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Elementary computer science (CS) can be engaging and challenging for some students with disabilities who struggle with complex problem solving. This study examined academic engagement of students w...

There are an estimated 1 billion cases of superficial fungal infection globally. Fungal pathogens form biofilms within wounds and delay the wound healing process. Miconazole and terbinafine are commonly used to treat fungal infections. They induce the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in fungi, resulting in the death of fungal cells. ROS are highly reactive molecules, such as oxygen (O2), superoxide anion (O2•-), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and hydroxyl radicals (•OH). Although ROS generation is useful for killing pathogenic fungi, it is cytotoxic to human keratinocytes. To the best of our knowledge, the effect of miconazole and terbinafine on HaCaT cells has not been studied with respect to intracellular ROS stimulation. We hypothesized that miconazole and terbinafine have anti-wound healing effects on skin cells when used in antifungal treatment because they generate ROS in fungal cells. We used sulforhodamine B protein staining to investigate cytotoxicity and 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate to determine ROS accumulation at the 50% inhibitory concentrations of miconazole and terbinafine in HaCaT cells. Our preliminary results showed that topical treatment with miconazole and terbinafine induced cytotoxic responses, with miconazole showing higher cytotoxicity than terbinafine. Both the treatments stimulated ROS in keratinocytes, which may induce oxidative stress and cell death. This suggests a negative correlation between intracellular ROS accumulation in keratinocytes treated with miconazole or terbinafine and the healing of fungi-infected skin wounds.

The present study aimed to examine the potential importance of orthographic flexibility for Chinese reading acquisition. Orthographic flexibility is a novel concept that represents the ability to m...

Tamara is a single mother of two children, Isaiah (2 years old) and RaShawn (5 years old). She recently noticed that Isaiah was not developing in the same ways his older brother did when he was Isa...

In October 2015, Korea launched its first massive open online course (MOOC) program entitled K-MOOC. This study analyzes the K-MOOC learner data provided by the National Lifelong Learning Agency. T...

High-intensity focused ultrasound describes the use of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to ablate tumours without requiring an incision or other invasive procedure. This technique has been trialled on a range of tumours including uterine fibroids, prostate, liver and renal cancer. We describe our experience of using HIFU to ablate sacral chordoma in four patients with advanced tumours. Patients were treated under general anaesthetic or sedation using an ultrasound-guided HIFU device. HIFU therapy was associated with a reduction in tumour volume over time in three patients for whom follow up scans were available. Tumour necrosis was reliably demonstrated in two of the three patients. We have established a national trial to assess if HIFU may improve long-term outcome from sacral chordoma, details are given.

Using a comprehensive data set, we compare four broadly available industry classification schemes (Standard Industrial Classification (SIC), North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), Fama–French classification (FF) and Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS)) in their effectiveness to group analysts and their earnings forecast properties. We demonstrate the advantage of the GICS to be consistent across different forecasting properties and across different groups of firms. Our results suggest that GICS should be utilized in research designs, either in the primary analysis or as a necessary corroboration.

