Facilitated transport of benzylpenicillin through immobilized liquid membrane

The rate of benzylpenicillin transport, as an ionic pair with a tetrabutyl ammonium cation, from aqueous media through a liquid membrane consisting of n-decanol supported in a porous Teflon membrane has been investigated as a function of the chemical composition of the system and the hydrodynamic conditions at 25°C. The measured transfer rates have been explained in terms of the diffusion of the ionic pair species through the liquid membrane. The results are in agreement with theoretical predictions and it is demonstrated that the transport of benzylpenicillin takes place against a concentration gradient.     

Renewable energies in the EU-Accession States

The aim of this article is to discuss obstacles and success conditions for renewable energy sources in the EU-Accession States and to compare them with the framework in the EU-15. Besides the ten states which will join the EU in 2004, Bulgaria and Romania which will probably join in 2007 as well as Turkey are analysed. Most of these countries have had a century-long tradition in the utilisation of RES, primarily in biomass and hydropower. However, the communist regimes were convinced of the superiority of large-scale systems and converted the energy sectors into centralised units. Due to this dominating belief system more decentralised applications such as installations using renewable energies had to close.     

Temporal changes in macroinvertebrate assemblages following experimental flooding in permanent and temporary wetlands in an Australian floodplain forest

The River Murray, Australia, is a highly regulated river from which almost 80% of mean annual flow is removed for human use, primarily irrigated agriculture. Consequent changes to the pattern and volume of river flow are reflected in floodplain hydrology and, therefore, the wetting/drying patterns of floodplain wetlands. To explore the significance of these changes, macroinvertebrate samples were compared between permanent and temporary wetlands following experimental flooding in a forested floodplain of the River Murray. Weekly samples from two permanent wetlands and four associated temporary sites were used to track changes in macroinvertebrate assemblage composition. Non‐metric multidimensional scaling was used to ordinate the macroinvertebrate data, indicating consistent differences between the biota of permanent and temporary wetlands and between the initial and later assemblages in the temporary sites. There were marked changes over time, but little sign that the permanent and temporary assemblages were becoming more alike over the 25‐week observation period. The apparent heterogeneity of these systems is of particular importance in developing river management plans which are likely to change flooding patterns. Such plans need to maintain a mosaic of wetland habitats if floodplain biodiversity is to be supported. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A pilot study of gamma-1b-interferon in combination with fluorouracil, leucovorin, and alpha-2a-interferon

The combination of IFN-alpha-2a (IFN-alpha) and IFN-gamma-1b (IFN-gamma) has been found to produce more than additive cytotoxicity with fluorouracil (5-FU) in HT 29 colon cancer cells due to enhanced DNA-directed effects. We therefore studied the combination of IFN-gamma with IFN-alpha, 5-FU, and leucovorin (LV) in a clinical trial. Fifty-three patients received an initial cycle of 5 million units (MU)/m2 IFN-alpha s.c. on days 1-7 with 500 mg/m2 LV and 370 mg/m2 5-FU i.v. on days 2-6. IFN-gamma was then added once tolerable doses of 5-FU and IFN-alpha were established for each patient. IFN-gamma was administered at one of six dose levels between 0.3-4.8 MU/m2 s.c. on days 1-7. This design permitted comparison of the clinical toxicity and pharmacokinetics of 5-FU in two consecutive cycles in an individual treated with the same doses of 5-FU/LV/IFN-alpha in the absence and presence of IFN-gamma. In 43 matched patient cycles, the addition of IFN-gamma did not seem to worsen gastrointestinal toxicity, and skin toxicity tended to be milder. 5-FU clearance was higher in 14 cycles with IFN-gamma compared to the patient's prior cycle with the same doses of 5-FU/LV/IFN-alpha: 798 +/- 309 versus 601 +/- 250 ml/min/m2 (mean +/- SD; P = 0.04). In these 28 cycles, the median 5-FU clearance was significantly lower in 11 cycles that were complicated by more severe diarrhea: 524 versus 798 ml/min/m2 (grade 2 versus 0-1; P = 0. 0032). Overall, 38% and 26% of patients had grade 3-4 diarrhea and mucositis. Dose reductions of IFN-gamma for chronic fatigue, malaise, or anorexia were ultimately required more frequently with >/=2.4 MU/m2 (P = 0.018), and the maximum tolerated dose of IFN-gamma was considered to be 1.2 MU/m2/ day. Objective responses were seen in 41% of 29 measurable colorectal cancer patients. Compared to our previous experience with 5-FU/LV/IFN-alpha, IFN-gamma and IFN-alpha appeared to have opposite effects on 5-FU clearance. These results suggest that any potential benefit of adding IFN-alpha to 5-FU/LV on this schedule may not depend solely on alterations in 5-FU clearance.     

Strongly Dipolar Polythiourea and Polyurea Dielectrics with High Electrical Breakdown,Low Loss,and High Electrical Energy Density

Dielectric materials with high electric energy density and low loss are of great importance for applications in modern electronics and electrical systems. Strongly dipolar materials have the potential to reach relatively higher dielectric constants than the widely used non-polar or weakly dipolar polymers, as well as a much lower loss than that of nonlinear high K polymer dielectrics or polymer–ceramic composites. To realize the high energy density while maintaining the low dielectric loss, aromatic polythioureas and polyureas with high dipole moments, high dipole densities, tunable molecular structures and dielectric properties were investigated. High energy density (>24 J/cm³), high breakdown strength (>800 MV/m), and high charge–discharge efficiency (>90%) can be achieved in the new polymers. The molecular structure and film surface morphology were also studied; it is of great importance to optimize the fabrication process to make high-quality thin films.     

