Spherical nano-sized YSZ (yttria stabilized ZrO2) powders were successfully synthesized via a reverse microemulsion system. The water droplets in the microemulsion system of yclohexane/water/span85/Triton X-100/hexyl alcohol can act as the nano-reactors which solubilize zirconium oxychloride and ammonia water separately. The minute original reactors are favor to the formation of nano-sized spherical YSZ powders and the dispersibility of the powders can be controlled effectually by adjusting the weight ratio of the LiNO3 molten salt to the precursor. The phase transformation from cubic to monoclinic starts at and 500??C and finally monoclinic and cubic phase with increased crytallinity coexist at 800??C. The effect of LiNO3 molten salt in the formation of YSZ powders was also discussed.
Systems with small sizes show significant changes compared to the bulk system. These changes are of major interest regarding the size reduction of technological applications. The hydrogen-metal system can be used as a model alloy to study small size features: shifted phase boundaries and sloped isotherms are found and, also, new materials structures. Most features can be attributed to surface- and interface contributions as well as to mechanical stress. (Abstract Copyright [2004], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)
This report contains detailed information of the research program entitled "Development of Bulk Nanocrystalline Cemented Tungsten Carbide Materials for Industrial Applications". The report include the processes that were developed for producing nanosized WC/Co composite powders, and an ultrahigh pressure rapid hot consolidation process for sintering of nanosized powders. The mechanical properties of consolidated materials using the nanosized powders are also reported.
Sep 16, 2010 ... Taking military operations as an example, there is evidence that stress-related behavioral disorders and mental conditions such as anxiety, ...
Scanning ion microscopy with polarization analysis (SIMPA) is used to study the spin-resolved surface magnetic structure of nano-sized magnetic systems. SIMPA is utilized for in situ topographic and spin-resolved magnetic domain imaging as well as for focused ion beam (FIB) etching of desired structures in magnetic or non-magnetic systems. Ultra-thin Co films are deposited on surfaces of Si(1 0 0) substrates, and ultra-thin, tri-layered, bct Fe(1 0 0)/Mn/bct Fe(1 0 0) wedged magnetic structures are deposited on fcc Pd(1 0 0) substrates. SIMPA experiments clearly show that ion-induced electrons emitted from magnetic surfaces exhibit non-zero electron spin polarization (ESP), whereas electrons emitted from non-magnetic surfaces such as Si and Pd exhibit zero ESP, which can be used to calibrate sputtering rates in situ. We report on new, spin-resolved magnetic microstructures, such as magnetic 'C' states and magnetic vortices, ...
The immune system plays a crucial role in maintaining health; however, accumulating evidence indicates that this system can be the target for immunotoxic effects caused by a variety of chemicals including...Full Text Available
The polyene antibiotic Amphotericin B (AMB) is one of the first therapeutic agents to be marketed commercially as nanosized formulations in which the drug is associated with lipids as liposomes or complexes....Full Text Available
Nano-sized silica is a promising material for disease diagnosis, cosmetics and drugs. For the successful application of nano-sized material in bioscience, evaluation of nano-sized material toxicity is important. We previously found that nano-sized silica particles with a diameter of 70nm showed acute liver failure in mice. Here, we performed histological analysis of major organs such as the liver, spleen, lung, kidney, brain and heart in mice, chronically injected with 70-nm silica particles for 4weeks. Histological analysis revealed hepatic microgranulation and splenic megakaryocyte accumulation in these 70-nm silica particles treated mice, while the kidney, lung, brain and heart remained unaffected. Thus, liver and spleen appear to be the major target organs for toxicity by the chronic a...
The synthesis of narrowly dispersed nanocrystalline TiO_2 was investigated with a surfactant aided solvothermal synthetic method in toluene solutions. When a sufficient amount of titanium isopropoxide, Ti[OCH(CH_3)_2]_4 (TIP), was added to the solution, the shapes of TiO_2 nanoparticles changed from spheres to rods. The aggregated microstructures of the nano-sized TiO_2 in systems of spheres, rods, and mixtures of spheres and rods was studied using TEM. The morphological shape of the aggregation was described in terms of the fractal dimensions. We used a box-counting method to get the fractal dimension of these systems. The fitted fractal dimensions for spheres, sphere/rod mixtures, and rods are D = 1.54, D = 1.81, and D = 1.89, respectively. The fractal dimension changed from 1.54 to 1.9 with the TIP/toluene ratio, indicating that the growth mechanism for aggregations showed different behaviors.
Nano-sized particles of a lithium ion conductive solid electrolyte, LiTi{sub 2}(PO{sub 4}){sub 3}, were prepared by laser ablation. The obtained particles were ca. 10nm in diameter. X-ray powder diffraction and Raman spectroscopy showed that they were amorphous with local structure similar to the crystalline counterpart. They were crystallized by the heating at ca. 630{sup o}C. (author)
Nanocrystalline cemented tungsten carbide has attracted considerable interests for use in cutting tool because of its superior mechanical properties. In this study, nano-sized powders of mixed WC and Co were prepared from attrition-milled oxides by a gas reduction-carburization process. The effects of compacting pressure, heating schedule, additional ball-milling, and the presence of a grain growth inhibitor on the sintering properties of the nano-sized WC-Co powders were examined. The grain size and phases in WC-Co alloy were clearly affected by compacting pressure. Because of the trapped gases and the lower melting point of the cobalt binder, when a compact of nano-sized WC-Co powder was sintered through a heating schedule with holding steps, the sintered alloy maintained the small size of WC grains without any {eta} phase. In addition, the additional ball-milling improved the microstructure and mechanical properties of ...
Nanocrystalline cemented tungsten carbide has attracted considerable interests for use in cutting tool because of its superior mechanical properties. In this study, nano-sized powders of mixed WC and Co were prepared from attrition-milled oxides by a gas reduction-carburization process. The effects of compacting pressure, heating schedule, additional ball-milling, and the presence of a grain growth inhibitor on the sintering properties of the nano-sized WC-Co powders were examined. The grain size and phases in WC-Co alloy were clearly affected by compacting pressure. Because of the trapped gases and the lower melting point of the cobalt binder, when a compact of nano-sized WC-Co powder was sintered through a heating schedule with holding steps, the sintered alloy maintained the small size of WC grains without any #eta# phase. In addition, the additional ball-milling improved the microstructure and mechanical properties of ...
For rational use of energy resources, the process technology which allows harmonization and multiplication of conflicting characteristics was developed for development of new ceramic system materials. This paper summarizes the result in fiscal 1997. On a structural reaction process among creation technologies of ultra-reliable structure, study was made on structure control and hot-working technology through atmosphere control in ceramics synthesis. On basic technology for analysis and evaluation, study was made on the effect of particle bridging on strengthening and toughening of ceramic materials. Study was also made on a toughness expression mechanism, FEM model analysis of particle bridging, and crack growth resistance of ceramics. On control of solid solution precipitation, new alumina ceramics with high strength, hardness and wear resistance was obtained by transgranularly precipitating nano-size particles from a fine-grain high-density ...
The magnetic separation technology using sub-microsized ferromagnetic particle is indispensable in many areas of medical biosciences. For example, ferromagnetic particles (200-500 nm) are widely used for cell sorting in stem cell research with the use of cell surface-specific antigens. Nanosized ferromagnetic particles (10-20 nm) have been suggested as more suitable in drug delivery studies given their efficiency of tissue penetration, however, the magnetic separation method for them has not been established. One of the major reasons is that magnetic force acting on the object particles decreases drastically as a particle diameter becomes small. In this study, magnetic force acting on the targets was enhanced by the combination of superconducting magnet and the filter consisting of ferromagnetic particle. By doing so, we confirmed that Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} of 20 nm in diameter was trapped in the magnetic filter under an external magnetic field of 0.5 T. Fe{sub 3}O{sub ...
Experimental data on high energy cumulative particle production are analyzed in the frame of flucton models. The performed analysis evidence for the flucton as a multiquark system with high baryon dnsity.
miles of high-voltage transmission lines with 12 intercon- nections to electricity systems in New York and Canada. As of 1 March 2003, ISO New England has ...
Olfactory tract has been demonstrated to be an important portal for inhaled solid nanoparticle transportation into the central nervous system (CNS). We have previously demonstrated that intranasally instilled Fe_2O_3 nanoparticles could transport into the CNS via olfactory pathway. In this study, we investigated the neurotoxicity and size effect of repeatedly low-dose (130 #mu#g) intranasal exposure of nano- and submicron-sized Fe_2O_3 particles (21 nm and 280 nm) to mice. The biomarkers of oxidative stress, activity of nitric oxide synthases and release of monoamine neurotransmitter in the brain were studied. Our results showed that significant oxidative stress was induced by the two sizes of Fe_2O_3 particles. The activities of GSH-Px, Cu,Zn-SOD, and cNOS significantly elevated and the total GSH and GSH/GSSG ratio significantly decreased in the olfactory bulb and hippocampus after the nano- and submicron-sized Fe_2O_3 particle treatment (p < 0.05). The ...
Background and objectives: The pathogenesis of acquired nephrogenic systemic fibrosis recently described for patients with renal insufficiency and a history of exposition to gadolinium-based magnetic...Full Text Available
Evidence is presented that phorbic acid is formed in the latex producing cell system, rather than in photosynthetic or chlorophyll-free tissues of Euphorbia resinifera Berg. When a...Full Text Available
Vulnerable periods during the development of the nervous system are sensitive to environmental insults because they are dependent on the temporal and regional emergence of critical developmental processes...Full Text Available
Experimental data on high energy cumulative particle production are analyzed in the frame of flucton models. The analysis gives evidence for the flucton as a multiquark system with high baryon density. 6 refs., 5 figs.
BackgroundRecent evidence suggests that some sex differences in brain and behavior might result from direct genetic effects, and not solely the result of the organizational effects...Full Text Available
In the process of forming a new medical malpractice reinsurance company, the authors analyzed thousands of medical malpractice cases, settlements, and verdicts. The evidence of those analyses indicated...Full Text Available
Arriving at a firm diagnosis of neurosarcoidosis continues to pose serious problems, particularly when evidence of granulomatous disease outside the nervous system is lacking. The commonest mode of...Full Text Available
The importance of a properly functioning and well-balanced immune system for maintaining health has become strikingly evident over the past decades. Roughly since World War II, there has been an apparent...Full Text Available
There is a growing evidence that serotoninergic systems modulate dopaminergic neurotransmission. We analyzed the association between the variations in the brain tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2)...Full Text Available
Nanosized particles are important because of their unique properties, different from the bulk, which leads to their enhanced catalytic, photocatalytic and electronic properties. This work has dealt with three different nanoparticle systems in the context of three different aspects of nanoparticle properties: (a) photocatalytis (TiO2/metal) system, (b) luminescence (CdSe) (c) alloying (Pt-Ag and Pd-Ag). The initial photocatalytic enhancement obtained by adding noble metal on semiconductor nanoparticles, degrades as fast as in 15 minutes and questions their long-term performance. XANES measurements on such irradiated systems like TiO2/Au, TiO2/Pt, TiO2/Ir indicates a positive oxidation state of these noble metals which renders them as recombination centers for photo-excited electrons and explains the decreased photocurrent. The oxidation is caused by holes. The EXAFS results also indicate a change of the ...
Silicon thin film with thickness in range 1000-5300 A deposited on rough Cu foil by a radio frequency magnetron sputtering is used as anode materials for Li-ion rechargeable batteries. The SEM, XRD and TEM analysis reveals that the Si thin film has a floccular nano-sized multi-crystalline structure. Li ions insertion/extraction evaluation is performed mainly with constant current charge/discharge cycling and cyclic voltammetry (CV) at room temperature. The cycleability and reversible discharge capacity are found to depend on the film thickness, and thinner films give larger accommodation capacity. A 3120 A Si film provides a reversible specific capacity over 3500 mA hg{sup -1} with excellent cycleability under 0.5 C charge/discharge rate.
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common disorder, for which various conservative treatment options are available. The objective of this study is to determine the efficacy of the various conservative treatment options for relieving the symptoms of CTS. Computer-aided searches of MEDLINE (1/1966 to 3/2000), EMBASE (1/1988 to 2/2000) and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (2000, issue 1) were conducted, together with reference checking. Included were randomised controlled trials evaluating the efficacy of conservative treatment options in a study population of CTS patients, with a full report published in English, German, French or Dutch. Two reviewers independently selected the studies. Fourteen randomised controlled trials were included in the review. Assessment of methodological quality and data-extraction was independently performed by two reviewers. A rating system, based on the number of studies and their methodological quality and findings, was used to ...
Sex steroids and thyroid hormones play a key role in the development of the central nervous system. The critical role of these hormonal systems may explain the sensitivity of the hypothalamus, the cerebral cortex, and the hippocampus to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC). This review examines the evidence for endocrine disruption of glial-neuronal functions in the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and cerebral cortex. Focus was placed on two well-studied EDC, the insecticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). DDT is involved in neuroendocrine disruption of the reproductive axis, whereas polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) interact with both the thyroid hormone- and sex steroid-dependent systems and disturb the neuroendocrine control of reproduction and develo...
There is very little known about the long-term evolution of the MHC and MHC-like molecules. This is because both the theory (the evolutionary questions and models) and the practice (the animals systems, functional assays and reagents to identify and characterize these molecules) have been difficult to develop. There is no molecular evidence yet to decide whether vertebrate immune systems (and particularly the MHC molecules) are evolutionarily related to invertebrate allorecognition systems, and the functional evidence can be interpreted either way. Even among the vertebrates, there is great heterogeneity in the quality and quantity of the immune response. The functional evidence for T-lymphocyte function in jawless and cartilagenous fish is poor, while the bony fish seem to have many characteristics of a mammalian immune system. The ...
The H-D exchange reaction has been measured with the D2-H2O system, for Rhodobacter capsulatus JP91, which lacks the hupSL-encoded hydrogenase, and R. capsulatus BSE16, which lacks the HupUV proteins....Full Text Available
Immune challenge induces behavioral changes including reduced ingestion of palatable food. Multiple pathways likely contribute to this effect, including viscerosensory pathways controlling hypothalamic...Full Text Available
Among the billions of planetary systems that fill the Universe, we would like to know how ours fits in. Exoplanet data can already be used to address the question: How common are Jupiters? Here we discuss a simple analysis of recent exoplanet data indicating that Jupiter is a typical massive planet rather than an outlier. A more difficult question to address is: How common are Earths? However, much indirect evidence suggests that wet rocky planets are common.
The ntpJ gene, a cistron located at the tail end of the vacuolar-type Na+-ATPase (ntp) operon of Enterococcus hirae, encodes a transporter...Full Text Available
The K"+- and K"-meson cumulative production cross sections are measured at 119"0 in the laboratory system on nuclei Be, Al, Cu and Ta bombarded by 10 GeV protons. Spectra of the K"-mesons consisting of only sea quarks show universal features characteristic of the spectra of cumulative particles, which contain valence quarks. Evidence is obtained for the fact that the energy density in a flucton can exceed the mean nuclear density by an order of magnitude.
Due to development of electric power system and considering an increase of electrical energy consumption, needs for larger units in new power plants are obvious. Connection of large nuclear power plants to the grid, depending on their power and location, usually requires significant investments in transmission network development and construction. Considering the capacity of the 400 kV transmission network in Croatia, this problem is evident. This paper deals with the possibilities of nuclear power plants construction, as one possible option in electric power system development, and their interconnection to the electricity grid. (author).
Central nervous system (CNS) development, homeostasis, stress responses, and plasticity are all mediated by epigenetic mechanisms that modulate gene expression and promote selective deployment of functional gene networks in response to complex profiles of interoceptive and environmental signals. Thus, not surprisingly, disruptions of these epigenetic processes are implicated in the pathogenesis of a spectrum of neurological and psychiatric diseases. Epigenetic mechanisms involve chromatin remodeling by relatively generic complexes that catalyze DNA methylation and various types of histone modifications. There is increasing evidence that these complexes are directed to their sites of action by long non-protein-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), of which there are tens if not hundreds of thousands speci...
The central nervous system (CNS), generally accepted to regulate energy homeostasis, has been implicated in the metabolic perturbations that either cause or are associated with obesity. Normally, the CNS receives hormonal, metabolic, and neuronal input to assure adequate energy levels and maintain stable energy homeostasis. Recent evidence also supports that the CNS uses these same inputs to regulate glucose homeostasis and this aspect of CNS regulation also becomes impaired in the face of dietary-induced obesity. This review focuses on the literature surrounding hypothalamic regulation of energy and glucose homeostasis and discusses how dysregulation of this system may contribute to obesity and T2DM.
A confocal microscopy imaging system was devised to selectively detect Second harmonic signals generated by biological tissues. Several types of biological tissues were examined using this imaging system, including human teeth, bovine blood vessels, and chicken skin. All these tissues generated strong second harmonic signals. There is considerable evidence that the source of these signals in tissue is collagen. Collagen, the predominant component of most tissues, is known to have second order nonlinear susceptibility. This technique may have diagnostic usefulness in pathophysiological conditions characterized by changes in collagen structure including malignant transformation of nevi, progression of diabetic complications, and abnormalities in wound healing.
The true nature of the progenitor to GRBs remains elusive; one characteristic that would constrain our understanding of the GRB mechanism considerably is gamma-ray polarimetry measurements of the initial burst flux. We present a method that interprets the prompt GRB flux as it Compton scatters off the Earth's atmosphere, based on detailed modelling of both the Earth's atmosphere and the orbiting detectors. The BATSE mission aboard the \\textit{CGRO} monitored the whole sky in the 20 keV - 1 MeV energy band continuously from April 1991 until June 2000. We present the BATSE Albedo Polarimetry System (BAPS), and show that GRB 930131 and GRB 960924 provide evidence of polarisation in their prompt flux that is consistent with degrees of polarisation of $\\Pi>35$% and $\\Pi>50$% respectively. While the evidence of polarisation is strong, the method is unable to strongly constrain the degree of polarisation beyond a ...
The Co-doped BaTiO{sub 3} nanosized powders and ceramics were prepared via the sol-gel process. The powders and ceramics were characterized by methods of XRD, SEM and TEM. The dielectric properties of the ceramics were also determined by these methods. The influence of sintering temperature, sintering time and Co concentration on the microstructure and dielectric properties was discussed. The results revealed that the powders were in nanometer scale (30-50 nm) and were mainly composed of cubic BaTiO{sub 3} phase and small amount of BaCO{sub 3}. After sintering, both the cubic BaTiO{sub 3} and BaCO{sub 3} were transformed into tetrahedron BaTiO{sub 3}. The sintering temperatures of the Co-doped BaTiO{sub 3} ceramics decreased (about 100 deg. C) and the Curie temperatures of the ceramics were then moved to lower temperature. In addition, the dielectric constant of the ceramics doping with Co was higher than that of the pure BaTiO{sub 3} ceramics. The dielectric ...
Nano-sized zinc oxide was synthesized and deposited onto cellulosic fibers using the sol-gel process at ambient temperature. The prepared materials were characterized using several techniques including scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis. X-ray diffraction studies of the ZnO-coated fiber indicate formation of the hexagonal crystal phase which was satisfactory crystallized on the fiber surface. The electron micrographs show formation of zinc oxide nanoparticles within 10-15 nm in size which have been homogeneously dispersed on the fiber surface. The prepared materials show significant photocatalytic self-cleaning activity, which was monitored by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The photoactivity was studied upon measuring the photodegradation of methylene blue and eosin yellowish under UV-Vis irradiation. The photocatalytic activity of the treated fabrics ...
In this study a modified solid state synthesis (auto-ignition method) is used to form nanosized spinel type material LiMg{sub 0.05}Ni{sub 0.45}Mn{sub 1.5}O{sub 4}. This material presents a high voltage plateau at 4.75 V vs. Li/Li{sup +}. Structural and electrochemical characterisations have been performed using a wide range of techniques (TEM, neutron diffraction, galvanostatic measurements, and impedance spectroscopy). Besides, in situ XAS has been performed to monitor the evolution of Ni and Mn oxidation state during Li intercalation. The material presents an ordered cubic spinel structure, good capacity retention upon cycling (131 mAh g{sup -1} at C/10 and 117 mAh g{sup -1} at 1C) and good electronic conductivity (10{sup -6} S cm{sup -1} at RT). The simultaneous presence of Mn{sup 3+}/Mn{sup 4+} in the structure has been investigated and explained by inclusion of disordered nanodomains in the structure. (author)
Nanodimensional powders of cubic copper ferrite are synthesized by two-steps procedure of co-precipitation of copper and iron hydroxide carbonates, followed by mechanochemical treatment. X-ray powder diffraction, Moessbauer spectroscopy and temperature-programmed reduction are used for the characterization of the obtained materials. Their catalytic behavior is tested in methanol decomposition to hydrogen and CO and total oxidation of toluene. Formation of nanosized ferrite material is registered even after one hour of milling time. It is established that the prolonging of treatment procedure decreases the dispersion of the obtained product with the appearance of Fe2O3. It is demonstrated that the catalytic behavior of the samples depends not only on their initial phase composition, but on the concomitant ferrite phase transformations by the influence of the reaction medium. -- Graphical abstract: It is demonstrated that the catalytic behavior of the obtained copper ...
Macromolecular and polyanionic Na(+)-poly(gamma-glutamic acid) (PGA) silver nitrate complex acted as both a metal ion provider and a particle protector to fabricate nanosized silver colloids under chemical reduction by dextrose. The formation and size of particles have been characterized from transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering analysis and UV-vis spectrophotometer. The results showed that the average particle size was 17.2+/-3.4 to 37.3+/-5.5 nm, apparently depending on the complex concentration. It was found that the rate constant and conversion of silver nanoparticles were proportional to the concentration of PGA. The growth mechanism of nanosized silver colloid was fully discussed. In addition, the in vitro cytotoxicity evaluated by L929 fibroblasts proliferation and antibacterial activity against Gram-positive strain (methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA)) and Gram-negative strain (P. aeruginosa) bacteria have ...
The nanosized luminescent Tb-MCM-41 (1:10) is synthesized by means of sol-gel-assisted self-assembly under basic conditions at room temperature. The results of "2"9Si-MAS NMR and XRD prove that Tb"3"+ doped Si-O framework. The HRTEM image shows that the regular uniform particles with a diameter of 10 nm possess ultralarge pore with diameter 2.0 nm, which is consistent with the result of N_2 adsorption. The BET surface area and porosity of Tb-MCM-41 (1:10) are 1127 m"2/g and 0.84 cm"3/g, respectively. The patterns of selected-area electron diffraction and XRD of Tb-MCM-41 (1:10) show an Fm3m space group in the cubic. FT-IR results show that the peaks near 970 cm"-"1 are assigned to the deformation vibration of silanol group. The as-products are calcined at 800 deg. C and the mesoporous materials possess enormous specific areas and large porosity, it shows that the mesoporous materials are ultrastable.
Structural changes of a Ni-P amorphous alloy under focused-ion-beam (FIB) irradiation have been examined using transmission electron microscopy. On the irradiated plane, the formation of crystallographically orientated nanosized crystals (NCs), with the particle size of approximately 10 nm, was observed. A series of electron diffraction analyses have revealed that NCs have a face-centered-cubic (fcc) structure and the following orientation relationships between the NCs and the FIB direction were found. These are, irradiated plane//(111)_f_c_c and FIB direction//_f_c_c.
Many Department of Energy facilities across the United States are seriously contaminated with radioactive and other hazardous wastes. Decades of focus on weapons production and inadequate attention to long-term solutions for dealing with those wastes have resulted in tremendous problems. The Department of Energy recognizes the seriousness of those problems and is addressing them. In some cases existing management systems are being used to accomplish the new mission of environmental cleanup, and in other cases new systems have been created to help carry out that mission. Widespread criticism of those efforts to data are evidence that the management systems being used may not be appropriate for the job. In particular, it appears that some management systems aren`t producing desired results because they are not well aligned with the people and tasks for whom they are intended, and ...
We present evidence for the existence of two ~35 day clocks in the Her X-1/HZ Her binary system. ~35 day modulations are observed 1) in the Turn-On cycles with two on- and two off-states, and 2) in the changing shape of the pulse profiles which re-appears regularly. The two ways of counting the 35 day cycles are generally in synchronization. This synchronization did apparently break down temporarily during the long Anomalous Low (AL3) which Her X-1 experienced in 1999/2000, in the sense that there must have been one extra Turn-On cycle. Our working hypothesis is that there are two clocks in the system, both with a period of about ~35 days: precession of the accretion disk (the less stable "Turn-On clock") and free precession of the neutron star (the more stable "Pulse profile clock"). We suggest that free precession of the neutron star is the master clock, and that the precession of the accretion disk is basically ...
Waste is a cost of doing business. This cost can be considered in terms of the potential adverse health and environmental impacts, or the waste management costs associated with avoiding, minimizing, and controlling those impacts. There is an anticipated increase in the cost of waste management as a result of the increasing requirements for regulatory compliance. To meet the total waste management capacity needs of the organization and the compliance requirements, low-level radioactive, hazardous, and mixed waste management will need demonstrated technologies strategically managed as a technology portfolio. The role of the decision maker is to select the optimum mix of technologies and facilities to provide the waste management capacity needed for the next twenty years. The waste management system resulting from this mix includes multiple small-scale fixed facilities, large-scale centralized facilities, and waste management subcontracts. This study was conducted to ...
% In this work we investigated, in the Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) framework, the development of spiral structures and shock fronts in the radial flow of accretion discs in close binary systems. These shock waves take place when the initially supersonic radial flow penetrating the disc bulk, reduces substantially its speed becoming suddenly subsonic. To this purpose, keeping constant the mass of the compact primary (M1 = 1 MO ), the separation between the two components and the injection speed at the inner Lagrangian point L1 (close to the local sound speed), we carried out 2D SPH simulations for four values of the stellar mass ratio M2/M1. We worked out 2D models because the damping effect of the artificial viscosity is too strong in 3D. Furthermore, the 2D environment seems the most suitable in order to evidence shock fronts in highly compressible gases. The results show that spiral structures and shock fronts develop for low values ...
We have used HST/FOS to study faint UV stars in the core of the nearby globular cluster NGC 6397. We confirm the presence of a 4th cataclysmic variable (CV) in NGC 6397 (CV 4), and we use the photometry of Cool et al. (1998) to present evidence that CVs 1--4 all have faint disks and probably low accretion rates. By combining these results with new UV spectra of CV 1 and the published spectra of Grindlay et al. (1995) we present new evidence that CVs 1--3 may be DQ Her systems, and we show that CV 4 may either be a dwarf nova or another magnetic system. Another possibility is that the CVs could be old novae in hibernation between nova eruptions. We also present the first spectrum of a member of a new class of UV bright stars in NGC 6397. These faint, hot stars do not vary, unlike the CVs, and are thus denoted as ``non-flickerers'' (NFs). Like the CVs, their spatial concentration is strongly concentrated ...
We present and explain numerical results illustrating the mechanism of a type of discontinuous bifurcation of a chaotic set that occurs in typical dynamical systems. After the bifurcation, the chaotic set acquires new pieces located at a finite distance from its location just before the bifurcation, and these new pieces were not part of a previously existing chaotic set. A scaling law is given describing the creation of unstable periodic orbits following such a bifurcation. We also provide numerical evidence of such a bifurcation for a nonattracting chaotic set of the H{acute e}non map. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Visceral hypersensitivity is currently considered a key pathophysiological mechanism involved in pain perception in large subgroups of patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In IBS, visceral hypersensitivity has been described in 20%?90% of patients. The contribution of the central nervous system and psychological factors to visceral hypersensitivity in patients with IBS may be significant, although still debated. Peripheral factors have gained increasing attention following the recognition that infectious enteritis may trigger the development of persistent IBS symptoms, and the identification of mucosal immune, neural, endocrine, microbiological, and intestinal permeability abnormalities. Growing evidence suggests that these factors ...
