Evaluation of 20 years' experience of enuresis in children

The clinical and urodynamic approach to enuretic children over a period of more than 20 years has allowed the authors to develop a multifactorial pathophysiological concept of this disorder. The main factors involved are psychological, familial, genetic, vesical, due to bladder immaturity, hormonal, due to a defect of nocturnal ADH secretion, hygiene and dietary habits, etc. The sleep factor is predominant in the majority of cases. Although nocturnal enuresis is apparently isolated in many cases, it is often associated with a state of bladder immaturity, sometimes latent during the day, but occurring at night with episodes of detrusor hyperactivity, occurring during various phases of sleep. In practice, the recognition, in children, of these factors, some of which require specific treatments, implies a management combining several of these therapeutic modalities.     

On the bias of the modified output error algorithm

In a recent work by Betser and Zeheb (1995), a modified adaptive output error algorithm for identification was proposed. In this paper, we prove that the solution is biased for most practical types of disturbance noise, including the white noise case. Bias can be avoided in certain cases, under the verification of a relation between the spectrum of the noise and the noise-free solution, specified in the form of a theorem     

Integration of chemical and biological oxidation in a SBBR for tannery wastewater treatment.

This paper reports the results of an investigation aimed at evaluating the laboratory-scale performance of an innovative process for treating tannery wastewater. In this process, biological degradation, carried out in a sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR), is combined with chemical oxidation by ozone. Tannery wastewater treatment was carried out, at laboratory scale, on a real primary effluent coming from a centralised plant treating wastewater produced by a large tannery district in Northern Italy. SBBR performance both without and with ozonation, was assessed with very satisfactory results. In particular, in the latter instance the recorded COD, TKN and TSS average removals, (96%), (92%) and (98%) respectively, allowed the maximum allowable concentration values fixed by the Italian regulation in force to be achieved without any additional polishing step. During the investigation biofilm properties (biofilm concentration and biofilm density) and flow dynamics aspects (head loss, shear stress, bed porosity) were also studied. A major feature of the process is that, with or without ozonation, it was characterised by very low specific sludge production (0.05 kgVSS/kgCODremoved) and high biofilm density (i.e. 87-122 gVSS/Lsludge) both contributing to a rather high biofilm concentration (i.e. 31-44 gTSS/Lfilter).     

Systems of multiple cluster tools: configuration, reliability, and performance

The migration of semiconductor processes to single-wafer vacuum cluster tools has rendered configuration an important decision variable in fab operation and heightened the impact of reliability on fab performance. We address these closely linked issues by deriving the optimal configuration and operation of systems of cluster tools in the presence of scheduled maintenance. The two extremes in the spectrum of possible configurations are the serial configuration, in which the modules in a tool are all different, each representing a step in a process sequence, and the parallel configuration, in which each tool is assigned only one process step. We predict that the latter can offer higher throughputs. However, this advantage may be slight when equipment downtime is relatively schedulable and infrequent, in which the case the serial configuration may be preferable because of its superior cycle times. We also derive optimal lot sizing and release policies for systems of cluster tools. We conclude that fabs will gradually migrate from parallel configurations to serial as cluster tools become more reliable and cycle time becomes more important.     

Scedosporium apiospermum (Pseudallescheria boydii) infection in a heart transplant recipient: a case of mistaken identity

Five studies have reported that being born or raised in an urban area is a risk factor for developing psychosis later in life. The authors hypothesize that increased exposure to infectious agents through household crowding might account for this association.     

The localization of guanylyl cyclase-activating proteins in the mammalian retina

PURPOSE: To explore the distribution of guanylyl cylase-activating proteins 1 and 2 (GCAP1 and GCAP2) in the mammalian retina. METHODS: Cryostat and vibratome vertical sections and wholemount retinas from mouse, rat, cat, bovine, monkey, and human eyes were prepared for immunocytochemistry and viewing by light and confocal microscopy. RESULTS: In all mammalian retinas investigated, intense GCAP1 immunoreactivity (GCAP1-IR) was seen in cone photoreceptor inner and outer segments, cell bodies, and synaptic regions. Intensity of the GCAP1-IR was strong in inner segments of rods in all species but weaker in outer segments-particularly so in primates and cats. GCAP2 immunoreactivity (GCAP2-IR) was weak in bovine, mouse, and rat cones but was intense in human and monkey cones. In all species except primates, GCAP2 staining was intense in rod inner and outer segments. In primates GCAP2-IR was intense in the rod inner segment but faint in the rod outer segment. A striking difference from the GCAP1 pattern of immunoreactivity was seen with GCAP2 antibodies as far as the inner retina was concerned. GCAP2-IR was evident in certain populations of bipolar, amacrine, and ganglion cells in all species. CONCLUSIONS: GCAP1 and GCAP2, which are involved in Ca2+-dependent stimulation and inhibition of photoreceptor guanylyl cyclase, can be detected in mammalian photoreceptor inner and outer segments, consistent with their physiological function. The occurrence of both GCAPs in the synaptic region of the photoreceptors indicates participation of these proteins in pathways other than regulation of phototransduction. The occurrence of GCAP2 in inner retinal neurons is indicative of second-messenger chemical transduction, possibly in metabotropic glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, and nitric oxide-activated neural circuits.     

