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PDA
Selected AbstractsDetermination and Confirmation of Chloramphenicol Residues in Swine Muscle and LiverJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 1 2002T.L. Li ABSTRACT: Average high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) recoveries of chloramphenicol (CAP) in swine muscle and liver ranged from 91.3 to 94.2% and 93.1 to 103.7%, respectively, with coefficients of variation ranging from 1.4 to 4.3% and 1.1 to 11.2% for each tissue sample. The method described was repeatable and reproducible in swine muscle and liver, with a limit of quantification of 15 ng/mL and a limit of detection estimated at 5 ng/mL. The limit of identification of CAP was 25 ng/mL, 5ng/mL, and 20 ng/mL for HPLC/PDA, GC/MS selected ion monitoring (SIM), and LC/MS analysis, respectively. [source] Simultaneous determination of anti-diabetes/anti-obesity drugs by LC/PDA, and targeted analysis of sibutramine analog in dietary supplements by LC/MS/MSBIOMEDICAL CHROMATOGRAPHY, Issue 12 2009So Hyun Kim Abstract The safety of dietary supplements is questionable as there have been occasional reports of products contaminated with illegal adulterants. The present study was carried out to develop trustworthy methodologies to screen for six anti-diabetic drugs (phenformin, rosiglitazone, glipizide, glimepiride, glybenclamide and gliclazide) and six anti-obesity drugs (ephedrine, fenfluramine, T3, T4, fluoxetine and sibutramine) in dietary supplements. A simultaneous determination method of the 12 drugs by liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array (LC/PDA) was established and was validated for linearity (r2 > 0.99), precision (RSD <13.3%), recoveries (88.8,115.9%) and reproducibility. Sibutramine and its analogs, N -desmethylsibutramine, were subject to further investigation by LC/MS/MS because they were one of the major illegal adulterants. Our proposed method to monitor illegal drug adulterations in dietary supplements using LC/PDA is a simple and reliable, and therefore applicable to routine drug-adulteration screening. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Mobile Construction Supply Chain Management Using PDA and Bar CodesCOMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING, Issue 4 2005H. Ping Tserng However, extending the construction project control system to job sites is not considered efficient because using notebooks in a harsh environment like a construction site is not particularly a conventional practice. Meanwhile, paper-based documents of the site processes are ineffective and cannot get the quick response from the office and project control center. Integrating promising information technologies such as personal digital assistants (PDA), bar code scanning, and data entry mechanisms, can be extremely useful in improving the effectiveness and convenience of information flow in construction supply chain control systems. Bar code scanning is appropriate for several construction applications, providing cost savings through increased speed and accuracy of data entry. This article demonstrates the effectiveness of a bar-code-enabled PDA application, called the mobile construction supply chain management (M-ConSCM) System, that responds efficiently and enhances the information flow between offices and sites in a construction supply chain environment. The advantage of the M-ConSCM system lies not only in improving the efficiency of work for on-site engineers, but also providing the Kanban-like visual control system for project participants to control the whole project. Moreover, this article presents a generic system architecture and its implementation. [source] Percutaneous Closure of a Large PDA in a 35-Year-Old Man with Elevated Pulmonary Vascular ResistanceCONGENITAL HEART DISEASE, Issue 2 2008John S. Hokanson MD ABSTRACT The presence of a large patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) may result in significant pulmonary hypertension, which may not be reversible. We present the case of a 35-year-old man with pulmonary hypertension who had successful percutaneous closure of a large PDA with an Amplatzer muscular ventricular septal defect occluder and resolution of his pulmonary hypertension. The use of prior balloon test occlusion of the PDA suggested that the procedure would be successful, despite the lack of an immediate fall in the pulmonary artery pressure. [source] Are there gender differences in catastrophic appraisals in panic disorder with agoraphobia?DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 8 2007F.R.A.N.Z.C.P., Ph.D., Vladan Starcevic M.D. Abstract Our aim in this study was to compare panic-related catastrophic appraisals between women and men with panic disorder with agoraphobia (PDA). One hundred two outpatients with PDA (75 women and 27 men) participated. Two instruments for the assessment of catastrophic appraisals, Agoraphobic Cognitions Questionnaire