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Various Experimental Conditions (various + experimental_condition)
Selected AbstractsGrowth potential of adult hepatocytes in mammals: Highly replicative small hepatocytes with liver progenitor-like traitsDEVELOPMENT GROWTH & DIFFERENTIATION, Issue 2 2007Katsutoshi Yoshizato The liver is one of the few organs that is capable of completely regenerating itself without using a stem cell population. When damaged, growth factors and cytokines are released, stimulating terminally differentiated adult hepatocytes and making them re-enter the cell cycle. We have been developing a series of studies on the growth potential of rat and human hepatocytes to identify a population of hepatocytes that is responsible for the regeneration of the injured liver. For this purpose, we established an appropriate culture method for hepatocytes by which growth and differentiation capacities are practically examined under various experimental conditions. This in vitro assay system allows us to identify small hepatocytes that are prominently replicative compared to large hepatocytes. Non-parenchymal cells play critical roles in the proliferation of small hepatocytes. These hepatocytes are present in both rat and human liver and are located in portal regions there. Phenotypic features were examined at morphological and gene/protein levels in detail, which showed the phenotypic plasticity in vitro. Mammalian liver includes a population of small hepatocytes in normal adults with a minute occupancy rate. We speculate that small hepatocytes play a role in regenerating the injured liver and in compensating for apoptotic hepatocytes in the physiological turnover of hepatocytes. [source] Glucose Biosensor Mediated by 1,2-Diferrocenylethane in a Sono-Gel Composite ElectrodeELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 2-3 2007Barbara Ballarin Abstract An amperometric glucose biosensor was constructed based on a renewable carbon composite sono-gel matrix incorporating 1,2-diferrocenylethane as electron transfer mediator between the electrode and the active site of glucose oxidase. The enzyme was immobilized on the electrode surface by cross-linking with glutaraldehyde and bovine serum albumin. The process parameters for the fabrication of the biosensor and the influence of various experimental conditions (i.e., pH, temperature, operating potential) were investigated. Cyclic voltammetry and amperometric measurements were used to study the response of the glucose sensor, which displayed fast response time and good reproducibility. The analytical performances and the apparent Michaelis-Menten constant of the biosensor were evaluated. [source] An experimental study on the transformer coil leakage currentEUROPEAN TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRICAL POWER, Issue 3 2006Mohamed A. A. Wahab This paper is concerned with the transformer coil dc leakage current under different conditions. These conditions include in-air, and in-oil leakage, currents with or without artificial coil deposits. In-oil leakage, currents are investigated when the coil is immersed in new or used transformer oil at different temperatures. The results showed that the leakage current increases with the increase in the applied voltage and oil temperatures. The rate of increase in leakage current with temperature depends on the transformer oil and coil conditions. The in-oil leakage currents are higher than those obtained in air. The leakage currents measured in used oil are higher than those resulted in new oil. Copper deposits cause higher values of leakage current than iron deposits for the same medium, applied voltage and temperature. Deposits increase the leakage current for different coil surrounding media. A linear model for the leakage current as a function of the applied voltage under different conditions has been found and its validity has been justified by statistical consideration. The parameters of this model account for various experimental conditions. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Contrast analysis of the composition of ribosomes extracted with different purification proceduresJOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2000Giuseppe Briganti The composition and hydration of E. coli ribosomes isolated with different purification protocols has been analysed by combining two experimental techniques: measurements of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), for two different isotopic solvent compositions, and refractive index (RI) increments. From the contrast between the solvent and solute scattering densities and the molar polarizability, determined experimentally with SANS and RI measurements, three independent equations are obtained and three unknown quantities are determined: (i) the volume of the solute hydrated skeleton Vs, (ii) the material contained in it, namely the biological components, intrinsic (rRNA and proteins) and extrinsic, such as aminoacylsynthetase and elongation factors, (iii) the number of water molecules structurally bound to the ribosome and non-exchangeable with the solvent. From the form factor at infinite contrast, a second definition of the solute volume is obtained, , which represents the volume within the contour surface of the ribosome. This value is generally larger than Vs and can include a certain amount of water molecules, i.e. those inside the volume (,Vs). Considering the molar volume of this water to be equal to that of the bulk water, it is possible to