A multiple decision procedure in clinical trials

In some multiple treatment arm clinical trials there is an order of preference for the treatments based on secondary considerations like toxicity or cost. In this paper, we consider the case where two or more treatments could have equal prior preference. This formulation includes the problem of comparing several equally preferred experimental treatments to one control, or the comparison of a combination with its components. Our decision procedures will guarantee a high selection probability for the correct treatment(s) when that selection is appropriate. We establish sample size requirements for our decision procedures which can be applied to clinical trials with normal, binomial, or right censored exponential endpoints.     

Definition of the specific roles of lysolecithin and palmitic acid in altering the susceptibility of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine bilayers to phospholipase A2

Bilayers composed of phosphatidylcholine initially resist catalysis by phospholipase A2. However, after a latency period, they become susceptible when sufficient reaction products (lysolecithin and fatty acid) accumulate in the membrane. Temperature near the main bilayer phase transition and calcium concentration modulate the effectiveness of the reaction products. The purpose of this study was to examine the individual contributions of lysolecithin and palmitic acid to the susceptibility of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles and to rationalize the effects of temperature and calcium. Various fluorescent probes (Prodan, Laurdan, pyrene-labeled fatty acid, and dansyl-labeled phospholipid) were used to assess changes in the ability of the reaction products to perturb the bilayer and to affect the interactions with the enzyme. Un-ionized palmitic acid decreased bilayer polarity and perturbed the membrane surface exposing some of the Prodan to bulk water. Lysolecithin increased bilayer polarity and the rate of dipolar relaxation in response to the excited states of Laurdan and Prodan. A combination of the individual contributions of each product was observed when palmitic acid and lysolecithin were present together at low calcium, and the effects of lysolecithin dominated at high calcium. Palmitic acid, but not lysolecithin, promoted the binding of phospholipase A2 to the bilayer surface in the absence of calcium. Lysolecithin reduced the ability of fatty acid to enhance binding apparently by altering the structure of fatty acid domains in the membrane. Furthermore, increased temperature and ionization of the fatty acid tended to cause segregation of bound phospholipase A2 into domains poor in phospholipid content which presumably impeded bilayer hydrolysis. In contrast, un-ionized palmitic acid and lysolecithin promoted hydrolysis by augmenting a step distal to the adsorption of enzyme to the bilayer. This kinetic response to lysolecithin was calcium-dependent. A model accounting for these varied influences of the reaction products is presented.     

Neuropathological findings after intracerebral implantation of microdialysis catheters

The neuropathological and immunocytochemical changes in the sheep forebrain following 7 days of microdialysis, using a catheter approved for human use, are described. There was no behavioural dysfunction and light microscopy revealed mild astrogliosis and patchy macrophage infiltration immediately adjacent to the catheter track. The surrounding neuropil was normal. There was one small subcortical haemorrhage (10 x 1.5 mm). These findings are similar to those following microdialysis in rodents and suggest that the risk of significant damage to the human brain is low, that neuropathological changes in the brain around the catheter should not interfere with local brain metabolism, and that the catheter should be affixed in such a way as to minimize movement-induced damage to the brain.     

Pre-incision infiltration with lidocaine reduces pain and opioid consumption after reduction mammoplasty

BACKGROUND: The main purpose of the reconstruction of the cranium is the protection of the brain. Besides we have to consider important functional and aesthetic necessities in order to achieve satisfactory results. METHODS: Thirty-six clinical cases, operated from November 1991 to June 1996, in which the reconstruction of the cranial vault is carried out by a polymethylmethacrylate acrylic resin are analysed. The causes and locations of the most common bone defects and the main indications for reconstruction are examined. While the repair of the osseous gaps caused by neoplasms is immediate, in the traumatic occurrences, in order to reduce the probability of infectious complications, an average time of 11 months elapsed from the first operation. The surgical technique, with slightest alterations, is the same in all the presented cases, preparing the acrylic resin straight on the operating table. The resin, moulded and adapted to the defect until its complete hardening, presents, thanks to its properties, manifold advantages (and few real disadvantages). RESULTS: The results, in terms of complications, are very satisfactory, with an infectious rate of 2.7%. Besides, in one third of the patients, a considerable clinical improvement after the repair has been observed. CONCLUSIONS: According to personal experience, it is possible to affirm that polymethylmethacrylate, with its remarkable plasticity and stability in time, can always guarantee a satisfactory functional and aesthetic result.     

Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in patients with myocardial infarct and angina pectoris

In a prospective open study we investigated Chlamydia pneumoniae infections in 36 consecutively admitted patients: 26 males, mean age 53.4 yr, range 36-70 yr, 10 females mean age 57.7 yr, range 47-70 yr, suffering myocardial infarction (24 acute, 2 previous) or angina pectoris (10). Antibody serum levels were measured by the immunefluorescent method and they were as follows: negative 5, low 12, medium/high 11, chronic infection 5, recent infection 3. The 3 cases considered as recent infections are described in detail.     

Beta-gamma radiation from leaching resistant glasses containing uranium ions

The β and γ decay of uranium atoms from xUO₃(100 - x)[3B₂O₃ · MO] glass systems, where M=Sr or Pb and 0 ≤ × ≤ 20 mol%, is investigated. The γ decay data are very close to each other, for the same UO₃ contents, in both the systems. The composition dependence of the β decay exhibits a lower slope in the lead borate matrix than in the strontium borate matrix. The ratio between the β activity of samples with the same uranium ion concentrations in the two investigated glass systems is a function of the x values. The results are correlated with the amount of radioactive nuclides and with the structural environments of the radionuclides. The leaching treatment in water at temperatures below 100°C evidenced no aqueous dissolution of glass samples.     

Correction to: Where do university graduates live? – a computer vision approach using satellite images

Applied Intelligence - A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10489-021-02433-z     

From LTL to unambiguous Büchi automata via disambiguation of alternating automata

Formal Methods in System Design - Due to the high complexity of translating linear temporal logic (LTL) to deterministic automata, several forms of “restricted” nondeterminism have been...     

Nodal ant colony optimization for solving profit based unit commitment problem for GENCOs

This paper proposes a nodal ant colony optimization (NACO) technique to solve profit based unit commitment problem (PBUCP). Generation companies (GENCOs) in a competitive restructured power market, schedule their generators with an objective to maximize their own profit without any regard for system social benefit. Power and reserve prices become important factors in decision process. Ant colony optimization that mimics the behavior of ants foraging activities is suitably implemented to search the UCP search space. Here a search space consisting of optimal combination of binary nodes for unit ON/OFF status is represented for the movement of the ants to maintain good exploration and exploitation search capabilities. The proposed model help GENCOs to make decisions on the quantity of power and reserve that must be put up for sale in the markets and also to schedule generators in order to receive the maximum profit. The effectiveness of the proposed technique for PBUCP is validated on 10 and 36 generating unit systems available in the literature. NACO yields an increase of profit, greater than 1.5%, in comparison with the basic ACO, Muller method and hybrid LR-GA.     

Wollaston prism with large split angle

The image formation through a Wollaston prism with large split angle is studied. Formulas for the split angle, approximate calculations of aberrations, and ray tracings are used. The most important aberrations found are astigmatism and anamorphic distortion. Tilting the Wollaston with respect to the incident beam may reduce these aberrations, and if the orientation of the optical axis in the first element is varied it is possible to cancel one of the two aberrations for both images simultaneously, while the other one is substantially reduced. With an adequate adjustment of all the construction parameters the images become sharp enough to allow the use of large split angles (approximately 15 degrees).