Response of Kidney Tissue to Dynamical Loading

In shock-wave lithotripsy – a medical procedure to fragment kidney stones – the patient is subjected to hypersonic waves focused at the kidney stone. Although this procedure is widely applied, the physics behind this medical treatment, in particular the question of how the injuries of the surrounding kidney tissue arise, is still under investigation. Here we contribute to the solution of this problem with large scale numerical simulations of a human kidney under shock-wave loading. For this purpose we developed a complex constitutive model of the bio-mechanical kidney system. Assuming a multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient and adopting an internal variable formulation for the inelastic deformation the model is able to handle large deformations, time-effects, rate-sensitivity and material damage. By finite element simulations we study the shock-wave propagation into the kidney tissue and analyze the resulting stress states. Unknown material parameters are adapted and special attention is paid on the bubble expansion within the soft tissue. The numerical simulations predict localized damage in the human kidney within the focal region of the shock waves. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Dissection of melanogenesis with small molecules identifies prohibitin as a regulator

Bioactive compounds can be used to selectively modulate gene function. We utilized a chemical genetic approach to dissect the mammalian pigmentation pathway and identify protein regulators. We screened a tagged library of 1170 small molecules in a cell-based assay and discovered a class of pigment-enhancing chemicals. From this class we characterized the small molecule melanogenin. Using melanogenin bound to an affinity matrix and amino acid sequencing, we identified the mitochondrial protein, prohibitin, as an intracellular binding target. Studies employing siRNA demonstrate that prohibitin is required for melanogenin to exert its propigmentary effects and reveal an unsuspected functional role for this protein in melanin induction. This represents a mechanism by which propigmentary signals are transduced and ultimately provides a potential target for the treatment of pigmentary disorders.     

Effect of alkyl chain length and size of the headgroups of the surfactant on solvent and rotational relaxation of Coumarin 480 in micelles and mixed micelles

The effect of alkyl chain length and size of the headgroups of the surfactant on the solvation dynamics and rotational relaxation of Coumarin 480 (C-480) has been investigated using dynamic Stokes' shift of C-480 in different types of alkyltrimethylammonium bromide micelles and mixed micelles. The rotational relaxation time increases with increase in alkyl chain length of the surfactant. The increase in the number of alkyl chains of the surfactant leads to the more close packed micelles, hence the microviscosity of the micelles increases and consequently rotational relaxation time increases. Solvation time also increases due to the increase in number of alkyl chains of the surfactant. The change in solvation and rotational relaxation time is more prominent in micelles compared to mixed micelles. The solvation and rotational relaxation time also increase with the increase in size of the headgroup of the surfactant.     

Computational capacity of the universe

All physical systems register and process information. The laws of physics determine the amount of information that a physical system can register (number of bits) and the number of elementary logic operations that a system can perform (number of ops). The Universe is a physical system. The amount of information that the Universe can register and the number of elementary operations that it can have performed over its history are calculated. The Universe can have performed 10(120) ops on 10(90) bits ( 10(120) bits including gravitational degrees of freedom).     

Subfemtosecond timing jitter between two independent, actively synchronized, mode-locked lasers

With the implementation of a fast-bandwidth servo, along with improved laser construction and associated better passive stability, we have achieved subfemtosecond relative timing jitter between two independent, actively synchronized, mode-locked Ti:sapphire lasers. Timing jitter of 0.58 fs is obtained with a 160-Hz observation bandwidth over several seconds. Within a 2-MHz observation bandwidth, the timing jitter is 1.75 fs. Excellent repeatability and rapid speed in setting an arbitrary time delay between two pulses are also demonstrated.     

PROTECTION AGAINST DIHEMATOPORPHYRIN ETHER PHOTOSENSITIVITY

Abstract Amelioration of dihematoporphyrin ether (DHE) induced skin photosensitivity by medications either suspected or known to influence porphyrin metabolism or inflammatory response was evaluated in 357 female athymic NCR-nude mice (308 study animals, 49 controls) in 56 separate study groups. Seventy-two hours after injection with 25 mg/kg of DHE, the study animals'abdomens were irradiated with 4.125-4.25 J/cm² of visible light. Controls were irradiated after receiving either medication, solubilizing agent, or no injection. The abdominal surface burns were examined daily and graded as extensive, partial, or no burn. Statistical comparison was made between irradiated mice injected with DHE only and irradiated mice injected with DHE and medication. Injection of medications which influenced metabolism (hydroxychloroquine, hydrochlorothiazide) produced fewer extensive ( P < 0.01) but greater frequencies of partial burns than DHE controls. Medications which block histamine effect (cimetidine and/or hydroxyzine) resulted in fewer extensive ( P < 0.03) and roughly equal frequencies of partial burns compared with DHE controls. Steroids (dexamethasone, methylpred-nisolone, triamcinolone) which interfere with inflammatory response resulted in similar extensive and partial burn levels. Control animals receiving only medication, solubilizing agent, or no injection had no photosensitivity and consequently showed no burns. The results from this study suggest that inhibition of histamine effect and, to a lesser extent, increased activity of porphyrin catabolic pathways may decrease skin photosensitivity associated with DHE administration.     

An XPS and UPS investigation of the adsorption of ethylene on the (111) surface of silver

Monolayer adsorption of pure ethylene on the (111) surface of saver at 80 K has been studied by X-ray (hv = 1486.6 eV) and ultraviolet (hv = 21.2 and 40.8 eV) photoelectron spectroscopy. The density of the adlayer is approximately 5 × 10¹⁴ molecules/cm² at saturation, multilayer formation being prohibited by the ultrahigh vacuum of the spectrometer. The molecular orbitals designated σ¹_CH, σ_CC, σ_CH and 2ss¹ by Demuth are observed at 7.0, 9.0, 10.3 and 13.6 eV below the Fermi level, respectively, but the higher lying π level is obscured by the silver d-band emission. The data are consistent with an undistorted molecule, adsorbed with the molecular axis parallel to the surface. Desorption occurs below 200 K without significant decomposition products remaining on the surface in agreement with the conventional notion that clean silver is relatively inert with respect to olefin adsorption.     

7-iodo 8-hydroxy quinoline 5-sulphonic acid (Ferron) as a colloidal electrolyte

Summary Electrical conductance studies have been performed to investigate the nature of aqueous solutions of 7-iodo 8-hydroxy quinoline 5-sulphonic acid (Ferron). The reagent has been found to behave as a colloidal electrolyte and does not obeyBeer's law in concentrated solutions. The curve between the square root of concentration and equivalent conductance is not linear and resembles those of colloidal electrolytes. The temperature of zero conductance has also been determined to be –32 C. The temperature coefficient per degree centrigrade per 100 of the conductance at 35 C ranges between 1.56 and 1.72.

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Zusammenfassung Elektrische Leitfähigkeitsuntersuchungen wurden an wä\rigen Lösungen von Ferron (7-Jod-8-hydroxyquinolin-5-sulfonsäure) durchgefÜhrt, um die Natur dieser Lösungen aufzuklären. Das Reagenz benimmt sich wie ein kolloider Elektrolyt und folgt nicht demBeerschen Gesetz in konzentrierten Lösungen. Der Zusammenhang zwischen Leitfähigkeit und Quadratwurzel aus Konzentration ist nicht linear und ähnelt dem kolloider Elektrolyte. Die Temperatur der Leifähigkeit 0 liegt bei –32 C. Der Temperaturkoeffizient in Prozenten der Leitfähigkeit bei 35 C liegt zwischen 1,56 und 1,72.