Serum paraoxonase and arylesterase activities in patients with lung cancer in a Turkish population

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer (LC) is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Oxidative DNA damage may contribute to the cancer risk. The antioxidant paraoxonase (PON1) is an endogenous free radical scavenger in the human body. The aim of this study was to determine serum PON1 and arylesterase (ARE) activities in patients with newly diagnosed LC. METHODS: This case control study involved a total of 39 patients with newly diagnosed LC (untreated) and same number of age- and sex-matched healthy individuals. Serum PON1 and ARE activities in addition to lipid parameters were measured in both groups. RESULTS: Serum PON1 and ARE activities were found to be lower in patients with LC compared to the controls (p = 0.001 and p = 0.018, respectively). The ratio of PON1/high density lipoprotein (HDL) was significantly lower in the LC group compared to the control one (p = 0.009). There were positive correlations between the serum levels of HDL and PON1 in both the control (r = 0.415, p = 0.009) and the LC groups (r = 0.496, p = 0.001), respectively. PON1 enzyme activity was calculated as three different phenotypes in both groups. In regard to lipid parameters, total cholesterol levels were significantly lower (p = 0.014) in the LC group whereas the other lipid parameters such as HDL, LDL, and triglyceride levels were not significantly different among groups. CONCLUSION: Serum PON1 activity is significantly low in the LC group compared with the healthy controls. Metastasis status and cigarette smoking do not affect serum PON1 activity in the LC patients

INFLUENCE OF Al - PRECURSORS ON THE REACTION - SINTERING OF ZIRCONIA - MULLITE COMPOSITES

Sur la base de la réaction zircon + alumine → zircone + mullite, on a examiné l'influence de différents précurseurs industriels d'aluminium sur le développement des phases, la densité et la microstructure aux températures élevées. La densification dépend fortement de la nature et de la réactivité des alumines utilisées de même que de l'avancement de la réaction. Il est possible d'obtenir des composites mullite-zircone denses, à granulométrie fine pour des applications réfractaires par les techniques de fabrication conventionnelles.On the base of the reaction zircon + alumina → zirconia + mullite, the influence of different industrial Al-precursors on phase development, density and microstructure at elevated temperatures was investigated. Densification depends strongly on the nature and reactivity of the aluminas used, as well as on the extent of reaction progress. It is possible to obtain dense, fine grained zirconia-mullite composites for refractory applications by conventional fabrication techniques

Entwicklung neuartiger Mehrkomponentenpulver mit Hilfe des RSV zur Herstellung hochfester Oxidkeramik Abschlussbericht

The reaction spray process (RSV) for powder preparation purposes has been developed. In this process aqueous solutions are sprayed into a hot reactor, leading to a nearly ideal distribution of the components. Within this project the technical potential of this process for producing transformation toughened ceramics in the alumina-zirconia-system has been tested. In order to supply the necessary spray dried granules for the pressing of parts extensive preparation steps had to be optimized and harmonized with each other. The reaction spray technology has proofed to fit the demands for preparation of multicomponent powders. The transfer from laboratory to technical scale had been successful. The homogeneous distribution of components in the starting salt solutions had been found back in the microstructure of sintered samples. Spray-dried granules [75wt.%Al2O3(MgO) 25wt.%ZrO2(Y2O3)], prepared from a powder less than 2#mu#m, had been pressed into green bodies faultlessly. Samples reached nearly theoretical density upon sintering for 2h at 1550 C. (orig./RHM)Mit dem Reaktions-Sprueh-Verfahren (RSV) wurde ein Prozess zur Herstellung von Pulvern entwickelt, bei denen eine besonders gute Verteilung aller Komponenten gelingt. Im Vorhaben wurde geprueft, in wieweit das technische Potential des RSV fuer die Herstellung umwandlungsverstaerkter Keramiken im System ZrO2-Al2O3 genutzt werden kann. Zur Herstellung des fuer die Weiterverarbeitung notwendigen Spruehgranulats muessen umfangreiche Aufbereitungsschritte optimiert und aufeinander abgestimmt werden. Die RSV-Technologie erwies sich zur Herstellung oxid-keramischer Mehrkomponentenpulver als gut geeignet. Ausgehend von Labormengen konnten die Pulvereigenschaften auf groessere Chargen uebertragen werden. Die homogene Verteilung der einzelnen Komponenten aus den eingesetzten Salzloesungen konnte bis zum Gefuege der gesinterten Probekoerper nachverfolgt werden. Ein Spruehgranulat [75Gew.%Al2O3(MgO) 25Gew.%ZrO2(Y2O3)], aus Pulver einer Kornfeinheit unter 2 #mu#m hergestellt, laesst sich zu fehlerfreien Gruenkoerpern verarbeiten und ermoeglicht die Herstellung nahezu dichter Probekoerper bei einer Sinterbehandlung ueber 2 h bei 1550 C. (orig./RHM)Available from TIB Hannover: F94B0735+a / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEBundesministerium fuer Forschung und Technologie (BMFT), Bonn (Germany)DEGerman

