Discovering R-rules with a directed hierarchy

In this paper, we extend the classical notion of quasi-implication (“when a_i is present then usually a_j is also present”) to R-rules (rules of rules), the premisses and the conclusions of which can be rules themselves. A new statistical measure, based on the implicative intensity defined by Gras for quasi-implications, is defined to assess the significance of R-rules on a data set. We show how to organize R-rules in a new combinatorial structure, the directed hierarchy, which is inspired by the classical hierarchical classification. An incremental algorithm is developed to find the most significant R-rule “amalgamation”. An illustration is presented on a real data set stemming from a recent survey of the French Public Education Mathematical Teacher Society on the level in mathematics of pupils in the final year of secondary education and the perception of this subject.     

Galactosyl oligosaccharide purification by ethanol precipitation

Galactosyl oligosaccharides (GOS) are prebiotics commonly manufactured by β-galactosidase conversion of lactose, producing a mixture containing GOS, lactose, glucose and galactose. Enrichment of GOS in this mixture adds value to the product. This study aimed to determine whether the addition of ethanol to aqueous saccharide solutions could be used to selectively precipitate and enrich GOS from a reaction mixture. High concentrations of ethanol (>70% v/v) were required to induce precipitation. The total saccharide concentration was a significant variable, with higher GOS enrichment occurring at lower total saccharide concentrations. Varying the temperature between 10 and 40 °C had less impact than had changes in the concentration of saccharide or ethanol. GOS was enriched 2.3 (±0.1) fold in the precipitate formed in a solution of 90% (v/v) ethanol with 28 g/L of total saccharide at 40 °C. Performing two such precipitations sequentially reduced the monosaccharides from 48% (w/w) of the total saccharides to 4% (w/w). GOS precipitation has potential for industrial application as it is simple in operation and offers levels of purification similar to those by other techniques.     

Corrosion study of nickel for alkaline water electrolysis

A study of the behaviour of nickel in the conditions of advanced electrolysis (130–180°C—40% KOH) shows the detrimental effect of oxygen in general corrosion. Corrosion can be limited by restricting sulfur content in nickel. No stress corrosion cracking is observed with nickel in KOH. Nickel appears to be more sensitive to cathodic hydrogen embrittlement than to gaseous hydrogen embrittlement.     

Analysis of the friction and wear behavior of hot work tool scale: application to the hot rolling process

In hot forming processes, the interface tool/product is important for the quality of the finished product. In hot rolling, the scale formed on the roll material plays an essential role. As soon as the contact oxide–oxide is established between the roll and the slab, friction allows the process to start. However, the oxide scale will continue to grow under the cyclic action of hot contacts and water cooling and will be subjected to thermo-mechanical stresses. Beyond a certain critical thickness, the oxidized surface layer of the cylinders has not sufficient mechanical strength to withstand the shear stresses.

The wear and friction behavior of the oxides appearing on the surface of the hot working rolls is not well known. The influence of these oxides on the friction and, consequently, the quality of the products of finishing mills, seems very significant. So, in this study, we investigate the evolution of the friction coefficient and the wear, according to the growth, the nature and the thickness of the formed scale. We use a high temperature pin on disc tribometer. The pin consists of material “rolls” while the disc consists of the slab. The pin is instrumented with thermocouples in order to couple the friction coefficient measurements with the thermal gradient in the pin and the surface temperature and the formed oxides. Then, the characterization of the surfaces is done by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and EDS analyses. We use the method of sin² Ψ to evaluate residual stresses of oxide and correlate these data with shear stress behavior.     

Acute hemodynamic effects of biventricular DDD pacing in patients with end-stage heart failure

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the potential acute benefit of multisite cardiac pacing with optimized atrioventricular synchrony and simultaneous biventricular pacing in patients with drug-refractory congestive heart failure (CHF). BACKGROUND: Prognosis and quality of life in severe CHF are poor. Various nonpharmacological therapies have been evaluated but are restricted in their effectiveness and applications. In the early 1990s, dual chamber pacing (DDD) pacing was proposed as primary treatment of refractory CHF but results were controversial. Recently, tests to evaluate the effect of simultaneous pacing of both ventricles have elicited a significant improvement of cardiac performance. METHODS: Acute hemodynamic study was conducted in 18 patients with severe CHF (New York Heart Association class III and IV) and major intraventricular conduction block (IVCB) (QRS duration = 170+/-37 ms). Using a Swan-Ganz catheter, pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) and cardiac index (CI) were measured in different pacing configurations: atrial pacing (AAI) mode, used as reference, single-site right ventricular DDD pacing and biventricular pacing with the right ventricular lead placed either at the apex or at the outflow tract. RESULTS: The CI was significantly increased by biventricular pacing in comparison with AAI or right ventricular (RV). DDD pacing (2.7+/-0.7 vs. 2+/-0.5 and 2.4+/-0.6 l/min/m2, p < 0.001). The PCWP also decreased significantly during biventricular pacing, compared with AAI (22+/-8 vs. 27+/-9 mm Hg; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This acute hemodynamic study demonstrated that biventricular DDD pacing may significantly improve cardiac performance in patients with IVCB and with severe heart failure, in comparison with intrinsic conduction and single-site RV DDD pacing.     

