Sr

The present sources of anthropogenic radionuclides in the marine environment, consisting of global fallout, nuclear weapons testing, releases from nuclear facilities, radioactive waste dumping, the Chernobyl accident and nuclear submarine and aircraft accidents, are reviewed. 90 SrY 137 Cs and Pu isotopes have been chosen as representative of anthropogenic radionuclides to study their distribution and behaviour in the marine environment. The data on their concentrations and inventories in seawater and sediment are presented and discussed. For dose assessment, 137 Cs and 210 Po were chosen as they are the most representative of anthropogenic ( 137 Cs) and natural ( 210 Po) marine radioactivity on a global scale. The average annual individual doses from ingestion of marine food estimated for the world population for the year 2000 are of the order of 0.03 mSv from 137 Cs and 9 mSv from 137 Cs. The annual dose of 137 Cs for a hypothetical critical group living on the NE Atlantic coast and consuming 100 kg of ®sh and 10 kg of shell®sh per year would be 3 mSv, while the contribution from 210 Po would be 160 mSv. These values are well below the accepted value for the public of 1 mSv. #

This paper addresses control of commutation of switched reluctance (SR) motor without the use of a physical position detector. Rotor position detection schemes for SR motor based on magnetisation characteristics of the motor use normal excitation or applied current /voltage pulses. The resulting schemes are referred to as passive or active methods respectively. The research effort is in realizing an economical sensorless SR rotor position detector that is accurate, reliable and robust to suit a particular application. An effective and reliable means of generating commutation signals of an SR motor based on inductance profile of its stator windings determined using active probing technique is presented. The scheme has been validated online using a 4-phase 8/6 SR motor and an 8-bit processor.

Electro Discharge Machining Processes are used only when no other traditional machining process, like drilling, milling, grinding and other traditional machining operation can meet the necessary requirements efficiently and economically. Electro discharge machining is a non-traditional

Let E be a homotopy commutative ring spectrum, and suppose the ring of cooperations E * E is flat over E * . We wish to address the following question: given a commutative E * -algebra A in E * E-comodules, is there an E∞-ring spectrum X with E * X ∼ = A as comodule algebras? We will formulate this as a moduli problem, and give a way -suggested by work of Dwyer, Kan, and Stover -of dissecting the resulting moduli space as a tower with layers governed by appropriate André-Quillen cohomology groups. A special case is A = E * E itself. The final section applies this to discuss the Lubin-Tate or Morava spectra En. * The authors were partially supported by the National Science Foundation. map(X, Y ) is weakly equivalence to the simplicial mapping set out of cofibrant model for X into a fibrant model for Y . Alternatively, one can write down map(X, Y ) as the nerve of an appropriate diagram category, such as the Dwyer-Kan hammock localization .

Barometric pressure falls with increasing altitude and consequently there is a reduction in the partial pressure of oxygen resulting in a hypoxic challenge to any individual ascending to altitude. A spectrum of high altitude illnesses can occur when the hypoxic stress outstrips the subject's ability to acclimatize. Acute altitude-related problems consist of the common syndrome of acute mountain sickness, which is relatively benign and usually self-limiting, and the rarer, more serious syndromes of high-altitude cerebral edema and high-altitude pulmonary edema. A common feature of acute altitude illness is rapid ascent by otherwise fit individuals to altitudes above 3000 m without sufficient time to acclimatize. The susceptibility of an individual to highaltitude syndromes is variable but generally reproducible. Prevention of altitude-related illness by slow ascent is the best approach, but this is not always practical. The immediate management of serious illness requires oxygen (if available) and descent of more than 300 m as soon as possible. In this article, we describe the setting and clinical features of acute mountain sickness and highaltitude cerebral edema, including an overview of the known pathophysiology, and explain contemporary practices for both prevention and treatment exploring the comprehensive evidence base for the various interventions. (Prog Cardiovasc Dis 2010;52:467-484) An additional clinical assessment scoring is sometimes used. GI indicates gastrointestinal.

