Vaccine-mediated prevention of primary HIV-1 infection at the heterosexual mucosal portal of entry may be facilitated by highly optimised formulations or drug delivery devices for intravaginal (i.vag) immunization. Previously we described hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC)-based rheologically structured gel vehicles (RSVs) for vaginal immunization of an HIV-1 vaccine candidate, a soluble recombinant trimeric HIV-1 clade-C envelope glycoprotein designated CN54gp140. Here we investigated the efficacy of lyophilized solid dosage formulations (LSDFs) for prolonging antigen stability and as i.vag delivery modalities. LSDFs were designed and developed that upon i.vag administration they would reconstitute with the imbibing of vaginal fluid to mucoadhesive, site-retentive semi-solids. Mice were immunize...
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In this study, the expression patterns of zif268 and arc were investigated in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and dorsal hippocampal (dHPC) subregions during context-induced...Full Text Available
Vulnerability to abused drugs is influenced by multiple genes unique to each drug as well as to risk genes for polydrug abuse. If several inbred mouse strains respond to different drugs similarly,...Full Text Available
Several studies of facilitated communication have demonstrated that the facilitators were controlling and directing the typing, although they appeared to be unaware of doing so. Such results shift...Full Text Available
There has been a major interest in the drug treatment of osteoporosis and an increase in the number of drugs available in most countries. The ideal drug (one which increases or restores bone density...Full Text Available
Convection-enhanced drug delivery (CED) is a novel approach to delivering drugs into brain tissue. Drugs are delivered continuously via a catheter, enabling large volume distributions of high drug concentrations...Full Text Available
It may be necessary to reduce microbiological contamination of crude drugs (medicinal plants or their parts like roots, leaves, flowers). This can be done by treating the drugs with ionizing radiation. Meethods for detection of such an irradiation were developed. It could be pointed out that measurements of luminescence, viscosity and electron spin resonance were suitable for specific drugs, but not for all drugs. (orig.).
Nearly every drug may cause changes to ocular tissues through a variety of mechanisms. Medication overdoses, drug–drug interactions but also chronic administration of medications at...Full Text Available
BackgroundThere are no drugs presently available to treat traumatic brain injury (TBI). A variety of single drugs have failed clinical trials suggesting a role for drug combinations....Full Text Available
The sale of consumer products over the Internet has grown rapidly, including the sale of drugs. While the growth in online drug sales by reputable pharmacies is a trend that may provide benefits to...Full Text Available
BackgroundNonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly used to treat postoperative and chronic pain. Animal studies suggest these drugs act in part by blocking...Full Text Available
In rats, drug-induced depression of the central nervous system has been shown generally to be associated with an elevation in level of total acetylcholine in the brain. This generalization held true...Full Text Available
Calcium-activated chloride channels (CaCCs) are widely expressed in mammalian tissues, including intestinal epithelia, where they facilitate fluid secretion. Potent, selective CaCC inhibitors have not been available. We established a high-throughput screen for identification of inhibitors of a human intestinal CaCC based on inhibition of ATP/carbachol-stimulated iodide influx in HT-29 cells after lentiviral infection with the yellow fluorescent halide-sensing protein YFP-H148Q/I152L. Screening of 50,000 diverse, drug-like compounds yielded six classes of putative CaCC inhibitors, two of which, 3-acyl-2-aminothiophenes and 5-aryl-2-aminothiazoles, inhibited by >95% iodide influx in HT-29 cells in response to multiple calcium-elevating agonists, including thapsigargin, without inhibition of calcium elevation, calcium-calmodulin kinase II activation, or cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator chloride channels. These compounds also ...
The widespread use of tobacco and alcohol among adolescents might be related to the ability of nicotine and ethanol to facilitate social interactions. To investigate the neurobehavioral mechanisms underlying the prosocial effects of nicotine and ethanol, we focused on social play behavior, the most characteristic social activity in adolescent rats. Social play behavior is rewarding, and it is modulated through opioid, cannabinoid and dopaminergic neurotransmission, which are also involved in the reinforcing properties of nicotine and ethanol. We found that nicotine and ethanol increased social play, without affecting locomotion or social exploration. Their effects depended on the level of social activity of the partner, and were comparable in familiar and unfamiliar environments. At doses that increased social play, nicotine and ethanol had no anxiolytic effects in the elevated plus-maze. By contrast, the prototypical anxiolytic drug diazepam ...
High gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) of magnetic materials from fluids or waste products has many established industrial applications. However, there is currently no technology employing HGMS for ex-vivo biomedical applications, such as for the removal of magnetic drug- or toxin-loaded spheres from the human blood stream. Importantly, human HGMS applications require special design modifications as, in contrast to conventional use where magnetic elements are permanently imbedded within the separation chambers, medical separators need to avoid direct contact between the magnetic materials and blood to reduce the risk of blood clotting and to facilitate convenient and safe treatment access for many individuals. We describe and investigate the performance of a magnetic separator prototype designed for biomedical applications. First, the capture efficiency of a prototype HGMS separator unit consisting of a short tubing segment and two opposing ...
The authors have studied the distribution of H-3 labelled schistosomicidal drug in mice by autoradiography. The H-3-labelled substances were found in liver and kidney and in successfully decreasing amounts in brain, lung, heart, fat, testis, pancreas and spleen. In various cells the silver granules were present mainly in the cytoplasms but a few in the nucleus. After administration of this labelled schistosomicidal drug, the mice were killed and studied in groups successively at 4, 8, 24 hrs. No difference in the distribution of silver granules were observed. This fact indicated that, this drug was rapidly absorbed and highly concentrated with a long duration of reservation in liver. All of these favours the schistosomicidal effect of the drug. As this drug was highly concentrated in the cytoplasm of liver cells, that might provide a pathophysiologic basis for the explanation of ...
Control of human filarial infections currently depends on chemotherapeutic strategies predominantly directed at microfilariae. Doxycycline therapy in an extended daily dose regimen sterilizes and kills adult stages, but the utility of this drug for routine field use remains an issue of concern. No macrofilaricidal drugs with efficacy after one or two doses are available for use, delaying the achievement of the elimination or eradication of onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis. Moxidectin, a macrocyclic lactone, is currently in clinical trials for onchocerciasis. A few other drugs that have already been approved for use in veterinary practice or in human medicine for other indications are available for investigation. Early drug discovery pipelines are poorly populated and the process of ...
Two patients are described in whom sunburn and electron beam radiodermatitis, respectively, were critical determinants in localizing the initial presentation of drug eruptions. In the first instance, a severe sunburn of the back and thighs was followed 7 months later by the appearance of a toxic epidermal necrolysis drug reaction to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in the exact sites of the previous bullous sunburn reaction. In the second patient, a radiodermatitis of the left upper arm due to electron beam therapy for metastatic breast cancer was followed 7 weeks later by a codeine drug reaction confined to the area of the radiodermatitis. In both instances, oral rechallenge with the offending drug reproduced the eruption.
The production of oil by retorting shale and other hydrocarbonaceous and lignocellulosic solid materials is facilitated by retorting in the presence of steam and acetic acid.
HIV-1 nonsubtype B variants account for the majority of HIV infections worldwide. Drug resistance in individuals who have never undergone antiretroviral therapy can lead to early failure and...Full Text Available
... Accession Number : ADB119274. Title : Transdermal Drug Delivery System. Stage 1. Volume 1. Descriptive Note : Final rept. 15 Aug 85-14 Oct 87,. ...
Sponges can provide potential drugs against many major world-wide occurring diseases. Despite the high potential of sponge derived drugs no sustainable production method has been developed. Thus far...Full Text Available
... HIV & AIDS (15) I Infectious Diseases (21) Injection Drug Use (7) M Mental Illness (139) Mortality (7) ... Hallucinogens (5) Hashish (2) Heroin (21) I Illegal Drugs (115) Inhalants (12) K Ketamine (1) L LSD ( ...
... HIV & AIDS (15) I Infectious Diseases (22) Injection Drug Use (7) M Mental Illness (141) Mortality (7) ... Hallucinogens (5) Hashish (2) Heroin (21) I Illegal Drugs (117) Inhalants (13) K Ketamine (1) L LSD ( ...
... HIV & AIDS (15) I Infectious Diseases (21) Injection Drug Use (7) M Mental Illness (139) Mortality (7) ... Hallucinogens (5) Hashish (2) Heroin (21) I Illegal Drugs (112) Inhalants (12) K Ketamine (1) L LSD ( ...
... HIV & AIDS (15) I Infectious Diseases (21) Injection Drug Use (7) M Mental Illness (138) Mortality (7) ... Hallucinogens (5) Hashish (2) Heroin (21) I Illegal Drugs (116) Inhalants (12) K Ketamine (1) L LSD ( ...
IntroductionResearch is an essential tool in facing the challenges of scaling up interventions and improving access to services. As in many other countries, the translation of research...Full Text Available
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is an increasing public health concern in many parts of the world, especially in low-income countries, where most cases occur. Traditional drug susceptibility testing...Full Text Available
A knowledge-based expert system has been developed to support human decision makers who assess drug products for inclusion in the Saskatchewan Formulary. Formulary inclusion and deletion decisions...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVES:To investigate the prevalence of potential drug interactions at the intensive care unit of a university hospital in Brazil and to analyze their clinical significance.METHODS:This...Full Text Available
The main aim of the present study was to evaluate potential of ternary complexation (comprising of drug, cyclodextrin and polymer) as an approach for taste masking. For this purpose famotidine with...Full Text Available
The evolution of drug resistant bacteria is a severe public health problem, both in hospitals and in the community. Currently, some countries aim at concentrating highly specialized services in large...Full Text Available
Wild-type viruses from the ViroLogic phenotype-genotype database were evaluated to determine the upper confidence limit of the drug susceptibility distributions, or “biological cutoffs,”...Full Text Available
Purpose of reviewPhysicians, researchers and policy makers must understand the myriad consequences of multidrug and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) within...Full Text Available
Few data exist about the impact of computerized prescribing systems on outpatient medication errors (MEs) and adverse drug events (ADEs). We compared the rates of MEs and ADEs in handwritten sites versus...Full Text Available
The purpose of this study was to illuminate the experiences of poor, urban HIV-positive drug users. Sixty participants were asked about HIV risk behaviors, the impact of HIV on their lives,...Full Text Available
Bortezomib/PS-341/Velcade, a proteasome inhibitor, is widely used to treat multiple myeloma. While several mechanisms of the cytotoxicity of the drug were proposed, the actual mechanism remains elusive....Full Text Available
Serum specimens obtained from a nationwide sample of parenteral drug abusers (PDAs) during the period 1971-72 had previously been screened for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibodies. Some specimens...Full Text Available
SummaryEpigenetic drugs have been shown to enhance gene expression and drug sensitivity in ovarian cancer cell lines and animal models. Based on promising pre-clinical studies,...Full Text Available
The drug-binding properties of human alpha-foetoprotein (alpha FP) were investigated by a fluorescence-spectral method. Human alpha FP was shown to bind to albumin's site I marker (warfarin, phenylbutazone),...Full Text Available
ObjectivesWe undertook a meta-analysis to assess outcomes for drug-eluting (DES) and bare metal stents (BMS) in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for unprotected...Full Text Available
Current methods for drug susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are either costly or slow. As the prevalence of multidrug-resistant strains increases, the need for fast,...Full Text Available
Our understanding of the development of neurotransmitter systems in the central nervous system has increased greatly over the past three decades and it has become apparent that drug effects...Full Text Available
The regulation of gene expression in the brain reward regions is known to contribute to the pathogenesis and persistence of drug addiction. Increasing evidence suggests that the regulation of gene transcription...Full Text Available
BackgroundParticulate systems are well known to be able to deliver drugs with high efficiency and fewer adverse side effects, possibly by endocytosis of the drug carriers. On the...Full Text Available
BackgroundCancer stem cells (CSCs) have increased resistance to cancer chemotherapy. They can be enriched as drug-surviving CSCs (D-CSCs) by growth with chemotherapeutic drugs, and/or...Full Text Available
The treatment of brain disorders is one of the greatest challenges in drug delivery because of a variety of main barriers in effective drug transport and maintaining therapeutic concentrations in the...Full Text Available
This joint statement was developed by the CMA and the Canadian Pharmaceutical Association, a national association of pharmacists, and includes the goal of drug therapy, strategies for collaboration...Full Text Available
Magnetic drug targeting, using core-shell magnetic carrier particles loaded with anti-cancer drugs, is an emerging and significant method of cancer treatment. Gold shell-iron core nanoparticles (Fe@Au) were synthesized by the reverse micelle method with aqueous reactants, surfactant, co-surfactant and oil phase. XRD, XPS, TEM and magnetic property measurements were utilized to characterize these core-shell nanoparticles. Magnetic measurements showed that the particles were superparamagnetic at room temperature and that the saturation magnetization decreased with increasing gold concentration. The anti-cancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) was loaded onto these Fe@Au nanoparticle carriers and the drug release profiles showed that upto 25% of adsorbed drug was released in 80 h. It was found that the amine (-NH2) group of DOX binds to the gold shell. An in vitro apparatus simulating the human ...
Antimalarial drugs will be essential tools at all stages of malaria elimination along the path towards eradication, including the early control or “attack” phase to drive down transmission...Full Text Available
...treated for leukemia. B' s physician, who is employed by the HMO, is considering a treatment plan that includes six-mercaptopurine, a drug for treating leukemia in most children. However, the drug could be fatal if taken by a small percentage of...
... The pharmacologist/toxicologist and the statistician will jointly determine if a statistical review is needed and when the review should be done. ...
The main goal of local drug delivery is to increase the concentration of a specific therapeutic agent in a target tissue with minimal nontarget distribution. Compared to systemic therapy, local drug delivery provides a high level of therapeutic efficacy with minimal systemic effects. The current primary imaging modality for drug delivery has been x-ray angiography, but it has major limitations including anatomical ambiguity and inability to visualize the targeted tissues. Due to these inherent problems, MR guidance has been explored as an alternative imaging modality for guiding and monitoring of drug therapy. Recently, interventional MR (XMR) systems have been implemented that have both dual x-ray and MRI capabilities in a single suite and allow for real-time interventional procedures to ...
Homidium bromide and isometamidium chloride are used extensively in the treatment of bovine trypanosomiasis in Africa, but no specific and sensitive method to detect the drug in plasma has been published yet. Comparing the methods of other investigators it was found that they could not overcome the protein binding of these drugs which reduced the available and determined drug to 10% of the real concentrations. These techniques overcome the protein binding by enzyme digestion and an alteration of the pH before adding the sample directly on clean-up columns. Drug recover rates above 80% were obtained. For the detection, the HPLC was employed using a C18 reversed phase analytical column and UV detection, determining both drugs as intact molecules. (author).
The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of radiosterilization of drugs aqueous solutions and to evaluate the effects of some additives, such as mannitol, nicotinamide and pyridoxine, which might protect the drug from degradation. Metoclopramide was selected as a model drug. The structures of the degradation products were determined to gain insight on the radiolysis mechanisms in aqueous solution in order to design strategies to lower the drug degradation.Metoclopramide hydrochloride aqueous solutions with and without excipients were irradiated either with gamma rays or high-energy electrons. HPLC-DAD was used to measure the loss of chemical potency and to quantify the degradation products which were also characterized by LC-APCI-MS-MS. Metoclopramide recovery for gamma and elec...
The electroless nickel plating/poly(dl-lactide-co-glycolide) composite coating (EN-plating/PLGA composite coating) was fabricated on the surface of the micro-arc oxidation (MAO) film of the magnesium alloy AZ81 to double control the corrosion and drug release in the hanks' solution. The EN-plating was fabricated on the MAO coating to improve the corrosion resistance by overlaying most pores and micro-cracks on the surface of the MAO film. Meanwhile, a double layered organic poly(dl-lactide-co-glycolide)/paclitaxel (PLGA/PTX) drug releasing coating with a top layered PLGA drug controlled releasing coating on EN plating was prepared to control the drug release rate by adjusting the different lactide: glycolide (LA:GA) ratio of PLGA. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the X-ray powder dif...
This study addresses the modeling of transdermal diffusion of drugs, to better understand the permeation of molecules through the skin, and especially the stratum corneum, which forms the main permeation barrier of the skin. In transdermal delivery of systemic drugs, the drugs diffuse from a patch placed on the skin through the epidermis to the underlying blood vessels. The epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin and can be further divided into the stratum corneum (SC) and the viable epidermis layers. The SC consists of keratinous cells (corneocytes) embedded in the lipid multi-bilayers of the intercellular space. It is widely accepted that the barrier properties of the skin mostly arises from the ordered structure of the lipid bilayers. The diffusion path, at least for lipophilic molecules, seems to be mainly through the lipid bilayers. Despite the advantages of transdermal drug delivery compared ...
Magnetic particles have become very promising materials for drug delivery. However, preparation of magnetite particles with high surface area, biocompatibility, strong magnetic response, and suitable particle size still remains a major challenge. In this report, magnetite nanocrystal clusters with high surface areas were fabricated through a solvothermal process by introducing ammonium acetate as a porogen and trisodium citrate as a surface modification agent. The porosity, which was controlled by the reactant concentration, has been investigated in detail. The surface area of the nanocrystal clusters was as high as 141?m(2) g(-1) . Ibuprofen, as a model drug, was entrapped into the magnetite carriers. The interfacial interaction between the carboxylic groups on the drug molecules and the carboxylate groups on the carriers enhanced the loading efficiency. Low cytotoxicity in MCF-7 cell and in vitro constant ...
BackgroundIncrease in the incidence of hyperuricemia associated with gout as well as hypertension, renal diseases and cardiovascular diseases has been a public health concern. We...Full Text Available
The chemiosmotic model of energy transduction offers a satisfying and widely confirmed understanding of the action of uncouplers on such processes as oxidative phosphorylation; the uncoupler, by facilitating...Full Text Available
The receptor-associated protein (RAP) is a molecular chaperone that binds tightly to certain newly synthesized LDL receptor family members in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and facilitates their delivery...Full Text Available
BackgroundCharacterizing and comparing the determinant of cotinine concentrations in different populations should facilitate a better understanding of smoking patterns and addiction....Full Text Available
Recent Reviews in Carcinogenesis is a service of the International Cancer Research Data Bank (ICRDB) Program of the National Cancer Institute, intended to facilitate and promote the exchange of information between cancer scientists. It contains abstracts ...
Background: The nail gun is a commonly utilized tool in carpentry and construction. When used properly with appropriate safety precautions, it can facilitate production and boost efficiency;...Full Text Available
... Society Physics Press Release 05-175Korea Joins International Computing Infrastructure ... connectivity with Korea in a ceremony last month. Facilitated by the Korea Institute for Science and ...
Summary 1.-Plant-plant interactions fluctuate between competition and facilitation depending upon ecological conditions and species traits. Facilitative interactions are expected to increase in frequency via associational defences with increasing consumer pressure. The ability of species to cope with competition and/or ecological stressors may alter the outcome of plant-plant interactions. 2.-We conducted a transplant experiment to determine if native and non-native grasses and forbs respond similarly to interactions with Juncus effusus L., an unpalatable benefactor species, along a grazing intensity gradient in two contrasting pasture types: intensively managed and semi-natural. We expected competitive taller, erect species (grasses) and non-natives to obtain stronger facilitative effects...
The biosynthesis of insect juvenile hormone (JH) and its neuroendocrine control are attractive targets for chemical control of insect pests and vectors of disease. To facilitate the molecular...Full Text Available
The chemist and pharmacologist Fritz Hauschild developed the sympathomimetic agent Pervitin (metamphetamin) in the 1930s. Not only because of the abuse of the stimulant during the Second World War ("pilot's chocolate") it is one of the most controversial substances in drug history. Nearly forgotten are Hauschild's contributions to build up the drug system in the GDR. Although he was a convinced communist, the skilful pharmacologist gave very early warning of the imminent lack of innovation in the GDR pharmaceutical industry. A letter which he addressed to the Minister of Health, Max Sefrin (born 1913), did not lack explicitness. PMID:15997840
Based on the instrumental wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence technique of analysis (W D-X R F), the inorganic elements in four samples of commercial medicines drugs were analyzed. The samples were used without any chemical separation of the elements or chemical pre-treatment. Eleven elements could be identified, namely Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn. However, Si, Ti and Mn have not been mentioned in the printed instructions for the use of the medicines drugs by the producers. (author)
The long and resource intensive process of drug discovery and development is confronted with the basic challenge of providing effective and safe therapies at reasonably low costs. The better the mechanism of a disease is known, the higher the probability to find an appropriate therapy. Also, the better and earlier a disease can be diagnosed and characterized, the higher the chance to be able to interfere in this process with a chemical entity. This reasoning sets the framework for the use of imaging in drug discovery. We discuss the relevance of magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy to derive anatomical, functional, metabolic and target-related information in the context of pharmacological research in vivo. (author)
The present work gives preliminary results of analysis of drug mixtures (NEPHROSAL tea bag) and its water infusion. In a sample of dried drugs the elements K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br, Rb, Sr, Pb were identified, whereas in their water infusion only Ca, Mn, Zn and Sr were found. The method applied was radionuclide X-ray fluorescence analysis using a radionuclide source "1"0"9Cd, a Si/Li semiconductor detector and a multichannel analyzer Canberra 8100. (author) 6 refs.; 3 figs.
from a broad range of sources including industrial and consumer products, food additives and drugs that never made it to the market to evaluate the predictive toxicity...
Local anesthetics are frequently administered in dentistry and thus can be expected to be a major source of drug-related complications in the dental office. Additionally, the dentist will more often...Full Text Available
Standardization of herbal formulations is essential in order to assess the quality of drugs, based on the concentration of their active principles. This article reports on standardization of Ajmodadi...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND: An approach to the study of the pharmacokinetics of drugs in the lung is to measure their concentrations in bronchial biopsy specimens. The main criticism of this technique is that bronchial...Full Text Available
Background/Objectives: Cardiotoxic drug poisoning can lead to severe cardiac shock (CS) and death. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a well-established diagnostic and prognostic marker in heart failure but has never been assessed in patients with cardiotoxic drug poisoning. The aim of the study was to determine whether BNP could be useful for early stratification of patients admitted to intensive care unit. Methods: 30 consecutive patients experiencing shock and cardiotoxic drug exposure were enrolled in a prospective monocentric study and underwent at least two BNP measurements within the first 24 h after admission. Results: While BNP values on admission were poorly informative, subsequent BNP measurements (11 +- 6 h after admission) were significantly increased in patients with CS comp...
Abstract Evaluation of pharmaceutical agents in children is now conducted earlier in the drug development process. An important consideration for this pediatric use is how to assess and support its safety. This article is a collaborative effort of industry toxicologists to review strategies, challenges, and current practice regarding preclinical safety evaluations supporting pediatric drug development with biopharmaceuticals. Biopharmaceuticals include a diverse group of molecular, cell-based or gene therapeutics derived from biological sources or complex biotechnological processes. The principles of preclinical support of pediatric drug development for biopharmaceuticals are similar to those for small molecule pharmaceuticals and in general follow the same regulatory guidances outlined by...
uv irradiation (365 nm) of air-saturated methanol solutions of 20 drugs absorbing in the 300 to 400 nm region gave rise to oxygen uptake, as determined with a polarographic oxygen electrode. The drugs were tested for photosensitizing capability by either a Type I (free radical) or a Type II (single molecular oxygen) mechanism. This testing was done by the inclusion of either acrylamide or 2,5-dimethylfuran in the irradiated drug solution, with observation of the subsequent polymerization or oxidation, respectively. Phenothiazine and thiazide derivatives appear capable of photosensitization by both mechanisms; promethazine, trifluoperazine, and furosemide show relatively high reactivity. Diazepam (weak), hexachlorophene, aminacrine, pyrilamine, tetracycline, demeclocyline, quinine, and anthracene (strong) react only by a Type II mechanism, with a photosensitizing efficiency increasing in the order given. A correlation ...
