Hydroisomerization of Fischer�CTropsch Wax on Pt/AlSBA-15 and Pt/SAPO-11 Catalysts

A Pt/AlSBA-15 catalyst was investigated in the selective isomerisation of Fischer?CTropsch wax, which type of catalyst have not been studied in detail in this reaction system yet. Its hydroconversion activity was compared with that of the Pt/SAPO-11 catalyst. Based on the results it was concluded that the selective isomerization of the Fischer?CTropsch wax can be a new application of the Pt/AlSBA-15 catalyst.     

Signaling architectures and recovery time scaling for grid applications in IST Project MUPBED

It is now evident to the research community that local computational resources cannot keep up in an economical way with the demands generated by some users/applications. Therefore, distributed computing and the concept of a computational grid are now emerging. Novel transport network concepts are needed to support such visions, and high-speed intelligent optical networking may be the required infrastructure that will enable global grids. Emerging utility grid applications like business continuity and disaster recovery have strong requirements on the dynamic optical networks connecting the distributed grid resources. Supporting grid networking with an intelligent optical network (ION) infrastructure will allow utility grid applications the necessary flexibility with the required QoS (e.g., high bandwidth, reliability, limited delay). Emerging QoS requirements, such as scalable recovery time, highly depend on the ION's signaling architecture. This article gives simple analytical models for the implementation options of optical control plane signaling, shows simulation models for different resilience strategies, and offers some illustrative numerical comparisons to support the aforementioned efforts. This research area is also discussed, among others, in the European research project Multi-Partner European Testbeds for Research Networking (MUPBED).     

Laparoscopic hiatal reconstruction and use of harmonic scalpel instrument

The method of laparoscopic repair of hiatal hernia is accepted in surgery. Usually associated with Nissen fundoplication which is the most commonly performed antireflux operation. Within a ten-year period authors have done 90 antireflux operations, 52 was laparoscopic procedures. (30 operations for GERD, 10 for hiatal hernia, 12 for the combination of both.) A patient was submitted to operation with large hiatal hernia. He was treated laparoscopic way with success and good results. The Ultracision Harmonic Scalpel instrument helped their operation in many ways, and provided correct bloodless preparation of cardiac region. The authors demonstrate our procedure and the use of the Harmonic Scalpel. Their patient were completely pleased with the results after discharge, they are still under regular control.     

Cytokines in rheumatoid arthritis: new therapeutic possibilities

The ingress of inflammatory leukocytes into the synovium is important for the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. Soluble inflammatory mediators regulate the inflammatory, chemotactic, adhesive, angiogenic events, as well as osteopenia associated with this disease. In this review authors discuss the role of a number of inflammatory mediators, such as cytokines, chemokines and growth factors in these processes. The outcome of arthritis is highly dependent on the imbalance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators. Cytokine-related research also has important clinical relevance. Many of these proteins are detectable in the serum of rheumatoid patients and may eventually serve as useful laboratory markers of disease activity. Antirheumatic therapy currently used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is often limited. Therefore, we need to consider alternative therapeutic regimens, such as the inhibition of cytokines and other soluble mediators, in order to prevent severe joint destruction. While there are many complex interactions involving cytokine networks and cascades in the arthritic joint, there are promising attempts to eliminate a single cytokine in clinical trials, such as ablation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Hopefully, the study of cytokines and their networks will lead to specific immunomodulatory therapies that will benefit rheumatoid patients by preventing joint destruction.     

