We present the results of a molecular simulation study of polarizability anisotropy relaxation of liquid acetonitrile confined in approximately cylindrical silica pores of diameters in the range of 20–40 Å. Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulation is used to determine the density of acetonitrile in pores in equilibrium with the bulk liquid, and canonical-ensemble molecular dynamics is then used to calculate the trajectories of the filled pores prepared in this way. We find that the pores are wetting, partially due to hydrogen bonding between acetonitrile nitrogen and pore silanol groups and that acetonitrile molecules have preferential orientations relative to the interface. The mobility of molecules in interfacial regions is considerably reduced and depend...

In-flame soot sampling based on the thermophoresis of particles and subsequent transmission electron microscope (TEM) imaging has been conducted in a diesel engine to study size, shape and structure of soot particles within the reacting diesel jet. A direct TEM sampling is pursued, as opposed to exhaust sampling, to gain fundamental insight about the structure of soot during key formation and oxidation stages. The size and shape of soot particles aggregate structure with stretched chains of spherical-like primary particles is currently an unknown for engine soot modelling approaches. However, the in-flame sampling of soot particles in the engine poses significant challenges in order to extract mea...

We demonstrate that an Au or Pd interlayer between graphene and an Al-foil current collector plays an important role in enhancing supercapacitor performance. Graphene was prepared by scalable chemical exfoliation and mild thermal reduction (∼150 °C) processes. Working electrodes were prepared by coating the graphene on Au/Al or Pd/Al by drop-dry method. The graphene deposited on the noble metals Au and Pd demonstrated excellent supercapacitor performance. Estimated specific energy and specific power of supercapacitors were ∼40 Wh/kg and ∼40 kW/kg at the current density of ∼33 A/g, when operated in organic solution. Altogether, we demonstrate that employing noble metals in the fabrication of graphene-based supercapacitors can lead to excellent perfor...

This manuscript presents an integrated approach for automatic crack monitoring combining photogrammetry and image processing. In summary, the strain field obtained from photogrammetric data is used to map the cracked areas where image processing is applied. All processing is completely automatic since only a threshold value, related to the width of the crack, needs to be provided. Direct Shear Tests (DSTs) have been selected for calibration, validation and also as an experimental example. In conclusion, critical areas, the corresponding crack pattern and all related measures (e.g. crack width, length, area or path) could be provided for any stage of loading, until the complete failure of the specimens. Furthermore, all outputs require low computational cost,...

Abuse during childhood is a human tragedy leading to lifelong adverse health, social, and economic consequences for survivors. This descriptive, cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of childhood physical, sexual and emotional abusive experiences among students (aged 18–19 years) in a Sri Lankan district.Multistage cluster sampling was used to select a sample of 1500 students. Experiences of physical, sexual and emotional abuse and age at abuse, perpetrators, consequences and severity were assessed using a version of ISPCAN Child Abuse Screening Tool-Retrospective Version (ICAST-R) which was culturally adapted and validated by the authors for use amongst Sinhalese students.The prevalence of the various forms of abuse during childhood was ...

A critical review is presented of results obtained with different computational methods (mainly ab initio) on C60, C70, and specific fullerene derivatives, also in comparison with experimental data. From the discussion of diverse systems, the (often underestimated) complexity of their physical and chemical behavior emerges, and hence the importance of an accurate description and the need for a careful inspection of the experimental data, with which comparison is often intrinsically difficult. The ambition of this review is to help establish a basis not only for a nonsuperficial reading of the existing literature, but also for a constructive approach with computations to the challenge posed by recent promising applications of fullerenes in nanotechnology, opt...

THE second law of thermodynamics has had a curious history. It originated out of attempts to estimate the motive power of fire, it subsequently led to the notion of the thermodynamical potential, this in turn gave birth to the phase rule, and now it is in the domain of chemistry that the law obtains its most fertile applications. Prof. Duhem has already published a treatise in four volumes on thermodynamic chemistry, which has been reviewed in these columns (c Traite elementaire de Mocanique chimique fondle surle Thermodynamique. Paris, 1897-99), Dut a de-mand has arisen among chemists for a more elementary treatise, assuming but little knowledge of mathematics. As the author points out, the philosopher, the mathematician, the physicist and the chemist-he mi...

Bus signal priority (BSP) is an active traffic management measure to reduce bus travel delay at signalized intersections and to improve the bus service reliability. In this paper, we present a real-time BSP system with a primary focus on its practical implementation. We tackle two inter-related issues of existing priority systems, namely, real-time computation and solution optimality, using an analytical approach. The core of the proposed priority system involves two signal controller actions – red truncation (RT) and green extension (GE), which determine the priority timings based on the objective of minimizing total person delay incurring at the subject intersection. We demonstrate the analytical approach by deriving closed-form expressions for optimal R...

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is an advanced diabetic retinopathy stage, characterized by neovascularization, which leads to ocular complications and severe vision loss. However, the available DR-labeled retinal image datasets have a small representation of images of the severest DR grades, and thus there is lack of PDR cases for training DR grading models. Additionally, the criteria for labelling these images in the publicly available datasets is not always clear, with some images which do not show typical PDR lesions being labeled as PDR due to the presence of photo-coagulation treatment and laser marks. This problem, together with the datasets' high class imbalance, leads to a limited variability of the samples, which the typical data augmentat...

1. The effects of light anaesthesia of approximately 8 hr duration using either pentobarbitone or chloralose on the acid—base balance and oxygenation of arterial blood were determined in dogs breathing spontaneously. 2. With pentobarbitone anaesthesia there was a slight initial respiratory acidaemia. 3. With chloralose there was a non-respiratory acidaemia which was probably the result of using an unbuffered solvent. 4. Changes in the acid—base balance and the oxygen concentration of the arterial blood over the course of each experiment were minimal. 5. In one animal a pH of 7·07 was recorded; in others the oxygen tension on occasion was between 50 and 60 mm Hg. The value of monitoring the acid—base state and the oxygenation of blood in experimental p...

We describe Globus Genomics, a system that we have developed for rapid analysis of large quantities of next-generation sequencing genomic data. This system achieves a high degree of end-to-end automation that encompasses every stage of data analysis including initial data retrieval from remote sequencing centers or storage (via the Globus file transfer system); specification, configuration, and reuse of multistep processing pipelines (via the Galaxy workflow system); creation of custom Amazon Machine Images and on-demand resource acquisition via a specialized elastic provisioner (on Amazon EC2); and efficient scheduling of these pipelines over many processors (via the HTCondor scheduler). The system allows biomedical researchers to perform rapid analysis of ...

