Retrospective comparison of photorefractive keratectomy and radial keratotomy

BACKGROUND: The efficacy and predictability of photorefractive keratectomy and radial keratotomy become increasingly relevant. This retrospective study compares one surgeon's experience with photorefractive keratectomy and radial keratotomy over a 3-year period from 1990 to 1993. METHODS: Photorefractive keratectomy was performed on 103 eyes of 76 patients that met the inclusion criteria for the phase IIb, phase III, and phototherapeutic keratectomy studies as delineated by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Radial keratotomy was performed on 117 eyes of 81 patients with up to 9.00 diopters (D) of myopia. RESULTS: In the photorefractive keratectomy group, 83% of the eyes achieved uncorrected visual acuity of at least 20/40; 37% saw 20/20; 88% had a refraction within 1.00 D of emmetropia, and 63% within 0.50 D of emmetropia. For the radial keratotomy group, 85% of the eyes achieved an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better; 27% saw 20/20; 88% had a refraction within 1.00 D of emmetropia; and 55% within 0.50 D of emmetropia. There were no serious complications, and only one single eye in each of the photorefractive keratectomy and radial keratotomy groups lost two lines or more of spectacle-corrected visual acuity. CONCLUSION: Photorefractive keratectomy and radial keratotomy are both effective procedures, and result in similar refractive outcomes for myopia of -1.00 to -9.00 D.     

Differential response of arteries and vein grafts to blood flow reduction

BACKGROUND: Because the relative efficacy of antiarrhythmic agents on halothane-epinephrine arrhythmias has not been well characterized, this study was undertaken to comparatively evaluate the antiarrhythmic action of Na(+)-, K(+)- and Ca(2+)-channel blockers on epinephrine-induced ventricular arrhythmias during halothane anesthesia in rats. METHODS: Rats were anesthetized at random with either halothane (1.5%), isoflurane (2.0%), or pentobarbital (50 mg/kg intraperitoneally), and the lungs were mechanically ventilated with oxygen. The rats were studied in three consecutive protocols. Protocol I determined the arrhythmogenic thresholds of epinephrine during the three types of anesthesia in 33 rats. Protocol II determined the arrhythmogenic thresholds of epinephrine during halothane anesthesia in 64 rats receiving saline (control) or one of five antiarrhythmic agents. Protocol III measured the duration of epinephrine-induced arrhythmias during halothane anesthesia in 42 rats receiving saline (control) or one of five antiarrhythmic agents. RESULTS: In protocol I, the arrhythmogenic doses of epinephrine during halothane, isoflurane, or pentobarbital anesthesia were 1.7 +/- 3.2, 11.1 +/- 0.6, and 39.0 +/- 3.9 micrograms/kg, respectively, and the corresponding plasma concentrations were 4.3 +/- 0.8, 103.7 +/- 9.2, and 246.7 +/- 28.9 ng/ml, respectively. In protocol II, the arrhythmogenic doses were similar in rats receiving saline and in those receiving lidocaine. The arrhythmogenic doses in rats receiving verapamil, flecainide (Na(+)- and K(+)-channel blocker), E-4031 (K(+)-channel blocker), or amiodarone(K(+)-channel blocker with Na(+)-, Ca(2+)-, and beta-blocking activity) increased significantly, i.e., 4.2, 4.2, 5.5, and 31.7 times control (P < 0.01). In protocol III, lidocaine had no effect on the duration of arrhythmias. Flecainide, E-4031, and verapamil markedly reduced the duration of arrhythmias induced by epinephrine, 8 micrograms/kg intravenously (P < 0.01), whereas only amiodarone markedly reduced the duration of arrhythmias induced by epinephrine, 16 micrograms/kg intravenously (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that agents with K(+)-channel blocking properties were the most effective in preventing halothane-epinephrine arrhythmias in rats.     

Endgroup analysis of polyethylene glycol polymers by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) by external injection of matrix-assisted laser desorbed and ionized (MALDI) polymers offers good possibilities for characterization of low molecular weight homopolymers (MW range up to 10 kDa). The molecular masses of the molecular weight distribution (MWD) components of underivatized and derivatized (dimethyl, dipropyl, dibutyl and diacetyl) polyethylene glycol (PEG) 1000 and 4000 were measured by MALDI-FTICR-MS. These measurements have been performed using a commercial FTICR spectrometer with a home-built external ion source. MALDI of the samples with a 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid matrix in a 1000:1 matrix-to-analyte molar ratio produces sodiated molecules in a sufficient yield to trap the ions in the ICR cell. The masses of the molecular weight distribution of PEG components were measured in broad-band mode with a mass accuracy of < 5 ppm in the mass range around 1000 u and within 40 ppm accuracy around 4000 u. From these measurements, the endgroup mass of the polymer was determined by correlation of the measured component mass with the degree of polymerization. The masses of the PEG endgroups have been determined within a deviation of 3-10 millimass units for the PEG1000 derivatives and 10-100 millimass units for the PEG4000 derivatives, thus confirming the identity of the distal parts of the model compounds.     