Contribution of starch and non-starch parameters to the eating quality of japanese white salted noodles

Viscograph paste viscosity parameters of starches isolated from 42 wheat varieties were highly correlated with each other and with measures of the quality of the derived Japanese white salted noodles. Better correlations with noodle quality were obtained when measurements of wheat protein and grain hardness (PSI) as well as a starch viscosity parameter were included in the regression equations.     

Chemical vapour deposition of silicon onto iron: influence of silicon vapour phase source on the composition and nature of the coating

Armco iron was siliconized with two different gas mixtures in the temperature range of 750 to 1100 °C. The Ar-SiH₄-H₂ mixture leads mainly to the formation of a non-porous and adherent solid solution with a maximum silicon content of 6% by weight. For high concentrations of silane in the vapour phase or low treatment temperatures, non adherent pure silicon powder or flakey iron silicides may also depose. The use of Ar-SiH₄-SiCl₄-H₂ mixture leads to the immediate nucleation of Fe₃Si, the growth of which occurring from and around the open porosity of the coating. The influence of various parameters such as vapour phase composition and flow rate, hydrogen dilution and treatment temperature, is investigated and analysed in terms of limiting factors of the overall process: gas phase transport, interfacial reactions and diffusion velocity of different species in solid phase.     

Pacing in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. A randomized crossover study. PIC Study Group

BACKGROUND: Uncontrolled studies have shown that short atrioventricular delay dual chamber pacing reduces outflow tract obstruction in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. Although the exact mechanism of this beneficial effect is unclear, this seems a promising potential new treatment for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. METHOD: In order to evaluate the impact of pacing therapy, were performed a randomized multicentre double-blind cross-over (pacemaker activated vs non activated) study to investigate modification of echocardiography, exercise tolerance, angina, dyspnoea and quality of life in 83 patients with a mean age of 53 (range 22-87) years with symptoms refractory or intolerant to classical drug treatment. RESULTS: After 12 weeks of activated or inactivated pacing, independent of which phase was first, the pressure gradient fell from 59 +/- 36 mmHg to 30 +/- 25 mmHg (P < 0.001) with active pacing. Exercise tolerance improved by 21% in those patients who at baseline tolerated less than 10 min of Bruce protocol; symptoms of dyspnoea and angina also improved significantly from NYHA class 2.4 to 1.4 and 1.0 to 0.4, respectively (P < 0.007). Quality of life assessment with a validated questionnaire objectivated the subjective improvement. CONCLUSION: Pacemaker therapy is of clinical and haemodynamic benefit for patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, left ventricular outflow gradient at rest over 30 mmHg who are symptomatic despite drug treatment.     

Consequences of gamma-irradiation on inflammatory cytokine regulation in human monocytes/macrophages

We have investigated mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutagenesis in the laboratory mouse. Using a nested PCR method for quantification, the absolute frequency, tissue distribution and rate of increase of mitochondrial deletion mutations was determined. Multiple deletions arise in brain, cardiac muscle and kidney tissues: deletions occur most frequently at regions of directly repeated mtDNA homology. Deletion frequencies rose by 2.5 x 10(5), 6300- and 4000-fold in heart, brain and kidney, respectively, between young and old mice. The rates of mtDNA mutation accumulation in mouse and human hearts are modeled well by exponential equations, with r-values of 0.96 and 0.97, and mutations rose much faster in mouse than human mtDNA per unit time. Thus, maintenance of the human mitochondrial genome is much better than that of mice, consistent with the higher rate and final extent of total DNA repair in humans than mice, that has been observed by others and consistent with the predictions of the disposable soma model of aging. A comparison of mtDNA mutagenesis from cardiocytes vs. whole heart tissue was undertaken. Deletion mutations were observed to be 100-fold lower in DNA prepared from isolated cardiocytes than from whole heart homogenates, consistent with a model of uneven mtDNA mutation accumulation.