(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.)In a recent study, Ito, Walker, and Liang (2014) found that only 4.1% of the 1,891 articles published in five leading leisure studies journals between 1990 and 2009 addressed leisure in non-Western settings. Moreover, when leisure researchers do conduct research in non-Western settings, they often impose conceptualizations of leisure developed in the West on those they study. While Hubbard and Mannell (2001) advocated the development of a pool of constraint items that could be drawn upon when researchers are "tailoring constraints scales to meet their needs" (p. 161), we feel that doing so now may be premature. A comprehensive set of constraint items is a worthy goal, but because the overwhelming majority of studies of leisure constraints have been conducted in the West, information about constraints in other cultures remains thin (Ito et al., 2014; Roberts, 2010). It is possible, for example, that common constraints, such as lack of time or money, differ little or differ only in intensity cross-culturally. However, it is also possible that sets of important constraints differ for individuals in collectivistic versus individualistic societies (Walker, Jackson, & Deng, 2007, 2008), for example, or in societies that vary in some other fundamental characteristic, such as cultural complexity (Chick, 1998).In this paper, we show how free listing, a data collection technique commonly used in anthropology, cognitive psychology, and linguistics can be used to develop a culture specific list of leisure constraints. While such lists are most often used in subsequent research, such as surveys, it is also possible to examine them in their own right. In this study, we analyze lists of leisure constraints produced by informants from six cities in Taiwan. Although certain activities, such as art, games, play, music, and dance, have long been regarded as cross-cultural universals by anthropologists (Brown, 1991), it remains unclear whether the concept designated by the English term leisure is meaningful cross-culturally (Chick, 1998; Ito et al., 2014). Native speakers of Chinese in Taiwan use the term Xiu xian (??) to refer to leisure. While Xiu xian differs substantially from leisure in terms of its etymology, the present meanings of the terms are very similar (Liu, Yeh, Chick, & Zinn, 2008). Hence, conducting this study in a Chinese-speaking location meant that leisure was easily and accurately translated into the local language. Doing so in other languages, that lack terms with the same or a similar meaning, may be more problematic (Chick).The purposes of this study are both methodological and substantive. Our primary goal was to develop a list of leisure constraints appropriate for the Taiwanese cultural context by soliciting constraints directly from informants in Taiwan rather than importing them from studies conducted in the West. This list was then used in the development of a survey employed to gather more extensive and detailed research on the relationship between leisure constraints and other variables in the Taiwanese context (Chick, Hsu, Yeh, & Hsieh, 2015). Second, we illustrate how free lists can be analyzed in order to determine the degree to which the constraints listed are salient in the minds of informants and, third, to show how a multivariate technique, correspondence analysis, can be used to examine differences in terms of the frequency in which constraints were listed depending on informants' characteristics such as age and gender.Leisure Research in TaiwanLeisure research in Taiwan can be traced to the late 1980s and has grown substantially in recent years (e.g., Chang, 2008; Chen, 1993; Hsu, Chuang, & Yeh, 2007; Hsu & Hsu, 2012; Yeh, Hsu, & Chick, 2011). When studying leisure activities, most research has utilized standardized inventories developed in North America, such as those of Ragheb (1980) and McKechnie (1975). …

We are the first to evaluate the impact of the trading floor closure on the corresponding efficiency of the stock price formation process on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). Utilizing short-horizon return predictability as an inverse indicator of market efficiency, we demonstrate that while the switch to all electronic trading resulted in higher volume and lower trading costs, the information asymmetry among investors increased as more informed and uninformed traders entered the market. The TSX trading floor closure resulted in a significant decrease in informational efficiency, and it took about six years for efficiency to return to its pre-all-electronic-trading level. In multivariate setting, we provide evidence that changes in information asymmetry and increased losses to liquidity demanders due to adverse selection account for the largest variations in the deterioration of the aggregate level of informational efficiency. Our results suggest that electronic trading should complement, rather than replace, the exchange trading floor.

In an effort to humanize students of color in teacher education research, this study shifts away from the question, “How can we add students of color?” and instead asks, “How might teacher education programs be transformed to make space for students of color?” To begin, we articulate an ethnic studies critique for teacher education based on the demands for ethnic studies in the late 1960s. We then apply this critique in an analysis of the experiences of twelve preservice teachers of color. We argue that teacher education may be structured—institutionally and ideologically—to hinder the success of preservice teachers of color. We conclude with three suggestions for teacher education grounded in the ethnic studies critique, which offers an alternative paradigm for thinking of students of color beyond numbers and statistics.

The last decade has witnessed great interest in research on content-based image retrieval (CBIR). In 2009, Lin et al. proposed a smart CBIR system based on colour and texture feature. Their system has a high detection rate except the cases where image objects have similar shapes. To enhance the detection rate a shape-based image feature called object-moment is proposed in this paper. Object-moment uses the moment of force to compute the object edge feature by calculating the distance from each edge pixel to the axis, and adding them up as a feature. Besides, we integrate the colour features (NSOM, CSOM) and the texture features (CCM, DBPSP) to enhance image detection rate and simplify computation of image retrieval. A series of analyses and comparisons are performed in our experiments to demonstrate that our proposed method improves the retrieval accuracy significantly.

This article provides a theoretical analysis and ethnographic account of Asian American student leadership in higher education. Existing literature highlights Asian and Asian American leadership styles as cultural differences. I shift the analysis from culture to racism in order to work toward a more socially just conception of Asian American student leadership, grounded in the social and historical realities of racism in the U.S. I bring the issue of racism to the forefront by framing this project in racial formation theory and Orientalism and by looking at Asian American student leadership in the context of anti-racism activism. Participants challenged the notion of “Asian American leadership” in two ways: First, students described how they struggled with the Asian American racial category in their day-to-day lives as student leaders, and second, they discussed the negative consequences of being racialized as Asian American leaders.

