Impact of Chimney-draught Conditions on Combustion and Emission Behavior of a Wood-burning Stove

Pollutants from combustion in wood-burning stoves are influenced by many factors, including the exhaust gas system. This is responsible for the air supply due to the draught generated. Contrary to results reported in literature the experiments in this study show no effect on temperature related to increasing air supply and a total dust decreasing at higher draughts. The results also show no significant impact of the draught on gaseous emissions (CO/OGC/NO_x). The most significant loss was determined at thermal efficiency, which lost up to 13 % absolute with increasing draught.     

Diagnosis of herpetic uveitis and keratouveitis

The use of seven benzoyl-L-amino acids for the detection of carboxypeptidase activities in strains of Gram-negative aerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria is reported. A simple overnight assay was designed using ninhydrin for the demonstration of the amino acid released by hydrolysis. Detection of carboxypeptidase activity was shown to have some taxonomic relevance within the Enterobacteriaceae; it was also useful for differentiation within the genus Acinetobacter and for distinction between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas fluorescens.     

A population approach to initial dose selection

Before a drug can be marketed, an initial dose must be established. Sheiner et al. argue that a population approach leads to the most informed and rational decision making. We discuss the choice of an initial dose from both a predictive and estimative viewpoint. Our criteria are based upon evaluating the probabilities that a patient from the specified population obtains a response that is at least of a specified size. We demonstrate the approach using a simulation study and compare estimation of population parameters and initial dose using Bayesian and likelihood-based methods.     

Histone underacetylation is an ancient component of mammalian X chromosome inactivation

Underacetylation of histone H4 is thought to be involved in the molecular mechanism of mammalian X chromosome inactivation, which is an important model system for large-scale genetic control in eukaryotes. However, it has not been established whether histone underacetylation plays a critical role in the multistep inactivation pathway. Here we demonstrate differential histone H4 acetylation between the X chromosomes of a female marsupial, Macropus eugenii. Histone underacetylation is the only molecular aspect of X inactivation known to be shared by marsupial and eutherian mammals. Its strong evolutionary conservation implies that, unlike DNA methylation, histone underacetylation was a feature of dosage compensation in a common mammalian ancestor, and is therefore likely to play a central role in X chromosome inactivation in all mammals.     

Asthma prevalence, morbidity and management practices in South Australia, 1992-1995

BACKGROUND: The Spring South Australian Health Omnibus Survey (SSAHOS) has been used to monitor trends in asthma prevalence, asthma morbidity and asthma management practices between 1992 and 1995. AIMS: To determine if self-reported asthma prevalence and availability of asthma action plans were increasing. To identify deficiencies in asthma management and opportunities for intervention. METHODS: Representative population survey by trained interviewers using a multistage, systematic, clustered area sample of 4200 households in South Australia where people aged 15 years or more are living. RESULTS: Over 3000 interviews were conducted each year. Between 1992 and 1995 the self-reported prevalence of asthma in those aged 15 years or more increased significantly from 15.7% to 20.3% (p < 0.0005), and the prevalence of current asthma increased from 9.3% to 11.4% (p < 0.05). The self-reported availability of individual asthma action plans increased from 21.9% in 1992 to 42.2% in 1995 (p < 0.0005). In 1992, 21% had a nebuliser at home, and 10.5% had a peak flow meter. In 1993, 61.4% were using preventive medications, and 35% thought bronchodilators were 'preventer' medications. In 1994 and 1995, between 12.5% and 15.6% had nocturnal awakening weekly or more often, and 31.4% had morning asthma symptoms weekly or more often. Between 20.1% and 20.8% had lost days from usual activities during the last year. Those on incomes below $20,000 had more symptoms, had more admissions to hospital, and required more medication than those on higher incomes. CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported asthma prevalence has increased. There remains a gap between current asthma management and that recommended by the National Asthma Campaign.     

Limits of operationalization: A critique of Spitzer and Endicott's (1978) proposed operational criteria for mental disorder.

R. L. Spitzer and J. Endicott (1978) proposed an operational definition of mental disorder that is a more rigorous version of the brief definitions that appeared in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-III (DSM-III) and DSM-III—Revised (DSM-III—R). The heart of their proposal is a translation of the concept of dysfunction into operational terms. J. C. Wakefield argues that their definition fails to capture the concept of dysfunction and is subject to many counterexamples. Wakefield uses his harmful dysfunction account of disorder (e.g., Wakefield, 1992), which interprets dysfunction in evolutionary terms, to explain both the appeal and the problems of Spitzer and Endicott's definition and to provide support for the harmful dysfunction view. Wakefield concludes that the failure of Spitzer and Endicott's sophisticated attempt at operationalization indicates that nonoperational definitions that use functional concepts must play a role in formulating valid diagnostic criteria. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dynamic computational geometry on meshes and hypercubes

Parallel algorithms are given for determining geometric properties of systems of moving point-objects. The objects are assumed to be moving in a Euclidean space such that each coordinate of a point's motion is a polynomial of bounded degree in the time variable. The properties investigated include nearest (farthest) neighbor, closest (farthest) pair, collision, convex hull, diameter, and containment. Several of these properties are investigated from both the dynamic and steady-state points of view. Efficient, and often optimal, implementations of these algorithms are given for the mesh and hypercube.Research partially supported by a grant from the Niagara University Research Council.Research partially supported by National Science Foundation grants DCR-8608640 and IRI-8800514.     

Freud and the intentionality of affect.

Freud implicitly adopted F. Brentano's (1874 [1973]) thesis that the essence of the mental is intentionality (i.e., mental representation), while rejecting Brentano's Cartesian assumption that intentionality must be conscious. But, how can a feeling like free-floating anxiety, which does not seem to represent or be about anything, be fitted into Freud's representational framework? Several possible answers are examined, including: (1) affects are ideas, (2) affects are always attached to ideas, (3) consciousness is perception of internal mental states, and (4) affects are perceptions of internal bodily processes. Only the "bodily perception" account is systematically developed by Freud, is consistent with Freud's other doctrines, and is intrinsically plausible even in the context of contemporary debate. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)