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Sample records for non-o1 non-o139 strains

  1. O Serogroup-Specific Touchdown-Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction for Detection and Identification of Vibrio cholerae O1, O139, and Non-O1/Non-O139

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    Adisak Bhumiratana

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A novel, sensitive locus-specific touchdown-multiplex polymerase chain reaction (TMPCR, which is based on two-stage amplification pertaining to multiplex PCR and conditional touchdown strategy, was used in detecting and differentiating Vibrio cholerae serogroups. A panel of molecular marker-based TMPCR method generates reproducible profiles of V. cholerae-specific (588 bp amplicons derived from ompW gene encoding the outer membrane protein and serogroup-specific amplicons, 364 bp for the O1 and 256 bp for the O139, authentically copied from rfb genes responsible for the lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis. The TMPCR amplification efficiency yields either equally or unequally detectable duplex DNA bands of the O1 (588 and 364 bp and O139 (588 and 256 bp or a DNA fragment of non-O1/non-O139 (588 bp while providing no false positive identifications using the genomic DNA templates of the other vibrios and Enterobacteriaceae. The reciprocal analysis of two-template combinations demonstrated that, using V. cholerae O1, O139, or equally mixed O1 and O139, the TMPCR had a detection limit of as low as 100 pg of the O1, O139, or non-O1/non-O139 in reactions containing unequally or equally mixed gDNAs. In addition, the O serogroup-specific TMPCR method had 100% agreement with the serotyping method when examined for the serotyped V. cholerae reference strains and those recovered from clinical samples. The potential benefit of using this TMPCR tool would augment the serotyping method used in epidemiological surveillance and monitoring of V. cholerae serogroups, O1, O139, and non-O1/non-O139 present in clinical and environmental samples.

  2. Detection of cholera (ctx) and zonula occludens (zot) toxin genes in Vibrio cholerae O1, O139 and non-O1 strains.

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    Rivera, I G; Chowdhury, M A; Sanchez, P S; Sato, M I; Huq, A; Colwell, R R; Martins, M T

    1995-09-01

    Vibrio cholerae O1 and V. cholerae non-O1 strains isolated from environmental samples collected in São Paulo, Brazil, during cholera epidemics and pre-epidemic periods were examined for the presence of toxin genes. V. cholerae O1 strains isolated from clinical samples in Peru and Mexico, and V. cholerae O139 strains from India were also examined for the presence of ctx (cholera toxin gene) and zot (zonula occludens toxin gene) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A modified DNA-extraction method applied in this study yielded satisfactory recovery of genomic DNA from vibrios. Results showed that strains of V. cholerae O1 isolated during the preepidemic period were ctx (-)/zot (-) whereas strains isolated during the epidemic were ctx (+)/zot (+). All V. cholerae non-O1 strains tested in the study were ctx (-)/zot (-), whereas all V. cholerae O139 strains were ctx (+)/zot (+). Rapid detection of the virulence genes (ctx and zot) can be achieved by PCR and this can serve as an important tool in the epidemiology and surveillance of V. cholerae.

  3. Virulence factors of non-O1 non-O139 Vibrio cholerae isolated in Córdoba, Argentina Factores de virulencia de Vibrio cholerae no-O1 no-O139 aislados en Córdoba, Argentina

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    C. Bidinost

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available V. cholerae non-O1 non-O139 serogroups isolated from clinical and environmental sources in Córdoba, Argentina, were analyzed for the presence and expression of virulence genes. Most of the strains studied contained the genes toxR and hlyA, but lacked ctxA, zot, ace, tcpA and stn. The culture supernatants were tested for hemolytic and cytotoxic activity. The enterotoxic potential of the strains was studied in a rabbit ileal loop assay and their genetic profiles were compared by PFGE. The environmental strains varied in their virulence phenotype and showed no-clonal relationships. The clinical strains were highly enterotoxic, hemolytic, proteolytic and showed indistinguishable PFGE profiles, although they differed in their cytotoxic activity. This is the first description, using cell culture and “in vivo” studies, of the virulence properties of non-O1 non-O139 V. cholerae from Argentina.En este trabajo se analizó la presencia y expresión de genes de virulencia en V. cholerae no-O1 no-O139 de origen clínico y ambiental, aislados en Córdoba, Argentina. La mayoría de las cepas estudiadas contiene los genes toxR y hlyA, pero no ctxA, zot, ace, tcpA y stn. Se analizó la actividad hemolítica y citotóxica de estas cepas en los sobrenadantes de cultivo, así como su potencial enterotóxico en ensayos de asa ileal ligada de conejo. Además, los aislamientos fueron comparados por sus perfiles genéticos en PFGE. Las cepas del medio ambiente mostraron variación en su fenotipo de virulencia y no mostraron relación clonal. Las cepas clínicas fueron muy enterotóxicas, hemolíticas, proteolíticas y mostraron perfiles indistinguibles de PFGE, aunque mostraron diferencias en su actividad citotóxica. En este trabajo se describen por primera vez, utilizando ensayos de cultivo celular e “in vivo”, propiedades de virulencia de V. cholerae no-O1 no-O139 aislados en Argentina.

  4. Detection of ctx gene positive non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae in shrimp aquaculture environments.

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    Madhusudana, Rao B; Surendran, P K

    2013-06-01

    Water and post-larvae samples from black tiger (Penaeus monodon) shrimp hatcheries; pond water, pond sediment and shrimp from aquaculture farms were screened for the presence of V. cholerae. A V. cholerae-duplex PCR method was developed by utilizing V. cholerae species specific sodB primers and ctxAB genes specific primers. Incidence of V. cholerae was not observed in shrimp hatchery samples but was noticed in aquaculture samples. The incidence of V. cholerae was higher in pond water (7.6%) than in pond sediment (5.2%). Shrimp head (3.6%) portion had relatively higher incidence than shrimp muscle (1.6%). All the V. cholerae isolates (n = 42) belonged to non-O1/non-O139 serogroup, of which 7% of the V. cholerae isolates were potentially cholera-toxigenic (ctx positive). All the ctx positive V. cholerae (n = 3) were isolated from the pond water. Since, cholera toxin (CT) is the major contributing factor for cholera gravis, it is proposed that the mere presence of non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae need not be the biohazard criterion in cultured black tiger shrimp but only the presence of ctx carrying non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae may be considered as potential public health risk.

  5. Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequences and the PCR to generate fingerprints of genomic DNAs from Vibrio cholerae O1, O139, and non-O1 strains.

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    Rivera, I G; Chowdhury, M A; Huq, A; Jacobs, D; Martins, M T; Colwell, R R

    1995-08-01

    Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC) sequence polymorphism was studied in Vibrio Cholerae strains isolated before and after the cholera epidemic in Brazil (in 1991), along with epidemic strains from Peru, Mexico, and India, by PCR. A total of 17 fingerprint patterns (FPs) were detected in the V. cholerae strains examined; 96.7% of the toxigenic V. cholerae O1 strains and 100% of the O139 serogroup strains were found to belong to the same FP group comprising four fragments (FP1). The nontoxigenic V. cholerae O1 also yielded four fragments but constituted a different FP group (FP2). A total of 15 different patterns were observed among the V. cholerae non-O1 strains. Two patterns were observed most frequently for V. cholerae non-01 strains, 25% of which have FP3, with five fragments, and 16.7% of which have FP4, with two fragments. Three fragments, 1.75, 0.79, and 0.5 kb, were found to be common to both toxigenic and nontoxigenic V. cholerae O1 strains as well as to group FP3, containing V. cholerae non-O1 strains. Two fragments of group FP3, 1.3 and 1.0 kb, were present in FP1 and FP2 respectively. The 0.5-kb fragment was common to all strains and serogroups of V. cholerae analyzed. It is concluded from the results of this study, based on DNA FPs of environmental isolates, that it is possible to detect an emerging virulent strain in a cholera-endemic region. ERIC-PCR constitutes a powerful tool for determination of the virulence potential of V. cholerae O1 strains isolated in surveillance programs and for molecular epidemiological investigations.

  6. Caracterización de aislamientos de Vibrio cholerae no-O1, no-O139 asociados a cuadros de diarrea Characterization of Vibrio cholerae non-O1 and non-O139 isolates associated with diarrhea

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    S. González Fraga

    2009-03-01

    its virulence factors by PCR, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and genetic diversity by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Eight virulence patterns were obtained although no isolate was positive for the cholera toxin or the thermostable toxin. Four isolates were positive for the type three secretion system. The 17.6% of the isolates were resistant or intermediate to ampicillin and 5.9% were resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. By SfiI-PFGE, all isolates were genetically very diverse, as 27 different patterns were identified in 29 typeable isolates by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Although it has a low incidence, V. cholerae continues to be a causative agent of diarrhea in children, who are affected by a variety of circulating strains of V. cholerae non-O1, non-O139.

  7. Antimicrobial Susceptibility among Urban Wastewater and Wild Shellfish Isolates of Non-O1/Non-O139 Vibrio cholerae from La Rance Estuary (Brittany, France

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    Sandrine Baron

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The early 2000s marked the end of the Golden age of the antibiotics and the beginning of the awareness on the potential threat to human health due to the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance. As a base-line study, we investigated the antimicrobial susceptibility of 99 strains of non-O1/non-O139 Vibrio cholerae isolated from wastewater and shellfish in 2000/2001 within La Rance estuary (Brittany, France. All isolates were susceptible to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, cefotaxime, imipenem, chloramphenicol, nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, amikacin, gentamicin, tetracycline, doxycycline, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and erythromycin. The only resistances were to streptomycin, sulfonamides and ampicillin: 54.6% of the isolates had acquired resistance to at least one antimicrobial agent among them and only six isolates from cockles were multidrug resistant. On the basis of the distribution of a limited selection of resistance associated genes, our study shows that V. cholerae can constitute an environmental reservoir for these genes. However, none of our isolates harbored integron. This result casts doubt on the capacity of non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae to acquire resistance-associated genes in such context, and on its potential role of indicator of the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance in the aquatic environment.

  8. Bacteriemia por Vibrio cholerae no-O1, no-O139 en un paciente en hemodiálisis crónica Non-O1, non-O139 Vibrio cholerae bacteremia in a chronic hemodialysis patient

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    Mariela S. Zárate

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Vibrio cholerae no-O1, no-O139 es un agente poco frecuente como causal de bacteriemias y no hay informes que documenten su presencia en pacientes en hemodiálisis crónica. Se describe el caso de una paciente en hemodiálisis crónica que presentó un cuadro de sepsis, por lo cual inició un tratamiento con vancomicina y ceftacidima. Al cabo de seis horas y media de incubación en el sistema BACT/ALERT de hemocultivo, se evidenció la presencia de bacilos curvos gram negativos, posteriormente identificados como Vibrio cholerae mediante pruebas bioquímicas convencionales y el uso de los kits API 20 NE y VITEK 2. La evaluación del serogrupo y de la presencia de factores de patogenicidad, realizada en el laboratorio de referencia, determinó que el microorganismo hallado pertenecía al serogrupo no-O1, no-O139. No se detectó la toxina de cólera, tampoco el factor de colonización ni la toxina termoestable. El aislamiento presentó sensibilidad frente a ampicilina, trimetoprima-sulfametoxazol, ciprofloxacina, tetraciclina, ceftacidima y cefotaxima por el método de difusión con discos y por VITEK 2. La paciente cumplió 14 días de tratamiento con ceftacidima endovenosa, con evolución favorable.Non-O1, and non-O139 Vibrio cholerae is an infrequent cause of bacteremia. There are no reports of such bacteremia in chronic hemodialysis patients. This work describes the case of a chronic hemodialysis patient that had an episode of septicemia associated with dialysis. Blood cultures were obtained and treatment was begun with vancomycin and ceftazidime. After 6.5 hours of incubation in the Bact/Alert system there is evidence of gram-negative curved bacilli that were identified as Vibrio cholerae by conventional biochemical tests, API 20 NE and the VITEK 2 system. This microorganism was sent to the reference laboratory for evaluation of serogroup and virulence factors and was identified as belonging to the non-O1 and non-O139 serogroup. The cholera

  9. IncA/C Conjugative Plasmids Mobilize a New Family of Multidrug Resistance Islands in Clinical Vibrio cholerae Non-O1/Non-O139 Isolates from Haiti.

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    Carraro, Nicolas; Rivard, Nicolas; Ceccarelli, Daniela; Colwell, Rita R; Burrus, Vincent

    2016-07-19

    Mobile genetic elements play a pivotal role in the adaptation of bacterial populations, allowing them to rapidly cope with hostile conditions, including the presence of antimicrobial compounds. IncA/C conjugative plasmids (ACPs) are efficient vehicles for dissemination of multidrug resistance genes in a broad range of pathogenic species of Enterobacteriaceae ACPs have sporadically been reported in Vibrio cholerae, the infectious agent of the diarrheal disease cholera. The regulatory network that controls ACP mobility ultimately depends on the transcriptional activation of multiple ACP-borne operons by the master activator AcaCD. Beyond ACP conjugation, AcaCD has also recently been shown to activate the expression of genes located in the Salmonella genomic island 1 (SGI1). Here, we describe MGIVchHai6, a novel and unrelated mobilizable genomic island (MGI) integrated into the 3' end of trmE in chromosome I of V. cholerae HC-36A1, a non-O1/non-O139 multidrug-resistant clinical isolate recovered from Haiti in 2010. MGIVchHai6 contains a mercury resistance transposon and an integron In104-like multidrug resistance element similar to the one of SGI1. We show that MGIVchHai6 excises from the chromosome in an AcaCD-dependent manner and is mobilized by ACPs. Acquisition of MGIVchHai6 confers resistance to β-lactams, sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, trimethoprim, and streptomycin/spectinomycin. In silico analyses revealed that MGIVchHai6-like elements are carried by several environmental and clinical V. cholerae strains recovered from the Indian subcontinent, as well as from North and South America, including all non-O1/non-O139 clinical isolates from Haiti. Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera, remains a global public health threat. Seventh-pandemic V. cholerae acquired multidrug resistance genes primarily through circulation of SXT/R391 integrative and conjugative elements. IncA/C conjugative plasmids have sporadically been reported to

  10. Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequences and the PCR to generate fingerprints of genomic DNAs from Vibrio cholerae O1, O139, and non-O1 strains.

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    Rivera, I G; Chowdhury, M A; Huq, A; Jacobs, D; Martins, M T; Colwell, R R

    1995-01-01

    Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC) sequence polymorphism was studied in Vibrio Cholerae strains isolated before and after the cholera epidemic in Brazil (in 1991), along with epidemic strains from Peru, Mexico, and India, by PCR. A total of 17 fingerprint patterns (FPs) were detected in the V. cholerae strains examined; 96.7% of the toxigenic V. cholerae O1 strains and 100% of the O139 serogroup strains were found to belong to the same FP group comprising four fragments (F...

  11. Whole genome PCR scanning reveals the syntenic genome structure of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae strains in the O1/O139 population.

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    Bo Pang

    Full Text Available Vibrio cholerae is commonly found in estuarine water systems. Toxigenic O1 and O139 V. cholerae strains have caused cholera epidemics and pandemics, whereas the nontoxigenic strains within these serogroups only occasionally lead to disease. To understand the differences in the genome and clonality between the toxigenic and nontoxigenic strains of V. cholerae serogroups O1 and O139, we employed a whole genome PCR scanning (WGPScanning method, an rrn operon-mediated fragment rearrangement analysis and comparative genomic hybridization (CGH to analyze the genome structure of different strains. WGPScanning in conjunction with CGH revealed that the genomic contents of the toxigenic strains were conservative, except for a few indels located mainly in mobile elements. Minor nucleotide variation in orthologous genes appeared to be the major difference between the toxigenic strains. rrn operon-mediated rearrangements were infrequent in El Tor toxigenic strains tested using I-CeuI digested pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE analysis and PCR analysis based on flanking sequence of rrn operons. Using these methods, we found that the genomic structures of toxigenic El Tor and O139 strains were syntenic. The nontoxigenic strains exhibited more extensive sequence variations, but toxin coregulated pilus positive (TCP+ strains had a similar structure. TCP+ nontoxigenic strains could be subdivided into multiple lineages according to the TCP type, suggesting the existence of complex intermediates in the evolution of toxigenic strains. The data indicate that toxigenic O1 El Tor and O139 strains were derived from a single lineage of intermediates from complex clones in the environment. The nontoxigenic strains with non-El Tor type TCP may yet evolve into new epidemic clones after attaining toxigenic attributes.

  12. [Cytotoxic effect of Vibrio cholerae non-O1 on Vero cells].

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    Figueroa-Arredondo, P; García-Lozano, H; Gutiérrez-Cogco, L; Valdespino-Gómez, J L

    1994-01-01

    At the present time there is still in Mexico a diarrhoeal outbreak due to Vibrio cholerae O1. In INDRE we have isolated from the same outbreak last year (jan-apr), 70 strains of Vibrio cholerae Non-O1. These were isolated from patients with a diarrhoeal illness different from cholera. Patients were of different ages and sex, and from various geographic areas. The isolated strains were confirmed by serological agglutination test with polyclonal antisera, and they neither belong to O1 serogroup or O139. We assayed all the 70 strains in Vero cells, searching for cytotoxic effect, probably attributed to cholera toxin, or any other toxin. The strains were screened by PCR for cholera toxin gene detection, and negative results were obtained. We have found only one CT-producer strain, but it was a rough one so, we are not able to affirm that is not a V. cholerae O1 serotype. Vibrio cholerae Non-O1 strains, tested in Vero cells assay, produced cytotoxic effect within 24 h. It was found that 48/70 strains (66.6%), had cytotoxic activity, showing rounding and then lysis of cells. From our results we concluded that this cytotoxic effect, is not cholera toxin related, instead we propose it could be due to an unknown virulence factor, probably a different toxin in mexican Vibrio cholerae Non-O1 strains.

  13. Comparative genome analysis of non-toxigenic non-O1 versus toxigenic O1 Vibrio cholerae

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    Mukherjee, Munmun; Kakarla, Prathusha; Kumar, Sanath; Gonzalez, Esmeralda; Floyd, Jared T.; Inupakutika, Madhuri; Devireddy, Amith Reddy; Tirrell, Selena R.; Bruns, Merissa; He, Guixin; Lindquist, Ingrid E.; Sundararajan, Anitha; Schilkey, Faye D.; Mudge, Joann; Varela, Manuel F.

    2014-01-01

    Pathogenic strains of Vibrio cholerae are responsible for endemic and pandemic outbreaks of the disease cholera. The complete toxigenic mechanisms underlying virulence in Vibrio strains are poorly understood. The hypothesis of this work was that virulent versus non-virulent strains of V. cholerae harbor distinctive genomic elements that encode virulence. The purpose of this study was to elucidate genomic differences between the O1 serotypes and non-O1 V. cholerae PS15, a non-toxigenic strain,...

  14. Comparative genome analysis of non-toxigenic non-O1 versus toxigenic O1 Vibrio cholerae

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    Mukherjee, Munmun; Kakarla, Prathusha; Kumar, Sanath; Gonzalez, Esmeralda; Floyd, Jared T.; Inupakutika, Madhuri; Devireddy, Amith Reddy; Tirrell, Selena R.; Bruns, Merissa; He, Guixin; Lindquist, Ingrid E.; Sundararajan, Anitha; Schilkey, Faye D.; Mudge, Joann; Varela, Manuel F.

    2015-01-01

    Pathogenic strains of Vibrio cholerae are responsible for endemic and pandemic outbreaks of the disease cholera. The complete toxigenic mechanisms underlying virulence in Vibrio strains are poorly understood. The hypothesis of this work was that virulent versus non-virulent strains of V. cholerae harbor distinctive genomic elements that encode virulence. The purpose of this study was to elucidate genomic differences between the O1 serotypes and non-O1 V. cholerae PS15, a non-toxigenic strain, in order to identify novel genes potentially responsible for virulence. In this study, we compared the whole genome of the non-O1 PS15 strain to the whole genomes of toxigenic serotypes at the phylogenetic level, and found that the PS15 genome was distantly related to those of toxigenic V. cholerae. Thus we focused on a detailed gene comparison between PS15 and the distantly related O1 V. cholerae N16961. Based on sequence alignment we tentatively assigned chromosome numbers 1 and 2 to elements within the genome of non-O1 V. cholerae PS15. Further, we found that PS15 and O1 V. cholerae N16961 shared 98% identity and 766 genes, but of the genes present in N16961 that were missing in the non-O1 V. cholerae PS15 genome, 56 were predicted to encode not only for virulence–related genes (colonization, antimicrobial resistance, and regulation of persister cells) but also genes involved in the metabolic biosynthesis of lipids, nucleosides and sulfur compounds. Additionally, we found 113 genes unique to PS15 that were predicted to encode other properties related to virulence, disease, defense, membrane transport, and DNA metabolism. Here, we identified distinctive and novel genomic elements between O1 and non-O1 V. cholerae genomes as potential virulence factors and, thus, targets for future therapeutics. Modulation of such novel targets may eventually enhance eradication efforts of endemic and pandemic disease cholera in afflicted nations. PMID:25722857

  15. Water sources as reservoirs of Vibrio cholerae O1 and non-O1 strains in Bepanda, Douala (Cameroon): relationship between isolation and physico-chemical factors.

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    Akoachere, Jane-Francis Tatah Kihla; Mbuntcha, Christelle Kwedjeu Pulcherie

    2014-07-30

    Cholera has been endemic in Douala since 1971. Most outbreaks start from Bepanda, an overcrowded neighbourhood with poor hygiene and sanitary conditions. We investigated water sources in Bepanda as reservoirs of Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera, determined its antibiotic susceptibility and some physico-chemical characteristics that could maintain the endemicity of this organism in Bepanda. Three hundred and eighteen water samples collected from 45 wells, 8 taps and 1 stream from February to July 2009 were analyzed for V. cholerae using standard methods. Isolates were characterized morphologically, biochemically and serologically. The disc diffusion technique was employed to investigate antibiotic susceptibility. Differences in prevalence of organism between seasons were analysed. Correlation strength and direction of association between physico-chemical parameters and occurrence of V. cholerae was analyzed using the Kendall tau_b non-parametric correlation. This was further confirmed with the forward-stepwise binary logistic regression. Eighty-seven (27.4%) samples were positive for V. cholerae. Isolation was highest from wells. The organism was isolated in the rainy season and dry season but the frequency of isolation was significantly higher (χ2 = 7.009, df = 1, P = 0.008) in the rainy season. Of the 96 confirmed V. cholerae isolates, 32 (33.3%) belonged to serogroup O1 and 64 (66.6%) were serogroup non-O1/non-O139. Isolates from tap (municipal water) were non-O1/non-O139 strains. Salinity had a significant positive correlation with isolation in the dry season (+0.267, P = 0.015) and rainy season (+0.223, P = 0.028). The forward-stepwise method of binary logistic regression indicated that as pH (Wald = 11.753, df = 1), P = 0.001) increased, odds of isolation of V. cholerae also increased (B = 1.297, S.E = 0.378, Exp(B) = 3.657). All isolates were sensitive to ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin. Multi-drug resistance was predominant among the non-O1/non-O

  16. Distribution and content of class 1 integrons in different Vibrio cholerae O-serotype strains isolated in Thailand

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dalsgaard, Anders; Forslund, Anita; Serichantalergs, Oralak

    2000-01-01

    only a single antibiotic resistance gene. Although resistance genes in class 1 integrons were found in strains from the same epidemic, as well as in unrelated non-O1, non-O139 strains isolated from children with diarrhea, they were found to encode only some of the antibiotic resistance expressed...

  17. Misidentification of Vibrio cholerae O155 isolated from imported shrimp as O serogroup O139 due to cross-agglutination with commercial O139 antisera

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dalsgaard, A.; Mazur, J.; Dalsgaard, Inger

    2002-01-01

    . The strain contained two plasmids, in contrast to other O139 strains, which normally do not contain plasmids. The characteristics of the strain led to further agglutination testing with other antisera that are not commercially available, and the strain was found to agglutinate O155 antiserum in repeated...... was isolated from imported raw frozen shrimp. The toxigenicity of the strain was analyzed, and the results of a polymerase chain reaction showed that the V. cholerae strain did not contain the virulence genes ctx, tcp9, and zot, which are normally found in V. cholerae O1 and O139. The strain was resistant...... to colistin and spectinomycin. The high susceptibility of the strain to antimicrobial agents was confirmed by the lack of an SXT element, a self-transmissible, chromosomal genetic element that is normally present in O139 strains and encodes resistance to sulfonamides, trimethoprim, and streptomycin...

  18. OmpU as a biomarker for rapid discrimination between toxigenic and epidemic Vibrio cholerae O1/O139 and non-epidemic Vibrio cholerae in a modified MALDI-TOF MS assay

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Paauw, A.; Trip, H.; Niemcewicz, M.; Sellek, R.; Heng, J.M.E.; Mars-Groenendijk, R.H.; Jong, A.L. de; Majchrzykiewicz-Koehorst, J.A.; Olsen, J.S.; Tsivtsivadze, E.

    2014-01-01

    Background Cholera is an acute diarrheal disease caused by Vibrio cholerae. Outbreaks are caused by a genetically homogenous group of strains from serogroup O1 or O139 that are able to produce the cholera toxin. Rapid detection and identification of these epidemic strains is essential for an

  19. Characterization of a clinical Vibrio cholerae O139 isolate from Mexico.

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    Parveen, Salina; Farrah, Samuel R; Gonzalez-Bonilla, Celia; Zamudio, Altagracia V; Tamplin, Mark L

    2003-01-01

    Pathogenic strains of Vibrio cholerae O139 possess the cholera toxin A subunit (ctxA) gene as well as the gene for toxin co-regulated pili (tcpA). We report the isolation of a ctxA-negative, tcpA-negative V. cholerae O139 strain (INDREI) from a patient in Mexico diagnosed with gastrointestinal illness. Certain phenotypic characteristics of this strain were identical to those of V. cholerae O1 biotype El Tor. Unlike ctxA-positive V. cholerae O139 strains, this strain was sensitive to a wide panel of antibiotics, including ampicillin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, furazolidone, nalidixic acid, nitrofurantoin, tetracycline, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and streptomycin, but was resistant to polymyxin B. Ribotype and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles of INDRE1 differed from those of ctxA-positive V. cholerae O139 and other V. cholerae strains. Phenotypic characteristics of the Mexico strain were similar to those reported for V. cholerae O139 isolates from Argentina and Sri Lanka.

  20. IncA/C plasmids harboured in serious multidrug-resistant Vibrio cholerae serogroup O139 strains in China.

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    Wang, Ruibai; Yu, Dong; Zhu, Lianhui; Li, Jie; Yue, Junjie; Kan, Biao

    2015-03-01

    Vibrio cholerae serogroup O139 emerged in 1992 and is one of two major serogroups to have caused cholera epidemics. After 1998, serious multidrug-resistant (MDR) O139 strains quickly became common in China, showing a multidrug resistance profile to eight antibiotics. It is a great threat to public health, and elucidation of its mechanisms of resistance will provide a helpful guide for the clinical treatment and prevention of cholera. In this study, mega-plasmids from MDR V. cholerae O139 strains were identified by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) without enzyme digestion. One plasmid was isolated and sequenced, belonging to the IncA/C family. Ten antibiotic resistance genes were found in the MDR regions, including a blaTEM-20 gene, and these genes endowed the host with resistance to seven antibiotics. This kind of plasmid was positive in 71.2% (198/278) of toxigenic O139 strains, and the rate of plasmid positivity was consistent with the yearly change in MDR rates of these strains. This study reveals an important role of the IncA/C family plasmid in the spread of multiple antibiotic resistance of epidemic V. cholerae serogroup O139 strains, which has recombined with plasmids from different bacterial species and transferred among V. cholerae strains. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. and the International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

  1. Surface and virulence properties of environmental Vibrio cholerae non-O1 from Albufera Lake (Valencia, Spain).

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    Amaro, C; Toranzo, A E; González, E A; Blanco, J; Pujalte, M J; Aznar, R; Garay, E

    1990-04-01

    A total of 140 environmental Vibrio cholerae non-O1 isolates, together with several culture collection strains from both environmental and clinical sources, were studied in relation to hemagglutination, surface hydrophobicity, and the enzymatic, hemolytic, cytotoxic, and enterotoxic activities of their extracellular products. A total of 78 and 62% of the strains produced hemagglutinins and exohemagglutinins, respectively. Four different hemagglutinating and two exohemagglutinating activities were found by using eight sugars in the inhibition assays. Cell-bound mannose-sensitive hemagglutination was detected mainly in chicken blood, whereas fucose-sensitive hemagglutination was recorded only in human blood. Cell-bound hemagglutinin resistant to all sugars tested was the only one related to surface hydrophobicity. The surface properties varied along the growth curves. The non-O1 strains displayed strong enzymatic and hemolytic activities, except for esculin hydrolysis. Of 26 non-O1 isolates selected for cytotoxin and enterotoxin production, 23 showed a wide spectrum of cytotoxic effects on cell lines of poikilothermic and homoiothermic species, but they were weakly enterotoxigenic in the infant mouse test. All extracellular products of cytotoxic strains were proteolytic, lipolytic, and hemolytic, and a high percentage produced hemagglutination of chicken blood. The cytotoxic factors in the non-O1 strains analyzed were not R plasmid mediated.

  2. Non-toxigenic environmental Vibrio cholerae O1 strain from Haiti provides evidence of pre-pandemic cholera in Hispaniola

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azarian, Taj; Ali, Afsar; Johnson, Judith A.; Jubair, Mohammad; Cella, Eleonora; Ciccozzi, Massimo; Nolan, David J.; Farmerie, William; Rashid, Mohammad H.; Sinha-Ray, Shrestha; Alam, Meer T.; Morris, J. Glenn; Salemi, Marco

    2016-01-01

    Vibrio cholerae is ubiquitous in aquatic environments, with environmental toxigenic V. cholerae O1 strains serving as a source for recurrent cholera epidemics and pandemic disease. However, a number of questions remain about long-term survival and evolution of V. cholerae strains within these aquatic environmental reservoirs. Through monitoring of the Haitian aquatic environment following the 2010 cholera epidemic, we isolated two novel non-toxigenic (ctxA/B-negative) Vibrio cholerae O1. These two isolates underwent whole-genome sequencing and were investigated through comparative genomics and Bayesian coalescent analysis. These isolates cluster in the evolutionary tree with strains responsible for clinical cholera, possessing genomic components of 6th and 7th pandemic lineages, and diverge from “modern” cholera strains around 1548 C.E. [95% HPD: 1532–1555]. Vibrio Pathogenicity Island (VPI)-1 was present; however, SXT/R391-family ICE and VPI-2 were absent. Rugose phenotype conversion and vibriophage resistance evidenced adaption for persistence in aquatic environments. The identification of V. cholerae O1 strains in the Haitian environment, which predate the first reported cholera pandemic in 1817, broadens our understanding of the history of pandemics. It also raises the possibility that these and similar environmental strains could acquire virulence genes from the 2010 Haitian epidemic clone, including the cholera toxin producing CTXϕ. PMID:27786291

  3. A simple and convenient microtiter plate assay for the detection of bactericidal antibodies to Vibrio cholerae O1 and Vibrio cholerae O139.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boutonnier, Alain; Dassy, Bruno; Duménil, Rémy; Guénolé, Alain; Ratsitorahina, Maherisoa; Migliani, René; Fournier, Jean-Michel

    2003-12-01

    It is believed that the correlate of protection for cholera can be determined by the serum vibriocidal assay. The currently available vibriocidal assays, based on the conventional agar plating technique, are labor intensive. We developed a simple and convenient microtiter plate assay for the detection of vibriocidal antibodies that is equally as efficient for Vibrio cholerae O1 and for V. cholerae O139. The addition of succinate and neotetrazolium made it possible to measure the growth of surviving bacterial target cells by monitoring a color change. We evaluated assay parameters (target strains, growth of target cells, complement source and concentration) that may affect the reproducibility of the method for V. cholerae O139. The results obtained with the microtiter plate assay were uniformly similar to those obtained with the conventional agar plating assay, when testing both the Inaba and Ogawa serotypes of V. cholerae O1. The microtiter plate assay was also convenient for measuring the activity of animal sera and mouse monoclonal antibodies.

  4. The absence of a flagellum leads to altered colony morphology, biofilm development and virulence in Vibrio cholerae O139

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watnick, Paula I.; Lauriano, Crystal M.; Klose, Karl E.; Croal, Laura; Kolter, Roberto

    2010-01-01

    Summary Throughout most of history, epidemic and pandemic cholera was caused by Vibrio cholerae of the serogroup O1. In 1992, however, a V. cholerae strain of the serogroup O139 emerged as a new agent of epidemic cholera. Interestingly, V. cholerae O139 forms biofilms on abiotic surfaces more rapidly than V. cholerae O1 biotype El Tor, perhaps because regulation of exopolysaccharide synthesis in V. cholerae O139 differs from that in O1 El Tor. Here, we show that all flagellar mutants of V. cholerae O139 have a rugose colony morphology that is dependent on the vps genes. This suggests that the absence of the flagellar structure constitutes a signal to increase exopolysaccharide synthesis. Furthermore, although exopolysaccharide production is required for the development of a three-dimensional biofilm, inappropriate exopolysaccharide production leads to inefficient colonization of the infant mouse intestinal epithelium by flagellar mutants. Thus, precise regulation of exopolysaccharide synthesis is an important factor in the survival of V. cholerae O139 in both aquatic environments and the mammalian intestine. PMID:11136445

  5. Studies on the O-polysaccharide of Escherichia albertii O2 characterized by non-stoichiometric O-acetylation and non-stoichiometric side-chain l-fucosylation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naumenko, Olesya I; Zheng, Han; Xiong, Yanwen; Senchenkova, Sof'ya N; Wang, Hong; Shashkov, Alexander S; Li, Qun; Wang, Jianping; Knirel, Yuriy A

    2018-05-22

    An O-polysaccharide was isolated from the lipopolysaccharide of Escherichia albertii O2 and studied by chemical methods and 1D and 2D 1 H and 13 C NMR spectroscopy. The following structure of the O-polysaccharide was established: . The O-polysaccharide is characterized by masked regularity owing to a non-stoichiometric O-acetylation of an l-fucose residue in the main chain and a non-stoichiometric side-chain l-fucosylation of a β-GlcNAc residue. A regular linear polysaccharide was obtained by sequential Smith degradation and alkaline O-deacetylation of the O-polysaccharide. The content of the O-antigen gene cluster of E. albertii O2 was found to be essentially consistent with the O-polysaccharide structure established. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. A survey of Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139 in estuarine waters and sediments of Beira, Mozambique

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Du Preez, M

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available 5 ocean fish and 1 deep sea water sample were also collected. The samples were analysed for the presence of V. cholerae O1 and O139 using culture methods, the direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) method and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using a single...

  7. Genetic relatedness of selected clinical Vibrio cholerae O139 isolates from the southern coastal area of China over a 20-year period.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, B S; Xiao, Y; Wang, D C; Tan, H L; Ke, B X; He, D M; Ke, C W; Zhang, Y H

    2016-09-01

    Vibrio cholerae O139 emerged as a causative agent of epidemic cholera in 1992 in India and Bangladesh, and was subsequently reported in China in 1993. The genetic relatedness and molecular characteristics of V. cholerae O139 in Guangdong Province, located in the southern coastal area of China, remains undetermined. In this study, we investigated 136 clinical V. cholerae O139 isolates from 1993 to 2013 in Guangdong. By conventional PCR, 123 (90·4%) isolates were positive for ctxB, ace and zot. Sequencing of the positive amplicons indicated 113 (91·7%) isolates possessed the El Tor allele of ctxB (genotype 3); seven carried the classical ctxB type (genotype 1) and three harboured a novel ctxB type (genotype 5). With respect to tcpA, 123 (90·4%) isolates were positive for the El Tor allele. In addition, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (with NotI digestion) differentiated the isolates into clusters A and B. Cluster A contained seven of the non-toxigenic isolates from 1998 to 2000; another six non-toxigenic isolates (from 1998 and 2007) and all of the toxigenic isolates formed cluster B. Our results suggest that over a 20-year period, the predominant O139 clinical isolates have maintained a relatively tight clonal structure, although some genetic variance and shift has occurred. Our data highlight the persistence of toxigenic V. cholerae O139 in clinical settings in the southern coastal area of China.

  8. Effect of carvacrol on O157 and non-O157 Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandros Stratakos

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Shiga toxin Escherichia coli (STEC strains are important foodborne bacteria linked to diarrhea, enteritis, hemolytic-uremic syndrome and in some cases death. E. coli O157:H7 is the most common strain amongst STECs however non-O157 STECs have been connected with several outbreaks on an international level.  The use of natural plant extracts to reduce the risk from foodborne pathogens is gaining increasing importance. Therefore in this study, we tested the antibacterial effect of carvacrol, a major component of oregano essential oil, on E. coli serogroups O157, O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145 as well as serogroup O104 responsible for the massive outbreak in Germany in 2011. Carvacrol showed antibacterial effect on all strains tested. The relative electric conductivity was assessed in order to investigate the changes in membrane permeability and thus to investigate the antimicrobial mechanism of carvacrol. Results showed that the relative conductivity increased with increasing concentrations of carvacrol which showed that there was an increasing leakage of electrolytes due to disruption of the cell membrane. The data presented here revealed that carvacrol has the potential to be used as a natural antimicrobial against STECs.

