Search

Methylphenidate (MPH) is the active ingredient in Ritalin, although effective in treating ofthe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), its neurostimulation action is attractiveamong students in order to increase the focus or improving student performance. In context ofthe Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) concept, states that insults incritical phases of development, as the peripubertal period, may program the organism todysfunctions in adulthood. The aim of this work was to investigate the impact of peripubertalMPH exposure on learning and retrograde memory in adult rats. Male Wistar rats wereexposed to MPH (5 mg/kg) from post-natal day (PN) 30 until PN60 (MPH). Control animalsreceived 0.9% saline (Sal). At PN60, learning was evaluated true 10 days in an eight-armelevated maze and at PN120 retrograde memory. At PN60, MPH group showed a delay of61% in the latency, an increase of 100% in the number of errors and 200% in the number ofrepetition errors when compared to the Sal group, until the day 5 of learning period (p=0.004).After the washout period, at PN120, the MPH group showed an increase of 37% in thelatency, 49% in the number of errors of reference and 600% in the number of repetition errorscompared with the Sal group (p=0.001, p=0.004 and p=0.01). Exposure to MPH duringperipubertal phase decreases learning and memory in adult male Wistar rats.

Sedentary lifestyle and consumption of high-calorie foods contribute to the development ofindividuals with risk factors for non-communicable diseases. Aerobic exercise is one of themain non-pharmacological strategies in this confrontation. This work aims to evaluate theeffects of moderate-intensity exercise (MIE) on biometric and metabolic parameters of adultmale Wistar rats, programmed for obesity during the lactation period. The litters werestandardized in 9 pups until the 3rd day of life, and later adjusted in Normal Litters (NL), andReduced Litters (SL). At 21 days, the offspring were weaned and divided into sedentary(SED) and exercised (EXE) groups, forming 4 experimental groups: NL-SED, NL-EXE, SL-SED and SL-EXE. EXE rats performed a moderate-intensity treadmill running protocol from30 to 60 years old. All groups were euthanized at 120 days. The results showed that the litterreduction made the animals heavier (p

Metformin is the most widely used drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and metabolicdiseases worldwide. Lactation is understood as a sensitive phase of development capable ofprogramming the metabolism for health or disease in adult life. The aim of this study was toverify whether treatment with metformin during lactation could attenuate the metabolicdysfunctions in Wistar rats induced obesity by overfeeding during lactation. At birth, alllitters were adjusted to 9 pups (NL) for each mother and divided into two experimentalgroups: NL: Normal Litter Saline, NL-M: Normal Litter Metformin. Small Litter (SL) litterswere reduced to 3 pups per mother on the third day of life and were divided into twoexperimental groups: SL: Small Litter Saline and SL-M: Small Litter Metformin. Salina (S)pups received 0.9% saline solution from the first to the twelfth day of life via intraperitonealinjection. The other group received metformin (M) (100mg/kg of body weight (bw)/day) inthe same period of life. Early metformin treatment decreased body weight gain (BW) andfood intake (FI) in SL-M rats at 90 days old. The increase in retroperitoneal, mesenteric andgonadal fat reserves in SL animals not treated with metformin was shown to be reduced intreated SL animals. The intravenous glucose tolerance test showed greater tolerance in SL-M.We conclude that early treatment with metformin prevented BW gain and visceral adiposityin adult rats, caused by overfeeding during lactation, as well as improved glucose tolerance, aparameter also altered in small litter animals.

Childhood obesity is an important independent risk factor for later metabolic diseases, such astype 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and arterial hypertension. However, males and femalesrespond differently to this nutritional challenge. Here, we propose an experimental study ofthe effects of early obesity, using the litter reduction model, in the body mass of female adultWistar rats. The litters were delivered on postnatal day 0 - PN0. In PN2, the offspring ofWistar rats was standardized in 9 (normal litter – NL) and 3 (reduced litter – SL) pups.Animals were weaned at PN21 and kept at 3 per cage for both groups until PN120. In PN120,the rats were weighed and euthanized, and then the tissues were collected, according to theapproval of the Ethics in Animal Use Committee n° 4831020822. Our data points to a bodyweight difference in PN21 between the groups, where the SL group was overweight comparedto the NL group (p

