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Purpose: Delays in recognition and treatment of near-fatal asthmatic attacks could result in mortality. We aim to identify the risk factors predicting requirement for intubation and mechanical ventilation to manage [...]

As when given systemically, inhaled corticosteroids can decrease bone density when used as long-term maintenance therapy for patients with chronic bronchial asthma. Even so, the overall benefits of this route [...]

A series of novel amphiphilic scorpion-like macromolecules (AScMs) were designed for optimized drug encapsulation and transport. The branched hydrophobic domains were prepared by acylation of mucic acid with varying chain lengths of acyl chlorides. Monohydroxylated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) was conjugated onto the hydrophobic domain to form the final polymers. Fluorescence spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering were performed to determine the critical micelle concentrations (cmc) and aggregation particle sizes, respectively. By changing the length of PEG and acyl chains, the physicochemical properties (e.g., Mw, HLB, Tm, cmc) of AScMs are controlled. Low cmc values (10^-5−10^-7 mol/L) and small particle sizes (10−20 nm) of AScMs are potentially applicable for lipophilic drug delivery applications.

A generative CAPP/CNC system for hydraulic manifold blocks is proposed to generate the process plan and the NC codes automatically by interfacing with a feature-based product model. A backward recursive method is used to determine the process operations for features, and an optimal searching algorithm is generated for sequencing the process operations. The sequenced process operations can be translated into the appropriate NC codes that can be recognised by a numerical control (NC) machine. In addition, a visual simulation for machining is built to check both the reliability of the NC codes and the feasibility of the design and manufacturing processes. The software is built using an object-oriented approach and it can be run under the Windows environment.:

This paper addresses the sensitivity problem of sensor locations for vibration control and damage detection of thin-plate systems with parameter variation or noise. For vibration control, the technique for robust determination of sensor locations is presented. Based on the spectral condition number of the Hankel matrix, the optimal sensor locations (OSLs) can be determined, and the effect of noise on the OSLs is investigated using the matrix perturbation theory. For damage detection, the damage locations can be determined using the damage index β derived from the curvature modes. The sensitivity analysis of sensor locations on the detection result for systems with parameter variation is presented. Some experiments are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Experimental modal analysis of a tire was carried out. Mode shapes in the radial, tangential and lateral directions of the tire under radial and tangential excitation, respectively, were obtained for the first time. The consistency of tire experimental modal frequencies in three directions was observed after careful design and adjustment of the test method. This indicates the accuracy of the experiments. The phenomena discovered in this experimental study, such as the mode shapes of the rim and the complex modes of the tire, are discussed in detail. The modal parameters acquired from experimental modal analysis of the tire can be used for the modeling of tire dynamics.

In this paper, a mode subtraction method is presented to investigate the sensitivity of changes in displacement mode shape of annular plates relative to the hole size. It is proved that the displacement modes are sensitive to the presence of a hole in a plate. Jump phenomena are observed in the “residual mode shape”, and the number and locations of peaks are determined based upon the displacement modal analysis. Numerical analyses of the changes in displacement mode shapes for different boundary conditions (C–F, S–F, F–F) and relative hole sizes are given. Experimental tests show good agreement with the numerical results.

: The model is developed with C&+: in a Windows environment.

Immunoblotting techniques are widely used for detection of antigen immobilized on nitrocellulose membranes. There are many immunolabeling methods and staining methods available to disclose the presence of antigen in such techniques. Five common staining methods each for alkaline phosphatase and horseradish peroxidase were examined. The staining methods with the highest sensitivity and the lowest background were selected for studies comparing five immunological labeling methods using human IgG as a model antigen. Results were evaluated on the basis of the least amount of detectable antigen and background staining. The most sensitive dot-blot method was then tested for its applicability to Western blots. For both dot-blots and Western blots, the immunoalkaline phosphatase methods are more sensitive than the corresponding immunoperoxidase methods. The use of biotinylated secondary antibodies and an avidin-enzyme conjugate is recommended. Disclosure of alkaline phosphate is best achieved with naphthol AS phosphate as substrate and fast blue BB as chromogen. Peroxidase is best stained using H2O2 and diaminobenzidine (DAB). Potential endogenous enzyme activities are demonstrable by blotting methods but can be inhibited by including levamisole in the disclosure reaction medium for calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase indicators, or by incubation of blots with sodium azide and hydrogen peroxide before immunolabeling when using horseradish peroxidase indicators.

