Homer regulates the association of group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors with multivalent complexes of homer-related, synaptic proteins

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to assess the frequency, indications, and outcome of additional ocular procedures after initial treatment of vitrectomy (VIT) or tap-biopsy (TAP) for patients with endophthalmitis after cataract extraction. DESIGN: The study design was an analysis of observational data collected as part of a multicenter, randomized clinical trial. PARTICIPANTS: Of the 420 patients enrolled in the Endophthalmitis Vitrectomy Study, the 148 who had additional procedures were compared with the 272 who did not. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The types, indications, and number of additional ocular procedures were assessed. A masked examiner measured visual acuity 9 to 12 months after study entry. RESULTS: Within 1 week of study entry, 8% of VIT eyes and 13% of TAP eyes underwent additional procedures, 14% for complications of the initial procedure and 86% for worsening ocular inflammation or infection. Cultures were obtained in 33 of the 38 eyes operated on for worsening inflammation or infection and were positive in 42%. Cultures obtained from the early additional procedures were positive more frequently in eyes with an initial TAP (71%) than in eyes with an initial VIT (13%). Both virulence of initial microbiologic organism isolated and poor presenting vision were risk factors for requirement of reoperation. In all cases in which a single organism was cultured at the initial procedure, when the reculture was positive, it was the same organism. Late additional procedures (after 7 days) were required in 27% of patients. Visual outcome was much worse for eyes that had an additional procedure compared to eyes that did not, and this was especially the case for eyes that had an early additional procedure. Only 15% of eyes that had an early additional procedure achieved 20/40 visual acuity as compared to 57% of eyes that did not. CONCLUSION: Need for an additional procedure was a marker of more severe disease, and patients who underwent additional procedures achieved poorer visual acuity at final follow-up.     

Transport properties of chain molecules and the theorem of corresponding states

Prigogine's corresponding states approach to equilibrium properties of pure r-mers is extended to include transport properties. For r-mer molecules, besides the alike element pair potential parameters, additional quantities are required to characterize the geometrical structure of the molecule and thereby describe more adequately pair potential interactions. As an example, the theory is applied to the homologous series of liquid n-alkanes. The characteristic parameters for each member of the homologous series are determined using pure component viscosity data at one atmosphere and pure component denstiy data at one temperature and atmospheric pressure. The technique correlates pure component r-mer transport properties (viscosity — 981 points, thermal conductivity — 216 points) over a wide range of temperature and pressure within experimental error. Using the present technique, available self-diffusion coefficients are also correlated.     

Effect of the lactoperoxidase system against three major causal agents of disease in mangoes

The antibacterial activity of the lactoperoxidase system (LPS) on the growth of Xanthomonas campestris, the causal agent of bacterial black spot in mangoes, Botryodiplodia theobromae, the causal agent of stem-end rot disease in mangoes, and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, the causal agent of anthracnose disease in mangoes, was determined during culture at 30 degrees C and at several pH values (4.5, 5.5, and 6.5). When the results of using the LPS were compared with those from control cultures without the LPS reagents, the growth of the three microorganisms was totally inhibited in all of the conditions tested. Viability tests enumerating cultivable cells of X. campestris showed that the LPS had a bactericidal effect, whatever the pH value. This effect is faster at pH 5.5, corroborating the results reported in the literature (optimal pH for the LPS efficiency). Further, we proved that hydrogen peroxide alone had little inhibition effect on the growth of the microorganisms studied. This compound is essentially used to convert thiocyanate into hypothiocyanate during the lactoperoxidase reaction. The potential of the LPS for the postharvest treatment of the fruits for controlling microbial diseases was thus demonstrated. Nevertheless, further studies are needed on fresh fruits before envisaging any application.     

Focal region fields of dual reflector antennas

A simplified analytical method to predict the field distribution in the focal region of dual reflector antennas having circular symmetry is presented. The method is used to study the field distribution at the subdish and in the focal plane, and hence the ability of the antenna in focusing the incident wave. Experimental results obtained on a 2.6-m spherical Gregorian reflector operating at 9.0 GHz agree well with theoretical ones.     

A new approach for development of quadruped robot based on biological concepts

This paper proposes the design and development results of a new quadruped robot. The proposed new quadruped robot has a couple of advantages of flexible locomotion. The quadruped robot is designed and modeled based on a new concept that is the structure model with three segments of quadruped legs. New leg configuration with the simplified operation of four hip actuators is introduced. The posture of the new quadruped robot is more similar to the posture of dog than that of the previous quadruped robots. The objective of this paper is to develop a quadruped robot, which can walk and run in a trot gait with a simple PID controller. Numerical simulation and experimental results are shown to prove the locomotion performance of the proposed controller for the proposed quadruped robot.     

