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With the higher risk of dental implant failure with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), there is a need to characterize the jaw bones in those individuals. The aim of this post mortem study was to compare jaw bone quality of individuals with T2DM to healthy controls. Bone cores from the edentulous lower first molar region and the region of mandibular angle were collected from male individuals with T2DM (n = 10, 70.6 ± 4.5 years) and healthy controls (n = 11, 71.5 ± 3.8 years) during autopsy. Within the T2DM, a subgroup treated with oral antidiabetics (OAD) and one on insulin were identified. Bone quality assessment encompassed evaluation of bone microstructure, matrix composition, and cellular activity, using microcomputed tomography (micro-CT), quantitative backscattered electron imaging (qBEI), Raman spectroscopy, and bone histomorphometry. In the mandibular angle, T2DM showed 51% lower porosity of the lingual cortex (p = 0.004) and 21% higher trabecular thickness (p = 0.008) compared to control. More highly mineralized bone packets were found in the buccal cortex of the mandibular angle in insulin-treated compared to OAD-treated T2DM group (p = 0.034). In the molar region, we found higher heterogeneity of trabecular calcium content in T2DM insulin compared to controls (p = 0.015) and T2DM OAD (p = 0.019). T2DM was associated with lower osteocyte lacunar size in the trabecular bone of the molar region (vs. control p = 0.03). Alterations in microstructure, mineralization, and osteocyte morphology were determined in jaw bone of individuals with T2DM compared to controls. Future studies will have to verify if the mild changes determined in this study will translate to potential contraindications for dental implant placements.

Background The mechanisms underlying the role of T-type calcium channels (T-channels) in thalamocortical excitability and oscillations in vivo during neurosteroid-induced hypnosis are largely unknown. Methods We used patch-clamp electrophysiological recordings from acute brain slices ex vivo, recordings of local field potentials (LFPs) from the central medial thalamic nucleus in vivo, and wild-type (WT) and Cav3.1 knock-out mice to investigate the molecular mechanisms of hypnosis induced by the neurosteroid analogue (3β,5β,17β)-3-hydroxyandrostane-17-carbonitrile (3β-OH). Results Patch-clamp recordings showed that 3β-OH inhibited isolated T-currents but had no effect on phasic or tonic γ-aminobutyric acid A currents. Also in acute brain slices, 3β-OH inhibited the spike firing mode more profoundly in WT than in Cav3.1 knockout mice. Furthermore, 3β-OH significantly hyperpolarised neurones, reduced the amplitudes of low threshold spikes, and diminished rebound burst firing only in WT mice. We found that 80 mg kg−1 i.p. injections of 3β-OH induced hypnosis in >60% of WT mice but failed to induce hypnosis in the majority of mutant mice. A subhypnotic dose of 3β-OH (20 mg kg−1 i.p.) accelerated induction of hypnosis by isoflurane only in WT mice, but had similar effects on the maintenance of isoflurane-induced hypnosis in both WT and Cav3.1 knockout mice. In vivo recordings of LFPs showed that a hypnotic dose of 3β-OH increased δ, θ, α, and β oscillations in WT mice in comparison with Cav3.1 knock-out mice. Conclusions The Cav3.1 T-channel isoform is critical for diminished thalamocortical excitability and oscillations that underlie neurosteroid-induced hypnosis.

Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ-OA) is a chronic degenerative disease that is often characterized by progressive impairment of the temporomandibular functional unit. The aim of this randomized controlled animal trial was a comparative analysis regarding the chondroregenerative potency of intra-articular stem/stromal cell therapy. Four weeks after combined mechanical and biochemical osteoarthritis induction in 28 rabbits, therapy was initiated by a single intra-articular injection, randomized into the following groups: Group 1: AB Serum (ABS), Group 2: Hyaluronic acid (HA), Group 3: Mesenchymal stromal cells (STx.), Group 4: Mesenchymal stromal cells in hyaluronic acid (HA + STx.). After another 4 weeks, the animals were euthanized, followed by histological examination of the removed joints. The histological analysis showed a significant increase in cartilage thickness in the stromal cell treated groups (HA + STx. vs. ABS, p = 0.028, HA + ST.x vs. HA, p = 0.042, STx. vs. ABS, p = 0.036). Scanning electron microscopy detected a similar heterogeneity of mineralization and tissue porosity in the subchondral zone in all groups. The single intra-articular injection of a stem cell containing, GMP-compliant advanced therapy medicinal product for the treatment of iatrogen induced osteoarthritis of the temporomandibular joint shows a chondroregenerative effect.

