Effect of practice on similar and dissimilar skills in patient transfer through training with a robot patient

With the number of hospital stays increasing, nurses require more training to handle a variety of patients. However, time for training in nursing schools is limited, and students lack the opportunity to practice on a diverse variety of patients. Using a robot to simulate actual patients, this study observes the learning transfer effect of practice on practice-similar and practice-dissimilar skills from one patient to another, and investigates which types of practice suit which kinds of training. An experiment was conducted by administering a pre-test, practice, a post-test, and a transfer test to two groups (N?=?8), each with different practice-related skills. The evaluation used a checklist covering required skills that were either similar or dissimilar across groups, depending on their practice. The effect of practice can be observed through a comparison of skills similar to one group but dissimilar to the other. The results show that practice facilitates learning transfer on similar skills but not, or to a lesser degree, on dissimilar skills. Furthermore, if skills needed to handle given symptoms are unfamiliar or inaccessible to students, practice related to those symptoms should be emphasized through simulated training with robots.     

Multiresidue method for pesticides and veterinary drugs in bovine milk using GC/MS and LC/MS/MS

A simple, sensitive and selective method with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) has been developed to detect 342 pesticides and veterinary drugs contaminating bovine milk at the maximum residue limits (MRLs) defined in the "positive list system". Sample preparation was performed by extracting the analytes with acetonitrile, followed by salting-out with sodium chloride. For some pesticides, the extract was further cleaned up by n-hexane partitioning and PSA cartridge column chromatography. GC/MS-EI or -NCI was used to determine pesticide residues, while LC/MS/MS-ESI was applicable to the determination of pesticide and veterinary drug residues. The variation of the recoveries of these drugs at MRL was relatively wide; however the relative standard deviations of the recovery of each drug were within 28%, suggesting that the present method is good enough for use as a screening test for contaminants at the MRLs. These results show that this method is useful for multiresidue analysis of numerous pesticides and veterinary drugs in bovine milk.     

Measurements of neutron dose rates with a balloon in Japan

Measurements of cosmic-ray neutron dose rates with a balloon in Sanriku, Japan (geographic location: 39 degrees N, 142 degrees E; corresponding geomagnetic latitude: 30 degrees N) were conducted at an altitude from 0.2 to 25 km on 25-26 August 2004 when solar activity was at an average level. Neutron dose rates given as ambient dose equivalent rates (H*(10)) were measured with high-sensitive neutron dose equivalent counters and electronic silicon personal dosimeters (EPDs). The neutron dose rates increased with increasing altitude, but they were saturated around 15-20 km and decreased with increasing altitude beyond 20 km. The neutron ambient dose equivalent rate was 1.5 microSv/h(- 1) at 20 km. Measured values were corrected for the deviation of the energy response of the dose equivalent counter from the fluence-to-ambient dose equivalent conversion coefficient, and the corrected values were very close to the calculated values with EPCARD. On the other hand, neutron measurements by the EPDs gave about 10 times overestimation because of the high sensitivity to cosmic-ray protons.     

A Model of the Relationship Between Psychosocial Variables and Diurnal Cortisol Rhythm Under Chronic Stress by Using Structural Equations

By using structural equations, we investigated the effect of chronic stress on salivary cortisol rhythm and proposed a causal model of chronic stress by using psychosocial and physiological data. First, 111 healthy workers (48 males, 63 females) completed questionnaires on chronic stress and lifestyle habits. Then, they provided saliva samples and answered questionnaires that were prepared to assess their psychological states 5 times (on waking up and at 10:00, 11:40, 14:00, and 16:00) on workdays. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that chronic stress and longer commuting time resulted in sleep irregularities and this disrupted the cortisol circadian rhythm. This suggests that chronic stress disrupts the cortisol circadian rhythm even in healthy individuals, and sleep regularity mediates the effect of chronic stress on the cortisol rhythm.

     

Surface photoabsorption monitoring of the growth of GaAs and InGaAs at 650°C by MOCVD

By monitoring the cyclic behavior of surface photoabsorption (SPA) reflectance changes during the growth of GaAs at 650°C and with sufficient H₂ purging time between the supply of trimethylgallium and AsH₃, we have been able to achieve controlled growth of GaAs down to a monolayer. Our results show, as confirmed by photoluminescence (PL) measurements, the possibility of growing highly accurate quantum well heterostructures by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition at conventional growth temperatures. We also present our PL measurements on the InGaAs single quantum wells grown at this temperature by monitoring the SPA signal.     

Design and control of a microrobotic system using magneticlevitation

Presents a prototype microrobot based on magnetic principles. Miniature items are to be transported and assembled in hazardous environments. A microrobot can be remotely operated with 3 DOF in an enclosed environment by transferring magnetic energy and optical signals from outside. The magnetic drive unit consists of 8 electromagnets (4 pairs), 2 permanent magnets, a return yoke and a pole piece. The microrobot is manipulated under the pole piece by regulating magnetic field. It consists of a magnetic head, a body (electronic circuit and batteries), and copper alloy ribbon ringers. A shape memory alloy actuator activates the fingers by illuminating/extinguishing several LED. PID controls were applied. To cope with uncertainties and variations in payload masses, an adaptive control law was also employed for positioning along the z axis to enable the controller parameters to be adjusted in real-time. Effectiveness of the control was verified by the results of several experiments. The microrobot has a net mass of 8.1 g and it can elevate and manipulate objects with masses up to 1.5 g within a volume of 29×29×26 mm³ with a precision of 0.05 mm     

A comparative study of microbubble generation by mechanical agitation and sonication

As focus on the potential applications of microbubbles increases, information about the efficiency of generation methods and their effects on the properties and stability of microbubbles is crucial in the selection of an appropriate method to generate microbubbles with the desired properties. This paper evaluates the generation efficiencies of two commonly used methods, mechanical agitation and sonication, in two surfactant systems. The results demonstrated that sonication was more effective than mechanical agitation in the generation of microbubbles in terms of higher gas hold-up, smaller bubble size, and larger interfacial area. Analysis of the changes in bubble size over time revealed that the existence of a critical diameter for the shrinkage of microbubbles. The behavior of microbubbles and the critical diameter depended on the generation method employed and the surfactant used.

