Recruitment strategies in the women's health trial: feasibility study in minority populations. WHT:FSMP Investigators Group. Women's Health Trial:Feasibility Study in Minority Populations

The Women's Health Trial:Feasibility Study in Minority Populations (WHT:FSMP) examined the feasibility of recruiting postmenopausal women from a broad range of racial and socioeconomic backgrounds into a primary prevention trial requiring marked reductions in dietary fat. Postmenopausal women aged 50-79 yr who had no history of cardiovascular disease or cancer and who consumed 36% or more total energy from fat qualified to participate. We randomized the women into dietary intervention (60%) or control (40%) groups; we aimed to randomize 750 women in 18 months in each of the three clinical centers. All centers achieved goals for randomization based on ethnicity, and two centers exceeded overall recruitment goals. The greatest source of randomized participants was mass mailing, followed by items in the media, referrals, and community outreach. Recruitment yields were generally similar for the ethnic groups but lower for less-educated participants. The experience of WHT:FSMP indicates that postmenopausal women from the African-American, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white communities can be recruited into dietary intervention studies for the prevention of disease.     

Use of 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxyglucose as a potential agent in the prediction of graft rejection by positron emission tomography

BACKGROUND: We investigated the potential of predicting allograft rejection by measuring the ability of graft-infiltrating cells to take up 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxyglucose ([18F]FDG). This molecule is a positron emitting glucose analogue that is taken up by metabolically active cells and can be detected using positron emission tomography. METHODS: Uptake of [18F]FDG during an alloresponse was measured both in vitro in mixed lymphocyte cultures and in vivo using allogeneic and syngeneic skin grafts. RESULTS: Uptake of [18F]FDG was seen in a mixed lymphocyte reaction. Using a mouse skin graft model, we found that mean [18F]FDG uptake was 1.5-2 times higher in allografts than in syngeneic grafts; the increase in uptake correlated with the level of T-cell infiltrate seen histologically. CONCLUSION: Assessing the metabolic activity of graft-infiltrating cells with [18F]FDG may be useful in the prediction of graft rejection episodes.     

Investigation of the sedimentation of FeNi fine grains entrained in ERF slag

Nickel losses in the slag generated at Larco electric reduction furnaces (ERF) during smelting of Greek laterites account for about 20% of the total nickel of the feed. The recovery of the nickel contained in the slag as well as in its magnetic concentrate was studied under different methods. The experimental results have shown that a nickel recovery in the range of 75-90% is possible by allowing the slag to settle. Washing by low carbon steel can be performed during the final stages of the settling process as it improves the finally attained nickel recovery up to 94.4%. The simultaneous carbon reduction and settling process do not favour the Ni- recovery as the produced carbon monoxide and dioxide cause boiling of the bath which promotes the flotation of the metallic grains. In all cases a reoxidation of nickel was observed after 20min approximately. Settling of the ferronickel grains was described by a mathematical model. The model's results are in good agreement to the experimental ones for the initial 20min of the process. A modified model was elaborated combining the settling of the metallic grains with the nickel reoxidation reaction. This model describes with adequate accuracy the whole Ni- recovery process. The developed model can be proven helpful in the design of a slag cleaning step for metal recovery utilizing a slag settling furnace operating on line to the ERF.     

Acknowledgement of Reviewers 2020

Water Resources Management -     

Algorithms for processing the group K nearest-neighbor query on distributed frameworks

Distributed and Parallel Databases - Given two datasets of points (called Query and Training), the Group (K) Nearest-Neighbor (GKNN) query retrieves (K) points of the Training with the smallest sum...     

Fabrication of an optically driven pH gradient generator based on self-assembled proton pumps

Optically manipulating the local pH of a target solution in a microchannel, or reservoir, provides a mechanism for activating and controlling a variety of biological and chemical processes on Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC) devices and micro-total analysis systems (μ-TAS). A microscale pH gradient generator that exploits the light-activated molecular proton pumps found in the purple membranes (PM) of bacteriorhodopsin is described in this paper. The photo-electro-chemical transducer is an ultrathin layer (~13?nm) of oriented PM patches self-assembled on an Au-coated porous substrate. A biotin labeling and streptavidin molecular recognition technique is used to ensure that the extracellular side of all PM patches is attached to the porous substrate enabling unidirectional and efficient transport of ions across the transducer surface. The photo-induced proton pumps generate a flow of ions that produce a measurable change in pH between the separated solutions. The self-assembly procedure is experimentally quantified based on the capacitance characteristics of the bR membranes. The investigation confirms that the transducer is covered with the bR proton pumps at a mass density of 2.33?ng/cm². Experimental tests also show that the proposed transducer can repeatedly generate pH gradients as high as 0.42 and absolute voltage differences as high as 25?mV when illuminated by an 18?mW, 568?nm light source. Furthermore, the ΔpH is observed to be nonlinear with respect to light intensity and exposure time. The ΔpH of the target solution is sufficient to cause a phenolphthalein indicator dye to change color or an ionic hydrogel micro-valve to expand.     

Kinetic interpretation ofα- andβ-Si3N4 formation from oxide-free high-purity silicon powder

A kinetic analysis of the isothermal nitridation of high-purity oxide-free silicon powder is described. The kinetic analysis suggests that the and polymorphs of Si₃N₄ are formed by separate and parallel reaction paths. This analysis provides for the decoupling and quantitative kinetic interpretation of- and-Si₃N₄ formation reactions. Consistent with existing microstructural and thermodynamic evidence, the-forming reaction is shown to obey a first-order rate law, whereas a phase-boundary controlled rate law describes the-forming reaction. A kinetic model employing these rate laws is developed and is used to predict the/ phase ratio as a function of isothermal reaction temperature and extent of reaction. The/ phase ratios so obtained are shown to be in good agreement with experimental observations made under a variety of reaction conditions.     

Photolytic crosslinking of poly(p-hydroxystyrene)

Light-induced crosslinking of poly(p-hydroxystyrene) (PPHS) is significantly enhanced by O₂. This was evidenced by molar mass (light scattering measurements) and by gel content determinations which were performed on various polymer samples before and after continuous irradiation at λ_inc = 254 nm. The following mechanism was elucidated with the aid of flash photolysis studies: Crosslinking in the absence or presence of O₂ is mainly due to the combination of phenoxyl type radicals. In the absence of O₂ the latter are exclusively formed by O? H bond cleavage of singlet excited phenolic groups. Triplet excited phenolic groups which are also formed do not deactivate via O? H bond cleavage but react very effectively with O₂. This reaction leads to the formation of HO and additional phenoxyl type radicals. All Commercial and most laboratory-prepared PPHS samples contain chemically bound impurities of quinoid nature. On the basis of results performed with model compounds of low molar mass, it is concluded that triplet excited quinoid groups react effectively with phenolic groups forming phenoxyl type radicals and that they are quite unreactive with respect to the abstraction of alphatic hydrogen atoms. Irradiation of PPHS at λ_inc = 254 nm causes the formation of quinoid groups which absorb strongly at this wavelength. Light absorption by these groups becomes a determining factor with respect to photochemical alteration in the course of further irradiation.