The performance of a novel high-rate anaerobic process, the anaerobic digestion elutriated phased treatment (ADEPT) process, for treating a slurry-type piggery waste (55 g COD/L and 37 g TS/L) was ...investigated. The ADEPT process consists of an acid elutriation slurry reactor for hydrolysis and acidification, followed by an upflow anaerobic sludge bed reactor for methanification. This process provides stable and high system performance with short HRT (7.4 d) and better effluent quality (2 g SCOD/L and 0.68 g VSS/L) due to the alkaline pH condition for hydrolysis/acidification phase, high refractory solids removal and ammonia toxicity reduction. The optimum pH and HRT for hydrolysis/acidogenesis of the piggery waste were 9 and 5 days at both 35 degrees C and 55 degrees C conditions. The hydrolysis and acidification rate in the mesophilic reactor were 0.05 d(-1) and 0.11 d(-1), meaning that hydrolysis was a limiting step. SCOD production by the hydrolysis was about 0.26 g SCOD/g VS(fed) (3.6 g SCOD/g VS reduction). Methane production and content in the system were 0.3 L CH4/g VS(fed) (0.67 L CH4/g VS destroyed) and 80%, respectively, corresponding to 0.23 L CH4/g COD removal (@STP).
In this paper, we propose a generalized serial dilution module for universal microfluidic concentration gradient generators including N cascaded-mixing stages in a stepwise manner. Desired ...concentrations were generated by means of controlled volumetric mixing ratios of two merging solutions in each stage. The flow rates were adjusted by controlling channel length, which is proportional to fluidic resistance in each channel. A generalized mathematical model for generating any complex concentration and output flow rate gradients is presented based on the fact that there is an analogy between microfluidic circuits and electrical circuits. The pressure drop corresponds to a voltage drop, the flow rate to an electrical current, and the flow resistance to an electrical resistance. A simple equivalent electrical circuit model was generalized, and in the model each channel segment was represented by an electrical resistance. As a result of the mathematical modelling, the only variable parameter in the generalized serial dilution module was the channel length. By the use of the generalized serial dilution module with N = 4, three types of microfluidic gradient generators for linear, logarithmic and Gaussian gradients were successfully designed and tested. The proposed strategy is capable of generating universal monotonic gradients with a single module or arbitrary gradients with multiple modules ranging from linear to complex non-linear shapes of concentration gradients as well as arbitrary output flow rate gradients in a stepwise manner. The simple universal gradient generation technology using the generalized serial dilution module will find widespread use in the greater chemical and biological community, and address many challenges of gradient-dependent phenomena.
The efficacy of mobilizing peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC) with continuous intravenous (c.i.v.) administration of rhG-CSF was randomly compared to subcutaneous (s.c.) administration, in 15 ...normal donors in each arm of the study for 6 days. The percentage and absolute numbers of CD34+ cells in the c.i.v. and s.c. groups increased maximally at day 3 and 5, respectively, when compared with the steady-state (day 0) level. Peak CD34+ cell levels were achieved on day 3 in the c.i.v. group, with more rapid results than in the s.c. group (49.3/microl vs 35.9/microl, P=0.043). Plasma rhG-CSF levels declined progressively during mobilization in each group as the WBC increased. The serum level of rhG-CSF did not correlate with CD34+ cell counts in the peripheral blood. Toxicity profiles in the c.i.v. and s.c. groups were similar. Each regimen was effective in successfully mobilizing the target CD34 cell number.
Abstract Backgrounds Potential deceased donor management optimization is important for organ recovery maximization. Before optimization, the current state of donor management and predictors for organ ...recovery require analysis. Methods We retrospectively analyzed organ procurement activity and medical management for 2005 to 2010 potential brain death donors at Seoul National University Hospital. Results Of 316 contacts for potential brain-dead donors, 129 (39.7%) patients were transferred to the donor management team. Among the causes of transfer failure, issues related to proper donor management affected 33%. Expanded criteria donors were 17.9% of transferred donors. Organ recovery was successful in 111 (90.2%) donors. A total of 360 organs were recovered, corresponding to a mean of 2.92 ± 1.37 organs per donor. The absence of organ demand was an important cause of recovery failure among less transplanted organs. Brain death-related complications were identified as follows: acute kidney injury (AKI), defined by AKI network criteria, occurred in 19 (15.4%); cardiopulmonary resuscitation in 5 (3.1%); bacteremia in 12 (9.7%); thrombocytopenia in 24 (19.5%); and diabetes insipidus in 42 (34.1%). AKI was a significant independent risk factor for organ recovery failure in both the liver and kidney (odds ratio OR 0.147, 95% confidence interval 0.045, 0.473, P = .001; OR 0.096, 95% confidence interval 0.023, 0.392, P = .001, for kidney and liver, respectively). Conclusions Both the transfer success rate and rate of organs transplanted per donor of potential deceased donors remained low in Korea. AKI during potential donor management was a risk factor for kidney and liver recovery failure.