and Panic Appraisal Inventory, were administered before and after cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) that also included pharmacotherapy in three-fourths of the patients. Female and male patients did not differ significantly in terms of their tendency to anticipate catastrophic consequences of panic, before or after CBT-based treatment. For both females and males, the tendency to make catastrophic appraisals decreased significantly with treatment. We conclude that among patients with PDA there are no gender differences in catastrophic appraisals of panic sensations and symptoms. The apparently higher risk of panic recurrence in women does not seem to be related to their panic-related catastrophic appraisals. These findings also support a notion that there is no gender difference in response to CBT-based treatment of PDA. Depression and Anxiety 24:545,552, 2007. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Recollections of parent,child relationships in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic disorder with agoraphobiaACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 4 2002L. Turgeon Objective:,In previous studies, patients with different psychiatric conditions, as compared with matched controls, have reported that their parents were more protective and less caring towards them when they were children. However, studies investigating associations between parental behaviours and anxiety disorders have yielded inconsistent results. The aim of this study was to compare recalled parental behaviours in out-patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), in out-patients with panic disorder with agoraphobia (PDA), and in non-anxious controls. Method:,The sample included 43 out-patients with OCD, 38 with PDA, and 120 controls. Participants completed the Parental Bonding Instrument and the Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran or Own Memories of Parental Rearing Experiences in Childhood. Results:,No differences were found between the two anxious groups. However, compared with the control group, anxious patients recalled their parents as more protective. Conclusion:,Our findings suggest that child rearing practices such as overprotection may be a risk factor in the development of anxiety disorders. [source] Individualized assessment and treatment program for alcohol dependence: results of an initial study to train coping skillsADDICTION, Issue 11 2009Mark D. Litt ABSTRACT Aims Cognitive,behavioral treatments (CBT) are among the most popular interventions offered for alcohol and other substance use disorders, but it is not clear how they achieve their effects. CBT is purported to exert its beneficial effects by altering coping skills, but data supporting coping changes as the mechanism of action are mixed. The purpose of this pilot study was to test a treatment in which coping skills were trained in a highly individualized way, allowing us to determine if such training would result in an effective treatment. Design Participants were assigned randomly to a comprehensive packaged CBT program (PCBT), or to an individualized assessment and treatment program (IATP). The IATP program employed experience sampling via cellphone to assess coping skills prior to treatment, and provided therapists with a detailed understanding of patients' coping strengths and deficits. Setting Out-patient treatment. Participants A total of 110 alcohol-dependent men and women. Measurements Participants in both conditions completed experience sampling of situations, drinking and coping efforts prior to, and following, 12 weeks of treatment. Time-line follow-back procedures were also used to record drinking at baseline and post-treatment. Findings IATP yielded higher proportion of days abstinent (PDA) at post-treatment (P < 0.05) than did PCBT, and equivalent heavy drinking days. IATP also elicited more momentary coping responses and less drinking in high-risk situations, as recorded by experience sampling at post-treatment. Post-treatment coping response rates were associated with decreases in drinking. Conclusions The IATP approach was more successful than PCBT at training adaptive coping responses for use in situations presenting a high risk for drinking. The highly individualized IATP approach may prove to be an effective treatment strategy for alcohol-dependent patients. [source] Highly Sensitive and Selective Measurement of Bismuth in Seawater and Drug with 1,2-Phenylenedioxydiacetic Acid by Cathodic Adsorptive Stripping VoltammetryELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 7 2006B. Gholivand Abstract A new method is presented for determination of bismuth based on cathodic adsorptive stripping of complex bismuth with 1,2-phenylenedioxydiacetic acid (PDA) at a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE). The effect of various parameters such as pH, concentration of ligand, accumulation potential and accumulation time on