Abstract Introduction: The obstructed, infected kidney is a urological emergency. It has been accepted that the management of infected hydronephrosis secondary to ureteric stones is through prompt decompression of the collecting system. However, the optimal method of decompression has yet to be established. Materials and Methods: A PubMed and Medline search was performed of all English-language articles from 1960 using key words ?sepsis,?? ?urosepsis,?? ?obstruction,?? ?obstructive pyelonephritis,?? ?pyonephrosis,?? ?infection and hydronephrosis?? ?decompression,?? ?stent,?? ?nephrostomy,?? and ?management.?? The Cochrane database and National Institute for Clinical Effectiveness guidelines were searched using the terms ?sepsis,?? ?urosepsis,?? ?stent,?? ?nephrostomy,?? or ?obstruction.?? ...
The transformation of Pd/Si to Pd{sub 2}Si/Si is investigated using depth-resolved positron annihilation, x-ray diffraction and Auger electron spectroscopy studies. The observed defect-sensitive positron S-parameter value of 1.022-1.054 indicates the existence of divacancies across the silicide/silicon interface and Si substrate region. Our experimental observation of vacancy defects is consistent with the model proposed for excess vacancy generation across the interface consequent to Si diffusion. (letter to the editor)
The results of real-time neutron diffraction measurements during the superconducting phase formation process in the Bi(Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O system are reported. A Sr-Ca-Cu-O type precursor, with the same stoichiometry as the 2223 phase, was used as starting material, and the temperature range favorable to the formation of the 2223 phase was investigated. The diffraction patterns were processed by a multiphase Rietveld refinement. The formation and decomposition of the 2201 and 2212 phases were directly observed. Experimental evidence on the existence of a partially melted phase in the range 855-860[degrees]C, involved in the formation of the 2223 phase, is discussed. 14 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.
The results of real-time neutron diffraction measurements during the superconducting phase formation process in the Bi(Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu-O system are reported. A Sr-Ca-Cu-O type precursor, with the same stoichiometry as the 2223 phase, was used as starting material, and the temperature range favorable to the formation of the 2223 phase was investigated. The diffraction patterns were processed by a multiphase Rietveld refinement. The formation and decomposition of the 2201 and 2212 phases were directly observed. Experimental evidence on the existence of a partially melted phase in the range 855-860 degrees C, involved in the formation of the 2223 phase, is discussed. 14 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.
Three classes of solar emanations, namely, photon radiation from solar flares, solar energetic particles, and inhomogeneities in the solar wind that drive magnetic storms, are examined, and their effects on humans and technological systems are discussed. Solar flares may disrupt radio communications in the HF and VLF ranges. Energetic particles pose a special hazard at low-earth orbit and above, where they can penetrate barriers such as spacesuits and aluminum and destroy cells and solid state electronics. Energetic solar particles also influence terrestrial radio waves propagating through polar regions. Magnetic storms may disturb the operation of navigation instruments, power lines and pipelines, and satellites; they give rise to ionospheric storms which affect radio communication at all latitudes. There is also a growing body of evidence that changes in the geomagnetic field affect biological systems. 3 refs.
A geothermal heat pump (GHP) system with three ground coils was installed in a residence in northern Idaho with a portion of the ground heat exchanger wrapped around the residential septic tank. The septic coil provided a significant portion of the heating for the residence over the heating season. There was no evidence of the septic tank freezing up or failing to properly function. Utilizing a septic tank as a heat source for GHP systems is feasible design option if the septic tank is used on a full-time basis. However, the tank should be surrounded on all sides by a large amount of soil and/or insulated from the ground surface to ensure that ground temperatures near the tank remain warm during the winter.
We consider the dynamics towards the initial singularity of Bianchi type IX vacuum and orthogonal perfect fluid models with a linear equation of state. Surprisingly few facts are known about the 'Mixmaster' dynamics of these models, while at the same time most of the commonly held beliefs are rather vague. In this paper, we use Mixmaster facts as a base to build an infrastructure that makes it possible to sharpen the main Mixmaster beliefs. We formulate explicit conjectures concerning (i) the past asymptotic states of type IX solutions and (ii) the relevance of the Mixmaster/Kasner map for generic past asymptotic dynamics. The evidence for the conjectures is based on a study of the stochastic properties of this map in conjunction with dynamical systems techniques. We use a dynamical systems formulation, since this approach has so far been the only successful path to obtain theorems, but we also make ...
Several lines of evidence are presented that indicate that the level of tetracycline resistance of Esherichia coli strains harboring plasmid pBR322 varies according to whether the SOS system of the host bacteria has been induced. These include use of strains in which the SOS system is expressed constitutively (lexA def.), is thermoinducible (recA441) or noninducible (lexA ind-), or is highly repressed (multiple copies of lexA+). Similar induction was observed with the product of another plasmid gene, beta-lactamase. The amounts of extractable plasmid DNA were also increased by SOS induction, and we propose that the SOS-induced increases in levels of tetracycline resistance and beta-lactamase activity are due to an increased plasmid copy number.
From long-term real-time radon and radon progeny measurements taken in a relatively large retail store, cyclical patterns were evident, which were found to relate to the overriding influence of the timed air-conditioning system. Concentration of radon, radon progeny and the variability of F factor were found to depend significantly on the intermittent operation of this ventilation-air-conditioning system. After pressure equalisation remedial measures proved ineffective, the air-movement system was utilised to reduce the levels of radon and radon progeny to well within established norms applicable during working hours. It is demonstrated that the average levels for radon and radon progeny are reduced in absolute terms. This amounted to less than 12% of the general level, during designated work periods. Where air movement systems are already installed, as well as other circumstances, ...
Abstract in english Cytokines are molecules that were initially discovered in the immune system as mediators of communication between various types of immune cells. However, it soon became evident that cytokines exert profound effects on key functions of the central nervous system, such as food intake, fever, neuroendocrine regulation, long-term potentiation, and behavior. In the 80's and 90's our group and others discovered that the genes encoding various cytokines and their receptors are e (more) xpressed in vascular, glial, and neuronal structures of the adult brain. Most cytokines act through cell surface receptors that have one transmembrane domain and which transduce a signal through the JAK/STAT pathway. Of particular physiological and pathophysiological relevance is the fact that cytokines are potent regulators of hypothalamic neuropeptidergic systems that maintain neuroendocrine homeostasis and ...
Limited field trial results of a heating oil additive package developed to minimize unscheduled maintenance indicate that it achieves its goal of keeping heating oil systems cleaner. The multifunctional additive package was developed to provide improved fuel oxidation stability, improved corrosion protection, and dispersency. This combination of performance benefits was chosen because we believed it would retard the formation of sludge, as well as allow sludge already present to be carried through the system without fouling the fuel system components (dispersency should keep sludge particles small so they pass through the filtering system). Since many unscheduled maintenance calls are linked to fouling of the fuel filtering system, the overall goal of this technology is to reduce these maintenance calls. Photographic evidence shows that the additive package not ...
A detailed kinetic study of the epoxidation of 1-octene with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by Pt(II) complexes is reported. The two systems analyzed were (diphoe)Pt(CF/sub 3/)(OH)/1-octene/H/sub 2/O/sub 2//THF and ((diphoe)Pt(CF/sub 3/)(CH/sub 2/Cl/sub 2/))BF/sub 4//1-octene/H/sub 2/O/sub 2//H/sub 2/O/CH/sub 2/Cl/sub 2/. Rate data were determined with GLC from epoxide formed vs time plots. Evidence for many of the organometallic intermediates and the individual steps involved was gained from IR studies, /sup 19/F NMR studies, and especially designed experiments including studies of the acidity effect. In both cases the kinetic analysis suggests a mechanism in which the actual oxidant is a PtOOH species that interacts with a Pt-olefin complex in the oxygen-transfer step (second-order dependence on platinum). 29 references, 12 figures, 3 tables.
In this experiment, a Si wafer containing four lightly doped B marker layers epitaxially grown by CVD has been implanted with 100 keV Si{sup +} ions to a dose of 2 x 10{sup 14} ions/cm{sup 2} and annealed at 850 deg. C for several times in an RTA system in flowing N{sub 2}. TEM and SIMS analysis, in conjunction with a transient enhanced diffusion (TED) evaluation method based on the kick-out diffusion mechanism, have allowed us to accurately study the boron TED evolution in presence of extended defects. We show that the silicon surface plays a key role in the recombination of Si interstitial atoms by providing the first experimental evidence of the resulting Si{sub int}s supersaturation gradient between the defect region and the surface. Our results indicate an upper limit of about 200 nm for the surface recombination length of Si interstitials at 850 deg. C in a N{sub 2} ambient.
In this experiment, a Si wafer containing four lightly doped B marker layers epitaxially grown by CVD has been implanted with 100 keV Si"+ ions to a dose of 2 x 10"1"4 ions/cm"2 and annealed at 850 deg. C for several times in an RTA system in flowing N_2. TEM and SIMS analysis, in conjunction with a transient enhanced diffusion (TED) evaluation method based on the kick-out diffusion mechanism, have allowed us to accurately study the boron TED evolution in presence of extended defects. We show that the silicon surface plays a key role in the recombination of Si interstitial atoms by providing the first experimental evidence of the resulting Si_i_n_ts supersaturation gradient between the defect region and the surface. Our results indicate an upper limit of about 200 nm for the surface recombination length of Si interstitials at 850 deg. C in a N_2 ambient.
Many social Web sites allow users to publish content and annotate with descriptive metadata. In addition to flat tags, some social Web sites have recently began to allow users to organize their content and metadata hierarchically. The social photosharing site Flickr, for example, allows users to group related photos in sets, and related sets in collections. The social bookmarking site Del.icio.us similarly lets users group related tags into bundles. Although the sites themselves don't impose any constraints on how these hierarchies are used, individuals generally use them to capture relationships between concepts, most commonly the broader/narrower relations. Collective annotation of content with hierarchical relations may lead to an emergent classification system, called a folksonomy. While some researchers have explored using tags as evidence for learning folksonomies, we believe that hierarchical relations described above offer a ...
Autism is a pervasive developmental condition, characterized by impairments in non-verbal communication, social relationships and stereotypical patterns of behavior. A large body of evidence suggests that several aspects of face processing are impaired in autism, including anomalies in gaze processing, memory for facial identity and recognition of facial expressions of emotion. In search of neural markers of anomalous face processing in autism, much interest has focused on a network of brain regions that are implicated in social cognition and face processing. In this review, we will focus on three such regions, namely the STS for its role in processing gaze and facial movements, the FFA in face detection and identification and the amygdala in processing facial expressions of emotion. Much evidence suggests that a better understanding of the normal development of these specialized regions is essential for discovering the neural bases of face ...
We report on the results of a simultaneous monitoring campaign employing eight Chandra X-ray (0.5-10 keV) and six VLA/EVLA (8.4 GHz) radio observations of NGC 4051 over seven months. Evidence for compact jets is observed in the 8.4 GHz radio band; This builds on mounting evidence that jet production may be prevalent even in radio-quiet Seyferts. Assuming comparatively negligible local diffuse emission in the nucleus, the results also demonstrate an inverse correlation of L_radio proportional to L_X-ray ^(-0.72+/-0.04) . Current research linking the mass of supermassive black holes and stellar-mass black holes in the "low/hard" state to X-ray luminosities and radio luminosities suggest a "fundamental plane of accretion onto black holes" that has a positive correlation of L_radio proportional to L_X-ray^(0.67+/-0.12) . Our simultaneous results differ from this relation by more than 11 sigma, indicating that a separate mode of accretion and ...
Nanomaterials are increasingly being used to modify adhesives used in aerospace and materials applications. Improvements in thermal and mechanical properties have been found by incorporation of small amounts of nanosize materials in to such adhesives. However, the introduction of nanomaterials to adhesives used in civil engineering applications is still a new approach which needs to be explored, especially in retrofitting of structures. This paper presents part of an ongoing research to address the effect of adding nanomaterials to modify a thermosetting adhesive used for bonding carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites to concrete members. Vapour grown carbon fiber (VGCF) was chosen to modify the adhesive. Different concentrations of carbon nanofibres PR-24 XT-LHT were adopted fo...
Abstract A series of polypropylene carbonate (PPC)/ZnO nanocomposite films with different ZnO contents were prepared via a solution blending method. The morphological structures, thermal properties, oxygen permeability, water sorption, and antibacterial properties of the films were investigated as a function of ZnO concentration. While all of the composite films with less than 5 wt % ZnO exhibited good dispersion of ZnO in the PPC matrix, FTIR and SEM results revealed that solution blending did not lead to a strong interaction between PPC and unmodified ZnO. As such, poor dispersion was induced in the composite films with a high ZnO content. By incorporating inorganic ZnO filler nanoparticles, the diffusion coefficient, water uptake in equilibrium, and oxygen permeability decreased as the ...
The present study was carried out to exploit the feasibility of using polymeric nanosponges as an alternative carrier for targeting econazole nitrate (EN) to the skin through topical hydrogel formulation. Nanosponges prepared by emulsion solvent diffusion method were evaluated for various physicochemical parameters and in vitro drug release. The nanosponges of EN were discrete free flowing nanosized particles with perforated orange peel like morphology as visualized by SEM. The nanosponge formulated using PVA:EC (3:2) displayed highest in vitro release after 12 ?h in phosphate buffer (pH 6.8) that fitted matrix model. Selected nanosponge was formulated as Carbopol 934 NF hydrogel using varying concentrations of permeation enhancers propylene glycol and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. The EN nanosp...
Nanocrystalline MnFe"2O"4 ferrite was prepared by using autocombustion technique (flash). The microstructure and magnetic properties are studied. The results of XRD and TEM clarified that, this ferrite is nanosized with particle size (39 nm). Magnetic measurements showed a ferromagnetic behavior with T"C = 613 K, the saturation magnetization M"s = 13.71 emu/g, remanent magnetization M"r = 0.1694 emu/g and, coercivity H"c = 25.6 Oe. Natural material, egg white used as an aqueous medium to extend prepare nanoparticles better than other chemical interesting materials.
New results for two types of nano-size silicon, prepared via thermal vapour deposition either with or without a graphite substrate are presented. Their superior reversible charge capacity and cycle life as negative electrode material for lithium-ion batteries have already been shown in previous work. Here the lithiation reaction of the materials is investigated more closely via different electrochemical in situ techniques: Raman spectroscopy, dilatometry and differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS). The Si/graphite compound material shows relatively high kinetics upon discharge. The moderate relative volume change and low gas evolution of the nano silicon based electrode, both being important points for a possible future use in real batteries, are discussed with respect to a standard graphite electrode. (author)
Nanosized CaSnO{sub 3} is synthesized by a hydrothermal process and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SEM observation shows the sample has a porous flowerlike morphology. The electrochemical results exhibit that the stable and reversible capacity of 547 mAh g{sup -1} is obtained after 50 cycles at 60 mA g{sup -1} (0.1 C) and the corresponding charge capacity is determined to be 316 mAh g{sup -1} at the current density of 2.5 C. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy data are analyzed to complement the galvanostatic results. The observed excellent performance is attributed to the porous structure and large surface area of flowerlike CaSnO{sub 3}.
We have investigated the effect of manganese (Mn) doping on properties of nanosized biphasic calcium phosphate powders and their dense bodies. Manganese levels of 0.6, 1.3, 1.9, 4.3, 7.0 and 11.9at.% were successfully incorporated into biphasic calcium phosphate via a sol-gel route. The prepared powders were calcined at temperatures of 500-1200^oC. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that a mix phase comprising of hydroxyapatite and @b-tricalcium phosphate were present, however the content of each phases in the structure was affected by the Mn content. The studies found that the largest portion of @b-tricalcium phosphate was detected at 4.3at.% Mn doping. The incorporation of Mn has also greatly increased the crystallinity of the biphasic calcium phosphate powder due to progressive den...
We explore a novel phenomenon of focused ion beam (FIB) induced bending of carbon nanopillars or cantilever structures. The bending occurs towards the ion beam during scanning. The explanation of this bending has been sought on the basis of a model which considers temperature rise and gradients caused by the impinging ion beam. The process is controllable and reversible, which makes it highly suitable for in situ manipulation to make desired 3D shapes by the piecewise bending of the nanopillars and cantilever structures during their fabrication using electron beam or FIB chemical vapor deposition (EB-CVD or FIB-CVD). Its usefulness in the fabrication of nanosize mechanical components has been demonstrated by making a branch structure from a single cantilever.
Bio-inspired silver nanoparticles were synthesized with the aid of a novel, non-toxic, eco-friendly biological material namely, banana peel extract (BPE). Boiled, crushed, acetone precipitated, air-dried peel powder was used for reducing silver nitrate. Silver nanoparticles were formed when the reaction conditions were altered with respect to pH, BPE content, concentration of silver nitrate and incubation temperature. The colorless reaction mixtures turned brown and displayed UV-visible spectra characteristic of silver nanoparticles. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations revealed the predominance of silver nanosized crystallites after short incubation periods. When the reaction mixtures were incubated for 15 days, some micro-aggregates were also observed. Energy dispersive spectr...
Background:To encourage evidence-based practice, an Annals of Internal Medicine editorial called for a new professional on clinical teams: an informationist trained...Full Text Available
ObjectiveTo describe the development and assessment of monographs as an assignment to incorporate evidence-based medicine (EBM) and pharmacoeconomic principles into a third-year...Full Text Available
This report describes a comparison result of technical standards applied to instrumentation and control systems for nuclear power plants between in Korea and in Russia. Russia also has a state-run organization authorized to conduct approval, cancellation, and audit in use of nuclear facility or equipment. The Russian standards for nuclear instrumentation and control equipment are analogous with the Korean ones in the aspect of basic concepts and principles. However, there are some differences in document structure, design requirements, qualification test items, depth of contents between two standard systems. The biggest deviation exists in the standard documents for seismic qualification and electromagnetic interference qualification. Korean seismic qualification standard utilizing US approach, defines testing and qualification methods specifically and clearly. Russian standards however provide only conceptual definitions and requirements in ...
The authors address the question of the limitations on voltage and current transfer to loads in magnetic storage systems utilizing microsecond conduction time plasma opening switches. They propose that the limitation of performance results from neutral atoms that are not entrained into the ionized material that is driven by the magnetic field of the rising generator current. Evidence in support of this proposition is gathered from experiments performed on the Ace-4 and Hawk generators. They set forth a theory to describe the effect of neutrals on the electrical performance of plasma opening switches. The neutral gas is assumed to be present in the region between the moving plasma mass and the generator, primarily in the region in which the plasma is injected initially. The essential elements of the theory are a weak photoionization source to seed the gas with a low concentration of electrons, and joule heating accompanied by further ionization ...
Changes in technology have resulted in new ways for bankers to deliver their services to costumers. Electronic banking systems in various forms are the evidence of such advancement. However, information security threats also evolving along this trend. This paper proposes the application of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology to guide decision makers in banking industries to deal with information security policy. The model is structured according aspects of information security policy in conjunction with information security elements. We found that cultural aspect is valued on the top priority among other security aspects, while confidentiality is considered as the most important factor in terms of information security elements.
An enantiocontrolled route to aziridinomitosenes had been developed from l-serine methyl ester hydrochloride. The tetracyclic target ring system was assembled by an internal azomethine ylide cycloaddition reaction based on silver ion-assisted intramolecular oxazole alkylation and cyanide-induced ylide generation via a labile oxazoline intermediate (62 to 66). Other key steps include reductive detritylation of 26, methylation of the N-H aziridine 56, oxidation of the sensitive cyclohexenedione 68 to quinone 70, and carbamoylation using Fmoc-NCO. Although the aziridinomitosene tetracycle is sensitive, a range of protecting group manipulations and redox chemistry can be performed if suitable precautions are taken. A study of DNA alkylation by the first C-6,C-7-unsubstituted aziridinomitosene 11a has been carried out, and evidence for DNA cross-link formation involving nucleophilic addition to the quinone subunit is described. PMID:14677970
The mounting evidence about human-induced environmental change, and about its expected detrimental effects on humans and their societies (IPCC, 2007; Reid et al., 2010; Rockstrom et al., 2009), has turned out to be exceedingly difficult to turn into political action to mitigate the change and adapt to its consequences. Economic self-interest creates friction between nation-states, within regional alliances like the EU, and across the divide between the developing and developed world. A significant factor is a vocal and well-funded group of climate skeptics, who question the credibility of mainstream earth system science, overemphasize the disagreements within the scientific community, argue for more research before any action is warranted, and in general create doubt to justify inaction or...
In situ composites based on poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalate) (PEN) and a thermotropic liquid crystal polymer (Vectra A950) were prepared by melt blending under different processing conditions. Thermal behaviour, mechanical and physical properties and morphology of the blends were investigated. The DSC analysis indicates that, as expected, Vectra enhances the crystallization process of PEN. Moreover, mechanical and thermal tests evidence the significant role of 20wt% Vectra on increasing the material performances; tensile properties, coupled with SEM, show that strength and modulus of PEN are significantly improved when Vectra domains are long and continuous fibrils. The overall results can be attributed to the compatibilisation of the system induced by the mixing conditions that affect the e...
The optimal management of men with very favorable clinicopathological factors who develop biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy (RP) has not been previously reported. Both local and systemic recurrences are unlikely in this cohort. This study examines their management and outcomes. Between October 2000 to March 2010, 1627 men underwent open RP by a single surgeon. In all, 448 (27.5%) met the following criteria for extremely low risk disease: preoperative PSA level <10?ng?ml?1, clinical stage T1c/T2a, Gleason score ?6, estimated cancer volume in the surgical specimen ?5% and no evidence for positive surgical margin. Undetectable PSA was defined as ?0.04?ng?ml?1. BCR was defined as PSA ?0.2?ng?ml...
Objectives(i) Investigate the correlation between Antarctic sea-ice and equatorial sea-surface temperature anomalies in a realistically forced ocean model simulation of the last 50 years. (ii) Determine whether and how the enormous seasonal change in distribution of sea-ice modifies the seasonal cycle at the Equator. (iii) Determine the detailed pathways of wave propagation both in a historically-forced simulation and in response to realistic perturbations. (iv) Quantify the amplitude of the response i [continued...]DescriptionIt is well known that the equatorial ocean-atmosphere system plays a key role in global climate events such as the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon. There is now compelling evidence that changes in the Antarctic can strongly and quickly affect the equatorial ocean and the ENSO cycle. Observations demonstrate statistically significant correlations (teleconnections) between the Antarctic and the Equator with ...
Abstract Estimating paternity patterns provides insights into the importance of competing evolutionary forces on mating systems. The number of sires contributing to a female's offspring is mostly influenced by her relative promiscuity. However, in a postcopulatory context, it will also be affected by sperm competition and cryptic female choice. Here, we describe the paternity patterns of two species of praying mantis from the genus Ciulfina, the agile praying mantid. This study is the first to describe patterns of paternity in the Mantodea. We found a variation in paternity in these two closely related species. Ciulfina rentzi exhibited single paternity, with a single male siring all offspring within a clutch. By contrast, Ciulfina klassi displayed multiple paternity, with the minimum numb...
Protein motions on all timescales faster than molecular tumbling are encoded in the spectral density. The dissection of complex protein dynamics is typically performed using relaxation rates determined at high and ultra-high field. Here we expand this range of the spectral density to low fields through field cycling using the nucleocapsid protein of the SARS coronavirus as a model system. The field-cycling approach enables site-specific measurements of R{sub 1} at low fields with the sensitivity and resolution of a high-field magnet. These data, together with high-field relaxation and heteronuclear NOE, provide evidence for correlated rigid-body motions of the entire {beta}-hairpin, and corresponding motions of adjacent loops with a time constant of 0.8 ns (mesodynamics). MD simulations substantiate these findings and provide direct verification of the time scale and collective nature of these motions.
This paper focuses upon the workings of the electricity pool of England and Wales. Created as a generators` pool, with the twin objectives of preserving order-of-merit dispatch and setting marginal-cost pricing signals, it is now evident that the system may not provide an efficient market-clearing mechanism from the consumers` perspective. Thus, over the five years since its inception, there have been repeated calls to incorporate more explicitly demand-side pricing signals into the process. A number of official reviews and various consultants have looked at the issue and there have been trial periods of active demand-side bidding. This paper reviews that experience to date.
Constraint-based lexical models of language processing assume that readers resolve temporary ambiguities by relying on a variety of cues, including particular knowledge of how verbs combine with nouns. Previous experiments have demonstrated verb bias effects only in structurally complex sentences, and have been criticized on the grounds that such effects could be due to a rapid reanalysis stage in a two-stage modular processing system. In a self-paced reading experiment and an eyetracking experiment, we demonstrate verb bias effects in sentences with simple structures that should require no reanalysis, and thus provide evidence that the combinatorial properties of individual words influence the earliest stages of sentence comprehension. (Contains 4 figures and 12 tables.)
The objective of the inspection qualification is to ensure that applied non-destructive methods (NDT) have the required performance. The approach of the qualification process is systematic and carefully documented and therefore some new requirements can be seen concerning the composition of the documentation. There are also new document types, that only application of the inspection qualification requires. The most important of these is the technical justification, that includes the documented evidences concerning the performance of the inspection system. This publication includes two reports: 'Compilation of the inspection procedure' and 'Essential/influential parameters in NDT qualification'. The former of these discusses the issues to be considered in an inspection procedure especially from the point of view of the mechanised ultrasonic testing. The later report explains the parameters formulated to ...
Glucagon plays critical roles in regulating glucose homeostasis, mainly by counteracting the effects of insulin. Consequently, the dysregulated glucagon secretion that is evident in type 2 diabetes has significant implications in the pathophysiology of the disease. Glucagon secretion from pancreatic -cells has been suggested to be modulated by blood glucose, signals from the nervous system and endocrine components. In addition to these regulators, intraislet factors acting in a paracrine manner from neighbouring -cells are emerging as central modulator(s) of -cell biology. One of the most important of these paracrine factors, insulin, modulates glucagon secretion. Indeed, the -cell-specific insulin receptor knockout (IRKO) mouse manifests hypersecretion of glucagon in the postprandial stag...
The self-consistent-pseudopotential method is applied to the A-15 compounds Nb_3Ge and Nb_3Al. The Fermi energy is found to lie in a region of very flat bands having a bonding character along the Nb chains. Comparison with the band structures of the (nonexistent) A-15 materials Nb_3Nb and Nb_3/sup asterisk/ (chains only) suggest that the p states on the Ge and Al atoms are instrumental in determining the position of the Fermi level. There is little evidence for rigid-band behavior in the Nb_3Al/sub x/Ge/sub 1-x/ system. Studies of the effects of chain dimerization in Nb_3Ge suggest that states at R and M are more likely candidates to participate in structural transitions than states at GAMMA or X.
Reduction of the metallic impurity concentration in the TCA plasma has enabled us to correlate the observed heating with the calculated position where the rf energy is deposited. In modelling the measured antenna loading due to the presence of Alfven resonance surfaces, and hence inferring the energy deposition profile, both ion cyclotron effects and the toroidal geometry must be considered. In particular, toroidicity couples energy to resonance surfaces that would not be excited in cylindrical geometry. The increase in electron density during a rf pulse changes the positions of these surfaces so that spectrum-related effects may be observed. The appearance of a new surface at the centre of the plasma is seen as a sharp discontinuity on many of the macroscopic parameters, accompanied by evidence of changes in the current density profile. These results, and the predictions of numerical codes, have imposed new constraints on the optimisation of our antenna ...
