Cumulative Transport Research Articles

Seasonal sediment dynamics on the Barcelona inner shelf (NW Mediterranean): A small Mediterranean river- and wave-dominated system

The seasonal pattern of sediment dynamics on an inner shelf characterized by the presence of sediment delivered by a small, mountainous river (with a “flash-flood” regime) was investigated. Near-bottom suspended sediment fluxes across the shelf (i.e. 20, 30 and 40m water depth) were estimated using observations from three benthic tripods deployed from September 2007 to June 2008. Near-bottom sediment resuspension was controlled by wave-induced currents and river-born sediment availability, whereas the shelf currents played a secondary role. Fourteen sediment transport events were identified (eight in autumn, two in winter and four in spring), with transport rates according to storm intensity and sediment availability. These few energetic events induced a large percentage of the cumulative sediment transport near the bottom. However, the lack of proportionality between suspended sediment transport rates and the combined wave-current bottom shear stress in some events highlights the importance of the sequence of events in sediment dynamics. Since wave activity, hydrography and river discharges display a strong seasonal pattern in the NW Mediterranean, the resulting sediment dynamics across the shelf also correspond to a seasonal cycle. This seasonal variability leads to a temporal evolution of the bottom grain size (coarser in winter) and the near-bottom sediment transport rates (higher in spring and autumn) which is consistent with the seasonal pattern of the hydrodynamic events and the river discharge load.

Adaptation in Caco-2 Human Intestinal Cell Differentiation and Phenolic Transport with Chronic Exposure to Blackberry (Rubus sp.) Extract.

As evidence mounts for a health-protective role of dietary phenolics, the importance of understanding factors influencing bioavailability increases. Recent evidence has suggested chronic exposure to phenolics may impact their absorption and metabolism. To explore alterations occurring from chronic dietary exposure to phenolics, Caco-2 cell monolayers were differentiated on Transwell inserts with 0-10 μM blackberry (Rubus sp.) total phenolics extracts rich in anthocyanins, flavonols, and phenolic acids. Following differentiation, apical to basolateral transport of phenolics was assessed from an acute treatment of 100 μM blackberry phenolics from 0 to 4 h. Additionally, differences in gene expression of transport and phase II metabolizing systems including ABC transporters, organic anion transporters (OATs), and uridine 5'-diphospho (UDP) glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) were probed. After 4 h, 1 μM pretreated monolayers showed a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the percentage of cumulative transport including less epicatechin (42.1 ± 0.53), kaempferol glucoside (23.5 ± 0.29), and dicaffeoylquinic acid (31.9 ± 0.20) compared to control. Finally, significant (P < 0.05) alterations in mRNA expression of key phase II metabolizing enzymes and transport proteins were observed with treatment. Therefore, adaptation to blackberry extract exposure may impact intestinal transport and metabolism of phenolics.

Field observations of the vertical distribution of sand transport characteristics over fine, medium and coarse sand surfaces

AbstractThe vertical distribution of sand transport characteristics is an important issue in aeolian research. Surface characteristics affect sand transport processes, but their effects are not yet fully understood. To provide more data on this subject, we observed sand transport in 16 field experiments above surfaces covered by fine, medium and coarse sand. The sand transport rate over relatively coarser‐grained medium and coarse surfaces could be expressed as a Gaussian peak function: qz = a + b exp (−0.5[(|z – Ch|)/d]e), where qz is the measured sediment transport at height z above the bed and a, b, Ch, d, and e are regression coefficients. The measured sand transport flux peak values (Hh) were linearly related to Ch, and both values were significantly related to the mean surface grain size. However, for the relatively finer‐grained medium and fine sand surfaces, the sediment transport could be expressed as an exponential function. The cumulative sand transport below 0.1 m was directly related to the mean surface grain size, and the relationship could be expressed as the following exponential function: Cz = f + g exp –Mz/i, where Cz is the cumulative sand transport at height z above the bed, Mz is the mean grain size and f, g, and i are regression coefficients. Above 0.1 m, there were no significant relationships between the cumulative sand transport and the mean surface grain size. The mean grain size decreased with increasing height below the peak height and then increased with increasing height. The surface grain size distribution and proportions of the particles in different grain size categories controlled the mean grain size as a function of height. The observed changes in the sand transport rate and grain size with height will provide support for sand disaster mitigation, numerical modelling and studies of dune formation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Moisture Management Properties of Bamboo Viscose/Tencel Single Jersey Knitted Fabrics

