Hemostatic risk factors of coronary artery disease in the Chinese

Induction of the mitochondrial permeability transition in vitro is well-characterized and widely implicated in the mechanism of oxidant-induced cell death. Despite an abundance of in vitro evidence, implication of mitochondrial dysfunction in the mechanism of chemical toxicity in vivo awaits demonstration of the induction of the mitochondrial permeability transition in tissues from intoxicated animals. Menadione (2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone), an agent known to induce the permeability transition in isolated liver mitochondrial in vitro, was administered as a single bolus to adult male rats, and hepatic mitochondria were isolated 24 h later. Mitochondria from menadione-treated rats exhibited an increased sensitivity to calcium-induced inhibition of state 3 respiration and loss of respiratory control, as well as a greater sensitivity to calcium-induced calcium release that was inhibited by cyclosporine A. Associated with this was the depolarization of membrane potential and swelling of mitochondria from menadione-treated animals, but not control animals. Both the calcium-dependent depolarization and swelling of mitochondria from menadione-treated rats were inhibited by adding either cyclosporine A or ruthenium red. The results are consistent with the induction of the mitochondrial permeability transition and provide the first evidence for the manifestation of an increased sensitivity to this response as a result of chemical exposure in vivo.     

Modeling and control of batch-to-batch polymer processes

The modeling and control of a typical cyclic polymer process, such as injection molding or thermoforming, are considered. The purpose of control is to achieve a specified product quality for a sequence of parts. First, conventional feedback controllers are compared to statistically based controllers with respect to random noise disturbances. It is shown that conventional controllers may not react quickly to load disturbances without magnifying background noise and reducing product yield. It is demonstrated that statistically based controllers are able to differentiate between noise and load disturbances, proving them superior when part quality tolerance is tight and noise level relatively large. Next, the responsiveness of conventional controllers (proportional, integral, and proportionalintegral) is compared with several statistically based controllers (CUSUM, Western Electric runs rules, and simple Shewhart) when subjected to load disturbances. Three load disturbances were modeled; steps, ramps, and sinusoids. Again, statistically based methods generally prove superior to and, at worst, comparable to conventional controllers.     

Reduction in cerebral ischemic injury in the newborn rat by potentiation of endogenous adenosine

Because of ontogenic influences on the pathophysiologic mechanisms of brain injury in the perinatal brain, and in particular, the incomplete development of adenosine receptor systems, we investigated the potential for adenosine to provide cerebro-protection in a well established newborn rat model of hypoxia-ischemia. Fifteen litters of postnatal d 7 animals were subjected to unilateral carotid ligation and exposure to hypoxia (8% oxygen) for 3 h. Immediately after hypoxia-ischemia, animals received either the adenosine deaminase inhibitor deoxycoformycin (DCF; 2.5 mg/kg intraperitoneally) or the adenosine uptake inhibitor propentofylline (PPF; 10 mg/kg intraperitoneally); paired littermates received an equivalent volume of normal saline. On postnatal d 14, injury or protection was assessed by differences in hemispheric weights, morphometric determinations of infarct area, and histopathologic analyses. DCF resulted in a 34% (p = 0.02) and 31% (p = 0.03) reduction in hemispheric weight disparities and infarct area, respectively; for PPF, these reductions were 46% (p = 0.03) and 32% (p = 0.04), respectively. Light microscopic examinations of striatum, thalamus, hippocampus, and cortex revealed that both drugs significantly improved histologic scores as well. Measurements in six separate litters indicated that neither drug significantly reduced core body temperature for at least 6 h postadministration. These findings indicate that potentiation of endogenous adenosine levels in the perinatal brain can significantly ameliorate brain injury. Each of these treatment strategies was effective even when administered after the hypoxic-ischemic insult. Thus, further investigations of adenosinergic therapies are warranted in this and other perinatal models of cerebral ischemia to elucidate in detail their potential for clinical application.     