After fluid resuscitation, vasoactive drug treatment represents the major cornerstone for correcting any major impairment of the circulation. However, debate still rages as to the choice of agent, dose,...Full Text Available
PurposeTo identify the extent of persistence (period of time of continuous therapy with the drug prescribed) of glaucoma patients treated with prostaglandins (latanoprost, bimatoprost,...Full Text Available
The polyene antibiotic Amphotericin B (AMB) is one of the first therapeutic agents to be marketed commercially as nanosized formulations in which the drug is associated with lipids as liposomes or complexes....Full Text Available
Monitoring describes the prospective supervision, observation, and testing of an ongoing process. The result of monitoring provides reassurance that the goal has been or will be achieved, or suggests...Full Text Available
BACKGROUNDNew diagnostic tools are urgently needed to interrupt the transmission of tuberculosis and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Rapid,...Full Text Available
Immunomodulatory drugs lenalidomide and pomalidomide are synthetic compounds derived by modifying the chemical structure of thalidomide to improve its potency and reduce its side effects. Lenalidomide...Full Text Available
Despite the existence of effective analgesic drugs, many cancer patients live and die with ineffective pain control. The control of cancer pain is largely achievable with the appropriate use of available...Full Text Available
Purpose:This study investigated the penetration of lidocaine around and through a sutured incision following the application of iontophoretic and passive patches...Full Text Available
A case of intraocular coenurosis was clinically diagnosed and treated with praziquantel. The drug destroyed the coenurus, but vision was lost through toxic endophthalmitis and retinal detachment. There...Full Text Available
Invasive fungal infections can be devastating, particularly in immunocompromised patients, and difficult to treat with systemic drugs. Furthermore, systemic administration of those medications...Full Text Available
With the spread of chloroquine resistant Plasmodium falciparum the control of malaria has become increasingly complex. In recent years, particular concern has arisen over how best to prevent malaria...Full Text Available
Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) with unique multi-photon excitation photoluminescence properties have recently been intensively explored as novel contrast agents for low-backgroundbiomedical imaging. In this work, we functionalize UCNPs with a polyethylene glycol (PEG) grafted amphiphilic polymer. The PEGylated UCNPs are loaded with a commonly used chemotherapy molecule, doxorubicin (DOX), by simple physical adsorption via a supramolecular chemistry approach for intracellular drug delivery. The loading and releasing of DOX from UCNPs are controlled by varying pH, with an increased drug dissociation rate in acidic environment, favorable for controlled drug release. Upconversion luminescence (UCL) imaging by a modified laser scanning confocal microscope reveals the time course of intracel...
ObjectiveEpidemiological studies indicate that experimentation with addictive drugs and onset of addictive disorders is primarily concentrated in adolescence and...Full Text Available
Gastrointestinal patches represent a novel multiparticulate drug delivery system able to increase the intestinal absorption of drugs with poor bioavailability. The number of patches to administer is a critical issue since it is related to the surface and drug concentration at the absorption site. The objective of this article is to evaluate the effect of the number of administered patches on the final absorption of leuprolide, a peptide chosen as model drug, assuming complete adhesion of all the devices to the intestinal membrane. The same dose of leuprolide was encapsulated into 2, 4 and 6 patches; the resulting intestinal absorption profiles were measured with the Ussing chamber ex vivo experimental setup and compared between them. The results showed that varying the number of patches, t...
... is reduced: 1) by lack of oxygen, 2) in hypercapnia associated with closed rooms or tents, 3) by use of sleeping drugs, antipyretics, insulin, and 4 ...
Carboxylesterases (CE) are ubiquitous enzymes that hydrolyze numerous ester-containing xenobiotics, including complex molecules, such as the anticancer drugs irinotecan (CPT-11) and capecitabine...Full Text Available
RationaleProcedures for studying the effects of medications on satiation will assist the development of obesity medications.ObjectivesFull Text Available
More data about TACE and pTACE seem necessary to better define the global treatment strategy for HCC. Aim of our analysis was to evaluate the role of TACE, either with lipiodol (traditional) or drug-eluting...Full Text Available
Background and ObjectivesClopidogrel resistance or low-responsiveness may be associated with recurrent atherothrombotic events after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. We prospectively...Full Text Available
Background. New-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) may solve several problems encountered with first-generation DES, but there is a lack of prospective head-to-head comparisons between...Full Text Available
Synthesis of the azido substituted non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug 2-(2,6-dichloroanilino)phenylacetic acid and isotope labeling of this compound have been performed and are described. Initial evaluation of the binding ability and photoreactivity indicates that this compound has potential for photoaffinity labeling as well as enzyme selectivity studies. (author).
The heterogeneous solid catalyst, mercaptopropylsilica (MPS), has been prepared by a modified procedure in water and its structure confirmed by solid state carbon-13 CP-MAS NMR spectrum. This catalyst has been efficiently utilized for the synthesis of a wide variety of tri-, tetrasubstituted imidazoles and their bis-analogues at room temperature. The protocol was further explored for the synthesis of the drug trifenagrel.
These three volumes cover liposome technology in pharmacology and medicine. Contributors emphasize methodology used in their own laboratories, and include a brief introduction, coverage of relevant literature, applications and critical evaluations for the methods they describe. Volume II presents procedures for the entrapment of a number of drugs, including genetic material, into selected types of liposomes.
BackgroundAs the promotion of alcohol and tobacco to young people through direct advertising has become increasingly restricted, there has been greater interest in whether images...Full Text Available
The electrochemical oxidation as a method to destroy drug residues like Aspirin {sup trademark}, tetracycline or gentamicin in water was investigated with C-Anode (modified by manganese oxides) and Pt Anode. The mechanism of Aspirin {sup trademark} and tetracycline oxidation and the influence of the biocide effect was observed using GC-MS and three different microbiological tests. In general the biological availability increases with progressive oxidation of the antibiotics. (orig.)
In this study the development of a methodology to detect illicit drugs and plastic explosives is described with the objective of being applied in the realm of public security. For this end, non-destructive assay with neutrons was used and the technique applied was the real time neutron radiography together with computerized tomography. The system is endowed with automatic responses based upon the application of an artificial intelligence technique. In previous tests using real samples, the system proved capable of identifying 97% of the inspected materials.
1 The decreased binding of drugs and dyes to plasma proteins from male and female rats with acute renal failure has been investigated using equilibrium dialysis at 37 degrees C. 2 Acute renal failure...Full Text Available
Stress exposure increases the risk of addictive drug use in human and animal models of drug addiction by mechanisms that are not completely understood. Mice subjected to repeated forced swim stress...Full Text Available
BackgroundNo consensus evidence-based guidelines for the routine laboratory monitoring of children with JIA receiving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) exist. The purpose...Full Text Available
The metabotropic glutamate receptor 7 (mGluR7) has been reported to be involved in cocaine and alcohol self-administration. However, the role of mGluR7 in relapse to drug seeking is unknown....Full Text Available
The two-compartment radioassay for microbial kinetics based on continuous measurement of the {sup 14}CO{sub 2} released by bacterial metabolism of 14C-labeled substrate offers a valuable approach to testing the potency of antimicrobial drugs. By using a previously validated radioassay with gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, a group of protein synthesis inhibitors was evaluated for their effect on microbial growth kinetics. All tested drugs induced changes in both the slopes and intercepts of the growth curves. An exponential growth model was applied to quantify the drug effect on the processes of bacterial {sup 14}CO{sub 2} liberation and cell generation. The response was measured in terms of a generation rate constant. A linear dependence of the generation rate constant on the dose of spectinomycin was observed with Escherichia coli. Sigmoidal-shaped curves were found in the assays of chloramphenicol and ...
The behavior of proton transfer facilitated by a novel thiazole derivative, N-methyl-4-(4-phenoxyphenyl)thiazol-2-amine (MPPT), across the water/1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCE) interface was investigated electrochemically. The ionic partition diagram for MPPT was obtained from interpretation of the cyclic voltammograms. The apparent partition coefficient of MPPT was evaluated by the shaking-flask method under experimental conditions, while that for the protonated form of MPPT was calculated from its transfer potential obtained from the ionic partition diagram. It was suggested that the mechanism for transfer of MPPT across the water/1,2-DCE) interface depends on the pH of the aqueous phase. The parameters of the facilitated proton transfer across the water/1,2-DCE interface were evaluated as ...
Biomarkers are biometric measurements that provide critical quantitative information about the biological condition of the animal or individual being tested. In drug safety studies, established toxicity biomarkers are used along with other conventional study data to determine dose-limiting organ toxicity, and to define species sensitivity for new chemical entities intended for possible use as human medicines. A continuing goal of drug safety scientists in the pharmaceutical industry is to discover and develop better trans-species biomarkers that can be used to determine target organ toxicities for preclinical species in short-term studies at dose levels that are some multiple of the intended human dose and again later in full development for monitoring clinical trials at lower therapeutic ...
Drug particle size distribution has a profound impact to the content uniformity in low-dose solid drug products. We derived theoretically the skewness of potency distribution as a function of particle size distribution and target dose. It was demonstrated that both skewness and coefficient of variation diverge simultaneously with inverse square root of the target dose. This scaling relation was observed in recent experiment and was verified by Monte Carlo (MC) simulation, which was employed for the first time to solve for the full potency distribution from a random retrieving model. When tested against the criteria from USP uniformity of dosage units, MC simulation showed a striking anisotropic distribution of the data. This suggests a full-scale consideration of the potency distribu...
...the School, the research group structure was recently revised and now comprises the following teams: Drug Design and Analysis Pharmaceutics Pharmacy Practice and Policy Pharmacological and Biomedical Science The current structure was designed to take into account the future development of research in the academic area. The ...Discovery, Molecular Modelling, Pharmacology and Molecular Biology) and international recognition (Biological Sciences), which have now been re-organised into the Drug Design and Analysis and Pharmacological and Biomedical Sciences teams. The reorganisation also aimed to improve the research reputation of the other teams. The improvements in ... Email to a friend Print Within this area Drug design and analysis Pharmaceutics Pharmacy practice and policy Pharmacological and biomedical sciences Projects Publications Staff Considering a course? Research Degrees Course Finder Order a Prospectus Subject ...
The cephalosporin class antibacterial agent, cefazolin, was intercalated into layered double hydroxides (LDHs) in order to improve the drug efficiency as well as to achieve the controlled release property. Cefazolin molecules were incorporated into LDH through conventional ion exchange reaction. X-ray diffraction pattern analyses confirmed that cefazolin molecules were intercalated between the interlayer spaces of LDH. Fourier-transform infrared spectra and high performance liquid chromatographs clearly showed that the drug molecules were stabilized in LDH lattice through electrostatic interaction and released without any changes in their chemical integrity. Antibacterial activity of the cefazolin-LDH nanohybrid was also examined by an in vitro test, such as the minimal inhibitory concentr...
Propanolol is a betablocker drug used in the treatment of arterial hypertension related diseases. In order to achieve an optimal performance of this drug it is important to consider the possible interactions of propanolol with plasma proteins. In this work, we have used several experimental techniques to characterise the effect of addition of the betablocker propanolol on the properties of bovine plasma fibrinogen (FB). Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), circular dichroism (CD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), surface tension techniques and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements have been combined to carry out a detailed physicochemical and surface characterization of the mixed system. As a result, DSC measurements show that propranolol can play two opposite roles, either acting ...
A qualitative method, involving supported liquid?liquid extraction (SLE) and ultra high pressure liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS?MS), was developed for the rapid tentative identification of various drugs of abuse in urine. In this study, 28 drugs and metabolites were covered by the screening procedure. Before analysis, urine samples were extracted by SLE and good extraction recoveries were obtained for most investigated compounds. The UHPLC strategy was then selected for the rapid separation of amphetamines, cocaine, opiates and related compounds in urine. Using columns packed with sub-2??m particles, analysis time was reduced down to 2?min, while maintaining acceptable performance. Finally, the detection was by tandem MS operating in the single reaction...
Introduction: The QT interval of the electrocardiogram (ECG) reflects the duration of ventricular depolarization and repolarization. A drug-induced prolongation of ventricular repolarization, and thereby QT prolongation, is recognized to be a marker for an enhanced risk for ventricular arrhythmia. The assessment of a drug's effect on the QT interval has therefore become routine within pharmaceutical research and development. However, the heart rate has a major influence on the QT interval; the QT interval shortens as heart rate increases such that one needs to account for such heart rate-dependent changes when evaluating possible drug-induced effects on the QT interval. The relationship between the QT interval and heart rate can be modeled mathematically and using this function a so-called...
A nanosuspension of magnetically tagged metronidazole was developed by the solvent displacement method coupled with ultrasonication and was evaluated for its physicochemical properties. The drug release from metronidazole magnetic nanosuspension at pH 1.2 and 7.0 shows maximum correlation coefficient for zero order and Higuchi model, respectively. The anthelmintic activity of the formulated metronidazole magnetic nanosuspension was evaluated on Indian earthworms (Pheretima poi). Metronidazole magnetic nanosuspension at a dose of 10 and 50 mg/ml shortened by 31% and 34%, respectively, the mean time to death of the earthworms when compared against a non-magnetic metronidazole suspension. Thus, the developed metronidazole magnetic nanosuspension showed potent, controlled and targeted drug action and might be a good therapeutic avenue in combating infectious GI disorders.
The objective of this study was to examine the effect of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) plaster for knee osteoarthritis among Japanese patients. An open-labeled, randomized, controlled, multiclinic trial was performed involving outpatient clinic groups. Two comparative groups?plaster NSAIDs and oral NSAIDs?were randomly allocated. The drugs used were limited to the current top three in both groups in Japan. Treatments were assessed after four?weeks and compared with the baseline scores. Outcomes were evaluated by two psychometric measures: Japanese knee osteoarthritis measure, and pain with the visual analogue scale. The total number of patients included in the final evaluation was 165 (87 for the plaster group and 78 for the oral group). Between these two groups there were ...
Breath analysis could offer a non-invasive means of intravenous drug monitoring if robust correlations between drug concentrations in breath and blood can be established. In this study, propofol blood and breath concentrations were determined in an animal model under varying physiological conditions. Propofol concentrations in breath were determined by means of two independently calibrated analytical methods: continuous, real-time proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) and discontinuous solid-phase micro-extraction coupled with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS). Blood concentrations were determined by means of SPME-GC-MS. Effects of changes in pulmonary blood flow resulting in a decreased cardiac output (CO) and effects of dobutamine administration resulting in...
The aim of this study is to evaluate the specificities of the irradiation of drugs in frozen aqueous solution. The structures of the degradation products were determined to gain insight into the radiolysis mechanisms occurring in frozen aqueous solutions. Metoclopramide hydrochloride and metoprolol tartrate were chosen as models. The frozen solutions were irradiated at dry ice temperature by high energy electrons at various doses. The drug purity (chemical potency) and the radiolysis products were quantified by HPLC-DAD. Characterization of the degradation products was performed by LC-APCI-MS-MS. The structures of the radiolysis products detected in irradiated frozen aqueous solutions were compared to those detected in solid-state and aqueous solutions (previous studies). For both metoclop...
Abstract Imatinib mesylate is the first of a novel group of drugs that specifically target protein tyrosine kinases, which are central to the pathogenesis of human cancer. It has been approved for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia and gastrointestinal stromal tumor and has been found efficacious in other neoplastic diseases. Nilotinib and dasatinib, a second-generation of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), were developed in response to findings of emerging imatinib resistance or intolerance to the drug. Cutaneous reactions are the most common nonhematologic side effect of these drugs, and their management is challenging especially in the absence of alternative anticancer agents. The present review focuses on the clinical characteristics and the hypothesized molecular pathogenesis o...
chipD is a web server that facilitates design of DNA oligonucleotide probes for high-density tiling arrays, which can be used in a number of genomic applications such as ChIP-chip or gene-expression...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe use of measurement tools is an essential part of good evidence-based practice; however, physiotherapists (PTs) are not always confident when selecting, administering,...Full Text Available
Replication of plus-strand RNA viruses depends on host factors that are recruited into viral replicase complexes. Previous studies showed that eukaryotic translation elongation factor (eEF1A) is one...Full Text Available
BackgroundProcessing of multimodal information is a critical capacity of the human brain, with classic studies showing bimodal stimulation either facilitating or interfering in perceptual...Full Text Available
Peripheral subunit binding domains (PSBDs) are integral parts of large multienzyme complexes involved in carbohydrate metabolism. PSBDs facilitate shuttling of prosthetic groups between different catalytic...Full Text Available
Surfactant protein A (SP-A), first identified as a component of the lung surfactant system, is now recognized to be an important contributor to host defence mechanisms. SP-A can facilitate phagocytosis...Full Text Available
The demand for cogeneration plants is growing worldwide. For the combination of electricity generation and heat extraction in power stations facilitates an excellent fuel exploitation and makes the operator of the plant independent from external energy suppliers. (orig.)
BackgroundThe study of bacterial species interactions in a mixed-species community can be facilitated by transcriptome analysis of one species in the community using cDNA microarray...Full Text Available
A general method is described to sequester peptides containing azides from complex peptide mixtures, aimed at facilitating mass spectrometric analysis to study different aspects of proteome...Full Text Available
Spectacular increases in the quantity of sequence data genome have facilitated major advances in eukaryotic comparative genomics. By exploiting homology with classical model organisms, this makes possible...Full Text Available
The widespread use of tobacco and alcohol among adolescents might be related to the ability of nicotine and ethanol to facilitate social interactions. To investigate the neurobehavioral mechanisms...Full Text Available
A new gadolinium chelating NIR fluorescent molecular probe increases T1 relaxivity of water protons, facilitating combined optical and magnetic resonance imaging.
The exposure of cells to several metal ions stabilizes HIF-1α protein. However, the molecular mechanisms are not completely understood. They may involve inhibition of hydroxylation by either...Full Text Available
The paper demonstrates several ways that medical language processing can be combined with emerging display technologies to facilitate the extraction of data from free-text patient documents. The techniques...Full Text Available
Lepidoptera, butterflies and moths, is the second largest animal order and includes numerous agricultural pests. To facilitate comparative genomics in Lepidoptera, we isolated BAC clones containing...Full Text Available
BackgroundDespite concerns that facilitating informed choice would decrease diabetes screening uptake, 'informed choice' invitations that increased knowledge did not affect attendance...Full Text Available
This paper describes Image Engine, an object-oriented, microcomputer-based, multimedia database designed to facilitate the storage and retrieval of digitized biomedical still images, video, and text...Full Text Available
For meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, seasonal differences exist in self-grooming and in odor preferences for conspecifics, two behaviors which facilitate sexual interactions...Full Text Available
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVESNon-invasive longitudinal imaging of tumor vasculature could provide new insights into the development of solid tumors, facilitating efficient...Full Text Available
We analyze transport through conical channels due to the difference in particle concentration on the two sides of the membrane. Because of the detailed balance, fluxes of non-interacting particles...Full Text Available
The continuous addition of toluene as a solute of treated ballast water from oil tankers into a well-defined estuary facilitated the study of the dynamics of dissolved hydrocarbon metabolism in seawater....Full Text Available
DNA barcodes linked to genetic features greatly facilitate screening these features in pooled formats using microarray hybridization, and new tools are needed to design large sets of barcodes to allow...Full Text Available
Polypeptides exiting the ribosome must fold and assemble in the crowded environment of the cell. Chaperones and other protein homeostasis factors interact with newly translated polypeptides to facilitate...Full Text Available
Objective: The paper describes and evaluates the use of Clinical Digital Libraries Project (CDLP) digital library collections in terms of their facilitation of timely clinical information...Full Text Available
Psychopathic individuals are generally unresponsive to motivational and emotional cues that facilitate behavioral regulation. A putative mechanism for this deficiency is Gray’s (1971)...Full Text Available
Medulloblastoma and neuroblastoma belong to a group of neoplasms designated as primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs). Secreted Protein, Acidic and Rich in Cysteine (SPARC) is a matrix-associated...Full Text Available
Gene expression from bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones has been demonstrated to facilitate physiologically relevant levels compared to viral and nonviral cDNA vectors. BACs are large enough...Full Text Available
...6 Resource type: documents MmIT: Multimedia Information and Technology Group Group aiming to facilitate communication between CILIP members interested in multimedia developments in the library and information science field. Visits to places of interest like museums and archives are frequently organised, and an email discussion list ...
BackgroundWidespread availability of geographic information systems software has facilitated the use of disease mapping in academia, government and private sector. Maps that display...Full Text Available
BackgroundGenomics has substantially changed our approach to cancer research. Gene expression profiling, for example, has been utilized to delineate subtypes of cancer, and facilitated...Full Text Available
The aggregation substance (AS) of Enterococcus faecalis, encoded on sex pheromone plasmids, is a surface-bound glycoprotein that mediates aggregation between bacteria thereby facilitating...Full Text Available
Abs facilitate humoral immunity via the classical mechanisms of opsonization, complement activation, Ab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, and toxin/viral neutralization. There is also evidence that some...Full Text Available
T-type calcium channels are responsible for generating low-threshold spikes that facilitate burst firing and neurotransmitter release in neurons. GnRH neurons exhibit burst firing, but the underlying...Full Text Available
... 4. Military Working Dogs iMWDs). As used in this Instruction refers to drug detector dogs only. 5. Military Working Doq Executive Agent M(WJDEMA. ...
Background:The manufacturers of oral bisphosphonates (alendronate, risedronate) recommend avoiding use of these drugs in patients with renal impairment. However, many patients who...Full Text Available
The study involved 110 randomly selected dairy farms located in the Ontario, Canada counties of Bruce, Grey, Huron, Oxford, Perth, Waterloo and Wellington. Herds were classified as "intensive" and "extensive"....Full Text Available
Previous studies have shown that salicylates and protein-calorie malnutrition independently compromise maturation and growth of infants. In the present study, pregnant rats were fed normal-and low-protein...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that mediates the toxicity and biological activity of dioxins and related chemicals. The...Full Text Available
To capitalize on the response of tumor cells to ionizing radiation, we developed a controlled-release nanoparticle drug delivery system using a targeting peptide that recognizes a radiation-induced...Full Text Available
Recent studies suggest that TJ-41, a herbal drug, possesses chemotherapeutic effects. Accordingly, this study was undertaken to investigate the anticarcinogenic effects of TJ-41 on human breast cancer...Full Text Available
The present study discusses the contribution of the adoption of more rigorous and objective criteria to the selection and analysis of information sources, leading to more scientific rigour when registering phytotherapic drugs. To this end, it is herein proposed the adoption of a previously tested and acknowledged methodology, namely the Systematic Revision, as a standard for phytotherapic drug analyses. In order to show differences brought about by the Systematic Revision during the registration procedures of phytotherapic drugs, the case of the Maytenus ilicifolia (known popularly in Brazil as 'espinheira-santa') is presented. As it is well known, the use of ionizing radiation is expanding, especially in medicine and pharmacy. Therefore, gamma radiation was applied to the microbiological quality control of phytotherapic matrices. Results indicated a positive contribution of Systematic Revision to the ...