Advances in areas of neuroscience are highly relevant to psychiatric disorders but there exists a gap between discoveries in neuroscience and the practice of clinical psychiatry. Psychiatry is a field in need of high impact research conducted by physician-scientists who have first-hand experience treating patients with mental illness and who use this clinical knowledge to improve and discover better or novel interventions. This paper focuses primarily on the training of psychiatry residents for successful scientific research careers and what residency programmes and others can do to help them succeed. Changes also need to be made at a regulatory level to enhance the research training and literacy of psychiatry residents. The shortage of psychiatrists who are well trained in basic and translational research can only be remedied if the path to becoming an independent investigator is lined with stepping stones that support success, including during the residency years. Partnerships among funding agencies, professional societies and training institutions can lay the groundwork for our psychiatric trainees to stay on the path to rewarding scientific research careers.

Few studies have examined the relationship between low-income, traumatized women and their health care providers. In this study we interviewed 23 women from primary care and social service settings for the underserved about trauma, attachment, psychiatric symptoms, and reports of their interactions with primary care providers. Nearly all reported trauma exposure, and 17% had current posttraumatic stress disorder. About half were categorized as Unresolved with regard to attachment state of mind. Analyses of a health experiences interview showed that women with Unresolved attachment reported significantly more negative interactions with providers. Attachment may play a role in the relationship between trauma and health care interactions with providers, indicating the need for further study of this relationship and suggesting intervention strategies to help both parties contribute to a more collaborative process.

A report by the Institute of Medicine suggested that more research is needed to better understand mold effects on allergic disease, particularly asthma development. The authors compared the ability of the fungus Stachybotrys chartarum (SCE) and house dust mite (HDM) extracts to induce allergic responses in BALB/c mice. The extracts were administered by intratracheal aspiration (IA) at several doses (0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 microg) 4 times over a 4-week period. Three days after the last IA exposure, serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were collected. The relative allergenicity of the extracts was evaluated based on the lowest dose that induced a significant response compared to control (0 microg) and the linear regression slope analysis across the dose range. SCE induced a more robust response than HDM for BALF some inflammatory cells (macrophage and neutrophils), whereas HDM induced more robust BALF lymphocyte and eosinophil responses. Although SCE induced a more robust serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE) response than did HDM, the induction of a similar response in a functional, antigen-specific IgE assay required approximately twice as much SCE as HDM. Even though SCE demonstrates the ability to induce allergic responses in the mouse model, considering the importance and relevance of eosinophil, lymphocyte, and antigen-specific IgE in allergic airway disease, it is concluded that HDM is more potent than SCE in the induction of allergic responses. These data suggest a threshold dose for SCE allergy induction. Furthermore, in damp water-damaged environments, exposure to S. chartarum might easily exceed the sensitization threshold for a susceptible population.

Anthocyanins are the major pigments contributing to the colouration of raspberry fruit.We isolated the gene encoding flavanone-3-hydroxylase (F3H), an enzyme which catalyses a key step in anthocyan...

One of the emerging issues in the current non-profit literature is concerned with ‘political’ activity and advocacy work among 501(c)(3) organisations. Particularly in the case of Asian immigrant communities where electoral participation is relatively low, the study finds that social-service agencies and advocacy groups have played an integral role in mediating between the ethnic population and mainstream political institutions. The primary goal of this article is to understand how such ethnic organisations are able to achieve their political goals within the constraint of US non-profit regulations. Based on participant observation and 80 interviews with community members, this article examines the political dimensions of ethnic organisational cultures within two 1.5- and second-generation Korean-American organisations in Koreatown, Los Angeles. I begin by tracing the historical evolution of ethnic power structures within the Korean-American community with specific attention to intergenerational relations...

Adiabatic two-phase flow experiments have been conducted to investigate the effects of channel diameter and liquid properties on void fraction in horizontal microchannels. Water/nitrogen gas and ethanol–water/nitrogen gas mixtures were pumped through circular microchannels of 50, 75, 100, and 251μm diameter. The ethanol concentration in water was varied to change the surface tension and liquid viscosity. The void fraction data were obtained by an image analysis technique and correlated as a function of homogeneous void fraction. The void fraction data obtained in 50, 75, and 100μm channels conformed well to the correlation in Kawahara et al. [1], but the data for a 251μm diameter channel agreed with the Armand [2] correlation suitable for minichannels. There was no significant effect of liquid properties on void fraction for all channel sizes. These results suggest that the boundary between microchannels and minichannels would lie between 100 and 251μm.

