Improved extraction technique for biological fluids

Liquid-liquid extraction technique speeds up separation of biological fluids into number of compounds. This eliminates agitation, emulsion formation, centrifugation, mechanical separation of phases, filtration, and other steps that have been used previously. Extraction efficiencies are equal or better than current manual liquid-liquid extraction techniques

Liquid sample processor

Processor is automatic and includes series of extraction tubes packed with fibrous absorbent material of large surface area. When introduced into these tubes, liquid test samples become completely absorbed by packing material as thin film

Implied Volatility: A theoretical study on explaining the stylized facts of implied volatility using the utility indifference model.

The breakthrough Black-Scholes (BS) model predicts a horizontal line when plotting the implied volatility (IV) against the strike price. However, empirical studies uncovered that the implied volatility derived from option market prices in the BS model varies with strike prices and time to maturity, leading to the identification of three stylized facts that the BS model fails to explain. First, the IV curves exhibit a smile/smirk pattern, with an upward-sloping term structure for at-the-money options. Second, option prices tend to reflect higher implied volatility compared to the realized volatility of asset returns. Third, the negative skewness implied by options prices is greater in absolute terms compared with the realized skewness. Consequently, numerous sophisticated models have been developed to address these stylized facts. Nevertheless, traditional models often fall short of fully explaining all aspects of these phenomena. This study introduces a novel approach to the utility indifference model by incorporating behavioral utility functions to provide a more accurate representation of these anomalies. To evaluate the model’s performance, the standard function used in expected utility theory and behavioral utility functions are tested under both normal and Normal Inverse Gaussian (NIG) distributions. The findings indicate that the conventional utility function fails to capture the observed smirk patterns. In contrast, the behavioral utility function generates the IV smirks that closely align with empirical shapes, even under the normal distribution. These results highlight the effectiveness of the utility indifference model with behavioral utility functions in explaining these stylized facts that standard models struggle to reproduce

Group extraction of organic compounds present in liquid samples

An extraction device is disclosed comprising a tube containing a substantially inert, chemically non-reactive packing material with a large surface area to volume ratio. A sample which consists of organic compounds dissolved in a liquid, is introduced into the tube. As the sample passes through the packing material it spreads over the material's large surface area to form a thin liquid film which is held on the packing material in a stationary state. A particular group or family of compounds is extractable from the sample by passing a particular solvent system consisting of a solvent and selected reagents through the packing material. The reagents cause optimum conditions to exist for the compounds of the particular family to pass through the phase boundary between the sample liquid and the solvent of the solvent system. Thus, the compounds of the particular family are separated from the sample liquid and become dissolved in the solvent of the solvent system. The particular family of compounds dissolved in the solvent, representing an extract, exits the tube together with the solvent through the tube's nozzle, while the rest of the sample remains on the packing material in a stationary state. Subsequently, a different solvent system may be passed through the packing material to extract another family of compounds from the remaining sample on the packing material

The social construction of the Norwegian Viking Age: An analysis of the national identity discourse in Norwegian Viking Age research.

The overall theme of this thesis is how everyday words and formulations can be effective components in the creation and maintenance of national identities. The thesis explores the everyday and almost invisible markers of the national, i.e. statements and formulations which function as constant reminders of a nation, and a national identity. This is done through an analysis of Norwegian archaeological texts examining the Viking Age written between the beginning of the 20th century and the present day. The aim of the thesis is to analyse if a connection between the Viking Age and a Norwegian national identity can be traced in Norwegian archaeological literature. More specifically, the thesis examines if, and in what way, Norwegian archaeological texts assign the Vikings and elements from the Viking Age a Norwegian identity. With the theoretical viewpoint of social constructivism, the thesis argues that our perceptions of identity and the nation are social constructions, and that our perceptions of reality only receive meaning through discourse. On this background, it is emphasised how knowledge is conveyed through language, and how some statements get accepted as meaningful and true in a given historical period. Hence, the thesis examines how some statements continuously get reproduced in the discourse, and in this way are regarded as truths. The aim is thus to analyse how a national identity discourse is created and maintained in archaeological texts examining the Viking Age

