Solving a four-destination traveling salesman problem using Escherichia coli cells as biocomputers.

The Traveling Salesman Problem involves finding the shortest possible route visiting all destinations on a map only once before returning to the point of origin. The present study demonstrates a strategy for solving Traveling Salesman Problems using modified E. coli cells as processors for massively parallel computing.

Action of lead(II) and aluminium (III) ions on iron-stimulated lipid peroxidation in liposomes, erythrocytes and rat liver microsomal fractions.

Lead (Pb2+) ions accelerate the lipid peroxidation observed when Fe2+ ions are added to phospholipid liposomes at pH 5.5 or pH 7.4, although Pb2+ ions alone do not induce any peroxidation.

Biologically-significant scavenging of the myeloperoxidase-derived oxidant hypochlorous acid by some anti-inflammatory drugs.

Neutrophils contain the enzyme myeloperoxidase, which oxidizes Cl- ions into the powerful oxidant hypochlorous acid (HOCl). HOCl inactivates alpha 1-antiprotease, permitting uncontrolled protease activities. Most anti-inflammatory drugs tested are capable of reacting with HOCl, but the reactions seem insufficiently rapid under physiological conditions to protect alpha 1-antiprotease against inactivation by HOCl.