Changing water demands induced through climate change and a growing biofuel energy sector throughout the western States are expected to increase pressures on the present allocation mechanisms for an increasingly scarce resource, raising uncertainty about the sustainability of irrigated agriculture in the West. In this paper, we first present the policy motivation for examining continued producer adoption of water conserving irrigation production systems as a foundation for providing a sustainable future for western irrigated agriculture. Second, we summarize the historical transitions that help to define the adjustment path to increased sustainability for the sector. While western irrigated agriculture is on a path toward greater sustainability, evidence suggests that the sustainability go...
The Chinese banking sector has undergone noteworthy financial reforms, which significantly metamorphosed the banking system. This article seeks to examine the determinants of the profitability of the Chinese banking sector. The empirical analysis is confined to the four State Owned Commercial Banks (SOCBs) and the 12 Joint Stock Commercial Banks (JSCBs) during the postreform period of 2000-2007. The empirical findings of this study suggest that size, credit risk, and capitalization are positively related to the profitability of China banks, whereas liquidity, overhead costs, and network embeddedness have negative impacts. However, the impact of liquidity is not uniform across bank types. We find that the SOCBs with higher level of liquidity tend to be relatively more profitable, which coul...
Electric utilities have been surprised by recent opposition to the construction of very-high-voltage transmission lines, which met with little resistance in the past. Concerns over health and safety factors are associated with the increase in the number of such lines, although their presence has always been an inconvenience and a hazard for those living and working in the immediate vicinity. The new lines present additional hazards due to the continuous flow of small electric currents and the charges that build up in the area of the towers and lines. The lines are also a threat to persons wearing cardiac pacemakers. There is experimental evidence from the Soviet Union and the U.S. that electric and magnetic fields at the frequencies of such power lines can have serious biological effects on growth rates and the functioning of the central nervous system. Full disclosure that possible risks are involved and the opportunity to avoid these risks is ...
In past Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas lease sales, winners of drainage tracts have tended to realize a higher economic return than winners of wildcat tracts. This paper finds empirical support for the hypothesis that adjacent lessees have an information advantage when bidding for drainage tracts under the cash bonus bidding system. This leads to superior economic returns, and thus explains the difference in returns between wildcat and drainage leases. The paper concludes that this difference and its cause do not pose a policy problem given empirical evidence that the government receives fair market value for the two lease categories combined.
In their Letter [Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 121302 (2004)] (also [Astron. Astrophys. 417, 853 (2004)]), Srianand et al. analysed optical spectra of heavy-element species in 23 absorption systems along background quasar sight-lines, reporting limits on relative variations in the fine-structure constant: da/a=(-0.06+/-0.06) x 10^{-5}. Here we demonstrate basic flaws in their analysis, using the same data and absorption profile fits, which led to spurious values of da/a and significantly underestimated uncertainties. We conclude that these data and fits offer no stringent test of previous evidence for a varying alpha.
The lowest-mass stars, brown dwarfs and extrasolar planets present challenges and opportunities for understanding dynamics and cloud formation processes in low-temperature atmospheres. For brown dwarfs, the formation, variation and rapid depletion of photospheric clouds in L- and T-type dwarfs, and spectroscopic evidence for non-equilibrium chemistry associated with vertical mixing, all point to a fundamental role for dynamics in vertical abundance distributions and cloud/grain formation cycles. For exoplanets, azimuthal heat variations and the detection of stratospheric and exospheric layers indicate multi-layered, asymmetric atmospheres that may also be time-variable (particularly for systems with highly elliptical orbits). Dust and clouds may also play an important role in the thermal energy balance of exoplanets through albedo effects. For all of these cases, 3D atmosphere models are becoming an increasingly essential tool for understanding ...
Sandia National Laboratories has the qualification evaluation responsibility for the design of certain components intended for use in nuclear weapons. Specific techniques in assurance and assessment have been developed to provide the quality evidence that the software has been properly qualified for use. Qualification Evaluation is a process for assessing the suitability of either a process used to develop or manufacture the product, or the product itself The qualification process uses a team approach to evaluating a product or process, chaired by a Quality Assurance professional, with other members representing the design organization, the systems organization, and the production agency. Suitable for use implies that adequate and appropriate definition and documentation has been produced and formally released, adequate verification and validation activities have taken place to ensure proper operation, and the software product meets all ...
Applying an underfeed system, the underfeed circulating spouted bed was designed as a desulfurization reactor. The main objective of the technology is to improve the mixing effect and distribution uniformity of solid particles, and therefore to advance the desulfurization efficiency and calcium utility. In this article, a series of experimental studies were conducted to investigate the fluidization behavior of the solid-gas two-phase flow in the riser. The results show that the technology can distinctly improve the distribution of gas velocity and particle flux on sections compared with the facefeed style. Analysis of pressure fluctuation signals indicates that the operation parameters have significant influence on the flow field in the reaction bed. The existence of injecting flow near the underfeed nozzle has an evident effect on strengthening the particle mixing.
Timing and geometry of Maastrichtian third-order sequences and systems tracts of south-central Wyoming were mostly controlled by rapid basin subsidence resulting from thrust loading of foreland basin crust. The basement of the Red Desert/Washakie basin was affected by thrusting in the Sevier belt to the west and by thrusting along the edge of the Wind River Mountains and Granite Mountains. A transgressive systems tract consists of the youngest Ericson Formation above a regional unconformity, backstepping Almond Formation nearshore and nonmarine facies, and shelfal mudstones of the lower Lewis Shale. Regionally, the onset of transgression is younger from east to west, beginning at 71.5 Ma in eastern Wyoming and at 70.5-71 Ma in south-central Wyoming. The transgression culminated in a condensed shale section evident on gamma-ray logs that occurs throughout the basin. Above the gamma-ray zone, the highstand ...
Anxiety is a common symptom during ethanol withdrawal contributing to its continuous abuse and alcoholism. Ethanol withdrawal in rats produces an interoceptive discriminative stimulus (IDS) similar to that produced by the anxiogenic drug pentylenetetrazol (PTZ). This stimulus peaks at 12 hours after last dose of ethanol and thereafter the IDS is detected for several days (protracted withdrawal) by sensitization to a probe drug. previously, the authors have shown that during the protracted withdrawal, the IDS is enhanced by GABA receptor antagonists suggesting alteration of brain GABA systems. This report provides further evidence that chronic ethanol alters GABAergic systems. Rats were trained to discriminate PTZ (20 mg/kg, ip) from saline. Diazepam, pentobarbital and phenobarbital blocked the PTZ-IDS dose dependently. Ethanol, 4.5% w/v, was then given in a nutritionally complete diet for a week. On termination of the ...
Geothermal systems and fields are analysed giving particular evidence to the value of the geothermal source as an important natural source of energy. The paper analyses hydrothermal systems and describes the international experimental studies on the use of geothermal reservoirs in hot rocks with geopressured and magmatic systems. Experts are optimistic as far as the use of this innovative source of energy is possible in the medium-short term. [Italian] Si analizzano i sistemi e i campi geotermici, sottolineando il valore della fonte geotermica come risorsa naturale ragguardevole d'energia. Vengono descritti i sistemi idrotermali e gli esperimenti condotti a livello internazionale sull'utilizzo di serbatoi geotermici in rocce calde con sistemi geopressurizzati e magmatici. L'ottimismo degli esperti sull'utilizzo di questa innovativa sorgente d'energia in tempi ...
The idea to couple the Treatment Planning System (TPS) to the information on the real boron distribution in the patient is the main added value of the new methodology set-up at DIMNP of University of Pisa, in collaboration with the JRC of Petten (NL). The methodology has been implemented in the new TPS, called BDTPS (Boron Distribution Treatment Planning System), which takes into account the actual boron distribution in the patient brain, while the standard TPS assumes a uniform boron distribution, absolutely far from the reality. Nowadays, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is able to provide this in vivo information. The new TPS, based on the Monte Carlo technique, has been validated comparing the main BNCT parameters (thermal flux, boron dose, etc.) as measured during the irradiation of a special heterogeneous boron phantom (HEBOM), ad hoc designed, as calculated by the BDTPS and by the standard TPS SERA. An evident SERA ...
In our previous paper (Lanzafame et al. 2000, PASJ 52, 515) we showed, through 2D SPH simulations, that the stellar mass ratio, M 2 / M 1, of a close binary system (that determines the position and then the initial specific angular momentum at L 1) plays a fundamental role in the formation and development of spiral structures and shock fronts in the radial flow of accretion discs. In that work only a quasi-sonic value of the injection velocity at L 1 was considered. In the present work we also carried out 2D SPH simulations with the aim to investigate the development of such structures, while keeping constant the mass of the compact primary (M 1 = 1 M odot) and the separation between the two components, and assuming as an initial condition of two different supersonic injection velocities at L 1, characterizing two sets of simulations. For each set we considered four values of the secondary to primary mass ratio, M 2 / M 1. We worked out 2D models because the ...
Biological monitoring has been conducted in industrially impacted streams near US Department of Energy facilities in Tennessee and Kentucky for almost ten years. A comprehensive Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program, which was developed to meet National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit requirements, includes tasks on (1 ) toxicity testing; (2) bioaccumulation in aquatic and terrestrial biota; (3) bioindicators of fish health; and (4) fish, macroinvertebrate, and periphyton community surveys. These studies have been used successfully to characterize spatial trends and demonstrate temporal recovery resulting from remedial actions and pollution abatement activities, identify contaminant sources, and provide data for conducting ecological risk assessments. The program uses multiple lines of evidence to evaluate stream recovery and illustrates the importance of using an integrated approach when determining stream health. An ...
Recent experimental and theoretical studies of two-dimensional (2D) turbulence reveal that spectrally condensed turbulence which is a system of coupled large-scale coherent flow and broadband turbulence, is similar to plasma turbulence near the L-H transition threshold. Large condensate vortices fed via the turbulent inverse energy cascade, can control both the level of the broadband turbulence by shear decorrelation, and the energy injected into turbulence at the forcing scale via sweeping of the forcing-scale vortices. The interaction between these ingredients of spectrally condensed fluid turbulence is in many aspects similar to the interactions in the zonal flow-GAMs-turbulence system in plasma. In this paper we overview recent results on condensed 2D turbulence and present evidence of interaction between its three components: condensate structures, turbulence and forcing-scale vortices. This is compared with the ...
In recent years it has become evident from epidemiological and experimental data that a large number of environmental factors, including diet, play a role in modifying the incidence of cancer. Cell culture systems in which oncogenic transformation serves as an end point are powerful tools for evaluating these questions. Using such systems it has been shown recently that pyrolysis products from charred surfaces of broiled meat and fish can transform hamster embryo cells in vitro as well as produce tumors in the animal. Our studies in vitro have demonstrated the oncogenic potential of ionizing radiation in both hamster and human cells and have established in hamster cells the dose response relationship at doses ranging from 1 to 600 rad for x-rays and 0.1 to 150 rad for neutrons. The present work was aimed at evaluating whether there exists a cocarcinogenic interaction between a pyrolysis product and x-rays in their ability ...
Patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are subject to a spectrum of central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Recent evidence implicates the human T-cell lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III) in the pathogenesis of some of these illnesses, although the cells infected by the virus have yet to be identified. Using in situ hybridization, the authors examined brain tissue from two patients with AIDS encephalopathy for the presence of HTLV-III RNA. In both cases, viral RNA was detected and concentrated in, though not limited to, the white matter. The CNS cells most frequently infected included macrophages, pleomorphic microglia, and multinucleated giant cells. Less frequently, cells morphologically consistent with astrocytes, oligodendroglia, and rarely neurons were also infected. The findings strengthen the association of HTLV-III with the pathogenesis of AIDS encephalopathy. In situ hybridization can be applied to routinely ...
HD 100453 has an IR spectral energy distribution (SED) which can be fit with a power-law plus a blackbody. Previous analysis of the SED suggests that the system is a young Herbig Ae star with a gas-rich, flared disk. We reexamine the evolutionary state of the HD 100453 system by refining its age (based on a candidate low-mass companion) and by examining limits on the disk extent, mass accretion rate, and gas content of the disk environment. We confirm that HD 100453B is a common proper motion companion to HD 100453A, with a spectral type of M4.0V - M4.5V, and derive an age of 10 +/- 2 Myr. We find no evidence of mass accretion onto the star. Chandra ACIS-S imagery shows that the Herbig Ae star has L_X/L_Bol and an X-ray spectrum similar to non-accreting Beta Pic Moving Group early F stars. Moreover, the disk lacks the conspicuous Fe II emission and excess FUV continuum seen in spectra of actively accreting Herbig Ae stars, ...
Establishment of a continuous population has been prevented over a 24 year period in the San Joaquin Valley, USA, through continuous, daily in-season release of sterile pink bollworms based on an extensive trap monitoring programme. A post-harvest crop destruction ordinance and occasional use of pheromones as disruptants were the only other factors used by programme management, except in 1990. In 1990, the programme used a conventional insecticide on 280 acres (113 ha) out of 1.18 million acres (477,546 ha) of cotton. During the four year period 1986-1989, a management system was explored using a high rate pheromone disruption system and sterile insects. Major reductions in conventional insecticide usage, while maintaining extremely low populations, were evident in this semi-isolated valley of southern California. It is hoped that this will provide a model for a future large scale test on up to 20,000 acres (8100 ha) of ...
The survivability of the final optic, which must sit in the line of sight of high-energy neutrons and gamma rays, is a key issue for any laser-driven inertial fusion energy (IFE) concept. Previous work has concentrated on the use of reflective optics. Here, we introduce and analyze the use of a transmissive final optic for the IFE application. Our experimental work has been conducted at a range of doses and dose rates, including those comparable to the conditions at the IFE final optic. The experimental work, in conjunction with detailed analysis, suggests that a thin, fused silica Fresnel lens may be an attractive option when used at a wavelength of 351 nm. Our measurements and molecular dynamics simulations provide convincing evidence that the radiation damage, which leads to optical absorption, not only saturates but that a 'radiation annealing' effect is observed. A system-level description is provided, including Fresnel lens and phase ...
A complete macromolecule modeling package must be able to solve the simplest structure prediction problems. Despite recent successes in high resolution structure modeling and design, the Rosetta software suite fares poorly on deceptively small protein and RNA puzzles, some as small as four residues. To illustrate these problems, this manuscript presents extensive Rosetta results for four well-defined test cases: the 20-residue mini-protein Trp cage, an even smaller disulfide-stabilized conotoxin, the reactive loop of a serine protease inhibitor, and a UUCG RNA tetraloop. In contrast to previous Rosetta studies, several lines of evidence indicate that conformational sampling is not the major bottleneck in modeling these small systems. Instead, approximations and omissions in the Rosetta all-atom energy function currently preclude discriminating experimentally observed conformations from de novo models at atomic resolution. These molecular ...
Role-limiting approaches support knowledge acquisition (KA) by centering knowledge base construction on common types of tasks or domain-independent problem-solving strategies. Within a particular problem-solving strategy, domain-dependent knowledge plays specific roles. A KA tool then helps a user to fill these roles. Although role-limiting approaches are useful for guiding KA, they are limited because they only support users in filling knowledge roles that have been built in by the designers of the KA system. EXPECT takes a different approach to KA by representing problem-solving knowledge explicitly, and deriving from the current knowledge base the knowledge gaps that must be resolved by the user during KA. This paper contrasts role-limiting approaches and EXPECT`s approach, using the propose-and-revise strategy as an example. EXPECT not only supports users in filling knowledge roles, but also provides support in making other modifications to the knowledge base, ...
Understanding feedbacks between terrestrial and atmospheric systems is vital for predicting the consequences of global change, particularly in the rapidly changing Arctic. Fire is a key process in this context, but the consequences of altered fire regimes in tundra ecosystems are rarely considered, largely because tundra fires occur infrequently on the modern landscape. We present paleoecological data that indicate frequent tundra fires in northcentral Alaska between 14,000 and 10,000 years ago. Charcoal and pollen from lake sediments reveal that ancient birchdominated shrub tundra burned as often as modern boreal forests in the region, every 144 years on average (+/- 90 s.d.; n = 44). Although paleoclimate interpretations and data from modern tundra fires suggest that increased burning was aided by low effective moisture, vegetation cover clearly played a critical role in facilitating the paleo-fires by creating an abundance of fine fuels. These records suggest ...
Systemic sclerosis is an autoimmune connective tissue disorder characterized by a widespread microangiopathy, autoimmunity and fibrosis of the skin and of various internal organs. Microangiopathy is characterized by a reduced capillary density and an irregular chaotic architecture that lead to chronic tissue hypoxia. Despite the hypoxic conditions, there is no evidence for a sufficient compensative angiogenesis in SSc. Furthermore, vasculogenesis is also impaired. An imbalance between angiogenic and angiostatic factors might explain the pathogenetic mechanisms of SSc vasculopathy. As far as angiogenic factors are concerned, within the most important are vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors, platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-?), fibroblast growth factor -2 (FGF-2), angiopoietin 1 (Ang-1), stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1/CXCL12), endothelin-1 (ET-1), monocyte chemoattractant ...
Study Design Best evidence synthesis. Objective To undertake a best evidence synthesis of the published evidence on the burden and determinants of neck pain and its associated disorders in the general population. Summary of Background Data The evidence on burden and determinants of neck has not previously been summarized. Methods The Bone and Joint Decade 2000?2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders performed a systematic search and critical review of literature published between 1980 and 2006 to assemble the best evidence on neck pain. Studies meeting criteria for scientific validity were included in a best evidence synthesis. Results We identified 469 studies on burden and determinants of neck pain, and judged 249 to be scientifically admissible; 101 articles related to...
Dawsonite, NaAlCO{sub 3}(OH){sub 2}, is widespread as a cement, replacement, and cavity filling in Permo-Triassic sedimentary rocks of the Bowen-Gunnedah-Sydney basin system eastern Australia. The origin of dawsonite in these rocks was studied by petrographic and stable isotope analysis. Dawsonite {delta}{sup 13}C (PDB) values range from {minus}4.0 to +4.1{per_thousand} and are remarkably consistent throughout the Bowen-Gunnedah-Sydney basin system. These values indicate either a marine carbonate or magmatic source for carbon in the dawsonite. A magmatic carbon source is considered more likely on the basis that (1) evidence of and the cause for widespread marine carbonate dissolution in the sedimentary successions are not apparent, (2) dawsonite is widespread in both marine and nonmarine facies, (3) the region has been the site of major igneous activity, (4) other dawsonite deposits of similar carbon isotopic composition ...
Carbothermal reduction-nitridation (CRN) of SiO_2 is an attractive method for manufacturing Si_3N_4 powders with controlled grain morphology. Moreover, #beta#-sialon powders could also be synthesized from either pure powder mixtures or some inexpensive raw minerals by CRN. The resultant powders have shown some advantages, especially in manufacturing sialon products at low cost. However, there have been only a few works on preparing #alpha#-sialon powders. In this work, Ca-#alpha# sialon powder was synthesized by CRN of a SiO_2-Al_2O_3 and CaCO_3 powder mixture An unusual morphology of hollow balls of 200 to 500nm with many nano size #alpha#-sialon particles of 10 to 30nm was identified from the resultant Ca-#alpha# sialon powders. This has never been previously reported for sialon ceramics. It was consequently confirmed that the morphologies of the products were clearly related to the intermediate products appearing during CRN reaction. Copyright (2000) The Australian Ceramic Society
Carbon nanofiber (CNF) supported cobalt oxide composites as high-capacity anode materials were prepared through a facile, effective method for potential use in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The effects of the calcining temperature on the crystallinity, grain size, specific surface area of Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} and phase transformation from Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} to CoO were studied in detail. Both the specific surface area and CNF content in CNF-cobalt oxide composites strongly affect the electrochemical performance of these series composites. The CNF-Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} composite with 24.3% CNF pyrolyzed at 500 deg. C in Ar shows an excellent cycling performance, retaining a specific capacity of 881 mAh g{sup -1} beyond 100 cycles. Homogeneous deposition and distribution of nanosized Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} particles on the surface of CNF can stabilize the electronic and ionic conductivity as well as the morphology of Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} phase, which may be the main reason for ...
Carbon nanofiber (CNF) supported cobalt oxide composites as high-capacity anode materials were prepared through a facile, effective method for potential use in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The effects of the calcining temperature on the crystallinity, grain size, specific surface area of Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} and phase transformation from Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} to CoO were studied in detail. Both the specific surface area and CNF content in CNF-cobalt oxide composites strongly affect the electrochemical performance of these series composites. The CNF-Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} composite with 24.3% CNF pyrolyzed at 500{sup o}C in Ar shows an excellent cycling performance, retaining a specific capacity of 881 mAh g{sup -1} beyond 100 cycles. Homogeneous deposition and distribution of nanosized Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} particles on the surface of CNF can stabilize the electronic and ionic conductivity as well as the morphology of Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} phase, which may be the main reason ...
Ultraviolet (UV) photoirradiation of Ag(I) compounds in the presence of an aqueous Triton X-100 solution has been exploited for the first time to prepare reproducible yellow silver hydrosol. The evolution of nanosized silver particles has been examined critically under the influence of different anions/ligands. Hence, time dependent evolution of silver hydrosol from different silver compounds in micelle via photochemical reduction is observed. Anions/ligands of precursor salts have been found to show profound influence (due to electron scavenging property, solubility, stability etc.) on the evolution route and efficiency of photochemical reduction of Ag(I) to Ag(O) in micelle and thereby classification of silver compounds becomes possible. Kinetic results reveal that the formation of silver particles proceeds via autocatalytic growth mechanism. The observed variation in rate constant values for the evolution of nanoparticles from different silver compounds have ...
Spherical nanostructured Si/C composite was prepared by spray drying technique, followed by heat treatment, in which nanosized silicon and fine graphite particles were homogeneously embedded in carbon matrix pyrolyzed by phenol formaldehyde resin. Cyclic voltammetry tests showed two pairs of redox peaks corresponding to lithiation and delithiation of Si/C composite. The Si/C composite exhibited a reversible capacity of 635 mAh g"-"1 and good cycle performance used in lithium ion batteries. To improve cycle performance of this Si/C composite further, the carbon-coated Si/C composite was synthesized by the second spray drying and heat treatment processing. The cycle performance of carbon-coated Si/C composite was improved significantly, which was attributed to the formation of stable SEI passivation layers on the outer surface of carbon shell which protected the bared silicon from exposing to electrolyte directly.
TaC and TaC-1wt.% B4C powders were consolidated using spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 1850^oC and varying pressure of 100, 255 and 363MPa. The effect of pressure on the densification and grain size is evaluated. The role of nano-sized B4C as sintering aid and grain growth inhibitor is studied by means of XRD, SEM and high resolution TEM. Fully dense TaC samples were produced at a pressure of 255MPa and higher at 1850^oC. The increasing pressure also resulted in an increase in TaC grain size. Addition of B4C leads to an increase in the density of 100MPa sample from 89% to 97%. B4C nano-powder resists grain growth even at high pressure of 363MPa. The formation of TaB2/Carbon at TaC grain boundaries helps in pinning the grain boundary and inhibiting grain growth. The effect of B4C addition on...
In this study, silver nanoparticles were formed on a natural macroporous matrix, the stem of rice-paper plant, by reducing Ag{sup +} in aqueous solution through in situ processing without using any other stabilizers. The pores of the matrix, with their size of about 100 {mu}m, were thought to act as reaction compartments for the nucleation and growth of silver nanoparticles, and the control of nucleation of silver crystal during the reduction reaction was found to be important to the successful formation of nanosized silver particles onto the matrix. The diameter and amount of resultant silver particles can be controlled by changing the reaction conditions. Under optimized conditions, the content of silver particles in the matrix can reach as high as 1.8 wt% with the particle diameters being kept below 100 nm. The anti-microbial activities in terms of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for the silver nanoparticle composites against Escherichia coli and Candida ...
We evaluated the use of a novel gene porter (Den123-a nontoxic self-assembled dendritic spheroidal nanoparticle made of biodegradable monomers), aiming to enhance and improve the desired immune response in protection from allergy. Footpad DNA immunization in Balb/c mice was done three times using the Bet v 1a gene with or without Den123 with 2-week intervals followed by sensitization with rBetv1 (5mg) in alum twice in a weekly interval. Different doses of pCMV-Betv1 were used (10mg and 100mg). The protective role of different formulations was evaluated by measuring the IgG1, IgG2a and IgE antibody production, cytokine release of isolated splenocytes and b-hexosaminidase release from the RBL cells. Higher and increasing ratios of IgG2a/IgG1 were seen in mice which received plasmids in combi...
Ferroelectric barium strontium titanate (Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3)(BST) thin films have been prepared from barium 2-ethylhexanoate [Ba[CH3(CH2)3CH(C2H5)CO2]2], strontium 2-ethylhexanoate [Sr[CH3(CH2)3CH(C2H5)CO2]2] and titanium(IV) isopropoxide [TiOCH(CH3)2]4 precursors using a modified sol-gel technique. The precursor except [TiOCH(CH3)2]4 were synthesized in the laboratory. Transparent and crack-free films were fabricated on pre-cleaned quartz substrates by spin coating. The structural and optical properties of films annealed at different temperatures have been investigated. The as-fired films were found to be amorphous that crystallized to the tetragonal phase after annealing at 550degreeC for 1h in air. The lattice constants "a" and "c" were found to be 3.974A and 3.990A, respectively. The grain...
The present article describes a novel synthesis route for nano-sized goethite ({alpha}-FeOOH) using hydrazine sulphate as an additive. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) peaks of synthesized powder matched well with those of {alpha}-FeOOH. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed the particles of irregular shape in the range of 1-10 nm. Batch adsorption experiments for fluoride uptake were performed to study the influence of various experimental parameters such as contact time (10 min to 7 h), initial fluoride concentration (10-150 mg L{sup -1}), pH (2-11.6) and the presence of competing anions. The time data fitted well to pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The fluoride removal passed through broad maxima in pH ranges of 6-8. High adsorption capacity of 59 mg g{sup -1} goethite was obtained. The isothermic data fitted well to Freundlich model. The presence of other ions namely chloride and sulphate adversely affected fluoride removal. Fluoride from contaminated ...
This work has been undertaken with a view to study the effect of lanthanum content on properties of PLZT ceramics. The polycrystalline complex compounds of PLZT with Pb{sub 1-x}La{sub x}(Zr{sub 0.40}Ti{sub 0.60}){sub 1-x/4}O{sub 3}, +10% PbO formula were prepared from the nano-size individual oxides powders by hot-pressed process. Transparent PLZT (x/40/60) bulk ceramics with pure tetragonal phase was obtained. The studies of the microstructures, dielectric and ferroelectric properties of the ceramics were carried out. The experiment results showed that when La content increased from 7 to 13 mol.%, the grain size increased from 2 to 7 {mu}m. La content also effects the dielectric property obviously, the dielectric constant increased with La content increasing. Moreover, the ferroelectric properties are sensitive to the variation of La content.