Intestinal microbiota of infants differ in response to gestational age, delivery mode and feeding regimen. Dietary supplementation of probiotic bacteria is one method of promoting healthy populations. We examined the impact of a novel probiotic strain of Bifidobacterium longum (AH1206) on the health, growth and development of neonatal pigs as a model for infants. Day-old pigs were fed milk-based formula containing AH1206 at 0, 10 9 , or 10 11 CFU/d for 18 d (n = 10/treatment). Differences were not detected in growth, organ weights or body temperatures (P > 0.1); however pigs fed the high dose showed a small (2%) reduction in feed intake. Bacterial translocation was not affected as indicated by total anaerobic and aerobic counts (CFU) in samples of spleen, liver and mesenteric lymph nodes (P > 0.1). Feeding AH1206 had no effects on fecal consistency, but increased the density of B. longum in the cecum. Ileal TNF expression tended to increase (P = 0.08) while IL-10 expression increased linearly (P = 0.01) with supplementation. Based upon findings in the suckling piglet model, we suggest that dietary supplementation with B. longum (AH1206) may be safe for human infants based on a lack of growth, development or deleterious immune-related effects observed in piglets.

In this research paper, Taguchi method is applied to find optimum process parameters for Abrasive Water Jet Machining (AWJM). Abrasive water jet machining is a non conventional machining process in which removal of material takes place by impact erosion of high pressure ( 1500-4000 bar), high velocity of water and entrained high velocity of grit abrasives on a work piece. The objective of experimental investigation is to conduct research of machining parameters impact on MRR and SR of work piece of Al 7075. The approach was based on Taguchi's method, analysis of variance and signal to noise ratio (SN Ratio) to optimize the Abrasive Water Jet Machining process parameters for effective machining and to predict the optimal choice for each AWJM parameter such as Traverse speed, Abrasive flow rate, Standoff distance and Abrasive grit size. There is L9 orthogonal array used by varying S, R, H, D respectively and for each combination we have conducted three experiments and with the help of Signal to Noise ratio we find out the optimum results for AWJM. It was confirmed that determined optimal combination of AWJM process parameters satisfy the real need for machining of Al 7075 in actual practice.

Dry EDM is an environment-friendly modification of the oil based EDM process. In the current work, a unit has been developed to implement dry EDM process on existing oil based EDM machine. All experiments are performed on bright mild steel with the help of hollow copper electrode. Response variables analyzed are material removal rate, tool wear rate and surface roughness. Design of experiments is done using Taguchi method. All experiments are performed using process parameters such as current, pulse on time and oxygen gas pressure. The statistical analysis of results show that current and POT significantly influence MRR and TWR.

We report major and trace element abundances and Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic data for Miocene (16Á5^11 Ma) calc-alkaline volcanic rocks from the western segment of the Carpathian arc. This volcanic suite consists mostly of andesites and dacites; basalts and basaltic andesites as well as rhyolites are rare and occur only at a late stage. Amphibole fractionation both at high and low pressure played a significant role in magmatic differentiation, accompanied by highpressure garnet fractionation during the early stages. Sr^Nd^Pb isotopic data indicate a major role for crustal materials in the petrogenesis of the magmas.The parental mafic magmas could have been generated from an enriched mid-ocean ridge basalt (E-MORB)type mantle source, previously metasomatized by fluids derived from subducted sediment. Initially, the mafic magmas ponded beneath the thick continental crust and initiated melting in the lower crust. Mixing of mafic magmas with silicic melts from metasedimentary lower crust resulted in relatively Al-rich hybrid dacitic magmas, from which almandine could crystallize at high pressure. The amount of crustal involvement in the petrogenesis of the magmas decreased with time as the continental crust thinned. A striking change of mantle source occurred at about 13 Ma. The basaltic magmas generated during the later stages of the calc-alkaline magmatism were derived from a more enriched mantle source, akin to FOZO. An upwelling mantle plume is unlikely to be present in this area; therefore this mantle component probably resides in the heterogeneous upper mantle. Following the calc-alkaline magmatism, alkaline mafic magmas erupted that were also generated from an enriched asthenospheric source. We propose that both types of magmatism were related in some way to lithospheric extension of the Pannonian Basin and that subduction played only an indirect role in generation of the calc-alkaline magmatism.The calc-alkaline magmas were formed during the peak phase of extension by melting of metasomatized, enriched lithospheric mantle and were contaminated by various crustal materials, whereas the alkaline mafic magmas were generated during the post-extensional stage by low-degree melting of the shallow asthenosphere. The western Carpathian volcanic areas provide an example of long-lasting magmatism in which magma compositions changed continuously in response to changing geodynamic setting.