A group intervention to reduce emotional and behavioral problems in siblings of children with cancer was evaluated. Forty-seven siblings aged 6 to 14 years participated in seven groups, with 4 to 9 siblings in each group. Groups consisted of eight weekly two-hour sessions guided by a manual. Four assessments were conducted: two before the intervention and two after the intervention. Children completed self-report measures of anxiety, depression, and behavior; parents reported on siblings' anxiety and behavior. After the intervention, siblings reported significantly reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, and parents reported significant reductions in siblings' anxiety and behavior problems. An interaction between intervention, age, and gender indicated that adolescent girls had more depressive symptoms than adolescent boys did before the intervention and younger girls did after the intervention. The findings suggest that group intervention benefits siblings of children with cancer, with age a...

Suspensions of fertilized eggs of Toxocara canis were mixed with 2% neutral formalin and preserved at 4 degrees C. When, after storage for 0, 12, 18, 21 and 24 months, samples of the eggs were incubated at 30 degrees C for 12 days, 96.8%, 92.6%, 74.1%, 51.0% and 19.3% of the eggs in the samples were found to embryonate. The embryonated eggs produced from the fertilized eggs preserved (in 2% neutral formalin at 4 degrees C) for 0, 12, 18 and 21 months were then tested for their infectivity to BALB/c mice, each mouse being given 800 embryonated eggs. The numbers of larvae recovered from the mice and the sites from which they were recovered, 2 or 14 days post-infection, appeared unaffected by the length of storage of the eggs. The infected mice all had similar eosinophil counts in their peripheral blood and similar serum titres of Toxocara-specific IgM and IgG antibodies, and cultures of their spleen cells produced similar amounts of interleukin-4, interleukin-5 and interferon-gamma when stimulated with concanavalin A. The results of SDS-PAGE indicated that egg preservation for at least 21 months had no effect on the excretory-secretory antigens in samples of medium from cultures of infective larvae released from the eggs. In summary, at least 50% of the fertilized eggs preserved in 2% neutral formalin at 4 degrees C for 21 months could fully embryonate and then had the same infectivity and antigenicity as embryonated fresh eggs.

This article presents a review of adiabatic two-phase flow in minichannels and microchannels. Differences between them are identified and explained based on this review and our own research. Severa...

The current study investigated the immunomodulating effect of CKBM on cytokine induction in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from 20 healthy volunteers. Cytometric Bead Analysis (CBA) was used to study IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL10, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma. TNF-alpha and IL-6 were significantly increased in a CKBM dose- and time-dependent manner. Flow cytometry analysis showed an increased intracellular staining of IL-6 but not of TNF-alpha in CKBM treated PBMCs. In addition, MTT cell cytotoxicity assay showed that CKBM concentrations below 5% did not significantly affect the metabolic activities of PBMCs. The current study indicated that CKBM may modulate the immune response by inducing the secretions of TNF-alpha and IL-6, which are cytokine mediators of innate immunity and inflammation preparing or ‘‘priming’’ the body to combat diseases.

My argument is that the assimilationist approach will become increasingly problematic as new types of neighborhoods such as "ethnoburbs" and multiracial neighborhoods emerge in major U.S. cities like Los Angeles and the personal and political experiences of Asian Americans become increasingly diverse within these shifting contexts. Although it is beyond the scope of this study to identify the eventual fate of Asians in the U.S., the article aims to explicate some of the processes through which these groups may create and maintain political ties to the ethnic community. With specific focus on the Korean American community in Los Angeles, the purpose of the study is to understand why some 1.5 and second generations return to the political institutions of the ethnic community despite residential and socioeconomic mobility into middle-class, suburban neighborhoods outside the ethnic enclave of Koreatown. In other words, what are the psychological, political, and structural advantages of maintaining ethnic tie...

The present study examined the needs and perceived social environment among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Hong Kong (N = 289). Sizeable demands were expressed for medical treatment, provision of HIV-related information, financial assistance and psychological counselling. Physical health (about 38%) and social discrimination (about 24%) were the two commonly named 'most difficult aspects' of their life. In addition, over 50% felt that they were discriminated in different settings such as in the workplace and in social relationships. Social support was also often lacking among many PLWHA in Hong Kong. Nearly 80% were worried/very worried about others knowing their HIV-positive status and 16% of them did not disclose the matter to any person.

