Cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase arachidonate metabolites synthesized by mouse peritoneal macrophages: in vitro effect of N-phenyllinoleamide from toxic oil samples

N-phenyllinoleamide (NPLA) has been detected as extraneous compound in adulterated cooking oils associated with a unique epidemic disease known as the Toxic Oil Syndrome (TOS). In this communication we report on the action of NPLA on the endogenous cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase arachidonate metabolism. Results show that mouse peritoneal macrophages (MPM) exposed to 1 mM NPLA for 2 h undergo significant increases of 6-keto prostaglandin F1a, prostaglandin E2, leukotriene B4, 12- and 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids. MPM prelabelled with 3H-AA showed an enhanced release when exposed to NPLA. Thus, it is concluded that NPLA potentiates AA release from cell membrane phospholipids and the subsequent cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase oxidative metabolism of this precursor to various eicosanoids. This is in agreement with the implication of peroxidative process mediated by fatty acids anilides in TOS.     

Photonic access concentrator for ATM gigabit switching fabrics

In future broadband communication networks the interest for purely photonic switches is due to the bandwidth mismatch between optical transmission networks and electronic switching nodes. Photonic ATM switching fabrics mainly based on wavelength-switching stages are therefore being studied, to implement high capacity switches with also concentration, multiplexing and demultiplexing functions, using state-of-the-art photonic technology. The architecture of an ATM photonic access concentrator is described in this paper, illustrating the design and implementation of its basic subsystems, the traffic concentrator and the cell multiplexer. The design guidelines are outlined in detail referring to an example, where 128 user lines at 622 Mb/s are given access to 4 outlets at 2.488 Gb/s. The corresponding implementation, based on the systematic use of cell wavelength encoding, makes use either of well-known photonic components, such as Fabry-Perot filters, fiber delay lines, splitters and combiners, either of recently developed devices, like high-speed optical gates and tunable filters and lasers. Finally, the system feasibility is demonstrated presenting the results obtained on a reduced size and speed experimental setup of the cell multiplexer     

Mine operating accurate stability control with optical fibersensing and Bragg grating technology: the European BRITE/EURAM STABILOSproject

Recent developments of stability control in mines, essentially based on Ge-doped fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) are reported including results about the different aspects of the system: accurate characterizations of FBG, sensor network topology and multiplexing method, user interface design and sensor packaging     

Perception of nuclear energy and coal in France and The Netherlands

This study focuses on the perception of large scale application of nuclear energy and coal in the Netherlands and France. The application of these energy-sources and the risks and benefits are judged differently by various group in society. In Europe, France has the highest density of nuclear power plants and the Netherlands has one of the lowest. In both countries scientists and social scientists completed a questionnaire assessing the perception of the large scale application of both energy sources. Furthermore, a number of variables relating to the socio cultural and political circumstances were measured. The results indicate that the French had a higher risk perception and a more negative attitude toward nuclear power than the Dutch. But they also assess the benefits of the use of nuclear power to be higher. Explanations for these differences are discussed.     

Measuring probe for fast transients monitoring in gas insulatedsubstation

This paper describes the construction of four probes adjusted for fast transient monitoring in 123 kV SF₆ insulated substations. The primary requirement was the ability to monitor without distortion very fast transients containing frequencies up to 200 MHz. The measuring system was tested and calibrated with the help of computer modeling techniques. The verified experimental apparatus was then used for testing and calibrating the measuring probes. During the test, various effects on the measuring system characteristics were analyzed with respect to materials used for the components of the system     

p53 in polyoma virus transformed REF52 cells

While cellular transformation by small DNA tumour viruses usually involves targeting the product of the p53 tumour suppressor gene by a virally encoded protein, none of the three polyoma virus (Py) specified T antigens have been observed to interact with p53. We show that primary mouse embryo fibroblasts and REF52 cells, which resemble primary cells in requiring co-operating oncogenes for transformation, cannot be transformed by the Py oncogene, middle T-antigen (PyMT), alone. These cells can be transformed by the complete Py early region, which encodes the Py large, middle and small T-antigens. We find that PyMT can transform rodent cells lacking a functional p53 protein (p53 null mouse embryo fibroblasts and DN-REF52 cells which contain a dominant negative p53). In Py transformed REF52 cells (Py-REF52) there is no significant accumulation of p53 protein, as opposed to SV40 transformed REF52 cells (SV-REF52) in which the amount of steady state p53 protein is elevated. However accumulation of p53 is observed following exposure of Py-REF52 cells to u.v. Treatment of Py-REF52 cells with X-rays results in a rapid increase in the levels of the p53-induced proteins p21/WAF1 and MDM2. In untransformed REF52 cells, X-irradiation causes p53 activation, which results in induction of both G1/S and G2/M blocks. In SV-REF52 and DN-REF52 cells, p53 abrogation results in the absence of both the G1/S and G2/M blocks. Only the absence of a G1/S block is observed in Py-REF52 cells exposed to X-irradiation. Together these results indicate that in contrast to most other DNA tumour viruses, Py does not appear to interfere with the DNA damage induced transactivation activities of the p53 protein but absence of a functional p53 protein can mediate transformation by the PyMT oncogene in the absence of other co-operating oncogenes. Possible modes of transformation by Py are discussed.     

Investigation of the production properties of filled fluoropolymers

Translated from Khimicheskoe i Neftyanoe Mashinostroenie, No. 4, pp. 32–33, April, 1991.