Handbook of cleaning requirements, procedures, and verification techniques for oxygen systems

Oxygen system cleaning specifications have been drawn from twenty-three government and industrial sources. Cleaning processes for meeting these specifications and recommended postcleaning inspection procedures are compiled in handbook. Microfiche supplement of pertinent pages of listed references is included

Updated statewide abundance estimates for the Florida manatee

Knowing how many manatees live in Florida is critical for conservation and management of this threatened species. Martin and others flew aerial surveys in 2011–2012 and estimated abundance in those years using advanced techniques that incorporated multiple data sources. We flew additional aerial surveys in 2015–2016 to count manatees and again applied advanced statistical techniques to estimate their abundance. We also made several methodological advances over the earlier work, including accounting for how sea state (water surface conditions) and synchronous surfacing behavior affect the availability of manatees to be detected and incorporating all parts of Florida in the area of inference. We estimate that the number of manatees in Florida in 2015–2016 was 8,810 (95% Bayesian credible interval 7,520–10,280), of which 4,810 (3,820–6,010) were on the west coast of Florida and 4,000 (3,240–4,910) were on the east coast. These estimates and associated uncertainty, in addition to being of immediate value to wildlife managers, are essential new data for incorporation into integrated population models and population viability analyses

Phase II trial of dexverapamil and epirubicin in patients with non-responsive metastatic breast cancer.

Agents capable of reversing P-glycoprotein-associated multidrug resistance have usually failed to enhance chemotherapy activity in patients with solid tumours. Based on its toxicity profile and experimental potency, dexverapamil, the R-enantiomer of verapamil, is considered to be promising for clinical use as a chemosensitizer. The purpose of this early phase II trial was to evaluate the effects of dexverapamil on epirubicin toxicity, activity and pharmacokinetics in patients with metastatic breast cancer. A two-stage design was applied. Patients first received epirubicin alone at 120 mg m(-2) i.v. over 15 min, repeated every 21 days. Patients with refractory disease continued to receive epirubicin at the same dose and schedule but supplemented with oral dexverapamil 300 mg every 6 h x 13 doses. The Gehan design was applied to the dexverapamil/epirubicin cohort of patients. Thirty-nine patients were entered on study, 25 proceeded to receive epirubicin plus dexverapamil. Dexverapamil did not increase epirubicin toxicity. The dose intensity of epirubicin was similar when used alone or with dexverapamil. In nine intrapatient comparisons, the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) of epirubicin was significantly reduced by dexverapamil (mean 2968 vs 1901 microg ml[-1] h[-1], P= 0.02). The mean trough plasma levels of dexverapamil and its major metabolite nor-dexverapamil were 1.2 and 1.5 microM respectively. The addition of dexverapamil to epirubicin induced partial responses in 4 of 23 patients evaluable for tumour response (17%, CI 5-39%, s.e.P 0.079). The remissions lasted 3, 8, 11 and 11+ months. These data suggest that the concept of enhancing chemotherapy activity by adding chemosensitizers may function not only in haematological malignancies but also in selected solid tumours. An increase in the AUC and toxicity of cytotoxic agents does not seem to be a prerequisite for chemosensitizers to enhance anti-tumour activity

Differential Roles of Tumor Necrosis Factor Ligand Superfamily Members as Biomarkers in Pancreatic Cancer

