Ultrastructure of a bio-electrolytic methanogenic/methanotrophic granular biofilm for the complete degradation of tetrachloroethylene in contaminated groundwater.

The electrolytical methanogenic/methanotrophic coupling (eMaMoC) process was tested in a laboratory-scale single-stage reactor for the treatment of tetrachloroethene (PCE)-contaminated waters. A water electrolysis cell was placed directly in the effluent recirculation loop for the supply of both O2 and H2 to the system: H2 serving as the electron donor for both carbonate reduction into CH4 and reductive dechlorination. The concurrent presence of O2 and CH4 could be used by the methanotrophs for co-metabolically oxidising the chlorinated intermediates left over by the anaerobic transformation of PCE. At a PCE inlet of 33-52 microM and a hydraulic residence time (HRT) of 5.6 days, PCE reductive dechlorination to dichloroethene (DCE) was over 95% with a maximum DCE mineralisation of 83%. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation with 16S rRNA probes related to type I and type II methanotrophic bacteria were utilised to localise the methanotrophic communities in the anaerobic/aerobic granules. It evidenced that with operational time, along with increasing oxygenation rate, methanotrophic communities were specifically colonising onto the outermost layer of the anaerobic/aerobic granule.     

Intracerebral oxytocin is important for the onset of maternal behavior in inexperienced ewes delivered under peridural anesthesia.

Measurement of cerebrospinal concentrations of oxytocin (OT) in intact and peridural-anesthetized ewes showed that central release of OT during parturition is inhibited by this anesthesia. Also, observations of maternal behavior and attraction to amniotic fluid (AF) in inexperienced peridural-anesthetized parturient ewes after intracerebroventricular injections of either OT (2?×?10 μg) or saline showed that OT infusions increased the proportion of maternal females (2/17 vs 10/20; p?=?.01) and attraction to AF. This study confirms that in sheep vaginocervical stimulation activates the oxytocinergic system, which induces the onset of maternal behavior, and that this action is not limited to maternally experienced females. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Recurrence and death in non-small cell lung carcinomas: a prognostic model using pathological parameters, microvessel count, and gene protein products

Optimized stent expansion by high-pressure inflations of oversized balloons has initially been derived from experience obtained with the Palmaz-Schatz stent, whereas there is little experience with this strategy in the Wallstent. By using this approach with quantitative coronary angiographic guidance, 20 Wallstents and 20 Palmaz-Schatz stents were implanted in 34 patients and consecutively examined by conventional two-dimensional (2D) intracoronary ultrasound (ICUS) and three-dimensional (3D) ICUS on the basis of the application of a pattern recognition algorithm. Ultrasound criteria of adequate stent expansion were defined as a complete apposition of the stent to the vessel wall, a stent symmetry index (SSI = minimum/maximum lumen diameter) > or = O.7, and a stent-reference lumen area ratio (SRR = Minimum intrastent lumen area/Average of proximal and distal reference lumen area) > or = O.8. In all cases a smooth angiographic lumen and a negative diameter stenosis, on the basis of a distal reference, was achieved. For the Wallstents ICUS showed a higher SSI (2D, 0.95 +/- 0.04 vs 0.85 +/- 0.09; p < 0.001; 3D, 0.90 +/- 0.09 vs 0.82 +/- 0.11, p < 0.05) and a lower SRR (2D, 0.66 +/- 0.12 vs 0.81 +/- 0.13, p < 0.005; 3D, 0.63 +/- 0.14 vs 0.74 +/- 0.15, p < 0.05) than for the Palmaz-Schatz stents. Ninety percent of failure in meeting these criteria resulted from a low SRR. The incidence of incomplete stent apposition (one in both stents) or SSI <0.7 was low and generally associated with an SRR <0.8. The Wallstents met the ICUS criteria less often (2D, 2(1O%) vs 10(50%), p < 0.01; 3D, 3(15%) vs 9(45%), p < 0.05), were significantly longer (35.1 +/- 7.7 mm and 14.3 +/- 3.3 mm, p < 0.0001), and generally demonstrated a larger vessel tapering, measured as proximal minus distal ICUS reference lumen area (1.33 +/- 2.91 mm2 vs 0.44 +/- 1.97 mm(2), not significant). Wallstents meeting the ICUS criteria, however, showed less vessel tapering (0.18 +/- 1.64 mm(2)). Thus optimized stent expansion was followed by excellent angiographic results for both Palmaz-Schatz and Wallstent. Although angiographic results and visual assessment of the ICUS examination suggested a good outcome, few Wallstents met the ICUS criteria in contrast to the Palmaz-Schatz stents. The low value of the SRR in the Wallstents is likely to be caused by vessel tapering, suggesting that this criterion may be unsuitable in assessing the adequacy of the expansion of relatively long stents such as the Wallstent.     

