Application of program packages EMTDC and matlab in the analysis of impact of neutral point operating regime on the magnitude of touch Voltage

This paper introduces a method for power system modeling during the earth fault. The possibility of using this method for selection and adjustment of earth fault protection is pointed out. The paper also contains the comparison of results achieved by simulation with the experimental measurements.

How is leflunomide prescribed and used in Australia? analysis of prescribing and adverse effect reporting

Purpose To evaluate the use of leflunomide in the Australian community since introduction in 2000. Trends in adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting were also studied. Methods Annual Australian prescription and dispensing statistics were analysed. Drug utilisation was estimated as defined daily doses (DDD)/1000 inhabitants/day. ADR data from the Therapeutic Goods Administration's Adverse Drug Reactions Advisory Committee (ADRAC) national monitoring system were compared with the World Health Organisation (WHO) Vigibase records. Results Leflunomide use in Australia (dispensing data) increased from 0.2 in 2000 to 0.4 DDD/1000 inhabitants/day in 2002. The same overall pattern was observed in the 'authority to prescribe' data. From 2000-2002, prescribing of the starter pack (3 x 100 mg loading dose plus 30 x 20 mg tablets) declined (down 74%); likewise for the 20mg (30 tablets) pack. Gradual increases were noted for the 10 mg (30 tablets) pack (up 40%). Approximately 135 reports, detailing about 370 individual ADR, were generated annually. Gastro-intestinal disorders predominated, accounting for 24% of reactions reported to ADRAC. Skin and appendages disorders constituted 14% of reported reactions. Deaths in leflunomide users were attributed to a combination of haematological and gastro-intestinal complications, but it was not possible to ascertain other medication usage or contributing factors. Trends observed with the ADRAC reports were consistent with the WHO database. Conclusions Leflunomide was the first registered DMARD in Australia in over a decade and its use has increased within the community. The ADR reports might have contributed to Australian rheumatologists gradually abandoning loading patients with high doses of leflunomide in favour of starting therapy at lower doses. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Leflunomide improves psoriasis in patients with psoriatic arthritis: An in-depth analysis of data from the TOPAS study

Background: Leflunomide has shown promise in the treatment of psoriasis. Objective: To provide an in-depth analysis of the effect of leflunomide on psoriasis in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Methods: 190 patients with plaque psoriasis (at least 3% skin involvement) and active PsA were randomized to double-blind treatment with leflunomide (100 mg/day loading dose for 3 days followed by 20 mg/day orally) or placebo for 24 weeks. Results: As previously reported, leflunomide resulted in a significantly higher Psoriatic Arthritis Response Criteria response rate than placebo (58.9 vs. 29.7%; p < 0.0001). Significant differences in favor of leflunomide were also observed in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 50 in 30.4% of patients vs. 18.9% for placebo; p = 0.05), target lesion response (46.4 vs. 25.3%; p = 0.0048), combined skin and joint response (27.2 vs. 8.9%; p < 0.0001), Dermatology Life Quality Index (improvement of 1.9 points vs. 0.2; p = 0.0173) and certain SF-36 subdomains. Dermatological responses were observed at the earliest examination (4 weeks) and increased throughout the 24-week study. Conclusion: Once-daily oral leflunomide is an effective and convenient treatment for PsA and plaque psoriasis. Copyright (c) 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel.

In vivo analysis of ciliary muscle morphologic changes with accommodation and axial ametropia

Purpose. To use anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) to analyze ciliary muscle morphology and changes with accommodation and axial ametropia. Methods. Fifty prepresbyopic volunteers, aged 19 to 34 years were recruited. High-resolution images were acquired of nasal and temporal ciliary muscles in the relaxed state and at stimulus vergence levels of -4 and -8 D. Objective accommodative responses and axial lengths were also recorded. Two-way, mixed-factor analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were used to assess the changes in ciliary muscle parameters with accommodation and determine whether these changes are dependent on the nasal–temporal aspect or axial length, whereas linear regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between axial length and ciliary muscle length. Results. The ciliary muscle was longer (r = 0.34, P = 0.02), but not significantly thicker (F = 2.84, P = 0.06), in eyes with greater axial length. With accommodation, the ciliary muscle showed a contractile shortening (F = 42.9. P < 0.001), particularly anteriorly (F = 177.2, P < 0.001), and a thickening of the anterior portion (F= 46.2, P < 0.001). The ciliary muscle was thicker (F = 17.8, P < 0.001) and showed a greater contractile response on the temporal side. Conclusions. The accommodative changes observed support an anterior, as well as centripetal, contractile shift of ciliary muscle mass.

