Microencapsulation of DNA Within alginate microspheres and crosslinked chitosan membranes for in vivo application

Calf thymus DNA was microencapsulated within crosslinked chitosan membranes, or immobilized within chitosan-coated alginate microspheres. Microcapsules were prepared by interfacial polymerization of chitosan, and alginate microspheres formed by emulsification/ internal gelation. Diameters ranged from 20 to 500 Μm, depending on the formulation conditions. Encapsulated DNA was quantifiedin situ by direct spectrophotometry (260 nm) and ethidium bromide fluorimetry, and compared to DNA measurements on the fractions following disruption and dissolution of the microspheres. Approximately 84% of the DNA was released upon core dissolution and membrane disruption, with 12% membrane bound. The yield of encapsulation was 96%. Leakage of DNA from intact microspheres/capsules was not observed. DNA microcapsules and microspheres were recovered intact from rat feces following gavage and gastrointestinal transit. Higher recoveries (60%) and reduced shrinkage during transit were obtained with the alginate microspheres. DNA was recovered and purified from the microcapsules and microspheres by chromatography and differential precipitation with ethanol. This is the first report of microcapsules or microspheres containing biologically active material (DNA) being passed through the gastrointestinal tract, with the potential for substantial recovery.     

Morphological Transition of Schooling in 19th-Century France

The transformation over time of level sets—the sets of states for which a given function takes a given value—has no reason to be regular, especially in social science, where the structure of these level sets of a given variable may be altered by a fluctuating demography or disrupted by unexpected events, and where the actors contribute to shaping their space through investment policies. The pioneering construction of graphic derivatives of set-valued maps renews the understanding of dynamic level sets in social science. The exemplary case of schooling in 19th-century France shows the set derivatives of level sets and illustrates how the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871 disturbed the directions taken in 1867. A comparison of the observed changes of level sets with those observed under rational theoretical policies leads to the conclusion that the actors behaved with the ambition of optimizing the overall schooling incidence while reducing the gap between boys and girls.     

Single source molecular precursor routes to lead chalcogenides

The use of single-source molecular precursors for lead chalcogenide thin films by CVD or as nanoparticles by solution methods is reviewed. The potential applications of these materials in solar energy are discussed along with the relative advantages of the various methods.     

中西医结合治愈脊髓蛛网膜炎1例

用中西医结合治疗脊髓蛛网膜炎1例,取得满意效果,并总结了治疗体会。