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Several methods have been proposed for postoperative pain management, including administration of opioid analgesics, epidural analgesia, and perineural and infiltrative techniques; however, data are lacking on the relationship between pain intensity, patients' age and gender, and surgery duration.Prospective, observational, single-center study.The study included patients greater than or equal to 18 years old who underwent surgery with different anesthesia types, grouped according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists' physical status classification score. The McGill Pain Questionnaire was used to assess postoperative pain intensity. The postoperative pain evaluation was performed in the first 5 minutes on entering the postanesthesia care unit (PACU), and at 30 minutes and 24 hours after the operation.Our results showed a significant negative relationship between pain intensity as assessed at 5 and 30 minutes postoperatively and age. Postoperative pain intensity at 24 hours was significantly lower after low-risk surgeries lasting up to 1 hour; pain intensity was also significantly lower at 30 minutes following epidural anesthesia. When nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were not administered in the PACU, pain intensity was significantly lower at 5 minutes, 30 minutes, and 3 hours.Postoperative analgesic administration should be conducted in accordance with age and surgery type. Additionally, epidural anesthesia can reduce the immediate postoperative pain intensity.

Floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) use plants' roots for water quality improvement. The plants are supported by a buoyant structure deployed at the water surface. The roots form a porous zone beneath the structure and remove pollutants carried in suspension through filtering, absorption and uptake. This paper used CFD simulation to model FTWs arranged in series and spanning the channel width and to study the effects of root length and spacing between FTWs on flow distribution and mass removal. The root zone was modelled as a porous media, and removal was computed using first-order decay, for which a range of removal constants was tested. Longer roots increased the reactive volume of the root zone, which increased the fraction of pollutant inflow entering the FTWs. Increasing the distance between FTWs allowed greater mixing between water that went through and beneath the upstream FTW. This increased the concentration entering each FTW, which enhanced mass removal per FTW. However, a larger distance between FTWs reduced the number of FTWs in the channel, reducing the reactive volume. In the tradeoff between mixing and reactive volume, the reactive volume was more important, such that total removal in the channel increased with longer roots and more units of FTW (shorter gap distance). However, removing the gap entirely was detrimental, as FTWs in series removed more mass than a continuous FTW of same volume. This study points to two design recommendations for FTWs in series. First, if resources for building FTWs are not limiting, but the channel length is, it is preferable to prioritize higher reactive volume (shorter gap distance) to achieve maximum removal per channel length. Second, if resources for FTWs are limiting, but channel length is not, it is better to place the FTWs with a longer gap distance, preferably along enough to allow mixing over the full depth between FTWs, as this will achieve maximum removal per FTW. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Background: Dental professionals have so many opportunities to use injection needles and sharp instruments during dental treatment that they face an increased risk of needlestick injuries. This retrospective study reports the utilization and clinical outcomes of occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) with anti-retroviral agents after being potentially exposed to HIV at dental departments of Hiroshima University Hospital. Objective: This study reports the utilization and clinical outcomes of occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) with anti-retroviral agents after being potentially exposed to HIV at dental departments of Hiroshima University Hospital. Methods: Data on the clinical status of HIV-infected source patients and information on HIV-exposed dental professionals from 2007 to 2018 were collected. Results: Five dentists with an average experience of 5.6 years (1-15 years) were exposed. The averaged CD4-positive cell number and HIV-RNA load were 1176 (768-1898) / l and less than 20 copies/ml, respectively, in all the patients. Two of the five HIV exposed dentists received PEP. Three months after the exposures, all of their results were negative in HIV antibody/antigen tests. Conclusion: These data might support the concept of “undetectable equals untransmittable”, although HIV exposure in this study was not through sexual transmission.