the selectivity and sensitivity were studied. The optimum conditions for determination of bismuth include nitric acid concentration 0.01,M, 8.0×10,4,M PDA and accumulation time 120,s, accumulation potential of ,200,mV. The limits of detection are 0.25 and 0.05,nM, and responses are linear 1,1000 and 0.1,400,nM at tacc of 60 and 120,s, respectively. Many common anions and cations do not interfere in the determination of bismuth. The method was applied to the determination of bismuth in some real samples such as sea , and spring water and drug. [source] Does progressive stage transition mean getting better?ADDICTION, Issue 10 2007A test of the Transtheoretical Model in alcoholism recovery ABSTRACT Aims To test two central assumptions of stage movement in the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) vis-à-vis alcoholism recovery: (assumption 1) individuals making a forward transition to the action-oriented stages (i.e. preparation/action) will manifest relatively greater drinking improvements than their counterparts remaining in the pre-action stages (i.e. pre-contemplation, contemplation); and (assumption 2) individuals remaining in the pre-action stages across time will not demonstrate clinically relevant improvement in drinking outcomes. Design and setting Secondary data analyses of data from Project MATCH, a large multi-site alcoholism treatment-matching study. Measurements At baseline and 3 months post-treatment, the following variables were measured: stage-of-change (based on the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment measure and the most recent stage assignment algorithm), drinks per drinking day (DDD) and percentage days abstinent (PDA). Findings Six of the eight tests of assumptions 1 and 2 failed to support the basic tenets of the TTM. Our study demonstrated that individuals making a progressive stage transition to the action-oriented stages (i.e. preparation/action) do not necessarily manifest greater improvements in drinking-related behavior than individuals remaining in the pre-action stages (i.e. pre-contemplation, contemplation), and that individuals remaining in the pre-action stages over time actually do manifest statistically significant and clinically important improvements in drinking-related behavior. Conclusions Our findings challenge not only the criterion validity associated with stage movement in the TTM account of alcoholism recovery, but also recent TTM-based substance abuse treatment approaches which systematically promote forward stage transition as a primary clinical goal and marker of therapeutic success. [source] Emergency Medicine Resident Patient Care Documentation Using a Hand-held Computerized DeviceACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 12 2001Steven B. Bird MD Abstract Objective: To determine whether emergency medicine (EM) resident documentation of procedures, patient encounters, and patient follow-ups improved after implementation of a personal digital assistant (PDA) hand-held recording system. Methods: All first-year EM residents were provided a PalmV (Palm, Inc., Santa Clara, CA) PDA. A customized patient procedure and encounter program was constructed using Pendragon Forms (Pendragon Software Corporation, Libertyville, IL) and loaded into each PDA. Residents were instructed to enter information on patients who had any of 21 procedures performed or were considered to be clinically unstable. These data were downloaded to the residency coordinator's desktop computer. The mean number of procedures, encounters, and follow-ups performed per resident were then compared with those of a group of 36 historical controls from the three previous first-year resident classes who recorded the same information using a handwritten card system. Data from the historical controls were combined and the means of each group were compared by Student's t-test. Results: Mean documentation of three procedures was significantly increased in the PDA group versus the index card system: conscious sedation 5.8 vs. 0.03 (p < 0.000005), thoracentesis 2.2 vs. 0.0 (p = 0.002), ultrasound 6.3 vs. 0.0 (p = 0.002). The mean numbers of pericardiocenteses and unstable pediatric surgical patient evaluations were significantly decreased in the hand-held group [from 1.2 to 0.4 (p = 0.03) and from 9.1 to 2.2 (p = 0.02), respectively]. Patient follow-up documentations were not statistically different between the two groups. Conclusions: Use of a hand-held PDA was associated with an increase in first-year EM resident documentation in three of 20 procedures and a decrease in one procedure and the number of unstable surgical pediatric patient resuscitations. The overall time savings in constructing a resident procedure database, as well as the other uses of the PDAs, may make transition to a hand-held computer-based procedure log an attractive option for EM residencies. [source] Tracking the origins of the bilaterian Hox patterning system: insights