FtsY, the Escherichia coli homologue of the eukaryotic SRP receptor (SRα), is located both in the cytoplasm and in the inner membrane of E. coli. Similar to SRα, FtsY consists of two major domains: a strongly acidic N-terminal domain (A) and a C-terminal GTP binding domain (NG) of which the crystal structure has recently been determined. The domains were expressed

In this paper we show the ability to specify with SystemC under the restrictions imposed by several model of computations, namely CSP, KPN and SR. Specifying under these MoCs provides some impotant properties, specially determinism and more protection against blocking, which are also important when implementation process is faced. In most cases, standard primitive SystecC channels or a combined use of them is suitable for specifying under these MoC restrictions, nevertheless we provide some new specific and compatible channels providing important features, as dynamic checking of restrictions or atomic use. These channels are a simple extension of SystemC library (without needing its modification).

The development of new materials shows the immense growth but the major problem, it is very difficult to machine the newly developed materials. So it is necessary to adopt some new machining methods. Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is a non-traditional and most popular machining method to manufacture dies, punches and press tools because of its capability to produce complicated, intricate shapes and to machine hard materials. Electrical Discharge Machining performance is generally evaluated on the basis of Overcut (OC), Material Removal Rate (MRR), Tool Wear Rate (TWR) and Surface Roughness (SR). The important EDM machining parameters affecting to the performance measures of the process are discharge current, pulse on time, pulse off time, arc gap, and duty cycle. Several approaches are proposed in the literature to solve the problems related with optimization of these parameters. It is felt that a review of the various approaches developed would help to compare their main features and their relative advantages or limitations to allow choose the most suitable approach for a particular application and also throw light on aspects that needs further attention. In view of above, this paper presents a review of Effect of Electrode Material on Overcut, MRR, TWR of Steel Material in EDM.

