Biological responses of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to Sr-M-Si (M = Zn, Mg) silicate bioceramics

Strontium (Sr), Zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg), and silicon (Si) are reported to be essential trace elements for the growth and mineralization of bone. We speculated that the combination of these bioactive elements in bioceramics may be effective to regulate the osteogenic property of boneforming cells. In this study, two Sr-containing silicate bioceramics, Sr2ZnSi2O7 (SZS) and Sr2MgSi2O7 (SMS), were prepared. The biological response of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) to the two bioceramics (in the forms of powders and dense ceramic bulks) was systematically studied. In powder form, the effect of powder extracts on the viability and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of BMSCs was investigated. In ceramic disc form, both direct and indirect coculture of BMSCs with ceramic discs were used to investigate their biological response, including attachment, proliferation, ALP activity, and bone-related genes expression. Beta-tricalcium phosphate (b-TCP) and akermanite (Ca2MgSi2O7, CMS) were used as control materials. The results showed that the Sr, Zn, and Si (or Sr, Mg, and Si)-containing ionic products from SZS and SMS powders enhanced ALP activity of BMSCs, compared to those from b-TCP. Both SZS and SMS ceramic discs supported the growth of BMSCs, and most importantly, significantly enhanced the ALP activity and bone-related genes expression of BMSCs as compared to b-TCP. The results suggest that the specific combination of bioactive ions (Sr, Zn, Si, e.g.) in bioceramics is a viable way to improve the biological performance of biomaterials, and the form of materials and surface properties were nonnegligible factors to influence cell response.

Expanding horizons : scientific frontiers, legal regulation, and globalization

In the six decades since the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA by Watson and Crick in 1953, developments in genetic science have transformed our understanding of human health and disease. These developments, along with those in other areas such as computer science, biotechnology, and nanotechnology, have opened exciting new possibilities for the future. In addition, the increasing trend for technologies to converge and build upon each other potentially increases the pace of change, constantly expanding the boundaries of the scientific frontier. At the same time, however, scientific advances are often accompanied by public unease over the potential for unforeseen, negative outcomes. For governments, these issues present significant challenges for effective regulation. This Article analyzes the challenges associated with crafting laws for rapidly changing science and technology. It considers whether we need to regulate, how best to regulate for converging technologies, and how best to ensure the continued relevance of laws in the face of change.

Remote management technologies: Producer demonstration sites Roma region

Technology demonstration sites for remote water management for Roma region.

Solvation dynamics in monohydroxy alcohols: Agreement between theory and different experiments

Recently three different experimental studies on ultrafast solvation dynamics in monohydroxy straight-chain alcohols (C-1-C-4) have been carried out, with an aim to quantify the time constant (and the amplitude) of the ultrafast component. The results reported are, however, rather different from different experiments. In order to understand the reason for these differences, we have carried out a detailed theoretical study to investigate the time dependent progress of solvation of both an ionic and a dipolar solute probe in these alcohols. For methanol, the agreement between the theoretical predictions and the experimental results [Bingemann and Ernsting J. Chem. Phys. 1995, 102, 2691 and Horng et al. J: Phys, Chern, 1995, 99, 17311] is excellent. For ethanol, propanol, and butanol, we find no ultrafast component of the time constant of 70 fs or so. For these three liquids, the theoretical results are in almost complete agreement with the experimental results of Horng et al. For ethanol and propanol, the theoretical prediction for ionic solvation is not significantly different from that of dipolar solvation. Thus, the theory suggests that the experiments of Bingemann and Ernsting and those of Horng et al. studied essentially the polar solvation dynamics. The theoretical studies also suggest that the experimental investigations of Joo et al. which report a much faster and larger ultrafast component in the same series of solvents (J. Chem. Phys. 1996, 104, 6089) might have been more sensitive to the nonpolar part of solvation dynamics than the polar part. In addition, a discussion on the validity of the present theoretical approach is presented. In this theory the ultrafast component arises from almost frictionless inertial motion of the individual solvent molecules in the force field of its neighbors.

