Scale-up of stirring as foam disruption (SAFD) to industrial scale

Foam disruption by agitation—the stirring as foam disruption (SAFD) technique—was scaled up to pilot and production scale using Rushton turbines and an up-pumping hydrofoil impeller, the Scaba 3SHP1. The dominating mechanism behind SAFD—foam entrainment—was also demonstrated at production scale. The mechanistic model for SAFD defines a fictitious liquid velocity generated by the (upper) impeller near the dispersion surface, which is correlated with complete foam disruption. This model proved to be scalable, thus enabling the model to be used for the design of SAFD applications. Axial upward pumping impellers appeared to be more effective with respect to SAFD than Rushton turbines, as demonstrated by retrofitting a 12,000 l bioreactor, i.e. the triple Rushton configuration was compared with a mixed impeller configuration from Scaba with a 20% lower ungassed power draw. The retrofitted impeller configuration allowed 10% more broth without risking excessive foaming. In this way a substantial increase in the volumetric productivity of the bioreactor was achieved. Design recommendations for the application of SAFD are given in this paper. Using these recommendations for the design of a 30,000 l scale bioreactor, almost foamless Escherichia coli fermentations were realised. Electronic Publication     

Slippery surfaces of carnivorous plants: composition of epicuticular wax crystals in<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Nepenthes alata</Emphasis> Blanco pitchers

Plants in the genus Nepenthes obtain a substantial nutrient supply by trapping insects in highly modified leaves. A broad zone of the inner surface of these pitchers is densely covered with wax crystals on which most insects lose their footing. This slippery wax surface, capturing prey and preventing its escape from the trap, plays a pivotal role in the carnivorous syndrome. To understand the mechanism of slipperiness, the present investigation aimed at an ultrastructural and physico-chemical characterization of the wax crystals in pitchers of N. alata Blanco. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that entire platelets protruded perpendicularly from the surface. Methods were developed that allowed the mechanical removal of wax crystals from the pitcher surface. It could be shown that the sampling was selective for the epicuticular wax, relevant for plant–insect interactions. The crystals consisted of a mixture of aliphatic compounds dominated by very-long-chain aldehydes. Triacontanal, at 43% the most abundant constituent, was largely responsible for crystal formation. Solubility data indicate that the Nepenthes crystals contained polymeric forms of this aldehyde. The resulting mechanical properties of the polymer crystals and the mechanism of slipperiness are discussed.Abbreviation SEM scanning electron microscopy     

Further characterization of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) as a proinflammatory cytokine: central nervous system effects

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), an abundant, highly conserved cellular protein, is widely known as a nuclear DNA-binding protein. HMGB1 has been recently implicated as a proinflammatory cytokine because of its role as a late mediator of endotoxin lethality and ability to stimulate release of proinflammatory cytokines from monocytes. Production of central cytokines is a critical step in the pathway by which endotoxin and peripheral proinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1beta (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF), produce sickness behaviors and fever. Intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of HMGB1 has been shown to increase TNF expression in mouse brain and induce aphagia and taste aversion. Here we show that ICV injections of HMGB1 induce fever and hypothalamic IL-1 in rats. Furthermore, we show that intrathecal administration of HMGB1 produces mechanical allodynia (lowering of the response threshold to calibrated stimuli). Finally, while endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) administration elevates IL-1 and TNF mRNA in various brain regions, HMGB1 mRNA is unchanged. It remains possible that HMGB1 protein is released in brain in response to LPS. Nonetheless, these data suggest that HMGB1 may play a role as an endogenous pyrogen and support the concept that HMGB1 has proinflammatory characteristics within the central nervous system.     

