[Effect of the prolamins in maize (Zea mays L.) grain on tortilla texture].

The prolamins (zeins) are the main storage proteins in the maize grain. There are limited investigations related to their participation on tortilla texture. For determining their effect, normal (6) and Quality Protein Maize (QPM) (6) genotypes were used.

Treatment of cutaneous vascular lesions using multiple-intermittent cryogen spurts and two-wavelength laser pulses: numerical and animal studies.

Background And Objectives: Presently, cutaneous vascular lesions are treated using a single cryogen spurt and single laser pulse (SCS-SLP), which do not necessarily produce complete lesion removal in the majority of patients. In this study, the feasibility of applying multiple cryogen spurts intermittently with multiple two-wavelength laser pulses (MCS-MTWLP) was studied using numerical and animal models.

Study Design/materials And Methods: Two treatment procedures were simulated: (1) SCS+532 nm SLP; and (2) MCS+532/1064 nm MTWLP.

Extent of lateral epidermal protection afforded by a cryogen spray against laser irradiation.

Background And Objectives: Cryogen spray cooling (CSC) has become an integral part of dermatologic laser surgery because of its ability to remove selectively large amounts of heat from human skin in short periods of time, thereby protecting the epidermis from unintended thermal injury. The objective of the present study is to investigate the extent of lateral epidermal protection afforded by a cryogen spray during laser irradiation.

Materials And Methods: CSC experiments on skin phantoms are conducted using a commercial nozzle (GentleLase, Candela) to characterize epidermal cooling in time and space; namely, surface temperatures and heat fluxes during a 60 milliseconds spurt and 30 milliseconds delay.

The lymphoid cell surface receptor NTB-A: a novel monoclonal antibody target for leukaemia and lymphoma therapeutics.

NTB-A is a CD2-related cell surface protein expressed primarily on lymphoid cells including B-lymphocytes from chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and lymphoma patients. We have generated a series of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against NTB-A and assessed their therapeutic potential for CLL. Selective mAbs to NTB-A were further tested in functional complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicty (ADCC) assays in cell lines and B lymphocytes freshly isolated from CLL patients.

Distribution, ecology, life history, genetic variation, and risk of extinction of nonhuman primates from Costa Rica.

We examined the association between geographic distribution, ecological traits, life history, genetic diversity, and risk of extinction in nonhuman primate species from Costa Rica. All of the current nonhuman primate species from Costa Rica are included in the study; spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi), howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata), capuchins (Cebus capucinus), and squirrel monkeys (Saimiri oerstedii). Geographic distribution was characterized accessing existing databases.

Laser surgery of port wine stains using local vacuum [corrected] pressure: changes in calculated energy deposition (Part II).

Background And Objectives: Application of local vacuum pressure to human skin during laser irradiation results in less absorption in the epidermis and more light delivered to targeted vessels with an increased blood volume. The objective of the present numerical study is to assess the effect of applying local vacuum pressure on the temperatures of the epidermis and small vessels during port wine stain (PWS) laser treatment. STUDY DESIGN/ MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mathematical models of light deposition and heat diffusion are used to compute absorbed energy and temperature distributions of skin and blood vessels with different diameters (10-60 microm) at various depths (200-800 microm) exposed to laser irradiation under atmospheric and vacuum pressures.

Laser surgery of port wine stains using local vacuum pressure: changes in skin morphology and optical properties (Part I).

Background And Objectives: In a recent case study, the use of a suction device to aid in port wine stain (PWS) laser treatments showed favorable results. It is our objective to further understand the mechanisms of vacuum-assisted laser therapy by analyzing the mechanical and optical changes of the skin and musculoskeletal tissues during the application of mild vacuum pressure from a suction cup.

Study Design/materials And Methods: A mathematical model of tissue deformation was used to determine the changes in tissue morphology that affect the underlying laser-tissue interactions, such as epidermal stretching and thinning, blood vessel dilation, and change in blood vessel depth.

