Computational Analysis of the Solid-State and Solvation Properties of Carbamazepine in Relation to its Polymorphism

The solvent-dependent polymorphism of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) carbamazepine is interpreted from calculations of the solid-state and API-solvent intermolecular interactions. These simulations suggested that apolar solute-solute interactions could be disrupted by apolar solvents. In contrast, the polar solute-solute interactions were found to be easily disrupted by polar and protic solvents. This is consistent with experimental observations that the crystallization of the metastable form II is more dominant in apolar solvents. The Mercury program remains the gold standard in terms of usability; however, further expansion into more complex simulation techniques could make this package of even greater use in pharmaceutical manufacturing workflows.     

Data mining of resilience indicators

In recent years, the Asia-Pacific region has experienced several financial setbacks, including speculative attacks in 1998 and the SARS outbreak in 2003. Financial stresses of this nature are unanticipated, and not all of the dangers can be predicted by the examination of market information and macroeconomic indicators. The Early Warning System (EWS) that has been adopted by the International Monetary Fund may not be able to predict future financial crises for all possible scenarios, because shocks come in many different forms. To supplement the EWS, this paper proposes a data mining framework to measure the resilience of an economy. The resilience framework does not predict a crisis, but rather assesses the current state of health of an economy and its ability to withstand a financial shock should one occur. The framework is based on a feedback system consisting of two stages. The first stage assigns a resilience score to each economy based on a fuzzy logic scoring scheme that is built on the ambiguous reasoning of experts. The second stage uses the classification tree approach to estimate thresholds for each economic indicator, and examines the quality of the fuzzy score. The result from the second stage is then passed back to the first stage as feedback. The final result is obtained when the feedback system reaches its equilibrium state. The proposed resilience framework is applied to the external-sector and the public-sector economies of several countries to illustrate its applicability.     

Watermarking for intellectual property protection

A new watermarking method for intellectual property (IP) protection is presented. The proposed method uses a uniquely generated stream of bits, known as a watermark, embedded into the self-test circuit to represent ownership. This scheme can detect the ownership rights of the IP provider even when the chip has been packaged. Experimental results show the proposed embedding technique can survive synthesis, placement and routing. The experimental results are given to demonstrate the proposed method.     

FM subcarrier fiber optical transmission system design and itsapplication in next-generation wireless access

This paper presents a design method of optical frequency modulation (FM) subcarrier (with super carrier) transmission modem. The nonideal link characteristics, including laser chirping, fiber dispersion, voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) phase noise, relative intensity noise (RIN), and equivalent network model of laser diode of such a system that may bring about signal distortion are discussed first. We then propose a hierarchical methods to establish the system equivalent model. Finally this FM modem is applied to a GSM wireless system, in which multichannel signals are transmitted over fiber between radio port and basestation, and system performance is appraised by its dynamic range. It is found that optical FM subcarrier (with super carrier) transmission technique can improve the system dynamic range, compared with the intensity modulated direct detection (IMDD) method, and this is a economical and efficient method     

The slot-coupled hemispherical dielectric resonator antenna with a parasitic patch: applications to the circularly polarized antenna and wide-band antenna

The aperture-coupled hemispherical dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) with a parasitic patch is studied rigorously. Using the Green's function approach, integral equations for the unknown patch and slot currents are formulated and solved using the method of moments. The theory is utilized to design a circularly polarized (CP) DRA and a wide-band linearly polarized (LP) DRA. In the former, the CP frequency and axial ratio (AR) can easily be controlled by the patch location and patch size, respectively, with the impedance matched by varying the slot length and microstrip stub length. It is important that the AR will not be affected when the input impedance is tuned, and the CP design is therefore greatly facilitated. For the wide-band LP antenna, a maximum bandwidth of 22% can be obtained, which is much wider than the previous bandwidth of 7.5% with no parasitic patches. Finally, the frequency-tuning characteristics of the proposed antenna are discussed. Since the parasitic patch can be applied to any DRAs, the method will find applications in practical DRA designs.     

Hypocalcemic-induced tetany that causes triceps and bilateral quadriceps tendon ruptures

Small-cell carcinoma (also known as oat-cell carcinoma) is a rare tumor that previously concerns the lung; small-cell carcinoma of the bladder is extremely rare (0.5% of all bladder malignancies). The Authors report here the case of a 78th years old man. Fourteen months before our observation he was submitted to a partial cystectomy for a small-cell carcinoma of the bladder cupola. There was no evidence of extra-vesical location at that moment and the patient was not submitted to any adjuvant therapy. At the moment of our observation the disease was very advanced and the patient died in a few time. The Authors discuss about the therapy of bladder small-cell carcinoma in the few cases described by the literature and about the survival of those patients. A radical surgical treatment in association with an adjuvant chemo- or radiotherapy appears as a better way to treat these patients. On account of this case the Authors agree with this choice and conclude that only a combined treatment can allow a better survival.     

Delta opioid peptide [D-Ala2,D-leu5]enkephalin blocks the long-term loss of dopamine transporters induced by multiple administrations of methamphetamine: involvement of opioid receptors and reactive oxygen species

Delta opioid peptide [D-Ala2,D-leu5]enkephalin (DADLE) can prolong organ preservation and increases myocardial tolerance to ischemia. Our study examined the protective property of DADLE against methamphetamine- (METH) induced dopaminergic terminal damage in the central nervous system. Because the neurotoxicity of METH involves reactive oxygen species, we also examined if DADLE might be an antioxidative agent in vitro. DADLE at 2 and 4 mg/kg (i.p.), given 30 min before each METH administration (5 or 10 mg/kg, i.p., four injections in a day at 2-hr intervals), dose-dependently blocked the METH-induced long-term dopamine transporter loss. The opioid antagonist naltrexone blocked this action of DADLE in both aspects of striata but tends not to affect the effects of DADLE in the nucleus accumbens. DADLE did not alter changes in body temperature induced by METH. The reduction of striatal dopaminergic content and tyrosine hydroxylase activity caused by METH, however, were not blocked by DADLE. In vitro, DADLE was approximately equipotent to glutathione in inhibiting both superoxide anion formation induced by xanthine oxidase and hydroxyl radical formation evoked by ferrous/citrate complex. DADLE was only slightly less potent than glutathione in inhibiting the iron/ascorbate-induced brain lipid peroxidation. These results suggest that DADLE can protect the terminal membranes of dopaminergic neurons against METH-induced insult but not the loss of dopaminergic content and tyrosine hydroxylase activity and that this action of DADLE might involve opioid receptors as well as the sequestration of free radical.