Exposure to sedative/hypnotic and anesthetic drugs, such as ketamine, during the critical period of synaptogenesis, causes profound neurotoxicity in the developing rodent and primate brains and is associated with poor cognitive outcomes later in life. The subiculum is especially vulnerable to acute neurotoxicity after neonatal exposure to sedative/hypnotic and anesthetic drugs. The subiculum acts as a relay center between the hippocampal complex and various cortical and subcortical brain regions and is also an independent generator of gamma oscillations. Gamma oscillations are vital in neuronal synchronization and play a role in learning and memory during wake and sleep. However, there has been little research examining long-term changes in subicular neurophysiology after neonatal exposure to ketamine. Here we explore the lasting effects of neonatal ketamine exposure on sleep macrostructure as well as subicular neuronal oscillations and synaptic plasticity in rats. During the peak of rodent synaptogenesis at postnatal day 7, rat pups were exposed to either 40 mg/kg of ketamine over 12 h or to volume matched saline vehicle. At weaning age, a subset of rats were implanted with a cortical and subicular electroencephalogram electrode, and at postnatal day 31, we performed in vivo experiments that included sleep macrostructure (divided into the wake, non-rapid eye movement, and rapid eye movement sleep) and electroencephalogram power spectra in cortex and subiculum. In a second subset of ketamine exposed animals, we conducted ex vivo studies of long-term potentiation (LTP) experiments in adolescent rats. Overall, we found that neonatal exposure to ketamine increased subicular gamma oscillations during non-rapid eye movement sleep but it did not alter sleep macrostructure. Also, we observed a significant decrease in subicular LTP. Gamma oscillations during non-rapid eye movement sleep are implicated in memory formation and consolidation, while LTP serves as a surrogate for learning and memory. Together these results suggest that lasting functional changes in subiculum circuitry may underlie neurocognitive impairments associated with neonatal exposure to anesthetic agents.

Background Open carpal tunnel release (CTR) is one of the most commonly performed operative procedures with operative duration being a primary metric of operating room efficiency. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with prolonged operative duration, in performing CTR. Materials and Methods CTR cases performed by a single surgeon from September 2013 to October 2015 were reviewed. Patient age at the time of surgery, sex, location of surgery (specialty orthopaedic hospital versus ambulatory surgery center), body mass index (BMI), American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, total operative duration (TOD), and procedure time (PT) were recorded. Obesity was defined as BMI > 30 and morbid obesity was defined as BMI > 35. Data were analyzed to identify factors associated with prolonged TOD or PT. Results One hundred and nine consecutive patients underwent isolated CTR. Mean age at time of surgery was 62 years (range: 24–92 years). Nonobese patients were found to have significantly shorter TOD than obese patients (22.3 vs. 24.4 minutes). Similarly, patients who were not morbidly obese had significantly shorter TOD than morbidly obese patients (22.6 vs. 26 minutes). No other factors were associated with prolonged TOD. No difference in PT was found between normal weight, obese, and morbidly obese groups. Conclusions TOD, but not procedure time, is significantly affected by obesity. Our findings are relevant when scheduling and preparing obese patients for surgery, which may have a significant impact on health resource utilization. Level of Evidence This is a Level III, economic/decision analysis study.