Laser-assisted cryosurgery of prostate: numerical study.

A new methodology for preventing freezing damage beyond pre-specified boundaries during prostate cryosurgery is proposed herein. It consists of emitting controlled laser irradiation from the urethra, across the wall and into the prostate while conventional cryoprobes freeze the unwanted prostate tissue. The purpose of this methodology is to protect the urethral wall better and confine the desired cryoinjured region more accurately than the current cryosurgery approach.

Loss of DNA: a plausible molecular level explanation for crustacean neuropeptide gene evolution.

Alignment of nucleotides of APGWamide, RPCH and AKH genes gives region stretches (common regions) present in all family member variants. Common regions were separated by gap sections in the larger variants of family members. Consensus sequences for single polynucleotides from virtual hybrid molecules of DNA were obtained by joining the common regions of DNA and deleting the extra DNA nucleotides.

Effects of prone position on alveolar dead space and gas exchange during general anaesthesia in surgery of long duration.

Background And Objective: We investigated the effects of prone position on respiratory dead space and gas exchange in 14 anaesthetized healthy patients undergoing elective posterior spinal surgery of more than 3 h of duration.

Methods: The patients received a total intravenous anaesthetic with propofol/remifentanil/cisatracurium. They were ventilated at a tidal volume of 8-10 mL kg(-1), zero positive end-expiratory pressure and an inspired oxygen fraction of 0.

Cutaneous effects of cryogen spray cooling on in vivo human skin.

Background: Despite widespread clinical use of cryogen spray cooling (CSC) in conjunction with laser dermatologic surgery, in vivo cutaneous effects have not been systematically evaluated.

Objective: The authors characterize the in vivo cutaneous effects for Fitzpatrick skin types I through VI after CSC exposures of varying spurt durations and spurt delivery patterns (single vs. multiple spurts).

Occupational pesticide intoxications among farmers in Bolivia: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Pesticide use and its consequences are of concern in Bolivia due to an intensive and increasing use.

Methods: To assess the magnitude and reasons for occupational pesticide intoxication, a cross-sectional study with interviews and blood-tests was performed among 201 volunteer farmers from 48 villages in the temperate and subtropical valleys in the eastern part of the Andes Mountains in Bolivia. Of these 171 male farmers using pesticides in their agricultural production were used in the statistical analysis, including linear- and logistic regression analysis.

Thermal responses of ex vivo human skin during multiple cryogen spurts and 1,450 nm laser pulses.

Background And Objective: Although cryogen spray cooling (CSC) is used to minimize the risk of epidermal damage during laser dermatologic surgery, concern has been expressed that CSC may induce cryo-injury. The objective of this study is to measure temperature variations at the epidermal-dermal junction in ex vivo human skin during three clinically relevant multiple cryogen spurt-laser pulse sequences (MCS-LPS).

Study Design/materials And Methods: The epidermis of ex vivo human skin was separated from the dermis and a thin-foil thermocouple (13 microm thickness) was inserted between the two layers.

Improvement of port wine stain laser therapy by skin preheating prior to cryogen spray cooling: a numerical simulation.

Background And Objectives: Although cryogen spray cooling (CSC) in conjunction with laser therapy has become the clinical standard for treatment of port wine stain (PWS) birthmarks, the current approach does not produce complete lesion blanching in the vast majority of patients. The objectives of this study are to: (1) experimentally determine the dynamic CSC heat flux when a skin phantom is preheated, and (2) numerically study the feasibility of using skin preheating prior to CSC to improve PWS laser therapeutic outcome.

Study Design/materials And Methods: A fast-response thin-foil thermocouple was used to measure the surface temperature and thus heat flux of an epoxy skin phantom during CSC.

Comparison of the EEG-based SNAP index and the Bispectral (BIS) index during sevoflurane-nitrous oxide anaesthesia.