This work has been undertaken with a view to study the effect of lanthanum content on properties of PLZT ceramics. The polycrystalline complex compounds of PLZT with Pb_1_-_xLa_x(Zr_0_._4_0Ti_0_._6_0)_1_-_x_/_4O_3, +10% PbO formula were prepared from the nano-size individual oxides powders by hot-pressed process. Transparent PLZT (x/40/60) bulk ceramics with pure tetragonal phase was obtained. The studies of the microstructures, dielectric and ferroelectric properties of the ceramics were carried out. The experiment results showed that when La content increased from 7 to 13 mol.%, the grain size increased from 2 to 7 #mu#m. La content also effects the dielectric property obviously, the dielectric constant increased with La content increasing. Moreover, the ferroelectric properties are sensitive to the variation of La content.
Micron-size Ni-base alloy (NBA) powders were mixed with both 1.5 wt.% (hereinafter %) micron-size CeO{sub 2} (m-CeO{sub 2}) and also 1.5% and 3.0% nano-size CeO{sub 2} (n- CeO{sub 2}) powders. These mixtures were coated on low-carbon steel (Q235) by 2.0 kW CO{sub 2} laser cladding. The effects on the microstructures, phases and electrochemical corrosion of the coatings upon the addition of m- and n- CeO{sub 2} powders to NBA (m- and n- CeO{sub 2} /NBA) have been investigated. The results showed that a smooth coating was prepared under suitable processing parameters (P= 2.0 kW, V= 180 mm min{sup -1}) by adding 1.5% n- CeO{sub 2}. In addition to the primary phases of {gamma}-Ni, Cr{sub 23} C{sub 6} and Ni{sub 3} B in the Ni-base alloy coating, CeNi{sub 3} was formed in Ni-base alloy coatings with both n- CeO{sub 2} and m-CeO{sub 2} particles, and CeNi{sub 5} appeared in the coating upon decreasing the size of CeO{sub 2} particles. Well-developed dendrites were ...
The anatomical basis for the concept of meridians in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has not been resolved. This paper reviews the evidence supporting a relationship between acupuncture points/meridians...Full Text Available
Studies of health effects of urea formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI) were critically reviewed by means of accepted rules for evidence of causation. Three categories of health effects were examined:...Full Text Available
Several drugs are available for the management of postmenopausal osteoporosis. This may, in daily practice, confuse the clinician. This manuscript offers an evidence-based update of previous treatment...Full Text Available
Forty-one Spanish families with polycystic kidney disease 1 (PKD1) were studied for evidence of linkage disequilibrium between the disease locus and six closely linked markers. Four of these loci--three...Full Text Available
Increasing evidence of links between climate change, anthropogenic stress and coral disease underscores the importance of understanding the mechanisms by which reef-building corals resist infection...Full Text Available
There is increasing recognition of intraspecific diversity and population structure within marine fish species, yet there is little direct evidence of the isolating mechanisms that maintain it or documentation...Full Text Available
The fossil record is a unique source of evidence for important evolutionary phenomena such as transitions between major clades. Frustratingly, relevant fossils are still comparatively rare, most transitions...Full Text Available
BackgroundEvidence on human semen quality as it relates to exposure to various metals, both essential (e.g., zinc, copper) and nonessential (e.g., cadmium, lead), is inconsistent....Full Text Available
Chronic arsenic exposure has been suggested to contribute to diabetes development. We performed a systematic review of the experimental and epidemiologic evidence on the association of arsenic and type...Full Text Available
Background: The objective of this study was to assess the factors associated with the traffic mortality in the region of Central Macedonia in order to produce evidence in building up preventive...Full Text Available
ObjectiveThere has been much debate about the value of condoms in HIV/STI programming. This should be informed by evidence about intervention impact on condom use, but there is limited...Full Text Available
The Materials & Fuel Complex (MFC) facilities 799 Sodium Processing Facility (a single building consisting of two areas: the Sodium Process Area (SPA) and the Carbonate Process Area (CPA), 799A Caustic Storage Area, and 770C Nuclear Calibration Laboratory have been declared excess to future Department of Energy mission requirements. Transfer of these facilities from Nuclear Energy to Environmental Management, and an associated schedule for doing so, have been agreed upon by the two offices. The prerequisites for this transfer to occur are the removal of nonexcess materials and chemical inventory, deinventory of the calibration source in MFC-770C, and the rerouting and/or isolation of utility and service systems. This report provides a description of the current physical condition and any hazards (material, chemical, nuclear or occupational) that may be associated with past operations of these facilities. This information will document conditions at time of ...
Arsenic in soils from the Asarco lead smelter in East Helena, Montana was characterized by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Arsenic oxidation state and geochemical speciation were analyzed as a function of depth (two sampling sites) and surface distribution. These results were compared with intensive desorption/dissolution experiments performed in a pH stat reactor for samples from the site with the highest degree of As heterogeneity. The objectives of the study were to investigate the solid-phase geochemical As speciation, assess the speciation of As in solutions equilibrated with the solids under controlled pH (pH=4 or 6) and Eh (using hydrogen or air) environments, observe the effects of phosphate on the release of As into solution, and examine the effects of phosphate on metal mobility in the systems. Arsenic was predominantly found in the As(V) valence state, though there was evidence that As(III) and As(0) were present also. The ...
An independent investigation of pipe welding leaks from the Low-Level Waste 2 (LLW2) Skid-B System for the possibilities of improper welding (IW), microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC), sensitization, chloride pitting corrosion (CPC), and intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) was conducted. The results show the prevailing mechanisms that caused the leaks are identified as IW, CPC, and the improper selection of weld filler material for the base metals in an environment of the North Plateau underground water. These is no evidence of MIC, sensitization, or IGSCC. The chloride pitting corrosion mechanism that took place at all the welds are also described. All the pipelines were replaced with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) for cost saving and the LLW2 Skid B System has been successfully operating since 1999. This report summarizes the findings and recommendations associated with preventive measures for future ...
The transformation and the accommodation of National Power System (SEN) units to a new management system, own to a decentralized economy and having financial support from both native capital and foreign capital, in uncertain proportion at the moment and being in a continuous adjustment determined by the reasons and the motivations first of all political, generated conceptual changes in the so-called modern management theory. The accommodation of this theory to the concrete situation from SEN units imposed the concept of negative selection. It is a concept which represents author's desire to be created as an original contribution to the contemporary management theory. Unlike the selection at the hiring (or positive selection), the negative selection is achieved on personal already employed, in the conditions of activities of a decreased number of personnel and also of a redistribution of personnel on the other side. The negative selection, much ...
BackgroundNatural disasters result in significant numbers of disabling impairments. Paradoxically, however, the traditional health system response to natural disasters largely neglects health-related rehabilitation as a strategic intervention.ObjectivesTo examine the role of health-related rehabilitation in natural disaster relief along three lines of inquiry: (1) epidemiology of injury and disability, (2) impact on health and rehabilitation systems, and (3) the assessment and measurement of disability.DesignQualitative literature review and secondary data analysis.ResultsAbsolute numbers of injuries as well as injury to death ratios in natural disasters have increased significantly over the last 40 years. Major impairments requiring health-related rehabilitation include amputations, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries (SCI), and long bone fractures. Studies show that persons with pre-existing disabilities are more likely to die in a ...
The role of nurse practitioner has been established because of a shortage of doctors. In May 2007, the first cohort of 582 nurse practitioners were licensed in Taiwan. The post of nurse practitioner in Taiwan is formally moving towards systematization and the most urgent matters in that regard are the sorting out of contentious issues and the establishment of clear job descriptions. Competence in critical thinking and problem-based learning is important and has to be improved with practice. The application of teaching assessment tools such as direct observation procedural skills (DOPS), objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), miniclinical evaluation exercises (Mini-CEX), and 360 degree assessments may contribute to the improvement of nurse practitioners' skills in conducting research, appraising evidence-based nursing literature, and developing teaching strategies and advanced systems by making policy clear, evaluating, auditing and ...
As a part of DOE's Meteorological Effects of Thermal Energy Releases (METER) program a field study was undertaken at the Bowen Electric Generating Plant (Plant Bowen) in December 1979. The study was a joint endeavor of Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories (PNL), Pennsylvania State University (PSU), and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) with the main objective of determining the effects of the plant's smokestack effluents on aerosol characteristics and precipitation chemistry. Other objectives included studies of cooling tower temperature and humidity (T/h) plumes and drift drop concentrations. Conducted over a period of three weeks, the study involved an instrumented aircraft, pilot balloons, a tethered balloon system, a dense network of wetfall chemistry collectors and numerous ground- and tower-based meteorological instruments. Rainfall samples collected during the precipitation event of December 13, 1979, revealed some ...
We report the discovery of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) pair in the interacting galaxy system IRAS 20210+1121 at z = 0.056. An XMM-Newton observation reveals the presence of an obscured (N _H #approx# 5 x 10"2"3 cm"-"2), Seyfert-like (L _2_-_1_0_k_e_V = 4.7 x 10"4"2 erg s"-"1) nucleus in the northern galaxy, which lacks unambiguous optical AGN signatures. Our spectral analysis also provides strong evidence that the IR-luminous southern galaxy hosts a Type 2 quasar embedded in a bright starburst emission. In particular, the X-ray primary continuum from the nucleus appears totally depressed in the XMM-Newton band as expected in the case of a Compton-thick absorber, and only the emission produced by Compton scattering ('reflection') of the continuum from circumnuclear matter is seen. As such, IRAS 20210+1121 seems to provide an excellent opportunity to witness a key, early phase in the quasar evolution predicted by the theoretical models of ...
W. E. B. Du Bois, one of the brightest lights in African American history, wrote a sparkling critique of the American social and economic system originally planned as part of the Bronze Booklets series, edited and published by Alain Locke and the Associates in Negro Folk Education. The piece was never published and has, until now, been lost to the annals of adult education history. Using historical evidence, the authors examine Du Bois's Basic American Negro Creed and the circumstances that led to its exclusion from the series. It is argued that the Creed was far too radical for the liberal minded Carnegie Corporation and its leaders who were only interested in accommodating adult education for Blacks through the AAAE funded Bronze Booklets. The exclusion of the Creed represents an example of repressive tolerance by the AAAE.
There is increasing evidence that chemicals/test substances cannot only have adverse effects, but that there are many substances that can (also) have a beneficial effect on health. As this journal regularly publishes papers in this area and has every intention in continuing to do so in the near future, it has become essential that studies reported in this journal reflect an adequate level of scientific scrutiny. Therefore a set of essential characteristics of studies has been defined. These basic requirements are default properties rather than non-negotiables: deviations are possible and useful, provided they can be justified on scientific grounds. The 10 basic requirements for a scientific paper reporting antioxidant, antimutagenic or anticarcinogenic potential of test substances in in vitro experiments and animal studies in vivo concern the following areas: (1) Hypothesis-driven study design; (2) The nature of the test substance; (3) Valid and invalid test ...
The mean-field pictures based on the standard time-dependent variational approach have widely been used in the study of nonlinear many-boson systems such as the Bose-Hubbard model. The mean-field schemes relevant to Gutzwiller-like trial states $|F>$, number-preserving states $|\\xi >$ and Glauber-like trial states $|Z>$ are compared to evidence the specific properties of such schemes. After deriving the Hamiltonian picture relevant to $|Z>$ from that based on $|F>$, the latter is shown to exhibit a Poisson algebra equipped with a Weyl-Heisenberg subalgebra which preludes to the $|Z>$-based picture. Then states $|Z>$ are shown to be a superposition of $\\cal N$-boson states $|\\xi>$ and the similarities/differences of the $|Z>$-based and $|\\xi>$-based pictures are discussed. Finally, after proving that the simple, symmetric state $|\\xi>$ indeed corresponds to a SU(M) coherent state, a dual version of states ...
In a scenario of aqueous transport from a high-level radioactive waste repository, the concentration of radionuclides in water in contact with the waste constitutes the source term for transport models, and as such represents a fundamental component of all performance assessment models. Many laboratory experiments have been done to characterize release rates and understand processes influencing radionuclide release rates from irradiated nuclear fuel. Natural analogues of these waste forms have been studied to obtain information regarding the long-term stability of potential waste forms in complex natural systems. This information from diverse sources must be brought together to develop and defend methods used to define source terms for performance assessment models. In this manuscript examples of measures of radionuclide release rates from spent nuclear fuel or analogues of nuclear fuel are presented. Each example represents a very different approach to obtaining a ...
One aspect of the research program SFB 570 'Distortion engineering' is the in situ X-Ray diffraction analysis of phases and residual stresses during complete heat treatment cycles. These investigations result in experimental evidence available for the extensive computations. The optimisation of the instrumentation will be reported. A surface decarburisation of samples made from the ball bearing steel 100Cr6 could be avoided for a temperature range from 800 to 900 C and a holding time of one hour by a combination of evacuate the furnace and using a certain nitrogen flow as protective gas. At lower temperatures small amounts of ferrite caused by an increased diffusion rate of carbon lead again to a surface decarburisation up to a depth of 2 {mu}m. It was proved that with an evacuation of the X-Ray beam path at constant power of the X-Ray source the intensity of diffraction lines could be increased by more than a factor of 4. The use of nitrogen as ...
There has been a growing interest in new laser systems for use at mid-infra-red wavelengths, driven by requirements for a number of diverse applications. Developments in mid-IR coating technology are following three major thrusts. In the first, the potential of ion-assisted process is being exploited and the technology is already becoming well established in the optical coating industry. In the second, the benefits of using gas-phase precursors are being explored, driven by the potential of avoiding the generation of second phase inclusion in the coatings with associated reduction in laser damage threshold. Research is also addressing the use of nanocomposite materials with an engineered microstructure to produce coatings with dielectric properties of choice. This paper presents a review of progress in some of these areas with special emphasis on the comparison of the properties of materials at DF laser wavelengths. Evidence is presented which ...
The relationship between plasma testosterone levels and locomotor activity in wild-caught sexually mature male meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) was assessed in the laboratory. Several aspects of locomotor activity were monitored for 1 h on two consecutive days using the automated Digiscan activity monitoring system. Plasma testosterone levels were determined immediately following the second day of activity monitoring. Significant Pearson correlations were obtained between plasma testosterone levels and total distance traveled [r(10) = 0.55, p < 0.05] and amount of time spent in movement [r(10) - 0.55, p < 0.05] on the second day. The wild voles showed a reduction in activity levels from the first to the second day of activity monitoring, which is indicative of habituation to a novel environment. This study provides direct evidence for a significant correlation between laboratory measures of behavioral activity and plasma ...
Reducing conditions are periodically present in hydric soils and are essential for chemical processes that support wetland functions and values. Indicators of these conditions, i.e., redoximorphic features, can be useful in determining the presence of a hydric soil. However, young wetlands, i.e., those recently formed, may not possess reducing conditions and/or may not exhibit redoximorphic features. Few studies have addressed the time needed for hydric soil development. In this study, we present data on redoximorphic features, including chroma and oxidized rhizospheres, gathered from two sets of wetlands in southwestern Virginia, including (1) constructed wetlands that are 3 years old and (2) accidental wetlands that are 10 to 30 years old. Under conditions described for these sites, there is strong evidence that discernable redoximorphic features form in accidental wetlands within 10 years, but not within 3 years in constructed wetlands. Since accidental wetlands ...
This guide explained the requirements for Off-Road Compression Ignition Engine Emission Regulations established under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. The regulations are enforced by Environment Canada, which authorizes and monitors the use of the national emissions mark. The regulations prescribe standards for off-road engines that operate as reciprocating, internal combustion engines, other than those that operate under characteristics similar to the Otto combustion cycle and that use a spark plug or other sparking device. The regulations apply to engines that are typically diesel-fuelled and found in construction, mining, farming and forestry machines such as tractors, excavators and log skidders. Four different types of persons are potentially affected by the regulations: Canadian engine manufacturers; distributors of Canadian engines or machines containing Canadian engines; importers of engines or machines for the purpose of sale; and persons not in companies importing ...
This guide explained the requirements for Off-Road Compression Ignition Engine Emission Regulations established under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. The regulations are enforced by Environment Canada, which authorizes and monitors the use of the national emissions mark. The regulations prescribe standards for off-road engines that operate as reciprocating, internal combustion engines, other than those that operate under characteristics similar to the Otto combustion cycle and that use a spark plug or other sparking device. The regulations apply to engines that are typically diesel-fuelled and found in construction, mining, farming and forestry machines such as tractors, excavators and log skidders. Four different types of persons are potentially affected by the regulations: Canadian engine manufacturers; distributors of Canadian engines or machines containing Canadian engines; importers of engines or machines for the purpose of sale; and persons not in companies importing ...
This document is a synthesis of data and analysis concerning natural circulation cooling in US Pressurized Water Reactors during off-normal operation and accident transients. Its objective is the integration of important research findings concerning PWR natural circulation phenomena into a single reference document. Sources of information include the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, reactor vendors, utility sponsored research groups, utilities, national laboratories, research reports, meeting papers, archival literature, and foreign sources. Three modes of natural circulation are discussed: single-phase, two-phase, and reflux/boiling condensation. General characteristics, analytical expressions, noncondensible gas effects, secondary effects, and nonuniform flow are described with regard to each of the natural circulation modes. Plant operational data, tests in scaled experimental facilities, and analysis with thermal hydraulic system codes have demonstrated the ...
NGC 1407 is the central elliptical in a nearby evolved galaxy group apparently destined to become a cluster core. We use the kinematics of globular clusters to probe the dynamics and mass profile of the group's center, out to 60 kpc (~10 R_eff) -- the most extended data set to date around an early-type galaxy. This sample consists of 172 GC velocities, most of them newly obtained using Keck/DEIMOS, with a few additional objects identified as DGTOs or as IGCs. We find weak rotation in the GC system's outer parts, with the metal-poor and metal-rich GCs misaligned. The RMS velocity profile declines rapidly to a radius of ~20 kpc, and then becomes flat or rising to ~60 kpc. There is evidence that the GC orbits have a tangential bias that is strongest for the metal-poor GCs -- possibly contradicting theoretical expectations. We construct cosmologically-motivated galaxy+dark halo dynamical models and infer a mass within 60 kpc of ~3x10^12 M_Sun, ...
We search for an infrared signature of the transiting extrasolar planet HD 209458b during secondary eclipse. Our method, which we call `occultation spectroscopy,' searches for the disappearance and reappearance of weak spectral features due to the exoplanet as it passes behind the star and later reappears. We argue that at the longest infrared wavelengths, this technique becomes preferable to conventional `transit spectroscopy'. We observed the system in the wing of the strong nu-3 band of methane near 3.6 microns during two secondary eclipses, using the VLT/ISAAC spectrometer at a spectral resolution of 3300. Our analysis, which utilizes a model template spectrum, achieves sufficient precision to expect detection of the spectral structure predicted by an irradiated, low-opacity (cloudless), low-albedo, thermochemical equilibrium model for the exoplanet atmosphere. However, our observations show no evidence for the presence of this spectrum ...
A micro-mechanistic understanding of bone fracture that encompasses how cracks interact with the underlying microstructure and defines their local failure mode is lacking, despite extensive research on the response of bone to a variety of factors like aging, loading, and/or disease. Micro-mechanical models for fracture incorporating such local failure criteria have been widely developed for metallic and ceramic materials systems; however, few such deliberations have been undertaken for the fracture of bone. In fact, although the fracture event in mineralized tissues such as bone is commonly believed to be locally strain controlled, until recently there has been little experimental evidence to support this widely held belief. In the present study, a series of in vitro experiments involving a double-notch bend test geometry are performed in order to shed further light on the nature of the local cracking events that precede catastrophic fracture ...
National efforts to improve the quality and safety of health care present challenges for medical education and training. Today's doctors need to be skilled communicators who know how to identify, prevent and manage adverse events and near misses, how to use evidence and information, how to work safely in a team, how to practise ethically, and how to be workplace teachers and learners. These competencies (knowledge, skills and attitudes) are set out in the National Patient Safety Education Framework (NPSF) of the Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care. The NPSF is designed to help medical schools, vocational colleges, health organisations and private practitioners develop curricula to enable health professionals to work safely. The NPSF describes what doctors (depending on their level of knowledge and experience) can do to demonstrate competencies in a range of quality and safety activities. Medical schools, vocational colleges, health ...
Photometric and kinematic observations of the peculiar S0 galaxy IC 4767, the X-galaxy, are presented. At various intensities the bulge of this galaxy looks like a normal spheroidal system with elliptical isophotes, a well-defined rectangle, and a peanut-shaped or X-shaped structure with components aligned at oblique angles to the major axis. The observations reveal a rapidly rotating inner disk of gas and dust which is nearly aligned with the major axis. The presence of gaseous emission alone suggests an accretion event. The stars in the outer regions of the X-component are rotating nearly as rapidly as the gas in the main disk, indicating that they are in relatively circular orbits. The five most prominent peanut-shaped bulges all have several nearby companions, evidence that the peanut deformity is due to interaction between galaxies. An analogy with the formation mechanism proposed for polar-ring galaxies suggests how an X-shaped component ...
Aims. We attempt to detect starlight reflected from a hot Jupiter, orbiting the main-sequence star HD 75289Ab. We report a revised analysis of observations of this planetary system presented previously by another research group. Methods. We analyse high-precision, high-resolution spectra, collected over four nights using UVES at the VLT/UT2, by way of data synthesis. We try to interpret our data using different atmospheric models for hot Jupiters. Results. We do not find any evidence for reflected light, and, therefore, establish revised upper limits to the planet-to-star flux ratio at the 99.9% significance level. At high orbital inclinations, where the best sensitivity is attained, we can limit the relative reflected radiation to be less than e = 6.7 x 10-5 assuming a grey albedo, and e = 8.3 x 10-5 assuming an Class IV function, respectively. This implies a geometric albedo smaller than p = 0.46 and p = 0.57, for the grey albedo and the ...
In this paper, an investigation was performed on a failure pressure vessel, which was as an anti-freezing heater for General Gas Storage and Distribution (SGZ) system. Evident and serious deformation was observed on the body of the vessel. A metallurgical investigation was conducted to establish the mechanism and cause of deformation of the anti-freezing heater at Daya Bay PWR station in China. The investigation, which was performed on specimens cut from the most serious area deformed of the vessel, included macroscopic examination and microscopy examination. The results of the examinations showed that some lamellar pearlite in the microstructure were already spheroidized. It was confirmed that the vessel was operated at high temperature. Stress analysis for the vessel was conducted. And it was confirmed that, in ideal conditions, the vessel would be deformed at around 420 C. The overall results of the investigation showed that the failure of ...
The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of MRM in providing preoperative locoregional information on patients with breast cancer. MRI was performed on 62 female breast cancer patients. A 1.5 T MR-system was used to acquire fat-suppressed T{sub 1}WI, T{sub 2}WI and dynamic-contrast-enhanced images with an SPGR pulse sequence. The extent of the cancer measured with MRM was confirmed histologically in all patients. The size obtained from MRM correlated well with the size obtained histologically, including intraductal spread of cancer (R: 0.853). As for shape, the round/oval type evident from MRM correlated more accurately (R: 0.934) than the ill-defined type associated with a linear and/or clumped enhanced area (R:0.744). The difference between the size obtained from MRM and the size obtained histologically, including IDS, was less than 15 mm in the majority of patients (93.5%). MRM accurately reveals the extent of cancer, including ...
The distribution of lead in lactating mice and suckling offspring was studied with whole body autoradiography at 4 and 24 h after a single intravenous injection of {sup 203}Pb (50 mmol Pb/kg) to the dams. In the lactating mice on day 14 of lactation, the highest uptake of radioactivity at 4 h after administration was recorded in renal cortex, skeleton and liver. A high uptake was also evident in the mannary gland. At 24 h after administration, the radioactivity had decreased in most organs except in the skeleton. In the suckling pups, exposed to lead only via dams` milk for 24 h, the highest level of radioactivity was present in the intestinal mucosa and a much lower level of radioactivity was present in the skeleton. The mammary glands from mice given three daily intravenous injections of 240 {mu}mol Pb/kg were examined with X-ray microanalysis. At 4 h after the last injection, lead was found associated with casein micelles both inside the alveolar cell and in the ...
The distribution of lead in lactating mice and suckling offspring was studied with whole body autoradiography at 4 and 24 h after a single intravenous injection of "2"0"3Pb (50 mmol Pb/kg) to the dams. In the lactating mice on day 14 of lactation, the highest uptake of radioactivity at 4 h after administration was recorded in renal cortex, skeleton and liver. A high uptake was also evident in the mannary gland. At 24 h after administration, the radioactivity had decreased in most organs except in the skeleton. In the suckling pups, exposed to lead only via dams' milk for 24 h, the highest level of radioactivity was present in the intestinal mucosa and a much lower level of radioactivity was present in the skeleton. The mammary glands from mice given three daily intravenous injections of 240 #mu#mol Pb/kg were examined with X-ray microanalysis. At 4 h after the last injection, lead was found associated with casein micelles both inside the alveolar cell and in the ...
In its 1990 recommendations, the ICRP considered the radiation risks after exposure during prenatal development. This report is a critical review of new experimental animal data on biological effects and evaluations of human studies after prenatal radiation published since the 1990 recommendations. Thus, the report discusses the effects after radiation exposure during pre-implantation, organogenesis, and fetogenesis. The aetiology of long-term effects on brain development is discussed, as well as evidence from studies in man on the effects of in-utero radiation exposure on neurological and mental processes. Animal studies of carcinogenic risk from in-utero radiation and the epidemiology of childhood cancer are discussed, and the carcinogenic risk to man from in-utero radiation is assessed. Open questions and needs for future research are elaborated. The report reiterates that the mammalian embryo and fetus are highly radiosensitive. The nature and sensitivity of ...
Since the radiometric measuring technique was introduced for industrial measuring and control engineering 15 to 20 years ago, the advantages of this technique have become more and more evident and have led to its world-wide application. In the last 15 to 20 years this method has become the standard one in this field. Its major advantages as compared with conventional methods are: contactless measurement; high reliability and accuracy; no mechanically moving parts; and no maintenance required. Despite higher investment costs the application of this method is paid off within a very short time owing to a higher output and the savings in maintenance costs. Some chemo-technical methods can be realized on a grand scale only when radiometric measuring equipment is used - e.g., urea plants, high-pressure polyethylene production. Especially in moisture measurements of blast-furnace coke are the economical advantages significant. Detailed studies have shown that the ...
This study looks at how education policies in colonial Korea changed over time in order to accommodate the needs of the colonial authorities during the period of Japanese colonial rule in Korea (1910-1945). The colonial experience can be divided into four different periods according to the four Educational Ordinances issued in 1911, 1922, 1938, and 1943 by the colonial government with each period corresponding to a historic event or context. The constitutive relevance of colonial discourse for an understanding of education can be found in the gradual transformation of the education sector in Korea under colonial rule. It is evident that Japanese colonial policy was inherently contradictory in principle and in practice. On the one hand it sought the assimilation of the Koreans, while on the other it maintained its discriminatory and exploitative practices. Such contradiction was obvious within the colonial education system. As the principal ...
Unipolar induction (UI) is a fundamental physical process, which occurs when a conducting body transverses a magnetic field. It has been suggested that UI is operating in RX J0806+15 and RX J1914+24, which are believed to be ultra-compact binaries with orbital periods of 5.4 min and 9.6 min respectively. The UI model predicts that those two sources may be electron cyclotron maser sources at radio wavelengths. Other systems in which UI has been predicted to occur are short period extra-solar terrestrial planets with conducting cores. If UI is present, circularly polarised radio emission is predicted to be emitted. We have searched for this predicted radio emission from short period binaries using the VLA and ATCA. In one epoch we find evidence for a radio source, coincident in position with the optical position of RX J0806+15. Although we cannot completely exclude that this is a chance alignment between the position of RX J0806+15 and an ...