A scientific basis for the evaluation of the risk to public health arising from excessive dietary intake of nitrate in Korea is provided. The nitrate () and nitrite () contents of various vegetables (Chinese cabbage, radish, lettuce, spinach, soybean sprouts, onion, pumpkin, green onion, cucumber, potato, carrot, garlic, green pepper, cabbage and Allium tuberosum Roth known as Crown daisy) are reported. Six hundred samples of 15 vegetables cultivated during different seasons were analysed for nitrate and nitrite by ion chromatography and ultraviolet spectrophotometry, respectively. No significant variance in nitrate levels was found for most vegetables cultivated during the summer and winter harvests. The mean nitrates level was higher in A. tuberosum Roth (5150 mg kg(-1)) and spinach (4259 mg kg(-1)), intermediate in radish (1878 mg kg(-1)) and Chinese cabbage (1740 mg kg(-1)), and lower in onion (23 mg kg(-1)), soybean sprouts (56 mg kg(-1)) and green pepper (76 mg kg(-1)) compared with those in other vegetables. The average nitrite contents in various vegetables were about 0.6 mg kg(-1), and the values were not significantly different among most vegetables. It was observed that nitrate contents in vegetables varied depending on the type of vegetables and were similar to those in vegetables grown in other countries. From the results of our studies and other information from foreign sources, it can be concluded that it is not necessary to establish limits of nitrates contents of vegetables cultivated in Korea due to the co-presence of beneficial elements such as ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol which are known to inhibit the formation of nitrosamine.

A pilot study was carried out in a group of six HIV-infected non-adherent men testing the effects of a behavioural medication management intervention on adherence with antiretroviral drugs. The study was prospective, using a one-group repeated-measures design. Adherence was measured using two self-reports. The intervention was a behaviourally-based programme that lasted for three months and included individualized education about antiretroviral medication and their side effects; positive reinforcement and encouragement; individualized counselling weekly; follow-up calls; and lifestyle assessment and the identification of adherence barriers. Assessments were carried out at recruitment, immediately after the initiation of the intervention, one month, three months and six months later. Results suggested that the intervention enhanced adherence rates from a mean percentage of 80.27 at baseline to a mean of 97.5% at the end of follow-up (six months time point). Similar improvement was observed in the scores of the scale measuring adherence difficulties. Further, CD4+ counts also slightly improved. Interviews with four of the participants at the end of the study highlighted the problems experienced by patients in taking their medication and supported the usefulness of the intervention. Because of the complexity of the factors behind adherence, it is important that patients are supported with individualized medication management programmes.

This manuscript describes the Siblings Coping Together program, a group intervention that addresses emotional and behavior problems of siblings of children with cancer and presents preliminary findings. The program is manualized and consists of 8 weekly 2-hr sessions. Each session focuses on a predetermined theme with specific goals and activities. Seventeen siblings participated in a pre- and post group pilot evaluation. Data were collected from children and parents using standardized instruments, a satisfaction questionnaire, and a group process log completed by therapists. Siblings' reports suggest a trend in the reduction of anxiety and depressive symptoms post intervention, siblings and parents reported satisfaction with the intervention group, and the results of the analysis of the group log illustrated trends in group development. This preliminary study exemplifies key group intervention components for this population and supports the need for further systematic evaluation of the intervention program.

Wave-turbulence interaction was experimentally investigated in turbulent open-channel flows with a shear-free wavy surface using a photochromic dye activation technique. In the experiments conducted, two-dimensional waves of different amplitudes, wavelengths, and frequencies were superimposed on a liquid surface via a mechanical wave maker. The range of Reynolds numbers varied from 3900 to 5000 based on the hydraulic diameter, with the corresponding aspect ratio of the channel width to liquid depth varying from 7.5 to 5.Within the range of Reynolds numbers investigated, the results showed that the streamwise turbulence intensity increased in the bulk and interfacial regions in comparison to the undisturbed flow.Furthermore, video sequences of the flow visualization experiments clearly revealed that the spanwise motion of the liquid was significantly suppressed; the traces did not immediately deform in the spanwise direction but retained their shape with increasing wave amplitude and frequency as compared to smooth interface flows. This suggests that waves may have suppressed longitudinal vortices generated near the smooth interface. The suppression of the longitudinal vortices in wavy open-channel flows has been proposed as a mechanism responsible for the turbulence energy redistribution, different from that for smooth open-channel flows.