Chronic pain patients who show aberrant drug-related behavior often are discontinued from treatment when they are noncompliant with their use of opioids for pain. The purpose of this study was...Full Text Available
Objective:This article examines relationships between reproductive onset and lifetime history of smoking, regular smoking, and nicotine dependence, and cannabis and other illicit...Full Text Available
BackgroundPostoperative delirium is a topic of great importance in the geriatric surgical specialty. Although antipsychotic drugs are the medications most frequently used to treat...Full Text Available
A vast amount of circumstantial evidence implicates oxygen-derived free radicals (especially, superoxide and hydroxyl radical) and high-energy oxidants [such as peroxynitrite (OONO−)]...Full Text Available
BackgroundRifampin is a key drug in antituberculosis chemotherapy because it rapidly kills the majority of bacilli in tuberculosis lesions, prevents relapse and thus enables 6-month...Full Text Available
SummaryBackgroundThe US FDA has been collecting information on medical devices involved in significant adverse advents since 1984. These reports have...Full Text Available
The safety, pharmacokinetics, and distribution in tissue of an amphotericin B (AmB)-cholesteryl sulfate colloidal dispersion (ABCD) were compared with those of micellar amphotericin B-deoxycholate (m-AmB)....Full Text Available
Convection-enhanced delivery (CED) has emerged as a promising method of targeted drug-delivery for treating central nervous system (CNS) disorders, but the influence of brain structure on infusate...Full Text Available
IntroductionRecent Food and Drug Administration legislation enables the mandating of product performance standards for cigarette smoke and the evaluation of manufacturers’...Full Text Available
Systemic chemotherapy has been relatively ineffective in the treatment of malignant brain tumors even though systemic chemotherapy drugs are small molecules that can readily extravasate across the porous...Full Text Available
The effect of adriamycin in combination with radiation on the skin reactions of mouse feet has been examined under a variety of experimental conditions including: (a) hyperthermic treatment of the foot immediately following adriamycin administration, with the former given either just before or just after x irradiation, and (b) fractionated treatments of drug and radiation in a variety of sequences over an 18-day period. In the case of the most severe hyperthermic treatment, no increased radiation reactions were observed in the presence of adriamycin. However, in the case of the less severe hyperthermic treatment a small but significant increase in skin reactions was observed. In the study of fractionated drug and radiation treatments, an enhancement of reaction in those animals receiving combined modality treatment over those receiving radiation alone was seen in those groups where the initiation of drug treatment succeeded ...
The juxtacapsular BNST (jcBNST) is activated in response to basolateral amygdala (BLA) inputs through the stria terminalis and projects back to the anterior BLA and to the central nucleus of...Full Text Available
The in vivo antichlamydial activities of sparfloxacin and reference drugs were examined in a experimental model of pneumonia caused by Chlamydia pneumoniae in leukopenic mice; their in vitro activities...Full Text Available
Treatment of functional bowel disorders of irritable bowel-type (IBS) in children remains a difficult task because of a lack of drugs with low adverse event profile. We here report the results of a...Full Text Available
Indomethacin, a potent nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, has been used in the treatment of various kinds of pains, inflammation and arthritis. However, oral administration of indomethacin produces...Full Text Available
Buccal bioadhesive films, releasing topical drugs in the oral cavity at a slow and predetermined rate, provide distinct advantages over traditional dosage forms. The aim of present study was to prepare...Full Text Available
The objective of the present research was to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics of berberine chloride and to assess the complexation of drug with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD),...Full Text Available
The purpose of the present work was to study the pharmacokinetics and the protein binding (free fraction of the drug) of ceftriaxone (CTX) during pregnancy. Nine pregnant women (ages, 20 to 34 years)...Full Text Available
Current drug treatments for post-menopausal osteoporosis cannot eliminate bone fractures, possibly because the mechanisms responsible for bone loss are not fully understood. Although research within...Full Text Available
Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is commonly used in biological studies to dissolve drugs and enzyme inhibitors with low solubility. While DMSO is generally thought of as being relatively inert, it...Full Text Available
Acetaminophen (APAP) toxicity is the most common drug-induced cause of acute liver failure in the United States. The only available treatment, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), has a limited...Full Text Available
Opioids have been regarded for millennia as among the most effective drugs for the treatment of pain. Their use in the management of acute severe pain and chronic pain related to advanced medical...Full Text Available
BackgroundStem cell characteristics are an important feature of human cancer cells and play a major role in the therapy resistance of tumours. Strategies to target cancer stem cells...Full Text Available
The inflammatory process has direct effects on normal and abnormal wound healing. Hypertrophic scar formation is an aberrant form of wound healing and is an indication of an exaggerated function of...Full Text Available
Telbivudine is a novel nucleoside drug recently approved for the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B. Its nonclinical safety was evaluated in a comprehensive program of studies, including...Full Text Available
Neonatal bacterial infection in rats alters the responses to a variety of subsequent challenges later in life. Here we explored the effects of neonatal bacterial infection on a subsequent drug...Full Text Available
AimsThe efficacy of topical glucocorticosteroids in rhinitis and asthma is likely to depend on drug retention in the airway mucosa. With fluticasone propionate, retention may be...Full Text Available
Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is an immunosuppressive drug that acts as a selective inhibitor of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH). MMF has recently been shown to inhibit the enzymatic activity...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe precise mechanisms involved in the initiation and progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are not known. Early stages of RA often have non-specific symptoms, delaying...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe zebrafish is recognized as a versatile cancer and drug screening model. However, it is not known whether the estrogen-responsive genes and signaling pathways that are...Full Text Available
Integration of solid-state biosensors and lipid bilayer membranes is important for membrane protein research and drug discovery. In these sensors, it is critical that the solid-state sensing...Full Text Available
DNA interstrand cross-links (ICLs) are critical cytotoxic lesions produced by cancer chemotherapeutic agents such as the nitrogen mustards and platinum drugs; however, the exact mechanism of ICL-induced...Full Text Available
BackgroundArtemisinin-based combination therapy, currently considered the therapy of choice for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in endemic countries,...Full Text Available
The identification of predictive biomarkers is at the core of modern toxicology. So far, a number of approaches have been proposed. These rely on statistical inference of toxicity response from either...Full Text Available
Multiglycosides of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook f (GTW), a Chinese herb-derived medicine used as a remedy for rheumatoid arthritis, are considered to be a reversible anti-fertility drug...Full Text Available
A growing number of studies suggest that the development of compulsive drug seeking and taking depends on dorsostriatal mechanisms. We previously observed that ex vivo acute...Full Text Available
BackgroundGene expression profiling and the analysis of protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks may support the identification of disease bio-markers and potential drug targets....Full Text Available
Disruption of circadian rhythms may be involved in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders, including drug addiction. Recently, we detected the significant association between prokineticin 2 receptor...Full Text Available
Infection due to multidrug resistance pathogens is difficult to manage due to bacterial virulence factors and because of a relatively limited choice of antimicrobial agents. Thus, it is imperative to...Full Text Available
The phenomenon of antibiotic resistance has created a need for the development of novel antibiotic classes with non-classical cellular targets. Unfortunately, target-based drug discovery against...Full Text Available
The development of azole resistance in Candida albicans is most problematic in patients with AIDS who receive long courses of drug for therapy or prevention of oral candidiasis. Recently,...Full Text Available
Somatic cell nuclear transfer or therapeutic cloning has provided great hope for stem cell-based therapies. However therapeutic cloning has been experiencing both ethical and technical difficulties....Full Text Available
The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) controls signal transmission between cells in the nervous system. Abused drugs such as cocaine inhibit this receptor. Transient kinetic investigations indicate...Full Text Available
The levels of in vitro protein binding of cefonicid and cefuroxime in human adult and neonatal sera were compared. Binding parameters for each drug were determined within the concentration range of...Full Text Available
African trypanosomes exert significant morbidity and mortality in man and livestock. Only a few drugs are available for the treatment of trypanosome infections and therefore, the development of new...Full Text Available
BackgroundMethamphetamine (METH), an addictive psycho-stimulant drug with euphoric effect is known to cause neurotoxicity due to oxidative stress, dopamine accumulation and glial...Full Text Available
ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of different concomitant disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) on the persistence with antitumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapies in...Full Text Available
BackgroundControl of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections relies on the periodic and long-term administration of anthelmintic drugs to high-risk groups, particularly school-age...Full Text Available
Membranous dysmenorrhea is an unusual clinical entity. It is characterized by the expulsion of huge fragments of endometrium during the menses, favored by hormonal abnormality or drug intake. This report describes a case with clinical, US, and MRI findings before the expulsion. Differential diagnoses are discussed. (orig.)
The full impact of secondary stigma (stigma directed at family) on an HIV-positive individual is unknown. This qualitative research explores perceptions of secondary stigma in the Vietnamese...Full Text Available
Abstract Objective: This study aims to gain an overview of hot topics related to research focused on Chinese herbal drugs by authors inside China and outside of China in the past 10 years. Methods: PubMed/MEDLINE was utilized in order to investigate and select research that was published on ?Chinese herbal drugs?? from 1998 to 2007, by authors located both inside and outside of China (MeSH terms were downloaded and ranked). MeSH terms that frequently appeared were identified and co-word analysis was carried out for two groups: (1) authors located in China, and (2) authors based outside of China, respectively. The hot topics concerning research into Chinese herbal drugs were concluded after cluster analysis and related document analysis. Results: For authors in the China group versus those ...
Several drugs are available for the management of postmenopausal osteoporosis. This may, in daily practice, confuse the clinician. This manuscript offers an evidence-based update of previous treatment...Full Text Available
The D2 antidopaminergic drug Domperidone was evaluated singly and in combination with synthetic adrenocorticoid and an H2 antihistamine for its ability to reduce the acute emetic effects of /sup 60/Co whole-body radiation. Random-source adult male dogs were fasted 12 hours, fed a standard meal, injected 44 minutes later and irradiated 47 minutes after that. Four groups of dogs were radiated after drug injections as follows: saline (Con), domperidone (Dom), cimetidine + thiethylperazine (Cim+Thi), and dexamethasone + domperidone + cimetidine (Dex+Dom+Cim). Drug quantities for dogs represented 10 mg Dom, 10 mg Thi, 20 mg Dex, and 300 mg Cim for an average human (70 ka, 1.8 m2). Subjects were exposed on an up-down schedule to determine the radiation necessary to produce vomiting in 50% (ED50) of each group. Emesis onset times, offset times, and number of episodes were recorded. The ED50 of Dex+Dom+Cim was higher than Con. Dom ...
Ayurvedic drugs have begun to be evaluated in controlled clinical trials. The trials, often placebo controlled, are usually designed to demonstrate superiority. Though the results have been usually...Full Text Available
Dysregulation of glutamate neurotransmission may play a role in cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Manipulation of glutamate signaling using drugs acting at metabotropic glutamate receptors...Full Text Available
Choice procedures have indicated that the relative reinforcing effectiveness of opioid drugs increases during opioid withdrawal. The demand curve, an absolute measure of reinforcer value, has not been...Full Text Available
1 The influence of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug naproxen on glucose metabolism and on tolbutamide pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics has been studied in ten maturity-onset diabetics. 2...Full Text Available
During antibiotic drug development, media are frequently spiked with either serum/plasma or protein supplements to evaluate the effect of protein binding. Usually, previously reported serum or plasma...Full Text Available
Antivenoms are the currently available agents for treatment of snake venom intoxication in humans. The development of therapeutic strategies employing more generally available drugs could improve treatment of invenomation by reducing hypersensitive reacti...
Drugs used for the inhibition of DNA viruses, such as iododeoxyuridine, adenine arabinoside, or trifluorothymidine, are not biochemically selective in their action and also interfere with normal cellular...Full Text Available
The hypothesis that the antiarrhythmic drug amiodarone slows down the heart rate by its inhibitory action on the intracellular conversion of thyroxine (T4) to 3,5,3' triiodothyronine (T3) was investigated....Full Text Available
The hepatic uptake rate for certain albumin-bound drugs and metabolites correlates poorly with their equilibrium unbound concentration in the plasma, suggesting that binding equilibrium may not always...Full Text Available
The liver plays a vital role in glucose homeostasis, the synthesis of bile acids and the detoxification of foreign substances. Liver culture systems are widely used to test adverse effects of drugs...Full Text Available
BackgroundWebsites of many rogue sellers of medications are accessible through links in email spam messages or via web search engines. This study examined...Full Text Available
Experiments were performed to investigate the involvement of the cell membrane in the excision DNA repair process in Escherichia coli. Two membrane-binding drugs, procaine and phenethyl alcohol (PEA), inhibited liquid-holding recovery (LBR) in u.v.-irradiated E. coli wild-type and recA strains. In uvrB and polA strains where, after u.v.-irradiation, LHR was absent the two drugs had no effect. Both drugs markedly reduced the removal of u.v.-induced thymine dimers in the DNA of wild-type cells (H/r30). Analysis by alkaline sucrose gradients revealed that PEA inhibited the incision step in excision repair. In contrast, procaine had no effect on incision but apparently inhibited the late steps in excision repair. PEA dissociated DNA from the cell membrane, whereas procaine did not. The results suggest that the two drugs PEA and procaine inhibit LHR and the excision repair process operating on u.v.-induced ...
BackgroundMultidrug resistance (MDR) is a major obstacle in cancer treatment and is often the result of overexpression of the drug efflux protein, P-glycoprotein (P-gp), as a consequence...Full Text Available
Acetaminophen (APAP), a widely used analgesic and antipyretic that is considered to be relatively safe at recommended doses, is the leading cause of drug-induced liver failure in the United States....Full Text Available
1 The plasma protein binding of theophylline was determined after addition of [14C]-theophylline (15 micrograms/ml) to plasma from 24 healthy drug-free volunteers and equilibrium dialysis for 2 h at...Full Text Available
Aims:To investigate the relationship between the duration of comatose state, severity of rhabdomyolysis and frequency of peripheral nerve injury (PNI) in patients following...Full Text Available
Tuberculosis (TB) is a major threat to global health, recently exacerbated by the emergence of highly drug-resistant forms of the disease-causing pathogen and synergy with HIV/AIDS. In 2006, the Stop...Full Text Available
Cocaine is a worldwide used drug and its abuse is associated with physical, psychiatric and social problems. The mechanism by which cocaine causes neurological damage is very complex and involves several...Full Text Available
Mechanism-based inhibition of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 is characterized by NADPH-, time-, and concentration-dependent enzyme inactivation, occurring when some drugs are converted by CYPs to reactive...Full Text Available
We introduce cyclophosphamide-induced alopecia (CYP-IA) in C57BL-6 mice as a clinically relevant model for studying the biology of chemotherapy-induced alopecia and for developing anti-alopecia drugs....Full Text Available
The antitumor agent camptothecin targets DNA topoisomerase I by reversibly stabilizing a covalent enzyme-DNA intermediate. The subsequent collision of DNA replication forks with these drug-enzyme-DNA...Full Text Available
Several investigations suggested abnormalities in circadian rhythms are related to the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders, including drug addiction. Recently, orphan nuclear receptor rev-erb alpha...Full Text Available
The main objective of Phase I of this SBIR project was to demonstrate the feasibility for successful development of an antimicrobial wound dressing based on a hydrogel sustained release matrix. This goal has been achieved. In vitro studies of drug diffusi...
Currently there is considerable interest among oncologists to find anticancer drugs in Chinese herbal medicine (CHM). In the past, clinical data showed that some herbs possessed anticancer properties,...Full Text Available
Oligopeptidic drugs such as β-lactams and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors share the same carriers in humans and animals, which results in possible pharmacokinetic interactions. To model...Full Text Available
Objectives:The aim of this study was to analyze clinical records of dental patients attending the Dental Department at the University of Jordan Hospital: a teaching hospital in Jordan....Full Text Available
Essential in mitosis, the human Kinesin-5 protein is a target for >80 classes of allosteric compounds that bind to a surface-exposed site formed by the L5 loop. Not established is why there...Full Text Available
Albumin is a multifunctional transport protein that binds a wide variety of endogenous substances and drugs. Insulins with affinity for albumin were engineered by acylation of the epsilon-amino group...Full Text Available
Two field-adapted colorimetric methods for measuring the antimalarial drug chloroquine in urine are described. Both are modifications of the method of Saker and Solomons for screening urine for phencyclidine...Full Text Available
Albendazole binds to parasite's tubulin inhibiting its glucose absorption. Its common adverse effects are nausea, vomiting, constipation, thirst, dizziness, headache, hair loss and pruritus. Although...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe default mode network (DMN) is a set of brain regions that exhibit synchronized low frequency oscillations at resting-state, and is believed to be relevant to attention...Full Text Available
AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key regulator of energy metabolism; its activity is regulated by a plethora of physiological conditions, exercises and many anti-diabetic drugs. Recent...Full Text Available
Plumbagin is found in many herbal plants and inhibits the growth of various bacteria. Escherichia coli strains are relatively resistant to this drug. The mechanism of resistance is...Full Text Available
BackgroundA relevant problem in drug design is the comparison and recognition of protein binding sites. Binding sites recognition is generally based on geometry often combined with...Full Text Available
Background:With the advent of newer antipsychotic drugs, side effects such as sexual dysfunction have been a major contributor toward treatment compliance. There are only...Full Text Available
This study examines the longitudinal relationship between personal and sexual partner incarceration and subsequent HIV risk behaviors among drug-involved men and their primary female sexual...Full Text Available
...1) A privately owned motor vehicle. (2) A privately owned boat. (3) An indigenous animal, military working dog, or guide dog for the blind or visually-impaired accompanying its owner. (4) A narcotic or dangerous drug or...
A novel drug delivery system for the treatment of brain tumors was formulated by methotrexate (MTX)-loaded polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) based on Glycol chitosan (GCS) and Dextran sulfate (DS). The physicochemical properties of resulting particles were investigated, evidencing the contribution of these nanoparticles for brain targeting. In vitro release of MTX was also evaluated. The GCS-DS nanoparticles have been developed based on the modulation of ratio show promise as a system for controlled delivery of the drug to the brain. PMID:21782844
The use of X-ray scattering techniques in pharmaceutical science is increasing, in part through increased collaborations with the materials science community, and through increased availability of instrumentation, particularly synchrotron sources. The ability to understand not only the biopharmaceutical outcome, but also arguably, more importantly, the structural aspects of drugs and drug delivery systems, is essential to progressing pharmaceutical science; this review serves as an introduction to the major techniques and the wide range of areas in which X-ray scattering may be applied in understanding and controlling structure in pharmaceutical systems.
Glabridin, an active constituent of Glycyrrhiza glabra roots, was found to be active against both yeast and filamentous fungi. Glabridin also showed resistance modifying activity against drug resistant mutants of Candida albicans at a minimum inhibitory concentration of 31.25-250 g/mL. Although the compound was reported earlier to be active against Candida albicans, but this is the first report of its activity against drug resistant mutants. Copyright Copyright 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The role of radiation therapy in local tumor control and decreased incidence of pulmonary metastasis is reported in 271 patients who were entered into the Intergroup Ewing's Sarcoma Study with more than one year follow-up and on whom all radiotherapy records were reviewed. The majority of the patients were irradiated to the primary tumor with doses of 4500 to 6500 rad in five to six weeks in combination with systemic administration of three drugs (vincristine, actinomycin-D and cyclophosphamide) or four drugs (vincristine, actinomycin-D, cyclophosphamide and adriamycin). One of the groups of patients was treated with three drugs and bilateral pulmonary irradiation (1500 rad, uncorrected dose, in two weeks). Preliminary analysis shows an overall local primary tumor control of 89%. Patients with lesions in the pelvis had a local failure rate of 17% (9 of 52) and in the humerus 23% (7 of 31). Factors affecting local ...
BackgroundXMRV (xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus) is the first known example of an exogenous gammaretrovirus that can infect humans. A limited number of reports suggest that XMRV is intrinsically resistant to many of the antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV-1 infection, but is sensitive to a small subset of these inhibitors. In the present study, we used a novel marker transfer assay to directly compare the antiviral drug sensitivities of XMRV and HIV-1 under identical conditions in the same host cell type.ResultsWe extend the findings of previous studies by showing that, in addition to AZT and tenofovir, XMRV and HIV-1 are equally sensitive to AZddA (3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxyadenosine), AZddG (3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxyguanosine) and adefovir. These results indicate that specific 3'-azido or acyclic nucleoside analog inhibitors of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) also block XMRV infection with comparable efficacy in vitro. Our data ...
This paper is a progress report on the role of radiation therapy (RT) in local tumor control and the decreased incidence of pulmonary metastasis in 251 patients entered in the Intergroup Ewing's Sarcoma Study. All were followed for more that 1 year, and their RT records were reviewed. Doses to the primary tumor in the range of 4,500--6,500 rad were administered over approximately 5 to 6 weeks in combination with 4 drugs, i.e., vincristine (VCR), dactinomycin (DAC), cyclophosphamide (CY), and adriamycin, or only the first 3. One group of patients received the 3 drugs and bilateral pulmonary irradiation (approximately 1,500 rad in 2 wk). Preliminary analysis showed a local primary tumor control of approximately 90%. Patients with lesions in the pelvis and humerus had local failure rates of 13% (7 of 54) and 21.4% (6 of 28), respectively. The treatment groups differed significantly in the incidence of pulmonary metastasis. Patients treated with ...
An increased compendium of drugs useful in ocular motor system dysfunction has expanded our capacity to treat selected ocular motility disorders. Adjunctive therapeutic modes (e.g., Fresnel prisms and orthoptic exercises) can also be beneficial. PAN and see-saw nystagmus can be treated with baclofen. Downbeat nystagmus may respond to clonazepam therapy, and prisms may help if the nystagmus can be modified with convergence. Congenital nystagmus may respond minimally to drugs (e.g., baclofen), but prisms or surgical procedures, or both, are still the primary treatment modalities. Innovar may be helpful in patients with severe, incapacitating vestibular disorders, and scopolamine alone or in combination with promethazine may be beneficial in patients with milder ambulatory acute peripheral vestibular disorders. Benign positional vertigo is best treated initially with positional exercises before drug therapy is instituted. ...
Magnolia bark and ginger rhizome is a drug pair in many prescriptions for treatment of mental disorders in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). However, compatibility and synergism mechanism of two herbs on antidepressant actions have not been reported. The aim of this study was to approach the rationale of the drug pair in TCM. We evaluated antidepressant-like effects of mixture of honokiol and magnolol (HMM), polysaccharides (PMB) from magnolia bark, essential oil (OGR) and polysaccharides (PGR) from ginger rhizome alone, and the possibility of synergistic interactions in their combinations in the mouse forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). Serotonin (5-HT) and noradrenaline (NE) levels in prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and striatum were also examined. 30 mg/kg HMM decreased immobility in the FST and TST in mice after one- and two-week treatment. OGR (19.5 or 39 mg/kg) alone was ineffective. The combination of an ...