Interaction of 4-(n-dimethylaminostyryl)-1-methylpyridinium-n-toluolsulfonate with liposomes: analysis of fluorescence spectra

A previous magnetic resonance imaging study from our laboratory reported significant temporal lobe volume deficits in cortical gray matter, white matter, and anterior hippocampus in chronic alcoholic men relative to controls. In the present study, we reexamined these data and asked whether withdrawal seizure history was predictive of either the hippocampal or the extrahippocampal volume deficits. A review of the medical charts indicated that 11 alcoholics had experienced one or more alcohol-related seizures and 35 were seizure-free; no patient had a seizure disorder unrelated to alcohol. The two alcoholic groups did not differ significantly in age, education, alcohol consumption variables, premorbid intelligence, Memory Quotient, Trail Making, or detection of hidden figures. Although each alcoholic group showed significant bilateral volume deficits of the anterior hippocampus and frontal-parietal and temporal gray matter, relative to controls, the seizure group had significantly smaller temporal lobe white matter volumes than either the control or the seizure-free groups; the latter two groups did not differ from each other. Both alcoholic groups, however, had white matter volume deficits in the frontal-parietal region. Thus, the seizure group accounted for the white matter volume deficits in the temporal lobe previously reported in the full sample of alcoholics. It seems, then, that reduced white matter volume in the temporal lobes may be either a risk factor for or sequela of alcohol withdrawal seizures.     

Kinetic and equilibrium modeling of liquid‐phase adsorption of lead and lead chelates on activated carbons

The sawdust (SD) waste generated in the timber industry was converted to a low‐cost activated carbon (SDAC) using a simpler and cheaper activation process, single‐step steam pyrolysis activation. The possibility of utilizing SDAC for the removal of lead (Pb(II)) in the absence of ligands and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) chelated Pb(II) complexes from the liquid phase was examined and the results were compared with those for commercial activated carbon (CAC). SDAC shows a high adsorption capacity for Pb(II) and Pb(II) chelates compared with CAC. The extent of adsorption of Pb(II) and Pb(II) chelates on activated carbons was found to be a function of solution pH and species distribution of Pb(II) and Pb(II) chelates. The optimum pH range for the removal of Pb(II) in the absence of ligands by SDAC was 6.5–8.0, whereas its maximum removal by CAC was observed at pH 6.5. In the presence of ligands, the extent of Pb(II) adsorption was enhanced in the pH range 2.0–5.0 and was reduced significantly in the pH range 6.0–8.0. The maximum uptake of Pb(II) chelates for both carbons was observed at pH 5.0. Kinetic models such as pseudo‐first‐order, pseudo‐second‐order and pore diffusion were tested to investigate the adsorption mechanism. Batch kinetic studies showed that the adsorption of Pb(II) from aqueous solutions with and without ligands could be best described by a psuedo‐first‐order model for both carbons. The effect of pH on the adsorption isotherms of Pb(II) and Pb(II) chelates was also investigated. The applicability of the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms, established for various initial concentrations of the adsorbate and for different pH values, was tested at 30 °C. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Experimental infection of pigs with the newly identified swine hepatitis E virus (swine HEV), but not with human strains of HEV

A novel virus of pigs, swine hepatitis E virus (swine HEV), was recently identified and shown to be antigenically and genetically related to human HEV. In the present study, we attempted to infect specific-pathogen-free (SPF) pigs experimentally with swine HEV or with human strains of HEV. Serum samples collected from naturally infected pigs were used as the source of swine HEV. Pigs inoculated intravenously with serum samples containing swine HEV seroconverted to anti-HEV 4 to 8 weeks postinoculation, and the virus spread to an uninoculated pig. Swine HEV was detected in nasal and rectal swab materials as early as 2 weeks postinoculation and for 4 to 8 weeks thereafter. Viremia appeared 4 to 6 weeks postinoculation and lasted 1 to 3 weeks. The inoculated pigs appeared clinically normal and serum liver enzymes were not significantly elevated. In contrast, pigs were not infected when inoculated intravenously with about 10(5) monkey infectious doses of one of two human strains of HEV (Sar-55 or Mex-14).