Reorganization of the Brain Extracellular Matrix in Hippocampal Sclerosis

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is an important regulator of excitability and synaptic plasticity, especially in its highly condensed form, the perineuronal nets (PNN). In patients with drug-resistant mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE), hippocampal sclerosis type 1 (HS1) is the most common histopathological finding. This study aimed to evaluate the ECM profile of HS1 in surgically treated drug-resistant patients with MTLE in correlation to clinical findings. Hippocampal sections were immunohistochemically stained for aggrecan, neurocan, versican, chondroitin-sulfate (CS56), fibronectin, Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA), a nuclear neuronal marker (NeuN), parvalbumin (PV), and glial-fibrillary-acidic-protein (GFAP). In HS1, besides the reduced number of neurons and astrogliosis, we found a significantly changed expression pattern of versican, neurocan, aggrecan, WFA-specific glycosylation, and a reduced number of PNNs. Patients with a lower number of epileptic episodes had a less intense diffuse WFA staining in Cornu Ammonis (CA) fields. Our findings suggest that PNN reduction, changed ECM protein, and glycosylation expression pattern in HS1 might be involved in the pathogenesis and persistence of drug-resistant MTLE by contributing to the increase of CA pyramidal neurons’ excitability. This research corroborates the validity of ECM molecules and their modulators as a potential target for the development of new therapeutic approaches to drug-resistant epilepsy.     

Stimulation of negative magnetoresistance by an electric field and light in silicon doped with boron and manganese

It is experimentally ascertained that light stimulates the negative magnetoresistance observed in a high electric field in silicon doped with boron and manganese. The optimum conditions (the electric field, temperature, illumination, and resistivity of the material) for observation of the largest magnitude of negative magnetoresistance in (Si:B):Mn are determined. The dependence of the negative magnetoresistance on the concentration of compensating impurity is established.     

Improving cell edge throughput for LTE using combined uplink power control

Uplink power control is used in 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems to maximize the power of the desired received signals while limiting the interference. This paper analyzes two power control mechanisms, Fractional Power Control (FPC) and Interference Based Power Control (IBPC). A way of combining them is proposed in order to find an efficient algorithm to control the transmitted Power Spectral Density (PSD) in order to compensate poor channel conditions and thus to obtain better performance in terms of cell edge throughput.     

Optimization of frozen sour cherries vacuum drying process

The objective of this research was to optimize the vacuum-drying of frozen sour cherries in order to preserve health-beneficial phytochemicals, as well as textural characteristics. Investigated range of temperature was 46–74 °C and, of pressure, 17–583 mbar, in a new design of vacuum-dryer equipment. The total solids, a_w value, total phenolics, vitamin C, antioxidant activity, anthocyanin content, total colour change and firmness were used as quality indicators of dried sour cherry. Within the experimental range of studied variables, the optimum conditions of 54.03 °C and 148.16 mbar were established for vacuum drying of sour cherry. Separate validation experiments were conducted, under optimum conditions, to verify predictions and adequacy of the second-order polynomial models. Under these optimal conditions, the predicted amount of total phenolics was 744 mg CAE/100 dw, vitamin C 1.44 mg/100 g per dry weight (g dw), anthocyanin content 125 mg/100 g dw, IC₅₀ 3.23 mg/ml, total solids 70.72%, a_w value 0.646, total colour change 52.61 and firmness 3395.4 g. The investigated parameters had a significant effect on the quality of the dried sour cherries.     

Antibacterial and antifungal activities of selected microalgae and cyanobacteria

In vitro activity of nine cyanobacterial and ten microalgal newly isolated or culture collection strains against eight significant food‐borne pathogens has been evaluated and compared. Water extracts and culture liquids of Gloeocapsa sp. and Synechocystis sp. demonstrated the widest spectrum of activity with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 1.56 to 12.5 mg mL^?1. Culture liquid of Anabaena sp. had the highest activity (MIC = 0.39 mg mL^?1) but only to Gram‐positive bacteria. Ethanol extracts and fatty acids from all cyanobacteria and microalgae were active against Streptococcus pyogenes and/or Staphylococcus aureus. The fatty acids of Synechocystis sp. inhibited the growth of Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans (MIC values of 2.5–1.25 mg mL^?1, respectively). Exopolysaccharides (EPS) of Gloeocapsa sp. were the sample that exhibited activity against all test pathogens with lowest MIC values (0.125–1 mg mL^?1). High activity with a narrower range of susceptible targets demonstrated the exopolysaccharides of Synechocystis sp. and Rhodella reticulata. Antimicrobial activity was proven for phycobiliproteins isolated from Synechocystis sp., Arthrospira fusiformis, Porphyridium aerugineum and Porphyridium cruentum, respectively. In conclusion Gloeocapsa sp. and Synechocystis sp. and especially their exopolysaccharides showed the most promising potential against the examined food pathogens.     

