On the mechanisms of adenosine induced pulmonary vasoconstriction in rats

The effect of adenosine on pulmonary vessels was studied in isolated perfused rat lungs. Drugs were administered intra-arterially in a fixed volume of 0.1 ml Krebs solution as bolus injections. Adenosine responses were obtained before and 10 min after drug injections. When applied in logarithmically increasing doses (1-100 micrograms/ml), adenosine caused dose-dependent increases in pulmonary perfusion pressure (e.g. pulmonary vasoconstriction) which were readily reversible. Challenging adenosine with quinidine, dihydroergocristine and cyproheptadine (2 micrograms/ml each) did not significantly alter adenosine responses. Pretreatment of lungs with 0.5 mM theophylline, 10 micrograms/ml indomethacin, 30 micrograms/ml tebokan (a PAF antagonist) or 1 microgram/ml methylene blue for 10 min, however, antagonized the vasoconstrictor effect of the drug significantly. From these experiments, it was concluded that the mechanisms underlying the pulmonary vasoconstrictor action of adenosine are complex, and that both types of purinoceptors, prostaglandins, PAF and other vascular endothelial hormones might be involved.     

Thermochemical investigation of binary liquid mixtures in glass-forming oxide systems

Methods and equipment successfully employed in high- temperature calorimetry to measure partial and integral enthalpies of mixing in liquid oxide systems are reviewed with special attention given to the drop-mixing method. This technique has been used to measure enthalpies of mixing in binary liq-uid mixtures composed of network forming oxides (e.g. SiO₂) and network modifying oxides (e.g. Na₂O). Results for the systems Na₂O-SiO₂ and Na₂O- B₂O₃ are presented graphically. Entropies of mixing were estimated by combining enthalpies with available data on Gibbs energies of mixing. Prominent thermochemical features of glass-forming oxide melts are pointed out. The observed thermodynamic behavior is discussed in relation to its structural basis.     

Isolation and preliminary characterization of Pichia pinus mutants insensitive to glucose repression

A new method for the isolation of glucose repression-insensitive mutants in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pinus was developed. The method is based on screening of small suspension samples derived from 2-deoxyglucose-resistant colonies for alcohol oxidase activity. Alcohol oxidase activity was evaluated by determination of formaldehyde excreted by cells. Mutants with glucose non-repressible alcohol oxidase and catalase synthesis were obtained. All mutants grew poorly on D -xylose compared to the wild type, whereas growth on L -arabinose was similar to the wild type. Changes in the glucose transport system were suggested to be responsible for altered growth characteristics and defective glucose repression.     

Survival of Yersinia enterocolitica and Escherichia coli in spring water

Survival of pure and mixed cultures of Yersinia enterocolitica and Escherichia coli in sterile spring water stored at 4 degrees C was evaluated. Y. enterocolitica increased two or three logs during the first 3 weeks of incubation, and at the end of 64 weeks viable cells in numbers corresponding to the initial inoculum level were still detectable. However, after 1 week of incubation, the number of E. coli in water started to decrease and in 13 weeks time no E. coli was detected. More rapid decrease of E. coli was observed in mixed cultures.     

Investigation of the influence of design parameters on the flow performance of single and double disk viscous micropumps

This paper investigates the effect of radius ratio, and channel aspect ratio on the flow performance of newly introduced single and double disk viscous micropumps. A lubrication solution for the flow field, which accounts for both radius and channel aspect ratios either in single or double disk micropumps was developed and compared with available experimental data and with an approximate solution which estimates for the flow rate only in single disk pump and neglects channel aspect ratio. Additionally, a number of 3D numerical models for single and double disk micropumps were built and analyzed using the finite volume method. Pressure and drag shape factors were introduced to describe the effects of radius and channel aspect ratios on the flow rate. The values of these factors for the whole range of studied parameters are found analytically and numerically. The error in estimating the flow rate was found to be less than 10% for r ₁ /r ₂ > 0.2, and less than 7% for the studied range of h/w. Also, the lubrication solution was found to be in good agreement with the numerical and experimental results.