ABSTRACTEffect of bamboo viscose/tencel blend ratio on the moisture management properties of single jersey knitted fabrics has been studied. Moisture management properties, such as wetting time of top and bottom fabric surfaces, maximum moisture absorption rates of top and bottom surfaces, maximum wetted radii of top and bottom surfaces, spreading speeds of top and bottom surfaces, and cumulative one-way transport capacity and overall moisture management capacity have been considered and correlated to the blend ratio of bamboo viscose/tencel yarn single jersey knitted fabrics. It is observed that as the tencel content increases, the wetting time, absorption rate, spreading speed, overall moisture management capacity decreases but maximum wetted radius increases.

Improved Flux of Levodopa via Direct Deposition of Solid Microparticles on Nasal Tissue.

Epithelial flux and permeability across bovine olfactory tissue were compared when levodopa (L-DOPA) was loaded in different physical states. Aqueous solution of L-DOPA was prepared in Krebs-Ringer buffer (KRB), at a concentration (0.75mg/mL) verified to be less than the saturation solubility at both 25 and 37°C. Sodium metabisulfite was added to solution to minimize L-DOPA oxidation; chemical stability of aqueous L-DOPA was evaluated using HPLC-UV. Solid-state characterization of unprocessed, dry, crystalline L-DOPA powder was performed using TGA, DSC, PXRD, and optical microscopy to ensure that preparation of L-DOPA microparticles used for diffusion experiments did not elicit a phase change. Measurements of in vitro flux were made for all preparations, using freshly excised bovine olfactory mucosal membrane. Samples obtained from transport studies were analyzed by HPLC-UV. Tissue viability was measured before and after experiments using transdermal epithelial electrical resistance (TEER). The average steady-state flux (J ss ) of L-DOPA from solid microparticles directly deposited on nasal epithelial tissue was 6.08 ± 0.69μg/cm2/min, approximately three times greater than the J ss measured for L-DOPA from solution (2.13 ± 0.97μg/cm2/min). The average apparent permeability coefficient (P app ) of L-DOPA was calculated to be 4.73 × 10-5cm/s. These findings suggest that nasal delivery of L-DOPA by administration of solid microparticles not only benefits from improved chemical and microbiological stability by avoiding the use of aqueous formulation vehicle but also does not compromise cumulative mass transport across the olfactory membrane.

Nanoscale Particulate Matter from Urban Traffic Rapidly Induces Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Olfactory Epithelium with Concomitant Effects on Brain.

Background:Rodent models for urban air pollution show consistent induction of inflammatory responses in major brain regions. However, the initial impact of air pollution particulate material on olfactory gateways has not been reported.Objective:We evaluated the olfactory neuroepithelium (OE) and brain regional responses to a nanosized subfraction of urban traffic ultrafine particulate matter (nPM, < 200 nm) in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro.Methods:Adult mice were exposed to reaerosolized nPM for 5, 20, and 45 cumulative hours over 3 weeks. The OE, the olfactory bulb (OB), the cerebral cortex, and the cerebellum were analyzed for oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. Acute responses of the OE to liquid nPM suspensions were studied with ex vivo and primary OE cultures.Results:After exposure to nPM, the OE and OB had rapid increases of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE) and 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) protein adducts, whereas the cerebral cortex and cerebellum did not respond at any time. All brain regions showed increased levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) protein by 45 hr, with earlier induction of TNFα mRNA in OE and OB. These responses corresponded to in vitro OE and mixed glial responses, with rapid induction of nitrite and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), followed by induction of TNFα.Conclusions:These findings show the differential time course of oxidative stress and inflammatory responses to nPM between the OE and the brain. Slow cumulative transport of inhaled nPM into the brain may contribute to delayed responses of proximal and distal brain regions, with potential input from systemic factors.Citation:Cheng H, Saffari A, Sioutas C, Forman HJ, Morgan TE, Finch CE. 2016. Nanoscale particulate matter from urban traffic rapidly induces oxidative stress and inflammation in olfactory epithelium with concomitant effects on brain. Environ Health Perspect 124:1537–1546; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP134