Purpose In this prospective, multicenter, 14-day inception cohort study, we investigated the epidemiology, patterns of infections, and outcome in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) as a result of severe acute respiratory infections (SARIs). Methods All patients admitted to one of 206 participating ICUs during two study weeks, one in November 2013 and the other in January 2014, were screened. SARI was defined as possible, probable, or microbiologically confirmed respiratory tract infection with recent onset dyspnea and/or fever. The primary outcome parameter was in-hospital mortality within 60 days of admission to the ICU. Results Among the 5550 patients admitted during the study periods, 663 (11.9 %) had SARI. On admission to the ICU, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were found in 29.6 and 26.2 % of SARI patients but rarely atypical bacteria (1.0 %); viruses were present in 7.7 % of patients. Organ failure occurred in 74.7 % of patients in the ICU, mostly respiratory (53.8 %), cardiovascular (44.5 %), and renal (44.6 %). ICU and in-hospital mortality rates in patients with SARI were 20.2 and 27.2 %, respectively. In multivariable analysis, older age, greater severity scores at ICU admission, and hematologic malignancy or liver disease were independently associated with an increased risk of in-hospital death, whereas influenza vaccination prior to ICU admission and adequate antibiotic administration on ICU admission were associated with a lower risk. Conclusions Admission to the ICU for SARI is common and associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. We identified several risk factors for in-hospital death that may be useful for risk stratification in these patients. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00134-015-4206-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Traumatic nail bed injuries to the hand are a common problem for hand surgeons. Whereas the majority of those are treated with primary repair, the remainder present significant surgical challenges to address residual soft tissue defects. In this article, we present our approach to treating injuries to the fingertips utilizing single-layer bovine acellular dermal matrix grafts.

Mineralized tissues, such as bone and teeth, have extraordinary mechanical properties of both strength and toughness. This mechanical behavior originates from deformation and fracture resistance mechanisms in their multi-scale structure. The term quality describes the matrix composition, multi-scale structure, remodeling dynamics, water content, and micro-damage accumulation in the tissue. Aging and disease result in changes in the tissue quality that may reduce strength and toughness and lead to elevated fracture risk. Therefore, the capability to measure the quality of mineralized tissues provides critical information on disease progression and mechanical integrity. Here, we provide an overview of clinical and laboratory-based techniques to assess the quality of mineralized tissues in health and disease. Current techniques used in clinical settings include radiography-based (radiographs, dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, EOS) and x-ray tomography-based methods (high resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography, cone beam computed tomography). In the laboratory, tissue quality can be investigated in ex vivo samples with x-ray imaging (micro and nano-computed tomography, x-ray microscopy), electron microscopy (scanning/transmission electron imaging (SEM/STEM), backscattered scanning electron microscopy, Focused Ion Beam-SEM), light microscopy, spectroscopy (Raman spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) and assessment of mechanical behavior (mechanical testing, fracture mechanics and reference point indentation). It is important for clinicians and basic science researchers to be aware of the techniques available in different types of research. While x-ray imaging techniques translated to the clinic have provided exceptional advancements in patient care, the future challenge will be to incorporate high-resolution laboratory-based bone quality measurements into clinical settings to broaden the depth of information available to clinicians during diagnostics, treatment and management of mineralized tissue pathologies.

Looking after children means caring for very small infants up to adult-sized adolescents, with weights ranging from 500 g to more than 100 kg and heights ranging from 25 to more than 200 cm. The available echocardiographic reference data were drawn from a small sample, which did not include preterm infants. Most authors have used body weight or body surface area to predict left ventricular dimensions. The current authors had the impression that body length would be a better surrogate parameter than body weight or body surface area. They analyzed their echocardiographic database retrospectively. The analysis included all available echocardiographic data from 6 June 2001 to 15 December 2011 from their echocardiographic database. The authors included 12,086 of 26,325 subjects documented as patients with normal hearts in their analysis by the examining the pediatric cardiologist. For their analysis, they selected body weight, length, age, and aortic and pulmonary valve diameter in two-dimensional echocardiography and left ventricular dimension in M-mode. They found good correlation between echocardiographic dimensions and body surface area, body weight, and body length. The analysis showed a complex relationship between echocardiographic measurements and body weight and body surface area, whereas body length showed a linear relationship. This makes prediction of echo parameters more reliable. According to this retrospective analysis, body length is a better parameter for evaluating echocardiographic measurements than body weight or body surface area and should therefore be used in daily practice.