The paper reconsiders the fate of medial *-sr-in Germanic, especially in the context of Verner‖s Law. It is argued that the epenthesis of *-t-took place later than the voicing of *-s-by Verner‖s Law and did not apply to the Vernerian variant *-zr-. Instead, I propose that the pre-rhotic *z was lost, resulting, when possible, in a compensatory lengthening of the preceding vowel. Several novel etymologies are offered to support this proposal, and some of its ramifications are explored, including the derivation of the word for-spring‖ in Latin and Germanic and the structure of the Germanic words for the four cardinal points. 1 1. The-spring‖ word Old Icelandic vár-spring‖ (a neuter a-stem) is so similar to Lat. vēr-both exhibiting what looks like a shared phonological irregularity-that it is tempting to reconstruct something like *u̯ ēr-and label it an Italo-Germanic innovation (cf. Pokorny 1174). The PIE word for-spring‖ can be reconstructed as an acrostatic neuter: *u̯ ḗs-r̥ , gen. *u̯ és-n̥-s (→ *u̯ és-nos), loc. *u̯ és-n-i ~ *u̯ és-r-i (Av. vaŋri), 2 hence such deadverbial adjectives as *u̯ esni-no-(OCS vesnьnъ) and *u̯ esri-no-, the latter producing Lat. vernus-(belonging to) spring. ‖ via syncope or haplology: *u̯ esrino-> *u̯ ezr̥ 2 no-> *u̯ ererno-> vernus. 3 When compared with the usual form of the 1 I wish to thank the editors of this volume and the anonymous reviewer of this paper for corrections, incisive comments and helpful suggestions that have led to numerous improvements incorporated in the final draft. Needless to say, any remaining flaws and errors are exclusively my own. 2 Also (post-PIE) *u̯ es-en-i ~ *u̯ es-er-i, with *e introduced on the analogy of accentually mobile stems. The *ē : *e ablaut (Schindler‖s acrostatic type I) seems necessary to explain the non-attestation of the zero grade *us-. It is possible that *u̯ es-r/n-is deverbal, from *u̯ es-graze, feed‖, tentatively classified in LIV (Rix-Kümmel et al. 2001: 692) as a Narten verb, i.e. a root present with an underlying long vowel; cf. Hitt. wešiya-graze‖ < *u̯ és-i̯ e/o-, Goth. wisan-feast‖ < PGmc. *wes-a-/*wis-i-, perhaps Lat. vēscor-take food‖, and a number of nominal derivatives, e.g. Hitt. weštara-< *u̯ és-tōr-shepherd‖, Toch.A *wäsri (obl.pl. wsäryās)-grassy area‖ < *u̯ es-tr-ih 2 , OIr. fess, OIc. vist-food‖ < *u̯ es-tah 2 , etc. The original meaning of *u̯ es-r/n-would then be-(the onset of) the grazing season‖. 3 *r̥ 2 > Lat. er stands for a secondary syllabic rhotic in pre-Latin, in this case from *ri before a coronal. stem, *u̯ es-r/n-, and its derivatives (Gk. ἔαρ, OCS vesna, etc.), vēr, gen. vēris looks strange indeed. However, rather than accept an irregular cluster reduction at an indeterminable date, I suggest that we are dealing with a rather trivial case of paradigmatic levelling in Old Latin. The expected post-rhotacism reflexes of the PIE forms would have been *vērer (vel sim.), gen. *vēnis (< pre-Lat. *u̯ eznes). Suppose that the *-n-of the oblique cases was analogically replaced by the *-r-of the nominative/accusative ("Stage III" in (1) below). The resulting new oblique stem vēr-was identical with the initial part of *vērer. Subsequently, the synchronically unmotivated termination was dropped and the paradigm became completely normalised: (1) PIE *u̯ ḗs-r̥ : *u̯ és-n-(e/o)s Stage I *u̯ ēzer : *u̯ eznes Stage II *u̯ ērer : *u̯ ēnes Stage III *u̯ ērer : *u̯ ēres Latin vēr : vēris Since, under this scenario, vēr is a fairly recent form and cannot be regarded as an Italo-Germanic innovation, Germanic *wēra-has to be explained otherwise. The possibility (referred to in Pokorny) that it represents a reflex of *u̯ es-r-remodelled on *i̯ ēr-year‖, i.e. PIE *(h 1/2)i̯ e/oh 1-r-(> PGmc. *jēr-a-year‖) is not supported by anything except the vague phonetic resemblance of both words. *(h 1)nŕ̥-tero-*núr-tero-*nur-þera-*nurþ-(r)a-*s[h 2 ]u̯ ń̥-tero-*sún-tero-*sun-þera-*sunþ-(r)a-*u̯ é-k (w) sp-ero-*u̯ ésp-ero-*wes-tera-*west-(r)a-*h 2 áu̯ [s]s-r-o-*áu̯ s-ro-*aus-(t)ra-*aust-(r)a

The prevalence of hearing problems in the Western world has, due to aging of the population, doubled over the past 30 years. Thereby, noise-induced hearing loss is an important factor that worsens over time in addition to age-related hearing loss. Hearing loss is usually measured as an elevation of a person's hearing thresholds, expressed in decibel (dB). However, recent animal studies have unraveled a type of permanent cochlear damage, without an elevation of hearing thresholds. This subtle damage is linked to a permanent and progressive degeneration of auditory fibers that occurs in association with damage of the inner hair cell synapse. Afferent neuronal degeneration has been suggested to be involved in hyperacusis (over sensitivity to sound) and tinnitus (a phantom sound percept). Hyperacusis and tinnitus are potentially devastating conditions that are still incurable. The main risk factors to develop tinnitus or hyperacusis are hearing loss, social stress and age. Both tinnitus and hyperacusis have been discussed in the context of a pathological increased response gain in subcortical brain regions as a reaction to deprivation of sensory input. Novel studies confirm the involvement of peripheral deafferentation for tinnitus and hyperacusis, but suggest that the disorder results from different brain responses to different degrees of deafferentation: while tinnitus may arise as a failure of the brain to adapt to deprived peripheral input, hyperacusis may result from an 'over-adaptive' increase in response gain. Moreover, moderate and high stress levels at the time of acoustic trauma have been suggested to play a pivotal role in the vulnerability of the cochlea to acoustic damage and therefore for the development of tinnitus and hyperacusis.

