Effect of operating factors on liquid–liquid mass transfer and dispersion pattern of sedimentary liquid in a mechanically stirred vessel

Liquid–liquid dispersion and mass transfer were investigated in mechanically stirred vessels without baffles by changing operation factors such as an impeller rotation speed, off-bottom clearance, volumetric liquid ratio, etc. The dispersion regime was categorized into five groups: the sedimentary liquid was kept at the vessel bottom (I), partially elevated without any collision (II), partially dispersed by colliding with the impeller bottom (III), both liquids were partially dispersed by collisions with impeller blades (III’), and the sedimentary liquid was completely dispersed (IV). The dispersion switched to I → II → III → IV with the increasing rotation speed and decreasing off-bottom clearance. The liquid–liquid mass transfer rate was significantly enhanced with the collision of the sedimentary liquid with the impeller bottom, and subsequently increased with the increasing rotation speed, volumetric liquid ratio, and vessel diameter and with the decreasing off-bottom clearance. A multiple regression analysis method was applied to determine the mass transfer rates of III and III’.     

Blood pressure lowering effect of low intensity aerobic training in elderly hypertensive patients

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence and etiology of pre- and postpartum depressive symptoms in women in a variety of family forms have been well documented, but relatively little research has been conducted on the adjustment of their male partners. The authors' goals in this study were 1) to estimate rates of depression during the pregnancy and 8 weeks following the birth of a child in a large representative community sample of fathers in different family structures and 2) to explore the role of stressful life events, social and emotional support, the quality of the partner relationship, and socioeconomic circumstances. METHOD: This study describes the relations of family setting and other correlates to men's depressive symptoms during the pregnancies (18 weeks gestation, on average) and 8 weeks after the births of children for 7,018 partners of female participants in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood. RESULTS: Men living in stepfamilies had-significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms before and after the birth than did men in more traditional families. The effect of stepfamily status on depression was mediated by education, life events, social support, social network, and level of aggression in the partnership. CONCLUSIONS: There are similarities in the patterns and correlates of depression after the birth of a child for men and women. These findings point to the importance of family and partnership ecology in the adjustment of men before and after the birth of a child.     

Churg-Strauss syndrome diagnosed and followed with gastrointestinal fiberscopic studies and electroneuromyography

BACKGROUND: High immigration rates contribute to the high incidence of pediatric tuberculosis (TB) in San Diego, Calif. Adolescents frequently have poor access to health care and may not receive appropriate TB screening. School-based screening has been ineffective in detecting TB in other parts of the country. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of TB infection and disease in a high-risk population of high school students through school-based screening. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: Cross-sectional study of TB prevalence and an analysis of risk factors for TB infection in students attending 2 San Diego high schools with high percentages of non-US-born students. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Positive induration (> or =10 mm) with Mantoux tuberculin skin test. A chest radiograph or clinical findings consistent with active TB. RESULTS: A total of 744 (36%) students at high school 1 and 860 (57%) students at high school 2 participated. Ninety-five (12.8%) and 207 (24.1%) students, respectively, had positive tuberculin skin test results. One student had a chest radiograph that showed active TB. Smear for acid-fast bacteria and culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis had negative results. Vietnamese, Filipino, and Latino ethnic groups were significantly more likely to have positive tuberculin skin test results than the white population (P<.05). Non-US-born students were significantly more likely to have positive tuberculin skin test results than US-born students in all ethnic groups except the Latino group. CONCLUSION: Although treatment of TB coupled with aggressive public health investigation is the most cost-beneficial way of preventing TB, targeted school-based screening may be an effective way of detecting TB infection in high-risk populations with poor access to health care.     

Dose-dependent response of vestibular hair cells of guinea pigs following streptomycin ototoxiation

This study examines one of the largest pedigrees with radial polydactyly type IV (uncomplicated polysyndactyly) comprising a total of 69 individuals, of whom 26 have been affected over six generations. Typical manifestations of the pedigree were bilateral radial and ulnar digital duplications, as well as syndactyly between the middle and ring fingers and the second and third toes. There was no craniofacial anomaly in any of the 17 cases examined physically. This observation suggests that radial polydactyly type IV and Greig craniofacial-synostosis syndrome with similar digital manifestations are clinically-distinct entities.     

Appleby operation for carcinoma of the body and tail of the pancreas

Long-term survival of carcinomas in the body and tail of the pancreas after surgery is still rare. One of the major reasons for unresectability is cancerous invasion to major vessels, such as the common hepatic and splenic arteries. Resection of the involved arteries can increase resectability and thus might increase post-operative survival. The aim of this study was to clarify the importance of the Appleby operation for carcinoma of the body and tail of the pancreas. A Case Report was carried out with a 54 year-old man, had suffered back pain and loss of body weight for six months. Imaging procedures such as US, CT or angiography showed a carcinoma in the body of the pancreas, about 3 cm in size, and both the common hepatic and splenic arteries were invaded by the tumor. The Appleby operation was used for this patient, since firstly there was no invasion to the head of the pancreas, secondly neither the proper hepatic artery nor the SMA was involved, thirdly the root of the CA was free of carcinoma, and finally because clear pulsation of the proper hepatic artery could be felt one or two minutes after occlusion of the CHA, which indicated that resection of the CHA would not lead to hepatic ischemia. The postoperative course was uneventful. His appetite recovered well and his body weight increased to the level before the disease. The patient was relieved from back pain and has returned to work 18 months after the operation, although he had a local recurrence eight months after the operation. In addition, eleven cases with carcinoma of the body and tail of the pancreas were used for a literature review. The average survival time after the Appleby operation is 6.6 months, and four patients are still alive. One patient has survived 13 years after the operation. It was concluded that although the prognosis after Appleby procedure is still not satisfactory that this operation can at least offer patients a better quality of life.     