The first application of interference microscopy to monitoring mass transfer in nanoporous materials dates back to late 1970s when Caro and colleagues reported results of investigations of water uptake by LTA type zeolites. It was, however, not before the beginning of the new millennium that the developments in both the measuring technique and computational power have enabled the recording of transient guest profiles during molecular uptake and release under well-defined conditions, leading to the establishment of a novel access to diffusion studies, now referred to as micro-imaging. In the present contribution, the thus accessible novel type of information is illustrated by an in-depth analysis of the uptake kinetics of methanol in an all-silica ferrierite....

The thresholds and depths of ablation of carbon [carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs)] reinforced Al2O3 composites were compared and correlated with those of monolithic Al2O3 using femtosecond pulsed laser irradiation (λ = 1027 nm, τP = 380 fs). These composites were processed using a spark plasma sintering method (Ts = 1500°C, τs = 10 min and P = 40 MPa) through which highly densified (more than 97%) composites were fabricated. The optical absorbance of each composite improved in the wavelength range from ultraviolet to near infrared. Compared with the corresponding values for monolithic Al2O3, the ablation thresholds of CNT/Al2O3 and GNP/Al2O3 were 50 and 75% lower respectively, and their ablation depths ...

In Caucasians and Native Americans living at altitude, hemoglobin mass is increased in spite of erythropoietin concentrations ([Epo]) not markedly differing from sea level values. We hypothesized that a nocturnal decrease of arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) causes a temporary rise of [Epo] not detected by morning measurements. SaO2 (continuous, finger oximeter) and [Epo] (ELISA, every 4 h) were determined in young highlanders (altitude 2600 m) during 24 h of usual daily activity. In Series I (six male, nine female students), SaO2 fell during the night with the nadir occurring between 01:00 and 03:00; daily means (range 92.4–95.2%) were higher in females (+1.7%, P < 0.01). [Epo] showed opposite changes with zenith occurring at 04:00 without a sex differenc...

CO 2 geological storage in deep saline aquifers is an effective way to reduce CO 2 emissions. The injection of CO 2 inevitably causes a significant pressure increase in reservoirs. When there exist faults which cut through a deep reservoir and shallow aquifer system, there is a risk of the shallow aquifer being impacted by the changes in reservoir hydrodynamic fields. In this paper, a radial model and a 3D model are established by TOUGH2-ECO2N for the reservoir system in the CO 2 geological storage demonstration site in the Junggar Basin to analyze the impact of the CO 2 injection on the deep reservoir pressure field and the possible influence on the surrounding shallow groundwater sources. According to the results, the influence of CO 2 injection on the res...

The carcinogenic activity of some chemicals may be related to uncoupling of metabolism mediated by the mixed function oxygenase system. The intermediate formation of reactive epoxides or hydroxylamines may be eliminated by glutathione S-transferase. The ratio between these 2 enzymic activities may indicate if individuals are prone to cancerous development. If adequate cellular samples are available, assay of these enzymes may be used to trace individuals at risk. Therefore the present paper estimates these 2 enzymic activities (i.e., aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) and N-demethylation, the metabolite forming enzyme activities and glutathione S-transferase, the metabolite detoxifying enzymes), in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of 35 subjects. Their media...

This study analyses strategies for placing sons and daughters used by Notaries, Doctors of Law and Honorary Citizens of Manresa in the 17th and 18th centuries. Reconstructions of several family trees show that all of the sons, except the heir, went into the church and many of the girls remained single or went into convents. The consistency of this behaviour has led to an interpretation in terms of how these families maintained their social status, given their particular way of gaining access to resources. This study traces the way the younger generations entered the church and how they returned resources to the families they came from. Celibacy excluded many sons and daughters from inheriting the family patrimony and opened the way to combining patrimonies w...

Using quantum mechanics (QM) calculations, a detailed reaction mechanism for liquid-phase decomposition of ammonia borane (AB) is developed. The primary objective of this study is to provide comprehensive understanding regarding the chemical kinetics involved in H2 release process during AB dehydrogenation, to explore the pathways of oligomerization leading to ring formation during the second phase of AB decomposition and to explain the experimental observations using the proposed mechanism. Along with QM studies, we have also performed TGA/DSC studies coupled with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. In previous experimental studies, there is no consensus regarding release of NH3 in gaseous phase during thermal decomposition of AB. Experiments pe...

The reverse water-gas shift reaction (RWGSR), a crucial stage in the conversion of abundant CO2 into chemicals or hydrocarbon fuels, has attracted extensive attention as a renewable system to synthesize fuels by non-traditional routes. There have been persistent efforts to synthesize catalysts for industrial applications, with attention given to the catalytic activity, CO selectivity, and thermal stability. In this review, we describe the thermodynamics, kinetics and atomic-level mechanisms of the RWGSR in relation to efficient RWGSR catalysts consisting of supported catalysts and oxide catalysts. In addition, we rationally classify, summarize and analyse the effects of physicochemical properties, such as the morphologies, compositions, promoting abilities, ...

In this issue of Journal of Clinical Oncology, Duffy et al have provided important evidence of the effect of pretreatment health behaviors on all-cause survival in a prospective cohort study of patients enrolled in the University of Michigan Head and Neck Cancer Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE; Ann Arbor, MI). Analyses of data from 504 participants showed that smoking status (current or former) was the strongest predictor of survival in both univariate and multivariate analyses. In the univariate analysis only, problem drinking, low fruit intake and low level of physical activity negatively affected survival. Low vegetable intake and poor sleep behavior were not significant in either analysis. We comment on the importance of these findings ...

Abstract We investigate charge transport in UV sensing devices based on organic-inorganic semiconductor composites with the metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) structure. Composite materials of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) were prepared by drop-casting their colloidal mixture in chloroform onto low-cost interdigitated copper electrodes. The current-voltage characteristics of the devices were investigated under both dark and illuminated conditions in the UV–visible range. The highest photoresponse was observed for an optimal P3HT:ZnO ratio of 1:8 w/w in the wavelength range between 310 and 380 nm. The dynamic response was investigated by pulsing a 365 nm UV light with a long period to reveal the response time of 4 s and t...

Autosomal dominant hypercholesterolemia (ADH), one of the most frequent hereditary disorders, is characterized by an isolated elevation of LDL particles that leads to premature mortality from cardiovascular complications. It is generally assumed that mutations in the LDLR and APOB genes account for ADH. We identified one large French pedigree (HC2) and 12 additional white families with ADH in which we excluded linkage to the LDLR and APOB, implicating a new locus we named "FH3." A LOD score of 3.13 at a recombination fraction of 0 was obtained at markers D1S2892 and D1S2722. We localized the FH3 locus to a 9-cM interval at 1p34.1-p32. We tested four regional markers in another set of 12 ADH families. Positive LOD scores were obtained in three pedigrees, wher...