The decline in muscular strength with age is disproportionate to the loss in total muscle mass that causes it. Knocking out JP45, an integral protein of the junctional face membrane of the skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), results in decreased expression of the voltage-gated Ca 2+ channel, Ca v 1.1; excitation-contraction uncoupling (ECU); and loss of muscle force . Here, we show that Ca v 1.1 expression, charge movement, SR Ca 2+ release, in vitro contractile force, and sustained forced running remain stable in male JP45KO mice at 12 and 18 months. They also exhibit the level of ECU reported for 3-4-month mice . No further decline at later ages was recorded. Preserved ECC was not related to increased expression of any protein that directly or indirectly interacts with JP45 at the triad junction. However, maintained muscle force and physical performance were associated with ablation of JP45 expression in the brain, spontaneous and significantly diminished food intake and less tendency toward obesity when exposed to a high-fat diet compared to WT. We propose that (1) endogenously generated restriction in food intake overcomes the deleterious effects of JP45 ablation on ECC and skeletal muscle force mainly through downregulation of neuropeptide-Y expression in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus; and (2) the JP45KO mouse constitutes an invaluable model to examine the mechanisms controlling food intake as well as skeletal muscle function with aging.

Background: Diastolic dysfunction is considered the first marker of diabetic cardiomyopathy. However, preclinical systolic alteration was also recently described by strain, but its association with diastolic dysfunction has never been investigated.

Strontium isotopes are a powerful tool for investigating
the geographical origins of people and animals
but assignment of provenance requires reference
maps and databases. This paper presents a map of
strontium isotope variations across Britain for use in archaeological and other studies, and is produced by direct measurement of strontium isotope compositions of biosphere
components, predominantly plants. The map characterizes
the biosphere signature of specific lithologies: a technique
that is applicable worldwide. Marine-derived strontium, from
both rainwater and coastal sea-splash and spray, is an
important contribution to the British biosphere, particularly
on the western seaboard, which is subject to high rainfall and
prevailing westerly winds.

The prevalence of hearing problems in the Western world has, due to aging of the population, doubled over the past 30 years. Thereby, noise-induced hearing loss is an important factor that worsens over time in addition to age-related hearing loss. Hearing loss is usually measured as an elevation of a person's hearing thresholds, expressed in decibel (dB). However, recent animal studies have unraveled a type of permanent cochlear damage, without an elevation of hearing thresholds. This subtle damage is linked to a permanent and progressive degeneration of auditory fibers that occurs in association with damage of the inner hair cell synapse. Afferent neuronal degeneration has been suggested to be involved in hyperacusis (over sensitivity to sound) and tinnitus (a phantom sound percept). Hyperacusis and tinnitus are potentially devastating conditions that are still incurable. The main risk factors to develop tinnitus or hyperacusis are hearing loss, social stress and age. Both tinnitus and hyperacusis have been discussed in the context of a pathological increased response gain in subcortical brain regions as a reaction to deprivation of sensory input. Novel studies confirm the involvement of peripheral deafferentation for tinnitus and hyperacusis, but suggest that the disorder results from different brain responses to different degrees of deafferentation: while tinnitus may arise as a failure of the brain to adapt to deprived peripheral input, hyperacusis may result from an 'over-adaptive' increase in response gain. Moreover, moderate and high stress levels at the time of acoustic trauma have been suggested to play a pivotal role in the vulnerability of the cochlea to acoustic damage and therefore for the development of tinnitus and hyperacusis.