IntroductionDeformational plagiocephaly (DP) is one of the most common cranial shape disorders in infancy. It is characterised by unilateral flattening of the skull due to head preference to one side. The literature suggests that DP is associated with comorbidities such as developmental delay, but the nature and prevalence of the comorbid impairments are still unclear and controversial. Therefore, our scoping review (ScR) aims to explore systematically the extent and nature of literature by identifying, mapping and categorising the most relevant comorbidities of DP in children up to the age of 2 years.Methods and analysisThis protocol is based on the framework outlined by Arksey and O’Malley. A systematic search will be conducted to identify relevant full text studies from 1992 to 2021 using the databases of Cochrane, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, EMBASE, PubMed and University of Nicosia EBSCO. Two independent reviewers will screen abstracts and full articles in parallel, using specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Specifically, this review will consider studies investigating DP and relevant comorbidities in children up to the age of 2 years of life without craniosynostosis, torticollis and any other diagnosed neurodevelopmental deficiency.The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for ScR Checklist will be considered for results’ analysis and reporting. The results will be described in a narrative form in relation to the research question and in the context of the overall study purpose.Ethics and disseminationResearch ethics approval is not required for this ScR since data will be retrieved from publicly available studies. Dissemination activities will include research findings’ submission for publication in a relevant peer-reviewed journal and presentation of the results at relevant conferences.RegistrationOur protocol was registered prospectively with the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/48am3/).

The Eastern Mediterranean Sea is a complex location for oil spill trajectory prediction, and accurate results are necessary for emergency response plans. Furthermore, the heavy traffic of the oil shipping industry is associated with an elevated risk of an oil spill. In this work, we have set up a model in MOHID using the Eastern Mediterranean Sea as a reference, setting a simulated oil spill accident at a random location, that is, however, related to ordinary ship trajectories. We have developed a control simulation, varying parameters (wind, API, oil, and water temperature and salinity) to observe how these parameters influence the output and assess the sensitivity of the model. We have found a strong correlation between the wind and the covered area, temperature, and salinity. We have concluded that the wind, API, and water properties were determining factors in these models, with the wind being the strongest influence on the oil drifting effect.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the oral environment and the taste function of Japanese HIV-infected patients treated with antiretroviral therapy. Their median age of 73 patients taking anti-HIV drugs was 46 years. The median period of taking anti-HIV drugs was 30 months. The oral condition was evaluated by measurement of oral moisture, amount of saliva secretion, the number of oral bacteria, presence of oral candida, a taste test, and the number of missing teeth. The levels of oral moisture and secreted saliva were significantly lower in the HIV-infected group than in the healthy volunteer (control) group. The HIV-infected group showed a more robust decrease in taste sensation than the control group. The number of missing teeth was significantly higher in the HIV-infected group than in the control group. Furthermore, all of the evaluated oral conditions were worse in the HIV-infected patients whose CD4+ T lymphocyte counts were less than 500/mm

Hydrothermal systems (viz. aqueous solution systems with high temperature (100–374°C) and pressure (0·1–22 MPa) are frequently acknowledged as multi-functional reaction media for various organic and inorganic reactions. This paper presents two typical uses of exhaust superheated steam for hydrothermal dehydration of bamboo and cedar leaves at moderate conditions (

Climatic change results in increased occurrence of heat waves, and the thermal stress caused by such phenomena is leading to higher levels of heat-related mortality worldwide. This study is the first to examine the effect of extreme weather on mortality in Cyprus. It investigates the individual effect of meteorological indicators on mortality, as well as the role of particulate air pollution (PM10). A generalized linear model (GLM) with quasi-Poisson regression was implemented. GLM included a temperature function and was adjusted for relative humidity and seasonality. The temperature function was developed under a newly developed framework of distributed lag nonlinear models, which capture nonlinearities and delayed effects of heat simultaneously. GLM was extended to examine the confounding effect of air pollution. All the results on heat effects are presented. High temperatures had a significant effect on mortality with increased mortality rates, independent of humidity and seasonality. Mortality risk increased steeply above a temperature threshold. A direct heat effect was shown, with higher risk on the current and next day of a severe heat event. PM10 was not found to have a confounding effect on the temperature–mortality relationship, since the strength of this relationship remained after the inclusion of PM10 in the model. Differences existed between urban and coastal areas.

著者人数: 153名（所属. 宇宙航空研究開発機構宇宙科学研究所(JAXA)(ISAS): 堂谷, 忠靖; 羽澄, 昌史; 今田, 大皓; 満田, 和久; 坂井, 真一郎; Tomida, T.; 辻本, 匡弘; Yamamoto, R.; 山崎, 典子）, Accepted: 2018-04-30, 資料番号: SA1180210000

Health information systems can improve the quality of services in healthcare. Evaluation of health information systems in hospitals is a very complex process, and it is more effective when different aspects are considered. The present work aims to develop an evaluation framework of an integrated HIS in order to improve the quality of healthcare services provided in Cyprus. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used, that measured three aspects of the system: technology, human factor and organization. Preliminary results showed that while participants seem to agree with the potential benefits of the integrated HIS, safety of data within the HIS is seen as a problem. Qualitatively, the study pointed to 3 factors that might improve the current integrated HIS: increasing interdisciplinary cooperation, training of staff, and upgrading the infrastructure. Further studies will provide a comprehensive picture for Cyprus, so that appropriate measures can be proposed and put in action.