from the acoel flatworm Symsagittifera roscoffensisEVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 5 2009Eduardo Moreno SUMMARY Genes of the Hox cluster encode for transcriptional regulators that show collinear expression along the anteroposterior (AP) body axis in all bilateral animals. However, it is still unclear when in the evolutionary history of bilaterians the Hox system first conferred positional identity along the AP-axis. Recent molecular phylogenies have convincingly shown that the acoel flatworms, traditionally classified within the Platyhelminthes, are the sister group of the remaining Bilateria, branching out before the common ancestor of protostomes, and deuterostomes (the so-called PDA). This key phylogenetic position offers the opportunity to search for the presence and early role of Hox cluster genes to pattern the AP axis in acoels. Here, we report on the cloning, genomic arrangement, and expression domains of Hox genes in Symsagittifera roscoffensis. Three Hox genes were detected: one from each of the major groups of Hox genes, which are anterior, central, and posterior. In bacterial artificial chromosome cloning, sequencing, and chromosomal fluorescence in situ hybridization, Hox genes were not observed as being clustered in a unique genomic region. Nevertheless, despite its dispersion within the genome, Hox genes are expressed in nested domains along the AP axis in the juvenile worm. The basic set of Hox genes in acoels and their coarse nested spatial deployment might be the first indicators of the role of Hox genes in the evolution of bilateral symmetry and AP positional identity from a hypothetical radial ancestor. [source] Specific Colorimetric Detection of Proteins Using Bidentate Aptamer-Conjugated Polydiacetylene (PDA) LiposomesADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 18 2010Yun Kyung Jung Abstract The development of a bidentate aptamer-functionalized polydiacetylene (PDA) liposome sensor that is capable of specific colorimetric detection of proteins, directly in complex mixtures (e.g., serum), at sub-micromolar concentrations within 15 min, is reported. In comparison to sensors fabricated with a single aptamer reagent, the conjugation of bidentate aptamer pairs that recognize two distinct exosites of the target protein (thrombin) to the liposome results in significant enhancements of the sensitivity and the specificity. To elucidate the mechanism behind this enhancement, experimental evidence is presented that suggests that the liposomic aggregation triggered by specific, multi-site binding to the target protein is responsible for the improved colorimetric response. Since the colorimetric protein sensor does not require any power or instrumentation, it offers a promising approach towards molecular diagnostics at point-of-care (POC), especially in low-resource settings. [source] Monodisperse Polymer Capsules: Tailoring Size, Shell Thickness, and Hydrophobic Cargo Loading via Emulsion TemplatingADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 10 2010Jiwei Cui Abstract The preparation of monodisperse polymer (polydopamine, PDA) capsules by a one-step interfacial polymerization of dopamine onto dimethyldiethoxysilane (DMDES) emulsion droplets and removal of the DMDES templates with ethanol is reported. The diameters of the PDA capsules can be tailored from 400,nm to 2.4,µm by varying either the DMDES emulsion condensation time or the emulsion concentration used for templating. Further, capsules with defined nanometer-scale shell thicknesses (ranging from ,10 to 30,nm) can be prepared by adjusting the emulsion concentration. This shell thickness can be increased by repeated interfacial polymerization of dopamine, with three cycles yielding capsules with a shell thickness of up to 140,nm (for a 0.6% v/v suspension). Functional substances, such as organically stabilized magnetic (Fe3O4) nanoparticles, quantum dots (CdSe/CdS), and hydrophobic drugs (thiocoraline), can be preloaded in the emulsion droplets, and following PDA coating and DMDES removal, these materials remain encapsulated in the polymer capsules. All of the unloaded and loaded PDA capsules are monodisperse and do not aggregate. This work provides new avenues for the preparation of polymer capsules with defined size and shell thickness and for the encapsulation of a range of hydrophobic substances. [source] Effect of the Molecular Size of Analytes on Polydiacetylene ChromismADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 9 2010Donghwan Seo Abstract The pH chromism of polydiacetylenes (PDAs) is examined with respect to the molecular size and acidity of acid analytes, along with the alkyl spacer length of primary-amine-functionalized diacetylene (DA) lipids. pH turns out to be an important parameter to charge amine headgroups of PDA but a change in pH does not necessarily result in a PDA color change. The molecular size of acid analytes is identified as another