Use of Mono Mac 6 human monocytic cell line and J774 murine macrophage cell line in parallel antimycobacterial drug studies

The Mono Mac 6 (MM6) human monocytic cell line was evaluated with the established J774 murine macrophage cell line to ascertain its effectiveness in determining the intracellular activities of antimycobacterial drugs. Cells were infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra and treated with drug concentrations corresponding to the MICs, as well as to threefold higher than and threefold less than the MICs. Changes in CFU were compared after 7 days to determine significant differences between treated and nontreated groups. The results suggest that MM6 will make a useful model for testing the intracellular activities of antituberculosis drugs.     

Dark Current and Signal-to-Noise Ratio in BDJ Image Sensors

In this paper, analytical expressions of dark currents and equivalent noise generators of a CMOS color image sensor are presented, and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at both outputs is evaluated. Static measurements and simulations on Austria Micro Systems 0.35-mum CMOS test structures yield guidelines to increase the SNR of the buried double junction photodetector     

Effects of thermal oxidation conditions of silicon electrodes on cathodic electrochemiluminescence of Ru(bpy)3 chelate

Hot electrons emitted from thin oxide film-coated heavily doped silicon electrodes by cathodic pulse polarization can induce electrochemiluminescence from luminophores. The intensity of electrochemiluminescence produced at the electrode surface is dependent on the features of thin oxide films formed by thermal oxidation. As a preliminary study, we investigated the effect of thermal oxide growth conditions on the intensity of electrochemiluminescence produced at these electrodes, such as oxidation atmospheres, oxidation temperature, oxidation time and pre-treatment of wafers, using ruthenium(II) tris-(2,2′-bipyridine) chelate as a model luminophore. Optimal oxidation conditions of heavily doped silicon electrodes were obtained for the generation of intense electrochemiluminescence at this kind of silicon electrodes.     

Processing of Sapota (Sapodilla): Drying

ABSTRACT: The drying characteristics of sapota ( Achras zapota, cv , Kalipatti), a tropical fruit crop, were studied. Fruits were cut in sizes of half, quarter, and 5 mm slices and dried at temperatures of 55, 60, 65, and 70 °C in convection air and vacuum ovens. Moisture content of the fruit reduced from 72 to 78% (w.b) to 8.5 to 12.5% (w.b.) with drying times of 15 to 35 h in a convection air oven and of 14 to 31 h in a vacuum oven. Log and modified log models were fitted for the drying data. Empirical models were developed to predict drying constants as a function of drying temperature and sizes of samples with good correlation. Keywords: sapota, sapodilla, drying     

Serotonin-4 receptor antagonists reverse cocaine-induced cardiac arrhythmia

CONTEXT: Adolescent smoking prevalence is tracked annually and has increased since 1991. In contrast, little is known about trends in smoking among college students, a group that has previously been more resistant to tobacco use than other young adults. OBJECTIVE: To examine changes in cigarette smoking among college students between 1993 and 1997 and among different types of students and colleges. DESIGN: Self-administered survey (Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study). SETTING: One hundred sixteen nationally representative 4-year colleges. SUBJECTS: A total of 15103 randomly selected students in 1993 (70% response rate) and 14251 students in 1997 (60% response rate). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Self-reports of cigarette smoking in the past 30 days and in the past year, age at smoking first cigarette, and number of attempts to quit. RESULTS: Over 4 years, the prevalence of current (30-day) cigarette smoking rose by 27.8%, from 22.3% to 28.5% (P<.001). The increase was observed in 99 of 116 colleges and was statistically significant (P<.05) in 27 (23%) of them. Current smoking increased across all student subgroups (defined by sex, race/ethnicity, and year in school) and in all types of colleges. Smoking is rising faster in public schools (from 22.0% to 29.3%) than in private schools (from 22.9% to 26.8%). Eleven percent of college smokers had their first cigarette and 28% began to smoke regularly at or after age 19 years, by which time most were already in college. Half of current smokers tried to quit in the previous year; 18% had made 5 or more attempts to quit. CONCLUSIONS: Cigarette use is increasing on campuses nationwide in all subgroups and types of colleges. Substantial numbers of college students are both starting to smoke regularly and trying to stop. National efforts to reduce smoking should be extended to college students.     

Identifying acute pulpalgia as a factor in TMD pain

An acute pulpalgia and temporomandibular disorders can produce many of the same symptoms. To illustrate identification of an acute pulpalgia as a component in TMD, the authors review the evaluation of 11 patients at a clinic that specializes in TMD treatment. During the evaluation, thermal testing and periodontal ligament anesthesia were used to identify the offending tooth. After receiving endodontic treatment or having the tooth extracted, patients reported either complete or partial relief of TMD symptoms. The authors provide questions that may help practitioners identify a tooth with an acute pulpalgia as a contributing factor to TMD symptoms and suggest a technique to confirm this diagnosis.     

