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First Second (first + second)
Selected AbstractsPilot scale SO2 control by dry sodium bicarbonate injection and an electrostatic precipitatorENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, Issue 3 2007Michael J. Pilat Abstract A 500 actual cubic feet gas per minute (acfm) pilot-scale SO2 control study was undertaken to investigate flue gas desulfurization (FGD) by dry sodium sorbents in 400°F (204.5°C) flue gases emitted from a coal fired boiler with flue gas concentrations between 350 and 2500 ppm SO2. Powdered sodium alkaline reagents were injected into the hot flue gas downstream of the air preheater and the spent reagents were collected using an electrostatic precipitator. Three different sorbents were used: processed sodium bicarbonate of two particle sizes; solution mined sodium bicarbonate, and processed sodium sesquicarbonate. SO2 concentrations were measured upstream of the reagent injection, 25-ft (7.62 m) downstream of the injection point, and downstream of the electrostatic precipitator. SO2 collection efficiencies ranged from 40 to 80% using sodium bicarbonate stoichiometric ratios from 0.5 to 3.0. Much of the in-duct SO2 removal occurred during the first second of reagent reaction time, indicating that the sulfur dioxide,sodium reaction rates may be faster than have been measured for fixed bed measurements reported in the literature. © 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 2007 [source] A clinical pharmacological study of the potential beneficial effects of a propolis food product as an adjuvant in asthmatic patientsFUNDAMENTAL & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 1 2003M. T. Khayyal Abstract The aqueous extract of propolis has been formulated as a nutritional food product and administered, as an adjuvant to therapy, to patients with mild to moderate asthma daily for 2 months in the framework of a comparative clinical study in parallel with a placebo preparation. The diagnosis of asthma was made according to the criteria of patient classification of the National Institutes of Health and Global Initiative for Asthma Management. At inclusion, the pulmonary forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) as a percentage of the forced vital capacity (FVC) was more than 80% in mild persistent cases, and between 60 and 80% in moderate persistent cases, showing an increase in the degree of reversibility of >,15% in FEV1. All patients were on oral theophylline as controller therapy, none was receiving oral or inhaled corticosteroids, none had other comorbidities necessitating medical treatment, and all were from a middle-class community and had suffered from asthma for the last 2,5 years. Twenty-four patients received the placebo, with one drop-out during the study, while 22 received the propolis extract, with no drop-outs. The age range of the patients was 19,52 years; 36 were male and 10 female. The number of nocturnal attacks was recorded on a weekly basis, while pulmonary function tests were performed on all patients at the beginning of the trial, 1 month later and at the termination of the trial. Immunological parameters, including various cytokines and eicosanoids known to play a role in asthma, were measured in all patients at the beginning of the trial and 2 months later. Analysis of the results at the end of the clinical study revealed that patients receiving propolis showed a marked reduction in the incidence and severity of nocturnal attacks and improvement of ventilatory functions. The number of nocturnal attacks dropped from an average of 2.5 attacks per week to only 1. The improvement in pulmonary functions was manifested as a nearly 19% increase in FVC, a 29.5% increase in FEV1, a 30% increase in peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), and a 41% increase in the forced expiratory flow rate between 25 and 75% of the vital capacity (FEF25-75). The clinical improvement was associated with decreases by 52, 65, 44 and 30%, respectively, of initial values for the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-,, ICAM-1, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8, and a 3-fold increase in the ,protective' cytokine IL-10. The levels of prostaglandins E2 and F2, and leukotriene D4 were decreased significantly to 36, 39, and 28%, respectively, of initial values. Patients on the placebo preparation showed no significant improvement in ventilatory functions or in the levels of mediators. The findings suggest that the aqueous propolis extract tested is potentially effective as an adjuvant to therapy in asthmatic patients. The benefits may be related to the presence in the extract of caffeic acid derivatives and other active constituents. [source] Lack of Effect of Tai Chi Chuan in Preventing Falls in Elderly People Living at Home: A Randomized Clinical TrialJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 1 2009Inge H. J. Logghe MSc OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of Tai Chi Chuan in fall prevention in elderly people living at home with a high risk of falling. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Two industrial towns in the western part of the Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred sixty-nine elderly people (average age 77) living at home with a high risk of falling. INTERVENTIONS: The intervention group received Tai Chi Chuan training for 1 hour twice a week for 13 weeks; the control group received usual care. Both groups received a brochure containing general information on how to prevent fall incidents. MEASUREMENTS: Primary outcome was the number of falls over 12 months. Secondary outcomes were balance, fear of falling, blood pressure, heart rate at rest, forced expiratory volume during the first second, peak expiratory flow, physical activity, and functional status. RESULTS: After 12 months, no lower fall risk in the Tai Chi Chuan group was observed than in the control group (adjusted hazard ratio=1.16; 95% confidence interval=0.84,1.60), and there were no significant intervention effects on the secondary outcome measures. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that Tai Chi Chuan may not be effective in elderly people at a high risk of falling who live at home. [source] Effects of extra-fine inhaled beclomethasone/formoterol on both large and small airways in asthmaALLERGY, Issue 7 2010N. Scichilone To cite this article: Scichilone N, Battaglia S, Sorino C, Paglino G, Martino L, Paternò A, Santagata R, Spatafora M, Nicolini G, Bellia V. Effects of extra-fine inhaled beclomethasone/formoterol on both large and small airways in asthma. Allergy 2010; 65: 897,902. Abstract Background:, Airway inflammation in asthma involves both large and small airways, and the combination of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and long acting beta-2 agonists (LABA) is the mainstay of therapy. Available inhaled combinations differ in terms of drug delivery to the lung and the ability to reach small airways. Aim:, To evaluate whether treatment with an extra-fine inhaled combination provides additional effects vs a nonextra-fine combination on airway function. Methods:, After a 1- to 4-week run-in period, patients with asthma were randomized to a double blind, double dummy, 12-week treatment with either extra-fine beclomethasone/formoterol (BDP/F) 400/24 ,g daily or fluticasone propionate/salmeterol (FP/S) 500/100 ,g daily. Methacholine (Mch) bronchoprovocation challenge and single breath nitrogen (sbN2) test were performed. Results:, Thirty patients with asthma (15 men), mean age 43, mean forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) 71.4% of predicted, were included. A significant increase (P < 0.01) versus baseline was observed in predose FEV1 in both BDP/F and FP/S groups (0.37 ± 0.13 l and 0.36 ± 0.12 l, respectively). PD20FEV1 Mch improved significantly from 90.42 (±30.08) ,g to 432.41 (±122.71) ,g in the BDP/F group (P = 0.01) but not in the FP/S group. A trend toward improvement vs baseline was observed for BDP/F in closing capacity (CC), whereas no differences were recorded in other sbN2 test parameters. Conclusion:, The findings of this pilot study suggest that an extra-fine inhaled combination for the treatment of asthma has beneficial effects on both large and small airways function as expressed by Mch and sbN2 tests. [source] One-year glargine treatment can improve the course of lung disease in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis and early glucose derangementsPEDIATRIC DIABETES, Issue 3 2009Enza Mozzillo Background:, Diabetes increases morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, but several studies indicate that also prediabetic status may have a potential impact on both nutrition and lung function. Objective:, To evaluate the effect of glargine on the clinical course in CF patients with early glucose derangements. Methods:, CF population was screened for glucose tolerance. CF patients with age >10 yr were screened with fasting hyperglycemia (FH). CF patients with age >10 yr without FH and those with age <10 yr with occasional FH were evaluated for glucose abnormalities on the basis of oral glucose tolerance test and/or continuous glucose monitoring system. All CF patients with glucose derangements were enrolled in an open clinical trial with glargine. Body mass index (BMI) z-score, forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), number of acute pulmonary exacerbations and hemoglobin A1c, were as outcome measures at baseline and after 1 yr of treatment. Results:, After 12 months of therapy, BMI z-score improved only in patients with baseline BMI z-score less than ,1 (p = 0.017). An 8.8% increase in FEV1 (p = 0.01) and 42% decrease in the number of pulmonary exacerbations (p = 0.003) were found in the whole group compared with previous 12 months of therapy. Conclusion:, Glargine could represent an innovative strategy to prevent lung disease progression in CF patients with early glucose derangements. Larger controlled trials are needed to better clarify the effects of insulin on clinical status in CF patients with early