The thermodynamic properties of the liquid zinc-aluminum system in the range of 0 to 0.36 mole fraction of aluminum and over a temperature range of 430 to 530 °C were investigated by using an electromotive force (EMF) cell of the typeAl(s)|LiCl–KCl–AlCl3|Zn–Al(l),MoThe activity of aluminum was found to show a significant positive deviation from Raoultian behaviour. The activity coefficient of aluminum in the dilute solution range (γ°) and the free energy of solution of aluminum based on the one weight percent (1 wt %) standard state were determined as a function of temperature and found to follow the relationships:logγ°=(1195/T)−0.874ΔGs=5457−11.4T (cal/mole)Over the temperature range investigated, the self-interaction coefficient of aluminum in liquid zinc (eAlAl) was found to be approximately constant at −0.01.On a etudie les proprietes thermodynamiques du systeme liquide zinc-aluminium, entre 0 et 0.36 fraction molaire d'aluminium, a des temperatures de 430 a 530 °C, en utilisant une cellule a ...

Many inverse heat transfer problems can be solved efficiently through the minimization of a performance function utilizing the conjugate gradient method. The gradient of the performance function needed in the minimization procedure of the conjugate gradient method is obtained by employing either the adjoint variable method or the direct differentiation method. In the present study we consider an inverse problem of estimating time-varying strength of a heat source in a two-dimensional heat conduction system, and compare the adjoint variable method and the direct differentiation method in terms of accuracy and computational efficiency, and finally suggest a new method that exploits the advantageous aspects of both methods while avoiding the shortcomings of them.

The fumigant 1,3‐dichloropropene (1,3‐D) is considered to be a potential alternative to methyl bromide. The degradation rates of cis‐ and trans‐l,3‐D in soil from a treated site during three successive annual applications of 1,3‐D progressively increased with an increase in the number of annual applications. The enhancement was greater for trans‐l,3‐D degradation than cis‐l,3‐D. In untreated soil, the degradation rates of the two isomers were similar. The enhancement lasted slightly longer than 2 years after annual field application of 1,3‐D had ceased. A single field reapplication of 1,3‐D to the treated site that had not been treated for 2 years resulted in resumed differential enhanced degradation of cis‐ and trans‐l,3‐D. Microorganisms were responsible for the enhanced degradation.

A new European/International Standard (ISOprEN 10882-1) on the sampling of airborne particulates generated during welding and allied processes has been proposed. The use of a number of samplers and sampling procedures is allowable within the defined protocol. The influence of these variables on welding fume exposures measured during welding and grinding of stainless and mild steel using the gas metal arc (GMA) and flux-cored arc (FCA) and GMA welding of aluminium has been examined. Results show that use of any of the samplers will not give significantly different measured exposures. The effect on exposure measurement of placing the samplers on either side of the head was variable; consequently, sampling position cannot be meaningfully defined. All samplers collected significant amounts of grinding dust. Therefore, gravimetric determination of welding fume exposure in atmospheres containing grinding dust will be inaccurate. The use of a new size selective sampler can, to some extent, be used to give a more accurate estimate of exposure. The reliability of fume analysis data of welding consumables has caused concern; and the reason for differences that existed between the material safety data sheet and the analysis of fume samples collected requires further investigation.

Sol-gel process was used for preparation of γ-alumina complex membranes. Alumina sols were synthesized by interfacial technique with aluminum iso-propoxide, water and acids as peptization agents. Different types of acids were chosen to produce sols of different mean particle size. Under the same condition the effect of these acids in producing particles in increasing size order was HCl, HNO3, formic acid and acetic acid. The particle size decreased as H+/Al2O3 mole ratio increased in the 0.037–0.150 range. The membrane was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption and water treatment test on laboratory pilot tester. The bacteria rejection was found over 99%.