Barometric pressure falls with increasing altitude and consequently there is a reduction in the partial pressure of oxygen resulting in a hypoxic challenge to any individual ascending to altitude. A spectrum of high altitude illnesses can occur when the hypoxic stress outstrips the subject's ability to acclimatize. Acute altitude-related problems consist of the common syndrome of acute mountain sickness, which is relatively benign and usually self-limiting, and the rarer, more serious syndromes of high-altitude cerebral edema and high-altitude pulmonary edema. A common feature of acute altitude illness is rapid ascent by otherwise fit individuals to altitudes above 3000 m without sufficient time to acclimatize. The susceptibility of an individual to highaltitude syndromes is variable but generally reproducible. Prevention of altitude-related illness by slow ascent is the best approach, but this is not always practical. The immediate management of serious illness requires oxygen (if available) and descent of more than 300 m as soon as possible. In this article, we describe the setting and clinical features of acute mountain sickness and highaltitude cerebral edema, including an overview of the known pathophysiology, and explain contemporary practices for both prevention and treatment exploring the comprehensive evidence base for the various interventions. (Prog Cardiovasc Dis 2010;52:467-484) An additional clinical assessment scoring is sometimes used. GI indicates gastrointestinal.

This paper concerned with study the effect of a graphite micro powder mixed in the kerosene dielectric fluid during powder mixing electric discharge machining (PMEDM) of high carbon high chromium AISI D2 steel. The type of electrode (copper and graphite), the pulse are taken as the process main input parameters. The material removal rate MRR, the tool wear ratio TWR and the work piece surface roughness (SR) are taken as output parameters to planned using response surface methodology (RSM) design procedure. Empirical models are developed for MRR, TWR and SR, using the analysis of variance (ANOVA).The best results for the productivity of the when using the graphite electrodes, the pulse current (22 A), the pulse on duration (120 µs) and using the graphite powder mixing in kerosene dielectric reaches (82.84mm³/min). The result gives an improvement in material removal rate of (274%) with respect to the corresponding value obtained when copper electrodes with kerosene dielectric alone. The best results for the tool wear ratio (TWR) of the process obtained when using the copper electrodes, the pulse current (8 A), the pulse on duration (120 µs) and using the kerosene dielectric alone reaches (0.31 %). The use of graphite electrodes, the kerosene dielectric with 5g/l graphite powder mixing, the pulse current (8 A), the pulse on duration (40 µs) give the best surface roughness (141%) with respect to the corresponding value obtained when using copper electrodes and the kerosene dielectric alone with the same other parameters and machining conditions.

The formulation of protein drugs is a difficult and time-consuming process, mainly due to the complexity of protein structure and the very specific physical and chemical properties involved. Understanding protein degradation pathways is essential for the success of a biopharmaceutical drug. The present review concerns the application of high throughput screening techniques in protein formulation development. A protein high throughput formulation (HTF) platform is based on the use of microplates. Basically, the HTF platform consists of two parts: (i) sample preparation and (ii) sample analysis. Sample preparation involves automated systems for dispensing the drug and the formulation ingredients in both liquid and powder form. The sample analysis involves specific methods developed for each protein to investigate physical and chemical properties of the formulations in microplates. Examples are presented of the use of protein intrinsic fluorescence for the analysis of protein aqueous properties (e.g., conformation and aggregation). Different techniques suitable for HTF analysis are discussed and some of the issues concerning implementation are presented with reference to the use of microplates.

The islands of Alor, Lirang, Wetar and Romang are located in the extinct section of the Sunda–Banda arc, where the collision with the Australian continent has brought subduction to a halt. Intrusive and extrusive igneous samples show a wide range of Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic characteristics. Samples from the northeast coast of Alor extend the trend of increasing 206Pb/204Pb ratios along the arc in an easterly direction, with values as high as 19.6. Samples from Alor's south coast, Lirang, Wetar and Romang have appreciably lower 206Pb/204Pb ratios (≤19.1), and 143Nd/144Nd ratios down to 0.5119. The Pb isotope data are interpreted as reflecting mixing between two internally variable end members within the subducting Australian continent, either the upper and lower crust, or two upper crustal end members of different ages. These melts may come up virtually unmodified, giving rise to the felsic, low 143Nd/144Nd samples, or may interact with the mantle, of which the partial melts and the fractionation products thereof give rise to basalts to rhyodacites with more intermediate Nd isotopic characteristics. Mixing modelling of the latter samples' isotopic ratios constrains the amount of crustal material that has been added to the mantle wedge to reach up to 9%. The isotopic and trace element heterogeneity in the samples studied is likely to reflect inhomogeneity of the crustal sources contributing to magmatism.