Sediment transport dynamics in the swash zone under large-scale laboratory conditions

A laboratory experiment was carried out to study sediment transport dynamics occurring in the swash zone of a coarse-sandy beach built in a large-scale wave flume. Hydro- and morpho-dynamic as well as sediment transport data were collected using sensors mounted on a scaffold rig deployed in the lower swash zone close to the moving bed. The high resolution of near-bed data permitted quantitative evaluation of suspended and sheet flow contributions to the total sediment transport. Although sheet flow sediment fluxes were higher than suspended fluxes, the vertically integrated suspended sediment load overcame the sheet flow load during uprush and it was on the same order of magnitude during backwash. The observed cumulative sediment transport was generally larger than the morphological changes occurring shoreward of the rig location implying either an underestimation of the offshore sediment transport or an overestimation of the onshore fluxes obtained from concentration and velocity profile data. Low correlations were found between net swash profile changes and runup parameters suggesting that local hydrodynamic parameters provide little or no predictability of accretion and erosion of an upper beach which is near equilibrium. The balance between erosion and deposition induced by individual swash events brought a dynamic equilibrium with small differences between the profiles measured at the start and at the end of the run.

Modeling a Conventional Electroporation Pulse Train: Decreased Pore Number, Cumulative Calcium Transport and an Example of Electrosensitization.

Pulse trains are widely used in electroporation (EP) for both general biomedical research and clinical applications such as nonthermal tumor ablation. Here we use a computational method based on a meshed transport network to investigate a cell system model's response to a train of identical, evenly spaced electric field pulses. We obtain an unexpected result: the number of membrane pores decreases during the application of twenty 1.0 kV/cm, 100 μs pulses, delivered at 1 Hz. This pulse train initially creates 13,000 membrane pores, but pore number decreases by a factor of 15 to about 830 pores throughout subsequent pulses. We conclude that pore number can greatly diminish during a train of identical pulses, with direct consequences for the transport of solutes across an electroporated membrane. Although application of additional pulses is generally intended to increase the effects of EP, we show that these pulses do not significantly enhance calcium delivery into the cell. Instead, calcium delivery can be significantly increased by varying inter-pulse intervals. We show that inserting a 300-s interruption midway in a widely used eight-pulse train (a protocol for electrosensitization) yields a ∼ twofold delivery increase. Overall, our modeling shows support for electrosensitization, in which multiple pulse protocols that maximize pore number over time can yield significant increase of transport of calcium compared to standard pulse trains.

Simulated South Atlantic transports and their variability during 1958–2007

South Atlantic transports, as simulated by a global ocean-sea ice model forced with the Coordinated Ocean-ice Reference Experiments version 2 (CORE-II) interannually varying air-sea reanalysis data sets, are analyzed for the period 1958–2007. The ocean-sea ice model is configured at three different resolutions: from eddy-permitting to coarsened grid spacing. A particular focus is given to the effect of eddy fluxes and inter-ocean exchanges on the South Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (SAMOC), as well as on the main factors contributing to the interannual variability during the integration period. Differences between refined and coarsened grid spacing models are more evident in coastal areas and in regions of high eddy activities. Major discrepancies are associated to both the parameterization of eddy fluxes and the coarse representation of the bathymetry. The refined grid spacing model produces higher values of both SAMOC index, defined as the maximum of the zonally-integrated northward cumulative volume transport (CVT) from surface to bottom across ∼34° S, and meridional heat transport (MHT). All models show high correlations between SAMOC index and MHT, as well as a strengthening of the transports in the 1980–2007 period. The strengthening of the SAMOC index is mainly dominated by surface and mode waters in all models. In surface and intermediate layers, the regions contributing to this trend are located east of 40° W. These changes are compensated by the strengthening of the poleward transport in deeper layers, mostly in the western part of the basin. The MHT trend is connected with the combined effect of a heat transport increase through the Drake Passage and a reduction of the heat loss through the eastern section between Africa and Antarctica, mainly associated with a strengthening in heat entering into the basin through the Agulhas system.