Tension-dependent collective cell movements in the early gastrula ectoderm of Xenopus laevis embryos

Ventral ectodermal explants taken from early gastrula embryos of Xenopus laevis were artificially stretched either by two opposite concentrated forces or by a distributed force applied to the internal explant’s layer. These modes of stretching reflect different mechanical situations taking place in the normal development. Two main types of kinematic response to the applied tensions were detected. First, by 15 min after the onset of concentrated stretching a substantial proportion of the explant’s cells exhibited a concerted movement towards the closest point of the applied stretching force. We define this movement as tensotaxis. Later, under both concentrated and distributed stretching, most of the cell’s trajectories became reoriented perpendicular to the stretching force, and the cells started to intercalate between each other, both horizontally and vertically. This was accompanied by extensive elongation of the outer ectodermal cells and reconstruction of cell-cell contacts. The intercalation movements led first to a considerable reduction in the stretch-induced tensions and then to the formation of peculiar bipolar ”embryoid” shapes. The type and intensity of the morphomechanical responses did not depend upon the orientation of a stretching force in relation to the embryonic axes. We discuss the interactions of the passive and active components in tension-dependent cell movements and their relations to normal morphogenetic events. Received: 26 April 1999 / Accepted: 30 August 1999     

New Evidence for the Role of Mechanical Forces in the Shoot Apical Meristem

Abstract The mechanism for initiation of lateral organs in the shoot apical meristem is still unknown. In this article we investigate one critical component of a buckling mechanism of organ initiation (that is, the presence and distribution of compressive stresses in the meristem). Direct evidence for compression in the sunflower capitulum was obtained from the gaping pattern of shallow cuts and the propagation of fractures. Cuts gaped widely in the central region of the capitulum but remained closed, or nearly so, in the generative and differentiation regions, suggesting the presence of circumferential compression at these locations. Fractures were initiated in the generative region and propagated circumferentially over most of their length. They did not cross the generative region perpendicularly, suggesting again the presence of compressive stresses in the circumferential direction. This conclusion was confirmed by the stress distribution computed from the geometry of the capitulum at three stages of development. One interpretation of these results is that the generative region corresponds to a zone of compression that could control the initiation of new primordia by means of buckling of the tunica layer. Received 12 January 2000; accepted 2 February 2000     

Signalling Pathways for Cardiac Hypertrophy

Mechanical stretch is an initial factor for cardiac hypertrophy in response to haemodynamic overload (high blood pressure). Stretch of cardiomyocytes activates second messengers such as phosphatidylinositol, protein kinase C, Raf-1 kinase and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases (ERKs), which are involved in increased protein synthesis. The cardiac renin–angiotensin system is linked to the formation of pressure-overload hypertrophy. Angiotensin II increases the growth of cardiomyocytes by an autocrine mechanism. Angiotensin II-evoked signal transduction pathways differ among cell types. In cardiac fibroblasts, angiotensin II activates ERKs through a pathway including the Gβγ subunit of Gi protein, Src family tyrosine kinases, Shc, Grb2 and Ras, whereas Gq and protein kinase C are important in cardiac myocytes. In addition, mechanical stretch enhances the endothelin-1 release from the cardiomyocytes. Further, the Na⁺–H⁺ exchanger mediates mechanical stretch-induced Raf-1 kinase and ERK activation followed by increased protein synthesis in cardiomyocytes. Not only mechanical stress, but also neurohumoral factors induce cardiac hypertrophy. The activation of protein kinase cascades by norepinephrine is induced by protein kinase A through β-adrenoceptors as well as by protein kinase C through -adrenoceptors.     