  9. Isolation and characterization of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli from beef carcasses, cuts and trimmings of abattoirs in Argentina

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brusa, Victoria; Restovich, Viviana; Galli, Lucía; Teitelbaum, David; Signorini, Marcelo; Brasesco, Hebe; Londero, Alejandra; García, Diego; Padola, Nora Lía; Superno, Valeria; Sanz, Marcelo; Petroli, Sandra; Costa, Magdalena; Bruzzone, Mariana; Sucari, Adriana; Ferreghini, Marcela; Linares, Luciano; Suberbie, Germán; Rodríguez, Ricardo

    2017-01-01

    Several foods contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are associated with human diseases. Some countries have established microbiological criteria for non-O157 STEC, thus, the absence of serogroups O26, O45, O103, O104, O111, O121, and O145 in sprouts from the European Union or ground beef and beef trimmings from the United States is mandatory. While in Argentina screening for O26, O103, O111, O145 and O121 in ground beef, ready-to-eat food, sausages and vegetables is mandatory, other countries have zero-tolerance for all STEC in chilled beef. The aim of this study was to provide data on the prevalence of non-O157 STEC isolated from beef processed in eight Argentinean cattle slaughterhouses producing beef for export and local markets, and to know the non-O157 STEC profiles through strain characterization and genotypic analysis. Samples (n = 15,965) from 3,205 beef carcasses, 9,570 cuts and 3,190 trimmings collected between March and September 2014 were processed in pools of five samples each. Pools of samples (n = 3,193) from 641 carcasses, 1,914 cuts and 638 trimming were analyzed for non-O157 STEC isolation according to ISO/CEN 13136:2012. Of these, 37 pools of carcasses (5.8%), 111 pools of cuts (5.8%) and 45 pools of trimmings (7.0%) were positive for non-O157 STEC. STEC strains (n = 200) were isolated from 193 pools of samples. The most prevalent serotypes were O174:H21, O185:H7, O8:H19, O178:H19 and O130:H11, and the most prevalent genotypes were stx2c(vh-b) and stx2a/saa/ehxA. O103:H21 strain was eae-positive and one O178:H19 strain was aggR/aaiC-positive. The prevalence of non-O157 STEC in beef carcasses reported here was low. None of the non-O157 STEC strains isolated corresponded to the non-O157 STEC serotypes and virulence profiles isolated from human cases in Argentina in the same study period. The application of microbiological criteria for each foodstuff should be determined by risk analysis in order to have a stringent

  10. Isolation and characterization of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli from beef carcasses, cuts and trimmings of abattoirs in Argentina.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Victoria Brusa

    Full Text Available Several foods contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC are associated with human diseases. Some countries have established microbiological criteria for non-O157 STEC, thus, the absence of serogroups O26, O45, O103, O104, O111, O121, and O145 in sprouts from the European Union or ground beef and beef trimmings from the United States is mandatory. While in Argentina screening for O26, O103, O111, O145 and O121 in ground beef, ready-to-eat food, sausages and vegetables is mandatory, other countries have zero-tolerance for all STEC in chilled beef. The aim of this study was to provide data on the prevalence of non-O157 STEC isolated from beef processed in eight Argentinean cattle slaughterhouses producing beef for export and local markets, and to know the non-O157 STEC profiles through strain characterization and genotypic analysis. Samples (n = 15,965 from 3,205 beef carcasses, 9,570 cuts and 3,190 trimmings collected between March and September 2014 were processed in pools of five samples each. Pools of samples (n = 3,193 from 641 carcasses, 1,914 cuts and 638 trimming were analyzed for non-O157 STEC isolation according to ISO/CEN 13136:2012. Of these, 37 pools of carcasses (5.8%, 111 pools of cuts (5.8% and 45 pools of trimmings (7.0% were positive for non-O157 STEC. STEC strains (n = 200 were isolated from 193 pools of samples. The most prevalent serotypes were O174:H21, O185:H7, O8:H19, O178:H19 and O130:H11, and the most prevalent genotypes were stx2c(vh-b and stx2a/saa/ehxA. O103:H21 strain was eae-positive and one O178:H19 strain was aggR/aaiC-positive. The prevalence of non-O157 STEC in beef carcasses reported here was low. None of the non-O157 STEC strains isolated corresponded to the non-O157 STEC serotypes and virulence profiles isolated from human cases in Argentina in the same study period. The application of microbiological criteria for each foodstuff should be determined by risk analysis in order to have a

  11. Multiplex real-time PCR assay for detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and screening for non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Baoguang; Liu, Huanli; Wang, Weimin

    2017-11-09

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), including E. coli O157:H7, are responsible for numerous foodborne outbreaks annually worldwide. E. coli O157:H7, as well as pathogenic non-O157:H7 STECs, can cause life-threating complications, such as bloody diarrhea (hemolytic colitis) and hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). Previously, we developed a real-time PCR assay to detect E. coli O157:H7 in foods by targeting a unique putative fimbriae protein Z3276. To extend the detection spectrum of the assay, we report a multiplex real-time PCR assay to specifically detect E. coli O157:H7 and screen for non-O157 STEC by targeting Z3276 and Shiga toxin genes (stx1 and stx2). Also, an internal amplification control (IAC) was incorporated into the assay to monitor the amplification efficiency. The multiplex real-time PCR assay was developed using the Life Technology ABI 7500 System platform and the standard chemistry. The optimal amplification mixture of the assay contains 12.5 μl of 2 × Universal Master Mix (Life Technology), 200 nM forward and reverse primers, appropriate concentrations of four probes [(Z3276 (80 nM), stx1 (80 nM), stx2 (20 nM), and IAC (40 nM)], 2 μl of template DNA, and water (to make up to 25 μl in total volume). The amplification conditions of the assay were set as follows: activation of TaqMan at 95 °C for 10 min, then 40 cycles of denaturation at 95 °C for 10 s and annealing/extension at 60 °C for 60 s. The multiplex assay was optimized for amplification conditions. The limit of detection (LOD) for the multiplex assay was determined to be 200 fg of bacterial DNA, which is equivalent to 40 CFU per reaction which is similar to the LOD generated in single targeted PCRs. Inclusivity and exclusivity determinants were performed with 196 bacterial strains. All E. coli O157:H7 (n = 135) were detected as positive and all STEC strains (n = 33) were positive for stx1, or stx2, or stx1 and stx2 (Table 1). No cross reactivity was detected with Salmonella

  12. [Virulence markers of Escherichia coli O1 strains].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makarova, M A; Kaftyreva, L A; Grigor'eva, N S; Kicha, E V; Lipatova, L A

    2011-01-01

    To detect virulence genes in clinical isolates of Escherichia coli O1 using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). One hundred and twenty strains of E.coli O1 strains isolated from faeces of patients with acute diarrhea (n = 45) and healthy persons (n = 75) were studied. PCR with primers for rfb and fliC genes, which control synthesis of O- and H- antigens respectively, was used. Fourteen virulence genes (pap, aaf, sfa, afa, eaeA, bfpA, ial, hly, cnf, stx1, stx2, lt, st, and aer) were detected by PCR primers. K1-antigen was determined by Pastorex Meningo B/E. coli O1 kit (Bio-Rad). rfb gene controlling O-antigen synthesis in serogroup O1 as well as fliC gene controlling synthesis of H7 and K1 antigens were detected in all strains. Thus all E. coli strains had antigenic structure O1:K1 :H-:F7. Virulence genes aafl, sfa, afa, eaeA, bfpA, ial, hly, cnf, stx1, stx2, lt, and st were not detected. All strains owned pap and aer genes regardless of the presence of acute diarrhea symptoms. It was shown that E. coli O1:KI:H-:F7 strains do not have virulence genes which are characteristic for diarrhea-causing Escherichia. In accordance with the presence of pap and aer genes they could be attributed to uropathogenic Escherichia (UPEC) or avian-pathogenic Escherichia (APEC). It is necessary to detect virulence factors in order to determine E. coli as a cause of intestinal infection.

  13. Classification of non-O157 shiga toxin-producing escherichia coli(STEC) serotypes with hyperspectral microscope imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains such as O26, O45, O103, O111, O121 and O145 are recognized as serious outbreak to cause human illness due to their toxicity. A conventional microbiological method for cell counting is laborious and needs long time for the results. Since ...

  14. A rapid procedure for the detection and isolation of enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) serogroup O26, O103, O111, O118, O121, O145 and O157 strains and the aggregative EHEC O104:H4 strain from ready-to-eat vegetables.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tzschoppe, Markus; Martin, Annett; Beutin, Lothar

    2012-01-03

    Human infections with Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli strains (EHEC) as agents of Haemorrhagic Colitis (HC) and Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS) are frequently associated with the consumption of EHEC contaminated foodstuffs of different origins. EHEC O26, O103, O111, O118, O121, O145 and O157 strains are responsible for the majority of HC and HUS cases worldwide. In May 2011, the emerging aggregative EHEC O104:H4 strain caused a large outbreak with high HUS incidence in northern Germany. Contaminated sprouted seeds were suspected to be the vehicles of transmission. The examination of vegetables retailed for raw consumption revealed low numbers of E. coli (vegetables are not yet published. Therefore, we have developed a rapid and sensitive method for detecting low EHEC contamination in vegetables (1-10 cfu/25 g) with artificially EHEC contaminated ready-to-eat salads. A 6-hour enrichment period in BRILA-broth was sufficient to detect 1-10 EHEC from spiked samples after plating 0.1 ml portions of enrichment culture on selective TBX-agar and CHROMagar STEC plates that were incubated at 44 °C overnight. Unlike EHEC strains, the growth of bacteria of the plant flora was substantially inhibited at 44 °C. DNA for real-time PCR detection of EHEC characteristic genes (stx(1), stx(2), eae, ehxA, and O-antigen associated) was prepared with bacteria grown on TBX-agar plates. The storage of EHEC inoculated salad samples for 72 h at 6 °C resulted in a significant reduction (mean value 14.6%) of detectable EHEC, suggesting interference of EHEC with the resident plant microflora. CHROMagar STEC was evaluated as a selective medium for the detection of EHEC strains. Growth on CHROMagar STEC was closely associated with EHEC O26:[H11], O111:[H8], O118:H16, O121:[H19], O145:[H28], O157:[H7] and aggregative EHEC O104:H4 strains and with the presence of the terB gene (tellurite resistance). TerB sequences were found in 87.2% of 235 EHEC but only in only 12.5% of 567 non

  15. Structural and Functional Annotation of Hypothetical Proteins of O139

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Md. Saiful Islam

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available In developing countries threat of cholera is a significant health concern whenever water purification and sewage disposal systems are inadequate. Vibrio cholerae is one of the responsible bacteria involved in cholera disease. The complete genome sequence of V. cholerae deciphers the presence of various genes and hypothetical proteins whose function are not yet understood. Hence analyzing and annotating the structure and function of hypothetical proteins is important for understanding the V. cholerae. V. cholerae O139 is the most common and pathogenic bacterial strain among various V. cholerae strains. In this study sequence of six hypothetical proteins of V. cholerae O139 has been annotated from NCBI. Various computational tools and databases have been used to determine domain family, protein-protein interaction, solubility of protein, ligand binding sites etc. The three dimensional structure of two proteins were modeled and their ligand binding sites were identified. We have found domains and families of only one protein. The analysis revealed that these proteins might have antibiotic resistance activity, DNA breaking-rejoining activity, integrase enzyme activity, restriction endonuclease, etc. Structural prediction of these proteins and detection of binding sites from this study would indicate a potential target aiding docking studies for therapeutic designing against cholera.

  16. Development and testing of monoclonal antibody-based rapid immunodiagnostic test kits for direct detection of Vibrio cholerae O139 synonym Bengal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasan, J A; Huq, A; Nair, G B; Garg, S; Mukhopadhyay, A K; Loomis, L; Bernstein, D; Colwell, R R

    1995-11-01

    We report on the development and testing of two monoclonal antibody-based rapid immunodiagnostic test kits, BengalScreen, a coagglutination test, and Bengal DFA, a direct fluorescent-antibody test, for direct detection of Vibrio cholerae O139 synonym Bengal in clinical and environmental specimens. The BengalScreen test requires less than 5 min to complete and can be used in the field. Bengal DFA, being more sensitive than BengalScreen, requires only one reagent and less than 20 min for detection and enumeration of V. cholerae O139 synonym Bengal. In tests for specificity, all 40 strains of V. cholerae O139 reacted with both test kits, whereas 157 strains of heterologous species examined did not, yielding 100% specificity in this study. A field trial was conducted in with both BengalScreen and Bengal DFA, and the results were compared with those obtained by conventional culture methods. BengalScreen demonstrated a sensitivity of 95%, a specificity of 100%, a positive predictive value of 100%, and a negative predictive value of 94%. Results obtained by Bengal DFA, on the other hand, were 100% sensitive and 100% specific and yielded 100% positive and negative predictive values compared with culture methods. In a second evaluation, 93 stool specimens from Mexico that were negative for V. cholerae O139 by culture were also tested with both the BengalScreen and Bengal DFA kits. None of the 93 specimens were positive for V. cholerae O139 by both tests. A concentration method was optimized for screening of environmental water samples for V. cholerae O139 synonym Bengal with rapid test kits. BengalScreen results were unequivocally positive when water samples contained at least 2.0 x 10(3) CFU/ml, whereas Bengal DFA demonstrated an unequivocally positive reaction when the water sample contained at least 1.5 x 10(2) CFU/ml. When Bengal DFA was compared with conventional culture methods for enumeration of V. cholerae O139 synonym Bengal organisms, no difference was observed.

  17. High-pressure crystal structure of elastically isotropic CaTiO3 perovskite under hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Jing; Ross, Nancy L; Wang, Di; Angel, Ross J

    2011-11-16

    The structural evolution of orthorhombic CaTiO3 perovskite has been studied using high-pressure single-crystal x-ray diffraction under hydrostatic conditions up to 8.1 GPa and under a non-hydrostatic stress field formed in a diamond anvil cell (DAC) up to 4.7 GPa. Under hydrostatic conditions, the TiO6 octahedra become more tilted and distorted with increasing pressure, similar to other 2:4 perovskites. Under non-hydrostatic conditions, the experiments do not show any apparent difference in the internal structural variation from hydrostatic conditions and no additional tilts and distortions in the TiO6 octahedra are observed, even though the lattice itself becomes distorted due to the non-hydrostatic stress. The similarity between the hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic cases can be ascribed to the fact that CaTiO3 perovskite is nearly elastically isotropic and, as a consequence, its deviatoric unit-cell volume strain produced by the non-hydrostatic stress is very small; in other words, the additional octahedral tilts relevant to the extra unit-cell volume associated with the deviatoric unit-cell volume strain may be totally neglected. This study further addresses the role that three factors--the elastic properties, the crystal orientation and the pressure medium--have on the structural evolution of an orthorhombic perovskite loaded in a DAC under non-hydrostatic conditions. The influence of these factors can be clearly visualized by plotting the three-dimensional distribution of the deviatoric unit-cell volume strain in relation to the cylindrical axis of the DAC and indicates that, if the elasticity of a perovskite is nearly isotropic as it is for CaTiO3, the other two factors become relatively insignificant.

  18. High-pressure crystal structure of elastically isotropic CaTiO3 perovskite under hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Jing; Ross, Nancy L; Wang, Di; Angel, Ross J

    2011-01-01

    The structural evolution of orthorhombic CaTiO 3 perovskite has been studied using high-pressure single-crystal x-ray diffraction under hydrostatic conditions up to 8.1 GPa and under a non-hydrostatic stress field formed in a diamond anvil cell (DAC) up to 4.7 GPa. Under hydrostatic conditions, the TiO 6 octahedra become more tilted and distorted with increasing pressure, similar to other 2:4 perovskites. Under non-hydrostatic conditions, the experiments do not show any apparent difference in the internal structural variation from hydrostatic conditions and no additional tilts and distortions in the TiO 6 octahedra are observed, even though the lattice itself becomes distorted due to the non-hydrostatic stress. The similarity between the hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic cases can be ascribed to the fact that CaTiO 3 perovskite is nearly elastically isotropic and, as a consequence, its deviatoric unit-cell volume strain produced by the non-hydrostatic stress is very small; in other words, the additional octahedral tilts relevant to the extra unit-cell volume associated with the deviatoric unit-cell volume strain may be totally neglected. This study further addresses the role that three factors-the elastic properties, the crystal orientation and the pressure medium-have on the structural evolution of an orthorhombic perovskite loaded in a DAC under non-hydrostatic conditions. The influence of these factors can be clearly visualized by plotting the three-dimensional distribution of the deviatoric unit-cell volume strain in relation to the cylindrical axis of the DAC and indicates that, if the elasticity of a perovskite is nearly isotropic as it is for CaTiO 3 , the other two factors become relatively insignificant. (paper)

  19. Characterization and genetic variation of vibrio cholerae isolated from clinical and environmental sources in Thailand

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Siriphap, Achiraya; Leekitcharoenphon, Pimlapas; Kaas, Rolf Sommer

    2017-01-01

    Cholera is still an important public health problem in several countries, including Thailand. In this study, a collection of clinical and environmental V. cholerae serogroup O1, O139, and non-O1/non-O139 strains originating from Thailand (1983 to 2013) was characterized to determine phenotypic...... and genotypic traits and to investigate the genetic relatedness. Using a combination of conventional methods and whole genome sequencing (WGS), 78 V. cholerae strains were identified. WGS was used to determine the serogroup, biotype, virulence, mobile genetic elements, and antimicrobial resistance genes using...... online bioinformatics tools. In addition, phenotypic antimicrobial resistance was determined by the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) test. The 78 V. cholerae strains belonged to the following serogroups O1: (n = 44), O139 (n = 16) and non-O1/non-O139 (n = 18). Interestingly, we found...

  20. Non-volatile resistive switching in the Mott insulator (V1-xCrx)2O3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Querré, M.; Tranchant, J.; Corraze, B.; Cordier, S.; Bouquet, V.; Députier, S.; Guilloux-Viry, M.; Besland, M.-P.; Janod, E.; Cario, L.

    2018-05-01

    The discovery of non-volatile resistive switching in Mott insulators related to an electric-field-induced insulator to metal transition (IMT) has paved the way for their use in a new type of non-volatile memories, the Mott memories. While most of the previous studies were dedicated to uncover the resistive switching mechanism and explore the memory potential of chalcogenide Mott insulators, we present here a comprehensive study of resistive switching in the canonical oxide Mott insulator (V1-xCrx)2O3. Our work demonstrates that this compound undergoes a non-volatile resistive switching under electric field. This resistive switching is induced by a Mott transition at the local scale which creates metallic domains closely related to existing phases of the temperature-pressure phase diagram of (V1-xCrx)2O3. Our work demonstrates also reversible resistive switching in (V1-xCrx)2O3 crystals and thin film devices. Preliminary performances obtained on 880 nm thick layers with 500 nm electrodes show the strong potential of Mott memories based on the Mott insulator (V1-xCrx)2O3.

  1. Genetic diversity of clinical and environmental isolates of Vibrio cholerae determined by amplified fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, S C; Matte, M; Matte, G; Huq, A; Colwell, R R

    2000-01-01

    Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of major epidemics of diarrheal disease in Bangladesh, South America, Southeastern Asia, and Africa, was isolated from clinical samples and from aquatic environments during and between epidemics over the past 20 years. To determine the evolutionary relationships and molecular diversity of these strains, in order to understand sources, origin, and epidemiology, a novel DNA fingerprinting technique, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), was employed. Two sets of restriction enzyme-primer combinations were tested for fingerprinting of V. cholerae serogroup O1, O139, and non-O1, O139 isolates. Amplification of HindIII- and TaqI-digested genomic DNA produced 30 to 50 bands for each strain. However, this combination, although capable of separating environmental isolates of O1 and non-O1 strains, was unable to distinguish between O1 and O139 clinical strains. This result confirmed that clinical O1 and O139 strains are genetically closely related. On the other hand, AFLP analyses of restriction enzyme ApaI- and TaqI-digested genomic DNA yielded 20 to 30 bands for each strain, but were able to separate O1 from O139 strains. Of the 74 strains examined with the latter combination, 26 serogroup O1 strains showed identical banding patterns and were represented by the O1 El Tor strain of the seventh pandemic. A second group, represented by O139 Bengal, included 12 strains of O139 clinical isolates, with 7 from Thailand, 3 from Bangladesh, and 2 from India. Interestingly, an O1 clinical isolate from Africa also grouped with the O139 clinical isolates. Eight clinical O1 isolates from Mexico grouped separately from the O1 El Tor of the seventh pandemic, suggesting an independent origin of these isolates. Identical fingerprints were observed between an O1 environmental isolate from a river in Chile and an O1 clinical strain from Kenya, both isolated more than 10 years apart. Both strains were distinct from the O1 seventh pandemic strain

  2. Kramers non-magnetic superconductivity in LnNiAsO superconductors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yuke; Luo, Yongkang; Li, Lin; Chen, Bin; Xu, Xiaofeng; Dai, Jianhui; Yang, Xiaojun; Zhang, Li; Cao, Guanghan; Xu, Zhu-an

    2014-10-22

    We investigated a series of nickel-based oxyarsenides LnNiAsO (Ln=La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm) compounds. CeNiAsO undergoes two successive anti-ferromagnetic transitions at TN1=9.3 K and TN2=7.3 K; SmNiAsO becomes an anti-ferromagnet below TN≃3.5 K; NdNiAsO keeps paramagnetic down to 2 K but orders anti-ferromagnetically below TN≃1.3 K. Superconductivity was observed only in Kramers non-magnetic LaNiAsO and PrNiAsO with Tc=2.7 K and 0.93 K, respectively. The superconductivity of PrNiAsO is further studied by upper critical field and specific heat measurements, which reveal that PrNiAsO is a weakly coupled Kramers non-magnetic superconductor. Our work confirms that the nickel-based oxyarsenide superconductors are substantially different in mechanism to iron-based ones, and are likely to be described by the conventional superconductivity theory.

  3. Genetic characterization of ØVC8 lytic phage for Vibrio cholerae O1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Solís-Sánchez, Alejandro; Hernández-Chiñas, Ulises; Navarro-Ocaña, Armando; De la Mora, Javier; Xicohtencatl-Cortes, Juan; Eslava-Campos, Carlos

    2016-03-22

    Epidemics and pandemics of cholera, a diarrheal disease, are attributed to Vibrio cholera serogroups O1 and O139. In recent years, specific lytic phages of V. cholera have been proposed to be important factors in the cyclic occurrence of cholera in endemic areas. However, the role and potential participation of lytic phages during long interepidemic periods of cholera in non-endemic regions have not yet been described. The purpose of this study was to isolate and characterize specific lytic phages of V. cholera O1 strains. Sixteen phages were isolated from wastewater samples collected at the Endhó Dam in Hidalgo State, Mexico, concentrated with PEG/NaCl, and purified by density gradient. The lytic activity of the purified phages was tested using different V. cholerae O1 and O139 strains. Phage morphology was visualized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and phage genome sequencing was performed using the Genome Analyzer IIx System. Genome assembly and bioinformatics analysis were performed using a set of high-throughput programs. Phage structural proteins were analyzed by mass spectrometry. Sixteen phages with lytic and lysogenic activity were isolated; only phage ØVC8 showed specific lytic activity against V. cholerae O1 strains. TEM images of ØVC8 revealed a phage with a short tail and an isometric head. The ØVC8 genome comprises linear double-stranded DNA of 39,422 bp with 50.8 % G + C. Of the 48 annotated ORFs, 16 exhibit homology with sequences of known function and several conserved domains. Bioinformatics analysis showed multiple conserved domains, including an Ig domain, suggesting that ØVC8 might adhere to different mucus substrates such as the human intestinal epithelium. The results suggest that ØVC8 genome utilize the "single-stranded cohesive ends" packaging strategy of the lambda-like group. The two structural proteins sequenced and analyzed are proteins of known function. ØVC8 is a lytic phage with specific activity against V. cholerae

  4. Cell envelope proteins of environmental Vibrio cholerae non O1 isolates from Albufera Lake (Valencia, Spain) influence of some factors on OMP expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amaro, C; Herrero, E; Arnau, A; Garay, E

    1989-11-01

    The cell envelope proteins of 89 environmental Vibrio cholerae non O1 strains isolated from lake and coastal waters near Valencia, Spain, and six Vibrio cholerae strains from culture collections were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Considerable heterogeneity was found in the major proteins of the environmental non-O1 strains, but bands between 25,000 and 48,000 daltons were observed in the majority of the strains. Estimated relative mobilities of the total protein profile ranged between 11 and more than 100 Kd. Cluster analysis revealed four groups of strains distinguishable by presence or absence of high and low molecular weight proteins. After treatment with Sarkosyl, the outer membrane proteins (OMPs) were characterized in all strains by densitometric methods. They ranged from 19 to 87 Kilodaltons, and corresponded to the major proteins observed in the total membrane preparations. The major OMP most frequently found had a molecular weight around 37 Kd, similar to that of porins in other Gram-negative bacteria. The OMP composition varied in response to culture medium and growth phase. Generally the OMP expression was affected only in a quantitative way by the growth phase while the growth medium had both a qualitative and a quantitative effect.

  5. Saccharomyces cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces yeasts in grape varieties of the São Francisco Valley

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Camila M.P.B.S. de Ponzzes-Gomes

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The aims of this work was to characterise indigenous Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains in the naturally fermented juice of grape varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Tempranillo, Sauvignon Blanc and Verdejo used in the São Francisco River Valley, northeastern Brazil. In this study, 155 S. cerevisiae and 60 non-Saccharomyces yeasts were isolated and identified using physiological tests and sequencing of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit of the rRNA gene. Among the non-Saccharomyces species, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa was the most common species, followed by Pichia kudriavzevii, Candida parapsilosis, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, Wickerhamomyces anomalus, Kloeckera apis, P. manshurica, C. orthopsilosis and C. zemplinina. The population counts of these yeasts ranged among 1.0 to 19 x 10(5 cfu/mL. A total of 155 isolates of S. cerevisiae were compared by mitochondrial DNA restriction analysis, and five molecular mitochondrial DNA restriction profiles were detected. Indigenous strains of S. cerevisiae isolated from grapes of the São Francisco Valley can be further tested as potential starters for wine production.

  6. Strain-dependent magnetism and electrical conductivity of La1-xSrxCoO3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeneli, Orkidia

    2011-01-01

    In this work, the effects of epitaxial strain and film thickness on the lattice structure, microstructure, magnetization and electrical conduction of La 1-x Sr x CoO 3 (LSCO) (x=0.18 and 0.30) thin films have been studied using thickness-dependent film series on several types of single-crystalline substrates. Alternatively, the direct effect of strain has been probed using a piezoelectric substrate. La 0.7 Sr 0.3 CoO 3 is a ferromagnetic metal, whereas La 0.82 Sr 0.18 CoO 3 is at the phase boundary between the ferromagnetic metal and an insulating spin glass phase. Epitaxial biaxial strain in La 1-x Sr x CoO 3 (x=0.18-0.3) films is known to reduce the ferromagnetic double exchange interactions. It has further been suggested for the control of the crystal field splitting of the Co ions which may be utilized to manipulate the spin state. The LSCO (x = 0.18 and 0.30) films have been grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on substrates of LaAlO 3 , SrTiO 3 , (PbMg 1/3 Nb 2/3 O 3 ) 0.72 (PbTiO 3 ) 0.28 (PMN-PT) and (LaAlO 3 ) 0.3 (Sr 2 TaAlO 6 ) 0.7 (LSAT), which provide different strain states and, in the case of PMN-PT, a reversibly controllable strain. Thickness-dependent series of La 0.82 Sr 0.18 CoO 3 on SrTiO 3 and LaAlO 3 as well as of La 0.7 Sr 0.3 CoO 3 on LSAT have been studied. The lattice parameters of the epitaxially grown films were determined from X-ray diffraction measurements (Bragg-Brentano method and reciprocal space mapping). Large tensile strains of 2% can be achieved in thicker films of up to 100 nm. On the other hand, the films under larger tensile strain have cracks and reveal ordered superstructures in HRTEM images which are tentatively attributed to ordered oxygen vacancies. The Curie temperature and the magnetic moment of the x=0.18 films increases towards larger film thickness in qualitative agreement with the joined effects of strain relaxation and finite thickness on magnetic ordering. In order to separate the direct strain effect from the

  7. Non-Enzymatic Glucose Biosensor Based on CuO-Decorated CeO2 Nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Panpan Guan

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Copper oxide (CuO-decorated cerium oxide (CeO2 nanoparticles were synthesized and used to detect glucose non-enzymatically. The morphological characteristics and structure of the nanoparticles were characterized through transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The sensor responses of electrodes to glucose were investigated via an electrochemical method. The CuO/CeO2 nanocomposite exhibited a reasonably good sensitivity of 2.77 μA mM−1cm−2, an estimated detection limit of 10 μA, and a good anti-interference ability. The sensor was also fairly stable under ambient conditions.

  8. On the interplay of point defects and Cd in non-polar ZnCdO films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zubiaga, A.; Reurings, F.; Tuomisto, F.; Plazaola, F.; García, J. A.; Kuznetsov, A. Yu.; Egger, W.; Zúñiga-Pérez, J.; Muñoz-Sanjosé, V.

    2013-01-01

    Non-polar ZnCdO films, grown over m- and r-sapphire with a Cd concentration ranging between 0.8% and 5%, have been studied by means of slow positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) combined with chemical depth profiling by secondary ion mass spectroscopy and Rutherford back-scattering. Vacancy clusters and Zn vacancies with concentrations up to 10 17 cm −3 and 10 18 cm −3 , respectively, have been measured inside the films. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy results show that most Cd stays inside the ZnCdO film but the diffused atoms can penetrate up to 1.3 μm inside the ZnO buffer. PAS results give an insight to the structure of the meta-stable ZnCdO above the thermodynamical solubility limit of 2%. A correlation between the concentration of vacancy clusters and Cd has been measured. The concentration of Zn vacancies is one order of magnitude larger than in as-grown non-polar ZnO films and the vacancy cluster are, at least partly, created by the aggregation of smaller Zn vacancy related defects. The Zn vacancy related defects and the vacancy clusters accumulate around the Cd atoms as a way to release the strain induced by the substitutional Cd Zn in the ZnO crystal.

  9. On the interplay of point defects and Cd in non-polar ZnCdO films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zubiaga, A.; Reurings, F.; Tuomisto, F. [Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University, P.O. Box 11100, 00076 Aalto, Espoo (Finland); Plazaola, F. [Elektrizitatea eta Elektronika/Fisika Aplikatua II Sailak, Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Posta Kutxatila 644, 48080 Bilbao (Spain); Garcia, J. A. [Fisika Aplikatua II Saila, Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Posta Kutxatila 644, 48080 Bilbao (Spain); Kuznetsov, A. Yu. [Department of Physics, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1048 Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo (Norway); Egger, W. [Inst. fuer Angewandte Physik und Messtechnik, Univ. der Bundeswehr Muenchen, 87755 Neubiberg (Germany); Zuniga-Perez, J. [CRHEA CNRS, F-06560 Valbonne (France); Munoz-Sanjose, V. [Dept. de Fisica Aplicada i Electromagnetisme, c/ Doctor Moliner 50, E-46100 Burjassot (Valencia) (Spain)

    2013-01-14

    Non-polar ZnCdO films, grown over m- and r-sapphire with a Cd concentration ranging between 0.8% and 5%, have been studied by means of slow positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) combined with chemical depth profiling by secondary ion mass spectroscopy and Rutherford back-scattering. Vacancy clusters and Zn vacancies with concentrations up to 10{sup 17} cm{sup -3} and 10{sup 18} cm{sup -3}, respectively, have been measured inside the films. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy results show that most Cd stays inside the ZnCdO film but the diffused atoms can penetrate up to 1.3 {mu}m inside the ZnO buffer. PAS results give an insight to the structure of the meta-stable ZnCdO above the thermodynamical solubility limit of 2%. A correlation between the concentration of vacancy clusters and Cd has been measured. The concentration of Zn vacancies is one order of magnitude larger than in as-grown non-polar ZnO films and the vacancy cluster are, at least partly, created by the aggregation of smaller Zn vacancy related defects. The Zn vacancy related defects and the vacancy clusters accumulate around the Cd atoms as a way to release the strain induced by the substitutional Cd{sub Zn} in the ZnO crystal.

  10. On the interplay of point defects and Cd in non-polar ZnCdO films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zubiaga, A.; Reurings, F.; Tuomisto, F.; Plazaola, F.; García, J. A.; Kuznetsov, A. Yu.; Egger, W.; Zúñiga-Pérez, J.; Muñoz-Sanjosé, V.

    2013-01-01

    Non-polar ZnCdO films, grown over m- and r-sapphire with a Cd concentration ranging between 0.8% and 5%, have been studied by means of slow positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) combined with chemical depth profiling by secondary ion mass spectroscopy and Rutherford back-scattering. Vacancy clusters and Zn vacancies with concentrations up to 1017 cm-3 and 1018 cm-3, respectively, have been measured inside the films. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy results show that most Cd stays inside the ZnCdO film but the diffused atoms can penetrate up to 1.3 μm inside the ZnO buffer. PAS results give an insight to the structure of the meta-stable ZnCdO above the thermodynamical solubility limit of 2%. A correlation between the concentration of vacancy clusters and Cd has been measured. The concentration of Zn vacancies is one order of magnitude larger than in as-grown non-polar ZnO films and the vacancy cluster are, at least partly, created by the aggregation of smaller Zn vacancy related defects. The Zn vacancy related defects and the vacancy clusters accumulate around the Cd atoms as a way to release the strain induced by the substitutional CdZn in the ZnO crystal.

  11. Prevailing clone (ST69) of Vibrio cholerae O139 in India over 10 years.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anandan, Shalini; Devanga Ragupathi, Naveen Kumar; Muthuirulandi Sethuvel, Dhiviya Prabaa; Thangamani, Suji; Veeraraghavan, Balaji

    2017-01-01

    Vibrio cholerae is responsible for the cause of severe life-threatening infection known as cholera. The study aimed to analyze the genetic make-up of V. cholerae O139 isolates from India and compare its phylogeny with the global strains. The genome data revealed that all isolates were of same sequence type (ST69) which belongs to seventh pandemic clone, with same virulence gene profile and, antimicrobial resistance gene profile except for two isolates. No known CRISPR repeats were identified in any of these isolates. Three different phages were identified among the isolates. All the isolates were found to harbour int SXT and seventh pandemic-specific gene (VC2346). Results from this study enhance our understanding on the persistence of ST69 V. cholerae O139 over 20 years.

  12. Conventional proximity effect in bilayers of superconducting underdoped $La_{1.88}Sr_{0.12}CuO_4$ islands coated with non superconducting overdoped $La_{1.65}Sr_{0.35}CuO_4$

    OpenAIRE

    Koren, G.; Millo, O.

    2009-01-01

    Following a recent study by our group in which a large $T_c$ enhancement was reported in bilayers of the non-superconducting $La_{1.65}Sr_{0.35}CuO_4$ and superconducting $La_{1.88}Sr_{0.12}CuO_4$ films [Phys. Rev. Lett. \\textbf{101}, 057005 (2008)], we checked if a similar effect occurs when superconducting $La_{1.88}Sr_{0.12}CuO_4$ islands are coated with a continuous layer of the non superconducting $La_{1.65}Sr_{0.35}CuO_4$. We found that no such phenomenon is observed. The bare supercond...

  13. Development of an allele-specific PCR assay for simultaneous sero-typing of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli predominant O1, O2, O18 and O78 strains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Shaohui; Meng, Qingmei; Dai, Jianjun; Han, Xiangan; Han, Yue; Ding, Chan; Liu, Haiwen; Yu, Shengqing

    2014-01-01

    Systemic infections by avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) are economically devastating to poultry industries worldwide. E. coli strains belonging to serotypes O1, O2, O18 and O78 are preferentially associated with avian colibacillosis. The rfb gene cluster controlling O antigen synthesis is usually various among different E. coli serotypes. In present study, the rfb gene clusters of E. coli serotypes O1, O2, O18 and O78 were characterized and compared. Based on the serotype-specific genes in rfb gene cluster, an allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed. This PCR assay was highly specific and reliable for sero-typing of APEC O1, O2, O18 and O78 strains. The sensitivity of the assay was determined as 10 pg DNA or 10 colony forming units (CFUs) bacteria for serotypes O2 and O18 strains, and 500 pg DNA or 1,000 CFUs bacteria for serotypes O1 and O78 strains. Using this PCR system, APEC isolates and the infected tissue samples were categorized successfully. Furthermore, it was able to differentiate the serotypes for the samples with multi-agglutination in the traditional serum agglutination assay. Therefore, the allele-specific PCR is more simple, rapid and accurate assay for APEC diagnosis, epidemiologic study and vaccine development.

  14. Development of an allele-specific PCR assay for simultaneous sero-typing of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli predominant O1, O2, O18 and O78 strains.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shaohui Wang

    Full Text Available Systemic infections by avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC are economically devastating to poultry industries worldwide. E. coli strains belonging to serotypes O1, O2, O18 and O78 are preferentially associated with avian colibacillosis. The rfb gene cluster controlling O antigen synthesis is usually various among different E. coli serotypes. In present study, the rfb gene clusters of E. coli serotypes O1, O2, O18 and O78 were characterized and compared. Based on the serotype-specific genes in rfb gene cluster, an allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR assay was developed. This PCR assay was highly specific and reliable for sero-typing of APEC O1, O2, O18 and O78 strains. The sensitivity of the assay was determined as 10 pg DNA or 10 colony forming units (CFUs bacteria for serotypes O2 and O18 strains, and 500 pg DNA or 1,000 CFUs bacteria for serotypes O1 and O78 strains. Using this PCR system, APEC isolates and the infected tissue samples were categorized successfully. Furthermore, it was able to differentiate the serotypes for the samples with multi-agglutination in the traditional serum agglutination assay. Therefore, the allele-specific PCR is more simple, rapid and accurate assay for APEC diagnosis, epidemiologic study and vaccine development.

  15. Tuning magnetism by biaxial strain in native ZnO.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Chengxiao; Wang, Yuanxu; Cheng, Zhenxiang; Zhang, Guangbiao; Wang, Chao; Yang, Gui

    2015-07-07

    Magnetic ZnO, one of the most important diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS), has attracted great scientific interest because of its possible technological applications in optomagnetic devices. Magnetism in this material is usually delicately tuned by the doping level, dislocations, and local structures. The rational control of magnetism in ZnO is a highly attractive approach for practical applications. Here, the tuning effect of biaxial strain on the d(0) magnetism of native imperfect ZnO is demonstrated through first-principles calculations. Our calculation results show that strain conditions have little effect on the defect formation energy of Zn and O vacancies in ZnO, but they do affect the magnetism significantly. For a cation vacancy, increasing the compressive strain will obviously decrease its magnetic moment, while tensile strain cannot change the moment, which remains constant at 2 μB. For a singly charged anion vacancy, however, the dependence of the magnetic moment on strain is opposite to that of the Zn vacancy. Furthermore, the ferromagnetic state is always present, irrespective of the strain type, for ZnO with two zinc vacancies, 2VZns. A large tensile strain is favorable for improving the Curie temperature and realizing room temperature ferromagnetism for ZnO-based native semiconductors. For ZnO with two singly charged oxygen vacancies, 2Vs, no ferromagnetic ordering can be observed. Our work points the way to the rational design of materials beyond ZnO with novel non-intrinsic functionality by simply tuning the strain in a thin film form.

  16. Multiphase nanodomains in a strained BaTiO3 film on a GdScO3 substrate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobayashi, Shunsuke; Inoue, Kazutoshi; Kato, Takeharu; Ikuhara, Yuichi; Yamamoto, Takahisa

    2018-02-01

    Controlling the crystal structure of ferroelectric materials via epitaxial strain, which is a well-known technique in strain engineering, can lead to the formation of unique domain structures generating non-intrinsic phenomena such as electronic conductivity, photovoltages, and enhanced piezoelectric characteristics. Strained BaTiO3 films are promising ferroelectric materials as theoretical modeling predicts that different domain morphologies can introduce additional properties not observed in conventional BaTiO3 ceramics. To rationally design materials for practical application, a thorough understanding of the formation mechanisms and stabilities of different domain structures in strained BaTiO3 films is required. However, there have been very few experimental reports on this topic, and details about the domain structures in strained BaTiO3 films are currently lacking. In this paper, we report multiphase nanodomains in a strained BaTiO3 film deposited on an orthorhombic GdScO3 substrate. The phase-transition behavior of the strained BaTiO3 film reveals that it contains multiple phases at room temperature; the film first undergoes a phase-transition upon heating at around 550 K, and then a paraelectric phase forms at temperatures above 690 K. A picometer-scale analysis of the Ti ion displacements, using an advanced scanning transmission electron microscopy technique, is used to characterize the complex multiphase nanodomains, providing useful insights into the control of domain structures in BaTiO3 films by applying epitaxial strain.

  17. A new model and gas sensitivity of non-equilibrium xSnO2-(1-x)alpha-Fe2O3 nanopowders prepared by mechanical alloying

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhu, W.; Tan, O.K.; Jiang, Jianzhong

    1998-01-01

    )alpha-Fe2O3 materials. This model can explain non only the lattice expansion of the milled samples, but also takes into account the charge balance by adding oxygen dangling bonds at the particle surfaces, which can be visualized in the nano-sized powders. The thich film gas sensors made by such mechanically......Nano-sized xSnO2-(1-x)alpha-Fe2O3 materials have been prepared using the high energy ball milling technique and their structural and gas sensing properties have been characterized. Based on experimental results, we propose a new structure model, xxx, forthese non-equilibrium, nano-sized xSnO2-(1-x...... alloyed materials have high ethanol gas sensitivity values of 289 in air and 1016 in nitrogen at 1000 p.p.m. and very good gas selectivity to ethanol over CO and H2 gases. It is believed that the high ethanol gas sensitivity of these materials is related to the enormous defects such as O- and O2- dangling...

  18. Culture supernatants from V. cholerae O1 El Tor strains isolated from different geographic areas induce cell vacuolation and cytotoxicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vidal, Jorge E; Enríquez-Rincón, Fernando; Giono-Cerezo, Silvia; Ribas-Aparicio, Rosa María; Figueroa-Arredondo, Paula

    2009-01-01

    To investigate whether the HlyA-induced vacuolating effect is produced by V. cholerae O1 ElTor strains isolated from different geographic origins, including Mexico. Supernatant-induced haemolysis, vacuolating activity and cytotoxicity in Vero cells were recorded. PCR, RFLP analysis and molecular cloning were performed. All ElTor strains analyzed induced cellular vacuolation. Ribotype 2 strains isolates from the U.S. gulf coast yielded the highest titer of vacuolating activity. Eight of nine strains were haemolytic, while all strains were PCR positive for the hlyA gene. We cloned the hlyA gene from two ElTor strains, a toxigenic (2514-88, ctxAB+) and a non-toxigenic Mexican strain (CM 91-3, ctxAB-). Supernatant from those recombinant E. coli strains induced haemolysis, cell vacuolation and cytotoxicity. RFLP-PCR analysis revealed similarities in the hlyA gene from all strains tested. The HlyA-induced vacuolating effect is a widespread phenotype of epidemic V. cholerae O1 ElTor strains.