glucose derangements. [source] Does presenting with meconium ileus affect the prognosis of children with cystic fibrosis?PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY, Issue 10 2010Jo-Anne Johnson MBChB Abstract It is a matter of debate as to what extent the long-term outcome of cystic fibrosis (CF) is affected by presenting with meconium ileus (MI). We compared long-term clinical outcomes of CF children who presented with MI, to those presenting with other symptoms (non-MI) in an era of non new-born-screening (NBS). We collected annual lung function data between the ages of 8,15 years in terms of percent predicted first second forced expired volume (FEV1%pr), percent predicted forced vital capacity (FVC%pr), and between the ages of 2,15 years annual height and weight Z-scores (HtZ and WtZ respectively) for children attending the Royal Brompton Hospital CF clinic. To be included in the study, subjects had to have at least five pulmonary function tests and five anthropometric measurements recorded over this period. Thirty-eight MI and 76 non-MI subjects were compared. There were no significant differences in genotype, sex, chronic Pseudomonas infection, or pancreatic enzyme use between the two groups. The median age of diagnosis was 1 day (MI) versus 7 months (non-MI). There was a decline in spirometry and anthropometric variables over the study period for both MI and non-MI groups apart from WtZ score in the non-MI group. Mixed model analysis adjusting for potential confounders including genotype, pancreatic status, sex, chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection, and age of diagnosis revealed no difference between the two groups in terms of lung function and growth during the time period of the study, however there was a non-significant trend for subjects presenting with MI to do better in all four parameters. We conclude that babies presenting with MI have no worse long-term outcome than those presenting symptomatically later in infancy, despite having undergone invasive procedures in the newborn period. This underscores the importance of early diagnosis and treatment in CF. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2010; 45:951,958. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The potential use of spirometry during methacholine challenge test in young children with respiratory symptomsPEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY, Issue 7 2009Daphna Vilozni PhD Abstract Background The concentration of methacholine that causes a fall of 20% from baseline forced expiratory volume in the first second (PC20-FEV1) in the methacholine challenge test (MCT) is not usually considered a diagnostic tool in preschool children since PC20-FEV1 may not be achievable <6 years of age. Aim To assess the usefulness of various spirometry indices obtained during MCT in a large group of 3- to 6-year-old children with respect to their clinical diagnosis. Methods Standardized MCT (inhaled triple-concentration increments [0.057,13.925 mg] of methacholine solution) was performed by 84 children previously diagnosed with asthma (asthmatics) and 48 with prolonged cough (coughers). Spirometry was determined at baseline and between inhalations; PC20-FEV1 and PC25-FEV0.5 were calculated. Results PC20-FEV1 values were significantly less in the asthmatics than in the coughers (mean,±,SD was 3.21,±,4.32 vs. 22.35,±,3.66 ml/mg). Similarly, PC25-FEV0.5 was 1.48,±,3.08 in the asthmatics and 9.45,±,12.59 mg/ml/Mch in the coughers, P,<,0.0001. A cut-off at 4.0 mg/ml for PC20-FEV1 had 77.4% sensitivity and 75.0% specificity, a cut-off at 2.2 mg/ml for PC25-FEV0.5 had 73.8% sensitivity and 72.9% specificity, for clinical diagnosis of asthma. PC25-FEV0.5 also showed a correlation with age. Conclusions Our findings suggest that MCT can be performed in preschool children with various respiratory symptoms. PC25-FEV0.5 may be a better end-point parameter. Children with a clinical diagnosis of asthma respond to a lower MCT concentration than children with cough. Further studies are needed to determine airway responsiveness in healthy young children and to further assess the contribution of MCT to the clinical diagnosis in this age group. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2009; 44:720,727. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Longitudinal changes in lung function and somatic growth in children with sickle cell disease,PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY, Issue 6 2007Anastassios C. Koumbourlis MD Abstract Background We studied the changes in the patterns of lung function and somatic growth over time in children and adolescents (10.6,±,3.5 years at first test) with hemoglobin SS (Hb-SS) sickle cell disease (SCD). Methods Lung function and somatic growth were measured twice with an interval of 42.3,±,23.3 months in 45 children (25 females and 20 males) with Hb-SS SCD. Results The lung volumes slightly decreased but remained borderline normal in both tests. All spirometric indices were within the normal range but significantly decreased (P,<,0.001) at the time of the second test indicating development of lower airway obstruction (forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1): 87,±,21 vs. 80,±,15; FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC): 89,±,7 vs. 85,±,6; FEF25,75: 89,±,32 vs. 76,±,24). "Normal" pattern of lung function was initially found in 56% of the patients, but in only 29% in the second test. In contrast, those with "obstructive" pattern increased from 22 to 44%, and those with "restrictive" pattern from 22 to 27%. There was no association between history of asthma and pattern of lung function. "Normal" Body Mass Index (BMI) was found in 64% of the patients, whereas 13% had "High" BMI and 22% "Low" BMI. The two latter patterns were associated with abnormal lung function but only patients with normal BMI showed actual decline overtime. Conclusion SCD is characterized by a predominantly obstructive pattern of lung function that increases in prevalence over time. There was no apparent causal relationship between the pattern of somatic growth and the pattern of lung function. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2007; 42:483,488. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Electrophysiological identification of antennal pH receptors in the ground beetle Pterostichus oblongopunctatusPHYSIOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2005Enno Merivee Abstract., Electrophysiological responses of antennal taste bristles to 100 mm acetate and phosphate buffers were tested at pH 3,11 in the ground beetle Pterostichus oblongopunctatus (F.) (Coleoptera, Carabidae). Additionally, responses of these sensilla to 10 and 100 mm phosphate buffers were compared with each other. Generally, in response to these stimulating solutions, two sensory cells, classified as a salt cell (cation cell) and a pH cell, respectively, showed action potentials distinguished by differences in their amplitudes and polarity of spikes. The firing rate of the cation cell increased with increasing buffer concentration, and was influenced by buffer pH in a complicated way. The best stimulus for the second cell (pH cell) was pH of the stimulating buffer solution. As the pH of the stimulus solution increased, higher rates of firing were produced by the pH cell. For example, the number of action potentials elicited by 100 mm phosphate buffer at pH 11.1 was approximately 16-fold higher compared with that at pH 8.1, and firing rates during the first second of the response were 27.9 and 1.7 imp/s, respectively. The pH cell did not fire or fired at very low frequency (first second response below 5 imp/s) at pH 3,6. This level of acidity probably represents the pH preferences of this ground beetle in its forest habitat and hibernating sites. By contrast to the cation cell, the pH cell responded to increases in buffer concentration by decreasing its firing rate. [source] Fiberoptic videolaryngoscopy during bicycle ergometry: A diagnostic tool for exercise-induced vocal cord dysfunctionTHE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 9 2009Hanna Tervonen MD Abstract Objectives/Hypothesis: Exercise-induced vocal cord dysfunction is difficult to diagnose because the paradoxical vocal cord adduction should be observed during exercise. Our goal was to develop and validate a new diagnostic method for exercise-induced vocal cord dysfunction by combining continuous fiberoptic laryngoscopy with a bicycle ergometry test. Methods: Thirty consecutive patients referred to a laryngologist because of suspicion of exercise-induced vocal cord dysfunction and 15 healthy controls underwent the exercise test until dyspnea or exhaustion rated as 18,19/20 on the Borg scale. Laryngeal findings, electrocardiography, blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate were monitored, and forced expiratory flow in the first second was measured before and after the exercise. The medical history was assessed by use of a structured questionnaire. Results: Among the 30 patients, 27 (90%) performed the test successfully, as did all controls. Diagnostic signs of inspiratory stridor, supraglottic collapse, and vocal cord adduction appeared in five (19%) patients but in none of the controls. Of the 30 patients referred, the laryngologist considered 25 to be suspect. Of them, 9 (36%) showed signs diagnostic or highly suspect for exercise-induced vocal cord dysfunction. Of the 15 patients whose dyspnea could be induced during the test, nine (60%) were suspected of having exercise-induced vocal cord dysfunction. Conclusions: Fiberoptic videolaryngoscopy during bicycle ergometry was a well-tolerated and relatively easily established diagnostic tool that could induce dyspnea in more than one half the patients examined. If the symptom of dyspnea appeared, the most frequent diagnosis was exercise- induced vocal cord dysfunction. Laryngoscope, 2009 [source] The first second of the UniverseANNALEN DER PHYSIK, Issue 4 2003D.J. Schwarz Abstract The history of the Universe after its first second is now tested by high quality observations of light element