Burning radionuclide question: what happens to iodine, cesium and chlorine in biomass fires?

Authorization is an important functionality that every hospital information system (HIS) should provide. An authorization mechanism permits information to be accessed only by properly authorized users. Authorization models and mechanisms have been widely investigated within the framework of HISs. However, their implementation into existing systems, that do not any longer meet increased authorization requirements, requires a major redesign effort. This paper describes a front end authorization mechanism that has been developed in an attempt to enhance the security features of an existing HIS without extensive modifications to the system structure.     

一种适用于无线多媒体传感器网络的JPEG图像编码算法

在资源受限的无线多媒体传感器网络中进行图像编码和传输,需要综合考虑能量消耗、压缩率和图像质量三者之间平衡的图像编码方案.研究无线多媒体传感器网络中视频监控图像序列的压缩,提出一种基于变化检测和改进JPEG算法的低复杂度图像编码方案.通过变化检测算法定位监控图像中的运动目标即感兴趣区域,仅传输兴趣区域以显著减少数据传输量...     

Familial adenomatous polyposis

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is an autosomal dominant disease characterized by the development of numerous adenomatous polyps in the colon and rectum with diverse extracolonic manifestations. Recent genetic advances have lead to the sequencing of the FAP gene, with important implications for screening, diagnosis and follow-up. Appropriate management of probands and at-risk patients is of the utmost importance, as untreated carriers will develop colorectal cancer. Identification of FAP families and tracing of pedigrees represent the most important steps. To this end registries are essential, allowing a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach. They have justified their place by decreasing related morbidity and mortality. An overview and discussion of clinical features and management are presented.     

Retinoblastoma: clinical and molecular diagnostic aspects

Retinoblastoma, a tumor of the immature retina concerns babies and young infants in particular. They make up for 14% of malignomas in the first years of life. There are two types of retinoblastoma: In the first two alleles of the gene Rb1 must be inactivated sequentially in the same retinoblast cell until this may escape control. In this case the retinoblastoma is always unilateral and unifocal. This is explained by the lower frequency of two mutations in one retinoblast. The other type, however, is inherited: One allele Rb1 is inactivated in all cells of the organism by mutation. The probability that a second mutation arrives in different retinoblasts is thus high. In this case bilateral multifocal tumors develop. Characterization of the Rb1 gene has permitted identification or at least determination of a haplotype in persons at risk. This knowledge is decisive for early recognition of babies at risk and for genetic counselling.     

Effect of exercise intensity on glucose and insulin metabolism in obese individuals and obese NIDDM patients

OBJECTIVE: The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the acute effect of exercise of differing intensity on plasma glucose and insulin responses to an oral glucose challenge. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Six obese men and six obese men with NIDDM of similar age, weight, percentage body fat, and VO2peak participated in the study. Each subject underwent two 7-day exercise programs in a counterbalanced order at 2-week intervals. During each 7-day exercise period, the subjects cycled every day at a power output corresponding to 50% VO2peak for 70 min or 70% VO2peak for 50 min. Muscle glycogen utilization was estimated during exercise on day 7 using a [3H]glucose infusion technique in conjunction with indirect calorimetry. During the day before and after each 7-day exercise period, a 3-h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was administered after a 12-h overnight fast. RESULTS: The average caloric expenditure did not differ between exercise at 50 and 70% VO2peak in both obese and obese NIDDM subjects. However, the carbohydrate oxidation was higher (P < 0.05) during exercise at 70 than 50% VO2peak in obese subjects (77 +/- 5 vs. 68 +/- 6 g) and obese NIDDM subjects (70 +/- 4 vs. 58 +/- 6 g). Muscle glycogen utilization was also higher (P < 0.05) during exercise at 70 than 50% VO2peak in obese subjects (59 +/- 9 vs. 30 +/- 7 g) and in obese NIDDM subjects (48 +/- 5 vs. 24 +/- 5 g). In obese subjects, plasma glucose response area during the OGTT did not change after 7 days of exercise at either 50 or 70% VO2peak. Plasma insulin response area during the OGTT also did not change after 7 days of exercise at 50% VO2peak. However, plasma insulin response area was reduced (P < 0.05) after 7 days of exercise at 70% VO2peak (9,644 +/- 1,783 vs 7,538 +/- 1,522 microU.ml-1.180 min-1). In obese NIDDM subjects, both plasma glucose and insulin response areas during the OGTT did not decrease after 7 days of exercise at either 50 or 70% VO2peak. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that the exercise-induced improvement in insulin sensitivity is influenced by exercise intensity in obese individuals. The improved insulin sensitivity after 7 days of exercise at 70% VO2peak in obese individuals may be related to greater muscle glycogen utilization during exercise. The lack of improvement in glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity after 7 days of exercise at either 50 or 70% VO2peak in obese NIDDM patients may be due to the fact that the NIDDM patients selected in the present study were relatively hypoinsulinemic.     

岩心PI值试验研究及应用

主要论述了在多功能采油化学用剂评价仪上进行的岩心ＰＩ值试验的步骤，现象及结论。重点考察了岩心ＰＩ值与渗透率、流量及注入截面面积的关系；平行管岩心复合ＰＩ值和其中单管岩心ＰＩ值的关系。     

Involvement of intracellular calcium in morphine tolerance in mice

We attempted to mimic in small upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) bioreactors the metabolic association found in nature between methanogens and methanotrophs. UASB bioreactors were inoculated with pure cultures of methanotrophs, and the bioreactors were operated by using continuous low-level oxygenation in order to favor growth and/or survival of methanotrophs. Unlike the reactors in other similar studies, the hybrid anaerobic-aerobic bioreactors which we used were operated synchronously, not sequentially. Here, emphasis was placed on monitoring various methanotrophic populations by using classical methods and also a PCR amplification assay based on the mmoX gene fragment of the soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO). The following results were obtained: (i) under the conditions used, Methylosinus sporium appeared to survive better than Methylosinus trichosporium; (ii) the PCR method which we used could detect as few as about 2,000 sMMO gene-containing methanotrophs per g (wet weight) of granular sludge; (iii) inoculation of the bioreactors with pure cultures of methanotrophs contributed greatly to increases in the sMMO-containing population (although the sMMO-containing population decreased gradually with time, at the end of an experiment it was always at least 2 logs larger than the initial population before inoculation); (iv) in general, there was a good correlation between populations with the sMMO gene and populations that exhibited sMMO activity; and (v) inoculation with sMMO-positive cultures helped increase significantly the proportion of sMMO-positive methanotrophs in reactors, even after several weeks of operation under various regimes. At some point, anaerobic-aerobic bioreactors like those described here might be used for biodegradation of various chlorinated pollutants.