Synthesis and Physical Studies of the Organic Salts of Pindolol: Pindolol Benzoate and Pindolol 2-Methoxyphenylacetate

In order to investigate the formation of organic salts of drugs, two salts of pindolol were prepared using salt-forming agents which were crystalline and suitable for physical studies in the solid state. The stoichiometry of the products, pindolol benzoate and pindolol 2-methoxyphenylacetate, was established by elemental analysis. The precipitates formed were assessed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TG), x-ray powder diffractometry (XRPD) and Fourier transform-infrared spectrometry (FT-IR). According to the TG and DSC curves, there was no water of crystallization in the precipitates, and the products were thermally stable. Both precipitates gave one sharp melting endotherm which differed from the endotherms of the starting compounds. The x-ray dipaction pattern of the precipitates direred clearly from those of the starting materials, acid and base. The products showed absorption by FT-IR typical of carboxylic acid salts at about 1640-1540 cm^-1. The carbonyl absorption indicative of the carboxylic acid group of benzoic acid or 2-methonyphenylacetic acid was not detectable in the spectra of the precipitates. All this indicates that two new crystalline organic salts (1:1) were formed during the syntheses.     

Assessing declarative memory in schizophrenia using Wisconsin Card Sorting Test stimuli: the Paired Associate Recognition Test

The Paired Associate Recognition Test (PART) was developed to measure declarative memory using Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) stimuli, so that both tasks could be administered during functional neuroimaging to differentiate memory and executive function, and associated frontal and temporal lobe activation in schizophrenia. The current study was designed to compare PART and WCST performance in schizophrenic patients and to examine effects of medication and symptomatology. The PART, WCST, and standard declarative memory tasks were administered to 30 chronic schizophrenic patients and 30 matched healthy control subjects. Supporting task validity was the finding that patients were equally impaired on the PART and the WCST. Neuroleptics did not appear to affect performance. The effect of anticholinergic medication correlated negatively with WCST performance in a small subsample. Severity of schizophrenia-specific symptoms measured at intake on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale correlated negatively with performance on the WCST. These results support the application of the PART and WCST in future functional neuroimaging studies.     

The pattern of inflammation in rat sepsis due to enterotoxin-producing Staphylococcus aureus: a comparison with ischemia-reperfusion injury

Sepsis and trauma have similarities in their immunopathologic profiles. Both conditions can result in multi-system organ failure which is sometimes associated with cytokine generation and inflammatory cell activation. Furthermore, decreases in peripheral blood monocyte expression of HLA-DR have been noted in both human sepsis and trauma. However, the magnitude, onset, and time course of such stimuli are often difficult to ascertain in human studies. Thus, to study a more detailed in vivo immunologic profile in these conditions, rat models were employed. Our aim was to describe and analyze cytokine and peripheral blood immunophenotype patterns in bacterially induced rat sepsis and to compare this to rat ischemia-reperfusion injury. Sprague-Dawley rats underwent either bacterial injection with enterotoxin producing Staphylococcus aureus or hind limb ischemia/ reperfusion. Two bacterial doses which were either lethal or sublethal at 24-48 hours were utilized. Peripheral blood neutrophils and B-lymphocytes were studied for expression of beta-integrins (CD11b and CD11b/c) and I-A, respectively, using flow cytometry. Corresponding plasma levels of TNF alpha and interferon gamma were measured by ELISA. At 24 hr, a lethal bacterial lethal bacterial dose injection resulted in significantly higher levels of neutrophil CD11b/c expression (p < 0.005) compared with ischemia-reperfusion treatment. B-cell I-A expression was also higher in lethal sepsis. Gamma interferon levels were significantly higher in lethal sepsis compared with ischemia-reperfusion (p = 0.005). Studies over time showed that CD11b expression and interferon gamma were both more marked at 6 hr than at 24 hr in lethal sepsis. This pattern was not observed in sublethal sepsis or in ischemia-reperfusion. CD11b/c expression on the other hand remained elevated at comparable levels at 6 and 24 hr in lethal sepsis. B-cell I-A expression in ischemia-reperfusion and sublethal sepsis decreased at 24 hr compared with baseline. Lethal sepsis in rats injected with enterotoxin producing staphylococcus results in phasic alterations in neutrophil CD11b and plasma interferon levels prior to death. In analogy to the findings of monocyte decreases in DR expression observed in human trauma and sepsis, rat B-cell I-A expression showed decreases in sublethal sepsis as well as in ischemia-reperfusion injury. However, this was not observed in lethal sepsis. These findings have implications in understanding the immunologic/inflammatory changes observed in human sepsis and trauma.