PROTOTYPIC DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A MEDIUM FORMAT METRIC CAMERA

To evaluate the lung dose of a non-CFC salbutamol metered dose inhaler (MDI) formulation via three commonly used plastic spacer devices, of both large and small volume, compared with the MDI used on its own. Ten healthy volunteers were studied in a randomized single (investigator) blind crossover design. Single 1200 microg nominal doses of salbutamol from a non-CFC MDI (Airomir), as 12 sequential 100 microg puffs over 6 min, were delivered from the MDI alone and via two large volume spacer devices (Nebuhaler, Volumatic), and a small volume spacer (Aerochamber). All spacers were prewashed prior to each study day and mouth rinsing was performed after each drug sequence. Plasma salbutamol was measured at 5, 10, 15 and 20 min, with calculation of maximum (Cmax) and average (Cav) concentrations. This lung dose was assessed using the early lung absorption profile of salbutamol in the first 20 min after inhalation. Both of the large volume spacers, the Nebuhaler and the Volumatic, delivered significantly more salbutamol than the MDI alone. For Cav this amounted to a 2.07-fold difference (95% CI 1.48-2.90) between Nebuhaler vs MDI, and a 1.49-fold difference (95%CI 1.19-1.87) between Volumatic vs MDI. The Nebuhaler also produced greater deposition than either the Volumatic or the Aerochamber spacers; Nebuhaler vs Volumatic: 1.39-fold difference (95% CI 1.09-1.76), Nebuhaler vs Aerochamber: 1.63-fold difference (95% CI 1.20-2.21). There were no significant differences between the Aerochamber and the MDI alone. Using the early lung absorption profile, for administration of the same nominal dose, both of the large volume spacers (Nebuhaler and Volumatic) but not the small volume spacer (Aerochamber) delivered significantly more salbutamol than the MDI alone. The Nebuhaler also produced greater delivery than either the Volumatic or the Aerochamber spacer devices. Our results show that whilst lung delivery of non-CFC salbutamol MDI is improved by the use of a plastic spacer, there may be appreciable differences in performance, particularly between large and small volume devices.

Abstract. In dense stereo matching applications surface reflections may lead to incorrect measurements and blunders in the resulting point cloud. To overcome the problem of disturbing reflexions polarising filters can be mounted on the camera lens and light source. Reflections in the images can be suppressed by crossing the polarising direction of the filters leading to homogeneous illuminated images and better matching results. However, the filter may influence the camera’s orientation parameters as well as the measuring accuracy. To quantify these effects, a calibration and an accuracy analysis is conducted within a spatial test arrangement according to the German guideline VDI/VDE 2634.1 (2002) using a DSLR with and without polarising filter. In a second test, the interior orientation is analysed in more detail. The results do not show significant changes of the measuring accuracy in object space and only very small changes of the interior orientation (Δc ≤ 4 μm) with the polarising filter in use. Since in medical applications many tiny reflections are present and impede robust surface measurements, a prototypic trinocular endoscope is equipped with polarising technique. The interior and relative orientation is determined and analysed. The advantage of the polarising technique for medical image matching is shown in an experiment with a moistened pig kidney. The accuracy and completeness of the resulting point cloud can be improved clearly when using polarising filters. Furthermore, an accuracy analysis using a laser triangulation system is performed and the special reflection properties of metallic surfaces are presented.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of diluent, stored volume and the cryodiluent medium supplementation with sulfated polysaccharides (SP) extracted from Nile tilapia skin on P. brevis vitrified sperm. Six pools were diluted in 5% Glucose or Powder Coconut Water (ACP-104), supplemented or not with 0.5 mg/mL of SP, and submitted to vitrification. Subsequently, they were stored in cryotubes in two volumes (60 μL and 420 μL). After 15 days, the samples were devitrified and evaluated for kinetics, membrane integrity and sperm DNA integrity. ACP-104 proved to be the best diluent for P. brevis sperm vitrification. Membrane and DNA integrity rates were higher (P < 0.05) when stored in smaller and larger volume, respectively. Additionally, the best rates (P < 0.05) of these same parameters were obtained with supplemented medium. There was interaction (P < 0.05) between diluent and stored volume, with ACP-104 exceeding 5% Glucose for motility in both volumes, while for average path speed (VAP) and membrane integrity the same happened in the larger volume. 5% Glucose had higher VAP and membrane integrity when stored in smaller volume. There was a triple interaction (P < 0.05) for DNA integrity, and better results were obtained when semen was vitrified in ACP-104 and stored in the larger volume, regardless of supplementation, which influenced only the 5% Glucose medium in the smaller volume. It was concluded that ACP-104, supplemented with SP and stored in larger volume make up the best treatment for P. brevis sperm vitrification.