Industrial relevance

Microbubble technology has gradually become accepted as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly technology with great potential within almost every field of the food industry. Selection of a suitable method to generate microbubbles with the desired properties is crucial. Mechanical agitation and sonication are two commonly used methods for microbubble generation. However, systematic information on their generation efficiency and effects on the properties of microbubbles is not available. Thus, a comparative study was conducted in this paper.     

Effects of an antiallergic drug, pemirolast potassium on tyrosine phosphorylation and map kinase activation in antigen-stimulated rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells

Aggregation of high affinity IgE Fc receptors (Fc epsilon RI) on RBL-2H3 cells results in tyrosine phosphorylation of 33-, 42-, 44-, 72-, 80-, 90-, 125-kDa proteins. The 42 and 44 kDa proteins were identified as mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases with immunoblotting of anti-MAP kinase antibody. The effects of an antiallergic drug, pemirolast potassium (TBX) on Ag-induced protein tyrosine phosphorylation and MAP kinase activation were investigated. When RBL-2H3 cells were stimulated with Ag in the presence of TBX, tyrosine phosphorylation of three proteins (33, 42 and 44 kDa) was inhibited concentration-dependently (0.1-10 micrograms/ml). Inhibition of Ag-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of 33 kDa protein, which could be a beta subunit of Fc epsilon RI, suggests that TBX may prevent the activation of Fc epsilon RI. TBX suppressed activation of MAP kinases (42 and 44 kDa) in response to Ag as well as phorbol myristate acetate (100 nM) or calcium ionophore A23187 (500 nM), implying that the drug acts on signal transduction component(s) between the second messengers and MAP kinases. However, TBX had no effects on protein tyrosine phosphorylation and MAP kinase activation in MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells. These results indicate that TBX may affect Fc epsilon RI and also may act as a step distal of Ca2+ mobilization and protein kinase C activation leading to MAP kinase activation in RBL-2H3 cells.     

Protective effect of lysozyme-galactomannan or lysozyme-palmitic acid conjugates against Edwardsiella tarda infection in carp, Cyprinus carpio L

The protective effect of lysozyme-galactomannan or lysozyme-palmitic acid conjugates orally administered to carp, Cyprinus carpio L. was investigated using a virulent strain of Gram-negative Edwardsiella tarda isolated from an infected fish. Lysozyme-galactomannan conjugate was prepared through controlled Maillard reaction. Lysozyme-palmitic acid conjugate was prepared through base-catalyzed ester exchange using N-hydroxysuccinimide ester of palmitic acid. The conjugates provided substantial protection to carp infected with a Gram-negative bacteria fish pathogen E. tarda NG 8104. Lytic activities of lysozyme conjugates with galactomannan and palmitic acid were about 80 and 71% of native lysozyme using Micrococcus lysodeikticus as a substrate. Feeding with lysozyme conjugates, for 8 days, significantly enhanced fish protection against E. tarda infection. The survival rate was 30% for lysozyme-galactomannan conjugate treated fish and 20% for lysozyme-palmitic acid conjugate treated fish after 6 days cultivation while all control fish died within 3 days. On the other hand, a recovery rate of 40% after 6 days was observed in the fish group that were fed lysozyme-palmitic acid conjugate 3 and 2 h before and after E. tarda challenge, respectively, and for 6 consecutive days. The results of this work show the possibility of utilizing lysozyme conjugates with galactomannan or palmitic acid as a therapeutic for infection in fish.     

Dis3, implicated in mitotic control, binds directly to Ran and enhances the GEF activity of RCC1

Using the two-hybrid method, we isolated a Saccharomyces cerevisiae cDNA encoding a protein homologous to Schizosaccharomyces pombe protein Dis3sp, using as bait, human GTPase Ran. The DIS3 gene is essential for viability and complements S.pombe mutant dis3-54 which is defective in mitosis. Although Dis3sc has no homology to RanBP1, it bound directly to Ran and the S.cerevisiae Ran homologue Cnr1, but not to the S.cerevisiae RCC1 homologue Srm1. Upon binding to Ran with a 1:1 molar ratio, Dis3sc enhanced a nucleotide-releasing activity of RCC1 on Ran. In the presence of Dis3sc, the K(m) of RCC1 on Ran decreased by half, while the kcat was unchanged. In vivo, Dis3sp was present as oligomers of M(r) 670-200 kDa as previously reported, and the 200 kDa oligomer of Dis3sp was found to include Spi1 and Pim1, the S.pombe homologues of Ran and RCC1, respectively. Although the biological function of the heterotrimeric oligomer consisting of Dis3, Spi1 and Pim1 is unknown, our results indicate that Dis3 is a component of the RCC1-Ran pathway.