  19. Extensão vocal de idosos coralistas e não coralistas Vocal range in aged choristers and non-choristers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatiana Fernandes Rocha

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: comparar a extensão vocal de idosos coralistas e não coralistas e analisar a influência da prática do canto-coral amador na extensão vocal dos mesmos. MÉTODOS: extração dos valores da extensão vocal em semitons por meio de um teclado musical e análise comparativa do número de semitons entre 40 idosos coralistas e 40 não coralistas. RESULTADOS: o número de semitons atingido pelos coralistas é significativamente maior que o atingido pelos não coralistas. O perfil de extensão vocal dos idosos coralistas foi de 27 a 39 semitons, perfazendo um total de 3 oitavas, 1 tom e 1 semitom. O perfil de extensão vocal dos idosos não coralistas foi de 18 a 35 semitons, perfazendo um total de 2 oitavas, 5 tons e 1 semitom. CONCLUSÃO: a prática do canto coral amador aumenta a extensão vocal de idosos coralistas.PURPOSE: compare the vocal extension of senior choristers and non-choristers and analyze the influence of the practice of the amateur coral-song in the vocal extension of the aforementioned subjects. METHODS: extracting the vocal extension through a musical keyboard and comparative analysis of the number of half-notes among 40 senior choristers and 40 non-choristers. RESULTS: the number of half-notes achieved by the choristers is significantly higher than the one achieved by the non-choristers. The vocal extension profile of the seniors choristers was from 27 to 39 half-notes, totalizing a sum of 3 octaves, 1 tone and 1 half-note. The profile of the no-choristers seniors' vocal extension was from 18 to 35 half-notes, totalizing a sum of 2 octaves, 5 tones and 1 half-note. CONCLUSION: The practice of the amateur coral song increases the choristers seniors' vocal extension.

  20. Thin film epitaxy and structure property correlations for non-polar ZnO films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pant, P.; Budai, J.D.; Aggarwal, R.; Narayan, Roger J.; Narayan, J.

    2009-01-01

    Heteroepitaxial growth and strain relaxation were investigated in non-polar a-plane (1 1 -2 0)ZnO films grown on r-plane (1 0 -1 2)sapphire substrates in the temperature range 200-700 deg. C by pulsed laser deposition. The lattice misfit in the plane of the film for this orientation varied from -1.26% in [0 0 0 1] to -18.52% in the [-1 1 0 0] direction. The alignment of (1 1 -2 0)ZnO planes parallel to (1 0 -1 2)sapphire planes was confirmed by X-ray diffraction θ-2θ scans over the entire temperature range. X-ray φ-scans revealed the epitaxial relationship:[0 0 0 1]ZnO-parallel [-1 1 0 1]sap; [-1 1 0 0]ZnO-parallel [-1 -1 2 0]sap. Depending on the growth temperature, variations in the structural, optical and electrical properties were observed in the grown films. Room temperature photoluminescence for films grown at 700 deg. C shows a strong band-edge emission. The ratio of the band-edge emission to green band emission is 135:1, indicating reduced defects and excellent optical quality of the films. The resistivity data for the films grown at 700 deg. C shows semiconducting behavior with room temperature resistivity of 2.2 x 10 -3 Ω-cm.

  1. Persistence of Pathogenic and Non-Pathogenic Escherichia coli Strains in Various Tropical Agricultural Soils of India.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S Naganandhini

    Full Text Available The persistence of Shiga-like toxin producing E. coli (STEC strains in the agricultural soil creates serious threat to human health through fresh vegetables growing on them. However, the survival of STEC strains in Indian tropical soils is not yet understood thoroughly. Additionally how the survival of STEC strain in soil diverges with non-pathogenic and genetically modified E. coli strains is also not yet assessed. Hence in the present study, the survival pattern of STEC strain (O157-TNAU was compared with non-pathogenic (MTCC433 and genetically modified (DH5α strains on different tropical agricultural soils and on a vegetable growing medium, cocopeat under controlled condition. The survival pattern clearly discriminated DH5α from MTCC433 and O157-TNAU, which had shorter life (40 days than those compared (60 days. Similarly, among the soils assessed, the red laterite and tropical latosol supported longer survival of O157-TNAU and MTCC433 as compared to wetland and black cotton soils. In cocopeat, O157 recorded significantly longer survival than other two strains. The survival data were successfully analyzed using Double-Weibull model and the modeling parameters were correlated with soil physico-chemical and biological properties using principal component analysis (PCA. The PCA of all the three strains revealed that pH, microbial biomass carbon, dehydrogenase activity and available N and P contents of the soil decided the survival of E. coli strains in those soils and cocopeat. The present research work suggests that the survival of O157 differs in tropical Indian soils due to varied physico-chemical and biological properties and the survival is much shorter than those reported in temperate soils. As the survival pattern of non-pathogenic strain, MTCC433 is similar to O157-TNAU in tropical soils, the former can be used as safe model organism for open field studies.

  2. Genetic and antigenic relationship of foot-and-mouth disease virus serotype O isolates with the vaccine strain O1/BFS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Wanhong; Zhang, Zhidong; Nfon, Charles; Yang, Ming

    2018-05-15

    Foot-and-mouth disease serotype O viruses (FMDV/O) are responsible for the most outbreaks in FMD endemic countries. O1/BFS is one of the recommended FMD/O vaccine strains by World Reference Laboratory for FMD. In the current study, FMDV/O1 BFS vaccine strain and serotype O field isolates (45) were analyzed phylogenetically and antigenically to gain more insight into the genetic and antigenic characteristics of the vaccine strain and field isolates. O1/BFS showed similarity with 89% of the field isolates using a virus neutralization test (VNT). The P1 region encoding the FMDV capsid was sequenced and analysed for 46 strains of FMDV/O. Phylogenetic analysis showed these viruses originated from five continents and covered eight of 11 reported topotypes. Five isolates that demonstrated low antigenic similarities with O1/BFS were analyzed for their antigenic variation at the known neutralizing antigenic sites. Three of the five isolates demonstrated unique amino acid substitutions at various antigenic sites. No unique amino acid substitutions were observed for the other two unmatched isolates. Positively selected residues were identified on the surface of the FMD virus capsid supporting that it is important to continuously monitor field isolates for their antigenic and phenotypic changes. In conclusion, the vaccine strain O1/BFS is likely to confer protection against 89% of the 45 FMDV/O isolates based on VNT. Thus O1/BFS vaccine strain is still suitable for use in global FMD serotype O outbreak control. Combining data from phylogenetic, molecular and antigenic analysis can provide improvements in the process of vaccine selection. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. ZnO as dielectric for optically transparent non-volatile memory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salim, N. Tjitra; Aw, K.C.; Gao, W.; Wright, Bryon E.

    2009-01-01

    This paper discusses the application of a DC sputtered ZnO thin film as a dielectric in an optically transparent non-volatile memory. The main motivation for using ZnO as a dielectric is due to its optical transparency and mechanical flexibility. We have established the relationship between the electrical resistivity (ρ) and the activation energy (E a ) of the electron transport in the conduction band of the ZnO film. The ρ of 2 x 10 4 -5 x 10 7 Ω-cm corresponds to E a of 0.36-0.76 eV, respectively. The k-value and optical band-gap for films sputtered with Ar:O 2 ratio of 4:1 are 53 ± 3.6 and 3.23 eV, respectively. In this paper, the basic charge storage element for a non-volatile memory is a triple layer dielectric structure in which a 50 nm thick ZnO film is sandwiched between two layers of methyl silsesquioxane sol-gel dielectric of varying thickness. A pronounced clockwise capacitance-voltage (C-V) hysteresis was observed with a memory window of 6 V. The integration with a solution-processable pentacene, 13,6-N-Sulfinylacetamodipentacene resulted in an optically transparent organic field effect transistor non-volatile memory (OFET-NVM). We have demonstrated that this OFET-NVM can be electrically programmed and erased at low voltage (± 10 V) with a threshold voltage shift of 4.0 V.

  4. Impact of sickle cell trait on the thrombotic risk associated with non-O blood groups in northern Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Sagir G; Kagu, Modu B; Ibrahim, Umma A; Bukar, Audu A

    2015-10-01

    The non-O blood group is an established risk factor for deep vein thrombosis (DVT), while controversy surrounds the role of sickle cell trait (SCT) as a risk factor for DVT. We hypothesised that if SCT is a risk factor for DVT, individuals with non-O blood groups and SCT (Hb AS) would have a higher risk of DVT than their counterparts with non-O blood groups and normal haemoglobin phenotype (Hb AA). We retrospectively analysed the prevalence of SCT and non-O blood groups among 148 DVT patients with control subjects in order to determine the role of SCT as a risk factor for DVT and its impact on the risk of DVT among patients with non-O blood groups. In comparison with control subjects, DVT patients had significantly higher prevalences of SCT (35.1% vs 27.7%, p=0.04) and non-O blood groups (68.9% vs 45.9%, p=0.02). The odds ratios for DVT due to SCT, non-O blood groups with normal Hb phenotype (Hb AA) and non-O blood groups with SCT (Hb AS) were 1.3, 2.4 and 3.5, respectively. These results suggest that SCT by itself is a weak risk factor for DVT but it has the potential of escalating the DVT risk among patients with non-O blood groups. The combined effects of elevated clotting factors (non-O group effect) and increased clotting factor activation (SCT effect) were responsible for the escalated DVT risk among patients with co-inheritance of non-O blood groups and SCT. Co-inheritance of SCT and non-O blood group is, therefore, an important mixed risk factor for DVT. This should be taken into account when assessing DVT risk profiles of patients in Africa and other parts of the world where the SCT is prevalent.

  5. Chronic toxicity of ZnO nanoparticles, non-nano ZnO and ZnCl2 to Folsomia candida (Collembola) in relation to bioavailability in soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kool, Pauline L.; Diez Ortiz, Maria; Gestel, Cornelis A.M. van

    2011-01-01

    The chronic toxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NP) to Folsomia candida was determined in natural soil. To unravel the contribution of particle size and free zinc to NP toxicity, non-nano ZnO and ZnCl 2 were also tested. Zinc concentrations in pore water increased with increasing soil concentrations, with Freundlich sorption constants K f of 61.7, 106 and 96.4 l/kg (n = 1.50, 1.34 and 0.42) for ZnO-NP, non-nano ZnO and ZnCl 2 respectively. Survival of F. candida was not affected by ZnO-NP and non-nano ZnO at concentrations up to 6400 mg Zn/kg d.w. Reproduction was dose-dependently reduced with 28-d EC50s of 1964, 1591 and 298 mg Zn/kg d.w. for ZnO-NP, non-nano ZnO and ZnCl 2 , respectively. The difference in EC50s based on measured pore water concentrations was small (7.94-16.8 mg Zn/l). We conclude that zinc ions released from NP determine the observed toxic effects rather than ZnO particle size. - Highlights: → ZnO nanoparticles and non-nano ZnO were equally toxic to Folsomia candida in soil. → Pore water from soil spiked with ZnO nanoparticles showed saturation with zinc suggesting aggregation. → Pore water based EC50 values for ZnO nanoparticles and ZnCl 2 were similar. → ZnO nanoparticle toxicity in soil was most probably due to Zn dissolution from the nanoparticles. - ZnO nanoparticle toxicity to springtails in soil can be explained from Zn dissolution but not from particle size.

  6. Detection of viable and viable nonculturable Vibrio cholerae O1 through cultures and immunofluorescence in the Tucumán rivers, Argentina Detecção de Vibrio cholerae O1 viável e viável não cultivável, através de técnicas de cultivo e imunofluorescência nos rios de Tucumán, Argentina

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olga Aulet

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available Vibrio cholerae has been sporadically isolated from rivers in Tucumán, Argentina, since the outbreak in 1991. The aim of this study was to determine the environmental reservoir of the bacterium in these rivers, assessing the presence of Vibrio cholerae non-O1 and O1 (the latter both in its viable culturable and non culturable state and its relationship to environmental physicochemical variables. 18 water samplings were collected in the Salí River (in Canal Norte and Banda and the Lules River between 2003 and 2005. Physical-chemical measurements (pH, water temperature, electrical conductivity and dissolved oxygen were examined. Vibrio cholerae was investigated with conventional culture methods and with Direct Immunofluorescence (DFA-VNC in order to detect viable non culturable organisms. All isolated microorganisms corresponded to Vibrio cholerae non-O1 and non-O139 (Lules 26%, Canal Norte 33% and Banda 41%. The majority was found during spring and summer and correlated with temperature and pH. Non culturable Vibrio cholerae O1 was detected year round in 38 of the 54 water samples analyzed. Application of the Pearson correlation coefficient revealed that there was no relationship between positive immunofluorescence results and environmental physicochemical parameters. Genes coding for somatic antigen O1 were confirmed in all DFA-VNC-positive samples, whereas the virulence-associated ctxA and tcpA genes were confirmed in 24 samples.Vibrio cholerae tem sido isolado esporadicamente nos rios da Província de Tucumán, Argentina, desde outubro de 1991. O objetivo deste estudo foi localizar os reservatórios nestes rios, identificar a presença de Vibrio cholerae O1 (em estado cultivável e não cultivável e relacionar a presença desta bactéria com as variações físico-químicos da água. Foram coletadas dezoito amostras de água do rio Salí (nas localidades de Canal Norte e Banda e do rio Lules, entre 2003 e 2005. Estas foram submetidas a an

  7. Quantization of O(N) non-linear sigma models as the stochastic motion on Ssup(N-1)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aldazabal, G.; Parga, N.

    1983-09-01

    We obtain the Langevin equations for the stochastic quantization of the O(N) non-linear sigma model by studying the random (Gaussian) motion on the sphere Ssup(N-1). We prove the equivalence of this procedure with a different one where the random forces are elements of the O(N) algebra. A proof that our approach yields in the equilibrium regime the quantum field theory is also given. (author)

  8. Determination of the Thermal Inactivation Kinetics of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 and non-O157 in Buffer and a Spinach Homogenate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monu, Emefa Angelica; Valladares, Malcond; D'Souza, Doris H; Davidson, P Michael

    2015-08-01

    Produce has been associated with a rising number of foodborne illness outbreaks. While much produce is consumed raw, some is treated with mild heat, such as blanching or cooking. The objectives of this research were to compare the thermal inactivation kinetics of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7, and non-O157 STEC in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS; pH 7.2) and a spinach homogenate and to provide an estimate of the safety of mild heat processes for spinach. Five individual strains of S. enterica, L. monocytogenes, STEC O157:H7, and non-O157 STEC were tested in PBS in 2-ml glass vials, and cocktails of the organisms were tested in blended spinach in vacuum-sealed bags. For Listeria and Salmonella at 56 to 60°C, D-values in PBS ranged from 4.42 ± 0.94 to 0.35 ± 0.03 min and 2.11 ± 0.14 to 0.16 ± 0.03 min, respectively. D-values at 54 to 58°C were 5.18 ± 0.21 to 0.53 ± 0.04 min for STEC O157:H7 and 5.01 ± 0.60 to 0.60 ± 0.13 min for non-O157 STEC. In spinach at 56 to 60°C, Listeria D-values were 11.77 ± 2.18 to 1.22 ± 0.12 min and Salmonella D-values were 3.51 ± 0.06 to 0.47 ± 0.06 min. D-values for STEC O157:H7 and non-O157 STEC were 7.21 ± 0.17 to 1.07 ± 0.11 min and 5.57 ± 0.38 to 0.99 ± 0.07 min, respectively, at 56 to 60°C. In spinach, z-values were 4.07 ± 0.16, 4.59 ± 0.26, 4.80 ± 0.92, and 5.22 ± 0.20°C for Listeria, Salmonella, STEC O157:H7, and non-O157 STEC, respectively. Results indicated that a mild thermal treatment of blended spinach at 70°C for less than 1 min would result in a 6-log reduction of all pathogens tested. These findings may assist the food industry in the design of suitable mild thermal processes to ensure food safety.

  9. Compressive strain-dependent bending strength property of Al2O3-ZrO2 (1.5 mol% Y2O3) composites performance by HIP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reyes-Rojas, A.; Esparza-Ponce, H.; De la Torre, S.D.; Torres-Moye, E.

    2009-01-01

    Nanometric powders and sintered ceramics of Al 2 O 3 -ZrO 2 (1.5 mol% Y 2 O 3 ) prepared by hot isostatic pressing HIP have been studied. A detailed crystallographic study has been performed through X-ray diffraction, Williamson-Hall method, Rietveld method and high-resolution electron microscopy HREM analysis. The crystallographic structure data, such as domain size, lattice parameters, wt% phase, and micro-strain direction have been obtained using Rietveld refinement and Williamson-Hall methods. The results revealed that the compressive strain (ε) increased from 0.56 to 1.18 (10 -3 ) as the t-ZrO 2 content increased too. The HREM interface study conducted along the [0 0 0 1]Al 2 O 3 ||[0 0 1]ZrO 2 zone axis revealed a micro-strain lattice distortion accumulated at the grain boundary due to the ZrO 2 martensitic phase transformation on cooling, t-ZrO 2 grains coalescence and to the grain growth of α-Al 2 O 3 which cause elongated tetragonal crystals. Micro-strain lattice distortion is adjusted by the shear displacements of the planes (1 1 0) and (11-bar0) along [1-bar10] and [1-bar1-bar0] crystallographic directions, respectively; these planes are arrested by the (101-bar0) alumina plane. In this case, semi-coherent interfaces were observed along the grain boundary. It is verified that the bending strength increased in connection with the strain accumulation and amount of tetragonal structure

  10. Diversity and distribution of cholix toxin, a novel ADP-ribosylating factor from Vibrio cholerae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Purdy, Alexandra E; Balch, Deborah; Lizárraga-Partida, Marcial Leonardo; Islam, Mohammad Sirajul; Martinez-Urtaza, Jaime; Huq, Anwar; Colwell, Rita R; Bartlett, Douglas H

    2010-02-01

    Non-toxigenic non-O1, non-O139 Vibrio cholerae strains isolated from both environmental and clinical settings carry a suite of virulence factors aside from cholera toxin. Among V. cholerae strains isolated from coastal waters of southern California, this includes cholix toxin, an ADP-ribosylating factor that is capable of halting protein synthesis in eukaryotic cells. The prevalence of the gene encoding cholix toxin, chxA, was assessed among a collection of 155 diverse V. cholerae strains originating from both clinical and environmental settings in Bangladesh and Mexico and other countries around the globe. The chxA gene was present in 47% of 83 non-O1, non-O139 strains and 16% of 72 O1/O139 strains screened as part of this study. A total of 86 chxA gene sequences were obtained, and phylogenetic analysis revealed that they fall into two distinct clades. These two clades were also observed in the phylogenies of several housekeeping genes, suggesting that the divergence observed in chxA extends to other regions of the V. cholerae genome, and most likely has arisen from vertical descent rather than horizontal transfer. Our results clearly indicate that ChxA is a major toxin of V. cholerae with a worldwide distribution that is preferentially associated with non-pandemic strains. © 2010 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  11. Highly ordered Ni–Ti–O nanotubes for non-enzymatic glucose detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hang, Ruiqiang, E-mail: hangruiqiang@tyut.edu.cn [Research Institute of Surface Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024 (China); Liu, Yanlian [Research Institute of Surface Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024 (China); Gao, Ang [Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China); Bai, Long; Huang, Xiaobo; Zhang, Xiangyu; Lin, Naiming [Research Institute of Surface Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024 (China); Tang, Bin, E-mail: tangbin@tyut.edu.cn [Research Institute of Surface Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024 (China); Chu, Paul K. [Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China)

    2015-06-01

    Anodization is used to fabricate Ni–Ti–O nanotube (NT) electrodes for non-enzymatic glucose detection. The morphology, microstructure and composition of the materials are characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Our results show amorphous and highly ordered NTs with diameter of 50 nm, length of 800 nm, and Ni/Ti ratio (at %) of 0.35 can be fabricated in ethylene glycol electrolyte supplemented with 0.2 wt.% NH{sub 4}F and 0.5 vol.% H{sub 2}O at 30 °C and 25 V for 1 h. Electrochemical experiments indicate that at an applied potential of 0.60 V vs. Ag/AgCl, the electrode exhibits a linear response window for glucose concentrations from 0.002 mM to 0.2 mM with a response time of 10 s, detection limit of 0.13 μM (S/N = 3), and sensitivity of 83 μA mM{sup −1} cm{sup −2}. The excellent performance of the electrode is attributed to its large specific area and fast electron transfer between the NT walls. The good electrochemical performance of the Ni–Ti–O NTs as well as their simple and low-cost preparation method make the strategy promising in non-enzymatic glucose detection. - Highlights: • Highly ordered Ni–Ti–O nanotubes have been fabricated by one-step anodization. • We find H{sub 2}O contents in the electrolyte is critical to successful fabrication of the NTs. • The Ni–Ti–O nanotubes are ideal electrode materials for non-enzymatic glucose detection.

  12. BIOUTILIZATION OF GRAPE WASTE FOR EXOPOLYSACCHARIDE PRODUCTION USING ALTERNARIA ALTERNATA NON-PIGMENT STRAIN

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MELEIGY, S.A.

    2009-01-01

    In the present investigation, five mutant strains from A. alternate were isolated after exposure to gamma irradiation at dose level 8 kGy. The mutant isolated strains (MIS) were non-producing dark pigment and producing polysaccharide. The mutant isolated strain (MIS) belong to the Alternaria alternata MIS (1-5). In shake flask experiments, the exopolysaccharide (EPS) production was 2.90-5.24 g/l and biomass 5.8-8.31g/l. The effect of some fermentation conditions on grape wastes by A. alternata were investigated to produce EPS using gamma irradiation and non-pigment strain. The economical optimum fermentation condition for the highest EPS production by MIS4 when grown on grape waste containing 150 g/l sugar, incubation temperature 28 o C, pH 7 with addition of both 2 % yeast extract and 1.5 % surfactant triton x-100 achieved 14.68 g/l EPS and 6.22 g/l biomass

  13. Emergence of non-Fermi liquid behaviors in 5d perovskite SrIrO{sub 3} thin films: Interplay between correlation, disorder, and spin-orbit coupling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Biswas, Abhijit [Department of Physics, POSTECH, Pohang 790-784 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Ki-Seok [Department of Physics, POSTECH, Pohang 790-784 (Korea, Republic of); Institute of Edge of Theoretical Science (IES), POSTECH, Pohang 790-784 (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, Yoon H., E-mail: yhj@postech.ac.kr [Department of Physics, POSTECH, Pohang 790-784 (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-02-15

    We investigate the effects of compressive strain on the electrical resistivity of 5d iridium based perovskite SrIrO{sub 3} by depositing epitaxial films of thickness 35 nm on various substrates such as GdScO{sub 3} (110), DyScO{sub 3} (110), and SrTiO{sub 3} (001). Surprisingly, we find anomalous transport behaviors as expressed by ρ∝T{sup ε} in the temperature dependent resistivity, where the temperature exponent ε evolves continuously from 4/5 to 1 and to 3/2 with an increase of compressive strain. Furthermore, magnetoresistance always remains positive irrespective of resistivity upturns at low temperatures. These observations imply that the delicate interplay between correlation and disorder in the presence of strong spin-orbit coupling is responsible for the emergence of the non-Fermi liquid behaviors in 5d perovskite SrIrO{sub 3} thin films. We offer a theoretical framework for the interpretation of the experimental results. - Highlights: • We studied the effect of compressive strain on the perovskite SrIrO{sub 3} thin films. • We revealed non-Fermi liquid behaviors in the transport properties. • Irrespective of weak localization effects, magnetoresistance remains positive. • Mott-Anderson-Griffiths scenario is proposed to account for the NFL behaviors.

  14. Chronic toxicity of ZnO nanoparticles, non-nano ZnO and ZnCl{sub 2} to Folsomia candida (Collembola) in relation to bioavailability in soil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kool, Pauline L., E-mail: pauline.kool@falw.vu.nl [Department of Animal Ecology, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam (Netherlands); Diez Ortiz, Maria [Department of Animal Ecology, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam (Netherlands); Pole de Recherche ROVALTAIN en Toxicologie Environnementale et Ecotoxicologie, Batiment Rhovalparc, BP 15173, 26958 Valence Cedex 9 (France); Gestel, Cornelis A.M. van [Department of Animal Ecology, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam (Netherlands)

    2011-10-15

    The chronic toxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NP) to Folsomia candida was determined in natural soil. To unravel the contribution of particle size and free zinc to NP toxicity, non-nano ZnO and ZnCl{sub 2} were also tested. Zinc concentrations in pore water increased with increasing soil concentrations, with Freundlich sorption constants K{sub f} of 61.7, 106 and 96.4 l/kg (n = 1.50, 1.34 and 0.42) for ZnO-NP, non-nano ZnO and ZnCl{sub 2} respectively. Survival of F. candida was not affected by ZnO-NP and non-nano ZnO at concentrations up to 6400 mg Zn/kg d.w. Reproduction was dose-dependently reduced with 28-d EC50s of 1964, 1591 and 298 mg Zn/kg d.w. for ZnO-NP, non-nano ZnO and ZnCl{sub 2}, respectively. The difference in EC50s based on measured pore water concentrations was small (7.94-16.8 mg Zn/l). We conclude that zinc ions released from NP determine the observed toxic effects rather than ZnO particle size. - Highlights: > ZnO nanoparticles and non-nano ZnO were equally toxic to Folsomia candida in soil. > Pore water from soil spiked with ZnO nanoparticles showed saturation with zinc suggesting aggregation. > Pore water based EC50 values for ZnO nanoparticles and ZnCl{sub 2} were similar. > ZnO nanoparticle toxicity in soil was most probably due to Zn dissolution from the nanoparticles. - ZnO nanoparticle toxicity to springtails in soil can be explained from Zn dissolution but not from particle size.

  15. Synthesis of O-serogroup specific positive controls and real-time PCR standards for nine clinically relevant non-O157 STECs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conrad, Cheyenne C; Gilroyed, Brandon H; McAllister, Tim A; Reuter, Tim

    2012-10-01

    Non-O157 Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are gaining recognition as human pathogens, but no standardized method exists to identify them. Sequence analysis revealed that STEC can be classified on the base of variable O antigen regions into different O serotypes. Polymerase chain reaction is a powerful technique for thorough screening and complex diagnosis for these pathogens, but requires a positive control to verify qualitative and/or quantitative DNA-fragment amplification. Due to the pathogenic nature of STEC, controls are not readily available and cell culturing of STEC reference strains requires biosafety conditions of level 2 or higher. In order to bypass this limitation, controls of stacked O-type specific DNA-fragments coding for primer recognition sites were designed to screen for nine STEC serotypes frequently associated with human infection. The synthetic controls were amplified by PCR, cloned into a plasmid vector and transferred into bacteria host cells. Plasmids amplified by bacterial expression were purified, serially diluted and tested as standards for real-time PCR using SYBR Green and TaqMan assays. Utility of synthetic DNA controls was demonstrated in conventional and real-time PCR assays and validated with DNA from natural STEC strains. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Ursodeoxycholic Acid Influences the Expression of p27kip1 but Not FoxO1 in Patients with Non-Cirrhotic Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Malgorzata Milkiewicz

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Enhanced expression of cell cycle inhibitor p27kip1 suppresses cell proliferation. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA delays progression of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC but its effect on p27kip1 expression is uncertain. Aims. To analyze the expression of p27kip1 and its transcription modulator FoxO1 in patients with PBC, and to assess the impact of UDCA on this pathway. Materials and Methods. The examined human tissue included explanted livers from patients with cirrhotic PBC (n=23, primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC; n=9, alcoholic liver disease (ALD; n=9, and routine liver biopsies from patients with non-cirrhotic PBC (n=26. Healthy liver samples served as controls (n=19. Livers of FoxO-deficient mice were also studied. mRNA and protein expressions were analyzed by real-time PCR and Western blot. Results. p27kip1 expression was increased in cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic PBC. FoxO1 mRNA levels were increased in PBC (8.5-fold increase versus controls. FoxO1 protein expression in PBC was comparable to controls, but it was decreased in patients with PSC and ALD (63% and 70% reduction, respectively; both P<0.05 versus control. UDCA-treated non-cirrhotic patients with PBC showed decreased expression of p27kip1 mRNA. Conclusion. PBC progression is characterized by a FoxO1-independent increase of p27kip1 expression. In early PBC, UDCA may enhance liver regeneration via p27kip1-dependent mechanism.

  17. Isolation of non-sulphur photosynthetic bacterial strains efficient in hydrogen production at elevated temperatures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singh, S.P.; Srivastava, S.C. (Banaras Hindu Univ., Varanasi (IN). Centre of Advanced Study in Botany)

    1991-01-01

    Four strains of non-sulphur photosynthetic bacteria were isolated from root zone associations of aquatic plants like Azolla, Salvinia and Eichhornia, as well as the deep-water rice. Based on the gross cell morphology and pigmentation, the isolates resembled Rhodopseudomonas sp. and have been designated as BHU strains 1 to 4, respectively. When subjected to elevated temperature (from 33-45{sup o}C), substantial growth/hydrogen production could be observed only in strains 1 and 4. Strains 2 and 3 on the other hand, showed diminished growth and negligible hydrogen photoproduction. The BHU strains 1 and 4 have been selected as the most active (thermostable) hydrogen producing strains of local origin as far as the Indian tropical climate is concerned. (author).

  18. Archetypal sandwich-structured CuO for high performance non-enzymatic sensing of glucose

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meher, Sumanta Kumar; Rao, G. Ranga

    2013-02-01

    In the quest to enhance the selectivity and sensitivity of novel structured metal oxides for electrochemical non-enzymatic sensing of glucose, we report here a green synthesis of unique sandwich-structured CuO on a large scale under microwave mediated homogeneous precipitation conditions. The physicochemical studies carried out by XRD and BET methods show that the monoclinic CuO formed via thermal decomposition of Cu2(OH)2CO3 possesses monomodal channel-type pores with largely improved surface area (~43 m2 g-1) and pore volume (0.163 cm3 g-1). The fascinating surface morphology and pore structure of CuO is formulated due to homogeneous crystallization and microwave induced self assembly during synthesis. The cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry studies show diffusion controlled glucose oxidation at ~0.6 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) with extremely high sensitivity of 5342.8 μA mM-1 cm-2 and respective detection limit and response time of ~1 μM and ~0.7 s, under a wide dynamic concentration range of glucose. The chronoamperometry measurements demonstrate that the sensitivity of CuO to glucose is unaffected by the absence of dissolved oxygen and presence of poisoning chloride ions in the reaction medium, which essentially implies high poison resistance activity of the sandwich-structured CuO. The sandwich-structured CuO also shows insignificant interference/significant selectivity to glucose, even in the presence of high concentrations of other sugars as well as reducing species. In addition, the sandwich-structured CuO shows excellent reproducibility (relative standard deviation of ~2.4% over ten identically fabricated electrodes) and outstanding long term stability (only ~1.3% loss in sensitivity over a period of one month) during non-enzymatic electrochemical sensing of glucose. The unique microstructure and suitable channel-type pore architecture provide structural stability and maximum accessible electroactive surface for unimpeded mobility of glucose as well as the

  19. Interdiffusion effect on strained La0.8Ba0.2MnO3 thin films by off-axis sputtering on SrTiO3 (100) substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chou, Hsiung; Hsu, S. G.; Lin, C. B.; Wu, C. B.

    2007-01-01

    Strained La 0.8 Ba 0.2 MnO 3 thin films on SrTiO 3 (100) substrate are grown by an off-axis sputtering technique. It is found that the ferromagnetic temperature T C increases for thinner films. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy indicates that Sr diffuses partially into the film, making it structurally nonuniform. The region close to the film/substrate interface acts as La 1-x (Sr y Ba 1-y ) x MnO 3 with a near negligible y for the as grown film and a non-negligible amount of y for the high-temperature postannealed film. The enhancement of T C is attributed to the combination of the strain and interdiffusion effects

  20. Interdiffusion effect on strained La0.8Ba0.2MnO3 thin films by off-axis sputtering on SrTiO3 (100) substrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chou, Hsiung; Hsu, S. G.; Lin, C. B.; Wu, C. B.

    2007-02-01

    Strained La0.8Ba0.2MnO3 thin films on SrTiO3 (100) substrate are grown by an off-axis sputtering technique. It is found that the ferromagnetic temperature TC increases for thinner films. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy indicates that Sr diffuses partially into the film, making it structurally nonuniform. The region close to the film/substrate interface acts as La1-x(SryBa1-y)xMnO3 with a near negligible y for the as grown film and a non-negligible amount of y for the high-temperature postannealed film. The enhancement of TC is attributed to the combination of the strain and interdiffusion effects.

  1. Reduced ferritin levels in individuals with non-O blood group

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rigas, Andreas S; Berkfors, Adam A; Pedersen, Ole B

    2017-01-01

    stores expressed as ferritin levels. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Ferritin levels were measured at least once for 30,595 Danish Blood Donor Study participants. Linear regression analyses were performed with the ABO blood group as explanatory variable and adjusted for age, number of donations 3 years before......BACKGROUND: Genomewide association studies have reported alleles in the ABO locus to be associated with ferritin levels. These studies warrant the investigation of a possible association between the ABO blood group and ferritin levels. We aimed to explore if ABO blood group is associated with iron...... blood group was associated with a ferritin level of less than 15 ng/mL. RESULTS: Non-O blood group donors had lower ferritin levels than blood group O donors, regardless of sex. Accordingly, risk of ferritin level of less than 15 ng/mL was increased for individuals with non-O blood group compared with O...

  2. Strain induced atomic structure at the Ir-doped LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, M; Arras, R; Warot-Fonrose, B; Hungria, T; Lippmaa, M; Daimon, H; Casanove, M J

    2017-11-01

    The structure of Ir-doped LaAlO 3 /SrTiO 3 (001) interfaces was investigated on the atomic scale using probe-corrected transmission electron microscopy in high-angle annular dark-field scanning mode (HAADF-STEM) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), combined with first-principles calculations. We report the evolution of the strain state experimentally measured in a 5 unit-cell thick LaAlO 3 film as a function of the Ir concentration in the topmost SrTiO 3 layer. It is shown that the LaAlO 3 layers remain fully elastically strained up to 3% of Ir doping, whereas a higher doping level seems to promote strain relaxation through enhanced cationic interdiffusion. The observed differences between the energy loss near edge structure (ELNES) of Ti-L 2,3 and O-K edges at non-doped and Ir-doped interfaces are consistent with the location of the Ir dopants at the interface, up to 3% of Ir doping. These findings, supported by the results of density functional theory (DFT) calculations, provide strong evidence that the effect of dopant concentrations on the properties of this kind of interface should not be analyzed without obtaining essential information from the fine structural and chemical analysis of the grown structures.

  3. [Survival of VTEC O157 and non-O157 in water troughs and bovine feces].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polifroni, Rosana; Etcheverría, Analía I; Arroyo, Guillermo H; Padola, Nora L

    2014-01-01

    Verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) is the etiologic agent of hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), which typically affects children ranging in age from six months to five years old. Transmission is produced by consumption of contaminated food, by direct contact with animals or the environment and from person to person. In previous studies we determined that the environment of a dairy farm is a non-animal reservoir; thus, we proposed to study the survival of 4 VTEC isolates (O20:H19; O91:H21; O157:H7 and O178:H19) in sterile water troughs and bovine feces by viable bacteria count and detection of virulence genes by PCR. It was demonstrated that the survival of different VTEC isolates (O157 and non-O157) varied in terms of their own characteristics as well as of the environmental conditions where they were found. The main differences between isolates were their survival time and the maximal counts reached. The competitive and adaptive characteristics of some isolates increase the infection risk for people that are visiting or working on a farm, as well as the risk for reinfection of the animals and food contamination. Copyright © 2014 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

  4. [Microbiological characterization of non-O1 Vibrio cholerae isolated in Cuba].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bravo Fariñas, Laura; Fernández, Anabel; Ramírez, María M; Llop, Alina; Martínez, Gerardo; Hernández, Raquel I; Cabrera, Luis E; Morier, Luis; Fraga, Jorge; Núñez, Fidel A; Aguila, Adalberto

    2007-01-01

    The study of 422 non-01 Vibrio cholerae strains from nine provinces, 9 of them isolated from a water-borne disease outbreak, was performed. All the strains exhibited antimicrobial susceptibility and virulence factors. The nine strains from the outbreak were subjected to a DNA macrorestriction study based on the pulsed field electrophoresis technique. For the first time in Cuba and the Caribbean. The circulation of atypical non-01 V cholerae strains (resistent to vibriostatic compound 0129 and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole). The behavior of antimicrobial susceptibility evinced for the first time the circulation of two different resistence patterns in Cuba (ampicilline, trimethoprim/ sulfamethoxazole, sulfonamide and tetracycline, trimethoprim/ sulfamethoxazole, sulfonamide). The frequency of trimethoprim/ sulfamethoxazole-resistent strains was similar during the whole period of study. However, resistance to ampicilline decreased whereas resistance to tetracycline increased. The main found virulence factors were gelatinase, hemolysine, elastase and adherence to Hep-2 cells. On the other hand, the outbreak strains showed higher percentages than the others due to the presence of heat-liable toxin and fimbriae. The results of the molecular and epidemiological studies allowed giving a speedy and accurate response that explained the etiology of the first food-borne disease outbreak.

  5. Electric Field Tuning Non-volatile Magnetism in Half-Metallic Alloys Co2FeAl/Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 Heterostructure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunzhu, Gesang; Wang, Fenglong; Zhou, Cai; Jiang, Changjun

    2018-03-01

    We reported the non-volatile electric field-mediated magnetic properties in the half-metallic Heusler alloy Co2FeAl/Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 heterostructure at room temperature. The remanent magnetization with different applied electric field along [100] and [01-1] directions was achieved, which showed the non-volatile remanent magnetization driven by an electric field. The two giant reversible and stable remanent magnetization states were obtained by applying pulsed electric field. This can be attributed to the piezostrain effect originating from the piezoelectric substrate, which can be used for magnetoelectric-based memory devices.

  6. House Flies in the Confined Cattle Environment Carry Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puri-Giri, R; Ghosh, A; Thomson, J L; Zurek, L

    2017-05-01

    Cattle manure is one of the primary larval developmental habitats of house flies, Musca domestica (L.). Cattle serve as asymptomatic reservoirs of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), and bacteria are released into the environment in cattle feces. The USDA-FSIS declared seven STEC serogroups (O157, O26, O45, O103, O145, O121, and O111) as adulterants in beef products. In addition, the serogroup O104 was a culprit of a large outbreak in Germany in 2011. Our study aimed to assess the prevalence of seven non-O157 STEC (O26, O45, O145, O103, O121, O111, and O104) serogroups in adult house flies. Flies (n = 463) were collected from nine feedlots and three dairy farms in six states in the United States and individually processed. This involved a culturing approach with immunomagnetic separation followed by multiplex polymerase chain reactions for detection of individual serogroups and virulence traits. The concentration of bacteria on modified Possé agar ranged between 1.0 × 101 and 7.0 × 107 (mean: 1.5 ± 0.3 × 106) CFU/fly. Out of 463 house flies, 159 (34.3%) carried one or more of six E. coli serogroups of interest. However, STEC was found in 1.5% of house flies from feedlots only. These were E. coli O103 and O104 harboring stx1 and ehxA and E. coli O45 with stx1, eae, and ehxA. This is the first study reporting the isolation of non-O157 STEC in house flies from the confined cattle environment and indicating a potential role of this insect as a vector and reservoir of non-O157 STEC in confined beef cattle. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  7. Production of pullulan by a thermotolerant aureobasidium pullulans strain in non-stirred fed batch fermentation process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Ranjan; Gaur, Rajeeva; Tiwari, Soni; Gaur, Manogya Kumar

    2012-07-01

    Total 95 isolates of Aureobasidium pullulans were isolated from different flowers and leaves samples, out of which 11 thermotolerant strains produced pullulan. One thermotolerant non-melanin pullulan producing strain, designated as RG-5, produced highest pullulan (37.1±1.0 g/l) at 42(o)C, pH 5.5 in 48h of incubation with 3% sucrose and 0.5% ammonium sulphate in a non-stirred fed batch fermentor of 6 liters capacity. The two liters of initial volume of fermentation medium was further fed with the 2 liters in two successive batches at 5 h interval into the fermentor. The sterile air was supplied only for 10h at the rate of 0.5 vvm.

  8. On the Absence of Non-thermal X-Ray Emission around Runaway O Stars

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Toalá, J. A. [Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica (ASIAA), Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Oskinova, L. M. [Institute for Physics and Astronomy, University of Potsdam, D-14476 Potsdam (Germany); Ignace, R. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614 (United States)

    2017-04-01

    Theoretical models predict that the compressed interstellar medium around runaway O stars can produce high-energy non-thermal diffuse emission, in particular, non-thermal X-ray and γ -ray emission. So far, detection of non-thermal X-ray emission was claimed for only one runaway star, AE Aur. We present a search for non-thermal diffuse X-ray emission from bow shocks using archived XMM-Newton observations for a clean sample of six well-determined runaway O stars. We find that none of these objects present diffuse X-ray emission associated with their bow shocks, similarly to previous X-ray studies toward ζ Oph and BD+43°3654. We carefully investigated multi-wavelength observations of AE Aur and could not confirm previous findings of non-thermal X-rays. We conclude that so far there is no clear evidence of non-thermal extended emission in bow shocks around runaway O stars.

