Current status and recommendations toward a virus standard for ballast water

Ballast water contains and transfers a variety of biological and non-biological materials between biomes. This study aimed to summarize published literature on the viruses found in ballast water, to evaluate ultrafiltration and plaque assay as methods for concentrating and enumerating viruses, and to assess the efficacy of UV irradiation in the inactivation of infectious viruses in ballast water. Previous studies reported high virus concentrations in ballast tanks, ranging from 109 to 1014 viral particles/L. The ultrafiltration and plaque assay were efficient in concentrating and enumerating four types of phages: MS2, PhiX174, P22, and PP7. The UV dose (radiant fluence) necessary to achieve a 4-log reduction of the four phages ranged from 6.1 to 77.7 mJ/cm2 with MS2 being the most UV-resistant phage. The results illustrated the applicability of ultrafiltration and plaque assay techniques for quantifying viruses in ballast waters and pointed to the need for additional test microorganisms for assessing ballast water quality

Sferična kristalizacija zdravilnih učinkovin

Spherical crystallization of drugs is the process of obtaining larger particles by agglomeration during crystallization. The most common techniques used to obtain such particles are spherical agglomeration and quasi-emulsion solvent diffusion. Ammonia diffusion systems and crystallo-co-agglomeration are extensions of these techniques. By controlling process parameters during crystallization, such as temperature, stirring rate, type and amount of solvents, or excipient selection, it is possible to control the formation of agglomerates and obtain spherical particles of the desired size, porosity, or hardness. Researchers have reported that the particles produced have improved micromeritic, physical, and mechanical properties, which make them suitable for direct compression. In some cases, when additional excipients are incorporated during spherical crystallization, biopharmaceutical parameters including the bioavailability of drugs can also be tailored.Sferična kristalizacija je postopek izdelave večjih delcev z aglomeracijo manjših med samo kristalizacijo. Najpogosteje uporabljeni tehniki za izdelavo takšnih delcev sta sferična aglomeracija in kvaziemulzija z difuzijo topila. Sistem z difuzijo amoniaka in kristalo-ko-aglomeracija sta razširitvi teh dveh metod. Z nadzorovanjem procesnih parametrov med kristalizacijo, kot sta temperatura in hitrost mešanja, z izbiro lastnosti in množine topil ter z izbiro pomožnih snovi, lahko vplivamo na nastanek aglomeratov in izdelamo sferične delce želenih velikosti, primerne poroznosti ali trdote. Raziskovalci poročajo, da imajo izdelani delci izboljšane pretočne lastnosti, izboljšane druge fizikalne in mehanske lastnosti zaradi česar so primerni za direktno tabletiranje. V nekaterih primerih lahko ob vgradnji ustreznih pomožnih snovi, ki jih dodamo med procesom sferične kristalizacije, izboljšamo tudi biofarmacevtske lastnosti zdravilnih učinkovin vključno s povečanjem biološke uporabnosti

Exact solution of Schr\"odinger equation with q-deformed quantum potentials using Nikiforov-Uvarov method

In this paper, we present the exact solution of one dimensional Schr\"odinger equation for Wood-Saxon plus Rosen-Morse plus symmetrical double well potential via Nikiforov-Uvarov mathematical method. The eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of this potential are obtained. The energy equations and the corresponding wave function for special cases of this potential are briefly discussed. The PT-symmetry and Hermiticity for this potential are also considered.Comment: 8 pages, no figur

Phosphorylation of AMPA Receptors Is Required for Sensory Deprivation-Induced Homeostatic Synaptic Plasticity

Sensory experience, and the lack thereof, can alter the function of excitatory synapses in the primary sensory cortices. Recent evidence suggests that changes in sensory experience can regulate the synaptic level of Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying such a process have not been determined. We found that binocular visual deprivation, which is a well-established in vivo model to produce multiplicative synaptic scaling in visual cortex of juvenile rodents, is accompanied by an increase in the phosphorylation of AMPAR GluR1 (or GluA1) subunit at the serine 845 (S845) site and the appearance of CP-AMPARs at synapses. To address the role of GluR1-S845 in visual deprivation-induced homeostatic synaptic plasticity, we used mice lacking key phosphorylation sites on the GluR1 subunit. We found that mice specifically lacking the GluR1-S845 site (GluR1-S845A mutants), which is a substrate of cAMP-dependent kinase (PKA), show abnormal basal excitatory synaptic transmission and lack visual deprivation-induced homeostatic synaptic plasticity. We also found evidence that increasing GluR1-S845 phosphorylation alone is not sufficient to produce normal multiplicative synaptic scaling. Our study provides concrete evidence that a GluR1 dependent mechanism, especially S845 phosphorylation, is a necessary pre-requisite step for in vivo homeostatic synaptic plasticity

Assessment of Mental Disorders in Cerebral Stroke Patients Admitted at Rasool Hospital

Introduction: Cerebrovascular disorders are the third leading cause of death in individuals over the age of 50; mental disorders of this origin are reported in up to 50 and even 78 percent of patients. The global goal of this study was to assess mental disorders of stroke patients. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 100 consecutive stroke patients in the neurology clinic of Rasool hospital were evaluated by accidental sampling and use of Neuropsychotic Inventory (NPI). Data was analyzed using Chi square and t-test. Results: 37 men and 63 women with mean age of 62.5 years were assessed over 1 to 12 months after their stroke. The results of Chi square suggested men patients had higher frequency in subscales of delusion, aphaty, disinhibition and sleep disorders and women patients in subscale of anxiety. The results of t-test reported that there was a correlation between right hemisphere lesions and euphory. Conclusion: Depression, anxiety and aggression were the most common mental disorders after stroke, respectively

Effects of a new extended uncertainty principle on Schwarzschild and Reissner–Nordström black holes thermodynamics

In this paper, we employ a new form of the extended uncertainty principle to investigate the thermal properties of the Schwarzschild and Reissner–Nordström. After we construct the formalism, we obtain the mass-temperature function for the Schwarzschild black hole. We follow a heuristic method to derive the entropy function after we obtained the heat capacity function. Then, we derive the mass-temperature and mass-charge-temperature functions of the Reissner–Nordström black hole in the new formalism. After we obtain the heat capacity and entropy functions, we present a comprehensive and comparative analysis of all these functions. We find that the deformation parameter changes drastically some of the thermodynamic function characteristics. </jats:p