An influence of long-lasting and gradual magnetic flux transport on fate of magnetotail fast plasma flows: An energetic particle injection substorm event study

Based on multi-satellite and ground observations, we investigated an influence of long-lasting and gradual enhancements of magnetic flux transport rate on the magnetotail fast flow duration. On March 10th, 2009, THEMIS-B, which was located in the central plasma sheet of middle distant magnetotail (XGSM ~−25.8RE), observed the fast flows with the velocity exceeding 300km/s, lasting over 3h for intense southward Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) period. During long-lasting fast flows, AL index variations were very extensive and their recovery was much slow. Pi 2 waves were observed at the ground observatories around the THEMIS׳s footpoints and at low-/mid-latitudes. The aspect for these AL variations suggests Steady Magnetospheric Convection (SMC), but clear substorm signatures were also observed. Further magnetic dipolarization was detected by THEMIS-A at XGSM ~−8.2RE and its nearby THEMIS-E. Only THEMIS-A observed the associated energetic electron flux enhancements. Therefore, the fast flows occurred during substorm with energetic particle injections at “imitative” SMC, which would be driven by prolonged intense southward IMF. The cumulative transport rates of magnetic and Poynting fluxes consecutively and gradually enhanced. On the other hand, THEMIS-C detected much shorter fast flows with the duration of 37min at XGSM ~−18.1RE and weak/gradual substorm-associated dipolarization. However, the cumulative magnetic flux transport rate was enhanced only during the fast flow interval and was saturated after the fast flows. From different magnetic transport rate profiles at THEMIS-B and THEMIS-C, the realms of dipolar-configured field lines expanded to near THEMIS-C׳s position responsible for long-lasting fast flow-associated consecutive and gradual magnetic flux pileup. Because the resultant “high-speed flow braking” region was retreated into a few RE tailward direction, long-lasting fast flows were almost stemmed. These results suggest that the cumulative magnetic flux transport rate is one of the important factors to determine “fate” (duration) of the magnetotail fast flows.

What drives the southward drift of sea ice in the Sea of Okhotsk?

The Sea of Okhotsk is the southernmost sea-ice zone with sizable ice. It is widely believed that the prevailing northwesterly wind and the southward East Sakhalin Current (ESC) are the two main factors that drive the southward drift of sea ice. However, the relative contributions of these factors have not been understood. In this paper, by using the current and ice-drift data measured with the moored Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler, a 3-D ocean model simulation, objective analysis data of the wind, and satellite sea-ice data, we examine to what degree and how the ice drift is determined by the wind and ocean current. From a linear regression of the observed ice drift, ocean current, and wind, the wind-forced component of the ice drift was best fitted when sea ice is assumed to move with a speed of 1.6% of the geostrophic wind with a turning angle of 17.6° to the left of the wind. Such a relationship was adopted as the wind-drift component for all sea-ice pixels detected from Special Sensor Microwave Imager data. For the ocean-forced component of the ice drift, we adopted the current at 20m depth from a numerical model simulation that reproduces well the ESC and its variability. We then evaluated the sea-ice drift over 46–54°N during 1998–2005. For the southward drift of sea ice, the contribution of the wind component is found to be larger than the oceanic component, although the ocean contribution becomes larger, typically comparable to the wind contribution, near the coast and in the northern region where the ESC is stronger. We estimated the average annual cumulative southward ice transport to be 3.0±0.9×1011m3 at 53°N. This ice transport is comparable to the annual discharge of the Amur River. The ratio of wind to oceanic components in the transport is estimated to be ∼1.2–1.8. We also conducted ice-drift simulations based on the modeled current velocity and the assumed wind drift of 1.5% geostrophic wind with a turning angle of 15° to the left. The simulations reproduce well the ice drift north of 47°N but not south of 47°N, likely due to the poor representation of the current system at the latter, underevaluation of the wind factor near the ice edges, and the neglect of ice formation and melt.