Sixteen short sediment cores were recovered from the upper edge (UEO), within (WO) and below (BO) the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) off Peru during cruise 147 of R/V Sonne. Solids were analyzed for major/trace elements, total organic carbon, total inorganic carbon, total sulfur, the stable sulfur isotope composition (δ34S) of pyrite, and sulfate reduction rates (SRR). Pore waters were analyzed

Right ventricular apical pacing may induce detrimental effects on left ventricular function and coronary flow. In this study, the effects of pacing site and mode on cardiac mechanics and coronary blood flow were evaluated. This prospective study included 25 patients who received dual-chamber pacemakers with the ventricular lead placed in the right ventricular apex and presented in sinus rhythm (SR) at their regularly scheduled visits at the pacemaker clinic. Patients underwent complete transthoracic echocardiographic examinations while in SR, followed by noninvasive Doppler assessment of coronary flow in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) and speckle-tracking echocardiography of short-axis planes in SR, atrial pacing (AAI-P), atrioventricular (dual-chamber) pacing (DDD-P), and ventricular pacing (VVI-P). Rotation of the base was significantly decreased with VVI-P compared with AAI-P. Left ventricular twist decreased significantly with DDD-P compared with AAI-P. Circu...

The formulation of protein drugs is a difficult and time-consuming process, mainly due to the complexity of protein structure and the very specific physical and chemical properties involved. Understanding protein degradation pathways is essential for the success of a biopharmaceutical drug. The present review concerns the application of high throughput screening techniques in protein formulation development. A protein high throughput formulation (HTF) platform is based on the use of microplates. Basically, the HTF platform consists of two parts: (i) sample preparation and (ii) sample analysis. Sample preparation involves automated systems for dispensing the drug and the formulation ingredients in both liquid and powder form. The sample analysis involves specific methods developed for each protein to investigate physical and chemical properties of the formulations in microplates. Examples are presented of the use of protein intrinsic fluorescence for the analysis of protein aqueous properties (e.g., conformation and aggregation). Different techniques suitable for HTF analysis are discussed and some of the issues concerning implementation are presented with reference to the use of microplates.

Inconel 800H has got wide applications due to its resistance to high temperature, corrosion. Because of its poor machinability to process it, among nontraditional processes abrasive water jet machining is commonly used. Abrasive Water Jet Machining (AWJM) of Inconel 800H has commercial significance due to its good machining characteristics. In the present paper an attempt has been made to optimise machining parameters employed in Abrasive Jet Machining of Inconel 800H using Taguchi method. The approach used is based on the analysis of variance and signal to noise ratio (SN Ratio) to optimize the AWJM process parameters for effective Material Removal Rate (MRR) and Surface Roughness (SR). Important AWJM machining parameters such as water pressure, focussing tube size, traverse speed & abrasive flow rate were predicted for optimised MRR and SR. It was confirmed that determined optimal combination of AWJM process parameters satisfy the real need for machining of Inconel 800H in actual practice.

The 137 Cs method was employed to investigate the recent historical rate of sediment deposition on a lowland alluvial floodplain in the Falefa River basin, Upolu Island, Samoa. Caesium stratigraphy in the floodplain sediment profile was clearly defined, with a broad peak at 145e175 cm depth. The measured rate of vertical accretion over the last 40 years is 4.0 G 0.4 cm per year. This rate exceeds observations in humid environments elsewhere, but is similar to that recorded on other tropical Pacific Islands. Available flow data for the Vaisigano River in Samoa give a 'near-catastrophic' index value of 0.6 for flood variability. This is associated with the occurrence of tropical cyclones and storms in the Samoa area. Large floods therefore probably contribute to the high rate of floodplain sedimentation on Upolu Island. A small but growing body of evidence suggests that fluvial sedimentation rates on tropical Pacific islands are some of the highest in the world. (J.P. Terry), [email protected] (R.A. Kostaschuk), [email protected] (S. Garimella).

