Intestinal permeability in patients with Crohn''s disease and ulcerative colitis and their first degree relatives

A method has been devised for predicting the ability of drugs to cross the blood-brain barrier. The criteria depend on the amphiphilic properties of a drug as reflected in its surface activity. The assessment was made with various drugs that either penetrate or do not penetrate the blood-brain barrier. The surface activity of these drugs was quantified by their Gibbs adsorption isotherms in terms of three parameters: (i) the onset of surface activity, (ii) the critical micelle concentration, and (iii) the surface area requirement of the drug at the air/water interface. A calibration diagram is proposed in which the critical micelle concentration is plotted against the concentration required for the onset of surface activity. Three different regions are easily distinguished in this diagram: a region of very hydrophobic drugs which fail to enter the central nervous system because they remain adsorbed to the membrane, a central area of less hydrophobic drugs which can cross the blood-brain barrier, and a region of relatively hydrophilic drugs which do not cross the blood-brain barrier unless applied at high concentrations. This diagram can be used to predict reliably the central nervous system permeability of an unknown compound from a simple measurement of its Gibbs adsorption isotherm.     

Comparative study of high-performance GPS receiving antenna designs

The FAA decision allowing the use of the global positioning system (GPS) as a radio navigation and landing help system in the United States commercial airports boosts the need for a high-performance GPS receiver which provides the demanded precision. The design of the receiving antenna is one of the most important parts in the design process, as it has to face significant challenges including uniform coverage of all satellites and the rejection of the multipath signals. The rejection of the multipath signals is accomplished by specifying restrictive criteria to the GPS antenna. This includes a high rejection of the cross-polarized signals and a radiation pattern with a sharp slope for low-elevation angles; that is, near the horizon. The feasibility of using different types of antennas to satisfy restrictive criteria such as dual-frequency coverage (L1 and L2 frequencies), -15 dB cross-polarization rejection, and a beamwidth of more than 130° is discussed. The antenna designs examined in this study include patch antennas, helical antennas, and conical spiral antennas. Two different receiver designs were also examined including a single-antenna system with a hemispherical coverage and an antenna array which may provide independent sectoral coverage or the desired beamwidth. It is shown that a design based on a conical spiral antenna backed with absorbing material may be used to satisfy all the desired specifications. This result was confirmed experimentally     

Hazards of dichlorosilane exhaust deposits from thehigh-temperature oxide process as determined by FT-ICR mass spectrometry

Gas samples from the exhaust system of tools employing dichlorosilane (DCS) in high temperature oxide (HTO) deposition that produced flammable solid deposits have been analyzed by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometry. Exact mass determinations by the high-resolution FT-ICR allowed the identification of various polysiloxane species present in such an exhaust flow. Ion-molecule reactions of dichlorosilyl cation with water and DCS indicate the preferred reaction pathway is disiloxane formation through HCl loss, a precursor to the highly flammable polysiloxanes that were identified in the gaseous exhaust and in exhaust deposits. Minimization of these hazardous deposits is discussed with respect to water contamination, dilution factor and water scrubbing of the HTO exhaust     

Human metabolism of radiocaesium revisited

Three adult volunteers (2 males and 1 female) have ingested radioactive caesium in two edible forms in order to compare the gastrointestinal uptake and the subsequent short-term and long-term biokinetics. Foodstuffs made of fresh-water fish or mushrooms from regions in Sweden of high 137Cs deposition was ingested together with a 134CsCl-solution mixed with soft drinks. Whole-body countings of 134Cs and 137Cs were performed in the Malmo whole-body counter during a period of approximately 50 d prior to, and 200-300 d after the ingestion. Urine and faeces were collected the day before and up to 7-10 d after the test meals, and analysed for 134Cs and 137Cs. No significant difference in the gastrointestinal uptake fraction, f0=0.98, between caesium incorporated into a foodstuff matrix and caesium in ionic form was detected. Cumulated faecal excretion during 7 d after ingestion accounted for 2-3% of the intake. No significant difference in the long-term biological half-time was found between caesium present in a food matrix and in an aqueous solution in any of the volunteers.     

Ultrasensitive humidity detection using metal-organic framework-coated microsensors

The use of metal-organic framework (MOF) thin films to detect water vapor across a wide concentration range is demonstrated using MOF-functionalized quartz surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors. A range of 3-14?800 ppmv was obtained with thin films of the MOF Cu(3)(benzenetricarboxylate)(2) (Cu-BTC) deposited by an automated layer-by-layer method. Devices coated by a manual technique demonstrated sensitivity from 0.28 to 14?800 ppmv, the limit of our test system. This exceeds the sensitivity of many commercially available sensors. Cu-BTC layers were covalently bonded directly to the silicon oxide surface, allowing devices to be heated beyond 100 °C to desorb water adsorbed in the pores without decomposition, thereby regenerating the sensors. Sensor response as a function of coating thickness was evaluated, showing that the SAW sensor response is bounded by maximum and minimum layer thicknesses. Computer simulation of H(2)O uptake shows a multistep adsorption isotherm defined by initial adsorption at open Cu-sites, followed by pore-filling and finally full saturation. Modeling and experimental results are consistent. Calculated uptake values suggest an efficient adsorption of H(2)O by Cu-BTC. These results provide the first convincing evidence that MOF functionalization of compact sensing technologies such as SAW devices and microcantilevers can compete with state-of-the art devices.     

Controlling sewer systems – a critical review based on systems in three EU cities

The term Real Time Control (RTC) is widely used to describe all types of control systems in sewer systems. Today the term covers everything from the simplest to the most advanced types of control systems, making it difficult to communicate about sewer system control in a precise manner, as well as search and find specific types of control systems for comparison. Through a survey of implemented control systems in three EU cities today and with the perspectives of current research within the field of sewer system control, the needs for a new control system design framework is identified. With the basis of existing frameworks for control system design, a new time-scale dependent framework is proposed. We believe this comprehensive time-scale dependent framework can help water utilities to retrofit and design new control solutions and facilitate knowledge sharing about existing designs.