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Terms modified by Off-line Selected AbstractsReal-Time Depth-of-Field Rendering Using Point Splatting on Per-Pixel LayersCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 7 2008Sungkil Lee Abstract We present a real-time method for rendering a depth-of-field effect based on the per-pixel layered splatting where source pixels are scattered on one of the three layers of a destination pixel. In addition, the missing information behind foreground objects is filled with an additional image of the areas occluded by nearer objects. The method creates high-quality depth-of-field results even in the presence of partial occlusion, without major artifacts often present in the previous real-time methods. The method can also be applied to simulating defocused highlights. The entire framework is accelerated by GPU, enabling real-time post-processing for both off-line and interactive applications. [source] Association of Left Atrial Strain and Strain Rate Assessed by Speckle Tracking Echocardiography with Paroxysmal Atrial FibrillationECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 10 2009Wei-Chuan Tsai M.D. Background: We hypothesized that contraction of the LA wall could be documented by speckle tracking and could be applied for assessment of LA function. This study tried to identify the association between LA longitudinal strain (LAS) and strain rate (LASR) measured by speckle tracking with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). Methods: Fifty-two patients (61 ± 17 years old, 23 men) with sinus rhythm at baseline referred for the evaluation of episodic palpitation were included. Standard four-chamber and two-chamber views were acquired and analyzed off-line. Peak LAS and LASR were carefully identified as the peak negative inflection of speckle tracking waves after P-wave gated by electrocardiography. Results: Ten patients (19%) had PAF. LAS, LASR, age, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension, left ventricular mass, LA volume, and mitral early filling-to-annulus early velocity ratio were different between patients with and without PAF. After multivariate analysis, LASR was significantly independently associated with PAF (OR 8.56, 95% CI 1.14,64.02, P = 0.036). Conclusion: Speckle tracking echocardiography could be used in measurements of LAS and LASR. Decreased negative LASR was independently associated with PAF. [source] Blood Flow Imaging,A New Angle-Independent Ultrasound Modality for the Visualization of Flow in Atrial Septal Defects in ChildrenECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 9 2007Siri Ann Nyrnes M.D. Background: Color Doppler imaging (CDI) is the most applied method for evaluation of flow in atrial septal defects (ASD). A new real time ultrasound flow imaging modality called blood flow imaging (BFI) is able to visualize the blood flow in any direction of the image and is not limited by velocity aliasing. The method thereby overcomes the two limitations most often encountered in CDI. In this study we compared BFI with CDI for the visualization of interatrial blood flow in children. Methods: We studied ASD flow in 13 children using both CDI and BFI in the same examination. CDI and BFI cineloops were prepared off-line and both optimal and suboptimal (increased color artifacts) images were presented in random order to four observers. They were asked to range from 0,100 on a visual analogue scale how certain they were of interatrial blood flow. The CDI and BFI ratings were compared using the exact Wilcoxon signed rank test for paired samples. Results: All ASDs visualized with CDI were confirmed using BFI. Two of the observers ranked BFI as being significantly better than CDI when the images were optimized. When the images were suboptimal three of the observers rated BFI as being significantly better. Conclusions: This pilot study indicates that BFI improves the visualization of interatrial blood flow in children. To include BFI in the ordinary echocardiography examination is easy and not time consuming. The method may prove to be a useful supplement to CDI in ASD imaging. [source] Real Time Myocardial Contrast Echocardiography During Supine Bicycle Stress and Continuous Infusion of Contrast Agent.ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 6 2007Cutoff Values for Myocardial Contrast Replenishment Discriminating Abnormal Myocardial Perfusion Background: Myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) is a new imaging modality for diagnosing coronary artery disease (CAD). Objective: The aim of our study was to evaluate feasibility of qualitative myocardial contrast replenishment (RP) assessment during supine bicycle stress MCE and find out cutoff values for such analysis, which could allow accurate detection of CAD. Methods: Forty-four consecutive patients, scheduled for coronary angiography (CA) underwent supine bicycle stress two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE). During the same session, MCE was performed at peak stress and post stress. Ultrasound contrast agent (SonoVue) was administered in continuous mode using an infusion pump (BR-INF 100, Bracco Research). Seventeen-segment model of left ventricle was used in analysis. MCE was assessed off-line in terms of myocardial contrast opacification and RP. RP was evaluated on the basis of the number of cardiac cycles required to refill the segment with contrast after its prior destruction with high-power frames. Determination of cutoff values for RP assessment was performed by