Context-aware wireless sensor networks for assisted living and residential monitoring

Improving the quality of healthcare and the prospects of "aging in place" using wireless sensor technology requires solving difficult problems in scale, energy management, data access, security, and privacy. We present AlarmNet, a novel system for assisted living and residential monitoring that uses a two-way flow of data and analysis between the front- and back-ends to enable context-aware protocols that are tailored to residents' individual patterns of living. AlarmNet integrates environmental, physiological, and activity sensors in a scalable heterogeneous architecture. The SenQ query protocol provides real-time access to data and lightweight in-network processing. Circadian activity rhythm analysis learns resident activity patterns and feeds them back into the network to aid context-aware power management and dynamic privacy policies.     

Poly(methyl methacrylate)-functionalized reduced graphene oxide-based core–shell structured beads for thermally conductive epoxy composites

Thermally conductive epoxy nanocomposite with core–shell structured filler beads has been prepared. The core represents plasma-treated poly(methyl methacrylate) bead, and the shell, amine-functionalized reduced graphene oxide (frGO) sheets. The negatively charged core and the positively charged shell form core–shell unified structure through electrostatic attraction and the conductive bridges are formed among neighboring filler particles in the composite mass. The epoxy composite prepared with these core–shell structured filler shows a thermal conductivity of 0.72 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ for an overall frGO concentration of as low as 0.96 wt %. Pal model has been applied to evaluate the effective thermal conductivity of frGO sheets that have been realized in the epoxy composition. Assuming the maximum possible volume packing fraction of the spherical beads for random jamming to be equal to 0.63, the effective thermal conductivity has been estimated as 280 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹. Evaluation of the effective thermal conductivity is a step forward to in-depth study of real contribution of the highly conductive fillers in the polymer composites. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47377.     

Dry Fractionation Approach in Concentrating Tocopherols and Tocotrienols from Palm Fatty Acid Distillate: A Green Pretreatment Process for Vitamin E Extraction

Palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) is a rich source of vitamin E. As compared to other vegetable oil, PFAD has higher tocotrienol (70–80%) over tocopherol content, which makes it a valuable source for vitamin E extraction. Current vitamin E extraction methods are not sustainable due to the intensive usage of chemical and high operational cost. Hence, the present study investigated for the first time using dry fractionation process as a green and economical pretreatment method for separating solid fraction (stearin) and liquid fraction (olein) in order to concentrate vitamin E from PFAD in olein fraction. We examined the dry fractionation conditions: crystallization ending temperature (36–44 °C), cooling rate (0.3 and 1.5°C min⁻¹), stirring speed (20–125 rpm), and holding time (0–60 min) on the composition of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids as well as vitamin E content in liquid fraction (olein) and solid fraction (stearin) using gas chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography, respectively. In most of these conditions, vitamin E was ultimately higher in olein fraction as compared to stearin fraction, which is correlated with the high degree of unsaturation. Under a cooling rate of 0.3°C min⁻¹, 90 rpm stirring speed, and ending crystallization of 38 °C, the highest vitamin E rich olein fraction was attained with 1479 ± 10.51 ppm in 50 g olein fraction as compared to 1366 ± 7.94 ppm in 500 g of unfractionated PFAD.     

Formation and Degradation of Beta-casomorphins in Dairy Processing

Milk proteins including casein are sources of peptides with bioactivity. One of these peptides is beta-casomorphin (BCM) which belongs to a group of opioid peptides formed from β-casein variants. Beta-casomorphin 7 (BCM7) has been demonstrated to be enzymatically released from the A1 or B β-casein variant. Epidemiological evidence suggests the peptide BCM 7 is a risk factor for development of human diseases, including increased risk of type 1 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases but this has not been thoroughly substantiated by research studies. High performance liquid chromatography coupled to UV-Vis and mass spectrometry detection as well as enzyme–linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been used to analyze BCMs in dairy products. BCMs have been detected in raw cow's milk and human milk and a variety of commercial cheeses, but their presence has yet to be confirmed in commercial yoghurts. The finding that BCMs are present in cheese suggests they could also form in yoghurt, but be degraded during yoghurt processing. Whether BCMs do form in yoghurt and the amount of BCM forming or degrading at different processing steps needs further investigation and possibly will depend on the heat treatment and fermentation process used, but it remains an intriguing unknown.