The soluble 60-kDa tumour necrosis factor receptor: no difference found between patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and controls: increasing levels are associated with the recovery from Guillain-Barré syndrome

We determined serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of the soluble 60-kDa tumour necrosis factor (TNF) receptor (sTNF-R p60) in 50 patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) and in 18 patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). Neither in serum nor in CSF samples was there a statistically significant difference between mean receptor concentrations of patients with MS (serum: 1064, SD 262 pg/ml; CSF: 555, SD 130 pg/ml), with other noninflammatory neurological diseases (serum: 1008, SD 248 pg/ml; CSF: 530, SD 112 pg/ml) and with healthy control subjects (serum: 918, SD 180 pg/ml). In order to determine disease activity, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain was performed in all MS patients. The mean sTNF-R p60 levels of patients who showed gadolinium DTPA enhancement on MRI were not different from those without enhancement (1034, SD 274 pg/ml vs 1099, SD 248 pg/ml in serum samples and 546, SD 109 pg/ml vs 565, SD 152 pg/ml in CSF samples). In GBS, the sTNF-R p60 levels of serum and CSF samples were significantly higher than in MS and all control groups except for the group with viral meningitis (VM) (GBS: 1544, SD 834 pg/ml in serum, 882, SD 147 pg/ml in CSF; VM: 1518, SD 375 pg/ml in serum, 1131, SD 611 pg/ml in CSF; P < 0.001 for serum samples and P < 0.005 for CSF samples). Serial serum sTNF-R p60 measurements in 13 patients with GBS showed an increase in receptor levels parallel with the recovery from the disease (1276, SD 374 pg/ml at the time of disease onset, 1554, SD 482 pg/ml 14-24 days later and 1787, SD 525 pg/ml after 28-32 days). From our results and the conflicting data of previous studies, we could not agree with the suggestion that the assessment of sTNF-R p60 in MS patients is a useful marker for disease activity. In GBS, subsequently increasing sTNF-R p60 levels are associated with recovery from the disease. It remains to be shown whether they might represent a relevant pathogenetic factor during this stage of GBS.     

Interview reliability for assessing mental work demands.

This study presented and evaluated an interview method for the analysis of tasks included in a work situation. What mental demands and possibilities do the work tasks give rise to? When was the work more or less automatic? When was use of active knowledge required? When were problem solving and planning needed? The study included an assessment of the interobserver reliability of the interviews with employees from 5 different careers: bus drivers (n?=?10), home service workers (n?=?32), carpenters (n?=?11), farmers (n?=?14), and teachers (n?=?26). The extent to which this method can be reproduced in studies of different occupations is discussed. The interobserver reliability was good (.75–.82). There is support for the stability and usefulness of the interview for most types of work concerning the 3 categories of mental demands: routine, active knowledge, and problem solving/creativity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of Synthesis Conditions for ZSM-5 on the Hydrothermal Stability of Cu-ZSM-5

The influence of syntheses parameters of zeolite ZSM-5 on the lean NO _x reduction activity and hydrothermal stability of Cu-ZSM-5 has been investigated. The hydrothermal stability of Cu-ZSM-5 was found to depend on the aluminium source used and on the presence of Ca(OH)₂ in the synthesis mixture for ZSM-5.     

过渡金属磷化物在光催化机理方面的研究进展

近年来,环境治理和清洁能源生产已被视为世界的当务之急。利用可再生太阳能进行光催化反应是解决上述问题的一种有效途径。光催化体系较为复杂,光催化剂和助催化剂是影响光催化效率的两个关键因素。具有独特电子结构的过渡金属磷化物（TMPs）价格低廉、储量丰富,已成为光催化材料研究领域的新热点。本文从光催化效率提高的基本原理（光吸收增强、光生电子和空穴分离效率以及载流子利用率提高等）出发,综述了近十年来TMPs作为助催化剂和光催化剂的最新研究进展。最后,总结了TMPs在快速发展过程中依然存在全解水困难以及结构与光催化活性对应关系不明确等挑战,通过双功能TMPs的设计和理论计算的配合,新型高效光催化材料TMPs会对光催化效率的提高发挥重要作用。     

The use of normal and heat-treated barley flour and waxy barley starch as anti-staling agents in laboratory and industrial baking processes

Normal and heat-treated barley, both as flour and waxy starch, were added at a concentration of 3% to a white wheat bread. The effect not only of selected additives, but also of laboratory- and industrial baking processes on stalling was evaluated. Laboratory baked breads with heat-treated barley flour differed from control breads with regard to water content, firmness and amylopectin retrogradation. The influence of water content on firmness increased with storage time. All laboratory baked breads with barley additives, except normal barley flour, were less firm after 7 days of storage as compared to the control although amylopectin retrogradation tended to increase. Improved water absorption, and consequently, increased water content and/or different water binding capacities of the flour/starch could explain these results. Industrial baking caused higher water losses, especially in breads containing additives, thus reducing the effects on amylopectin retrogradation and firmness.     

Thermodynamic Modeling of Pure Co Accounting Two Magnetic States for the Fcc Phase

The thermodynamic functions of the pure Co were assessed using CALPAHD method for the third generation thermodynamic databases. To model the magnetic properties of the cobalt, a two-state magnetic model was accounted for the fcc phase. Calculated results were compared with the experimental information and a good fit to the experimental data was achieved.     

A combined reflectometry and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation setup for surface interaction studies

We have developed an instrument for surface interaction studies, which combines a newly invented four detector optical reflectometry setup with quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) monitoring. The design is such that data from both techniques can be obtained simultaneously on the same sensor surface, with the same signal-to-noise ratio and time resolution, as for the individual techniques. In addition, synchronized information about structural transformations, molecular mass, and the hydration of thin films on solid surfaces can be obtained on the same specimen, as validated by monitoring the formation of supported lipid bilayers on a silica-coated QCM sensor surface. We emphasize that the optical (molecular) mass can be separated from the acoustic mass including hydrodynamically coupled solvent, which means, in turn, that the amount of solvent sensed by the QCM-D technique can be dynamically resolved during adsorption processes. In addition, the advantage/necessity to use four, compared to two, detector reflectometry is emphasized.     

Light emission of heavily doped AlGaN structures under optical pumping

Spectral,temporal and polarization characteristics of spontaneous and stimulated luminescence of Al0.5Ga0.5N/AlN structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy were studied at the optical pulsed pumping with λ =266 nm.Samples with a high degree of silicon doping were investigated.The vast majority of radiation falls on transitions within the band gap between the levels of defects.As a result,the radiation band embracing the whole visible range of more than 300 THz is observed in both spontaneous radiation and induced luminescence.In spontaneous radiation the band has a smooth spectral intensity distribution over the wavelengths,whereas induced radiation has its sharp peaks corresponding to the mode structure of the planar waveguide.The measured gain of the active medium is g ≈ 70 cm-1 for a weak signal.