Synthesis and Properties of a Novel (Main-Chain)– (Side-Chain) Polymeric Peroxide

A novel (main-chain)-(side-chain) vinyl polyperoxide, poly(dipentene peroxide)(PDP), an alternating copolymer of dipentene (DP) and oxygen, has been synthesized by thermal oxidative polymerization of DP. The PDP was characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, FTIR, DSC, TGA, and EI-MS studies. The overall activation energies of the degradation from Kissinger’s method were 28 and 33 kcal/mol, respectively, for the endocyclic and acyclic peroxide units. The side-chain peroxy groups were found to be thermally more stable than the main chain. Above 45°C the rate of polymerization increases sharply at a particular instant showing an “autoacceleration” with the formation of knee point. The kinetics of autoacceleration has been studied at various temperatures (45–70°C) and pressures (50–250 psi). © 2000 John Wiley&Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 79: 1549–1555, 2001

Caracterización y evaluación preliminar de veintiocho accesiones de frijol común (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

El presente trabajo se realizó en Octubre de 1990 en la estación experimental La Compañía, situada en el departamento de Carazo en la IV reglón, con el objetivo de caracterizar y evaluar preliminarmente 28 variedades criollas de frijol común (Phaseolus vulgaris l.). El germoplasma fue colectado por el programa de Recursos Genéticos Nicaragüenses en diferentes zonas del país. En las condiciones ecológicas en las que se desarrolló el ensayo, el material evaluado presentó variación en la mayoría de los caracteres considerados. Presentaron rendimiento relativo superior• a testigo Rev., 79-A las accesiones 1800, 2086, 2681; 2704, 2708, 2679, •1786, 1784, 1672, 1223, 2085, 2143, 240, 2674, 2348 y 2676. Los menores porcentajes- • de severidad de la enfermedad Mustia hilachosa ( Thanatephorus cucumeris) lo mostraron las accesiones 2979 y 2681. Se presenta un catálogo de las 28 accesiones estudiadas conteniendo el valor máximo, medio, mínimo, desviación estándar y coeficiente de variación para los caracteres cuantitativos y la moda para los caracteres cualitativos considerados.

黄麻纤维／环氧复合材料及其性能分析

本文研究了黄麻单向纤维和随机分布短纤维增强环氧树脂复合材料的制作和拉伸、压缩、弯曲、层间剪切以及冲击性能，并讨论了它的破坏机理与微观形貌。黄麻纤维本身性能优异，并且具有优于其它天然植物纤维的可纺性。黄麻纤维复合材料的优异性能具有进一步研究开发的潜力。

Determinación de la época de aplicación del nitrógeno complementario en el maíz (Zea mays L.)

Se realizó un experimento con maíz, durante los meses de julio y octubre de 1972, en el campo experimental de la Escuela Nacional de Agricultura y Ganadería, situada en el kiometro 12 de la carretera Norte, o 55,99 metros sobre el nivel del mar, en un suelo de la serie cofradias, derivada de cenizas volcánicas aluvioles, (15). La precipitación pluvial registrada durante el ensayo fue de 295.9 milimetros, la evaporación medio mensual durante el ensayo fue de 187.4 milimetros y la temperatura promedio mensual fue de 27°C. El experimento conto de tres ensayos, utilizando tres variedades y cada variedad representaba un ensayo. Las épocas de aplicación del nitrógeno complementario fueron: a) En la variedad precoz, a las 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 días después de la emergencia. b) en la variedades intermedia y tardia a las 30, 50, 70, 90 y 100 días después de la emergencia. La mitad del nitrógeno se aplicó al momento de la siembra y la otra mitad en las epocas antes mencionadas. Las fuentes de elementos fueron: Urea, Triple Superfosfato y Miriato de Potasio en la dosis de 120-60-32 kilos por hectarea, respectivamente. En ninguna de las variables se encontraron diferencias significativas en cuanto a rendimiento. Sin embargo es probable que esto sea debido a la sequia ocurrida en la zona en la epoca en que se realizo el experimento. Cabe mencionar que en la variedad precoz. la fertilización nitrogenada complementaria realizada a los 50 días después de la emergencia mostro ser la mejor. En las variedades intermedia y tardía la fertilización nitrogenada complementaría realizada a los 70 días después de la emergencia resultó ser la mejor. En las tres variedades se encontró uniformidad en el sentido de que el mayor rendimiento se experimentaba cuando la fertilización nitrogenada complementaria se realizaba porcos días después de la floración.

[Discurso do Deputado Manoel de Almeida : Sessão da Câmara dos Deputados de 18 de março de 1964]

Condena os que se declaram favoráveis ao retorno da capital do país para o Rio de Janeiro.

