Absorption of sound at a surface exposed to flow and temperature gradients

In noise abatement using porous or fibrous materials, accurate determination of the surface impedance representing the absorber is decisive for simulation quality. The presence of grazing flow and non-homogeneous ambient temperature influence the reaction of the absorber and may suitably be included in a modified “effective” surface impedance. In this paper, this approach is applied to a generic case representative for the engine bay of a heavy truck, where porous shields suppress the radiated noise, e.g. during a pass-by noise test. The change in the absorption is determined numerically by solving the wave propagation through a layer of varying temperature and flow adjacent to the impedance surface for different angles of incidence. The study shows significant impact of both flow and temperature, especially for materials with low absorption. The diffuse field absorption coefficient is also derived and although the effect is less pronounced in this case, it is still important in lower frequencies and in the frequency range typical for IC engine noise. The proposed numerical method is shown to be accurate and efficient for determination of the effective impedance and moreover not limited to thin boundary layers.     

Mapping of the habenulo-interpeduncular pathway in living mice using manganese-enhanced 3D MRI

This magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study describes mapping of the habenulo-interpeduncular pathway in living mice based on manganese-induced contrast. Six hours after intracerebroventricular microinjection of MnCl2, T1-weighted 3D MRI (2.35 T) at 117 mum isotropic resolution revealed a continuous pattern of anterograde labeling from the habenula via the fasciculus retroflexus to the interpeduncular nucleus. Alternatively, the less invasive systemic administration of MnCl2 allowed for monitoring of the dynamic uptake pattern of respective neural components with even higher reproducibility across animals. Time courses covered the range from 42 min to 24 h after injection. In conclusion, manganese-enhanced MRI may open new ways for functional assessments of the habenulo-interpeduncular system in animal models with cognitive impairment.     

A new pyrrolizidine alkaloid from Senecio Latifolius DC

The structure of a new pyrrolizidine alkaloid, merenskine N-oxide [1], was determined by spectroscopic methods which included NMR SPI experiments to indicate the mode of esterification.     

Growth of hydroxyapatite nanocrystals on polymer particle surface

In the present paper, we describe the preparation of hybrid particles consisting of polymeric core with deposited hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanocrystals. Polystyrene submicron particles modified by β-diketone groups have been used as templates for the growth of HAp. Hybrid particles with HAp nanocrystal content between 7 and 50 wt% have been prepared. Microscopy studies indicate that hybrid particles exhibit “raspberry” morphology, and HAp nanoparticles are not homogeneously distributed on the polymer particle surface. The increase in the HAp content on the polymer particle surface reduces the colloidal stability of the hybrid particles because of the vanishing of the surface charge.     

Evidence for neuroprotective properties of human umbilical cord blood cells after neuronal hypoxia <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis>

Background  

One of the most promising options for treatment of stroke using adult stem cells are human umbilical cord blood (HUCB) cells that were already approved for therapeutic efficacy in vivo. However, complexity of animal models has thus far limited the understanding of beneficial cellular mechanisms. To address the influence of HUCB cells on neuronal tissue after stroke we established and employed a human in vitro model of neuronal hypoxia using fully differentiated vulnerable SH-SY5Y cells. These cells were incubated under an oxygen-reduced atmosphere (O₂< 1%) for 48 hours. Subsequently, HUCB mononuclear cells (MNC) were added to post-hypoxic neuronal cultures. These cultures were characterized regarding to the development of apoptosis and necrosis over three days. Based on this we investigated the therapeutic influence of HUCB MNC on the progression of apoptotic cell death. The impact of HUCB cells and hypoxia on secretion of neuroprotective and inflammatory cytokines, chemokines and expression of adhesion molecules was proved.