Preset Time Period Research Articles

336 Prognostic Significance of Plasma Insulin Level for Deep Venous Thrombosis in Patients with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury in Critical Care

INTRODUCTION: Whether insulin resistance is underlying the deep venous thrombosis (DVT) development in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is elusive. METHODS: A prospective observational study of 73 severe TBI patients who had measurements of plasma insulin, glucose, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), inflammatory factors, and hematological profile within 4 preset time periods during 2 weeks after TBI. Ultrasonic surveillance of DVT was tracked weekly. Two-way ANOVA analysis was applied to determine whether the factors could discriminate between patients with and without DVT. Partial correlations of insulin level with other variables were carried out in patients with or without DVT. Factors associated with DVT were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression. Neurological outcome 6 months after TBI was assessed for Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). RESULTS: Among patients with an average (SD) age of 53 ± 16 years, DVT developed in 20 patients (27%). The 14-day plasma insulin levels were higher in patients with DVT (P = 0.01). Platelet profile discriminated significantly between patients with and without DVT. None of other factors differed between the two groups. Patients with insulin therapy had significant higher insulin (P = 0.006), glucose (P < 0.001) and GLP-1 (P = 0.01) levels, and were more likely to develop DVT (60% vs. 15%, P < 0.001) with concomitant platelet depletion. Insulin levels correlated with glucose, GLP-1 levels, and platelet exclusively in patients without DVT. Conversely, in patients with DVT, insulin correlated negatively with GLP-1 level (r = -0.297, P = 0.016). Age (P = 0.01) and elevated insulin level at day 4-7 (P = 0.04) were independently associated with DVT. Patients with insulin therapy also showed worse GOS (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated insulin level in the first 14 days after TBI may present insulin resistance in TBI, which was associated with consistent platelet activation, thus increasing risk of DVT.

Management Tools for Random Demand Inventory and Supply

A mathematical management model’s added value is obtained only after the design and implementation of a user-friendly operating and usage tool. Fol-lowing work on developing an automated inventory management system and/or supplies, a dynamic model for the rational management of product stocks was established. Its implementation aims to limit or eliminate over-stocking and/or stock depletion. The orderable quantity prediction tool based on a settable and preset time period demonstrates the added value of incorporating probabilistic mathematical principles into supply management processes. In this context, this article discusses aspects of the design and implementation of random demand management algorithms based on Mar-kov chains. The goal is to forecast the state or behavior of goods marketing company’s product stocks and to develop a user supply management inter-face. The latter’s functional application will ultimately demonstrate the ac-curacy of the model. This paper also looks at how to use Markov chains to predict the reliability of any technical device, as well as how to implement an automated system with the desired technical specifications.

A Study on Effects of Immersion in River Water and Sea Water on DNA Placed on Guns

To determine the quantity of DNA that can be obtained from that placed on guns after 30 minutes, 90 minutes and 270 minutes of immersion in water. Also, the aim of this study was to disclose how different types of water environments, such as freshwater and saltwater, affect the amount of DNA loss and degradation over the preset period of time.
 Firearms was swabbed with a double swabbing technique. DNA was isolated using a Qiagen procedure, quantified by real-time PCR, amplification was on thermal cycler and Capillary electrophoresis was performed on 3500 Genetic analyzer. The electropherograms obtained were analyzed with the GeneMapper ID-X software.
 Through the comparison of DNA amounts detected after isolation and DNA profiles/allele numbers detected on guns, it can be concluded that the influence of saltwater and freshwater are significantly different. The loss of DNA in saltwater from the outer firearms surface after 30 min is similar to the loss of DNA in freshwater after 90 minutes of immersion.
 Based on the results of this study, especially the results of real casework sample, it can be concluded as expected that saltwater has a more serious effects on the degradation and the loss DNA on guns than freshwater. Further, it point out that the guns found in freshwater after crime could be a valuable piece of forensic evidence, whilst the guns recovered from saltwater will have less value as forensic evidence if found after more than 30 minutes

A smartphone-based program for promoting functional object manipulation responses and positive mood in people with intellectual and multiple disabilities

