Separation and Determination of Fatty Acids from Lipid Fractions by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography: Cholesterol Esters of Umbilical Cord Arteries

Preeclampsia is accompanied by an extensive remodeling of the extracellular matrix of umbilical cord. It is associated with an increase in collagen content in the umbilical cord artery. Furthermore, preeclampsia distinctly reduces proteolytic and gelatinolytic activity, especially after activation with various agents

RNAi screen for NRF2 inducers identifies targets that rescue primary lung epithelial cells from cigarette smoke induced radical stress

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a highly prevalent condition characterized by inflammation and progressive obstruction of the airways. At present, there is no treatment that suppresses the chronic inflammation of the disease, and COPD patients often succumb to the condition. Excessive oxidative stress caused by smoke inhalation is a major driving force of the disease. The transcription factor NRF2 is a critical player in the battle against oxidative stress and its function is impaired in COPD. Increasing NRF2 activity may therefore be a viable therapeutic option for COPD treatment. We show that down regulation of KEAP1, a NRF2 inhibitor, protects primary human lung epithelial cells from cigarette-smoke-extract (CSE) induced cell death in an established in vitro model of radical stress. To identify new potential drug targets with a similar effect, we performed a siRNA screen of the 'druggable' genome using a NRF2 transcriptional reporter cell line. This screen identified multiple genes that when down regulated increased NRF2 transcriptional activity and provided a survival benefit in the in vitro model. Our results suggest that inhibiting components of the ubiquitin-proteasome system will have the strongest effects on NRF2 transcriptional activity by increasing NRF2 levels. We also find that down regulation of the small GTPase Rab28 or the Estrogen Receptor ESRRA provide a survival benefit. Rab28 knockdown increased NRF2 protein levels, indicating that Rab28 may regulate NRF2 proteolysis. Conversely ESRRA down regulation increased NRF2 transcriptional activity without affecting NRF2 levels, suggesting a proteasome-independent mechanism

Methods for modelling and analysis of bendable photovoltaic modules on irregularly curved surfaces

Most photovoltaic modules are planar and as a result, research on panel layout for photovoltaic systems typically uses planar panels. However, the increased availability of thin-film photovoltaic modules opens up possibilities for the application of flexible solar panels on irregularly curved surfaces, including the integration of photovoltaic panels on building roofs with double curvature. In order to efficiently arrange photovoltaic panels on such surfaces, geometric CAD tools as well as radiation analysis tools are needed. This paper introduces a method to generate geometry for flexible photovoltaic modules on curved surfaces, as well as a method to arrange multiple of such modules on a surface. By automating the generation of possible photovoltaic panel arrangements and linking the geometric tools to solar analysis software, large numbers of design options can be analysed in a relatively short time. This combination of geometry generation and solar analysis provides data that is important for electrical design of photovoltaic systems. The merits of the methods we introduce are illustrated with a case study, for which hundreds of design configurations have been explored in an automated manner. Based on analysis of the numeric data generated for each of the configurations, the effects of panel dimensions and orientation on solar insolation potential and panel curvature have been established. The quantitative and qualitative conclusions resulting from this analysis have informed the design of the photovoltaic system in the case study project.ISSN:2251-6832ISSN:2008-916

Hemocue, an accurate bedside method of hemoglobin measurement?

OBJECTIVE Evaluate the accuracy of this bedside method to determine hemoglobin (Hb) concentration in general surgery over a wide range of Hb values and to determine potential sources of error. METHODS Accuracy of Hb measurement using HemoCue (AB Leo Diagnostics, Helsinborg, Sweden) was assessed in 140 surgical blood samples using 7 HemoCue devices in comparison with a CO-Oximeter (IL 482, Instrumentation Laboratory, Lexington, MA). To analyze potential sources of error, packed red cells and fresh frozen plasma were reconstituted to randomized Hb levels of 2-18 g/dL. RESULTS In the surgical blood samples, the Hb concentration determined by the CO-Oximeter (HbCOOX) ranged from 5.1 to 16.7 g/dL and the Hb concentration measured by HemoCue (HbHC) from 4.7 to 16.0 g/dL. Bias (HbCOOX - HbHC) between HbCOOX and HbHC was 0.6+/-0.6 g/dL (mean +/- SD) or 5.4+/-5.0% (p < 0.001). Also in the reconstituted blood, the bias between HbCOOX and HbHC was significant (0.2+/-0.3 g/dL or 2.1+/-3.2%; p < 0.001). The microcuvette explained 68% of the variability between HbCOOX and HbHC. HemoCue thus underestimates the Hb concentration by 2-5% and exhibits a 8-10 times higher variability with only 86.4% of HbHC being within +/- 10% of HbCOOX. CONCLUSION. Although the mean bias between HbCOOX and HbHC was relatively low, Hb measurement by HemoCue exhibited a significant variability. Loading multiple microcuvettes and averaging the results may increase the accuracy of Hb measurement by HemoCue