Herdabilidades de parâmetros de curvas de crescimento não-lineares em zebuínos, no estado de Pernambuco Heritabilities of nonlinear growth curve parameters in zebu breeds, in Pernambuco State, Northeastern Brazil

Objetivou-se estimar parâmetros genéticos e fenotípicos de curvas de crescimento de modelos não-lineares. Foram analisados dados de pesagem constantes no banco de dados de Controle de Desenvolvimento Ponderal da Associação Brasileira de Criadores de Zebu (ABCZ), referentes a 24.028 animais Zebu, nascidos entre 1960 e 2000, das raças Guzerá, Nelore e Nelore Mocho. As pesagens ocorreram ao nascimento e em intervalos de 90 dias até dois anos de idade. Os seguintes modelos não-lineares foram utilizados na análise dos dados de peso-idade: Brody, Gompertz, Logístico, von Bertalanffy e Richards. Os efeitos fixos estudados no modelo misto foram sexo, rebanho, ano e mês de nascimento e regime de criação. As herdabilidades para os parâmetros foram de baixa a alta magnitude, em geral, para todos os modelos. As correlações genéticas entre peso assintótico e taxa de maturidade e entre peso assintótico e velocidade de crescimento foram negativas, enquanto aquelas entre taxa de maturidade e velocidade de crescimento foram positivas. As correlações fenotípicas foram negativas entre peso assintótico e taxa de crescimento e entre peso assintótico e velocidade de crescimento e positivas entre taxa e velocidade de crescimento. Encontrou-se variabilidade possível de ser explorada em um programa de melhoramento genético, especialmente para a raça Nelore, que apresentou amostra de dados e resultados mais consistentes.<br>Weight records of 24.028 zebu animals from Guzerá, Nelore, and Polled Nelore breeds available from Brazilian Association of Zebu Breeders (ABCZ) database were used to estimate heritabilities of growth curve parameters. Non-linear Brody, Gompertz, Logistic, Mitscherlich, von Bertalanffy, Richards, and Double Logistic models including sex, farm, year of birth, month of birth, raising system, and interaction sex*raising system as fixed effects and sire and dam, as random effects were adjusted using weight-age records of animals which were born between 1960 and 2000, every three months, from birth to 24 months of age. Heritability estimates of growth curve parameters ranged from low to high values for all models and breeds. Genetic correlations between asymptotic weight and mature rate and asymptotic weight and growth rate were negative whereas those between mature rate and growth rate were positive. Phenotypic correlations between asymptotic weight and mature rate and asymptotic weight and growth rate were negative and those between mature rate and growth rate were positive. The variability observed in this study indicates the possibility of changing the growth curve by a breeding program, especially for the Nellore because more consistent records and results obtained for this breed