Abstract Vertically well-aligned ZnO nanorod arrays were synthesized on silicon substrate by a novel polymer soft template method. The ZnO nanorod arrays have been deposited by immersing a silicon substrate into an aqueous solution containing Zn(CH 3 COO) 2 ·2H 2 O, Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and NH 3 ·H 2 O at 99 °C and then being annealed in oxygen atmosphere. The effects of reaction conditions on the morphology, structure and optical properties of ZnO nanostructures were investigated. The morphology of ZnO nanostructures was demonstrated to be controllable by adjusting the pH values of PVP-Zn 2+ complex solution, zinc acetate concentration and growth time, respectively. The nanorod arrays were hexagonal zincite ZnO and the c-axis orientation growth tr...

The 0.7Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.3PbTiO3(0.7PMN-0.3PT) nanorods were obtained via hydrothermal method with high yield (over 78%). Then, new piezoelectric nanocomposites based on (1−x)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-xPbTiO3 (PMN-PT) nanorods were fabricated by dispersing the 0.7PMN-0.3PT nanorods into piezoelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) polymer. The mechanical behaviors of the nanocomposites were investigated. The voltage and current generation of PMN-PT/PVDF nanocomposites were also measured. The results showed that the tensile strength, yield strength, and Young’s modulus of nanocomposites were enhanced as compared to that of the pure PVDF. The largest Young’s modulus of 1.71 GPa was found in the samples with 20 wt % nanorod content. The maximum output voltage o...

Introduction Staff views on a rural clinical placement involving 4th year dental undergraduates from the University of Sydney (Australia) were collected in order to monitor whether the programme was feasible and acceptable to the academic Faculty Staff and the rural clinical supervisors. Materials and methods An evaluation of the rural placement programme was undertaken in 2009 at three rural sites in New South Wales (Australia). Semi-structured pre- and post-placement in person interviews recorded the views of three University Faculty Staff whilst similar data were collected by telephone interviews for three supervising clinicians at the rural clinical sites. Interviews gathered opinions on the organisation, implementation and outcomes of the rural placemen...

Surface-mediated reactions of metalorganic compounds on solid substrates are key processes in film deposition technology, especially in atomic layer deposition (ALD) or chemical vapor deposition. Since most applications of thin films require high purity, understanding and controlling the mechanisms of desired and undesired surface reactions are of the utmost importance. This work outlines a general approach to understand potential surface reactions during deposition through density functional theory calculations, considering precursors containing the most commonly used types of ligands, namely alkyl (Al(CH3)3), alkoxide (Ti[OC3H7]4), alkylamide (Hf[N(CH3)2]4), diketonate (Cu(acac)2), amidinate (Ni[Pr-amd]2), and cyclopentadienyl (Hf(Cp)2(CH3)2). In all cases...

The efficient dissipation of localized heat flux by convection is a key request in several engineering applications, especially electronic ones. The recent advancements in manufacturing processes are unlocking the design and industrialization of heat exchangers with unprecedented geometric characteristics and, thus, performance. In this work, laser etching manufacturing technique is employed to develop metal surfaces with designed microstructured surface patterns. Such precise control of the solid-air interface (artificial roughness) allows to manufacture metal heat sinks with enhanced thermal transmittance with respect to traditional flat surfaces. Here, the thermal performance of these laser-etched devices is experimentally assessed by means of a wind tunn...

Abstract Semi-insulating liquid-encapsulated Czochralski-grown undoped GaAs wafers are investigated by making section and large-area synchrotron topographs. The results are compared with optical micrographs taken from a cleaved edge of the wafer. A three-dimensional cellular structure is observed. The diameter of a cell is typically 300–500 μm. The cell walls consist of dislocations, which have a 〈011〉 preferred direction. Their Burgers vector is 〈10ī1〉 and their glide plane is {1ī11}. Arsenic precipitates, the density of which is about 10 8 cm -3 , decorate the dislocations. Not all the dislocations form a cellular structure. Some of them are several millimetres long in the same 〈011〉 direction as those of the cell walls. Others are paralle...

A new non-interpenetrating 3D metal–organic framework {[Ni4(μ6-MTB)2(μ2-H2O)4(H2O)4]·10DMF·11H2O}n (DMF = N,N′-dimethylformamide) built from nickel(II) ions as connectors and methanetetrabenzoate ligands (MTB4−) as linkers has been synthesized and characterized. The single crystal X-ray diffraction showed that complex exhibits CaF2-like fluorite structure topology and four types of 3D channels with sizes about 12.6 × 9.4 Å2, 9.4 × 8.0 Å2, 12.6 × 11.7 Å2 and 14.9 × 14.9 Å2, which are filled with guest molecules. Conditions of the activation of the compound have been studied and optimized by powder X-ray diffraction during in situ heating, thermogravimetric analysis and infrared spectroscopy. Nitrogen and carbon dioxide adsorption showed that...

Reliability-based hybrid automatic repeat request (ARQ) (RB-HARQ) is a recently introduced approach to incremental-redundancy ARQ. In RB-HARQ scheme, the bits that are to be retransmitted are adaptively selected at the receiver based on the estimated bit reliability. It could result in significant performance gain but requires huge overhead in the feedback channel. In this study, an improved RB-HARQ scheme (IRB-HARQ) for structured low-density parity-check codes is proposed, which simplifies the comparison operations needed to search the bits to be retransmitted and outperforms the RB-HARQ scheme in consideration of the bit transmission power for the requesting messages on the feedback link. Simulation results show that the IRB-HARQ scheme is more efficient ...

This article solves numerically the equations of the leaky-dielectric model applied to cone jets. The solution is a function of the properties of the fluid and its flow rate, universal in that it does not depend on the geometry and potential of the electrodes. This is made possible by the use of the potential field generated by a semi-infinite Taylor cone as a far-field boundary condition. The numerical solution yields the current emitted by the electrospray, which compares well with experimental data, and detailed information about the velocity, surface charge, electric field and the position of the free surface. These characteristics are generally inaccessible through experiments, and are needed to understand the relative importance of competing processes ...

This paper examines the performance gains achievable by adding interblock memory to, and altering the mapping of coded bits to symbols in, block-coded modulation systems. The channel noise considered is additive Gaussian, and the twin design goals are to maximize the asymptotic coding gain and to minimize the number of apparent nearest neighbors. In the case of the additive white Gaussian noise channel, these goals translate into the design of block codes of a given weighted or 'normalized' distance whose rate is as high as possible, and whose number of codewords at minimum normalized distance is low. The effect of designing codes for normalized distance rather than Hamming distance is to ease the problem of determining the best codes for given parameters in...