The BIS monitor (Aspect Medical Inc, Newton, USA) was the first electroencephalogram (EEG)-based monitor of the hypnotic effect reflected by a dimensionless figure ranging from 100 (awake state) to 0 (flat line EEG). Its widespread use makes it the most-studied and the best-known among same intended devices. Its algorithm processes low-frequency EEG oscillations in order to provide the Bispectral index.

Effect of ambient humidity on light transmittance through skin phantoms during cryogen spray cooling.

Cryogen spray cooling (CSC) is a technique employed to reduce the risk of epidermal damage during dermatologic laser surgery. However, while CSC protects the epidermis from non-specific thermal damage, it might reduce the effective fluence reaching the target chromophore due to scattering of light by the spray droplets and subsequent water condensation/freezing on the skin surface. The objective of this work was to study the effect of ambient humidity (omega) on light transmittance during CSC.

Supplemental perioperative oxygen and the risk of surgical wound infection: a randomized controlled trial.

Context: Supplemental perioperative oxygen has been variously reported to halve or double the risk of surgical wound infection.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that supplemental oxygen reduces infection risk in patients following colorectal surgery.

Design, Setting, And Patients: A double-blind, randomized controlled trial of 300 patients aged 18 to 80 years who underwent elective colorectal surgery in 14 Spanish hospitals from March 1, 2003, to October 31, 2004.

Comparison of diffusion approximation and Monte Carlo based finite element models for simulating thermal responses to laser irradiation in discrete vessels.

Both diffusion approximation (DA) and Monte Carlo (MC) models have been used to simulate light distribution in multilayered human skin with or without discrete blood vessels. However, no detailed comparison of the light distribution, heat generation and induced thermal damage between these two models has been done for discrete vessels. Three models were constructed: (1) MC-based finite element method (FEM) model, referred to as MC-FEM; (2) DA-based FEM with simple scaling factors according to chromophore concentrations (SFCC) in the epidermis and vessels, referred to as DA-FEM-SFCC; and (3) DA-FEM with improved scaling factors (ISF) obtained by equalizing the total light energy depositions that are solved from the DA and MC models in the epidermis and vessels, respectively, referred to as DA-FEM-ISF.

Evaluation of single versus multiple cryogen spray cooling spurts on in vitro model human skin.

Many commercially available dermatologic lasers utilize cryogen spray cooling for epidermal protection. A previous tissue culture study demonstrated that single cryogen spurts (SCS) of 80 ms or less were unlikely to cause cryo-injury in light-skinned individuals. More recently, multiple cryogen spurts (MCS) have been incorporated into commercial devices, but the effects of MCS have not been evaluated.

Circadian oscillations of RPCH gene expression in the eyestalk of the crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus.

The RPCH and beta-actin cDNAs from the crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus were amplified, cloned and sequenced. The primary structure sequences of these cDNAs were compared to other members of the AKH/RPCH family. Fluctuations in the amount of the C.

[Measurement of cardiac output after cardiac surgery: validation of a partial carbon dioxide rebreathing (NICO) system in comparison with continuous thermodilution with a pulmonary artery catheter].

Unlabelled: Cardiac output is usually monitored with a pulmonary artery catheter. However, because that method is not free of risk, devices have been designed in recent years to measure cardiac output in a way that is minimally invasive or fully noninvasive. Among such devices is the NICO monitor, which is based on a modified Fick equation (partial CO2 rebreathing).

Determination of human skin optical properties from spectrophotometric measurements based on optimization by genetic algorithms.

We present an initial study on applying genetic algorithms (GA) to retrieve human skin optical properties using visual reflectance spectroscopy (VRS). A three-layered skin model consisting of 13 parameters is first used to simulate skin and, through an analytical model based on optical diffusion theory, we study their independent effects on the reflectance spectra. Based on a preliminary analysis, nine skin parameters are chosen to be fitted by GA.