  9. Comparison of the fate of the top six non-O157 shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and E. coli O157:H7 during the manufacture of dry fermented sausages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balamurugan, S; Ahmed, Rafath; Gao, Anli; Strange, Phil

    2017-10-16

    The study examined the relative fate of the top six non-O157 shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and E. coli O157:H7 during the manufacture of dry fermented sausages (DFS). Three separate batches of sausages containing a five-strain cocktail for each serogroup and uninoculated control were manufactured and subjected to identical fermentation, maturation and dry curing conditions. Changes in physicochemical properties and inoculated STEC numbers were enumerated during the DFS production stages and log reduction and log reduction rates were calculated. Inoculation of very high concentrations (8logCFUg -1 ) of STEC in the sausage batter did not significantly (P>0.05) affect the changes in the pH, a w , moisture, protein, fat content compared to the uninoculated DFS. There was a significant (P0.05) from each other. These results indicate that the lethality of DFS production processes observed against E. coli O157:H7 would result in a similar inactivation of the top six non-O157 STEC. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Strain effect on the magnetic and transport properties of LaCoO3 thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Y.; Peng, S. J.; Wang, D. J.; Wu, K. M.; Wang, S. H.

    2018-05-01

    LaCoO3 (LCO) has attracted much attention due to the unique magnetic transition and spin transition of Co3+ ions. Epitaxial LCO film exhibits an unexpected ferromagnetism, in contrast to the non-magnetism of bulk LCO. An in-depth study on the property of strained LCO film is of great importance. We have fabricated 30 nm LCO films on various substrates and studied the magnetic and transport properties of films in different strain states (compressed strain for LCO/LaAlO3, tensile strain for LCO/(LaAlO3)0.3(Sr2TaAlO6)0.35, SrTiO3). The in-plane tensiled LCO films exhibit ferromagnetic ground state at 5K and magnetic transition with TC around 85K, while compressed LCO/LaAlO3 film has a negligibly small moment signal. Our results reveal that in-plane tensile strain and tetragonal distortion are much more favorable for stabilizing the FM order in LCO films.

  11. Comparison of methods for the identification and sub-typing of O157 and non-O157 Escherichia coli serotypes and their integration into a polyphasic taxonomy approach

    OpenAIRE

    Prieto-Calvo M.A.; Omer M.K.; Alvseike O.; López M.; Alvarez-Ordóñez A.; Prieto M.

    2016-01-01

    Phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic data from 12 strains of Escherichia coli were collected, including carbon source utilisation profiles, ribotypes, sequencing data of the 16S–23S rRNA internal transcribed region (ITS) and Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic profiles. The objectives were to compare several identification systems for E. coli and to develop and test a polyphasic taxonomic approach using the four methodologies combined for the sub-typing of O157 and non-O157 E...

  12. Evidence of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in the feces of meat goats at a U.S. slaughter plant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacob, M E; Foster, D M; Rogers, A T; Balcomb, C C; Shi, X; Nagaraja, T G

    2013-09-01

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are important human pathogens, and attention to non-O157 serogroups has increased in recent years. Although cattle are normally considered the primary reservoir for STEC, recent illnesses associated with goat contact have indicated that these animals are important potential reservoirs for the organisms. The prevalence of STEC, particularly non-O157 serogroups, in U.S. goats has not been well described. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of six major non-O157 STEC serogroups in the feces of meat goats. Rectal contents from 296 goats were collected postevisceration at a slaughter plant in the southeastern United States over 9 days during a 12-week period from August through October 2012. Samples were enriched in E. coli broth, and DNA was extracted and used as template in an 11-gene multiplex PCR that detected six non-O157 serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O121, O111, and O145) and virulence genes. Samples were considered positive when at least one non-O157 STEC serotype was present with either stx₁ or stx₂. All six non-O157 serogroups were detected by PCR in our samples, and 14.5% of samples were positive for at least one serogroup. Prevalence of O26 was highest, with 6.4% of goat fecal samples positive. The prevalence of O45 was 3.4%, O103 was 4.4%, O111 was 4.1%, O121 was 1.4%, and O145 was 3.0%. Twenty-two (7.4%) of 296 fecal samples had more than one non-O157 serogroup detected in the feces. Two samples had evidence of three non-O157 STEC serogroups. Goats appear to be an important reservoir for non-O157 STEC, and further work to understand the characteristics, epidemiology, and ecology of STEC in these animals is warranted.

  13. Electric field induced lattice strain in pseudocubic Bi(Mg{sub 1/2}Ti{sub 1/2})O{sub 3}-modified BaTiO{sub 3}-BiFeO{sub 3} piezoelectric ceramics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fujii, Ichiro, E-mail: ifujii@rins.ryukoku.ac.jp [Department of Materials Chemistry, Ryukoku University, Otsu, Shiga 520-2194 (Japan); Iizuka, Ryo; Ueno, Shintaro; Nakashima, Kouichi; Wada, Satoshi [Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medical and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Kofu, Yamanashi 400-8510 (Japan); Nakahira, Yuki; Sunada, Yuya; Magome, Eisuke; Moriyoshi, Chikako; Kuroiwa, Yoshihiro [Department of Physical Science, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526 (Japan)

    2016-04-25

    Contributions to the piezoelectric response in pseudocubic 0.3BaTiO{sub 3}-0.1Bi(Mg{sub 1/2}Ti{sub 1/2})O{sub 3}-0.6BiFeO{sub 3} ceramics were investigated by synchrotron X-ray diffraction under electric fields. All of the lattice strain determined from the 110, 111, and 200 pseudocubic diffraction peaks showed similar lattice strain hysteresis that was comparable to the bulk butterfly-like strain curve. It was suggested that the hysteresis of the lattice strain and the lack of anisotropy were related to the complex domain structure and the phase boundary composition.

  14. Comparative genomic analysis shows that avian pathogenic Escherichia coli isolate IMT5155 (O2:K1:H5; ST complex 95, ST140 shares close relationship with ST95 APEC O1:K1 and human ExPEC O18:K1 strains.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiangkai Zhu Ge

    Full Text Available Avian pathogenic E. coli and human extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli serotypes O1, O2 and O18 strains isolated from different hosts are generally located in phylogroup B2 and ST complex 95, and they share similar genetic characteristics and pathogenicity, with no or minimal host specificity. They are popular objects for the study of ExPEC genetic characteristics and pathogenesis in recent years. Here, we investigated the evolution and genetic blueprint of APEC pathotype by performing phylogenetic and comparative genome analysis of avian pathogenic E. coli strain IMT5155 (O2:K1:H5; ST complex 95, ST140 with other E. coli pathotypes. Phylogeny analyses indicated that IMT5155 has closest evolutionary relationship with APEC O1, IHE3034, and UTI89. Comparative genomic analysis showed that IMT5155 and APEC O1 shared significant genetic overlap/similarities with human ExPEC dominant O18:K1 strains (IHE3034 and UTI89. Furthermore, the unique PAI I5155 (GI-12 was identified and found to be conserved in APEC O2 serotype isolates. GI-7 and GI-16 encoding two typical T6SSs in IMT5155 might be useful markers for the identification of ExPEC dominant serotypes (O1, O2, and O18 strains. IMT5155 contained a ColV plasmid p1ColV5155, which defined the APEC pathotype. The distribution analysis of 10 sequenced ExPEC pan-genome virulence factors among 47 sequenced E. coli strains provided meaningful information for B2 APEC/ExPEC-specific virulence factors, including several adhesins, invasins, toxins, iron acquisition systems, and so on. The pathogenicity tests of IMT5155 and other APEC O1:K1 and O2:K1 serotypes strains (isolated in China through four animal models showed that they were highly virulent for avian colisepticemia and able to cause septicemia and meningitis in neonatal rats, suggesting zoonotic potential of these APEC O1:K1 and O2:K1 isolates.

  15. Non-LTE Analysis of Interstellar Line Spectra of SiO

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ziwei; Stancil, Phillip C.

    2016-01-01

    SiO emission lines are important probes of chemical processes in diverse astrophysical environments. In circumstellar outflows of AGB stars, the production of silicate grains is preceded by SiO formation, making SiO a useful measure of Si depletion. SiO is also commonly observed in shocks associated with the outflows of young stellar objects, both low- and high-mass. To model SiO emission for non-LTE conditions requires collisional rate coefficients due to H2 impact which are currently unavailable. Unknown collisional rate coefficients are often estimated from known systems. For the case of SiO-H2, rate coefficients have previously been adapted from a different collider, He (Dayau & Balanca 2006), based on a reduced-mass scaling approach. Recently it has been suggested that scaling via the interaction potential well depth and the reduced masses of the collisional systems may be more reliable (Walker et al. 2014). Using the non-LTE spectral modeling package Radex (van der Tak et al. 2007), we construct diagnostic plots of SiO line ratios using SiO-H2 collisional rate coefficients based on (i) reduced-mass scaling from the LAMDA database, (ii) potential well-depth scaling, and (iii) a more comprehensive input with multiple colliders (H2, He and H). Our goal is to give a more rigorous approach to SiO line emission simulations to better understand Si chemistry, dust formation/destruction, and other astrophysical processes.This work was supported by NASA ATP grant NNX15AI61G.

  16. gbpA as a Novel qPCR Target for the Species-Specific Detection of Vibrio cholerae O1, O139, Non-O1/Non-O139 in Environmental, Stool, and Historical Continuous Plankton Recorder Samples.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luigi Vezzulli

    Full Text Available The Vibrio cholerae N-acetyl glucosamine-binding protein A (GbpA is a chitin-binding protein involved in V. cholerae attachment to environmental chitin surfaces and human intestinal cells. We previously investigated the distribution and genetic variations of gbpA in a large collection of V. cholerae strains and found that the gene is consistently present and highly conserved in this species. Primers and probe were designed from the gbpA sequence of V. cholerae and a new Taq-based qPCR protocol was developed for diagnostic detection and quantification of the bacterium in environmental and stool samples. In addition, the positions of primers targeting the gbpA gene region were selected to obtain a short amplified fragment of 206 bp and the protocol was optimized for the analysis of formalin-fixed samples, such as historical Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR samples. Overall, the method is sensitive (50 gene copies, highly specific for V. cholerae and failed to amplify strains of the closely-related species Vibrio mimicus. The sensitivity of the assay applied to environmental and stool samples spiked with V. cholerae ATCC 39315 was comparable to that of pure cultures and was of 102 genomic units/l for drinking and seawater samples, 101 genomic units/g for sediment and 102 genomic units/g for bivalve and stool samples. The method also performs well when tested on artificially formalin-fixed and degraded genomic samples and was able to amplify V. cholerae DNA in historical CPR samples, the earliest of which date back to August 1966. The detection of V. cholerae in CPR samples collected in cholera endemic areas such as the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME is of particular significance and represents a proof of concept for the possible use of the CPR technology and the developed qPCR assay in cholera studies.

  17. Síndrome Metabólica, Strain e Redução da Função Miocárdica: Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    André Luiz Cerqueira de Almeida

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Fundamento: A doença cardiovascular subclínica é prevalente em pacientes com síndrome metabólica (SM. O strain circunferencial (εCC e o strain longitudinal (εLL do ventriculo esquerdo (VE, avaliados pelo ecocardiograma com speckle tracking (STE, são índices de função sistólica: o encurtamento das fibras circunferenciais e longitudinais do VE é indicado por um valor negativo do strain. Portanto, quanto mais negativo o strain, melhor a função sistólica do VE. O εCC e o εLL têm sido usados para demonstrar disfunção ventricular subclínica em vários distúrbios clínicos. Objetivo: Levantamos a hipótese de que a SM está associada com comprometimento da função miocárdica, quando avaliada pelo STE. Métodos: Este estudo analisou participantes do Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA que realizaram o STE e foram avaliados para todos os componentes da SM. Resultados: Entre os 133 participantes incluídos (mulheres: 63%; idade: 65 ± 9 anos, a prevalência de SM foi de 31% (41/133. Indivíduos com SM apresentaram valores menores do εCC e do εLL que aqueles sem SM (-16,3% ± 3,5% vs. -18,4% ± 3,7%, p < 0,01; e -12,1% ± 2,5% vs. -13,9% ± 2,3%, p < 0,01, respectivamente. A fração de ejeção do VE (FEVE foi semelhante nos dois grupos (p = 0,09. Na análise multivariada, a SM associou-se a um valor mais baixo do strain circunferencial (B = 2,1%, IC 95%: 0,6-3,5; p < 0,01, mesmo após ajuste para idade, etnia, massa VE e FEVE. De maneira semelhante, a presença de SM (B = 1,3%, IC 95%: 0,3-2,2; p < 0,01 e a massa do VE (B = 0,02%, IC 95%: 0,01 0,03; p = 0,02 associaram-se a um valor menor do strain longitudinal após ajuste para etnia, FEVE e creatinina. Conclusão: O εCC e o εLL do VE, marcadores de doença cardiovascular subclínica, estão comprometidos em indivíduos assintomáticos com SM e sem história prévia de infarto miocárdico, insuficiência cardíaca e/ou de FEVE < 50%.

  18. Genetic relationships between clinical and non-clinical strains of Yersinia enterocolitica biovar 1A as revealed by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis and multilocus restriction typing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Virdi Jugsharan S

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Genetic relationships among 81 strains of Y. enterocolitica biovar 1A isolated from clinical and non-clinical sources were discerned by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE and multilocus restriction typing (MLRT using six loci each. Such studies may reveal associations between the genotypes of the strains and their sources of isolation. Results All loci were polymorphic and generated 62 electrophoretic types (ETs and 12 restriction types (RTs. The mean genetic diversity (H of the strains by MLEE and MLRT was 0.566 and 0.441 respectively. MLEE (DI = 0.98 was more discriminatory and clustered Y. enterocolitica biovar 1A strains into four groups, while MLRT (DI = 0.77 identified two distinct groups. BURST (Based Upon Related Sequence Types analysis of the MLRT data suggested aquatic serotype O:6,30-6,31 isolates to be the ancestral strains from which, clinical O:6,30-6,31 strains might have originated by host adaptation and genetic change. Conclusion MLEE revealed greater genetic diversity among strains of Y. enterocolitica biovar 1A and clustered strains in four groups, while MLRT grouped the strains into two groups. BURST analysis of MLRT data nevertheless provided newer insights into the probable evolution of clinical strains from aquatic strains.

  19. Decomposition mechanisms and non-isothermal kinetics of LiHC_2O_4·H_2O

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2012-01-01

    The thermal decomposition process of LiHC2O4·H2O from 30 to 600 ℃ was investigated by the thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC). The phases decomposited at different temperature were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), which indicated the decompositions at 150, 170, and 420℃, relating to LiHC2O4, Li2C2O4, Li2C2O4, and Li2CO3, respectively. Reaction mechanisms in the whole sintering process were determined, and the model fitting kinetic approaches were applied to data for non...

  20. Non-medical use of methylphenidate: a review Uso não terapêutico do metilfenidato: uma revisão

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luana Freese

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Methylphenidate is a psychostimulant medication used for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy. However, it has also been used for non-medical purposes, e.g. to produce euphoria, to increase self-esteem, and to achieve the so-called neurocognitive enhancement, decreasing the feeling of tiredness and increasing focus and attention. OBJECTIVE: To describe, from theoretical and contextual points of view, the potential for abuse and non-medical use of methylphenidate. METHOD: The PubMed, SciELO and Cochrane databases were searched using the following keywords in Portuguese: metilfenidato, transtorno do déficit de atenção com hiperatividade, facilitadores dos processos cognitivos or agentes nootrópicos, and abuso de substâncias; and in English: methylphenidate, attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity, cognitive enhancement or nootropic agents, and substance abuse. Studies published between 1990 and 2010 were selected for review. RESULTS: Non-medical use of methylphenidate is a relevant topic that raises important ethical and scientific questions in several areas, e.g. pharmacological and neurobiological characteristics, evidence of methylphenidate use, forms of non-medical use of methylphenidate, mechanisms of action, and therapeutic application of methylphenidate. According to the review, methylphenidate can generally influence performance as a result of its stimulatory effect. Notwithstanding, evidence does not support the conclusion that it can enhance cognitive performance. CONCLUSION: Health professionals need to acquire expert knowledge and inform patients and their families on the methylphenidate potential for abuse when used with non-medical purposes.INTRODUÇÃO: O metilfenidato é um medicamento psicoestimulante usado no tratamento do transtorno de déficit de atenção e hiperatividade e da narcolepsia. No entanto, a droga também vem sendo utilizada com fins não terap

  1. Formation of ZnO Nanocrystalline via Facile Non-Hydrolytic Route

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ooi, M. D. Johan; Aziz, A. Abdul; Abdullah, M. J.

    2011-01-01

    Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocrystalline were synthesized via oxidizing Zn powder in non-aqueous solvent with addition of Diethanolamine (DEA) as a stabilizing agent. The influence of DEA on the structural, optical properties and the formation of ZnO nanocrystalline were studied. The synthesized ZnO were polycrystalline in structures where sample without the addition of DEA shows high intensity peak of (002) phase compared with sample in the presence of DEA which preferred to grow in (101) direction. SEM micrograph displays the morphology of ZnO nanocrystalline for both of the samples which shows micron size and non-uniform particles for sample without DEA whereas for sample with DEA exhibit smaller size (∼110 nm) and nearly spherical in shape despite of some agglomeration occurs at the interparticle separation. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra shows UV emission peak for both of the samples where sample with the absence of DEA possess lower intensity of UV emission peak compared to samples with DEA which demonstrate stronger intensity despite of having very weak visible secondary emission peak at 530 nm.

  2. Health Risk of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Drinking Water and Meat and Meat Products and Vegetables to Diarrhoeic Confirmed and Non-Confirmed HIV/AIDS Patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abong`O, B. O.; Momba, M. N. B.; Rodda, N.

    The current study explored the health risk of E. coli O157:H7 to diarrhoeic confirmed and non-confirmed HIV/AIDS patients due to their exposure to presumed ingestion of water, meat products and vegetables ostensibly contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. Strains of E. coli O157:H7 were isolated by enrichment culture and on Cefixime-Telurite Sorbitol MacConkey agar. Average counts of presumptive E. coli O157 were used for dose-response assessment. Probability of infection to confirmed and non-confirmed HIV/AIDS patients was 20 and 27% from meat and meat products, 21% and 15% from vegetables and 100% due to ingestion of 1500 mL person-1 day-1 of water. Drinking water had higher probability of transmitting E. coli O157:H7 infections than meat and meat products and vegetables. Probability of E. coli O157:H7 infections were high for confirmed HIV/AIDS patients than for non-confirmed patients. Water and foods consumed by HIV/AIDS patients should be safe of any microbial contaminants, these waters and foods should as well be investigated for other enteric pathogens to establish their safety.

  3. Preparation of a Non-Polar ZnO Film on a Single-Crystal NdGaO3 Substrate by the RF Sputtering Method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kashiwaba, Y.; Tanaka, Y.; Sakuma, M.; Abe, T.; Imai, Y.; Kawasaki, K.; Nakagawa, A.; Niikura, I.; Kashiwaba, Y.; Osada, H.

    2018-04-01

    Preparation of non-polar ZnO ( 11\\overline{2} 0 ) films on single-crystal NdGaO3 (NGO) (001) substrates was successfully achieved by the radio frequency (RF) sputtering method. Orientation, deposition rate, and surface roughness of ZnO films strongly depend on the working pressure. Characteristics of ZnO films deposited on single-crystal NGO (001) substrates were compared with those of ZnO films deposited on single-crystal sapphire ( 01\\overline{1} 2 ) substrates. An x-ray diffraction peak of the ZnO ( 11\\overline{2} 0 ) plane was observed on ZnO films deposited on single-crystal NGO (001) substrates under working pressure of less than 0.5 Pa. On the other hand, uniaxially oriented ZnO ( 11\\overline{2} 0 ) films on single-crystal sapphire ( 01\\overline{1} 2 ) substrates were observed under working pressure of 0.1 Pa. The mechanism by which the diffraction angle of the ZnO ( 11\\overline{2} 0 ) plane on single-crystal NGO (001) substrates was shifted is discussed on the basis of anisotropic stress of lattice mismatch. The deposition rate of ZnO films decreased with an increase in working pressure, and the deposition rate on single-crystal NGO (001) substrates was larger than that on single-crystal sapphire ( 01\\overline{1} 2 ) substrates. Root mean square (RMS) roughness of ZnO films increased with an increase in working pressure, and RMS roughness of ZnO films on single-crystal NGO (001) substrates was smaller than that of ZnO films on single-crystal sapphire ( 01\\overline{1} 2 ) substrates even though the film thickness on single-crystal NGO (001) substrates was greater than that on sapphire substrates. It is thought that a single-crystal NGO (001) substrate is useful for deposition of non-polar ZnO ( 11\\overline{2} 0 ) films.

  4. Non-equilibrium nitrogen DC-arc plasma treatment of TiO2 nanopowder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suzuki, Yoshikazu; Gonzalez-Aguilar, José; Traisnel, Noel; Berger, Marie-Hélène; Repoux, Monique; Fulcheri, Laurent

    2009-01-01

    Non-equilibrium nitrogen DC-arc plasma treatment of a commercial TiO2 anatase nanopowder was examined to obtain nitrogen-doped TiO2. By using a non-thermal discharge at low current (150 mA) and high voltage (1200 V) using pure N2 gas, light yellowish-gray TiO2 powder was successfully obtained within a short period of 5-10 min. XPS and TEM-EELS studies confirmed the existence of doped nitrogen. Due to the relatively mild conditions (plasma power of 180 W), metastable anatase structure and fine crystallite size of TiO2 (ca. 10 nm) were maintained after the plasma treatment. The in-flight powder treatment system used in this study is promising for various type of powder treatment.

  5. Rapid and simple method by combining FTA™ card DNA extraction with two set multiplex PCR for simultaneous detection of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli strains and virulence genes in food samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, S A; Park, S H; Lee, S I; Ricke, S C

    2017-12-01

    The aim of this research was to optimize two multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays that could simultaneously detect six non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) as well as the three virulence genes. We also investigated the potential of combining the FTA™ card-based DNA extraction with the multiplex PCR assays. Two multiplex PCR assays were optimized using six primer pairs for each non-O157 STEC serogroup and three primer pairs for virulence genes respectively. Each STEC strain specific primer pair only amplified 155, 238, 321, 438, 587 and 750 bp product for O26, O45, O103, O111, O121 and O145 respectively. Three virulence genes were successfully multiplexed: 375 bp for eae, 655 bp for stx1 and 477 bp for stx2. When two multiplex PCR assays were validated with ground beef samples, distinctive bands were also successfully produced. Since the two multiplex PCR examined here can be conducted under the same PCR conditions, the six non-O157 STEC and their virulence genes could be concurrently detected with one run on the thermocycler. In addition, all bands clearly appeared to be amplified by FTA card DNA extraction in the multiplex PCR assay from the ground beef sample, suggesting that an FTA card could be a viable sampling approach for rapid and simple DNA extraction to reduce time and labour and therefore may have practical use for the food industry. Two multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were optimized for discrimination of six non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and identification of their major virulence genes within a single reaction, simultaneously. This study also determined the successful ability of the FTA™ card as an alternative to commercial DNA extraction method for conducting multiplex STEC PCR assays. The FTA™ card combined with multiplex PCR holds promise for the food industry by offering a simple and rapid DNA sample method for reducing time, cost and labour for detection of STEC in

  6. Emergence of non-Fermi liquid behaviors in 5d perovskite SrIrO3 thin films: Interplay between correlation, disorder, and spin-orbit coupling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biswas, Abhijit; Kim, Ki-Seok; Jeong, Yoon H.

    2016-02-01

    We investigate the effects of compressive strain on the electrical resistivity of 5d iridium based perovskite SrIrO3 by depositing epitaxial films of thickness 35 nm on various substrates such as GdScO3 (110), DyScO3 (110), and SrTiO3 (001). Surprisingly, we find anomalous transport behaviors as expressed by ρ∝Tε in the temperature dependent resistivity, where the temperature exponent ε evolves continuously from 4/5 to 1 and to 3/2 with an increase of compressive strain. Furthermore, magnetoresistance always remains positive irrespective of resistivity upturns at low temperatures. These observations imply that the delicate interplay between correlation and disorder in the presence of strong spin-orbit coupling is responsible for the emergence of the non-Fermi liquid behaviors in 5d perovskite SrIrO3 thin films. We offer a theoretical framework for the interpretation of the experimental results.

  7. Compressive strain-dependent bending strength property of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-ZrO{sub 2} (1.5 mol% Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}) composites performance by HIP

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reyes-Rojas, A. [Centro de Investigacion en Materiales Avanzados S.C. (CIMAV), Miguel de Cervantes 120, Complejo Industrial Chihuahua, Cd. de Chihuahua, Chihuahua (Mexico)], E-mail: armando_reyesmx@yahoo.com.mx; Esparza-Ponce, H. [Centro de Investigacion en Materiales Avanzados S.C. (CIMAV), Miguel de Cervantes 120, Complejo Industrial Chihuahua, Cd. de Chihuahua, Chihuahua (Mexico); De la Torre, S.D. [Centro de Investigacion e Innovacion Tecnologica (CIITEC)-IPN, D.F. Mexico (Mexico); Torres-Moye, E. [Centro de Investigacion en Materiales Avanzados S.C. (CIMAV), Miguel de Cervantes 120, Complejo Industrial Chihuahua, Cd. de Chihuahua, Chihuahua (Mexico)

    2009-04-15

    Nanometric powders and sintered ceramics of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-ZrO{sub 2} (1.5 mol% Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}) prepared by hot isostatic pressing HIP have been studied. A detailed crystallographic study has been performed through X-ray diffraction, Williamson-Hall method, Rietveld method and high-resolution electron microscopy HREM analysis. The crystallographic structure data, such as domain size, lattice parameters, wt% phase, and micro-strain direction have been obtained using Rietveld refinement and Williamson-Hall methods. The results revealed that the compressive strain ({epsilon}) increased from 0.56 to 1.18 (10{sup -3}) as the t-ZrO{sub 2} content increased too. The HREM interface study conducted along the [0 0 0 1]Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}||[0 0 1]ZrO{sub 2} zone axis revealed a micro-strain lattice distortion accumulated at the grain boundary due to the ZrO{sub 2} martensitic phase transformation on cooling, t-ZrO{sub 2} grains coalescence and to the grain growth of {alpha}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} which cause elongated tetragonal crystals. Micro-strain lattice distortion is adjusted by the shear displacements of the planes (1 1 0) and (11-bar0) along [1-bar10] and [1-bar1-bar0] crystallographic directions, respectively; these planes are arrested by the (101-bar0) alumina plane. In this case, semi-coherent interfaces were observed along the grain boundary. It is verified that the bending strength increased in connection with the strain accumulation and amount of tetragonal structure.

  8. Non-perturbative O(a) improvement of lattice QCD

    CERN Document Server

    Lüscher, Martin; Sommer, Rainer; Weisz, P; Wolff, U; Luescher, Martin; Sint, Stefan; Sommer, Rainer; Weisz, Peter; Wolff, Ulli

    1997-01-01

    The coefficients multiplying the counterterms required for O($a$) improvement of the action and the isovector axial current in lattice QCD are computed non-perturbatively, in the quenched approximation and for bare gauge couplings $g_0$ in the range $0 \\leq g_0 \\leq 1$. A finite-size method based on the Schrödinger functional is employed, which enables us to perform all calculations at zero or nearly zero quark mass. As a by-product the critical hopping parameter $\\kappa_c$ is obtained at all couplings considered.

  9. Strain tunable ferroelectric and dielectric properties of BaZrO3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Yajun; Liu, Man; Shimada, Takahiro; Kitamura, Takayuki; Wang, Jie

    2014-01-01

    The crucial role of epitaxial (in-plane) strain on the structural, electronic, energetic, ferroelectric, and dielectric properties of BaZrO 3 (BZO) is investigated using density-functional theory calculations. We demonstrate that the BZO crystal subjected to a critical compressive (or tensile) strain exhibits non-trivial spontaneous polarization that is higher than that of well-known ferroelectrics BaTiO 3 , while the BZO crystal is essentially paraelectric in the absence of strain. The electronic structure and Born-effective-charge analyses elucidate that the strain-induced paraelectric-to-ferroelectric transition is driven by the orbital hybridization of d-p electrons between zirconium and oxygen. Through the strain-induced paraelectric-to-ferroelectric phase transition, the dielectric response of BZO is significantly enhanced by the in-plane strain. The tensile strain increases the in-plane dielectric constant by a factor of seven with respect to that without the strain, while the compression tends to enhance the out-of-plane dielectric response. Therefore, strain engineering makes BZO an important electromechanical material due to the diversity in ferroelectric and dielectric properties.

  10. Contribution to the thermodynamic study of the non-stoichiometric oxides UO{sub 2+x} et FeO{sub 1+x}; Contribution a l'etude thermodynamique des oxydes non stoechiometriques UO{sub 2+x} et FeO{sub 1+x}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gerdanian, P [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

    1964-04-15

    This thermodynamic study has provided new results concerning the oxide UO{sub 2+X} and FeO{sub 1+x}. For the oxides UO{sub 2+X} correct values have been obtained for {mu}{sub O{sub 2}}{sup M} at 900, 1000 and 1100 deg. C using an improved method based on physico-chemical equilibria. For the oxides FeO{sub 1+x} the use of an E. Calvet high temperature calorimeter has made it possible to measure for the first time the values of h{sub O{sub 2}}{sup M} at 800 deg. C over the whole iron monoxide range. The method of oxygen transfer between oxides, usually used to determine the phase limits, has been improved by using a thermo-balance; this has made it possible to draw up simple rules which have to be respected in order to detect the phenomena under study. The theory due to J.S. Anderson has been applied to the oxides UO{sub 2+X} and a new method is given for improving the representation of non-stoichiometric oxides by models. (author) [French] Cette etude thermodynamique presente des resultats nouveaux en ce qui concerne les oxydes UO{sub 2+X} et FeO{sub 1+x}. Pour les oxydes UO{sub 2+X} les valeurs correctes de {mu}{sub O{sub 2}}{sup M} a 900, 1000 et 1100 deg. C ont pu etre obtenues, grace a la methode des equilibres physico-chimiques qui a ete amelioree. Pour les oxydes FeO{sub 1+x} l'emploi du microcalorimetre a haute temperature de Ed. CALVET a permis de mesurer pour la premiere fois les valeurs de h{sub O{sub 2}}{sup M} a 800 deg. C dans toute l'etendue du domaine du protoxyde de fer. La metode de transfert d'oxygene entre oxydes, habituellement utilisee pour determiner les limites de phase a ete perfectionnee par l'emploi d'une thermo-balance ce qui a permis d'enoncer les regles simples auxquelles il est indispensable de se conformer pour obtenir les limites cherchees. La theorie de J.S. Anderson a ete appliquee aux oxydes UO{sub 2+X} et une nouvelle voie est indiquee qui peut permettre de perfectionner la representation des oxydes non-stoechiometriques par des

  11. Topological data analysis of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and non-O157 survival in soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 have been implicated in many foodborne illnesses caused by the consumption of contaminated fresh produce. However, data on their persistence in major fresh produce-growing soils are limited due to the complexity in datasets generated from different ...

  12. Low temperature synthesis of non-crystaline solids of the system SrO-SiO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamane, M.; Kojima, T.

    1981-01-01

    Non-crystalline solids within the liquid-liquid immiscibility region in the system SrO-SiO 2 have been prepared from a gel obtained by the hydrolysis of silicon tetramethoxide with an aqueous solution of strontium nitrate. The gel which was porous and translucent at room temperature increased in transparency with heating due to the collapse of micropores until it became completely clear. The gel became opaque again due to the precipitation of α-quartz at higher temperatures. The critical temperatures below which clear solids were obtained fell on a line connecting the glass transition temperatures of vitreous silica and those of SrO-SiO 2 glass prepared by melting. The density and refractive index of the pore-free, clear glassy solid, changed continuously with the SrO content along lines connecting those of vitreous silica and SrO-SiO 2 glasses of high SrO content prepared by melting. The maximum amount of Sr 2+ which could be introduced using an aqueous solution as the starting material corresponded to a composition of 10 SrO x 90 SiO 2 by weight. (orig.)

  13. Engineering of nearly strain-free ZnO films on Si(1 1 1) by tuning AlN buffer thickness

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Venkatachalapathy, Vishnukanthan; Galeckas, Augustinas; Lee, In-Hwan; Kuznetsov, Andrej Yu.

    2012-01-01

    ZnO properties were investigated as a function of AlN buffer layer thickness (0–100 nm) in ZnO/AlN/Si(1 1 1) structures grown by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy. A significant improvement of ZnO film crystallinity by tuning AlN buffer thickness was confirmed by x-ray diffraction, topography and photoluminescence measurements. An optimal AlN buffer layer thickness of 50 nm is defined, which allows for growth of nearly strain-free ZnO films. The presence of free excitons at 10 K suggests high crystal quality for all ZnO samples grown on AlN/Si(1 1 1) templates. The intensities of neutral and ionized donor bound exciton lines are found to correlate with the in-plane and out-of-plane strain in the films, respectively.

  14. Engineering of nearly strain-free ZnO films on Si(1 1 1) by tuning AlN buffer thickness

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Venkatachalapathy, Vishnukanthan, E-mail: vishnukanthan.venkatachalapathy@smn.uio.no [Department of Physics/Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1048 Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo (Norway); Galeckas, Augustinas [Department of Physics/Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1048 Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo (Norway); Lee, In-Hwan [School of Advanced Materials Engineering, Research Centre for Advanced Materials Development (RCAMD), Chonbuk National University, Jeonju 561-756 (Korea, Republic of); Kuznetsov, Andrej Yu. [Department of Physics/Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1048 Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo (Norway)

    2012-05-15

    ZnO properties were investigated as a function of AlN buffer layer thickness (0-100 nm) in ZnO/AlN/Si(1 1 1) structures grown by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy. A significant improvement of ZnO film crystallinity by tuning AlN buffer thickness was confirmed by x-ray diffraction, topography and photoluminescence measurements. An optimal AlN buffer layer thickness of 50 nm is defined, which allows for growth of nearly strain-free ZnO films. The presence of free excitons at 10 K suggests high crystal quality for all ZnO samples grown on AlN/Si(1 1 1) templates. The intensities of neutral and ionized donor bound exciton lines are found to correlate with the in-plane and out-of-plane strain in the films, respectively.

  15. Non-enzymatic detection of glucose in fruits using TiO2-Mn3O4 hybrid nano interface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jayanth Babu, K.; Sasya, Madhurantakam; Nesakumar, Noel; Shankar, Prabakaran; Gumpu, Manju Bhargavi; Ramachandra, Bhat Lakshmishri; Kulandaisamy, Arockia Jayalatha; Rayappan, John Bosco Balaguru

    2017-08-01

    Consumption of fruits leads to increase in glucose level in blood for diabetic patients, which in turn leads to peripheral, vascular, ocular complications and cardiac diseases. In this context, a non-enzymatic hybrid glucose biosensor was fabricated for the first time to detect glucose by immobilizing titanium oxide-manganese oxide (TiO2-Mn3O4) nanocomposite and chitosan membrane on to the surface of Pt working electrode (Pt/TiO2-Mn3O4/chitosan). TiO2-Mn3O4 nanocomposite catalyzed the oxidation of glucose to gluconolactone in the absence of glucose oxidase enzyme with high electron transfer rate, good biocompatibility and large surface coverage. Electrochemical measurements revealed the excellent sensing response of the developed biosensor towards glucose with a high sensitivity of 7.073 µA mM-1, linearity of 0.01-0.1 mM, low detection limit of 0.01 µM, reproducibility of 1.5% and stability of 98.8%. The electrochemical parameters estimated from the anodic process were subjected to linear regression models for the detection of unknown concentration of glucose in different fruit samples.

  16. Multiphonon scattering and non-radiative decay in ZnO nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Senthilkumar, K.; Tokunaga, M.; Okamoto, H.; Fujita, Y. [Interdisciplinary Faculty of Science and Engineering, Shimane University, Matsue 690-8504 (Japan); Senthilkumar, O. [Research Project Promotion Institute, Shimane University, Matsue 690-8504 (Japan); Lin, J.; Urban, B.; Neogi, A. [Department of Physics, University of North Texas, Denton 76203 (United States)

    2010-06-15

    ZnO nanoparticles were prepared using a simple evaporation technique at pressures of 75 and 760 torr. A wide visible emission was recorded from both samples using photoluminescence spectroscopy. The presence of green emission at 530 nm is due to deep level defects of vacant zinc V{sub Zn}, and/or their complexes in the ZnO band gap. The fundamental optical phonon modes were identified in addition to multiphonon combination of optical and acoustical overtones and nitrogen related local vibrational modes using Raman backscattering. The existence of multiphonons induces the non-radiative processes. The life time of both the radiative and non-radiative processes is discussed using time resolved photoluminescence spectroscopic results (copyright 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  17. Defect chemistry of ''BaCuO2''. Pt. 1. Oxygen non-stoichiometry, cation molecularity and X-ray diffraction determinations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spinolo, G.; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pavia; Anselmi-Tamburini, U.; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pavia; Arimondi, M.; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pavia; Ghigna, P.; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pavia; Flor, G.; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pavia

    1995-01-01

    ''BaCuO 2 '' is the key intermediate in the synthesis of the Ba 2 YCu 3 O 7-δ superconductor. Its very complex crystal structure is able to accommodate a large change in oxygen content. Oxygen non-stoichiometry of ''BaCuO 2 '' materials with 1:1 and 88:90 (Ba:Cu) molecularity has been investigated by polythermal X-ray powder diffraction coupled with isobaric-isothermal gravimetry determinations under different temperature and oxygen partial pressure conditions [300 ≤ T ≤ 820 C, 1 ≥ P(O 2 ) ≥3 . 10 -3 atm]. The 1:1 composition does not give well reproducible results, thus suggesting its polyphasic nature, at least in part of the investigated range. The results for the 88:90 ≅ 0.98 (Ba:Cu) composition are well reproducible and show that the material is single phase. Ba 0.98 CuO 1.98 + δ is oxygen over-stoichiometric in the whole investigated [T, P(O 2 )] range, with a maximum value δ ∼ 0.21. A Rietveld X-ray profile fitting is in agreement with previous single-crystal data. The trend of δ vs. P(O 2 ) is consistent with the presence of oxygen interstitial defects on (possibly different) crystallographic sites. (orig.)

  18. Esculetin ameliorates hepatic fibrosis in high fat diet induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by regulation of FoxO1 mediated pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandey, Anuradha; Raj, Priyank; Goru, Santosh Kumar; Kadakol, Almesh; Malek, Vajir; Sharma, Nisha; Gaikwad, Anil Bhanudas

    2017-08-01

    Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a chronic metabolic disorder is associated with oxidative stress, inflammation and fibrotic cascades. In this study, we aimed to examine the effects of Esculetin, a well-known anti-oxidant on TGF-β1 mediated liver fibrosis and FoxO1 activity. A non-genetic murine model for NAFLD was developed by chronic high fat diet (HFD) (58% calories from fats) feeding in Wistar rats. The plasma biochemical parameters, liver function tests, oxidative stress, and histopathological alterations were assessed. The alterations in extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and FoxO1 activity were assessed by immunohistochemistry. The aberrations in plasma parameters, liver functioning, morphometric and microscopic changes in liver structure of HFD fed rats were significantly improved by treatment with Esculetin. Liver fibrosis, identified in the form of collagen deposition and expression of fibrotic proteins like TGF-β1 and fibronectin was also markedly controlled by Esculetin. The expression of phospho-FoxO1 was found to be reduced in HFD fed rats' liver, showing an increase in activation of FoxO1 under insulin resistant and hyperglycemic states. Esculetin treatment could improve phospho-FoxO1 expression, thus showing its ability to act on Akt/PI3K/FoxO1 pathway. As per the previous studies, a potential therapy for NAFLD may be the one with multi-faceted actions on insulin resistance, oxidative stress, inflammation and fibrosis. This study demonstrates the efficiency of Esculetin in improving liver fibrosis in HFD induced NAFLD. Copyright © 2017 Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.