The current study investigate sound effects of low-protein diet (LP) during peripubertal periodto induce metabolic dysfunctions. In our study (CEUA 2910011021), 30 days-old Wistar malerats received LP (4% protein) and control rats were fed a 20.5% protein diet, for 60 days (NPgroup). Biometric parameters was taken and glucose, total and HDL-cholesterol, andtriglycerides were evaluated from plasma samples. Glycemia homeostasis was evaluated byOGTT and ITT, while hepatic parameters, including quantitative analysis of fat, triglyceridesand cholesterol in the liver was evaluated ex vivo. At 60 days, LP rats showed inferior bodymass (P=0.003), food intake (P=0.05), and nose-tail length (P=0.0001), compared to NP.Regarding biochemical assays, LP rats showed higher serum glucose (P=0.008); however,triglyceride (P=0.002), total cholesterol (P=0.02), and HDL levels (P

European forests are threatened by increasing numbers of invasive pests and pathogens. Over the past century, Lecanosticta acicola, a foliar pathogen predominantly of Pinus spp., has expanded its range globally, and is increasing in impact. Lecanosticta acicola causes brown spot needle blight, resulting in premature defoliation, reduced growth, and mortality in some hosts. Originating from southern regions of North American, it devastated forests in the USA's southern states in the early twentieth century, and in 1942 was discovered in Spain. Derived from Euphresco project ‘Brownspotrisk,’ this study aimed to establish the current distribution of Lecanosticta species, and assess the risks of L. acicola to European forests. Pathogen reports from the literature, and new/ unpublished survey data were combined into an open-access geo-database (http://www.portalofforestpathology.com), and used to visualise the pathogen's range, infer its climatic tolerance, and update its host range. Lecanosticta species have now been recorded in 44 countries, mostly in the northern hemisphere. The type species, L. acicola, has increased its range in recent years, and is present in 24 out of the 26 European countries where data were available. Other species of Lecanosticta are largely restricted to Mexico and Central America, and recently Colombia. The geo-database records demonstrate that L. acicola tolerates a wide range of climates across the northern hemisphere, and indicate its potential to colonise Pinus spp. forests across large swathes of the Europe. Preliminary analyses suggest L. acicola could affect 62% of global Pinus species area by the end of this century, under climate change predictions. Although its host range appears slightly narrower than the similar Dothistroma species, Lecanosticta species were recorded on 70 host taxa, mostly Pinus spp., but including, Cedrus and Picea spp. Twenty-three, including species of critical ecological, environmental and economic significance in Europe, are highly susceptible to L. acicola, suffering heavy defoliation and sometimes mortality. Variation in apparent susceptibility between reports could reflect variation between regions in the hosts’ genetic make-up, but could also reflect the significant variation in L. acicola populations and lineages found across Europe. This study served to highlight significant gaps in our understanding of the pathogen's behaviour. Lecanosticta acicola has recently been downgraded from an A1 quarantine pest to a regulated non quarantine pathogen, and is now widely distributed across Europe. With a need to consider disease management, this study also explored global BSNB strategies, and used Case Studies to summarise the tactics employed to date in Europe.

Eight new amorphous organic salts of folic acid (FA) were prepared by mechanochemistry. FA can prevent cardiovascular and neurological diseases. Mechanochemistry overcomes serious FA solubility issues avoiding the use of toxic solvents. Due to low FA solubility, therapeutic effects in supplements and drugs are not achieved. Current strategies to improve FA solubility include its derivatization by using complex synthetic procedures. Herein, a simple and green procedure, avoiding structural modifications, was designed using mechanochemistry. Biocompatible amine-derivative coformers were strategically combined with FA to obtain salts with good physicochemical properties. New 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 amorphous FA salts offer 10 to 10,000 times better aqueous solubility and 10 to 100 times better octanol-water partition coefficient values (Koctanol/water) than FA alone. Koctanol/water is considered as a surrogate of cell permeability. No toxic effects in normal human primary dermal fibroblasts were detected for the prepared FA salts. Our findings suggest that 1 : 2 FA salts of choline hydroxide and derivatives could be good candidates for future pharmaceutical/nutraceutical applications. publishersversion published

In order to better understand the effect of structure, halogen substitution, metal ions and ligand flexibility on antiproliferative activity, eight Cu(II) complexes and eight Pt(II) complexes were obtained of 2,4-X