factor that can produce a configurational change in PDA amine headgroups, followed by perturbation of the ene,yne conjugated backbone. In addition, the length of a flexible alkyl spacer between the amine headgroup and the amide group of the diacetylene lipids is found to strongly affect the degree of PDA chromatic transition. The longer alkyl spacer shows a smaller chromatic transition from blue to red phase. The alkyl spacer seems to provide a certain degree of freedom to the amine headgroup, thus decreasing the transfer of headgroup steric effects to the PDA backbone. These correlations found for PDA chromism are applied to the development of a system that colorimetrically detects diethyl phosphate (DEP), a degraded nerve agent simulant. PDA liposomes show a selective chromatic transition upon binding with DEP compared to other acid analytes. [source] Structure,fungitoxicity relationships of some volatile flavour constituents of the edible mushrooms Agaricus bisporus and Pleurotus floridaFLAVOUR AND FRAGRANCE JOURNAL, Issue 4 2001Eugene Sebastian J. Nidiry Abstract The fungitoxicity of the diethyl ether extracts of two basidiomycete mushrooms, Agaricus bisporus and Pleurotus florida, and 14 flavour constituents present in these mushrooms is being reported. Median effective molar concentrations (EC50) of the compounds for the mycelial growth inhibition of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides on potato,dextrose,agar (PDA) medium were computed and compared. Among the constituents tested for fungitoxicity, 1-octanol exhibited the highest activity. Structure,activity relationship studies of the constituents revealed that high hydrophobicity of the alkyl moiety, the presence of the primary alcoholic group and the absence of branching of the alkyl group are responsible for the high activity of 1-octanol. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Methods for inoculum production and inoculation of Cistella japonica, the causal agent of resinous stem canker in Chamaecyparis obtusaFOREST PATHOLOGY, Issue 1 2008T. Yamanobe Summary The ascomycete Cistella japonica was cultured on potato dextrose agar medium (PDA) for inoculation into Chamaecyparis obtusa, enabling the development of an inoculation method suitable for use in a breeding programme aimed at selecting for families of Ch. obtusa resistant to resinous stem canker. Using PDA to generate the inoculum resolved the problems encountered with the previously used mixed medium of rice bran and wheat bran, including unfavourable characteristics, uncertain growth of Ci. japonica mycelia, and a complex culturing operation. The inoculation test induced resin exudation similar to that observed in natural infections, and reproduced clonal differences with regard to damage severity. [source] A Direct, Multiplex Biosensor Platform for Pathogen Detection Based on Cross-linked Polydiacetylene (PDA) SupramoleculesADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 23 2009Cheol Hee Park Abstract This study focuses on the development of a multiplex pathogen-detection platform based on polydiacetylene (PDA) using a novel immobilization procedure. PDA liposome-based solid sensors have a critical drawback as the PDA liposomes are not stably immobilized onto the solid substrate. Therefore, to overcome this problem, an interlinker, ethylenediamine, is introduced, which acts as a cross-linker between individual PDA liposomes. The quantity of ethylenediamine added was optimized to 1,mM, as measured by the fluorescence signal emitted by the stably immobilized PDA liposomes, a concentration at which the fluorescence signal is 10 times higher than for the resulting PDA chips made without the interlinker. This procedure is used to manufacture PDA liposome-based multiplex biosensor arrays for well-known water and food-borne pathogens. The fabricated biosensor was able to perform the simultaneous and quantitative detection of 6 species of pathogens. As such, the results demonstrated from this research can be exploited for the development of more advanced PDA-based biosensors and diagnostics. [source] Generation of a conditional allele of the mouse prostaglandin EP4 receptorGENESIS: THE JOURNAL OF GENETICS AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 1 2004André Schneider Abstract Genetic disruption of the mouse EP4 receptor results in perinatal lethality associated with persistent patent ductus areteriosus (PDA). To circumvent this, an EP4 allele amenable to conditional deletion using the Cre/loxP system was generated. The targeting construct was comprised of a floxed exon2 in tandem with the neomycin-resistance gene in intron 2, flanked by third 3, LoxP site. Mice homozygous for the targeted allele (EP4lox+neo/lox+neo), or following its Cre -mediated deletion (EP4del/del), also die within hours of birth with PDA. In contrast, mice homozygous for a partially recombined allele, retaining exon2 but lacking neo (EP4flox/flox), are