Many experiments for visualizing quantized vortices and normal fluid flow have been performed in superfluid 4He. Recently, metastable He2 excimer molecules have been used as tracer particles. Since their radius is only about 10−10 m, they hardly perturb the system, thus being a good candidate of tracer particles. In order to understand the interactive motion of He2 molecules and vortices at zero temperature, we numerically study the trapping diameter by using the self-consistent equations of motions. We calculated the trapping diameter as a function of the initial velocity of the particle. The trapping diameter is almost inversely proportional to the initial velocity of the particle and compared with the observation.

Extreme temperatures have long been associated with adverse health impacts, ranging from minor illness, to increased hospitalizations and mortality. Heat-related mortality during summer months is likely to become an increasing public health problem in future due to the effects of climate change. We performed a health impact assessment for heat-related mortality for the warm months of April-September for the years 2004 to 2009 inclusive, for the city of Nicosia and for Cyprus as a whole, based on separately derived exposure-response functions. We further estimated the potential future heat-related mortality by including climate projections for southern Europe, which suggest changes in temperature of between 1°C and 5°C over the next century. There were 32 heat-related deaths per year in Cyprus over the study period. When adding the projected increase in temperature due to climate change, there was a substantial increase in mortality: for a 1°C increase in temperature, heat related mortality in Cyprus was estimated to double to 64 per year, and for a 5°C increase, heat-related mortality was expected to be 8 times the baseline rate for the warm season (281 compared with 32). This analysis highlights the importance of preparing for potential health impacts due to heat in Cyprus, particularly under a changing climate.

Climate change is associated with extreme temperatures that can have severe effects on public health, in the form of heat-related mortality. In the present paper we perform a health impact assessment for mortality associated with extreme weather in Cyprus, during the months of April-September for the 6-year period between 2004–2009. Additionally, we estimate the potential health effects of higher summer temperatures, in line with climate change projections. The health impact assessment indicates a significant number of heat-related deaths, as well as a rapid increase in mortality for given temperature rise. Specifically, for an increase of 1°C over the baseline temperatures, heat-related mortality doubles, while for a 5 °C increase, mortality is almost 800% the baseline. It is estimated that these results can provide the necessary basis for linking accurate forecasts of extreme events with effective public health measures and interventions.

Retrospective study at a rehabilitation center. Patients with spinal cord injury, even if they are wheelchair users, sometimes suffer from fractures of the lower limb bones. As their bones are too weak to have surgery, and because a precise reduction is not required for restoration, such patients are often indicated for conservative treatment. This case series study investigated the use of a hinged, soft-plastic brace as a conservative approach to treating fractures of the lower extremities of patients with spinal cord injury. National Rehabilitation Center, Japan. Fifteen patients (male, n=10; female, n=5; average age, 52.7 years) with 19 fractures of the femur or the tibia who were treated with a newly-developed hinged, soft-plastic brace were studied. All of them used wheelchairs. We analyzed the time taken for fracture union and for wearing orthotics, degree of malalignment, femorotibial angle and side effects. The fractures in this series were caused by relatively low-energy impact. The average time taken for fracture union was 80.1 (37–189) days, and the average amount of time spent wearing orthotics was 77.9 (42–197) days. On final X-ray imaging, the average femorotibial angle was 176.9° (s.d. ±8.90), and 15° of misalignment in the sagittal plane occurred in one patient. A hinged, soft-plastic brace is a useful option as a conservative approach for treating fractures of the lower extremities in patients with spinal cord injury.