means of reference intervals and receiver operating characteristic analysis. Quantitative CA was carried out using CAAS system. Results: MCE could be assessed in 42 patients. CA revealed CAD in 25 patients. Calculated cutoff values for RP-analysis (peak-stress RP >3 cardiac cycles and difference between peak stress and post stress RP >0 cardiac cycles) provided sensitive (88%) and accurate (88%) detection of CAD. Sensitivity and accuracy of 2DE were 76% and 79%, respectively. Conclusions: Qualitative RP-analysis based on the number of cardiac cycles required to refill myocardium with contrast is feasible during supine bicycle stress MCE and enables accurate detection of CAD. [source] Combined use of supported liquid membrane and solid-phase extraction to enhance selectivity and sensitivity in capillary electrophoresis for the determination of ochratoxin A in wineELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 7 2008Sara Almeda Abstract This paper proposes a novel strategy to enhance selectivity and sensitivity in CE, using supported liquid membrane (SLM) and off-line SPE simultaneously. The determination of ochratoxin A (OA) in wine has been used to demonstrate the potential of this methodology. In the SLM step, the donor phase (either a 20,mL volume of a standard solution at pH,1 or a wine sample at pH,8) was placed in a vial, where a micromembrane extraction unit accommodating the acceptor phase (1,mL water, pH,11) in its lumen was immersed. The SLM was constructed by impregnating a porous Fluoropore Teflon (PTFE) membrane with a water-immiscible organic solvent (octanol). In the off-line SPE step, the nonpolar sorbent (C-18, 4,mg) selectively retained the target ochratoxin, enabling small volumes of acceptor phase (1,mL) to be introduced. The captured analytes were eluted in a small volume of methanol (0.1,mL). This procedure resulted in sample cleanup and concentration enhancement. The method was evaluated for accuracy and precision, and its RSD found to be 5%. The LODs for OA in the standard solutions and wine samples were 0.5 and 30,,g/L, respectively. The results obtained demonstrate that SLM combined with off-line is a good alternative to the use of immunoaffinity columns prior to CE analysis. [source] Development of off-line and on-line capillary electrophoresis methods for the screening and characterization of adenosine kinase inhibitors and substratesELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 12 2006Jamshed Iqbal Abstract Fast and convenient CE assays were developed for the screening of adenosine kinase,(AK) inhibitors and substrates. In the first method, the enzymatic reaction was performed in a test tube and the samples were subsequently injected into the capillary by pressure and detected by their UV absorbance at 260,nm. An MEKC method using borate buffer (pH,9.5) containing 100,mM SDS (method,A) was suitable for separating alternative substrates (nucleosides). For the CE determination of AMP formed as a product of the AK reaction, a phosphate buffer (pH,7.5 or 8.5) was used and a constant current (95,,A) was applied (method,B). The methods employing a fused-silica capillary and normal polarity mode provided good resolution of substrates and products of the enzymatic reaction and a short analysis time of less than 10,min. To further optimize and miniaturize the AK assays, the enzymatic reaction was performed directly in the capillary, prior to separation and quantitation of the product employing electrophoretically mediated microanalysis (EMMA, method,C). After hydrodynamic injection of a plug of reaction buffer (20,mM Tris-HCl, 0.2,mM MgCl2, pH,7.4), followed by a plug containing the enzyme, and subsequent injection of a plug of reaction buffer containing 1,mM,ATP, 100,,M adenosine, and 20,,M,UMP as an internal standard,(I.S.), as well as various concentrations of an inhibitor, the reaction was initiated by the application of 5,kV separation voltage (negative polarity) for 0.20,min to let the plugs interpenetrate. The voltage was turned off for 5,min (zero-potential amplification) and again turned on at a constant current of ,60,,A to elute the products within 7,min. The method employing a polyacrylamide-coated capillary of 20,cm effective length and reverse polarity mode provided good resolution of substrates and products. Dose,response curves and calculated Ki values for standard antagonists obtained by CE were in excellent agreement with data obtained by the standard radioactive assay. [source] Heart Rate Variability in Emergency Department Patients with SepsisACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 7 2002Douglas Barnaby MD Abstract Objective: To test the hypothesis that heart rate variability (HRV) can provide an early indication of illness severity among patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with sepsis. Methods: The authors enrolled a convenience sample of 15 ED patients meeting the American College of Chest Physicians/Society of Critical Care Medicine criteria for sepsis. Each patient had continuous Holter monitoring performed in the ED. Acute Physiology and Chronic Health II (APACHE II) and Sequential Organ Failure (SOFA) scores were calculated for the day of presentation. Holter tapes obtained in the ED were analyzed off-line to calculate HRV variables for the 5-minute segment with the least artifact and non-sinus beats. These variables were correlated with APACHE II and SOFA scores. Results: LFnu (normalized low-frequency power), an assessment of the relative sympathetic contribution to overall