The microfiltration (MF) fouling behaviour of -lactoglobulin solutions containing various levels of ionic calcium was investigated on a constant-flux, computer-controlled, cross-flow rig using zirconium oxide membranes. Fouling behaviour was highly dependent on both permeate flux and calcium concentration. At 200 l/(m2 h) on a 50 nm membrane the presence of 8.0 mmol/dm3 (8.0 mM) ionic calcium in t

Power consumption in liquid-crystal displays is analyzed by including frequent polarity reversals and duty-cycle control. A multistep voltage profile is proposed to reduce the power consumption of multiplexed and nonmultiplexed displays. The authors have also shown that the reduction in the power consumption can be achieved with a minimal increase in hardware complexity of the drive electronics.

We consider single-molecule fluorescence experiments with data in the form of counts of photons registered over multiple time-intervals. Based on the observation schemes, linking back to works by Dehmelt [Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 20 (1975) 60] and Cook and Kimble [Phys. Rev. Lett. 54 (1985) 1023], we propose an analytical approach to the data based on the theory of Markov-modulated Poisson processes (

Stimulation of muscarinic receptors is a main mechanism for contractile activation of the detrusor from both animals and humans. Muscarinic receptors are coupled to G-proteins, but the signal transduction systems may vary. In general, M-1 , M-3 and M-5 receptors are considered to couple preferentially to G(q/11) , activating phosphoinositide hydrolysis, in turn leading to mobilization of intracell

Background: Cigarette smoking is a strong risk factor for vascular disease and known to cause dysfunction of the endothelium. However, the molecular mechanisms involved are still not fully understood. Methods: In order to reveal the direct effects of lipid-soluble smoke particles on the endothelium, ring segments isolated from rat mesenteric arteries and human middle cerebral arteries (MCA) obtain

We discuss models for ultrawideband propagation channels. In contrast to conventional channels, a UWB channel extends over such a large bandwidth that the propagation conditions for the different frequency components can be markedly different. There is also a much better temporal resolution of multipath components, which leads to a breakdown of the usual assumption of Rayleigh fading. This paper p

The overall aim of this work was to study knee function movement pattern and knee osteoarthritis in males 14-16 years after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. In the first study, 154 male subjects with a 14-year-old ACL injury were investigated. Self-reported knee function and radiographic signs of osteoarthritis were assessed. Most of the subjects (122/154) underwent knee radiographs, 78% o

In patients with airflow limitation caused by cigarette smoking, lung density measured by computed tomography is strongly correlated with quantitative pathology scores of emphysema, but the ability of lung densitometry to detect progression of emphysema is disputed. We assessed the sensitivity of lung densitometry as a parameter of disease progression of emphysema in comparison to FEV1 and gas tra

A new technique, the beta camera, to complement film autoradiography, with fast quantitative imaging of beta particle-emitting radionuclides has been developed. It consists of a thin plastic scintillator and a light-sensitive microchannel plate detector. The thin tissue sample is mounted on the scintillator. Our first system had a high background and a moderate spatial resolution of 900 microns. W