Aluminium content of beers

 The aluminium (Al) concentration in different brands of beers packaged in Al cans and glass bottles was measured at the end of the shelf-life of the beer, by the Zeeman graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry (ZGFAAS) method. The results show that in all cases a brand of beer packaged in an Al can has a higher Al content than the same brand bottled in glass. The measurements of the Al concentration in some Al-canned beers throughout 12 months of storage show that a relatively small increase of the Al concentration in beers occurs throughout storage. All these results indicate that some Al is taken up by the beer in Al cans, presumably through the slight and slow dissolution of Al from the can wall, due to some defects in the protective lacquer layer. The evaluated daily intake of Al (0.256 mg) possible through the consumption of beer was practically negligible in relation to both the total daily dietary Al intake and the tolerable daily Al intake. Thus, beers are an insignificant source of dietary Al intake and it appears that the Al intake from beers (due to the low content of Al in beers and its low bioavailability) should not be a cause for concern with regard to Al toxicity for the human body. Received: 22 April 1996     

Recent developments in Process Integration

Process Integration supporting process design, integration and optimisation has been around for more than 40 years. Its development has been closely related to developing the Chemical Engineering, implementation of mathematical modelling and the application of information technology. Its development has been accelerating as the methodology has been able to provide answers and support for important issues regarding economic development—energy, water and resources better utilisation and savings. This contribution is targeted towards a short overview of recent achievements and future challenges.     

NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION OF TWO-DIMENSIONAL LAMINAR FLOW AND SOLUTE TRANSPORT IN A CHANNEL WITH SOME SYMMETRIC EXPANSIONS AND CONTRACTIONS

Numerical investigation of two-dimensional (2D) laminar flow and solute transport in a channel with some sudden symmetric expansions and contractions has been performed using the fictitious regions method. This method allows us, instead of solving Navier-Stokes equations in a complex domain, to solve equations with suitably continued coefficients in a rectangle. Stream function-vorticity variables are used in the present paper. Dependence of the flow and solute transport from the dimensions of the channel expansions and contractions is numerically investigated for different values of Reynolds and Péclet numbers using a finite differences method on a relatively fine grid.     

Decrease of the chlorogenic acid content in commercial sunflower meal using a polyphenol oxidase preparation secreted by the white‐rot fungus Trametes versicolor ATCC 42530

BACKGROUND: Sunflower meal (SFM) is a by‐product from the oil extraction process from sunflower seeds. The meal is used as a protein supplement in the livestock diet. However, relatively high levels of polyphenols, among which chlorogenic (CGA) and caffeic acids are in larger amounts, in the meal compromises its use for animal feed and human consumption. The aim of this work was to investigate an enzymatic process for upgrading the quality of SFM by decreasing its CGA content using an enzyme preparation from the white‐rot fungus Trametes versicolor. RESULTS: The effects of pH, temperature, enzyme and meal concentrations, and mass transfer on the decrease of the CGA content in SFM were investigated. It was found that: (1) the optimum pH and temperature were 3.4 and 45 °C, respectively. (2) The system was saturated with the enzyme when its concentration was 5 nkat/mL of liquid phase; (3) the agitation speed of the system influenced the extraction of CGA from the meal; and (4) the conversion of CGA in the SFM system increased in the presence of larger volumes of liquid phase. CONCLUSIONS: The enzyme preparation used in the experiments is able to decrease successfully the CGA content in SFM. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Study of the filter cake formed due to the sedimentation of monodispersed and bidispersed particles using discrete element method–computational fluid dynamics simulations

This study aims to investigate the sedimentation and the consolidation of the packed bed/cake formed due to the monodispersed and bidispersed particles under different flow conditions. Mutual interactions between the bidispersed particles and the liquid are considered by using a polydispersed drag model. The attractive force is considered by using the JKR model. Sensitivity of the void fraction of a sedimented packed bed/cake due to particle–particle interaction parameters is studied. Furthermore, the effect of the fluid flow is analyzed by performing the simulations in two stages. In the first stage, packed bed/cake is formed by the sedimentation of the particles in the absence of the fluid forces and in the second stage flow through the packed bed/cake is simulated by using the CFD coupled with the discrete element method. Based on the simulations, correlations between the sedimented and the consolidated void fractions are developed. © 2019 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 65: 1294–1303, 2019