The Role of NLRP1, NLRP3, and AIM2 Inflammasomes in Psoriasis: Review

Inflammasomes are high-molecular-weight protein complexes that may cleave the two main proinflammatory cytokines, pro-interleukin-1β and pro-interleukin-18, into active forms, and contribute to psoriasis. Despite recent advances made in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, mainly studied as an autoimmune condition, activation of immune response triggers of psoriasis is still not completely understood. Recently, focus was placed on the role of inflammasomes in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Multiple types of inhibitors and activators of various inflammasomes, inflammasome-related genes, and genetic susceptibility loci were recognized in psoriasis. In this systemic review, we collect recent and comprehensive evidence from the inflammasomes, NLRP1, NLRP3, and AIM2, in pathogenesis of psoriasis.     

Adaptive VoIP playout scheduling: assessing user satisfaction

Delay and packet loss dramatically affect the quality of voice-over-IP (VoIP) calls and depend on the playout buffer scheme implemented at the receiver. The choice of playout algorithm can't be based on statistical metrics without considering the perceived end-to-end conversational speech quality. The authors present a method for evaluating various playout algorithms that extends the E-model concept by estimating user satisfaction from time-varying transmission impairments. This article evaluates several playout algorithms and shows a correspondence between the authors' results and those obtained via statistical loss and delay metrics.     

Improving voice over IP subjective call quality

Adaptive playout algorithms rely on estimates of network delays to calculate playout times of voice packets. Typically, network estimators are either able to react quickly to delay variations or to ignore transient noise conditions, but cannot do both. In our solution, the weighting factor that controls the estimation process is dynamically adjusted according to the observed delay variations. This results in higher quality estimates of network delays. Experimental results show that our algorithm can achieve higher subjective call quality than the basic adaptive algorithm, as measured by the ITU-T E-Model methodology.     

SPECIFIC AND NONSPECIFIC INTERACTIONS OF AMMINE COMPLEXES OF SILVER,ZINC, AND CADMIUM WITH ION EXCHANGERS

ABSTRACT

Distribution of Ag⁺, Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺ at trace level between various ion exchangers and alkaline aqueous ammonia solutions was studied. To describe adsorption of the metal-ammonia solvates on complexing ion exchangers (hydrous titanium oxide, carboxylic and iminodiacetic resins), a model has been presented, which assumes that formation of coordinate bonds between the metal ion and functional groups of the exchanger is accompanied by the release of one or more solvating ammonia molecules from the first coordination sphere. The number of the released ligand molecules was evaluated from the relationships between the distribution coefficients and ammonia activity in solution; the composition of metal complexes adsorbed by the ion exchangers was thus determined. Distribution of metal ions between complexing ion exchangers and aqueous ammonia solution depends on the stability of the highest ammine complex(es) and coordination number of the ion.     

INTERMOLECULAR INTERACTION AND PARTITION CONSTANTS OF METAL 77rJS-ACETYLACETONATES A SHORT THEORETICAL REVIEW

ABSTRACT

Predicting the effectiveness of liquid-liquid extraction of metal chelates and choosing optimal extraction reagents requires several characteristics of the components of the extraction system to be taken into consideration. This paper provides an analysis of the factors that affect the value of the partition constant of a chelate and the possibilities to predict the value of the partition constant from the nature of the metal ion, the structure of the chelating reagent, and the organogenic elements, one might have expected these techniques to be capable to predict the partition constants of chelates as well. However, the problem of determining the increments of metals turned out to be very difficult even in the case of relatively simple complexes. An analysis of the partition constants of coordinatively-saturated metal acetylacetonates has shown that the values depend on a large number of parameters, some of which are correlated. The central metal atom modifies the donor properties of the heteroatoms in the extraction reagent molecule to such a great extent that one cannot assign them the increments valid for the free reagent molecule.

Obviously, much more sophisticated models are needed for properly determining the contribution of each fragment in this complex system with numerous inner relations. Such models cannot ignore various intermolecular interactions occurring in the extration systems and will inevitably use the theories that describe them quantitatively, some of which have been reviewed in this paper.     

HYDRATION AND SOLVATION OF LEAD(II) ACETYLACETONATE AND THE COORDINATION NUMBER OF LEAD(II)

ABSTRACT

Hydration of lead(II) acetylacetonate and its solvation by trioctylphosphine oxide and chloroform, were studied by solvent extraction and compared with those of zinc(II) acetylacetonate. The results suggest that the 6s² lone electron pair of the Pb^II ion in the chelate is stereochemically active.     

Separation of Gallium and Indium Isotopes by Cation and Anion Exchange Chromatography

Ion exchange chromatography was applied to study chemical isotope effects of gallium and indium in ligand exchange reactions. A strongly acidic cation and a strongly basic anion exchange resin were used as a solid phase, and aqueous HCl as a liquid phase. On the cation exchanger, the light isotope ⁶⁹Ga was enriched at the front part of the elution band and the heavy isotope ⁷¹Ga at the end part. Instead, the light ¹¹³In isotope was enriched at the end part, and the heavy isotope ¹¹⁵In at the front part. The isotope separation factor ? is equal to 3.3?×?10^–5 for gallium and 2.0?×?10^–4 for indium. On the anion exchanger, the heavy gallium isotope was enriched at the front part, whereas the heavy indium isotope at the end part of the band, with ? equal to ～10^–3 and 1.7?×?10^–4, respectively. This pattern of enrichment is caused by stronger Ga³⁺–OH₂ than Ga³⁺–Cl^? bond, and by inverse order of bond strength for indium. In the displacement method, gallium and indium on anion exchanger also show opposite enrichment of their isotopes, but the ? values (1.5?×?10^–2 for gallium and 5?×?10^–3 for indium) are greater than those found in the elution method, probably due to much higher concentrations of the metals.