A polysaccharide extracted from sphagnum moss as antifungal agent in archaeological conservation

On the basis of the well-known preservative properties of Sphagnum moss, a potential opportunity to use moss polysaccharides (Sphagnan) in art conservation was tested. Polysaccharides were extracted from the moss (S. palustre spp.) in the amount of 4.1% of the Sphagnum plant dry weight. All lignocelluloses were removed from this extract as a result of the treatment of the moss cellulose with sodium chlorite. The extracted polysaccharide possessed a strong acidic reaction (pH 2.8) and was soluble in water and organic solvents. The extract was tested on laboratory bacterial cultures by the disk-diffusion method. The antibacterial effect was demonstrated for E. coli and P. aeruginosa (both gram-negative) while Staphylococcus aurelus (gram-positive) was shown to be insensitive to Sphagnum polysaccharides. The antifungal effect of Sphagnum extract was tested by the disk-diffusion method on the spores of seventeen fungal species. These fungi were isolated from ethnographic museum objects and from archaeological objects excavated in the Arctic. Twelve of these isolates appeared susceptible to the extract. The inhibiting effect of the extract was also tested by the modified broth-dilution method on the most typical isolate (Aspergillus spp.). In this experiment, in one ml of the nutritious broth, 40µl of 3% solution of polysaccharides in water killed 10,000 fungal spores in 6 hours. The inhibiting effect was not connected to the acidity or osmotic effect of Sphagnum polysaccharides. As an example of the application of Sphagnum polysaccharides in art conservation, they were added as preservative agents to conservation waxes. After three weeks of exposure of microcrystalline wax to test fungi (Aspergillus spp.), 44% of wax was consumed. When, however, ~ 0.1% (w/w) of Sphagnum extract was mixed with wax, the weight loss of wax was only 4% in the same time interval. On the basis of this study it was concluded that Sphagnum moss and Sphagnum products can be recommended for use in art conservation as antifungal agents.

The Agent-Rule-Class Framework for Multi-Agent Systems

Multi-agent systems have become increasingly mature, but their appearance does not make the traditional OO approach obsolete. On the contrary, OO methodologies can benefit from the principles and tools designed for agent systems. The Agent-Rule-Class (ARC) framework is proposed as an approach that builds agents upon traditional OO system components and makes use of business rules to dictate agent behaviour with the aid of OO components. By modelling agent knowledge in business rules, the proposed paradigm provides a straightforward means to develop agent-oriented systems based on the existing object-oriented systems and offers features that are otherwise difficult to achieve in the original OO systems. The main outcome of using ARC is the achievement of adaptivity. The framework is supported by a tool that ensures agents implement up-to-date requirements from business people, reflecting desired current behaviour, without the need for frequent system rebuilds. ARC is illustrated with a rail track example.

A flexible bandwidth resource provisioning system with agent-enhanced SLA negotiation

Paper describes an effcicient approach for provisioning of network resources based on SLAs and a range of negotiating agents. The work arose from direct collboration with Fujitsu research and invlolved a worldwide press reslease of their agent brokering system which was based on this; also, a plenary address: A.Marshall (QUB) & A.Campbell (Columbia, USA) at 4th IFIP/IEEE International conference on Management of Multimedia Networks and Services' 2001 (MMNS'01). ISSN: 0926-6801

Org 25969 (sugammadex), a selective relaxant binding agent for antagonism of prolonged rocuronium-induced neuromuscular block

Background. Org 25969 is a cyclodextrin compound designed to reverse a rocuronium-induced neuromuscular block. The aim of this study was to explore the efficacy, dose-response relation and safety of Org 25969 for reversal of a prolonged rocuronium-induced neuromuscular block. Methods. Thirty anaesthetised adult patients received rocuronium 0.6mg kg as an initial dose followed by increments to maintain a deep block at level of