Telomere length, telomerase activity and telomerase RNA expression during mouse mammary tumor progression

The effects of intraportal administration of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) on portal venous flow, hepatic arterial flow, peripheral tissue blood flow, and systemic arterial flow before and after 60 min total liver ischemia followed by 70% partial hepatectomy in rats were investigated. Total liver ischemia was induced by occluding the hepatoduodenal ligament for 60 min. PGE1 at a dose of 0.5 microg/kg/min was infused intraportally for 15 min before inducing hepatic ischemia (preischemic period) and for 60 min after ischemia (postischemic reperfusion period) in the treatment group. Normal saline was infused in the control group. Seventy percent partial hepatectomy was performed during ischemia. Serum biochemical analysis and liver tissue histology were carried out 1, 3, and 24 h, and 1 and 24 h after reperfusion respectively. One-week survival of the PGE1 group was improved to 70% compared to that of the control group of 30%. Postischemia reperfusion values of portal and peripheral tissue blood flows in the PGE1 group were 6.33 +/- 0.600 ml/min and 27.2 +/- 23.5 (arbitrary), and were significantly different from those of the control group of 4.34 +/- 0.400 ml/min and 23.5 +/- 5.54 (arbitrary), respectively. There was no significant difference in hepatic arterial flow between the two groups. Serum alkaline phosphatase decreased significantly in the prostaglandin group. Histological examination revealed a significant portal venous congestion in the control group 1 and 24 h after reperfusion. The extent of the sinusoidal congestion was also severe in the control group 24 h after reperfusion. It was concluded that PGE1 has a protective effect against liver damage when the liver was injured by warm ischemia and reperfusion followed by partial resection.     

Action of andiroba oil (Carapa guianensis) on Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille, 1806) (Acari: Ixodidae) semi‐engorged females: Morphophysiological evaluation of reproductive system

Because of the increasing medical‐veterinary importance of ticks, the development of alternative control methods, less aggressive to the host and the environment has become the target of several researches. In this sense, the present study analyzed the action of different concentrations (5, 10, and 20%) of andiroba seed oil (Carapa guianensis) on the reproductive system of Rhipicephalus sanguineus females, through histochemical techniques and the quantification of the reproductive efficiency index. The results showed that andiroba oil is a potent natural agent, able to cause several changes in the oocytes of this species, impairing the reproductive success, once this natural product induces great physiological changes in the oocytes in all development stages, such as drastic reduction in proteins, polysaccharides, and lipids in these cells, and these components are essential for the viability of the embryo. In addition, it was observed that this product stimulate the oviposition, mainly at the concentration of 20%. This higher production of eggs represents a defense mechanism developed by the organism in order to ensure the reproductive success of the species, even in the presence of the toxic agent. However, the results obtained suggested that the laid eggs would not be viable, due to the great changes undergone by the oocytes. Thus, the present study showed that the use of this vegetal product would be an alternative way to control the ticks, bringing benefits similar to the ones obtained through the use of synthetic acaricides; however, with less damage to nontarget organisms and the environment as well. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Cold energy release characteristics of an ice/air direct contact heat exchanger

This paper deals with the cold energy release characteristics of an ice/air direct contact heat exchanger. Characteristics of the outlet temperature, humidity, and time history of heat release are examined when the initial height of the ice‐cube‐packed bed in the heat exchanger is changed. The following results were obtained in these experiments: (1) Inlet air of 30 °C is lowered to about 0 °C when passed through the heat exchanger, and the absolute humidity of the outlet air is reduced to about a quarter of that of the inlet air. (2) There is an optimum height of the ice‐cube‐packed bed to maximize the amount of cold energy release. (3) This heat exchange method can supply about twice as much cold energy as is released by an ordinary fin‐tube‐type heat exchanger even if the air velocity in the heat exchanger is reduced to about 0.38 times that of the fin‐tube‐type heat exchanger. (4) A nondimensional correlation equation for predicting the time taken for the ice‐cube‐packed bed to completely melt is derived. © 2001 Scripta Technica, Heat Trans Asian Res, 30(2): 95–113, 2001     

Fuzzy controller for AUV robots based on machine learning and genetic algorithm

Artificial Life and Robotics - Marine robots play a crucial role in exploring and investigating underwater and seafloor environments, organisms, structures, and resources. In this study, we...     

Modeling and design of networked control systems using a stochastic switching systems approach

A networked control system (NCS) is a control system in which plants, sensors, controllers, and actuators are connected through communication networks. In this paper, we consider NCSs modeled by stochastic switching systems, and propose a new method for modeling and optimal control. First, a recursive representation of the expected value of the state is proposed. Next, after an over‐approximation of this recursive representation is derived, the optimal control problem is reduced to a linear programming problem. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is shown by a numerical example. The proposed method provides us an easy‐to‐use control method for NCSs. © 2013 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.