Modification of the Fractionated γ-Radiation-Induced Alteration in the Na+/K+-ATPase Activity of Radiosensitive Tissues by Vitamin A

The effect of pre or post-administration of vitamin A in ameliorating the radiation-induced alteration in intestinal and spleen Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase activity of rats was determined. Rats subjected to multifractionated γ-radiation (20 × 0.5 Gy) over the whole-body showed a significant reduction in Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase activity being more obvious in spleen than in intestine. Administration of vitamin A at a daily i. p. dose of 15,000 IU/kg bd. wt. for 7 days prior to fractionated γ-irradiation and thereafter twice weekly throughout the exposure period (as pretreatment regimen) or following the end of irradiation for 7 days (as posttreament regimen) afforded a significant protection from radiation-induced inhibition of spleen and intestinal Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase activity. Even though, pretreatment regimen is more efficient against radiation injury to this enzyme than posttreatment, so that its activity was nearly normalized in the first regimen. The regeneration of normal enzyme activity in the tissues of the vitamin A-pretreated group suggests that the intestinal and spleen epithelia in presence of vitamin A are rendered relatively radioresistant.     

Setup for fission and evaporation cross-section measurements in reactions induced by secondary beams

A setup for studying reactions induced by secondary radioactive beams has been constructed. It allows simultaneous measurement of α-particle and fission fragment energy spectra. By measuring the α particles, identification of evaporation residues is achieved. A set of three targets can be used so as to ensure sufficient statistics. Two silicon detectors, located at 90° to the secondary beam direction, face each target, thus covering 30% of the solid angle. This experimental setup is to be used to obtain excitation functions of fusion-fission reactions and of reactions leading to evaporation residue production.     

Difference operators,Green's matrix,sampling theory and applications in signal processing

This paper introduces sampling representations for discrete signals arising from self adjoint difference operators with mixed boundary conditions. The theory of linear operators on finite-dimensional inner product spaces is employed to study the second-order difference operators. We give necessary and sufficient conditions that make the operators self adjoint. The equivalence between the difference operator and a Hermitian Green's matrix is established. Sampling theorems are derived for discrete transforms associated with the difference operator. The results are exhibited via illustrative examples, involving sampling representations for the discrete Hartley transform. Families of discrete fractional Fourier-type transforms are introduced with an application to image encryption.     

New Spectrofluorimetric Method for Determination of Cephalosporins in Pharmaceutical Formulations

Simple, accurate and sensitive spectrofluorimetric method has been proposed for the determination of three cephalosporins, namely; cefixime (cefi), cephalexine (ceph), cefotaxime sodium (cefo) in pharmaceutical formulations. The method is based on a reaction between cephalosporins with 1, 2-naphthoquinone-4-sulfonic (NQS) in alkaline medium, at pH values of 12.0 for cefi and 13.0 for ceph and cefo to give highly fluorescent derivatives extracted with chloroform and subsequently measured at 600,580 and 580 nm after excitation at 520,455 and 490 nm for cefi, ceph and cefo respectively. The optimum experimental conditions have been studied. Beer’s law is obeyed over the concentrations of 10–35 ng/mL, 10–60 ng/mL and 20–45 ng/mL for cefi,ceph and cefo, respectively. The detection limits were 2.02 ng/mL, 2.09 ng/mL and 2.30 ng/mL for cefi, ceph and cefo, respectively, with a linear regression correlation coefficient of 0.9987, 0.9995 and 0.9991 and recoveries in range from 98.5-107.04, 95.17-101.00 and 95.00-109.55% for cefi, ceph and cefo, respectively. This method is simple and can be applied for the determination of cefi, ceph and cefo in pharmaceutical formulations in quality control laboratories.     

Mesenchymal Stem Cells: a Promising Therapeutic Tool for Acute Kidney Injury

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a rapid loss of renal function. It has high mortality rates. Still, renal replacement therapy is considered the best solution...     

The Kinetics of Tenoxicam Photodegradation in Solution

Photodegradation of tenoxicam was investigated under different reaction conditions. After 60 min of exposure to UV light, the photodegradation was extensive, and the maximum and minimum in the UV-visible spectrum were shifted to shorter and longer wavelengths, respectively. Ethanol exerted a photostabilizing effect on tenoxicam. Tenoxicam is more stable in acidic and basic media than in neutral solution. Increasing light intensity or temperature causes an increase in the rate of photodegradation. The photodegradation of tenoxicam was found to follow first-order kinetics under all these conditions.     

Structural,theoretical and multinuclear NMR study of mercury(II) complexes of phosphorus ylides: Mono and binuclear complexes

Reaction of phosphorus ylide Ph₃PCHC(O)C₆H₄Cl (Y₁) with HgX₂ (X = Cl, Br and I) and ylide (p-tolyl)₃PCHC(O)CH₃ (Y₂) with HgI₂ in equimolar ratios using methanol as solvent leads to binuclear products. The bridge-splitting reaction of binuclear complex [(Y₁) · HgCl₂]₂ by DMSO yields a mononuclear complex containing DMSO as ligand. O-coordination of DMSO is revealed by single crystal X-ray analysis in mononuclear complex of [(Y₁) · HgCl₂ · DMSO]. C-coordination of ylides is confirmed by X-ray structure of binuclear complex [(Y₂) · HgI₂]₂. Characterization of the obtained compounds was also performed by elemental analysis, IR, ¹H, ³¹P, and ¹³C NMR. Theoretical studies on mercury(II) complexes of Y₁ show that formation of mononuclear complexes in DMSO solution in which DMSO acts as a ligand, energetically is more favorable than that of binuclear complexes.     

Utilization of maltodextrin based enantioselective, potentiometric membrane electrodes for the enantioselective assay of S-perindopril

Enantioselective, potentiometric membrane electrodes (EPMEs) based on carbon paste impregnated with different maltodextrins {dextrose equivalent (DE) 4.0-7.0 (I), 13.0-17.0 (II) and 16.5-19.5 (III)} as chiral selectors for the assay of S-perindopril is described. The proposed electrodes could be reliably employed in the assay of S-perindopril raw material and from its pharmaceutical formulation, Coversyl^® tablets. The electrode based on maltodextrin (I) showed the best enantioselectivity and time-stability. The surfaces of the electrodes are easily renewable by simply polishing on an alumina paper.