Chemical,chromatographic, and thermal analysis of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is mainly known for its cooking qualities, but it possesses an essential oil with pharmacological properties. Moreover, this plant was the start of forest fires in Provence, France. The presence of biopolymers can contribute to electrical energy production by biomass combustion. The aim of this work was to study a stalk of rosemary during its biological cycle (November 1998 to June 1999). The chemical analysis (water, mineral ashes, cellulose, lignin, holocellulose, and extractives) showed few variations during this period. Leaves and branches differentiated themselves according to their chemical composition. Analyzed by chromatography gas–liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC‐MS) and gas–liquid chromatography/flam ionization detector (GC‐FID), the essential oil of this rosemary had a high level of camphor (30–45%), which could be used in new therapeutics (cardiac and respiratory analeptic). Finally, the simultaneous thermal analysis (DTA‐TG) was run on the fresh plants and the dried powdered samples. Several kinetic constants of the biopolymers had been computed: activation energies of cellulose and holocellulose. During heating, the rosemary's lignin decomposed more than others plants, thereby increasing the fire risks. The chemical, chromatographic, and thermal analysis run on the rosemary could be applied on other species in the Mediterranean basin. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 747–756, 2002     

Bronchopulmonary carcinosarcoma

Recent evidence demonstrating the efficacy of zidovudine, as well as experience with protease inhibitors, led to revision of recommendations for occupational exposures to human immunodeficiency virus-infected blood. At our hospital, this resulted in significant increases in rates of reported exposures and prophylaxis initiation. Among 10 healthcare workers given three-drug, protease-inhibitor-containing regimens, five completed 4 weeks, two completed 4 weeks of two drugs, and three stopped due to intolerance. Three workers missed work due to side effects.     

Comparison of the antinociception produced by two oral formulations of ibuprofen: ibuprofen effervescent vs ibuprofen tablets

A search for genetic alterations within the XPG gene has been conducted on skin and blood cells cultured from a newly characterized xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) patient (XP20BE). This patient is the ninth known case that falls into the extremely rare XP complementation group G. Four genetic markers within the XPG gene (including two polymorphisms) demonstrated the Mendelian distribution of this gene from the parents to the patient and to an unaffected sibling. The patient (XP20BE) inherited a G to T transversion from his father in exon 1 of the XPG gene that resulted in the conversion of a glutamic acid at codon 11 to a termination codon. The patient also inherited an XP-G allele from his mother that produces an unstable or poorly expressed message. The cause of the latter defect is still uncertain. In addition to these alterations, XP20BE cDNA contained an mRNA species with a large splicing defect that encompassed a deletion from exon 1 to exon 14. This splicing defect, however, appears to be a naturally occurring low-frequency event that results from abnormal splicing that occurs between certain conserved non-consensus splicing signals within the human XPG gene.     

Responses to nasal irritation obtained from the human nasal mucosa

Two children with isolated congenital anosmia, a rare syndrome of deficient restricted neuronal migration, are presented with early diagnosis confirmed by standardized smell testing and detailed neuroimaging studies. Recognition of this disorder and its spectrum of presentations provides important insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of the olfactory system.     

Radiation- and chemically-induced respiratory manifestations

There are frequently respiratory complications with cancer particularly in primary lung carcinoma. Among these are bronchopulmonary infections with or without endobronchial obstruction, carcinomatous lymphangitis, thromboembolic disease and haemorrhagic disease as well. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy may induce various respiratory complications which diagnosis can be of varying shades of difficulty. The classical post radiation pneumonitis occurring exclusively in the field of radiation hardly poses any problem unless it could be masking a recurrence. Certain clinical manifestations address very difficult problems of differential diagnosis by their lack of specificity and by their often unforeseeable character (except for bleomycin fibrosis which is perfectly dose dependent). Moreover patients often have multiple treatments and the identification of the single responsible agent becomes very difficult. We will not discuss here the infectious or secondary haemorrhagic complications of radiotherapy or chemotherapy but rather the anaphylactic manifestations, diffuse interstitial pneumonia with lymphocytic alveolitis or fibrosis, eosinophilic pneumonia, non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema, bronchiolitis obliterans with organising pneumonia and the rare pulmonary vascular disorders such as pulmonary veno-occlusive disease.     

Influence of acute injection of chloroquine on the biliary secretion of lipids and lysosomal enzyme on rats

Phospholipids and cholesterol combine with a protein fraction (IgA and an acid polypeptide) in bile to form the bile lipoprotein complex. We wished to determine whether lysosomes participated only in IgA secretion or if their secretory role also involved the lipid components of the bile complex. This aspect was studied with a single acute injection of chloroquine, a lysosomotropic drug. The results show that a nonnegligible quantity of IgA travels through the lysosomes. In addition, phospholipid and cholesterol levels undergo a significant (P<0.05) decrease 1 hr after injection before increasing to normal levels. In contrast to the total inhibition of protein secretion (β-glucuronidase, acid phosphatase), a transitory decrease of the secretion of bile lipids takes place that suggest secretory mechanisms involving organelles other than lysosomes.     

Some properties of linear strain triangles and optimal finite element models

A detailed study of the linear strain triangle (LST), which is very applicable in plane stress finite element analysis, is presented. Based on analytical stiffnesses, it is shown that the LST stiffnesses are easily obtainable from the stiffnesses of the corresponding simple constant strain triangle (CST). The optimization of finite element models is related to the configuration of the elements, and this analysis is also based upon the LST element. A procedure for changing to an improved finite element model is presented which does not require re-analysis. Several examples are discussed.     

Evidence for sex transformation of germline cells in ovarian tumor mutants of Drosophila

Mutations at a few genetic loci in Drosophila cause ovarian tumors with hundreds of poorly differentiated germ cells. We examined several of these mutants to test the hypothesis that such ovarian tumors contain sex-transformed cells. By testing for expression of male germline traits, we determined that partial germline sex transformation occurs in otu, snf, Sxlfs, and bam ovarian tumors. Thus these genes are likely to be required for proper establishment of germline sexual identity.