Effect of vitamin A and protein levels in the diet of chickens infected with Ascaridia galli on activity of digestive enzymes in pancreas and small intestine

Hybrid chickens Astra S fed vitamin A deficiency diet containing 11 or 19% protein were infected with 500 invasive eggs of Ascaridia galli. One part of them received vitamin A in a dose corresponding to daily requirement, other part in double dose. After 7 weeks the extensity and intensity of ascaridiosis were determined. In pancreas and intestinal contents the activities of alpha-amylase, lipase and trypsin were measured. The invasion index was the highest in the group of chickens fed the protein and vitamin A deficiency diet. Vitamin A in a requirement dose lowered the parasite index. The results with double dose of vitamin A were worse in comparison with single dose. The activities of digestive enzymes were lower in infected animals than in the control groups. Vitamin A acted as moderator of the enzymatic changes during ascaridiosis.     

An Overview of Synergistic Data Tools for Biological Scrutiny

A network of biological databases is reviewed, supplying a framework for studies of human genes and the association of their genomic variations with human phenotypes. The network is composed of GeneCards, the human gene compendium, which provides comprehensive information on all known and predicted human genes, along with its suite members GeneDecks and GeneLoc. Two databases are shown that address genes and variations focusing on olfactory reception (HORDE) and transduction (GOSdb). In the realm of disease scrutiny, we portray MalaCards, a novel comprehensive database of human diseases and their annotations. Also shown is GeneKid, a tool aimed at generating novel kidney disease biomarkers using systems biology, as well as Xome, a database for whole-exome next-generation DNA sequences for human diseases in the Israeli population. Finally, we show LifeMap Discovery, a database of embryonic development, stem cell research and regenerative medicine, which links to both GeneCards and MalaCards.     

Electrochemical methods for the in situ regeneration of active surface area of aged fuel cell type electrodes

One of the main reasons for the decay in performance of phosphoric acid fuel cells (150° C) is the decrease in surface area of the platinum catalyst with time. It was found that fast potentiostatic cycling (50 mVs^–1) could regenerate the surface area of the Pt and recover the performance. The mechanism of regeneration is likely to be charge injection, resulting in electrostatic repulsion of the platinum particles in the loosely held agglomerates.This work was performed under the auspices of the US Department of Energy.Visiting scientist at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in the summers of 1976 and 1977.     

Cecil: a sequencing constraint language for automatic staticanalysis generation

A flexible and general mechanism for specifying problems relating to the sequencing of events and mechanically translating them into dataflow analysis algorithms capable of solving those problems is presented. Dataflow analysis has been used for quite some time in compiler code optimization. Most static analyzers have been custom-built to search for fixed and often quite limited classes of dataflow conditions. It is shown that the range of sequences for which it is interesting and worthwhile to search in actually quite broad and diverse. A formalism for specifying this diversity of conditions is created. It is shown that these conditions can be modeled essentially as dataflow analysis problems for which effective solutions are known. It is also shown how these solutions can be exploited to serve as the basis for mechanical creation of analyzers for these conditions     

Effect of pantothenic acid and ascorbic acid supplementation on human skin wound healing process. A double-blind, prospective and randomized trial

This study aimed at testing human skin wound healing improvement by a 21-day supplementation of 1.0 g ascorbic acid (AA) and 0.2 g pantothenic acid (PA). 49 patients undergoing surgery for tattoos, by the successive resections procedure, entered a double-blind, prospective and randomized study. Tests performed on both skin and scars determined: hydroxyproline concentrations, number of fibroblasts, trace element contents and mechanical properties. In the 18 supplemented patients, it was shown that in skin (day 8) Fe increased (p < 0.05) and Mn decreased (p < 0.05); in scars (day 21), Cu (p = 0.07) and Mn (p < 0.01) decreased, and Mg (p < 0.05) increased; the mechanical properties of scars in group A were significantly correlated to their contents in Fe, Cu and Zn, whereas no correlation was shown in group B. In blood, AA increased after surgery with supplementation, whereas it decreased in controls. Although no major improvement of the would healing process could be documented in this study, our results suggest that the benefit of AA and PA supplementation could be due to the variations of the trace elements, as they are correlated to mechanical properties of the scars.     

Carbon supports for phosphoric acid fuel cell electrocatalysts: alternative materials and methods of evaluation

In early development of the phosphoric acid fuel cell, the most common carbon support material for the platinum catalyst was a Cabot Corporation furnace black called Vulcan XC-72R. Even though use of this material facilitates dispersion of platinum and electrode fabrication, it is unstable at elevated temperatures and high electrode potentials. At present the main approach to the problem is to heat-treat the Vulcan material or use acetylene black. The present study is an evaluation of five Cabot Corporation furnace blacks of widely varying physical and chemical properties, including Vulcan XC-72R. These studies include an investigation of wetting characteristics, oxygen reduction on platinum supported on these carbons, and a determination of carbon stability using a cyclic voltammetric technique. Carbons with high volatile content and acid pH (Cabot Corporation Mogul 1300, CSX 98 and Mogul L) were hydrophobic and inhibited platinum dispersion. Platinum dispersion was good on Vulcan XC-72R but the platinum sintering rate was high. One carbon (Regal 660R) with a low volatile content and a neutral pH had high platinum dispersion, good electrode performance, a negligible platinum sintering rate and a high resistance to corrosion. It appears to be a potentially useful substitute for Vulcan XC-72R.Work carried out under the auspices of the US Department of Energy under contract No. DE-AC02-76CH00016.     

Analog Computer Simulation of Maximum Expiratory Flow Limitation

This paper extends previous modeling work in our laboratory on the simulation of the panting maneuver executed in a body plethysmograph [8] to the simulation of a wider range of pulmonary function tests and, in particular, the maximum expiratory flow-volume (MEFV) curve. The simulation is implemented on an analog computer for ease of parameter manipulation; the effects of changes in several model parameters (such as large and small airway resistance, and airway and lung compliance) on the MEFV curve are discussed. The model structure presented here is much simpler than the ventilatory system models of Fry [6] and Pardaens et al. [18], and yet yields the same information in a diagnostic sense.