On March 11, 2011, a massive earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 struck Sanriku Coast, Japan. The ensuing tsunami swept across many cities and villages along the Pacific coast of the Tohoku district, causing tremendous human and structural damage. These disasters gave a good chance to review the relationship between infrastructures and sustainability in Japan from the viewpoints of concrete structures and concrete-polymer composites. The article introduces essential defects of cement concrete structures and discusses different state-of-the-art concrete-polymer composites and the properties of ultra high strength fiber reinforced concrete.

d -aspartate is present in significant concentrations throughout the nervous tissue but its physiological role is still under discussion. Here, we report the process of d -aspartate release in retinal cells. [ 3 H]- d -aspartate release occurs through a glutamate/aspartate exchange mechanism using excitatory amino acid transporters. This process is sodium-dependent and it is not prevented by glutamate receptor antagonists such as MK-801, DNQX or AIDA nor mimicked by glutamatergic agonists like kainate, NMDA or trans -ACPD. In vitro experiments indicate that the great majority of d -aspartate release is performed by neuronal cells and to a much lower extent by glial cells. This glutamate-mediated release process is mimicked by the competitive glutamate transporter antagonist l - trans -PDC and inhibited by the non-competitive transporter antagonist TBOA. Instead of the classical calcium-dependent exocytosis or transporter-reversal mediated neuronal release, d -aspartate efflux in the retina occurs mostly, if not exclusively, via an exchange of external l -glutamate by d -aspartate predominantly present in the cytoplasmatic compartment of neurons. These data also suggest that this process narrows down the specificity of excitatory signaling in the microenvironment of the synapses, reinforcing NMDA receptor activation by d -aspartate at the cost of reduction in the overall activation of excitatory amino acid receptors promoted by l -glutamate.

Introduction: The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Cyprus has implemented an Integrated Health Information System (IHIS) in two hospitals. However, no evaluation of IHIS has been conducted to assess its safety, efficiency and effectiveness. The proper utilization of IHIS is essential for the provision of quality healthcare services. Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current IHIS in public hospitals in Cyprus utilizing the DIPSA evaluation framework. Methods: A total of 309 subjects, including doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, participated in the study. The DIPSA evaluation framework assessed the users’ perception in five categories namely, satisfaction, collaboration, system quality, safety and procedures, using Likert scale and 3 open questions. Correlation between the categories was assessed using the Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between the demographic characteristics and categories. Data analysis was done using SPSS v24. Results: All five categories were rated moderately, between 2.5 and 3, by the participants. All categories were correlated (P < 0.01). Multiple regression analysis indicated the need for improvement between the professionals (mainly doctors and nurses) and the categories. The open questions pointed out the need for improvement in all 3 factors examined (Technology, Human Factor, Organization). Discussion: The moderately rated categories, in the Cyprus IHIS, suggest that there is a lot of room for improvement. Some interventions are suggested that could positively and simultaneously affect one or more categories.

Mdx mice develop an inflammatory myopathy characterized at different ages by myonecrosis with scattered inflammatory infiltrates followed by muscular regeneration and later persistent fibrosis. This work aimed to verify the putative anti-inflammatory role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) in the mdx muscular lesion. Mitigation of myonecrosis and decreased TNFα production were accompanied by increased numbers of F4/80 macrophages expressing nAChRα7. In vivo treatment with nicotine attenuated muscular inflammation characterized by reduced metalloprotease MMP-9 activity, TNFα and NFkB content and increased muscular regeneration. Our data indicate that nAChR activation influences local inflammatory responses in the muscular lesion of mdx mice.

Introduction/Background Falls are popular and major problem for stroke patient during their hospital stay. The aim of this study is to reveal the factors associated with the risk of fall in stroke inpatients. Material and method Retrospective study carried out with stroke hospitalized patients. Thirty-four stroke patients who fell and 34 stroke patients who did not fall during their hospital stay underwent structured medical examinations to identify factors associated with fall. The control subjects were matched for age, height, body weight, body mass index (BMI), and primary diagnosis. Potential variables related to fall risk factors were collected from medical records. A conditional logistic regression was performed to calculate odds ratios using SPSS. Clinical data were collected from January to December 2016. “An unexpected displacement of the body to a lower level than the initial position without loss of consciousness” was regarded as fall. Results Nutrition status, evaluated with modified CONUT score at admission, was significantly associated with fall risk (odds ratio = 3.11, 95% CI: 1.18–9.94). There were no statistically significant differences in the other candidate factors (e.g. sarcopenia, activities of daily living, and rehabilitation intervention) between the two groups. Conclusion Our findings demonstrated that nutrition status was associated with fall risk in stroke hospitalized patients. Further studies are needed to reveal that nutritional intervention can contribute to falls prevention in stroke patients.

