Nonlinear modeling of transformers

The performance of classical transformer models under nonsinusoidal excitation is investigated and two novel models for such analysis, both of which account for the transformer core magnetic nonlinearities, are presented. All analytical results are compared with experimental data     

Andreev Bound-State Tunneling and ESR Spectroscopy of High-Temperature Superconductors and Observations of Broken Time-Reversal Symmetry

An emphasis on reliable materials growth and development of new fabrication techniques has allowed us to investigate the electronic structure of high-temperature superconductors by planar quasiparticle tunneling and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies. The quasiparticle (QP) density of states (DoS) is investigated by tunneling into oriented thin films of Y₁Ba₂Cu₃O₇ (YBCO) and single crystals of Ba₂Sr₂Ca₁Cu₂O₈ (BSCCO). Data are obtained as a function of crystallographic orientation, temperature, doping, damage, and applied magnetic field. These data demonstrate that the observed zero-bias conductance peak (ZBCP) is composed of Andreev bound states (ABS) which intrinsically form at a symmetry-breaking interface of an unconventional superconductor, for example, a (110)-surface of d-wave YBCO. Tunneling into doped or ion-damaged YBCO provides a measure of the QP scattering rate below T _c. An applied field causes Doppler shift of the ABS, arising from the scalar product between the QP velocity and the superfluid momentum, v _F·P _s, observed as a splitting in the ZBCP. Magnetic hysteresis of the splitting is consistent with the effects of strong vortex pinning near the interface. The directional field dependence shows that the ABS is highly anisotropic in its transport. These results, plus in-plane crystallographic orientational dependence on single-crystal BSCCO, demonstrate the d-wave symmetry of this superconductor. Below 8 K and in zero applied field, the ZBCP splits, indicating a transition into a superconducting state with spontaneously broken time-reversal symmetry (BTRS). EPR experiments are used to detect directly the spontaneous formation of the magnetic moments in the BTRS state.     

Removal of dairy soil from heated stainless steel surfaces: use of ozonated water as a prerinse

Square (2.54 x 2.54 cm2) 304 stainless steel metal plates were cleaned, passivated, and soiled by autoclaving (121 degrees C at 15 psi for 15 min) with reconstituted nonfat dry milk (20% solids). Fifteen-minute treatments using either warm water (40 degrees C) or ozonated cold water (10 degrees C) were conducted to compare prerinse cleaning potential of soiled metal plates. The chemical oxygen demand determination was performed on extracted organic material from treated metal plates. Results indicated that the ozone treatment removed 84% of soil from metal plates versus 51% soil removal by the warm water treatment, but the effectiveness of the two treatments did not differ (P > 0.05). Cleaning effects were visualized using scanning electron microscopy at 200x and 2000x magnification. The amount of soil film present on stainless steel metal surfaces was visibly lower on ozonated treatments versus on warm water treatments.     

Proteolytic cleavage and activation of PAK2 during UV irradiation-induced apoptosis in A431 cells

Exposure of mammalian cells to ultraviolet (UV) light elicits a cellular response and can also lead to apoptotic cell death. In this report, we show that a 36-kDa myelin basic protein (MBP) kinase detected by an in-gel kinase assay can be dramatically activated during the early stages of UV irradiation-triggered apoptosis of A431 cells. Immunoblot analysis revealed that this 36-kDa MBP kinase could be recognized by an antibody against the C-terminal regions of a family of p21Cdc42/Rac-activated kinases (PAKs). By using this antibody and a PAK2-specific antibody against the N-terminal region of PAK2 as studying tools, we further demonstrated that UV irradiation caused cleavage of PAK2 to generate a 36-kDa C-terminal catalytic fragment and a 30-kDa N-terminal fragment in A431 cells. The appearance of the 36-kDa C-terminal catalytic fragment of PAK2 matched exactly with the activation of the 36-kDa MBP kinase in A431 cells upon UV irradiation. In addition, UV irradiation also led to activation of CPP32/caspase-3, but not ICH-1L/caspase-2 and ICE/caspase-1, in A431 cells and the kinetics of activation of CPP32/caspase-3 appeared to correlate well with that of DNA fragmentation and of cleavage/activation of PAK2, respectively. Moreover, blockage of activation of CPP32/caspase-3 by pretreating the cells with two specific tetrapeptidic inhibitors for caspases (Ac-DEVD-cho and Ac-YVAD-cmk) could significantly attenuate the extent of cleavage/activation of PAK2 induced by UV irradiation. Collectively, the results demonstrate that cleavage and activation of PAK2 can be induced during the early stages of UV irradiation-triggered apoptosis and indicate the involvement of CPP32/caspase-3 in this process.     

Oxidative damage and fumonisin B1-induced toxicity in primary rat hepatocytes and rat liver in vivo

The particle size distribution and the metal speciation of the heavy metals were investigated on dredged sediment and on the fractions obtained by mechanical agitated (Denver) flotation. The transition metal ions (cadmium, copper, lead and zinc) were flotated specifically independent of the particle size. Particle size analysis, EDTA extraction and sequential extracts indicated that during flotation a redistribution of metals occurred due to the oxidation of metal sulphides. This oxidation process was more pronounced when the flotation was performed at higher pH values and resulted in a decrease in flotation specificity.     