  19. New Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-PbZrO3-PbTiO3 Quaternary Ceramics: Morphotropic Phase Boundary Design and Electrical Properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Nengneng; Zhang, Shujun; Li, Qiang; Xu, Chao; Yang, Zhanlue; Yan, Qingfeng; Zhang, Yiling; Shrout, Thomas R

    2016-06-22

    Four series of Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-PbZrO3-PbTiO3 (PMN-PIN-PZ-PT) quaternary ceramics with compositions located at the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) regions were prepared. The MPBs of the multicomponent system were predicted using a linear combination rule and experimentally confirmed by X-ray powder diffraction and electrical measurement. The positions of MPBs in multicomponent systems were found in linear correlation with the tolerance factor and ionic radii of non-PT end-members. The phase structure, piezoelectric coefficient, electromechanical coupling coefficient, unipolar strains, and dielectric properties of as-prepared ceramics were systematically investigated. The largest d33s were obtained at S36.8, L37.4, M39.6, and N35.8, with the corresponding values of 580, 450, 420, and 530 pC/N, respectively, while the largest kps were found at S34.8, L37.4, M39.6, and N35.8, with the respective values of 0.54, 0.50, 0.47, and 0.53. The largest unipolar strain Smax and high-field piezoelectric strain coefficients d33* were also observed around the respective MPB regions. The rhombohedral-to-tetragonal phase transition temperature Trt increased with increasing PIN and PZ contents. Of particular importance is that high Trt of 140-197 °C was achieved in the M series with PZ and PIN contents being around 0.208 and 0.158, which will broaden the temperature usage range.

  20. Nano-regime Length Scales Extracted from the First Sharp Diffraction Peak in Non-crystalline SiO2 and Related Materials: Device Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Phillips James

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract This paper distinguishes between two different scales of medium range order, MRO, in non-crystalline SiO2: (1 the first is ~0.4 to 0.5 nm and is obtained from the position of the first sharp diffraction peak, FSDP, in the X-ray diffraction structure factor, S(Q, and (2 the second is ~1 nm and is calculated from the FSDP full-width-at-half-maximum FWHM. Many-electron calculations yield Si–O third- and O–O fourth-nearest-neighbor bonding distances in the same 0.4–0.5 nm MRO regime. These derive from the availability of empty Si dπ orbitals for back-donation from occupied O pπ orbitals yielding narrow symmetry determined distributions of third neighbor Si–O, and fourth neighbor O–O distances. These are segments of six member rings contributing to connected six-member rings with ~1 nm length scale within the MRO regime. The unique properties of non-crystalline SiO2 are explained by the encapsulation of six-member ring clusters by five- and seven-member rings on average in a compliant hard-soft nano-scaled inhomogeneous network. This network structure minimizes macroscopic strain, reducing intrinsic bonding defects as well as defect precursors. This inhomogeneous CRN is enabling for applications including thermally grown ~1.5 nm SiO2 layers for Si field effect transistor devices to optical components with centimeter dimensions. There are qualitatively similar length scales in nano-crystalline HfO2 and phase separated Hf silicates based on the primitive unit cell, rather than a ring structure. Hf oxide dielectrics have recently been used as replacement dielectrics for a new generation of Si and Si/Ge devices heralding a transition into nano-scale circuits and systems on a Si chip.

  1. Oxidative fabrication of patterned, large, non-flaking CuO nanowire arrays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mumm, F; Sikorski, P

    2011-01-01

    We report a simple and fast approach to fabricate large, non-flaking arrays of CuO nanowires by oxidizing thin copper substrates in air. Oxidative CuO nanowire growth is commonly accompanied by oxide layer flaking due to stress at the copper-copper oxide interface. Using thin substrates is shown to prevent this flaking by introducing favourable material thickness ratios in the samples after oxidation. Additionally, thin foils allow larger scale topographic patterns to be transferred from an underlying mould to realize non-flat, nanowire-decorated surfaces. Further patterning is possible by electrodeposition of a nickel layer, which restricts nanowire growth to specific areas of the sample.

  2. Non-linear effects in the Snoek relaxation of Nb-O

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hermida, E.B.; Povolo, F.

    1996-01-01

    Internal friction peaks measured as a function of temperature or frequency have been associated to non-linear processes only after studying how the amplitude of the applied stress affects the relaxation process. Here it is demonstrated that the partial derivative of the internal friction with respect to the frequency at constant temperature is a useful tool to determine that non-linear effects are involved. This analysis applied to actual data of the Snoek relaxation in Nb-O, reveals that at high interstitial contents non-linear effects appear. (orig.)

  3. TVT-O vs. TVT for the treatment of SUI: a non-inferiority study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Xiang; Jiang, Min; Chen, Xinliang; Tong, Xiaowen; Li, Huaifang; Qiu, Jin; Shao, Lingyun

    2012-01-01

    This study aimed to prospectively compare, in terms of efficacy and safety, the tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) and the transobturator vaginal tape inside-out (TVT-O) procedure for stress urinary incontinence. A cough stress test was applied to the objective outcomes, while urinary incontinence-specific quality of life questionnaire was applied to the subjective outcomes. A test for non-inferiority was carried out for detecting the success rate between the two groups. The objective success rates were found to be 95.4% (62/65) in the TVT group and 96.4% (108/112) in the TVT-O group. No significant difference was found between these two groups in the success rate by non-inferiority test (P 0.05). In the study, the TVT-O procedure could be defined to be identical to the TVT approach in success rate by non-inferiority test.

  4. VIABILIDADE DE Escherichia coli PRODUTORA DE TOXINA SHIGA (STEC NÃO-O157 EM QUEIJO TIPO MINAS FRESCAL. VIABILITY OF NON-O157 SHIGA TOXIN-PRODUCING Escherichia coli (STEC IN MINAS FRESCAL CHEESE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tammy Priscila Chioda

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Escherichia coli, produtora de toxina Shiga (STEC, um patógeno emergente capaz de causar diarreia, colite hemorrágica e síndrome hemolítica urêmica em humanos, representa um grave problema de saúde pública em todo o mundo. O principal reservatório de STEC são os bovinos. STEC são transmitidas aos humanos, principalmente através de alimentos contaminados, destacando-se aqueles de origem bovina como carne, leite e seus derivados. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a viabilidade de STEC não-O157 em queijo minas frescal preparado com leite artificialmente contaminado com diferentes cepas dessas bactérias. Os queijos foram mantidos a 4°C e analisados no 1º, 2º, 4º, 6º e 10º dias de estocagem. As cepas de STEC mantiveram-se viáveis em 100% (32/32 dos queijos mantidos sob refrigeração por até dez dias. Os resultados mostram que o queijo minas pode ser veículo de transmissão de STEC. Recomenda-se a adoção de métodos higiênicos e sanitários desde a ordenha até o processo de produção do queijo para reduzir a possibilidade de contaminação com STEC.

    PALAVRAS-CHAVES: PCR, queijo minas, segurança alimentar, STEC.

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC an emergent foodborne pathogen that cause diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis and haemolytic uremic syndrome in humans, represents a public health problem all over the world. Cattle are the main source of STEC. STEC are transmitted to humans by contaminated food, mainly those of bovine origin as meat and dairy products. This study aimed evaluates the non-O157 STEC viability of artificially inoculated in the milk used for the Minas Frescal cheese’s production. The cheese was kept at 4°C and analyzed at 1st, 2nd, 4th, 6th and 10th days after its production. 100% (32/32 of the cheese storad under refrigeration during 10 days had been the STEC strains viable. These results show that minas frescal cheese can transmit STEC. The adoption of good

  5. Initial reaction between CaO and SO2 under carbonating and non-carbonating conditions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Martin Hagsted; Wedel, Stig; Pedersen, Kim H.

    2015-01-01

    The initial kinetics of the CaO/SO2 reaction have been investigated for reaction times shorter than 1s and in the temperature interval between 450 and 600°C under both carbonating and non-carbonating conditions (0-20 vol% CO2) to clarify how recirculating CaO influences the emission of SO2 from...... showed that the CaO conversion with respect to SO2 declined when the CO2 concentration was increased. Under all conditions, larger specific surface areas of CaO gave higher reaction rates with SO2. Higher temperatures had a positive effect on the reaction between SO2 and CaO under non......-carbonating conditions, but no or even a negative effect under carbonating conditions. The results led to the conclusion that SO2 released from raw meal in the upper stages of the preheater does not to any significant extent react with CaO recirculating in the preheater tower....

  6. Electrophoretic deposition of thin film zirconia electrolyte on non-conducting NiO-YSZ substrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Das, Debasish; Basu, Rajendra N.

    2014-01-01

    Eight (8) mol% yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ), an electrolyte material for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), has been deposited onto porous non-conducting NiO-YSZ substrate using electrophoretic deposition technique (EPD) from a stable non-aqueous suspension of YSZ. Normally, EPD cannot be performed on a non-conducting substrate, but, in this present study, YSZ particulate film has been successfully deposited on a non-conducting NiO-YSZ substrate following two different EPD approaches:(a) using a conducting metallic plate on the reverse side of the porous NiO-YSZ anode substrate and (b) using a conducting polymer coated NiO-YSZ substrate. The deposited films are then formed dense coatings of 5-15 μm after sintering at 1400℃ for 6 h in air. Surface and cross-sectional morphologies of green and sintered films deposited by different EPD approaches are investigated using SEM. La 0.65 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 (LSM), a cathode for SOFC, is then screen-printed onto the electrolyte layer of such sintered half cells (anode+electrolyte) prepared by both the above approaches to construct SOFC single cells. A maximum output power density of 0.37 W.cm -2 is obtained using single cells prepared by conducting metallic plate assisted EPD compared to that of 0.73 W.cm -2 for polymer coated at 800℃ using H 2 as fuel and O 2 as oxidant. (author)

  7. Cathodic behaviours of a CrO sub 3 -graphite intercalation compound in non-aqueous solutions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kurihara, M.; Miura, T.; Kishi, T. (Keio University, Tokyo (Japan). Faculty of Science)

    1991-08-05

    CrO{sub 3}-graphite intercalation compound (GIC) specimen was prepared by solvent method using acetic acid as a solvent and potassium permanganate as a catalyst, and its cathodic behavior in a lithium cell was studied in non-aqueous solutions (1 mol/dm{sup 3} LiClO{sub 4} in propylene carbonate (PC) or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO)). Changes in electronic and layered lattice structures induced by cathodic reduction were measured by electron spin resonance method and X-ray diffraction one, respectively. As a result, electrochemical insertion of Li into CrO{sub 3}-GIC proceeded only in DMSO solution where reduction of Cr components was followed by that of graphite units. The amount of discharge electricity for CrO{sub 3}-GIC in DMSO solution was three times as large as that for graphite. Although the effect of non-aqueous solutions on the lithiation reaction was not yet clear fundamentally, it was expected that another electrolyte solutions are probably found out based on this experiments from which Li is inserted into CrO{sub 3}-GIC at higher discharge potentials. 22 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.

  8. Discrimination of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) from Non-EHEC Strains Based on Detection of Various Combinations of Type III Effector Genes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delannoy, Sabine; Beutin, Lothar

    2013-01-01

    Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) strains comprise a subgroup of Shiga-toxin (Stx)-producing E. coli (STEC) and are characterized by a few serotypes. Among these, seven priority STEC serotypes (O26:H11, O45:H2, O103:H2, O111:H8, O121:H19, O145:H28, and O157:H7) are most frequently implicated in severe clinical illness worldwide. Currently, standard methods using stx, eae, and O-serogroup-specific gene sequences for detecting the top 7 EHEC serotypes bear the disadvantage that these genes can be found in non-EHEC strains as well. Here, we explored the suitability of ureD, espV, espK, espN, Z2098, and espM1 genes and combinations thereof as candidates for a more targeted EHEC screening assay. For a very large panel of E. coli strains (n = 1,100), which comprised EHEC (n = 340), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) (n = 392), STEC (n = 193), and apathogenic strains (n = 175), we showed that these genetic markers were more prevalent in EHEC (67.1% to 92.4%) than in EPEC (13.3% to 45.2%), STEC (0.5% to 3.6%), and apathogenic E. coli strains (0 to 2.9%). It is noteworthy that 38.5% of the EPEC strains that tested positive for at least one of these genetic markers belonged to the top 7 EHEC serotypes, suggesting that such isolates might be Stx-negative derivatives of EHEC. The associations of espK with either espV, ureD, or Z2098 were the best combinations for more specific and sensitive detection of the top 7 EHEC strains, allowing detection of 99.3% to 100% of these strains. In addition, detection of 93.7% of the EHEC strains belonging to other serotypes than the top 7 offers a possibility for identifying new emerging EHEC strains. PMID:23884997

  9. Genetic diversity and population structure of Vibrio cholerae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beltrán, P; Delgado, G; Navarro, A; Trujillo, F; Selander, R K; Cravioto, A

    1999-03-01

    Multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE) of 397 Vibrio cholerae isolates, including 143 serogroup reference strains and 244 strains from Mexico and Guatemala, identified 279 electrophoretic types (ETs) distributed in two major divisions (I and II). Linkage disequilibrium was demonstrated in both divisions and in subdivision Ic of division I but not in subdivision Ia, which includes 76% of the ETs. Despite this evidence of relatively frequent recombination, clonal lineages may persist for periods of time measured in at least decades. In addition to the pandemic clones of serogroups O1 and O139, which form a tight cluster of four ETs in subdivision Ia, MLEE analysis identified numerous apparent clonal lineages of non-O1 strains with intercontinental distributions. A clone of serogroup O37 that demonstrated epidemic potential in the 1960s is closely related to the pandemic O1/O139 clones, but the nontoxigenic O1 Inaba El Tor reference strain is not. A strain of serogroup O22, which has been identified as the most likely donor of exogenous rfb region DNA to the O1 progenitor of the O139 clone, is distantly related to the O1/O139 clones. The close evolutionary relationships of the O1, O139, and O37 epidemic clones indicates that new cholera clones are likely to arise by the modification of a lineage that is already epidemic or is closely related to such a clone.

  10. Oxidative cleavage of non-phenolic β-O-4 lignin model dimers by an extracellular aromatic peroxygenase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matthias Kinne; Marzena Poraj-Kobielska; Rene Ullrich; Paula Nousiainen; Jussi Sipilä; Katrin Scheibner; Kenneth E. Hammel; Martin Hofrichter

    2011-01-01

    The extracellular aromatic peroxygenase of the agaric fungus Agrocybe aegerita catalyzed the H2O2-dependent cleavage of non-phenolic arylgiycerol-ß-aryl ethers (ß-O-4 ethers). For instance 1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-(2-methoxy-phenoxy)propane-1,3-diol, a recalcitrant dimeric lignin model compound that represents the major...

  11. CuO nanoparticles supported on nitrogen and sulfur co-doped graphene nanocomposites for non-enzymatic glucose sensing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Meixia [Hebei University of Engineering, Faculty of Material Science and Engineering (China); Guo, Qingbin, E-mail: guoqingbinhue@163.com [Hebei University of Engineering, Academic Affairs office (China); Xie, Juan; Li, Yongde; Feng, Yapeng [Hebei University of Engineering, Faculty of Material Science and Engineering (China)

    2017-01-15

    Developing highly active catalysts to promote the electrocatalytic glucose oxidation (EGO) is a crucial demand for non-enzymatic glucose sensing. Herein, we reported the use of nitrogen and sulfur co-doped graphene (NSG) as a novel support material for anchoring CuO nanoparticles and obtained CuO/NSG was employed as an efficient EGO catalyst for non-enzymatic glucose sensing. The results showed that the NSG endowed the CuO/NSG with large surface area, increased structural defects, improved conductivity, and strong covalent coupling between NSG and CuO. Owing to the significant contribution of NSG and the synergistic effect of NSG and CuO, the CuO/NSG exhibited a remarkably higher EGO activity than CuO and CuO/reduced graphene oxide. The CuO/NSG-based sensor displayed excellent glucose sensing performances with a considerably low detection limit of 0.07 μM. These findings elucidate that the NSG is a promising support material for non-enzymatic glucose detection.

  12. Clostridium difficile outbreak caused by NAP1/BI/027 strain and non-027 strains in a Mexican hospital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rayo Morfin-Otero

    2016-01-01

    Conclusions: C. difficile NAP1/BI/027 strain and non-027 strains are established pathogens in our hospital. Accordingly, surveillance of C. difficile infections is now part of our nosocomial prevention program.

  13. Risk-factors for non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy Fatores preditivos de não-adesão à terapia antiretroviral

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Márcia Cristina Fraga Silva

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Cross-sectional study analyzed as case-control to identify risk factors for non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy. We studied 412 out-clinics HIV infected subjects of three public hospitals of Recife, Pernambuco. The objective was to examine the association between non-adherence to the antiretroviral therapy and biological, social-behavior and demographics and economic factors, factors related to the disease and/or treatment, factors related to life habits and depression symptoms. Variables significantly associated with non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy were: time elapsed since HIV diagnosis (p = 0.002, daily dose (p = 0.046, use of alcohol (p = 0.030 and past drug use (p = 0.048, and borderline p-values were found for educational level (p = 0.093 and family monthly income (p = 0.08. In the multivariable analysis, the factors that remained in the final model were family monthly income, time period with HIV infection and use of alcohol. No association was observed between non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy and gender, age, sexual orientation, marital status, educational level and place of residence. Based on our results and the local situation we suggest: assessment of social needs; training of partners and/or families on supporting adherence, creation of "adherence groups" to motivate and to reassure patients on the benefits of treatment; counseling and/or psychotherapy for alcohol drinkers.Estudo transversal com análise tipo caso-controle, que avaliou 412 pacientes de hospitais públicos do Recife - PE, com o objetivo de identificar fatores preditivos de não adesão à terapia antiretroviral. Verificou-se associação entre não adesão à terapia antiretroviral e aspectos biológicos, sócio-comportamentais e demográficos, econômicos, relacionados à doença e ao tratamento, aos hábitos de vida e aos distúrbios do humor. Variáveis com associação estatisticamente significante com não adesão na análise univariada foram

  14. The effect of loss of O-antigen ligase on phagocytic susceptibility of motile and non-motile Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demirdjian, Sally; Schutz, Kristin; Wargo, Matthew J; Lam, Joseph S; Berwin, Brent

    2017-12-01

    The bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa undergoes adaptation and selection over the course of chronic respiratory tract infections which results in repeatedly-observed phenotypic changes that are proposed to enable its persistence. Two of the clinically significant P. aeruginosa phenotypic changes are loss of flagellar motility and modifications to LPS structure, including loss of O-antigen expression. The effect of loss of O-antigen, frequently described as conversion from smooth to rough LPS, and the combined effect of loss of motility and O-antigen on phagocytic susceptibility by immune cells remain unknown. To address this, we generated genetic deletion mutants of waaL, which encodes the O-antigen ligase responsible for linking O-antigen to lipid A-core oligosaccharide, in both motile and non-motile P. aeruginosa strains. With the use of these bacterial strains we provide the first demonstration that, despite a progressive selection for P. aeruginosa with rough LPS during chronic pulmonary infections, loss of the LPS O-antigen does not confer phagocytic resistance in vitro. However, use of the waaLmotABmotCD mutant revealed that loss of motility confers resistance to phagocytosis regardless of the smooth or rough LPS phenotype. These findings reveal how the O-antigen of P. aeruginosa can influence bacterial clearance during infection and expand our current knowledge about the impact of bacterial phenotypic changes during chronic infection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Effect of morphology on the non-ohmic conduction in ZnO nanostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Praveen, E.; Jayakumar, K.

    2016-05-01

    Nanostructures of ZnO is synthesized with nanoflower like morphology by simple wet chemical method. The structural, morphological and electrical characterization have been carried out. The temperature dependent electrical characterization of ZnO pellets of thickness 1150 µm is made by the application of 925MPa pressure. The morphological dependence of non-ohmic conduction beyond some arbitrary tunneling potential and grain boundary barrier thickness is compared with the commercially available bulk ZnO. Our results show the suitability of nano-flower like ZnO for the devices like sensors, rectifiers etc.

  16. Mycoplasmas and Non-gonococcal Urethritis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bhushan Kumar

    1989-01-01

    Full Text Available A total of 692 heterosexual males which included 130 men with non-gonoccal urethritis (NGU and 562 age-matched controls, were studied. Mycoplasmas were cultivated in liquid PPLO medium tubes containing arionine and urea. Mycoplasmas were isolated in 24 (18.59o of the 130 patients and 76 (13.60/o of the 562 controls. Ureaplasma urealyticum was isolated in 18 (13.9% gatients with NGU and in 21 (3.8% controls. Mycoplasma hominiq was isolated in 6 (4.6% patientuft NGU and in 55 (9.8% controls. Ureaplasma urealyticurm has a definite in NGU.

  17. Validation of Four Measures of Social Support with Latina/o and Non-Hispanic White Undergraduates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bordes, Veronica; Sand, Jennifer K.; Arredondo, Patricia; Robinson Kurpius, Sharon E.; Rayle, Andrea Dixon

    2006-01-01

    This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Perceived Social Support-Family and Friends Scales, the Family Valuing of Education Scale, and the Mentoring Scale with Latina/o and non-Hispanic White college freshmen. When scores for 112 Latina/o and 597 non-Hispanic White freshmen were examined, strong reliability was found for the…

  18. Synthesis of Doped and non-Doped Nano MgO Ceramic Membranes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shiraz Labib

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Doped and non-doped MgO coated thin films on alumina substrates were prepared using a chelating sol-gel method under controlled conditions to prepare nanomaterials with unprecedented properties. The effect of doping of ZnO on thermal, surface and structural properties was investigated using DTA-TG, BET and XRD respectively. Also microstructural studies and coating thickness measurements of MgO thin film were conducted using SEM. An increase in the thermal stability of MgO with increasing ZnO doping percent was observed. The increase of ZnO doping percent showed a marked decrease in the average particle size of MgO powder as a result of the replacement of some Mg2+ by Zn2+ which has similar ionic radius as Mg2+. This decrease in particle size of MgO was also related to the decrease of the degree of MgO crystalinity. The increase of ZnO doping also showed a marked decrease in coating thickness values of the prepared membranes. This decrease was related to the  mechanism of ZnO doping into a MgO crystal lattice.

  19. The Effects of Non-Contingent Feedback on the Incidence of Plateau at V̇O2max

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dan Gordon, Marie Gernigon, James Baker, Viviane Merzbach, Adrian Scruton

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of non-contingent feedback in the form of heart rate (HR on the incidence of plateau at V̇O2max. Ten physically active males (age 24.8 yrs ± 4.2; mass 81.4 ± 9.0 kg; stature 1.80 ± 0.11 m, V̇O2max 53.2 ± 5.8 ml·kg-1.min-1 who were V̇O2max testing naïve but were cognisant as to the heart rate responses to exercise completed four incremental tests to volitional exhaustion, separated by ~72 h for the determination of V̇O2max and gas exchange threshold. The first trial served as a familiarisation with the remaining three being experimental conditions where HR was presented in a screen projection as either the actual response (HR-A or 10 b·min-1 higher than recorded (HR-H or 10 b·min-1 lower (HR-L. Throughout all trials V̇O2 was recorded on a breath-by-breath basis with plateau criteria of ≤ 50 ml·min-1. RESULTS: A significant difference was observed for Δ V̇O2 over the final two consecutive 30s sampling periods between HR-A, both HR-L and HR-H (p = 0.049 and for the incidence of plateau response between condition (p = 0.021. An additional significant difference was observed for sub-maximal Δ V̇O2 responses between HR-A and HR-H (p = 0.049 and HR-A and HR-L (p = 0.006. Non-significant differences were observed for all other criteria. These data indicate that when presented with non-contingent feedback in the form of HR, that the perceptually orientated pacing schema becomes disrupted promoting a sparing of the finite anaerobic capacity to compensate for the imbalance between the afferent signal and perception of effort.

  20. Antigenic and genetic comparison of foot-and-mouth disease virus serotype O Indian vaccine strain, O/IND/R2/75 against currently circulating viruses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahapatra, Mana; Yuvaraj, S; Madhanmohan, M; Subramaniam, S; Pattnaik, B; Paton, D J; Srinivasan, V A; Parida, Satya

    2015-01-29

    Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus serotype O is the most common cause of FMD outbreaks in India and three of the six lineages that have been described are most frequently detected, namely Ind2001, PanAsia and PanAsia 2. We report the full capsid sequence of 21 serotype O viruses isolated from India between 2002 and 2012. All these viruses belong to the Middle East-South Asia (ME-SA) topotype. The serological cross-reactivity of a bovine post-vaccination serum pool raised against the current Indian vaccine strain, O/IND/R2/75,was tested by virus neutralisation test with the 23 Indian field isolates, revealing a good match between the vaccine and the field isolates. The cross reactivity of the O/IND/R2/75 vaccine with 19 field isolates from other countries (mainly from Asia and Africa) revealed a good match to 79% of the viruses indicating that the vaccine strain is broadly cross-reactive and could be used to control FMD in other countries. Comparison of the capsid sequences of the serologically non-matching isolates with the vaccine strain sequence identified substitutions in neutralising antigenic sites 1 and 2, which could explain the observed serological differences. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  1. Lowering histamine formation in a red Ribera del Duero wine (Spain) by using an indigenous O. oeni strain as a malolactic starter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berbegal, Carmen; Benavent-Gil, Yaiza; Navascués, Eva; Calvo, Almudena; Albors, Clara; Pardo, Isabel; Ferrer, Sergi

    2017-03-06

    This study demonstrates for the first time that a non-commercial selected autochthonous O. oeni strain has been used to conduct malolactic fermentation (MLF) while lowering histamine formation in the same winery. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from 13 vats before and after spontaneous MLF at the Pago de Carraovejas winery from the Ribera del Duero region (Spain). Only O. oeni were present, typed and characterized, and both histamine producer and non-producers existed. From the non-producers, one strain was selected to become a starter according to its genetic profile, prevalence in the different wines in the winery, resistance to alcoholic degree, resistance to high polyphenolic content, inability to synthesise histamine, growth kinetics and malolactic activity. This starter was produced at semi-industrial levels to inoculate 20,000L of Tempranillo red wine. The inoculated vat showed 5-fold less histamine than the non-inoculated control vat. After 1year, the barrel-ageing histamine concentrations were 3-fold lower in the inoculated vat than in the non-inoculated vat. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Non-switching to switching transferring mechanism investigation for Ag/SiO x /p-Si structure with SiO x deposited by HWCVD

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yanhong; Wang, Ruoying; Li, Zhongyue; Wang, Song; Huang, Yang; Peng, Wei

    2018-04-01

    We proposed and fabricated an Ag/SiO x /p-Si sandwich structure, in which amorphous SiO x films were deposited through hot wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) using tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as Si and O precursor. Experimental results indicate that the I–V properties of this structure transfer from non-switching to switching operation as the SiO x deposition temperature increased. The device with SiO x deposited at high deposition temperature exhibits typical bipolar switching properties, which can be potentially used in resistive switching random accessible memory (RRAM). The transferring mechanism from non-switching to switching can be ascribed to the change of structural and electronic properties of SiO x active layer deposited at different temperatures, as evidenced by analyzing FTIR spectrum and fitting its I–V characteristics curves. This work demonstrates a safe and practicable low-temperature device-grade SiO x film deposition technology by conducting HWCVD from TEOS.

  3. Large non-volatile tuning of magnetism mediated by electric field in Fe–Al/Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3 heterostructure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Zhendong; Gao, Cunxu; Wei, Yanping; Zhang, Peng; Wang, Yutian; Zhang, Chao; Ma, Zhikun

    2017-01-01

    Electric-field control of magnetism is now an attractive trend to approach a new kind of fast, low-power-cost memory device. In this work, we report a strong non-volatile electric control of magnetism in an Fe–Al/Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 –PbTiO 3 heterostructure. In this system, a 90° rotation of the in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy is exhibited during the increase of the external electric field, which means the easy axis turns into a hard axis and the hard axis turns into an easy one. Additionally, a non-volatile switch of the remanence is observed after a sweeping of the electric field from 0 kV cm −1 to  ±  10 kV cm −1 , then back to 0 kV cm −1 . More interestingly, a 20% non-volatile magnetic state tuning driven by individual pulse electric fields is shown in contrast to large tuning up to 120% caused by pulse electric fields with small assistant pulse magnetic fields, which means a 180° reverse of the magnetization. These remarkable behaviors demonstrated in this heterostructure reveal a promising potential application in magnetic memory devices mediated by electric fields. (paper)

  4. Absolute non-linear optical coefficients measurements of CsLiB 6O 10 single crystals by second harmonic generation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sifi, A.; Klein, R. S.; Maillard, A.; Kugel, G. E.; Péter, A.; Polgár, K.

    2003-10-01

    We present absolute measurements of the effective non-linear optical coefficients deff of cesium lithium borate crystals (CsLiB 6O 10, CLBO) by second harmonic generation using a continuous Nd-YAG laser source. The experiments were carried out at room temperature, on crystals cut perpendicular to type I or type II phase matching directions, with two different crystal lengths along the propagation direction. The d36 and d14 non-linear coefficients involved in deff developments are deduced and are shown to be equal as it is predicted by the Kleinman symmetry. Two different compositions prepared by the Czochralski technique from melt with compositions of 1:1:6 and 1:1:5.5 molar ratios of Cs 2O, Li 2O and B 2O 3 are comparatively studied.

  5. The b-quark mass from non-perturbative $N_f=2$ Heavy Quark Effective Theory at $O(1/m_h)$

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bernardoni, F.; Blossier, B.; Bulava, J.

    2014-01-01

    We report our final estimate of the b-quark mass from $N_f=2$ lattice QCD simulations using Heavy Quark Effective Theory non-perturbatively matched to QCD at $O(1/m_h)$. Treating systematic and statistical errors in a conservative manner, we obtain $\\overline{m}_{\\rm b}^{\\overline{\\rm MS}}(2 {\\rm...

  6. Mathematical modeling and numerical analysis of the growth of Non-O157 shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in spinach leaves

    Science.gov (United States)

    This study was conducted to investigate the growth of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in spinach leaves and to develop kinetic models to describe the bacterial growth. Six serogroups of non-O157 STEC, including O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145, were used in the growth stu...

  7. Non-verbal Communication in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Video Audit Using Non-verbal Immediacy Scale (NIS-O).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nimbalkar, Somashekhar Marutirao; Raval, Himalaya; Bansal, Satvik Chaitanya; Pandya, Utkarsh; Pathak, Ajay

    2018-05-03

    Effective communication with parents is a very important skill for pediatricians especially in a neonatal setup. The authors analyzed non-verbal communication of medical caregivers during counseling sessions. Recorded videos of counseling sessions from the months of March-April 2016 were audited. Counseling episodes were scored using Non-verbal Immediacy Scale Observer Report (NIS-O). A total of 150 videos of counseling sessions were audited. The mean (SD) total score on (NIS-O) was 78.96(7.07). Female counseled sessions had significantly higher proportion of low scores (p communication skills in a neonatal unit. This study lays down a template on which other Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) can carry out gap defining audits.

  8. Non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}–CaO–SiO{sub 2} glass containing nucleation agent P{sub 2}O{sub 5}/TiO{sub 2}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Bin, E-mail: stra-ceo@163.com; Wang, Yongya; Luo, Wenqin; Li, Jingfen [Huzhou University, Department of Material Chemistry (China); Li, Jianyou [Huzhou Central Hospital, Orthopedic Department (China)

    2017-03-15

    Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}–CaO–SiO{sub 2} glass ceramics containing nucleation agent P{sub 2}O{sub 5}/TiO{sub 2} were prepared by sol-gel method. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The activation energy and kinetic parameters for crystallization of the samples were calculated by the Johnson-Mehi-Avrami (JMA) model and Augis-Bennett method according to the results of DSC. The results showed that the crystallization mechanism of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}–CaO–SiO{sub 2} glass, whose non-isothermal kinetic parameter n = 2.3, was consistent with surface crystallization of the JMA model. The kinetics model function of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}–CaO–SiO{sub 2} glass, f(α) = 2.3(1–α)[–ln(1–α)]{sup 0.57}, was also obtained. The addition of nucleation agent P{sub 2}O{sub 5}/TiO{sub 2} could reduce the activation energy, which made the crystal growth modes change from onedimensional to three-dimensional.

  9. Strain-enhanced tunneling magnetoresistance in MgO magnetic tunnel junctions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loong, Li Ming; Qiu, Xuepeng; Neo, Zhi Peng; Deorani, Praveen; Wu, Yang; Bhatia, Charanjit S; Saeys, Mark; Yang, Hyunsoo

    2014-09-30

    While the effects of lattice mismatch-induced strain, mechanical strain, as well as the intrinsic strain of thin films are sometimes detrimental, resulting in mechanical deformation and failure, strain can also be usefully harnessed for applications such as data storage, transistors, solar cells, and strain gauges, among other things. Here, we demonstrate that quantum transport across magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) can be significantly affected by the introduction of controllable mechanical strain, achieving an enhancement factor of ~2 in the experimental tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) ratio. We further correlate this strain-enhanced TMR with coherent spin tunneling through the MgO barrier. Moreover, the strain-enhanced TMR is analyzed using non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) quantum transport calculations. Our results help elucidate the TMR mechanism at the atomic level and can provide a new way to enhance, as well as tune, the quantum properties in nanoscale materials and devices.

  10. Sheep carrying pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica bioserotypes 2/O:9 and 5/O:3 in the feces at slaughter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joutsen, Suvi; Eklund, Kirsi-Maria; Laukkanen-Ninios, Riikka; Stephan, Roger; Fredriksson-Ahomaa, Maria

    2016-12-25

    Yersinia enterocolitica is a heterogeneous species including non-pathogenic strains belonging to biotype 1A and pathogenic strains belonging to biotypes 1B and 2-5. Pathogenic strains of biotypes 2-4 carrying the ail virulence gene have frequently been isolated from domestic pigs at slaughter. In sheep, mostly non-pathogenic biotype 1A strains have been reported. In our study, the prevalence of ail-positive Y. enterocolitica was studied by PCR and culturing in 406 young sheep (enterocolitica belonging to bioserotypes 2/O:9 and 5/O:3, carrying both chromosomal and plasmid-borne virulence genes, were isolated from the fecal samples of 10 (2%) and 23 (4%) sheep, respectively. All isolates of bioserotypes 2/O:9 (19 isolates) and 5/O:3 (53 isolates) carried the chromosomal virulence genes ail, inv, ystA, and myfA, and almost all isolates (71/72) also carried the virulence genes virF and yadA located on the virulence plasmid. The isolates showed high susceptibility to tested antimicrobials and low genetic diversity by PFGE. Y. enterocolitica bioserotype 5/O:3 is a very rare bioserotype, and has earlier only sporadically been reported in European wildlife and in sheep in Australia and New Zealand. Bioserotype 2/O:9 is a common bioserotype found in humans with yersiniosis, and has sporadically been isolated in wild and domestic animals. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Heat capacity measurements of Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4} under uni-axial strain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, You-sheng; Mackenzie, Andrew [Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Dresden (Germany); University of St. Andrews, School of Physics and Astronomy (United Kingdom); Gibbs, Alexandra [Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Stuttgart (Germany); Hicks, Clifford [Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Dresden (Germany); Nicklas, Michael [University of St. Andrews, School of Physics and Astronomy (United Kingdom)

    2016-07-01

    One of the most-discussed possible pairing symmetries of Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4} is p{sub x} ± ip{sub y}. By applying strain along left angle 100 right angle -direction, the degeneracy of the p{sub x} and p{sub y} components is lifted, and thus there should be two critical temperatures (T{sub c}). Hicks et al. have observed an increase of T{sub c} of Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4} under both compressive and tensile strains, by measuring the susceptibility, which is sensitive only to the first transition. Their results also indicate, indirectly, that any splitting of T{sub c}s might be small. For a direct test of possible splitting, we measure the heat capacity of Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4} under strain. To do so, we are developing an approach to measure heat capacity under non-adiabatic conditions. We have observed an increase of T{sub c} under compressive strain. This is the first thermodynamic evidence of the strain-induced increase in T{sub c} of Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4}.

  12. A novel kit for rapid detection of Vibrio cholerae O1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasan, J A; Huq, A; Tamplin, M L; Siebeling, R J; Colwell, R R

    1994-01-01

    We report on the development and testing of a novel, rapid, colorimetric immunodiagnostic kit, Cholera SMART, for direct detection of the presence of Vibrio cholerae O1 in clinical specimens. Unlike conventional culture methods requiring several days to complete, the Cholera SMART kit can be used directly in the field by untrained or minimally skilled personnel to detect V. cholerae O1 in less than 15 min, without cumbersome laboratory equipment. A total of 120 clinical and environmental bacterial strains, including both O1 and non-O1 serotypes of V. cholerae isolated from samples collected from a variety of geographical regions, were tested, and positive reactions were observed only with V. cholerae O1. Also, results of a field trial in Bangladesh, employing Cholera SMART, showed 100% specificity and 96% sensitivity compared with conventional culture methods. Another field trial, in Mexico, showed that Cholera SMART was 100% in agreement with a recently described coagglutination test when 108 stool specimens were tested.

  13. Temperature dependence of o-Ps annihilation lifetime in non-uniform cylindrical pores in comparison with ETE model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khaghani, Morteza, E-mail: m.khaghani@pgs.usb.ac.ir; Mehmandoost-Khajeh-Dad, Ali Akbar, E-mail: mehmandoost@phys.usb.ac.ir

    2017-04-01

    Highlights: • Using the well known multi-physics program COMSOL calculating o-Ps annihilation lifetime in complex geometries. • Investigation of shape non-uniformity of cylindrical pores on o-Ps annihilation lifetime. • Verifying temperature dependency of o-Ps lifetime in non-uniform cylindrical pores. • Suggesting PALS at low temperature as a method to verify pore uniformity in porous material. - Abstract: Ortho-positronium (o-Ps) annihilation lifetime was calculated in non-uniform cylinder-shaped pores by solving Schrodinger equation using a well-known multi-physics program called COMSOL. The o-Ps annihilation lifetime variation in terms of temperature was calculated on the basis of ETE model via a numerical method. The COMSOL simulations indicate that as long as the pore is uniform cylinder-shaped, the results agree with those of two-dimensional ETE model, whereas deformations in the cylinder shape (indentation or protrusion) change the temperature behavior of ETE model and, thereby, higher values are predicted for o-Ps lifetime in the pore at lower temperatures. The geometry of the non-uniform cylinder-shaped pores, which is accompanied by empirical evidence, can be used for the analysis of empirical results obtained from positron lifetime spectroscopy in different temperatures.

  14. Acalculous cholecystitis and septicemia caused by non-O1 Vibrio cholerae: first reported case and review of biliary infections with Vibrio cholerae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    West, B C; Silberman, R; Otterson, W N

    1998-03-01

    The first case of septicemic acute acalculous cholecystitis caused by non-O1 Vibrio cholerae is described in a healthy traveler, and biliary tract infections from V. cholerae are reviewed. Immediately after a vacation in Cancun, Mexico, a 55-year-old man developed acute cholecystitis. Blood and bile cultures grew non-O1 V. cholerae. At surgery, the gallbladder was acalculous, inflamed, distended, and nearly ruptured. Pathogenetic factors may have included diarrhea prophylaxis with bismuth subsalicylate, distension of the gallbladder from illness-induced fasting, and bacterial toxins in the gallbladder. The patient received i.v. cephapirin, followed by oral cephradine for a total of 10 days, and he made a quick and complete recovery. V. cholerae should be considered in the differential diagnosis of persons from endemic areas who present with cholecystitis or acute jaundice.

  15. The "innocent" role of Sc3+ on a non-heme Fe catalyst in an O2 environment

    KAUST Repository

    Poater, Albert; Chaitanya Vummaleti, Sai Vikrama; Cavallo, Luigi

    2014-01-01

    Density functional theory calculations have been used to investigate the reaction mechanism proposed for the formation of an oxoiron(iv) complex [Fe IV(TMC)O]2+ (P) (TMC = 1,4,8,11-tetramethylcyclam) starting from a non-heme reactant complex [FeII(TMC)]2+ (R) and O2 in the presence of acid H+ and reductant BPh4 -. We also addressed the possible role of redox-inactive Sc3+ as a replacement for H+ acid in this reaction to trigger the formation of P. Our computational results substantially confirm the proposed mechanism and, more importantly, support that Sc 3+ could trigger the O2 activation, mainly dictated by the availability of two electrons from BPh4 -, by forming a thermodynamically stable Sc3+-peroxo-Fe3+ core that facilitates O-O bond cleavage to generate P by reducing the energy barrier. These insights may pave the way to improve the catalytic reactivity of metal-oxo complexes in O2 activation at non-heme centers. This journal is © the Partner Organisations 2014.

  16. Linfoma não-Hodgkin endobrônquico Endobronchial involvement in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mauro Zamboni

    2004-02-01

    Full Text Available Os linfomas não-Hodgkin fazem parte de um grupo de doenças malignas linfoproliferativas com diferentes padrões de comportamento, de tratamento e de prognóstico. Eles podem comprometer as estruturas intratorácicas, particularmente o mediastino e o parênquima pulmonar, em alguma fase do curso da doença. Entretanto, o envolvimento endobrônquico é extremamente raro, mesmo na presença de doença avançada. Os autores relatam um caso de linfoma não-Hodgkin endobrônquico e fazem revisão da literatura.Non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas belong to a group of lymphoproliferative malignancies with different behavior, treatment and prognostic patterns. During the course of the disease, they may affect the thoracic structures - especially the mediastinum and the pulmonary parenchyma. However endobronchial involvement is extremely uncommon, even in presence of advanced disease. Here, we report a case of non-Hodgkin’s endobronchial lymphoma and make a review of the literature.