In this paper, a new mathematical model suitable for higher level structural optimization problems, such as optimization of structural topology, layout and type is presented. In this mathematical model, the relation between two structures with different layouts is established by introducing the nonbasic variables. Using the Kuhn-Tucker condition for optimality, a criterion for determining a better layout of a structure is developed. This provides a measure for selecting the optimal layout of a structure. The method introduces a new way for higher level structural optimization design. Several numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of this method.

We have developed a monoclonal antibody (9C5) for immunohistochemical localization of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAcP). This antibody reacts with a denatured epitope of TRAcP and requires enhancement methods to promote antigenicity in paraffin-embedded tissues. We used this antibody to systematically examine proteolytic digestion and heat denaturation conditions for epitope enhancement in both paraffin sections and fixed smears. The goal was to increase the sensitivity of the immunohistochemical stain for TRAcP. Optimal conditions for proteolytic digestion were established. Denaturation in a conventional boiling water bath was compared to microwave irradiation in several commonly used solutions. Immunohistochemistry was compared directly to TRAcP cytochemistry in fixed smears from hairy cell leukemia specimens to gauge the level of sensitivity of our improved method. Attempts were made to "retrieve" the 9C5 epitope from overfixed tissues and aged smears. Maximal immunoreactivity of TRAcP was achieved by microwave irradiation in a citrate or Tris buffer of pH 6.0-8.0 without the need for a subsequent protease digestion step. With this method of epitope enhancement, immunohistochemistry with antibody 9C5 was as sensitive as direct cytochemical staining of TRAcP activity. However, once a tissue specimen had been overfixed or a smear stored for a year or more, the 9C5 epitope was no longer retrievable. The key element in epitope enhancement for 9C5 immunohistochemistry is heat denaturation of the target epitope. Immunohistochemistry of TRAcP in paraffin sections would be a great asset to the study of specialized forms of the monocyte/macrophage lineage and to the process of macrophage activation. It would also provide another means for more precise evaluation of residual disease in bone marrow of patients treated for hairy cell leukemia.

An antiserum specific to esterase Ib was produced in a rabbit. The antigen-antibody reaction was visualized by the strong esterase activity in the precipitin band in Ouchterlony double diffusion and immunoelectrophoresis. Immunohistochemical procedure demonstrated strong staining in the monocyte-infiltrated splenic sections and tissue sections of true histiocytic lymphoma. Negative results were observed in T- and B-cell lymphomas, granulocytic sarcoma, and chronic granulocytic leukemia. This antibody may be useful for the identification of monocytes and histocytes in paraffin-embedded tissue sections.

The relationship between the strain mode and the displacement mode for vibrating elastic structures is derived. It is based on the idea that when a structure is subjected to dynamic loading, its strain response can be expressed by the superposition of contributions from the “natural strain modes ”. Both the natural strain and natural displacement modes represent the dynamic characteristics of a vibrating structure. By using the finite element method, it has been possible to relate the Strain Frequency Response Function (SFRF) to the Displacement Frequency Response Function (DFRF). The technique used in the modal strain test and the method used for parameter identification are described. An experimental study of the modal strain analysis of cantilever rectangular thin plates has been performed. This shows that the strain mode is more sensitive to local changes of the structure than the displacement mode.

Hamartoma of the spleen is a rare benign tumour composed of an abnormal mixture of normal components of spleen. Most splenic hamartomas are asymptomatic and discovered at autopsy or incidentally at surgery; a few symptomatic cases, however, have also been encountered and diagnosed at surgery (Silverman and LiVolsi, 1978). Accurate preoperative diagnosis may be difficult but splenic angiography and scintiscan have been considered to be characteristic though only a few cases have been reported (Kishikawa et al., 1978; Teates et al., 1972). Computerized tomography has not been utilized to examine splenic hamartoma.We present a patient with symptoms of malaise and weight loss in whom an upper gastrointestinal series demonstrated a mass effect, suggesting a malignancy. Subsequent evaluation by liver–spleen scan, arteriogram, computerized tomography and ultimately laparotomy, revealed a splenic hamartoma. Details of these investigations are discussed.A 47-year-old male, chronic alcohol abuser, was hospitalized for malaise and 30 pound weight loss over six months. His liver was enlarged and a left upper quadrant mass, presumed to be the spleen, was palpable just below the left costal margin. Haemoglobin was 10.5% and his liver function tests demonstrated moderate hepatocellular injury which returned to normal with hospitalization. An upper gastrointestinal series demonstrated hiatal hernia and a large extrinsic compression defect on the fundus of the stomach which was confirmed by endoscopy (Fig. 1). Chest, abdominal film, intravenous urogram and barium enema were all unremarkable.

