Appreciable Effect (appreciable + effect)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Modulation of P-glycoprotein-mediated multidrug resistance by acceleration of passive drug permeation across the plasma membrane

FEBS JOURNAL, Issue 23 2007
Ronit Regev
The drug concentration inside multidrug-resistant cells is the outcome of competition between the active export of drugs by drug efflux pumps, such as P-glycoprotein (Pgp), and the passive permeation of drugs across the plasma membrane. Thus, reversal of multidrug resistance (MDR) can occur either by inhibition of the efflux pumps or by acceleration of the drug permeation. Among the hundreds of established modulators of Pgp-mediated MDR, there are numerous surface-active agents potentially capable of accelerating drug transbilayer movement. The aim of the present study was to determine whether these agents modulate MDR by interfering with the active efflux of drugs or by allowing for accelerated passive permeation across the plasma membrane. Whereas Pluronic P85, Tween-20, Triton X-100 and Cremophor EL modulated MDR by inhibition of Pgp-mediated efflux, with no appreciable effect on transbilayer movement of drugs, the anesthetics chloroform, benzyl alcohol, diethyl ether and propofol modulated MDR by accelerating transbilayer movement of drugs, with no concomitant inhibition of Pgp-mediated efflux. At higher concentrations than those required for modulation, the anesthetics accelerated the passive permeation to such an extent that it was not possible to estimate Pgp activity. The capacity of the surface-active agents to accelerate passive drug transbilayer movement was not correlated with their fluidizing characteristics, measured as fluorescence anisotropy of 1-(4-trimethylammonium)-6-phenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene. This compound is located among the headgroups of the phospholipids and does not reflect the fluidity in the lipid core of the membranes where the limiting step of drug permeation, namely drug flip-flop, occurs. [source]


Simulating sedimentation of liquid drops

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 14 2004
M. Adekojo Waheed
Abstract This work was carried out to investigate the effect of fluid properties on the flow pattern and on the sedimentation velocity of an axisymmetric steady flow of a Newtonian fluid past a liquid drop in an unbounded region. The governing equations of motion were solved by the finite element method. The results show that the flow pattern of a liquid drop depends strongly both on the Reynolds number and on the ratio of the viscosity between the drop and the surrounding flowing fluids. The viscosity ratio in the range 0.02<,*<50 has appreciable effect on the drag coefficient. Finally, a correlation for the sedimentation velocity is presented. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN RETRACTED Effect of Silica Sol on the Properties of Alumina-Based Duplex Ceramic Cores

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED CERAMIC TECHNOLOGY, Issue 1 2008
Yexia Qin
A series of alumina-based ceramic cores sintered at 1300°C, 1400°C, and 1500°C for 5 h were prepared, and the phases and microstructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The effect of colloidal silica sols on the properties of ceramic core was discussed. The properties of these materials were determined. The results indicated that the microstructure of the core is characterized by the presence of substantially unreacted Al2O3 particles having a polycrystalline composition consisting essentially of in situ synthesized 3Al2O3·2SiO2 on the surface of the Al2O3 particles. The colloidal silica sol contents do not have an appreciable effect on the densification and shrinkage of the alumina ceramic core. The ceramic cores of 5 wt% colloidal silica sol contents sintered at 1500°C for 5 h showed the smallest creep deformation in the present research. [source]


A comparative adsorption study of copper on various industrial solid wastes

AICHE JOURNAL, Issue 10 2004
Archana Agrawal
Abstract The adsorption behavior of Cu on three solid waste materials,sea nodule residue (SNR), fly ash (FA), and red mud (RM),was investigated. The effects of various parameters, such as pH of the feed solution, contact time, temperature, adsorbate and adsorbent concentration, and particle size of the adsorbent, were studied for optimization of the process parameters. Adsorption of copper increased with increasing time, temperature, pH, and adsorbate concentration, and decreased with increasing initial copper concentration. The equilibrium data fit well with the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms in the case of SNR, but not on RM and FA, because there was no appreciable effect of temperature on the metal removal on these two adsorbents. The adsorption of copper on SNR followed first-order kinetics involving the surface complex formation mechanism on the charged surface. Under the optimized conditions the adsorption capacity for copper was found to be 19.65 mg/g of SNR, 1.98 mg/g of FA, and 2.28 mg/g of RM. Thus the adsorption capacity of SNR was found to be more than that of activated carbon, thus making it suitable for the treatment of industrial effluents to reduce the level of copper within the permissible limits for its land disposal (3 mg/L) according to ISI guidelines. © 2004 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J 50: 2430,2438, 2004 [source]


In vitro studies on antioxidant activity of lignans isolated from sesame cake extract

JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 10 2005
Kizhiyedathu Polachira Suja
Abstract The antioxidant activity of compounds isolated from a methanolic extract of commercial sesame cake was studied using a peroxidation model and a radical-scavenging method. Pure compounds were isolated from the extract by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and identified and confirmed as sesamol, sesamin, sesamolin, sesaminol diglucoside and sesaminol triglucoside by HPLC, infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. When the rate of inhibition of lipid peroxidation and the superoxide radical-scavenging power of the individual compounds were evaluated, the compounds showed antioxidant activity to different extents. The antioxidant activity of compounds by the ,-carotene-bleaching assay followed the order sesamol > sesamolin , sesamin > butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) > sesaminol triglucoside > sesaminol diglucoside. By the thiocyanate method the inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation shown by sesamol, sesamin, sesamolin, sesaminol triglucoside, sesaminol diglucoside and BHT at 200 mg l,1 was 77, 60, 69, 32, 25 and 49% respectively. A concentration,dependent superoxide,scavenging effect was also shown by these compounds. Sesamolin had an appreciable effect at 300 and 500 mg l,1, while the other compounds were more effective at 100 mg l,1. The study also established the occurrence of sesamol in the methanolic extract of defatted sesame cake for the first time. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry [source]


Structure of biological soil crust communities in Callitris glaucophylla woodlands of New South Wales, Australia

JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 3 2006
Wendy A. Thompson
Abstract: Question: What is the nature of the relationships between cover, diversity and abundance of biological soil crusts, cover and diversity of vascular plants, and annual rainfall, soil texture and forestry practices in Callitris glaucophylla woodlands? Location: Arid and semi-arid Callitris glaucophylla -domi-nated woodlands of eastern Australia. Methods: We documented soil crust-forming mosses, lichens and liverworts at 83 woodland sites along a gradient of declining rainfall. Linear and non-linear regression were used to examine relationships between soil crust species and attributes of vascular plant communities, and a similarity matrix (species abundance X sites) was subjected to Non-metric Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS), and Analysis of Similarities (ANOSIM) to show the degree of association between groups of taxa, and soil texture, rainfall classes and forestry practices. Results: We collected 86 taxa. Mosses were dominated by the family Pottiaceae, and lichens were dominated by squamulose forms. Average annual rainfall was highly correlated with soil crust community composition, and loamy soils supported a greater cover and diversity of taxa compared with sandy soils. Increases in tree cover were associated with significant, though weak, increases in abundance, but not diversity, of crusts. Crusts tended to be more diverse in areas that (1) had a sparse cover of ground-storey plants; (2) were relatively stable - as indicated by the proportion of perennial and/or native plants; (3) had more stable soil surfaces; and (4) were unlogged. Litter cover, overstorey thinning, and livestock grazing had no appreciable effect on crust diversity or cover. Conclusions: Callitris glaucophylla woodlands provide substantial habitat for soil crust organisms, and the dense tree cover and closed canopies of Callitris do not appear to have a major influence on the structure of biological crust communities. Unlike other woodland systems, relatively few patches would be required to reserve a high diversity of crust species. [source]


Suppression of neural activity of bronchial irritant receptors by surface-active phospholipid in comparison with topical drugs commonly prescribed for asthma

CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, Issue 9 2000
Hills
Background Much indirect evidence has been put forward previously in support of the concept that surface-active phospholipid (SAPL) normally masks irritant receptors in the lungs and upper respiratory tract; but this physical barrier is deficient in asthmatics, imparting hyperresponsiveness of the bronchoconstrictor reflex. Objective To determine whether exogenous SAPL applied to bronchial mucosa reduces the sensitivity of irritant receptors to a standard challenge used clinically to diagnose asthma and to compare the effects with those of corticosteroids and ,-stimulation. Methods Nerve fibres in the vagi were monitored to record action potentials from irritant receptors identified in the upper airways of rat lungs in response to a methacholine challenge. SAPL in the form of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylglycerol (PG) , 7 : 3 PC:PG , was applied as a fine dry powder to enhance surface activity and, hence, chemisorption to epithelium. Comparison was also made with clinical doses of i.v. hydrocortisone and instilled salbutamol together with liquid or solid controls, as appropriate. Results Neural activity of irritant receptors was found to be significantly (P = 0.0018) decreased by topical SAPL by 35.8% in response to a methacholine challenge in contrast to an increase of 11.2% in response to a solid (lactose) control. Instilled salbutamol and i.v. hydrocortisone also decreased responses to the same challenge by 43.4% and 14.7%, respectively, in contrast to a liquid (saline) control which increased by 24.5%. Conclusions Surface-active phospholipid has an appreciable effect upon irritant receptors in rat airways, reducing neural response to a methacholine challenge by an amount comparable to that of Salbutamol. These results support the concept of SAPL masking bronchial irritant receptors and warrant placebo-controlled clinical trials of this dry powder as a means of controlling asthma without the side-effects of current medication. Other possible roles discussed for the SAPL epithelial barrier include the exclusion of viruses and allergens. [source]