TOXICITY OF PREDNISOLONE, DEXAMETHASONE AND THEIR PHOTOCHEMICAL DERIVATIVES ON AQUATIC ORGANISMS

Light exposure of aqueous suspensions of prednisolone and dexamethasone causes their partial phototransformation. The photoproducts, isolated by chromatographic techniques, have been identified by spectroscopic means. Prednisolone, dexamethasone and their photoproducts have been tested to evaluate their acute and chronic toxic effects on some freshwater chain organisms. The rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus and the crustaceans Thamnocephalus platyurus and Daphnia magna were chosen to perform acute toxicity tests, while the alga Pseudokircheneriella subcapitata (formerly known as Selenastrum capricornutum) and the crustacean Ceriodaphnia dubia to perform chronic tests. The photochemical derivatives are more toxic than the parent compounds. Generally low acute toxicity was found. Chronic exposure to this class of pharmaceuticals caused inhibition of growth population on the freshwater crustacean C. dubia while the alga P. subcapitata seems to be less affected by the presence of these drugs

Modulation of human corticospinal excitability by paired associative stimulation in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and effects of Riluzole

BACKGROUND Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes an impairment in both the upper and lower motor neurons. The recent description of numerous non-motor signs points to an involvement of the neocortex networks that is more complex than was previously believed. Paired associative stimulation (PAS), a combination of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and peripheral nerve stimulation, can enhance motor output in the contralateral hand through an NMDA-mediated sensorimotor mechanism. OBJECTIVE To describe the effects of PAS on ALS patients before and after Riluzole intake compared with healthy subjects. METHODS PAS was used to detect differences between 24 newly-diagnosed ALS patients and 25 age-matched healthy controls. MEP amplitude from the abductor pollicis brevis was considered before PAS, immediately after (T0) and after 10 (T10), 20 (T20), 30 (T30) and 60 (T60) minutes. Statistical significance was calculated using RM-ANOVA. RESULTS In healthy controls, PAS significantly increased MEP amplitude at T10, T20 and T30 (p < 0.05). In ALS patients, a significant increase in MEP amplitude was also observed after 60 min (p < 0.05), thus demonstrating NMDA-mediated enhanced facilitatory plasticity. After two weeks of riluzole intake, no MEP amplitude increase was evident after PAS at any time point. In three monomelic-onset ALS patients, sensorimotor facilitation was evident only in the hemisphere corresponding to the affected side and appeared in the opposite hemisphere when the patients manifested contralateral symptoms. CONCLUSIONS PAS may be considered a useful tool when investigating NMDA-mediated neocortical networks in ALS patients and the modulation of such networks after anti-glutamatergic drug intake

Photooxygenation of furans in water and ionic liquid solutions

Photooxygenation of differently functionalized furans is investigated in aqueous solutions and in ionic liquids [emim]Br and [bmim]BF4. The reaction is generally selective and the final products derive from rearrangement of the intermediate endoperoxides, depending mainly on the polarity and/or nucleophilic nature of the solvent

Degradation of lansoprazole and omeprazole in the aquatic environment

Lansoprazole and omeprazole degrade in water leading to sulfides, benzimidazolones and a red complex material. Degradation is accelerated in acid medium and by solar simulator irradiation. Benzimidazoles, dianilines and pyridines have also been identified

Phase-Insensitive Scattering of Terahertz Radiation

The nonlinear interaction between Near-Infrared (NIR) and Terahertz pulses is principally investigated as a means for the detection of radiation in the hardly accessible THz spectral region. Most studies have targeted second-order nonlinear processes, given their higher efficiencies, and only a limited number have addressed third-order nonlinear interactions, mainly investigating four-wave mixing in air for broadband THz detection. We have studied the nonlinear interaction between THz and NIR pulses in solid-state media (specifically diamond), and we show how the former can be frequency-shifted up to UV frequencies by the scattering from the nonlinear polarisation induced by the latter. Such UV emission differs from the well-known electric-field-induced second harmonic (EFISH) one, as it is generated via a phase-insensitive scattering, rather than a sum- or difference-frequency four-wave-mixing process