Kinetic studies on phosphorus (P as orthophosphate) sorption onto a sandy loam soil from North Sydney, Australia, and a slag (waste products from the BHP steel industry, Australia) revealed that more than 90% of the P was adsorbed within 70 and 12 hours for the soil and slag respectively. The pH of the P solution played a critical role in the rate of P removal. Removal was at a minimum at pH 2. Dominant removal mechanism of P at pH less than 8 was physical sorption, while it was chemical precipitation at pH greater than 10. Adsorptive capacity of the slag was 225 and 53 times of that of the soil for the static and dynamic systems respectively. Breakthrough curves obtained from the column experiments are S-shaped and more spreaded with the decrease of influent P concentration. Simulated results from an equilibrium sorption model (ESM) and Freundlich isotherm constants did not always match the corresponding experimental breakthrough data. Mobility of P is restricted by the adsorbent due to its high sorption capacity of P. © 1997 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Fish of the Chung-Kung stream of Miau-Li County, northern Taiwan, were sampled on seven occasions from March 1994 through to August 1995. A total of 45 species belonging to seven orders and 25 families were caught at 6 sites along the stream. There were ten species of Cyprinidae, and four or fewer of the other 24 families. Major species found upstream at site F were Varicorhinus barbatulus and Hemimyzon formosanum. This section of the stream is considered unpolluted if these water quality sensitive species are present. Acrossocheilus formosanus and Crossostoma lacustre can thrive in slightly polluted water and occurred in the middle reaches at site D. Zacco pachycephalus could also survive in mildly polluted water and occurred at site C. the major species at site B were tilapia (Oreochromis hybrid species) and thus this section was considered heavily polluted. Site A in the lower, tidal, reaches contained species of Mugilidae and was considered as moderately polluted. Thirty seven fish muscle sam...

A survey of Chung-Kung sttream fish was undertaken on six occasions from March 1994 to August 1995. Tilapia (Oreochromis hybrid) and Liza macrolepsis were the major species found downstream and were chosen as the target species for metallothionein (MT) analysis of liver tissue. in total MT of 77 tilapia and 48 Liza macrolepsis liver samples were analyzed. Significantly higher values (p >0.05) were found for the August 1995 samples than for samples taken earlier at site B (6 km from the sea) for tilapia and at site A (estuary) for Liza macrolepsis. Liver zinc, copper and cadmium were analyzed for the 1995 samples. for tilapia, liver MT concentration was found to correlate well with zinc concentration (r = 0.84, p > 0.001). for Liza macrolepsis, good correlation was found for MT with both zinc (r = 0.89, p > 0.001) and copper (r = 0.90, p > 0.001). These results indicate that in the Chung-Kung stream, zinc and copper may be the major inducers of fish liver MT. Since these two species are ubiquitous...

Apoptosis and the rapid clearance of apoptotic cells by professional or nonprofessional phagocytes are normal and coordinated processes that ensure controlled cell growth with a nonpathological outcome. Defects in clearance of apoptotic cells by macrophages have serious consequences often resulting in autoimmune disorders. Phagocyte-derived immunoregulatory cytokines such as Interleukin-12 and Interleukin-10 play pivotal roles in the etiology and pathology of many autoimmune diseases. Elucidation of the apoptotic cell-mediated signaling mechanisms involved in the control of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines during cell turnovers under normal and pathological conditions may help us counter the cytokine dysregulation and control inappropriate host immune reactions in pathological situations such as autoimmunity, infectious diseases, graft-versus-host disease, and cancer.

By extending the Stroh sextic formalism to a ten-dimensional formalism, it is shown that the Green function for an elliptic hole or rigid inclusion in an anisotropic elastic medium can be modified easily for an anisotropic medium with piezoelectric, piezomagnetic and magnetoelectric coupling.

The Stroh formalism is elegant and powerful in solving two-dimensional deformations of anisotropic elastic solids. It has been extended to anisotropic piezoelectric materials. The formalism, however, does not apply to inhomogeneous materials. A different approach is employed here to solve the problems of an angularly inhomogeneous piezoelectric material subjected to a line force, line charge and line dislocation at the centre of the material. It is shown that the basic solution, in a real form, is identical in expression with the basic solution for homogeneous piezoelectric materials.

This paper presents a numerical study of stagnant conductivity effect on the fully developed non-Darcian mixed convection in horizontal packed-sphere channels. The effect of stagnant conductivity is characterized by the conductivity ratio of solid sphere to fluid (ks / kt). The results show that the buoyancy effect affects significantly the secondary flow structure and heat transfer rate when (ks / kt) and Peclet number are all low. But under a fixed Rayleigh number, the effect of buoyancy will be suppressed when the value of (ks / kt) or Peclet number increases. The critical Rayleigh number for the onset of buoyancy effect is shown to increase more than 1 order of magnitude when (ks / kt) increases from 1.3 to 26.8 or 38.8 at low Peclet number.