Inter-laboratory difference among eleven clinical laboratories in the Okayama City area

The aim of the present study was to find the cause of inter-laboratory differences in laboratory test data and to examine whether control assessment helps to reduce inter-laboratory differences. Blood and serum samples of one healthy subject and one subject with liver cirrhosis were analyzed by 11 laboratories in the Okayama City area. No differences were found in the assay units of 26 tests surveyed. However, considerable differences were observed in test data, reference interval, and clinical level (CL), though most laboratories pointed out that the test data for the normal subject was within the reference intervals and those for the patient with liver cirrhosis showed abnormalities in tests for liver function. The difference in reference intervals was serious in the tests of direct bilirubin (D-Bil), thymol turbidity test (TTT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGTP) and choline sterase. Marked differences in CLs were found in the tests of D-Bil, TTT, ALP, GGTP, creatine phosphokinase, amylase, heavy density lipoprotein cholesterol and white blood cell count. However, three hepatologists independently suggested that such inter-laboratory differences would not seriously affect a clinical decision on the disease status of the cirrhotic patient. Most tests that showed a trend error in a recent quality control survey appeared to have the same trend in the present study. These results indicate that inter-laboratory differences occur at various levels and control assessment are helpful in establishing, and therefore reducing, the level of inter-laboratory differences.     

Inhibition of skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase by nitric oxide

The effects of nitric oxide on the activities of thapsigargin-sensitive sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) and Ca2+ uptake by sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes prepared from white skeletal muscle of rabbit femoral muscle were studied. Pretreatment of the SR preparations with nitric oxide at concentrations of up to 250 microM for 1 min decreased the SERCA activity concentration dependently, and also decreased their Ca2+ uptake. Both these effects of nitric oxide were reversible. Inhibitors of guanylyl cyclase and protein kinase G (PKG) had no significant effect on the nitric oxide-induced inhibitions of SERCA and Ca2+ uptake. Moreover, dithiothreitol did not reverse the inhibitory effects of nitric oxide on SERCA and Ca2+ uptake. These findings suggest that nitric oxide inhibits SERCA, mainly SERCA 1, of rabbit femoral skeletal muscle by an action independent of the cyclic GMP-PKG system or oxidation of thiols, and probably by a direct action on SERCA protein.     

Voltage- and frequency-dependent modulation of L-type Ca2+ channel by MPC-1304, a novel calcium antagonist in guinea-pig hearts

The electrophysiological effects of MPC-1304, a novel calcium antagonist, were examined using the conventional microelectrode and whole-cell patch-clamp techniques in guinea-pig hearts. MPC-1304, at 100 nM or higher concentrations, produced a dose-dependent reduction in the action potential duration of guinea-pig papillary muscles, without changes in resting membrane potentials and maximum rate of rise of action potentials. In guinea-pig ventricular myocytes, MPC-1304 (1-100 nM) dose-dependently depressed the initial inward currents induced by depolarizing pulses from a holding potential of -30 mV in the external Tyrode solution, as did nifedipine, whereas the late outward current was not changed by MPC-1304. In the presence of 100 nM of MPC-1304 or 100 nM of nifedipine, the first depolarizing pulse from a holding potential of -80 mV caused a depression of the isolated L-type Ca2+ current (I(Ca)) by 29.5 % and 29.4 % of the control, respectively (tonic block), and successive pulses further suppressed I(Ca) in a use-dependent manner (use-dependent block). The degree of steady state use-dependent block of I(Ca) by 100 nM of MPC-1304 was 25.5 % at the stimulus frequency of 1 Hz and further increased to 34.0 % at 2 Hz (frequency-dependent block), which were significantly larger than those by 100 nM of nifedipine at both frequencies. The onset rate of use-dependent block by 100 nM MPC-1304 was significantly smaller than that by 100 nM nifedipine. MPC-1304 (100 nM) and nifedipine (100 nM) shifted the steady state inactivation curve of I(Ca) toward the negative potential by 3.3 mV and 9.1 mV in the mid-potential of the curve, respectively. The estimated dissociation constants of MPC-1304 were 137.7 and 49.9 nM for the resting and inactivated states of the L-type Ca2+ channel, respectively, and those of nifedipine were 113.9 and 18.1 nM, respectively. We conclude that MPC-1304 suppress the L-type Ca2+ channel with slow kinetics in a voltage- and frequency-dependent manner, which might be caused by its high affinity to the activated as well as to the inactivated state of the channel.     

Importance of Translation–Replication Balance for Efficient Replication by the Self‐Encoded Replicase

In all living systems, the genetic information is replicated by the self‐encoded replicase (Rep); this can be said to be a self‐encoding system. Recently, we constructed a self‐encoding system in liposomes as an artificial cell model, consisting of a reconstituted translation system and an RNA encoding the catalytic subunit of Qβ Rep and the RNA was replicated by the self‐encoded Rep produced by the translation reaction. In this system, both the ribosome (Rib) and Rep bind to the same RNA for translation and replication, respectively. Thus, there could be a dilemma: effective RNA replication requires high levels of Rep translation, but excessive translation in turn inhibits replication. Herein, we actually observed the competition between the Rib and Rep, and evaluated the effect for RNA replication by constructing a kinetic model that quantitatively explained the behavior of the self‐encoding system. Both the experimental and theoretical results consistently indicated that the balance between translation and replication is critical for an efficient self‐encoded system, and we determined the optimum balance.