Predicted signal peptides, and the role of the N-terminal tail, at the monoamine G-protein coupled receptors 5-HT2c and α2c

Background: G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) have seven transmembrane helices and are situated in the cell membrane, where they transduce signals from specific ligands to the interior of the cell. The first step in the path toward a functional GPCR is the synthesis and incorporation of the evolving receptor into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. This process is named cotranslational translocation and is directed by a hydrophobic signal sequence located either in the N-terminus or in the first transmembrane segment (TM1). When the signal sequence is located in the N-terminus, it is cleaved off after translocation and is called a signal peptide (SP). When the signal sequence is part of the TM1 it is called a signal anchor. Monoamine GPCRs have in general short N-termini and are expected to use their TM1 as a signal anchor. Two monoamine GPCRs are nevertheless predicted by a SP prediction software to have signal peptides: The 5-HT2C receptor and the α2C-adrenoceptor. For the 5-HT2C receptor the consequence of having the predicted SP is that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) will not be present in the mature receptor in the cell membrane. This SNP (Cys23Ser) has in several studies been associated with numerous clinical conditions and outcomes of pharmacotherapy. The α2C-adrenoceptor is poorly expressed at the cell surface and has a large intracellular pool of receptors. It has been shown previously for other receptors that by adding a cleavable signal peptide sequence immediately upstream to the endogenous Nterminus, the expression levels of β2- and α1D-adrenoceptor are greatly enhanced. Consequently, it is seemingly odd that the poorly expressed α2C-adrenoceptor is predicted to contain a SP. Objective: The primary aim was to determine whether the monoamine GPCRs 5- HT2C and α2C have cleavable signal peptides as predicted. A secondary aim was to determine what relevance the N-termini of the 5-HT2C and α2C receptors have for expression levels of the receptors. Materials and methods: Methods included engineering receptor constructs and chimeras by PCR and transiently transfecting COS-7 and HEK293 cells. Receptor constructs containing FLAG epitope were investigated with the primary antibodies M1 and M2 in epifluorescence and confocal microscopy. Expression levels of wild type and rebuilt receptor constructs were determined by radioligand binding performed on membrane preparations. For α2C-adrenoceptors radioligand binding was also performed on whole cells, matching the membranes, to exclude binding to an intracellular pool of receptors. Results and Conclusions: The 5-HT2C receptor has a 32 amino acid long cleavable signal peptide, as predicted by its amino acid sequence. When the signal peptide is made non-cleavable by changing one amino acid, the expression level of the receptor is reduced by 70%. We therefore conclude that a 32 amino acid long cleavable signal peptide is participating in the integration of the 5-HT2C receptor into the ER membrane. Consequently, the mature receptor does not contain the aforementioned Cys23Ser SNP. The α2C-adrenoceptor does not possess a 22 amino acid long cleavable signal peptide. Among the α2C-adrenoceptor constructs, expression was highest for the wild type receptor where the endogenous N-terminus was retained. Furthermore, all attempts at increasing the expression level of the α2C-adrenoceptor by adding a known SP or by truncating the N-tail, failed. We conclude that the Nterminus is not a major contributor to the low expression level of the α2C-adrenoceptor