Portosystemic shunt in Budd-Chiari syndrome: long-term survival and factors affecting shunt patency in 25 patients in Western countries

BACKGROUND: In Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) treated by portosystemic shunt, postoperative shunt thrombosis is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. The aim of this study was to determine factors associated with shunt thrombosis. METHODS: From 1985 to 1991, 25 patients underwent portosystemic shunt for BCS. According to the patency of the shunt during the postoperative period and follow-up, patients were divided into two groups including 17 patients with patent shunt and 8 (32%) with shunt thrombosis. RESULTS: In patients with patent shunt, actuarial survival rate at 5 years was 87% versus 38% in patients with shunt thrombosis (p < 0.05). Duration of symptoms before operation was higher in patients with shunt thrombosis than in patients with patent shunt (315 +/- 483 vs 109 +/- 168 days, p < 0.05). In patients with patent shunt, extensive fibrosis or cirrhosis was observed in 3 of 17 (18%) versus in 5 of 8 (63%) of patients with shunt thrombosis (p < 0.05). Shunt thrombosis was observed in 3 of 3 patients (100%) with the combination of myeloproliferative disorder, duration of symptoms more than 100 days, and cirrhosis versus 0 of 6 (0%) patients without this combination (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In acute form of BCS (with short history of the disease and absence of extensive fibrosis or cirrhosis), early portal decompression is mandatory, with low risk of shunt thrombosis and good long-term results. In chronic form of BCS, the risk of shunt thrombosis is high and long-term results are bad; in these patients, orthotopic liver transplantation must be considered.     

Threshold cryptography based on Asmuth-Bloom secret sharing

In this paper, we investigate how threshold cryptography can be conducted with the Asmuth-Bloom secret sharing scheme and present three novel function sharing schemes for RSA, ElGamal and Paillier cryptosystems. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first provably secure threshold cryptosystems realized using the Asmuth-Bloom secret sharing. Proposed schemes are comparable in performance to earlier proposals in threshold cryptography.     

Detection of human papillomavirus gene sequences in laryngeal tumors and premalignant changes by polymerase chain reaction

Human papillomavirus gene sequences have been detected in a number of malignant and benign tumours. Non-oncogenic types 6 and 11 are etiological factors of benign mucosal tumours. Types 16 and 18 can be detected in malignancies most often but their role in the etiopathogenesis of cancers is still unclear. In our study we examined formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded archive laryngeal tissues containing squamous cell carcinoma, papilloma and precancerous lesions for the presence of human papillomavirus genes. As a control we also examined tissues harbouring laryngeal nodules which represented the normal larynx in our study. After DNA preparation from the paraffin blocks we performed polymerase chain reaction to detect the DNA of human papillomavirus types 6, 11, 16 and 18. In the squamous cell carcinomas, papillomas and precancerous lesions the presence of human papillomavirus gene sequences was significantly higher than in the control group. To verify the integrity of DNA we also amplified a sequence deriving from the cellular beta-globin gene. Based on the 100% positivity for this gene we declare that the combination of our DNA preparation and polymerase chain reaction is a reliable method for detecting DNA sequences from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues.     

Reactive energy measurement using frequency controlled analog-to-pulse-rate converter

Contents This paper analyzes a problem of phase shifting and deseribes a novel method for electronic reactive energy measurement. The proposed measurement structure, composed of an integrator as a phase shifting circuit and a frequency controlled analog-to-pulse-rate converter, provides for the measurement completely in accordance with IEC definition of reactive energy, which is performed with simple but high performance metering device.

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Die Blindverbrauchsmessung anhand eines netzsynchronisierten Analog-Frequenz-Wandlers

Übersicht In diesem Artikel wird das Problem der Phasenverschiebung analysiert und eine neue Meßmethode für elektronische Blindverbrauschsmessung aufgezeigt. Die vorgeschlagene Strucktur, bestehend aus einem Integrator als Phasenschieber und netzkontrolliertem Analog-Frequenz-Wandler, ermöglicht die Verwirklichung eines einfachen aber präzisen Elektrizitätszählers zur Messung der Blindenergie, dessen Arbeitsprinzip mit den IEC Empfehlungen vollkommen übereinstimmt.