Design strategy for low-energy ventilation and cooling within an urban heat island

Natural ventilation is a proven strategy for maintaining thermal comfort in non-domestic buildings in the UK. The energy consumption and thus the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming are lower than in conventional air-conditioned buildings. However, the ambient temperatures in the UK have risen over the last decade and new climatic data for use in the design of naturally ventilated buildings has been published. Using these data and dynamic thermal modelling, it is shown that passive stack ventilation alone was unlikely to maintain summertime comfort in a proposed University College London building within an urban heat island. The stack ventilation strategy was evolved by the introduction of passive downdraught cooling. This low-energy technique enables cooled air to be distributed throughout the building without mechanical assistance. The underlying principles of the technique were explored using physical models and the anticipated performance predicted using thermal modelling. The architectural integration is illustrated and the control strategy described. The resulting building is believed to be the first large-scale application of the passive downdraught cooling technique; construction began in late 2003.     

Development of a surface to increase retinal pigment epithelial cell (ARPE-19) proliferation under reduced serum conditions

Age related macular degeneration of the eye is brought about by damage to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and is a major cause of adult blindness. One potential treatment method is transplantation of RPE cells grown in vitro. Maintaining RPE cell viability and physiological function in vitro is a challenge, and this must also be achieved using materials that can be subsequently used to deliver an intact cell sheet into the eye. In this paper, plasma polymerisation has been used to develop a chemically modified surface for maintaining RPE cells in vitro. Multiwell plates modified with a plasma copolymer of allylamine and octadiene maintained RPE cell growth at a level similar to that of TCPS. However, the addition of bound glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) to the plasma polymerised surface significantly enhanced RPE proliferation. Simply adding GAG to the culture media had no positive effect. It is shown that a combination of plasma polymer and GAG is a promising method for developing suitable surfaces for cell growth and delivery, that can be applied to any substrate material.     

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.     

Reducing pregnancy and induced abortion rates in China: family planning with husband participation

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the effectiveness of a family planning intervention with and without husband's participation in reducing pregnancy and abortion rates in Shanghai, China. METHODS: In this 3-arm randomized trial among 1800 nonsterilized married women, educational interventions targeting both spouses and targeting the wife only were compared with usual family planning care. RESULTS: Among women not using intrauterine devices (IUDs), the intervention with husband's participation had an effect in reducing pregnancy rates (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.12, 1.1) and abortion rates (adjusted OR = 0.29, CI = 0.09, 0.94) compared with control subjects, and a significant effect in reducing pregnancy rates (adjusted OR = 0.29, CI = 0.10, 0.85) and abortion rates (adjusted OR = 0.24, CI = 0.07, 0.77) compared with wife-only subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Family planning interventions involving husbands may reduce pregnancy and abortion rates among non-IUD users.     

Induction of neutralizing antibody in mice by immunization with recombinant 56 kDa protein of Orientia tsutsugamushi

Anti-oriential antibody inhibits Orientia tsutsugamushi attachment to, and penetration of, host cells. However, O. tsutsugamushi antigens that induce the production of a neutralizing antibody have not been identified. The authors immunized mice and rabbits with the recombinant 56 kDa protein of O. tsutsugamushi fused to the maltose binding protein of Escherichia coli (MBP-Bor56) and analysed their effect on O. tsutsugamushi attachment to or penetration of L929 cells. O. tsutsugamushi attachment and penetration were measured by using an indirect immunofluorescent antibody assay (IFA). O. tsutsugamushi growth in L929 cells was determined by [3H]thymidine uptake assay. By IFA, we observed a 96% reduction of attachment or penetration of O. tsutsugamushi treated with rabbit anti-MBP-Bor56 sera. [3H]thymidine uptake showed that mouse anti-MBP-Bor56 sera caused a 91% reduction in O. tsutsugamushi growth, when compared to mouse anti-MBP sera. These results suggest that the 56 kDa protein of O. tsutsugamushi plays an important role in O. tsutsugamushi attachment to or penetration of cells.     

The history of research on blood group genetics: initial discovery and diffusion

During the 1920s and 1930s the resting of blood groups for large numbers of people became a very common practice. Although much of this was to ensure compatibility for blood transfusion, over 1,000 articles were published with results of tests on over 1.3 million people to answer more theoretical, scientific questions. The motivation for much of this research was the possible link between the well established hereditary blood types and other possible inherited traits. Because the existence of the blood groups was a rather sudden discovery, the record of this publication offers an excellent case study of the diffusion of new scientific knowledge. Differences in the beginning of blood group research from country to country reveal some important influences of social setting on the spread and application of the new discoveries.     

Testicular plasmacytoma following chemical orchiectomy: potential role of hypogonadism in myeloma proliferation

We present a case of a 55 year old man with multiple myeloma who underwent autologous stem cell transplantation and subsequently developed testicular myeloma. Testicular enlargement was observed only after treatment of an incidental prostatic adenocarcinoma with chemical orchidectomy at a time when myeloma was controlled systemically. A subsequent bilateral surgical orchiectomy revealed plasmacytoma in both testis. Enhanced production of B-lymphocytes after castration has been reported and implicates testosterone as a possible negative regulator of B-cell production. We propose that the androgen deficient state may have contributed to the development of plasmacytoma of the testes in our patient. The regulatory role of sex steroids in B-cell development is discussed.     

Efficacy of clindamycin hydrochloride capsules for the treatment of deep pyoderma due to Staphylococcus intermedius infection in dogs

Clindamycin hydrochloride capsules (11 mg/kg body weight, q24 h) were administered orally to 20 dogs with deep staphylococcal pyoderma. Response to therapy was excellent in 100% of the dogs. Duration of therapy varied from 21 to 91 d, with an average duration of 45 d. Relapses occurred in 25% of the dogs within a 3-month period. One dog vomited when the clindamycin was given on an empty stomach. Under the conditions of the study, clindamycin was an effective, safe, and convenient antibiotic for the treatment of deep staphylococcal pyoderma in dogs.