Producción Científica, In the last decade, the impact of needle blight fungal pathogens on the health status of forests in northern Spain has marked a turning point in forest production systems based on Pinus radiata species. Dothistroma needle blight caused by Dothistroma septosporum and D. pini, and brown spot needle blight caused by Lecanosticta acicola, coexist in these ecosystems. There is a clear dominance of L. acicola with respect to the other two pathogens and evidence of sexual reproduction in the area. Understanding L. acicola spore dispersal dynamics within climatic determinants is necessary to establish more efficient management strategies to increase the sustainability of forest ecosystems. In this study, spore counts of 15 spore traps placed in Pinus ecosystems were recorded in 2019 and spore abundance dependency on weather data was analysed using generalised additive models. During the collection period, the model that best fit the number of trapped spores included the daily maximum temperature and daily cumulative precipitation, which was associated to higher spore counts. The presence of conidia was detected from January and maximum peaks of spore dispersal were generally observed from September to November., Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación - INIA (RTA 2017-00063-C04-03), LIFE programme (LIFE14 ENV/ES/000179), Desarrollo Económico, Sostenibilidad y Medio Ambiente (FUNGITRAP2019)

International audience; Active inductors have become standard building blocks for many applications by its recon gurability and reduced silicon area. However, the inductance variation over temperature is a main circuits' limitation in harsh environments. This paper presents a novel temperature analysis of a general architecture of active inductors, obtaining an optimal conductance value to minimize inductance variation over temperature. Based on the m /I D and sensitivity analysis, temperature variation result highlights that, even if its counter intuitive to bias transistors in weak inversion, a low inductance variation of 139 ppm/ °C.

The 2-Chloroethylphosphonic acid (ethephon) and calcium carbide are used to induce and synchronize the flowering of pineapple crop. Some farmers have used the 2,4-D herbicide in combination with these flowering inducers. This practice is based on the hypothesis that 2,4-D would act as a growth regulator, increasing fruit size and weight. The objectives of this work was to verify if the use of 2,4-D, associated to calcium carbide or ethephon, influences the productivity and quality of the pineapple fruits and, also if the use of this herbicide leaves residues in the fruits. For this, two field experiments were carried out in two different farms. The treatments consisted of the application of ethephon and calcium carbide, alone, and in a mixture with two, four and six drops of 2,4-D in the center of the leaflet of the pineapple cv. “Pérola” at 10 months after planting. The use of 2,4-D mixed with calcium carbide or ethephon, regardless of the dose and culture environment, did not influence the size, weight, total soluble solids content, density and pH of the pineapple fruits. However, depending on the growing environment, ethephon + 2,4-D mixtures did not influence or reduce flowering and crop yield. No 2,4-D residues were found in the fruit pulp of pineapple. It was concluded that the use of 2,4-D as a growth regulator of pineapple under the conditions evaluated does not incorporate qualitative or quantitative benefits to the productive system of this crop. In addition, no 2,4-D residues were found in the fruit pulp of pineapple. RESUMO: O ácido 2-cloroetilfosfônico (ethephon) e o carbureto de cálcio são usados para induzir e sincronizar a floração da cultura do abacaxi. Alguns produtores têm utilizado, em associação com esses indutores do florescimento, o herbicida 2,4-D. Essa prática baseia-se na hipótese de que o 2,4-D atua como regulador de crescimento, aumentando o tamanho e peso dos frutos. Diante disso, os objetivos deste trabalho foram verificar se a utilização do 2,4-D, associado ao carbureto de cálcio ou ao ethephon, influencia a produtividade e qualidade dos frutos do abacaxizeiro e, também, se o uso desse herbicida deixa resíduos nos frutos. Para isso, foram realizados dois experimentos de campo em duas fazendas. Os tratamentos consistiram da aplicação de ethephon e carbureto de cálcio, isoladamente e em mistura com duas, quatro e seis gotas de 2,4-D no centro da roseta foliar do abacaxizeiro cv. Pérola aos 10 meses após o seu plantio. O uso de 2,4-D em mistura com o carbureto de cálcio ou o ethephon, independentemente da dose e do ambiente de cultivo, não influenciou o tamanho, peso, teor de sólidos solúveis totais, densidade e pH dos frutos de abacaxi. Todavia, dependendo do ambiente de cultivo, as misturas de ethephon + 2,4-D não influenciaram ou reduziram o florescimento e a produtividade da cultura. Não foram encontrados resíduos do 2,4-D na polpa dos frutos do abacaxi. Concluiu-se que o uso de 2,4-D associado ao carbureto de cálcio ou ao ethephon como regulador de crescimento do abacaxi, nas condições avaliadas, não incorpora benefícios qualitativos ou quantitativos ao sistema produtivo dessa cultura. Além disso, não foram encontrados resíduos de 2,4-D na polpa dos frutos de abacaxi.