BACKGROUND: People with severe/profound intellectual and multiple disabilities often need support for their occupational engagement. OBJECTIVE: This study assessed a smartphone-based intervention program to strengthen a functional object manipulation response (i.e., collecting and putting away objects) and possibly improve the mood of five adult participants with severe/profound intellectual disability and visual-motor impairment. METHODS: The intervention program, which relied on a smartphone linked to a motion sensor, was implemented according to a nonconcurrent multiple baseline across participants design. During the program phase, every object manipulation response (detected by the motion sensor) caused the smartphone to provide the participants with 9 or 10 s of preferred stimulation. Failure to respond for a preset period of time caused the smartphone to present a verbal encouragement/prompt. RESULTS: Data showed that during baseline (prior to the intervention program), the participants’ mean frequency of object manipulation responses per 5-min session was always below three. During the intervention phase, the mean frequency of object manipulation responses varied between about 14.5 and 20.5 per session. Moreover, participants showed mood improvement. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that a smartphone-based intervention program may promote functional responding and improve mood in people with severe/profound intellectual and multiple disabilities.

Commercial operation of annual mine planning software modules: Outcomes

The purpose of the article is to summarize the commercial operation performance (2019–2021) of software modules designed for mine planning at Uralkali. The article discusses five out of twelve software modules used to create annual mining plans as a part of the corporate mining and geological information system of PJSC Uralkali. The key objectives solved include: delineation of planned operation areas on digital mining plans for each shearer; distribution of planned production volumes per types of activity, shearers, mining sites and per minerals (carnallite, sylvinite) per month; determination of qualitative and quantitative indicators of produced ore mass within the planned operation areas with regard to the type of activity (stone drivage, permanent roadway development, stoping); mapping of roadways and stoping boundaries on the digital plan per each extraction panel quarterly; determination of produced volumes of minerals and gangue; setting of loss and dilution standards for each extraction panel; compilation and redaction of tabular, graphic and text documentation on annual mine planning, etc. Accomplishment of the listed tasks involves the mining, geology, surveying and geomechanics personnel of mines and at Uralkali. In this regard, the created software products are meant to tackle a critical problem connected with the full and prompt provision of all annual mine planning experts with verified source information to ensure their interaction and proper determination of planned mining performance for a preset period of time.

Development of a computer vision system to detect inactivity in group-housed pigs.

Excessive inactivity in farm animals can be an early indication of illness. Traditional way for detecting excessive inactivity in pigs relies on manual inspection which can be laborious and especially time-consuming. This paper proposed a computer vision system that could detect inactivity of individual pigs housed in group pens which is potential in alarming the farmer of the animals concerned. The system recorded sequential depth images for the animals in a pen and implemented a proposed image processing and logic analysis scheme named as ‘DepInact’ to keep track of the inactive time of group-housed individual pigs over time. To verify the robustness and accuracy of the developed system, a total of 656 pairs of corresponding depth data and color images, consecutively taken 4 s apart from each other, were attained. The verification process involved manually identifying all pigs using the color images captured. The results of identification of all pigs that were inactive for more than the preset period of time by DepInact were compared to those by manual inspection through the color images captured. An accuracy of 85.7% was achieved using the verification data, thus demonstrating that the developed system is a viable alternative to manual detection of inactivity of group-housed pigs. Nevertheless, more research is still needed to improve the accuracy of the developed system. Keywords: Matlab, computer vision, sows, machine vision, depth image, pigs, inactivity DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20201301.5030 Citation: Ojukwu C C, Feng Y Z, Jia G F, Zhao H T, Tan H Q. Development of a computer vision system to detect inactivity in group-housed pigs. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2020; 13(1): 42–46.