Recently, increased rates of suicide in US counties at higher altitudes have been noted. Because of the documented association between cocaine use and suicide, we hypothesized that there would be a correlation between incidence of cocaine use and altitude of residence.Cocaine use data were obtained from the Substate Substance Abuse Estimates from the 1999-2001 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health. Data related to the percentages of people 12 years or older who used cocaine in the past year. Average elevation for US counties was calculated using the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission elevation data set, and subject region elevation was calculated by averaging the weighted elevations of each region's relevant counties. The correlation between elevation of a substate region and incidence of cocaine use in that region was calculated using Pearson correlation coefficients.A significant correlation exists between mean altitude of a substate region and incidence of cocaine use in that region (r = 0.34; P0.0001). Regression analysis controlling for age, sex, race, education level, income, unemployment, and population density was performed. Altitude remained a significant factor (P = 0.007), whereas male sex (P = 0.008) and possessing less than a college education (P0.0001) were also significant predictors of self-reported cocaine use in the past year. It is important to note that cocaine use was assessed in isolation of other drugs of abuse, an additional confounding variable.This study demonstrates a significant correlation between altitude of substate region of residence and incidence of cocaine use. It is possible that stress response due to hypoxia is responsible; however, this requires further investigation. However, because other substance use was not assessed, specificity of this association is unknown. In addition, this correlation may help explain the increased rate of suicide in areas of higher elevation.

Beneficial arthropods, including native bees, predators, and parasitoids, provide valuable ecosystem services worth $8 billion to US agriculture each year. These arthropod-mediated ecosystem services (AMES) include crop pollination and pest control, which help to maintain agricultural productivity and reduce the need for pesticide inputs. Maximizing survival and reproduction of beneficial arthropods requires provision of pollen and nectar resources that are often scarce in modern agricultural landscapes. Increasingly, native plants are being evaluated for this purpose. Native plants can outperform recommended non-natives and also provide local adaptation, habitat permanency, and support of native biodiversity. We predict that the success of insect conservation programs using flowering plants to increase AMES on farmland will depend on landscape context, with the greatest success in landscapes of moderate complexity. Reintegration of native plants into agricultural landscapes has the potential to support m...

The intentional provision of flowering plants and plant communities in managed landscapes to enhance natural enemies is termed habitat management and is a relatively new but growing aspect of conservation biological control. The focus of most habitat management research has been on understanding the role of these plant-provided resources on natural enemy biology, ecology, and their ability to enhance suppression of pest populations. Far less attention has been paid to additional ecosystem services that habitat management practices could provide in managed landscapes. We first evaluate whether habitat management is well positioned to advance in these areas. Our analysis of past habitat management studies indicates that four plant species have been tested in the majority of field evaluations, while plants native to the test area and perennial plants are particularly underrepresented. We suggest that synergies among biodiversity conservation, ecological restoration, human cultural values, tourism, biological control and other ecosystem services have largely been overlooked in past habitat management research and we illustrate how these potential ecosystem services could be evaluated and enhanced. We then review two case studies in which broader ecosystem services were explicitly addressed in plant selection criteria. One case study demonstrates that native plants useful in restoration of rare ecosystems can increase natural enemy abundance as much as widely recommended non-natives. The second addresses additional ecosystem services provided by habitat management in New Zealand vineyards. We conclude that addressing ‘stacked’ ecosystem services with multiple ecosystem service goals can decrease agriculture’s dependence on ‘substitution’ methods such as the current reliance on oil-based agro-chemical inputs.

Wind has become one of the fastest growing sources of renewable energy worldwide, but widespread and often extensive fatalities of bats have increased concern regarding the impacts of wind energy development on bats and other wildlife. We synthesized available information on patterns of bat fatalities from a review of 21 postconstruction fatality studies conducted at 19 facilities in 5 United States regions and one Canadian province. Dominance of migratory, foliage- and tree-roosting lasiurine species (e.g., hoary bat [Lasiurus cinereus]) killed by turbines was consistent among studies. Bat fatalities, although highly variable and periodic, consistently peaked in late summer and fall, coinciding with migration of lasiurines and other species. A notable exception was documented fatalities of pregnant female Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) in May and June at a facility in Oklahoma, USA, and female silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans) during spring in Tennessee, USA, and...

A small silicon-detector array has been designed and constructed to investigate the prospects for large-angle tracking and detection of recoiling target fragments for the HERMES experiment at DESY in Hamburg, Germany. The array consists of a two-layered double-sided Silicon Test Counter (STC), which is used to study the feasibility of this technique. The STC has been installed below the center of the HERMES internal storage cell target inside the vacuum chamber, and is thus located in the vicinity of the high-intensity lepton beam of HERA. For the readout, a local front-end with 64-channel Analog Pipeline Chips (APC) has been employed. The large dynamic range of the APC allows for the identification and tracking of protons with momenta ranging from 100 to 600 MeV /c . The feasibility of the detector concept is shown, thus demonstrating that a multilayer silicon system can be used for the observation of recoiling protons produced in Deep Inelastic Scattering (DIS).

