Minoxidil–2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes: characterization and in vivo evaluation of an aqueous solution for hair growth in rats

Minoxidil dissolved in organic solvents is commonly used in the treatment of androgenic alopecia because it is hydrophobic and poorly soluble in water. The aim of this investigation was to develop an aqueous minoxidil solution without addition of organic solvents. To this end, minoxidil was encapsulated in 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) to form a minoxidil–HP-β-CD inclusion complex with aqueous solubility higher than that of pure minoxidil. Minoxidil–HP-β-CD inclusion complexes were prepared using a freeze-drying method from minoxidil and HP-β-CD at a molar ratio of 1:1. Complex formation was confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance, thermogravimetric analysis, and thin layer chromatography. The structure of the complex was determined using two-dimensional rotating frame overhauser effect spectroscopy. Minoxidil–HP-β-CD inclusion complexes were dissolved in water to form a homogeneous aqueous solution, and its effect on the hair cycle of mice was evaluated in vivo. The results support the feasibility of using HP-β-CD to prepare an aqueous minoxidil solution to replace organic solvent-based solutions.     

Can quarks always be confined by a linear potential?

It is demonstrated on the basis of the Dirac equation that quarks cannot be confined by a vector gluon potential of the form(r/r ₀)^a or[ln(r/r ₀]^a, a>0, if the quark-gluon interaction conserves parity. In order to confine quarks with the parity-conserving interaction, the effective gluon potential must be a pseudovector or a scalar. These are shown in a simple Yang-Mills field with theSU(2) group.     

Classroom Assessment: Teachers’ Conceptions and Practices in Mathematics

The purpose of this study was to explore teachers’ conceptions about assessment and their actual assessment practices. The sample for the study consisted of 269 mathematics teachers in Grades 1 through 4 in a southeastern state. The teachers completed a cross-sectional, Likert-scale survey. Using chi-square to examine the relationships between grade level and teachers’ conceptions and between grade level and teachers’ practices, the researchers found several significant differences, transcending an indication of relationship by chance.     

Measurements of crack growth in a solid at elevated temperature by holographic interferometry

Real-time holographic interferometry was used to follow the crack-opening displacement (COD) of a compact tension specimen of zirconium 2.5-percent niobium subjected to a constant tensile load at 120°C for a period of 860 h. This was made possible by a dimensionally stable invar plate placed beside the specimen as the reference for the alignment of holograms. A finite-element elasto-plastic stress-analysis code and measurements on a duplicate specimen with a clip gage were used to correlate the measured COD and the corresponding crack growth.     

Preparation of MgCo2O4/graphite composites as cathode materials for magnesium-ion batteries

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Magnesium-ion batteries are fabricated with MgCo2O4/graphite composites as the cathode material. MgCo2O4 nanoparticles are prepared using a...     

Digital particle image accelerometry

A high-resolution video-based technique for obtaining two-dimensional fluid acceleration field data has been developed. The algorithm uses a combination of cross-correlations and autocorrelations on doubly exposed images of particle-seeded flows. Autocorrelations of individual video frames in an image pair yield two instantaneous velocity fields from which accelerations can be computed. Cross-correlations between successive images in the pair are used to resolve directional ambiguity associated with the autocorrelation. Time intervals are made arbitrarily small through the use of a laser sheet generator circuit which is synchronized with the framing rate of the camera. The technique is validated using a fluid-filled Petri dish subject to a known periodic motion. Ongoing development, uncertainties, and limitations of the technique are discussed. Received: 22 October 1998/Accepted: 27 September 2000     

Rapid screening assay of trimethylaminuria in urine with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Trimethyamine (TMA) and trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) are the most important urine parameters for diagnosing and monitoring trimethylaminuria. A rapid, simple, and specific method based on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) was developed to determine the presence of TMA and TMAO in urine samples from patients with trimethylaminuria. Formation of the quaternary tetramethylamino iodide by derivatization of TMA with methyl iodide allows measurement of TMA by MALDI-TOFMS. The method is repeatable and reproducible, with coefficients of variance (CVs)<3%. This new method was used for direct determination of TMA and TMAO in urine specimens obtained from normal children and patients. The proposed method allows for rapid and reliable measurements of TMA and TMAO in urine specimens from patients affected by trimethylaminuria.     

Investigation of optical fibers for coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) spectroscopy in reacting flows

The objective of this work is to investigate the feasibility of intense laser-beam propagation through optical fibers for temperature and species concentration measurements in gas-phase reacting flows using coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) spectroscopy. In particular, damage thresholds of fibers, nonlinear effects during beam propagation, and beam quality at the output of the fibers are studied for the propagation of nanosecond (ns) and picosecond (ps) laser beams. It is observed that ps pulses are better suited for fiber-based nonlinear optical spectroscopic techniques, which generally depend on laser irradiance rather than fluence. A ps fiber-coupled CARS system using multimode step-index fibers is developed. Temperature measurements using this system are demonstrated in an atmospheric pressure, near-adiabatic laboratory flame. Proof-of-concept measurements show significant promise for fiber-based CARS spectroscopy in harsh combustion environments. Furthermore, since ps-CARS spectroscopy allows the suppression of non-resonant background, this technique could be utilized for improving the sensitivity and accuracy of CARS thermometry in high-pressure hydrocarbon-fueled combustors.