HRV, was correlated with increased illness severity as calculated using APACHE II (r = -0.67, r2= 0.43) and SOFA (r = -0.80, r2= 0.64) scores. LF/HF ratio (low-frequency/high-frequency ratio), a measure of sympathovagal balance, was correlated with the SOFA score [r = -0.54 (95% CI = -0.83 to -0.01), r2= 0.29]. All five patients who required critical care monitoring or ventilatory support or who died during the first 5 days of their hospitalization had LFnu values below 0.5 and LF/HF ratios less than 1.0. None of the patients with measurements greater than these threshold values died or required these interventions during the five days following admission. Conclusions: A single variable, LFnu, which reflects sympathetic modulation of heart rate, accounted for 40-60% of the variance in illness severity scores among patients presenting to the ED with sepsis. HRV, as reflected in LFnu and the LF/HF ratio and measured with a single brief (5-minute) period of monitoring while in the ED, may provide the emergency physician with a readily available, noninvasive, early marker of illness severity. The threshold effect of LFnu and LF/HF in the prediction of early clinical deterioration was an unexpected finding and should be regarded as hypothesis-generating, pending further study. [source] Feedforward neural network-based transient stability analysis of electric power systemsEUROPEAN TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRICAL POWER, Issue 6 2006H. Hadj Abdallah Abstract This paper presents a neural approach for the transient stability analysis of electric power systems (EPS). The transient stability of an EPS expresses the ability of the system to preserve synchronism after sudden severe disturbances. Its analysis needs the computation of the critical clearing time (CCT), which determines the security degree of the system. The classical methods for the determination of the CCT are computation time consuming and may be not treatable in real time. A feedforward neural network trained off-line using an historical database can approximate the simulation studies to give in real time an accurate estimate of the CCT. The identified neural network can be updated using new significant data to learn more disturbance cases. Numerical simulations are presented to illustrate the proposed method. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Management of diabetes using adaptive controlINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADAPTIVE CONTROL AND SIGNAL PROCESSING, Issue 5 2005Roman Hovorka Abstract The review focuses on adaptive systems for insulin treatment in type 1 diabetes. The review consists of two parts. First, adaptive approaches are described, which exploit infrequent glucose measurements (four to seven measurements per day). Second, adaptive approaches are described, which exploit frequent or continuous glucose measurements (every hour or more often). Each part is further divided into two subparts separating off-line and on-line adaptive techniques. The latter represents treatment strategies, which rely on continuous re-assessment of the glucoregulatory system. The former refers to treatment strategies, which are fixed for a day or longer and are revisited from time to time. It is concluded that the role of adaptive approaches will increase as new continuous glucose-sensing monitors reach the market. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Monitoring struturants of fat blends with ultrasound based in-line rheometry (ultrasonic velocity profiling with pressure difference)INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 11 2008Niall W. G. Young Summary Ultrasonic velocity profiling with pressure difference (UVP-PD) was demonstrated to be a successful, non-invasive, in-line measurement system for instantaneous velocity and rheological flow profiling of complex, opaque fat blends. Model systems of 25% Akomic, 75% rapeseed oil; and 25% Akomic, 74% rapeseed oil and 1% Grindsted® Crystalliser 110 were compared under real process conditions with UVP-PD. Results indicated that the sample containing the crystalliser had twice the viscosity of the control. These in-line results are in agreement with previous off-line results, and offer the chance to probe the mechanics of fat blend physics under real, dynamic conditions. [source] On identifying marker genes from gene expression data in a neural framework through online feature analysisINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS, Issue 4 2006Nikhil Ranjan Pal Many attempts have been made to analyze gene expression data. Typical goals of such analysis include discovery of subclasses, designing predictors/classifiers for diseases, identifying marker genes, and trying to get a deeper understanding of underlying biological process. Success of each of these tasks strongly depends on the features used to solve the problem. The high dimensional nature of expression profiles makes the task very difficult. Consequently, many researchers have used some feature selection criteria to reduce the dimensionality of the problem. These approaches are off-line in nature, as feature selection is done in a separate phase from the system design phase. These approaches ignore the fact that utility of features depends on both the problem that is solved and the tool that is used to solve the problem. We here propose to use a novel neural scheme that picks up the necessary features on-line when the system learns the classification task. Because it considers all the features at one go, it does not miss any subtle combination of these features. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our on-line feature selection (OFS) scheme to distinguish between acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cancer expression data set. Our scheme could identify only five genes that can produce results as good as or even better than what is reported in the literature on this data set. It identifies an important marker gene that alone has a very good discriminating power. This analysis method is quite general in nature and can be effectively used in other areas of bioinformatics. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Int Syst 21: 453,467, 2006. [source] Microvolt T Wave Alternans Inducibility in Normal Newborn Puppies: Effects of DevelopmentJOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 6 2002Ph.D., SALIM F. IDRISS M.D. T Wave Alternans in Normal Newborn Puppies.Introduction: The cause of sudden infant death syndrome is unknown, but increased cardiac vulnerability due to repolarization instability may be a contributing factor. The QT interval normally is long at birth and increases further during the first few postnatal months. Although excessive QT intervals indicate increased cardiac vulnerability in the long QT syndrome, the impact of less pronounced QT prolongation during this developmental period is unclear. In adults and older children, the ease of inducing microvolt-level T wave alternans (TWA) is used as a measure of repolarization instability and arrhythmia vulnerability. The aim of this study was to determine if TWA is inducible in normal newborn puppies. Methods and Results: Atrial pacing was performed in 15 anesthetized beagle puppies 7 to 35 days old. The pacing drive cycle length was systematically decreased in 20-msec steps from baseline until AV conduction blocked. Pacing was performed for 8 minutes at each cycle length. Three-lead ECGs were recorded continuously during the last 5 minutes of pacing at each cycle length. The recordings were analyzed off-line for the presence of microvolt-level TWA using a sensitive spectral analysis technique. Microvolt-level TWA was present in all puppies. TWA was not present at baseline but developed and increased in amplitude as heart rate increased. The threshold heart rate for TWA did not correlate with age. However, due to age-dependent changes in baseline heart rate, the 7- to 14-day-old animals needed a 50% to 78% increase in heart rate to reach threshold heart rate, whereas the oldest animals needed only a 5% to 25% increase. Conclusion: These data suggest that developmentally dependent dynamic repolarization instability exists in puppies as manifest by the inducibility of TWA. [source] Rapid estimation of chemical kinetics by implicit calibration.JOURNAL OF CHEMOMETRICS, Issue 2 2003Abstract This study continues the development of a method, implicit calibration, for estimating kinetic parameters from on-line measurements of batch reactions. The basic idea of implicit calibration is to combine non-linear parameter estimation with the calibration of measured spectra with concentrations calculated by an assumed kinetic model. A new example is studied, an esterification reaction with a rather complicated kinetic mechanism, where activities, instead of concentrations, and NIR spectra are used as measurements. The emphasis in the study is on estimating the uncertainty of the kinetic parameters. Two approaches, linearization and bootstrap, are applied. In the case studied, the two approaches give closely similar estimates of the uncertainty. As well, a new way is introduced to control the rigidity of the implicit calibration, based on minimizing the lack of fit of the model. It is also shown that ,mixed implicit calibration', i.e. implicit calibration combined with a few off-line calibrated concentrations, greatly enhances the identifiability of the kinetic model. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Grasping determination experiments within the UJI robotics telelabJOURNAL OF FIELD ROBOTICS (FORMERLY JOURNAL OF ROBOTIC SYSTEMS), Issue 4 2005Raul Marín As a result of new technology becoming available it is increasingly possible to develop more natural human-robot interfaces. In particular, interaction channels based on both voice and synthesis recognition, and combined with other sensors, mainly computer vision, are now implemented in current robots. These capabilities enable a more natural face-to-face dialogue in the human-robot interaction. Currently, they are demonstrating their potential in many service robot applications, such as museums, hospitals, and so on. One area where these new forms of interaction have been extensively tested recently is within the educational robotics context. This article addresses a novel user-interface implemented in such a system developed in our lab, namely "The UJI Robotics Telelab", where the word UJI is the acronym for the name of our University. In order to develop this kind of complex system, several years of intensive research have been necessary in both multimedia tutoring systems and robotics. The principal motive for the project was the experimentation and validation of a complete telelaboratory, including an Internet-based robot system, with off-line and on-line control possibilities, and other different facilities (e.g., multimedia tutorial, chat channel, etc.) aimed at teaching undergraduate students in the robotics subject in our university campus. Finally, taking into account experience gained from using this system for regular undergraduate courses in robotics, new facilities have been implemented, and results showing the user performance, usability, and reliability of this novel contribution are discussed, including its advantages and limitations. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] CAD-based automated robot programming in adhesive spray systems for shoe outsoles and uppersJOURNAL OF FIELD ROBOTICS (FORMERLY JOURNAL OF ROBOTIC SYSTEMS), Issue 11 2004J. Y. Kim Most shoe manufacturing processes are not yet automated; it puts restrictions on increasing productivity. Among them, adhesive application processes particularly are holding the most workers and working hours. In addition, the working environment is very poor due to the toxicity of adhesive agents. In the case of automating an adhesive application process by using a robot, robot teaching by playback is difficult to produce high productivity because the kinds of shoes to be taught mount up to several thousands. To cope with it, it is necessary to generate robot working paths automatically according to the kind, the size, or the right and the left of shoes, and also to teach the generated paths to a robot automatically. This paper presents a method to generate three-dimensional robot working paths off-line based on CAD data in an automatic adhesive spray system for shoe outsoles and uppers. First, this paper describes how to extract the three-dimensional data of an outsole outline from a two-dimensional CAD drawing file. Second, it describes how to extract the three-dimensional data of an upper profiling line from the three-dimensional scanning data that is opened in a three-dimensional CAD program. Third, it describes how to generate robot working paths based on the extracted data and the nozzle setting parameters for adhesive spray. Also, a series of experiments for adhesive spray is performed to verify the effectiveness of the presented methods. This study will do much for increasing productivity in shoe manufacturing as a core work of a robotic adhesive spray system. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] ASSESSMENT OF MICROBIAL CONTAMINANTS PRESENT ON VACUUM LOADERS IN SHELL EGG PROCESSING FACILITIESJOURNAL OF FOOD SAFETY, Issue 3 2008D.R. JONES ABSTRACT This study was conducted to determine the pathogen prevalence on vacuum loader cup surfaces. An off-line (birds housed off-site) and a mixed (birds housed on-site and eggs brought from outside production) operation shell egg processing facility were sampled three times each. Twenty vacuum loader cups were randomly rinsed with sterile saline per visit. Total aerobic microorganisms and Enterobacteriaceae were enumerated, and the prevalence of Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeria was determined. Aerobic microorganisms were ,5 log cfu/mL, with higher levels noted in the mixed operation. Enterobacteriaceae levels averaged 2.5 log cfu/mL but were higher in the off-line facility. Campylobacter was detected in 1.6% of the samples. Salmonella was detected in 3.3% of the samples with isolates serotyped as Salmonella anatum and Salmonella heidelberg. There was a high prevalence of Listeria (72%). Confirmed isolates were identified as Listeria innocua (98.8%) and Listeria monocytogenes (1.2%). Identification of the populations present on the cup surfaces will allow for the development of more effective cleaning and disinfection programs. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Vacuum loaders have previously been determined to be reservoirs for microorganisms in shell egg processing plants. Assessing the prevalence of prominent foodborne pathogens (Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeria) on the vacuum loader cup surface would allow for more targeted approaches to cleaning and sanitation. High levels of aerobic organisms and Enterobacteriaceae were detected (,5 and 2.5 log cfu/mL, respectively). Furthermore, Campylobacter and Salmonella were also found, but at low prevalence. Listeria was detected in 72% of the samples. Cleaning and sanitation programs currently utilized in shell egg processing facilities need to be reassessed, and new technologies need to be developed to address the presence of Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeria. [source] FREQUENCY OF SALMONELLA, CAMPYLOBACTER, LISTERIA AND ENTEROBACTERIACEAE DETECTION IN COMMERCIALLY COOL WATER-WASHED SHELL EGGSJOURNAL OF FOOD SAFETY, Issue 4 2006DEANA R. JONES ABSTRACT The effect of cool water washing on shell egg temperature and pathogen detection was examined. Three temperature schemes were utilized in commercial dual washer systems: (1) HH = 48.9C, 48.9C; (2) HC = 48.9C, 23.9C; and (3) CC = 23.9C, 23.9C. HH eggsmaintainedthe highest surface temperature (26.25C in-line, 20.25C off-line and 23.25C combined, P < 0.05). The lowest temperatures were found in the CC eggs (21.25C in-line, 17.25C off-line and 19.25C combined). The frequency of Enterobacteriaceae detection in shell and membrane emulsions was greatest for the CC eggs (P < 0.05 for in-line and combined). There was no difference in Enterobacteriaceae detection for the off-line facility. Salmonella was detected in three of 384 samples from the in-line facility. They were found in HC (2) and CC (1) shell emulsions. Two of 384 samples were positive for Campylobacter from the in-line facility (CC). Three wash water samples were positive for Listeria in the off-line facility (1 HC, 2 CC). No pathogens were detected in the egg contents during this study. The results of this study indicate that warm