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) to multicarbon hydrocarbon and oxygenate (C2+) products with high energy density and wide availability is of great importance, as it provides a promising way to achieve the renewable energy storage and close the carbon cycle. Herein we design a Cu-CuI composite catalyst with abundant Cu0/Cu+ interfaces by physically mixing Cu nanoparticles and CuI powders. The composite catalyst achieves a remarkable C2+ partial current density of 591 mA cm−2 at −1.0 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode in a flow cell, substantially higher than Cu (329 mA cm−2) and CuI (96 mA cm−2) counterparts. Induced by alkaline electrolyte and applied potential, the Cu-CuI composite catalyst undergoes significant reconstruction under ...

The present work was started to explore whether a correlation could be detected among proteomic expression, protamine content and DNA integrity in human sperm cells. Towards this goal, we extracted the proteins present in the sperm cells from 47 sperm samples from infertile patients and from ten semen donors, analysed each sample by 2-D gel electrophoresis, and quantified the expression of 101 spots identified by MALDI-TOF analysis. Additionally, the protamine content and DNA integrity were also determined. Several interesting proteins such as transcription factors, prohibitin, heat shock and proteasome proteins have been identified. We have found that the expression of an important number of proteins (58 different 2-D spots) is correlated in independent spe...

Abstract The book of Qohelet presents a literarily noteworthy double voicing and differing perspectives by means of the sage "Qohelet" and the Epilogist. Interpreters have responded with redactional schemas, on the one hand, and with literary defenses of the rhetorical unity of the book, on the other. Aligned with literary studies that discern a rhetorical purpose underlying the fictional character of the sage, the present essay argues for a governing metanarratological irony mediated by the construction of the persona of "Qohelet." Building on appraisals of key functions of irony by Kierkegaard, Booth, and Hutcheon, this study analyzes ways in which ironic representation and authorial voice work rhetorically in the book of Qohelet. Clues to the pervasive ir...

Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks-8 (ZIF-8; [Zn(C4H5N2)2]n) has micropores with diameters of 11.6 Å, which are three-dimensionally connected to one another by apertures. The aperture diameter increases from 3.4 to 4.0 Å when gas adsorption takes place. The observed expansion of the apertures cannot explain adsorption of large molecules such as benzene, toluene, and CCl4. In this regard, we have proposed a new adsorption mechanism where the flip motion of the linkers assists the adsorption of bulky molecules. In this study, we investigated the uptake rate of the vapor adsorption of various bulky molecules. It was found that the activation energies for adsorption were controlled by the smallest cross section of molecule with cylindrical symmetry. We examined t...

A new synthetic strategy for (R)- and (S)-3-hydroxy-4-(2,4,5-trifluorophenyl)butanoic acid, a building block in the preparation of sitagliptin and its derivatives, was developed. Pd(OAc)2 catalyzed coupling of 2,4,5-trifluoro-1-iodobenzene with allyl alcohol gave 3-(2,4,5-trifluorophenyl)propanal in a yield of 95%. l-Proline catalyzed reaction of the 3-phenylpropanal (in only 1.2 molar equiv) with nitrosobenzene followed by reduction with NaBH4 and Pd/C catalyzed hydrogenation gave (R)-3-(2,4,5-trifluorophenyl)propane-1,2-diol with >99% ee and 65% yield. Selective tosylation of primary hydroxyl group of the 1,2-propandiol unit followed by cyanide displacement afforded (R)-3-hydroxy-4-(2,4,5-trifluorophenyl)butanenitrile (80%). The nitrile was converted to th...

In the stochastic mean-field (SMF) approach, an ensemble of initial values for a selected set of one-body observables is formed by stochastic sampling from a phase-space distribution that reproduces the initial quantum fluctuations. Independent mean-field evolutions are performed with each set of initial values followed by averaging over the resulting ensemble. This approach has been recently shown to be rather versatile and accurate in describing the correlated dynamics beyond the independent particle picture. In the original formulation of SMF, it was proposed to use a Gaussian assumption for the phase-space distribution. This assumption turns out to be rather effective when the dynamics of an initially uncorrelated state is considered, which was the case ...

Polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) have emerged as a special class of polymeric materials and received considerable interest for many potential applications. Nevertheless, most current studies for PIMs are largely focused on gas separation. In this study, we report a simulation protocol to construct a thin membrane of PIM-1, examine its swelling in water and ethanol/water mixture, and explore its performance for water desalination via reverse osmosis as well as biofuel dehydration via pervaporation. The predicted density of the PIM-1 membrane matches well with experimental data. The estimated gravimetric and volumetric swelling degrees are in accord with measured values. As ethanol has a greater capability than water to swell the membrane, the void d...

Diet-induced hyperlipidaemic rabbits were given 50% ethanolic extract of Terminalia arjuna tree bark in doses of 100 mg/kg (Group B, n = 6) and 500 mg/kg (Group C, n = 6) and compared with controls (Group A). At 60 days of intervention in Groups A, B and C mean ± S.E.M. total cholesterol was 574 ± 61, 320 ± 29 and 217 ± 44 mg/dl, respectively (P < 0.01); LDL cholesterol was 493 ± 57, 271 ± 30 and 162 ± 44 mg/dl (P < 0.01); HDL cholesterol was 59 ± 7, 36 ± 3 and 35 ± 4 mg/dl (P = n.s.); triglyceride was 108 ± 13, 67 ± 6 and 101 ± 26 mg/dl (P = n.s.); cholesterol/HDL ratio was 10.1 ± 1.3, 9.2 ± 1.1 and 6.1 ± 1.0 (P = n.s.); and LDL/HDL ratio was 8.7 ± 1.3, 7.8 ± 1.1 and 4.5 ± 1.0 (P < 0.01). The extract did not adversely affect biochemical t...

The metabolic pathways of denatured collagen (gelatin) and hyaluronan were studied by injecting labelled macromolecules into the mesentery of rats. The label, [125]tyramine-cellobiose is trapped intracellularly after endocytosis, allowing localization of the site of uptake. Mesenteric and thoracic lymph was sampled for 6 h in anaesthetized rats. Separate rats were investigated after an awake period of 6 or 24 h. About 30% of the gelatin remained at the site of injection and of the remaining activity 1.7% was recovered in lymph, 11% in the liver and 15% in the kidneys, whereas 3 h after an intravenous injection of gelatin > 70% was recovered in the liver. The change in preferable site of uptake from the liver to the kidney was attributed to local degradation ...

Chairpersons of pathology often are viewed as departmental role models in academic medical centers. To objectify this view, we undertook a systematic survey of publication records and professional certification among 126 chairpersons in the United States. The median of the total number of scientific publications by the cohort was 105 since graduation from medical school, and the median yearly number of peer-reviewed papers was 3.34 per person (mean, 4.25). A random 10% of the study population was analyzed further with reference to the percentage of publications that reflected basic science research; 41% of the total literature contributions of this subgroup fit that description, and only 38% of the chairpersons in the subgroup had 80% or more non-service-rel...