Phosphoinositide 3 kinase enhancer (PIKE) is a recently identified nuclear GTPase that activates nuclear phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3 kinase). We have identified, cloned and characterized a new ...form of PIKE, designated PIKE-L, which, unlike the nuclear PIKE-S, localizes to both the cytoplasm and the nucleus. We demonstrate physiologic binding of PIKE-L to Homer, an adaptor protein known to link metabotropic glutamate receptors to multiple intracellular targets including the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R). We show that activation of group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRIs) enhances formation of an mGluRI-Homer-PIKE-L complex, leading to activation of PI3 kinase activity and prevention of neuronal apoptosis. Our findings indicate that this complex mediates the well-known ability of agonists of mGluRI to prevent neuronal apoptosis.
Aims
We used virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS) to evaluate the relation between coronary plaque characteristics and no-reflow in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients.
Methods and ...results
A total of 190 consecutive ACS patients were imaged using VH-IVUS and analysed retrospectively. Angiographic no-reflow was defined as TIMI flow grade 0, 1, and 2 after stenting. Virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound classified the colour-coded tissue into four major components: fibrotic, fibro-fatty, dense calcium, and necrotic core (NC). Thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA) was defined as focal, NC-rich (≥10% of the cross-sectional area) plaques being in contact with the lumen in a plaque burden ≥40%. Of the 190 patients studied at pre-stenting, no-reflow was observed in 24 patients (12.6%) at post-stenting. The absolute and %NC areas at the minimum lumen sites (1.6 ± 1.2 vs. 0.9 ± 0.8 mm2, P < 0.001, and 24.5 ± 14.3 vs. 16.1 ± 10.6%, P = 0.001, respectively) and the absolute and %NC volumes (30 ± 24 vs. 16 ± 17 mm3, P = 0.001, and 22 ± 11 vs. 14 ± 8%, P < 0.001, respectively) were significantly greater, and the presence of at least one TCFA and multiple TCFAs within culprit lesions (71 vs. 36%, P = 0.001, and 38 vs. 15%, P = 0.005, respectively) was significantly more common in the no-reflow group compared with the normal-reflow group. In the multivariable analysis, %NC volume was the only independent predictor of no-reflow (odds ratio = 1.126; 95% CI 1.045-1.214, P = 0.002).
Conclusion
In ACS patients, post-stenting no-reflow is associated with plaque components defined by VH-IVUS analysis with larger NC and more TCFAs.
Dispersion strengthened Cu alloys have been manufactured by conventional spray forming and also by reactive spray forming, followed by hot extrusion of the spray deposited billets. In this work, we ...have systematically investigated the relationship between the microstructure and mechanical properties of the Cu alloys fabricated through two techniques by means of optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and tensile testing. The size of dispersed particles in the reactive spray formed alloy was much finer than that in the conventionally spray formed alloy. That was because the dominant chemical reaction between Ti and B had occurred in Cu–Ti–B alloy melt in conventional spray forming while it had occurred after deposition of droplets in reactive spray forming. The yield strength of the reactive spray formed alloy was greater than that of the conventional spray formed alloy in spite of a lower volume fraction of reinforced particles. To understand the mechanism responsible for this experimental observation, the yield strength of the two Cu alloys were analyzed using the dislocation pile-up model and Orowan mechanism, which were fairly consistent with the experimental results. Increase in yield strength of reactive spray formed alloy compared with that of conventional spray formed alloy was largely attributed to nanoscale TiB dispersoids. This indicates that refining the reinforced particle size to nanoscale is of special importance for the development of high strength Cu alloys since the yield strength predominantly depends on the size and volume fraction of the reinforcement. From this point of view, reactive spray forming can be considered as a new promising process to develop high strength Cu alloys.
After a contract with Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. (HHI) on January 2010 for the manufacture of the ITER equatorial and lower ports, manufacturing preparation activities have been performed. As ...part of the preparation activities, a full scale mock-up of the lower port stub extension (LPSE) #16 was fabricated by HHI in order to verify fabrication feasibility and set up the fabrication sequence for the LPSE. In this paper, major technical results from fabrication of a full scale mock-up will be presented with emphasis on the main manufacturing procedure, welding, nondestructive examination (NDE) and 3D dimensional inspection. Afterwards, progress of real product manufacturing is introduced.
Cardiovascular side effects of clozapine are not uncommon, but few systematic studies of these effects have been performed. In this study, we reviewed data on the electrocardiographic (ECG) ...abnormalities in patients treated with clozapine.
Sixty-one patients treated with clozapine were selected from the Seoul National University Hospital Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia Clinic. A retrospective chart review was conducted to identify ECG abnormalities and cardiovascular side effects.
The prevalence of ECG abnormalities in patients who had been using antipsychotics other than clozapine was 13.6% at baseline, which increased significantly to 31.1% after commencement of clozapine treatment. Among the 53 patients without baseline ECG abnormalities, 13 showed new-onset ECG abnormalities after using clozapine. Normal ECG under previous antipsychotic medication reduced the risk of new-onset ECG abnormalities, whereas increased age was found to increase the risk. The occurrence of orthostatic hypotension or tachycardia was not related to the development of ECG abnormalities. Most of the newly developed abnormalities had little clinical significance, and they tended to occur during the initial phase of treatment. In 10 patients, ECGs normalized despite the continued use of clozapine. Clozapine increased corrected QT interval (QTc) in a dose-dependent fashion; however, the clinical significance of this observation is uncertain. Pathologic prolongation of QTc was found to be rare.
Although a substantial portion of patients treated with clozapine developed ECG abnormalities, most of the abnormalities were benign and did not hinder further treatment.
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