Screening and chemoprophylaxis for tuberculosis infection in college populations

Lyme borreliosis is the most frequent tick-borne disease in the Northern hemisphere. Here we describe the first isolation of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Bulgaria: the midguts of 47 Ixodes ricinus obtained by flagging from the Central park in Sofia, Bulgaria were cultivated for borreliae in BSK medium. The eight isolates obtained from the ticks and one skin isolate from a Bulgarian patient with erythema migrans were subjected to phenotypic [outer surface protein A (OspA) serotyping] and genotypic analysis (pulsed-field gel electrophoresis typing followed by large restriction fragment pattern analysis after MluI digestion, polymerase chain reaction with 16S rRNA-directed oligonucleotide probes, and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of rrf-rrl intergenic spacer amplicons). The skin isolate was B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, as were four of the tick isolates; the other four tick isolates were B. garinii representing three different OspA serotypes (types 3, 5 and 7). These findings confirm the wide geographic distribution of the different B. garinii-associated OspA serotypes in Europe (shown here for the first time for the Southeastern part of Europe) and of B. burgdorferi sensu stricto in the Western hemisphere. These findings have implications for development of diagnostic tests and a borrelia vaccine in Southeastern Europe.     

Low-dose oral etoposide monotherapy in adult Langerhans cell histiocytosis

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to test the disease-controlling effect of low-dose oral etoposide monotherapy in adult-onset multisystem Langerhans cell histiocytosis. There are no previous reports of low-dose etoposide monotherapy for this condition. OBSERVATIONS: A 27-year-old man with a 7-year history of multifocal chronic Langerhans cell histiocytosis presented with severe disabling ulcers in intertriginous areas. He had previously been treated with 2 different regimens of antitumoral chemotherapy; one had to be discontinued due to myelosuppression and the other had proved ineffective. We treated with oral etoposide monotherapy at 50 mg/d (22 mg/m2 per day) for 21 days. The treatment was repeated at 28-day intervals for a total of 6 cycles. A rapid initial response with subtotal diminution of the involved skin area was found. No adverse effects were observed. The clinical picture has remained stable during the 7 months following cessation of therapy. CONCLUSION: Low-dose oral etoposide treatment is an adequate therapeutic measure for prolonged disease control in adult-type Langerhans cell histiocytosis.     

Effect of ischaemia and reperfusion on the intracellular concentration of taurine and glutamine in the hearts of patients undergoing coronary artery surgery

Taurine and glutamine are the most abundant intracellular free amino acids in mammalian hearts where changes in their intracellular concentrations are likely to influence a number of cellular activities. In this study we investigated the effects of ischaemia and reperfusion on the intracellular concentrations of taurine and glutamine in the hearts of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery using cold crystalloid or cold blood cardioplegic solutions. Ischaemic arrest (30 min), using cold crystalloid cardioplegic solution (n = 19), decreased the intracellular concentrations (micromol/g wet weight) of taurine (from 9.8 +/- 0.8 to 7.7 +/- 0.7, P < 0.05) and glutamine (8.7 +/- 0.5 to 7.2 +/- 0.6). After 20 min of normothermic reperfusion the fall in taurine and glutamine was maintained (7.5 +/- 0.5 and 7.4 +/- 0.7 for taurine and glutamine respectively). Myocardial ischaemic arrest with cold blood cardioplegic solution (n = 16) did not cause a significant fall in tissue taurine or glutamine. However, on reperfusion there was a marked fall in the intracellular concentrations of taurine (9.4 +/- 0.5 to 6.5 +/- 0.7) and glutamine (8.0 +/- 0.7 to 5.8 +/- 0.4). The fall in amino acids was associated with a fall in ATP and a rise in tissue lactate. This work demonstrates that irrespective of the cardioplegic solution used to arrest the heart, there is a marked fall in tissue taurine and glutamine which may influence the extent of recovery following surgery. The fall in taurine is largely due to efflux whereas changes in glutamine are due to both transport and metabolism. Ischaemia, hypothermia and changes in the transmembrane concentration gradients are the likely factors responsible for the changes in tissue amino acids.     

Lamotrigine may limit pathological excitation in the hippocampus by modulating a transient potassium outward current

Actions of the new antiepileptic drug lamotrigine were characterised using whole cell patch clamp recordings from rat CA1 pyramidal cells in vitro. The results suggest that lamotrigine, besides its previously described effect on the fast sodium inward current and calcium currents, modulates the transient potassium outward current ID. This may be an effective mechanism to inhibit pathological excitation.     

Characterization of the native and recombinant catalytic subunit of human DNA polymerase gamma: identification of residues critical for exonuclease activity and dideoxynucleotide sensitivity

The human DNA polymerase gamma catalytic subunit was overexpressed in recombinant baculovirus-infected insect cells, and the 136 000 Da protein was purified to homogeneity. Application of the same purification protocol to HeLa mitochondrial lysates permitted isolation of native DNA polymerase gamma as a single subunit, allowing direct comparison of the native and recombinant enzymes without interference of other polypeptides. Both forms exhibited identical properties, and the DNA polymerase and 3' --> 5' exonuclease activities were shown unambiguously to reside in the catalytic polypeptide. The salt sensitivity and moderate processivity of the isolated catalytic subunit suggest other factors could be required to restore the salt tolerance and highly processive DNA synthesis typical of gamma polymerases. To facilitate our understanding of mitochondrial DNA replication and mutagenesis as well as cytotoxicity mediated by antiviral nucleotide analogues, we also constructed two site-directed mutant proteins of the human DNA polymerase gamma. Substituting alanine for two essential acidic residues in the exonuclease motif selectively eliminated the 3' --> 5' exonucleolytic function of the purified mutant polymerase gamma. Replacement of a tyrosine residue critical for sugar recognition with phenylalanine in polymerase motif B reduced dideoxynucleotide inhibition by a factor of 5000 with only minor effects on overall polymerase function.