Several mechanisms underlying ethanol action in GABAergic synapses have been proposed, one of these mechanisms is on GABA release. Here, we report that in ovo exposure to ethanol induces an increase on GABA release in the embryonic chick retina. Eleven-day-old chick embryos (E11) received an injection of either phosphate buffer saline (PBS) or ethanol (10%, v/v, diluted in PBS), and were allowed to develop until E16. A single glutamate stimulus (2 mM) showed approximately a 40% increase on GABA release in E16 retinas when compared to controls. The effect was dependent on NMDA receptors and GAD65 mRNA levels, which were increased following the ethanol treatment. However, the numbers of GABA-, GAD-, and NR1-immunoreactive cells, and the expression levels of these proteins, were not affected. We conclude that ethanol treatment at a time point when synapses are being formed during development selectively increases GABA release in the retina via a NMDA receptor-dependent process.

Cage bedding for laboratory rodents can influence animal wellbeing and thus the experimental data. In addition, a large amount of used bedding containing excrement is discharged as medical waste from life science institutes and breeding companies. We developed a ground-breaking system to improve fresh bedding and recycle used bedding by applying a soft hydrothermal process with high-temperature and high-pressure dry steam. The system removes both harmful organic components and aromatic hydrocarbons that can affect animals’ metabolism. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the chemical and physical properties of the improved fresh bedding and the recycled used bedding treated by the system. The results showed that 68-99% of the predominant aromatic hydrocarbons were removed from fresh bedding treated at 0.35 MPa and 140°C for 120 min (‘improved bedding’). In addition, 59.4-99.0% of predominant harmful organic compounds derived from excrement were removed from used bedding treated at 0.45 MPa and 150°C for 60 min (‘recycled bedding’). The soft hydrothermal treatment increased the number of acidic functional groups on the bedding surface and gave it the high adsorptive efficiency of ammonia gas. Harmful substances such as microorganisms, heavy metals and pesticides decreased below the detection limit. The results clearly showed that the improved and recycled bedding is safer for laboratory rodents and has the potential to ameliorate conditions in primary and secondary enclosures (e.g. cages and animal rooms) used for maintaining laboratory animals. This process may be one of the most advanced techniques in providing an alternative to softwood and other bedding, economizing through the recycling of used bedding and reducing bedding waste from animal facilities.

GABA is the main inhibitory aminoacid transmitter present in neurons and glial cells. Its uptake is carried out by specific high-affinity Na(+)/Cl (-) dependent transporters (GATs). It has been reported in the past that, in the avian retina, [(3)H]GABA appears to be exclusively accumulated by horizontal and amacrine cells in the inner nuclear layer, and also by ganglion cells. Purified chick Müller glia cultures were able to take up [(3)H]GABA in a Na(+) and Cl(+) dependent way. Increasing GABA concentration increases GABA uptake by these cells, reaching half-maximal transport efficiency (EC50) around 0.3 mM. [(3)H]GABA uptake by Müller glia neuronal-free cultures was not mediated by neuronal transporters since it was not blocked by NNC-711, but was inhibited by beta-alanine, a specific glial transporter inhibitor. Chick Müller glia in culture express both GAT-1 and GAT-3 GABA transporters. Although mixed neuron-glial dense cultures released GABA upon glutamate, high K[(+) or veratridine stimulation, Müller glial cells did not release [(3)H]GABA upon treatment with these agents, suggesting that different from neurons, transporter mediated GABA release is not a common mechanism operating in these cells. The data also suggest that Müller cells take up GABA unidirectionally, which may constitute an important mechanism of inactivating GABA activity mediated by neurons.

In many regions of the world, climatic change is associated with increased extreme temperatures, which can have severe effects on mortality and morbidity. In this study, we examine the effect of extreme weather on hospital admissions in Cyprus, for inland and coastal areas, through the use of synoptic weather classifications (air mass types). In addition, the effect of particulate air pollution (PM10) on morbidity is examined. Our results show that two air mass types, namely (a) warm, rainy days with increased levels of water vapour in the atmosphere and (b) cold, cloudy days with increased levels of precipitation, were associated with increased morbidity in the form of hospital admissions. This was true both for cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, for all age groups, but particularly for the elderly, aged over 65. Particulate air pollution was also associated with increased morbidity in Cyprus, where the effect was more pronounced for cardiovascular diseases.