Development of a computer vision system to detect inactivity in group-housed pigs

Excessive inactivity in farm animals can be an early indication of illness. Traditional way for detecting excessive inactivity in pigs relies on manual inspection which can be laborious and especially time-consuming. This paper proposed a computer vision system that could detect inactivity of individual pigs housed in group pens which is potential in alarming the farmer of the animals concerned. The system recorded sequential depth images for the animals in a pen and implemented a proposed image processing and logic analysis scheme named as ‘DepInact’ to keep track of the inactive time of group-housed individual pigs over time. To verify the robustness and accuracy of the developed system, a total of 656 pairs of corresponding depth data and color images, consecutively taken 4 s apart from each other, were attained. The verification process involved manually identifying all pigs using the color images captured. The results of identification of all pigs that were inactive for more than the preset period of time by DepInact were compared to those by manual inspection through the color images captured. An accuracy of 85.7% was achieved using the verification data, thus demonstrating that the developed system is a viable alternative to manual detection of inactivity of group-housed pigs. Nevertheless, more research is still needed to improve the accuracy of the developed system. Keywords: Matlab, computer vision, sows, machine vision, depth image, pigs, inactivity DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20201301.5030 Citation: Ojukwu C C, Feng Y Z, Jia G F, Zhao H T, Tan H Q. Development of a computer vision system to detect inactivity in group-housed pigs. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2020; 13(1): 42–46.

Dynamic time window mechanism for time synchronous VEP-based BCIs-Performance evaluation with a dictionary-supported BCI speller employing SSVEP and c-VEP.

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) based on visual evoked potentials (VEPs) allow high communication speeds and accuracies. The fastest speeds can be achieved if targets are identified in a synchronous way (i.e., after a pre-set time period the system will produce a command output). The duration a target needs to be fixated on until the system classifies an output command affects the overall system performance. Hence, extracting a data window dedicated for the classification is of critical importance for VEP-based BCIs. Secondly, unintentional fixation on a target could easily lead to its selection. For the practical usability of BCI applications it is desirable to distinguish between intentional and unintentional fixations. This can be achieved by using threshold-based target identification methods. The study explores personalized dynamic classification time windows for threshold-based time synchronous VEP BCIs. The proposed techniques were tested employing the SSVEP and the c-VEP paradigm. Spelling performance was evaluated using an 8-target dictionary-supported BCI utilizing an n-gram word prediction model. The performance of twelve healthy participants was assessed with the information transfer rate (ITR) and accuracy. All participants completed sentence spelling tasks, reaching average accuracies of 94% and 96.3% for the c-VEP and the SSVEP paradigm, respectively. Average ITRs around 57 bpm were achieved for both paradigms.

A Novel Dictionary-Driven Mental Spelling Application Based on Code-Modulated Visual Evoked Potentials

Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) based on code-modulated visual evoked potentials (c-VEPs) typically utilize a synchronous approach to identify targets (i.e., after preset time periods the system produces command outputs). Hence, users have only a limited amount of time to fixate a desired target. This hinders the usage of more complex interfaces, as these require the BCI to distinguish between intentional and unintentional fixations. In this article, we investigate a dynamic sliding window mechanism as well as the implementation of software-based stimulus synchronization to enable the threshold-based target identification for the c-VEP paradigm. To further improve the usability of the system, an ensemble-based classification strategy was investigated. In addition, a software-based approach for stimulus on-set determination is proposed, which allows for an easier setup of the system, as it reduces additional hardware dependencies. The methods were tested with an eight-target spelling application utilizing an n-gram word prediction model. The performance of eighteen participants without disabilities was tested; all participants completed word- and sentence spelling tasks using the c-VEP BCI with a mean information transfer rate (ITR) of 75.7 and 57.8 bpm, respectively.

Serum glutamine and hospital-acquired infections after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