Comparison of modern icing cloud instruments

Intercomparison tests with Particle Measuring Systems (PMS) were conducted. Cloud liquid water content (LWC) measurements were also taken with a Johnson and Williams (JW) hot-wire device and an icing rate device (Leigh IDS). Tests include varying cloud LWC (0.5 to 5 au gm), cloud median volume diameter (MVD) (15 to 26 microns), temperature (-29 to 20 C), and air speeds (50 to 285 mph). Comparisons were based upon evaluating probe estimates of cloud LWC and median volume diameter for given tunnel settings. Variations of plus or minus 10% and plus or minus 5% in LWC and MVD, respectively, were determined of spray clouds between test made at given tunnel settings (fixed LWC, MVD, and air speed) indicating cloud conditions were highly reproducible. Although LWC measurements from JW and Leigh devices were consistent with tunnel values, individual probe measurements either consistently over or underestimated tunnel values by factors ranging from about 0.2 to 2. Range amounted to a factor of 6 differences between LWC estimates of probes for given cloud conditions. For given cloud conditions, estimates of cloud MVD between probes were within plus or minus 3 microns and 93% of the test cases. Measurements overestimated tunnel values in the range between 10 to 20 microns. The need for improving currently used calibration procedures was indicated. Establishment of test facility (or facilities) such as an icing tunnel where instruments can be calibrated against known cloud standards would be a logical choice

Sample processor for the automatic extraction of families of compounds from liquid samples and/or homogenized solid samples suspended in a liquid

A sample processor and method for the automatic extraction of families of compounds, known as extracts, from liquid and/or homogenized solid samples are disclosed. The sample processor includes a tube support structure which supports a plurality of extraction tubes, each containing a sample from which families of compounds are to be extracted. The support structure is moveable automatically with respect to one or more extraction stations, so that as each tube is at each station a solvent system, consisting of a solvent and reagents, is introduced therein. As a result an extract is automatically extracted from the tube. The sample processor includes an arrangement for directing the different extracts from each tube to different containers, or to direct similar extracts from different tubes to the same utilization device

A low-voltage activated, transient calcium current is responsible for the time-dependent depolarizing inward rectification of rat neocortical neurons in vitro

Intracellular recordings were obtained from rat neocortical neurons in vitro. The current-voltage-relationship of the neuronal membrane was investigated using current- and single-electrode-voltage-clamp techniques. Within the potential range up to 25 mV positive to the resting membrane potential (RMP: –75 to –80 mV) the steady state slope resistance increased with depolarization (i.e. steady state inward rectification in depolarizing direction). Replacement of extracellular NaCl with an equimolar amount of choline chloride resulted in the conversion of the steady state inward rectification to an outward rectification, suggesting the presence of a voltage-dependent, persistent sodium current which generated the steady state inward rectification of these neurons. Intracellularly injected outward current pulses with just subthreshold intensities elicited a transient depolarizing potential which invariably triggered the first action potential upon an increase in current strength. Single-electrode-voltage-clamp measurements reveled that this depolarizing potential was produced by a transient calcium current activated at membrane potentials 15–20 mV positive to the RMP and that this current was responsible for the time-dependent increase in the magnitude of the inward rectification in depolarizing direction in rat neocortical neurons. It may be that, together with the persistent sodium current, this calcium current regulates the excitability of these neurons via the adjustment of the action potential threshold

Family-centred practices in the provision of interventions and services in primary health care: A survey of parents of preschool children with cerebral palsy

The aims of this study were to explore how parents of preschoolers with cerebral palsy (CP) experienced the level of family-centred services using the Measure of Processes of Care (MPOC- 20) within primary health care in Norway and to examine the relationships between these experiences and the provided everyday skills interventions and services. A survey was sent to 360 parents of preschool children with CP. The response rate was 34%. Of the MPOC scales respectful and supportive care and coordinated and comprehensive care received the highest ratings, and providing general information received the lowest. Our findings indicate lower levels of family centredness in primary health-care contexts than that reported in specialist health care. Significant positive associations were found between all the five MPOC-20 scales and the parents’ satisfaction with the amount of service coordination (p ¼ .000–.004). The high scores for respectful and supportive care and the low scores for general information indicate that the families experienced relational help giving practices to a larger extent and participatory practices to a lesser extent. To increase the participatory aspects of family-centred practice, further research needs to address facilitators and barriers of information sharing and ways of giving this information both in specialist and primary health care