followed by cool water washing has the potential of decreasing egg temperature while maintaining surface microbiology at an acceptable level. [source] Assessment of a Novel Angiographic Image Stabilization System for Percutaneous Coronary InterventionJOURNAL OF INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY, Issue 2 2007ANDREW J. BOYLE M.B.B.S., Ph.D. Background: Optimization of coronary images for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains difficult due to cardiac motion throughout the respiratory and cardiac cycles. We tested a novel system to stabilize angiographic images at the region of interest in order to assist during PCI. Methods: Patients undergoing PCI to the right coronary artery (RCA) (group 1, n = 22) or complex PCI (group 2, n = 16) were prospectively enrolled and the angiographic image sequences of patients who died suddenly of confirmed or presumed stent thrombosis following PCI (group 3, n = 16) were retrospectively reviewed. All image sequences were analyzed off-line by three cardiologists before and after image stabilization for accuracy of stent placement, presence of residual edge dissection, and adequacy of procedural outcome. Results: Image stabilization was successful in 100% of cases in a mean time of 95 ± 71 seconds and was considered to be helpful in 13.6% of group 1, in 18.3% of group 2, and in 10% of group 3 cases. There was good correlation between observers with a kappa statistic of 0.85 to 1.0 for all observations. However, there was no difference in the reviewers' opinions of stent placement, presence of edge dissection, or adequacy of procedural result when comparing the standard angiographic views and the stabilized images. In particular, no previously unrecognized edge dissections were apparent in group 3 with stabilized display. Conclusion: Image stabilization centered on the region of interest was considered helpful in a small subset of patients, particularly the complex PCI patients. However, no differences in objective parameters could be demonstrated. [source] On-line glucose and lactate monitoring in rat striatum: effect of malonate and correlation with histological damageJOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 2003J. Skjoeth-Rasmussen Microdialysis of glucose, lactate and glycerol was performed to monitor brain insults and to predict brain injury in a rat model using the mitochondrial toxin malonate (5,100 mm). Striatal dialysates were analyzed off-line using a CMA 600 microdialysis analyzer or on-line using flow-injection analysis and biosensors for glucose and lactate. Histological damage was evaluated using stereological principles. Lactate (baseline ca. 1 mm) was dose-dependently increased, reaching a maximum of five- to six-fold increase, whereas glucose (baseline 1,2 mm) was decreased (>50%) by malonate >20 mm. These changes were reversible upon perfusion with normal Ringer's. Transient increases in glycerol (four- to eight-fold) were only observed in some rats, and were not dose-dependent. Histological damage was related to the perfused malonate concentration, but was not significantly correlated with lactate or glycerol changes. [source] An attainable region approach for production planning of multiproduct processesAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 5 2007Charles Sung Abstract A novel approach is presented for the solution of production planning problems for multiproduct processes. A mixed-integer programming (MIP) scheduling model is analyzed off-line to obtain a convex approximation of feasible production levels and a convex underestimation of total production cost as a function of production levels. The two approximating functions are expressed via linear inequalities that involve only planning variables yet provide all the relevant scheduling information necessary to solve the planning problem with high quality. A rolling horizon algorithm is also presented for generation (if necessary) of detailed schedules. © 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2007 [source] Maximum bite force after the replacement of complete denturesJOURNAL OF ORAL REHABILITATION, Issue 9 2002F. MÜLLER In complete denture wearers the maximum bite force (MBF) is known to be considerably lower than in dentate people. Low MBF might therefore be an indication of poor denture fit but there is limited evidence on this. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether MBF can be improved by the replacement of complete dentures for elderly people. Nine edentulous volunteers, average age 74·2 ± 5·5 years and average denture experience 19·4 ± 19·5 years (1,50 years), had replacement dentures made. Functional impressions were taken after border moulding using zinc oxide eugenol paste. After a rehearsal session, MBF was recorded with the old dentures, and with the new dentures immediately at insertion, at 3, 8 days, 2,3 weeks, 1, 2, 3 and 6,10 months post-insertion (p.i.). The MBF was recorded with the central bearing point method using a full-bridge strain gauge with a confirmed linearity from 1 to 1000 N and an accuracy of ±1 N. Data were analysed off-line using the mean of two peak readings per patient per session. The results indicate that MBF tended to be impaired when replacement dentures were first fitted (n.s.). However, this trend reversed during the first month p.i. for patients with a ,moderate' lower ridge resorption of Atwood (1963) grade 3 or 4 (n=5). Patients with more severe lower ridge resorption (Atwood grade 5 or 6; n=4) showed a significantly lower MBF over