Ice-slurry production using direct contact heat transfer

An ice slurry generation system was developed using direct contact heat transfer between water and the coolant, Fluroinert FC-84. The location of the coolant nozzle is an important design consideration to avoid clogging due to freezing of water. An ice fraction of up to about 40 percent was obtained with the nozzle located at the bottom of the ice slurry tank and the jet directed upwards into the water. Two simplified model were developed to extract the heat transfer coefficient between the coolant drops and the water. The first model requires as input the average drop diameter and the residence time while the second model uses the measured drop diameter distribution. The estimated heat transfer coefficients are much smaller than those computed using single-sphere correlations.     

Relationship of a dystrophin-associated glycoprotein to junctional acetylcholine receptor clusters in rat skeletal muscle

The relationship of a member of the transmembrane dystrophin-associated glycoprotein (DAG) complex to acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) was investigated using immunofluorescence techniques at rat neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) viewed en face. These results were compared with those from a similar previous study of dystrophin and an autosomal homologue (utrophin or dystrophin-related protein, DRP) (Bewick et al. Neuro Report 1992; 3: 857-860). The region of highest 43 K DAG (43DAG) labelling projected beyond the AChRs by approximately 0.3 microns, as does that for dystrophin. By contrast DRP labelling precisely co-localizes with the AChRs. These results suggest that at the NMJ, the region of high 43DAG concentration encompasses the area of highest intensity labelling for both DRP and dystrophin.     

Preventive care for women. Does the sex of the physician matter?

BACKGROUND: Emphasis on ensuring women's access to preventive health services has increased over the past decade. Relatively little attention has been paid to whether the sex of the physician affects the rates of cancer screening among women. We examined differences between male and female physicians in the frequency of screening mammograms and Pap smears among women patients enrolled in a large Midwestern health plan. METHODS: We identified claims for mammography and Pap tests submitted by primary care physicians for 97,962 women, 18 to 75 years of age, who were enrolled in the health plan in 1990. The sex of the physician was manually coded, and the physician's age was obtained from the state licensing board. After identifying a principal physician for each woman, we calculated the frequency of mammography and Pap smears for each physician, using the number of women in his or her practice during 1990 as the denominator. Using unconditional logistic regression, we also calculated the odds ratio of having a Pap smear or mammogram for women patients with female physicians as compared with those with male physicians, controlling for the physician's and the patient's age. RESULTS: Crude rates for Pap smears and mammography were higher for the patients of female than male physicians in most age groups of physicians. The largest differences between female and male physicians were in the rates of Pap smears among the youngest physicians. For the subgroup of women enrolled in the health plan for a year who saw only one physician, after adjustment for the patient's age and the physician's age and specialty, the odds ratio for having a Pap smear was 1.99 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.72 to 2.30) for the patients of female physicians as compared with those of male physicians. For women 40 years old and older, the odds ratio for having a mammogram was 1.41 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.22 to 1.63). For both Pap smears and mammography, the differences between female and male physicians in screening rates were much more pronounced in internal medicine and family practice than in obstetrics and gynecology. CONCLUSIONS: Women are more likely to undergo screening with Pap smears and mammograms if they see female rather than male physicians, particularly if the physician is an internist or family practitioner.     

Effects of GABA compounds injected into the subpallidal regions of rat brain on nucleus accumbens evoked hyperactivity.

The effects of administration of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) compounds into the ventral pallidum and substantia innominata on the locomotor hyperactivity induced by the dopamine agonist 2-amino-6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene (ADTN) in the nucleus accumbens were investigated in rats. Hyperactivity induced by ADTN was antagonized by the GABA receptor agonists muscimol, isoguvacine, and baclofen. The compounds were equally effective in both subpallidal regions. In contrast, the GABA antagonists picrotoxin and bicuculline injected into subpallidal sites had no effects on accumbens—evoked hyperactivity, although by themselves both antagonists caused a mild and transient locomotor stimulation. It is suggested that GABA receptors in the subpallidal areas are involved in locomotor stimulation elicited from the nucleus accumbens. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Uses of Ozone in a Three-Phase System for Water Treatment: Ozone Adsorption

A new technique of using ozone for water treatment is presented. This new technique consists of using a three-step-process composed firstly of ozone adsorption on an appropriate adsorbent, secondly water treatment, and thirdly regeneration of the adsorbent. Results regarding ozone adsorption (the first step) are presented in this paper. Different types of silica gel and a type of TiO₂ have been tested for ozone adsorption. It was found that the physical characteristics of the silica gel affect its capacity for ozone. Titanium dioxide has shown ozone decomposition instead of adsorption as it contains Lewis acid sites. An exponential decrease of the silica gel capacity with its moisture content has been found. Linear isotherms in the range of ozone concentrations less than 100?g/m³ NTP have been found. A particle diffusion model with linear equilibrium isotherm has been used to model the breakthrough curves in fixed bed columns.     

The seismic kernel system — a large-scale exercise in fortran 77 portability

The portability of software has become a major commercial issue in recent times. Such portability does not come easily, as few if any computer languages are really portable in practice. An additional complicating factor, especially in the commercial environment, is that the resulting software must be efficient. This paper describes the design and successful implementation of a 500,000+ line portable FORTRAN 77 package for the processing of seismic data. The package exhibits demonstrably high efficiency on a wide variety of machines from minicomputers to the largest supercomputers. Experiences gained during this exercise throw much light on the integration of the various thought processes which occur during the software engineering cycle, especially the notion of locality.