The dynamical behaviour of a flexible beam-water interaction system is examined. The coupled system is subject to an undisturbed boundary condition at infinity in the water domain and a zero surface wave or linear surface disturbance condition on the free surface. The governing equations describing the behaviour of the system are analyzed by using the separation of variables method and their solutions presented. The eigenvalue equation of the natural vibration of the beam-water system is derived and exact solutions for each combination of boundary conditions are obtained. Calculations show that for the undisturbed condition at infinity in the water domain, the natural frequencies of the coupled dynamic system are lower than those of the flexible dry beam, indicating that the influence of water on the beam has the effect of an additional mass. It is further shown that the free surface wave disturbance plays a more important role in the determination of vibration characteristics in the lower frequency region of the coupled system and that fluid compressibility is more influential and higher frequencies. The orthogonality relation of the natural vibration forms of the coupled fluid-structure interaction system are derived and the case of this coupled system subject to the radiation condition at infinity proposed by Sommerfield [1] is discussed.

Morphologic, cytochemical, functional, and chromosomal studies were performed on cells from blood and the spleen of a patient with leukemic reticuloendotheliosis. Characteristics of these cells were further defined by histochemical studies, by their removal by the cotton-filtration process, by their negative response to PHA stimulation, and by their poor phagocytic properties. Chromosomal studies in this case showed abnormal patterns in cells from the spleen. This abnormal pattern was characterized by the presence of an abnormal chromosome in A group, extra chromosome in C group, and monosomy in G group.

Zusammenfassung Mit modifizierter cytochemischer Methodik wurde in normalen menschlichen Blutlymphocyten reichlich ß-Glucuronidase nachgewiesen, deren cytotopographische Anordnung die Differenzierung zweier Reaktionstypen erlaubt. Während die Lymphocyten normaler Kontrollpersonen durch unterschiedliche Anordnung und Intensität des Reaktionsproduktes ein buntes Bild boten, ergab die Untersuchung leukämischer Lymphocyten ein weitgehend gleichförmiges Reaktionsverhalten in den Zellen des einzelnen Patienten. Der Anteil von Lymphocyten mit unregelmäßig im Cytoplasma verteilter grober Granula — hier als Reaktionstyp A bezeichnet — war bei der überwiegenden Mehrzahl der Patienten mit chronischer lymphatischer Leukämie deutlich gegenüber der Norm vermindert. Der auf Grund der ß-Glucuronidasereaktion in jeweils 100 Lymphocyten ermittelte Aktivitätsindex war bei den meisten Leukämiepatienten erniedrigt. Die Deutung der erhobenen Befunde wurde diskutiert.

As composite materials are increasingly used in aerospace, marine, civil power generating, petrochemical, and chemical industries, the interaction of fluid and composite shells of revolution has been an active subject in the area of structural dynamics. In this paper, a semianalytical procedure was presented for predicting free vibration characteristics of liquid‐filled composite shells of revolution. A new unaxisymmetric conical frustum element was derived based on the first‐order shear deformation theory. The element considers both the displacement in the circumferential direction and the rotation around the meridian of the shell. The coupling between symmetric and antisymmetric modes is taken into account in the formulation. Reduced integration was employed to avoid ‘‘shear locking.’’ Numerical examples were given for free vibrations of liquid‐filled laminated shells of revolution with various types of boundary conditions. Comparisons of the results predicted by the present paper with those available in the literature were made. The effects of the liquid depth, the ratio of mass density of the liquid to that of the shell, circumferential wave number, thickness to radius ratio, ply angle, and stacking sequence on natural frequency of wet shells were discussed. [Work supported by RC, HK Poly U.]

The dynamic characteristics of plate structure can be improved by arranging the natural frequencies of the system in specified ranges. The sensitivities of structural dynamic response to design parameters can provide the essential gradient information for deriving efficient optimization procedures. They are used to form an approximate problem for solving the original structural optimization problem, while the sensitivity of geometric parameters to frequency can provide the essential gradient information for deriving efficient design procedures. In this paper, first the training set of neural network is generated by the finite‐element method; second, the original design of a cantilever rectangular plate with multifrequency constraints is obtained by using the neural network; third, the sensitivities of the plate eigenvalue to design parameters (i.e., ∂ f/∂Ri) around the point of original geometric design are obtained by using the trained neural network. Finally, the sensitivities of design parameters to eigenvalue (i.e., ∂R/∂fi) are also obtained by using the trained neural network. The influence of frequency on geometric parameters, as well as the influence of geometric parameters on frequency, is also discussed.

The addition of bath gases such as O2, argon, CO2, and EtCN decreases the yield of (II).