the entire observation period (P=0·05) and took longer to regain bite strength. Only patients with moderate bone resorption exceeded their pre-insertion level of MBF within the observation period of 6,10 months p.i. In contrast to one report of immediate improvement of MBF at insertion of a new or relined denture (Leyka et al., 2000), the present study suggests that, at least for elderly patients with severe bone resorption, delayed improvement of MBF should be expected. [source] Topographic electroencephalogram in children during mask induction of anaesthesia with sevofluraneACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 1 2009E. SONKAJÄRVI Background: Epileptiform patterns, spikes, polyspikes and periodic epileptiform discharges (PED) have been reported in electroencephalograms (EEGs) during anaesthesia induction with sevoflurane in healthy adults and children. Published recordings have been performed with a limited number of channels, and therefore the topographic distributions of these patterns are not known. Methods: Twenty ASA I children aged 4,10 years undergoing routine operations were anaesthetized with 8% sevoflurane in 50%/50% oxygen and nitrous oxide using mask induction with controlled normoventilation. An EEG was recorded with a full 10,20 electrode system including orbitofrontal and ear electrodes, and a recording band of 0.016,70 Hz. Beat-to-beat heart rate (HR) was calculated off-line. Results: Nineteen out of 20 children developed multifocal spikes and polyspikes with a maximum over the frontal lobes. Four patients developed suppression, which was almost continuous and lasted several minutes, and thereafter a continuous EEG resumed, a few spikes were seen and then a nonepileptiform pattern. In three children a couple of PED waves were seen at the onset of a continuous EEG. HR increased maximally before the onset of spikes. No motor phenomena were seen. Conclusion: These recordings confirm the epileptogenic property of sevoflurane in mask induction. The spikes and polyspikes had frontal multifocal maxima and may be missed in recordings from frontopolar electrodes used by depth-of-anaesthesia monitors. PED and burst suppression were synchronous over the whole cortex. Epileptiform activity was indiscernible from epileptiform waveforms without anaesthesia, such as the patterns seen in status epilepticus. [source] Gaining fluid bed process understanding by in-line particle size analysisJOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 3 2009Tero Närvänen Abstract Different process phenomena and process failure modes could be monitored using the in-line particle size data measured by spatial filtering technique (SFT). In addition to the real-time granule growth monitoring, other events, such as the blocking of filter bags and the distributor plate, could be observed. SFT was used off-line, at-line and in-line in 14 differently manufactured granulation batches. No significant fouling occurred during the manufacturing due to the appropriate positioning of the probe. The off-line SFT results correlated well (R2,=,0.97) with the sieve analysis results. It was also found that size segregation influenced both the in-line and at-line particle size results during the fluidization: in-line method underestimated and at-line method overestimated the final particle size. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 98:1110,1117, 2009 [source] In situ measurement of solvent-mediated phase transformations during dissolution testingJOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 12 2006Jaakko Aaltonen Abstract In this study, solvent-mediated phase transformations of theophylline (TP) and nitrofurantoin (NF) were measured in a channel flow intrinsic dissolution test system. The test set-up comprised simultaneous measurement of drug concentration in the dissolution medium (with UV-Vis spectrophotometry) and measurement of the solid-state form of the dissolving solid (in situ with Raman spectroscopy). The solid phase transformations were also investigated off-line with scanning electron microscopy. TP anhydrate underwent a transformation to TP monohydrate, and NF anhydrate (form ,) to NF monohydrate (form II). Transformation of TP anhydrate to TP monohydrate resulted in a clear decrease in the dissolution rate, while the transformation of NF anhydrate (form ,) to NF monohydrate (form II) could not be linked as clearly to changes in the dissolution rate. The transformation of TP was an order of magnitude faster than that of NF. The presence of a water absorbing excipient, microcrystalline cellulose, was found to delay the onset of the transformation of TP anhydrate. Combining the measurement of drug concentration in the dissolution medium with the solid phase measurement offers a deeper understanding of the solvent-mediated phase transformation phenomena during dissolution. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 95:2730,2737, 2006 [source] Terpolymerization monitoring with ATR-FTIR spectroscopyJOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE (IN TWO SECTIONS), Issue 11 2001Hong Hua Abstract Butyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, and vinyl acetate solution and emulsion terpolymerizations were conducted. Attenuated total relflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy equipped with conduit and diamond-composite sensor technology was used to monitor solution terpolymerizations off-line and emulsion terpolymerizations in-line. Monomer conversion and terpolymer composition changes as a function of time were calculated by monitoring the peak height of characteristic absorbances of each monomer. Results obtained from the ReactIRÔ 1000 reaction-analysis system agreed well with those determined by traditional gravimetry and 1H NMR spectroscopy. For the solution terpolymerizations, improved models developed previously to incorporate solvent effects on solution polymerizations of butyl acrylate and vinyl acetate monomers were applied to predict monomer conversion, copolymer composition, and molecular weight averages. Comparisons between experimental data and model predictions are presented. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 1860,1876, 2001 [source] Capillary electrophoretic separation and fractionation of hydrophobic peptides onto a pre-structured matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization target for mass spectrometric analysisJOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 2 2006Johan Jacksén Abstract A CE separation of hydrophobic peptides followed by fractionation onto a prestructured MALDI target and off-line MS analysis was performed. An improved and partially automated manufacturing procedure of the previously described MALDI target is presented. This target is structurally coated with silicone and especially developed for hydrophobic peptides and proteins. Here, the target plate was designed specifically for the CE fraction collection. Different solvents were evaluated to meet the requirements of peptide solubility and compatibility to both the CE and MALDI methods and to the fractionation procedure. CE-MALDI-MS analysis of nine highly hydrophobic peptides from cyanogen bromide-digested bacteriorhodopsin is demonstrated. [source] Pesticide analysis by capillary electrophoresisJOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 12 2004J. Hernández-Borges Abstract In this work, a critical and updated revision of the current situation of the analysis of pesticides by Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) is presented. The review has been written in two main sections. The first one presents a thorough revision of the various off-line and on-line sample preconcentration procedures that have been used in conjunction with CE to analyze these compounds. The second part reviews the various detection strategies (i. e., UV, LIF, MS, and electrochemical) and CE modes that have been applied to the analysis of pesticides. Future trends that can be expected from this hot research area are also discussed. [source] Antioxidant activity of Potentilla fruticosaJOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 15 2004Giedrius Miliauskas Abstract The molecular structures of the radical scavenging compounds present in extracts of Potentilla fruticosa blossoms were elucidated and the antioxidant activities of various extracts were determined. The activities of the different fractions were monitored by off-line and on-line RP-HPLC DPPH, and ABTS,+ scavenging methods. Twelve compounds were isolated and identified, namely ellagic acid, catechin, quercetin-3-,-glucopyranoside, quercetin-3-,-galactopyranoside, quercetin-3-,-rutinoside, quercetin-3-,-glucuronopyranoside, quercetin-3-,-arabinofuranoside, kaempferol-3-,-rutinoside, kaempferol-3- O -,-(6,- O -(E)- p -coumaroyl)glucopyranoside, rhamnetin-3-,-glucopyranoside and rhamnetin-3-,-galactopyranoside. The radical scavenging activity of each isolated compound was measured using DPPH, and ABTS,+ assays and compared with the activity of rosmarinic acid. Catechin and ellagic acid were found to be the most active radical scavengers. The antioxidant properties of plant fractions were assessed in model systems by measuring superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide scavenging, ,-carotene bleaching, hexanal production in edible oil, peroxide formation, and the increase in UV absorbance in the course of oxidation. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Polymer plasticization using supercritical carbon dioxide,JOURNAL OF VINYL & ADDITIVE TECHNOLOGY, Issue 4 2008Febe Kusmanto The plasticizing effect of supercritical CO2 (scCO2) during the extrusion of polymers was investigated. A modified extrusion system was used to demonstrate the viscosity-reducing effect of scCO2 together with a capability to produce foam-free extrudate with selected polymers, including poly(vinyl chloride). Samples of extrudate and materials prepared off-line by using a pressure vessel were characterized by thermal, mechanical, and X-ray techniques. After gas diffusion from the polymer, there was no long-term effect on polymer structure and properties. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers. [source] Laboratory fretting tests with thin wire specimensLUBRICATION SCIENCE, Issue 2 2007M.A. Urchegui Abstract Wire ropes, due to their construction and application, are prone to fretting damages. In order to know the wear behaviour of individual wires under fretting conditions, laboratory tests are required. The present work describes the preliminary fretting tests accomplished with thin steel wires to optimise the testing procedure. The tests were carried out with ,crossed-cylinders' configuration varying the stroke and normal load. Afterwards, the fretted surfaces were characterised by means of an optical and scanning electron microscope, and a diamond stylus. No significant influence of selected parameters was detected and a good correlation was proved for on-line measured parameters and off-line obtained values. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||