Transient aspects of inner wall temperatures at different spatial positions in fluidized bed evaporators

In this work, the instantaneous data of inner wall temperatures obtained at given axial positions but for different heated tubes or at various axial positions but at the same heated tube in a tube-bank fluidized bed evaporator with a vapor–liquid–solid external natural circulation flow were analyzed by employing linear and nonlinear time series analysis methods, including correlation dimension and Kolmogorov entropy analyses besides time domain, power spectrum and autocorrelation analyses. It is found that nonlinear characteristics of the wall temperature time series vary with spatial position in the evaporator at given operation conditions, and thus the multi-phase flow boiling behavior. However, the signals obtained at given axial position but different heated tubes in the evaporator exhibit more similar nonlinear evolution behavior, and those measured in the same heated tube but at different axial heights in the evaporator undergo more distinct nonlinear dynamic behavior. Multi-scale phenomena in different spatial positions are also found and discussed. These transient aspects of inner wall temperatures are closely related to the average holdup of solid particles and motion of vapor bubbles in vapor–liquid–solid flow. These results can provide some valuable information on the system modeling and controlling from the point of view of nonlinearity.     

Effects of chemical and plasma surface treatments on the O2-annealed Ni/Au contact to p-Gan

The effects of boiling Aqua Regia (AQ), N₂/Cl₂ plasma followed by AQ and O₂ plasma followed by AQ surface treatments prior to Ni/Au (20 nm/20 nm) metallization to p-GaN:Mg (∼ 3 × 10¹⁷ cm^− 3) have been investigated. N₂/Cl₂ plasma was employed in a bid to lower the Ga/N and O/Ga ratios of the GaN surface to improve the contact properties to p-GaN, while O₂ plasma was employed as an alternative to incorporate O into the Ni/Au system. Results show that a low Ga/N ratio does not necessarily correspond to a better contact. The positive effect of O₂ over N₂ anneal is observed only for the AQ-treated sample, although the mechanisms responsible for its positive effect: NiO formation and Ni/Au layer-reversal were observed for all O₂-annealed contacts. We conclude that the effect of O₂ anneal on the Ni/Au contact is dependant on the p-GaN surface prior to metallization.     

Monoclonal antibody-based competitive ELISA for simultaneous detection of rinderpest virus and peste des petits ruminants virus antibodies

An experimental competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (morbillivirus cELISA) using a recombinant N antigen (rRPV N) expressed in a baculovirus and a ruminant morbillivirus (RPV and PPRV)-specific monoclonal antibody (P-13A9) was developed for simultaneous detection of rinderpest virus (RPV) and peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) antibodies and its diagnostic performance was evaluated. A set of known reference antisera against RPV and PPRV belonging to different lineages, experimental sera from cattle vaccinated for a RPV of Asian lineage, and field sera from cattle and sheep/goat populations known to be positive (West Africa) and negative (Korea) for RPV and PPRV were used for the evaluation. Morbillivirus cELISA results on the panel of experimental RPV and PPRV antisera showed high correlation (r=0.97) between the whole virus and the rRPV N antigens, suggesting that the rRPV N contains a ruminant morbillivirus-specific antigenic determinant recognized by the P-13A9 and it may be suitable as an ELISA antigen in place of the whole virus. Morbillivirus cELISA detected anti-RPV and anti-PPRV antibodies in all reference RPV and PPRV antisera containing VN titers >/=1:8, suggesting that the assay can simultaneously detect antibodies against RPV and PPRV. Anti-RPV antibody was detected by morbillivirus cELISA in vaccinated cattle as early as the VNT and continued to be detectable by both the cELISA and the VNT until termination of the study. When applied to field samples from Africa, morbillivirus cELISA showed good agreement with a RP cELISA kit (kappa value of 0.86) in bovine sera and with a peste des petits ruminant cELISA kit (kappa value of 0.81) in caprine/ovine sera. Usefulness of morbillivirus cELISA using the rRPV N protein was discussed.     

Dual role of alpha-acetolactate decarboxylase in Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis

The alpha-acetolactate decarboxylase gene aldB is clustered with the genes for the branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) in Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis. It can be transcribed with BCAA genes under isoleucine regulation or independently of BCAA synthesis under the control of its own promoter. The product of aldB is responsible for leucine sensibility under valine starvation. In the presence of more than 10 microM leucine, the alpha-acetolactate produced by the biosynthetic acetohydroxy acid synthase IlvBN is transformed to acetoin by AldB and, consequently, is not available for valine synthesis. AldB is also involved in acetoin formation in the 2,3-butanediol pathway, initiated by the catabolic acetolactate synthase, AlsS. The differences in the genetic organization, the expression, and the kinetics parameters of these enzymes between L. lactis and Klebsiella terrigena, Bacillus subtilis, or Leuconostoc oenos suggest that this pathway plays a different role in the metabolism in these bacteria. Thus, the alpha-acetolactate decarboxylase from L. lactis plays a dual role in the cell: (i) as key regulator of valine and leucine biosynthesis, by controlling the acetolactate flux by a shift to catabolism; and (ii) as an enzyme catalyzing the second step of the 2,3-butanediol pathway.