Background.A relevant number of patients receive triple therapy with clopidogrel, aspirin, and oral anticoagulation. Clopidogrel’s efficacy on ADP induced platelet function may be influenced by concomitant antithrombotic therapies. Data regarding the effect of dabigatran on platelet function is limited toin vitrostudies and healthy individuals.Methods.The “Dabi-ADP-1” and “Dabi-ADP-2” trials randomized patients with atrial fibrillation to either dabigatran or phenprocoumon for a 2-week period. In Dabi-ADP-1 (n=70) patients with clopidogrel therapy were excluded and in Dabi-ADP-2 (n=46) patients had to be treated concomitantly with clopidogrel. The primary endpoint was ADP-induced platelet aggregation between dabigatran and phenprocoumon at 14 days. Secondary endpoints were ADPtest HS-, TRAP-, and COL-induced platelet aggregation.Results.There was no significant difference regarding the primary endpoint between both groups in either trial (Dabi-ADP-1: Dabigatran: 846 [650–983] AU × min versus phenprocoumon: 839 [666–1039] AU × min,P=0.90and Dabi-ADP-2: 326 [268–462] versus 350 [214–535],P=0.70) or regarding the secondary endpoints, ADPtest HS-, TRAP-, and COL-induced platelet aggregation.Conclusion.Dabigatran as compared to phenprocoumon has no impact on ADP-induced platelet aggregation in atrial fibrillation patients neither with nor without concomitant clopidogrel therapy.

An optical density measuring system based on Rayleigh scattering was installed at an atmospheric wind tunnel. The system monitors the scattered light induced by a laser sheet irradiating the flowfleld behind a plane VKI-1 turbine cascade. Because of the scattering of air molecules, tracer particles are not required. The measuring procedure is based on a relative measurement and needs no calibration except consideration of the incident laser light energy. The system allows quantitative recording of the two-dimensional density field in a very short time. The density distributions behind the VKI-1 cascade are presented as experimental results for subsonic and transonic flow. The experimental data are compared with the results of a two-dimensional Navier-Stokes calculation. The results indicate that the measurement of the whole three-dimensional flowfleld in and behind cascades is possible if the experimental arrangement is adjusted.

BACKGROUND: Mitochondria-related mechanisms have been suggested to mediate methamphetamine (METH) toxicity. However, changes in brain energetics associated with high-energy phosphate metabolism have not been investigated in METH users. Phosphorus-31 ((31)P) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was used to evaluate changes in mitochondrial high energy phosphates, including phosphocreatine (PCr) and β-nucleoside triphosphate (β-NTP, primarily ATP in brain) levels. We hypothesized that METH users would have decreased high-energy PCr levels in the frontal gray matter. METHODS: Study participants consisted of 51 METH (age=32.8±6.7) and 23 healthy comparison (age=31.1±7.5) subjects. High-energy phosphate metabolite levels were compared between the groups and potential gender differences were explored. RESULTS: METH users had lower ratios of PCr to total pool of exchangeable phosphate (PCr/TPP) in the frontal lobe as compared to the healthy subjects (p=.001). The lower PCr levels in METH subjects were significantly associated with lifetime amount of METH use (p=.003). A sub-analysis for gender differences revealed that female METH users, who had lower daily amounts (1.1±1.0g) of METH use than males (1.4±1.7g), had significantly lower PCr/TPP ratios than male METH users, controlling for the amount of METH use (p=.02). CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggest that METH compromises frontal lobe high-energy phosphate metabolism in a dose-responsive manner. Our findings also suggest that the abnormality in frontal lobe high-energy phosphate metabolism might be more prominent in female than in male METH users. This is significant as decreased PCr levels have been associated with depressive symptoms, and poor responses to antidepressant treatment have been reported in those with decreased PCr levels. Language: en

We present a new technique for the efficient and simple production of amplitude-squeezed light with high coherent excitation, using a frequency doubler, in which only the fundamental wave is resonantly enhanced. Our theory predicts up to nearly 90% squeezing in the second-harmonic wave under ideal conditions. In our first experiment we measured up to 30% squeezing [having taken into account the limited quantum efficiency (63%) of our detection system] in a stable 50 mW beam. Compared to doubly resonant frequency doubling our new approach has considerable technical advantages.