With the advent of computer technology, researchers and instructors are attempting to devise computer support for effective collaborative technical writing. In this study, a computer-supported environment for collaborative technical writing was developed. This system (Process-Writing Wizard) provides process-oriented scaffolds and a synchronous online chat room to facilitate real-time collaborative writing practice. It allows multiple students to work synchronously on collaborative writing tasks via the Internet. It also helps develop collaborative writing strategies, such as creating team agendas, brainstorming, creating team outlines, and generating team articles. An experiment was conducted to examine the effect of the system on EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students? collaborativ...
An ion processing element employing composite media disposed in a porous substrate, for facilitating removal of selected chemical species from a fluid stream. The ion processing element includes a porous fibrous glass substrate impregnated by composite media having one or more active components supported by a matrix material of polyacrylonitrile. The active components are effective in removing, by various mechanisms, one or more constituents from a fluid stream passing through the ion processing element. Due to the porosity and large surface area of both the composite medium and the substrate in which it is disposed, a high degree of contact is achieved between the active component and the fluid stream being processed. Further, the porosity of the matrix material and the substrate facilitates use of the ion processing element in high volume applications where it is desired to effectively process a high volume flows.
In many species social behaviors are dependent on integration of chemosensory and hormonal cues. Many chemosensory stimuli are detected by the vomeronasal organ, which projects to many regions that contain steroid receptors, including the medial amygdala. In male hamsters, testosterone is known to acutely increase in response to chemosensory stimulation, and can facilitate sexual behavior by direct action within the medial amygdala. Conspecific stimuli activate the anterior (MeA) and posterior (MeP) medial amygdala, while heterospecific stimuli activate only MeA. Chemosensory stimuli with different social significance differentially activate the dorsal and ventral subdivisions of MeA and MeP. Therefore, it is likely that steroids differentially facilitate stimulation of the medial amygdala...
A methodology is proposed to facilitate the construction of gridded bathymetry data for the use of hydrodynamic models on the continental shelf. It relies on the carrying out of three successive tasks: (1) automatic selection of records of better quality among multiple sets of overlapping data; (2) elimination of data points located on land; and (3) taking into account the shoreline as bathymetric data. Algorithms are proposed to perform sorting of the records according to their quality as well as masking by the coastline. The suggested method facilitates the updating of bathymetry data and optimizes their use. It enables automatic execution of all the tasks and building of new digital bathymetry models in a few hours, without action from the operator. The method has been tested many times...
DNA polymerase gamma from purified nuclei of EMT-6 cells (mice) seems to be identical to the mitochondrial DNA polymerase from the same source following several criteria. These two enzyme activities are strongly inhibited by ethidium bromide and acriflavin, while proflavin, acridine orange, daunomycin and chloroquine inhibition is less pronounced. In the case of DNA polymerases alpha and beta very little inhibition by ethidium bromide was observed. Intercalation of this dye in a poly dA-dT 12-18 template-primer was studied spectrophotometrically under conditions similar to those in the in vitro DNA polymerase assay. The polymerase assay. The inhibition by this drug of the mitochondrial DNA polymerase gamma activity was shown to be competitive at varying concentrations of TTP while the inhibition was of the non-competitive type at different concentrations of poly dA-dT 12-18. We conclude that the drug, most probably in the intercalated form, is ...
The atomic explosions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki made the name radiation itself become a nightmare. Notwithstanding this, radiation continued to serve the mankind specially in diagnosis of several human diseases and in the treatment of intractable malignancies. With their latest research tools biologists have now shown a significant shift in the earlier paradigm; even the concept that radiation initiates cancer appears to be no longer tenable. On the contrary, selective radiation doses inhibit growth of cancer cells and radiation in combination with many chemotherapeutic drugs, radiosensitizing chemicals and/or hyperthermia, is emerging as a new modality for cancer treatment which offers high therapeutic advantages. In addition, the deleterious effects of radiation can now be strategically counter poised by the use of many drugs and chemicals. This has been possible by the newer insights gained in the mechanism of biological effects of ...
Ex vivo (/sup 3/H)-8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)-tetraline ((/sup 3/H)-DPAT) binding to the hippocampus has been utilized to determine the pharmacokinetic parameters of buspirone after i.v. and oral administration of this drug to rats. Intravenous buspirone rapidly penetrated the brain as demonstrated by a maximum inhibition of (/sup 3/H)-DPAT binding at 1 min. Elimination of drug from the brain was biphasic, with a first component half-life of 24.8 min and a second component half-life of 96 min. Oral buspirone at 3 times the i.v. dose produced less than one-third the maximum inhibition of (/sup 3/H)-DPAT binding compared to that observed with i.v. buspirone. The pharmacokinetic parameters of buspirone observed in the present study are in agreement with those reported previously. Thus, the ex vivo binding assay could be utilized to determine the bioavailability of the drug to the brain, and its duration of action. 20 ...
In drug development, Caco-2 cells are often employed to study the influence of membrane transporters on drug permeability. The aim of the current study was to characterize permeability and kinetic parameters of selected organic anionic compounds in Caco-2 cells, and to investigate whether the Caco-2 cell line may be used as an overall model to predict interactions on multiple membrane transporters in the intestine. Taurocholic acid (TCA) and estrone-3-sulfate (E(1) S) were used as model substrates. Possible inhibitors studied were TCA, E(1) S, taurolithocholic acid, fluvastatin, and glipizide. The effects of these compounds on initial uptake, apparent permeability, and intracellular end-point accumulations of the probe substrates were studied. Both interactions on apical and basolateral influx transporters were observed. These interactions were proposed to be mediated mainly by the apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter and the organic ...
Binary mixtures of dipyrone and pitophenone hydrochloride are assayed by zero-crossing second- and third-derivative spectrophotometry and by ratio-spectra first- and second-derivative spectrophotometry. In the first method, calibration plots are linear at 266.5 and 302.5 nm (dipyrone, second derivative), and 257 and 286 nm (pitophenone second derivative) and 242 and 278.3 nm (dipyrone third derivative), and 228.5 and 300 nm (pitophenone, third-derivative). By the second method, lines of regression are linear at 235 and 262 nm (dipyrone, first derivative), and 229.5 and 288.5 nm (pitophenone, first-derivative), and 249.7 and 268 nm (dipyrone, second derivative), and 280.5 and 300 nm (pitophenone, second-derivative). In all methods calibration curves follow the Beer's law up to 40 microg/ml of each drug. LOD and LOQ values were calculated. The developed derivative spectrophotometric methods were applied to laboratory mixtures and to vials for these ...
To determine clinical predictors and accuracy of {sup 123}I-FP-CIT SPECT imaging in the differentiation of drug-induced parkinsonism (DIP) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Several clinical features and {sup 123}I-FP-CIT SPECT images in 32 patients with DIP, 25 patients with PD unmasked by antidopaminergic drugs (PDu) and 22 patients with PD without a previous history of antidopaminergic treatment (PDc) were retrospectively evaluated. DIP and PD shared all clinical features except symmetry of parkinsonian signs which was more frequently observed in patients with DIP (46.9%) than in patients with PDu (16.0%, p<0.05) or PDc (4.5%, p<0.01). Qualitatively {sup 123}I-FP-CIT SPECT images were normal in 29 patients with DIP (90.6%) and abnormal in all patients with PD, and this imaging technique showed high levels of accuracy. DIP and PD are difficult to differentiate based on clinical signs. The precision of clinical diagnosis ...
In this paper, we prepared a novel cationic self-assembled micelle from poly(epsilon-caprolactone)-poly(ethyl glycol)-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) grafted polyethyleneimine (PCEC-g-PEI). The PCEC-g-PEI micelles, formed by self-assembly method, had mean particle size of ca. 82 nm and zeta potential of +22.5 mV at 37 degrees C, and could efficiently transfer pGFP into HEK293 cells in vitro. Meanwhile, as a model hydrophobic chemotherapeutic drug, honokiol was loaded into PCEC-g-PEI micelles by direct dissolution method assisted by ultrasonication. The honokiol loaded cationic PCEC-g-PEI micelles could effectively adsorb DNA onto its surface, while it could release honokiol in an extended period in vitro. This study demonstrated a novel DNA and hydrophobic chemotherapeutic drug co-delivery system. PMID:21121283
This paper contributes to an understanding of pharmacogenomics-in-the-making by foregrounding a regulatory setting in which these technologies must be situated: decision-making about pharmaceutical reimbursement. Health care assessment organizations have been introduced in many countries to systematically address the issue of health care coverage. Using the example of Sweden, the process of deciding reimbursement status is shown to hinge on the creation of stable and clinically feasible categories of patients, diseases and drug responses. Through a series of analogous examples concerning conventional pharmaceuticals, it is argued that current mechanisms for categorizing reimbursable drugs could be upset when pharmacogenomic advances provide a means of making patients more specific objects ...
Ethnopharmacological relevance: Ethnobotanically driven drug-discovery programs include data related to many aspects of the preparation of botanical medicines, from initial plant collection to chemical extraction and fractionation. The Traditional Medicine Collection Tracking System (TM-CTS) was created to organize and store data of this type for an international collaborative project involving the systematic evaluation of commonly used Traditional Chinese Medicinal plants. Materials and methods: The system was developed using domain-driven design techniques, and is implemented using Java, Hibernate, PostgreSQL, Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools (BIRT), and Apache Tomcat. Results: The TM-CTS relational database schema contains over 70 data types, comprising over 500 data fields. Th...
Rationale Receptor occupancy study has been performed to evaluate pharmacokinetic profiles in new antipsychotic drug development. While these findings highlight the value of positron emission tomography (PET) for dose-finding study, what is unclear is if it is necessary to conduct these studies in patients with schizophrenia or whether studies in healthy volunteers are adequate. Objectives To determine if it is necessary to conduct dopamine receptor occupancy studies in patients with schizophrenia or whether studies in healthy volunteers are adequate for dose-finding study, we compared the concentration?occupancy relationship in terms of EC50 between patients and healthy volunteers. Methods Ten healthy volunteers and eight patients with schizophrenia participated in the study. We measured ...
Polyurethane (PU) foam was combined with protein drug-loaded pH-sensitive alginate-bentonite hydrogel for wound dressings. Alginate is a linear copolymer composed of 1?4-linked ?-D-mannuronic acid (M) and its c-5-epimer ?-Lguluronic acid (G). The amount of (M) and (G) and their sequential distribution are varied depending on the alginate source. Soluble sodium alginate can become a hydrogel when cross-linked with divalent cations and has widespread applications in the food, drink, pharmaceutical and bioengineering industries. Recently, it has been also proposed as a biomaterial for drug delivery systems. Bentonites are the natural inorganic polymers consisting of a large proportion of expandable clay minerals with a three-layer structure such as montmorillonite, beidellite, nontronite, etc...
In this work, the antibacterial effect of fluoroquinolones (FQs) upon Escherichia coli (E.coli) was measured with and without application of 40kHz ultrasound (US) stimulation. The research results demonstrated that simultaneous application of 40kHz US apparently enhanced the antibacterial effectiveness of FQs. That is, the synergistic effect was observed and the bacterial viability was reduced when FQs and US were combined. In addition, various influencing factors, such as FQs drug concentration, US irradiation time and solution temperature, on the inhibition of E.coli were also investigated. The antibacterial activity was enhanced apparently with increasing of FQs drug concentration, US irradiation time and solution temperature. Furthermore, we discussed preliminarily the mechanism of US ...
A hypofunctionality of Gi proteins has been found in migraine patients. The fixed combination of indomethacin, prochlorperazine and caffeine (Indoprocaf) is a drug of well-established use in the acute treatment of migraine and tension-type headache. The aim of this study was to investigate if Indoprocaf was able to exert its central antinociceptive action when Gi proteins activity is abolished by pertussis toxin (PTX), compared to its single active ingredients and to sumatriptan. The mice model of abdominal constriction test induced by an i.p. injection of a 0.6% solution of acetic acid was used. The study showed that Indoprocaf (a fixed combination of indomethacin 1?mg/kg, prochlorperazine 1?mg/kg and caffeine 3?mg/kg, s.c.) and sumatriptan (20?mg/kg, s.c.) exert their central antinocicep...
An attempt is made to induce in mud crab (Scylla serrata) epileptiform activities that resemble the generalized epileptic seizures. Cerebral ganglion of crab was exposed in situ, to a convulsant drug pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) 100?mM, for induction of seizures. Also, crabs were pretreated with antiepileptic drug viz sodium valproate (120??mol/l) to inhibit epileptiform activities. The surface electrical discharges of cerebral ganglion were recorded using Unkelscope (MIT, USA) in control as well as experimental animals. The cerebral ganglion of crab showed a pattern of high cerebral electrical discharges after PTZ treatment compared to control. The sodium valproate promoted sedative action in control and prevented PTZ-mediated epileptiform discharges. Glutamate and GABA contents in cerebral g...
A widely used veterinary antibiotic, tetracycline (TC), has been incorporated in Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of dipalmitoylphosphatidic acid (DPPA) by means of two different procedures: co-transfer and incubation in solution. The resulting structures were characterized by means of contact angle and ellipsometric measurements. The presence of the antibiotic in the phospholipid film was evidenced by means of UV-Vis electronic absorption and infrared vibrational spectroscopy. The two sets of measurements unambiguously indicated the presence of the drug in the LB layer films obtained with both methods, although incubation led to a smaller content of immobilized tetracycline. In both cases, the drug was found to reside in the hydrophilic portion of the layers due to specific interactions of the dimethylamino group of the molecule with the polar head groups of the phospholipid.
Eight selected sulfonamide drugs were investigated as inhibitors of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90). The investigation included simulated docking experiments to fit the selected compounds within the binding pocket of Hsp90. The selected molecules were found to readily fit within the ATP-binding pocket of Hsp90 in low-energy poses. The sulfonamides torsemide, sulfathiazole, and sulfadiazine were found to inhibit the ATPase activity of Hsp90 with IC50 values of 1.0, 2.6, and 1.5 mM, respectively. Our results suggest that these well-established sulfonamides can be good leads for subsequent optimization into potent Hsp90 inhibitors.
We have demonstrated that, with simple pH adjustment, volatile drugs such as methamphetamine, amphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), ketamine, and valproic acid could be analyzed rapidly from raw biofluid samples (e.g. urine and serum) without dilution, or extraction, using atmospheric pressure ionization. The ion source was a variant type of atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) that used a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) to generate the metastable helium gas and reagent ions. The sample solution was loaded in a disposable glass pipette, and the volatile compounds were purged by nitrogen gas to be reacted with the metastable helium gas. The electrodes of the DBD were arranged in such a way that the generated glow discharge was confined within the discharge tub...
The world of antibiotic drug discovery and development is driven by the necessity to overcome antibiotic resistance in common Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. However, the lack of Gram-negative activity among both recently approved antibiotics and compounds in the developmental pipeline is a general trend despite the fact that the plethora of covered drug targets are well-conserved across the bacterial kingdom. Such intrinsic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria is largely attributed to the activity of multidrug resistance (MDR) efflux pumps. Moreover, these pumps also play a significant role in acquired clinical resistance. Together, these considerations make efflux pumps attractive targets for inhibition in that the resultant efflux pump inhibitor (EPI)/antibiotic combination d...
After irradiation at 254nm of aqueous solutions of the antipsychotic drug flupentixol, the structures of the photodegradation products were determined by ultra high performance liquid-chromatography linked to mass spectrometry. Fragmentation patterns of the parent ions were established on a hybrid linear ion trap-orbitrap mass spectrometer allowing accurate mass measurements of both parent and daughter ions. This allowed to propose plausible structures for the main photolysis products of flupentixol. A total of nine photoproducts were detected after irradiation of the drug. The main photoproduct is generated following the addition of a hydroxyl group on the double bond adjacent to the thioxanthene ring. Secondary photoproducts were also observed.
Abstract Objectives- Cyclodextrins are useful solubilizing excipients that have gained currency in the formulator's armamentarium based on their ability to temporarily camouflage undesirable physicochemical properties. In this context cyclodextrins can increase oral bioavailability, stabilize compounds to chemical and enzymatic degradation and can affect permeability through biological membranes under certain circumstances. This latter property is examined herein as a function of the published literature as well as work completed in our laboratories. Key findings- Cyclodextrins can increase the uptake of drugs through biological barriers if the limiting barrier component is the unstirred water layer (UWL) that exists between the membrane and bulk water. This means that cyclodextrins are mo...
The goal of this study is to determine whether physicists at the Russian Nuclear Weapons Institute can profitably service the need for computer aided drug design (CADD) programs. The Russian physicists` primary competitive advantage is their ability to write particularly efficient code able to work with limited computing power; a history of working with very large, complex modeling systems; an extensive knowledge of physics and mathematics, and price competitiveness. Their primary competitive disadvantage is their lack of biology, and cultural and geographic issues. The first phase of the study focused on defining the competitive landscape, primarily through interviews with and literature searches on the key providers of CADD software. The second phase focused on users of CADD technology to determine deficiencies in the current product offerings, to understand what product they most desired, and to define the potential demand for such a product.
One-electron oxidation of several derivatives of pyrazolin-5-one, including the drug antipyrine, were studied by pulse radiolysis of aqueous solutions. All the compounds were found to be oxidized by Br2 rapidly but considerably more slowly by weaker oxidants, such as peroxyl radicals. From redox equilibria using p-methoxyphenol and N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine as reference compounds, the one-electron oxidation potentials of the methyl-substituted 2-pyrazolin-5-ones were found to be in the range of 0.32-0.39 V versus normal hydrogen electrode. The relevance of these findings to the properties of the drug nafazatrom is discussed. Antipyrine was found to have a much higher oxidation potential, estimated as 1.2-1.5 V, which is rationalized on the basis of the phenyl substitution and lack of resonance stabilization of the radical cation.
This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the various models or simulations for predicting drug release from bulk-degrading systems. A brief description of bulk degradation processes and factors affecting the degradation rate, and consequently the release kinetics, is presented first. Next, several important classical models, often used as the basis for subsequent model development, are discussed. Both mathematical models and Monte-Carlo based simulations have been developed for controlled release from bulk-degrading systems. The mathematical models can be further subdivided into two categories. First, the diffusion-based models whose transport mechanism is mainly governed by diffusion, but with degradation-dependent diffusion coefficients. These are generally simpler and easier...
Isolation of functional and intact mitochondria from solid tissue is crucial for studies that focus on the elucidation of normal mitochondrial physiology and/or mitochondrial dysfunction in conditions such as aging, diabetes, and cancer. There is growing recognition of the importance of mitochondria both as targets for drug development and as off-target mediators of drug side effects. Unfortunately, mitochondrial isolation from tissue is generally carried out using homogenizer-based methods that require extensive operator experience to obtain reproducible high-quality preparations. These methods limit dissemination, impede scale-up, and contribute to difficulties in reproducing experimental results over time and across laboratories. Here we describe semiautomated methods to disrupt tissue ...
Abstract Introduction.- Cannabis (marijuana) is the most widely used illicit drug globally. Given the prevalence of nonprescription illicit drug abuse, there is a growing interest in the study of its potential effects on male sexual health. In this review, we discuss the effects of cannabis on male sexual health. Objective.- In this review, we discuss the effects of cannabis on male sexual health. Methods and Main Outcome Measure.- Critical review of scientific literature examining the impact of cannabis use on male sexual health. Results.- Studies examining the effects of cannabis use on male sexual function have been limited in both quality and quantity. Most results of these studies are conflicting and contradictory. While some did outline the beneficial effects of cannabis in enhancing...
PP2B is a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase that is ubiquitously expressed in mammals. Among other actions, it is an effector mechanism in NMDA-mediated glutamate neurotransmission as well as a regulator of GSK3? and MAPK signaling cascades. Because all of these mechanisms have demonstrable roles in the control of circadian rhythyms, we hypothesized that PP2B would be a key regulator of rhythm generation and entrainment, and that through inhibition of its phosphatase activity, the circadian system would be affected by immunosuppressant drug therapy. We report here that immunosuppressant drugs (cyclosporin A, FK506) (1) block the circadian responses to light that underlie photic entrainment; (2) produce circadian phase shifts with a characteristic nonphotic profile; and (3) disr...
The anticonvulsant drugs carbamazepine, phenobarbital, trimethadione, valproic acid and ethosuximide at pharmacologically relevant concentrations inhibit (/sup 3/H)diazepam binding to astrocytes in primary cultures but have much less effect on a corresponding preparation of neurons. Phenytoin as well as pentobarbital (which is not used chronically as an anticonvulsant) are equipotent in the two cell types. The convulsants picrotoxinin and pentylenetetrazol, the convulsant benzodiazepine RO 5-3663 and the two convulsant barbiturates DMBB and CHEB similarly inhibit diazepam binding to astrocytes but have little effect on neurons. On the basis of these findings it is suggested that these convulsants and anticonvulsants owe at least part of their effect to an interaction with the astrocytic benzodiazepine receptor, perhaps by interference with a calcium channel.
Phenytoin (PHT), phenobarbital (PHB), lamotrigine (LTG), and topiramate (TPM) are some of the most widely used antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Monitoring of their concentrations in serum is important for the treatment of epilepsy. A reference measurement procedure (RMP) for certification of PHT, PHB, LTG, and TPM in serum has been developed and critically evaluated. Isotopically labeled compounds of PHT, PHB, LTG, and TPM are used as internal standards for the four AEDs. The four drugs and their respective labeled internal standards are simultaneously extracted from serum using solid-phase extraction prior to reversed-phase liquid chromatography?tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Chromatographic separation was performed using a C18 column. Electrospray ionization (ESI) in the positive ion mo...
The presence of inefficient distribution networks and supply chains of medicines creates problems in that even if African countries can secure steep, sustainable cost-containing procurements, access to needed medicines may still be impaired. The expected health benefits from affordable pricing or subsidies on prices of medicines may not be realized. This article evaluates drug supply chains in African countries and advocates for consolidated private wholesale markets and multiplicity of retail pharmacies. Public supply chains should be shortened and supported by contracting out with private distributors, including wholesalers and retail pharmacies. Additionally, drug regulatory authorities should be allowed to charge registration fees that are proportionate to the costs of technical regula...
9-cis-UAB30 is a potential chemopreventative agent that has been shown to be effective on many different types of tumors. The safety and toxicity of 9-cis-UAB30 had not been previously established. These studies were conducted to evaluate the potential toxicity and pharmacokinetics in a rodent and a nonrodent species for the purpose of investigational new drug submission. Oral gavage administration of 9-cis-UAB30 at the doses 0, 3, 15, and 100 ?mg/kg/day to CD? rats for 28 days showed a dose-dependent (although not dose-proportional) increase in plasma drug levels in week 4. The liver was the target organ for toxicity of 9-cis-UAB30. Hepatomegaly along with increases in serum aspartate-aminotransferase and alkaline-phosphatase levels were seen in rats. Moderate hypoalbuminemia and hyperglo...
There is increasing evidence that adolescence, like early life, is a sensitive period in which ongoing brain development can be influenced by environmental factors. This review describes our use of social instability as a model of mild adolescent social stress, its effects on social interactions and on hypothalamic?pituitary?adrenal function over the course of the procedure and in response to new stressors. The effects of social instability are sex-specific, with qualitative differences between the sexes on HPA function over the course of the stressor procedure, and with greater effects in males on behaviour observed during the social instability and greater effects in females on behavioural responses to drugs of abuse into adulthood, long after the stress exposure. The results from invest...