A correlation investigation was carried out on the series of atomic coordinates (MPV) and temperature factor (T {sub f}), respectively for human hemoglobin and HIV-1 protease protein main chains. The MPV series revealed resemblances to the corresponding T {sub f} series. Each minor or major peak in a series had a corresponding peak in the related series. This brings a qualitative evidence for the connection of the two parameters. The series were further subjected to spectral and detrended fluctuation analysis which all revealed long-range correlation properties. This combined analysis revealed that the data were controlled both by the correlation of stationary fluctuation and trends or non-stationary contribution to correlation. The correlation of all MPV series was found to be much less sensitive to ligand binding than the corresponding T {sub f} series. Thus the long-range correlation properties of the protein main chain structure and mobility revealed two ...
A correlation investigation was carried out on the series of atomic coordinates (MPV) and temperature factor (T _f), respectively for human hemoglobin and HIV-1 protease protein main chains. The MPV series revealed resemblances to the corresponding T _f series. Each minor or major peak in a series had a corresponding peak in the related series. This brings a qualitative evidence for the connection of the two parameters. The series were further subjected to spectral and detrended fluctuation analysis which all revealed long-range correlation properties. This combined analysis revealed that the data were controlled both by the correlation of stationary fluctuation and trends or non-stationary contribution to correlation. The correlation of all MPV series was found to be much less sensitive to ligand binding than the corresponding T _f series. Thus the long-range correlation properties of the protein main chain structure and mobility revealed two complementary ...
We have obtained UBVRI images with the Kitt Peak and Cerro Tololo 4-m telescopes and Mosaic cameras of seven dwarfs in (or near) the Local Group, all of which have known evidence of recent star formation: IC10, NGC 6822, WLM, Sextans B, Sextans A, Pegasus,and Phoenix. We construct color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of these systems, as well as neighboring regions that can be used to evaluate the degree of foreground contamination by stars in the Milky Way. Inter-comparison of these CMDs with those of M31, M33, the LMC, and the SMC permits us to determine improved reddening values for a typical OB star found within these galaxies. All of the CMDs reveal a strong or modest number of blue supergiants. All but Pegasus and Phoenix also show the clear presence of red supergiants in the CMD, although IC10 appears to be deficient in these objects given its large WR population. The bright stars of intermediate color in the CMD are badly contaminated by ...
It is well known that contact with metals can be responsible for allergic contact dermatitis; also, there is experimental evidence that nickel ions are readily available on the surface of used coins containing nickel and copper. The aim of this study was to prove that metal powders of nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co) and chromium (Cr) dispersed in synthetic sweat are oxidised into respective ions that can permeate the skin. Suspensions of 5 g of metal powder (Ni, Co and Cr) in 100 mL of synthetic sweat at pH 6.5 were prepared and shaken with a stirring plate at room temperature for 30 min. Human skin membranes were set up in Franz-diffusion cells and 2 mL of the freshly made suspension were applied to the outer surface of the skin for 24h. The appearance of metal ions in the aqueous receptor phase (NaCl 0.9%) was quantified by Electro Thermal Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (ETAAS). Also, metals ions were analysed using Differential Pulse Polarography (DDP), Differential ...
Insect host/parasitoid interactions are co-evolved systems in which host defenses are balanced by parasitoid mechanisms to disable or hide from host immune effectors. Although there is a rich literature on these systems, parasitoid immune-disabling mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Here we report on a newly discovered immune-disabling mechanism in the Pieris rapae/Pteromalus puparum host/parasitoid system. Because venom injections and parasitization suppresses host phagocytosis, we turned attention to the P. rapae scavenger receptor (Pr-SR), posing the hypothesis that P. puparum venom suppresses expression of the host Pr-SR gene. To test our hypothesis, we cloned a full-length cDNA of the Pr-SR. Multiple sequences alignment showed the deduced amino acid sequence of Pr-SR is similar to scavenger receptors of other lepidopterans. Bacterial and bead injections induced Pr-SR mRNA and protein expression, which peaked at ...
Magmatic sulfide deposits are the most significant source of platinum-group elements (PGE) in the world. Key to understanding their genesis is determining the processes and timing of sulfide saturation, metal enrichment and crustal contamination. In this study, we have identified droplets of magmatic sulfide from the Platreef, South Africa, where droplets of sulfide have been trapped in the earliest crystallising phase, chromite. Due to their early entrapment at high temperatures, metal concentrations and ratios that they display are indicative of a very early-stage sulfide liquid in the system, as they will have cooled and fractionated within an essentially closed system, unlike interstitial blebs that crystallise in an open system as the magma cools. Analysis of these droplets in an opaque mineral like chromite by LA-ICP-MS is problematic as some of the fractionated inclusion is necessarily lost during cutting and ...
In the last 30 years high energy physics could write an impressive story of success. Since the introduction of the Standard Model (SM), it has met every experimental test. However the final confirmation has to prove the mechanism of electroweak symmetry breaking, which could not be confirmed yet. The most favored theory, which includes the introduction of a Higgs field, could not be verified experimentally. Furthermore there is clear evidence, that the SM is only a low energy description of nature and its principles, as the SM describes only 4 % of the known matter in the universe. There are two different approaches in accelerator driven high energy physics to clarify the open questions. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have a good opportunity to measure some of the missing pieces with its high center of mass energy. The International Linear Collider (ILC) will then measure their parameters with high precision. To guarantee this high precision the detectors have to ...
The large degree of confusion and many contradictions which are evident in the literature regarding the dioxo-uranium(VI)-hydroxide system has prompted the re-investigation of the hydrolysis of UO_2"2"- in aqueous media. The hydrolysis reactions of the uranyl ion have been investigated by potentiometric (pH)-, spectrophotometric- and conductometric titrations of uranyl chloride solutions with sodium hydroxide solutions. In all these titrations two clearly defined endpoints were obtained, indicating the predominance in solution of only a limited number of species. From a consideration of all the experimentally obtained data the following set of species was proposed to be present in significant concentrations in the pH range 0 to 12: UO_2"2"-, (UO_2)_2(OH)_2"2"-, (UO_2)_2(OH)_3"- and (UO_2)_9(OH)_1_9"-. By using the proposed set of species, a mathematical model of the uranyl-hydroxo system was developed with which the ...
Olive field is oil productive from a thin stratigraphically trapped sandstone within the Upper Cretaceous lower Tuscaloosa Formation. The discovery of Olive in 1981 led to renewed interest in the Mid-Dip Tuscaloosa Trend that continues today. Discovery and development was based on the correlation of the B sandstone to a mappable soft seismic event at a depth of 10,500 ft. The field was developed by 25 wells on 40-acre spacing. Olive has been waterflooded since 1983 and is a target for enhanced recovery using carbon dioxide. A total of 7.5 million stock tank bbl or approximately 75% of the original oil in place is estimated to be recoverable by conventional and enhanced recovery methods. The B sandstone was deposited by a northwest to southeast-flowing high-sinuosity meandering river system. Point bar, channel, and channel abandonment deposits are present. The point bar formed from the lateral migration of the river system from west to east, and ...
Personnel from Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (Energy Systems) manage a closed hazardous waste disposal unit the Chestnut Ridge Security Pits (CRSP), located on the crest of Chestnut Ridge near the Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. To investigate the discharge of groundwater from CRSP to springs and streams located along the flanks and base of Chestnut Ridge, an initial dye-tracer study was conducted during 1990. A hydraulic connection was inferred to exist between the injection well (GW-178) on Chestnut Ridge and several sites to the east-northeast, east, and southeast of CRSP. A second dye-tracer study was conducted in 1992 to verify the results of the initial test and identify additional discharge points that are active during wet-weather conditions. No definitive evidence for the presence of dye was identified at any of the 35 locations monitored during the second dye study. Although interpretations of the initial ...
Seven years ago 164 governments, together with partner organizations from around the world, made a collective commitment to dramatically expand educational opportunities for children, youth, and adults by 2015. Participants at the World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal, endorsed a comprehensive vision of education, anchored in human rights, affirming the importance of learning at all ages and emphasizing the need for special measures to reach the poorest, most vulnerable and most disadvantaged groups in society. This sixth edition of the "Education for All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report" assesses the extent to which these commitments are being met. There is clearly a "Dakar effect," evidence that rallying around common goals can mobilize countries to empower individual lives. Partly because of the abolition of tuition fees, more children are enrolled in school than in 2000, with the sharpest increases in the regions farthest from the goals set in Dakar. Many ...
The adverse effects of aging of other organs (ovaries at menopause) on the skeleton are well known, but ironically little is known of skeletal aging itself. Evidence indicates that age-related...Full Text Available
Vitamin D is now known to be of physiological importance outside of bone health and calcium homeostasis, and there is mounting evidence that it plays a beneficial role in the prevention and/or treatment...Full Text Available
It is shown that vacuum instabilities possibly arising because of tachyons do not contradict any experimental evidence, and therefore that no objection against tachyon existence can be found even on this ground. (Auth.).
Evidence for the presence of undecaprenol in the unsaponifiable lipid of Lactobacillus plantarum (N.C.I.B. 6376) is presented. Characterization of the compound was based mainly on...Full Text Available
... 14(a)), a short laminar separation bubble is evident on the ... Natural Laminar Flow and Laminar Flow Control, RW Barnwell and MY ... AGARD CP No. ...
BackgroundThe routine removal of orthopaedic fixation devices after fracture healing remains an issue of debate. There are no evidence-based guidelines on this matter, and little...Full Text Available
Increasing evidence suggests that sex differences exist in the etiology, presentation, treatment, and outcome from stroke. The reasons for these sex disparities are becoming increasingly explored, but...Full Text Available
A growing body of evidence in cognitive science and neuroscience points towards the existence of a deep interconnection between cognition, perception and action. According to this embodied perspective...Full Text Available
To examine the possibility that mast cells have a central role in the pathogenesis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis, 20 patients with this disease were studied with the aim of seeking evidence for mast...Full Text Available
There is considerable evidence that purines are vasoactive molecules involved in the regulation of blood flow. Adenosine is a well known vasodilator that also acts as a modulator of the response to...Full Text Available
Recent evidence indicates that the evolution of ultrasonic hearing in echolocating bats and cetaceans has involved adaptive amino acid replacements in the cochlear gene prestin. A substantial...Full Text Available
While autophagy has been shown to act as an anti-viral defense, the Picornaviridae avoid and, in many cases, subvert this pathway to promote their own replication. Evidence indicates...Full Text Available
Ethane oxidation was studied in ethane-grown resting cells (mycelia) of an Acremonium sp. and in cell-free preparations of such mycelia. From resting cell experiments evidence was found for a pathway...Full Text Available
The purpose of this article is to critically review the available evidence pertaining to occupational, environmental, and individual factors that can affect the development of occupational asthma (OA)....Full Text Available
While the etiology of Parkinson's disease remains largely elusive, there is accumulating evidence suggesting that mitochondrial dysfunction occurs prior to the onset of symptoms in Parkinson's disease....Full Text Available
Many mutations associated with retinal degeneration lead to the production of misfolded proteins by cells of the retina. Emerging evidence suggests that these abnormal proteins cause cell death...Full Text Available
This paper reviews evidence for deficits in goal regulation in bipolar disorder. A series of authors have described mania as related to higher accomplishment, elevated achievement motivation,...Full Text Available
There is considerable evidence to suggest that the identification and treatment of dyslipidaemia will reduce the risk of premature CHD, i.e. before the age of 65. Diagnosis of the cause of raised plasma...Full Text Available
In recent years increasing evidence is pointing toward white matter abnormalities in schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. The present paper will provide an overview over the role of...Full Text Available
At present time, there is evidence from randomized controlled studies of the success of laparoscopic resection for the treatment of colon cancer with reported smaller incisions, lower morbidity rate...Full Text Available
Cerebral periventricular white matter injury stands as a leading cause of cognitive, behavioral and motor impairment in preterm infants. There is epidemiological and histopathological evidence...Full Text Available
BackgroundWhereas there is increasing evidence that loss of expression and/or function of the thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) could result in a selective advantage for tumor development,...Full Text Available
The invention of the microscope disclosed a whole new world, that of the hitherto invisibly small. Histologic evidence as revealed by the microscope has become a cornerstone of medical diagnosis, and...Full Text Available
An elderly man receiving chlorambucil for chronic lymphatic leukaemia developed focal fits. The onset and frequency were dose related. There was no evidence of metabolic disturbance or of meningeal...Full Text Available
Background and AimsAnnonaceae are one of the largest families of Magnoliales. This study investigates the comparative floral development of 15 species to understand the basis for...Full Text Available
Nowadays it is accepted that natural flavonoids present in fruits and plant-derived-foods are relevant, not only for technological reasons and organoleptic properties, but also because of their potential...Full Text Available
Congruence is a broadly applied notion in evolutionary biology used to justify multigene phylogeny or phylogenomics, as well as in studies of coevolution, lateral gene transfer, and as evidence for...Full Text Available
Objective and sourcesWe reviewed the epidemiologic literature for PFOA.Data synthesisPerfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) does not occur naturally but is...Full Text Available
Immunomodulation by environmental chemical contaminants and the role immune parameters play in toxicity and risk assessment studies is of increasing concern. Although considerable evidence has indicated...Full Text Available
A review of the literature is provided for the topic of health-related research and power frequency electromagnetic fields. Minimal evidence for concern is present on the basis of animal and plant research....Full Text Available
There is conflicting evidence about the effect of parental consanguinity on fetal growth. Previous studies have not always allowed for other factors that are known to affect birth weight, in particular,...Full Text Available
Epizootics of neoplasms in freshwater fish species are considered in relation to circumstantial and experimental evidence that suggest that some epizootics of neoplasia of hepatocellular, cholangiocellular,...Full Text Available
Emerging evidence indicates that impaired cellular energy metabolism is the defining characteristic of nearly all cancers regardless of cellular or tissue origin. In contrast to normal cells, which...Full Text Available
Recall from visual memory is vulnerable to the influence of task-irrelevant information, including the remembered, prototypical value of stimuli seen previously. Wilken...Full Text Available
Mar 6, 2009 ... remnants of massive star evolution) to worlds that are more reassuringly familiar. In the latter category, we now have excellent evidence ...
This study looks for the presence of rational speculative bubbles in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) using unit-root, variance ratio, duration dependence and regime switching regression tests. The regime switching method provides weak evidence of speculative bubble behaviour in both the mortgage and hybrid REITs sectors even though traditional econometric bubble tests do not provide evidence of rational speculative bubbles in all REIT markets. Findings suggest that price movement in mortgage and hybrid REITs may be induced by bubble-like behaviour of investors. This behaviour may be traced to the real estate market bubble. Our results provide evidence that the real estate bubble that started in early 2000 was transmitted into securitized real estate markets. A regime switching model ...
Human languages evolve continuously, and a puzzling problem is how to reconcile the apparent robustness of most of the deep linguistic structures we use with the evidence that they undergo possibly...Full Text Available
Areas with elevated levels of radioactivity were found throughout both residences, as well as on the surrounding property. Contamination was also found in the garage behind the 105 East structure. The 105 East residence had substantially more contamination than the 107 East residence, as was expected. The chimneys, particularly the rear chimney, from the 105 East residence had extensive contamination, indicating that contaminated materials may have been burned at the site. The high background radiation emanating from this residence made it difficult to establish the relatively lower levels of contamination in the 107 East residence. The property surrounding the 105 East residence was found to have substantial contamination scattered throughout, with the highest level occurring in the backyard. The soil surface contamination seemed to drop markedly (but not entirely) at the property lines. The property surrounding 107 East was found to be less contaminated, although the background ...
The wavefunction of a particle extends into the classically forbidden barrier region of the potential energy surface. The consequence of this partial delocalisation is the phenomenon of quantum tunnelling, an effect which enables a particle to penetrate a potential barrier of magnitude greater than the energy of the particle. The tunnelling probability is an exponential function of the particle mass. The effect is therefore an important contribution to the behaviour of light atoms, in particular the proton. The hydrogen bond has long been appreciated to be an essential component of many biological and chemical systems, and the proton transfer reaction in the hydrogen bond is fundamental to many of these processes. The proton behaviour in the hydrogen bonds of benzoic acid, acetylacetone and calix-4-arene has been studied. A variety of techniques, both experimental and computational, were adopted for the study of the three hydrogen bonded ...
A graphic approach, terms a Genetic Activity Profile (GAP), was developed to display a matrix of data on the genetic and related effects of selected chemical agents. The profiles provide a visual overview of the quantitative (doses) and qualitative (test results) data for each chemical. Either the lowest effective dose or highest ineffective dose is recorded for each agent and bioassay. Up to 200 different test systems are represented across the GAP. Bioassay systems are organized according to the phylogeny of the test organisms and the end points of genetic activity. The methodology for producing and evaluating genetic activity profile was developed in collaboration with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Data on individual chemicals were compiles by IARC and by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Data are available on 343 compounds selected from volumes 1-53 of the IARC Monographs and on 115 compounds identified ...
Abstract in english BACKGROUND: Severe pathogenic infection triggers excessive release of cytokines as part of the massive inflammatory response associated with septic shock. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the protective effect of caffeic acid phenethye ester (CAPE) against lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced endotoxemia, hepatic and neuronal damage and the associated systemic inflammatory response (SIR). METHODS: Fifty male Wister rats were divided into: control, LPS, and CAPE+LPS groups. Plasma c (more) oncentrations of various cytokines, including TNF-?, IL-1?, IL-1?, IL-6, IL-4, IL-10, and sICAM-1 were evaluated. In addition, the histopathological changes in the hepatic and neural cells were assessed. RESULTS: The LPS group showed high inflammatory cytokines and sICAM-1 levels reflecting the presence of SIR. Hepatocyte necrosis, apoptosis, extensive hemorrhage and inflammatory cellular infiltration together with brain astrocytes swelling, early neuron injury and ...
This paper reported on a study in which designs for Chinese and Indian fixed-dome anaerobic digesters were modified in an effort to produce smaller and more affordable digesters. While these types of systems are common in tropical regions of developing countries, they have not been used in colder climates because of the low biogas yield during the winter months. Although there is evidence that sufficient biogas production can be maintained in colder temperatures through design and operational changes, there is a lack of knowledge about the seasonal changes in the composition of the microbial communities in ambient temperature digesters. More knowledge is needed to design and operate systems for maximum biogas yield in temperate climates. The purpose of this study was to cultivate a microbial community that maximizes biogas production at psychrophilic temperatures. The study was conducted on a 300 gallon experimental ...
Natural cooling conditions of the nuclear fuel in the channel type reactor after its shut down are commonly determined with relatively high uncertainty. This is not only to he lack of adequate measurements of thermal parameters i.e. the residual power generation, the coolant flow and temperatures, but also due to indeterminate model of convection mechanism. The numerical simulation of natural convection in multitube fuel assembly in the fuel channel leads to various convection modes including evidently chaotic behaviour. To determine the real cooling conditions in the MARIA research reactor a series of experiments has been performed with fuel assembly equipped with a set of thermocouples. After some forced cooling period (the shortest was half an hour after the reactor shut down) the reactor was left with the only natural convection. Two completely different cooling modes have been observed. The MARIA core consists of series of individual fuel channel and so called ...
In 1999, RECONS (Research Consortium on Nearby Stars) began gathering astrometric data using the CTIO 0.9m under the auspices of the NOAO Surveys Program. In 2003, SMARTS began operating the 0.9m and the program continued, with an enhanced ability to acquire long-term astrometric series on the nearest stars. With over a decade of milli-arcsecond astrometry for hundreds of red dwarfs within 25 pc, we now have a rich dataset in which to search for previously unknown stellar, substellar, and planetary companions. We can also use our data to better constrain the orbits of known binaries to reduce their mass errors to less than a few percent, and consequently test astrophysical models as never before. Here we present our orbit fitting analysis of M dwarfs that show clear evidence of gravitational perturbations due to unseen companions, after solving for their proper motion and parallax signals. We show discoveries such as LHS 3738AB, found for the first time to have a ...
Toxic studies were conducted with rats, mice, and guinea pigs to determine acute effects from single exposures to M60A1-tank-generated DF2 and DF1 (diesel fuel) smoke and/or exhaust clouds under static airflow conditions. Emissions were disseminated with the Vehicle Engine Exhaust Smoke System (VEESS) and exposure periods ranged from 15 to 300 minutes. At attempted airborne concentrations of 10.0 to 12.0 mg/i (10,000 cu.m to 12,000 cu.m) of the DF2 and DF1 smoke/exhaust mixtures and 0.2 mg/1 (200 mg/cu.m) of the exhausts, toxic signs (excluding death) and lung compliance changes were observed after 15-minute exposures. Death and pathological abnormalities of the lung were seen after 16-minute exposures to DF2 smoke and/or exhaust. Exposures to DF1 smoke/exhaust showed lung pathology and death by 120 minutes while death and turbinate lesions were observed in animals exposed to DF1 exhaust for 60 minutes. Experimental evidence suggests that a ...
A review of current daylighting design tools indicates that over 30 tools are now available, including nomographs, protractors, overlays, and programs for micro-, mini-, and mainframe computers. Computer-based tools allow testing and analyzing of more design alternatives under a wider variety of conditions than was previously practical with slower techniques, but they have not fundamentally changed the information available to the design professional. These tools are applicable to certain limited functions of the design process and do not address the varying information needs of the designer at various points in the design process. We describe a concept for a computer-based building envelope design tool that is structured to overcome many of the limitations of the existing tools. The tool would address daylighting design in the context of the overall building envelope design, covering a range of environmental quality issues in addition to quantitative aspects of lighting and energy ...
This paper reviews our simulation study by numerical calculation based on two-, three- and multi-grain-size models on WC grain growth in fine grained WC-Co hardmetal doped with VC. The study aimed to presume or predict the following: (1) the cause and conditions for the abnormal grain growth which occurs in some cases in the fine grained hardmetal prepared from fine WC powders with mean grain size below about 0.2{mu}m, and (2) how the mean grain size of the hardmetal varies with decreasing mean grain size of the WC starting powder to 0.1 pm or nano-meter size. The calculation results by these three kinds of models suggested the following, respectively: (1) the occurrence of the abnormal grain growth is generally substantial for WC starting powder with bimodal size-distribution and mean gram size below 0.1 - 0.2{mu}m, and not due to the non-uniform distribution of the grain growth inhibitor, (2) the introduction of middle grains caused the disappearance of small (fine) grains during ...
Lithium-ion batteries are becoming more and more important not only for portable electronic devices, but also in prevision of high power electric vehicles. In such an optic, deep studies regarding all the components of a secondary battery are in development. In this study, high voltage cathode materials have been selected. Crystals with spinel structure have a 3D vacancy pathway suitable for Li-ions transport. The material under study was LiNi{sub 0.5}Mn{sub 1.5}O{sub 4} doped with magnesium replacing the nickel. Various samples were synthesized via three different routes: a solid-state method, a modified sol-gel method and a xerogel method. The structure and morphology of the powders were analyzed with HRTEM and XRD. Electrochemical tests were also performed. A wide range of particle sizes (from micro to nanosize) was the result of the different synthesis routes. Unfortunately pure materials were not always obtained. The electrochemical tests showed improvement of ...
The purpose of this memo is to give an update on our work on ceramic laser materials--feasibility proposal 04-FS-006. Transparent ceramic materials have several major advantages over single crystals in laser applications including, ease and robustness of manufacturing, large apertures, design flexibility, fracture toughness, high activator concentrations, uniformity of composition, no residual stress, and others discussed in the proposal. After a decade of working on making transparent YAG:Nd in 1995 Japanese workers demonstrated samples for the first time that performed as well in lasers as their single crystal counterparts. Since then several laser materials have been made and evaluated. For these reasons, developing ceramic laser materials is the most exciting and futuristic materials topic in today's major solid-state laser conferences. The highlights and executive summary of our work to date are: (1) Ordered a slab of transparent YAG:Nd from Konoshima Chemical Co. for ...
The paper reports on the results of a study of the synthesis conditions effects on magnetic and transport properties of nanosized layers of high-T{sub c} diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS), such as Ge:Mn, Si:Mn and Si:Fe, fabricated by laser-plasma deposition over a wide range of the growth temperature, T{sub g}=(20-550) deg. C on single-crystal GaAs or Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} substrates. Ferromagnetism of the layers was detected by measurement data of the magneto-optical Kerr effect, anomalous Hall effect, negative magnetoresistance and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) at 5-500 K. The optimum growth temperature, T{sub g}, for Si:Mn/GaAs layers with T{sub c}{approx}400 K is shown to be about 400 deg. C. The Si:Mn/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} layers with 35% of Mn have the metal-type of conductivity with manifestation of magnetization up to room temperature. Different types of uniformly doped structures and digital alloys have been investigated. In contrast to GaSb:Mn films, ...
This paper deals with preparation of PE clay nano composite specimen for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and studying the difference between dispersion of clay in low density polyethylene using poly(hydrogen methyl siloxane) (PHMS) as coupling agent and untreated one. Argon ion milling is the conventional means by which film sections are thinned to electron transparency for TEM analysis, but this technique exhibits significant problems. In particular, selective thinning and imaging of sub-micrometer inclusions during sample milling are highly problematic. We have achieved successful results using the focused ion beam (FIB) lift-out technique, which utilizes a 30 kV Ga"+ ion beam to extract electron transparent specimens with nanometer scale precision. Using this procedure, we have prepared a number of thin film materials representing a range of structures and compositions for TEM analysis. We believe that FIB milling will create major new opportunities in the field of thin film ...
While a great deal of evidence has directly implicated the importance of O6-alkylation of guanine in the mutagenicity of alkylating agents, evidence demonstrating the oncogenic potential of this lesion...Full Text Available
Although previous studies have provided evidence for the expression of P2X receptors in renal proximal tubule, only one cell line study has provided functional evidence. The current study investigated...Full Text Available
... (restricted)] 98-118 Oil prices and competitiveness: time series evidence from six oil-producing countries by Mohammad R. Jahan-Parvar & Hassan Mohammadi [Downloadable! (restricted)] 2008, Volume 35, Issue 6 444-485 The S-shaped labor supply schedule: evidence from industrialized countries by Maryke ...
As part of the demonstration testing of the Purge Water Management System (PWMS) technology at the Savannah River Site (SRS), four wells were equipped with PWMS units in 1997 and a series of sampling events were conducted at each during 1997-1998. Three of the wells were located in A/M Area while the fourth was located at the Old Radioactive Waste Burial Ground in the General Separations Area.The PWMS is a ''closed-loop'', non-contact, system used to collect and return purge water to the originating aquifer after a sampling event without having significantly altered the water quality. One of the primary concerns as to its applicability at SRS, and elsewhere, is whether the PWMS might resample groundwater that is returned to the aquifer during the previous sampling event. The purpose of the present investigation was to compare groundwater chemical analysis data collected at the four test wells using the PWMS ...
The term {open_quotes}hazardous{close_quotes} waste is used primarily in reference to potential hazards to human health and, to a lesser decree, hazards to wildlife and the ecosystem. Many of the chemicals associated with hazardous waste sites are also widely distributed throughout the environment; therefore, the health hazards associated with hazardous waste sites are not different from those associated with general environmental contamination. Until recently, it was generally assumed that cancer was the human disease of greatest concern associated with toxic chemicals. In fact, most governmental regulations related to exposure are designed on the basis of presumed cancer risks. Since the evidence that hazardous chemicals can cause cancer is strong, it is appropriate to be concerned about cancer risk. Recent evidence, however, has triggered a reevaluation of the assumption that only cancer is of concern. New evidence ...