viable and show no overt phenotype. Postnatal deletion of the floxed EP4 gene is efficiently achieved in the liver and kidney in a transgenic mouse expressing the inducible Mx1Cre recombinase. The EP mouse should provide a useful reagent with which to examine the physiologic roles of the EP4 receptor. genesis 40:7,14, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] A Combinatorial Approach for Colorimetric Differentiation of Organic Solvents Based on Conjugated Polymer-Embedded Electrospun FibersADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 2 2009Jaewon Yoon Abstract A combinatorial approach for the colorimetric differentiation of organic solvents is developed. A polydiacetylene (PDA)-embedded electrospun fiber mat, prepared with aminobutyric acid-derived diacetylene monomer PCDA-ABA 1, displays colorimetric stability when exposed to common organic solvents. In contrast, a fiber mat prepared with the aniline-derived diacetylene PCDA-AN 2 undergoes a solvent-sensitive color transition. Arrays of PDA-embedded microfibers are constructed by electrospinning poly(ethylene oxide) solutions containing various ratios of two diacetylene monomers. Unique color patterns are developed when the conjugated polymer-embedded electrospun fiber arrays are exposed to common organic solvents in a manner which enables direct colorimetric differentiation of the tested solvents. [source] Experimental investigation of turbulent boundary layer flow with surfactant additives using PIV and PDAHEAT TRANSFER - ASIAN RESEARCH (FORMERLY HEAT TRANSFER-JAPANESE RESEARCH), Issue 2 2005Wang Dezhong Abstract Drag reduction of turbulent water flow with surfactant (CTAC) additives was experimentally investigated. By using PIV and PDA measurements, the spatial velocity distribution of surfactant solution flow was clarified in a two-dimensional water channel. With an increasing Reynolds number, it was found that drag reduction of surfactant solution flow is enhanced within the region of drag reduction. However, in the region of post drag reduction, the drag-reducing coefficient approaches one without surfactant when Reynolds number is increased. In the near-wall region, velocity profiles of the drag-reducing fluid are similar to, but not the same as, the laminar profiles of the Newtonian fluid. When compared to the case of water flow without surfactant, the velocity contour lines of the drag-reducing fluid run approximately parallel to the wall. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res, 34(2): 99,107, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/htj.20047 [source] Mercury Biosensors: Polydiacetylene,Liposome Microarrays for Selective and Sensitive Mercury(II) Detection (Adv. Mater.ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 36 200936/2009) Polydiacetylene (PDA) liposome microarrays have been developed for selective and sensitive mercury detection. The sensors, reported on p. 3674 by Jinsang Kim and co-workers, are designed to produce red fluorescence emission upon binding with Hg2+; when the single-stranded DNA aptamers on the microarray selectively wrap around the mercury ions, the resulting complexes repulse each other. The epoxy-based PDA liposome design is an excellent universal platform that can be readily extended to other sensor designs. [source] Polydiacetylene,Liposome Microarrays for Selective and Sensitive Mercury(II) DetectionADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 36 2009Jiseok Lee Polydiacetylene (PDA) liposome microarrays are developed for selective and sensitive mercury (Hg2+) detection. The PDA mercury sensors are designed to produce red fluorescence emission upon binding with Hg2+, when the ssDNA aptamers on the PDA surface recognize and wrap around mercury ions and the resulting bulky T-Hg-T complexes repulse each other. [source] Transitional Spaces: Mapping Physical ChangeINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ART & DESIGN EDUCATION, Issue 2 2007Juliet Sprake Museums and buildings are both considered immutable by the majority of people who use them. A small team from Goldsmiths College, the V&A+RIBA Architecture Partnership and Pimlico School set out to challenge this preconception. The Victoria & Albert museum was taken as a case study to investigate how buildings are a physical manifestation of an institute, and how their physical presence records the way the museum has to respond to outside criteria, from government funding strategies to cultural trends. This article puts forward the argument that a museum building as a subject is a constantly changing environment, through which young learners can develop their historical imagination and critical abilities. It describes the process and findings from a project carried out with students from Pimlico School, who were asked to find and respond to evidence in the fabric of the V&A museum buildings of the substantial physical changes that it is currently undergoing. By