A preliminary database has been developed that will allow mineralogy and bulk-rock geochemical information to be managed under configuration control and facilitate electronic querying. The database is currently developed in Microsoft Access as a collection of tables, views, and entry forms. Each field and table has been described in a data dictionary.
Scyl1 is an evolutionarily conserved N-terminal protein kinase-like domain protein that plays a role in COP1-mediated retrograde protein trafficking in mammalian cells. Furthermore, loss of Scyl1 function...Full Text Available
Intimin facilitates intestinal colonization by enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7; however, the importance of intimin binding to its translocated receptor (Tir) as opposed to...Full Text Available
Pumping is one of the means for storing vast quantities of energy. This article analyses its principles and ways of implementation with emphasis on its double aspect, e.g., on the one hand, off-peak power is transferred to the periods of heaviest load and is thus valorized, even when taking into account losses due to poor efficiency of operations in the pumping and turbine modes, and on the other hand, plants have great flexibility in operation, faciliting the permanent fitting of generation to demand.
A tiered communications architecture for managing network traffic in a distributed system. Communication between client or control computers and a plurality of hardware devices is administered by agent and monitor devices whose activities are coordinated to reduce the number of open channels or sockets. The communications architecture also improves the transparency and scalability of the distributed system by reducing network mapping dependence. The architecture is desirably implemented in a proton beam therapy system to provide flexible security policies which improve patent safety and facilitate system maintenance and development.
This device has and head-race pipe with an external part and a coaxial inner part. A measuring head is mounted movable between these 2 parts and has at least a thermocouple and a mobile grid for varying the section and the sodium flow to facilitate the impurities dissolution. This ensemble is completed by a longitudinal body containing the main parts of the indicator and surrounded by a thermal exchanger to cool the sodium.
The invention deals with a pumping plant for oil filled power cables. An air driven piston type pump is used as primary pump. A PLS (Programmable Logic control System) is used to control the oil flow to the cable(s). Improvements of the pump includes means for ensuring that the pump piston is operated also at low pressure and flow, and means for sealing off the piston rod to ensure maximum life of seals, to facilitate detection of possible leakages and to avoid contamination of the cable oil. 3 figs.
Norad commissioned Econ Poeyry to map teaching and research activities and capacity related to clean energy in selected Ethiopian universities. The mapping identified challenges and opportunities with the aim of facilitating future intervention by the Ethiopian Government and donors to help improve the energy sector development of the country. The report covered the government-owned universities of Bahir Dar, Mekelle, Jimma, Arba Minch and Addis Ababa. The mapping was based on a questionnaire and on interviews at each university. (Author)
ABSTRACT Extending the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model, this study postulates a model of online social support. The model is empirically tested using data from undergraduates in Taiwan regarding their usage of instant messaging (IM). The test results indicate that all model paths are significant, except that the path between online social support and facilitating conditions is insignificant. This study offers limitations and implications.
A cryostat is described that was developed for irradiating a number of small metal specimens with a high beamcurrent of heavy particles at liquid nitrogen temperature. The specimens, which are mounted on a block, are taken out of the cryostat after irradiation and subsequently annealed in a temperature bath. The progress of annealing is followed by measuring the change in electrical resistivity of the specimens in liquid helium. (auth)
This article investigates the societal conditions that might help the establishment of peer-to-peer modes of production. First, the context within which such a new model is emerging - the neoliberal knowledge-based-societies - is described, and its shortcomings unveiled; and second, a robust argument is provided for the moral legitimation of an alternative societal vision, including two structural policies that are likely to facilitate the establishment and further development of peer-to-peer practices.
Revisions at steam turbines should present a problem-free procedure due to the long use of these machines. Changes in the market result in difficulties during the inspection work. The shortage of qualified personnel and manufacturing capacities are the cause for these difficulties. Important procedures of revisions are described in detail in the VGB regulations. Direct contacts between the customers and the suppliers facilitate the expirations substantially. In the case of good planning and under consideration of the well-known regulations, a revision can be accomplished to the satisfaction of customers and suppliers.
DescriptionEnzymes are natural catalysts that are used increasingly to replace environmentally harmful chemicals and to achieve better catalytic selectivity during pulp and paper processing. The main objective of this project is to identify novel plant enzymes for deeper understanding of the process of fibre formation and for future improvement of the quality parameters of wood fibres. Specific modification of the fibre characteristics will facilitate their use as raw materials for the current pulp and pap [continued...
Describes the Indonesian system of education of Islamic schooling, secular education, and out-of-school education. The provision of 9-year universal basic education is planned by 2004. The national plan challenges the education system to facilitate the change in Indonesia's economic structure from an agriculturally based system to one more dependent on manufacturing and service industries. (SLD)
... 01, 2009 | Rate It Marine Technology Society https://www.mtsociety.org/home.aspx emphasizes the importance of marine technology as it applies to global issues, encourages marine technology education and facilitates the use of marine technology in managing marine resources Added: Mar. 11, 2010 |...
Response of control valves plays an important role in the dynamics of the flow system as a whole. Knowledge of its transfer function would facilitate analysis of the behaviour of the system. This paper presents the application of Levy's complex curve fitting method for determination of the transfer function of control valves used in Liquid Zone Control System of 540 MWe PHWR. (author)
In order to facilitate observations of low energy nuclear reactions, a new type recoil mass-separator together with a new gas-jet target system is being developed at the tandem accelerator facility in Kyushu University. The expected mass-resolving power of the separator is 220 for a solid angle of 10 msr and the practical thickness of the gas-jet target will exceed 0.1 atm#centre dot#cm for the light elements of H and He. (author).
For verification of cow fertility a /sup 3/H radioimmunoassay of progesterone in milk and blood plasma was developed. It is of high specificity and accuracy as well. Extraction of progesterone from milk was facilitated by application of alcohol. Suggested differences in milk and plasma progesterone levels between pregnant and nonpregnant cows could be revealed.
Computer tomography used in the diagnosis of tumours is described in the light of particularly great diagnostic difficulties in children. Computer tomography was applied in 12 cases. A high diagnostic value of this method was demonstrated, which makes possible a more accurate diagnosis of the position of the tumour, its size, and expanding tendency. The possibility of estimating healthy tissues and organs, and those with pathological changes on the basis of differences in their density with a detection threshold at 0.5% density difference facilitates not infrequently preoperative diagnosis raising the value of the method.
As a self-teaching tool, this illustrated guide facilitates home study of the complexities of thoracic CT's. Over 400 illustrations and accompanying copy are used to provide a basis for understanding the CT appearances of disease processes and a comparison of CT lookalikes. It updates new and interesting developments in the format of case presentations.
The Atlantic Wind Test Site was established in 1980 as a laboratory to facilitate the evaluation and demonstration of wind energy systems and equipment. This annual report describes its organization and management, facilities, major projects, and the outlook for the future. Major projects include wind diesel; AWTS-IREQ collaboration; remote community data acquisition; lagerwey test program; Alaska Energy Authority Project; public education; Atlantic Orient Corporation 15/50 Project; and the soft VAWT project.
ObjectivesA national survey in 1997 demonstrated that trachoma was endemic in Mali. Interventions to control trachoma including mass drug administration (MDA) with azithromycin were...Full Text Available
Abstract Overall Numbers Small, But Study Finds SSRI Exposure, Autism Link Additional Drug Safety, Efficacy Data Needed for Pediatric Bipolar Disorder SGA Safety and Efficacy in Children and Adolescents Aripiprazole Safety and Tolerability for Irritability in Autism No Lisdexamfetamine Effect on Sleep Disturbances in Children With ADHD Sickle Cell Disease With Comorbid Depression Homeopathy in Psychiatry Manic Symptoms Induced by Marijuana in a Healthy Adolescent New Warnings Safety Labeling Changes
Abstract Clonidine Extended Release Augmentation of Psychostimulants in ADHD ADHD a Risk Factor for Substance Abuse; Cognitive Deficits Not a Predictor Commentary on Kollins et al.; Clonidine XR Augmentation for ADHD Pharmacologic Treatment of Childhood Insomnias Effects of Guanfacine Extended Release on Alertness in ADHD Long Term ADHD Drug Treatment Bipolar Disorder Rates Similar Across Selected Countries Group CBT Alone or Group CBT Plus SSRIs in Childhood Anxiety Resolution of Quetiapine-Induced Oral Dyskinesia From the FDA
A previously healthy young man experienced several episodes of syncope while being treated with tenofovir, emtricitabine and nevirapine initiated during primary HIV-1 infection. Symptoms disappeared after discontinuation of antiretroviral therapy and we suggest that syncope may be a side effect to one of the three antiretroviral drugs that has not been described previously.
Human serum albumin (HSA) has two primary binding sites for drug molecules. These sites selectively bind different dansylated amino acid compounds, which—due to their intrinsic fluorescence—have...Full Text Available
σ-Receptor (σR) antagonists have been reported to block certain effects of psychostimulant drugs. The present study examined the effects of σR ligands in rats trained to self-administer...Full Text Available
... 03/08/2011 Professor named Chair at Epworth Hospital Professor Nilmini Wickramasinghe from the College of Business at RMIT University has been named Epworth Chair, Health Information Management , by Epworth HealthCare. 26/07/2011 Study investigates drug-free relief for tension headaches As Australia marks its first National Pain Week ...
A pro-drug 8 of a synthetic analog 7 is more active in its anti-proliferative activity against human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells possessing high Catechol-O-methyltransferase...Full Text Available
Loss of the sense of smell can be easily confirmed in any physician's office by having the patient try to identify various odors. The etiology of anosmia can be extremely varied, including nasopharyngeal disorders such as rhinitis and tumors; neurologic conditions such as head trauma, neoplasms, vascular lesions and infections of the central nervous system; viral infections; familial and congenital disorders; drugs; industrial exposure; endocrine diseases, and several other disorders. The prognosis of anosmia is guarded, and its treatment depends on the etiology.
...Resort and Convention Center, National Harbor, Maryland, USA September 18-20, 2011 XX HELSINKI DRUG RESEARCH CONGRESS Helsinki, Finland October 23-27, 2011 2011 AAPS Annual Meeting and Exposition Washington Convention Center Washington, DC June 26-29 2012 10th International Symposium on Pharmaceutical Sciences Ankara, Turkey Printer-friendly version Home | Elsevier ...
Simultaneous bilateral femoral neck fractures are extremely rare and associated with various conditions. Up to now Most cases had correlations with major trauma, repetitive minor trauma, seizure, parathyroid...Full Text Available
Pharmacological activation of group II metabotropic glutamate (mGlu2 and mGlu3) receptors inhibits reward-seeking behavior and/or rewarding efficacy induced by drugs (cocaine, nicotine) or natural...Full Text Available
BackgroundIntermittent preventive treatment of malaria during pregnancy (IPTp) is a key intervention in the national strategy for malaria control in Tanzania. SP, the current drug...Full Text Available
The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and correlates of disclosure to network members of being hepatitis C virus (HCV)- or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected among injecting dyads of infected injection drug users (IDUs) in Budapest, Hungary and Vilnius, Lithuania,. Multivariate generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to assess associations. Very strong infection disclosure norms exist in Hungary, and HCV disclosure was associated with using drugs and having sex within the dyad. Non-ethnic Russian IDUs in Lithuania were more likely to disclose HCV infection to non-Roma, emotionally close and HCV-infected network members, and to those with whom they shared cookers, filters, drug solutions or rinse water or got used syringes from, and if they had fewer non-IDU or IDU network members. Ethnic Russian Lithuanian IDUs were more likely to disclose HCV if they had higher disclosure attitude and ...
...Correction Discussion Editorial Letter Opinion Review Short Note Technical Note Special Issue all A Systematic Development Method for Rational Drug Design Advances in Molecular Electronic Structure Calculations Algorithms and Molecular Sciences Antimicrobial Agents Application of Density Functional Theory Applications of Density Functional Theory Applications of Molecular Dynamics Atoms in Molecules ...
In order to better understand the molecular mechanisms of human hair growth control and to test hair growth-modulatory drugs, appropriate in vitro models are required. Here, we report the long-term...Full Text Available
BackgroundHepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the leading cause of chronic hepatitis which progresses to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) afflicting > 170 million people worldwide....Full Text Available
A recently developed neutron diagnostic probe system has the potential to satisfy a significant number of van-mobile and fixed- portal requirements for nondestructive verification of sealed munitions and detection of contraband explosives and drugs. The probe is based on a unique associated-particle sealed-tube neutron generator (APSTNG) that interrogates the object of interest with a low-intensity beam of 14-MeV neutrons generated from the deuterium-tritium reaction and that detects the alpha-particle associated with each neutron. Gamma-ray spectra of resulting neutron inelastic scattering and fission reactions identify nuclides associated with all major chemicals in chemical warfare agents, explosives, and drugs, as well as many pollutants and fissile and fertile special nuclear material. Flight times determined from determined from detection times of the gamma-rays and alpha-particles yield a separate tomographic image of each identified ...
BackgroundIn Nigeria ACT use at the community level has not been evaluated and the use of antimalarial drugs (commonly chloroquine (CQ)) at home has been shown to be largely incorrect....Full Text Available
The transcriptional silencing of some cell cycle inhibitors and tumor suppressors, such as p16 and retinoic acid receptor beta(2), by DNA hypermethylation at CpG islands is commonly found in human oral squamous carcinoma cells. We examined the effects of the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza; 0.25 mg/kg body weight), all-trans retinoic acid (RA; given at 100 microg/kg body weight and 1 mg/kg body weight), and the combination of 5-Aza and the low-dose RA on murine oral cavity carcinogenesis induced by the carcinogen 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4-NQO) in a mouse model. All the drug treatments were done for 15 weeks after a 10-week 4-NQO treatment. Mice in all drug treatment groups showed decreases in the average numbers of neoplastic tongue lesions. The combination of 5-Aza and RA effectively attenuated tongue lesion severity. Although all drug treatments limited the increase in the percentage of ...
The Ohio State University Research Reactor (OSURR) is licensed to operate at a maximum power level of 500 kW. A pool-type reactor using flat-plate, low enriched fuel elements, the OSURR provides several experimental facilities including two 6-inch i.d. beam ports, a graphite thermal column, several graphite-isotope-irradiation elements, a pneumatic transfer system (Rabbit), various dry tubes, and a Central Irradiation Facility (CIF). The core arrangement and accessibility facilitates research programs involving material activation or core parameter studies. The OSURR control room is large enough to accommodate laboratory groups which can use control instrumentation for monitoring of experiments. The control instrumentation is relatively simple, without a large amount of duplication. This facilitates opportunities for hands-on experience in reactor operation by nuclear engineering students making reactor parameter measurements. For neutron ...
This paper was presented at the opening plenary session. As the end of the century approaches, environmental protection is one of the most significant global issues which will shape our energy path and economic development pattern. In face of environmental challenges, we will have to take into account environmental factors in the economic development process itself. This requires the pursuit of sustainable economic development, a process which may involve strengthened energy conservation, improved efficiency and switching to less carbon intensive energy sources. Energy inefficiency, technological scarcity and financial vulnerability in developing countries may best be resolved by changing their economic and market structures to facilitate relevant investments. However, effective reform of the energy industry in developing economies and economies in transition will also require international cooperation in terms of transfer of technology, capital, know-how and ...
We study a model for a protein searching for a target, using facilitated diffusion, on a DNA molecule confined in a finite volume. The model includes three distinct pathways for facilitated diffusion: (a) sliding - in which the protein diffuses along the contour of the DNA (b) jumping - where the protein travels between two sites along the DNA by three-dimensional diffusion, and finally (c) intersegmental transfer - which allows the protein to move from one site to another by transiently binding both at the same time. The typical search time is calculated using scaling arguments which are verified numerically. Our results suggest that the inclusion of intersegmental transfer (i) decreases the search time considerably (ii) makes the search time much more robust to variations in the parameters of the model and (iii) that the optimal search time occurs in a regime very different than that found for models which ignore intersegmental transfers. The ...
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is implementing an Internet-based process pilot called `Zephyr` to streamline engineering and commerce using the Internet. Major benefits have accrued by using Zephyr in facilitating industrial collaboration, speeding the engineering development cycle, reducing procurement time, and lowering overall costs. Programs at LLNL are potentializing the efficiencies introduced since implementing Zephyr. Zephyr`s pilot functionality is undergoing full integration with Business Systems, Finance, and Vendors to support major programs at the Laboratory.
We propose triplet superconductors, such as ruthenates, as prospective materials for qubit construction. The vectorial nature of the order parameter in triplet superconductors makes it conceptually easy to estimate the performance of the qubits. The Cooper condensate of pairs in triplet superconductors has all the attributes of Bose-Einstein condensates and should facilitate long decoherence times for these qubits, relative to other vectorial schemes for qubits, such as small ferromagnets. There are other benefits, which the superconducting state provides for requirements such as entanglement between qubits via the proximity effect, etc. We consider these benefits in detail, although our consideration is only preliminary and further experimental and theoretical research will undoubtedly introduce correctives.
The phase space beam analyzer is a measurement instrument that is applied in laser technology to perform analyses of the spatial and angular distribution of rays. We are interested in this instrument as a means to characterize non-coherent light sources. In this context, a closer look at the tolerances of this optical instrument was considered useful. Having a so-called quadrupole lens as a key element, the phase space beam analyzer is a device that features anamorphic optical properties. To describe these anamorphic properties, recurrence was made to a description by extended ray-transfer matrices. This formalism allows for an analysis of the alignment tolerances of the phase space beam analyzer and facilitates a study of the sensitivities of the instrument. The analysis is complemented using numerical ray tracing.
According to Schumpeter, the creative process of economic development can be divided into the stages of invention, innovation (commercialization) and imitation. Each stage is associated with specific skills. This paper examines whether Schumpeter?s assertion was correct, i.e. whether the invention and innovation stages should be undertaken by different agents. In addition, we examine whether there is a rationale for the Schumpeterian entrepreneur to include the inventor in the commercialization process. Combining the abilities of the entrepreneur and the inventor may serve to facilitate customer adaptation, strengthen knowledge transfers and reduce uncertainty, thereby expanding market opportunities. Based on a unique database covering Swedish patents granted to individuals and small firms...
Deregulation of the electric power industry in Alberta holds the prospect of providing greater choice for customers. One such option will be `green power` which is provided by renewable energy technologies. The energy produced would be without environmental impacts such as air emissions, water pollution, flooding, thermal emissions or waste by-products. Wind power, small scale hydro power, photovoltaics and biomass technologies have been termed as `green power`. The choices that customers make will not be focused on price alone. Market forces are emerging to demand reduction in emissions which will result in a market for `green energy` products and facilitate achieving goals for a sustainable future.
Surface doping of conjugated polymers is realized by depositing a thin layer of graphene oxide (GO) on top of the polymers. The high proton density and the unique 2D structure of GO facilitate the protonic surface doping of conjugated polymers to achieve high conductivities. This finding represents a new strategy for improving charge transport across the metal/conjugated polymer interface to achieve much improved performance in organic solar cells. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Guidelines and ground rules followed in the development of requirements for the SPS are presented. Development planning objectives are specified in each of these areas, and evolutionary SPS program scenarios are described for the various concepts studied during the past one year contract. Program descriptions are presented as planning packages of technical tasks, and schedule phasing. Each package identifies the ground based technology effort that will facilitate SPS definitions, designs, development, and operations.
By treatment with beta or gamma rays, PTFE waste is converted to high-grade PTFE fine powder. High-molecular weight PTFE is degraded to low-molecular weight PTFE. Due to this the density, the degree of crystallinity, and the melt flow index are increased, which enhances the brittleness of the material. Irradiation of PTFE thus facilitates milling and makes the material pourable and free-flowing. Milled PTFE fine powder, lie PTFE plastic, combines temperature resistance, weather fastness, and chemical stability with good slip behaviour and antiadhesive properties. Areas of application for fine powder include additives for plastics, printing inks, nonstick coatings, and antifriction lacquers. (orig.).
Oral mucositis associated with head and neck radiotherapy can substantially hinder completion of cancer therapy. Alleviation of this often severe stomatitis can provide enhanced patient comfort and facilitate appropriate care. A double-blind format was used in a pilot project to measure, against a control rinse, the effectiveness of an oral rinse consisting of hydrocortisone, nystatin, tetracycline, and diphenhydramine in controlling radiation-related mucositis. A combination of clinical evaluation and patient responses to a questionnaire was used to judge the results of the topical medications. Patients using the experimental medication developed less mucositis than did patients in the control group.
Hydrogen piston engines can be simultaneously optimized for improved thermal efficiency and for extremely low emissions. Using these engines in constant-speed, constant-load systems such as series hybrid-electric automobiles or home cogeneration systems can result in significantly improved energy efficiency. For the same electrical energy produced, the emissions from such engines can be comparable to those from natural gas-fired steam power plants. These hydrogen-fueled high-efficiency, low-emission (HELE) engines are a mechanical equivalent of hydrogen fuel cells. HELE engines could facilitate the transition to a hydrogen fuel cell economy using near-term technology.
The achievement of governmental transformation through the use of electronically delivered services is a worthy goal that requires significant planning and research to achieve. In order to reach transformational paradigm shifts in governmental operation, it will first be necessary to understand and optimize present governmental e-Service provisions. Of these, the revenue function of taxation is paramount. This paper describes factors related to the use and acceptance by accounting professionals of information technology intended to facilitate electronic tax filing systems. Though tested in the context of governmental tax management systems in Turkey, our findings on the use and acceptance of e-Tax systems are relevant and applicable to a great number of nations and contexts as the ongoing ...
Microorganisms are ubiquitous in subsurface environments although their populations sizes and metabolic activities can vary considerably depending on energy and nutrient inputs. As a result of their metabolic activities and the chemical properties of their cell surfaces and the exopolymers they produce, microorganisms can directly or indirectly facilitate the biotransformation of radionuclides, thus altering their solubility and overall fate and transport in the environment. Although biosorption to cell surfaces and exopolymers can be an important factor modifying the solubility of some radionuclides under specific conditions, oxidation state is often considered the single most important factor controlling their speciation and, therefore, environmental behavior.
Staff exchanges, such as the one described in this report, are intended to facilitate communication and collaboration among scientists and engineers at DOE laboratories, in US industry, and academia. During the past 5 years, PNL has developed prototype instrumentation to automate the data collection required for electrochemical determination of corrosion rates and behavior of materials in various electrically conductive environments. The last version is labeled the Sentry 100 prototype corrosion data scanner. Applications include these in the pulp and paper industry and at hazardous waste sites.
The atlas presents sequences of MRI sections parallel to the orbito-meatal plane in children from birth through the age of sixteen years. Each child was studied horizontally and sagitally and three-dimensional brain images were reconstructed to facilitate accurate identification of sulci and gyri. The images show crucial aspects of brain development such as the constancy of the brain stem and primitive brain from birth onward; the development of the telencephalon, characterized by deepening of sulci and growth of the cerebral cortex surface; and the different stages of white matter myelinization.
... Removal of this layer facilitates the unreeling of cocoons into long strands of silk comparable to those derived from the domesticated mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mori, B. mori). The research was funded in part by the SABIP ('Silks as biomimetic ideals for polymers) project, which has clinched a European Research Council (ERC) grant worth almost EUR 2.3 million under the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). Presented in the journal Biomacromolecules, the findings could lead to the development of new silk industries in ...
