BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Chemonucleolysis represents a minimally invasive percutaneous technique characterized by an intradiskal injection of materials under fluoroscopic or CT guidance. Recently, a substance based on radiopaque gelified ethanol has been introduced. The purpose of this study was to describe the indications, procedure, safety, and efficacy of radiopaque gelified ethanol in the per...

Concentrations of norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), homovanillic acid (HVA), serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) were determined in eleven brain regions of rats following acute and repeated ethanol administration: (a) an intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of 1, 2, 3 or 4g ethanol/kg body weight and (b) i.p. injection of 1 or 2g ethano...

Methanol and ethanol have been investigated as very high octane fuels for knock control/avoidance in spark ignition engines. Direct injection of the alcohol results in substantial cooling of the cylinder charge, decreasing the chemical kinetic rates that result in autoignition. However, decreasing the temperature of the cylinder charge also affects the initial flame propagation. The purpose of ...

G-Protein-coupled inwardly rectifying potassium channels (GIRKs) regulate synaptic transmission and neuronal firing rates. Selective enhancement of GIRK2 function by intoxicating concentrations of ethanol was recently shown for recombinant homomeric and heteromeric channels. We proposed that specific behavioral actions of ethanol are due to activation of GIRK channels and that these behaviors w...

AIMS The effects of intracerebroventricular administration of neuropeptide Y (NPY) on ethanol withdrawal were studied in rats. METHODS Ethanol was administered intragastrically five times daily for 4 days. At 16-17 h after the last infusion of ethanol, rats were rated for withdrawal using a score based on three signs: irritability, tremor and rigidity. Subsequently, the rats received an injec...

In a model of psychological dependence, a very stable ethanol intake was induced by a chronic (1-year) intermittent (once a week) exposure to intoxicating amounts of ethanol (24 h choice between ethanol and water, followed by 2.0 g/kg i.p.). After this year, the rats had continuous access to ethanol and water. Stability was shown by the ability of the rats to take the same dose of ethanol (in g...

A method has been described for isolation and assay of hypertensin from the blood of dogs. An ethanol filtrate of blood drawn from the femoral artery is prepared and concentrated by evaporation. The hypertensin is extracted into n-butanol from which it is adsorbed into alumina, and subsequently eluted with dilute ethanol. The eluate is then evaporated to dryness, dissolved in water, and assayed...

This work presents new elements of understanding for the microwave-based gas sensors behavior at room temperature. A TiO2-covered microstrip interdigital capacitor was submitted to various ethanol concentrations and showed a proportional response in the 1–10 GHz microwave range. For each concentration and right after ethanol injection, the sensor response presented a slight overshoot which is o...

Despite decades of research, the role of free radicals in alcohol-induced organ injury is still a matter of debate. The present work was designed to investigate the potential protective effect of melatonin, a reported radical scavenger and antioxidant, on free radical toxicity induced by chronic ethanol administration. The major end-point of oxidative damage measured in this report was lipid pe...

An experimental study is performed to investigate the fuel impingement on cylinder walls and piston top inside a directinjection spark-ignition engine with optical access to the cylinder. Three different fuels, namely, E85, E50 and gasoline are used in this work. E85 represents a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline by volume. Experiments are performed at different load condition...