Immunosuppressive activities of water-soluble barley β-glucan on alloantigen reactive cell proliferation and cytotoxicity

In this study, we investigated the immunosuppressive effects of water-soluble barley β-glucan (BP) in mouse immune cells. The BP was prepared from barley (Hordeum vulgare), and it suppressed the proliferation of splenocytes stimulated with concanavalin A (Con A), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and alloantigenic splenocytes in a dose-dependent manner (0.25, 0.5, and 1mg/mL). Furthermore, the death-inducing activities of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and lymphokine-activated killer cells (LAKs) in alloantigen-reactive splenocytes were significantly suppressed by more than 50%. Also, the production of IL-2 in the splenocytes decreased. These results suggest that these barley-originated polysaccharides can be used as potential immunosuppressive agents.     

Impact of hypertension guideline implementation on blood pressure control and drug use in primary care clinics

BACKGROUND: A worsening of blood pressure control has occurred in the 1990s despite the availability of sophisticated technologic, pharmacologic, and educational advances applicable to hypertension care. Clinical guidelines that are intended to improve hypertension care by making specific recommendations on drug use, frequency of follow-up care, and target levels of blood pressure have been developed. METHODS: The Institute for Clinical Systems Integration's (ICSI's; Minneapolis) Hypertension Treatment Guideline was developed in 1994 and is updated annually. This study employed a quasi-experimental, before-and-after design at two medical groups to assess changes in the care provided to patients 18 years of age and older with identified hypertension (International Classification of Diseases-9 codes 401.0, 401.1, or 401.9). RESULTS: Among adults with hypertension, the proportion meeting the blood pressure goal of < 140/90 mm Hg increased from 36.8% (of 685 patients) preguideline to 50.3% (of 928 patients) postguideline (chi-square = 29.4, p < 0.001); the mean arterial pressure decreased from 102.7 mm Hg to 99.4 mm Hg (t = 5.45, p < 0.001). Cohort analysis of patients enrolled at both points in time confirmed these findings and showed an increase in the number of office visits from 5.4 to 6.7 visits per patient per year after guideline implementation (F = 10.9, p = 0.001). The use of a guideline-recommended medication for treatment of blood pressure was 35.9% preguideline and 36.2% postguideline. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a hypertension treatment guideline in primary care clinics was related to significantly improved hypertension control. Identification, tracking, and active outreach to patients with hypertension were used by all clinics.     

Drive systems for high-speed gearless elevators

The authors present a new standardized type of gearless traction machine drive system with a PM motor for high-speed elevators. Some control functions which are indispensable for improving the performance of elevator systems have been addressed. Stringent evaluation, environment and life tests ensure that the presented system is not only high-performance but long-lasting and more reliable     

Microstructural Evolution of Transparent PLZT Ceramics Sintered in Air and Oxygen Atmospheres

Transparent lanthanum-doped lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) ceramics were fabricated by air-pressure sintering. When the PLZT (9/65/35) specimens were sintered in air, the microstructure was not uniform throughout the body; the outer region near the surface was completely dense, while the inner region of the body was porous. The thickness of the outer dense layer increased parabolically with sintering time. When the specimen was sintered in air at 1200°C for 8 h, the thickness of the dense layer was ∼0.25 mm. Therefore, when the specimen had a thickness of <0.5 mm, it was dense and transparent. This difference in microstructure was attributed to the formation of lattice vacancies as a result of PbO evaporation from the surface. The sintering atmosphere also was important in determining the thickness of the dense layer. The thickness was strongly dependent on the oxygen partial pressure of the atmosphere. The oxygen-gas trapped in pores was deemed to migrate easily through the lattice vacancies. By sintering in an oxygen-gas atmosphere at 1200°C for 8 h, a transparent PLZT with thickness up to 2 mm was fabricated.     