Hydrophilic albumin microspheres are proposed as a new delivery system for amphotericin B (AMB; AMB microspheres). The acute toxicity of AMB microspheres was lower than that of the AMB-deoxycholate (AMB-Doc) reference formulation in hamsters. Lethal doses in healthy and infected animals were improved at least eight times. Intravenous bolus administration of doses of AMB microspheres up to 40 mg/kg of body weight did not produce acute symptoms of toxicity. The efficacy of this new formulation was tested against Leishmania infantum- infected hamsters at doses of 2, 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg. With the 2-mg/kg dose, the activity of AMB, as assessed through the parasite load reductions in the liver and spleen and the evolution of antibody levels, was also improved ( P < 0.05) by use of the AMB microsphere system. At the higher doses of 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg, reductions in parasite levels of more than 99% were achieved in the liver and spleen after the administration of AMB microspheres. A pharmacokinetic study was performed to study the serum, liver, and spleen AMB concentrations after administration of AMB microspheres and the reference formulation. Interestingly, a significant accumulation of AMB in the spleen and liver was observed after AMB microsphere administration. Our results suggest that this new formulation is a promising alternative to the conventional AMB-Doc formulation for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis.

The reaction in perchloric acid solution between Hg 2C and Fe 2C was found to proceed extremely slowly until it suddenly exhibited an autocatalytic surge. In conjunction with this rise, a yellow-green by-product formed and disappeared again when the reaction came to an end. In the related reaction between Hg 2C 2 and Fe 2C , the autocatalytic behaviour started early and the yellow-green by-product again appeared. No metallic mercury or other solid formed in either reaction, but the production of colloidal mercury was demonstrated by the Tyndall effect and by electrophoresis experiments. A five-step mechanism for these reactions is proposed and incorporated into a computer simulation called Mercury. The behaviour predicted by these simulations agrees well with the unusual experimental findings. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Resumen:Se ha realizado un estudio comparativo de la evolución de los estilos de aprendizaje en una amplia muestra representativa de alumnos de 4º curso de Farmacia de dos Universidades de Madrid (España), entre los cursos 2003/2004 y 2009/2010. Para ello se ha utilizado el cuestionario CHAEA. En ambos períodos de tiempo los alumnos obtuvieron las puntuaciones positivas más elevadas en el estilo reflexivo y, a continuación, los estilos teórico, pragmático y activo. Sin embargo, al comparar ambos períodos de tiempo, se observa una clara disminución en los valores medios de todos los estilos de aprendizaje, lo que refuerza la importancia que tiene el cambio profundo en el que están inmersos los estudios universitarios para lograr una mayor motivación e implicación del discente en el aprendizaje. EVOLUTION OF LEARNING STYLES OF STUDENTS OF PHARMACY IN THE LAST 6 YEARS Abstract:We development one comparative study of the evolution of learning styles in a wide section of 4 th grade students of two universities Pharmacy Madrid (Spain) between 2003/2004 and 2009/2010 courses. To do this we used the questionnaire CHAEA. In both periods the students had the highest positive ratings in the style of reflexive and then styles theoretical, pragmatic and active. However, when comparing both periods, there is a clear decrease in the values of all learning styles, which reinforces the importance of the profound change they are currently in university studies to achieve greater motivation and learner involvement in learning.

An analysis of the population structure of Erysiphe necator from Spain was carried out to determine if population structure of grapevine powdery mildew is partitioned by origin of primary inoculum, i.e. overwintering ascomata on grapevine bark and mycelia in dormant buds. Ten of the 31 isolates collected were from flag shoots, i.e. shoots covered with sporulating mycelia that arise from dormant infected buds. Genetic variation was assessed using 61 AFLP markers. Cluster analysis revealed two distinct groups with 63% genetic similarity. Principal coordinates analysis (pccorda) produced a similar distribution of isolates in two groups. Isolates were not well identified within their groups by the origin of primary inoculum. Analysis of molecular variance (amova) determined that the origin of primary inoculum was not a significant component in the genetic variation in the population of E. necator. It was concluded that these two subpopulations are not separated by the type of primary source of inoculum. © 2006 The Authors.