Resonant scattering of atoms with formation of the Feshbach resonance in the presence of a laser radiation coupling the levels of two bound atoms (a molecule) is considered. The laser field leads to a second resonance in scattering and broadening of resonances, which facilitates the possibility of experimental observation of asymmetry of the total scattering cross-section arising because of interference between resonant and potential scatterings. The effects associated with interference of the two channels of decay of a bound system of two atoms (a molecule) in the laser field are studied. An expression is obtained for the scattering length in collision of two cold atoms in the field of laser radiation.
The Knowledge Associates for Novel Intelligence (KANI) system provides a collection of automated 'associates' to actively support and participate in the information analysis task. In this paper, we describe the Information Integration Associate (IIA), which facilitates analyst interaction with underlying KANI reasoning and extraction associates and provides an interactive representation of the analytic process. We focus on features of the IIA that guide communication between the user and the KANI system in a way that ensures mutual understanding of the analytic task being performed, the capabilities of the system to assist the user, and the status of any reasoning and extraction conducted on behalf of the user by the KANI system.
This is the first report about a relevant and compiled information on the Mexican Energy Sector. It was realized in one volume by the University Energy Program of the National Autonomous University of Mexico and it comprises information for the period 1996-1997. In the chapter 1 there are presented the numbers of hydrocarbon reserves. Chapter 2 treats about production, events and its results. Likewise chapter 3 shows information about the typical Installations for petroleum, gas and electricity including through of the nuclear energy. In the chapter 4, named Energy Consumption, is presented a National energy balance for 1996 and, finally there are a sections about the prices, the rates and a glossary to facilitate its understanding. (Author)
The polymerization of vinyl pyrrolidinone on nylon 66, with the assistance of aqueous phenol and formic acid, was investigated by mutual and post irradiation procedures. Both solvents were found to greatly facilitate the polymerization with the post irradiation procedure, whereas neither presented any advantage with the mutual irradiation procedure. Tensile properties of the modified fibers were affected in similar ways by both the irradiation procedures and solvents in that the only notable changes were the somewhat higher extensions at yield and at break. The moisture regain values of the treated yarns and fabrics were increased up to three-fold. Surface morphology of the modified fibers was revealed by SEM.
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is frequently used for relief of chronic benign pain resistant to conservative therapies. Clinical practice suggests, at least in patients with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS), the possibility that SCS significantly improves motor performances. We present here the case of a 41-years-old female patient with FBSS, who showed a clear improvement in muscle strength after SCS, persisting at 6-months follow-up. We speculate that the electrical stimulation of posterior columns could potentiate the caudal, segmental spinal reflexes resulting in a facilitation of motoneurons activation. PMID:16175150
A database has been compiled on human dietary intakes of trace elements by populations groups living in various countries. The main sources of information used were (1) publications in the open scientific literature, and (2) data submitted to the IAEA in response to a questionnaire. The database contains 1,758 intake values covering 35 elements and 47 countries. In this report the data are listed in various ways to facilitate identification of intake values for any specified country, element and population group. 4 refs, 5 tabs.
Lanthanide-ion doped oxide nanoparticles were functionalized for use as fluorescent biological labels. These nanoparticles are synthesized directly in water which facilitates their functionalization, and are very photostable without emission intermittency. Nanoparticles functionalized with guanidinium groups act as artificial toxins and specifically target sodium channels. They are individually detectable in cardiac myocytes, revealing a heterogeneous distribution of sodium channels. Functionalized oxide nanoparticles appear as a novel tool particularly well adapted to long-term single-molecule tracking.
Financing space solar power generation programmes has several inherent difficulties. Such large-scale projects are usually easily defined with an expected economic return, construction time, useful service life and defined management structure. As yet, solar power satellites for power generation possess none of these as the idea exists conceptually and the technology still needs to be developed. Methods for overcoming these uncertainties and securing financial backing are described. Venture capital could finance a research/marketing firm. US Government support through a cost plus short-term monopoly to facilitate private debt financing could provide an answer. (UK)
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to place all of the contributions to this special issue into a theoretical framework and to highlight the role that the so-called "information age mindset" has in the facilitation of employability skills. Design/methodology/approach - The paper discusses the major themes of this special issue. Findings - Undergraduate students do see the importance of technological innovation in the classroom but they see the development of experiential or work-based skills to be more important. Practical implications - Future curriculum design should consider the expectations and attitudes of the modern day undergraduate student to ensure that potential employability is maximised. Originality/value - The findings are placed into the wider context of the emerging fiel...
Five nomographs have been prepared that facilitate the estimation of cover thickness and cover material volume for the Uranium Mill Tailing Remedial Action Program. Key parameters determined include the cover thickness with either a surface radon flux or a boundary radon air concentration criterion and the total volume of cover material required for two different treatments of the edge slopes. Also included in the engineering guide are descriptions and representative values for the radon source term, the diffusion coefficients and the key meteorological parameters. 16 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs.
The purpose of this study is to clarify the confusing nomenclature and pathogenesis of Developmental Facial Paralysis, and how it can be differentiated from other causes of facial paralysis present at birth. Differentiating developmental from traumatic facial paralysis noted at birth is important for determining prognosis, but also for medicolegal reasons. Given the dramatic presentation of this condition, accurate and reliable guidelines are necessary in order to facilitate early diagnosis and initiate appropriate therapy, while providing support and counselling to the family. The 30 years experience of our center in the management of developmental facial paralysis is dependent upon a thorough understanding of facial nerve embryology, anatomy, nerve physiology, and an appreciation of well...
An improved method to design suitable compensating schemes for extra high voltage transmission lines is presented. The technique is general and effective and will greatly facilitate the design of the optimal compensation scheme for extra high voltage transmission lines. The technique is illustrated for a typical 500 kV system. The equations developed here for voltage maxima and minima along the transmission line eliminate the need for point-to-point computation of the voltage profile. The controversy existing in the literature over the problem of making a choice between pi and tee configurations has been removed and it is established with a mathematical proof that the tee configuration requires compensating elements of lower ratings.
Absorption with aqueous amine solvents is at present the most viable technology for CO{sub 2} capture. While this is a proven technology, efforts are ongoing to improve it in order to make it a more attractive technology for large scale use to reduce CO{sub 2} emissions. Finding solvents with better properties is one approach to improving the technology. In this thesis methods in computational chemistry are used to improve the understanding of the chemistry of CO{sub 2} absorption in amine-water systems. The work is also intended to provide models that can be used to predict the performance of new solvents. Such predictive models are intended to facilitate the screening for new solvents
The common envelope phase of binary star evolution plays a central role in many evolutionary pathways leading to the formation of compact objects in short period systems. Using three dimensional hydrodynamical computations, we review the major features of this evolutionary phase, focusing on the conditions that lead to the successful ejection of the envelope and, hence, survival of the system as a post common envelope binary. Future hydrodynamical calculations at high spatial resolution are required to delineate the regime in parameter space for which systems survive as compact binary systems from those for which the two components of the system merge into a single rapidly rotating star. Recent algorithmic developments will facilitate the attainment of this goal.
The Coal Corporation of Victoria's mission is to initiate, facilitate and co-ordinate brown coal-based developments, other than for electricity generation, to provide maximum long-term benefits to Victoria including new jobs, new technology, new investment and new products, within sound environmental parameters. The marketing of brown coal products is vigorously undertaken to provide the financial and business base for the Corporation. This report contains a review of the Corporation's activities and achievements during 1989/90.
The use of reversible pump/turbine sets in pumped storage has created a requirement for rapid reversibility. Softstart technology, based on static frequency converters (SFC) has evolved to such an extent that it is now the best choice for serving this purpose, both from a technical and from an economic point of view. The objective of our paper is to give the owners of pumped storage plants and those persons responsible for the selection, the operation or the maintenance of the electrical equipment the necessary insight into the SFC functions, features and all other application related aspects, to facilitate their decision making process. Case studies are included.
The first candidate rotavirus vaccine was a live attenuated oral vaccine made by the classical empirical method of serial passage of virus in tissue culture cells. Current tetravalent vaccine candidates that are in the final stages of efficacy testing in the United States were made by genetic reassortment. This article briefly highlights how advances in the basic understanding of the molecular biology of rotaviruses have facilitated vaccine development. New approaches for second-generation vaccines and improvements in vaccine efficacy based on further exploitation of the tools and knowledge of rotavirus molecular biology and pathogenesis are discussed. PMID:8752289
Double-contrast barium enema has a reduced sensitivity in patients with severe sigmoid diverticulosis. Therefore a carboxy methyl cellulose enema was employed after the conventional double-contrast examination in 15 patients with sigmoid diverticulosis. A significant increase in lumen diameter and a superior removal of barium residue from the diverticulas facilitated the interpretation of the sigmoid loops. Conclusion: The addition of methyl cellulose enema to double-contrast barium imaging improves diagnostic imaging in diverticulosis by expanding the lumen and emptying the diverticulas. (orig.).
Radiology departments often underestimate the importance of protecting medical data during transmission, including the precautions taken to ensure data protection. In teleradiology, transmitted as well as stored patient data have to be signed digitally according to the currently valid regulation (Roentgenverordnung, RoeV). The DICOM standard facilitates a digital signature. So far, medical image manufacturers only announced to support this security feature. We introduce a solution that extends the feature of digital signing to older modalities. (orig.)
Regular physical activity (PA) decreases the risk of several chronic diseases including some cancers, type II diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease; however, the majority of US adults are not meeting the recommended levels to experience these benefits. To address this public health concern, the underlying mechanisms for behavior change need to be understood, translated and disseminated into appropriately tailored interventions. The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) provides a framework for both the conceptualization and the measurement of behavior change, as well as facilitating promotion strategies that are individualized and easily adapted. The purpose of this manuscript is to present the constructs of the TTM as they relate to PA behavior change. We begin with a brief synopsis of rec...
Recent rapid growth in mobile computing technologies enables telemedicine applications to operate on mobile devices. Our focus is on the design of an integrated electrocardiogram (ECG) beat detector on a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) platform for the health screening process. The ECG beat detector module will be supported by the PDA version of Personal Health Information Management System (PHIMS) and Facilitated Accurate Referral Management System (FARMS) through wireless network infrastructure as a home-based mobile cardiac monitoring solution. PMID:17282192
This work showed the formation of phospholipid vesicle coating on inorganic sericite surface with characterization by combining electron microscopy of FE-SEM, TEM, AFM, and qualitatively evaluated the coated phospholipid vesicle by XPS as a function of etching time. The possibility of phospholipid vesicle mobility on the surface was restrained by the chelation effect of magnesium cation. The stabilization properties of phospholipid vesicles on sericite surface were demonstrated by the various concentration of magnesium cation. The presence of magnesium was found to have a much more pronounced influence on the lipid deposition process. The Mg cation plays an important role for attaching the phospholipids with optimum concentration of 7 mM. Totally, the phospholipid vesicles coating on inorganic powder could be useful for bio-related fields such as cosmetics and drug delivery system as the key functional compounds. We hope this basic result lead to a general and ...
This study sought to quantitate lidocaine's interaction with alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AAG), human serum albumin (HSA), and AAG in the presence of HSA, and to determine the extent of displacement of lidocaine from its binding site(s) by selected cardiovascular drugs (dipyridamole, disopyramide and quinidine). Since the limited experimental work reported in this area has involved the use of a single lidocaine concentration, this study involved the evaluation of a range of lidocaine concentrations. Lidocaine interaction with plasma proteins (AAG and HSA) was studied at 37/sup 0/C using an isothermal equilibrium dialysis system and /sup 14/C-lidocaine HCl. A dialysis membrane (M.W. cutoff 12,000 to 14,000) separated the two chambers of each dialysis cell. The extent of /sup 14/C-lidocaine dialysis was studied with respect to both drug and protein concentrations. Aliquots of each chamber of each of the cells were subjected to liquid ...
Two-component mixtures of dorzolamide hydrochloride and timolol maleate were assayed by first derivative and ratio derivative spectrophotometric methods. The first method, derivative spectrophotometry, by the zero-crossing measurements, was used due to the drugs closely overlapping absorption spectra. Linear calibration graphs of first derivative values at 250.3 nm for dorzolamide hydrochloride and 315.8 nm for timolol maleate. The second method, is based on ratio first derivative spectrophotometry, the amplitudes in the first derivative of the ratio spectra at 242.9 and at 223.5 nm were selected to determine dorzolamide and timolol maleate in the binary mixture. Calibration graphs were established for 8.0-30.0 microg ml(-1) for dorzolamide hydrochloride and 3.0-24.6 microg ml(-1) for timolol maleate in binary mixture. Good linearity, precision and selectivity were found, and the proposed methods were applied successfully to the pharmaceutical dosage from ...
The purpose was to study the toxicity of drugs known to generate free radicals on isolated pancreatic islets. The accumulattion of "8"6Rb"+ by mouse pancreatic islets was measured in vitro. Exposing the islets to 6-hydroxydopamine, minhydrin, or phenazine methosulphate + NADH inhibited the Rb"+ uptake, whereas paraquat or acetylphenylhydrazine had no effect. This effect of 6-hydroxydopamine was prevented by either of the hydroxyl radical scavengers, sodium benzoate and mannitol, but not by the non-scavenger,urea; ninhydrin was partially protected against by mannitol but not by benzoate. Protection against 6-hydroxydopamine was also afforded by D-glucose but not by L-glucose or 3-O-methyl-D-glucose; none of the sugars protected against ninhydrin. In damaging islet beta-cells and in being protected against by D-glucose, 6-hydroxydopamine closely resembles the diabetogenic drug, alloxan. It is suggested that protection against alloxan may involve ...
Anxiety is a common symptom during ethanol withdrawal contributing to its continuous abuse and alcoholism. Ethanol withdrawal in rats produces an interoceptive discriminative stimulus (IDS) similar to that produced by the anxiogenic drug pentylenetetrazol (PTZ). This stimulus peaks at 12 hours after last dose of ethanol and thereafter the IDS is detected for several days (protracted withdrawal) by sensitization to a probe drug. previously, the authors have shown that during the protracted withdrawal, the IDS is enhanced by GABA receptor antagonists suggesting alteration of brain GABA systems. This report provides further evidence that chronic ethanol alters GABAergic systems. Rats were trained to discriminate PTZ (20 mg/kg, ip) from saline. Diazepam, pentobarbital and phenobarbital blocked the PTZ-IDS dose dependently. Ethanol, 4.5% w/v, was then given in a nutritionally complete diet for a week. On termination of the ethanol diet, rats ...
Gonadal function was studied in two groups of children previously treated for medulloblastoma with surgery followed by postoperative craniospinal irradiation. In group 1 but not in group 2, the children also received adjuvant chemotherapy for one to two years. All children in group 1 received a nitrosourea (BCNU or CCNU), plus vincristine in four and procarbazine in three patients. The nine children in group 1 showed clinical and biochemical evidence of gonadal damage with elevated serum FSH concentrations and, in the boys, small testes for their stage of pubertal development. In group 2 (n . 8), each child had completed pubertal development normally, the boys had adult sized testes and the girls regular menses. Gonadotropin values were normal in all eight children. We conclude that nitrosoureas were responsible for the gonadal damage in the children in group 1, with procarbazine also contributing to the damage in the three children who received this drug. In view ...
Summary.? It is widely believed that hepatocellular cancer (HCC), especially HBV associated HCC, is highly resistant to chemotherapy. To investigate the molecular influence of HBx protein on multidrug resistance (MDR) in HCC and the potential role of the NF-?B pathway in this process. We established HBx-expressing cells by liposome-mediated transfection of the HBx into the HepG2 cell line. We found that HBx expression in HCC cells induces drug resistance against multiple drugs, a significantly lower apoptosis ratio in HepG2-HBx and HepG2.2.15 cells, compared with HepG2 and HepG2-3.1 cells (P?HCC cells were downregulated by IMD-0354 treatment, which is the NF-?B pathway inhibitor. Taken together, these results suggest that HBx protein might be one of the causes for the occurrence of MDR in HCC, and the NF-?B pathway might be involved in this change. PMID:21914061
2,3-Dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) is a new orally active heavy metal chelator for the treatment of childhood Pb intoxication on an outpatient basis. The influence of DMSA, as well as other chelating agents, on gastrointestinal 203Pb absorption and whole-body "2"0"3Pb retention was examined. Groups of Sprague-Dawley rats (230-260 g) were gavaged with a solution containing approximately 25 mg/kg Pb [as Pb(NO_3)2] plus 15 microCi "2"0"3Pb. Some groups were then immediately given 0.11 mmol/kg of either DMSA, CaNa2EDTA, D-penicillamine, or BAL by oral gavage, while other groups received the same drugs by ip injection. Control groups received solutions of the drug vehicles po or ip. Whole-body Pb retention and gastrointestinal Pb absorption (whole body retention + urinary Pb excretion) were significantly decreased in rats that received DMSA po. This finding implies that the use of DMSA to treat childhood lead intoxication on an outpatient basis is ...
Summaries are presented for those research contracts which expired between December 31, 1960 and December 31, 1981. Topics covered include: factors controlling distribution of fission products in biosphere, non-destructive methods of evaluating the U/sup 235/ and Pu content of irradiated fuel elements, studies of contamination in local marine resources, tracer studies of anemia, non-destructive analysis of irradiated fuel elements using a flux integrating monitor, mechanism of proteolysis of I/sup 131/-labeled fibrinogen, radiosensitivity of spermatogonia of Drosophila melel elements by gamma scanning, uptake and loss of radioactive material by marine bacteria, factors which influence the movement of radioactive strontium from soils to plants, biological concentration of fission products in mollusks from water, decay scheme of Tl/sup 210/, calcium balance in metabolic bone disease, development of radioactive drugs with special reference ...
The purpose of this study was to prepare recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rhEGF) collagen sponges for topical applications and investigate the effects of different types of crosslinked collagen sponges as platforms for the controlled release of rhEGF. The microstructure and the drug release rates of collagen sponges were modified through treatment with different types (glutaraldehyde (GTA), genipin and 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC)), different concentrations of crosslinking agents and various preparation conditions. A controlled release profile was observed for the crosslinked collagen sponges as compared to the non-crosslinked ones. The results indicated that the GTA crosslinked sponges have the most potent controlling effect. As the amount of GTA increased, a greater rigidity of the collagen sponge structure combined with a lower hydrophilicity was observed, leading to a decreased drug release rate and an ...
A study has been carried out to investigate whether the action of triclabendazole (TCBZ) against Fasciola hepatica is altered by inhibition of drug metabolism. The cytochrome P450 (CYP 450) enzyme pathway was inhibited using ketoconazole (KTZ) to see whether a TCBZ-resistant isolate could be made more sensitive to TCBZ action. The Oberon TCBZ-resistant and Cullompton TCBZ-susceptible isolates were used for these experiments. The CYP 450 system was inhibited by a 2-h pre-incubation in ketoconazole (40??M), then incubated for a further 22?h in NCTC medium containing either KTZ, KTZ?+?nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) (1?nM), KTZ?+?NADPH?+?TCBZ (15??g/ml), or KTZ?+?NADPH?+?triclabendazole sulphoxide (TCBZ.SO; 15??g/ml). Changes to fluke ultrastructure following drug treatmen...
The purpose of this study was to determine if a cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist would selectively decrease consumption of highly palatable food in non-human primates. The CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716 (rimonabant; 0.12?1.0?mg/kg, i.m.) and the stimulant anorectic drug d-amphetamine (0.12?1.0?mg/kg, i.m.) were administered to non-food deprived baboons for the purpose of measuring the effect of each drug on consumption of the normal diet, and a large single meal of a high-carbohydrate candy. Four male and four female baboons had access to food 24?h each day, but they had to complete a two phase operant procedure in order to eat. Responding on one lever during a 30-min appetitive phase was required before animals could start a consumption phase, where responding on another lever led to...
Abstract Common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SMAD7 (18q21) have been linked to colorectal cancer (CRC) risk in genome-wide association studies, but little is known about their effects on survival. SMAD7 regulates gastrointestinal inflammation by inhibiting transforming growth factor- (TGFB), which can act as both a tumor suppressor and a promoter of metastasis. Regular use of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) inhibitors, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), reduces the risk of developing CRC. Because COX2 overexpression reduces the growth suppressing effects of TGFB, we hypothesized that survival may depend on both SMAD7 genotype and prediagnostic NSAID use. Postmenopausal women, ages 50-74, diagnosed with incident invasive CRC from 1997 to 2002 were identified using t...
Benz(a)pyrene (BP) levels in extracts and solvent cake obtained by alcoholic and aqueous extraction of specimens of 20 different medicinal plants were measured to explore into the possibility of its passage from these plants to drugs. Seventy percent alcoholic extracts were found to contain 40-60% of BP passed from raw material, while aqueous extracts--2-3% (in some cases 10-14%). Maximal concentrations of BP in alcoholic extracts were 0.6-0.7 micrograms/1 and 0.03-0.04 micrograms/1--in aqueous ones. A significant correlation between BP level in extracts and its content in plants was established. BP pathways in the course of solasodine manufacturing from nightshade (Solanum lacinatum) were studied. As little as 1% of BP passed to extract after primary extraction in 2%--sulfuric acid. Solasodine contained about 3 micrograms/kg of BP.
We studied the interactions of tetracycline (TC) antibiotic molecules with phospholipid monolayers with the two-fold aim of elucidating the mechanism of action and providing a first step for the realization of bio-mimetic sensors for such drugs by means of the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. We examined spreading monolayers of three phospholipids in the presence of tetracycline in the subphase by means of surface pressure-area and surface potential-area isotherms as a function of bulk pH. We selected phospholipids with hydrophobic chains of the same length but polar head groups differing either in dimensions and protonation equilibria, i.e. dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE) and dipalmitoylphosphatidic acid (DPPA). The interaction of tetracycline with the three phospholipids was found to be highly dependent on the electric charge of the antibiotic and on the ionization state of the lipid. Significant interactions are ...
Summary DNA topoisomerases are the key enzymes involved in carrying out high precision DNA transactions inside the cells. However, they are detrimental to the cell when a wide variety of topoisomerase-targeted drugs generate cytotoxic lesions by trapping the enzymes in covalent complexes on the DNA. The discovery of unusual heterodimeric topoisomerase I in kinetoplastid family added a new twist in topoisomerase research related to evolution, functional conservation and their preferential sensitivity to Camptothecin. On the other hand, structural and mechanistic studies on kinetoplastid topoisomerase II delineate some distinguishing features that differentiate the parasitic enzyme from its prokaryotic and eukaryotic counterparts. This review summarizes the recent advances in research in kin...
Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were functionalized with a photosensitizer, rosebengal (RB), and folicacid (FA), an anti-cancer drug simultaneously and individually, which was characterized with various analytical instruments like Fourier Transform Iinfrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV?Vis spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). FTIR spectra confirmed the chemical modification of MWCNT. The chemical functionalization of MWCNT with RB was further supported by UV?Vis and PL spectra.
The synthesis and biophysical characterization of four prodrug ether phospholipid conjugates are described. The lipids are prepared from the anticancer drug chlorambucil and have C16 and C18 ether chains with phosphatidylcholine or phosphatidylglycerol headgroups. All four prodrugs have the ability to form unilamellar liposomes (86-125 nm) and are hydrolyzed by phospholipase A2, resulting in chlorambucil release. Liposomal formulations of prodrug lipids displayed cytotoxicity toward HT-29, MT-3, and ES-2 cancer cell lines in the presence of phospholipase A2, with IC50 values in the 8-36 ?M range.