In this preliminary study, we used a 'living cell' flow-cytometric approach to membrane protection by four traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). Cells were incubated, separately, for 30 min with aqueous extracts (1.5% w/v) of lingzhi (Ganoderma lucidum), ginger (Zingiber officianale), ginseng (Panax ginseng), and green tea (Camellia sinensis). Membranes were labelled with a fluorescent probe, cells were then incubated with cumene hydroperoxide, and site-specific oxidation induced by iron/ascorbate. Oxidation of membrane lipids quenches fluorescence. Forward-scatter fluorescence was measured at timed intervals after initiation of oxidation. Results indicate that lingzhi and ginger contain antioxidant component(s) that act within the cell membrane and slow lipid peroxidation in situ. Results demonstrate also that this living cell model is a useful biomonitoring tool to help determine molecular aspects of putative health effects of TCMs.

Oral administration of particulate IL-10 suppressed polyposis, ameliorated systemic pathology and extended lifespan in APCmin/+ mice. Therapeutic effect was associated with selective activity of IL-10 on intestinal CD4+Foxp3+RORγt+IL-17+ pathogenic T-regulatory cells. Studies were recently extended to a bacterially-driven murine colon adenocarcinoma model with similar results. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Usually equal noise exposure is considered to cause symmetrical hearing loss. In studying 1 461 audiometric records of claims for noise-induced hearing loss, it was found that 69 (4.7%) had a well-defined pattern of hearing loss in which only 2 kHz is asymmetrical by 20 dB or more. Audiograms of this type suggest that the cochlea of the worse ear has been damaged more extensively towards the apex. Of the 69 cases with a 2-kHz asymmetry, 82.6% had worse hearing thresholds in the left ear at 2 kHz. In 50% of the 69 cases, the asymmetry could not be accounted for even after the examination of their medical, occupational and nonoccupational histories. It is believed that the asymmetry at 2 kHz is a manifestation of a lateral difference in susceptibility to noise damage and that the left ear is the more susceptible one in the majority of cases.

Hearing thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 kHz were measured with 20-msec and 500-msec tones for 14 normal hearers and 23 subjects with noise-induced hearing loss. The differences between the hearing thresholds of the long- and short-duration tones were plotted as a function of frequency (temporal integration function). Preliminary data from this study suggest that temporal integration function is more closely related to the configuration of the audiogram than the hearing threshold level when data of an individual are concerned. The results also support the notion that temporal integration function is affected by the presence of ‘subclinical’ cochlear lesions.

Twenty subjects with normal hearing and 20 with noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) were tested with brief-tone audiometry at 500 and 4000 Hz in both quiet and masked conditions. The two tone durations used were 20 and 500 msec. The masker was a continuous white noise at 90 dB SPL. Results are consistent with other studies in that subjects with NIHL showed less temporal integration than normals. The frequency effect was found both in normals and in the hearing-impaired. The discrepancy of results on frequency effect found in the literature was discussed. Also, results suggest that suprathreshold measurement of temporal integration with the masking technique deserves further study.

The prevalence of tinnitus was studied in a large population of noise-exposed workers. It was found that 6.6% had tinnitus which was more than momentary. Results of two other studies were compared. Factors possibly relating to the prevalence of tinnitus were studied. The single most important factor found to be related to tinnitus is hearing level. The higher the hearing level, the faster the rate of increase in the prevalence of tinnitus. Other factors such as sex, age, laterality, smoking and shooting do not seem to have a significant, direct relationship with tinnitus, but they are related to the prevalence of tinnitus indirectly through the influence they have on hearing loss.La prevalence des acouphenes a ete etudiee dans une large population de travailleurs exposes aux bruits industriels. On a releve que 6,6% des travailleurs avaient des acouphenes plus que passagers. Les resultats de deux autres recherches ont ete compares a celle-ci. Les facteurs associes a la prevalence des acouphenes ont ete etu...

Patients with high-frequency hearing loss often complain at the Workers' Compensation Board that they find it difficult to hear speech in a noisy environment. This study was undertaken to test the validity of their complaints. The experiment had a 2x3x3 factorial design. The factors were subject group (normal hearing versus sensorineural hearing loss), stimulus level (65, 75, and 85 dB SPL), and speech-to-noise ratio (5, 12, and 19 dB). There were 6 subjects in each condition. Each subject was tested for his speech discrimination with three CID W-22 50-word lists, one in each of the three different speech-to-noise ratios. Both speech and pink noise were presented through loudspeakers in a sound field. The results support the patients' complaints. Possible explanations for the results are discussed.