Gender differences in FFM accumulation and architectural characteristics of muscle

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the existence and role of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) in otitis media with effusion (OME). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective. METHODS: The levels of two major TGF-beta isoforms, TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta2, in the middle ear effusions (MEEs) of 44 children were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunospecific assays (ELISAs). Forty-eight MEEs were separated into three clinically relevant groups (i.e., serous, mucoid, and purulent), and TGF-beta levels were correlated with clinical parameters of disease for these MEEs. RESULTS: Both TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta2 were present in the samples. Mean levels of TGF-beta1 (920.36 +/- 437.75 pg/mg total protein) were generally 100-fold greater than those of TGF-beta2 (9.65 +/- 11.19 pg/mg total protein). TGF-beta1 levels were elevated in association with a history of previous tympanostomy tube placements (TTPs) (P = .029) and mucoid effusions (P = .042). TGF-beta2 levels were elevated in association with a history of previous TTPs (P = .100) and chronic (i.e., serous or mucoid) effusions (P = .003). CONCLUSIONS: TGF-beta1 is present in the MEEs of children with OME. Furthermore, TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta2 levels were elevated differentially in the presence of chronic disease indicators in OME, suggesting that these isoforms may have differing roles in the inflammatory processes that characterize OME.     

Synthesis of terpene alcohols from isoprene oligomers

Various terpene alcohols were prepared from isoprene oligomers via two steps: epoxidation with peracetic acid and isomerisation with aluminium triisopropoxide. For example, 2-methylene-6-methyl-7-octene-1-o1 was prepared from 2,6-dimethyl-1,7-octadiene. From 2,6-dimethyl-2,7-octadiene, 3,3,6-trimethyl-1,5-heptadiene, 2,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadiene, 2,6-dimethyl-1,3,6-octatriene, 1-methyl-4-isopropenyl-1-cyclohexene, and 1,5-dimethyl-1,5-cyclooctadiene, the corresponding alcohols were obtained, respectively.     

A convenient method for preparation of monofluorocarboxylic acids

Monofluoro esters were prepared by the reaction of hydroxy esters with N,N-diethyl-1,1,2,3,3,3-hexafluoro propylamine (PPDA). Saponification of these monofluoroesters with enzyme (lipase MY) was attempted to give their corresponding monofluorocarboxylic acids in moderate yields.     

The Direct Synthesis of β-hydroxy-acids by Lithium Naphthalene and Acetic Acid

Lithium naphthalene reacts with acetic acid to give α-anion of lithium acetate. The reaction of this anion with various ketones gives the corresponding β-hydroxy-acids in good yield.     

Prediction of the biologically active sites in eclosion hormone from the silkworm, Bombyx mori

The structure-activity relationship of eclosion hormone from the silkworm, Bombyx mori, was analyzed. First, the probable active residues in silkworm eclosion hormone and also tobacco hornworm eclosion hormone were predicted by the average distance map method. To examine the contributions of those residues to the activity of silkworm eclosion hormone, Gly-substituted mutants for those predicted residues were produced by site-directed mutagenesis and their activities were evaluated by a bioassay. Finally, Glu12, Met24 and Phe25 were estimated to be the crucial residues for the eclosion hormone activity. The possibility of the development of a blocker of an eclosion hormone receptor on the basis of the present work is also discussed.      

Characteristic properties of cutting fluid additives derived from the adducts of diamines and acid chlorides

A number of N,N′-diacylalkyldiamines were prepared from the reaction of acid chlorides with 1,8-diaminooctane and 1,12-diaminododecane and screened for anti-rust properties and antimicrobial activity in spent coolants of water-based cutting fluids. Aqueous solutions of N,N′-dihexanoyl-1,8-diaminooctane and N,N′-isobutyroyl-1,12-diaminododecane showed good anti-rust properties for water-based cutting fluids. Aqueous emulsions of N,N′-dibutyroyl-, dipentanoyl-, dihexanoyl- and dioctanoyl-1,12-diaminododecane showed good lubricities and antimicrobial activity for water-based cutting fluids.     

Oxidation behavior of TiAl coated with a fine-grain Co-30Cr-4Al film

The oxidation behavior of TiAl coupons coated with a fine-grain Co-30Cr-4Al (mass %) film of about 30-m thickness has been studied at 1100–1400 K in a flow of purified oxygen at atmospheric pressure for up to 500 ks. Three oxidation stages were recognized: initial transient, parabolic, and accelerated stages. However, at 1100 K a parabolic stage continues for more than 800 ks. The activation energy for parabolic oxidation agrees with reported values for the oxidation of alumina-former alloys, although the mass gains during the parabolic stages are relatively small at 1200 and 1300 K. Micropores developed mainly at the scale/coating and coating/substrate interfaces as oxidation proceeded. This is attributable to recrystallization of the coating during oxidation and a Kirkendall effect due to preferential diffusion of Co into the substrate. The accelerated oxidation can be explained in terms of the formation of rutile mounds on the scale.     

Current control of a PWM power amplifier by an approximate 2-degree-of-freedom digital controller

There is a need for robust current control of a pulse width modulation (PWM) power amplifier whose transient response characteristics do not deteriorate with extensive load changes and/or direct-current power supply voltage changes. In this article, we propose a digital robust controller with bumpless mode switching to control the current of a PWM power amplifier to satisfy the demands and extend the range of an inductive load width. It is necessary to measure the value of the load in order to implement this bumpless mode switching automatically depending on the load range. Therefore, a method of estimating the inductive load is shown. The bumpless mode switching is automatically performed by estimating an inductive value without specifying the value of the inductive load beforehand. That is, the value of the inductive load is estimated during the DDC execution, and the control mode is automatically switched bumplessly according to this estimated value. A digital controller equipped with inductance estimation and bumpless mode switching is realized by a DSP. Some experiments show that the digital controller with the proposed bumpless mode switching can satisfy larger specifications.     

Voronoi-based coverage control with anisotropic sensors and experimental case study

In this paper, we investigate coverage control problem for mobile sensor networks. The novelty is to consider an anisotropic sensor model whose performance depends not only on the distance but also on the orientation to a target point. By adapting Lloyd algorithm, a distributed control law is derived. Aside from coverage, we also show that the control law guarantees collision avoidance between the agents. The performance of the control laws is demonstrated through not only numerical simulation but also experiments on a mobile robot test bed.