Visualization of primate high density lipoproteins isolated by density gradient ultracentrifugation

High density lipoproteins (HDL) isolated by density gradient ultracentrifugation from the plasma of monkeys ingesting semipurified diets are barely visible. This creates difficulty in separating HDL from other lower density lipoproteins following centrifugation and necessitates collecting large quantities of background density solution to insure complete recovery of the HDL fraction. A simple procedure is described involving the addition of β-carotene to nonhuman primate plasma prior to centrifugation which results in the delineation of HDL as a discrete yellow-orange band without affecting certain physical properties of HDL or interfering with standard lipid and protein assays.     

To fix or not to fix: the role of 2-phenoxyethanol in rabbit,Oryctolagus cuniculus,chin gland secretion

The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) uses the secretion of the chin gland to maintain dominance hierarchies in the wild. Recent work has investigated changes in the secretion when social status is manipulated in the rabbit. When a rabbit becomes dominant, a new compound appears in his secretion, 2-phenoxyethanol. This compound is used as a fixative in the perfume industry. This study investigates whether the compound performs a similar function in the secretion of the rabbit. 2-Phenoxyethanol is not detected olfactorially by rabbits, and slows the release rate of some of the compounds that occur naturally in rabbit chin gland secretion. We suggest that when a rabbit becomes dominant, he adds a fixative to his secretion so that his scent will persist in the environment and not dissipate. He will thus come to dominate the olfactory environment, in much the same way as he does the physical environment.     

Impact of transition metals on reductive dechlorination rate of hexachloroethane by mackinawite

Mackinawite, an iron monosulfide, has been shown to be a potential reductant for chlorinated organic compounds under anaerobic conditions. Chlorinated organic compounds are often found with inorganic contaminants. This study investigates the impact of various transition metals on the reductive dechlorination by mackinawite using a readily degradable chlorinated organic compound, hexachloroethane (HCA). Different classes of transition metals show distinct patterns in their impact on the HCA dechlorination: 10(-3) M Cr(III) and Mn(II) (hard metals) decreased the dechlorination rates, while 10(-4), 10(-3), and 10(-2) M Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), and Hg(II) (intermediate/soft metals) increased the rates. The tested hard metals, due to their weak affinity for sulfides, are thought to form surface precipitates of hydroxides around FeS under the experimental conditions with these hydroxides hindering the electron transfer between FeS and HCA. Due to their high affinity for sulfides, however, the tested intermediate/soft metals can react with FeS in various ways: precipitation of pure metal sulfides (MS), formation of metal-substituted FeS by lattice exchange, and coprecipitation of the mixed sulfides in a Fe-M-S system. Fe(II), released as a result of the interaction of FeS with intermediate/soft metals, enhances the HCA dechlorination at the doses of 10(-4) and 10(-3) M through sorbed or dissolved Fe(II) species, while Fe(OH)2(s) formed at the higher dose of 10(-2) M also enhances the reductive dechlorination. Rate increases observed in Co(II)-, Ni(II)-, and Hg(II)-amended systems are not simply explained by the formation of pure MS; instead, metal-substituted FeS or coprecipitated sulfides are thought to be responsible for the significantly increased rates observed in these systems.     

Comparison of perceived comfort differences between standard and experimental load carriage systems

The current popularity of backpack-type load carriage systems (LCS) by students has precipitated a prevalence of postural abnormalities and pain. This study compared subjective perceptual comfort in standard and vertically loaded LCSs. Sixteen females ages 18-23 years rated their personal LCSs for perceived shoulder, neck, and lower back comfort and for overall comfort, each day for two weeks using 100 mm visual analogue scales (VAS). Each scale contained polar extremities of 'very comfortable' to 'very uncomfortable' and a vertical mark placed on the 100 mm line by the participants indicated their perception of comfort. Following two weeks, participants were given LCSs that distributed the weight vertically and were asked to rate the system in the same way for an additional two-week period. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in shoulder (p=0.015), neck (p=0.005), and lower back (p=0.036) comfort and overall comfort (p=0.001) between the participants' personal LCSs and the experimental LCS. In conclusion, vertical load placement may redistribute the load in a manner that reduces symptoms of selected anatomical discomfort.     

Automated Phase Design and Timing Adjustment for Signal Phase Design

In this paper we describe the design processes of human traffic engineers and the development of an automated system that solves the problem of timing adjustment in signal phase sequence design. Signal phase sequencing refers to the sequence of signal changes and the timing of each change for a system of traffic lights at an isolated intersection. In designing signal sequences, one must decide how much time to allocate for each phase of the sequence so that traffic can flow with a minimum of delay. Other automated phase design systems can generate an initial phase design, but if the initial design is not precisely correct, the timing sequence must be adjusted by hand. This paper presents TIMELY, an automated signal phase design generator that generates an initial phase design and automatically adjusts the timing if necessary. TIMELY uses an interactive redesign strategy which largely mimics that used by human experts. The system invokes a set of redesign rules (which we have dubbed the Robin Hood procedure), gathered from human experts, which tweak the phase design. The new design is fed back into a simulator and tested again. The process stops when we find that the average delay is not improved. We take the design from the previous step as our final design. An expert has verified the soundness of all of TIMELY's results.     

Desorption-ionization mass spectrometry using deposited nanostructured silicon films

We present a method for desorption ionization on silicon based on novel column/void-network-deposited silicon thin films. A number of different peptides and proteins in the < or = 6000 Daltons range are analyzed by time-of-flight mass spectrometry in this demonstration of our approach. A variety of sample preparation conditions, including the use of chemical additives, surface treatments, and sample purification are used to show the potential of mass analysis using deposited column/void-network silicon films for high throughput proteomic screening.     

A new method for pulse oximetry possessing inherent insensitivity to artifact

A new method for pulse oximetry is presented that possesses an inherent insensitivity to corruption by motion artifact, a primary limitation in the practical accuracy and clinical applicability of current technology. Artifact corruption of the underlying photoplethysmographic signals is reduced in real time, using an electronic processing methodology that is based upon inversion of a physical artifact model. This fundamental approach has the potential to provide uninterrupted output and superior accuracy under conditions of sustained subject motion, therefore, widening the clinical scope of this useful measurement. A new calibration technique for oxygen saturation is developed for use with these processed signals, which is shown to be a generalization of the classical Interpretation. The detailed theoretical and practical issues of Implementation are then explored, highlighting important engineering simplifications implicit in this new approach. A quantitative investigation of the degree of insensitivity to artifact is also undertaken, with the aid of a custom electronic system and commercial pulse oximeter probes, which is compared and contrasted with the performance of a conventional implementation. It is demonstrated that this new methodology results in a reduced sensitivity to common classes of motion artifact, while retaining the generality to be combined with conventional signal processing techniques