Methionine metabolism. 2. Biochemical and histological studies in rats]

Male rats weighing 100 g were used in a 19-day trial. The rats received diets containing varying proportions of methionine. Their absolute liver weight was lower, due to the high methionine levels, than that of the animals fed optimum rations, whereas the relative liver weight was found to be lower only in the pair-fed group. No essential differences were observed between the levels of dry matter, protein, and fat. Glycogen levels were found to be lowered only in cases when high methionine doses were administered. Pathologically low levels of glycogen were found in animals of the pair-fed group. High methionine consumption reduced the percentages of 12 glucogenetic amino acids in the liver. This, in turn, suggests an increased rate of glucose formation from amino acids, a process which was not observed in animals of the pair-fed group. High methionine doses produced a condition of hyperglycaemia, while in the pair-fed group hypoglycaemia was observed. The highest rate of secretion of thyroid hormones was found in animals receiving the optimum ration; a lower rate of secretion was observed in the animals consuming less or more methionine. In animals receiving high methionine levels the rate of hormone secretion decreased in a stepwise manner with increasing methionine supplementation. Only the highest methionine doses (5,3%) were found to have a negative effect on the maximum rate of iodine incorporation into the thyroid gland. These findings were also substantiated by histological investigations because a true pathological picture was only found in histological sections of thyroid tissue from animals fed the highest methionine doses (5,3%) The thyroid tissue of these animals consisted predominantly of small glandular alveoli whose colloid was slightly coloured. The epithelial cells of these alveoli were degenerated; some cases of liver cell disintegration and, more rarely, cellular necrosis were noted.     

Airway pressure changes during one-lung ventilation

This investigation analyzed the changes in inspiratory airway pressures during transition from two-lung to one-lung ventilation in patients tracheally intubated with a double-lumen endotracheal tube (DLT) using a classical method of intubation without fiberoptic bronchoscopy. All patients were anesthetized in a standardized fashion. Ventilation was accomplished with the Siemens 900 constant-flow mechanical ventilator (Solna, Sweden). Peak (Ppeak) and plateau (Pplateau) inspiratory airway pressures were recorded with an on-line respiratory monitor before and after clamping the tracheal limb of the DLT. The position of the DLTs was evaluated by fiberoptic bronchoscopy with the patient in supine position. Of the 51 intubations, the DLT was malpositioned in 15 cases (29.5%). Ppeak and Pplateau increased significantly when switched from two-lung ventilation to one-lung ventilation in both correctly and incorrectly positioned DLTs. When the DLT was in a correct position, Ppeak increased by a mean of 55.1% and Pplateau increased by a mean of 41.9%. When the DLT was malpositioned, this increase was significantly larger (74.9% and 68.8%, respectively). Three tests commonly used as markers of malpositioned DLTs were evaluated based on the data of this study, and it was established that, although the pressure differences related to position are statistically significant, as a single value, they cannot be used for clinical decision making.     

Detection of Antimicrobial Peptides in Stratum Corneum by Mass Spectrometry

Antimicrobial and immunomodulatory peptides (AMPs) are considered as the key players in the maintenance of skin barrier functions. Here, we developed a novel approach for the examination of AMPs in the outermost layer of the epidermis, namely stratum corneum (SC). The SC sample collection by tape stripping was coupled with detection by highly specific and sensitive parallel reaction monitoring (PRM)-based mass spectrometry. We found that hexane-free processing of SC samples produced higher protein yield compared to hexane-based extraction. Of the 18 investigated peptides, 9 could be detected either in healthy or in inflamed skin specimens. Regarding the amount of S100A8, LCN2, LACRT and LYZ significant topographical differences were described among gland poor (GP), sebaceous gland rich (SGR) and apocrine gland rich (AGR) healthy skin regions. We applied a minimally invasive, reproducible approach for sampling, which can be assessed for research and diagnostic purposes and for monitoring the effectiveness of therapies in skin diseases.     

Angiogenesis in rheumatoid arthritis: pathogenic and clinical significance

In summary, angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is important in leukocyte extravasation and thus the pathogenesis of RA. The outcome of neovascularization highly depends on the imbalance between angiogenic and angiostatic mediators produced in the rheumatoid synovium. Therefore, angiogenesis research is important for the understanding of the pathogenesis of inflammatory arthritis. In addition, existing and potential angiostatic drugs may be useful for future therapy of RA.