右美托米定对慢性阻塞性肺疾病急性加重期患者镇静效果的临床观察

目的:探讨右美托咪定对慢性阻塞性肺疾病急性加重期(AECOPD)患者机械通气的镇静效果和安全性。方法:选取2012年6月-2014年9月在我院接受气管插管呼吸机辅助通气治疗的AECOPD患者62例,并将其随机分为实验组和对照组。其中,对照组患者给予常规治疗,实验组在常规治疗的基础上给予右美托咪镇痛。观察和比较两组患者机械通气持续时间、ICU停住时间、呼吸机相关性肺炎(VAP)、心动过缓和谵妄的发生率。结果:实验组患者机械通气时间及ICU停住时间均明显短于对照组,VAP、心动过缓及谵妄的发生率均显著低于对照组,差异均具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:右美托咪定对行机械通气慢性阻塞性肺疾病急性加重期患者良好的镇静效果,且安全性高,值得临床推广。     

ACOS与同期哮喘和COPD患者住院情况调查分析

目的:分析ACOS与同期哮喘和COPD患者住院情况。方法:采取回顾性方法,收集6年内住院ACOS与同期哮喘和COPD患者年龄、性别、所患疾病种类和住院费用等临床资料,分别进行统计和分类汇总。结果:2009-2014年共有1327哮喘患者住院治疗,其中合并COPD有128人,即ACOS占哮喘患者的9.6%。同期收治的慢性支气管炎1989人、肺气肿1634人,但行肺功能检查确诊COPD的仅367人,其中合并哮喘同样为128人,即ACOS占COPD患者的34.9%。性别方面,ACOS组男性最多,仅与哮喘组比较,P0.05;年龄,ACOS介于哮喘和COPD之间;入住ICU、机械通气治疗,ACOS组最少,仅与COPD组比较,P0.05;人均花费最低,与哮喘和COPD组比较,P0.05;死亡情况ACOS组仅有1人死亡,死亡率3组中最低,但P0.05;共存病情况ACOS在合并II型呼吸衰竭和过敏性鼻炎方面,与哮喘相似;在合并肺炎和支气管扩张方面与COPD相似;在合并I型呼吸衰竭、冠心病、糖尿病和肝、肾功能异常方面,三组比较,组间差异无显著统计学意义,P0.05;只有合并高血压,ACOS组明显低于哮喘和COPD组,而且组间差异有显著统计学意义,P0.05。结论:与哮喘和COPD相比,ACOS有其独特的特点。     

冷冻干燥及DMEM培养液浸泡对海藻酸水凝胶性能的影响

目的：考察冷冻干燥及DMEM培养液浸泡对海藻酸水凝胶性能的影响。方法：制备得到海藻酸水凝胶,对其结构和性能进 行了表征,重点模拟了细胞的培养过程,考察水凝胶- 冻干-DMEM培养液浸泡后水凝胶的力学性能、流变性能的变化。使用 CCK-8 法研究海藻酸水凝胶的细胞毒性。结果：制备了结构和性能可控的海藻酸水凝胶,冻干再浸泡会降低凝胶的拉伸强度和流 变屈服强度。海藻酸水凝胶对上皮细胞和平滑肌细胞没有明显的细胞毒性。结论：冷冻干燥及DMEM培养液浸泡后,凝胶拉伸强 度和屈服强度出现了下降,其原因是浸泡过程中钙离子会从中溶出。     

吗啡联合有创呼吸机辅助通气治疗重症急性左心衰竭的疗效

目的:探讨吗啡联合有创呼吸机辅助通气治疗重症急性左心衰竭的临床疗效。方法:将2012年5月-2014年5月我院收治的82例重症急性左心衰竭患者随机分为观察组和对照组,各41例。两组患者均因常规药物治疗无效再行经口气管插管机械通气及对症治疗,观察组在此基础上加用吗啡静脉注射。对比两组患者的体征、症状、动血气指标及临床疗效。结果:两组治疗后血压、心率(HR)、呼吸频率(BR)、血气指标明显优于治疗前,比较差异有统计学意义(P0.05),且观察组各指标改善明显优于对照组,比较差异有统计学意义(P0.05);治疗后观察组总有效率为92.7%(38/41),高于对照组的82.9%(34/41),比较差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:吗啡联合有创呼吸机辅助通气治疗重症急性左心衰竭可有效缓解患者症状,改善临床体征,临床疗效显著,值得推广。