AbstractPurposeTo develop and validate a deep learning model to automatically segment three structures using an anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS‐OCT): The intraocular lens (IOL), the retrolental space (IOL to the posterior lens capsule) and Berger's space (BS; posterior capsule to the anterior hyaloid membrane).MethodsAn artificial intelligence (AI) approach based on a deep learning model to automatically segment the IOL, the retrolental space, and BS in AS‐OCT, was trained using annotations from an experienced clinician. The training, validation and test set consisted of 92 cross‐sectional OCT slices, acqu...

Nature-based tourism is beholden to weather, extreme weather, and climate change (i.e. climate resources), though researchers have yet to longitudinally explore the influence of climate resources on United States National Parks for visitation and camping. Accordingly, this study operationalises climate resources at 11 southern United States National Parks using five tourism climate indices including the Tourism Climate Index, Holiday Climate Index (urban and beach), Optimised Index, and Camping Climate Index. Results demonstrate that the Camping Climate Index is more predictive of visitation, recreational vehicle camping, and tent camping compared to other indices, though not for all locations or tourism activities. Results also indicate that between 1981 an...

The paper reviews international tourism in South East Asia in the years 1975 to 2009 with particular reference to the effects of politics on destination development. Tourist arrivals are shown to have expanded considerably across the region, although different countries have distinctive profiles and emergent patterns are explained by the operation of key determinants. Factors and forces related to politics are revealed to he critical in the accounts of evolving tourism policies which are discussed within the context of wider political circumstances. The period is seen to be one of both political change and some continuity which have generally facilitated the growth of tourism, but impediments originating in politics still exist and the future is one of some ...

In the present study, we present an accelerating scheme based on the reversible multiple time step r-RESPA method to be used in molecular dynamics simulations with polarizable potentials based on induced dipole moments. Even if the induced dipoles are estimated with an iterative self-consistent procedure, this scheme significantly reduces the CPU time needed to perform a molecular dynamics simulation, up to a factor 2, as compared to the Car–Parrinello method where additional dynamical variables are introduced for the treatment of the induced dipoles. The tests show that stable and reliable molecular dynamics trajectories can be generated with that scheme, and that the physical properties derived from the trajectories are equivalent to those computed with ...

Patients with Thoraco-abdominal Aortic Aneurysm have been classically managed by open surgical repair since 1955 but despite advances in surgical technique and the introduction of less invasive endovascular techniques, morbidity and mortality rates remain high. We report outcome using a novel uni-modular multi-layer stent technology. Out of 172 cases implanted worldwide we present the first 26 cases, in 7 countries, that were fully analyzed through the MFM registry. All were Crawford Thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysms (11 Type II, 9 Type III, and 6 Type IV); 75% were male; median age was 73years (57-91); 79.7% were ASA IV E; 62 % were reintervention after previous TEVAR; mean aneurysm diameter was 67mm and mean length was 167mm. All stents were deployed to t...

Extracellular DNA (eDNA) plays a significant role in bacterial biofilm formation and aggregation. Here, for the first time, we present a physico-chemical analysis of the DNA-mediated aggregation for three bacterial strains (Streptococcus mutansLT11, Pseudomonas aeruginosaPAO1 and Staphylococcus epidermidis 1457). Adsorption of DNA on bacterial cell surfaces increased with increasing DNA concentration, reaching a level of around 4–6 × 10−9 μg DNA per bacterium, concurrent with maximal bacterial aggregation. Further increase in DNA adsorption caused a decrease in aggregation. Water contact angles on bacterial lawns increased upon adsorption of DNA and were highest at the DNA concentration, where maximal bacterial aggregation of the three strains occurred...

To verify the corrected gestational age when oral feeding (breast half full) and exclusive breastfeeding were initiated in preterm newborns submitted to the transition technique from enteral feeding directly to breastfeeding, and time spent (in days) under speech-language pathology intervention until discharge.Study participants were 35 preterm infants (PTI) divided into two groups. Group 1 (G1) was composed by 22 PTI who did not present any important medical complications during hospitalization, and Group 2 (G2) comprised 13 PTI with a history of major medical complications. The following data were recorded: gestational age at birth, birth weight, weight and corrected gestational age during speech-language pathology evaluation, corrected gestational age whe...

Carnosol is a natural compound with pharmacological action due to its anti-cancer properties. However, the precise mechanism for its anti-carcinogenic effect remains elusive. In this study, we used lymphoblastoid TK6 cell lines to identify the DNA damage and repair mechanisms of carnosol. Our results showed that carnosol induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). We also found that cells lacking tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (TDP1), an enzyme related to topoisomerase 1 (TOP1), and tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 2 (TDP2), an enzyme related to topoisomerase 2 (TOP2), were supersensitive to carnosol. Carnosol was found to induce the formation of the TOP1-DNA cleavage complex (TOP1cc) and TOP2-DNA cleavage complex (TOP2cc). When comparing the accumulation of γ-H...

Elder abuse is a common phenomenon with potentially devastating consequences for older adults. Although researchers have begun to identify predisposing risk factors for elder abuse victims and abusers, little is known about the acute precipitants that lead to escalation to physical violence. We analyzed legal records from highly adjudicated cases to describe these acute precipitants for physical elder abuse. In collaboration with a large, urban district attorney’s office, we qualitatively evaluated legal records from 87 successfully prosecuted physical elder abuse cases from 2003 to 2015. We transcribed and analyzed narratives of the events surrounding physical abuse within victim statements, police reports, and prosecutor records. We identified major them...

Small-world networks have attracted much theoretical attention and are widely thought to enhance creativity. Yet empirical studies of their evolution and evidence of their benefits remain scarce. We develop and exploit a novel database on patent coauthorship to investigate the effects of collaboration networks on innovation. Our analysis reveals the existence of regional small-world structures and the emergence and disappearance of giant components in patent collaboration networks. Using statistical models, we test and fail to find evidence that small-world structure (cohesive clusters connected by occasional nonlocal ties) enhances innovative productivity within geographic regions. We do find that both shorter path lengths and larger connected components co...