The effect of sampling technique on measurement of fetal blood pH and gases—An in vitro system

Normal human water intake spans a large range owing to the body’s ability to excrete large volumes of water in times of excess and conserve in times of scarcity. Recently, chronic intakes of either large volumes (HIGH) or small volumes (LOW) of water have been investigated. Adaptations within the renal regulation of water through the secretion and reabsorptive actions of the hormone arginine vasopressin and the thirst mechanism have been observed to differentiate these 2 groups during normal living. Increases or decreases in daily fluid intake in LOW and HIGH resulted in appropriate arginine vasopressin and perception of thirst changes, which enabled fluid balance in both of these populations. However, future research should establish if the chronic adaptive mechanisms, by which fluid is regulated have long-term negative outcomes.

The purpose of this study is to provide basic information for the development of well-fitting and comfortable brassieres for women in their 30s, based on the classification of breast shapes by utilizing 3D body measurement data of women in the age group. The result of processing the measurements from the 3D body scan data through RapidForm 2006 shows that while the vertical body measurements decrease, the horizontal measurements, which indicates the degree of obesity, increase proportionally with age. Also, the relevant measurements for upper breasts increase proportionally with age, while the measurements for lower part of the breasts decrease as the degree of sagging increases. Four composition factors of the breasts were identified through the factor analysis: Factor 1 is the level of volume in the breasts and the surrounding area; Factor 2 is the position of nipples and the shape of upper part of breasts; Factor 3 is the position and vertical length of the breasts; Factor 4 is the shape of lower part of breasts; and Factor 5 is the shape of inner part of breasts and degree of width between both breasts. The breasts have been categorized into three distinctive shapes: Breast Shape 1, Breast Shape 2 and Breast Shape 3. According to the results of the cluster analysis, the largest percentage (36.68%) of women in their 30s falls into the category of Breast Shape 2 with small volume and flat upper breasts, followed by Breast Shape 1 (32.66%) with large volume in the upper and lower parts of breasts, and large side to side area, and Breast Shape 3 (30.65%) with average volume and width between breasts.

The analysis of the intensity fluctuation of a fluorescence signal from a relatively small volume and from a few molecules contains information about the distribution of different species present in the solution and about kinetic parameters of the system. The same information is generally averaged out when the fluorescence experiment is performed in a much larger volume, typically a cuvette experiment. The fundamental reason for this difference is that the fluctuations of the fluorescence signal from a few molecules directly reflect the molecular nature of the matter. Only recently, with the advent of confocal microscopy and two-photon excitation, it has become practical to achieve small excitation volumes in which only a few fluorescent molecules are present. We introduce the concept of fluctuation spectroscopy and highlight some of the technical aspects. We discuss different analysis methods used in fluctuation spectroscopy and evaluate their use for studying protein–protein interactions.

Recording the transition from flare-up to steady-state arc magmatism at the Purico–Chascon volcanic complex, northern Chile

Delamination on the interface between mold compound to die, die paddle and inner leads study has been on-going for quite some time. This is a chronicle defect which will result in electrical continuity failure if delamination penetrates into the interface of mold compound to die surface and mold compound to inner leads e.g., delamination on inner leads or die surface to cause wire broken after thermal stress. To resolve delamination, better materials are needed such as Lead frame, die attach and mold compound. Other than that, a process optimization is also a must to achieve delamination free result. The paper portrays the phenomenon of how delamination occurred after improving the BOM e.g., less water absorption and higher adhesion mold compound. During qualification stage, no delamination occurred after thermal stress. But, on mass volume production run, the delamination occurs on inner leads by sampling check. Four “M” Men, Material, Method and Machines are thoroughly checked and compared with its qualification built and mass production run. No difference or conclusion can be observed and made. But, the delamination was there though no finding/difference was observed. However, one conclusion can be made is qualification is small volume but mass confirmation run is large volume. Based on the assumption, Delamination comparison between small volume VS. large volume was conducted to check the difference. Then, the root cause as die attach outgassing to cause contamination on package is observed. The contamination is later turn into delamination after Thermal.

Analysis of release kinetics of ocular therapeutics from drug releasing contact lenses: Best methods and practices to advance the field.