Anxiety disorders are a highly prevalent and disabling class of psychiatric disorders. This review focuses on new directions in neurobiological research and implications for the development of novel psychopharmacological treatments. Neuroanatomical and neuroimaging research in anxiety disorders has centered on the role of the amygdala, reciprocal connections between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex, and, most recently, alterations in interoceptive processing by the anterior insula. Anxiety disorders are characterized by alterations in a diverse range of neurochemical systems, suggesting ample novel targets for drug therapies. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) concentrations are elevated in a subset of anxiety disorders, which suggests the potential utility of CRF receptor antagoni...
A number of herbal drugs are used in the Unani (Greco-Arab) System of Medicine for cardiovascular diseases. The herbs were analyzed by flame AAS and ICP-AES to determine if their therapeutic actions can be associated with the elements present in them. Cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, nickel, phosphorus, lead and zinc were some of the elements which play various roles in cardiovascular affections. An effort was made to correlate the role of these elements in cardiac diseases. (Auth.). 2 tabs., 32 refs.
The liver is a primary target of growth hormone (GH). GH signals are mediated by the transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5). Here, we focus on recent discoveries about the role of GH-STAT5 signaling in hepatic physiology and pathophysiology. We discuss roles of the GH-STAT5 axis in body growth, lipid metabolism, and the cell cycle pertaining to hepatosteatosis, fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Finally, we discuss recent discoveries about the role of GH-STAT5 in sex-specific gene expression and bile acid, steroid, and drug metabolism.
In an effort to improve the extrapolation of laboratory data to man and estimate risk of human reproductive toxicity associated with environmental exposure, the pharmacokinetic parameters of the testicular compartment are being studied. Of particular interest is the variety of enzyme systems capable of activating and detoxicating environmental chemicals and drugs. This report compares the metabolism of benzo(a)pyrene by the isolated perfused testis and testicular homogenates in vitro. The cell free in vitro system metabolized benzo(a)pyrene at a much greater rate than the perfused testis and produced a different spectrum of metabolites. Reliable laboratory prediction of biotransformation by the whole organ or intact animal is an essential aspect of reproductive toxicology.
This review begins with an historical account of biomaterials applications followed by a concise description of the phenomena taking place between the living tissues and non-living materials containing them. After describing the requirements for biodegradability and the mechanisms involved, a thorough literature survey of such polymers is presented. In the end a very short review of the work done in this area by the authors in recent years is given, including: the synthesis of a wide variety of biodegradable di-and tri-block copolymers, preparation of microparticles; stealth-and immuno-liposomes; dendrosomes and polymersomes; and some of their applications in drug and gene delivery.
Scientists at JPL have developed chemical and biological techniques using microspheres filled with drugs, electron-opaque metals, or radioactive, fluorescent, magnetic or electrically charged materials to label specific groups of cells. Synthetic polymeric microspheres are coupled with specific antibodies to form reagents called immunomicrospheres, which can seek out and attach themselves to any specific group of cells. These cell-labeling techniques, therefore, open new avenues not only to the basic study of cells but also to the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases, including cancer.
The aim of this study was to investigate the photodegradation of the antiemetic drug metoclopramide. Metoclopramide aqueous solutions were photoirradiated at 254nm under argon atmosphere. Irradiated metoclopramide solutions were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry in order to characterize photolysis products. Rapid decrease in metoclopramide purity, following first-order kinetic, was observed following irradiation. The structures of 18 photolysis products were tentatively identified based on their mass spectra and fragmentation. The main degradation mechanism was scission of the chlorine which could be followed by polymerization of the resulting products since dimeric and trimeric products were observed.
The results of treatment of 134 cases of morphologically-verified localized Ewing's sarcoma were evaluated. A comparative analysis showed relapse-free survival to be significantly lower for radiation treatment (23 %) than for its combination with various cytostatic drugs. Two-year relapse-free survival rate was as high as 43 % in cases receiving sarcolysin or cyclophosphamide as adjuvants. This was matched by 47 % for adjuvant ardiamycin or carminomycin and 56 % for adriamycin plus cyclophosphamide and vincristine. Evaluation of long-term results of adjuvant chemotherapy showed sex, age and site involvement to be of certain prognostic value.
A commonly reported consequence of post-treatment nausea or vomiting is the development of anticipatory nausea and vomiting (ANV). In most published work, nausea is reported to occur before chemotherapy drugs are administered by approximately 20% of patients at any one chemotherapy cycle and by 25?30% of patients by their fourth chemotherapy cycle. Most studies in adult patients strongly support the view that the development of ANV involves elements of classical conditioning. The best method to avoid development of ANV is to adequately prevent both vomiting and nausea from the first exposure to chemotherapy. If anticipatory side effects develop, behavioral treatment techniques, such as systematic desensitization, have been shown effective. Benzodiazepines used in combination with behaviora...
The emergence of bacterial antibiotic resistance is a growing problem, yet the variables that influence the rate of emergence of resistance are not well understood. In a microfluidic device designed to mimic naturally occurring bacterial niches, resistance of Escherichia coli to the antibiotic ciprofloxacin developed within 10 hours. Resistance emerged with as few as 100 bacteria in the initial inoculation. Whole-genome sequencing of the resistant organisms revealed that four functional single-nucleotide polymorphisms attained fixation. Knowledge about the rapid emergence of antibiotic resistance in the heterogeneous conditions within the mammalian body may be helpful in understanding the emergence of drug resistance during cancer chemotherapy. PMID:21940899
We examined whether perceived susceptibility to and severity of two injection-related health conditions (i.e., non-fatal overdose and bacterial infections), and perceived benefits of, barriers to, self-efficacy to, social acceptance of, and recent use of two harm-reduction behaviors (i.e., injecting test shots and pre-injection skin cleaning), predicted injecting drug users' near-term intentions to engage in these two strategies. Recent past use of these two behaviors consistently and positively predicted near-term intentions in each of four drug-use situations (i.e., in withdrawal, not in withdrawal, alone, and with others). Perceived susceptibility to non-fatal overdose predicted intentions to do test shots, but only when participants imagined not being in withdrawal or injecting when alone. Perceived self-efficacy to clean one's skin predicted intentions to engage in this behavior, but only when participants imagined injecting while not in ...
The GntR-like protein NorG has been shown to affect Staphylococcus aureus genes involved in the resistance to quinolones and ?-lactams, such as those encoding the NorB and AbcA transporters. To identify the target genes regulated by NorG, we carried out transcriptional profiling assays using S. aureus RN6390 and its isogenic norG::cat mutant. Our data showed that NorG positively affected the transcription of global regulators mgrA, arlS, and sarZ. The three putative drug efflux pump genes most positively affected by NorG were the NorB efflux pump (5.1-fold), the MmpL-like protein SACOL2566 (5.2-fold), and the BcrA-like drug transporter SACOL2525 (5.7-fold). The S. aureus predicted MmpL protein showed 53% homology with the MmpL lipid transporter of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and the putative SACOL2525 protein showed 87% homology with the bacitracin drug transporter BcrA of Staphylococcus hominis. Two pump genes most ...
HT-29 human colon tumor cells growing as spheroids have been evaluated as a model system for measuring the response of human colon tumor cell to antineoplastic agents. HT-29 cells have been capacity to form spheroids up to 1 mm or more in diameter when grown in spinner culture. The multicellular HT-29 spheroids develop hypoxic centers reflecting the cellular conditions found in human cancer treatment, i.e., nutritionally deficient hypoxic cells that are felt to be a significant source of both radiation and chemotherapy clinical treatment failures. Spheroids of increasing size were radiated and then dispersed into single cells for colony survival assay. Compared with irradiated single cell suspensions, the spheroid cells demonstrated a significant increase in radioresistance. Growing spheroids developed a complex radiation survival curve which was variable with respect to size of the spheroid. The drug 5-Fu was studied to examine in a preliminary fashion its ...
Lipase catalyzed esterification of therapeutic drugs to functional self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on 316L stainless steel (SS) after assembly has been demonstrated. SAMs of 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid (-COOH SAM) and 11-mercapto-1-undecanol (-OH SAM) were formed on 316L SS, and lipase catalysis was used to attach therapeutic drugs, perphenazine and ibuprofen, respectively, on these SAMs. The reaction was carried out in toluene at 60 degrees C for 5 h using Novozyme-435 as the biocatalyst. The FTIR spectra after surface modification of -OH SAMs showed the presence of the C=O stretching bands at 1745 cm(-1), which was absent in the FTIR spectra of -OH SAMs. Similarly, the FTIR spectra after the reaction of the -COOH SAM with perphenazine showed two peaks in the carbonyl region, a peak at 1764 cm(-1), which is the representative peak for the C=O stretching for esters. The second peak at 1681 cm(-1) is assigned to the C=O stretching of the ...
We wanted to assess the usefulness of four-dimensional (4D) ultrasonography (US), i.e., real-time three-dimensional US, as an adjunct for performing various US-guided interventional procedures in superficial lesion. Thirty-three patients were referred for US-guided interventional procedures for superficial lesions, including core biopsy in 19, fine- needle aspriation in eight, therapeutic drug injection in four and needle puncture in two. The procedures were performed under 4D US guidance. We reviewed the pathologic/cytologic results of the core biopsies or needle aspirations, and also the outcomes of drug injection or needle puncture. For all the patients who underwent 4D US-guided core biopsy, the specimens were adequate for making the pathological diagnosis, and specimens were successfully obtained for those patients who underwent 4D US-guided aspiration. The patients treated with 4D US-guided therapeutic drug injection ...
The /sup 13/C-AP breath test is shown to be a convenient, noninvasive method to monitor velocity and capacity of P450-dependent AP N-demethylation in infancy and childhood. According to /sup 13/C-AP breath tests, neonates have a very low capacity to eliminate /sup 13/CO/sub 2/, which is only 15 to 21% of the activity in adults. During the first year of life AP N-demethylation increases to reach its maximum at about 2 years; afterwards a slight decrease occurs. In 25 neonates exposed prenatally to different antiepileptic drugs /sup 13/C-AP breath test was efficiently used to prove that cytochrome AP N-demethylation was considerably stimulated. After primidone/phenobarbitone, especially in combination with phenytoin, /sup 13/C elimination reaches and even surpasses the range for older children. Valproate exposure during fetal life is not consistently followed by a significant increase in AP N-demethylation. The enzyme induction demonstrated by /sup 13/C-AP breath ...
Two neutron emesis experiments were conducted at the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI). In both experiments (described as Phase I and Phase II) the radiation dose required to cause emesis in 50% of subjects (ED50) was determined for both neutron reactor and gamma reactor source radiation. Emesis onset, offset and duration times post-exposure are reported. Neutrons were maximized from the reactor by passing the beam through a 15.25 cm (6 in.) thick lead wall to filter out gamma photons. Gamma rays were maximized by thermalizing neutrons in 30.5 cm (12 in.) of water, then absorbing the thermal neutrons in a gadolinium-cadmium shield. In Phase I, 28 dogs were exposed to radiation: 12 were exposed to gamma photons at the rate of 0.69 Gy/min and 16 were exposed to neutrons at 1.2 Gy/min. In Phase II, 58 dogs in 3 groups were exposed to radiation: 19 were exposed in the gamma group at 0.75 Gy/min, 20 were exposed in the undrugged neutron group at 1.62 Gy/min, and 19 were ...
Extensive well testing in geothermal resources has been carried out throughout the western United States and in northern Mexico since 1975. Each resource tested and each well test conducted by LBL during the eight-year period are covered in brief. The information, collected from published reports and memoranda, includes test particulars, special instrumentation, data interpretation when available, and plots of actual data. Brief geologic and hydrologic descriptions of the geothermal resources are also presented. The format is such that well test descriptions are grouped, in the order performed, into major sections according to resource, each section containing a short resource description followed by individual test details. Additional information regarding instrumentation is provided. Source documentation is provided throughout to facilitate access to further information and raw data.
In multi-organisational contexts, scenario building has been used to engage stakeholders in a critical discussion on issues of mutual importance, and to gain their support with regards to possible future responses. A review of existing literature suggests that much has been written regarding the process of scenario development and the benefits of the process, but the detailed analysis of scenario building outcomes, which encompass a large number of issues and their complex interconnections, has not been made explicit for studying and enhancing understanding of a complex societal problem. This paper presents a systematic method for analysing such complex outcomes in order to facilitate reflective thinking on important issues within the wider context for policy development. The method was em...
Summary We describe the initiation and establishment of The University of Zambia - University College London Medical School (UNZA-UCLMS) Research and Training Project, an entirely African scientist-led, south-north partnership. In its 16 year existence, the project, by successfully obtaining competitive grant funding, has transformed itself into one of Africa's most productive African-led R&D programmes with training and visible research outputs. The project serves as a role model and now networks R&D and training activities with six southern African (10 institutions) and six European countries. This project case study illustrates that deep commitment is essential for success and that the factors which facilitate success in R&D in Africa need to be evaluated. The long-term prospects for su...
Selectivity control is a key issue in the zeolite facilitated conversion of methanol to hydrocarbons. This work addresses: (a) How the zeolite topology (MFI versus BEA) determines the type of intermediate participating in the catalytic cycle thereby controlling the ethene/propene product selectivity in the methanol to alkenes reaction, and (b) to what extent light alkene formation occurs via aromatic and alkene reaction intermediates for H-ZSM-5. Three catalyst samples have been studied in experiments relying on isotopic labeling. For H-beta, penta- and hexamethylbenzene are involved in an aromatics based hydrocarbon pool type mechanism leading predominantly to propene and the higher alkenes (a very low yield of ethene is observed), whereas for H-ZSM-5, the lower methylbenzenes are the aro...
Non-linear realisations of the groups SU(2), SO(1,4) and SO(2,4) are analysed, described by the coset spaces SU(2)/U(1), SO(1,4)/SO(1,3) and SO(2,4)/SO(1,3) x SO(1,1). The Lie algebras of certain special unitary and special orthogonal groups are studied and their projection operators are determined in order to facilitate the above analyses, in particular that of SO(2,4)/SO(l,3) x SO(1,1). The analysis consists of determining the transformation properties of the Goldstone bosons, constructing the most general possible Lagrangian for the realisations and finding the metric of the coset space.
l-Carnitine is a critical metabolite indispensable for the metabolism of lipids as it facilitates fatty acid transport into the mitochondrion where b-oxidation occurs. Human astrocytes (CCF-STTG1 cells) and hepatocytes (HepG2 cells) exposed to aluminum (Al) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), were characterized with lower levels of l-carnitine, diminished b-oxidation, and increased lipid accumulation compared to the controls. g-Butyrobetainealdehyde dehydrogenase (BADH) and butyrobetaine dioxygenase (BBDOX), two key enzymes mediating the biogenesis of l-carnitine, were sharply reduced during Al and H2O2 challenge. Exposure of the Al and H2O2-treated cells to a-ketoglutarate (KG), led to the recovery of l-carnitine production with the concomitant reduction in ROS levels. It appears that the chann...
Mono- and disubstituted novel derivatives of the heptaene nystatin analog 28,29-didehydronystatin A1 (S44HP, 1) were obtained by chemical modification of the exocyclic C-16 carboxyl and/or an amino group of mycosamine moiety. The strategy of preparation of mono- and double-modified polyene macrolides was based on the use of intermediate hydrophobic N-Fmoc (9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl) derivatives that facilitated the procedures of isolation and purification of new compounds. The antifungal activity of the new derivatives was first tested in vitro against yeasts and filamentous fungi, allowing the selection of the most active compounds that were subsequently tested for acute toxicity in mice. 2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethylamide of 1 (2) and 2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethylamide of N-fructopyranosyl-28...
The coastal ecosystem health assessment is a field of increasing importance. In this paper, a preliminary assessment of ecosystem health in Zhejiang coastal water zone was made, mainly based on remote sensing data and GIS technique. Its spatial and quantitative evaluation was facilitated by the progress of remote sensing and GIS technique development. Firstly, human activities, hydrology and ecosystem problems in the study area were discussed and analyzed. Secondly, from 4 aspects of human stress, physical, chemical and biological responses to anthropogenic activities and natural stress, several indicators such as water transparency (Secchi Disk Depth, SDD), suspended substance concentration, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, active phosphate, chlorophyll, harmful algae bloom, as well as distr...
In the last decade, directed evolution has become a routine approach for engineering proteins with novel or altered properties. Concurrently, a trend away from purely 'blind' randomization strategies and towards more 'semi-rational' approaches has also become apparent. In this review, we discuss ways in which structural information and predictive computational tools are playing an increasingly important role in guiding the design of randomized libraries: web servers such as ConSurf-HSSP and SCHEMA allow the prediction of sites to target for producing functional variants, while algorithms such as GLUE, PEDEL and DRIVeR are useful for estimating library completeness and diversity. In addition, we review recent methodological developments that facilitate the construction of unbiased libraries, which are inherently more diverse than biased libraries and therefore more likely to yield improved variants. PMID:16095966
Summary 1. In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, bison Bison bison and elk Cervus canadensis nelsoni act as hosts for Brucella abortus. The presence of B. abortus within wildlife populations is an important conservation issue because of the risk of brucellosis transmission from wildlife to cattle. 2. We investigated conditions facilitating contact between bison (40-60% seroprevalence) and elk on a shared winter range in the Madison headwaters area of Yellowstone National Park. We evaluated the effects of snow pack, season, elk and bison population sizes, and wolf Canis lupus predation risk on the degree of spatial overlap between bison and elk from 1991 to 2006. 3. Sixty-eight per cent of 10 093 independent elk observations occurred within the known bison wintering range, 29% occurred with...
In this paper we discuss a number of astrophysical environments and how improved nuclear data could facilitate a better understanding of them. One area of interest includes proton and alpha-particle reactions with unstable nuclei which are necessary for understanding the nucleosynthesis and energy generation in hot hydrogen-burning environments. Efforts underway at LLNL and elsewhere to develop the technology for the measurement of these reaction rates are discussed. Heavy-element nucleosynthesis in the late stages of red-giant stars and supernovae requires a complete network of neutron capture rates and beta-decay rates for nuclei near and far from stability. Experimental and theoretical efforts at LLNL to supply the input data and to model the nucleosynthetic environments will be outlined. Suggestions are made as to which nuclear data are most critical for the various scenarios. 42 refs., 11 figs., 1 tab.
We report on the software aspects of the development of a switch-based data acquisition system at Fermilab. This paper describes how, with the goal of providing an integrated systems engineering'' environment, several powerful software tools were put in place to facilitate extensive exploration of all aspects of the design. These tools include a simulation package, graphics package and an Expert System shell which have been integrated to provide an environment which encourages the close interaction of hardware and software engineers. This paper includes a description of the simulation, user interface, embedded software, remote procedure calls, and diagnostic software which together have enabled us to provide real-time control and monitoring of a working prototype switch-based data acquisition (DAQ) system.
We report on the software aspects of the development of a switch-based data acquisition system at Fermilab. This paper describes how, with the goal of providing an ``integrated systems engineering`` environment, several powerful software tools were put in place to facilitate extensive exploration of all aspects of the design. These tools include a simulation package, graphics package and an Expert System shell which have been integrated to provide an environment which encourages the close interaction of hardware and software engineers. This paper includes a description of the simulation, user interface, embedded software, remote procedure calls, and diagnostic software which together have enabled us to provide real-time control and monitoring of a working prototype switch-based data acquisition (DAQ) system.
Plasmid pRK404-a smaller derivative of RK2-is a tetracycline-resistant broad-host-range vector that carries a multiple cloning site and the lacZ(alpha) peptide that enables blue/white selection for cloned inserts in Escherichia coli. We present herein the complete and annotated sequence of pRK404 and three related vectors-pRK437, pRK442, and pRK442(H). These derivatives have proven to be valuable tools for genetic manipulation in Gram-negative bacteria. The knowledge of their complete sequences will facilitate efficient future engineering of them and will enhance their general applicability to the design of genetic systems for use in organisms for which new genomic sequence data are becoming available.
Greenhouse-effect induced climate change repercussions will, via the catchment areas of big rivers, eventually arrive in amplified form at the far downstream coastal zones of the world. In the coastal zone these imported problems will add to the locally exerted climate change effects, while the climate change induced sea-level rise will attack the coastal zone from the other side, both by flooding and by saline groundwater intrusion. These multiple problems will hit the coastal zone, which is already under increasing stress. The combined threats require fast and massive support for national Coastal Zone Management capabilities, which could help to limit the damage and to support planning for sustainable development. Recommendations are presented to facilitate implementation of Coastal Zone Management units in all coastal countries by the year 2000.
Abstract Incomplete dispersion of aggregates is a well known difficulty when analyzing soil texture of Andosols, particularly if no fresh soil material is available. To facilitate such investigations, several dispersion procedures were carried out on air dried samples rich in short range order minerals, originating from selected Andosol profiles (S Mexico). As a result, we propose an improved method based on a sequential chemical treatment with K oxalate, NH4 oxalate, and oxalic acid that reliably removes cementing agents and allows for a stable dispersion of soil particles after addition of Na pyrophosphate. This method was proved to be well reproducible and highly reliable for routine grain size determinations. The potential error caused by the inherent risk of dissolving primary mineral...
The Pinellas Plant has been part of the Department of Energy`s (DOE) nuclear weapons complex since the plant opened in 1957. In March 1995, the DOE sold the Pinellas Plant to the Pinellas County Industry Council (PCIC). DOE has leased back a large portion of the plant site to facilitate transition to alternate use and safe shutdown. The current mission is to achieve a safe transition of the facility from defense production and prepare the site for alternative uses as a community resource for economic development. Toward that effort, the Pinellas Plant Environmental Baseline Report (EBR) discusses the current and past environmental conditions of the plant site. Information for the EBR is obtained from plant records. Historical process and chemical usage information for each area is reviewed during area characterizations.
Phenotypic plasticity can facilitate reproductive strategies that maximize mating success in variable environments and lead to differences in sex allocation among populations. For simultaneous hermaphrodites with sperm competition, including Serranus tortugarum a small coral reef fish, proportional male allocation (testis in total gonad) is often greater where local density or mating group size is higher. We tested whether S. tortugarum reduced male allocation when transplanted from a higher density site to a lower density site. After 4?months, transplants mirrored the sex-allocation patterns of the resident population on their new reef. Transplants had significantly lower male allocation than representatives from their source population, largely as a result of reduced testis mass relative...
Positron emission tomography (PET) is the gold standard for non-invasive assessment of myocardial viability and allows accurate detection of coronary artery disease by assessment of myocardial perfusion. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides high resolution anatomical images that allow accurate evaluation of ventricular structure and function together with detection of myocardial infarction. Potential hybrid PET/MR tomography may potentially facilitate the combination of information from these imaging modalities in cardiology. Furthermore, the combination of anatomical MRI images with the high sensitivity of PET for detecting molecular targets may extent the application of these modalities to the characterization of atherosclerotic plaques and to the evaluation of angiogenetic or stem cell therapies, for example. This article reviews studies using MRI and PET in parallel to compare their performance in cardiac applications together with the potential benefits ...
