In vitro haematic proteins adsorption and cytocompatibility study on acrylic copolymer to realise coatings for drug-eluting stents

In the present paper, a preliminary in vitro analysis of biocompatibility of newly-synthesised acrylic copolymers is reported. In particular, with the aim to obtain coatings for drug-eluting stents, blood protein absorption and cytocompatibility were studied. For protein absorption tests, bovine serum albumin and bovine plasma fibrinogen were considered. Cytocompatibility was tested using C2C12 cell line as model, analysing the behaviour of polymeric matrices and of drug-eluting systems, obtained loading polymeric matrices with paclitaxel, an anti-mitotic drug, in order to evaluate the efficacy of a pharmacological treatment locally administered from these materials. Results showed that the amount of albumin absorbed was greater than the amount of fibrinogen (comprised in the range of 70%–85% and 10%–22% respectively) and it is a good behaviour in terms of haemocompatibility. Cell culture tests showed good adhesion properties and a relative poor proliferation. In addition, a strong effect related to drug elution and a correlation with the macromolecular composition were detected. In this preliminary analysis, tested materials showed good characteristics and can be considered possible candidates to obtain coatings for drug-eluting stents.     

Uptake of suramin by human microvascular endothelial cells

BACKGROUND: There are many causes of ulcer of the lower limb. In the elderly, venous ulcers and arteriosclerosis often coexist; for this reason pressure bandages might be contraindicated for the risk of precipitating a potentially critical arterial flow. In this work, the conditions which allow a safely treatment with pressure bandage in the elderly are evaluated. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Eleven self-sufficient elderly, with venous ulcerations to one leg only, and ankle pressure/omeral pressure between 0.92 and 0.86 were treated with elastic bandaging of the leg. RESULTS: All patients completed the treatment, with healing of the ulcer obtained in 3-8 months time. So far none of them relapsed. CONCLUSIONS: In the elderly, in selected cases, when Pc/Po > 0.86, pressure bandages can be safely applied to heal the ulcer, without running the risk of endangering arterial circulation.     

Aerosol characterisation in Italian towns by IBA techniques

The composition of particulate matter in the atmosphere of four major Italian towns (Florence, Genoa, Milan and Naples) has been studied with the extensive application of IBA techniques. The aerosol has been collected simultaneously in the four towns during the first weeks of year 2001, by two-stage continuous streaker samplers, which provide the separation of the particulate matter in two fractions. The concentrations in air of about 20 elements, and the total particulate mass, have been extracted in the PM2.5 and PM10 fractions with hourly resolution by PIXE, PIGE and optical analyses of about 2700 samples. IBA analyses have been performed at the 3 MeV external proton beam of the INFN accelerator facility at the University of Florence.     

LPI in pulsed laser space communications

A basic low-probability of intercept (LPI) study for a pulsed-laser pulse position modulated (PPM) optical link with a colocated direct detection intercepting receiver is presented. The latter is considered to be a form of optical radiometer using continuous threshold testing to detect the presence of the transmitting laser. The various design alternatives for the coded PPM link, and their effect on the communication and LPI performance, are examined. It is shown that the use of optical pulse power spreading via multiple frame symbol coding is vital for avoiding interception. It can be achieved by transmitting message symbols as repeated PPM symbols using a laser pulse of sufficiently low peak power so that the detected pulse energy is much less than the detected background energy. The possibility of the use of both wideband and narrowband radiometers by the interceptor further limits the communicator's code design choices. Some equations defining effective LIP gain parameters for the communication link are developed     

Nutritional implications of significant small bowel resection

Nutrition support of the patient with short bowel syndrome is determined by the extent and location of bowel resection, the functional status of residual bowel, and presence or absence of the ileocecal valve. The authors discuss the consequences and treatments for bowel resection.     

Actinoplanic acids A and B as novel inhibitors of farnesyl-protein transferase

Actinoplanic acids A and B are macrocyclic polycarboxylic acids that are potent reversible inhibitors of farnesyl-protein transferase. Actinoplanic acids A and B were isolated from Actinoplanes sp. MA 7066 while actinoplanic acid B was isolated from both MA 7066 and Streptomyces sp. MA 7099. Actinoplanic acids A and B are competitive with respect to farnesyl diphosphate and are selective inhibitors of farnesyl-protein transferase because they do not inhibit geranylgeranyl-protein transferase type 1 or squalene synthase. MA 7066 is believed to be a novel species of actinomycetes while MA 7099 is believed to be a novel strain of Streptomyces violaceusniger on the basis of morphological, biochemical and chemotaxonomic characteristics as well as its production of actinoplanic acids.     

The pigeon's recognition of drawings of depth-rotated stimuli.

Four experiments used a 4-choice discrimination learning paradigm to explore the pigeon's recognition of line drawings of 4 objects (an airplane, a chair, a desk lamp, and a flashlight) that were rotated in depth. The pigeons reliably generalized discriminative responding to pictorial stimuli over all untrained depth rotations, despite the birds' having been trained at only a single depth orientation. These generalization gradients closely resembled those found in prior research that used other stimulus dimensions. Increasing the number of different vantage points in the training set from 1 to 3 broadened the range of generalized testing performance, with wider spacing of the training orientations more effectively broadening generalized responding. Template and geon theories of visual recognition are applied to these empirical results. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)