DESIGN OF A CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSOR FOR NATURAL GAS

This work presents the design of a centrifugal compressor for natural gas in three steps. The first step is the 1-D preliminary design heavily based on empirical data, only the design point was considered here. The second step is the flow analysis in the meridional plane. The last step is the CFD analysis to verify if the 1-D design methodology is adequate. The CFD simulations showed good agreement with the results obtained in the preliminary design, proving the importance of empirical data in the design of centrifugal compressors

Determination of the effectiveness of components of the herbal medicine Toki-Shakuyaku-San and fractions of Angelica acutiloba in improving the scopolamine-induced impairment of rat's spatial cognition in eight-armed radial maze test.

The improving effects of various components of Toki-Shakuyaku-San (TSS) and fractions isolated from Angelica acutiloba Radix (Toki) on scopolamine-induced spatial memory impairment were investigated in eight-armed radial maze. The scopolamine-induced memory impairment was characterized by prominent increase of error choices in addition to decreased correct choices. Toki, Cnidium officinale Rhizoma (Senkyu), Poria cocos Hoelen (Bukuryo), Alisma orientale Rhizoma (Takusha), and Atractylodes lancea Rhizoma (Sojutsu) increased the correct choices, while only the Toki, Sojutsu, and Takusha decreased the error choices. No effect was produced by Paeonia lactiflora Radix (Shakuyaku). Investigation of effects of fractions isolated from Toki revealed that its activity mainly resided in the butanol layer and its contents of N-methyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxamide and amines. Moreover, the alkaloid, internal and external solutions (containing poly-, di-, and monosaccharides) obtained by dialysis with Visking cellophane tubing also improved the memory. However, no improving properties were detected for methanol and hexanol layers, L-(-)-tryptophan, L-arginine, L-(-)-lysine, and choline chloride. The results showed that the TSS components could improve the reference and working memory impaired by scopolamine. The improving effect of TSS is produced greatly by the Toki component, the activity of which was greatly produced by the fraction extracted by butanol

radial maze test

The improving effects of various components of Toki-Shakuyaku-San (TSS) and fractions isolated from Angelica acutiloba Radix (Toki) on scopolamine-induced spatial memory impairment were investigated in eight-armed radial maze. The scopolamine-induced memory impairment was characterized by prominent increase of error choices in addition to decreased correct choices. Toki, Cnidium officinale Rhizoma (Senkyu), Poria cocos Hoelen (Bukuryo), Alisma orientale Rhizoma (Takusha), and Atractylodes lancea Rhizoma (Sojutsu) increased the correct choices, while only the Toki, Sojutsu, and Takusha decreased the error choices. No effect was produced by Paeonia lact flora Radix (Shakuyaku). Investigation of effects of fractions isolated from Toki revealed that its activity mainly resided in the butanol layer and its contents of N-methyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxamide and amines. Moreover, the alkaloid, internal and external solutions (containing poly-, di-, and monosaccharides) obtained by dialysis with Visking cellophane tubing also improved the memory. However, no improving properties were detected for methanol and hexanol layers, L-(-)-tryptophan, L-arginine, L-(-)-lysine, and choline chloride. The results showed that the TSS components could improve the reference and working memory impaired by scopolamine. The improving effect of TSS is produced greatly by the Toki component, the activity of which was greatly produced by the fraction extracted by butanol.C1 Fukuoka Univ, Adv Mat Inst, Jonan Ku, Fukuoka 8140180, Japan.Paukkale Univ, Fac Med, Div Internal Med, Dept Pharmacol, TR-20070 Denizli, Turkey.Fukuoka Univ, Fac Pharmaceut Sci, Dept Neuropharmacol, JOnan Ku, Fukuoka 8140180, Japan.Miyazaki Univ, Miyazaki Med Coll, Dept Obstet & Gynecol, Miyazaki 8891692, Japan

neuronal damage in cultured rat cortical neurons

Amyloid beta protein (A beta) is the major component of senile plaques, the pathological hallmark of the neurodegeneration associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study investigated the effect of Toki-shakuyaku-san (TSS), a traditional medicine, on A beta(25-35)-induced neuronal death and lipid peroxidation assessed by measuring lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and malondialdehyde (NIDA), respectively. A beta(25-35) at 10 mu M induced neuronall damage and increased the LDH and NIDA. TSS at concentrations of 100 and 300 mu g/mL significantly reduced the AP(25-35)-induced neuronal death and the lipid peroxidation. These results suggest that TSS has a protective effect against A beta(25-35)-induced neuronall damage. TSS may be beneficial for the treatment of AD. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

ischemia in rats

Previously we have reported that Toki-shakuyaku-san (TSS) ameliorated the impairment of spatial memory induced by single cerebral ischemia (I x 10 minutes) and scopolamine, a muscarinic receptor antagonist. In this experiment, we studied the effect of TSS on repeated cerebral ischemia (2 x 10 minutes, 1-hour interval) induced impairment of spatial memory and neuronal injury in rats. The 8-day post-ischemic treatment with TSS (30-300 mg/kg) was administered p.o. once per day. TSS dose-dependently prevented the impairment of spatial memory, neuronal death and TUNEL positive cells induced by repeated cerebral ischemia. In order to determine the mechanism of TSS, we also studied the effect of TSS on GluR2 mRNA, one of the glutamate (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole (AMPA) receptor subunits. Repeated cerebral ischemia significantly decreased GluR2 flop mRNA at 1 and 3 days after the occlusion. TSS (300 mg/kg) significantly suppressed the decrease in GluR2 flop at 3 days after repeated cerebral ischemia. These results suggested that the TSS has neuroprotective action which may be indirectly mediated by the AMPA receptor, and TSS may be beneficial for the treatment of cerebrovascular dementia