Developmental characteristics of histamine methyltransferase and phenylethanolamine-N-methyl-transferase of rat brain

The specific activity of histamine methyltransferase of rat brain increases rapidly from the 16th until the 25th day of gestation (7 days after birth). The specific activity of phenylethanolamine-N-methyl-transferase shows a rapid increase during the 1st and the 2nd week after birth, the adult values being obtained by the end of the 2nd week.     

Cycle time predictions for the rotational molding process with and without mold/part separation

We present a detailed theoretical heat transfer model for the entire rotational molding process (including heating and cooling stages) and identify the key dimensionless groups affecting the process cycle time. This theoretical model is employed to generate numerical results that are in very good agreement with the experimental data available in the literature. The effects of variations in the dimensionless groups on the cycle time are evaluated. In addition, part shrinkage has been incorporated in the models, and its effect on the process cycle time has been studied extensively.     

The unanticipated difficult airway with recommendations for management

PURPOSE: To review the current literature and generate recommendations on the role of newer technology in the management of the unanticipated difficult airway. METHODS: A literature search using key words and filters of English language and English abstracted publications from 1990-96 contained in the Medline, Current Contents and Biological Abstracts databases was carried out. The literature was reviewed and condensed and a series of evidence-based recommendations were evolved. CONCLUSIONS: The unanticipated difficult airway occurs with a low but consistent incidence in anaesthesia practice. Difficult direct laryngoscopy occurs in 1.5-8.5% of general anaesthetics and difficult intubation occurs with a similar incidence. Failed intubation occurs in 0.13-0.3% general anaesthetics. Current techniques for predicting difficulty with laryngoscopy and intubation are sensitive, non-specific and have a low positive predictive value. Assessment techniques which utilize multiple characteristics to derive a risk factor tend to be more accurate predictors. Devices such as the laryngeal mask, lighted stylet and rigid fibreoptic laryngoscopes, in the setting of unanticipated difficult airway, are effective in establishing a patient airway, may reduce morbidity and are occasionally lifesaving. Evidence supports their use in this setting as either alternatives to facemask and bag ventilation, when it is inadequate to support oxygenation, or to the direct laryngoscope, when tracheal intubation has failed. Specifically, the laryngeal mask and Combitube have proved to be effective in establishing and maintaining a patent airway in "cannot ventilate" situations. The lighted stylet and Bullard (rigid) fibreoptic scope are effective in many instances where the direct laryngoscope has failed to facilitate tracheal intubation. The data also support integration of these devices into strategies to manage difficult airway as the new standard of care. Training programmes should ensure graduate physicians are trained in the use of these alternatives. Continuing medical education courses should allow physicians in practice the opportunity to train with these alternative devices.     

Clinical trial of ototopical ofloxacin for treatment of chronic suppurative otitis media

A multicenter, open-label prospective trial was performed to determine the clinical and microbiologic efficacy of ofloxacin (OFLX) otic solution in the treatment of subjects > or =12 years with chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) and a chronically perforated tympanic membrane in the infected ear(s). A total of 207 patients at 27 centers in the United States and Central America received OFLX 0.5 mL instilled ototopically twice daily for 14 consecutive days. The primary clinical end point was cure (dry ear) or failure (not dry ear). The primary microbiologic end point was eradication of baseline pathogens. Because there was no comparator and there were few data in the literature regarding clinical efficacy in patients treated with other regimens, the efficacy of OFLX was compared with data recorded in the clinical records of historical-practice control (HPC) or current-practice control (CPC) subjects. The incidence of clinical cure in clinically evaluable OFLX-treated patients (91%; 148 of 162 subjects) was significantly higher than in HPC subjects (67%; 124 of 185 subjects) or CPC subjects (70%; 38 of 54 subjects). OFLX eradicated all baseline pathogens isolated in microbiologically evaluable subjects. These pathogens were predominantly Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus mirabilis. The most common treatment-related adverse event, bitter taste, occurred in 17% (35 of 207) of OFLX-treated subjects. Thus OFLX 0.5 mL administered twice daily for 14 days was effective in resolving the signs and symptoms of CSOM in subjects > or =12 years, was significantly more effective than therapies used to treat HPC or CPC subjects, and was well tolerated.     

Feature detection in motor cortical spikes by principal component analysis.

Principal component analysis was performed on recorded neural spike trains in rats' motor cortices when rats were involved in real-time control tasks using brain-machine interfaces. The rat with implanted microelectrode array was placed in a conditioning chamber, but freely moving, to decide which one of the two paddles should be activated to shift the cue light to the center. It is found that the principal component feature vectors revealed the importance of individual neurons and windows of time in the decision making process. In addition, one of the first principal components has much higher discriminative capability than others, although it represents only a small percentage of the total variance in the data. Using one to six principal components with a Bayes classifier achieved classification accuracy comparable to that obtained by a more sophisticated high performance support vector classifier.     

A comparative analysis of three self-balancing wheelchair balancing mechanisms.

In the last 20 years, three different basic, dynamic balancing designs have been proposed for a self-balancing wheelchair (SBW) that allows the wheelchair user to transition from driving on all four wheels to driving while balanced on the two large rear wheels. The dynamic performance of these three SBW designs, the hanging pendulum counterweight (HPC), the single inverted pendulum (SIP), and the double inverted pendulum (DIP), are compared when controlled by a common state space controller. The four dynamic performance considerations of stability, driver dynamic stress, maneuverability and technical requirements were used to compare these designs while performing the following five tests: 1) transition from four-wheel to two-wheel, balancing mode; 2) stationary, self-balancing stability when subjected to an impact disturbance; 3) movement initiation, and stopping while balancing; 4) response to impact disturbances while moving; and 5) stability on low traction surfaces. In addition, the movement initiation and stopping test was repeated with increased chair mass and inertia to investigate the sensitivity of model performance to changes in model parameters. After comparing the three models it was determined that the HPC mechanism is the best choice for further development based on the criteria of stability, driver dynamic stress, maneuverability, and technical requirements. The HPC ranked equal or better compared to the SIP and DIP on 15 of 29 stability and performance factors. It was also the only design that was stable for all normally expected driving conditions.