Definition of CCS Provinces with Multi-criteria and Least Cost Path Analysis

Abstract The concept of CCS Provinces is introduced, referring to the region where a CO 2 injection site is cost-effective based simultaneously on the cumulative transport and storage costs. The methodology implements, in a GIS tool, a linear cost model for pipeline construction considering local conditions that affect the pipeline cost. Multi-criteria analysis with those local factors, allows building cost surface maps representing the cost of a standardized diameter pipeline in any cell of the GIS model. The storage costs are assigned to the potential injection location and the resulting map is combined through map algebra with the transport cost surface. The CCS Province is defined using least cost path analysis to find for each cell in the GIS the lowest accumulative transport and storage cost and allocating to a given province all the cells that lead to the same storage site. The methodology is illustrated for the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco.

Effect of blend proportion on moisture management characteristics of bamboo/cotton knitted fabrics

This study reports an investigation of the effect of the blend-ratio of bamboo and cotton fibres on the moisture management properties of single jersey knitted fabrics composed of them. The moisture management properties of the fabrics were measured in SDL-ATLAS moisture management tester. The liquid transport properties of textiles, such as wetting time, maximum moisture absorption rate, maximum wetted radii, spreading speeds, cumulative one-way transport capacity and overall moisture management capacity (OMMC), have been considered and correlated to the blend ratio of bamboo/cotton yarn single jersey knitted fabrics. It was observed that as the bamboo content increased, the wetting time decreased, maximum wetted radius decreased, rate of absorption increased, spreading speed decreased and OMMC decreased.

The effect of probiotic Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917 lipopolysaccharide on the 5-aminosalicylic acid transepithelial transport across Caco-2 cell monolayers

The object of this study was to investigate the effect of probiotic Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917 (EcN) (i) EcN lipopolysaccharide (EcN LPS) and (ii) bacteria-free supernatant of EcN suspension (EcN supernatant) on in vitro transepithelial transport of mesalazine (5-aminosalicylic acid, 5-ASA), the most commonly prescribed anti-inflammatory drug in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Effect of co-administered EcN LPS (100 µg/ml) or EcN supernatant (50 µg/ml) on the 5-ASA transport (300 µmol/l) was studied using the Caco-2 monolayer (a human colon carcinoma cell line) as a model of human intestinal absorption. Permeability characteristics for absorptive and secretory transport of parent drug and its intracellularly-formed metabolite were determined. The quantification of 5-ASA and its main metabolite N-acetyl-5-amino-salicylic acid (N-Ac-5-ASA) was performed by high performance liquid chromatography. Obtained results suggest that neither EcN LPS nor EcN supernatant had effect on the total 5-ASA transport (secretory flux greater than absorptive flux) and on the transport of intracellularly formed N-Ac-5-ASA (preferentially transported in the secretory direction). The percent cumulative transport of the total 5-ASA alone or in combination with EcN LPS or EcN supernatant did not exceed 1%.

철도화차의 효율성 지표 분석에 관한 연구

우리나라 철도운영회사인 한국철도공사의 물류부문 영업계수는 2010년 190.7로서 2009년의 197.4에 비해서 소폭 개선되기는 하였으나 여전히 수익에 비해서 비용이 매우 높은 구조이다. 물류 효율화를 위한 활동들을 도출하고 그 효과를 정량적으로 파악할 수 있기 위해서는 각종 통계자료로부터 추출할 수 있는 다양한 지표의 분석이 매우 중요하다. 철도물류에 있어 가장 기본이 되는 것은 화차이며, 본 연구에서는 화차의 효율성을 판단할 수 있는 여러 가지 지표를 분석함으로써 향후 화차와 관련된 철도물류의 효율화를 위한 활동들을 평가하는 데에 활용할 수 있도록 하였다. 화차의 효율성을 파악할 수 있는 지표로서 량당 수송횟수, 량당 수송거리, 량당 수송수입을 제시하였으며, 화차의 효율성을 평가할 때 본 연구에서 제시한 각 지표의 특성 분석자료를 활용할 수 있을 것이다. KORAIL's logistics business coefficient is improved slightly from 197.4 in 2009 to 190.7 in 2010 but the cost is still high compared to the revenues. In order to derive activities for the efficient logistics and measure their effects quantitatively, the analysis of various indexes that can be extracted from the statistical data is very important. In this study, the various indexes are analyzed to evaluate the efficiency of freight cars based on railway logistics. It can be used to estimate the various activities for the efficient logistics associated with freight cars. We suggest the Indexes as the number of transport, cumulative transport distance and transport income to evaluate the efficiency of freight cars and they should be applied according to the characteristics of each index.