We report on a beam of squeezed light with considerable power (3.2 mW). 52% noise reduction in the fundamental mode is observed by second-harmonic generation in a monolithic resonator with active frequency stabilization.

Describes an expert system which goes some way towards providing detailed advice for implementing Just‐in‐Time (JIT) concepts in a manufacturing environment. Advises managers as to which techniques should be realized in order to begin implementation of JIT, or to achieve further improvement if a commitment has already been made to JIT implementation. Specifically, focuses on small‐to‐medium manufacturing companies producing high volume discrete components. The advice is based on an expanded two‐stage process for JIT implementation.

We have measured the intensity fluctuations of the second-harmonic mode generated in a MgO:LiNbO3 external monolithic cavity pumped by a Nd:YAG laser. The cavity has mirror coatings for both the fundamental and the second-harmonic mode. We scan the cavity using the electro-optic effect of the crystal and observe that the second-harmonic beam of 2 mW exhibits a quantum noise reduction of 40(±5)%. In addition, we report on the active frequency stabilization of the monolithic device used in our squeezing experiments. Several fast tuning parameters such as the electro-optic effect, the photo-elastic effect, and the laser frequency have been investigated. With these tuning parameters the monolithic resonator can be locked on double-resonance at the phase-matching temperature, which is a prerequisit for observing squeezing in a cw-regime.

Most agricultural production systems harbor many species of herbivorous arthropods capable of damaging crops. However, the vast majority of these species do not reach damaging levels. In this chapter we explore the role of predators and parasitoids in suppressing pest abundance and damage. In particular, we focus on factors that influence the abundance of beneficial arthropods in agricultural landscapes. Finally, we address ways to manage these systems to increase the effectiveness of beneficial arthropods. There are three primary means by which managers influence biological control of insects. Importation of natural enemies against pests of exotic origin is sometimes referred to as classical biological control, while augmentation is the rearing and release of natural enemies already present to increase their effectiveness. Conservation of natural enemies involves improving conditions for existing natural enemies by reducing factors which interfere with natural enemies or increasing access to resources that they require to be successful (Ehler, 1998). Habitatmanagement is considered a subset of conservation practices that focus on manipulating habitats within agricultural landscapes to provide resources to enhance natural enemies (Landis et al., 2000). Managing agricultural landscapes to improve biological control relies on a detailed understanding of factors that influence both pest and natural enemy abundance (Fig. 12.1). We begin by examining landscape processes that influence pests and beneficial insects at larger spatial scales. Next we focus on processes that influence these organisms and their interactions at local scales. Finally, we detail steps that pest managers may take to alter agricultural habitats and landscapes to favor natural enemies in IPM systems. Throughout, we attempt to show how both temporal and spatial factors influence the outcome of pest–enemy interactions.

The construction of a silicon telescope as a possible extension of the HERMES experiment at DESY is under study. The challenge is to build a detector that is able to detect both slow recoiling hadrons, and fast (nearly minimum ionising) particles produced in deep-inelastic lepton scattering. The detector should cover a large area for a large geometric acceptance, and it should be mounted inside the scattering chamber thus lowering the threshold for the detection of low-energy recoil products. The impact of the large dynamic range of the signals on the design of the read-out electronics is also addressed. © 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Liver damage in humans is induced by various insults including alcohol abuse, hepatitis B/C virus infection, autoimmune or metabolic disorders and, when persistent, leads to development of liver fibrosis. Because the nuclear factor-jB (NF-jB) system is activated in response to several of these stresses, we hypothesized that NF-jB activation in hepatocytes may contribute to fibrosis development. To activate the NF-jB signaling pathway in a timeand celltype-specific manner in the liver, we crossed transgenic mice carrying the tetracycline-responsive transactivator under the control of the liver activator protein promotor with transgenic mice carrying a constitutively active form of the Ikbkb gene (IKK2 protein [CAIKK2]). Double-transgenic mice displayed doxycycline-regulated CAIKK2 expression in hepatocytes. Removal of doxycycline at birth led to activation of NF-jB signaling, moderate liver damage, recruitment of inflammatory cells, hepatocyte proliferation, and ultimately to spontaneous liver fibrosis development. Microarray analysis revealed prominent up-regulation of chemokines and chemokine receptors and this induction was rapidly reversed after switching off the CAIKK2 expression. Turning off the transgene expression for 3 weeks reversed stellate cell activation but did not diminish liver fibrosis. The elimination of macrophages by clodronate-liposomes attenuated NF-jB-induced liver fibrosis in a liver-injury-independent manner. Conclusion: Our results revealed that hepatic activation of IKK/NF-jB is sufficient to induce liver fibrosis by way of macrophage-mediated chronic inflammation. Therefore, agents controlling the hepatic NF-jB system represent attractive therapeutic tools to prevent fibrosis development in multiple chronic liver diseases. (HEPATOLOGY 2012;56:1117-1128)

