Potential use of cytokine therapy in poultry

The time course of incorporation of [14C]arachidonic acid and [3H]docosahexaenoic acid into various lipid fractions in placental choriocarcinoma (BeWo) cells was investigated. BeWo cells were found to rapidly incorporate exogenous [14C]arachidonic acid and [3H] docosahexaenoic acid into the total cellular lipid pool. The extent of docosahexaenoic acid esterification was more rapid than for arachidonic acid, although this difference abated with time to leave only a small percentage of the fatty acids in their unesterified form. Furthermore, uptake was found to be saturable. In the cellular lipids these fatty acids were mainly esterified into the phospholipid (PL) and the triacyglycerol (TAG) fractions. Smaller amounts were also detected in the diacylglycerol and cholesterol ester fractions. Almost 60% of the total amount of [3H]Docosahexaenoic acid taken up by the cells was esterified into TAG whereas 37% was in PL fractions. For arachidonic acid the reverse was true, 60% of the total uptake was incorporated into PL fractions whereas less than 35% was in TAG. Marked differences were also found in the distribution of the fatty acids into individual phospholipid classes. The higher incorporation of docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid was found in PC and PE, respectively. The greater cellular uptake of docosahexaenoic acid and its preferential incorporation in TAG suggests that both uptake and transport modes of this fatty acid by the placenta to fetus is different from that of arachidonic acid.     

Selective flocculation of fines

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Damage tolerance of fully orthotropic laminates in compression

The compression after impact (CAI) strength of fully orthotropic composite laminates with up to 21 plies is presented, as analysed by an existing strip model. Candidate layups, which can be symmetric, anti-symmetric or non-symmetric, are preselected to exhibit no elastic coupling response, with manufacturing rules applied. These criteria, along with the use of a simple surrogate sublaminate buckling model, were chosen to allow analysis of all feasible laminates in the design space without excessive computation time. Results indicate that although the inclusion of non-symmetric layups in the design space does not give benefits with respect to maximum achievable damage tolerance, these laminates can exhibit damage tolerance close to that of an anti-symmetric design for some ply counts, and better than symmetric solutions in most cases. It is also noted that in some instances increasing the number of plies in a laminate can actually reduce the highest achievable threshold load for damage tolerance, as a result of the large influence Poisson’s ratio has on sublaminate buckling. Average errors in the surrogate model were low in all cases, with maximum non-conservative errors less than 1%. The surrogate buckling model reduced computational time by over 99% when compared to the fully exhaustive search.     

Determination of the elastic properties of single microcapsules using micromanipulation and finite element modeling

Finite element modeling (FEM) has been used to simulate the compression of single elastic core–shell capsules between two parallel plates. FEM allows characterizing the compressions at deformations beyond the wall thickness, when both bending and stretching contribute to the force resisting compression. Due to the incorporation of bending effects, the force deformation profiles of capsules with the same elastic modulus E depend on the wall thickness to capsule radius ratio (h/r). A model is presented that enables the (i) calculation of h/r from the individual compression force profiles at fractional deformations lower than 0.1, thus applicable for brittle capsules and for elastic–plastic capsules and (ii) calculation of Eh by comparison with FEM data at that h/r. Thus, the model allows the determination of E from compression data alone, as the wall thickness is also determined. The compression of melamine–formaldehyde capsules with a hexyl salicylate core using a micromanipulation technique is given as an example of the application of the model. The estimated wall thickness value, found to be independent of the capsule size, is in excellent agreement with transmission electron microscopy measurements.     

Household bottled water consumption in Phoenix: a lifestyle choice

The demand for bottled water has grown tremendously in recent years, together with concern about its environmental impacts. The authors surveyed individuals in Phoenix, Arizona about their water consumption behaviour, socio-demographic characteristics, perception of water quality and trust in the government's willingness to respond to water quality issues. Using a logit model, the authors then tested the relationship between the respondents' characteristics and bottled water consumption for cooking and drinking in the home. Our results indicate that bottled water consumption reflects lifestyle choice not environmental concerns.     

