Color vision in horses (Equus caballus): Deficiencies identified using a pseudoisochromatic plate test.

In the past, equine color vision was tested with stimuli composed either of painted cards or photographic slides or through physiological testing using electroretinogram flicker photometry. Some studies produced similar results, but others did not, demonstrating that there was not yet a definitive answer regarding color vision in horses (Equus caballus). In this study, a pseudoisochromatic plate test--which is highly effective in testing color vision both in small children and in adult humans--was used for the first time on a nonhuman animal. Stimuli consisted of different colored dotted circles set against backgrounds of varying dots. The coloration of the circles corresponded to the visual capabilities of different types of color deficiencies (anomalous trichromacy and dichromacy). Four horses were tested on a 2-choice discrimination task. All horses successfully reached criterion for gray circles and demonstration circles. None of the horses were able to discriminate the protan-deutan plate or the individual protan or deutan plates. However, all were able to discriminate the tritan plate. The results suggest that horses are dichromats with color vision capabilities similar to those of humans with red-green color deficiencies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Direct electrooxidation of methanol on highly dispersed platinum-based catalyst electrodes: temperature effect

The direct electrooxidation of methanol in acid medium was studied on electrodes made of a perfluorinated membrane with small amounts of metal catalysts incorporated by chemical reduction. Platinum is a good electrocatalyst for this reaction, but needs to be modified by other metals in order to obtain oxidation potentials much more compatible with a working anode in a direct methanol fuel cell. Ruthenium and tin appear to give encouraging results, leading to a negative shift of more than 250 mV as compared to the potential obtained with pure platinum. Other parameters were investigated in this work, such as the working temperature, and the manner of introduction of the methanol into the cell. By gaseous supply, it was possible to carry out measurements at higher temperatures than with methanol in solution, and consequently to greatly improve the performance of the catalytic electrode.     

Operations standards for global ATM networks: network element view

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has completed work on a series of standards on asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) equipment functional operations and network element management. The objective of these standards is to enable flexible design and interoperability of network elements for use in a global ATM network, independent of any specific implementation. This article discusses these standards with respect to their development and application in planning ATM networks. Specifically, it addresses the following: the modeling approach taken in the development of the ITU standards, key operational features specified in the ATM network element functional model, and the capabilities of the ATM network element management interface. Examples of ATM equipment are provided to illustrate how the functional models specified in the ITU standards may be used by network planners and equipment manufacturers to specify and develop ATM equipment tailored to specific needs, while ensuring network interoperability. The article concludes with some points on the future enhancement of these and related ATM equipment operations standards     

Nephrotic syndrome. What is new since the 1988 study?

Hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) patients often have nonmeasurable disease. In such patients, predictive biomarkers other than tumor response may be required to compare therapeutic effects. We examined the predictive value for survival of various clinical and laboratory parameters, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA), in HRPC patients treated with suramin. Data from 103 HRPC patients were analyzed using various survival analyses, the likelihood ratio approach, and logistic regression analyses. When pretreatment factors, percentage decrease in PSA at 4 weeks from start of treatment (deltaPSA), and updated survival data were fit by a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, acid phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, and deltaPSA were significant, with risk ratios close to 1. There was a decrease in likelihood ratio with increasing APSA. A logistic regression model was developed to predict the probability of <1 year of survival from the start of treatment. Hemoglobin and deltaPSA were found to be significant variables. However, in view of the complexities involving the relationship between PSA expression and prostate cancer growth and possible selective effect of treatment on PSA, further prospective testing is necessary. Therefore, deltaPSA cannot necessarily be used as a biomarker for survival response in individual patients during the evaluation of the therapeutic response of HRPC to new antineoplastic drugs.     

Complement-Opsonized Nano-Carriers Are Bound by Dendritic Cells (DC) via Complement Receptor (CR)3, and by B Cell Subpopulations via CR-1/2, and Affect the Activation of DC and B-1 Cells

The development of nanocarriers (NC) for biomedical applications has gained large interest due to their potential to co-deliver drugs in a cell-type-targeting manner. However, depending on their surface characteristics, NC accumulate serum factors, termed protein corona, which may affect their cellular binding. We have previously shown that NC coated with carbohydrates to enable biocompatibility triggered the lectin-dependent complement pathway, resulting in enhanced binding to B cells via complement receptor (CR)1/2. Here we show that such NC also engaged all types of splenic leukocytes known to express CR3 at a high rate when NC were pre-incubated with native mouse serum resulting in complement opsonization. By focusing on dendritic cells (DC) as an important antigen-presenting cell type, we show that CR3 was essential for binding/uptake of complement-opsonized NC, whereas CR4, which in mouse is specifically expressed by DC, played no role. Further, a minor B cell subpopulation (B-1), which is important for first-line pathogen responses, and co-expressed CR1/2 and CR3, in general, engaged NC to a much higher extent than normal B cells. Here, we identified CR-1/2 as necessary for binding of complement-opsonized NC, whereas CR3 was dispensable. Interestingly, the binding of complement-opsonized NC to both DC and B-1 cells affected the expression of activation markers. Our findings may have important implications for the design of nano-vaccines against infectious diseases, which codeliver pathogen-specific protein antigen and adjuvant, aimed to induce a broad adaptive cellular and humoral immune response by inducing cytotoxic T lymphocytes that kill infected cells and pathogen-neutralizing antibodies, respectively. Decoration of nano-vaccines either with carbohydrates to trigger complement activation in vivo or with active complement may result in concomitant targeting of DC and B cells and thereby may strongly enhance the extent of dual cellular/humoral immune responses.     