evaluate its amount. The particle density calculated from the ribosome components in , including proteins, RNA, bound and unbound water molecules, corresponds to the buoyant density measured for E. coli 70S particles. The two ribosomal preparations display different performances in protein synthesis; hence the results indicate that the optimal condition corresponds to a wider skeleton and contour volume but containing a smaller amount of segregated water molecules. It is believed that the method provides a reliable technique to determine the composition of ribosomes under various experimental conditions. [source] Adsorption equilibrium of amino acids and antibiotics on non-ionic polymeric sorbentsJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 4 2004Jae Wook Lee Abstract Adsorption equilibria of two amino acids (phenylalanine and tryptophan) and two antibiotics (penicillin G and cephalosporin C) from aqueous solutions onto non-ionic polymeric sorbents (XAD-4 and XAD-16) were investigated under various experimental conditions such as pH, temperature and organic solvents. The assumption that amino acids adsorbed on polymeric sorbents were desorbed by competitive adsorption with organic solvent as a desorbate was verified using binary adsorption data for amino acids (phenylalanine and tryptophan) and organic solvents (isopropyl alcohol and methanol) on XAD-4 and XAD-16. The experimental data were predicted by using multicomponent adsorption models of an Extended-Langmuir (EL) equation and an ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST) based on the Langmuir equation as a single-component isotherm. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Retinal pigment epithelial cells promote spatial reorganization and differentiation of retina photoreceptorsJOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH, Issue 16 2008Olga L. German Abstract Retina differentiation involves the acquisition of a precise layered arrangement, with RPE cells in the first layer in intimate contact with photoreceptors in the second layer. Here, we developed an in vitro coculture model, to test the hypothesis that RPE cells play a pivotal role in organizing the spatial structure of the retina. We cocultured rat retinal neurons with ARPE-19 epithelial cells under various experimental conditions. Strikingly, when seeded over RPE cells, photoreceptors attached to their apical surfaces and proceeded with their development, including the increased synthesis of rhodopsin. Conversely, when we seeded RPE cells over neurons, the RPE cells rapidly detached photoreceptors from their substrata and positioned themselves underneath, thus restoring the normal in vivo arrangement. Treatment with the metalloproteinase inhibitor TIMP-1 blocked this reorganization, suggesting the involvement of metalloproteinases in this process. Reorganization was highly selective for photoreceptors because 98% of photoreceptors but very few amacrine neurons were found to redistribute on top of RPE cells. Interestingly, RPE cells were much more efficient than other epithelial or nonepithelial cells in promoting this reorganization. RPE cells also promoted the growth of photoreceptor axons away from them. An additional factor that contributed to the distal arrangement of photoreceptor axons was the migration of photoreceptor cell bodies along their own neurites toward the RPE cells. Our results demonstrate that RPE and photoreceptor cells interact in vitro in very specific ways. They also show that in vitro studies may provide important insights into the process of pattern formation in the retina. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Photoreduction of iron protoporphyrin IX chloride in non-ionic triton X-100 micelle studied by electronic absorption and resonance Raman spectroscopyJOURNAL OF RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY, Issue 3 2001P. K. Shantha Resonance Raman and electronic absorption studies of iron protoporphyrin IX chloride (hemin) in non-ionic Triton X-100 micelle in the absence and presence of hindered imidazole (2-methylimidazole and 1,2-dimethylimidazole) and unhindered imidazole under various experimental conditions are reported. Hemin undergoes photoreduction at the metal center, both in the absence and presence of hindered imidazole, in anaerobic, alkaline and neutral pH conditions on photoexcitation by laser radiation at 441.6 and 457.9 nm. It is inferred from this study that only the monomer hemin encapsulated within the micelle under the alkaline pH conditions is photoreducible. The photoreduction of hemin in this micelle occurs from an electron transfer as a result of dissociation of coordinated hydroxyl ion to the iron atom in the photoexcited state, which may also involve the OH,Fe charge transfer transition around 360 nm. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Application of ultrasound and neural networks in the determination of filler dispersion during polymer extrusion processesPOLYMER ENGINEERING & SCIENCE, Issue 6 2005Zhigang Sun Mineral filler dispersion is important information for the production of mineral-charged polymers. In order to achieve timely control of product quality, a technique capable of providing real-time information on filler dispersion is highly desirable. In this work, ultrasound, temperature, and pressure sensors as well as an amperemeter of the extruder motor drive were used to monitor the extrusion of mineral-filled polymers under various experimental conditions in terms of filler type, filler concentration, feeding rate, screw rotation speed, and barrel temperature. Then, neural network relationships were established among the filler dispersion index and three categories of variables, namely, control variables of the extruder, extruder-dependent measured variables, and extruder-independent measured variables (based on ultrasonic measurement). Of the three categories of variables, the process control variables and extruder-independent ultrasonically measured variables performed best in inferring the dispersion index through a neural network model. While the neural network model based on control variables could help determine the optimal experimental conditions to achieve a dispersion index, the extruder-independent network model based on ultrasonic measurement is suitable for in-line measurement of the quality of dispersion. This study has demonstrated the feasibility of using ultrasound and neural networks for in-line monitoring of dispersion during extrusion processes of mineral-charged polymers. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 45:764,772, 2005. © 2005 Society of Plastics Engineers [source] Quality assessment for tramadol in pharmaceutical preparations with thin layer chromatography and densitometryBIOMEDICAL CHROMATOGRAPHY, Issue 8 2004Jan Krzek Abstract Research studies have been carried out to develop a chromatographic and densitometric method suitable for identi,cation and determination of tramadol and impurities. In addition, the stability of tramadol in solutions was investigated, including an effect of solution pH, temperature and incubation time. In the ,rst instance the conditions for identi,cation and quantitative determination of tramadol and impurities in pharmaceutical preparations were established. The separation was performed on silica gel-coated chromatographic plates (HPTLC) using two mobile phases: (I) chloroform,methanol,glacial acetic acid (9:2:0.1, v/v/v); (II) chloroform,toluene,ethanol (9:8:1, v/v/v). The UV densitometry was carried out at , = 270 nm. The developed method is of high sensitivity and low detection and determination limits ranging from 0.044 to 0.35 µg. For individual constituents the recovery ranges from 93.23 to 99.66%. The next step was to evaluate the stability of tramadol and determine a method of decomposition under various experimental conditions. It was found that tramadol decomposes in various ways in acidic and basic environments producing (1RS)-[2-(3-methoxyphenyl)cyclohex-2-enyl]- N,N -dimethylmethanamine (imp. B) and (1RS, 2RS)-2-[(dimethylamino)methyl]-1-(3-methoxyphenyl)cyclohexanol (imp. cis -T) or imp. cis -T, respectively. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] In vitro,in vivo correlations for drugs eliminated by glucuronidation: Investigations with the model substrate zidovudineBRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 5 2002Sam Boase Aims, To investigate the effects of incubation conditions on the kinetic constants for zidovudine (AZT) glucuronidation by human liver microsomes, and whether microsomal intrinsic clearance (CLint) derived for the various conditions predicted hepatic AZT clearance by glucuronidation (CLH) in vivo. Methods, The effects of incubation constituents, particularly buffer type (phosphate, Tris) and activators (Brij58, alamethacin, UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-NAcG)), on the kinetics of AZT glucuronidation by human liver microsomes was investigated. AZT glucuronide (AZTG) formation by microsomal incubations was quantified by h.p.l.c. Microsomal CLint values determined for the various experimental conditions were extrapolated to a whole organ CLint and these data were used to calculate in vivo CLH using the well-stirred, parallel tube and dispersion models. Results, Mean CLint values for Brij58 activated microsomes in both phosphate (3.66 ± 1.40 µl min,1 mg,1, 95% CI 1.92, 5.39) and Tris (3.79 ± 0.74 µl min,1 mg,1, 95% CI 2.87, 4.71) buffers were higher (P < 0.05) than the respective values for native microsomes (1.04 ± 0.42, 95% CI 0.53, 1.56 and 1.37 ± 0.30 µl min,1 mg,1, 95% CI 1.00, 1.73). Extrapolation of the microsomal data to a whole organ CLint and substitution of these values in the expressions for the well-stirred, parallel tube and dispersion models underestimated the known in vivo blood AZT clearance by glucuronidation by 6.5- to 23-fold (3.61,12.71 l h,1vs 82 l h,1). There was no significant difference in the CLH predicted by each of the models for each set of conditions. A wide range of incubation constituents and conditions were subsequently investigated to assess their effects on GAZT formation, including alamethacin, UDP-NAcG, MgCl2, d -saccharic acid 1,4-lactone, ATP, GTP, and buffer pH and ionic strength. Of these, only decreasing the phosphate buffer concentration from 0.1 m to 0.02 m for Brij58 activated microsomes substantially increased the rate of GAZT formation, but the extrapolated CLH determined for this condition still underestimated known AZT glucuronidation clearance by more than 4-fold. AZT was shown not to bind nonspecifically to microsomes. Analysis of published data for other glucuronidated drugs confirmed a trend for microsomal CLint to underestimate in vivo CLH. Conclusions, AZT glucuronidation kinetics by human liver microsomes are markedly dependent on incubation conditions, and there is a need for interlaboratory standardization. Extrapolation of in vitro CLint underestimates in vivo hepatic clearance of drugs eliminated by glucuronidation. [source] | |||||||||||||