  17. Perda da voz em professores e não professores Voice loss in teachers and non-teachers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kelly Park

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Verificar a percepção de professores e não-professores sobre as implicações de uma eventual perda de voz. MÉTODOS: Participaram 205 indivíduos sendo 105 professores e 100 não professores entre 23 a 65 anos, 106 mulheres e 99 homens. Foi aplicado um questionário contendo quatro perguntas referentes a uma eventual perda de visão, audição, voz e deambulação e o grau de impacto inferido (de 0 a 4. RESULTADOS: Para o grupo de professores, não enxergar gerou o maior impacto negativo (média de 3,8, seguido por não andar (média de 3,7, não ter voz (média de 3,7 e não ouvir (média de 3,6. Para o grupo de não-professores, não enxergar também gerou o maior impacto negativo (média de 3,4, seguido por não andar (média de 3,0; não ouvir (média de 2,2 e não ter voz (média de 2,0. Em relação ao maior impacto de uma eventual perda da voz, professores indicaram prejuízos no trabalho, relacionamento social e atividades rotineiras e, no grupo de não professores, nas atividades rotineiras, trabalho, relacionamento social e manifestações das emoções. CONCLUSÕES: Os professores valorizam sua voz de modo diverso dos não-professores e ambos os grupos avaliam a perda da voz como algo que não acarreta consequências negativas. Apesar de o professor perceber mais o impacto de um eventual problema de voz do que oo-professor, os sentimentos em relação à perda da voz foram muito semelhantes nos dois grupos.PURPOSE: To investigate teachers' and non-teachers' perception regarding the implications of an eventual loss of voice. METHODS: Participated in the study 205 individuals (106 women and 99 men, 105 teachers and 100 non-teachers, with ages varying from 23 to 65 years old. The participants were asked to answer a questionnaire with four questions regarding an eventual loss of vision, hearing, voice and deambulation, and the inferred impact degree (from 0 to 4. RESULTS: For the teachers group, not being able to see

  18. Complete Genome Sequence of an Escherichia coli O121:H19 Strain from an Outbreak in Canada Associated with Flour

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robertson, James; Lin, Janet; Levett, Paul N.; Nadon, Celine; Nash, John

    2018-01-01

    ABSTRACT Here, we present the first complete genome sequence of an Escherichia coli non-O157 Shiga-toxin producing isolate, 16-9255, from serotype O121:H19. This strain is notable as a clinical case recovered from a recent Canadian flour-associated outbreak event. PMID:29371368

  19. Non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide biosensor based on rose-shaped FeMoO4 nanostructures produced by convenient microwave-hydrothermal method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Hongying; Gu, Chunchuan; Li, Dujuan; Zhang, Mingzhen

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: A non-enzymatic H 2 O 2 sensor with high selectivity and sensitivity based on rose-shaped FeMoO 4 synthesized by the convenient microwave-assisted hydrothermal method, was fabricated. - Highlights: • Rose-shaped FeMoO 4 is synthesized within 10 min via microwave-assisted hydrothermal approach. • Non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide biosensor based on FeMoO 4 nanomaterials is fabricated. • The biosensor exhibits good performance. - Abstract: In this work, we demonstrated a simple, rapid and reliable microwave-assisted hydrothermal approach to synthesize the uniform rose-shaped FeMoO 4 within 10 min. The morphologies of the synthesized materials were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, a non-enzymatic amperometric sensor for the detection of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) was fabricated on the basis of the FeMoO 4 as electrocatalysis. The resulting FeMoO 4 exhibited high sensitivity and good stability for the detection of H 2 O 2 , which may be attributed to the rose-shaped structure of the material and the catalytic property of FeMoO 4 . Amperometric response showed that the modified electrode had a good response for H 2 O 2 with a linear range from 1 μM to 1.6 mM, a detection limit of 0.5 μM (S/N = 3), high selectivity and short response time. Additionally, good recoveries of analytes in real milk samples confirm the reliability of the prepared sensor in practical applications

  20. Spondylodiscitis of the lumbar spine in a non-immunocompromised host caused by Yersinia enterocolitica O:9.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellenrieder, Martin; Zautner, Andreas E; Podbielski, Andreas; Bader, Rainer; Mittelmeier, Wolfram

    2010-04-01

    Here presented is an extremely rare case of a spinal osteomyelitis (L5-S1) with epidural empyema in a non-immunocompromised 62-year-old man caused by Yersinia enterocolitica O:9. The infection occurred acutely and required immediate surgical treatment. Y. enterocolitica was cultured from the empyema fluid, wound swabs of the intervertebral disc L5-S1 and stool cultures. Following the surgical decompression and antibiotic treatment, the patient recovered completely, without neurological deficits. A review of the literature revealed only sparse cases of spondylodiscitis due to other Y. enterocolitica serogroups. To our knowledge, we report here the first case of a spondylodiscitis of the lumbar spine caused by Y. enterocolitica serovar O:9 in a non-immunocompromised patient.

  1. Controle da utilização de ingredientes não cárneos para injeção e marinação de carnes Control of non meat ingredients for meat injection and marination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heitor Daguer

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available O crescimento da produção e consumo de carne têm sido acompanhados da diversificação de produtos processados, com maior elaboração de itens de conveniência, praticidade e valor agregado, em detrimento da comercialização de cortes in natura. Fosfatos e proteínas não cárneas, sobretudo as da soja e do soro de leite, figuram entre os ingredientes mais usados para marinar carnes, melhorando sua textura e promovendo a retenção de líquidos que podem trazer aumento do rendimento de fabricação e benefícios sensoriais para o consumidor. Nessa tecnologia, os principais processos empregados são a injeção e o massageamento da carne. No entanto, práticas abusivas devem ser coibidas pela fiscalização, impondo limites à incorporação de água pelo produto final e à utilização de ingredientes não cárneos. No presente artigo, são revisados aspectos da utilização desses ingredientes, ressaltando a importância da disponibilidade de técnicas analíticas adequadas ao controle de produtos injetados e marinados.Meat production and consumption growth has been accompanied by a wide diversification of processed products, while the trading of non-processed meat has decreased. Phosphates and non-meat proteins, mainly soy and whey proteins, are widely used to marinate meat, improving its texture and promoting the fluids retention that can bring sensorial benefits to the consumers and improve producers' yield. On this technology, the main processes employed are the injection and the tumbling of raw materials. However, some fraudulent practices must be avoided by the meat inspection service, setting limits to the replacement of meat proteins by water and non-meat ingredients. The present article reviewed the main aspects of the use of such ingredients enlightening the importance of appropriate analytical techniques to control injected, and marinated products.

  2. Interfacial B-site atomic configuration in polar (111) and non-polar (001) SrIrO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, T. J.; Zhou, H.; Xie, L.; Podkaminer, J. P.; Patzner, J. J.; Ryu, S.; Pan, X. Q.; Eom, C. B.

    2017-09-01

    The precise control of interfacial atomic arrangement in ABO3 perovskite heterostructures is paramount, particularly in cases where the subsequent electronic properties of the material exhibit geometrical preferences along polar crystallographic directions that feature inevitably complex surface reconstructions. Here, we present the B-site interfacial structure in polar (111) and non-polar (001) SrIrO3/SrTiO3 interfaces. The heterostructures were examined using scanning transmission electron microscopy and synchrotron-based coherent Bragg rod analysis. Our results reveal the preference of B-site intermixing across the (111) interface due to the polarity-compensated SrTiO3 substrate surface prior to growth. By comparison, the intermixing at the non-polar (001) interface is negligible. This finding suggests that the intermixing may be necessary to mitigate epitaxy along heavily reconstructed and non-stoichiometric (111) perovskite surfaces. Furthermore, this preferential B-site configuration could allow the geometric design of the interfacial perovskite structure and chemistry to selectively engineer the correlated electronic states of the B-site d-orbital.

  3. Interfacial B-site atomic configuration in polar (111 and non-polar (001 SrIrO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. J. Anderson

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The precise control of interfacial atomic arrangement in ABO3 perovskite heterostructures is paramount, particularly in cases where the subsequent electronic properties of the material exhibit geometrical preferences along polar crystallographic directions that feature inevitably complex surface reconstructions. Here, we present the B-site interfacial structure in polar (111 and non-polar (001 SrIrO3/SrTiO3 interfaces. The heterostructures were examined using scanning transmission electron microscopy and synchrotron-based coherent Bragg rod analysis. Our results reveal the preference of B-site intermixing across the (111 interface due to the polarity-compensated SrTiO3 substrate surface prior to growth. By comparison, the intermixing at the non-polar (001 interface is negligible. This finding suggests that the intermixing may be necessary to mitigate epitaxy along heavily reconstructed and non-stoichiometric (111 perovskite surfaces. Furthermore, this preferential B-site configuration could allow the geometric design of the interfacial perovskite structure and chemistry to selectively engineer the correlated electronic states of the B-site d-orbital.

  4. Non-thermal distribution of O(1D) atoms in the night-time thermosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yee, Jeng-Hwa

    1988-01-01

    The 6300 A O(1D-3P) emission has been used for many years to remotely monitor the thermospheric temperature from the Doppler width of its line profile. The O(1D) atoms in the nighttime thermosphere are initially produced by the dissociative recombination of O2(+) ions with kinetic energy much greater than the thermal energy of the ambient neutrals. The validity of the technique to monitor neutral ambient temperature by measuring O(1D) 6300 A emission depends on the degree of thermalization of the O(1D) atoms. The object of this study is to calculate the velocity distribution of the O(1D) atoms and to examine the effect of nonthermal distribution on the nighttime thermospheric neutral temperature determined.

  5. High temperature in combination with UV irradiation enhances horizontal transfer of stx2 gene from E. coli O157:H7 to non-pathogenic E. coli.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wan-Fu Yue

    Full Text Available Shiga toxin (stx genes have been transferred to numerous bacteria, one of which is E. coli O157:H7. It is a common belief that stx gene is transferred by bacteriophages, because stx genes are located on lambdoid prophages in the E. coli O157:H7 genome. Both E. coli O157:H7 and non-pathogenic E. coli are highly enriched in cattle feedlots. We hypothesized that strong UV radiation in combination with high temperature accelerates stx gene transfer into non-pathogenic E. coli in feedlots.E. coli O157:H7 EDL933 strain were subjected to different UV irradiation (0 or 0.5 kJ/m(2 combination with different temperature (22, 28, 30, 32, and 37 °C treatments, and the activation of lambdoid prophages was analyzed by plaque forming unit while induction of Stx2 prophages was quantified by quantitative real-time PCR. Data showed that lambdoid prophages in E. coli O157:H7, including phages carrying stx2, were activated under UV radiation, a process enhanced by elevated temperature. Consistently, western blotting analysis indicated that the production of Shiga toxin 2 was also dramatically increased by UV irradiation and high temperature. In situ colony hybridization screening indicated that these activated Stx2 prophages were capable of converting laboratory strain of E. coli K12 into new Shiga toxigenic E. coli, which were further confirmed by PCR and ELISA analysis.These data implicate that high environmental temperature in combination with UV irradiation accelerates the spread of stx genes through enhancing Stx prophage induction and Stx phage mediated gene transfer. Cattle feedlot sludge are teemed with E. coli O157:H7 and non-pathogenic E. coli, and is frequently exposed to UV radiation via sunlight, which may contribute to the rapid spread of stx gene to non-pathogenic E. coli and diversity of shiga toxin producing E. coli.

  6. Avaliação radiográfica da localização de caninos superiores não irrompidos Radiographic evaluation of localization for non-erupted upper canines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrícia Paschoal Martins

    2005-08-01

    Full Text Available A erupção ectópica e a impacção de caninos superiores são problemas bastante comuns na população. A excelência do tratamento ortod��ntico traduz-se na correção da oclusão, harmonia do sorriso, saúde periodontal e estabilidade pós-tratamento. Para obtermos tais condições, a manutenção dos caninos é fundamental. Portanto, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar radiograficamente a localização de caninos superiores não irrompidos utilizando-se radiografias panorâmicas. Foram selecionadas setenta radiografias panorâmicas de pacientes com impacção uni ou bilateral de caninos, candidatos a tratamento cirúrgico. Para determinação da posição espacial dos caninos superiores não irrompidos foram selecionados métodos descritos na literatura e uma avaliação proposta neste trabalho. A localização de caninos não irrompidos é fundamental para estabelecer o plano de tratamento, auxiliando no acesso cirúrgico e na direção das forças ortodônticas a serem aplicadas no dente impactado. Os pacientes que tiveram suas radiografias utilizadas neste estudo serão tratados pelas disciplinas de Ortodontia e Cirurgia, com exodontia do canino ou exposição cirúrgica para colagem do dispositivo de tracionamento associada ao tratamento ortodôntico corretivo.Ectopic eruption and the impaction of upper canines are problems quite commonly presented by the population. An excellent orthodontic treatment encompasses occlusal correction, smile harmony, periodontal health and posttreatment stability. Such conditions can be obtained upon the due maintenance of the canines, therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the radiographic localization of non-erupted upper canines using panoramic radiographs. In this study, seventy panoramic radiographs of patients presented with uni or bilateral canine impaction, applying for surgical treatment, were selected. Methods described in the literature and an evaluation proposed in this work were

  7. 139La and 63Cu NMR investigation of charge order in La2CuO4 +y (Tc=42 K)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imai, T.; Lee, Y. S.

    2018-03-01

    We report 139La and 63Cu NMR investigation of the successive charge order, spin order, and superconducting transitions in superoxygenated La2CuO4 +y single crystal with stage-4 excess oxygen order at Tstage≃290 K. We show that the stage-4 order induces tilting of CuO6 octahedra below Tstage, which in turn causes 139La NMR line broadening. The structural distortion continues to develop far below Tstage, and completes at Tcharge≃60 K, where charge order sets in. This sequence is reminiscent of the the charge-order transition in Nd codoped La1.88Sr0.12CuO4 that sets in once the low-temperature tetragonal phase is established. We also show that the paramagnetic 63Cu NMR signals are progressively wiped out below Tcharge due to enhanced low-frequency spin fluctuations in charge-ordered domains, but the residual 63Cu NMR signals continue to exhibit the characteristics expected for optimally doped superconducting CuO2 planes. This indicates that charge order in La2CuO4 +y does not take place uniformly in space. In addition, unlike the typical second-order magnetic phase transitions, low-frequency Cu spin fluctuations as probed by 139La nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate do not exhibit critical divergence at Tspin(≃Tc ) =42 K. These findings, including the spatially inhomogeneous nature of the charge-ordered state, are qualitatively similar to the case of La1.885Sr0.115CuO4 [Imai et al., Phys. Rev. B 96, 224508 (2017), 10.1103/PhysRevB.96.224508 and Arsenault et al., Phys. Rev. B 97, 064511 (2018), 10.1103/PhysRevB.97.064511], but both charge and spin order take place more sharply in the present case.

  8. Analysis of bacterial strains from contaminated and non ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Administrator

    2007-05-02

    May 2, 2007 ... A total 18 strains were collected from non-contaminated and contaminated environments, and were purified. All purified strains were characterized for Gram reaction and biochemical analysis. Screening for bioplastic production was done by Sudan black staining. Strains isolated from non-contaminated.

  9. Report of the Working Group on Strengthening the Biosecurity of the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-10-01

    Typhi (Typhoid) 9 Vibrio cholerae ( Cholera ) (serotypes O1 and O139 only) 10 Yellow fever virus (non-vaccine strains) APPENDIX 4-A 123 Appendix 4-A...is unknown. Scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico determined the spores were derived from least four different strains of B

  10. Co3O4 based non-enzymatic glucose sensor with high sensitivity and reliable stability derived from hollow hierarchical architecture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Liangliang; He, Gege; Cai, Yanhua; Wu, Shenping; Su, Yongyao; Yan, Hengqing; Yang, Cong; Chen, Yanling; Li, Lu

    2018-02-01

    Inspired by kinetics, the design of hollow hierarchical electrocatalysts through large-scale integration of building blocks is recognized as an effective approach to the achievement of superior electrocatalytic performance. In this work, a hollow, hierarchical Co3O4 architecture (Co3O4 HHA) was constructed using a coordinated etching and precipitation (CEP) method followed by calcination. The resulting Co3O4 HHA electrode exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity in terms of high sensitivity (839.3 μA mM-1 cm-2) and reliable stability in glucose detection. The high sensitivity could be attributed to the large specific surface area (SSA), ample unimpeded penetration diffusion paths and high electron transfer rate originating from the unique two-dimensional (2D) sheet-like character and hollow porous architecture. The hollow hierarchical structure also affords sufficient interspace for accommodation of volume change and structural strain, resulting in enhanced stability. The results indicate that Co3O4 HHA could have potential for application in the design of non-enzymatic glucose sensors, and that the construction of hollow hierarchical architecture provides an efficient way to design highly active, stable electrocatalysts.

  11. Ba{sub y}Sr{sub 1−y}TiO{sub 3} buffer layers for strain tuning of infinite-layer Sr{sub 1−x}La{sub x}CuO{sub 2} thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sakuma, Keita, E-mail: sakuma.keita@d.mbox.nagoya-u.ac.jp; Ito, Masataka; He, Yilun; Hajiri, Tetsuya; Ueda, Kenji; Asano, Hidefumi

    2016-08-01

    We report on the precise tuning of lattice strain in an infinite-layer electron-doped high temperature superconductor Sr{sub 1−x}La{sub x}CuO{sub 2} (SLCO; a{sub SLCO} = 0.3949 nm for x = 0.1), which is a perovskite-related oxide, using perovskite BaTiO{sub 3}–SrTiO{sub 3} (BSTO; Ba{sub y}Sr{sub 1−y}TiO{sub 3}) buffer layers. The BSTO buffer layers formed on (001) (La{sub 0.18}Sr{sub 0.82})(Al{sub 0.59}Ta{sub 0.41})O{sub 3} substrates by magnetron sputtering were fully relaxed with high crystalline quality due to high oxygen partial pressure deposition and post annealing at 950 °C. The lattice constants of the BSTO buffer layers could be controlled in the range of 0.3926–0.3973 nm by changing the Ba content (y = 0.2–0.7). These BSTO buffer layers allow coherent growth of SLCO thin films, and a clear dependence of the superconducting transition temperature on the lattice strain was observed. The fabrication of these BSTO/superconductor heterostructures may provide novel devices composed of functional perovskite thin films, in addition to a general approach for the precise control of lattice strain in functional perovskite thin films. - Highlights: • Ba{sub y}Sr{sub 1−y}TiO{sub 3} buffer layers were developed for the strain tuning of perovskite-related oxides. • Strain effect in Sr{sub 1−x}La{sub x}CuO{sub 2} was investigated by using Ba{sub y}Sr{sub 1−y}TiO{sub 3} buffer layers. • Ba{sub y}Sr{sub 1−y}TiO{sub 3} buffer layers can be used to tune the strain in other perovskite oxides.

  12. Characterization of dispersion of a nano composites PP/TiO2 non modified

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soares, Igor L.; Tavares, Maria I.B.; Silva, Vanessa A. da; Legramanti, Cintia; Luetkmeyer, Leandro

    2011-01-01

    Polymeric nano composites are composite materials where an inorganic particle, which has a dimension in the nanometer range, is dispersed in a polymer matrix. Nano composites, using polypropylene (PP) as matrix polymer and titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) as filler, have great versatility in marketing applications, this factor is inherent in the PP and the inherent ability photo degraded TiO 2 particles. This combination can lead to a widely used material and a degradation time after discharge reduced, there by becoming, a residue of low environmental impact. This study aimed to evaluate the dispersion and particle distribution of TiO 2 , non modified, in PP matrix, using the process of preparation by melt extrusion pathway and characterization of the materials obtained: on the molecular dynamics, using low field NMR solid state, measures the relaxation time spin-network (T 1 H); morphology using XRD technique, and thermal analysis technique with the TGA of pure PP and nano composites PP/TiO 2 . (author)

  13. Nonpolar ZnO film growth and mechanism for anisotropic in-plane strain relaxation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pant, P.; Budai, J.D.; Narayan, J.

    2010-01-01

    Using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray diffraction, we investigated the strain relaxation mechanisms for nonpolar (1 1 -2 0) a-plane ZnO epitaxy on (1 -1 0 2) r-plane sapphire, where the in-plane misfit ranges from -1.5% for the [0 0 0 1]ZnO-parallel [1 -1 0 -1]sapphire to -18.3% for the [-1 1 0 0]ZnO-parallel [-1 -1 2 0]sapphire direction. For the large misfit [-1 1 0 0]ZnO direction the misfit strains are fully relaxed at the growth temperature, and only thermal misfit and defect strains, which cannot be relaxed fully by slip dislocations, remain on cooling. For the small misfit direction, lattice misfit is not fully relaxed at the growth temperature. As a result, additive unrelaxed lattice and thermal misfit and defect strains contribute to the measured strain. Our X-ray diffraction measurements of lattice parameters show that the anisotropic in-plane biaxial strain leads to a distortion of the hexagonal symmetry of the ZnO basal plane. Based on the anisotropic strain relaxation observed along the orthogonal in-plane [-1 1 0 0] and [0 0 0 1]ZnO stress directions and our HRTEM investigations of the interface, we show that the plastic relaxation occurring in the small misfit direction [0 0 0 1]ZnO by dislocation nucleation is incomplete. These results are consistent with the domain-matching paradigm of a complete strain relaxation for large misfits and a difficulty in relaxing the film strain for small misfits.

  14. Culture supernatants from V. cholerae O1 ElTor strains isolated from different geographic areas induce cell vacuolation and cytotoxicity Cepas de V. cholerae O1 biotipo ElTor aisladas de diferente origen geográfico inducen vacuolización celular y citotoxicidad

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge E Vidal

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the HlyA-induced vacuolating effect is produced by V. cholerae O1 ElTor strains isolated from different geographic origins, including Mexico. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Supernatant-induced haemolysis, vacuolating activity and cytotoxicity in Vero cells were recorded. PCR, RFLP analysis and molecular cloning were performed. RESULTS: All ElTor strains analyzed induced cellular vacuolation. Ribotype 2 strains isolates from the U.S. gulf coast yielded the highest titer of vacuolating activity. Eight of nine strains were haemolytic, while all strains were PCR positive for the hlyA gene. We cloned the hlyA gene from two ElTor strains, a toxigenic (2514-88, ctxAB+ and a non-toxigenic Mexican strain (CM 91-3, ctxAB-. Supernatant from those recombinant E. coli strains induced haemolysis, cell vacuolation and cytotoxicity. RFLP-PCR analysis revealed similarities in the hlyA gene from all strains tested. CONCLUSION: The HlyA-induced vacuolating effect is a widespread phenotype of epidemic V. cholerae O1 ElTor strains.OBJETIVO: Analizar el efecto vacuolizante de cepas de V. cholerae O1 ElTor aisladas de diferente origen geográfico, incluyendo México. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se realizaron pruebas de hemolisis, vacuolización y citotoxicidad en células Vero, así como PCR, análisis por RFLP y clonación molecular. RESULTADOS: Todas las cepas indujeron el efecto vacuolizante. Las cepas del ribotipo 2, aisladas de las costas del Golfo en Estados Unidos, presentaron títulos altos de vacuolización. El gen hlyA fue amplificado en las nueve cepas mediante PCR, aunque sólo ocho fueron hemolíticas. Se clonó el gen hlyA de una cepa toxigénica (2514-88, ctxAB+ y de una cepa no toxigénica aislada en México (CM 91-3, ctxAB-. El sobrenadante de las clonas recombinantes indujo hemólisis, efecto vacuolizante y citotoxicidad. El RFLP mostró alta similitud del gen hlyA de las cepas estudiadas. CONCLUSIÓN: El efecto vacuolizante es un

  15. Oxygen Atom Exchange between H2O and Non-Heme Oxoiron(IV) Complexes: Ligand Dependence and Mechanism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puri, Mayank; Company, Anna; Sabenya, Gerard; Costas, Miquel; Que, Lawrence

    2016-06-20

    Detailed studies of oxygen atom exchange (OAE) between H2(18)O and synthetic non-heme oxoiron(IV) complexes supported by tetradentate and pentadentate ligands provide evidence that they proceed by a common mechanism but within two different kinetic regimes, with OAE rates that span 2 orders of magnitude. The first kinetic regime involves initial reversible water association to the Fe(IV) complex, which is evidenced by OAE rates that are linearly dependent on [H2(18)O] and H2O/D2O KIEs of 1.6, while the second kinetic regime involves a subsequent rate determining proton-transfer step between the bound aqua and oxo ligands that is associated with saturation behavior with [H2(18)O] and much larger H2O/D2O KIEs of 5-6. [Fe(IV)(O)(TMC)(MeCN)](2+) (1) and [Fe(IV)(O)(MePy2TACN)](2+) (9) are examples of complexes that exhibit kinetic behavior in the first regime, while [Fe(IV)(O)(N4Py)](2+) (3), [Fe(IV)(O)(BnTPEN)](2+) (4), [Fe(IV)(O)(1Py-BnTPEN)](2+) (5), [Fe(IV)(O)(3Py-BnTPEN)](2+) (6), and [Fe(IV)(O)(Me2Py2TACN)](2+) (8) represent complexes that fall in the second kinetic regime. Interestingly, [Fe(IV)(O)(PyTACN)(MeCN)](2+) (7) exhibits a linear [H2(18)O] dependence below 0.6 M and saturation above 0.6 M. Analysis of the temperature dependence of the OAE rates shows that most of these complexes exhibit large and negative activation entropies, consistent with the proposed mechanism. One exception is complex 9, which has a near-zero activation entropy and is proposed to undergo ligand-arm dissociation during the RDS to accommodate H2(18)O binding. These results show that the observed OAE kinetic behavior is highly dependent on the nature of the supporting ligand and are of relevance to studies of non-heme oxoiron(IV) complexes in water or acetonitrile/water mixtures for applications in photocatalysis and water oxidation chemistry.

  16. Strain Induced Magnetism in SrRuO3 Epitaxial Thin Films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grutter, A.; Wong, F.; Arenholz, E.; Liberati, M.; Suzuki, Y.

    2010-01-10

    Epitaxial SrRuO{sub 3} thin films were grown on SrTiO{sub 3}, (LaAlO{sub 3}){sub 0.3}(SrAlO{sub 3}){sub 0.7} and LaAlO{sub 3} substrates inducing different biaxial compressive strains. Coherently strained SrRuO{sub 3} films exhibit enhanced magnetization compared to previously reported bulk and thin film values of 1.1-1.6 {micro}{sub B} per formula unit. A comparison of (001) and (110) SrRuO{sub 3} films on each substrate indicates that films on (110) oriented have consistently higher saturated moments than corresponding (001) films. These observations indicate the importance of lattice distortions in controlling the magnetic ground state in this transitional metal oxide.

  17. Strain Engineering of Ferroelectric Domains in KxNa1−xNbO3 Epitaxial Layers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jutta Schwarzkopf

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The application of lattice strain through epitaxial growth of oxide films on lattice mismatched perovskite-like substrates strongly influences the structural properties of ferroelectric domains and their corresponding piezoelectric behavior. The formation of different ferroelectric phases can be understood by a strain-phase diagram, which is calculated within the framework of the Landau–Ginzburg–Devonshire theory. In this paper, we illustrate the opportunity of ferroelectric domain engineering in the KxNa1−xNbO3 lead-free material system. In particular, the following examples are discussed in detail: (i Different substrates (NdGaO3, SrTiO3, DyScO3, TbScO3, and GdScO3 are used to systematically tune the incorporated epitaxial strain from compressive to tensile. This can be exploited to adjust the NaNbO3 thin film surface orientation and, concomitantly, the vector of electrical polarization, which rotates from mainly vertical to exclusive in-plane orientation. (ii In ferroelectric NaNbO3, thin films grown on rare-earth scandate substrates, highly regular stripe domain patterns are observed. By using different film thicknesses, these can be tailored with regard to domain periodicity and vertical polarization component. (iii A featured potassium concentration of x = 0.9 of KxNa1−xNbO3 thin films grown on (110 NdScO3 substrates favors the coexistence of two equivalent, monoclinic, but differently oriented ferroelectric phases. A complicated herringbone domain pattern is experimentally observed which consists of alternating MC and a1a2 domains. The coexistence of different types of ferroelectric domains leads to polarization discontinuities at the domain walls, potentially enabling high piezoelectric responses. In each of these examples, the experimental results are in excellent agreement with predictions based on the linear elasticity theory.

  18. The magnetic transition temperature tuned by strain in YMn0.9Ru0.1O3 thin films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. P. Yang

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Epitaxial orthorhombic YMn0.9Ru0.1O3 films with different thickness have been grown on (001-SrTiO3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD. The crystal structure is well investigated by X-ray Diffraction. It is found that the out-of-plane parameter c slowly increases with decreasing thickness of samples because of the tensile strain between the films and substrates along c axis. The lengths of in-plane Mn-O bonds expand with the enhancement of strains, which is proved by Raman scatting. The magnetic measurements reveal that there exist two magnetic transition temperatures TN1 and TN2. The TN1 is close to that of orthorhombic YMnO3 bulk. With decreasing thickness of the films, TN1 keeps almost constant because of the small stain along c-axis. TN2, however, obviously increases from 117 K to 134 K, which could be related to the expansion of in-plane Mn-O bonds. Results show that the magnetic transition temperature of YMn0.9Ru0.1O3 films can be sensitively manipulated by the strain of the films.

  19. Electric-Field-Tunable Ferroelastic Control of Nonvolatile Resistivity and Ferromagnetic Switching in Multiferroic La0.67Ca0.33MnO3/[PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3] 0.7[PbTiO3]0.3 Heterostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Ming; Zheng, Ren-Kui

    2016-04-01

    The electric-field-modulated nonvolatile resistivity and magnetization switching in elastically coupled La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 films grown on (111)-oriented 0.7 Pb (Mg1 /3Nb2 /3)O3-0.3 PbTiO3 substrates is achieved through the ferroelastic effect. By taking advantage of the 180° ferroelectric and non-180° ferroelastic domain switching, we identify that such changes in order parameters stem from domain-switching-induced strain rather than accumulation or depletion of charge carriers at the interface. Specifically, the strong correlation between the ferroelastic strain and the magnetic field is manifested not only by the strain-tunable magnetoresistance effect but also by the magnetically manipulated strain effect, which is essentially driven by the electronic phase separation. These findings present a potential strategy for elucidating the essential physics of the ferroelastic-strain effect and delivering prototype devices for energy-efficient and nonvolatile information storage.

  20. Efeito de vespas não-polinizadoras sobre o mutualismo Ficus - vespas de figos Effect of non-pollinating fig wasps over fig-fig wasp mutualism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Larissa G. Elias

    study mutualistic interactions and opportunistic strategies (parasites of mutualism. Plants of the genus Ficus maintain a mutualistic interaction with tiny pollinating wasps (Agaonidae and are exploited by other non-pollinating fig wasp species. This study aimed to assess the effect of non-pollinating wasps over the mutualistic relation between Ficus citrifolia (Moraceae and its pollinator Pegoscapus tonduzi Grandi, 1919 (Hymenoptera, Agaonidae. We compared both seed (female plant function and pollinating female (male plant function production rates among samples of high- and low-infested figs by non-pollinating wasps, sampled in three Brazilian cities, Londrina (State of Paraná, Campinas and Ribeirão Preto (state of São Paulo, Brazil. Our results have shown a negative impact over both female and male floral reproductive components. This effect was higher on the male plant component (production of pollinating females. Pollinator production was approximately seven times lower in infested figs, whereas seed production was 1.5 times lower in those figs. We discuss hypotheses about mutualism stability with the occurrence of opportunistic species.

  1. Dor torácica não-cardiogênica Non-cardiac chest pain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerson Ricardo de Souza Domingues

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available CONTEXTO: Dor torácica não-cardiogênica ou dor torácica funcional é síndrome clínica com elevada prevalência no mundo ocidental, podendo estar presente entre 15% a 30% dos pacientes com coronariografias normais. Tem importante impacto na qualidade de vida dos pacientes e associa-se com considerável aumento da utilização dos serviços de saúde. FONTES DE INFORMAÇÃO: Para esta revisão, foram utilizadas as seguintes bases de dados: Medline, the Cochrane Library, LILACS e livros nacionais. Das publicações dos últimos 5 anos foram selecionadas fontes relevantes como artigos originais, artigos de revisão, consensos, diretrizes e revisões sistemáticas de literatura com meta-análise. Publicações relevantes anteriores ao período de tempo analisado, foram também incluídas. RESULTADOS: Foram incluídas 44 publicações, sendo 28 artigos originais, 12 trabalhos de revisão, 2 diretrizes, 1 meta-análise e 1 consenso. CONCLUSÕES: A dor torácica não-cardiogênica abrange a investigação do trato digestório, do aparelho musculoesquelético, do aparelho respiratório e de distúrbios psicológicos. O objetivo do tratamento é o alívio ou eliminação do sintoma e deve estar voltado para o principal mecanismo gerador. A base do tratamento é medicamentosa, entretanto, pode ser necessária intervenção de natureza psicológica e, nos pacientes com acalásia a terapia endoscópica ou cirúrgica. Considerando-se que a maioria dos pacientes apresentarão causas relacionadas ao esôfago, sendo as principais, a doença do refluxo gastroesofágico e distúrbios motores, as principais medicações utilizadas no controle da dor torácica não-cardiogênica são os inibidores da bomba de prótons e os antidepressivos tricíclicos. Recentemente, novas modalidades diagnósticas e também formas de tratamento, tais como, a injeção por endoscopia de toxina botulínica no esôfago e a hipnose, estão em investigação e algumas poderão

  2. Magnetism on quasi-1-D lattices in novel non-centrosymmetric Ba{sub 3}CrVS{sub 4}O{sub 3} and in centrosymmetric La{sub 3}TMWS{sub 3}O{sub 6} (TM = Cr, Fe, Co)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Jinkwang; Lai, Kwing To; Valldor, Martin, E-mail: martin.valldor@cpfs.mpg.de

    2017-08-01

    Highlights: • Quasi 1-D chains of magnetic ions exist in Ba{sub 3}CrVS{sub 4}O{sub 3} and La{sub 3}TMWS{sub 3}O{sub 6} (TM = Cr, Fe, Co). • The magnetism of non-centrosymmetric Ba{sub 3}CrVS{sub 4}O{sub 3} is different from centrosymmetric La{sub 3}CrWS{sub 3}O{sub 6}. • Several intrinsic magnetic anomalies are observed without long-ranged spin orderings. - Abstract: La{sub 3}TMWS{sub 3}O{sub 6} (TM = Fe, Co) and novel Ba{sub 3}CrVS{sub 4}O{sub 3} can be obtained as pure polycrystalline samples by mineralizer aided solid-state reactions and a solid-state reaction with further purification by water, respectively. In contrast, La{sub 3}CrWS{sub 3}O{sub 6} needs a standard solid-state reaction to form but the final product contains observable impurities. All four compounds contain similar quasi-1-D magnetic lattices although La-based ones are centrosymmetric (P6{sub 3}/m) and the Ba-containing one is polar and non-centrosymmetric (P6{sub 3}). Strong antiferromagnetic couplings are observed along the magnetic chains in the Fe and Cr containing compounds. As a result, short-range magnetic order is suggested at low temperatures for the Fe-chain, which can be related to magneto-electric couplings. The Co{sup 3+}-homologue shows typical diamagnetic behavior, as supported by its insulating nature, which is due to a low-spin state. The polar Cr{sup 3+}-compound exhibits very different magnetic behavior compared to its corresponding non-polar relative. This proves a strong influence on the physical properties from the crystallographic symmetry.

  3. Intervenção fonoaudiológica em recém-nascido pré-termo: estimulação oromotora e sucçãoo-nutritiva Preterm newborns speech therapy: oromotor stimulation and non-nutritive sucking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diane Fernanda Bernal Calado

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available TEMA: intervenção fonoaudiológica em recém-nascido pré-termo, com uso das técnicas de estimulação oromotora e sucçãoo-nutritiva. PROCEDIMENTOS: participaram da intervenção fonoaudiológica dois recém-nascidos gemelares com idade gestacional corrigida de 35 semanas e 2/7 dias. Foi realizada a avaliação fonoaudiológica para verificar a prontidão do prematuro para o início da alimentação por via oral e a eficiência da alimentação por via oral por meio das relações: volume aceito pelo volume total prescrito e volume aceito pelo tempo de aceitação da dieta. Posteriormente foi sorteada a técnica que cada recém-nascido receberia. RN1 recebeu a técnica de estimulação oromotora e o RN2 recebeu a técnica de sucçãoo-nutritiva. Em seguida, receberam 10 sessões de terapia fonoaudiológica e foram reavaliados. RESULTADOS: após as sessões de estimulação os recém-nascidos apresentaram melhora nos reflexos orais e no padrão de sucçãoo nutritiva e melhoraram no aproveitamento da dieta oral. CONCLUSÃO: ambos os recém-nascidos foram beneficiados com a intervenção fonoaudiológica.BACKGROUND: Preterm Newborns speech therapy with the use of oromotor stimulation and non-nutritive sucking. PROCEDURES: two Twin Newborns took part in this speech therapy with corrected gestational age of 35 weeks and 2/7 days. The clinical speech assessment was performed in order to check the premature readiness for the beginning of oral feeding and the efficiency of oral feeding by some relations such as the accepted volume by the total prescribed volume and the accepted volume by the time of the diet acceptance. Later on we picked up the technique that each newborn would receive. The First newborn got the oromotor stimulation and the second newborn has got the non-nutritive sucking technique. They went 10 (ten sessions each and have been revaluated. RESULTS: after the stimulation procedures both newborns showed improvement in

  4. The synthesis of [O-methyl-{sup 11}C]venlafaxine: a non-classical, fast-acting antidepressant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gee, A.D.; Gjedde, A. [Aarhus Univ. Hospital, PET Center, Aarhus (Denmark); Smith, D.F. [Aarhus Univ. Psychiatric Hospital, Inst. for Biological Psychiatry, Risskov (Denmark)

    1997-01-01

    As part of our program to develop PET tracers for the 5-HT reuptake site, venlafaxine, a non-classical, fast-acting antidepressant, was selected as a candidate for labelling with {sup 11}C for in vivo evaluation. [O-methyl-{sup 11}C]venlafaxine was produced by the alkylation of O-desmethyl venlafaxine with [{sup 11}C]methyl iodide followed by HPLC purification and formulation. Radiochemically pure [O-methyl-{sup 11}C]venlafaxine was obtained in a 30 {+-} 5% decay corrected radiochemical yield and a specific activity > 50 GBq/{mu}mol(1.4 Ci/{mu}mol) at the end of synthesis. For a typical production starting with 46 GBq (1.3 Ci) [{sup 11}C]CO{sub 2}, 5.2 GBq (140 mCi) [O-methyl-{sup 11}C]venlafaxine was obtained as a sterile, formulated solution in a synthesis time of 30 min (counted from EOB). (Author).

  5. Remote plasma enhanced chemical deposition of non-crystalline GeO2 on Ge and Si substrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lucovsky, Gerald; Zeller, Daniel

    2011-09-01

    Non-crystalline GeO2 films remote were plasma deposited at 300 degrees C onto Ge substrates after a final rinse in NH4OH. The reactant precursors gas were: (i) down-stream injected 2% GeH4 in He as the Ge precursor, and (ii) up-stream, plasma excited O2-He mixtures as the O precursor. Films annealed at 400 degrees C displayed no evidence for loss of O resulting in Ge sub-oxide formation, and for a 5-6 eV mid-gap absorption associated with formation of GeOx suboxide bonding, x deposited on Ge and annealed at 600 degrees C and 700 degrees C display spectra indicative of loss of O-atoms, accompanied with a 5.5 eV absorption. X-ray absorption spectroscopy and many-electron theory are combined to describe symmetries and degeneracies for O-vacancy bonding defects. These include comparisons with remote plasma-deposited non-crystalline SiO2 on Si substrates with SiON interfacial layers. Three different properties of remote plasma GeO2 films are addressed comparisons between (i) conduction band and band edge states of GeO2 and SiO2, and (ii) electronic structure of O-atom vacancy defects in GeO2 and SiO2, and differences between (iii) annealing of GeO2 films on Ge substrates, and Si substrates passivated with SiON interfacial transition regions important for device applications.