choosing specific sites, the students put together a series of PDA-based threads to describe and archive different narratives about the museum at the moment of their mapping. These are made for future visitors to see, hear and compare the museum environment they are experiencing with the one that the students recorded. [source] Face as an index: Knowing who is who using a PDAINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IMAGING SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 1 2003Jie Yang Abstract In this article, we present a PDA-based system for extending human memory or/and information retrieval using a human face as the lookup index. The system can help a user to remember names of people whom he/she has met before and find useful information, such as names and research interests, about people whom he/she is interested in talking to. The system uses a captured face image as the lookup index to retrieve information from some available resource such as departmental directory, web sites, personal homepages, etc. We describe the development of a PDA-based face recognition system and introduce algorithms for image preprocessing to enhance the quality of the image by sharpening focus and normalizing both lighting condition and head rotation. We use a unified LDA/PCA algorithm for face recognition. We address design issues of the interface to assist in visualization and comprehension of retrieved information. We present user study and experiment results to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed system. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol 13: 33,41, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ima.10046 [source] Telemedicine and teledermatology: Past, present and futureJOURNAL DER DEUTSCHEN DERMATOLOGISCHEN GESELLSCHAFT, Issue 2 2008Elisabeth M.T. Wurm Summary Telemedicine is an emerging field within medicine with potential to revolutionize the delivery of health care. It is defined as the use of telecommunication technologies to transfer medical information.Teledermatology is a category of telemedicine. Early experiments were already made at the beginning of the 20th century, the breakthrough happened in the nineties because of the rapid progress of telecommunication technology. The latest advance is mobile telemedicine which is characterized by the use of mobile devices such as mobile phone and PDA (personal digital assistant).Advantages of telemedicine are the possibility of remote patient-care as well as the easy and fast access to expert opinions and education. This can either happen through exchange of previously stored data/images (store-and-forward method) or in real time. Since our society is increasingly becoming interconnected via technical advances, it is essential that medicine also has an objective understanding of the topic. [source] Total Arch Replacement with Open Stent-Grafting for Aneurysm of Ductus Arteriosus After Surgery for Patent Ductus ArteriosusJOURNAL OF CARDIAC SURGERY, Issue 5 2010Kosaku Nishigawa M.D. An enhanced computed tomography of the chest revealed a saccular aneurysm measuring a maximum diameter of 28 mm in the lesser curvature of the distal aortic arch; she was diagnosed with an aneurysm of ductus arteriosus after surgery for PDA. We performed total aortic arch replacement with open stent-grafting through median sternotomy. This approach enabled us to avoid the risk of dissecting adhesions around the aneurysm and clamping the aorta distal to the aneurysm.,(J Card Surg 2010;25:557-559) [source] Closure of Adult Patent Ductus Arteriosus Under Cardiopulmonary Bypass by Using Foley Balloon CatheterJOURNAL OF CARDIAC SURGERY, Issue 3 2007Yildirim Tekin M.D. Method: We present a 43-year-old female patient who underwent successful ductal closure operation under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) via a transpulmonary route. Results: The operation was uneventful and the patient was discharged from the hospital on the 4th postoperative day. Conclusion: Transpulmonary route for the closure of the PDA by using CPB is a safe and acceptable approach in adult patients. [source] The parameterization and validation of generalized born models using the pairwise descreening approximationJOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY, Issue 14 2004Julien Michel Abstract Generalized Born Surface Area (GBSA) models for water using the Pairwise Descreening Approximation (PDA) have been parameterized by two different methods. The first method, similar to that used in previously reported parameterizations, optimizes all parameters against the experimental free energies of hydration of organic molecules. The second method optimizes the PDA parameters to compensate only for systematic errors of the PDA. The best models are compared to Poisson,Boltzmann calculations and applied to the computation of potentials of mean force (PMFs) for the association of various molecules. PMFs present a