Inhibitory Effect of Conjugated α-Linolenic Acid from Bifidobacteria of Intestinal Origin on SW480 Cancer Cells

In this study, we assessed the ability of six strains of bifidobacteria (previously shown by us to possess the ability to convert linoleic acid to c9, t11-conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) to grow in the presence of α-linolenic acid and to generate conjugated isomers of the fatty acid substrate during fermentation for 42 h. The six strains of bifidobacteria were grown in modified MRS (mMRS) containing α-linolenic acid for 42 h at 37 °C, after which the fatty acid composition of the growth medium was assessed by gas liquid chromatography (GLC). Indeed, following fermentation of one of the strains, namely Bifidobacterium breve NCIMB 702258, in the presence of 0.41 mg/ml α-linolenic acid, 79.1% was converted to the conjugated isomer, C18:3 c9, t11, c15 conjugated α-linolenic acid (CALA). To examine the inhibitory effect of the fermented oils produced, SW480 colon cancer cells were cultured in the presence of the extracted fermented oil (10–50 μg/ml) for 5 days. The data indicate an inhibitory effect on cell growth (p ≤ 0.001) of CALA, with cell numbers reduced by 85% at a concentration of 180 μM, compared with a reduction of only 50% with α-linolenic acid (p ≤ 0.01).     

Effect of building stiffness on tunnelling-induced ground movement

The progressive response of two–three storey masonry buildings to bored tunnelling on the Jubilee Line Extension in London is investigated in order to determine the effect of building stiffness on tunnelling-induced ground movement. The masonry buildings, at Moodkee Street and Keetons Estate, were affected by tunnelling with earth pressure balance machines on Contract 105 of the Jubilee Line Extension. Bending deformations and axial strain induced in these structures are compared to greenfield ground deformations and strain in order to infer the effect of building stiffness. The modifying influence of the stiffness of these buildings on ground movement is interpreted using the Potts and Addenbrooke [Potts D.M., Addenbrooke, T.I., 1997. A structure’s influence on tunnelling induced ground movements. Proc. Inst. Civ. Eng. Geotech. Eng. 125 (2), 109–125] method, which is based on a series of finite element analyses. The inferred building stiffness that can be used for design purposes with the Potts and Addenbrooke method is compared to an estimation for a Class A [Lambe, T.W., 1973. Predictions in geotechnical engineering. Geotechnique 23 (2), 149–202] prediction exercise by Mair and Taylor [Mair, R.J., Taylor, R.N., 2001. Settlement predictions for Neptune, Murdoch and Clegg Houses and adjacent masonry walls. Building response to tunnelling – case studies from construction of the Jubilee Line Extension, London. In: Burland, J.B., Standing, J.R., Jardine, F.M. (Eds.), Projects and Methods, vol. 1. CIRIA SP200, pp. 217–228 (CIRIA and Thomas Telford, 2001). ISBN: 0 7277 30177] using the same method. As a result an alternative approach is proposed for estimating the relative bending stiffness of masonry structures for future use with the Potts and Addenbrooke method when making simple predictions.     

Doped Tl-1223 Superconductors

Doped Tl-1223 superconductors of the composition Tl_aBi_bPb_cBa_nSr_2?nCa₂Cu₃O_y (a = 0.50 ? 0.76, b = 0, 0.16 and 0.3, c = 0.5, 0.24 and 0, n = 0.15 ? 0.4) were prepared from oxidic Ba-Sr-Ca-Cu precursor material. Upon calcination of the tartrate gels or the nitrates, the respective amounts of Tl₂O₃, PbO and Bi₂O₃ were added to the oxidic powders by milling. The samples were sintered in silver foil. The specimens consisted predominantely of the Tl-1223 phase with small amounts of Tl-1212 and secondary phases. Tc₍₀₎-values ranged between 115 K and 119 K with transition widths around 1 K. Transport critical current densities up to 1.4 kA cm^?2 at 77 K were measured for the assintered samples. Texturing was obtained by repressing and resintering of the superconducting material followed by annealing at 750°C for 50 h in flowing oxygen. The transport critical current densities could be improved up to 7 kA cm^?2 by the thermomechanical treatment. Microstructural studies yielded information on the alignment of the superconducting grains, on secondary phases and the porosities.     

MAP image reconstruction for landmine and IED detection using ground penetrating radar

ABSTRACT

In this article, we develop an iterative maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation algorithm for reconstructing sub-surface images from ground penetrating radar (GPR) data. Note, the larger goal of our research is to use the resulting GPR images, along with appropriate detection algorithms, to identify landmines and improvised explosive devices. A typical scene-of-interest is expected to contain only a few electromagnetic wave scatterers. Taking advantage of this fact, we construct a novel sparsity promoting probability density function, which we refer to as the Butterworth prior because it is based on the well-known Butterworth lowpass filter and use it as the prior probability density function for the unknown reflection coefficients. The Butterworth prior can be used to approximate the uniform distribution but has the added benefit of mathematical tractability because its derivatives exist everywhere. Unlike available MAP-based approaches for reconstructing GPR images, we have developed a method for estimating the parameters of the Butterworth prior directly from the data. Therefore, at a cost of greater computational complexity, the main advantage of the proposed algorithm is that it does not require any user-defined parameters. We have tested the proposed algorithm, which we refer to as the MAP-Butterworth algorithm, on simulated and real data provided by the US Army Research Laboratory in Adelphi, MD. The results from the tests indicate that the MAP-Butterworth algorithm significantly suppresses sidelobes and background noise while retaining known scatterers.     

Heart surgery in the elderly

The number of octogenarian patients undergoing an open heart procedure in our unit is the fastest increasing group of patients. Between June 1985 and July 1994 112 octogenarians (mean age 81.7 years, 60 males, 52 females) underwent cardiac operations. The postoperative course was uneventful in 90 patients (80.4%). The perioperative mortality rate was 8.9% (10 patients). Mortality was lowest in the group receiving aortic valve replacement, with one death out of 30 patients (3.3%). The cause of death was left- or biventricular heart failure in more than half of the fatalities. Postoperative complications included: AV-block III (n = 1), postoperative bleeding (n = 2), unstable sternum (n = 3), acute cholecystitis (n = 1), low cardiac output syndrome (n = 1), stroke (n = 1), pneumothorax (n = 2) and urinary tract infections (n = 1). We consider open heart procedures in octogenarians, despite a mortality rate of 8.9%, as justified. According to the severity and course of clinical symptoms and the type of surgery required, selection of patients for operation should be decided on at an early stage of the disease. Not only life expectancy increases, but there is also a significant increase in life quality for these patients.     

Acute necrotic myelopathy with pulmonary tuberculosis

A method for estimating conception rates, using vital statistics data, is developed and applied to data on five-year age groups of California women for 1971. The approach is deterministic and allocates total exposure time to the known pregnancy outcomes of live birth, spontaneous abortion, and induced abortion. The population at risk is defined to exclude women who are known to be sterile or sexually inactive. Early fetal loss, premarital conception, and contraceptive use are taken into account. Estimates are made of the fecundability which would obtain if no contraception were used.