One-electron reduction of the square-planar nickel precursor (PNP)NiCl ( 1) (PNP (-) = N[2-P(CHMe 2) 2-4-methylphenyl] 2) with KC 8 effects ligand reorganization of the pincer ligand to assemble a Ni(I) dimer, [Ni(mu 2-PNP)] 2 ( 2), containing a Ni 2N 2 core structure, as inferred by its solid-state X-ray structure. Solution magnetization measurements are consistent with a paramagnetic Ni(I) system likely undergoing a monomer dimer equilibrium. The room-temperature and 4 K solid-state X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra display anisotropic signals. Low-temperature solid-state X-band EPR data at 4 K reveal rhombic values g z = 1.980(4), g x = 2. 380(4), and g y = 2.225(4), as well as a forbidden signal at g = 4.24 for the Delta M S = 2 half field transition, in accord with 2 having two weakly interacting metal centers. Utilizing an S = 1 model, full spin Hamiltonian simulation of the low-temperature EPR spectrum on the solid sample was achieved by ...
New RNAA determinations of Ba, Sr, Zr, U, Re, Pd, Ag, Zn and Se and INAA measurements of Lu are added to published data for 21 other elements in the same suite of ten samples. On the average, 21 refractory elements are not significantly fractionated from one another. The mean of their enrichment factors relative to C1 chondrites is 17.5 +- 0.4, indicating that the high-temperature condensate inclusions represent 5.7 wt% of the total condensable matter. Os, Ir, Ru, Re and most of the W condensed in one or more refractory siderophile element alloys along with small fractions of the Pd, Co, Au and Ag. The bulk of the Eu and Sr condensed in solid solution in melilite. Sc, Zr, Hf, Ta, U and the remaining REE condensed in a phase whose abundance in the inclusions in negatively correlated with that of melilite, either diopside or one or more minor or trace phases, including perovskite. Ba condensed in a different phase, separately from all these elements. In individual inclusions, ...
The Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) must, among other things, be equipped to readily produce, file, store, access, retrieve, and transfer a wide variety of technical and institutional data and information. The data and information regularly produced by members of the OCRWM Program supports, and will continue to support, a wide range of program activities. Some of the more important of these information communication-related activities include: supporting the preparation, submittal, and review of a license application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to authorize the construction of a geologic repository; responding to requests for information from parties affected by and/or interested in the program; and providing evidence of compliance with all relevant Federal, State, local, and Indian Tribe regulations, statutes, and/or treaties. The OCRWM Telecommunications Network Plan (TNP) is intended to identify, as well as to present the ...
The stoichiometry of photorespiration, S, is defined as the fraction of glycolate carbon photorespired. It is postulated that under steady-state conditions there are two determinants of the ratio of photorespiration to net photosynthesis: the partitioning of ribulose bisphosphate between oxidation and carboxylation, and the partitioning of glycolate between reactions leading to complete oxidation to CO/sub 2/ (S . 100%) and those yielding CO/sub 2/ plus serine (S . 25%). S may be calculated using two independent probes of the system. The physical probe, using an infrared gas analyzer, measured photorespiration and net photosynthesis, and hence their ratio PR/NPS . pn(phys). The metabolic probe employed tracer (3R)-D-(3-/sup 3/H1,3-/sup 14/C)glyceric acid to determine r, the fraction of /sup 3/H retained in the triose phosphates leaving the chloroplasts. It is deduced from the postulated model that S . pn(phys) . r/(1 - r). Experiments have been performed with ...
During the test of the LEDA injector on the CRITS RFQ, an automatic data acquisition system has been implemented. The purpose was to measure the sparking rate of this CW RFQ. The RF level has some influences on vacuum, but there is no evidence of any reciprocal effect. The raw sparking rate is very difficult to interpret, since burst of sparks bias the statistics. A more convenient and useful interpretation is the number of sparking seconds. At the nominal field level (1.75 Kilp), the sparking-second rate is 0.5 per minute without beam. It strongly depends on the field, with a logarithmic law: 4.5 decade/Kilp. With beam, the sparking rate jumps to 3.0 per minute. As far as tested, it depends neither on the beam current (20 to 80 mA) nor on the field (1.5 to 1.7 Kilp tested). With sparking rates as measured here, one could not hope to build an RFQ that would be free of sparks over a several months continuous operation. Such a requirement, based ...
The Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) requested that Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) evaluate the treatment process currently employed at the Department's Stringfellow Superfund Site Pretreatment Plant (PTP) site to determine if wastes originating from the site were properly managed with regards to their radioactivity. In order to evaluate the current management strategy, LLNL suggested that DTSC characterize the effluents from the waste treatment system for radionuclide content. A sampling plan was developed; samples were collected and analyzed for radioactive constituents. Following is brief summary of those results and what implications for waste characterization may be made. (1) The sampling and analysis provides strong evidence that the radionuclides present are Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM). (2) The greatest source of radioactivity in the samples was naturally occurring uranium. The ...
The Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) requested that Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) evaluate the treatment process currently employed at the Department's Stringfellow Superfund Site Pretreatment Plant (PTP) site to determine if wastes originating from the site were properly managed with regards to their radioactivity. In order to evaluate the current management strategy, LLNL suggested that DTSC characterize the effluents from the waste treatment system for radionuclide content. A sampling plan was developed; samples were collected and analyzed for radioactive constituents. Following is brief summary of those results and what implications for waste characterization may be made. (1) The sampling and analysis provides strong evidence that the radionuclides present are Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM). (2) The greatest source of radioactivity in the samples was naturally occurring uranium. The sample ...
To predict the response of blood lead to airborne and dietary lead requires knowledge of the rate of uptake of lead into the body from lung and gut, its subsequent partitioning between compartments, the stay time in those compartments, and its redistribution or excretion. Tracer studies with volunteers have shown no differences in systemic distribution of inorganic lead between tissues whether it is taken by inhalation, ingestion or injection. Lead is rapidly transferred from plasma to red cells, and there is slower movement thence into liver and other soft tissues, to bone, and to excreta. Work at Harwell and elsewhere with /sup 203/Pb has shown that the initial rapid distribution leaves rather over half the assimilated lead attached to red cells. The result is remarkably consistent, and applies also to dogs and baboons. The renal clearance (Vu) (ratio of U to CB, or daily urinary output expressed as mass of blood having the same lead content), and also the ...
Complete text of publication follows. Paleomagnetic study in southern Tibet and the Higher Himalayan Crystalline (HHC) was twofold: (1) the recognition of vertical and horizontal block rotations and (2) the examination of the high grade metamorphic rocks (gneisses) from the HHC for their suitability for paleomagnetic investigations. Toward the separation of local and regional tectonic effects, the results from southern Tibet reflect a regional trend in agreement with oroclinal bending and rotational under-thrusting. On the other hand, measured 'anomalous inclinations' are interpreted as a consequence of extensional tectonic, and the circular distribution of magnetic remanences is attributed to long wavelength folding within the study area as well as doming in the crust. The examination of the high grade metamorphic rocks was successful: The high quota of isolated stable and well grouping secondary magnetic remanences, demonstrate their suitability for paleomagnetic investigations. A ...
Batch interaction experiments were performed under aerobic conditions to characterize the adsorption behavior and valence speciation of CoEDTA complexes (equimolar at 10{sup -5} mol/L) in a series of Pliocene subsurface sediments containing various amounts of Fe and Mn oxides. The experiments were performed in 0.003 mol/L Ca(ClO{sub 4}){sub 2} with a solids concentration of 500 g/L at variable pH (4-9) and at the natural pH of the sediments (pH = 8.3). Three of these subaerial sediments (Ringold 1, 2, 3) contained significant quantities of extractable Fe and Mn, while the fourth (Ringold 4) was virtually devoid of sesquioxide precipates. Microscopic and mineralogic analyses of the most heavily encrusted material (Ringold 2) showed that the oxides existed as intergrain cements and contained crystalline goethite and rancieite/todorokite. Adsorption on a synthetic analog sorbent (0.6 mass% ferrihydrite-coated sand) over a range in pH showed that, while both Co(II) EDTA{sup 2-} and Co(III) ...
Pulsatile hormone secretion is observed in almost every hormonal system. The frequency of episodic hormone release ranges from approximately 10 to 100 pulses in 24 hours. This temporal mode of secretion is an important feature of intercellular information transfer in addition to a dose-response dependent regulation. It has been demonstrated in a number of experiments that changes in the temporal pattern of pulsatile hormone secretion specifically regulate cellular and organ function and structure. Recent evidence links osteoporosis, a disease characterized by loss of bone mass and structure, to changes in the dynamics of pulsatile parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion. In our study we applied nonlinear and linear time series prediction to characterize the secretory dynamics of PTH in both healthy human subjects and patients with osteoporosis. Osteoporotic patients appear to lack periods of high predictability found in normal humans. In contrast ...
Early white matter (WM) injury affects brain maturation in preterm infants as revealed by diffusion tensor imaging and volumetric magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at term postmenstrual age (PMA). The aim of the study was to assess quantitatively brain maturation in preterm infants with and without milder forms of WM damage (punctate WM lesions, PWML) using conventional MRI. Brain development was quantitatively assessed using a previously validated scoring system (total maturation score, TMS) which utilizes four parameters (progressive myelination and cortical infolding, progressive involution of glial cell migration bands and germinal matrix tissue). PWML were defined as foci of increased signal on T1-weighted images and decreased signal on T2-weighted images with no evidence of cystic degeneration. A group of 22 preterm infants with PWML at term PMA (PWML group) were compared with 22 matched controls with a normal MR appearance. The two groups ...
In order to make it easy for the reader to see the specific research carried out and the progress made, the following report of progress is done by topic. Each item has a format layout of Topic, Investigators, Objective, Significance, and Description of Progress, followed at the end by the relevant references. As is clear from the topics listed, the emphasis of the GW nuclear theory group has been on the structure and electromagnetic interactions of few-body nuclei. Both low- and intermediate-energy electromagnetic disintegration of these nuclei is considered, including coherent photoproduction of {pi} mesons. When the excitation energy of the target nucleus is low, the aim has been to handle the continuum part of the theoretical work numerically with no approximations, that is, by means of full three- or four-body dynamics. When structure questions are the issue, numerically accurate calculations are always carried through, limited only by the underlying two-body or three-body ...
The treatment of bony, osteochondral, and ligamentous injuries of the tibio-talar requires precise preoperative planning by radiological investigation. This is essential to a correct understanding of the underlying pathology and will allow a proper classification of the injury, which is the basis of treatment. Conventional radiography using anteroposterior and lateral X-rays with comparative views of the noninjured side and, if necessary, rotated spot views and tomography are of high value especially in osteochondral fractures of the talus. Intraoperative control images in both planes after osteosynthesis are mandatory. For evaluation of the postoperative course and severity of arthrosis formation, the classification system of Bargon has proved its worth. In addition, tomography of the tibio-talar joint in two planes is useful especially in tibial pilon fractures, some malleolar fractures, and peripheral talar fractures. In talar fracture dislocations with ...
Radiation sterilization has several merits that it is a positively effective sterilization method, it can be used to sterilize low heat-resistant containers and high gas barrier films, and there is no possibility of residual chemicals being left in the packages. It has been commercially used in 'Bag in a Box' and some food containers. The #gamma# ray and an electron beam are commonly used in radiation sterilization. The #gamma# ray can sterilize large size containers and containers with complex shapes or sealed containers due to its strong transmission capability. However, since the equipment tends to be large and expensive, it is generally used in off production lines. On the other hand, it is possible to install and electron beam system on food production lines since the food can be processed in a short time due to its high beam coefficient and its ease of maintenance, even though an electron beam has limited usage such as sterilizing relatively thin materials ...
This is the final report of a one-year, Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). In an effort to address the problems of long term storage and nuclear waste minimization, zircon has been proposed as a host medium for plutonium and other actinides recovered from dismantled nuclear weapons. The objective of this work is to investigate the feasibility of large scale fabrication of Pu-bearing zircon. Since PuO_2 is thermodynamically less stable than ZrO_2, it is expected that the process parameters determined for synthesizing ZrSiO_4 (zircon) would be applicable to those for PuSiO_4 (Pu-zircon). Furthermore, since the foremost concern in plutonium processing is the potential for contamination release, this work emphasizes the development of process parameters, using zircon first, to anticipate potential material problems in the containment system for reaction mixtures during processing. Stoichiometric ...
As the last step of urinary acidification, the inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) is thought to secrete protons into the tubular lumens by means of a H(+)-translocating adenosinetriphosphatase (H(+)-ATPase). However, recent studies have also shown the existence of Na(+)-H+ exchange activity in IMCD cells. Although the physiological function of the antiporter in IMCD cells is unknown, activation of Na(+)-H+ exchange in other cell-culture systems has been suggested to be closely associated with the process of cell growth. Thus presence of Na(+)-H+ exchange may relate to the growth phase of these cells. To examine intracellular pH (pHi) regulation in growing IMCD cells, we studied proton transport by Na(+)-dependent and Na(+)-independent mechanisms by microfluorimetry using the pHi-sensitive dye 2',7'-bis(carboxyethyl)-5,6-carboxyfluorescein acetoxymethyl ester (BCECF/AM). Actively growing cells, defined by (3H)thymidine incorporations, ...
The recently observed X-ray synchrotron emission from four supernova remnants (SNRs) has strengthened the evidence that cosmic-ray electrons are accelerated in SNRs. We show that if this is indeed the case, the local electron spectrum will be strongly time-dependent, at least above roughly 30 GeV. The time dependence stems from the Poisson fluctuations in the number of SNRs within a certain volume and within a certain time interval. As far as cosmic-ray electrons are concerned, the Galaxy looks like actively bubbling Swiss cheese rather than a steady, homogeneously filled system. Our finding has important consequences for studies of the Galactic diffuse gamma-ray emission, for which a strong excess over model predictions above 1 GeV has recently been reported. While these models relied on an electron injection spectrum with index 2.4 (chosen to fit the local electron flux up to 1 TeV), we show that an electron injection index of around 2.0 ...
Superplasticity can be generally achieved by grain boundary sliding (GBS). The GBS in polycrystalline materials sometimes accompanies with intergranular fracture because of stress concentrations at triple points and/or GB irregularities. To develop the superplastic flow, it is necessary to suppress the intergranular cracking. In the present study, therefore, polycrystalline molybdenum with distinct GB microstructures, such as grain boundary character distribution (GBCD), has been employed to clarify the relationship between fracture behaviour and GB microstructures. Microstructures were analyzed using a FE-SEM/EBSP/OIM system prior to 4-points bending tests at 77K, thereafter, crack propagation was observed. The main results obtained are as follows. Stress fluctuations on stress - strain curves were observed for specimens with random oriented grains, whereas such behaviour rarely occurred for ones with textured grains. Difference in the behaviour would result from ...
The purpose of this study is to develop a geometrically accurate imaging protocol at 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatment planning. In order to achieve this purpose, a methodology is developed to investigate the geometric accuracy and stability of 3 T MRI for SRS in phantom and patient evaluations. Forty patients were enrolled on a prospective clinical trial. After frame placement prior to SRS, each patient underwent 3 T MRI after 1.5 T MRI and CT. MR imaging protocols included a T1-weighted gradient echo sequence and a T2-weighted spin echo sequence. Phantom imaging was performed on 3 T prior to patient imaging using the same set-up and imaging protocols. Geometric accuracy in patients and phantoms yielded comparable results for external fiducial reference deviations and internal landmarks between 3 T and 1.5 T MRI (mean ?0.6 mm; standard deviation ?0.3 mm). Mean stereotactic reference deviations between phantoms and patients correlated ...
Neuronal transcription factors play vital roles in the specification and development of neurons, including dopaminergic (DA) neurons. Mutations in the gene encoding the purine biosynthetic enzyme hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) cause the resulting intractable and largely untreatable neurological impairment of Lesch-Nyhan disease (LND). The disorder is associated with a defect in basal ganglia DA pathways. The mechanisms connecting the purine metabolic defect and the central nervous system (CNS) phenotype are poorly understood but have been presumed to reflect a developmental defect of DA neurons. We have examined the effect of HPRT deficiency on the differentiation of neurons in the well-established human (NT2) embryonic carcinoma neurogenesis model. We have used a retrovirus expressing a small hairpin RNA (shRNA) to knock down HPRT gene expression and have examined the expression of a number of transcription factors essential for neuronal ...
Hydrologic processes in suburban watersheds and their effects on water quality warrant investigation. Biweekly and storm samples were collected and analyzed for base cations, selected anions, and DOC over a one-year period at the outlet of three small (37 - 55 ha) watersheds (one forested, two with different degrees of suburban development) in the Croton Watershed, southeastern New York. Less frequent sampling for Pt/Co color and disinfection by-product precursors (DBPs) were also conducted. Median baseflow concentrations (>3 days since rainfall) of DOC were similar, ranging from 2.1 to 1.8 to 1.7 mg L -1 for the most urbanized to the forested watershed, respectively. On a unit area load basis (kg ha-1 yr-1), the range was from 8.9 to 6.4 to 5.1, again from most urbanized to forested watershed. All three watersheds showed similar storm responses, with evidence for a flushing mechanism in that DOC concentration increased with increasing discharge. Pt/Co color and ...
The DNA double-strand break (DSB) damage response induced by high energy charged particles on lung fibroblast cells embedded in a 3-dimensional (3-D) collagen tissue equivalents was investigated using antibodies to the DNA damage response proteins gamma-histone 2AX (#gamma#-H2AX) and phosphorylated DNA-PKcs (p-DNA-PKcs). 3-D tissue equivalents were irradiated in positions across the linear distribution of the Bragg curve profiles of 307.7 MeV/nucleon, 556.9 MeV/nucleon, or 967.0 MeV/nucleon "5"6Fe ions at a dose of 0.30 Gy. Patterns of discrete DNA damage streaks across nuclei or saturated nuclear damage were observed, with saturated nuclear damage being more predominant as samples were positioned closer to the physical Bragg peak. Quantification of the DNA damage signal intensities at each distance for each of the examined energies revealed a biological Bragg curve profile with a pattern of DNA damage intensity similar to the physical Bragg curve for the particular energy. ...
The aim for deterministic control of the interactions between macroions in aqueous media has motivated widespread experimental and theoretical work. Although it has been well established that like-charged macromolecules can aggregate under the influence of oppositely charged condensing agents, the specific conditions for the stability of such aggregates can only be determined empirically. We examine these conditions, which involve an interplay of electrostatic and osmotic effects, by using a well defined model system composed of F-actin, an anionic rod-like polyelectrolyte, and lysozyme, a cationic globular protein with a charge that can be genetically modified. The structure and stability of actin-lysozyme complexes for different lysozyme charge mutants and salt concentrations are examined by using synchrotron x-ray scattering and molecular dynamics simulations. We provide evidence that supports a structural transition from columnar ...
The gender-specific expression pattern of aromatase and 5alpha-reductases (5alpha-R) during brain development provides neurons the right amount of estradiol and DHT to induce a dimorphic organization of the structure. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are endocrine disruptive pollutants; exposure to PCBs through placental transfer and breast-feeding may adversely affect the organizational action of sex steroid, resulting in long-term alteration of reproductive neuroendocrinology. The study was aimed at: a) evaluating the hypothalamic expression of aromatase, 5alpha-R1 and 5alpha-R2 in fetuses (GD20), infant (PN12), weaning (PN21) and young adult (PN60) male and female rats exposed to PCBs during development; b) correlating these parameters with the time of testicular descent, puberty onset, estrous cyclicity and copulatory behavior; c) evaluating possible alterations of some non reproductive behaviors (locomotion, learning and memory, depression/anxiety behavior). A reconstituted ...
Cretaceous Sunniland Formation rudistid reservoir facies buried at 3,520 meters (92 C) between evaporite units contain marginally mature algal sapropelic carbonate source rock hydrocarbons. The closed system aids in identification of porosity redistribution related to hydrocarbon emplacement. Multiple dissolution and cementation events associated with hydrocarbon migration pulses are particularly evident along stylolites. Corrosion usually predates typically interparticle first generation saddle dolomite, and corroded saddle dolomite may be observed with two generations of optically continuous limpid overgrowths separated by a corrosive boundary. Dissolution or dedolomitization may provide a magnesium source for subsequent dolomite cements. Carbonic and organic acids are probable primary corrosive agents. Moldic, stylolite and fracture porosity, often reduced by dolomite cements, was generated. Moldic pores may develop from peloids by ...
During outbreaks, Microdiprion pallipes (Fall.) is the most destructive of the pine sawflies in Sweden. Its distribution includes most provinces, but damaging outbreaks have until recently occurred only in two inland areas in northern Sweden. These areas are characterised by high elevation, a harsh climate, and slow tree growth. The four recorded outbreak periods showed a 10 year periodicity. Outside these areas, a lesser outbreak occurred in 1988 to 1990, on the east coast (province of Uppland). Outbreak patterns, life history variation, and mortality factors were studied. Factors that may explain the distribution of outbreaks and the population patterns were identified.Experimental and observational evidence on the potential of various factors to influence fecundity, dispersal, and survival was evaluated. In the outbreak areas, there were few major population factors. Parasitism by Rhorus substitutor (Thunb.) was the largest cause of larval mortality and the only ...
The potential for detoxification and deodorization of sulfide-laden water (sour water) by microbial treatment was evaluated at a petroleum production site under field conditions. A sulfide-tolerant strain of the chemautotroph and facultative anaerobe, Thiobacillus denitrificans, was introduced into an oil-skimming pit of the Amoco Production Company LACT 10 Unit of the Salt Creek Field, Wyoming. Field-produced water enters this pit from the oil/water separation treatment train at an average flowrate of 5,000 bbl/D (795 m{sup 3}/D) with a potential maximum of 98,000 bbl/D (15,580 m{sup 3}/D). Water conditions at the pit inlet are 4,800 mg/l TDS, 100 mg/l sulfide, pH 7.8, and 107{degrees}F. To this water an aqueous solution of ammonium nitrate and diphosphorous pentoxide was added to provide required nutrients for the bacteria. The first 20% of the pit was aerated to a maximum depth of 5 ft (1.5 m) to facilitate the aerobic oxidation of sulfide. No provisions for pH control or biomass ...
It is a pity that the real state of matter in pulsar-like stars is still not determined confidently because of the uncertainty about cold matter at supranuclear density, even 40 years after the discovery of pulsar. Nuclear matter (related to neutron stars) is one of the speculations for the inner constitution of pulsars even from the Landau's time more than 70 years ago, but quark matter (related to quark stars) is an alternative due to the fact of asymptotic freedom of interaction between quarks as the standard model of particle physics develops since 1960s. Therefore, one has to focus on astrophysical observations in order to answer what the nature of pulsars is. In this presentation, I would like to summarize possible observational evidence/hints that pulsar-like stars could be quark stars, and to address achievable clear evidence for quark stars in the future experiments.
This paper describes the Knowledge Encapsulation Framework (KEF), a suite of tools to enable knowledge inputs (relevant, domain-specific facts) to modeling and simulation projects, as well as other domains that require effective collaborative workspaces for knowledge-based task. This framework can be used to capture evidence (e.g., trusted material such as journal articles and government reports), discover new evidence (covering both trusted and social media), enable discussions surrounding domain-specific topics and provide automatically generated semantic annotations for improved corpus investigation. The current KEF implementation is presented within a wiki environment, providing a simple but powerful collaborative space for team members to review, annotate, discuss and align evidence with their modeling frameworks. The novelty in this approach lies in the combination of automatically tagged and user-vetted resources, ...
This paper provides a systematic empirical analysis of the role of the housing market in the macroeconomy in the US and the euro area. First, it establishes some stylised facts concerning key variables in the housing market on the two sides of the Atlantic, such as real house prices, residential investment and mortgage debt. It then presents evidence from Structural Vector Autoregressions (SVAR) by focusing on the effects of monetary policy, credit supply and housing demand shocks on the housing market and the broader economy. The analysis shows that similarities outweigh differences as far as the housing market is concerned. The empirical evidence suggests a stronger role for housing in the transmission of monetary policy shocks in the US. The evidence is less clear-cut for housing demand...
Abstract We provide the first firm-level evidence of the impact of the trade in producer services (-offshoring-) on the labour market. Using a new data set from the UK that measures trade in services at the firm level, we find no evidence that importing intermediate services is associated with job losses or greater worker turnover. Using regression to control for observable differences between firms that import service inputs and those that do not, we show that firms that start importing intermediate services experience faster employment growth than equivalent firms that do not. This seems likely to be the result of positive demand shocks, which cause a simultaneous increase in employment, output, and use of imported service inputs.
Purpose: In vitro evaluation of possible deflection and heating of present-day prosthetic heart valves, 12 technical and 5 biological, were investigated using a 1.5 Tesla Siemens Vision system. Deflection was measured at the edge of a 1.5 Tesla superconducting magnet. Each valve was then submerged in a vial of a 1/1 electrolyte solution and temperature was measured before and after imaging with a turbo-spin-echo sequence (TR 5200 ms, TE 138 ms, Flip angle 180 C, acquisition time 10.5 minutes, length of echo train 29). MR imaging was performed with phase encoding parallel and perpendicular to the plane of the valves. Results: None of the investigated prosthetic heart valves was deflected. The maximal observed temperature rise was 0.5 C. During MR investigation of the prostheses, artifacts caused by metallic parts were less evident using a spin-echo sequence than a gradient-echo sequence. Conclusions: Patients with the tested present-day ...
We present the first 3.8 {micro}m image of the dusty ring surrounding the young binary system GG Tau, obtained with the W. M. Keck II 10m telescope's adaptive optics system. THis is the longest wavelength at which the ring has been detected in scattered light so far, allowing a multi-wavelength analysis of the scattering proiperties of the dust grains present in this protoplanetary disk in combination with previous, shorter wavelengths, HST images. We find that the scattering phase function of the dust grains in the disk is only weakly dependent on the wavelength. This is inconsistent with dust models inferred from observations of the interstellar medium or dense molecular clouds. In particular, the strongly forward-throwing scattering phase function observed at 3.8 {micro}m implies a significant increase in the population of large ({approx}> 1 {micro}m) grains, which provides direct evidence for grain ...
Growing evidence suggests the Wnt family of secreted glycoproteins and their associated signaling pathways, linked to development, are recapitulated during wound repair and regeneration events. However,...Full Text Available
Effector proteins expressed in the esophageal gland cells of cyst nematodes are delivered into plant cells through a hollow, protrusible stylet. Although evidence indicates that effector proteins function...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe use of measurement tools is an essential part of good evidence-based practice; however, physiotherapists (PTs) are not always confident when selecting, administering,...Full Text Available
ObjectivesTo assess the distribution and risk factors of depleted uranium uptake in military personnel who had taken part in the invasion of Iraq in 2003.MethodsSector...Full Text Available
BackgroundAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common condition that often results in child and family functional impairments. Although there are evidence-based treatment...Full Text Available
This book examines the occupational health hazards imposed by neoplasms. Topics considered include: cancer as an occupational hazard; an overview; epidemiological evidence; and interaction of host and lifestyle factors with occupational chemicals in cancer causation.