Cell‐Tethered Ligands Modulate Bone Remodeling by Osteoblasts and Osteoclasts

The goals of the present study are to establish an in vitro co‐culture model of osteoblast and osteoclast function and to quantify the resulting bone remodeling. The bone is tissue engineered using well‐defined silk protein biomaterials in 2D and 3D formats in combination with human cells. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and glucose‐dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP) are selected because of their roles in bone remodeling for expression in tethered format on human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). The cell‐modified biomaterial surfaces are reconstructed from scanning electron microscopy images into 3D models for quantitative measurement of surface characteristics. Increased calcium deposition and surface roughness are found in 3D surface models of silk protein films remodeled by co‐cultures containing tethered PTH, and decreased surface roughness is found for the films remodeled by tethered GIP co‐cultures. Increased surface roughness is not found in monocultures of hMSCs expressing tethered PTH, suggesting that osteoclast‐osteoblast interactions in the presence of PTH signaling are responsible for the increased mineralization. These data point towards the design of in vitro bone models in which osteoblast‐osteoclast interactions are mimicked for a better understanding of bone remodeling.     

Young-onset Parkinson's disease revisited--clinical features, natural history, and mortality

The authors report on clinical features and mortality rates in a group of 149 patients with apparent idiopathic parkinsonism starting before the age of 40 years. Ten had juvenile parkinsonism (JP; onset before age 21 years) and 139 had young-onset Parkinson's disease (YOPD; onset at age 21 to 40 years). Included were 60 patients originally reported 10 years ago. Fifty percent of the JP group had a positive family history of parkinsonism in a first-degree relative, and clinical presentation was heterogeneous. Mortality risk was threefold that of the normal population. In the YOPD group, the mortality risk was double that of the normal population. Poor initial response to L-dopa was a risk factor for early death. In two previously reported patients, the diagnosis had been changed to multiple system atrophy and Machado-Joseph disease. After a median disease duration of 18 years, cognitive impairment was found in only 19% of YOPD patients (13% of those younger than 60 years and 43% of those 60 years or older). Age was the most important factor for development of dementia, but female sex and positive family history of parkinsonism also had more modest predictive value. After a disease duration of 10 years or less, only 5% of patients were experiencing falls and 30% freezing, but all patients had developed L-dopa-related fluctuations and dyskinesias. The authors conclude that the mortality rate in parkinsonism starting before the age of 40 is increased in comparison to the normal population and is similar to the general Parkinson's disease population. Intellectual function and postural reflexes are usually well preserved for many years despite a long history of parkinsonism and the early and frequent occurrence of treatment complications, provided the patients remain biologically and chronologically young.     

Glutamate-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells: role of oxidation of phospholipids, glutathione and protein sulfhydryls revealed by bcl-2 transfection

Incubation of mock-transfected PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells (PC12) for 2 h with increasing concentrations of glutamate caused progressive loss of viability (e.g., 67% with 15 mM glutamate). In contrast, the viability of bcl-2-transfected cells (PC12/bcl-2) was unaffected by glutamate. Neither PC12 nor PC12/bcl-2 cells showed a significant incidence of apoptosis in response to glutamate. Conventional phospholipid analysis by high-performance TLC and phosphorous determination showed no significant changes in the phospholipid composition of either cell line incubated with 5 mM glutamate. The peroxyl radical initiator 2,2'-azobis(2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile) caused a pronounced loss of all major phospholipid classes in PC12 cells, but no loss of cell viability. No phospholipid peroxidation was detected in PC12/bcl-2 cells incubated with 相似文献   

Determination of Stress Concentration Factors for Holes in Cylinders Using Thermoelastic Stress Analysis

Thermoelastic stress analysis is used to obtain the stress concentration factors (SCFs) from a variety of circular holes in cylinders. The cylinders are loaded in uniaxial tension, uniaxial compression and a combination of bending and compression. Firstly, radial holes are investigated and the results from the thermoelastic data obtained by the SPATE equipment are compared with previous experimental and numerical work. SCFs are then obtained from offset, oblique and offset–oblique holes using the Deltatherm system. The effect of hole obliquity and direction of applied load relative to the hole geometry are discussed in detail. Finally, the results from the cylinders are compared with predictions of the SCFs in cylinders from a previous study of oblique holes in flat plates.     

Consensus statement on the diagnosis of multiple system atrophy

We report the results of a consensus conference on the diagnosis of multiple system atrophy (MSA). We describe the clinical features of the disease, which include four domains: autonomic failure/urinary dysfunction, parkinsonism and cerebellar ataxia, and corticospinal dysfunction. We set criteria to define the relative importance of these features. The diagnosis of possible MSA requires one criterion plus two features from separate other domains. The diagnosis of probable MSA requires the criterion for autonomic failure/urinary dysfunction plus poorly levodopa responsive parkinsonism or cerebellar ataxia. The diagnosis of definite MSA requires pathological confirmation.