A strategy for integrated biological and chemical control of Botrytis cinerea in unheated tomato greenhouses in southeastern Spain was tested. The biocontrol agent used was a commercial preparation developed from an isolate of Trichoderma harzianum T39 (Trichodex®). Decisions concerning whether to spray the biocontrol agent or a fungicide were made based on a future weather disease warning system called BOTMAN implemented as follows: no spraying when slow or no disease progress was expected; use of a chemical fungicide when an outbreak of epidemics was expected; in all other cases, application of Trichoderma harzianum T39 was recommended. A 4-day weather forecast provided by the Eastern. Andalusian Weather Forecast Service was used for predictions. The integrated strategy was compared with weekly applications of fungicides in two experiments conducted over 1998-99 and 1999-2000. Reduction of disease incidence was obtained only with the fungicide-only treatment in the 1998-99 experiment (55%, P

Seventy-nine random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers, of which 46 were polymorphic and 33 monomorphic, were used to determine the level of generic diversity and to study the structure of populations of Botrytis cinerea in Almeria, Spain. Sixty-five isolates were collected in the first survey (December 1992, at the beginning of the epidemic) from 23 commercial greenhouses of common winter crops in two regions, Levante and Pomente. In the second survey, conducted three months later at the end of the epidemic, 75 isolates were collected from 16 greenhouses in Poniente. The analysis of population structure revealed that generic diversity within subpopulations sampled in the two surveys accounted for 98% of the total generic diversity, while generic diversity between subpopulations represented only 2% of the total diversity. The relative magnitude of gene differentiation between subpopulations, G(ST), averaged 0-017. In the first survey, partition of generic diversity into hierarchical components by greenhouses within regions showed that the within-greenhouse component of diversity was 93%, the between-greenhouses, within-region component was 6%, and the between-regions component was 1%. Similar results were obtained when comparisons were made between greenhouses in the second survey or between populations of different countries genetic diversity within subpopulations accounted for 95 and 96%, respectively, of the total genetic diversity. In all comparisons, values of G(ST) were higher than 0.01, ranging from 0.011 to 0.055. Analysis of likelihood ratio chi-square (G2) statistics under the null hypothesis that frequencies of markers are similar between subpopulations showed that different markers contributed to the differentiation between subpopulations in each comparison. The relative importance of several evolutionary forces in populations of B. cinerea is discussed, together with implications for the management of grey mould.

Fitness costs in Botrytis cinerea associated with dicarboximide resistance were studied. Spearman rank correlation coefficients were calculated between resistance to iprodione and survival ability both outside and inside the greenhouse, measured on isolates randomly chosen from a collection done in a survey of commercial greenhouses in Southeastern Spain in 1992. Survival was measured at 47, 83, and 110 days as percentage of surviving mycelia in a sample of artificially inoculated tomato stem pieces and as percentage of viable sclerotia from a sample of sclerotia produced on potato dextrose agar. Resistance to iprodione was measured by the fungicide concentration that reduces fungal growth by 50% (EC50 values). Significant (P < 0.05) negative correlation coefficients between survival of sclerotia and resistance to iprodione were found for some samplings dates, which indicates that sclerotia of resistant isolates survive less well than sclerotia from sensitive isolates. For mycelia, no relationship between survival and resistance was found.

Forty-nine greenhouses of vegetable crops were surveyed in southeast Spain at the beginning of the disease season in December 1992 to estimate frequencies of resistance to benzimidazoles, dicarboximides and N-phenylcarbamates (NPC) in B. cinerea. Out of 261 isolates collected, 28% were sensitive to both benzimidazoles and dicarboximides, 15% were benzimidazole-resistant and dicarboximide-sensitive, 8% were benzimidazole-sensitive and dicarboximide-resistant and 46% were benzimidazole- and dicarboximide-resistant. Resistance to benzimidazole, dicarboximide and N-phenylcarbamate was determined by measuring the ability of each isolate to grow in the presence of carbendazim, procymidone and diethofencarb fungicides respectively. Carbendazim- or procymidone-resistant isolates were found in all surveyed greenhouses. Three isolates were found with resistance to carbendazim, procymidone and diethofencarb collected in two adjacent greenhouses that were sprayed with the carbendazim and diethofencarb mixture. All other isolates were sensitive to the mixture because they were either sensitive to carbendazim and resistant to diethofencarb or vice versa. Fitness of 31 isolates of B. cinerea was determined in vivo by measuring their sporulation and lesion growth rate on leaf disks. No fitness costs were associated with resistance to iprodione (dicarboximide) and benomyl (benzimidazole). Isolates with EC 50 values higher than 101 mg/L for benomyl and 1.6 mg/L for iprodione were considered to be field resistant (they caused visible lesions on cucumber leaf disks treated with each fungicide).