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is non-traditional machining processes. EDM process is based on thermoelectric energy between the work piece and a tool electrode. A pulse discharge occurs in a small gap between the work piece and the tool electrode and removes the unwanted material from the material through melting and vaporizing. The present study discusses about having an overview of the Electrical discharge machining process, and influence of process parameters like input current, pulse on time and pulse off time on performance parameter such as MRR, EWR and over cut. This study discusses about controlling the process parameters and optimization of process parameters in EDM process. From the review, it has been observed that the machining process can be improved by process parameters like current, pulse on time and pulse off time and also observed that electrodes material also effect on the material removal rate, electrode wear rate and over cut.

The radioactive contamination from the 1986 accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (CNPP) caused significant change in the abundance and distribution of tree species in the exclusion zone. Some 400 ha of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) were killed from high levels of contamination and these areas have since been recolonised by silver birch (Betula pendula). Much work has shown that changes in leaf pigments (chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids) and biomass as a result of water and nutrient deficiencies and other environmental influences can be detected through spectral reflectance characteristics of leaves. This paper presents the results of a reconnaissance study showing that spectral reflectance measurements can also be used to detect the effect of radionuclide contamination on the vegetation in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. Through laboratory and in situ spectroradiometry of silver birch and Scots pine, we demonstrate that the chlorophyll red edge and the Three Channel Vegetation Index (TCHVI) correlate well with specific activities of 90 Sr and 137 Cs in leaves, g-dose rates and 137 Cs inventories in soil. The results show that remote sensing has the potential of providing a valuable monitoring technique for assessing the ecological impact of radionuclide contamination. D

The heart has complex mechanisms that facilitate the maintenance of an oxygen supply-demand balance necessary for its contractile function in response to physiological fluctuations in workload as well as in response to chronic stresses such as hypoxia, ischemia, and overload. Redox-sensitive signaling pathways are centrally involved in many of these homeostatic and stress-response mechanisms. Here, we review the main redox-regulated pathways that are involved in cardiac myocyte excitation-contraction coupling, differentiation, hypertrophy, and stress responses. We discuss specific sources of endogenously generated reactive oxygen species (e.g., mitochondria and NADPH oxidases of the Nox family), the particular pathways and processes that they affect, the role of modulators such as thioredoxin, and the specific molecular mechanisms that are involved-where this knowledge is available. A better understanding of this complex regulatory system may allow the development of more specific therapeutic strategies for heart diseases.

Determination of temporal and spatial distribution of water use (WU) within agricultural land is critical for irrigation management and could be achieved by remotely sensed data. The aim of this study was to estimate WU of dwarf green beans under excessive and limited irrigation water application conditions through indicators based on remotely sensed data. For this purpose, field experiments were conducted comprising of six different irrigation water levels. Soil water content, climatic parameters, canopy temperature and spectral reflectance were all monitored. Reference evapotranspiration (ET 0 ), crop coefficient K c and potential crop evapotraspiration (ET c ) were calculated by means of methods described in FAO-56. In addition, WU values were determined by using soil water balance residual and various indexes were calculated. Water use fraction (WUF), which represents both excessive and limited irrigation applications, was defined through WU, ET 0 and K c . Based on the relationships between WUF and remotely sensed indexes, WU of each irrigation treatments were then estimated. According to comparisons between estimated and measured WU, in general crop water stress index (CWSI) can be offered for monitoring of irrigated land. At the same time, under water stress, correlation between measured WU and estimated WU based on CWSI was the highest too. However, canopy-air temperature difference (T c − T a ) is more reliable than others for excessive water use conditions. Where there is no data related to canopy temperature, some of spectral vegetation indexes could be preferable in the estimation of WU.

In patients with heart failure, left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35% and sinus rhythm without conditions such as atrial fibrillation, thrombus or history of thromboembolic events, the use of anticoagulation is controversial. Our objective was to evaluate the anticoagulation strategy in these patients, variables associated with its use, and its effects on various cardiovascular events. Of the patients included in the REDINSCOR registry with left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35% and sinus rhythm without other anticoagulation indications (including patients with heart failure from 19 Spanish centres), we compared those who received this treatment with the remaining patients. Between 2007 and 2010, 2263 patients were included, of whom 902 had left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35% and sinus rhythm. Of these, 237 (26%) were receiving anticoagulation therapy. Variables associated with this treatment were a lower left ventricular ejection fraction, ischemic etiology, advanced functio...