To understand nutritional and inflammatory factors contributing to serum glutamine levels and their relationship to hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). A prospective observational study of patients with SAH who had measurements of daily caloric intake and C-reactive protein, transthyretin, tumor necrosis factor α receptor 1a (TNFαR1a), glutamine, and nitrogen balance performed within 4 preset time periods during the 14 days after SAH. Factors associated with glutamine levels and HAIs were analyzed with multivariable regression. HAIs were tracked daily for time-to-event analyses. Outcome 3 months after SAH was assessed by the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status and modified Rankin Scale. There were 77 patients with an average age of 55 ± 15 years. HAIs developed in 18 (23%) on mean SAH day 8 ± 3. In a multivariable linear regression model, negative nitrogen balance (p = 0.02) and elevated TNFαR1a (p = 0.04) were independently associated with higher glutamine levels during the study period. The 14-day mean glutamine levels were lower in patients who developed HAI (166 ± 110 vs 236 ± 81 μg/mL, p = 0.004). Poor admission Hunt and Hess grade (p = 0.04) and lower glutamine levels (p = 0.02) predicted time to first HAI. Low 14-day mean levels of glutamine were associated with a poor recovery on the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status score (p = 0.03) and modified Rankin Scale score (p = 0.04) at 3 months after injury. Declining glutamine levels in the first 14 days after SAH are influenced by inflammation and associated with an increased risk of HAI.

A case study: what is leached from mallee biochars as a function of pH?

Biochar is widely considered as a soil amendment. This study aims to investigate the leaching of macronutrients (K, Mg and Ca) and organics from biochars produced from mallee biomass (wood, leaf, bark) in a fluidised-bed pyrolyser at 500 °C. Biochars were soaked in solutions of varying pH values and shaken for a pre-set period of time ranging from 1 h to 4 weeks. The initial pH values of the leaching solutions used (3.4, 5.5, 7 and 8.5) covered the pH range of the soils in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia (WA). For these bark, leaf and wood biochars, we can conclude that the biochars have a liming capacity for the acid soils of the WA Wheatbelt, depending on the feedstock. The maximum leachabilities and leaching kinetics of the macronutrients K, Mg and Ca depend on the pH of the solution in which biochar was soaked. Apparently, Ca, K and Mg in biomass are converted into different species upon pyrolysis, and the biomass species are critical for the extent of the leachability of macronutrients. Further, the chemical form of each nutrient retained in the biochars will dictate the kinetics as a function of soil pH. This study’s GC/MS analysis of solvent extraction of the biochars showed potential toxicity due to the leaching of light organic compounds when biochars are added to soils. Furthermore, this study also showed the influence of pH on the leaching of large aromatic organics from the biochars. Apart from the pH of leaching solution, the influence of the biomass feedstock on the leaching kinetics of large aromatic organics from biochars was demonstrated. These leached aromatic organics were characterised by UV-fluorescence spectroscopy.

Nutrient Removal and Nitrous Oxide Emission by a Two-Step Fed SBR in Treating Dairy Manure Wastewater

Abstract. In this study, a two-step fed sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was employed to treat dairy manure wastewater to remove nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus, 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), and chemical oxygen demand (COD), and to examine the associated nitrous oxide (N2O) emission by the SBR treatment. The SBR was operated on an 8 h cycle with preset time periods for different phases, including anoxic/anaerobic/aerobic phases. The results showed that the SBR system could effectively reduce the nutrients in the wastewater, with removal efficiencies reaching 86.6%, 95.6%, 98.8%, 100%, 97.9%, 95.6%, and 99.8%, respectively, for volatile solids (VS), volatile suspended solids (VSS), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N), total phosphorus (TP), COD, and BOD5. However, the SBR could not complete denitrification at the end of the cycle, with 12 mg L-1 nitrate left in the effluent, possibly due to suppression of denitrifiers by the anoxic/aeration phase that was placed almost at the end of cycle and overprovided oxygen to the liquid. Denitrification was found to be a major process for N2O generation, so reducing denitrification time in the cycle is recommended, given that the overall performance of the SBR system in removing nutrients was not compromised. Using oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) alone to automate the SBR control was not sufficient to avoid failure of the system. Keywords: Dairy manure wastewater, Nitrous oxide emission, Nutrient removal, ORP control, Sequencing batch reactor, Two-step fed strategy.