Space Objects Identification(SOI) and related technology have aroused wide attention from spacefaring nations due to the increasingly severe space environment. Multiple ground-based assets have been employed to acquire statistical survey data, detect faint debris, acquire photometric and spectroscopic data. Great efforts have been made to characterize different space objects using the statistical data acquired by telescopes. Furthermore, detailed laboratory data are needed to optimize the characterization of orbital debris and satellites via material composition and potential rotation axes, which calls for a high-precision and flexible optical measurement system. A typical method of taking optical measurements of a space object(or model) is to move light source and sensors through every possible orientation around it and keep the target still. However, moving equipments to accurate orientations in the air is difficult, especially for those large precise instruments sensitive to vibrations. Here, a rotation structure of 3+1 axes, with a three-axis turntable manipulating attitudes of the target and the sensor revolving around a single axis, is utilized to emulate every possible illumination condition in space, which can also avoid the inconvenience of moving large aparatus. Firstly, the source-target-sensor orientation of a real satellite was analyzed with vectors and coordinate systems built to illustrate their spatial relationship. By bending the Reference Coordinate Frame to the Phase Angle plane, the sensor only need to revolve around a single axis while the other three degrees of freedom(DOF) are associated with the Euler’s angles of the satellite. Then according to practical engineering requirements, an integrated rotation system of four-axis structure is brought forward. Schemetic diagrams of the three-axis turntable and other equipments show an overview of the future laboratory layout. Finally, proposals on evironment arrangements, light source precautions and sensor selections are provided. Comparing to current methods, this design shows better effects on device simplication, automatic control and high-precision measurement.

The aim of this study was to assess pathogen DNA extraction with a new spin column-based method (DNA-XT). DNA from either whole-blood samples spiked with Plasmodium falciparum or Leishmania donovani amastigote culture was extracted with DNA-XT and compared with that produced by a commercial extraction kit (DNeasy®). Eluates from large and small sample volumes were assessed by PCR and spectroscopy. Using a small volume (5 μl) of blood, the DNA-XT and DNeasy methods produced eluates with similar DNA concentrations (0.63 vs 1.06 ng/μl, respectively). The DNA-XT method produced DNA with lower PCR inhibition than DNeasy. The new technique was also twice as fast and required fewer plastics and manipulations but had reduced total recovered DNA compared with DNeasy.

Gastric emptying of liquids in the fasted dog

Although adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is known to impact the 3D orientation of the spine and pelvis, the impact of the vertebral position relative to the X-ray scanner on the agreement between 2D and 3D measurements of a curve has not been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the agreement between 2D and 3D measurements of the scoliotic curve as a function of the 3D spinal parameters in AIS. Three independent observers measured the thoracic and lumbar Cobb angles, Kyphosis, and lordosis on the posterior-anterior and lateral X-rays of AIS patients. The 3D reconstructions were created from bi-planar X-rays and the 3D spinal parameters were calculated in both radio and patient planes using SterEOS software. The degree of agreement between the 2D and 3D measurements was tested and its relationship with the curve axial rotation was determined. 2D and 3D measurements of the sagittal plane spinal parameters were significantly different (p<0.05). The differences between the 2D and 3D measurements were related to the apical vertebrae rotation, the orientation of the plane of maximum curvature, pelvic axial rotation, and the curve magnitude. Differences between the radio plane and patient plane measurements were related to the pelvic axial rotation, Cobb angles, and apical vertebrae rotation, p<0.05. Clinically and statistically significant differences were observed between the 2D and 3D measurements of the scoliotic spine. The differences between the 2D and 3D techniques were significant in sagittal plane and were related to the spinal curve and pelvic rotation in transverse plane.

Postgadolinium MR imaging is crucial for brain tumor diagnosis and morphometric assessment. We compared brain tumor enhancement visualization and the "target" object morphometry obtained with the most commonly used 3D MR imaging technique, MPRAGE, with 2 other routinely available techniques: sampling perfection with application-optimized contrasts by using different flip angle evolutions (SPACE) and volumetric interpolated brain examination (VIBE). Fifty-four contrast-enhancing tumors (38 gliomas and 16 metastases) were assessed using MPRAGE, VIBE, and SPACE techniques randomly acquired after gadolinium-based contrast agent administration on a 3T scanner. Enhancement conspicuity was assessed quantitatively by calculating the contrast rate and contrast-to-noise ratio, and qualitatively, by consensus visual comparative ratings. The total enhancing tumor volume and between-sequence discrepancy in the margin delineation were assessed on the corresponding 3D target objects contoured with a computer-assisted software for neuronavigation. The Wilcoxon signed rank and Pearson χ2 nonparametric tests were used to investigate between-sequence discrepancies in the contrast rate, contrast-to-noise ratio, visual conspicuity ratings, tumor volume, and margin delineation estimates. Differences were also tested for 1D (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors) and 2D (Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology) measurements. Compared with MPRAGE, both SPACE and VIBE obtained higher contrast rate, contrast-to-noise ratio, and visual conspicuity ratings in both gliomas and metastases (P range, <.001-.001). The between-sequence 3D target object margin discrepancy ranged between 3% and 19.9% of lesion tumor volume. Larger tumor volumes, 1D and 2D measurements were obtained with SPACE (P range, <.01-.007). Superior conspicuity for brain tumor enhancement can be achieved using SPACE and VIBE techniques, compared with MPRAGE. Discrepancies were also detected when assessing target object size and morphology, with SPACE providing more accurate estimates.