What happens inside a fuel cell? Developing an experimental functional map of fuel cell performance.

Fuel cell performance is determined by the complex interplay of mass transport, energy transfer and electrochemical processes. The convolution of these processes leads to spatial heterogeneity in the way that fuel cells perform, particularly due to reactant consumption, water management and the design of fluid-flow plates. It is therefore unlikely that any bulk measurement made on a fuel cell will accurately represent performance at all parts of the cell.

Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis: a case report and review of the literature.

Hypokalemic periodic paralysis occurring in thyrotoxicosis is rare in Caucasians and is not often highlighted as an endocrine emergency. Periodic paralysis, without familial background, manifests only in the thyrotoxic patient. Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis is a self-limiting disorder that is cured by the treatment of the underlying hyperthyroidism.

RS-45041-190: a selective, high-affinity ligand for I2 imidazoline receptors.

1. RS-45041-190 (4-chloro-2-(imidazolin-2-yl)isoindoline) showed high affinity for I2 imidazoline receptors labelled by [3H]-idazoxan in rat (pKi = 8.66 +/- 0.

The role of alpha 2-adrenoceptors in the vasculature of the rat tail.

1. The effects of alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists on rat tail skin temperature (tts), an indicator of local cutaneous blood flow, were studied in conscious and anaesthetized rats and in the isolated, Krebs perfused, vascular bed of the rat tail. 2.

The prevalence of serum IgG antibodies to type II collagen in American patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Serum IgG antibody levels to native and denatured bovine type II collagen were elevated in 31.5 and 21.5% sera respectively from 200 American patients with RA.

Antibodies to type II collagen in early rheumatoid arthritis.

Antibodies to native and denatured type II collagen were investigated in a group of 79 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) of disease duration less than 12 months (median 8 months; range 3-12 months). Using a solid-phase ELISA to measure these antibodies, the incidence of patients with levels above the upper limit of normal (mean of normal plus 3 SD) was low as compared to previous findings in patients with established disease. The majority of positive sera contained small amounts of IgM antibodies to denatured type II collagen whilst a few had IgG antibodies to native and denatured type II collagen.

Modulation of central noradrenergic function by RS-15385-197.

1. RS-15385-197, a highly potent and selective alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist, was examined in a variety of in vitro and in vivo functional tests to assess the selectivity of its interaction with central noradrenergic neurones in the rat. 2.

The pharmacology of RS-15385-197, a potent and selective alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist.

1. RS-15385-197 ((8aR, 12aS, 13aS)-5,8,8a,9,10,11,12,12a,13,13a-decahydro- 3-methoxy-12-(methylsulphonyl)-6H-isoquino [2,1-g][1,6]-naphthyridine) was evaluated in a series of in vitro and in vivo tests as an antagonist at alpha 2-adrenoceptors. 2.

Relapsing polychondritis: autoimmunity to type II collagen and treatment with cyclosporin A.

A case of relapsing polychondritis (RPC) with strongly positive antibodies to both native and denatured type II collagen is reported. This is only the second report of the use of cyclosporin A in the treatment of RPC.

Absence of autoimmunity to type II collagen in generalised nodal osteoarthritis.

A cardinal feature of generalised nodal osteoarthritis is the loss of articular cartilage. To determine if autoimmunity to these cartilage collagens occurred, serum antibodies to native and denatured type II collagen were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 96 patients (90 women, six men, aged 47-91 years) with generalised nodal osteoarthritis. Generalised nodal osteoarthritis was diagnosed by typical clinical and radiological features.

Serological evidence of infection with Helicobacter pylori may predict gastrointestinal intolerance to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) treatment in rheumatoid arthritis.

Specific circulating antibodies to the spiral gastric organism, Helicobacter pylori (HP) were detectable in 43% of 68 patients with rheumatoid arthritis by complement fixation test (CFT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), a frequency comparable with that of a normal, age-matched population. Presence of these antibodies correlated strongly with a previous history of peptic ulcer disease (PUD) and to the severity of NSAID-related dyspeptic symptoms, the latter often leading to multiple drug intolerance. This contrasts with short term, prospective NSAID toxicity data, which show little relationship between ulceration and HP carriage.

Structure-affinity relationships of 12-sulfonyl derivatives of 5,8,8a,9,10,11,12,12a,13,13a-decahydro-6H-isoquino[2,1-g][1 ,6] naphthyridines at alpha-adrenoceptors.

Analogues of the potent alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist (8aR,12aS,13aS)-5,8,8a,9,10,11,12,12a,13,13a- decahydro-3-methoxy-12-(methylsulfonyl)- 6H-isoquino[2,1-g][1,6]naphthyridine (1b) were prepared and evaluated for alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptor affinity. Affinity for alpha 2-adrenoceptors was assessed by displacement of [3H]yohimbine from rat cerebral cortical membranes and although 1b and close structural analogues demonstrated high affinity, none were selective for the alpha 2A or alpha 2B subtypes reputedly present in this tissue. All of the high affinity alpha 2-adrenoceptor ligands were, however, selective with respect to [3H]prazosin (alpha 1) binding.

Diversity of the immune response to bovine type II and XI collagens in rats.

Immunisation of rats with native type II or type XI collagen produced an inflammatory arthritis in certain strains of rats. Antibodies to the native and denatured whole molecules, to the individual alpha chains and to the cyanogen bromide derived peptides of these chains were studied. Inter- and intra-strain variation in the specificity of the antibodies produced was seen and there were also changes with time, especially with the rats immunised with type XI collagen.

Wegener's granulomatosis presenting during first trimester of pregnancy.

We describe a case of Wegener's granulomatosis in a lady who presented acutely with pulmonary haemorrhage, fever and breathlessness during her early pregnancy. She responded well to aggressive medical treatment.

Diversity of antibodies to type II collagen in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: detection by binding to alpha-chains and to cyanogen bromide peptides.

Antibodies to denatured type II collagen were detected in the sera of a group of patients with rheumatoid arthritis by ELISA and by immunoblotting. The antibodies were further examined by immunoblotting against cyanogen-bromide derived peptides of type II collagen. The majority of sera reacted against only one or two peptides and antibodies to the CB-10 and CB-11 peptides were those most commonly found.

Psoriatic or cystic fibrosis arthropathy? Difficulty with diagnosis and management.

A 19-year-old man with cystic fibrosis developed arthritis at the age of 12 years. He also suffered from psoriasis, and was found to be HLA-B27 positive. His disease was episodic in nature for the first 5 years, but he later developed an unremitting erosive arthropathy which proved difficult to treat.

An unusual cause of joint swelling in rheumatoid arthritis.

We describe a patient with longstanding rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who developed a monoarticular swelling of the left elbow which proved to be due to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) infiltration of skin and subcutaneous tissue.