Pt wires were fabricated by using electron-beam (EB) and Ga focused-ion-beam (FIB) irradiation while providing C5H5Pt(CH3)3 gas through a nozzle. Electron transport properties of the wires were investigated. The resistance of the EB-deposited wires was quite high as deposited but was reduced by 3-4 orders of magnitude after 400-500°C annealing. The electron transport of the as-deposited EB-deposited wire was dominated by the variable range hopping and the Coulomb blockade simultaneously, and showed the antilocalization effect after 400°C annealing. The electron phase-breaking length in the EB-deposited wire with 400°C annealing, which was derived from a theoretical fitting, is ≈10 nm at ≈4 K and increases with decreasing temperature. This means that 10-nm fabrication technology and improvement of coherence length are required for coherent vacuum nanoelectronics.

The conversion of soil nitrogen (N) from its organic into inorganic forms has been the subject of several investigations, but information on N mineralization in saline soil is scanty. The study was therefore carried out to observe trends in N mineralization in saline soils amended with manure and urea. The electrical conductivity (ECe) of saline soils was 0.2 (S0), 4.1 (S1), and 11.4 dSm−1 (S2). The N sources were applied at the rate of 300 kg N ha−1 and incubated for 8 weeks at 25°C. The pattern of N mineralization was a function of both soil salinity and N sources. The amount of NH4‐N released was significantly higher in S0 than S1 or S2, especially in urea treated soils. The NH4‐N release varied in the order of urea>manure>control with a peak period of release at the 4th week of incubation. Nitrification of NH4‐N to NO3‐N was reduced by salinity treatments. Patterns of NO3‐N release during incubation were opposite that of NH4‐N. Total mineralized N was highest in the urea treatment. Manure app...

Introduction: Use of Integrated Health Information Systems (IHIS) for the provision of healthcare services benefits both healthcare professionals and patients, while requiring continuous evaluation and upgrading to fully support its role. Aim: The main purpose of the study was to develop an evaluation framework for hospitals utilizing IHIS, within the three main areas identified as Human factor, Technology and Organization. Material and Methods: The questionnaire consisted of 43 questions, with 17 questions (related to categories procedures, system quality and satisfaction), 25 questions (related to categories, safety and collaboration) and 1 question related to accessibility to the system (within the category system quality). Three open questions were added to evaluate users’ perception on what was needed for the improvement of health services in their respective hospitals for all 3 variables being evaluated. The open questions were included to allow participants to express their opinion in a more detailed setting. A database was developed, and the data were processed and analyzed. Results: Factor analysis formed 5 categories for the evaluation framework. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was found in all categories to be above > 0.85. Conclusion: Evaluation frameworks can be designed, developed and implemented by using different methodologies. For an evaluation framework to be effective it should be designed and implemented based on the aims and purpose of the research and the specific needs of the particular healthcare setting or hospital. Considering the categories satisfaction, collaboration, safety, system quality, procedures, and by using Likert scale and open questions in the current study, DIPSA can provide a holistic image of IHIS by evaluating any hospital system.

The mechanism of control of GAD expression by GABA and excitatory amino acids (EAAs) was studied in chick and rat retina cultures using immunohistochemical and PAGE-immunoblot detection of the enzyme, as well as by measuring enzyme activity. Aggregate cultures were prepared with retina cells obtained from chick embryos at embryonic days 8-9 (E8-E9). Organotypical cultures were also prepared with retinas from E14 chick embryos, post-hatched chicken and P21 rats. GABA (1-20 mM) fully prevented GAD expression in aggregate and organotypical cultures from chick embryo retinas. A substantial, but not complete, reduction of GAD was also observed in organotypical cultures of post-hatched chicken and P21 rats, in which both forms of the enzyme (GAD65 and 67) were affected. The GABA effect was not mimicked by THIP (100 microM), baclofen (100 microM) or CACA (300 microM), agonists of GABAa, b and c receptors, respectively. NNC-711, a potent inhibitor of GABA transporters, reduced by 50% the inhibition of GAD activity promoted by GABA. Aggregates exposed to GABA and treated with glutamate (5 mM) or kainate (100 microM) displayed an intense GAD-like immunoreactivity in many cell bodies, but not in neurite regions. Immunoblot analysis revealed that the increase in GAD-like immunoreactivity by EAA corresponded to a 67-kDa protein. However, GAD activity was not detected. Treatment of aggregates or retina homogenates with SNAP, a NO producing agent (but not its oxidized form), reduced GAD activity by more than 60% indicating that the lack of enzyme activity in GAD-like immunoreactive cells, could be due to NO production by EAA stimulation.