Photooxygenation of Non-Aromatic Heterocycles

Photooxygenation of non-aromatic heterocycles and cyclic compounds containing non-usual heteroatoms, namely silicon, germanium and tellurium has been reviewed. All three types of photooxygenation (Types I-III) can take place. Moreover the heteroatom can be frequently involved endorsing electron-transfer reactions which turn out to be the main pathways, even in singlet oxygen oxygenation. A vast collection of novel and unexpected products are often formed, sometimes in a stereocontrolled manner

Peranan Buku Komunikasi Dalam Peningkatan Layanan Pendidikan Karakter Di Sdit Muhammadiyah Al-Kautsar Gumpang Kartasura Tahun Ajaran 2012/2013

Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mendeskripsikan peranan buku komunikasi dalam peningkatan layanan pendidikan karakter di SDIT Muhammadiyah Al-Kautsar Gumpang Kartasura tahun ajaran 2012/2013. Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan menggunakan metode Penelitian Kualitatif. Data dikumpulkan melalui wawancara, observasi dan dokumentasi. Subjek dalam penelitian ini adalah Kepala Sekolah, Wali Kelas/Guru dan siswa, sedangkan ojek yang diteliti adalah peranan buku komunikasi dalam peningkatan layanan pendidikan karakter di SDIT Muhammadiyah Al-Kautsar Gumpang Kartasura tahun ajaran 2012/2013. Teknik analisis data yang digunakan adalah teknik analisis data kualitatif, yaitu dengan memberikan keterangan dan penjelasan dari data hasil wawancara agar dapat dipahami keterkaitannya. Di SDIT Muhammadiyah Al-Kautsar Buku Komunikasi digunakan pada kelas I sampai dengan Kelas V. Wali Murid dan sekolah butuh adanya Buku Komunikasi. Buku Komunikasi memiliki peranan yang penting dalam peningkatan layanan pendidikan karakter, diantaranya: 1)Buku komunikasi menjadi media penghubung antara Wali Murid dengan sekolah. Wali Kelas dapat melaporkan perilaku dan perkembangan siswa di sekolah kepada Wali Murid dan Wali Murid dapat melaporkan perilaku dan perkembangan siswa saat di rumah kepada Sekolah 2) Buku komunikasi berperan sebagai alat kontrol perilaku dan karakter siswa dalam kedisiplinan beribadah, sopan santun, akidah, akhlak dan ketertiban. 3) Buku komunikasi menjadi wadah bagi Wali Murid dan orang tua siswa dalam memotivasi siswa agar terpacu menjadi lebih baik. 4) Melalui buku komunikasi Orang tua siswa dapat menyampaikan kritik dan saran yang membangun kepada sekolah dan melalui Buku Komunikasi sekolah mengajak Orang tua siswa untuk sama-sama menjadi contoh yang baik dalam upaya penanaman karakter pada diri siswa

Pengaruh Strategi Inside Outside Circle Terhadap Hasil Belajar IPS Siswa Kelas 5 SD Muhammadiyah Baturan Tahun Ajaran 2013/2014

Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mendeskripsikan pengaruh penerapan strategi pembelajaran inside outside circle terhadap hasil belajar IPS siswa kelas 5 SD Muhammadiyah Baturan. Jenis penelitian ini adalah penelitian eksperimen dengan subyek penelitian yang terdiri dari dua kelompok/kelas, yaitu kelas eksperimen dan kelas kontrol. Siswa kelas 5 SD Muhammadiyah Baturan sebagai kelas eksperimen, dan siswa kelas 5 SD N 2 Blulukan sebagai kelas kontrol. Masing-masing kelas berjumlah 13 siswa. Pada kelas eksperimen diterapkan strategi inside outside circle, sedangkan pada kelas kontrol diterapkan strategi konvensional. Metode pengumpulan data yang digunakan adalah tes, dokumentasi, observasi dan wawancara. Teknik analisis data yang digunakan adalah uji t, yang sebelumnya dilakukan uji prasyarat analisis yaitu uji keseimbangan dengan uji F, uji normalitas dengan metode Lilliefors dan uji homogenitas dengan metode Bartlett. Berdasarkan uji hipotesis dengan taraf signifikansi 5% diperoleh thitung > ttabel, yaitu 2,5 > 2,06, dapat disimpulkan bahwa strategi Inside Outside Circle berpengaruh terhadap hasil belajar IPS siswa kelas 5 SD Muhammadiyah Baturan tahun ajaran 2013/2014