Genetic influences on the association between personality risk factors and alcohol use and abuse.

The authors assessed the association of 2 personality dimensions with use and abuse of alcohol in 1,320 twin pairs concordantly reporting nonabstinence at age 18.5 years. The 2 alcohol outcomes differentially relate to the 2 personality dimensions: Alcohol-related problems correlate more highly with social deviance than with excitement seeking (ES), and alcohol consumption correlates more highly with ES than with social deviance. Biometric models fit to the data identified similar patterns in genetic covariance, although differences were more evident in genetic correlations between social deviance and alcohol outcomes than in those for ES. Results suggest that genetic influences underlie the association of personality with alcohol use and subsequent problems and illustrate the utility of informative twin analyses in exploring links between genes, personality, and behavior disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of neonatal surfactant therapy on lung function at school age in children born very preterm

BACKGROUND: Involuntary detrusor contractions often cause irritative symptoms such as urgency and incontinence. A dog model for acutely induced variable bladder outlet resistance was developed to investigate the possible role of prostatic afferent nerve fibers in the development and maintenance of detrusor instability. METHODS: Fifty-eight mongrel dogs (weight range 19.5-36.5 kg) were divided into five groups: group I (n = 11) had surgically induced bladder outlet obstruction. Group II (n = 14) had urinary obstruction and bilateral sectioning of the lowest branches of the pelvic plexus supplying the prostate. Group III (n = 10) had prostate denervation only. Groups IV (n = 10) and V (n = 13) were sham-operated and controls, respectively. In the obstructed groups (I and II), an artificial urinary sphincter (length 4.5-6.0 cm) was placed around the bladder neck and connected to a reservoir placed subcutaneously to allow postoperative adjustments of urinary resistance. All dogs were evaluated at baseline and postoperatively at 1, 3, and 6 months with uroflowmetry, postvoid residual urine volume, cystometry as well as serum creatinine, and urinalysis. RESULTS: Occurrences of detrusor instability were not associated with prostatic denervation input. The mean peak flow rates decreased significantly in the obstructed groups at all follow-ups, but did not change significantly in the nonobstructed groups. Postoperatively, the mean maximum bladder capacity was significantly decreased for groups I and II only. However, a significant correlation between maximum bladder capacity and maximum detrusor pressure could not be detected at any time point in any of the groups. Mean postvoid residual urine volume varied considerably in all groups over time. Creation of a urinary model of infravesical obstruction was associated with considerable problems. CONCLUSIONS: In our dog model of bladder outlet obstruction, prostatic sensory nerve fibers appear not to be involved in detrusor instability. Surgical induction of a constant model of bladder outlet obstruction was difficult even in a large animal. The observations from the present study raise questions about the validity of obstructive urinary animal models.     

Fluid dynamic modeling of a free piston engine with labyrinth seals

Preliminary design and simulation of a free piston engine suitable for small-scale energy production in distributed energy systems is presented in this paper. The properties, particularly the properties of gas seals of the engine are simulated using a simulation program developed for this case, and the results are utilized in preliminary main design parameter selection. The engine simulation program was developed by combining and modifying the source codes of the simulation and calculation programs obtained from Helsinki University of Technology, Tampere University of Technology, and Lappeenranta University of Technology. Because of the contact-free labyrinth seal used in the piston, the efficiency of the motor is lower than the efficiency of a conventional motor with oil lubricated piston rings. On the other hand, the lack of bearing losses, and the lack of losses associated with a crankshaft system and a gearbox, as well as the lack of lubrication oil expenses, compensates this effect. As a net result, this new motor would perform slightly better than the conventional one. Being completely oil-free, it is very environmentally friendly, and its exhaust gases are completely free of oil residuals which are causing problems in normal gas motors.     

Effect of Boron on the Strength and Toughness of Direct-Quenched Low-Carbon Niobium Bearing Ultra-High-Strength Martensitic Steel

The effect of boron on the microstructures and mechanical properties of laboratory-control-rolled and direct-quenched 6-mm-thick steels containing 0.08 wt pct C and 0.02 wt pct Nb were studied. The boron contents were 24 ppm and a residual amount of 4 ppm. Two different finish rolling temperatures (FRTs) of 1093 K and 1193 K (820 °C and 920 °C) were used in the hot rolling trials to obtain different levels of pancaked austenite prior to DQ. Continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagrams were constructed to reveal the effect of boron on the transformation behavior of these steels. Microstructural characterization was carried out using various microscopy techniques, such as light optical microscopy (LOM) and scanning electron microscopy-electron backscatter diffraction (SEM-EBSD). The resultant microstructures after hot rolling were mixtures of autotempered martensite and lower bainite (LB), having yield strengths in the range 918 to 1067 MPa with total elongations to fracture higher than 10 pct. The lower FRT of 1093 K (820 °C) produced better combinations of strength and toughness as a consequence of a higher degree of pancaking in the austenite. Removal of boron lowered the 34 J/cm² Charpy-V impact toughness transition temperature from 206 K to 158 K (?67 °C to ?115 °C) when the finishing rolling temperature of 1093 K (820 °C) was used without any loss in the strength values compared to the boron-bearing steel. This was due to the finer and more uniform grain structure in the boron-free steel. Contrary to expectations, the difference was not caused by the formation of borocarbide precipitates, as verified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations, but through the grain coarsening effect of boron.     