The initial solidification in the continuous casting process can be controlled by imposing a pulsative AC electromagnetic field on the meniscus. The casting experiment of a steel billet has been conducted by using a commercial billet caster. The imposition of a pulsative AC electromagnetic field has greatly improved the surface qualities. This presentation provides the results of the electromagnetic casting project of JRCM which is supported financially by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Japan.

Randomly cross-linked homopolymer networks of 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) of various average degrees of polymerization (DPs) between cross-links were synthesized by group transfer polymerization (GTP) in tetrahydrofuran (THF), using 1-methoxy-1-(trimethylsiloxy)-2-methyl propene (MTS) as the initiator, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the cross-linker (eightfold molar excess with respect to the initiator), and tetrabutylammonium bibenzoate (TBABB) as the catalyst. Networks with monomer-to-initiator molar ratios of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 were synthesized successfully, while an attempted synthesis with a monomer-to-initiator molar ratio of 500 did not produce a network. The networks were characterized in terms of their degree of swelling (DS) in water and the effects of DP, pH, salt concentration and temperature were investigated. Moreover, the aqueous degrees of swelling determined in this study of random networks were compared to the aqueous degrees of swelling of model networks also synthesized by GTP and using a similar procedure.

Group transfer polymerization was used to synthesize several series of hydrophilic random and model networks. Cationic random networks were prepared both in bulk and in tetrahydrofuran (THF) using a monofunctional initiator and simultaneous polymerization of monomer and branch units, while a bifunctional initiator was employed in THF for the synthesis of model networks comprising basic or acidic chains. Upon polymerization of the monomer, the latter initiator gives linear polymer chains with two living ends, which are subsequently interconnected to a polymer network by the addition of a branch unit. Homopolymer network star polymers were also synthesized in THF by a one-pot procedure. The synthesis involved the use of a monofunctional initiator and the four-step addition of the following reagents: (i) monomer, to give linear homopolymers; (ii) branch unit, to form arm-first star polymers; (iii) monomer, to form secondary arms and give in-out star polymers; and, finally (iv) branch unit again, to interconnect the in-out stars to networks. Different networks were prepared for which the degree of polymerization (DP) of the linear chains between junction points was varied systematically. For all networks synthesized, the linear segments, the arm-first and the in-out stars were characterized in terms of their molecular weight (MW) and molecular weight distribution (MWD) using gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The degrees of swelling of both the random and model networks in water were measured and the effects of DP, pH, and monomer type were investigated.

The densification mechanism of borosilicate glass, silica gel and amorphous titania powders by hydrothermal hot-pressing is described. The glass powders were densified by a viscous flow mechanism, ...

A series of hydrophilic model networks based on homopolymers of a weak base were prepared using group transfer polymerization (GTP) and characterized in terms of their aqueous degree of swelling as a function of pH. This constitutes the first reported example of cationic hydrogels in which the length of segments between cross-links is kept constant. The synthesis involved the GTP of 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA, weak base monomer) in tetrahydrofuran (THF, solvent) using the bifunctional initiator, 1,4-bis(methoxytrimethylsiloxymethylene)-cyclohexane (MTSMC) and the subsequent in situ cross-linking with the addition of 8-fold mole excess with respect to the initiator of the difunctional monomer ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA). Four different model networks with degrees of polymerization (DP) of the linear segments between cross-links of 10, 20, 50 and 100 were prepared. The molecular weight (MW) and molecular weight distribution (MWD) of the linear segments were measured using gel permeation chromatography (GPC) in THF. The degree of swelling of all model networks was measured in water as a function of the solution pH. The conditions of gel synthesis were optimized with respect to cross-linker loading and monomer concentration using the results of a parallel study on the synthesis of star polymers of DMAEMA. The star polymers were also prepared by GTP of DMAEMA and linking (to stars) with EGDMA, but a monofunctional initiator, 1-methoxy-1-trimethylsiloxy-1-methyl-propene (MTS), was used rather than MTSMC. The star polymers were analyzed by GPC which revealed the percentage of free homopolymer relative to star polymer. The optimal conditions were identified as those under which the percentage of unlinked (free) homopolymer is minimized — the same conditions were adopted for the synthesis of the networks.