The tumor necrosis factor⁻related weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) belongs to the tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily, which was shown to play an important role in inflammatory and malignant gastrointestinal diseases, including colitis or colorectal cancer. However, in contrast to other members of the TNF ligand superfamily, its role as a biomarker in pancreatic cancer is currently unknown. We analyzed serum levels of A proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) and TWEAK in 134 patients with pancreatic cancer. Results were compared with 50 healthy controls and correlated with clinical data. Intratumoral expression of APRIL and TWEAK in pancreatic cancer was analysed using the datasets made available by the TCGA-LIHC project. APRIL serum levels were significantly elevated in patients with pancreatic cancer compared to healthy controls, which is in line with previous findings. Notably, the diagnostic accuracy of circulating APRIL levels was similar to CA19-9, an established tumor marker for pancreatic cancer. In contrast, serum concentrations of TWEAK were decreased in pancreatic cancer patients. Interestingly, no differences in TWEAK concentrations became apparent between different clinical subgroups of pancreatic cancer. Moreover, within our cohort of patients, TWEAK levels did not correlate with the patients' prognosis and the diagnostic as well as prognostic potential of TWEAK was lower than CA 19-9, when analyzed in this setting. Finally, using data from the TCGA-LIHC project, we demonstrate that expression levels of TWEAK and APRIL represent prognostic markers for patients' survival according to Kaplan-Meier curve analyses. TWEAK and APRIL serum concentrations are regulated differently in patients with pancreatic cancer, highlighting diverse roles of variant TNF ligands in this type of cancer

Sigma-phase in Fe-Cr and Fe-V alloy systems and its physical properties

A review is presented on physical properties of the sigma-phase in Fe-Cr and Fe-V alloy systems as revealed both with experimental -- mostly with the Mossbauer spectroscopy -- and theoretical methods. In particular, the following questions relevant to the issue have been addressed: identification of sigma and determination of its structural properties, kinetics of alpha-to-sigma and sigma-to-alpha phase transformations, Debye temperature and Fe-partial phonon density of states, Curie temperature and magnetization, hyperfine fields, isomer shifts and electric field gradients.Comment: 26 pages, 23 figures and 83 reference

Self‐pollination in island and mainland populations of the introduced hummingbird‐pollinated plant, Nicotiana glauca (Solanaceae)

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142032/1/ajb20672.pd

Micro-fabrication of Carbon Structures by Pattern Miniaturization in Resorcinol-Formaldehyde Gel

A simple and novel method to fabricate and miniaturize surface and sub-surface micro-structures and micro-patterns in glassy carbon is proposed and demonstrated. An aqueous resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) sol is employed for micro-molding of the master-pattern to be replicated, followed by controlled drying and pyrolysis of the gel to reproduce an isotropically shrunk replica in carbon. The miniaturized version of the master-pattern thus replicated in carbon is about one order of magnitude smaller than original master by repeating three times the above cycle of molding and drying. The micro-fabrication method proposed will greatly enhance the toolbox for a facile fabrication of a variety of Carbon-MEMS and C-microfluidic devices.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figure

Selective ROCK2 inhibition in focal cerebral ischemia

Objective: Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) is a key regulator of numerous processes in multiple cell types relevant in stroke pathophysiology. ROCK inhibitors have improved outcome in experimental models of acute ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. However, the relevant ROCK isoform (ROCK1 or ROCK2) in acute stroke is not known. Methods: We characterized the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profile, and tested the efficacy and safety of a novel selective ROCK2 inhibitor KD025 (formerly SLx-2119) in focal cerebral ischemia models in mice. Results: KD025 dose-dependently reduced infarct volume after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. The therapeutic window was at least 3 h from stroke onset, and the efficacy was sustained for at least 4 weeks. KD025 was at least as efficacious in aged, diabetic or female mice, as in normal adult males. Concurrent treatment with atorvastatin was safe, but not additive or synergistic. KD025 was also safe in a permanent ischemia model, albeit with diminished efficacy. As one mechanism of protection, KD025 improved cortical perfusion in a distal middle cerebral artery occlusion model, implicating enhanced collateral flow. Unlike isoform-nonselective ROCK inhibitors, KD025 did not cause significant hypotension, a dose-limiting side effect in acute ischemic stroke. Interpretation Altogether, these data show that KD025 is efficacious and safe in acute focal cerebral ischemia in mice, implicating ROCK2 as the relevant isoform in acute ischemic stroke. Data suggest that selective ROCK2 inhibition has a favorable safety profile to facilitate clinical translation