Issues regarding the modelling and simulation of hybrid micro grid systems

The main followed objectives within control strategies dedicated to hybrid micro grid systems (wind/hydro/solar), that operate based on maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques are to improve the conversion systems efficiency and to maintain the quality of the produced electrical energy (the voltage and power factor control). One of the main goals of maximum power point tracking strategy is to achieve the harvesting of the maximal possible energy within a pre-set time period. In order to implement the control strategies for micro grid systems that operate at time variable parameter, there are usually required specific transducers (anemometer for wind speed measurement, optical rotational transducers, taco generators, etc.). In the technical literature there are presented several variants of the MPPT techniques, which are particularized at several applications (wind energy conversion systems, solar systems, hydro plants and micro grid hybrid systems). The maximum power point tracking implementations are mainly based on two-level architecture. The inferior level controls the primary variables, while the superior level represents the MPPT control structure. In the paper, authors present some micro grid structures proposed at Politehnica University Timisoara within the frame of a research grant. The paper is focused on the application of MPPT strategies on hybrid micro grid systems. There are presented several structures and control strategies and are highlighted their advantages and disadvantages, together with practical implementation guidelines.

Inflammation, negative nitrogen balance, and outcome after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

To analyze the impact of inflammation and negative nitrogen balance (NBAL) on nutritional status and outcomes after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). This was a prospective observational study of SAH patients admitted between May 2008 and June 2012. Measurements of C-reactive protein (CRP), transthyretin (TTR), resting energy expenditure (REE), and NBAL (g/day) were performed over 4 preset time periods during the first 14 postbleed days (PBD) in addition to daily caloric intake. Factors associated with REE and NBAL were analyzed with multivariable linear regression. Hospital-acquired infections (HAI) were tracked daily for time-to-event analyses. Poor outcome at 3 months was defined as a modified Rankin Scale score ≥ 4 and assessed by multivariable logistic regression. There were 229 patients with an average age of 55 ± 15 years. Higher REE was associated with younger age (p = 0.02), male sex (p < 0.001), higher Hunt Hess grade (p = 0.001), and higher modified Fisher score (p = 0.01). Negative NBAL was associated with lower caloric intake (p < 0.001), higher body mass index (p < 0.001), aneurysm clipping (p = 0.03), and higher CRP:TTR ratio (p = 0.03). HAIs developed in 53 (23%) patients on mean PBD 8 ± 3. Older age (p = 0.002), higher Hunt Hess (p < 0.001), lower caloric intake (p = 0.001), and negative NBAL (p = 0.04) predicted time to first HAI. Poor outcome at 3 months was associated with higher Hunt Hess grade (p < 0.001), older age (p < 0.001), negative NBAL (p = 0.01), HAI (p = 0.03), higher CRP:TTR ratio (p = 0.04), higher body mass index (p = 0.03), and delayed cerebral ischemia (p = 0.04). Negative NBAL after SAH is influenced by inflammation and associated with an increased risk of HAI and poor outcome. Underfeeding and systemic inflammation are potential modifiable risk factors for negative NBAL and poor outcome after SAH.

Church Attendance, Problems of Measurement, and Interpreting Indicators: A Study of Religious Practice in the United States, 1975–2010

Church attendance is usually measured in surveys by asking a direct question about frequency of churchgoing over a preset period of time, which is typically a year. Different studies have cast doubt over the validity of this indicator as it tends to overestimate actual attendance to a significant degree. The aim of this article is to compare data on church attendance provided by two different types of research conducted in the United States between 1975 and 2010: survey data (GSS) and data obtained from time use surveys (ATUS). This comparison has three main objectives: (1) to confirm the hypothesis that survey data tend to overestimate actual attendance; (2) to show that this overestimation is not constant over time and space, but tends to vary in an erratic and unpredictable way; and (3) to demonstrate that data provided by time use surveys are more reliable than the frequencies of churchgoing provided by traditional surveys when the objective is to identify trends in religiosity in a population.

