Comparison of rosmarinic acid content in commercial tinctures produced from fresh and dried lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)

Purpose. To measure the rosmarinic acid content of eight commercial tinctures derived from fresh (n= 5) and dried (n=3) Melissa officinalis herb. Methods. Rosmarinic acid and the internal standard (esculin) were purchased from Aldrich Chemical Co. The column used was a Luna C18, 5 um (150 x 4.6 mm I.D., Phenomenex) maintained at ambient room temperature. The HPLC system consisted of a Shimadzu SCL-6B controller, Shimadzu LC-6A pumps, Shimadzu SPD-6A UV single wavelength spectrophotometric detector set to 320 nm and Shimadzu SIL-6B autosampler. Gradient elution of the samples and standard were performed using ammonium formate (0.02 M; pH 6.25 at 27 oC; eluent A) and methanol (eluent B). The gradient elution initial conditions were 2% of eluent B with linear gradient to 60% at 30 min, followed by linear gradient to 90% of eluent B at 31 min, this proportion being maintained for 4 min. The column was then returned to the initial condition at 36 min and maintained until the end of the run at 43 min. The flow rate was 1 mL/min. The assay was validated for sensitivity, accuracy and reproducibility. Results. The content of rosmarinic acid in commercial tinctures was significantly higher in the tinctures made from dried plant material (2.96 – 22.18 mg/mL) compared to fresh plant tinctures (</jats:p

Electroencephalographic evoked pain response is suppressed by spinal cord stimulation in complex regional pain syndrome: a case report

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is considered as an option for the management of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Hyperalgesia, an increased pain response to a mechanical or thermal stimulus at normal or increased threshold is a common feature of CRPS. Animal studies have demonstrated that SCS significantly reduces mechanical hyperalgesia. These studies suggest that SCS mechanisms may involve reduction of glial activation at spinal cord level and/or activation of μ-opioid and δ-opioid receptors. However, in humans it has been observed that SCS had no effect on experimental pain thresholds and did not produce decreased sensitivity for pressure, warmth, and cold induced pain in CRPS patients. The majority of currently available studies on the effectiveness of SCS, including those using quantitative sensory testing (QST) rely on patient reported outcomes such as visual analogue or numerical rating scales. The current case report investigates the effectiveness of SCS based on electroencephalogram (EEG) analysis of contact heat evoked potentials following experimental induction of thermal stimuli

An overview of treatment approaches for chronic pain management

Pain which persists after healing is expected to have taken place, or which exists in the absence of tissue damage, is termed chronic pain. By definition chronic pain cannot be treated and cured in the conventional biomedical sense; rather, the patient who is suffering from the pain must be given the tools with which their long-term pain can be managed to an acceptable level. This article will provide an overview of treatment approaches available for the management of persistent non-malignant pain. As well as attempting to provide relief from the physical aspects of pain through the judicious use of analgesics, interventions, stimulations, and irritations, it is important to pay equal attention to the psychosocial complaints which almost always accompany long-term pain. The pain clinic offers a biopsychosocial approach to treatment with the multidisciplinary pain management programme; encouraging patients to take control of their pain problem and lead a fulfilling life in spite of the pain. © 2016 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelber

The Tycho User Interface System

Tycho is the next-generation user-interface system we are building for the Ptolemy project. It is a complete [incr Tcl] application structured as an extensible class library. Our goal is to make it easy to extend this basic application with functionality and a user interface for specialized applications such as electronic design and simulation. The Tycho library includes a selection of general-purpose widgets, syntax-sensitive text editors, and graphical editing support. It incorporates architectural features that make it easy for di erent editors and viewers to share data and screen space. Finally, structured support for incorporating C and Java packages into this framework allows us to use those languages to complement the scripting and user-interface features of Tcl/Tk

Antibacterial and Antioxidant Cassane Diterpenoids from Caesalpinia benthamiana.

Bioactivity-guided fractionation of the light petroleum extract of Caesalpinia benthamiana (=Mezoneuron benthamianum) root bark has led to the isolation of two cassane diterpenoids, designated as benthaminin 1 and 2. A third compound, a deoxy form of caesaidekarin C (also referred to as methyl vouacapenate) which has previously been isolated from Caesalpinia major, C. bonducella, Vouacapoua americana and V. macropetala, was also isolated, together with P-sitosterol and stigmastenone. The antibacterial and antioxidant activities of these cassane diterpenoids have been assessed using the microdilution assay method and DPPH spectrophotometric and TBA lipid peroxidation assays. Benthaminin 1 was the more active antibacterial compound with MIC values of 47.8 mu M for both Staphylococcus aureus and Micrococcus flavus. Benthaminin 2 was the more active antioxidant compound and showed IC50 values of 42.7 mu M and 74.2 mu M for the DPPH and TBA assays, respectively. Deoxycaesaldekarin C possessed both antibacterial and antioxidant activities. The presence of methyl ester and methyl functional groups as well as an unsaturated furan ring appears to confer antibacterial activity. On the other hand, the relatively stronger antioxidant activity of benthaminin 2 may be associated with the presence of an exocyclic methylene function. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserve

A Phenomenological Approach to Dual Fuel Combustion Modelling

Dual fuel engines offer the potential for considerable reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), as well as reducing emissions of particulate matter (PM). However, the combustion processes occurring inside a dual fuel engine are complex. This is due to the ignition of a homogeneous lean premixed charge by a pilot fuel spray, which combines elements of both conventional spark ignition and diesel combustion. Combustion models provide an effective means of investigating the phenomena taking place inside the cylinder. This paper describes a phenomenological model used for performance and emissions predictions in a dual fuel engine. The pilot fuel spray is described using a packet model approach, which includes sub-models for spray development and mixing, swirl, spray wall impingement, ignition and combustion. Flame growth is coupled to the burning zones in the cylinder and is described using a turbulent entrainment model. Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and PM are also evaluated. Simulated in-cylinder pressures and rates of heat release are in good agreement with experimental data obtained from a naturally aspirated, in-line, four-cylinder, direct injection diesel engine operating with methane (CH4) as the gaseous fuel. Crank angle resolved emissions of NOx and PM are also presented. The model results give good confidence in the current approach for the description of premixed combustion following the ignition of the pilot.</jats:p