Neuropsychological abnormalities among HIV-infected individuals in a community-based sample.

The purpose of this study was to determine the nature and extent of neuropsychological abnormalities among HIV-infected individuals and to examine the interrelationships between measures of cognitive functions and the factors that predict neuropsychological abnormalities. The study focused on cross-sectional data gathered in a multidisciplinary research clinic from 200 HIV-infected (HIV+) men and women recruited from primary medical care settings. Composite scores representing six cognitive domains were derived from the neuropsychological test data. Scores of memory, fluency, spatial, and frontal functions could be predicted by independent assessment of participants' verbal and psychomotor speed abilities. Basic verbal ability itself was predicted by education, race, and handedness, whereas speed was predicted by age, CD4+ cell counts, and a lifetime history of major depression. This model of effects is consistent with the hypothesis that psychomotor slowing is central to mild cognitive disorder in HIV infection and that such changes are associated with markers of the severity of systemic infection. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

By-products Formation during the Ozonation of the Reactive Dye Uniblu-A

The degradation by ozone of the hydrolyzed Uniblu-A (Uniblu-OH), i.e. the compound found in the spent bath resulting from dyeing process with the reactive dye Uniblu-A, has been studied with the aim of identifying intermediate as well as end by-products formed. The experimental results, obtained by ozonating (16 mg O₃/L in the feed gas at 100 mL/min) aqueous solutions (500 ml) of Uniblu-OH (40 mg/L), in the presence or not of t-butanol, show that the oxy-dye is completely removed within 30 minutes and that its decay results only slightly affected by the presence of t-butanol. Several organic by-products have been identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (turboionspray interface) as a result of the oxy-dye degradation. Such by-products result from oxidation of the amino group, hydroxylation of the aromatic rings, cleavage of the alkyl chain, cleavage of the sulfoalkylbenzene group leaving substituted anthraquinone structures and cleavage of the latter structures leading to phthalic acid. Such by-products are further degraded leading to the formation of low molecular weight aldehydes and acids, nitrate and sulphate. As for the formation of inorganic end by-products, after 120 minutes of ozonation, the percentages of nitrate and sulphate conversion resulted 6 and 7 %, 53 and 89% in the absence and in the presence of t-butanol respectively.     

An improved enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for detection of anti-ranavirus antibodies in the serum of the giant toad (Bufo marinus)

An improved ranavirus antibody ELISA (R Ab ELISA) for the specific detection of anti-ranavirus antibodies in toad sera was developed. Sheep anti-epizootic haematopoietic necrosis virus (EHNV) was used as the antigen-capture antibody. EHNV was used as the antigen and sera from field and challenged toads were used to detect the virus. Rabbit anti-toad IgG and IgM were used to detect bound toad antibody. Pre-absorption of toad sera with a monoclonal antibody, raised against the 50 kDa EHNV protein, improved the specificity of the technique. A blocking ELISA, immunofluorescence and immuno-electron microscopy were used to confirm the validity of the ELISA. The assay has potential use in screening sera from Bufo marinus for the presence of antibodies against ranaviruses and to facilitate understanding of the humoral immunological response in toads during virus infection.     

Essential fatty acid metabolism in cardiomyocytes grown in media enriched with different N-6/N-3 fatty acid combinations

We have evaluated the effects of three different 18:3n-6, 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 fatty acid combinations on essential fatty acid (EFA) metabolism in rat cultured cardiomyocytes. The desaturating/elongating activities for linoleic (LA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) were evaluated by radiolabeling the cells with 1-[14C]LA or 1-[14C]ALA and the fatty acid pattern of cardiomyocytes was assessed by gas chromatography. LA and ALA conversion to more unsaturated metabolites was reduced by increasing respectively n-3 and n-6 fatty acid concentration in the media. The all three combinations used reduced the saturated and increased the polyunsaturated fatty acid content of cardiomyocytes. The n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio did not change compared to control cells in cardiomyocytes receiving the highest amount of 18:3n-6 and the lowest amounts of n-3 fatty acids. This combination may be suitable for modifying EFA desaturating/elongating activities without altering the physicochemical parameters which are related to the correct balance between n-6 and n-3 fatty acid content.