The fact that some TLR-based vaccine adjuvants maintain function in TLR-deficient hosts highlights that their mechanism of function remains incompletely understood. Thus, we examined the ability of flagellin to induce cytokines and elicit/promote murine antibody responses upon deletion of the flagellin receptors TLR5 and/or NLRC4 (also referred to as IPAF) using a prime/boost regimen. In TLR5-KO mice, flagellin failed to induce NF-κB-regulated cytokines such as keratinocyte-derived chemokine (CXCL1) but induced WT levels of the inflammasome cytokine IL-18 (IL-1F4). Conversely, in NLRC4-KO mice, flagellin induced keratinocyte-derived chemokine, but not IL-18, whereas TLR5/NLRC4-DKO lacked induction of all cytokines measured. Flagellin/ovalbumin treatment res...

A technigal with the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) solution infiltrated into the SiOx-coated CNTAs has been utilized to directly transfer the CNTAs away from the silicon substrate. The oxide coating layer was utilized to protect the morpholgy of as-grown patterned vertical aligmed carbon nanotube (CNTs) arrays. The high density plasma reactive ions etching (HDP-RIE) system was used to make the CNTs emerge from the surface of the flexible substrate and modify the crystallines of CNTs. After the protecting oxide was HDP-RIE-processed for 8 min, the emission current properties were enhanced to be 1.03 V/microm and 1.43 V/microm, respectively, for the turn-on field and the threshold field, as compared with 1.25 V/microm and 1.59 V/microm for the as-grown CNTs, acc...

A new method has been developed for the preparation of pure (3-alkoxycarbonyl-2-oxopropyl)triphenylphosphonium salts 8. Alkyl 4-bromo-3-oxobutanoates and alkyl 4-chloro-3-oxobutanoates 7 are protected as the trimethylsilyl enol ethers prior to treatment of the resulting bromo(trimethylsilyl enol ether) esters 20c and 21c with triphenylphosphine in toluene and then addition of a little water to give pure (3-isopropoxycarbonyl-2-oxopropyl)triphenylphosphonium bromide 8c. Bromo(silyl enol ether) esters react more efficiently with triphenylphosphine than the chloro(silyl enol ether) esters. tert-Butyldimethylsilyl enol ethers of alkyl 4-bromo-3-oxobutanoates and alkyl 4-chloro-3-oxobutanoates 7 also react with triphenylphosphine. Protection of isopropyl 4-bromo-...

Abstract The commercial fishery for common whelk (Buccinum undatum L.) has expanded significantly in the Irish Sea since 1990 and continues to grow, particularly in Welsh waters and the Isle of Man territorial sea, with landings throughout the region increasing by 227% between 2011 and 2016. Whilst whelk populations are known to be vulnerable to localised overexploitation due to inherent life-history parameters, fisheries remain relatively unrestricted by conservation measures in comparison to other fisheries operating in the area. With the exception of the northernmost fishing ground between the Isle of Man and Scotland (Point of Ayre), the size-at-maturity (L50) estimate for populations sampled during peak-aGSI (the months in which adjusted gonadosomatic i...

In this study, dimensional, physical, visual and thermal comfort properties of fabrics knitted with elastic core cotton slub yarns were analyzed. The yarn production methods (core slub yarn and conventional slub yarn) were also compared according to the fabric properties. Additionally, the influence of slub yarn production parameters (slub thickness ratio and slub length) on the previously mentioned properties were investigated. The results indicated that elastic core fabrics produced with slub length 10 mm exhibited lower spirality property than the other fabrics. Due to their higher thermal conductivity, thermal absorptivity and relative water vapor permeability properties, fabrics produced with slub length 10 mm or slub thickness ratio 2.0 can be preferab...

A new optical technique for characterizing the grain structure of ordered block copolymer thin films has been developed. The technique, which we refer to as guided wave depolarized light scattering (GWDLS), is an adaptation of previous work wherein polarized light was used to characterize the grain structure in bulk block copolymer samples [Newstein et al. Macromolecules 1998, 31, 64]. Spin-casting and vacuum-annealing were used to prepare thin films of an ordered poly(α-methylstyrene-block-isoprene) copolymer on a flat, fused silica substrate. The ordered phase consisted of poly(α-methylstyrene) cylinders in a polyisoprene matrix. A plane-polarized laser beam was coupled into and out of a transverse magnetic (TM) mode of the film, which acts as a planar w...

A symposium in January 2011 "The Paleocardiology of Ancient Egypt" reviewed old and new evidence for the presence of advanced atherosclerotic lesions in ancient Egyptian mummies. This symposium was dedicated as a Centenary for the pioneering report of Marc Ruffer in 1911 (Ruffer, 1911). Based on CT scans, the Horus Study team concluded that atherosclerosis was present in the ancient Egyptian elites and is not a disease new to the 20th Century. Presentations included radiological data on vasculature, skeleton, and teeth, indicating degenerative diseases and poor health before age 50 in these specimens. Comparisons were made with the Bolivian Tsimane, a 20th Century population living without access to modern medicine with short life expectancy. Further researc...

This paper aims to explore the weaknesses of current total quality management (TQM) implementation and the root causes of these weaknesses in Australian manufacturing industry. The results of the study reveal the absence of fundamental practices of TQM which aff ect all manufacturing operations in the areas of cost leadership, product leadership, flexibility to integrate technology, organizational and human aspects of manufacturing. The assessment was carried out based on background information, on-line operations, manufacturing and design, quality information and human resource utilization data, gathered through a detailed postal survey (n=187). The correlation analysis revealed inadequate concern given to workforce equipment, technology, materials, parts p...

Dihydrogen bonds involving carbon and metals of group 13, M–H···H–C (M = Al, Ga, In), were analyzed theoretically. A structural survey of the Cambridge Structural Database revealed the surprising abundance of these interactions in the solid state, where they are often accompanied by weaker C–H···H–C homopolar contacts. Furthermore, cooperative effects were observed to reinforce both interactions in the case of bifurcated short contacts. To study the energetics of the interaction, a comprehensive computational benchmarking was first carried out to find the most suitable calculation method. Dispersion corrected functionals (DFT-D) give good results in terms of both intermolecular distance and binding energies. Interaction energies were then calcu...

Results of long-term studies justify that the rate of breast cancer recurrence and tumor-related mortality remains quite unpredictable, regardless of the use of any current therapeutic measures.Since the application of standard therapies, such as surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and antiestrogen administration does not work as might be expected; our therapeutic practice requires thorough rethinking.Published long-term therapeutic results on breast cancer cases were analyzed in correlation with stage at diagnosis, ER-status of tumors and patients' age. The effectiveness of current therapeutic measures was also compared by estimating the rate of tumor-free survival, breast cancer recurrence and breast cancer-specific mortality.Diagnosis and treatment of breast...