Study of mechanical properties of micromachined dental implants

Advancements in technologies and techniques within the dental industry have given rise to new and effective tooth replacement procedures for damages resulting from causes such as trauma or aging. While these treatments are widely available for patients, they remain highly expensive, preventing patients from much-needed dental care. The elevated cost of dental implants is in part associated with their components that are mainly available through third-party companies at a premium cost. To be cost effective, dental laboratories are exploring the option of producing their own dental implant components, and are therefore acquiring knowledge of manufacturing techniques and quality assurance expertise to produce quality components. In order to ensure high quality and reliability, the fabricated components must be tested and benchmarked against current implants on the market. The present study examines the micro machining process of dental implants, specifically for the abutments and screws, and its impact on the mechanical properties of the components. To achieve this, dental implant abutment and screw prototypes were fabricated, experimentally tested, and compared. The impact of different machining processes on the mechanical properties of the implants was comparatively determined and analysed. The fabricated implant testing results show coherent mechanical properties displayed by good hardness, and material microstructures similar to market components, indicating a high level of prototype quality.     

Enterostatin actions in the amygdala and PVN to suppress feeding in the rat

The pentapeptide enterostatin (ENT) inhibits feeding after injection into the cerebral ventricles. To localize the central sites of action of ENT, the peptide (0.01 to 3.3 nM) was microinjected into several brain regions and the intake of a high fat diet was measured. The results show that ENT injection in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) or the amygdala (AMYG) produced a bi-phasic dose related feeding response, low doses of ENT inhibited feeding while higher dose had no effect. The effective dose to inhibit feeding in the AMYG was 10 fold lower than that in the PVN. No changes in food intake were observed after ENT injection into the ventromedial hypothalamus and nucleus tractus solitarius. The data provide further support that there are targets in the CNS for ENT and suggest that central ENT function is site specific.     

Nonlinear analysis of phase relationships in quasi-opticaloscillator arrays

A dynamic theory of coupled oscillators is developed and applied to the class of loosely coupled quasi-optical oscillator arrays. This theory permits the calculation of stable, steady-state phase relationships between the oscillators. The distribution of free-running frequencies and the coupling parameters are most important in determining the behavior of the arrays. It is found that free-running frequencies of the peripheral elements have the strongest influence on the steady-state phase relationships. The influence of randomness in the frequency distribution is considered for the case of broadside beamforming, establishing a critical value for the coupling strength in order to maintain mutual synchronization with a specified maximum beam deviation. Techniques for simplifying the calculation of phase relationships for some common coupling parameters are also developed     

The effects of a high fat diet on leptin mRNA, serum leptin and the response to leptin are not altered in a rat strain susceptible to high fat diet-induced obesity

Osborne-Mendel (OM) and S5B/Pl rats differ in their sensitivity to develop obesity when fed a high fat (HF) diet; OM rats become obese, whereas S5B/Pl rats remain thin. We have investigated the possibilities that either an impaired leptin response or resistance to leptin action underlies the sensitivity to this form of obesity in OM rats. In Experiment 1, OM and S5B/Pl rats fed a nonpurified diet were killed at d 0 or were fed either a HF (56% fat energy) or a low fat (LF, 10% fat energy) diet for 2 or 7 d. The HF diet increased serum leptin significantly by d 2 to levels that were similar in both rat strains. At 7 d, leptin levels were lower than at d 2 but remained higher than levels in the d 0 control groups. The leptin mRNA:18S RNA ratio in epididymal adipose tissue increased to higher levels in HF-fed OM rats than in S5B/Pl rats fed that diet. However, although the LF diet had no effect in S5B/Pl rats, it increased leptin mRNA levels in epididymal adipose tissue of OM rats compared with the controls fed the nonpurified diet. In Experiment 2, OM and S5B/Pl rats were fed HF or LF diets for 5 wk. At that time, their feeding response to a range of leptin doses (0, 1, 5 or 10 microgram) given intracerebroventricularly was tested after overnight food deprivation. There was a similar dose-dependent reduction in energy intake in response to leptin in both OM and S5B/Pl rats. These responses were independent of the diet. The data suggest that the susceptibility of OM rats to HF diet-induced obesity is not related to either a loss of central sensitivity to leptin or a failure to enhance leptin production acutely, although the failure to maintain chronically increased levels of serum leptin could contribute to the obesity.