Hydrogen solubility data in some biological liquids (urine, serum and physiological saline solution) were experimentally determined by using an electrochemical sensor. Such solubility is expressed through the Bunsen empiric coefficient, alpha . Human beings produce H2 gas in the large intestine as a final product during the microbial fermentation of carbohydrates. This gas dissolves in the urine and can be quantitatively determined in this liquid since it is excreted by this way also. The gas removal rate fundamentally depends on its solubility in the different corporeal fluids.

The perchloro-soluble mucroptotein fraction was determined in the cells of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma on the 10th and 12th days post-inoculation of the tumor. After 3 days of a single subcutaneous dose of cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg) the mucoprotein levels were found considerable lower. This difference was highly significant statistically.Foi determinada a fração mucoproteica percloro-solúvel nas células do carcinoma ascítico de Ehrlich, no 10º e 12º dias após a inoculação do tumor. Nos camundongos injetados com uma única dose subcutânea de ciclofosfamida (200 mg/kg) os níveis desta fração foram encontrados consideravelmente mais baixos. A análise estatística demonstrou que as diferenças observadas entre os animais controles e os tratados com ciclofosfamida foram altamente significativas.

This paper examines the main features of the social production process of condomínios fechados across the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. This residential form first appeared in Portugal in the 1980's and spread quickly in the 1990's. The article opens with a preliminary analysis of the development of secured residential complexes, aimed at understanding its specificity and pinpointing the main factors involved in its social production. In this analysis, we do not focus on the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (LMA) alone but rather adopt a broader approach. In the second chapter we describe the research methods used, such as a survey of condomínios fechados built in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area between 1985 and 1999, interviews with social actors and content analysis of promotional materials. Finally, we present selected research results and discuss several issues central to understanding the social production of gated housing estates in the LMA, including the importance of foreign modeis, the supply side agency of the real estate market, and the broader social context.

The perchloro-soluble mucroptotein fraction was determined in the cells of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma on the 10th and 12th days post-inoculation of the tumor. After 3 days of a single subcutaneous dose of cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg) the mucoprotein levels were found considerable lower. This difference was highly significant statistically. Foi determinada a fração mucoproteica percloro-solúvel nas células do carcinoma ascítico de Ehrlich, no 10º e 12º dias após a inoculação do tumor. Nos camundongos injetados com uma única dose subcutânea de ciclofosfamida (200 mg/kg) os níveis desta fração foram encontrados consideravelmente mais baixos. A análise estatística demonstrou que as diferenças observadas entre os animais controles e os tratados com ciclofosfamida foram altamente significativas.

STUDIES in blood serum mucoproteins have stressed the importance of the alterations of this fraction in various pathological and physiological conditions1 as well as in the administration of certain drugs2. However, only very scant information on the biosynthesis and function of seromucoid is at present available1. It seemed to us that a method for the determination of histomucoid3 would be a practical tool for the study of seromucoid biosynthesis.

Isenberg and Szent-Gyorgyi1 studied the reaction between tryptophan and tryptophan metabolites and riboflavin. It was observed that free tryptophan or this amino-acid in proteins formed a complex with riboflavin. The vitamin molecule takes up one electron from tryptophan and a semiquinoid riboflavin free radical is formed. Those authors speculated that this complex occurs in vivo. Since it was established by Winzler et al.2 that seromucoid contains tryptophan, and in view of the hepatic origin of that fraction3, experiments were conducted by us to investigate a possible effect of riboflavin on liver histomucoid in vivo.

MUCOPROTEINS which are soluble in 0.6 M perchloric acid and precipitated by phosphotungstic acid have been classified as ‘mucoids’ by Winzler1. So far as we know there is no information available in the literature dealing with the mucoid content of micro-organisms; therefore, we were interested to apply the same method previously used by us2, for animal tissues, to the study of some bacteria and fungi.

This article explores the relevance of universal design and empathic design in education. The universal design focuses on creating accessible and usable products, environments, and systems for individuals with diverse abilities. Empathy, on the other hand, involves understanding and sharing the feelings of others, encompassing cognitive, emotional, and compassionate empathy. The article investigates the application of empathy in design, particularly its importance for engineers. Teaching empathy to engineers is emphasized as a crucial aspect. By developing empathic skills, engineers gain a deeper understanding of user needs and perspectives, leading to more inclusive and user-centered design solutions. Effective communication techniques such as asking open-ended questions, active listening, observation, and perspective-taking are explored to enhance empathy in communication. The article also explores methods for measuring empathy, thus enabling engineers to assess the effectiveness of their empathic design approaches. The challenges facing students, teachers, and university authorities in implementing such courses are also bulleted. Med Pr. 2023;74(3):211-25., (This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.)