more rigorous test of the ability of a solvation model to correctly reproduce the screening of intermolecular interactions by the solvent, than its accuracy at predicting free energies of hydration of small molecules. Models derived with the first method are sometimes shown to fail to compute accurate potentials of mean force because of large errors in the computation of Born radii, while no such difficulties are observed with the second method. Furthermore, accurate computation of the Born radii appears to be more important than good agreement with experimental free energies of solvation. We discuss the source of errors in the potentials of mean force and suggest means to reduce them. Our findings suggest that Generalized Born models that use the Pairwise Descreening Approximation and that are derived solely by unconstrained optimization of parameters against free energies of hydration should be applied to the modeling of intermolecular interactions with caution. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 25: 1760,1770, 2004 [source] Fungistatic Activity of Heat-Treated Flaxseed Determined by Response Surface MethodologyJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 6 2008Y. Xu ABSTRACT:, The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of heat treatment on the fungistatic activity of flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum) in potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium and a fresh noodle system. The radial growth of Penicillium chrysogenum, Aspergillus flavus, and a Penicillium sp. isolated from moldy noodles, as well as the mold count of fresh noodle enriched with heat treated flaxseed, were used to assess antifungal activity. A central composite design in the response surface methodology was used to predict the effect of heating temperature and time on antifungal activity of flaxseed flour (FF). Statistical analysis determined that the linear terms of both variables (that is, heating temperature and time) and the quadratic terms of the heating temperature had significant (P < 0.05) effects on the radial growth of all 3 test fungi and the mold count log-cycle reduction of fresh noodle. The interactions between the temperature and time were significant for all dependent variables (P < 0.05). Significant reductions in antifungal activities were found when FF was subjected to high temperatures, regardless of heating time. In contrast, prolonging the heating time did not substantially affect the antifungal activities of FF at low temperature. However, 60% of the antifungal activity was retained after FF was heated at 100 °C for 15 min, which suggests a potential use of FF as an antifungal additive in food products subjected to low to mild heat treatments. [source] Evaluation of cognitively accessible software to increase independent access to cellphone technology for people with intellectual disabilityJOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 12 2008S. E. Stock Abstract Background There are over two billion telephones in use worldwide. Yet, for millions of Americans with intellectual disabilities (ID), access to the benefits of cellphone technology is limited because of deficits in literacy, numerical comprehension, the proliferation of features and shrinking size of cellphone hardware and user interfaces. Developments in smart phone technology and PDA-based cellphones provide an opportunity to make the social and safety benefits of cellphones more independently accessible to this population. Method This project involved employment of universal design and other specialised software development methods to create a multimedia cellphone interface prototype which was compared with a typical mainstream cellphone in a usability evaluation for individuals with ID. Participants completed a structured set of incoming/outgoing phone tasks using both the experimental and control conditions. Usability measurements included the amount of assistance needed and errors made in completing the cellphone use sequence. Results A total of 22 individuals with ID participated in the research by engaging in a series of incoming and outgoing cellphone calls using both the multimedia cellphone prototype system and a mainstream Nokia 6360 cellphone. Test subjects required significantly less help (P = 0.001) and made significantly fewer errors (P < 0.001) when completing eight calls using the specialised multimedia phone system as compared with the mainstream phone. Conclusions The statistical evidence of both usability results provide promising evidence of the feasibility of implementing universal design and other specialised software development methodologies for increasing independent access to the benefits of cellphone technologies for students and adults with ID. Issues related to designing cognitively accessible interfaces, study limitations and future directions are discussed. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||