Immunological and biochemical techniques in the analysis of tear proteins

This study is concerned with the analysis of tear proteins, paying particular attention to the state of the tears (e.g. non-stimulated, reflex, closed), created during sampling, and to assess their interactions with hydrogel contact lenses. The work has involved the use of a variety of biochemical and immunological analytical techniques for the measurement of proteins, (a), in tears, (b), on the contact lens, and (c), in the eluate of extracted lenses. Although a diverse range of tear components may contribute to contact lens spoilation, proteins were of particular interest in this study because of their theoretical potential for producing immunological reactions. Although normal host proteins in their natural state are generally not treated as dangerous or non-self, those which undergo denaturation or suffer a conformational change may provoke an excessive and unnecessary immune response. A novel on-lens cell based assay has been developed and exploited in order to study the role of the ubiquitous cell adhesion glycoprotein, vitronectin, in tears and contact lens wear under various parameters. Vitronectin, whose levels are known to increase in the closed eye environment and shown here to increase during contact lens wear, is an important immunoregulatory protein and may be a prominent marker of inflammatory activity. Immunodiffusion assays were developed and optimised for use in tear analysis, and in a series of subsequent studies used for example in the measurement of albumin, lactoferrin, IgA and IgG. The immunodiffusion assays were then applied in the estimation of the closed eye environment; an environment which has been described as sustaining a state of sub-clinical inflammation. The role and presence of a lesser understood and investigated protein, kininogen, was also estimated, in particular, in relation to contact lens wear. Difficulties arise when attempting to extract proteins from the contact lens in order to examine the individual nature of the proteins involved. These problems were partly alleviated with the use of the on-lens cell assay and a UV spectrophotometry assay, which can analyse the lens surface and bulk respectively, the latter yielding only total protein values. Various lens extraction methods were investigated to remove protein from the lens and the most efficient was employed in the analysis of lens extracts. Counter immunoelectrophoresis, an immunodiffusion assay, was then applied to the analysis of albumin, lactoferrin, IgA and IgG in the resultant eluates.

IN VIVO analysis of ocular morphological changes during phakic accommodation

The principal theme of this thesis is the in vivo examination of ocular morphological changes during phakic accommodation, with particular attention paid to the ciliary muscle and crystalline lens. The investigations detailed involved the application of high-resolution imaging techniques to facilitate the acquisition of new data to assist in the clarification of aspects of the accommodative system that were poorly understood. A clinical evaluation of the newly available Grand Seiko Auto Ref/ Keratometer WAM-5500 optometer was undertaken to assess its value in the field of accommodation research. The device was found to be accurate and repeatable compared to subjective refraction, and has the added advantage of allowing dynamic data collection at a frequency of around 5 Hz. All of the subsequent investigations applied the WAM-5500 for determination of refractive error and objective accommodative responses. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) based studies examined the morphology and contractile response of youthful and ageing ciliary muscle. Nasal versus temporal asymmetry was identified, with the temporal aspect being both thicker and demonstrating a greater contractile response. The ciliary muscle was longer in terms of both its anterior (r = 0.49, P <0.001) and overall length (r = 0.45, P = 0.02) characteristics, in myopes. The myopic ciliary muscle does not appear to be merely stretched during axial elongation, as no significant relationship between thickness and refractive error was identified. The main contractile responses observed were a thickening of the anterior region and a shortening of the muscle, particularly anteriorly. Similar patterns of response were observed in subjects aged up to 70 years, supporting a lensocentric theory of presbyopia development. Following the discovery of nasal/ temporal asymmetry in ciliary muscle morphology and response, an investigation was conducted to explore whether the regional variations in muscle contractility impacted on lens stability during accommodation. A bespoke programme was developed to analyse AS-OCT images and determine whether lens tilt and decentration varied between the relaxed and accommodated states. No significant accommodative difference in these parameters was identified, implying that any changes in lens stability with accommodation are very slight, as a possible consequence of vitreous support. Novel three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and analysis techniques were used to investigate changes in lens morphology and ocular conformation during accommodation. An accommodative reduction in lens equatorial diameter provides further evidence to support the Helmholtzian mechanism of accommodation, whilst the observed increase in lens volume challenges the widespread assertion that this structure is incompressible due to its high water content. Wholeeye MRI indicated that the volume of the vitreous chamber remains constant during accommodation. No significant changes in ocular conformation were detected using MRI. The investigations detailed provide further insight into the mechanisms of accommodation and presbyopia, and represent a platform for future work in this field.

In silico identification of novel G protein coupled receptors

G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are a superfamily of membrane integral proteins responsible for a large number of physiological functions. Approximately 50% of marketed drugs are targeted toward a GPCR. Despite showing a high degree of structural homology, there is a large variance in sequence within the GPCR superfamily which has lead to difficulties in identifying and classifying potential new GPCR proteins. Here the various computational techniques that can be used to characterize a novel GPCR protein are discussed, including both alignment-based and alignment-free approaches. In addition, the application of homology modeling to building the three-dimensional structures of GPCRs is described.