Theoretical considerations of tissue electroporation with high-frequency bipolar pulses

This study introduces the use of high-frequency pulsed electric fields for tissue electroporation. Through the development of finite element models and the use of analytical techniques, electroporation with rectangular, bipolar pulses is investigated. The electric field and temperature distribution along with the associated transmembrane potential development are considered in a heterogeneous skin fold geometry. Results indicate that switching polarity on the nanosecond scale near the charging time of plasma membranes can greatly improve treatment outcomes in heterogeneous tissues. Specifically, high-frequency fields ranging from 500 kHz to 1 MHz are best suited to penetrate epithelial layers without inducing significant Joule heating, and cause electroporation in underlying cells.     

Proteomic analysis of the major soluble components in Annurca apple flesh

Apple is one of the most worldwide-consumed fruits and a number of cultivars, differing in organoleptic and nutritional characteristics, are available for the market. Annurca apple is a regional variety from Southern Italy, which is known for crispness, excellent taste and long shelf life of fruits. These features have renewed the interest in the investigation of their genetic potential and different studies have lead to their partial genetic and metabolic characterisation. In this study, we present the analysis of the protein repertoire of the pseudocarp tissues of three accessions of Malus x domestica Borkh. cv. Annurca, as first example of the systematic annotation of the apple proteome. Proteins were extracted from fruit tissues and resolved on 2-DE gels; commonly expressed proteins were in-gel digested and analysed by MALDI-TOF-MS and muLC-ESI-IT-MS/MS approaches. Peptide MS and MS/MS data were searched against publicly available protein and EST databases, and 44 spots were identified and associated to 28 different species. They were related to important physiological processes such as energy production, ripening and stress response. The occurrence of allergens causative of widespread food allergy syndromes was also detected. Integration of genomic, metabolomic and proteomic data will be indispensable for future molecular characterisation and hence full exploitation of the peculiar organoleptic, nutritional and agronomic traits of local cultivars of fruits.     

Cyclosporine: update on pharmacology, analytical techniques and therapeutic monitoring

The Authors relate about the current state of knowledge on Cyclosporin A metabolism, mechanism of action, toxic potential, necessity of therapeutic monitoring. The methods for measurement of Cyclosporin A and its metabolites and the study of their immunosuppressive activity are described. Their use for measurement of Cyclosporin G is discussed.     

A CNN-based chip for robot locomotion control

In this paper, the paradigm of emergent computation is applied to locomotion control in legged robots: the locomotion gait is the result of self-organization of a network of locally coupled nonlinear oscillators. This means to adopt the biological paradigm of central pattern generator (CPG), implemented by using cellular neural networks (CNNs). The whole control strategy is hybrid in the sense that the gait generation is accomplished by a fully analog CNN, while a simple logic unit modulates the behavior of the CNN-based CPG, so that the strategy is suitable to eventually include sensory feedback. The design of a VLSI chip implementing the CNN-based CPG and some experimental results on the chip are presented. The chip is designed using a switched-capacitor technique, fundamental to obtain in a simple and direct way some key features of the hybrid control discussed. The experimental results confirm the suitability of the approach.     

Surface and bulk changes of a Pt 1%/Ce0.6Zr0.4O2 catalyst during CO oxidation in the absence of O2

Topics in Catalysis - The reduction of a Pt 1%/Ce0.6Zr0.4O2 catalyst by CO in the absence of gaseous oxygen was studied by transient reactivity tests, temperature programmed surface reaction with...     

A study of the behaviour of Pt supported on CeO2–ZrO2/Al2O3–BaO as NOx storage–reduction catalyst for the treatment of lean burn engine emissions

The behaviour of a Pt(1 wt.%) supported on CeO₂–ZrO₂(20 wt.%)/Al₂O₃(64 wt.%)–BaO(16 wt.%) as a novel NO_x storage–reduction catalyst is studied by reactivity tests and DRIFT experiments and compared with that of Pt(1%)–BaO(15 wt.%) on alumina. The former catalyst, designed as a hydrothermally stable sample, is composed of an alumina modified with Ba ions and an overlayer of ceria-zirconia. The results pointed out that during the calcination barium ions migrates over the surface of the catalyst which thus show a good NO_x storage–reduction behaviour comparable with that of Pt–BaO on alumina, although Ba ions result much better dispersed.     

Osteoma of the tongue

An osteoma of the tongue of a 50-year-old woman is reported. The nosology of this rare lesion is briefly described.