Five standard, non-invasive tests of cardiovascular, autonomic function were performed in each of four groups of 30 subjects: controls, group 1, diabetics without clinical evidence of neuropathy; group...Full Text Available
Previous studies have shown that both bipolar disorder (BPD) and psychomotor agitation (PMA) are associated with substance dependence. These two findings have yet to be integrated, despite evidence...Full Text Available
The catastrophic impact of fishing pressure on species such as cod and herring is well documented. However, the antiquity of their intensive exploitation has not been established. Systematic catch statistics...Full Text Available
Paraquat poisoning in mammals results in a characteristic lung lesion manifested principally as progressive pulmonary fibrosis. Paraquat is actively concentrated into the lung but the site of uptake remains undefined. A method is described for the autoradiographic localization of paraquat in rats. Preliminary evidence for the site of uptake implicates the bronchiol. (author).
Background and AimsPopulus alba is a thermophilic forest tree present in the Mediterranean basin. Its habitat is highly fragmented and its distribution range has...Full Text Available
Arguments in favour of the possibility of the existence and the non-existence of tachyons are put forward. Some of the theoretical and experimental attempts which have either supported the view that tachyons exist or not are mentioned. In the light of evidence, available as of now, it is surmised that they may not exist and if they do, they may be neutral in charge. (K.B.).
Previous work has provided evidence that plants may require boron to maintain adequate levels of pyrimidine nucleotides, suggesting that the state of boron deficiency may actually be one of pyrimidine...Full Text Available
There is ample evidence suggesting that superantigens may act as a triggering factor in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We investigated whether superantigen could activate T cells in...Full Text Available
Cilia are important cellular structures that have been implicated in a variety of signaling cascades. In this review, we discuss the current evidence for and against a link between cilia and both the...Full Text Available
Fresh blood has many potential advantages over older blood, but there is no evidence that these properties translate into clinical benefit for intensive care patients. The observational multicenter...Full Text Available
The kindling model of temporal lobe epilepsy and the memory model of long-term potentiation (LTP) may have common underlying mechanisms. This is evident by the demonstration that certain signaling...Full Text Available
We present experimental evidence for self-organization of nickel microparticles in silicon under certain thermodynamic conditions of nickel diffusion doping. The concentration and distribution of the microparticles in silicon are very uniform. Additional anneals lead to self-ordering of the impurity microparticles.
We monitored PSR B0329+54 for one year using the Nanshan 25-m radio telescope, the scintillation velocity V ISS shows evidence of systematic variation with the day of the year. States of interstellar medium (ISM) are discussed.
This article focuses on results of the systematic review from the Guide for Useful Interventions for Activity in Latin America project related to school-based...Full Text Available
Though central to our understanding of how roots perform their vital function of scavenging water and solutes from the soil, no direct genetic evidence currently exists to support the foundational model...Full Text Available
Accumulated lines of evidence suggest that hyperimmune responses to periodontal bacteria result in the destruction of periodontal connective tissue and alveolar bone. The etiological roles of periodontal...Full Text Available
A vast amount of circumstantial evidence implicates oxygen-derived free radicals (especially, superoxide and hydroxyl radical) and high-energy oxidants [such as peroxynitrite (OONO−)]...Full Text Available
Latent inhibition (LI) manifests as poorer conditioning to a CS that has previously been presented without consequence. There is some evidence that LI can be potentiated by reduced mesoaccumbal dopamine...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe evidence that red and processed meat influences colorectal carcinogenesis was judged convincing in the 2007 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute of Cancer...Full Text Available
There is increasing evidence that receptor-mediated events impact one or more stages responsible for tumor development in experimental animals and humans. Although many chemicals and endogenous hormones...Full Text Available
Using plasma glutathione S-transferase measurements hepatocellular integrity was assessed in groups of hyperthyroid and hypothyroid patients before and after treatment. Ten of 14 hyperthyroid patients...Full Text Available
In this study we compared the molecular signalling elicited by rexinoids, selective retinoid X receptor (RXR)-activators, in several organs (i.e. liver, kidney,...Full Text Available
BackgroundExperimental psychology has only recently provided supporting evidence for Freud's and Janet's description of unconscious phenomena. Here, we aimed to assess whether specific...Full Text Available
Clinical and experimental evidence has demonstrated the potential role of probiotics in the prevention or treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Probiotic clones with direct immunomodulatory activity...Full Text Available
Idiopathic frozen shoulder is a common medical diagnosis for patients seeking physical therapy. Radiographic and surgical evidence exists that describes the coracohumeral ligament (CHL) as a major contributor...Full Text Available
Physical activity is associated with reduced risk of several age-related diseases as well as with increased longevity in both rodents and humans. Though these associations are well established, evidence...Full Text Available
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of pregabalin in painful cervical or lumbosacral radiculopathy treated in Primary Care settings under routine clinical practice. An observational,...Full Text Available
Purpose:The goal of this study was to use two separate databases to evaluate the clinical outcomes and the economic impact of adherence to Level I Pathways, an evidence-based oncology...Full Text Available
Hospitals as research environments are crucial in advancing evidence-based practice and translational research. The authors discuss issues related to hospital-based nursing research such as...Full Text Available
The nucleocapsid protein (NC) of retroviruses plays a major role in genomic RNA packaging, and some evidence has implicated the matrix protein (MA) of certain retroviruses in viral RNA binding. To further...Full Text Available
The search for liability genes of the world's 2 major psychotic disorders, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder I (BP-I), has been extremely difficult even though evidence suggests that both are highly...Full Text Available
This article is about the network security defence method and technique at IHEP. Including: the experience, research result and application in network outlet security, server security, local network security, network security monitoring and collecting evidence, anti-virus etc
NF-κB, a transcription factor first discovered in 1986, is now known to be closely connected to the process of tumorogenesis based on a multiplicity of evidence. (1)...Full Text Available
The mechanism of cytokinesis has been difficult to define because of the short duration and the temporal-spatial dynamics involved in the formation, activation, force production, and disappearance of...Full Text Available
The kinetic parameters of single bonds between neural cell adhesion molecules were determined from atomic force microscope measurements of the forced dissociation of the homophilic protein-protein bonds....Full Text Available
BackgroundIncreasing evidence demonstrates that stem cells maintain their identities by a unique transcription network and chromatin structure. Opposing epigenetic modifications...Full Text Available
Bartonella species are being recognized as important bacterial human and canine pathogens, and are associated with multiple arthropod vectors. Bartonella DNA extracted...Full Text Available
The empirical evidence that human color categorization exhibits some universal patterns beyond superficial discrepancies across different cultures is a major breakthrough in cognitive science. As observed...Full Text Available
BackgroundPlant biologists have long speculated about the mechanisms that guide pollen tubes to ovules. Although there is now evidence that ovules emit a diffusible attractant, little...Full Text Available
Red cell transfusions are associated with the development of acute lung injury in the critically ill. Recent evidence suggests that storage induced alterations of the red blood cell (RBC) collectively...Full Text Available
Evidence is presented for a distinctive type of hippocampal synaptic modification [previously described for a molluscan gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) synapse after paired pre- and postsynaptic excitation]:...Full Text Available
As evidence of its effectiveness rapidly accumulates, the Lomi process has most recently been used to decontaminate the recirculation loops and the reactor water clean-up unit of a BWR at Monticello in the United States. An average decontamination factor of 23 was achieved in the recirculation loops.
1. Nitric oxide generation is important in the regulation of resistance vessel tone. Until now, however, there has been no evidence of such a role for basal generation of nitric oxide in the skin microcirculation...Full Text Available
Bolus infusion of insulin along with a meal is a standard procedure with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion. Modern insulin pumps allow applying this bolus in four different ways: infusion of...Full Text Available
3-Deazaadenosine (deazaAdo) inhibits lymphocyte-mediated cytolysis in vitro at micromolar concentrations and is potentiated markedly in this activity by L-homocysteine thiolactone....Full Text Available
We report a case of symptomatic intraurethral prostatic cyst in a 42-yr-old man without clinical evidence of benign prostatic hyperplasia. The intraurethral cyst makes it unique from the all previously...Full Text Available
The detailing of the intermolecular interactions in dense solid oxygen is essential for an understanding of the rich polymorphism and remarkable properties of this element at high pressure. Synchrotron...Full Text Available
BackgroundEstablishing an evidence-based method of improving knowledge and attitudes concerning depression has been identified as a priority in Chinese medical education. The purpose...Full Text Available
There is increasing evidence for an empiric link between late-life depression and Alzheimer disease (AD). The neuropathology of AD, previously only confirmed at autopsy, may now be detectable...Full Text Available
IL-4 and IL-13 are up-regulated during in vivo responses to many nematode parasites, but increasing evidence suggests that increases in IL-13 can also occur independently of...Full Text Available
BackgroundDepressive mood is associated with mortality. Because personality has been found to be associated with depression and mortality as well, we aimed to test...Full Text Available
Background:Increasing evidence shows the importance of young age, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) status, and HER-2 expression in patients with breast cancers.Patients...Full Text Available
In this review we attempt to reconstruct the evolutionary history of hominin life history from extant and fossil evidence. We utilize demographic life history theory and distinguish life history variables,...Full Text Available
Background and AimsVariation in mating patterns may be particularly evident in colonizing species because they commonly experience wide variation in plant density. Here, the role...Full Text Available
The supramammillary nucleus (SuM) provides substantial projections to the hippocampal formation. This hypothalamic structure is involved in the regulation of hippocampal theta rhythm and therefore...Full Text Available
Objective To compile and evaluate the evidence on the effects on health and social outcomes of computer based peer to peer communities and electronic self support groups, used by people...Full Text Available
BackgroundIn South Africa, HIV prevalence among youth aged 15-24 is among the world's highest. Given the urgent need to identify effective HIV prevention approaches, this review...Full Text Available
The continued evolution of bacterial pathogens has major implications for both human and animal disease, but the exchange of genetic material between host-restricted pathogens is rarely considered....Full Text Available
We report on genetic identification of ‘whale meat’ purchased in sushi restaurants in Los Angeles, CA (USA) in October 2009 and in Seoul, South Korea in June and September 2009. Phylogenetic...Full Text Available
Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) results from mutations in the NF1 tumor suppressor gene, which encodes the protein neurofibromin. NF1 patients display diverse clinical manifestations,...Full Text Available
BackgroundBerberine is a plant alkaloid that is widely used as an anti-infective in traditional medicine. Escherichia coli exposed to berberine form filaments, suggesting...Full Text Available
... M. Taylor, T. Kurt Kyser. (2009) Feather isotope analysis discriminates age-classes of Western, Least, and Semipalmated sandpipers when plumage ... ...
The etiologies of a number of retinopathies, including serpiginous choroiditis and acute zonal occult outer retinopathy (AZOOR), remain uncertain. Recently, we provided evidence that AZOOR is caused...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe mammalian FoxO transcription factors function to regulate diverse physiological processes. Emerging evidence that both BDNF and lithium suppress FoxO...Full Text Available
Cleaning and disinfection of open surfaces in food industry premises leave some microorganisms behind; these microorganisms build up a resident flora on the surfaces. Our goal was to explore the phenomena...Full Text Available
Extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma (EES) is an uncommon lesion included in the group of soft tissue tumors. We present a case in a 19-year-old woman in which the diagnosis was not initially suspected because of the absence of clinical and radiological evidence. (Author).
Contemporary Western medicine has witnessed a fragmentation of our conceptualization of the medical endeavor into ‘traditional medicine’ and ‘non-traditional medicine’....Full Text Available
It has been postulated that thrombin binds to endothelial cells through, at least in part, cell surface glycosaminoglycans such as heparan sulfate, which could serve as antithrombin cofactor on the...Full Text Available
Lumbricus terrestris (Annelid, Oligocheta) is capable of cellular- and humoral-specific reactions against natural antigens. Is this earthworm able to elaborate a response of antibody type against a...Full Text Available
BackgroundNeurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a common monogenic tumor-predisposition disorder that arises secondary to mutations in the tumor suppressor gene NF1....Full Text Available
Scaling relations among plant traits are both cause and consequence of processes at organ-to-ecosystem scales. The relationship between leaf nitrogen and phosphorus is of particular interest, as both...Full Text Available
Ammonoids and conodonts, being characterized by exceptionally high background rates of origination and extinction, were vulnerable to global environmental crises, which characteristically intensified...Full Text Available
Using pharmacological and chromatographic techniques, it was shown that acetylcholine was present in all organs of both light- and dark-grown mung bean seedings (Phaseolus aureus)....Full Text Available
BackgroundBrevican is a member of the lectican family of aggregating extracellular matrix (ECM) proteoglycans that bear chondroitin sulfate (CS) chains. It is highly expressed in...Full Text Available
The question of whether proteins originate from random sequences of amino acids is addressed. A statistical analysis is performed in terms of blocked and random walk values formed by binary hydrophobic...Full Text Available
Chromosomal translocation, deletion, and inversion/duplication directly linked to hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA integration occur frequently in host DNA of human hepatocellular carcinomas. To test the...Full Text Available
TSH receptor (TSHR) plays a central role in regulating thyroid function and is targeted by IgGs in Graves’ disease (GD-IgG). Whether TSHR is involved in the pathogenesis of thyroid associated...Full Text Available
DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are generally accepted to be the most biologically significant lesion by which ionizing radiation causes cancer and hereditary disease. However, no information on the...Full Text Available
BackgroundAlzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease and the leading cause of dementia among senile subjects. It has been proposed that AD can be caused...Full Text Available
The dissimilatory iron-reducing bacterium Geobacter metallireducens was found to require iron at a concentration in excess of 50 μM for continuous cultivation on nitrate. Growth...Full Text Available
Hematopoietic stem cells replenish all the cells of the blood throughout the lifetime of an animal. Although thousands of stem cells reside in the bone marrow, only a few contribute to blood production...Full Text Available
In Staphylococcus aureus, a pronounced shift in position of the acriflavin resistance locus was observed when gene order was determined by marker frequency analysis of cells of various ages. In young cells (2-hour culture), acriflavin resistance was mappe...
OBJECTIVES: To appraise epidemiological evidence of the purported association between residential exposure to power frequency magnetic fields and adult cancers. METHODS: Literature review and epidemiological...Full Text Available
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether genetically determined properties of muscle metabolism contribute to the exceptional physical endurance of world-class distance runners. ATP, phosphocreatine,...Full Text Available
BackgroundElevated cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is frequently observed in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. However, the mechanisms underlying cTnI release in these patients...Full Text Available
BackgroundAn artemisinin-based combination therapy, artesunate (AS) plus sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), was compared to SP monotherapy to provide evidence of further treatment...Full Text Available
Prophylactic knee braces are designed to prevent and reduce the severity of ligamentous injuries to the knee. Conflicting evidence is reported concerning their efficacy. The purpose of this study was...Full Text Available
A previous report that 22 Vul is a zeta Aur--type eclipsing binary is supported by our discovery of evidence for an accretion shock cone in 22 Vul similar to those found in zeta Aurigae and 32 Cygni.
Extensive gene expression during meiosis is a hallmark of spermatogenesis. Although it was generally accepted that RNA transcription ceases during meiosis, recent observations suggest that some transcription...Full Text Available
The risk of lung cancer associated with diesel exhaust has been calculated from 14 case-control or cohort studies. We evaluated the findings from these studies to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to implicate diesel exhaust as a human lung carcinogen. Four studies found increased risks associated with long-term exposure, although two of the four studies were based on the same cohort of railroad workers. Six studies were inconclusive due to missing information on smoking habits, internal inconsistencies, or inadequate characterization of diesel exposure. Four studies found no statistically significant association. It can be concluded that short-term exposure to diesel engine exhaust (20 years) increases the risk of lung cancer for locomotive engineers, brakemen, and diesel engine mechanics. There is inconsistent evidence on the effects of long-term exposure to diesel exhaust in the trucking industry. There is no ...
The earliest clinical evidence of diabetic nephropathy is microalbuminuria. Progression from microalbuminuria to overt nephropathy occurs in 20-40% within a 10-year period with approximately 20% of...Full Text Available
BackgroundOsteoporosis affects over 200 million people worldwide, and represents a significant cost burden. Although guidelines are available for best practice in osteoporosis, evidence...Full Text Available
Many epidemiological evidences have proven the association between smoking and periodontal disease. The causality can be further established by linking findings of traditional epidemiological studies...Full Text Available
Adopting the approach taken with New Caledonian crows (Corvus moneduloides), we present evidence of design complexity in one of the termite-fishing tools of chimpanzees (Pan...Full Text Available
BackgroundPhysical inactivity is related to many morbidities but the evidence of its link with depression in adolescents needs further investigation in view of the existing conflicting...Full Text Available
There is growing epidemiological and molecular evidence that ABO blood group affects host susceptibility to severe Plasmodium falciparum infection. The high frequency of common...Full Text Available
The purpose of the meeting reported here was to develop a set of national evidence-based standards for assessing and managing patients with potentially resectable rectal cancer. This report represents...Full Text Available
ObjectiveIn the context of the importance of valid self-report measures to research and evidence-based practice in social work, an argument-based approach to validity...Full Text Available
Background/Objective:Applying practice-based evidence research methodology to spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation requires taxonomy (typology or classification) of rehabilitation...Full Text Available
We study the statistical properties of a variety of diverse real-world networks. We present evidence of the occurrence of three classes of small-world networks: (a) scale-free networks,...Full Text Available
The regulation of gene expression in the brain reward regions is known to contribute to the pathogenesis and persistence of drug addiction. Increasing evidence suggests that the regulation of gene transcription...Full Text Available
The effects of sennosides on colonic motility were investigated in eight conscious dogs chronically fitted with two strain gauge transducers in the proximal colon, an intracolonic silicone catheter...Full Text Available
RNA is involved in a variety of chromatin modification events, ranging from large-scale structural rearrangements to subtle local affects. Here, we extend the evidence for RNA–chromatin interactions...Full Text Available
Store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) is a ubiquitous Ca2+ influx pathway involved in control of multiple cellular and physiological processes including cell proliferation. Recent evidence...Full Text Available
Growing evidences indicate that proteases are implicated in adipogenesis and in the onset of obesity. We previously reported that the cysteine protease cathepsin K (ctsk) is overexpressed in the white...Full Text Available
Evidence suggests that patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are hyper-responsive to environmental, physical, and visceral stimuli. IBS patients also frequently report poor sleep quality....Full Text Available
Klebsiella pneumoniae is able to grow anaerobically with citrate as a sole carbon and energy source by a fermentative pathway involving the Na+-dependent citrate...Full Text Available
This cross-sectional study evaluated the association between radiographic evidence of alveolar bone loss and the concentration of host-derived bone resorptive factors (interleukin-1 beta, tumor...Full Text Available
Recent evidence suggests a role for corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in the regulation of pair bonding in prairie voles. We have previously shown that monogamous and non-monogamous vole...Full Text Available
During blastocyst formation the segregation of the inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm is governed by the mutually antagonistic effects of the transcription factors Oct4 and Cdx2. Evidence indicates...Full Text Available
BackgroundTwo clinically relevant high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) types 16 and 18 are etiologically associated with the development of cervical carcinoma and are also reported to be present...Full Text Available
If episodic memory is an adaptation, it must have evolved to benefit present or future survival and reproduction, rather than to provide an accurate record of the past per se. Recent research has documented various links between the ability to construct episodes of the past and imagine potential future episodes, and it has been argued that the former may be a design feature of the latter. Thus, claims about the existence of episodic memory in non-verbal organisms may be evaluated by examining behavioural evidence for foresight. Here we review recent data on foresight in animals and conclude that the evidence to suggest episodic memory so far is equivocal. We suggest specific experimental criteria that could provide stronger evidence. We maintain that there must be uniquely human traits for which there are no animal models and it remains possible that mental time travel depends on several such traits. Identification of what ...
There is increasing evidence of a biochemical link between lipid oxidation and bone metabolism. Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) prevents the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and metabolizes biologically...Full Text Available
BackgroundWhile some studies have found that anger increases the risk of incident coronary heart disease (CHD), others found anger protective. Prior studies did not...Full Text Available
BackgroundSocial isolation affects a significant proportion of older people and is associated with poor health outcomes. The current evidence base regarding the effectiveness of...Full Text Available
BackgroundTraumatic pneumothoraces are common. Many are managed with tube thoracostomy. However, there is a high complication rate from chest tube placement, particularly in patients...Full Text Available
In rats and primates, the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeN) is most known for its role in responses to fear stimuli. Recent evidence also shows that the CeN is required for directing attention...Full Text Available
Alpha-hemoglobin-stabilizing protein (AHSP) is an erythroid-specific protein that acts as a molecular chaperone for the free α chains of hemoglobin. Evidence strongly suggests...Full Text Available
Part one of this study investigated the effect of aging on social-cognitive characteristics related to physical activity (PA) among adults in the baseline phase of a health promotion...Full Text Available
In multiple sclerosis (MS), oligodendrocyte and myelin destruction lead to demyelination with subsequent axonal loss. Experimental demyelination in rodents has highlighted the activation of the subventricular...Full Text Available
Abs facilitate humoral immunity via the classical mechanisms of opsonization, complement activation, Ab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, and toxin/viral neutralization. There is also evidence that some...Full Text Available
Black Hole Credit: April Hobart, CXC Explanation: In the center of a swirling whirlpool of hot gas is likely a beast that has never been seen directly: a black hole....
Black Hole Drawing Credit: A. Hobart, CXC Explanation: In the center of a swirling whirlpool of hot gas is likely a beast that has never been seen directly: a black hole....
Black Hole Drawing Credit: A. Hobart, CXC Explanation: In the center of a swirling whirlpool of hot gas is likely a beast that has never been seen directly: a black hole....
Black Hole Drawing Credit: A. Hobart, CXC Explanation: In the center of a swirling whirlpool of hot gas is likely a beast that has never been seen directly: a black hole....
Aim: To systematically review the currently available high quality evidence evaluating treatments for moist desquamation in radiotherapy patients. Design: Systematic literature review. Methods: Electronic databases, websites, reference lists, key journals and conference proceedings were searched. Attempts were also made to uncover unpublished material. Relevant studies proceeded to data extraction and quality assessment. Results: Twenty studies were found; 10 were eligible for inclusion. Although many studies were small, none had unacceptably poor quality. No meta-analysis was undertaken as the studies were not homogenous in their interventions or methods. No convincing evidence for any intervention was found. Conclusion: Despite being recommended by many guidelines (College of Radiographers Summary of Intervention for Acute Radiotherapy Induced Skin Reactions in Cancer Patients (London, 2001); NHS Quality Improvement Scotland Best Practice ...
BackgroundIntrapartum fetal hypoxia remains an important cause of death and permanent handicap and in a significant proportion of cases there is evidence of suboptimal care related...Full Text Available
Because of the instability of Factor VIII (antihaemophilic factor) in plasma in vitro, and since evidence has accumulated that the level of activity varies significantly between samples...Full Text Available
Autophagic adapters including p62/SQSTM1 recognize polyubiquitinated autophagic targets such as toxic protein aggregates. Recently reporting in Molecular Cell, Filimonenko et al. provide evidence...Full Text Available
BackgroundThere are 146 million underweight children in the developing world, which contribute to up to half of the world's child deaths. In high burden regions for malnutrition,...Full Text Available
...visible damage. (k) Corrosion resistance. Each metal part of a...evidence of salt-spray corrosion resistance equal to or greater than...sample of test metal must show corrosion resistance equal to or better than...
Abstract Although neonatology, the study of the newborn, is well established in medical science, psychological research on the newborn is relatively scarce. Can we justify this period as a distinct stage of human development in Psychology? This introductory article considers the unique characteristics of the neonatal period, the impact of the transition to extrauterine life, including the impact of birth itself, and the stages of brain development that characterize this period. It presents evidence of an intentional, intersubjective neonate, and uses behavioural and neuroscientific evidence to argue that the neonate's early social preferences and responses indicate a unique, sensitive, experience-expectant stage of development. The authors of this issue agree in proposing that the newborn ...
This paper describes the phenomenology of nuclear explosions and technologies for their detection as relevant to On-Site Inspection (OSI) for a comprehensive test-ban (CTB). Our experience with the US nuclear test program which has been primarily carried out at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) and in the Pacific Ocean. The goals of OSI are to resolve ambiguous events, reduce uncertainty, deter attempts at evasion, and provide responsive and technically competent means of confirming the occurrence of a nuclear explosion should deterrence fail. These goals would include finding evidence of an evasive nuclear explosion or evidence that the event was non-nuclear, such as an earthquake or large chemical explosion.
This case report makes evident that in a 75 years old patient with a (cured) femoral neck fracture 15 years ago a refracture at the same site following a new trauma could not be detected by conventional X-ray. The follow-up of a radionuclide bone study, however, enabled the dignosis of a refracture. From these findings, it is further evident that the decreased bone metabolism in older patients has to be considered. Thus, although the initial bone scan following the trauma is negative, a follow-up scan should be performed within a 4 day-period.
This case report makes evident that in a 75 years old patient with a (cured) femoral neck fracture 15 years ago a refracture at the same site following a new trauma could not be detected by conventional X-ray. The follow-up of a radionuclide bone study, however, enabled the dignosis of a refracture. From these findings, it is further evident that the decreased bone metabolism in older patients has to be considered. Thus, although the initial bone scan following the trauma is negative, a follow-up scan should be performed within a 4 day-period. (orig.).
Theft, illegal possession, smuggling, or attempted unauthorized sale of nuclear and radiological materials remains a worldwide problem. The Nuclear Smuggling International Technical Working Group (ITWG) has adopted a model action plan to guide investigation of these cases through a systematic approach to nuclear forensics. The model action plan was recently documented and provides recommendations concerning incident response, collection of evidence in conformance with required legal standards, laboratory sampling and distribution of samples, radioactive materials analysis, including categorization and characterization of samples, forensics analysis of conventional evidence, and case development including interpretation of forensic signatures. (author)
An analytical model is presented which enables the estimation of convective losses from cavity receivers. Evidence from solar experiments is used to test the hypothesized mechanisms. The analytical results and experimental evidence indicate that the convective loss from cavity receivers is appreciable. The model indicates that the influences of the wind on the convective loss at normal operating conditions are minimal. It also shows that the internal thermal resistance, i.e. the ability to heat the air inside the cavity, are of importance. Buoyancy induced flows are, on the other hand, effective in transferring energy across the aperture. 8 refs.
The leaching of phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N), and radionuclides "2"3"2Th, "2"2"6Ra, "2"2"8Ra, and "4"0K from Joel sands amended with red mud/gypsum (RMG) at 9 rates (0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, and 256 t/ha) was measured using columns. Intense leaching conditions (34 mm/day for 12 days) and a high rate of applied P (320 kg/ha as superphosphate) and N (680 kg/ha as ammonium nitrate) were used to simulate extremes of irrigated vegetable production on the Swan Coastal Plain. Addition of the highest rate of RMG (256 t/ha) reduced leaching of fertiliser P and ammonium-nitrogen (NH4-N) by 85% and 50%, respectively, compared with 0 t/ha after 12 days. At 64 t RMG/ha P leaching was reduced 50% compared with 0 t/ha. Nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) leaching was not affected by addition of RMG. Reduced leaching of NH4-N was attributed to an increase in cation exchange capacity of the soil with the addition of RMG. Bicarbonate-extractable P in the soil increased with rate of RMG to >50 #mu#g P/g soil ...
Batch interaction experiments were performed under aerobic conditions to characterize the adsorption behavior and valence speciation of CoEDTA complexes (equimolar at 10 -5 mol/L) in a series of Pliocene subsurface sediments containing various amounts of Fe and Mn oxides. The experiments were performed in 0.003 mol/L Ca(ClO 4 ) 2 with a solids concentration of 500 g/L at variable pH (4-9) and at the natural pH of the sediments (pH = 8.3). Three of these subaerial sediments (Ringold 1, 2, 3) contained significant quantities of extractable Fe and Mn, while the fourth (Ringold 4) was virtually devoid of sesquioxide precipitates. Microscopic and mineralogic analyses of the most heavily encrusted material (Ringold 2) showed that the oxides existed as intergrain cements and contained crystalline goethite and rancieite/todorokite. Adsorption on a synthetic analog sorbent (0.6 mass % ferrihydrite-coated sand) over a range in pH showed that, while both Co(II)EDTA 2- and Co(III)EDTA - sorb ...