Accounting for uncertainty in cumulative sediment transport using Bayesian statistics

That sediment transport estimates have large uncertainty is widely acknowledged. When these estimates are used as the basis for a subsequent analysis, such as cumulative sediment loads or budgets, treatment of uncertainty requires careful consideration. The propagation of uncertainty is a problem that has been studied in many other scientific disciplines. In recent years, Bayesian statistical methods have been successfully used to this end in hydrology, ecology, climate science, and other disciplines where uncertainty plays a major role—their applications in sediment transport, however, have been few. Previous work demonstrated how deterministic sediment transport equations can be brought into a probabilistic framework using Bayesian methods. In this paper, we extend this basic model and apply it to sediment transport observations collected on the Snake River in Wyoming, USA. These data were used previously to develop a 50-year sediment budget below Jackson Lake dam. We revisit this example to demonstrate how viewing sediment transport probabilistically can help better characterize the propagation of uncertainty in the calculation of cumulative sediment transport. We present the development of probabilistic sediment rating curves that rely on deterministic sediment transport equations and then show how these can be used to compute the distribution of sediment input and output for each year from 1958 to 2007. The Bayesian approach described provides a robust way to quantify uncertainty and then propagate it through to subsequent analyses. Results show that transport uncertainty is quantified naturally in the Bayesian approach, making it unnecessary for modelers to assume some specified error rate (e.g., ±5%) when developing estimates of cumulative transport. Further, we demonstrate that a Bayesian approach better constrains uncertainty and allows sediment deficit and surplus to be examined in terms of quantified risk.

Storm-induced inner-continental shelf circulation and sediment transport: Long Bay, South Carolina

Long Bay is a sediment-starved, arcuate embayment located along the US East Coast connecting both South and North Carolina. In this region the rates and pathways of sediment transport are important because they determine the availability of sediments for beach nourishment, seafloor habitat, and navigation. The impact of storms on sediment transport magnitude and direction were investigated during the period October 2003–April 2004 using bottom mounted flow meters, acoustic backscatter sensors and rotary sonars deployed at eight sites offshore of Myrtle Beach, SC, to measure currents, water levels, surface waves, salinity, temperature, suspended sediment concentrations, and bedform morphology. Measurements identify that sediment mobility is caused by waves and wind driven currents from three predominant types of storm patterns that pass through this region: (1) cold fronts, (2) warm fronts and (3) low-pressure storms. The passage of a cold front is accompanied by a rapid change in wind direction from primarily northeastward to southwestward. The passage of a warm front is accompanied by an opposite change in wind direction from mainly southwestward to northeastward. Low-pressure systems passing offshore are accompanied by a change in wind direction from southwestward to southeastward as the offshore storm moves from south to north.During the passage of cold fronts more sediment is transported when winds are northeastward and directed onshore than when the winds are directed offshore, creating a net sediment flux to the north–east. Likewise, even though the warm front has an opposite wind pattern, net sediment flux is typically to the north–east due to the larger fetch when the winds are northeastward and directed onshore. During the passage of low-pressure systems strong winds, waves, and currents to the south are sustained creating a net sediment flux southwestward. During the 3-month deployment a total of 8 cold fronts, 10 warm fronts, and 10 low-pressure systems drove a net sediment flux southwestward. Analysis of a 12-year data record from a local buoy shows an average of 41 cold fronts, 32 warm fronts, and 26 low-pressure systems per year. The culmination of these events would yield a cumulative net inner-continental shelf transport to the south–west, a trend that is further verified by sediment textural analysis and bedform morphology on the inner-continental shelf.

