Mapping field density distribution in radiators by microwave noise

In his earlier paper on Active Microwave Radiometry, the author indicated that microwave noise can be used to map field density distribution inside radiators and in antenna systems, without the need for anechoic chambers. The presented paper gives details and results of such experiment. The method is described, details of equipment are given and results are presented with a concluding commentary.     

Carcass traits and meat quality of male lambs fed monensin or lasalocid

Male lambs, crossbred Merino × Ille de France, were fed a diet supplemented with 31 mg monensin or 32 mg lasalocid per kg of feed dry matter from an initial body weight of 23·6–23·9 kg to the slaughter weight of approximately 40 kg.

Carcass traits and meat quality were evaluated after slaughter; the values obtained were compared with those of the control group fed the same diet without the ionophore supplement.

There were few significant differences among the individual groups in carcass value, sensoric and technological properties of meat and of its composition. However, the lasalocid-fed group seemed to be somewhat better in muscling and in the composition of meat.     

Isobutylene polymerization in the presence of t-BuCl/SnCl4

Summary The effect of tert-butyl chloride in the polymerizations of isobutylene carried out in the presence of SnCl₄ in dichloromethane at temperatures-20°C and-78°C was investigated. Synthesized polyisobutylene samples showed a bimodal molecular weight distribution (MWD) and it was found that the weight content of the lowermolecular weight (LMW) fraction increased with increasing t-BuCl concentration in the polymerization mixture. The effect of ageing of the initiation mixture t-BuCl/SnCl₄ in CH₂Cl₂ prepared in advance on MWD of the PIB samples was also studied. Ageing of the initiation system supports the formation of the LMW fraction and this oily PIB is the only product of the polymerization at-20°C, .     

Changes in serum lipids in rats treated with oral cooper

Disturbances in lipid metabolism during copper deficiency in rats are well recognized. Copper deficiency is associated with the spontaneous retention of hepatic iron. Previous studies have reported that hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia are associated with elevated hepatic iron concentrations in copper deficient rats. There was a direct relationship between the magnitude of blood lipids and the concentration of hepatic iron. Based on these data, it has been hypothesized that iron was responsible for the development of lipemia of copper deficiency. In this study was determined the effect of increasing doses of Cu(10, 20 and 50 ppm) in the diet, on the serum total lipids, total cholesterol, triglycerides (triacylglicerols), phospholipids, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and liver iron and zinc concentrations in normal rats. The results were compared with normal rats that received a balanced diet containing 0.6 and 6 ppm of Cu, respectively. The results show that Cu-supplement diminished the cholesterol and triglyceride serum levels, increased the level of phospholipids, NEFA and concomitantly decreased the hepatic concentrations of Fe and Zn. There was a statistically significant (p < 0.05) simple correlation between triglycerides and liver Fe (r = 0.917; R2 = 64.03%), cholesterol and liver Zn (r = 0.872; R2 = 76.07%), cholesterol and liver Fe (r = 0.995; R2 = 99.10%), liver Fe and liver Cu (r = -0.612), liver Fe and liver Zn (r = 0.837), liver Cu and liver Zn (r = -0.612), and serum triglycerides and liver Zn (r = 0.967). The mechanism(s) by which Fe and Zn determine these changes is not known; none of the enzymes that act in cholesterol and triglyceride metabolism and biosynthesis require Fe and/or Zn. The increase of NEFA is due to changes in the process of lipolysis and re-esterification of the fatty acids in blood. However, additional studies are needed for the precise mechanisms of this interrelationships to be clarified.     

Proteomics identification of differentially expressed proteins in the muscle of dysferlin myopathy patients

The muscular dystrophies are a large and heterogeneous group of neuromuscular disorders that can be classified according to the mode of inheritance, the clinical phenotype and the molecular defect. To better understand the pathological mechanisms of dysferlin myopathy we compared the protein-expression pattern in the muscle biopsies of six patients with this disease with six patients with limb girdle muscular dystrophy 2A, five with facioscapulohumeral dystrophy and six normal control subjects. To investigate differences in the expression levels of skeletal muscle proteins we used 2-DE and MS. Western blot or immunohistochemistry confirmed relevant results. The study showed specific increase expression of proteins involved in fast-to-slow fiber type conversion (ankyrin repeat protein 2), type I predominance (phosphorylated forms of slow troponin T), sarcomere stabilization (actinin-associated LIM protein), protein ubiquitination (TRIM 72) and skeletal muscle differentiation (Rho-GDP-dissociation inhibitor ly-GDI) in dysferlin myopathy. As anticipated, we also found differential expression of proteins common to all the muscular dystrophies studied. This comparative proteomic analysis suggests that in dysferlin myopathy (i) the type I fiber predominance is an active process of fiber type conversion rather than a selective loss of type II fibers and (ii) the dysregulation of proteins involved in muscle differentiation further confirms the role of dysferlin in this process.