A Population-Based Study In Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL) Suggests a Higher Early Death Rate and Lower Overall Survival Than Commonly Reported In Clinical Trials: Data From the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program and the New York State Cancer Registry In the United States Between 1992–2007

AbstractAbstract 872 Background:All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) with contemporary therapeutic strategies for the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) have dramatically improved outcome. Currently, the major cause for treatment failure is death during induction mostly due to hemorrhage, infection and differentiation syndrome. Since there is virtually no primary resistance to induction and the relapse rate once in complete remission (CR) is very low, reducing the early death rate would be critical to further improve the cure rate. The true rate of early death in the United States (US) is not yet clear. Cooperative group multicenter studies report early death rates of 5–10% within 1 month of starting therapy which is likely an underestimation, in part, due to failure to account for those who die prior to registration on study or possibly other selection biases for enrollment. Methods:We performed an epidemiologic study of the true rate of early death and overall survival (OS) using US population-based datasets of all newly diagnosed patients with APL. The datasets from SEER Program 13 (includes 5 states: Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, New Mexico and Utah; 8 metropolitan areas including Detroit, Atlanta, San Francisco-Oakland, Seattle-Puget Sound, Los Angeles, San Jose-Monterey, Alaska Native Registry and rural Georgia) and the New York (NY) State Cancer Registry were used to identify patients with APL registered in the US and NY state from January 1, 1992 to December 31, 2007. Patterns of APL incidence, early death rate, long-term OS over time, and differences in OS by region (urban vs. rural) were analyzed in pre-set time periods of 1992–1996, 1997–2001, and 2002–2007. Results:A total of 1,400 and 721 patients with APL were identified in the SEER program and the NY registry, respectively. The number of registered APL patients was similar between men and women in both datasets, and has steadily increased from 1992–1996 (295 cases in SEER and 143 in NY) to 2002–2007 (681 cases in SEER and 371 in NY). Early death rate, defined as death reported within the first month of diagnosis, was 22.7% in the years 1992–1996, 15.6% in 1997–2001, and 18.1% in 2002–2007 in the SEER program, and 10.9%, 11.9% and 11.2% in the NY registry. No significant differences in the early death rate were observed between urban and rural areas in either datasets. OS at 1 year improved from 59.8% in 1992–1996 to 69.6% in 1997–2001; at 2 years from 53.7% to 65.3%; and at 3 years from 50.2% to 63.7% in the datasets from the SEER program. There were no significant changes in OS from 1997–2001 to 2002–2007, and similar trends in OS were observed in the NY datasets (Figure). Interestingly, when the survival data were analyzed by the urban/rural regions in the SEER program, the greatest improvement was observed in patients treated in the urban counties with absolute increases in 2- and 3-year OS of 15.3% (from 53.1 in 1992–1996 to 68.4% in 2002–2007) and 17.6% (from 49.8 to 67.4%), respectively. In contrast, in patients treated in rural counties, increases in 0.4% (from 62.5 in 1992–1996 to 62.9% in 2002–2007) and 7.3% (from 55.6 to 62.9%) were observed in 2- and 3-year OS, respectively. However, the latter statement should be interpreted with caution since the rural OS estimates are imprecise due to small numbers. [Display omitted] Conclusions:The large number of newly diagnosed APL patients and the long follow-up reported here confirm improvement in OS over time in a US population-based study. Disappointingly, the early death rate has changed only modestly since 1992 (22.7% in 1992–1996, and 18.1% in 2002–2007), and appears significantly higher than what is reported in contemporary clinical trials. Furthermore, the long-term OS, though improved over time, appears lower than that reported in clinical trials. In fact, more than 25% of patients are not cured of their disease. OS in patients treated in rural areas appears worse, possibly related, in part, to less access to specialized centers, although the analysis is limited due to small numbers. Strategies to reduce the early death rate in APL and improve OS should include very early introduction of ATRA, arsenic trioxide or both and aggressive blood product support at the very first suspicion of the diagnosis well before genetic confirmation. Disclosures:No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Collection characteristics of a batch-type wetted wall bioaerosol sampling cyclone