Solubility Parameter of Gatifloxacin and Its Correlation with Antibacterial Activity

The solubility parameter of gatifloxacin was calculated theoretically by Fedors’ method and also determined experimentally using the standard solubility method. The molar volume of gatifloxacin was determined experimentally by the flotation method. Three solvents, ethyl acetate, propylene glycol and water were used to prepare nine binary mixtures having different solubility parameter values varying from 8.9 to 23.4 H. The δ2 solubility parameter of gatifloxacin was found to be 12.4 H. The cumulative transport of gatifloxacin from the binary solvent mixtures (ethyl acetate–propylene glycol and propylene glycol–water) exhibited an inverse parabolic relationship to the solubility parameter of the solvent mixtures. Transport studies revealed that the extent of gatifloxacin rejection from solvent mixtures was dependent on its solubility parameter and system composition. In the selected organisms (bacteria), a minimum zone of inhibition was observed in a solvent mixture having the solubility parameter nearest to the solubility parameter of gatifloxacin. Two models were employed for the evaluation of the antibacterial activity of gatifloxacin in binary mixtures.

Penetratin-induced transdermal delivery from HII mesophases of sodium diclofenac

Penetratin, a cell penetrating peptide is embedded within a reversed hexagonal (HII) mesophase for improved transdermal delivery of sodium diclofenac (Na-DFC). The HII mesophase serves as the solubilization reservoir and gel matrix whereas penetratin is the transdermal penetration enhancer for the drug. The systems were characterized and the interactions between the components were determined by SAXS, ATR-FTIR and SD-NMR. High affinity of Na-DFC to glycerol monooleate (GMO) was revealed, associated with increasing the order within the water channels. This affinity is enhanced upon heating and seems to be associated with GMO dehydration. Penetratin (PEN) is entrapped at the hydrophilic region of the HII mesophase, between the GMO headgroups, reducing the order of the system and decreasing the size of the hexagonal domains.The transdermal delivery rate of Na-DFC through porcine skin, from the HII mesophases, was enhanced by PEN and so also the cumulative transport crossing the skin. PEN induced accelerated drug diffusion through the stratum corneum, towards the different skin layers.The transdermal delivery enhancement is explained from the results of the ATR-FTIR analysis. It seems that PEN accelerates the structural transition of skin lipids from hexagonal to liquid. The disordering results in enhanced diffusion of Na-DFC through the stratum corneum, followed by enhanced overall penetration of the drug.

Transport and coastal zooplankton communities in the northern California Current system

[1] Alongshore transport was estimated from the gridded AVISO altimeter data and water level data from NOAA tide gauges (1993–2010) for the northern California Current (NCC) system. The biomass of the cold neritic copepods including Calanus marshallae, Pseudocalanus mimus and Acartia longiremis (dominants in the eastern Bering Sea, coastal Gulf of Alaska, and NCC) was estimated from a 15 year time series of zooplankton samples (1996–2010) collected biweekly at a coastal station 9 km off Newport Oregon U.S.A. The alongshore currents and the biomass of the cold neritic copepods exhibit a strong seasonal pattern and fluctuate in opposite phase: positive alongshore current (from south) leads to low biomass in winter and negative alongshore current (from north) leads to high biomass in summer. When the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) is positive, i.e., warm conditions around the northeast Pacific, there is more movement of water from the south in the NCC during winter. When the PDO is negative, there is more movement of water from the north during summer. The mean biomass of cold neritic copepods was positively correlated with the survival rate of juvenile coho salmon and cumulative transport was negatively correlated with coho salmon survival, i.e., in years when a greater portion of the source waters feeding the NCC enters from the north, the greater the salmon survival. We conclude that alongshore transport manifests PDO signals and serves as a linkage between large scale forcing to local ecosystem dynamics.