  6. Non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide biosensor based on rose-shaped FeMoO{sub 4} nanostructures produced by convenient microwave-hydrothermal method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Hongying, E-mail: liuhongying@hdu.edu.cn [College of Life Information Science & Instrument Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Zhejiang, Hangzhou 310018 (China); Gu, Chunchuan [Department of Clinical Laboratory, Hangzhou Cancer Hospital, Zhejiang, Hangzhou 310002 (China); Li, Dujuan; Zhang, Mingzhen [College of Life Information Science & Instrument Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Zhejiang, Hangzhou 310018 (China)

    2015-04-15

    Graphical abstract: A non-enzymatic H{sub 2}O{sub 2} sensor with high selectivity and sensitivity based on rose-shaped FeMoO{sub 4} synthesized by the convenient microwave-assisted hydrothermal method, was fabricated. - Highlights: • Rose-shaped FeMoO{sub 4} is synthesized within 10 min via microwave-assisted hydrothermal approach. • Non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide biosensor based on FeMoO{sub 4} nanomaterials is fabricated. • The biosensor exhibits good performance. - Abstract: In this work, we demonstrated a simple, rapid and reliable microwave-assisted hydrothermal approach to synthesize the uniform rose-shaped FeMoO{sub 4} within 10 min. The morphologies of the synthesized materials were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, a non-enzymatic amperometric sensor for the detection of hydrogen peroxide (H{sub 2}O{sub 2}) was fabricated on the basis of the FeMoO{sub 4} as electrocatalysis. The resulting FeMoO{sub 4} exhibited high sensitivity and good stability for the detection of H{sub 2}O{sub 2}, which may be attributed to the rose-shaped structure of the material and the catalytic property of FeMoO{sub 4}. Amperometric response showed that the modified electrode had a good response for H{sub 2}O{sub 2} with a linear range from 1 μM to 1.6 mM, a detection limit of 0.5 μM (S/N = 3), high selectivity and short response time. Additionally, good recoveries of analytes in real milk samples confirm the reliability of the prepared sensor in practical applications.

  7. Non-perturbative renormalization of the static vector current and its O(a)-improvement in quenched QCD

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Palombi, F.

    2007-06-15

    We carry out the renormalization and the Symanzik O(a)-improvement programme for the static vector current in quenched lattice QCD. The scale independent ratio of the renormalization constants of the static vector and axial currents is obtained non-perturbatively from an axial Ward identity with Wilson-type light quarks and various lattice discretizations of the static action. The improvement coefficients c{sub V}{sup stat} and b{sub V}{sup stat} are obtained up to O(g{sub 4}{sup 0})-terms by enforcing improvement conditions respectively on the axial Ward identity and a three-point correlator of the static vector current. A comparison between the non-perturbative estimates and the corresponding one-loop results shows a non-negligible effect of the O(g{sub 4}{sup 0})-terms on the improvement coefficients but a good accuracy of the perturbative description of the ratio of the renormalization constants. (orig.)

  8. Complicações pós-operatórias em 139 casos de impressão basilar e/ou malformação de Arnold-Chiari

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Alberto Gonçalves da Silva

    1981-09-01

    Full Text Available No presente trabalho, foram analisadas as complicações pós-operatórias observadas em 139 casos de impressão basilar e/ou malformação de Arnold-Chiari. Os autores chamam a atenção para a menor ocorrência de complicações e de mortalidade verificadas nos pacientes que foram submetidos à plástica da dura-mater da fossa posterior.

  9. Strain dependence of interfacial antiferromagnetic coupling in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/SrRuO3 superlattices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Sujit; Herklotz, Andreas; Pippel, Eckhard; Guo, Er-Jia; Rata, Diana; Dörr, Kathrin

    2015-03-01

    We have investigated the magnetic response of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/SrRuO3 superlattices to biaxial in-plane strain applied in-situ. Superlattices grown on piezoelectric substrates of 0.72PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3-0.28PbTiO3(001) (PMN-PT) show strong antiferromagnetic coupling of the two ferromagnetic components. The coupling field of μ0HAF = 1.8 T is found to change by μ0 ΔHAF / Δɛ ~ -520 mT %-1 under reversible biaxial strain (Δɛ) at 80 K in a [La0.7Sr0.3MnO3(22 Å)/SrRuO3(55 Å)]15 superlattice. This reveals a significant strain effect on interfacial coupling. The applied in-plane compression enhances the ferromagnetic order in the manganite layers which are under as-grown tensile strain. It is thus difficult to disentangle the contributions from strain-dependent antiferromagnetic Mn-O-Ru interface coupling and Mn-O-Mn ferromagnetic double exchange near the interface, since the enhanced magnetic order of Mn spins leads to a larger net coupling of SrRuO3 layers at the interface. We discuss our experimental findings taken into account both the strain-dependent orbital occupation in a single-ion picture and the enhanced Mn order at the interface. This work was supported by the DFG within the Collaborative Research Center SFB 762 ``Functionality of Oxide Interfaces.''

  10. Hydroprocessing of Jatropha Oil for Production of Green Diesel over Non-sulfided Ni-PTA/Al2O3 Catalyst

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jing; Lei, Jiandu; He, Jing; Deng, Lihong; Wang, Luying; Fan, Kai; Rong, Long

    2015-01-01

    The non-sulfided Ni-PTA/Al2O3 catalyst was developed to produce green diesel from the hydroprocessing of Jatropha oil. The Ni-PTA/Al2O3 catalyst was prepared by one-pot synthesis of Ni/Al2O3 with the co-precipitation method and then impregnanting Ni/Al2O3 with PTA solution. The catalysts were characterized with BET, SEM-EDX, TEM, XRD, XPS, TGA and NH3-TPD. The Ni and W species of the Ni-PTA/Al2O3 catalyst were much more homogeneously distributed on the surface than that of commercial Al2O3. Catalytic performance in the hydroprocessing of Jatropha oil was evaluated by GC. The maximum conversion of Jatropha oil (98.5 wt%) and selectivity of the C15-C18 alkanes fraction (84.5 wt %) occurred at 360 °C, 3.0 MPa, 0.8 h−1. The non-sulfided Ni-PTA/Al2O3 catalyst is more environmentally friendly than the conventional sulfided hydroprocessing catalyst, and it exhibited the highest catalytic activity than the Ni-PTA catalyst supported with commercial Al2O3 grain and Al2O3 powder. PMID:26162092

  11. Electric-field-induced strain contributions in morphotropic phase boundary composition of (Bi{sub 1/2}Na{sub 1/2})TiO{sub 3}-BaTiO{sub 3} during poling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khansur, Neamul H.; Daniels, John E. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, UNSW Australia, New South Wales 2052 (Australia); Hinterstein, Manuel [School of Materials Science and Engineering, UNSW Australia, New South Wales 2052 (Australia); Institute for Applied Materials, Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, P.O. Box 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany); Wang, Zhiyang [School of Materials Science and Engineering, UNSW Australia, New South Wales 2052 (Australia); The Australian Synchrotron, Clayton, Victoria 3168 (Australia); Groh, Claudia [Institute of Materials Science, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Alarich-Weiss-Straße 2, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany); Jo, Wook [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan 44919 (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-12-14

    The microscopic contributions to the electric-field-induced macroscopic strain in a morphotropic 0.93(Bi{sub 1/2}Na{sub 1/2}TiO{sub 3})−0.07(BaTiO{sub 3}) with a mixed rhombohedral and tetragonal structure have been quantified using full pattern Rietveld refinement of in situ high-energy x-ray diffraction data. The analysis methodology allows a quantification of all strain mechanisms for each phase in a morphotropic composition and is applicable to use in a wide variety of piezoelectric compositions. It is shown that during the poling of this material 24%, 44%, and 32% of the total macroscopic strain is generated from lattice strain, domain switching, and phase transformation strains, respectively. The results also suggest that the tetragonal phase contributes the most to extrinsic domain switching strain, whereas the lattice strain primarily stems from the rhombohedral phase. The analysis also suggests that almost 32% of the total strain is lost or is a one-time effect due to the irreversible nature of the electric-field-induced phase transformation in the current composition. This information is relevant to on-going compositional development strategies to harness the electric-field-induced phase transformation strain of (Bi{sub 1/2}Na{sub 1/2})TiO{sub 3}-based lead-free piezoelectric materials for actuator applications.

  12. Anelastic deformation of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin films by non-180 deg. ferroelectric domain wall movements during nanoindentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alguero, M.; Bushby, A.J.; Reece, M.J.; Seifert, A.

    2002-01-01

    Lead zirconate titanate Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 ferroelectric thin films show significant anelastic deformation when indented with spherical tipped indenters. Experiments on films with different Zr/Ti ratio and a mixed , preferred crystallographic orientation have shown that there is a good agreement between the anelastic deformation and the maximum strain achievable by non-180 deg. domain wall movement. An expected increase of the indentation stiffness of the films also accompanies the anelastic deformation because of the single crystal elastic anisotropy. All these observations seem to indicate that non-180 deg. ferroelectric domain wall movements occur under indentation stresses and cause anelasticity. Stresses for maximum anelastic deformation are compared with those for recently reported stress-induced depolarization

  13. Isolation and genomic characterization of Escherichia coli O157:NM ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Human diseases caused by Escherichia coli O157:NM and E. coli O157:H7 strains have been reported throughout the world. In developed countries, serotype O157:H7 represents the major cause of human diseases; however, there have been increasing reports of non-O157 Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing E. coli strains ...

  14. Inoculação com Rhizobium e aplicação de nitrogênio em amendoim Comparison among Rhizobium strains inoculations and nitrogen applications on peanut, in field conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Roberto Giardini

    1985-01-01

    Full Text Available Existe, nas nossas condições, uma população autóctone de Rhizobium capaz de nodular o amendoim (Arachis hypogaea L., mas pouco se sabe da contribuição do nitrogênio fixado para esta planta. Foram conduzidos dois ensaios no campo, em solo de baixa fertilidade, um no período "da seca" e outro no "das águas", comparando o crescimento e a produção de plantas de amendoim inoculado com Rhizobium selecionado, com o de plantas noduladas pela população autóctone, adubadas ou não com nitrogênio. A nodulação das plantas inoculadas foi semelhante à observada nos tratamentos não inoculados, com ou sem nitrogênio. Na fase final do ciclo das plantas, houve maior acúmulo e maior taxa de absorção diária de nitrogênio nos tratamentos inoculados ou com adubação nitrogenada, do que no controle sem inoculação e sem nitrogênio. No ensaio da seca, não houve aumento de produção devido à adubação nitrogenada, ou à inoculação. No ensaio das águas, houve resposta à aplicação de nitrogênio no plantio. Os resultados de produçãoo foram coerentes com os da marcha de absorção de N. A produção de ensaio das águas foi equivalente a 3.400 kg/ha para o tratamento sem nitrogênio e sem inoculação.Two field experiments were carried out with peanut in the same area on a limed and fertilized "cerrado soil" (originally acidic and low fertility. The first experiment was carried out in the autumn/winter (dry season, and the second one in the subsequent spring/summer (wet season, in Campinas, State of São Paulo, Brazil. Plant development and production of inoculated (three Rhizobium strains and nitrogen fertilized treatments (at planting 25 and 45 days after planting were compared with non-inoculated and non-N-fertilized control. Nodulation of inoculated plants was similar to those of non-inoculated, with or without nitrogen. Greater accumulations, and rates for average daily uptake of nitrogen were observed for inoculated as

  15. Linfoma não Hodgkin gástrico Gastric non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renata O. Costa

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Os linfomas extralinfonodais representam aproximadamente 1/3 de todos os linfomas não Hodgkin (LNH e, embora possam ter início em qualquer tecido, mais frequentemente acometem o trato gastrointestinal, sendo o estômago o órgão responsável pela grande maioria dos casos. Os linfomas primários gástricos são comumente LNH, sendo representados em mais de 95% dos casos pelo linfoma difuso de grandes células B e pelo linfoma MALT (mucosa associated lymphoid tissue. De evolução indolente, o linfoma MALT destaca-se por ser um modelo de câncer secundário à estimulação antigênica crônica exercida por uma bactéria denominada Helicobacter pylori (HP. No outro polo, situa-se o linfoma difuso de células B (LDGCB, que, de patogênese duvidosa, pode tratar-se de uma transformação de LNH MALT ou ainda se caracterizar por um linfoma "de novo". Neste estudo, revisamos a literatura, enfatizando aspectos importantes à prática clínica destes linfomas.Extranodal lymphomas account for about 30% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL, and although they can originate in any tissue, the gastrointestinal tract is the most commonly affected structure with the stomach being the most common subtype. Diffuse Large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL and MALT (mucosa associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma account for more than 95% of the cases of gastric lymphoma. The indolent development of MALT lymphoma stands out as it is a type of cancer subject to chronic antigen stimulation by the Helicobacter pylori bacteria. Conversely, diffuse large B cell lymphomas, whose pathogenesis is uncertain, can be a transformation from MALT NHL or perhaps a new type of lymphoma. In this study we carried out a review of the literature, stressing the key aspects of these lymphomas in the clinical practice.

  16. Fate of acid-resistant and non-acid resistant Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli strains in experimentally contaminated French fermented raw meat sausages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montet, M P; Christieans, S; Thevenot, D; Coppet, V; Ganet, S; Muller, M L Delignette; Dunière, L; Miszczycha, S; Vernozy-Rozand, C

    2009-02-28

    Both pathogenic and nonpathogenic E. coli exhibit a stress response to sublethal environmental stresses. Several studies have reported acid tolerance and survival characteristics of E. coli O157:H7 in foodstuffs, but there are few reports about the tolerance of non-O157 serogroups (STEC) to organic acids in foods. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the manufacturing process of French fermented raw meat sausages on the growth and survival of acid-resistant (AR) and non-acid resistant (NAR) STEC strains. The six strains, 3 AR and 3 NAR, were inoculated separately into raw sausage mixture at a level of 10(4)-10(5) CFU/g. A total of 19 batches of sausages were manufactured. A rapid and similar decrease in the number of both AR and NAR STEC strains, from less than 1 to 1.5 log(10) CFU/g, was observed during the first 5 days of fermentation at 20-24 degrees C. This rapid decrease was followed by a more gradual but continuous decrease in STEC counts after drying at 13-14 degrees C, up to day 35. The STEC counts were <10 CFU/g after 35 days for the NAR strains and the same concentration for the AR strains on the best before date (day 60). It was not possible to detect any NAR STEC after 60 days. The present study shows that the process used in the manufacture of French sausages results in a complete destruction of NAR STEC strains after 60 days, but it does not have the same effect on the AR STEC strains.

  17. Manufacturing and characterization of ceramic pigment Zn1-xFexCr2O4 by synthetic non conventional methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nieves, Leidy Johana Jaramillo; Baena, Oscar Jaime Restrepo

    2012-01-01

    The ceramic pigment with structure Zn 1-x Fe x Cr 2 O 4 (x = 0, 0.5, 1) was synthesized by non conventional methods of coprecipitation assisted by ultrasound and milling of high energy. This pigment was characterized by XRD, XRF, SEM, UV-VIS spectrophotometry and CIELab colorimetry. The aim of this work was studied two alternative methods to the traditional method of synthesis, evaluating the pigment properties, varying the stoichiometry, such as structure, composition, morphology and colorimetric coordinates. The results showed that is possible to obtain the desired crystalline structure at temperatures below 1000 ° C in both cases, also expected hues are obtained according to each stoichiometry, which shows the advantages of using methods non conventional when produce these pigments, since it has a higher controlling the composition, stoichiometry and is obtained at temperatures below compared with traditional ceramic method

  18. Superconductivity at 108 K in the simplest non-toxic double-layer cuprate of Ba2CaCu2O4(O,F)2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shirage, P M; Shivagan, D D; Crisan, A; Tanaka, Y; Kodama, Y; Kito, H; Iyo, A

    2008-01-01

    We report the superconductivity in apical fluorine system of Ba 2 CaCu 2 O 6-y F y : the second member of Ba 2 Ca n-1 Cu n O 2n (O,F) 2 homologous series. The polycrystalline samples of Ba 2 CaCu 2 O 6-y F y (F-0212) were synthesized under high pressure as a parameter of nominal fluorine content (y). Samples with y = 2.0 ∼ 1.2 elucidating the very sharp superconducting transitions in temperature dependence of susceptibility from under doping state to slightly over doping state via optimal doping state. A remarkable highest T c of 108 K has been achieved for the sample synthesized from a nominal composition of Ba 2 CaCu 2 O 4.4 F 1.6 . This T c is highest among the double CuO 2 layered system except for that including toxic elements such as Hg and T1. The T c has been systematically controlled from 57 K to 108 K by controlling the doping state, by designing the starting composition of fluorine and oxygen. The strong dependence of the 'a' and 'c' lattice constants were found on the nominal F content. We propose the Ba 2 CaCu 2 O 4 (O,F) 2 as a promising material for practical use due to its high T c and non-toxicity with a simple crystal structure

  19. Synthesis of novel CuO nanosheets and their non-enzymatic glucose sensing applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibupoto, Zafar Hussain; Khun, Kimleang; Beni, Valerio; Liu, Xianjie; Willander, Magnus

    2013-06-20

    In this study, we have developed a sensitive and selective glucose sensor using novel CuO nanosheets which were grown on a gold coated glass substrate by a low temperature growth method. X-ray differaction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques were used for the structural characterization of CuO nanostructures. CuO nanosheets are highly dense, uniform, and exhibited good crystalline array structure. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) technique was applied for the study of chemical composition of CuO nanosheets and the obtained information demonstrated pure phase CuO nanosheets. The novel CuO nanosheets were employed for the development of a sensitive and selective non-enzymatic glucose sensor. The measured sensitivity and a correlation coefficient are in order 5.20 × 10² µA/mMcm² and 0.998, respectively. The proposed sensor is associated with several advantages such as low cost, simplicity, high stability, reproducibility and selectivity for the quick detection of glucose.

  20. Synthesis of Novel CuO Nanosheets and Their Non-Enzymatic Glucose Sensing Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magnus Willander

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we have developed a sensitive and selective glucose sensor using novel CuO nanosheets which were grown on a gold coated glass substrate by a low temperature growth method. X-ray differaction (XRD and scanning electron microscopy (SEM techniques were used for the structural characterization of CuO nanostructures. CuO nanosheets are highly dense, uniform, and exhibited good crystalline array structure. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS technique was applied for the study of chemical composition of CuO nanosheets and the obtained information demonstrated pure phase CuO nanosheets. The novel CuO nanosheets were employed for the development of a sensitive and selective non-enzymatic glucose sensor. The measured sensitivity and a correlation coefficient are in order 5.20 × 102 µA/mMcm2 and 0.998, respectively. The proposed sensor is associated with several advantages such as low cost, simplicity, high stability, reproducibility and selectivity for the quick detection of glucose.

  1. Strain induced optical properties of BaReO3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumavat, Sandip R.; Kansara, Shivam; Gupta, Sanjeev K.; Sonvane, Yogesh

    2018-05-01

    Here, we have performed strain induce optical properties of BaReO3 by using density functional theory (DFT). We noticed that after applying intrinsic and extrinsic strain to the BaReO3, it shows the metallic behavior. We also studied optical properties, which show good activity in the ultraviolet region. The results show that after applying intrinsic and extrinsic strain to BaReO3 the absorption peaks are shifted towards the high UV region of the spectrum. Thus, we concluded that, BaReO3 material with extrinsic strain can be useful for high frequency UV device and optoelectronic devices.

  2. Hábitos alimentares de crianças menores de 1 ano amamentadas e não-amamentadas Feeding habits of breastfed and non-breastfed children up to 1 year old

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Graciete O. Vieira

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVOS: Descrever os hábitos alimentares de crianças amamentadas e não-amamentadas através da análise dos alimentos consumidos pelas crianças menores de 1 ano de idade na cidade de Feira de Santana, BA, no ano de 2001. MÉTODOS: Foi realizado um estudo transversal, no qual foram aplicados questionários às mães das crianças menores de 1 ano no dia nacional de vacinação, presentes nas 44 (71% unidades de vacinação, selecionadas por estratificação simples. Foram avaliadas 2.319 crianças, representando 24,3% da população estimada. As medidas de associação calculadas foram: razão de prevalência, com intervalo de confiança a 95%, e de significância estatística, através do teste do qui-quadrado com respectivo valor p. RESULTADOS: Nas crianças com idade igual ou inferior a 4 meses e não-amamentadas, foi observada uma chance 8,2 e 6,7 vezes maior de a criança ser alimentada, respectivamente, com a refeição da família (IC 95% 3,23-20,66 e com papas de legumes (IC 95% 3,84-11,78. Na mesma faixa etária, as prevalências de crianças não-amamentadas que receberam água, chás, sucos e papa de frutas foram significativamente maiores (70,7% versus 19,7%, 63,3% versus 26,7%, 33,3% versus 4,9% e 14,4% versus 1,4%, respectivamente. CONCLUSÕES: As crianças amamentadas, quando comparadas com as não-amamentadas, apresentaram melhores hábitos no que se refere à época de introdução dos alimentos complementares.OBJECTIVE: To describe the eating habits of breastfed and non-breastfed children through the analysis of food intake by children younger than one year of age in Feira de Santana in 2001. METHODS: Cross-sectional study. The mothers of children younger than one year answered a questionnaire during the national vaccination day in 44 (71% vaccination units selected by simple stratification. 2,319 children were evaluated, representing 24.3% of the estimated population. Prevalence ratio and 95% confidence interval were

  3. MgO as a non-pyrolyzable pore former in porous membrane supports

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Haugen, A. B.; Geffroy, A.; Kaiser, Andreas

    2018-01-01

    the performance of oxygen transport membranes or other membranes relying on gas transport to the active membrane surface. Thermoplastic feedstocks for extrusion of tubular 3Y-TZP supports were prepared with four different amounts of pyrolyzable pore formers and/or MgO as non-pyrolyzable pore former. The Mg...

  4. DNA-dispersed graphene/NiO hybrid materials for highly sensitive non-enzymatic glucose sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lv Wei; Jin Fengmin; Guo Quangui; Yang Quanhong; Kang Feiyu

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► We investigated the potential of GNS/NiO/DNA hybrid used as a nonenzymatic sensor. ► DNA is a highly efficient disperse agent for GNS/NiO hybrid than ionic surfactants. ► GNS/NiO/DNA hybrid shows fast electron transfer in the electrochemical reaction. ► GNS/NiO/DNA hybrid shows good detection performance towards glucose. - Abstract: We demonstrate graphene nanosheet/NiO hybrids (GNS/NiO) as the active material for high-performance non-enzymatic glucose sensors. Such sensors are fabricated by DNA-dispersed GNS/NiO suspension deposited on glassy carbon electrodes. ss-DNA shows strong dispersing ability for the GNS/NiO hybrid materials resulting in stable water-dispersible GNS/NiO/DNA hybrids with fully separated layers. The GNS/NiO/DNA hybrids show enhanced electron transfer in the electrocatalytic reaction process, and accordingly, such hybrids modified electrodes show good sensing performance towards glucose and are characterized by large detection ranges, short response periods, low detection limit and high sensitivity and stability.

  5. Personal exposure to metal fume, NO2, and O3 among production welders and non-welders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoonover, Todd; Conroy, Lorraine; Lacey, Steven; Plavka, Julie

    2011-01-01

    The objective of this study was to characterize personal exposures to welding-related metals and gases for production welders and non-welders in a large manufacturing facility. Welding fume metals and irritant gases nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) and ozone (O(3)) were sampled for thirty-eight workers. Personal exposure air samples for welding fume metals were collected on 37 mm open face cassettes and nitrogen dioxide and ozone exposure samples were collected with diffusive passive samplers. Samples were analyzed for metals using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and welding fume metal exposure concentrations were defined as the sum of welding-related metals mass per volume of air sampled. Welding fume metal exposures were highly variable among similar types of welding while NO(2) and O(3) exposure were less variable. Welding fume metal exposures were significantly higher 474 μg/m(3) for welders than non-welders 60 μg/m(3) (p=0.001). Welders were exposed to higher concentrations of NO(2) and O(3) than non-welders but the differences were not statistically significant. Welding fume metal exposure concentrations for welders performing gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) were higher than welders performing gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW). Non-welders experienced exposures similar to GTAW welders despite a curtain wall barrier separating welding and non-welding work areas.

  6. The effects of Fe2O3 nanoparticles on physiology and insecticide activity in non-transgenic and Bt-transgenic cotton

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nhan eLe Van

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available As the demands for nanotechnology and nanoparticle (NP applications in agriculture increase, the ecological risk has drawn more attention because of the unpredictable results of interactions between NPs and transgenic crops. In this study, we investigated the effects of various concentrations of Fe2O3 NPs on Bt-transgenic cotton in comparison with conventional cotton for 10 days. Each treatment was conducted in triplicate, and each experiment was repeated three times. Results demonstrated that Fe2O3 nanoparticles (NPs inhibited the plant height and root length of Bt-transgenic cotton and promoted root hairs and biomass of non-transgenic cotton. Nutrients such as Na and K in Bt-transgenic cotton roots increased, while Zn contents decreased with Fe2O3 NPs. Most hormones in the roots of Bt-transgenic cotton increased at low Fe2O3 NP exposure (100 mg·L−1 but decreased at high concentrations of Fe2O3 NPs (1000 mg·L−1. Fe2O3 NPs increased the Bt-toxin in leaves and roots of Bt-transgenic cotton. Fe2O3 NPs were absorbed into roots, then transported to the shoots of both Bt-transgenic and non-transgenic cottons. The bioaccumulation of Fe2O3 NPs in plants might be a potential risk for agricultural crops and affect the environment and human health.

  7. Detection by hyperspectral imaging of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli serogroups O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145 on rainbow agar.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Windham, William R; Yoon, Seung-Chul; Ladely, Scott R; Haley, Jennifer A; Heitschmidt, Jerry W; Lawrence, Kurt C; Park, Bosoon; Narrang, Neelam; Cray, William C

    2013-07-01

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety Inspection Service has determined that six non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145) are adulterants in raw beef. Isolate and phenotypic discrimination of non-O157 STEC is problematic due to the lack of suitable agar media. The lack of distinct phenotypic color variation among non-O157serogroups cultured on chromogenic agar poses a challenge in selecting colonies for confirmation. In this study, visible and near-infrared hyperspectral imaging and chemometrics were used to detect and classify non-O157 STEC serogroups grown on Rainbow agar O157. The method was first developed by building spectral libraries for each serogroup obtained from ground-truth regions of interest representing the true identity of each pixel and thus each pure culture colony in the hyperspectral agar-plate image. The spectral library for the pure-culture non-O157 STEC consisted of 2,171 colonies, with spectra derived from 124,347 of pixels. The classification models for each serogroup were developed with a k nearest-neighbor classifier. The overall classification training accuracy at the colony level was 99%. The classifier was validated with ground beef enrichments artificially inoculated with 10, 50, and 100 CFU/ml STEC. The validation ground-truth regions of interest of the STEC target colonies consisted of 606 colonies, with 3,030 pixels of spectra. The overall classification accuracy was 98%. The average specificity of the method was 98% due to the low false-positive rate of 1.2%. The sensitivity ranged from 78 to 100% due to the false-negative rates of 22, 7, and 8% for O145, O45, and O26, respectively. This study showed the potential of visible and near-infrared hyperspectral imaging for detecting and classifying colonies of the six non-O157 STEC serogroups. The technique needs to be validated with bacterial cultures directly extracted from meat products and positive

  8. Non-basic solution eco-routes to nano-scale NiO with different shapes: Synthesis and application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Xiangyan; Wan Lijuan; Yu Tao; Zhou Yong; Guan Jie; Yu, Zhentao; Li, Zhaosheng; Zou Zhigang

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → NiO nanodiscs and nanoflowers have been controllably fabricated via the thermal decomposition of Ni(OH) 2 by using different Ni sources in non-basic solution for anion-assisted effect. → The route is environment-friendly. → The nanoflowers exhibit better performance than the nanodiscs when they are applied in electrochemical test and water treatment. - Abstract: The assembly of NiO nanodiscs (namely nanoflowers) as well as the dispersed NiO nanodiscs have been successfully synthesized via the thermal decomposition of Ni(OH) 2 obtained from different Ni sources in non-basic solution. The route is environment-friendly. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and N 2 adsorption-desorption. The porous structures with pore size around 6 nm can be observed on the single NiO disc. The nanoflowers exhibit better performance than nanodiscs in the electrochemical test and water treatment experiments, due to much more available surface areas and spaces formed in the NiO nanoflowers.

  9. Growth of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli , and Salmonella in Water and Hydroponic Fertilizer Solutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaw, Angela; Helterbran, Kara; Evans, Michael R; Currey, Christopher

    2016-12-01

    The desire for local, fresh produce year round is driving the growth of hydroponic growing systems in the United States. Many food crops, such as leafy greens and culinary herbs, grown within hydroponics systems have their root systems submerged in recirculating nutrient-dense fertilizer solutions from planting through harvest. If a foodborne pathogen were introduced into this water system, the risk of contamination to the entire crop would be high. Hence, this study was designed to determine whether Escherichia coli O157:H7, non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli , and Salmonella were able to survive and reproduce in two common hydroponic fertilizer solutions and in water or whether the bacteria would be killed or suppressed by the fertilizer solutions. All the pathogens grew by 1 to 6 log CFU/ml over a 24-h period, depending on the solution. E. coli O157:H7 reached higher levels in the fertilizer solution with plants (3.12 log CFU/ml), whereas non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and Salmonella reached higher levels in the fertilizer solution without plants (1.36 to 3.77 log CFU/ml). The foodborne pathogens evaluated here survived for 24 h in the fertilizer solution, and populations grew more rapidly in these solutions than in plain water. Therefore, human pathogens entering the fertilizer solution tanks in hydroponic systems would be expected to rapidly propagate and spread throughout the system and potentially contaminate the entire crop.

  10. The ethylene glycol template assisted hydrothermal synthesis of Co3O4 nanowires; structural characterization and their application as glucose non-enzymatic sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khun, K.; Ibupoto, Z.H.; Liu, X.; Beni, V.; Willander, M.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Ethylene glycol assisted Co 3 O 4 nanowires were synthesized by hydrothermal method. • The grown Co 3 O 4 nanowires were used for sensitive non-enzymatic glucose sensor. • The proposed glucose sensor shows a wide linear range with fast response. • The Co 3 O 4 modified electrode is a highly specific enzyme-less glucose sensor. - Abstract: In the work reported herein the ethylene glycol template assisted hydrothermal synthesis, onto Au substrate, of thin and highly dense cobalt oxide (Co 3 O 4 ) nanowires and their characterization and their application for non-enzymatic glucose sensing are reported. The structure and composition of Co 3 O 4 nanowires have been fully characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The synthesized Co 3 O 4 nanowires resulted to have high purity and showed diameter of approximately 10 nm. The prepared Co 3 O 4 nanowires coated gold electrodes were applied to the non-enzymatic detection of glucose. The developed sensor showed high sensitivity (4.58 × 10 1 μA mM −1 cm −2 ), a wide linear range of concentration (1.00 × 10 −4 –1.2 × 10 1 mM) and a detection limit of 2.65 × 10 −5 mM. The developed glucose sensor has also shown to be very stable and selective over interferents such as uric acid and ascorbic acid. Furthermore, the proposed fabrication process was shown to be highly reproducible response (over nine electrodes)

  11. Upgrading pyrolysis bio-oil through hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) using non-sulfided Fe-Co/SiO2 catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheng, Shouyun; Wei, Lin; Julson, James; Rabnawaz, Muhammad

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Fe-Co/SiO 2 catalyst with medium acidity was more effective for bio-oil upgrading. • Co-loading of Fe and Co on SiO 2 support improved catalyst performance. • Catalyst showing the best catalytic activity had a Fe/Co mole ratio of 1. • Biofuel produced by Fe-Co(1)/SiO 2 had the higher hydrocarbons content at 22.44%. • The mechanism of bio-oil HDO on Fe-Co/SiO 2 catalysts is proposed. - Abstract: Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) is an effective route to upgrade bio-oil to hydrocarbon bio-oil, but the development of efficient catalysts for bio-oil HDO still remains a challenge. In this study, non-sulfided Fe-Co/SiO 2 catalysts were used to upgrade bio-oil using HDO. A series of Fe-Co/SiO 2 catalysts with different Fe/Co mole ratios were prepared, characterized and evaluated. The Fe and/or Co loading did not change SiO 2 crystalline structure. The Fe and/or Co metals increased the amount and strength of Fe-Co/SiO 2 catalyst acidity. Physicochemical properties of upgraded bio-oils produced using Fe-Co/SiO 2 catalysts such as water content, total acid number, viscosity and higher heating values improved in comparison to raw bio-oil. Bimetallic Fe-Co/SiO 2 catalysts resulted in better HDO performance than monometallic Fe/SiO 2 or Co/SiO 2 catalysts. This was due to the synergistic effect of Fe and Co occurring on the SiO 2 support. Fe-Co/SiO 2 catalyst having medium amount of acidity was more effective for bio-oil upgrading. The highest hydrocarbons content produced using Fe-Co(1)/SiO 2 catalyst was 22.44%. The mechanism of bio-oil HDO on Fe-Co/SiO 2 catalysts is proposed.

  12. Perfect observables for the hierarchical non-linear O(N)-invariant σ-model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wieczerkowski, C.; Xylander, Y.

    1995-05-01

    We compute moving eigenvalues and the eigenvectors of the linear renormalization group transformation for observables along the renormalized trajectory of the hierarchical non-linear O(N)-invariant σ-model by means of perturbation theory in the running coupling constant. Moving eigenvectors are defined as solutions to a Callan-Symanzik type equation. (orig.)

  13. Facile synthesis, growth mechanism and reversible superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic properties of non-flaking CuO nanowires grown from porous copper substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Qiaobao; Xu Daguo; Zhang Kaili; Hung, Tak Fu

    2013-01-01

    Reversible superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic surfaces based on porous substrates covered with CuO nanowires are developed in this study. A facile thermal oxidation method is used to synthesize non-flaking bicrystalline CuO nanowires on porous copper substrates in static air. The effects of thermal oxidation temperature and duration are systemically studied. The growth mechanism of the obtained non-flaking CuO nanowires is presented and the compression stress is believed to be the key driving force. The wettability of the CuO nanowires after chemical modification with trichloro(1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyl)silane is systemically investigated. The porous substrates covered with CuO nanowires exhibit excellent superhydrophobic performance with almost no water adhesion and no apparent drag resistance, and a maximum static water contact angle of 162 ± 2° is observed. Moreover, a rapid reversibly switchable wettability between superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic states is realized by the alternation of air–plasma treatment and surface fluorination. The porous substrates covered with CuO nanowires will find promising applications in surface and corrosion protection, liquid transportation, oil–water separation, and self-cleaning surfaces. (paper)

  14. Field-induced strain memory with non-180 .deg. domain-reorientation control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kadota, Yoichi; Hosaka, Hiroshi; Morita, Takeshi

    2010-01-01

    Using non-180 .deg. domain-reorientation control, we propose the strain memory effect in ferroelectric ceramics. Electric fields with asymmetric amplitudes were applied to soft-type lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics, and the strain hysteresis and the polarization loop were measured. The butterfly curve became asymmetric under an electric field with a particular asymmetric amplitude. The asymmetric butterfly curve had two stable strain states at zero electric field. Thus, the strain memory effect was realized as the difference between the two stable strain states. An XRD analysis was carried out to verify the contribution of the non-180 .deg. domain reorientation to the strain memory effect. The non-180 .deg. domain reorientation was determined as the intensity ratio of the (002) to the (200) peak. The strain memory determined from macroscopic strain measurements had a linear relationship to the non-180 .deg. domain volume fraction. This result indicated the origin of the strain memory to be the non-180 .deg. domain reorientation.

  15. Role of interstitial atoms in the microstructure and non-linear elastic deformation behavior of Ti–Nb alloy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tahara, Masaki [Division of Materials Science, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573 (Japan); Precision and Intelligence Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan); Kim, Hee Young, E-mail: heeykim@ims.tsukuba.ac.jp [Division of Materials Science, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573 (Japan); Inamura, Tomonari; Hosoda, Hideki [Precision and Intelligence Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan); Miyazaki, Shuichi, E-mail: miyazaki@ims.tsukuba.ac.jp [Division of Materials Science, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8573 (Japan); Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials Research, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589 (Saudi Arabia); School of Materials Science and Engineering and ERI, Gyeongsang National University, 900 Gazwadong, Jinju, Gyeongnam 660-701 (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-11-15

    Highlights: ► {110}{sub β}〈11{sup ¯}0〉{sub β} transverse type lattice modulation is confirmed in β phase. ► Nanosized modulated region (nanodomain) distributes homogeneously and randomly. ► Nanodomains act as obstacles against the long-ranged martensitic transformation. ► The origin of non-linear elastic deformation behavior is the continuous increase in lattice distortion strain of the favorable nanodomain variant during tensile deformation. -- Abstract: In order to clarify the effect of interstitial atoms on the non-linear elastic deformation behavior of the Ti–Nb alloy, the microstructure of (Ti–26Nb)–1.0O alloy was closely investigated by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The 〈1 1 0〉{sub β}* rel rods and {1 1 1}{sub β}* rel planes were observed in a reciprocal space for the (Ti–26Nb)–1.0O alloy. Their origin was {110}{sub β}〈11{sup ¯}0〉{sub β} transverse type lattice modulation generated by oxygen atoms. Nanosized modulated domain structure (nanodomain) distributed homogeneously and randomly in the β phase and acted as obstacles for the long-ranged martensitic transformation in the (Ti–26Nb)–1.0O alloy. The non-linear elastic strain of the (Ti–26Nb)–1.0O alloy was generated by the continuous increase in lattice distortion strain of the favorable nanodomain variant during tensile deformation.

  16. Role of interstitial atoms in the microstructure and non-linear elastic deformation behavior of Ti–Nb alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tahara, Masaki; Kim, Hee Young; Inamura, Tomonari; Hosoda, Hideki; Miyazaki, Shuichi

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► {110} β 〈11 ¯ 0〉 β transverse type lattice modulation is confirmed in β phase. ► Nanosized modulated region (nanodomain) distributes homogeneously and randomly. ► Nanodomains act as obstacles against the long-ranged martensitic transformation. ► The origin of non-linear elastic deformation behavior is the continuous increase in lattice distortion strain of the favorable nanodomain variant during tensile deformation. -- Abstract: In order to clarify the effect of interstitial atoms on the non-linear elastic deformation behavior of the Ti–Nb alloy, the microstructure of (Ti–26Nb)–1.0O alloy was closely investigated by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The 〈1 1 0〉 β * rel rods and {1 1 1} β * rel planes were observed in a reciprocal space for the (Ti–26Nb)–1.0O alloy. Their origin was {110} β 〈11 ¯ 0〉 β transverse type lattice modulation generated by oxygen atoms. Nanosized modulated domain structure (nanodomain) distributed homogeneously and randomly in the β phase and acted as obstacles for the long-ranged martensitic transformation in the (Ti–26Nb)–1.0O alloy. The non-linear elastic strain of the (Ti–26Nb)–1.0O alloy was generated by the continuous increase in lattice distortion strain of the favorable nanodomain variant during tensile deformation

  17. Annealing temperature dependent non-monotonic d{sup 0} ferromagnetism in pristine In{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cao, Haiming; Xing, Pengfei, E-mail: pfxing@tju.edu.cn; Yao, Dongsheng; Wu, Ping

    2017-05-01

    Cubic bixbyite In{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles with room temperature d{sup 0} ferromagnetism were prepared by sol-gel method with the air annealing temperature ranging from 500 to 900 °C. X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman-scattering and photoluminescence were carried out to demonstrate the presence of oxygen vacancies. The lattice constant, the atomic ratio of crystal O and In, the Raman peak at 369 cm{sup −1}, the PL emission peak at 396 nm and the saturation magnetization of d{sup 0} ferromagnetism all had a consistent non-monotonic change with the increasing annealing temperature. With further considering the relation between the grain size and the distribution of oxygen vacancies, we think that d{sup 0} ferromagnetism in our samples is directly related with the singly charged oxygen vacancies at the surface of In{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles. - Highlights: • Effect of air-annealing temperature on the d{sup 0} ferromagnetism of pure In{sub 2}O{sub 3}. • Oxygen-deficiency states of all samples were detected by Raman scattering and PL. • Ferromagnetism changes non-monotonically with the increasing annealing temperature. • d{sup 0} ferromagnetism in our In{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanoparticles is related with the surface V{sub O}{sup +}.

  18. Strain-dependence of the structure and ferroic properties of epitaxial Ni1−xTi1−yO3 thin films grown on sapphire substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Varga, Tamas; Droubay, Timothy C.; Bowden, Mark E.; Stephens, Sean A.; Manandhar, Sandeep; Shutthanandan, Vaithiyalingam; Colby, Robert J.; Hu, Dehong; Shelton, William A.; Chambers, Scott A.