Oxidation and reduction characteristics of oxygen carrier particles and reaction kinetics by unreacted core model

The reaction kinetics of the oxygen carrier particles, which are used as bed material for a fluidized bed chemical looping combustor (CLC), has been studied experimentally by a conventional thermal gravimetrical analysis technique. The weight percent of nickel and nickel oxide in oxygen carrier particles and reaction temperature were considered as experimental variables. After oxidation reaction, the pure nickel particle was sintered and unsuitable to use as fluidizing particles. The oxidation reaction rate increased with increasing weight percent of nickel in oxygen carrier particles and reaction temperature. The rate of reduction shows maximum point with weight percent of nickel oxide (57.8%) and reaction temperature (750 or 800 °C) increased. In this work, the reaction between air and Ni/ bentonite particle was described by a special case of unreacted core model in which the global reaction rate is controlled by product layer diffusion resistance. However, the reaction between CH₄ and NiO/bentonite particle was described by unreacted core model in which the global reaction rate is controlled by chemical reaction resistance. The temperature dependence of the effective diffusivity of oxidation reaction and reaction rate constant of reduction reaction could be calculated from experimental data and fitted to the Arrhenius equation. Presented at the Int’l Symp. on Chem. Eng. (Cheju, Feb. 8-10, 2001), dedicated to Prof. H. S. Chun on the occasion of his retirement from Korea University.     

Characterization of growth and protein contents from microalgae Navicula incerta with the investigation of antioxidant activity of enzymatic hydrolysates

Microalgae are major primary producers of organic matters in aquatic environments through their photosynthetic activities. Benthic diatom Navicula incerta is the major component of phytoplankton and also relatively easy to cultivate, used as live food source in aquaculture. The growth characteristics of N. incerta were estimated under combinations of temperature, salinity, and light; and also its composition and antioxidant activities were determined. The maximum cell density of 87×10⁵cells/mL, was reached at 20°C, 250 μmol/m²·sec, 33‰ salinity, pH 8.3, 12:12 light:dark, and F/2 medium on 2 weeks of the culture period. The antioxidant enzymatic hydrolysates efficiently quenched different free radicals: 1,1-diphenyl-2-pycryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) (pepsin IC₅₀=196.0 μg/mL), hydroxyl (α-chymotrypsin IC₅₀=102.0 μg/mL), and superoxide (neutrase IC₅₀=169.0 μg/mL). These results suggest that the enzymatic hydrolysate from N. incerta acts as a candidate against antioxidant and could be used as a potential functional food ingredient.     

Agent-based fractal architecture and modelling for developing distributed manufacturing systems

For their timely response to the rapidly changing manufacturing environment and markets, future manufacturing systems must be flexible, adaptable, and reusable. Recently, bionic (or biological), holonic, and fractal manufacturing systems (FrMS) have been discussed as potential candidates for the next generation of manufacturing systems. This study focuses on the FrMS, which is based on the concept of autonomous cooperating agents referred to as fractals. The major component of the FrMS is a basic fractal unit (BFU). It consists of five functional modules: observing module (observer), analysing module (analyser), resolving and executing module (resolver), organizing module (organizer), and reporting module (reporter). Although the FrMS has many conceptual advantages, the implementation of the system has been known to be difficult. This paper is a preliminary study of the basic components and the architecture with an eye toward the future implementation of FrMS. In order to describe the characteristics of a fractal, this paper presents several models including function models using IDEF0, working models using Petri-net, and static/dynamic models using the unified modelling language (UML).     

Improvement of ink and heavy metal removal from old corrugated container stock by alkali kneading

One of the possible ways to strengthen competitiveness of Kraft paper industry is to replace the expensive virgin unbleached kraft pulp (UKP) with old corrugated container (OCC), a cheaper and lower grade raw material. When OCC is utilized to produce kraft paper, the main problems are the impaired appearance of the products, and heavy metals and hazardous materials in the products caused by the printed ink and other contaminants. In order to improve the removal efficiency of ink and heavy metals from old corrugated container stock, the effect of adding alkali during kneading of OCC stock was investigated. It was found that adding NaOH and sodium silicate during kneading could improve detachment of ink from fiber surface and removal of it from stock and hence improve heavy metal removal from OCC stock. Since alkali addition improves ink detachment, effective residual ink concentration (ERIC) of pulp was decreased and brightness was increased. Tensile strength and tensile energy absorption (TEA) were increased with addition of alkali.