A holographic measurement system was combined with digital image processing for the investigation of droplet velocity and number density in the injection spray of a model diesel engine. The model engine consisted of a conventional injection pump and a test chamber that could be operated at high pressure and temperature to simulate the conditions in an operating diesel engine. The holographic images were reconstructed and fed into a PC by means of a CCD camera. Up to 30 image sections are necessary to store the information of a whole hologram. The software developed for the segmentation of the droplets and the determination of the droplet velocity is presented.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Recently a new method for temperature measurement of droplets was presented. This method determines the index of refraction of a spherical scatterer with high accuracy and utilizes the dependence of the index of refraction on the temperature to finally determine the temperature. In this paper we show that the method is likewise applicable to cylindrical scatterers with a homogeneous refractive index distribution, like liquid jets. The method can be used to optically determine the temperature of a liquid jet, or to measure other properties of the liquid that influence the index of refraction of that liquid. One such property is the concentration of one liquid in another, like that of glycerol in an aqueous solution, which was studied experimentally for assessing some properties of the proposed method. An estimation of the sensitivity of the method was gained by detecting temperature changes of a cylindrical water jet.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Doubly resonant second-harmonic generation is demonstrated in a monolithic total-internal-reflection MgO:LiNbO(3) ring resonator. The coating-free cavity is kept resonant for both the 1.06-microm fundamental wave and the harmonic by control of the resonator temperature and the laser frequency. Independent input coupling of the fundamental and output coupling of the harmonic wave are realized by the use of two calcite coupling prisms that frustrate total internal reflection. Using mechanically optimized coupling, we achieve external conversion efficiencies of more than 50% at input powers exceeding 5 mW.

The unsteady flow problem in the axial compressor has been simulated in wind-tunnels by means of high-speed rotating cylinders upstream of the blade row. To obtain the dynamic changes in the flow properties 20 high-response pressure transducers and 20 high-response hot-film, which are embedded at the surface of the selected blade, have been used in connection with a periodic sampling and averaging technique in digital data acquisition and reduction. The fluctuating forces and the fluctuating drags acting on the blade due to passing wakes shedding through the blade row are carried out.

The authors' own experiences concerning the prenatal diagnosis and postnatal course in 26 foetuses with anomalies of the urinary tract are reported. The malformations observed can be separated into five groups which can also be distinguished sonographically: Urinary tract malformations of poor prognosis, Unilateral cystic kidneys. Hydronephroses, Urinary tract malformations with ascites, Urinary tract malformations in combination with other anomalies of poor prognosis. Sonographic differentiation of the multicystic kidney (Potter type IIA) from the hydronephrosis is usually possible. The recognition of cystic renal dysplasia in urinary tract obstructions (Potter type IV) and the differentiation of renal hypoplasia from renal agenesis is difficult. The dilatation of the urinary system has to be generally regarded as an unspecific symptom, the cause of which can be finally clarified only in the postnatal period. Prenatal invasive diagnostic procedures were carried out only in two foetuses. A concomitant anhydramnios was always associated with a poor prognosis. In the case of unilateral of bilateral dilatation of the urinary tract with normal or slightly diminished amniotic fluid volume, induction of labour or prenatal intervention for drainage in utero was not indicated. The prognosis was infaust in 15 foetuses. One infant died of an unknown cause. Out of 10 surviving infants, six were successfully operated on, in three the dilatation of the urinary tract resolved spontaneously, and one child with prune belly-syndrome has to be catheterised daily.