Full text: The US commercial nuclear industry has just completed an outstanding decade of plant performance. Safety levels and electric production are at unprecedented high levels and continue to exceed even high industry goals. Nuclear energy continues to keep the highest priority on performance improvement programs and highly trained/qualified people that maintain its record setting safety and reliability of operations. While the industry has maintained a consistently high level of performance, the advent of deregulation and the consolidation of NPP ownership, as well as the current climate of concern about both rising energy costs and availability of power, has raised the standard for nuclear energy's level of competitiveness in today's market place. The resulting challenge is how to more effectively manage risk and improve performance even further in a generally high performing organization. Newer technology and more training by themselves are not the answer. Rather, the answer ...
This paper presents some basic elements regarding the domain of the collaborative systems, a domain of maximum actuality and also the multiagent systems, developed as a result of a sound study on the one-agent systems.
California s major energy utilities and the California Energy Commission (CEC) are seeking to allocate capital that yields the greatest return on investment for energy infrastructure that meets any part of the need for reliable supplies of energy. The utilities are keenly interested in knowing the amount of electrical energy savings that would occur if cool roof color materials are adopted in the building market. To meet this need the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) have been collaborating on a Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) project to develop an industry-consensus energy-savings calculator. The task was coordinated with an ongoing effort supported by the DOE to develop one calculator to achieve both the DOE and the EPA objectives for deployment of cool roof products. Recent emphasis on domestic building energy use has made the work a top priority by the Department of Energy s (DOE) Building Technologies Program. The Roof ...
Neutralizing an acidic fluid consists of adding a sodium hydroxide solution to neutralize the H group of acids, therefore increasing the pH. The injection of sodium hydroxide has to be continuous and at a proper depth inside the well to protect against the corrosion of casing and surface equipment. Neutralization is a common practice used in geothermal fields, such as at The Geysers in the US and Miravalles in Costa Rica-places where aggressive fluids cause problems for extracting and using geothermal fluids commercially. A zone surrounding wells H-4, H-16 and H-29 in the northern section of the Los Humeros, Pue., geothermal field, known as the Colapso Central, has shown evidence of aggressively acidic fluids. Several wells drilled in the area had to be repaired, thus plugging and isolating the deepest production zones. Well H-43 was drilled two years ago in the northern zone of the field, and even though it is not located in the aggressive-fluid zone, the well ...
Full text: The ITWG was first formed in 1995 for the purpose of fostering international cooperation for combating illicit trafficking of nuclear materials. The initial focus for the ITWG was on the development of nuclear forensics to help answer attribution questions regarding nuclear materials of unknown origin. More recently, the ITWG has also expanded its focus to include detection of nuclear materials during transit. This paper presents some of the key developments by this group and their potential impact for combating nuclear smuggling. The initial focus of the ITWG was to write a status report on international cooperation on nuclear smuggling forensic analysis. This 26-page report summarized previous work on nuclear forensics and gave an initial analysis on prioritizing techniques and methods for forensic analysis regarding source and route attribution. This report was submitted to the G-8 countries, and shortly thereafter, nuclear forensics was endorsed at the Moscow Summit in ...
AbstractOBJECTIVETo provide an overview of the 2009 edition of the Rourke Baby Record (RBR), which incorporates recent research in the literature relating to preventive health care for children aged 0 to 5 years.QUALITY OF EVIDENCERecommendations are identified as supported by good, fair, or consensus evidence, according to the classification of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care.MAIN MESSAGENew information and recommendations are given for growth monitoring, nutrition, developmental surveillance, physical examination maneuvers, immunization schedules, and advice for parents. Anticipatory guidance updates relate to injury prevention, infant swaddling, literacy facilitation, nonparental child care, parenting skills programs, serum lead levels, over-the-counter cough and cold medications, pacifiers, antipyretics, insect repellents, and dental care and oral health. The 2009 RBR is available in English and French in both National and Ontario versions and ...
The bullet evidence in the JFK assassination investigation was reexamined from metallurgical and statistical standpoints. The questioned specimens are comprised of soft lead, possibly from full-metal-jacketed Mannlicher-Carcano, 6.5-mm ammunition. During lead refining, contaminant elements are removed to specified levels for a desired alloy or composition. Microsegregation of trace and minor elements during lead casting and processing can account for the experimental variabilities measured in various evidentiary and comparison samples by laboratory analysts. Thus, elevated concentrations of antimony and copper at crystallographic grain boundaries, the widely varying sizes of grains in Mannlicher-Carcano bullet lead, and the 5-60 mg bullet samples analyzed for assassination intelligence effectively resulted in operational sampling error for the analyses. This deficiency was not considered in the original data interpretation and resulted in an invalid conclusion in ...
Pitting corrosion of Inconel 600 was examined in chloride and sulfate solutions through usage of potentiodynamic polarization techniques. The effects of chloride and sulfate concentration were investigated in the range of 0.0001 to 0.1 M. Increasing chloride concentrations resulted in active shifts of the pit nucleation potential. Immunity to pitting corrosion was evident at a chloride level below 0.005 M. Increasing sulfate concentrations resulted in improved pitting resistance of Inconel 600 in chloride solutions. Detrimental effects associated with pitting were evident with low-level sulfate being added to dilute chloride media. The density of pits increased with increasing chloride concentrations or temperature between room temperature and 70 C. Systematic trends for the depth of pits were not evident. The observations of pitting corrosion in open immersion were consistent with those in polarization methods. Corrosion ...
We present new results from BRAVA, a large-scale radial velocity survey of the Galactic bulge, using M giant stars selected from the Two Micron All Sky Survey catalog as targets for the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory 4 m Hydra multi-object spectrograph. The purpose of this survey is to construct a new generation of self-consistent bar models that conform to these observations. We report the dynamics for fields at the edge of the Galactic bulge at latitudes b = -8 deg. and compare to the dynamics at b = -4 deg. We find that the rotation curve V(r) is the same at b = -8 deg. as at b = -4 deg. That is, the Galactic boxy bulge rotates cylindrically, as do boxy bulges of other galaxies. The summed line-of-sight velocity distribution at b = -8 deg. is Gaussian, and the binned longitude-velocity plot shows no evidence for either a (disk) population with cold dynamics or for a (classical bulge) population with hot dynamics. The observed kinematics are well modeled ...
As is well documented, subprime mortgage markets carried significant default risk. This paper investigates the relationship between default risk premium, stock market conditions and macroeconomic variables during the financial crisis. Using iTraxx Japan Credit Default Swap (CDS) index spreads covering the period from March 2006 to November 2009, we employ a time-varying dynamic factor model with Markov regime switching to generate regime probabilities for default risk. We analyze the sensitivity of default risk premium changes to stock market conditions and macroeconomic variables by using two-state Markov switching models: a crisis regime sparked by rising loan defaults in the sub-prime mortgage market, and a non-crisis regime. We found strong evidence that the relationship between defaul...
Primary objective: Acquired brain injury (ABI) is associated with significant cognitive, behavioural, psychological and physical impairment. Hence, it has been important to leverage assessment approaches in rehabilitation by using current and emerging technologies, including virtual reality (VR). A number of VR rehabilitation programmes have been designed in recent years, mainly to improve upper limb function. However, before this technology gains widespread use, evaluation of the scientific evidence supporting VR-assisted rehabilitation is needed. The present review aimed to assess the rationale, design and methodology of research investigating the clinical impact of VR on ABI upper-limb rehabilitation. Research design: A total of 22 studies were surveyed using a Cochrane-style review. Re...
We use panel data from nine countries over the period 1996-2008 to test how revenue diversification affects bank value. Relying on a comprehensive framework for bank performance measurement, we find robust evidence against a conglomerate discount, unlike studies concerned with industrial firms. Rather, diversification increases bank profitability and, as a consequence also market valuations. This indirect performance effect does not depend on whether diversification was achieved through organic growth or through M&A activity. We further demonstrate that previous results in the literature on the impact of diversification on bank value presumably differ due to the way diversification is measured, and the negligence of the indirect value effect via bank profitability. Our evidence against a c...
Most heat shock proteins (Hsps) function as molecular chaperones that help organisms to cope with stress. Although the best empirical evidence is related to heat shock, there is evidence that Hsps and their encoding genes are involved in resistance to other ecologically relevant types of stresses such as those imposed by high population density. We quantified density-dependent gene expression of large (i.e. Hsp40, Hsc70 and Hsp90) and small (Hsp20.5, Hsp20.6 and Hsp20.7) heat shock genes in neural tissue of fifth-instar nymphs of the Australian plague locust, Chortoicetes terminifera, using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Locusts are of particular interest when studying the influence of stress induced by high population density since they show an extreme form of phenotypic plastici...
The issue of the duration of immunity, particularly for the modified live viral components of veterinary vaccines, has been a significant part of the recent vaccination debate. One manufacturer has increased the recommended booster interval for these components to 3 years give name and another now states `up to 4 years' immunity.There remain many unanswered questions regarding this duration of immunity (DOI). Studies suitable for data sheet claims are time consuming and costly and can only be performed in laboratory dogs under tightly controlled conditions. Evidence from rabies serology testing in the UK shows that the response of individual animals to routine vaccination is highly variable. Much of the published field evidence on the persistence of antibody titres originates from North Am...
We have obtained convincing evidence for localization of the optical electron on a single-ring fragment of a chelated bipyridine-like'' ligand (ie., pyridylpyrazine or 4-Methyl-bipyridine). In addition we have completed studies of Ru(bipyrazine){sub 3}{sup 2+} in aqueous sulfuric acid (0--98% by weight) and find clear evidence for sequential addition of six-protons to the six peripheral nitrogen atoms. Studies of zeolite-entrapped complexes are continuing and a series of homo- and heteroleptic complexes have been prepared and characterized. Finally, the synthesis of zeolite-entrapped metallophthalocyanines has now been developed and the copper and cobalt analogues synthesized. The characterization of these materials is now in progress.
Almost 900m adolescents and adults are illiterate in the developing world, yet most policy discussions focus on the educational circumstances of primary aged children. As a result non-formal educational programs for adolescents and adults are given very little support, and this group is virtually ignored in international agreements such as the millennium declaration. This article presents the first serious attempt at evaluating the impact of a non-formal education program. Results show significant learning achievement over the academic year, as well as strong development impacts of the program in non-learning dimensions of participants' lives. These positive impacts, plus the significantly lower unit costs and self-targeted nature of the program provide strong evidence that this type of pr...
This article reviews the principal evidences about aluminum neurotoxicity in vitro, and some evidences in brain tissues of Alzheimer patients; and also show some studies realized with human that suffer renal deficiencies, dealing whit the principal osteodystrophy. The problem of analyzing low aluminum concentration in human fluids is overcome with very sensitive analytical methods as electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAS) and voltammetric methods as Anodic Striping Voltammetry with complexing agents that easing adsorption over solid electrodes or mercury hanging drops. Is a vital question to know with accuracy the aluminum concentration in water used in hemodialysis or in fluids used in ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, as a first stage to prevent contamination by aluminum. So the prevention of contamination during sapling storage and analysis of biological fluids should be the first need and the sources of water used in renal ...
The determination of Li and proton-capture element abundances in globular cluster (GC) giants allows us to constrain several key questions on the multiple population scenarios in GCs, from formation and early evolution to pollution and dilution mechanisms. In this Letter, we present our results on Li abundances for a large sample of giants in the intermediate-metallicity GC NGC 6121 (M4), for which Na and O have been already determined by Marino et al. The stars analyzed are both below and above the red giant branch bump luminosity. We found that the first and second generation stars share the same Li content, suggesting that a Li production must have occurred. This provides strong observational evidence supporting the scenario in which asymptotic giant branch stars are GC polluters.
We present evidence in favour of a link between the luminosity radiatively dissipated in the central engine of radio-loud Active Galactic Nuclei and the kinetic power in their jets. This piece of evidence is based on the relation we find between the luminosity in broad emission lines and the kinetic power in pc-scale radio jets, for a sample of radio-loud quasars for which suitable data are available in the literature. We find that the ionizing luminosity and the kinetic one are of the same order of magnitude, suggesting that the processes responsible for them are somehow related. A strong magnetic field in equipartition with the radiation field could be responsible for regulating both processes. BL Lac objects seem to follow a similar behaviour, but with comparatively fainter broad line emission.
We report the use of ion beam induced charge imaging to characterise the charge signal uniformity of epitaxial gallium nitride radiation detectors. The detectors were fabricated from 2 {mu}m thick semi-insulating gallium nitride, grown by MOCVD on a sapphire substrate. A carrier concentration of 1.4x10{sup 15} cm{sup -3} was measured using capacitance-voltage measurements. Ion beam induced charge imaging was carried out with a 2 MeV alpha particle beam focussed to a 3 {mu}m diameter and raster scanned across the device. The resulting ion beam images show excellent charge signal uniformity in this material with no evidence of material defects or polycrystalline structure on the micrometer length scale. No evidence of charge signal trapping was observed in these devices.
Gonadal hormones modulate neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus differentially in male and female adult rodents. Neurogenesis is comprised of at least two components: cell proliferation (the production of new cells) and cell survival (the number of new neurons that survive to maturity). Previous studies have found sex differences in the level of cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus only when comparing females in a high estrogen state to males. This review focuses on the effects of acute and chronic levels of estrogens or androgens on hippocampal neurogenesis in the adult male and female rodent. Evidence is also reviewed for the co-localization of androgen receptors and estrogen receptors (ER) with markers for cell proliferation or immature new cell survival. Briefly, evidence suggests that ...
Future climate change will likely influence the frequency and intensity of weather extremes. As such events are by definition rare, long records are required to understand their characteristics, drivers, and consequences on ecology and society. Herein we provide a unique perspective on regional-scale temperature extremes over the past millennium, using three tree-ring maximum latewood density (MXD) chronologies from higher elevations in the European Alps. We verify the tree-ring-based extremes using documentary evidences from Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Central Europe that allowed the identification of 44 summer extremes over the 1550-2003 period. These events include cold temperatures in 1579, 1628, 1675, and 1816, as well as warm ones in 1811 and 2003. Prior to 1550, we provide ...
A 65-yr-old female developed cough, fever and dyspnoea following repeated exposure to a home ultrasonic humidifier. High-resolution computed tomography showed ground-glass opacity in both lung fields. Arterial blood gas analysis gave an oxygen tension of 8.38 kPa (63 Torr). Pulmonary function testing revealed restrictive ventilatory impairment with a reduction in the diffusing capacity. The diagnosis of extrinsic allergic alveolitis (EAA) was confirmed by radiographic findings, pathological evidence of alveolitis and reproductive development by a provocation test to the humidifier water. The yeast Debaryomyces Hansenii was the only microorganism cultured from the water of the humidifier. The double diffusion precipitating test and lymphocyte proliferative response was positive for an extract of D. Hansenii, providing evidence to incriminate this fungus. This is the first described case of EAA caused by D. Hansenii. PMID:12449192
We report experimental evidence of a previously unseen species-dependent effect in the transverse emittances of momentum-analyzed {sup 28}Si{sup {minus}}, {sup 58}Ni{sup {minus}}, and {sup 197}Au{sup {minus}} negative-ion beams generated by cesium-ion sputtering. The differences in the emittances are found to be principally correlated with differences in the energy spreads in the respective ion beams, which have their origins in the sputter-ejection negative-ion formation process. The experimental equipment and techniques utilized for emittance data acquisition and analysis, and evidence for a species-dependent effect in the emittances and brightnesses of the subject ion beams, are presented in this paper.
Stellar rotation velocities and velocity dispersions along three slit positions in M31 have been measured, and three-dimensional velocity and velocity dispersion fields are obtained in order to search for a central black hole. Synthetic apparent spectra are constructed to eliminate problems with the reaction of the Fourier quotient program to stellar population mixes. Models are constructed to explore parameter space. The large velocities and velocity gradients that are found imply that the total mass-to-light ratio rises sharply at r of 0.5 arcsec or less to values greater than 100. This is much larger than normal for old stellar populations. Velocity anisotropies are not a major uncertainty because of the rapid rotation. There is thus strong evidence for a dark central mass, probably a supermassive black hole. 48 references.
Evidence is reported for a narrow structure near the J/{psi}{phi} threshold in exclusive B{sup +} {yields} J/{psi}{phi}K{sup +} decays produced in {bar p}p collisions at {radical}s = 1.96 TeV. A signal of 14 {+-} 5 events, with statistical significance in excess of 3.8 standard deviations, is observed in a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.7 fb{sup -1}, collected by the CDF II detector. The mass and natural width of the structure are measured to be 4143.0 {+-} 2.9(stat) {+-} 1.2(syst) MeV/c{sup 2} and 11.7{sub -5.0}{sup +8.3}(stat) {+-} 3.7(syst) MeV/c{sup 2}.
The archaeological excavation of a rock shelter (Abrigo del Pozo) in one of the slopes of the Segura River (SE Spain) has revealed a exceptionally preserved sedimentary record spanning from the Paleolithic to the present-day, which includes an anomalous layer of stones (RFB) fallen from the roof. The sedimentary analysis of the stratigraphic sequence exhumed by the excavation indicates that human occupation of the rock shelter was controlled by fluvial environmental evolution. However, the RFB level resulted in a disturbance of human occupation and normal fluvial sedimentation. From the sedimentary and archaeological pieces of evidence, the RFB level has been interpreted as related to a palaeoearthquake responsible for the collapse of the roof and walls of the rock shelter. The palaeoearth...
Objectives1. We will use reduction of lysosomal stability as an indicator of cell injury induced by C-60 fullerenes and carbon nanotubes in the liver analogue or digestive gland (hepatopancreas) of marine mussels. Molluscan hepatopancreatic digestive cells are key to normal function and are a sensitive key interface with the environment. Reduction of lysosomal stability is mechanistically linked with impaired health of the whole animal. 2. We will also test the hepatopancreatic digestive cells for evide [continued...]DescriptionNanotechnology is a major innovative scientific and economic growth area, which may present a variety of hazards for environmental and human health. The surface properties and very small size of nanoparticles and nanotubes provides surfaces that may bind and transport toxic chemical pollutants, as well as possibly being toxic in their own right by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). There is a wealth of evidence ...
The last decade has produced an explosion in neuroscience research examining young children's early processing of language that has implications for education. Noninvasive, safe functional brain measurements have now been proven feasible for use with children starting at birth. In the arena of language, the neural signatures of learning can be documented at a remarkably early point in development, and these early measures predict performance in children's language and pre-reading abilities in the second, third, and fifth year of life, a finding with theoretical and educational import. There is evidence that children's early mastery of language requires learning in a social context, and this finding also has important implications for education. Evidence relating socioeconomic status (SES) ...
Evidence for dietary/nutritional treatments of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) varies widely, from double-blind, placebo-controlled trials to anecdotal. In guiding patients, clinicians can apply the SECS versus RUDE rule: treatments that are Safe, Easy, Cheap, and Sensible (SECS) require less evidence than those that are Risky, Unrealistic, Difficult, or Expensive (RUDE). Two nutritional treatments appear worth general consideration: Recommended Daily Allowance/Reference Daily Intake multivitamin/mineral supplements as a pediatric health intervention not specific to ADHD and essential fatty acids, especially a mix of eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and ?-linolenic acid as an ADHD-specific intervention. Controlled studies support the elimination of artificial fo...
A destructive spondyloarthropathy is reported in four patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis for chronic renal disease. In a separate investigation a controlled, prospective radiographic study of the cervical spine revealed this spondyloarthropathy in 4 (15%) of 26 long-term dialysis patients. A single disk level was involved in three patients, and two disc levels were involved in one patient. This spondyloarthropathy correlated with the duration of dialysis but not with the radiographic evidence of renal osteodystrophy or severity of laboratory abnormalities associated with hyperparathyroidism. Three of these four patients also had discovertebral erosions or destruction involving the lumbar spine. Cervical spine flexion views revealed evidence of ligamentous laxity or instability in three (12%) dialysis patients, all with vertebral resorption and disc space narrowing. It is postulated that this instability may contribute to the ...
We investigate how corruption influences the income level at the turning point of the relationship between sulfur emissions and income, using a wide cross-national panel of countries, at different levels of development and with different degrees of corruption. Our results support the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis for sulfur. We find evidence that the higher the country's degree of corruption, the higher the per capita income at the turning point, suggesting different income-pollution paths across countries due to corruption. We build upon a new specification for the EKC developed by Bradford et al. (2005) that avoids using nonlinear transformations of potentially nonstationary regressors in panel estimation. Also, we account for the indirect impact of corruption on emissions throu...
Abstract Rationale, aims and objectives- Finding ways to incorporate disparate types of evidence into research syntheses has the potential to build a better evidence base for clinical practice and policy. Yet conducting such mixed research synthesis studies is challenging. Researchers have to determine whether and how to use adjusted and unadjusted quantitative findings in combination with each other and with qualitative findings. Methods- Among quantitative findings, adjustment for confounding, either via study design or statistical analysis, can be a considerable source of heterogeneity. Yet there is no consensus about the best way to synthesize findings resulting from different methods for addressing confounding. When synthesizing qualitative and quantitative findings, additional consid...
This paper analyses the relationship between production subsidies and firms" export performance using a very comprehensive and recent firm-level database and controlling for the endogeneity of subsidies. It documents robust evidence that production subsidies stimulate export activity at the intensive margin, although this effect is conditional on firm characteristics. In particular, the positive relationship between subsidies and the intensive margin of exports is strongest among profit-making firms, firms in capital-intensive industries, and those located in non-coastal regions. Compared to firm characteristics, the extent of heterogeneity across ownership structure (SOEs, collectives, and privately owned firms) proves to be relatively less important
Frame Analysis has come to play an increasingly stronger role in the study of social movements in Sociology and Political Science. While significant steps have been made in providing a theory of frames and framing, a systematic characterization of the frame concept is still largely lacking and there are no rec-ognized criteria and methods that can be used to identify and marshal frame evi-dence reliably and in a time and cost effective manner. Consequently, current Frame Analysis work is still too reliant on manual annotation and subjective inter-pretation. The goal of this paper is to present an approach to the representation, acquisition and analysis of frame evidence which leverages Content Analysis, In-formation Extraction and Semantic Search methods to provide a systematic treat-ment of a Frame Analysis and automate frame annotation.
From the beginning of the 90s the analysis of the relationships between economic growth and environmental pressures has been influenced by the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis or inverted-U shaped relationship between environmental pressure and per capita income. Following this hypothesis, once achieved certain income level, more economic growth is followed by environmental quality improvement. In this paper, we analyse and discuss the theories that support this hypothesis as well as the empirical evidence on this subject. Further on we analyse the relationship between per capita income and the main environmental pollutants for the case does not support the hypothesis. The empirical evidence shows that economic growth, by itself, does not entail a pollution reduction. (Author) 35 refs.
The types of investigations undertaken to test for possible biological effects of extremely low frequency electric fields have been numerous. However, neither animal and plant experimentation nor clinical studies nor experience with operating extremely high voltage transmission lines have to date provided convincing evidence of a harmful effect from exposure to electric fields associated with transmission lines in spite of numerous attempts to find such effects. Analysis of internal fields and currents supports these observations as the levels appear to be too low to affect mammalian cells. Thus, while one can never prove the negative (i.e. that there is no effect), the overwhelming body of evidence indicates that the electric fields associated with high-voltage lines have no deleterious biological effects. (author).
An outline of the instrumentation and control systems associated with fuelling machines is given. The control systems such as hydraulic system, oil hydraulic system, electric control system and the remote control systems have been discussed in detail. The difference between RAPP and MAPP fuel handling control systems has been explained. A computer based system for the Narora fuel handling control system is also discussed. (S.K.K.).
The transport and partitioning of {sup 129}I has been examined for a shallow groundwater flow system at Sturgeon Falls in northeastern Ontario. Recharge into a sandy surficial postglacial deltaic aquifer occurs in the vicinity of a seasonally-wet boreal forest. Concentrations of stable iodine, {sup 129}I, tritium, radiocarbon, stable isotopes and major ions were measured on samples of groundwater and precipitation. The present-day tritium profile delineates the position of the early 1960's above-ground nuclear weapons pulse at a depth of approximately 12 m. The concentrations of stable iodine for groundwaters above, near and below the above-ground nuclear weapons pulse range from 0.07 to 1.7 ppb. Over that same interval {sup 129}I concentrations decreased from 1.9 x 10{sup 6} atoms/L at 9 m, to approximately 1.9 x 10{sup 5} atoms/L in tritium-depleted waters at 35 m, below the present-day depth of the recharging above-ground nuclear weapons peak at ...
Beach rocks are observed frequently on the tropical and subtropical sandy beaches where they express thin beds dipping seaward at less than 15 degrees. They consist of beach sediments including fossil shells, fragments of corals, diatoms and other biocarbonates, and are well cemented within the inter-tidal zone with calcium carbonate originated in sea water. Therefore, they are not only good indicators which show the past sea level, but also provide good sample material for radiocarbon dating. The locations of beach rocks give us an optimum condition studying a carbon cycle between land and marine environment by analyzing their isotope fractionations. In order to estimate the origin of calcium carbonate which worked as an adhesive when beach rocks were formed and to estimate the formative ages of beach rocks, a total of 330 fossil corals, fossil shells and calcarenite or calcirdite samples were collected from 128 sites of 16 islands consisting of the Nansei Islands, southwest of Japan. ...
Success in improving hydropower project efficiency has opened more global markets for variable-speed generator technology. Manufacturers continue to test the markets as the technology evolves. The potential of variable-speed application becomes evident considering that more than 150 pumped storage plants, with a combined capacity exceeding 100,000 MW, are in operation globally.
The essential properties of tachyons are described briefly and the 'reinterpretation principle' for tachyons is discussed. The possibility of conducting an experiment analogous to the Michelson-Morley experiment in which a preferred frame may be detected is considered. The existance of a tachyon prefered frame is consistent with the principles of relativity and, if suitable experiments were devised, could provide important evidence for the existence of tachyons. (W.D.L.).
An antibody capture enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was adapted for the detection of immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody to Sindbis (SIN) virus. Sera from humans with a febrile illness characterized by rash and...Full Text Available
Using a simple model for soft self-consistent nonperturbative string fragmentation-recombination loops, we find that, in an open-string theory, ground-state particles necessary for the standard model either become tachyons or acquire large (Planck-scale) masses, making them unacceptable for sub-Planck-scale phenomenology. No comparable difficulties are evident for closed-string theories.
Using the experimentally determined cutoff energies of the muon-electron and the pion-electron conversion curves in a tachyon-bradyon model of the electron and the muon, the magnetic moments of these particles have been derived and found to be the Bohr magnetons identically. The tachyons, being bound to the bradyons and unable to drop below the speed of light, cause the bradyons to revolve in an orbit. It is this orbital motion of the charged bradyons that generates the magnetic moments.
A search for tachyons, or other particles detectable by G-M counter tubes or liquid scintillators, arriving during the approximately 100#mu#s immediately preceding extensive air showers (primary energy approximately 10"1"5 eV) has provided no positive evidence for the existence of such particles. (orig.).