COST OF LITIGATION, Issue 3 2005Mark Kantor Mark Kantor, of Washington, D.C., follows up on his Alternatives' analysis last year of the new arbitration-centric U.S. draft revised model bilateral investment treaty. The first fully negotiated treaty since the model was released has been signed with Uruguay, and changes some of the model's application. [source] PGD for monogenic disorders: aspects of molecular biology,PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS, Issue 1 2009Claudia Spits Abstract Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for monogenic diseases has known a considerable evolution since its first application in the early 1990s. Especially the technical aspects of the genetic diagnosis itself, the single-cell genetic analysis, has constantly evolved to reach levels of accuracy and efficiency nearing those of genetic diagnosis on regular DNA samples. In this review, we will focus on the molecular biological techniques that are currently in use in the most advanced centers for PGD for monogenic disorders, including multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and post-PCR diagnostic methods, whole genome amplification (WGA) and multiple displacement amplification (MDA). As it becomes more and more clear that when it comes to ethically difficult indications, PGD goes further than prenatal diagnosis (PND), we will also briefly discuss ethical issues. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Targeted comparative proteomics by liquid chromatography/matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry,RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 5 2006Jeremy E. Melanson Here we report the first application of a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer for targeted proteomics. Employing an amine-specific isotopic labelling approach, the technique was validated using five randomly selected bovine serum albumin peptides differentially labelled at known ratios. An indirect benefit of the isotopic labelling technique is a significant enhancement of the a1 ion in tandem mass (MS/MS) spectra of all peptides studied. Therefore, the a1 ion was selected as the fragment ion for multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) in all cases, eliminating tedious method development and optimization. Accurate quantification was achieved with an average relative standard deviation (RSD) of 5% (n,=,5) and a detection limit of 14,amol. The technique was then applied to validate an important virulence biomarker of the fungal pathogen Candida albicans, which was not accurately quantified using global proteomics experiment employing two-dimensional liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (2D-LC/ESI)-MS/MS. Using LC/MALDI-MRM analysis of five tryptic peptides, the protein PHR1 was found to be upregulated in the hyphal (pathogenic) form of C. albicans by a factor of 7.7,±,0.8. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The use of turbulent flow chromatography and the isocratic focusing effect to achieve on-line cleanup and concentration of neat biological samples for low-level metabolite analysisRAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 5 2005J. L. Herman The use of turbulent flow chromatography in conjunction with column switching isocratic focusing was used to perform on-line sample cleanup and concentration of neat rat plasma for the identification of low-level metabolites. The concentration was achieved by focusing multiple injections, which were cleaned by a turbulent flow column, onto an analytical column prior to elution into the mass spectrometer. In addition, the first application of turbulent flow chromatography for on-line sample cleanup of neat bile samples is reported. The on-line cleanup and concentration method extracts and concentrates a sample 20-fold in 1,h, and is completely automated. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Properties and first application of an error-statistics tuning method in variational assimilationTHE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY, Issue 601 2004Bernard Chapnik Abstract The method for tuning observational or background error statistics is presented and some of its properties are exposed using theoretical considerations and experiments carried out in a simplified framework. In particular, the method is shown to be equivalent to a maximum-likelihood evaluation and its efficiency is seen to depend on the number of observations. The results of several experiments carried out with the variational assimilation system of the French numerical weather-prediction system ARPEGE, both with simulated and actual datasets involving satellite radiances, are also presented. The temporal stability of the results and their consistency with the known quality of the measurements are shown. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Genetic identification of source populations for an aquarium-traded invertebrateANIMAL CONSERVATION, Issue 1 2009D. A. Weese Abstract Increasingly, wildlife managers are turning to molecular genetics to aid in conservation efforts. While such approaches have been applied to large terrestrial and aquatic vertebrate species, their application to other traded organisms has not been extensively explored. Here, we examined the utility of these techniques for identifying source populations of aquarium ornamental invertebrates, using members of the Hawaiian atyid genus Halocaridina as a study system. These shrimps, restricted to anchialine habitats of the Hawaiian Islands, are popular in the aquarium trade due to their ability to survive in hermetically sealed containers for extended periods of time. However, commercial harvesting, coupled with habitat destruction and strong regional endemism, could lead to the depletion/extinction of unique populations. Because the land district of Kona, along the west coast of the island of Hawai'i, has the state's highest concentration of anchialine habitats, we hypothesized that commercially available Halocaridina originated from this region. To test this, mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene sequences from 96 individuals, obtained from six vendors, were compared with 580 homologous sequences from previous studies covering the known distribution range of Halocaridina. Recovery of identical, regional-specific haplotypes, network analyses and statistical assignment tests identified these commercially acquired specimens as belonging to either the Kona, Ka',, (western and southern coasts, respectively, island of Hawai'i) or Kina'u (southern coast, island of Maui) genetic groups of these shrimps. Although 39 of the 96 individuals originated from the Kona genetic group as hypothesized, our finding that commercially available Halocaridina are from three genetic groups spanning two islands suggests that other populations also warrant potential management consideration. While this study represents the first application of molecular genetics in identifying source populations of aquarium ornamental species, we feel that these techniques are amenable more broadly as they are dependent on only a few caveats. [source] EURONEAR: Data mining of asteroids and Near Earth AsteroidsASTRONOMISCHE NACHRICHTEN, Issue 7 2009O. Vaduvescu Abstract Besides new observations, mining old photographic plates and CCD image archives represents an opportunity to recover and secure newly discovered asteroids, also to improve the orbits of Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs), Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) and Virtual Impactors (VIs). These are the main research aims of the EURONEAR network. As stated by the IAU, the vast collection of image archives stored worldwide is still insufficiently explored, and could be mined for known NEAs and other asteroids appearing occasionally in their fields. This data mining could be eased using a server to search and classify findings based on the asteroid class and the discovery date as "precoveries" or "recoveries". We built PRECOVERY, a public facility which uses the Virtual Observatory SkyBoT webservice of IMCCE to search for all known Solar System objects in a given observation. To datamine an entire archive, PRECOVERY requires the observing log in a standard format and outputs a database listing the sorted encounters of NEAs, PHAs, numbered and un-numbered asteroids classified as precoveries or recoveries based on the daily updated IAU MPC database. As a first application, we considered an archive including about 13 000 photographic plates exposed between 1930 and 2005 at the Astronomical Observatory in Bucharest, Romania. Firstly, we updated the database, homogenizing dates and pointings to a common format using the JD dating system and J2000 epoch. All the asteroids observed in planned mode were recovered, proving the accuracy of PRECOVERY. Despite the large field of the plates imaging mostly 2.27° × 2.27° fields, no NEA or PHA could be encountered occasionally in the archive due to the small aperture of the 0.38m refractor insufficiently to detect objects fainter than V , 15. PRECOVERY can be applied to other archives, being intended as a public facility offered to the community by the EURONEAR project. This is the first of a series of papers aimed to improve orbits of PHAs and NEAs using precovered data derived from archives of images to be data mined in collaboration with students and amateurs. In the next paper we will search the CFHT Legacy Survey, while data mining of other archives is planned for the near future (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Zeeman-Doppler imaging of late-type stars: The surface magnetic field of II PegASTRONOMISCHE NACHRICHTEN, Issue 10 2007T. A. Carroll Abstract Late-type stars in general possess complicated magnetic surface fields which makes their detection and in particular their modeling and reconstruction challenging. In this work we present a new Zeeman-Doppler imaging code which is especially designed for the application to late-type stars. This code uses a new multi-line cross-correlation technique by means of a principal component analysis to extract and enhance the quality of individual polarized line profiles. It implements the full polarized radiative transfer equation and uses an inversion strategy that can incorporate prior knowledge based on solar analogies. Moreover, our code utilizes a new regularization scheme which is based on local maximum entropy to allow a more appropriate reproduction of complex surface fields as those expected for late-type stars. In a first application we present Zeeman-Doppler images of II Pegasi which reveal a surprisingly large scale surface structure with one predominant (unipolar) magnetic longitude which is mainly radially oriented. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] ,LAYIN' LOW AND SAYIN' NUFFIN': AUSTRALIA'S POLICY TOWARDS BRITAIN'S SECOND BID TO JOIN THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY (1966,67)AUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC HISTORY REVIEW, Issue 2 2006Andrea Benvenuti Australia; European Union; international trade; trade policy; United Kingdom This article examines the problems and challenges which confronted the Australian government in its response to Britain's second attempt to join the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1967. While an adequate body of literature exists on Australia's policy towards Britain's first application to the EEC (1961,63), the Australian government's response to the 1967 bid has been completely ignored by historians. This article, therefore, aims to make a historical contribution to the understanding of Australia's policy towards Britain's ,turn to Europe'. [source] Long-lasting contractile action and the inhibitory action of cupric ions on ileal longitudinal muscleAUTONOMIC & AUTACOID PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 4 2004K. Miyazaki Summary 1 Cupric ions (Cu2+), at concentrations above 0.03 mm, induced a progressive increase in the tonic contraction of guinea-pig ileal longitudinal muscle. Maximal contraction of 0.1 mm Cu2+ attained a level above that of the 60-mm K+ -induced tonic response, within 20 min of application. The tension induced by Cu2+ persisted for more than several hours. Tetrodotoxin (3 × 10,6 m) had no effect on the contraction induced by 0.1 mm Cu2+. 2 After incubation in a Ca2+ -free medium, the ileal response to 0.1 mm Cu2+ was lost. Nifedipine, a L-type Ca2+ channel blocker, dose-dependently inhibited contractions induced by Cu2+. 3 As the duration of the first application of 0.1 mm Cu2+ increased above 30 min, after washing with normal medium, the contractile response to a second application of 0.1 mm Cu2+ decreased gradually. After 150 min of the first application of 0.1 mm Cu2+, a second application of Cu2+ could not evoke any contraction. 4 After the application of 0.1 mm Cu2+ for 150 min, when muscles were washed with a medium containing 1 mm EDTA, the response to 0.1 mm Cu2+ returned to a greater extent in the normal Ca2+ medium. 5 In conclusion, Cu2+ (0.1 mm) induced a maximal ileal tension above that of the K-induced tonic response within 20 min. The ileal contraction to Cu2+ persisted for more than several hours and depended on extracellular Ca2+ concentrations. It is possible that a part of Cu2+, bound to a EDTA-inaccessible site, also has a tension inhibitory effect. [source] Biomining with bacteriophage: Selectivity of displayed peptides for naturally occurring sphalerite and chalcopyriteBIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOENGINEERING, Issue 2 2009Susan B. Curtis Abstract During mineral processing, concentrates of sulfide minerals of economic interest are formed by froth flotation of fine ore particles. The method works well but recovery and selectivity can be poor for ores with complex mineralogy. There is considerable interest in methods that improve the selectivity of this process while avoiding the high costs of using flotation chemicals. Here we show the first application of phage biotechnology to the processing of economically important minerals in ore slurries. A random heptapeptide library was screened for peptide sequences that bind selectively to the minerals sphalerite (ZnS) and chalcopyrite (CuFeS2). After several rounds of enrichment, cloned phage containing the surface peptide loops KPLLMGS and QPKGPKQ bound specifically to sphalerite. Phage containing the peptide loop TPTTYKV bound to both sphalerite and chalcopyrite. By using an enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA), the phage was characterized as strong binders compared to wild-type phage. Specificity of binding was confirmed by immunochemical visualization of phage bound to mineral particles but not to silica (a waste mineral) or pyrite. The current study focused primarily on the isolation of ZnS-specific phage that could be utilized in the separation of sphalerite from silica. At mining sites where sphalerite and chalcopyrite are not found together in natural ores, the separation of sphalerite from silica would be an appropriate enrichment step. At mining sites where sphalerite and chalcopyrite do occur together, more specific phage would be required. This bacteriophage has the potential to be used in a more selective method of mineral separation and to be the basis for advanced methods of mineral processing. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009;102: 644,650. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||