abundances and temperature anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background. The epoch of the first second itself has not been tested directly yet; however, it is constrained by experiments at particle and heavy ion accelerators. Here I attempt to describe the epoch between the electroweak transition and the primordial nucleosynthesis. The most dramatic event in that era is the quark-hadron transition at 10 ,s. Quarks and gluons condense to form a gas of nucleons and light mesons, the latter decay subsequently. At the end of the first second, neutrinos and neutrons decouple from the radiation fluid. The quark-hadron transition and dissipative processes during the first second prepare the initial conditions for the synthesis of the first nuclei. As for the cold dark matter (CDM), WIMPs (weakly interacting massive particles) , the most popular candidates for the CDM , decouple from the presently known forms of matter, chemically (freeze-out) at 10 ns and kinetically at 1 ms. The chemical decoupling fixes their present abundances and dissipative processes during and after thermal decoupling set the scale for the very first WIMP clouds. [source] Subclinical pulmonary dysfunction in spinocerebellar ataxias 1, 2 and 3ACTA NEUROLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 5 2010S. J. Sriranjini Sriranjini SJ, Pal PK, Krishna N, Sathyaprabha TN. Subclinical pulmonary dysfunction in spinocerebellar ataxias 1, 2 and 3. Acta Neurol Scand: 2010: 122: 323,328. © 2009 The Authors Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Munksgaard. Objectives,,, Evaluation of pulmonary function in patients with spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA) 1, 2 and 3 without clinical evidence of pulmonary dysfunction. Methods,,, Thirty patients (F:M = 7:23; age: 35 ± 11.3 years; SCA1 , 13, SCA2 , 9 and SCA3 , 8) without clinical manifestations of respiratory dysfunction and 30 controls underwent pulmonary function tests. The percentage predicted values of forced vital capacity (FVC), volume of air exhaled during first second of FVC (FEV1), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV), actual values of maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures (MIP and MEP in mmHg), and ratios of actual values of FEV1/FVC (%) and FEV1/PEFR (ml/l/min) were analyzed. Results,,, Compared with controls SCA patients had significant reductions of FVC (71.1 ± 17.5 vs 85.5 ± 18.7; P < 0.01), PEFR (51.5 ± 20.7 vs 77.1 ± 24.9; P < 0.001), MVV (64.4 ± 21.6 vs 97.2 ± 22.7; P < 0.001), MIP (27.7 ± 16.8 vs 50.1 ± 15.1; P < 0.001) and MEP (38.1 ± 18.7 vs 74.7 ± 16.0; P < 0.001), elevation of FEV1/PEFR (10.5 ± 2.8 vs 7.4 ± 2.1; P < 0.001), but no significant change of FEV1 and FEV1/FVC. FEV1/PEFR correlated positively with illness duration and MVV negatively with severity of illness. Conclusions,,, The present study showed subclinical restrictive type of pulmonary dysfunction in SCA, and possible presence of upper airway obstruction. Chest physiotherapy and breathing exercises should be introduced early in management of SCA. [source] Expected loss-based alarm threshold set for earthquake early warning systemsEARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 9 2007Iunio Iervolino Abstract Earthquake early warning systems (EEWS) seem to have potential as tools for real-time seismic risk management and mitigation. In fact, although the evacuation of buildings requires warning time not available in many urbanized areas threatened by seismic hazard, they may still be used for the real-time protection of critical facilities using automatic systems in order to reduce the losses subsequent to a catastrophic event. This is possible due to the real-time seismology, which consists of methods and procedures for the rapid estimation of earthquake features, as magnitude and location, based on measurements made on the first seconds of the P -waves. An earthquake engineering application of earthquake early warning (EEW) may be intended as a system able to issue the alarm, if some recorded parameter exceeds a given threshold, to activate risk mitigation actions before the quake strikes at a site of interest. Feasibility analysis and design of such EEWS require the assessment of the expected loss reduction due to the security action and set of the alarm threshold. In this paper a procedure to carry out these tasks in the performance-based earthquake engineering probabilistic framework is proposed. A merely illustrative example refers to a simple structure assumed to be a classroom. Structural damage and non-structural collapses are considered; the security action is to shelter occupants below the desks. The cost due to a false alarm is assumed to be related to the interruption of didactic activities. Results show how the comparison of the expected losses, for the alarm-issuance and non-issuance cases, allows setting the alarm threshold on a quantitative and consistent basis, and how it may be a tool for the design of engineering applications of EEW. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||