The collection efficiency and sample retention of a batch-type wetted wall bioaerosol sampling cyclone (BWWC) were experimentally characterized. The BWWC is designed to sample air at 400 l/min and concentrate the particles into 12 ml of water. Aerosol is transported into a cylindrically-shaped axial flow cyclone through a tangential slot and the particles are impacted on the inner wall, which is wetted by air shear acting on a liquid pool at the base of the cyclone. The retention of collected particles and the aerosol collection efficiency of the BWWC were evaluated with polystyrene latex beads (PSL), sodium fluorescein/oleic acid droplets, and Bacillus atrophaeus (aka BG) spores. The retention of particles was determined by adding hydrosol directly into the device, running the BWWC for a pre-set period of time, and then determining the amount of particulate matter recovered relative to the initial amount. For 1-μm diameter PSL, 90% of the particles were recoverable from the cyclone body immediately after their introduction; however, only 10% were retained in the collection liquid after 8 h of operation. The aerosol sampling efficiency was determined by comparing the amount of particulate matter collected in the liquid with that collected by a reference filter. The collection efficiency was 50–60% for 1- and 3-μm polystyrene (PSL) particles, and 1.5% for 10-μm oleic acid particles. The efficiency for 3-μm oleic acid droplets was 35%. Explanations are provided for the difference between liquid and solid particle behavior, and for the low efficiency for the large liquid particles. The collection efficiency for single spore BG was slightly lower than that for 1-μm PSL.

Analysis of RNA synthesis by cytometry

The biological significance of RNA can be examined by different cytometric approaches, which can be divided into “static” approaches, describing the momentary distribution of the RNA content in the cell population, and “dynamic” approaches, describing the distribution of the content of RNA precursors that have been incorporated during a preset time period. This chapter focuses on the dynamic approach, with emphasis on the flow cytometric analysis limited to applications with mammalian cells. The RNA content of a cell can be estimated by direct staining with fluorochromes such as pyronin Y and acridine orange, the latter binding metachromatically to single-stranded RNA and DNA. For studies of RNA synthesis in experimental animals, in vivo labeling with 5'-bromouridine (BrUrd) (or [ 3 H]uridine) is required. The BrUrd-substituted RNA may be detected by permeabilizing the cells and staining with certain anti-BrdUrd antibodies. Owing to their relatively short lifetime in comparison to other types of RNA molecules, specific RNA transcripts may provide estimates of the cellular expression of the corresponding genes at the RNA level.

Enhanced concert audio process utilizing a synchronized headgear system

An audio enhancement system and method is provided wherein a wireless headphone system comprises a transmitter (40) and a receiver (30) including a synchronization device (109) which utilizes electromagnetic locating signals to locate the position of the receiver with respect to the transmitter. The transmitter for this system will broadcast a frequency modulated (FM) signal on a number of separate channels in the 900 MHz band range. Each channel will carry the same audio information, however, each successive channel will have its audio signal delayed by a preset time period, e.g., 50 ms, relative to the previous channel. The headset receiver (30), supporting position location signals, and associated hardware will select the appropriate channel depending on the listener's distance from the main loudspeakers. These channels are laid out such that when in a large venue, and if the proper channel is chosen, the sound received electronically over the wireless channel will be approximately in phase with the sound arriving to the listener from the main loudspeakers.

Measurement of Gases by a Suppressed Conductometric Capillary Electrophoresis Separation System

This paper describes the direct measurement of soluble ionogenic atmospheric gases by a suppressed conductometric capillary electrophoresis separation system (SuCCESS). A small circular wire loop is incorporated at the sampling end of a fused silica capillary located immediately at the tip in the same plane as the capillary. When the loop is dipped into a solution and withdrawn, a liquid film is formed on it. The film is in fluid communication with the capillary and acts as a microreservoir. When the film end is lifted relative to the destination side, all or part of the film contents can be injected into the capillary. To perform gas sampling, a series of automated operations are conducted with a commercial CE instrument modified in a minor fashion : the film-bearing loop is lowered into a sample chamber, and air is sampled for a preset period of time at a preselected flow rate (typically 1 min at 100 cm 3 /min). The capillary is then lifted to introduce an aliquot from the film for analysis and then dipped into the running electrolyte source vial, and electrophoresis is commenced. Under the above sampling conditions, 1 ppb SO 2 can be detected. The system should be applicable for use with other detection modes and nonaqueous electrolytes.