Summary: Protein features are often displayed along the linear sequence of amino acids that make up that protein, but in reality these features occupy a position in the folded proteins 3D space. Mapping sequence features to known or predicted protein structures is useful when trying to deduce the function of those features and when evaluating sequence or structural predictions. To facilitate this goal, we developed PDBpaint, a simple tool that displays protein sequence features gathered from bioinformatics resources on top of protein structures, which are displayed in an interactive window (using the Jmol Java viewer). PDBpaint can be used either with existing protein structures or with novel structures provided by the user. The current version of PDBpaint allows the visualization of annot...
The Office of Energy Research was recently asked to perform a study of Large Scale Systems in order to facilitate the development of a true large systems theory. It was decided to ask experts in the fields of electrical engineering, chemical engineering and manufacturing/operations research for their ideas concerning large scale systems research. The author was asked to distribute a questionnaire among these experts to find out their opinions concerning recent accomplishments and future research directions in large scale systems research. He was also requested to convene a conference which included three experts in each area as panel members to discuss the general area of large scale systems research. The conference was held on March 26--27, 1984 in Pittsburgh with nine panel members, and 15 other attendees. The present report is a summary of the ideas presented and the recommendations proposed by the attendees.
Summary Status epilepticus or other brain-damaging insults launch a cascade of events that may lead to the development of epilepsy. MRI techniques available today, including T2- and T1-weighted imaging, functional MRI, manganese enhanced MRI (MEMRI), arterial spin labeling (ASL), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and phase imaging, can detect not only damage caused by status epilepticus but also plastic changes in the brain that occur in response to damage. Optimal balance between damage and recovery processes is a key for planning possible treatments, and noninvasive imaging has the potential to greatly facilitate this process and to make personalized treatment plans possible.
The Low-Level Radioactive Waste Forum is an association of representatives of states and compacts established to facilitate state and compact commission implementation of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act of 1980 and the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985 and to promote the objectives of low-level radioactive waste regional compacts. The Forum provides an opportunity for states and compacts to share information with one another and to exchange views with officials of federal agencies. The Forum participants include representatives from regional compacts, designated host states, unaffiliated states, and states with currently-operating low-level radioactive waste facilities. This report contains information synthesizing the accomplishments of the Forum, as well as any new advances that have been made in the management of low-level radioactive wastes.
Landslides on ancient embankments, burial mounds of Imashiro-zuka and Nishimotome-zuka, induced by historical earthquakes related to the tectonic movement of active fault systems located between northern Osaka and Kobe, are discussed. The geological conditions of the foundation of the mounds, the lithology, stiffness, and the position of the mound relative to the fault systems, contributed to the collapse of the mounds. Obvious interior structures of landslides revealed the inherent deformation process, and provided significant insight into landslide mechanisms. Rapid increasing pore water pressure was necessary to facilitate sliding along the almost horizontal slip surfaces developed in the main part of the landslide bodies on the Imashiro-zuka mound. Liquefaction analysis using both the ...
Summary: Analysis of biological networks requires assessing the statistical significance of network-based predictions by using a realistic null model. However, the existing network null model, switch randomization, is unsuitable for metabolic networks, as it does not include physical constraints and generates unrealistic reactions. We present JMassBalance, a tool for mass-balanced randomization and analysis of metabolic networks. The tool allows efficient generation of large sets of randomized networks under the physical constraint of mass balance. In addition, various structural properties of the original and randomized networks can be calculated, facilitating the identification of the salient properties of metabolic networks with a biologically meaningful null model. Availability and Imp...
Recent supply chain reengineering efforts have focused on integrating firms? production, inventory and replenishment activities with the help of communication networks. While communication networks and supply chain integration facilitate optimization of traditional supply chain functions, they also exacerbate the information security risk: communication networks propagate security breaches from one firm to another, and supply chain integration causes breach on one firm to affect other firms in the supply chain. We study the impact of network security vulnerability and supply chain integration on firms? incentives to invest in information security. We find that even though an increase in either the degree of network vulnerability or the degree of supply chain integration increases the secur...
This paper investigates steels 12Kh18N10T, 10Kh17N13M2T, 08Kh22N6T, and 08Kh21N6M2T. In corrosion of stainless steels in sulfuric acid solutions, dissolved sulfur dioxide acts as a cathodic depolarizer, capable of being reduced to elemental sulfur or forming sulfides with the metal. Depending on the conditions, this is associated with some increase in potential and greater or lesser increase in corrosion or facilitation of passivation of active steel. After passivation the influence of SO/sub 2/ is negligible. The results of this investigation were used as initial data for developing systems of anodic protection for shell-and-tube heat exchangers for sulfuric acid.
An initial public offering (IPO) can often provide a powerful stimulus to private companies seeking to pursue an acquisition-driven growth strategy. Based on a comprehensive analysis of U.S. IPOs, the authors show that newly public companies are prolific acquirers. Over 30% of companies conducting an IPO make at least one acquisition in their IPO year, and the typical IPO firm makes about four acquisitions during its first five years as a public company. IPOs facilitate M&A not only by providing infusions of capital but also by creating ongoing access to equity and debt markets for cash-financed deals. In addition, IPOs create an acquisition currency that can prove valuable in stock-financed deals when the shares are attractively priced. The authors also argue that IPOs improve the ability...
Consultant and advanced practice are relatively new concepts in radiography. There is evidence to show that as the career progression framework is being adopted the numbers of consultant and advanced practitioners in radiography are growing with the latter growing at a faster rate. The article considers the concept of advanced and consultant practice and the education requirements to support development. Preparation for an advanced practice role begins at the practitioner stage. Masters' level programmes are available to support the development of advanced practice. Education needs to be flexible as new advanced practice roles emerge. It is necessary to take practitioners beyond a defined modality to include leadership and people skills. These are essential for those aspiring to become consultants. Consultants require a high level of clinical knowledge for expert practice but also strategic vision and interpersonal intelligence to facilitate leadership and ...
Environmental and security concerns are stimulating global interest in hydrogen power, renewable energy, and advanced transportation technologies, but no significant movement away from oil and a carbon-based world economy is expected soon. Over the longer-term, however, a transition from fossil fuels to a non-carbon-based economy will likely occur, affecting the type of environment future generations may encounter. Key challenges will face the world's energy industry over the next few decades to ensure a smooth transition-challenges which will require government and industry solutions beginning as early as today. This paper identifies four critical challenges in energy and the choices which will have to be made on how best to confront growing pollution caused by fossil fuels and how to facilitate an eventual revolutionary-like transition to a non-carbon-based global economy.
Porous SnO2 nanotubes were prepared via electrospinning followed by calcination in air. As anode materials for lithium ion batteries, the porous nanotubes delivered a high discharge capacity of 807mAhg^-^1 after 50cycles. Even after cycled at high rates, the electrode still retained a high fraction of its theoretical capacity. Such excellent performances of porous SnO2 nanotubes could be attributed to the porous and hollow structure which facilitated liquid electrolyte diffusion into the bulk materials and buffered large volume changes during lithium ions insertion/extraction. Furthermore, the nanoparticles of nanotubes provided the shorter diffusion length for lithium ions insertion which benefited in retaining the structural stability and good rate performance. Our results demonstrated t...
Background: Quantifying HIV levels in mucosal secretions is essential to study compartmentalized expression of HIV and facilitate development of intervention strategies to prevent disease progression and transmission. Objectives: To develop a sensitive, reliable, and cost-effective technique to quantify HIV from blood and vaginal secretions that is compatible with efficient implementation in clinical research environments. Study design: A sensitive, reliable, internally-controlled real-time reverse transcriptase (RT) PCR assay, which uses the HIV-1 pol gene as a target (Hpol assay) was developed to quantify HIV levels in plasma and genital secretions, and compared to the widely used Roche Amplicor(TM) HIV-1 Monitor assay. In addition, a simplified method of sample collection and processing...
High molecular weight products of the ozonolysis reaction of particle-phase 9-octadecenoic acid (oleic acid) have been studied by photoelectron resonance capture ionization (PERCI) mass spectrometry (MS). Oleic acid particles ( Formula Not Shown , Formula Not Shown ) were reacted with ozone (1.8x10-4atm) in a flow reactor at reaction times of 8 and 23s. Particles were sampled on-line with a differentially pumped particle inlet and chemically analyzed by PERCI-MS. PERCI is a soft ionization method that permits the direct measurement of relatively high molecular weight compounds, facilitating molecular identification. In addition to cyclic oxygenates, such as secondary ozonides and geminal diperoxides that were reported previously, we demonstrate the formation of polymers at the particle sur...
The evolution of these new ion-exchange resins hinges upon an understanding of the chemistry of actinide metal complexes as they exist in solution and when interacting with the cationic sites. Molecular modeling of electrostatic interactions between the metal complex and the cationic substrate is used to help visualize uptake mechanisms and, eventually, to predict optimized coordination sites. Thus, these new materials integrate the fields of ion-specific chelation and ion-exchange technology. Synthesized resins contain cationic sites designed to facilitate the uptake of plutonium nitrato complexes from high-nitrate solutions, and they exhibit distribution coefficients that are up to 10 times higher than those observed for commercial resins. Additionally, some new resins show surprisingly large Kd`s for anionic complexes of Am(III) and U(VI).
TAPP-3 and 4 reactors use large number of Self Powered Neutron Detectors (SPNDs) for Neutronic lower measurement and control. To perform in-situ calibration of these detectors in select locations and to validate the reactor physics codes which predict flux at various points in the core, traveling in-core probes (TIP) are required. The TIP assembly consists of a miniature neutron sensitive detector. The detector is driven in and out of core using a mechanism which facilitates positioning of the detector anywhere inside a vertical tube (Central carrier tube of any of the six select Vertical Flux Units) in the core. TIP is driven through retractable feed mechanism for a stroke of 13 m. This paper describes the developmental efforts and the operational feedback of the retractable feed mechanism for the stroke of 13 m used at TAPP 3 and 4 reactor. (author)
The manual provides design information for four groups of sediment control structures and treatments which are suitable for use on small areas in surface coal mining. A detailed design procedure is given for each group which will estimate the total amount of settleable solids from a small area with a sediment control structure or treatment for a specific design storm. A procedure is also given for estimating the mean annual sediment yield from a small area. Information on design, installation, maintenance and cost is given for each sediment control measure. Methods for determining the maximum allowable area for each sediment control measure and for design of combined sediment control systems are presented. The design procedures contain numerous nomographs, graphs, and worksheets to facilitate the use of the design procedure. The sediment control measures, design procedures, and materials in the manual are applicable to coal-bearing regions of the continental United ...
The manual provides design information for four groups of sediment control structures and treatments which are suitable for use on small areas in surface coal mining. A detailed design procedure is given for each group which will estimate the total amount of settleable solids from a small area with a sediment control structure or treatment for a specific design storm. A procedure is also given for estimating the mean annual sediment yield from a small area. Information on design, installation, maintenance and cost is given for each sediment control measure. Methods for determining the maximum allowable area for each sediment control measure and for design of combined sediment control systems are presented. The design procedures contain numerous nomographs, graphs, and worksheets to facilitate the use of the design procedure. The sediment control measures, design procedures, and materials in the manual are applicable to coal bearing regions of the continental Unted ...
A non-contact method, using magnetic drag force principle, was proposed to design the braking systems to improve the shortcomings of the conventional braking systems. The extensive literature detailing all aspects of the magnetic braking is briefly reviewed, however little of this refers specifically to upright magnetic braking system, which is useful for industries. One of the major issues to design upright magnetic system is to find out the magnetic flux. The changing magnetic flux induces eddy currents in the conductor. These currents dissipate energy in the conductor and generate drag force to slow down the motion. Therefore, a finite element model is developed to analyze the phenomena of magnetic flux density when air gap and materials of track are varied. The verification shows the predicted magnetic flux is within acceptable range with the measured value. The results will facilitate the design of magnetic braking systems.
Background Photopolymerizable poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels offer a platform to deliver cells in vivo and support three-dimensional cell culture but should be designed to degrade in sync with neotissue development and endure the physiologic environment. Questions/purposes We asked whether (1) incorporation of degradation into PEG hydrogels facilitates tissue development comprised of essential cartilage macromolecules; (2) with early loading before pericellular matrix formation, the duration of load affects matrix production; and (3) dynamic loading in general influences macroscopic tissue development. Methods Primary bovine chondrocytes were encapsulated in hydrogels (n?=?3 for each condition). The independent variables were hydrogel degradation (nondegrading PEG and degrading olig...
This report presents the results of an assessment of uranium in situ leach mining costs through the application of process engineering and discounted cash flow analysis procedures. A computerized costing technique was developed to facilitate rapid cost analyses. Applications of the cost model will generate mine life capital and operating costs as well as solve for economic production cost per pound U/sub 3/O/sub 8/. Conversely, rate of return may be determined subject to a known selling price. The data bases of the cost model were designed to reflect variations in Texas versus Wyoming site applications. The results of applying the model under numerous ore deposit, operating, well field, and extraction plant conditions for Texas and Wyoming are summarized in the report. Sensitivity analysis of changes in key project parameters have also been tested and are included.
This report is based on a study carried out by the NEA Decommissioning Cost Estimation Group (DCEG) on decommissioning cost elements, estimation practices and reporting requirements. Its findings indicate that cost methodologies need to be updated continuously using cost data from actual decommissioning projects and hence, systematic approaches need to be implemented to collect these data. The study also concludes that changes in project scope may have the greatest impact on project costs. Such changes must therefore be identified immediately and incorporated into the estimate. Finally, the report notes that more needs to be done to facilitate the comparison of estimates, for example by providing a reporting template for national estimates. (authors)
A red basil cell line (T2b) rich in rosmarinic acid (RA) was selected for the stable production of anthocyanins (ACs) in the dark. Cell suspension cultures were subjected to mechanical stress through increased agitation (switch from 90 to 150rpm) to determine the relationship between AC and RA accumulation. Cell extracts were analyzed by HPLC and LC-MS, and the resulting data were processed with multivariate statistical analysis. MS and MS/MS spectra facilitated the putative annotation of several complex cyanidin-based ACs, which were esterified with coumaric acid and, in some cases, also with malonic acid. It was also possible to identify various RA-related molecules, some caffeic and coumaric acid derivatives and some flavanones. Mechanical stress increased the total AC and RA contents, ...
A conformational analysis of ethyl azidoformate (EAF) has been carried out by the MINDO/3 quantum-chemical method. It has been shown that EAF exists in the form of two conformers differing with respect to rotation around the C-N bond. Complete optimization of the geometry has been carried out for both conformers. It has been found that the transoid conformation is planar and that the cisoid conformation is nonplanar. The height of the rotation barrier is 15.4 kcal/mole. The optimal geometry of the transition state has been calculated. It has been noted that a significant role in the mechanism of the conformational transition is played by the inversion of a nitrogen, which facilitates the transition. The results of the calculation have been confirmed by IR-spectroscopic data.
The plastic deformation behavior of formed CICC for the superconducting Tokamac fusion device was examined and appropriate manufacturing information was provided. A relation between travel of the bending roller and spring back displacement was obtained via virtual manufacturing. The radius of CICC after forming was expressed as a function of the bend-roll travel. The maximum von Mises stress after spring back was also monitored for the SAGBO prediction. Next, the variation of the CICC cross-sectional area was examined during the first turn and during conduit bending with the largest curvature. Finally, the coil radius was measured and compared with the data generated from the virtual manufacturing. The measured data showed similar pattern as predicted one. Using the mapping function found to match with the real data, the data from the virtual manufacturing may facilitate accurate manufacturing.
The plastic deformation behavior of formed CICC for the superconducting Tokamac fusion device was examined and appropriate manufacturing information was provided. A relation between travel of the bending roller and spring back displacement was obtained via virtual manufacturing. The radius of CICC after forming was expressed as a function of the bend-roll travel. The maximum von Mises stress after spring back was also monitored for the SAGBO prediction. Next, the variation of the CICC cross-sectional area was examined during the first turn and during conduit bending with the largest curvature. Finally, the coil radius was measured and compared with the data generated from the virtual manufacturing. The measured data showed similar pattern as predicted one. Using the mapping function found to match with the real data, the data from the virtual manufacturing may facilitate accurate manufacturing.
Abstract Characteristics of batch rotor-stator mixer performance are elucidated by shaft torque and angle resolved 2D PIV measurements obtained in a full-scale, custom build, bottom-mounted, rotor-stator mixer unit operating in the turbulent regime with water as working fluid. Measurements have been acquired at various rotor speeds corresponding to impeller based Reynolds numbers between 2.0--105 and 8.5--105. The use of a transparent Plexiglas stator facilitated PIV measurements inside and outside the stator as well as into the stator slots themselves. The governing mechanisms controlling the complex flow structures, flow rates, power dissipation, velocity fields, strain rate fields and turbulence intensity fields are explained, highlighting the influence on rotor-stator mixer performance...
SummaryProcesses of upgrading and the promotion of industrial "clusters," which encompass multiple policies, institutions, and actors, necessarily vary from place to place. Based on the evidence from Morocco and Tunisia, this article contends that different patterns of business-government relations facilitate different elements of industrial upgrading and cluster promotion. State-dominated political economies may be more amenable to implementing macroeconomic and infrastructure-related measures, which are critical in the initial stages of upgrading. Political economies with more organized business communities may be better equipped to pursue the kinds of inter-firm linkages traditionally associated with later phases of upgrading, when the focus is on boosting innovation.
Bothriochloa ischaemum L. and Lespedeza davurica (Laxm.) Schindl. are two co-dominant species of great importance in reducing soil and water loss and maintaining the distinctive natural scenery of the semiarid Loess Plateau of China. Our aim was to determine the growth and interspecific competition between these species under water stress to facilitate the prediction of community succession and guide the selection of appropriate methods of conservation and use in the area. A pot experiment was designed to investigate the effects of water stress and competition on biomass production and allocation, relative competitive ability and water use efficiency of the two species. Bothriochloa ischaemum (a C4 perennial herbaceous grass) was planted in the same pot with L. davurica (a C3 perennial leg...
Research and bioethical policies are increasingly seen to facilitate, rather than to impede, scientific progress. Bioethical structures, nonetheless, often fail to account for or to shape the specific social surrounds in which scientific research is conducted. In Taiwan, a perceived shortage in human biological donations threatens to hamper stem cell research progress. This paper considers the stalled national biobank project and the lack of a reliable embryo supply for stem cell research, and suggests that one must look beyond regulatory structures in seeking explanations for such shortages. Specific aspects of Taiwan's democratization and social changes combine with problematic relations between patients and physicians to shape the terrain upon which human biologicals are given or withhe...
Objective: Sarcopenia of legs is an important cause of physical dysfunctions, frailty and dependence. Many predisposing and underlying mechanisms of sarcopenia, including age, sedentary life style, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and low testosterone levels, are also known to be related to atherosclerosis, which is another leading cause of morbidity and mortality in elderly subjects. In this study, we investigated our hypothesis that sarcopenia and atherosclerosis are associated with each other to facilitate mutual abnormalities. Methods: Study was performed in apparently healthy 496 middle-aged to elderly persons recruited consecutively among the visitors to the medical check-up program, Anti-Aging Doc, in a University hospital, from March 2006 to December 2007. Mid-thigh muscle cro...
Adventure based counselling is a short-term experiential psychotherapeutic approach, which utilises adventurous activities and being in natural environmental in order to facilitate therapeutic change in clients. The present paper critically appraises the results of a qualitative study that investigated how clients with self-reported anxiety and depression experienced participating in an innovative counselling intervention with combined individual counselling with such an adventurous outdoor transaction. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, as described by Smith and Osborn (2008), was used in order record and analyse the experiences of four male and six female students who were treated at the Teesside's University Counselling Service. Interviewees perceived the counselling sessions as ...
A novel adaptive stabilizer, called an Adaptive Governor Power System Stabilizer (AGPSS), which operated on the governor turbine system, was described. There has been extensive research on adaptive excitation control of generators in power systems with the goal of achieving better dynamic performance. AGPSS tracks the frequency and damping of oscillations in a power system, and adjusts to ensure that there is always sufficient damping in the system. There is no interaction between stabilizers on different generating units, and each one acts independently, consuming oscillation energy locally. These stabilizers are easy to design and this facilitates their use in multimachine systems. Results obtained by nonlinear simulation of a single-machine and a three-machine power system were discussed, illustrating the effectiveness of the stabilizers in supplying damping and improving stability. It was pointed out that the operation of AGPSS does not conflict with that of ...
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade services designed to assist businesses to effectively operate in global markets, were described. The goal of the Department is to give strategic targeted information that extends beyond export opportunities to include market access, investment, strategic alliances, technology transfer and competitiveness issues. These services constitute the Department`s Trade Commissioner Service, a network of 600 officers, deployed in 128 embassies and consulates worldwide to support Canadian business development initiatives across 16 sectors of the government`s International Trade Business Plan (ITBP). The Trade Commissioner Service programs include the WIN exporters database, a trade inquiries sourcing team, International Financial Institutions (IFI) projects, and the Program for Export Market Development (PEMD). A series of Sectoral Advisory Groups on International Trade (SAGIT) have been established to facilitate the needs ...
Plants release secondary metabolites into the soil that change the chemical environment around them. Exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) is an important allelochemical whose role in successional trajectories has not been examined. We hypothesized that ABA can accumulate in the soil through successional processes and have an influence on forest dynamics. To this end, we investigated the distribution of ABA in forest communities from early to late successional stages and the response of dominant species to the gradient of ABA concentrations in three types of forests from northern to southern China. Concentrations of ABA in the soils of three forest types increased from early to late successional stages. Pioneer species? litters had the lowest ABA content, and their seed germination and seedling ea...
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a major health problem as it afflicts an increasing number of patients worldwide. Albeit most of the risk factors for HCC are known, this is a deadly syndrome with a life expectancy at the time of diagnosis of less than 1?year. Definition of the molecular principles governing the neoplastic transformation of the liver is an urgent need to facilitate the clinical management of patients, based on innovative methods to detect the disease in its early stages and on more efficient therapies. In the present study, we have combined the analysis of a murine model and human samples of HCC to identify genes differentially expressed early in the process of hepatocarcinogenesis, using a microarray-based approach. Expression of 190 genes was impaired in murine ...
One of the stiffest challenges in structural studies of proteins using NMR is the assignment of sidechain resonances. Typically, a panel of lengthy 3D experiments are acquired in order to establish connectivities and resolve ambiguities due to overlap. We demonstrate that these experiments can be replaced by a single 4D experiment that is time-efficient, yields excellent resolution, and captures unique carbon-proton connectivity information. The approach is made practical by the use of non-uniform sampling in the three indirect time dimensions and maximum entropy reconstruction of the corresponding 3D frequency spectrum. This 4D method will facilitate automated resonance assignment procedures and it should be particularly beneficial for increasing throughput in NMR-based structural genomics initiatives.
We introduce a multi-layered image cache system that is designed to work with a pool of rendering engines to facilitate an interactive, frameless, asynchronous rendering environment. Our system decouples the rendering from the display of imagery. Therefore, it decouples render frequency and resolution from display frequency and resolution, and allows asynchronous transmission of imagery instead of the compute/send cycle of standard parallel systems. It also allows local, incremental refinement of imagery without requiring all imagery to be re-rendered. Images are placed in fixed position in camera (vs. world) space to eliminate occlusion artifacts. Display quality is improved by increasing the number of images. Interactivity is improved by decreasing the number of images.