In this paper, we describe a rapid and accurate real-time quantitative PCR-based system to determine transgene copy number in transgenic animals. We used the 2 −ΔΔCt method to analyze different transgenic lines without the requirement of a control sample previously determined by Southern blot analysis. To determine the transgene copy number in several mouse lines carrying a goat β-Lactoglobulin transgene, we developed a TaqMan ® assay in which a goat genomic DNA sample was used as a calibrator. Moreover, we used the glucagon gene as a reference control because this gene is highly conserved between species and amplifies with the same efficiency and sensitivity in goat as in mouse. With this assay, we provide an alternative simple method to determine the...

This paper presents a tunable broadband monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) active directional coupler that demonstrates tuned coupling gains (from 3 dB to -6 dB) and tuned center frequencies. The active directional coupler consists of two broadband near 90° phase shifters, two amplifiers between these phase shifters, and varactors at the connection nodes of the phase shifters and the amplifiers. It was designed and fabricated in a 130-nm process. For a 3-dB coupling gain, the 10-dB directivity bandwidth is 2.3 GHz (from 5.5 to 7.8 GHz). The amplitude imbalance is 3 dB ±0.5 dB, the phase imbalance is 180° ± 5°, and the noise figure is less than 8 dB in the range of 4 to 9 GHz. The return losses are better than 19 dB and the insertion loss is ...

The anticorrosion resistance of metal (inorganic) coatings is defined by the system of anode and cathode protection. As zinc coatings do not load the environment in such an extent like organic paint systems, current trend is to maximally prolong the service life of a zinc coating. This paper is focused on analysis of the speed of corrosion degradation of zinc coatings. The individual samples were prepared by the method of hot-dipping and galvanizing. Inhibition systems were applied only to electrolyte-applied zinc coating. There were prepared three different passivating methods: (1) slim-layer passivation with the content of Cr (III), (2) slim-layer passivation with the inhibitor Cr (VI) and (3) thick-layer passivation with Cr (III). The thickness of anticor...

An important attraction of saline formations for CO 2 storage is that their high salinity renders their associated brine unlikely to be identified as a potential water resource in the future. However, high salinity can lead to dissolved salt precipitating around injection wells, resulting in loss of injectivity and well deterioration. Earlier numerical simulations have revealed that salt precipitation becomes more problematic at lower injection rates. This article presents a new similarity solution, which is used to study the relationship between capillary pressure and salt precipitation around CO 2 injection wells in saline formations. Mathematical analysis reveals that the process is strongly controlled by a dimensionless capillary number, which represents...

Lipid-based nanoparticles, a potential nonviral vector due to their good biocompatibility and biodegradability, have been extensively developed for the delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA). We designed a unique pH-responsive lipid derivative, a dioleylphosphate-diethylenetriamine conjugate (DOP-DETA). DOP-DETA consists of a pH-responsive triamine and unsaturated fatty acids that accelerate membrane fusion. Our results showed that DOP-DETA-based liposomes (DL) efficiently delivered siRNA into the cytoplasm and induced RNA interference even at a low siRNA concentration. The knockdown efficiency of DL depended on the molar ratio of total DL lipids to siRNA. When siRNA was formulated with a sufficient amount of DL, it was efficiently taken up by cells and i...

Genome-wide association studies of pooled DNA samples were shown to be a valuable tool to identify candidate SNPs associated to a phenotype. No such study was up to now applied to childhood allergic asthma, even if the very high complexity of asthma genetics is an appropriate field to explore the potential of pooled GWAS approach.We performed a pooled GWAS and individual genotyping in 269 children with allergic respiratory diseases comparing allergic children with and without asthma. We used a modular approach to identify the most significant loci associated with asthma by combining silhouette statistics and physical distance method with cluster-adapted thresholding. We found 97% concordance between pooled GWAS and individual genotyping, with 36 out of 37 to...

Persistent or recurrent glenohumeral instability after a previous operative stabilization can be a complex problem. Our aim is to establish the incidence of recurrence and its revision surgery, and to analyse the functional results of the revision instability surgery, as well as to determine surgical protocols to perform it.A retrospective analysis was conducted on 16 patients with recurrent instability out of 164 patients operated on between 1999 and 2011. The mean follow-up was 57 months and the mean age was 29 years. To evaluate functional outcome we employed Constant, Rowe, UCLA scores and the visual analogue scale.Of the 12 patients who failed the initial arthroscopic surgery, 6 patients underwent an arthroscopic antero-inferior labrum repair technique,...

High consumption of red meat and processed meat has been associated with increased risk of several chronic diseases. We conducted a meta-analysis to summarize the evidence from prospective studies on red meat and processed meat consumption in relationship to all-cause mortality. Pertinent studies were identified by searching PubMed through May 2013 and by reviewing the reference lists of retrieved articles. Prospective studies that reported relative risks with 95% confidence intervals for the association of red meat or processed meat consumption with all-cause mortality were eligible. Study-specific results were combined by using a random-effects model. Nine prospective studies were included in the meta-analysis. The summary relative risks of all-cause morta...

ABSTRACT The influence of 1% alpha-eleostearic acid (α-ESA, cis9,trans11,trans 13-18:3) and 1% punicic acid (PA, cis9,trans11,cis13-18:3) on fatty acid composition in mouse tissues was compared with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA, mixture of primarily cis9,trans11- and trans10,cis12-18:2) in the present study. The content (% total fatty acids) of 18:2n-6 was significantly reduced in the heart and adipose tissues, and total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and n-6 PUFA were significantly reduced in adipose tissue by α-ESA, PA and CLA feeding. The content of 22:6n-3 and total n-3 PUFA were significantly increased in the liver, kidney and heart by PA feeding, but not by α-ESA. In contrast to PA, supplementation with CLA significantly decreased 22:6n-3 in t...

In the present study, we present an accelerating scheme based on the reversible multiple time step r-RESPA method to be used in molecular dynamics simulations with polarizable potentials based on induced dipole moments. Even if the induced dipoles are estimated with an iterative self-consistent procedure, this scheme significantly reduces the CPU time needed to perform a molecular dynamics simulation, up to a factor 2, as compared to the Car–Parrinello method where additional dynamical variables are introduced for the treatment of the induced dipoles. The tests show that stable and reliable molecular dynamics trajectories can be generated with that scheme, and that the physical properties derived from the trajectories are equivalent to those computed with ...

