Effects of lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation on expression of growth-associated genes by corticospinal neurons

Background  

Inflammation around cell bodies of primary sensory neurons and retinal ganglion cells enhances expression of neuronal growth-associated genes and stimulates axonal regeneration. We have asked if inflammation would have similar effects on corticospinal neurons, which normally show little response to spinal cord injury. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was applied onto the pial surface of the motor cortex of adult rats with or without concomitant injury of the corticospinal tract at C4. Inflammation around corticospinal tract cell bodies in the motor cortex was assessed by immunohistochemistry for OX42 (a microglia and macrophage marker). Expression of growth-associated genes c-jun, ATF3, SCG10 and GAP-43 was investigated by immunohistochemistry or in situ hybridisation.     

The Fourier-series method for inverting transforms of probability distributions

This paper reviews the Fourier-series method for calculating cumulative distribution functions (cdf's) and probability mass functions (pmf's) by numerically inverting characteristic functions, Laplace transforms and generating functions. Some variants of the Fourier-series method are remarkably easy to use, requiring programs of less than fifty lines. The Fourier-series method can be interpreted as numerically integrating a standard inversion integral by means of the trapezoidal rule. The same formula is obtained by using the Fourier series of an associated periodic function constructed by aliasing; this explains the name of the method. This Fourier analysis applies to the inversion problem because the Fourier coefficients are just values of the transform. The mathematical centerpiece of the Fourier-series method is the Poisson summation formula, which identifies the discretization error associated with the trapezoidal rule and thus helps bound it. The greatest difficulty is approximately calculating the infinite series obtained from the inversion integral. Within this framework, lattice cdf's can be calculated from generating functions by finite sums without truncation. For other cdf's, an appropriate truncation of the infinite series can be determined from the transform based on estimates or bounds. For Laplace transforms, the numerical integration can be made to produce a nearly alternating series, so that the convergence can be accelerated by techniques such as Euler summation. Alternatively, the cdf can be perturbed slightly by convolution smoothing or windowing to produce a truncation error bound independent of the original cdf. Although error bounds can be determined, an effective approach is to use two different methods without elaborate error analysis. For this purpose, we also describe two methods for inverting Laplace transforms based on the Post-Widder inversion formula. The overall procedure is illustrated by several queueing examples.     

Enthalpimetric measurements in solid—solid reactions. VII. A study of the uranyl acetate—phenylurea system

The solid—solid interaction reactions between uranylacetate and phenylurea have been investigated by DSC. The associated ΔH values, apparent activation energy and apparent reaction order have been evaluated. The kinetic parameters suggest that the solid—solid interaction can be considered to be a chemically-controlled process.     

The Julia-Wolff-Carathéodory theorem in polydisks

The classical Julia-Wolff-Carathéodory theorem gives a condition ensuring the existence of the non-tangential limit of both a bounded holomorphic function and its derivative at a given boundary point of the unit disk in the complex plane. This theorem has been generalized by Rudin to holomorphic maps between unit balls inC ⁿ and by the author to holomorphic maps between strongly (pseudo)convex domains. Here we describe Julia-Wolff-Carathéodory theorems for holomorphic maps defined in a polydisk and with image either in the unit disk, or in another polydisk, or in a strongly convex domain. One of the main tools for the proof is a general version of the Lindelöf principle valid for not necessarily bounded holomorphic functions.     

Thermal behaviour of solid complexes of phenoxyalkanoic acids and divalent metals

Two solid copper(II) phenoxyacetates (anhydrous and dihydrate) were prepared and investigated by DSC and TG techniques. The results obtained indicated that the water molecules of the dihydrate compounds were weakly and differently bonded; also, both anhydrous and dihydrate compound decomposed with formation of CuO as final product, but by different steps. Some thermodynamic parameters associated with the observed thermal processes were evaluated and the results obtained were discussed and interpreted.     

Multivariate optimization of mercury determination by flow injection-cold vapor generation-inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

In this work a procedure for mercury determination by Flow Injection-Cold Vapor Generation-Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (FI-CVG-ICP OES) has been developed. The system uses a small homemade glass separator constructed to drive the Hg vapor to the plasma. An evolutionary operation factorial design was used to evaluate the optimal experimental conditions for mercury vapor generation, aiming at the low consumption of reagents, the improvement of the analytical signal and consequently greater sensitivity. The procedure allowed the determination of mercury and showed excellent linearity for the concentration range from 0.50 μg L(-1) to 100.0 μg L(-1), with Limits of Detection (LOD) and Quantification (LOQ) of 0.11 μg L(-1) and 0.36 μg L(-1), respectively, and a sampling rate of 36 analyses per hour. The optimized procedure showed good accuracy and precision, and the method was validated by the analysis of two certified reference materials: Buffalo River Sediment (NIST 2704) and human hair (IAEA 085). A good agreement with the certified values was achieved, with recovery values of 99% and 98% and relative standard deviation close to 2%.     

Hepta isobutyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (hib-POSS)

Six polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSSs) with general formula R₇ R′₁ (SiO_1.5)₈, where R- was an isobutyl group and R′- a variously substituted phenyl group, namely hepta isobutyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (hib-POSS), were prepared and their composition was checked by elemental analysis and ¹ H NMR spectroscopy. The degradation of compounds obtained was studied by simultaneous differential thermal analysis/thermogravimetry (DTA/TG) technique, in both inert (flowing nitrogen) and oxidative (static air atmosphere) environments, in order to draw useful information about their thermal stability. Experiments, performed in the 35–700 °C temperature range, showed different behaviour between the two used atmospheres. The formation of volatile compounds only, with an about complete mass loss, was observed under nitrogen, while a solid residue (≈40–50% in every case), due to the formation of SiO₂, as indicated by the FTIR spectra, was obtained in static air atmosphere. The results obtained were discussed and compared, and the classifications of resistance to thermal degradation in the studied environments were made. A comparison between the thermal stabilities of hib-POSSs and analogous cyclopentyl POSSs previously studied was also performed.