Biodegradation of Aqueous Organic Matter over Seasonal Changes: Bioreactor Experiments with Indigenous Lake Water Bacteria

Artificial groundwater recharge for drinking water production involves infiltration of surface water through sandy soil and its capture into a groundwater aquifer. The transformation of aqueous organic matter is one of the central issues in this process. The purpose of this work was to assess the potential of indigenous microorganisms in the source water to contribute in the aqueous organic matter biodegradation. For this purpose, microorganisms were enriched from the source water in a fluidized-bed reactor (FBR) and used for kinetic studies on biodegradation of organic matter at ambient temperature range. Lake water (total organic carbon 5.8?mg?L?1) was continuously fed to the FBR containing porous carrier material to support biomass retention. In the inlet and outlet water there were on average 21±6 and 13±5×105?cells?mL?1, respectively. Biofilm accumulation (as volatile solids) reached 13.1?mg?g?1 dw carrier. In the continuous-flow mode and the batch tests, the highest oxygen consumption rate appeared in the summer, followed by the fall, spring, and winter. At low temperatures, the biodegradation of aqueous organic matter was relatively rapid initially for labile fractions followed by a slower phase for refractory fractions. The average temperature coefficient (Q10) in the system was 2.3 illustrating a strong temperature dependency of oxygen consumption. The isotopic analysis of dissolved inorganic carbon δ13CDIC analysis revealed 27 and 69% mineralizations of dissolved organic carbon at 23 and 6°C over 65 and 630 min, respectively. These results can be used to construct additional input parameters in modeling applications of artificial groundwater recharge process. The biological component especially, i.e., the biodegradation, is difficult to predict for on-site applications without experimental proof and thus the interpretation in this study will help formulate design predictions for the process.     

On the existence of the solution for one-dimensional discrete phase retrieval problem

We consider the discrete form of the one-dimensional phase retrieval (1-D DPhR) problem from the point of view of input magnitude data. The direct method can provide a solution to the 1-D DPhR problem if certain conditions are satisfied by the input magnitude data, namely the corresponding trigonometric polynomial must be nonnegative. To test positivity of a trigonometric polynomial a novel DFT-based criterion is proposed. We use this DFT criterion for different sets of input magnitude data to evaluate whether the direct method applied to the 1-D DPhR problem leads to a solution in all explored cases.     

Relationships between infant temperament, demographic variables, and family dynamics of childrearing families

The prothrombinase complex (factor [F]Xa, FVa, calcium ions, and lipid membrane) converts prothrombin to thrombin (FIIa). To determine whether plasma lipoproteins could provide a physiologically relevant surface, we determined the rates of FIIa production by using purified human coagulation factors, and isolated fasting plasma lipoproteins from healthy donors. In the presence of 5 nmol/L FVa, 5 nmol/L FXa, and 1.4 micromol/L prothrombin, physiological levels of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) (0.45 to 0.9 mmol/L triglyceride, or 100 to 200 micromol/L phospholipid) yielded rates of 2 to 8 nmol Flla x L(-1) x s(-1) in a donor-dependent manner. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) also supported prothrombinase but at much lower rates (< or =1.0 nmol FIIa x L(-1) x s[-1]). For comparison, VLDL at 2 mmol/L triglyceride yielded approximately 50% the activity of 2X10(8) thrombin-activated platelets per milliliter. Although the FIIa production rate was slower on VLDL than on synthetic phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylsenne vesicles (approximately 50 nmol FIIa x L(-1) x s[-1]), the prothrombin Km values were similar, 0.8 and 0.5 micromol/L, respectively. Extracted VLDL lipids supported rates approaching those of phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylserine vesicles, indicating the importance of the intact VLDL conformation. However, the presence of VLDL-associated, factor-specific inhibitors was ruled out by titration experiments, suggesting a key role for lipid organization. VLDL also supported FIIa generation in an assay system comprising 0.1 nmol/L FVIIa; 0.55 nmol/L tissue factor; physiological levels of FV, FVIII, FIX, and FX; and prothrombin (3 nmol/L FIIa x L(-1) x s[-1]). These results indicate that isolated human VLDL can support all the components of the extrinsic coagulation pathway, yielding physiologically relevant rates of thrombin generation in a donor-dependent manner. This support is dependent on the intact lipoprotein structure and does not appear to be regulated by specific VLDL-associated inhibitors. Further studies are needed to determine the extent of this activity in vivo.     

如何为多媒体显示屏幕提供高性能的照明管理

高集成度的照明管理单元内置多个发光二极管驱动器(见图1),能以极高的效率驱动新一代蜂窝式手机彩屏的白色及红绿蓝(RGB)发光二极管,有助于节省能源,延长电池寿命。由于3G手机须采用彩色显示屏幕及发光技术,例如翻盖照明、彩色指示灯、相机闪光灯、辅助照明、以及环境光感测功能等,因此有必要用更先进的照明管理解决方案以满足照明方面的种种要求。为手机提供背光的白色发光二极管目前几乎所有蜂窝式手机都有一个或两个彩色显示屏幕。虽然它们要求的背光技术水平会因所需白色发光二极管数目的不同而各异,但目前大部分手机的主显示屏幕都采…