Abstract Background The World Health Organisation (WHO) and a substantial body of literature recommend breastfeeding from birth until at least 6months of age. The nutritional, gastrointestinal, immunological, neurodevelopmental and psychosocial benefits of breastfeeding have been shown for term and preterm infants. Meeting the WHO recommendations for breastfeeding is problematic in the cohort of infants requiring hospitalisation in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for management of complex medical and surgical conditions. Method A retrospective audit of medical records of all infants admitted to the neonatal unit of the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia between 2001 and 2003 was conducted. Results One thousand, one hundred and sixty-three ...

p53 tumor suppressor gene which is a frequent target for mutations in a high percentage of oral cancer is regarded as an early event in carcinogenesis.The role of p53 was assessed in potentially malignant oral disorders (PMOD) to ascertain its prognostic significance.Retrospective case series analysis was carried out on 30 paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of confirmed oral leukoplakia with dysplasia.10 cases of each of mild, moderate, and severe dysplasia were immunohistochemically analyzed for p53 expression. The intensity of staining, intracellular localization, and basal and/or suprabasal distribution were assessed.The intensity of p53 staining and its distribution were analyzed by the Chi-square test. The intracellular localization of p53 in different gra...

Thermal decomposition of nickel oxalate begins by nucleation of elemental nickel within oxalate particles, or microcontainers. The decomposition reaction takes place homogenously throughout the microcontainer; no preferred reaction zones or patterns exist within the microcontainer. The vacating of the product carbon dioxide as decomposition progresses leads to an increase in the microcontainer porosity, which has the effect of increasing the amount of internal elastic transformation strain within the microcontainer. The strain is relived via grain breakup, resulting in an increase in the particle specific surface area. As the reaction rate slows, grain coalescence results in specific surface area reduction. A model accounting for these effects is proposed th...

Abstract Mixed oxide solid solutions are becoming ever more commercially important across a range of applications. However, their synthesis can be problematical. Here, we show that ceria–lanthana solid solutions can be readily prepared via simple precipitation using hexamethylenetetramine. However, the solution chemistry can be complex, which results in the precipitated particles having a complex structure and morphology. Great care must be taken in both the synthesis and characterisation to quantify the complexity of the product. Even very high heat treatments were not able to produce highly homogeneous materials and X-ray diffractions reveals the non-equilibrium form of particles prepared in this way. Unexpected crystal structures are revealed including ...

In the Mead-Freeman controversy, Derek Freeman’s historical reconstruction of the alleged hoaxing of Margaret Mead in 1926 relied on three interviews with Fa’apua’a Fa’amū, Mead’s “principal informant,” who stated that she and another Samoan woman had innocently joked with Mead about their private lives. In turn, Freeman argued that Mead believed these jokes as the truth and that they were the basis for her interpretation of adolescent sex in Coming of Age in Samoa. The unpublished interviews with Fa’apua’a became the centerpiece of Freeman’s second book on the controversy, The Fateful Hoaxing of Margaret Mead (1999). Yet an analysis of Mead’s relationship with Fa’apua’a demonstrates that she was not an informant for Mead on adoles...

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVArticleNEXTStereoselectivity of the model catalytic site proposed for the isospecific Ziegler-Natta polymerization of the .alpha.-olefinsPaolo Corradini, Gaetano Guerra, and Vincenzo VillaniCite this: Macromolecules 1985, 18, 7, 1401–1406Publication Date (Print):July 1, 1985Publication History Published online1 May 2002Published inissue 1 July 1985https://doi.org/10.1021/ma00149a008RIGHTS & PERMISSIONSArticle Views101Altmetric-Citations20LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number ...

This article considers how the social-news and community site Reddit.com has become a hub for anti-feminist activism. Examining two recent cases of what are defined as “toxic technocultures” (#Gamergate and The Fappening), this work describes how Reddit’s design, algorithm, and platform politics implicitly support these kinds of cultures. In particular, this piece focuses on the ways in which Reddit’s karma point system, aggregation of material across subreddits, ease of subreddit and user account creation, governance structure, and policies around offensive content serve to provide fertile ground for anti-feminist and misogynistic activism. The ways in which these events and communities reflect certain problematic aspects of geek masculinity are als...

Amiodarone, an antiarrhythmic drug with predominantly class III effects, has demonstrated serious adverse drug reactions and interactions. The Departments of Pharmacy and Cardiology retrospectively evaluated the monitoring parameters at this institution. Criteria based on current literature were developed. Twenty-six patients were administered amiodarone, qualifying for entry into the audit. Of these patients, seven were excluded because their medical records were unavailable or incomplete. The 19 eligible patients were hospitalized during initiation of therapy and followed in the Outpatient Cardiology Clinic. The collected data extracted from the medical charts were compared with the following elements of the criteria selected: Baseline evaluation prior to ...

In contrast to its inhibiting effect or the combustion of hydrocarbons, lead monoxide strongly promotes the combustion of oxygen derivatives of hydrocarbons which contain carbonyl and/or hydroxyl groups. It markedly lowers the temperature at which oxidation commences, greatly increases the extent of reaction, and causes carbon dioxide to form in far greater amounts than carbon monoxide. Whereas lead monoxide undergoes hardly any change in the course of its inhibiting effect, during promotion it is reduced to lead in the combustion of acetic acid, acetic anhydride and formaldehyde. However, it is not reduced in the course of its prompting effect on acetone and methyl acetate where instead it glows and sinters. With methanol both these effects occur concurrent...

Quantum flux parametron (QFP) shift registers employing four-phase clocking are designed. In order to generate subharmonics of a given clock frequency, one to four single-bit shift registers are cascaded in a closed-loop configuration. The clock is obtained by shorting the end of the microstrip clock lines, and is applied as a standing wave. Using this scheme it is observed that for some frequencies, the crosstalk between the output and clock signals is dramatically reduced. The clock current amplitude margin is deduced from the maximum operating frequency of some of the devices; it is at least 17% at operating frequencies beyond 5 GHz. The 1-bit device is observed to operate from DC up to 16.2 GHz and the 4-bit shift register structure functions at frequenc...

The debate on international water problems is split between the analytical perspective of International Relations (IR) and related social sciences, on the one hand, and prescriptive, problem-solving contributions, on the other hand. This article explores how these separate discourses can link up productively by scrutinizing the example of Central Asia, especially the Aral Sea basin. Most water conflicts there – pointed out by IR “Malthusian” analyses – could be handled effectively by adopting IWRM principles for water management. However, both IR approaches and prescriptive concepts like IWRM need to be complemented by a profound knowledge of domestic politics within affected states if they are to identify realistic ways for solving water scarcity pr...

It can be very informative to acquire NMR spectra of a sample as a function of the solution pH. Examples can be found in the design of host–guest complexes or in the determination of the pKa values of organic molecules. In the conventional procedure, a series of spectra must be recorded and the pH of the sample adjusted manually between successive NMR measurements. As an alternative to this laborious procedure, we demonstrate how controlled pH gradients may be established in 5 mm NMR tubes and analyzed using standard NMR equipment in a “single shot” experiment. Using 1H NMR imaging techniques and a set of NMR pH indicator compounds, we are able to measure the pH of a sample as a function of position along a pH gradient. We are thus able to obtain the n...