The term “suggestive communication” refers to those pragmatic aspects of communication which are not stated explicitly by the sender but have to be “read between the lines” or inferred from contextual cues by the receiver. Suggestive processes come into play to the extent that communication goes beyond the mere coding and decoding of language signs or body signs (Austin, 1962; Higgins, 1981; Rommetveit, 1974). In fact, the directly stated contents of verbal messages often serve to distract the receiver from noticing subtle influences that reach the receiver via indirect paths (Loftus, 1975). One prominent variant of these phenomena, which the present chapter addresses, is the communication of credibility or, stated differently, the impression conveyed by the sender that he/she is telling the truth rather than lying. Accordingly, the problem of lie detection (DePaulo & Rosenthal, 1979; Ekman & Friesen, 1974) is conceived here as a paradigm for studying suggestive communication.

Fifty infertile women with oligomenorrhea, anovulation, or luteal phase defects were selected for a combined therapy consisting of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (Buserelin Hoechst AG, Frankfurt/Main, FRG) and human menopausal gonadotropin/human chorionic gonadotropin (hMG/hCG). Serving as their own controls, these women had been subjected to a total of 238 hMG/hCG treatment cycles with no pregnancy observed (average, 4.7 cycles; range 2 to 14). Of these 238 hMG/hCG cycles, only 98 (41.1%) appeared normal, while the others showed symptoms consistent with inadequate follicle maturation, luteal phase defects, and premature luteinization. In contrast, 89 cycles from 133 combined buserelin/hMG/hCG treatment cycles (66.9%) appeared to be normal, with no evidence of premature luteinization, and 21 patients became pregnant. These data indicate that the likelihood of group II World Health Organization (WHO) patients becoming pregnant with hMG/hCG therapy may be enhanced when endogenous gonadotropin secretion is suppressed at the same time.

In the paper to be presented diagnostic procedures on the basis of a gas path analysis are applied on a two-shaft jet engine. Starting from the mathematical model of the engine a filter-algorithm is used which delivers from actual measurement data the state of the engine for different working conditions. The procedure is proven for some examples and discussed in regard of its practical significance.Copyright © 1985 by ASME

A survey is given of the experience obtained over 25 years of modeling of the technical extraction of normal paraffins by means of zeolite 5A (the socalled “Parex”-process of DDR). It is shown that the technical tasks were a constant challenge for the fundamental research, while, on the other hand, any progress in the research work influenced the technical procedure.

Titers of hemagglutination-inhibiting (HAI) antibody were determined for all sera obtained from participants in the 1976 Influenza Vaccine Test Program. At least eight control sera were included in each test during the vaccine trial period for the purpose of monitoring HAI test reproducibility. Estimates of day-to-day reproducibility were defined as the percentages of duplicate aliquots of the same sera, tested on two separate days, having HAI antibody titers that did not differ by more than one twofold dilution. These reproducibility estimates ranged from 89% to 94% with influenza A/New Jersey/76 and A/Mayo Clinic/74 antigens. In contrast, within-day reproducibility estimates obtained from all sets of control sera ranged from 96% to 98%. Estimates of day-to-day test reproducibility obtained with selected sera taken after vaccination that were titrated on two different days ranged from 90% to 98%. Geometric mean titers of these sera tested weeks or months apart differed on some occasions during the test period.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has a multifactorial aetiology, with complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Recent studies suggest an increasing spectrum of monogenic disease in the very young. The prevalence of these mutations in older children is unknown. AIMS: To determine the incidence of monogenic forms of IBD in a typical cohort of pediatric IBD patients and identify any phenotypic characteristics suggestive of a monogenic cause. METHODS: 2,431 unique participants underwent whole exome sequencing (WES), including 1,098 IBD probands. This data was interrogated for a panel of 51 genes known to be associated with monogenic IBD. The Genome Analysis Toolkit (GATK) was used to identify highly penetrant rare variants of interest. Sanger sequencing verified variant genotypes. A clinical database was reviewed to ascertain phenotypic characteristics. RESULTS: A single centre retrospective study identified 1,098 index cases, diagnosed over a 12 year period (2003–2015) who underwent WES. 2431 unique participants (302 trios, 31 quads, 29 affected siblings). Of sequenced affected cases, 60% CD, 40% UC/IBD-U. 16% < 6.9 years, 22% 7–10.9 years, 62% > 11 years. Across the 51 genes, 19 protein coding variants predicted to be deleterious were identified in 54 patients, which were high quality and rare (maf