Veränderungen der Farbe und thermischen Stabilität der Muskelproteine von Räucherforellen während der Kühllagerung

The aim of the investigation was to prove if different farming conditions like conventional and organical farming of rainbow trout may cause differences in quality which are detectable by physical methods such as colour measurement and differential scanning calorimetry. Colour measurement revealed remarkable differences in lightness. Smoked trouts originating from conventionally farmed fish were much lighter than those of organically farmed trouts. This difference in L* could already be found when colour measurements were taken on the raw material. However, during chilled storage differences were equalized. Redness and yellowness were not significantly influenced by farming and did not change remarkably during chill storage. Based on earlier investigations on changes in thermal stability caused by heating, DSC curves of smoked trout could be used to verify that the core temperature of smoked fish had reached at least 60 °C during hot smoking process. This temperature is demanded by the guidelines of the German Food Code. In the DSC curves only the actin peak was still visible. All other proteins were obviously denatured during the hot smoking. When DSC curves were taken from smoked trout after different durations of chilled storage it could be seen that the denaturation temperature of actin decreased almost linearly with progression of storage time.

A tese de Heidegger para a origem de metafísica

O tema da pesquisa é a tese de Heidegger para a origem do pensamento metafísico. O presente tema parte do pressuposto de que o filósofo alemão Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) entende que a metafísica esteja ligada a um modo de comportamento criador de hipostasias. O conceito de hipostasia denota o comportamento de tomar a consciência e os objetos como entes simplesmente dados, comportamento observado no cotidiano mais imediato e no pensamento filosófico tradicional (metafísico). Assumimos como problema a seguinte questão: como, segundo Heidegger, se origina o modelo teórico da metafísica?; como subproblema: como a metafísica se vê comprometida com o comportamento hipostasiante? A pesquisa possui os seguintes objetivos: a) determinar como o modelo teórico da metafísica se originaria desse comportamento hipostasiante; b) avaliar em que grau o modelo teórico da metafísica está comprometido por tal comportamento. Nosso trabalho atuará em caráter expositivo, com o método descritivo próprio à fenomenologia. Tem, primeiramente, a tarefa de apresentar os pressupostos que permitem a caracterização da referida tese enquanto tema; depois, define seus termos para, partindo desses, reconstituir seus argumentos. Essa reconstituição, por sua vez, só se realiza unindo os indícios deixados em documentos que testemunham o interesse do filósofo pelo tema e antecipam a formulação mais elaborada da tese em Ser e tempo (1927). (Isso delimita o campo da presente pesquisa entre alguns dos principais textos da produção do filósofo na década de 1920). Deste modo, reconstruir a tese heideggeriana sobre a origem da metafísica implica reconstituir o modo com o qual o comportamento hipostasiante atua na filosofia tradicional criando crises. Essa metodologia (exposição reconstrutiva) busca, portanto, explicitar o esforço de Heidegger por mostrar que a metafísica é resultado de uma série de descuidos (Versäumnis) que podem ser identificados no interior da história da filosofia. O tema e problema de nossa pesquisa se justificam por trabalharmos com a questão que desde cedo motivou as investigações heideggerianas acerca do sentido do ser, o que não só inaugurou o diálogo do filósofo com a tradição metafísica, quanto provocou desdobramentos e modulações integrantes da obra de Heidegger. E ainda, por, ao nos ocuparmos do tema da origem da metafísica, buscamos esclarecer como é possível que algo assim com a filosofia seja possível.

Sol-gel combustion synthesis and luminescence Of Y4Al2O9 : Eu3+ nanocrystal

Y4Al2O9:EU3+ phosphor was synthesized through a sol-gel combustion method. The Y4Al2O9 phase can form through sintering at 800 degrees C. This temperature is much lower than that required via the solid state reaction method. The average grain size of the phosphor was about 30 run. Compared with the amorphous phosphor, the charge transfer band of crystalline phosphor shows a blue shift. The emission Of Y4Al2O9:Eu3+ indicates the existence of two luminescent centers, in agreement with the crystal structure of Y4Al2O9. Higher doping concentration could be realized in Y4Al2O9 nanocrystal host lattice. This indicates that the sol-gel combustion synthesis method can increase emission intensity and quenching concentration due to a good distribution of EU3+ activators in Y4Al2O9 host. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.