Stability after dilution of an oral L-glutamine preparation

Objective: Glutamine is a conditionally essential amino acid. Attention has been focusing recently on the potential non-nutritional effects of Glutamine including gut protection, enhancement of cell-mediated immunity, cell-volume regulation, synthesis of heat-shock proteins, and incretinsecretagogue action, which may play a crucial role in the regulation of glucose metabolism. However, the relative instability of Glutamine in water may reduce the effectiveness of oral preparations of Glutamine and/or decrease patient compliance. Design: The aim of this study was to investigate the stability of an oral L-Glutamine preparation. Materials and methods: An oral Glutamine powder preparation (Adamin-G, SHS International Ltd, UK, kindly provided by Nutricia Italy) was tested. One sachet (containing 5 g of L-Glutamine, as indicated by the producer) was diluted in 200 mL of water to obtain a solution with a nominal concentration of 170 μmol/mL. Samples were obtained at 0, 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours after dilution and analyzed by highperformance liquid chromatography. Results: The mean measured concentrations of Glutamine (g/200 mL) in the samples were as follows: 0h: 5.095±0.17; 2h: 5.098±0.06; 6h: 5.090±0.09; 12h: 5.103±0.07; 24h: 5.007±0.01 (p=ns at ANOVA). Conclusion: These results show that a commercially available oral L-Glutamine preparation is stable for at least 24 hours after dilution in water. This may have critical clinical relevance in patients unable to comply with fast oral intake of supplements, allowing day-long administration and improving patient compliance. Oral L-Glutamine supplements may prove beneficial in a number of clinical conditions and thus represent an emerging tool for metabolic support. © 2010 SINPE-GASAPE

"New Energy" for telecommunications power systems

The considerable problems deriving from the growth of energetic consumptions and from the relevant environmental "emergency" due to the emissions of greenhouse gases, push people to find out new solutions and new technologies for the production of primary energy fit for fulfilling the pressing and growing energetic demands. This is also true in the telecommunication applications, which has seen, in the last years, a remarkable increase in the number of installations present on the whole national territory - sometimes located in hardly reachable areas - and the relevant growth of energetic consumptions. The aim of this work is to optimize energetic consumptions for a radio-telecommunication apparatus, through the combination of different interventions, even more advantageous and efficient from the economical and environmental point of view. The work will explore the possibility of interventions which would use both the renewable energetic sources (e.g.: photovoltaic cells) and strategies in energetic saving and interventions for reducing emissions. This study will evaluate, from a technical and economical point of view, the feasibility of some solutions , by: Energetic auditing for a radio-telecommunication station in different functionality contexts (urban and rural areas, different periods in the year, different running charges, etc.); Verification - even through specific field measurements - of environmental emissions deriving from radio-telecommunications systems; Analyses in the interventions of efficiency and energetic saving (optimization of air conditioning consumptions, efficiency in the temperature control system, etc.); Evaluation and development of interventions and technical solutions based on the production of a part of the power energy used by radio-telecommunication apparatus, through the use of photovoltaic cells on the same infrastructures; Analyses of possible uses of further renewable sources (e.g. wind micro turbines or new alternative power based on fuel cells) generating energy usable from telecommunications power systems located in some parts of the territory not reached by the electricity net; Analyses of the social and environmental advantages in the introduction of technologies based on renewable sources for covering a part of the energetic radio-telecommunication installations' requirements. Environmental monitoring of the sites where prototypal solutions will be installed for comparing the conditions before and after the intervention. The proposing party of the project is the Department of Environmental Sciences of the Second University of Naples (DSA-SUN) in collaboration with the National Agency for the Environment Protection (APAT) and it foresees the participation of providers of mobile communications and technological partners, which, thanks to their experience in the mobile phone communications, are able to test the prototypical solutions deriving from the results of the studies carried out by the laboratories and structures of the DSA-SUN and APAT, and can also make some urban and rural sites available for testing the several proposed solutions. © 2007 IEEE

Metabolic effects of glutamine on insulin sensitivity

Glutamine, the most abundant free amino acid in human plasma, has outstanding nutritional and non-nutritional properties. Glutamine regulates immune function and modulates cell metabolism. In particular, its administration showed a positive effect on glucose oxidation and on insulin resistance in different experimental and clinical studies. In humans, glutamine acts as both a substrate and modulator of its metabolism to glucose. In trauma patients and in critical illness, parenteral glutamine supplementation improved insulin sensitivity and enhanced the release of insulin by pancreatic β-cells. In a recent clinical study, also, oral L-glutamine supplementation ameliorated the glucose profile in obese patients and those with type 2 diabetes. The mechanisms underlying these specific effects are still unknown. Further clinical trials investigating the role of glutamine on glucose/insulin metabolism are needed. Several diseases, such as obesity and diabetes, may receive important benefits from glutamine supplementation, possibly in association with conventional therapy. © 2010 SINPE-GASAPE ISSN 1828-6232

Telecommunication power systems: energy saving, renewable sources and environmental monitoring

Aim of the paper is to study the energetic consumptions for a radio-telecommunication apparatus starting from on-site measurements provided by the Italian companies of mobile communications systems (Vodafone, H3G, Telecom and Wind), which take into account different technologies (GSM, UMTS, DCS+GSM+UMTS), different typologies of apparatuses (outdoor, room, shelter), different locations (North, Center, South of Italy) and different working loads. The results presented are from the research project "Telecommunication power systems: energy saving, renewable sources and environmental monitoring", between the Department of Environmental Sciences of the Second University of Naples (DSA-SUN) and the National Agency for the Environment Protection (APAT) with the participation of providers of mobile communications and technological partners. According to the APAT database (year 2007), in Italy there are more than 60.000 radio base stations. We show that they have a huge energetic consumptions: more than 2 TWh per year, that represents 0,7% of the Italian electricity consumption. Furthermore, we have shown that the energetic consumption connected to the transmission functions to one related to air-conditioning functions represents 2/3 are 1/3 of total energy consumption, respectively. Finally, we show on site-application of renewable energy system to produce a part of the energy used by radio-telecommunication apparatus, realized in collaboration with Vodafone provider: for the first time in Italy a photovoltaic system has been planned and installed in two different Italian sites. For both sites the procedures to obtain economic incentives from Italian government ("Conto Energia") has been completed. ©2008 IEEE

Simulation analysis and test study of BTS power saving techniques

Here we present a recent study done for power saving in the telecommunication apparatuses of Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs). Experimental test of a "power saving function" has been realized. Moreover a simulation "Montecarlo Algorithm" has been developed. Savings for the BTS transmission consumption has been estimated in about 20%