The Di- and triesters of the lipids of steer and human meibomian glands

Three groups of diesters have been isolated and identified in the lipids of steer meibomian glands. The first group, designated as α Type I, with the abbreviated formula FA-αOHFA-FA1c, consisted of α-hydroxy fatty acids esterified to fatty acids and fatty alcohols in the approximate molar ratio 1∶1∶1. The second group, designated as ω Type I-St, with the abbreviated formula FA-ωOHF A-St, consisted of ω-hydroxy fatty acids esterified to fatty acids and sterols in the approximate molar ratio 1∶1∶1. The third group, designated as α,ω Type II, with the abbreviated formula FA-α,ωdiol-FA, consisted of α,ω-diols esterified to 2 moles of fatty acids. The sum of the different diesters comprised about 9% of total steer meibomian lipids. Capillary GLC of the fatty acids of αType I diesters showed the fatty acids to be a family with a two-cluster profile, one at C₁₂ to C₂₀ and the other at C₂₁ to C₃₁, with anteiso chains predominating. Fatty acids from ωType I-St and α,ωType II diesters gave mainly a one-cluster profile in the short long chain, C₂₃ to C₃₀, with anteiso chains predominating, while the α-hydroxy fatty acids were short chain C₁₃ to C₁₈ acids with C₁₆ predominating. The sterols in diesters ωType I-St were cholesterol (∼60%), Δ7 cholestenol (∼35%) and an unidentified compound (∼5%) with a GLC retention time slightly longer than Δ7 cholestenol on SE-30 phase. The ω-hydroxy fatty acids and α,ω-diols both were of exceedingly long chain lengths, C₂₉−C₃₈, and showed similar GLC profiles. Two types of triesters comprising approximately 1% of total steer meibomian lipids have been isolated but incompletely characterized. In terms of molar ratios, one group of triesters gave fatty acids:ω-hydroxy fatty acids:α-hydroxy fatty acids:sterols + fatty alcohols as approximately 1∶1∶1∶1. The other contained fatty acids, α-hydroxy fatty acids and α,ω-diols in what appears to be a complex mixture of several triesters. Diesters ωType I and α,ωType II also were found in human meibum. Hitherto these two diesters have not been found in any animal tissue.     

Electrooxidation of methanol at platinum–ruthenium catalysts prepared from colloidal precursors: Atomic composition and temperature effects

The electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol was investigated on PtRu electrodes of different atomic compositions at several temperatures (from 25 to 110 °C). Very active catalyst nanoparticles supported on active carbon (Vulcan XC 72) were obtained using the colloidal synthesis developed by Bönnemann et al. [11], allowing easy variation of the atomic composition. These electrocatalysts were characterized by TEM, EDX and XRD; results indicate that they consist of platinum nanoparticles decorated by ruthenium. Methanol oxidation was studied as a function of composition, temperature and methanol concentration. Two effects were investigated: the effect of the working temperature and the effect of the atomic composition. It appeared that for lower methanol electrooxidation overvoltages, the best catalysts are ruthenium-rich, whereas at higher overvoltages the best one is the Pt + Ru (80:20)/C composition, irrespective of the working temperature, either in half-cell or in a single DMFC.     

Enhancement of the electrooxidation of ethanol on a Pt–PEM electrode modified by tin. Part I: Half cell study

The direct platinisation of a solid polymer electrolyte (Nafion^® membrane) was realized by chemical reduction of a platinum salt. The Pt–PEM electrodes thus obtained were modified by tin to improve the electrocatalytic activity towards the electrooxidation of ethanol. The Pt–PEM and Pt–Sn–PEM electrodes were characterized by TEM, EDX and XRD analysis, cyclic voltammetry, and their polarisation curves for the electrooxidation of ethanol were determined under quasisteady state conditions.     

护肤品的功效性评价方法综述

现代科学技术,尤其是生物技术和计算机技术的飞速发展和广泛应用,给化妆品行业带来了全新的发展机遇,赋予化妆品以一定的功效性是新世纪化妆品发展的重要趋势.近20年来,人们对化妆品的要求已从洁肤、润肤为目的的基础护肤品向美白、祛皱为目的的功效性化妆品方向发展.