Hydrothermal hot-pressing (HHP) technique was used to solidify calcium silicate hydrate (xonotlite) powders at a relatively low temperature (150°C) and low pressure (20 MPa) with short reaction times (10–30 min). Chitosan was used to reinforce the mechanical strength of the hydrothermally hot pressed calcium silicate compacts. The tensile strength of the solidified compacts with and without chitosan was tested. The ultimate strength of the chitosan–xonotlite composite reached approximately 12 MPa for 5 wt.% chitosan content, which is almost six times larger than its non-additive compact. Additives had no effect to the apparent density of the solidified bodies, which remains almost constant at ∼2 g cm −3 , similar to that of the non-additive compacts. The low temperature solidification method is expected to be useful in the development of an environment-friendly processing route for making artificial wood.

Hydrothermal hot-pressing (HHP) technique was used to solidify calcium silicate hydrate powders at a relatively low temperature as 200°C and low pressure (20 MPa) with short reaction time (30 min). Diatomaceous earth, α-quartz, fly ash and silicic acid were used as the Si sources. Waste rice husk was used for fiber reinforcement to strength the hydrothermal hot pressed calcium silicate compacts. The tensile strength of the solidified bodies with and without rice husk was tested. The solidified bodies with reinforced by 5% rice husk exhibit high tensile strength (∼9 MPa), which is almost three times lager than their non-additives compacts. There is no effect of additives for the density of solidified bodies, which remains almost constant at ∼2gcm–3 similar to their non-additive compacts. The developed low temperature solidification method is expected to be useful in the development of an environmentally friendly processing route for making artificial wood.

How structures of various scales formed and evolved from the early Universe up to present time is a fundamental question of astrophysics. EDGE will trace the cosmic history of the baryons from the early generations of massive stars by Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) explosions, through the period of galaxy cluster formation, down to the very low redshift Universe, when between a third and one half of the baryons are expected to reside in cosmic filaments undergoing gravitational collapse by dark matter (the so-called warm hot intragalactic medium). In addition EDGE, with its unprecedented capabilities, will provide key results in many important fields. These scientific goals are feasible with a medium class mission using existing technology combined with innovative instrumental and observational capabilities by: (a) observing with fast reaction Gamma-Ray Bursts with a high spectral resolution (R ~ 500). This enables the study of their (star-forming) environment and the use of GRBs as back lights of large scale cosmological structures; (b) observing and surveying extended sources (galaxy clusters, WHIM) with high sensitivity using two wide field of view X-ray telescopes (one with a high angular resolution and the other with a high spectral resolution). The mission concept includes four main instruments: a Wide-field Spectrometer with excellent energy resolution (3 eV at 0.6 keV), a Wide- Field Imager with high angular resolution (HPD 15") constant over the full 1.4 degree field of view, and a Wide Field Monitor with a FOV of 1/4 of the sky, which will trigger the fast repointing to the GRB. Extension of its energy response up to 1 MeV will be achieved with a GRB detector with no imaging capability. This mission is proposed to ESA as part of the Cosmic Vision call. We will briefly review the science drivers and describe in more detail the payload of this mission.

In the present work, we have characterized the maturation of the GABAergic system in mammalian retina. Immunoreactivity for GABA, GAD (glutamic acid decarboxylase, EC 4.1.1.15) -65 and -67 in the adult rat retina was localized in cells in the inner nuclear and ganglion cell layers. This pattern was established around postnatal day 8 and included transient GABA and GAD-67 expression in horizontal cells. GAD activity was very low at P1 and P4, increasing after P8, reaching maximal activity by P21 and decreasing to attain adult values by P30. GABA content was approximately constant from P1 to P13, increasing thereafter to reach adult levels. GAD protein content increased progressively with postnatal development and the two isoforms could be distinguished at P8. The disparity between retinal GABA content vs presence and activity of the synthesizing enzyme, led us to investigate the alternative pathway for GABA synthesis that utilizes putrescine as a substrate. Highest levels of ornithine decarboxylase activity (the limiting step for putrescine synthesis) were found between P1 and P4, decreasing to very low levels after P13. The same pattern was observed for putrescine content in the retina. Highest amounts were found at P1, that decreased and remained constant after P13. Additionally, approximately 40% of tritiated putrescine incorporated by P1, P4 and adult retinas was converted into GABA. Our results suggest the existence of two different sources of GABA in mammalian retina, one that uses glutamate as a precursor and predominates in the mature nervous system and another that utilizes putrescine and is present transiently at early developmental stages.