    2015-01-01

    Polarization-induced weak ferromagnetism has been predicted a few years back in compounds MTiO 3 (M = Fe, Mn, Ni) (Fennie, 2008). We set out to stabilize this metastable, distorted perovskite structure by growing NiTiO 3 epitaxially on sapphire Al 2 O 3 (001) substrate, and to control the polar and magnetic properties via strain. Epitaxial Ni 1−x Ti 1−y O 3 films of different Ni/Ti ratios and thicknesses were deposited on Al 2 O 3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition at different temperatures, and characterized using several techniques. The effect of film thickness, deposition temperature, and film stoichiometry on lattice strain, film structure, and physical properties was investigated. Our structural data from x-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and x-ray absorption spectroscopy shows that substrate-induced strain has a marked effect on the structure and crystalline quality of the films. Physical property measurements reveal a dependence of the Néel transition and lattice polarization on strain, and highlight our ability to control the ferroic properties in NiTiO 3 thin films by film stoichiometry and thickness. - Highlights: • NiTiO 3 epitaxial thin films with LiNbO 3 -type structure by pulsed laser deposition. • Strain varied by film thickness, stoichiometry, and synthesis temperature. • Systematic study of the effect of strain on film structure and physical properties. • Manipulation of ferroic properties by strain confirmed

  19. The structural variation of rhombohedral LaAlO3 perovskite under non-hydrostatic stress fields in a diamond-anvil cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Jing; Angel, Ross J; Ross, Nancy L

    2011-01-01

    The structural variation of LaAlO 3 perovskite under non-hydrostatic stress developed in the pressure medium within a diamond-anvil cell was determined using single-crystal x-ray diffraction. The experimental results show that the lattice of LaAlO 3 becomes more distorted and deviates from the hydrostatic behavior as pressure is increased up to 7.5 GPa. The determination of the crystal structure further confirms that the octahedral AlO 6 groups become more distorted, but the octahedral rotation around the threefold axis decreases as under hydrostatic conditions. These experimental results can be reproduced from knowledge of the elastic tensor of the sample at ambient conditions and the stress state within the pressure medium. Further calculations for two other orientations also indicate that non-hydrostatic stress has only a small effect on the rotation of the AlO 6 octahedra towards zero, but non-hydrostatic stress inevitably leads to distortions in the crystal lattice and the AlO 6 octahedra. As a result, the crystal structure is eventually driven away from cubic symmetry under non-hydrostatic conditions, whereas it evolves towards cubic symmetry under hydrostatic pressure.

  20. Electrical conductivity in Li2O2 and its role in determining capacity limitations in non-aqueous Li-O2 batteries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Viswanathan, V.; Thygesen, Kristian Sommer; Hummelshøj, J.S.

    2011-01-01

    Non-aqueous Li-air or Li-O2 cells show considerable promise as a very high energy density battery couple. Such cells, however, show sudden death at capacities far below their theoretical capacity and this, among other problems, limits their practicality. In this paper, we show that this sudden...... death arises from limited charge transport through the growing Li 2O2 film to the Li2O2-electrolyte interface, and this limitation defines a critical film thickness, above which it is not possible to support electrochemistry at the Li2O 2-electrolyte interface. We report both electrochemical experiments...... using a reversible internal redox couple and a first principles metal-insulator-metal charge transport model to probe the electrical conductivity through Li2O2 films produced during Li-O 2 discharge. Both experiment and theory show a sudden death in charge transport when film thickness is ∼5 to 10 nm...

  1. MnO2-x nanosheets on stainless steel felt as a carbon- and binder-free cathode for non-aqueous lithium-oxygen batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Z. H.; Zhao, T. S.; Zhu, X. B.; Tan, P.

    2016-02-01

    Manganese dioxide (MnO2) has been recognized as an effective catalyst for the oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions in non-aqueous lithium-oxygen batteries. However, a further improvement in battery performance with the MnO2 catalyst is limited by its low electronic conductivity and catalytic activity, which strongly depend on the morphology and composition. In this work, we develop a carbon- and binder-free MnO2-x nanosheets/stainless steel (SS) cathode via a simple and effective electrodeposition-solvothermal route. The created Mn(III) and oxygen vacancy in MnO2-x nanosheets allows an significant increase in the electronic conductivity and catalytic activity. It is experimentally shown that the use of the present nanostructure MnO2-x/SS cathode in a non-aqueous lithium-oxygen battery results in a rechargeable specific capacity of 7300 mAh g-1 at a current density of 200 mA g-1, which is 39% higher than that with the MnO2/SS cathode. In addition, the specific capacities at 400 mA g-1 and 800 mA g-1 reach 5249 mAh g-1 and 2813 mAh g-1, respectively, which are over 30% higher than that with the MnO2/SS cathode. Furthermore, the discharge/charge cycle test shows no degradation for 120 cycles. All the results show that the present nanostructure MnO2-x/SS cathode is a promising candidate for high-performance lithium-oxygen batteries.

  2. Clonal relationship among Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor strains isolated in Somalia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scrascia, Maria; Pugliese, Nicola; Maimone, Francesco; Mohamud, Kadigia A; Grimont, Patrick A D; Materu, Sadiki F; Pazzani, Carlo

    2009-03-01

    One hundred and three Vibrio cholerae O1 strains, selected to represent the cholera outbreaks which occurred in Somalia in 1998-1999, were characterized by random amplified polymorphic DNA patterns, ribotyping, and antimicrobial susceptibility. All strains showed a unique amplified DNA pattern and 2 closely related ribotypes (B5a and B8a), among which B5a was the more frequently identified. Ninety-one strains were resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, spectinomycin, streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim, conferred, except for spectinomycin, by a conjugative plasmid IncC. These findings indicated that the group of strains active in Somalia in the late 1990s had a clonal origin.

  3. Mexican unpasteurised fresh cheeses are contaminated with Salmonella spp., non-O157 Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli and potential uropathogenic E. coli strains: A public health risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guzman-Hernandez, Rosa; Contreras-Rodriguez, Araceli; Hernandez-Velez, Rosa; Perez-Martinez, Iza; Lopez-Merino, Ahide; Zaidi, Mussaret B; Estrada-Garcia, Teresa

    2016-11-21

    Fresh cheeses are a main garnish of Mexican food. Consumption of artisanal fresh cheeses is very common and most of them are made from unpasteurised cow milk. A total of 52 fresh unpasteurised cheeses of five different types were purchased from a variety of suppliers from Tabasco, Mexico. Using the most probable number method, 67% and 63% of samples were positive for faecal coliforms and E. coli, respectively; revealing their low microbiological quality. General hygienic conditions and practices of traditional cheese manufacturers were poor; most establishments had unclean cement floors, all lacked windows and doors screens, and none of the food-handlers wore aprons, surgical masks or bouffant caps. After analysing all E. coli isolates (121 strains) for the presence of 26 virulence genes, results showed that 9 (17%) samples were contaminated with diarrheagenic E. coli strains, 8 harboured non-O157 Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC), and one sample contained both STEC and diffusely adherent E. coli strains. All STEC strains carried the stx1 gene. Potential uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) strains were isolated from 15 (29%) samples; the most frequent gene combination was fimA-agn43. Two samples were contaminated with Salmonella. The results demonstrated that unpasteurised fresh cheeses produced in Tabasco are of poor microbiological quality and may frequently harbour foodborne pathogens. Food safety authorities in Mexico need to conduct more rigorous surveillance of fresh cheeses. Furthermore, simple and inexpensive measures as establishing programs emphasizing good hand milking practices and hygienic manufacturing procedures may have a major effect on improving the microbiological quality of these food items. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Additive non-uniform random sampling in superimposed fiber Bragg grating strain gauge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Y. C.; Liu, H. Y.; Yan, S. B.; Yang, Y. H.; Yang, M. W.; Li, J. M.; Tang, J.

    2013-05-01

    This paper demonstrates an additive non-uniform random sampling and interrogation method for dynamic and/or static strain gauge using a reflection spectrum from two superimposed fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs). The superimposed FBGs are designed to generate non-equidistant space of a sensing pulse train in the time domain during dynamic strain gauge. By combining centroid finding with smooth filtering methods, both the interrogation speed and accuracy are improved. A 1.9 kHz dynamic strain is measured by generating an additive non-uniform randomly distributed 2 kHz optical sensing pulse train from a mean 500 Hz triangular periodically changing scanning frequency.

  5. Determination of appropriate exposure to fluoride in non-EME countries in the future Determinação da exposição apropriada a fluoreto no futuro para países de economia de mercado não estabilizada

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaime Aparecido Cury

    2003-06-01

    Full Text Available An appropriate exposure to fluoride must be able to interfere with the development of dental caries (benefit without great concern for dental fluorosis (risks. This condition in relation to individual seems feasible leading to a rational use of fluoride. Nevertheless, dealing with population and particularly non-EME countries (non-Established Market Economies or developing, the most suitable method of fluoride use will depend on each nation. On the other hand, each country should have a public health program to control dental caries as part of its health system. The choice between fluoridated dentifrice or fluoridated drinking water and the option for salt will depend on its applicability in each country. At the same time, it is important that either the appropriate exposure to a community method of fluoride use as well as the association with other methods and preventive measures in relation to risks-benefits are evaluated for each country. The determination of an appropriate exposure to fluoride in non-EME countries in the future will depend on critical analysis of how it has been used at present. Available data have shown that some non-EME countries have even been able to revert the dramatic situation of dental caries in their population, but in others caries experience continues a public health problem. Nevertheless, in other countries the increase in caries prevalence, which was expected, has not occurred but endemic fluorosis has been a concern. The challenges for non-EME countries are huge and identical solutions cannot be used for distinct problems.Uma exposição apropriada ao fluoreto é aquela capaz de interferir com o desenvolvimento de cárie dental (benefício sem grandes preocupações com fluorose dental (riscos. Esta condição em termos de indivíduo parece factível levando ao uso racional do fluoreto. Entrentanto, em se tratando de população e particularmente países non-EME, o método mais adequado de usar fluoreto vai

  6. O manejo não medicamentoso da hipertensão arterial sistêmica no Sul do Brasil Non-pharmacological management of hypertension in Southern Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovani Sturmer

    2006-08-01

    Full Text Available Foi realizado um estudo transversal com base populacional entre os indivíduos de 20 a 69 anos, residentes na zona urbana de Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. O objetivo foi avaliar o manejo da hipertensão e descrever as características dos indivíduos classificados com cuidados inadequados. Entre os 1.968 entrevistados, 380 eram hipertensos (19,3%, 44,1% consultaram sempre com o mesmo médico. Entre os hipertensos, 85,5% eram sedentários, 48,2% consumiam gordura em excesso e 47,4% eram fumantes. As recomendações adequadas mais realizadas pelos médicos foram restringir o sal (98,4%, interromper o consumo de bebidas alcoólicas (93,7%, aconselhar dieta para emagrecer e reduzir a ingestão de gorduras (88,2%, parar de fumar (73,2% e praticar atividades físicas (68,9%. O manejo da hipertensão foi classificado como inadequado em 284 indivíduos (74,7%; IC95%: 70,4-79,1. Constatou-se maior probabilidade de manejo adequado nas mulheres, nos indivíduos a partir dos cinqüenta anos, nas pessoas pertencentes à classe econômica A e B, em não fumantes, e nos indivíduos com diabetes mellitus. Alguns achados traduziram aspectos positivos da atenção, contudo as diferenças de cuidados de acordo com a classe social evidenciaram a falta de eqüidade assistencial.A cross-sectional population-based study was carried out among individuals aged 20 to 69 years in the urban area of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The objective was to analyze characteristics of hypertensive patients in relation to management of arterial hypertension. Among the 1,968 interviewees, 380 were hypertensive (19.3%, and 44.1% of these always consulted the same physician. Of the entire sample, 85.5% were sedentary, 48.2% showed excessive fat consumption, and 47.4% smoked. Most physicians recommend the following: lowering salt consumption (98.4%, cessation of alcohol consumption (93.7%, for losing weight, diet and consumption of low-fat food (88.2%, smoking cessation (73

  7. Histone methylation-mediated silencing of miR-139 enhances invasion of non-small-cell lung cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watanabe, Kousuke; Amano, Yosuke; Ishikawa, Rie; Sunohara, Mitsuhiro; Kage, Hidenori; Ichinose, Junji; Sano, Atsushi; Nakajima, Jun; Fukayama, Masashi; Yatomi, Yutaka; Nagase, Takahide; Ohishi, Nobuya; Takai, Daiya

    2015-01-01

    MicroRNA expression is frequently altered in human cancers, and some microRNAs act as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. MiR-139-5p (denoted thereafter as miR-139) has recently been reported to function as a tumor suppressor in several types of human cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and gastric cancer), but its function in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the mechanism of its suppression have not been studied in detail. MiR-139 was suppressed frequently in primary NSCLCs. MiR-139 is located within the intron of PDE2A and its expression was significantly correlated with the expression of PDE2A. A chromatin immunoprecipitation assay revealed that miR-139 was epigenetically silenced by histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) of its host gene PDE2A and this process was independent of promoter DNA methylation. Pharmacological inhibition of both histone methylation and deacetylation-induced miR-139 with its host gene PDE2A. Ectopic expression of miR-139 in lung cancer cell lines did not affect the proliferation nor the migration but significantly suppressed the invasion through the extracellular matrix. In primary NSCLCs, decreased expression of miR-139 was significantly associated with distant lymph node metastasis and histological invasiveness (lymphatic invasion and vascular invasion) on both univariate and multivariate analyses. Collectively, these results suggest that H3K27me3-mediated silencing of miR-139 enhances an invasive and metastatic phenotype of NSCLC

  8. Temperature dependence of microstructure and strain evolution in strained ZnO films on Al2O3(0001)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, In-Woo; Lee, Kyu-Mann

    2008-01-01

    We have studied the temperature dependence of the growth mode and microstructure evolution in highly mismatched sputter-grown ZnO/Al 2 O 3 (0001) heteroepitaxial films. The growth mode was studied by real-time synchrotron x-ray scattering. We find that the growth mode changes from a two-dimensional (2D) layer to a 3D island in the early growth stage with temperature (300-600 deg. C), in sharp contrast to the reported transition from three dimensions to two dimensions in metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy. At around 400 deg. C intermediate 2D platelets nucleate in the early stage, which act as nucleation cores of 3D islands and transform to a misaligned state during further growth. Meanwhile, at high temperature (above 500 deg. C), the spinel structure of ZnAl 2 O 4 grows in the early stage, and it undergoes a transition to wurtzite-ZnO (w-ZnO) with thickness. The spinel formation is presumably driven by high temperature and large incident energy of impacting atoms during sputtering. The results of the strain evolution as functions of temperature and thickness during growth suggest that the surface diffusion is a major factor determining the microstructural properties in the strained ZnO/Al 2 O 3 (0001) heteroepitaxy

  9. Implementation of ZnO/ZnMgO strained-layer superlattice for ZnO heteroepitaxial growth on sapphire

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petukhov, Vladimir; Bakin, Andrey; Tsiaoussis, Ioannis; Rothman, Johan; Ivanov, Sergey; Stoemenos, John; Waag, Andreas

    2011-05-01

    The main challenge in fabrication of ZnO-based devices is the absence of reliable p-type material. This is mostly caused by insufficient crystalline quality of the material and not well-enough-developed native point defect control of ZnO. At present high-quality ZnO wafers are still expensive and ZnO heteroepitaxial layers on sapphire are the most reasonable alternative to homoepitaxial layers. But it is still necessary to improve the crystalline quality of the heteroepitaxial layers. One of the approaches to reduce defect density in heteroepitaxial layers is to introduce a strained-layer superlattice (SL) that could stop dislocation propagation from the substrate-layer interface. In the present paper we have employed fifteen periods of a highly strained SL structure. The structure was grown on a conventional double buffer layer comprising of high-temperature MgO/low-temperature ZnO on sapphire. The influence of the SLs on the properties of the heteroepitaxial ZnO layers is investigated. Electrical measurements of the structure with SL revealed very high values of the carrier mobility up to 210 cm2/Vs at room temperature. Structural characterization of the obtained samples showed that the dislocation density in the following ZnO layer was not reduced. The high mobility signal appears to come from the SL structure or the SL/ZnO interface.

  10. Adsorption of non-ionic ABC triblock copolymers: Surface modification of TiO2 suspensions in aqueous and non-aqueous medium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lerch, Jean-Philippe; Atanase, Leonard Ionut; Riess, Gérard

    2017-10-01

    A series of non-ionic ABC triblock copolymers, such as poly(butadiene)-b-poly(2-vinylpyrridine)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PB-P2VP-PEO) were synthesized by sequential anionic polymerizations. For these copolymers comprising an organo-soluble PB and a water-soluble PEO block, their P2VP middle block has been selected for its anchoring capacity on solid surfaces. The adsorption isotherms on TiO2 were obtained in heptane and in aqueous medium, as selective solvents. In both of these cases, the P2VP middle block provides the surface anchoring, whereas PB and PEO sequences are acting as stabilizing moieties in heptane and water respectively. By extension to ABC triblock copolymers of the scaling theory developed for diblock copolymers, the density of adsorbed chains could be correlated with the molecular characteristics of the PB-P2VP-PEO triblock copolymers. From a practical point a view, it could be demonstrated that these copolymers are efficient dispersing agents for the TiO2 pigments in both aqueous and non-aqueous medium.

  11. Effects of two amino acid substitutions in the capsid proteins on the interaction of two cell-adapted PanAsia-1 strains of foot-and-mouth disease virus serotype O with heparan sulfate receptor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bai, Xingwen; Bao, Huifang; Li, Pinghua; Wei, Wei; Zhang, Meng; Sun, Pu; Cao, Yimei; Lu, Zengjun; Fu, Yuanfang; Xie, Baoxia; Chen, Yingli; Li, Dong; Luo, Jianxun; Liu, Zaixin

    2014-07-24

    Some cell-adapted strains of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) can utilize heparan sulfate (HS) as a receptor to facilitate viral infection in cultured cells. A number of independent sites on the capsid that might be involved in FMDV-HS interaction have been studied. However, the previously reported residues do not adequately explain HS-dependent infection of two cell-adapted PanAsia-1 strains (O/Tibet/CHA/6/99tc and O/Fujian/CHA/9/99tc) of FMDV serotype O. To identify the molecular determinant(s) for the interaction of O/Tibet/CHA/6/99tc and O/Fujian/CHA/9/99tc with HS receptor, several chimeric viruses and site-directed mutants were generated by using an infectious cDNA of a non-HS-utilizing rescued virus (Cathay topotype) as the genomic backbone. Phenotypic properties of these viruses were determined by plaque assays and virus adsorption and penetration assays in cultured cells. Only two of the rescued viruses encoding VP0 of O/Tibet/CHA/6/99tc or VP1 of O/Fujian/CHA/9/99tc formed plaques on wild-type Chinese hamster ovary (WT-CHO; HS+) cells, but not on HS-negative pgsD-677 cells. The formation of plaques by these two chimeric viruses on WT-CHO cells could be abolished by the introduction of single amino acid mutations Gln-2080 → Leu in VP2 of O/Tibet/CHA/6/99tc and Lys-1083 → Glu in VP1 of O/Fujian/CHA/9/99tc, respectively. Nonetheless, the introduced mutation Leu-2080 → Gln in VP2 of O/Fujian/CHA/9/99tc for the construction of expectant recombinant plasmid led to non-infectious progeny virus in baby hamster kidney 21 (BHK-21) cells, and the site-directed mutant encoding Glu-1083 → Lys in VP1 of O/Tibet/CHA/6/99tc did not acquire the ability to produce plaques on WT-CHO cells. Significant differences in the inhibition of the infectivity of four HS-utilizing viruses by heparin and RGD-containing peptide were observed in BHK-21 cells. Interestingly, the chimeric virus encoding VP0 of O/Fujian/CHA/9/99tc, and the site-directed mutant

  12. Influence of water-soluble conjugated/non-conjugated polyelectrolytes on electrodeposition of nanostructured MnO{sub 2} film for supercapacitors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Eun-Kyung; Shrestha, Nabeen K. [Department of Chemistry, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Wonjoo [Department of Chemistry, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Defense Ammunitions, Daeduk College, Daejeon 305-715 (Korea, Republic of); Cai, Gangri, E-mail: caigangri@naver.com [Department of Applied Chemistry, TianJin University of Technology, Tianjin 300384 (China); Department of Chemistry, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Han, Sung-Hwan, E-mail: shhan@hanyang.ac.kr [Department of Chemistry, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-04-01

    Manganese dioxide (MnO{sub 2}) thin films are deposited electrochemically on an indium–tin-oxide (ITO) electrode using aqueous bath in presence of conjugated water soluble sulfonated polyaniline (SPAN) or a non-conjugated polyacrylic acid (PAA) polyelectrolyte surfactant. The surface morphology and nature of the electrodeposited MnO{sub 2} films are found to be influenced strongly by the amount and type of polyelectrolyte in the deposition bath. Increasing the SPAN concentration, a porous structure resulting from the reduction of voids between the MnO{sub 2} nano-flakes is obtained. In contrast, by increasing the PAA concentration, dense and spherical MnO{sub 2} nanostructures have been deposited. These results may be caused by initiation of different kinetics and orientation of nucleation of MnO{sub 2} deposits on ITO surface in presence of different types of polyelectrolytes. Cyclic voltammetry study of these films shows the supercapacitor behavior. The porous MnO{sub 2} films grown from the SPAN containing electrolyte demonstrates a specific capacitance of 368.53 F/g at scan rate of 10 mV/s, which is approximately 10 times higher (i.e., 30.29 F/g) than that of the spherical MnO{sub 2} dense films grown from PAA containing electrolyte. - Highlights: • Conjugated/non-conjugated polyelectrolytes were used in deposition of MnO{sub 2}. • The two kinds of MnO{sub 2} film showed entirely different morphology. • Conjugated polyelectrolyte worked as template and also affected the growth rate. • Non-conducting polyelectrolyte could work as template but hindered MnO{sub 2} growth. • The specific capacitance of MnO{sub 2}–S was 10 times higher than MnO{sub 2}–P.

  13. Heteroepitaxial growth of strained multilayer superconducting thin films of Nd1.83Ce0.17CuOx/YBa2Cu3O7-δ

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gupta, A.; Gross, R.; Olsson, E.; Segmueller, A.; Koren, G.; Tsuei, C.C.

    1990-01-01

    Heteroepitaxial growth of strained multilayer thin films of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ /Nd 1.83 Ce 0.17 CuO x by pulsed-laser deposition is reported. The coherency strain results in biaxial compression of the tetragonal Nd 1.83 Ce 0.17 CuO x layers, whereas the biaxial tension in the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ layers removes the orthorhombic distortion and makes the unit cell isotropic in the basal plane (a=b). Depending on their oxygen content, either the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ or the Nd 1.83 Ce 0.17 CuO x layers are superconducting in these multilayers. The strain-induced structural modification has a significant influence on the superconducting transition temperature of the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ layers

  14. Spontaneous orientation-tuning driven by the strain variation in self-assembled ZnO-SrRuO3 heteroepitaxy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu, Yuanmin; Liu, Ruirui; Zhan, Qian; Chang, Wei Sea; Yu, Rong; Wei, Tzu-Chiao; He, Jr-Hau; Chu, Ying-Hao

    2015-01-01

    Heteroepitaxial ZnO and SrRuO 3 were grown on SrTiO 3 (111) substrates and formed a self-assembled wurtzite-perovskite nanostructure. Spontaneous orientation-tuning of the SrRuO 3 pillars was observed, with the growth direction changing from [111] SRO to [011] SRO as the film thickness increased, which is attributed to a misfit strain transition from the biaxial strain imposed by the SrTiO 3 substrate to the vertical strain provided by the ZnO matrix. The [011]-SrRuO 3 and [0001]-ZnO combination presents a favorable matching in the nanocomposite films, resulting in higher charge carrier mobility. This vertically integrated configuration and regulation on the crystallographic orientations are expected to be employed in designing multi-functional nanocomposite systems for applications in electronic devices

  15. Spontaneous orientation-tuning driven by the strain variation in self-assembled ZnO-SrRuO3 heteroepitaxy

    KAUST Repository

    Zhu, Yuanmin

    2015-11-09

    Heteroepitaxial ZnO and SrRuO3 were grown on SrTiO3 (111) substrates and formed a self-assembled wurtzite-perovskite nanostructure. Spontaneous orientation-tuning of the SrRuO3 pillars was observed, with the growth direction changing from [111]SRO to [011]SRO as the film thickness increased, which is attributed to a misfit strain transition from the biaxial strain imposed by the SrTiO3 substrate to the vertical strain provided by the ZnO matrix. The [011]-SrRuO3 and [0001]-ZnO combination presents a favorable matching in the nanocomposite films, resulting in higher charge carrier mobility. This vertically integrated configuration and regulation on the crystallographic orientations are expected to be employed in designing multi-functional nanocomposite systems for applications in electronic devices.

  16. Spontaneous orientation-tuning driven by the strain variation in self-assembled ZnO-SrRuO3 heteroepitaxy

    KAUST Repository

    Zhu, Yuanmin; Chang, Wei Sea; Yu, Rong; Liu, Ruirui; Wei, Tzu-Chiao; He, Jr-Hau; Chu, Ying-Hao; Zhan, Qian

    2015-01-01

    Heteroepitaxial ZnO and SrRuO3 were grown on SrTiO3 (111) substrates and formed a self-assembled wurtzite-perovskite nanostructure. Spontaneous orientation-tuning of the SrRuO3 pillars was observed, with the growth direction changing from [111]SRO to [011]SRO as the film thickness increased, which is attributed to a misfit strain transition from the biaxial strain imposed by the SrTiO3 substrate to the vertical strain provided by the ZnO matrix. The [011]-SrRuO3 and [0001]-ZnO combination presents a favorable matching in the nanocomposite films, resulting in higher charge carrier mobility. This vertically integrated configuration and regulation on the crystallographic orientations are expected to be employed in designing multi-functional nanocomposite systems for applications in electronic devices.

  17. Structural studies of the O-specific polysaccharide(s) from the lipopolysaccharide of Azospirillum brasilense type strain Sp7.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sigida, Elena N; Fedonenko, Yuliya P; Shashkov, Alexander S; Zdorovenko, Evelina L; Konnova, Svetlana A; Ignatov, Vladimir V; Knirel, Yuriy A

    2013-10-18

    Lipopolysaccharide was obtained by phenol-water extraction from dried bacterial cells of Azospirillum brasilense type strain Sp7. Mild acid hydrolysis of the lipopolysaccharide followed by GPC on Sephadex G-50 resulted in a polysaccharide mixture, which was studied by composition and methylation analyses, Smith degradation and (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy. The following polysaccharide structures were established, where italics indicate a non-stoichiometric (∼40%) 2-O-methylation of l-rhamnose. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Additive non-uniform random sampling in superimposed fiber Bragg grating strain gauge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma, Y C; Liu, H Y; Yan, S B; Li, J M; Tang, J; Yang, Y H; Yang, M W

    2013-01-01

    This paper demonstrates an additive non-uniform random sampling and interrogation method for dynamic and/or static strain gauge using a reflection spectrum from two superimposed fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs). The superimposed FBGs are designed to generate non-equidistant space of a sensing pulse train in the time domain during dynamic strain gauge. By combining centroid finding with smooth filtering methods, both the interrogation speed and accuracy are improved. A 1.9 kHz dynamic strain is measured by generating an additive non-uniform randomly distributed 2 kHz optical sensing pulse train from a mean 500 Hz triangular periodically changing scanning frequency. (paper)

  19. RAPD-PCR typing of Yersinia enterocolitica (Enterobacteriaceae O:3 serotype strains isolated from pigs and humans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tereza Cristina A. Leal

    1999-09-01

    Full Text Available Sixteen strains of Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:3, isolated from apparently healthy pigs collected in Rio de Janeiro, and four human strains of serotypes O:4, O:5, O:6 and O:13 were analyzed by RAPD-PCR. The strains were grouped into five genotypic profiles according to the amplification patterns obtained with three random primers. Fifteen of the 16 pig strains had identical amplification patterns, which was named genotypic profile 1. The one different profile was named genotypic profile 2. Genotypic profile 1 was also exhibited by the O:6 human serotype strain. The O:4 and O:13 human serotype strains showed similar amplification profiles with two primers. However, the third primer induced a distinct profile in each strain. Therefore, these two strains were placed into genotypic profile 3 and 4, respectively. Each primer produced a completely different amplification profile in the O:5 human serotype strain; therefore, it was named genotypic profile 5. The presence or absence of plasmids in the strains studied did not affect the amplification results. These results show that genetic variations can exist within a serotype, and strains of different serotypes can exhibit the same amplification profile when compared using other primers.Foram utilizados três "primers" aleatórios para caracterizar pela técnica RAPD-PCR 16 cepas de Yersinia enterocolitica do sorotipo O:3, isoladas de suínos sadios do Rio de Janeiro. Pelos resultados dos padrões de amplificação, as 16 cepas dos suínos e as 4 cepas humanas usadas como referência (sorotipos O:4, O:5, O:6 e O:13 foram agrupadas em 5 perfis genotípicos. Quinze cepas de suínos apresentaram um padrão de amplificação idêntico (perfil genotípico 1 e somente uma apresentou um perfil de amplificação diferente (perfil genotípico 2. O mesmo padrão de amplificação do perfil genotípico 1 foi também observado em uma cepa humana do sorotipo O:6. As cepas humanas dos sorotipos O:4 e O:13

  20. Vulnerability and non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV patients, Minas Gerais State, Brazil Vulnerabilidade e não-adesão à terapia antiretroviral, Minas Gerais, Brasil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Palmira de Fátima Bonolo

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to describe vulnerability profiles and to verify their association with non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART among 295 HIV-patients receiving their first prescription in two public-referral centers in Minas Gerais States, Brazil. The cumulative incidence of non-adherence was 36.9%. Three pure vulnerability profiles (lower, medium and higher were identified based on the Grade of Membership method (GoM. Pure type patients of the "higher vulnerability" profile had, when compared to the overall sample, an increased probability of being younger, not understanding the need of ART, having a personal reason to be HIV-tested, not disclosing their HIV status, having more than one (non-regular sexual partner, reporting use of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs, and having sex among men. Non-adherence to ART was statistically associated (p Este estudo teve como objetivos descrever os perfis de vulnerabilidade e verificar suas associações com a não-adesão à terapia anti-retroviral (TARV entre os 295 pacientes com HIV que recebiam suas primeiras prescrições em dois serviços públicos de referência de Minas Gerais, Brasil. A incidência cumulativa de não-adesão foi 36,9%. Foram identificados três perfis puros de vulnerabilidade (baixa, média e alta baseados no método Grade of Membership (GoM. Os tipos puros de pacientes do perfil de "alta vulnerabilidade" tinham, comparados aos outros, probabilidade maior de serem jovens, de não perceberem a necessidade da TARV, de terem uma razão pessoal para realização do teste HIV, de não terem revelado seu status HIV, de terem mais de um (não fixo parceiro sexual, de relatarem uso de álcool, tabaco e drogas ilícitas e sexo entre homens. Não-adesão à TARV foi associada significativamente a esse perfil (p < 0,001. A heterogeneidade da amostra foi alta, pois mais de 40% dos pacientes eram tipos mistos. Conclui-se que os profissionais de saúde devem ser

  1. Effective gene silencing activity of prodrug-type 2'-O-methyldithiomethyl siRNA compared with non-prodrug-type 2'-O-methyl siRNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayashi, Junsuke; Nishigaki, Misa; Ochi, Yosuke; Wada, Shun-Ichi; Wada, Fumito; Nakagawa, Osamu; Obika, Satoshi; Harada-Shiba, Mariko; Urata, Hidehito

    2018-07-01

    Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are an active agent to induce gene silencing and they have been studied for becoming a biological and therapeutic tool. Various 2'-O-modified RNAs have been extensively studied to improve the nuclease resistance. However, the 2'-O-modified siRNA activities were often decreased by modification, since the bulky 2'-O-modifications inhibit to form a RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). We developed novel prodrug-type 2'-O-methyldithiomethyl (MDTM) siRNA, which is converted into natural siRNA in an intracellular reducing environment. Prodrug-type 2'-O-MDTM siRNAs modified at the 5'-end side including 5'-end nucleotide and the seed region of the antisense strand exhibited much stronger gene silencing effect than non-prodrug-type 2'-O-methyl (2'-O-Me) siRNAs. Furthermore, the resistances for nuclease digestion of siRNAs were actually enhanced by 2'-O-MDTM modifications. Our results indicate that 2'-O-MDTM modifications improve the stability of siRNA in serum and they are able to be introduced at any positions of siRNA. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Density functional theory computational study of ferroelectricity and piezoelectricity in BaTiO3/PbTiO3 (0 11) superlattices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lou, Yaoding; Deng, Junkai; Zhe Liu, Jefferson

    2018-04-01

    The structure, ferroelectricity (FE), and piezoelectricity of epitaxial BaTiO3/PbTiO3 (BTO/PTO) (0 11) superlattices are studied using density functional theory calculations. Our results show that compressive strain arising from the SrTiO3 (0 11) substrate stabilizes the (BTO) m /(PTO) n (0 11) superlattices in orthorhombic phase with the FE polarization along [0 11] direction. Tuning the BTO contents significantly changes the structural, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties. The FE polarization of superlattices significantly drops with increasing BTO contents, which can be attributed to depolarization of the PTO layers. The averaged c/a ratio of the whole superlattices exhibits anomalous non-monotonic relation with respect to BTO contents. Interestingly, our results predict the (0 11) superlattices can enhance the piezoelectric coefficient e 33 with a maximum value at ~67% BTO concentration. This result suggests a potential avenue to design high performance piezoelectric materials with less Pb contents. In-depth analysis reveals the B-site Ti cation as the origin for the enhanced e 33 value, which implies the potential of B-site cation engineering in perovskite heterostructure designs.

  3. Evidence of non-LTE Effects in Mesospheric Water Vapor from Spectrally-Resolved Emissions Observed by CIRRIS-1A

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, D. K.; Mlynczak, M. G.; Lopez-Puertas, M.; Zaragoza, G.

    1999-01-01

    Evidence of non-LTE effects in mesospheric water vapor as determined by infrared spectral emission measurements taken from the space shuttle is reported. A cryogenic Michelson interferometer in the CIRRIS-1A shuttle payload yielded high quality, atmospheric infrared spectra. These measurements demonstrate the enhanced daytime emissions of H2O (020-010) which are the result of non-LTE processes and in agreement with non-LTE models. The radiance ratios of H2O (010 to 000) and (020 to 010) Q(1) transitions during daytime are compared with non-LTE model calculations to assess the vibration-to-vibration exchange rate between H2O and O2 in the mesosphere. An exchange rate of 1.2 x 10(exp -12)cc/s is derived.

  4. The Effect of Barium Non-Stoichiometry on the Phase Structure, Sintering and Electrical Conductivity of BaZr0.7Pr0.1Y0.2O3

    KAUST Repository

    Mohamed Shibly, Kaamil

    2015-01-01

    This thesis attempts to test the effects of barium non stoichiometry and varying calcination temperatures on the microstructure and electrical conductivity of BaxZr0.7Pr0.1Y0.2O3- δ (x = 0.9, 1.0, 1.1). BZPY powders were fabricated using a

  5. Incommensurate magnetism in non-superconducting PrBa2Cu3O6.92

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boothroyd, A.T.; Hill, J.P.; McMorrow, D.F.

    1999-01-01

    We report the discovery of incommensurate magnetic order in non-superconducting single crystals PrBa2Cu3O6.92. Resonant X-ray magnetic scattering at the Pr L-II and L-III edges and high resolution neutron diffraction were used to characterise the magnetic order on the different magnetic sublattices...

  6. Oxygen Non-Stoichiometry and Electrical Conductivity of LA0.2Sr0.8Fe0.8B0.2O3-d, B = Fe, Ti, Ta

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lohne, O.F.; Phung, T.N.; Grande, T.; Bouwmeester, Henricus J.M.; Hendriksen, P.V.; Sogaard, M.; Wiik, K.

    2014-01-01

    The oxygen non-stoichiometry was determined by coulometric titration for the perovskite oxides La0.2Sr0.8FeO3−δ and La0.2Sr0.8Fe0.8B0.2O3−δ (B = Ti4+ and Ta5+) in the temperature range 600 ◦C ≤ T ≤ 900 ◦C and the oxygen partial pressure range: 1 · 10−15 ≤ pO2 ≤ 0.209 atm. The non-stoichiometry (δ)

  7. Electrical conductivity in Li2O2 and its role in determining capacity limitations in non-aqueous Li-O2 batteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viswanathan, V; Thygesen, K S; Hummelshøj, J S; Nørskov, J K; Girishkumar, G; McCloskey, B D; Luntz, A C

    2011-12-07

    Non-aqueous Li-air or Li-O(2) cells show considerable promise as a very high energy density battery couple. Such cells, however, show sudden death at capacities far below their theoretical capacity and this, among other problems, limits their practicality. In this paper, we show that this sudden death arises from limited charge transport through the growing Li(2)O(2) film to the Li(2)O(2)-electrolyte interface, and this limitation defines a critical film thickness, above which it is not possible to support electrochemistry at the Li(2)O(2)-electrolyte interface. We report both electrochemical experiments using a reversible internal redox couple and a first principles metal-insulator-metal charge transport model to probe the electrical conductivity through Li(2)O(2) films produced during Li-O(2) discharge. Both experiment and theory show a "sudden death" in charge transport when film thickness is ~5 to 10 nm. The theoretical model shows that this occurs when the tunneling current through the film can no longer support the electrochemical current. Thus, engineering charge transport through Li(2)O(2) is a serious challenge if Li-O(2) batteries are ever to reach their potential. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

  8. Single-layer TiO x reconstructions on SrTiO3 (111): (√7 × √7)R19.1°, (√13 × √13)R13.9°, and related structures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andersen, Tassie K.; Wang, Shuqiu; Castell, Martin R.; Fong, Dillon D.; Marks, Laurence D.

    2018-09-01

    The atomic structures of two reconstructions, (√7 × √7)R19.1° and (√13 × √13)R13.9°, on the SrTiO3 (111) surface were determined using a combination of density functional theory and scanning tunneling microscopy data and simulations. The combination of these methods allows for potential surface structures to be generated and verified in the absence of diffraction data, providing another tool for solving surface reconstructions. These reconstructions belong to the same stoichiometric, nSrTiO3 • mTiO2, structural family made up of an interconnected, single layer of edge-sharing TiO6 and TiO5[] octahedra. This family is found to include the previously-solved (2 × 2)a reconstruction as its smallest unit-cell sized member and serves as a tool for better understanding and predicting the structure of other reconstructions of arbitrary surface unit-cell size on SrTiO3 (111). This reconstruction family and the calculations of surface energies for different hypothesis structures also shed light on the structure of Schottky defects observed on these reconstructed SrTO3 (111) surfaces.

  9. MnO_x/C nanocomposite: An insight on high-performance supercapacitor and non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahuja, Preety; Kumar Ujjain, Sanjeev; Kanojia, Rajni

    2017-01-01

    Graphical abstract: In-situ inclusion of carbon matrix during growth of MnO_x nanoparticles resulted in MnO_x/C nanocomposite with enhanced electronic diffusion leading to high energy/power densities supercapacitor and highly sensitive H_2O_2 sensor. - Highlights: • MnO_x/C, synthesized via microemulsion method, is electrochemically investigated towards supercapacitor and sensing applications. • In-situ inclusion of conducting carbon in manganese oxide enhances the network conductivity facilitating the charge transfer process. • It provides high energy and power density, 31.6 Wh kg"−"1 and 3.8 kW kg"−"1 respectively, with short relaxation time ∼3 ms for fabricated cell. • MnO_x/C as sensor, exhibits excellent catalytic activity toward H_2O_2 oxidation and offer high sensitivity with low detection limit. - Abstract: In this work, we have used microemulsion method for synthesis of MnO_x/C nanocomposite and investigated its electrochemical properties via fabrication of supercapacitor and non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide (H_2O_2) sensor. In-situ inclusion of conducting carbon in manganese oxide (MnO_x/C) enhances the network conductivity facilitating the charge transfer process which is beneficial for supercapacitor and sensing applications. MnO_x/C provides high energy and power density, 31.6 Wh kg"−"1 and 3.8 kW kg"−"1 respectively and short relaxation time ∼3 ms for fabricated cell (MnO_x/C//MnO_x/C) endowing excellent power delivery capacity. Furthermore, MnO_x/C as sensor, exhibits excellent catalytic activity toward the oxidation of H_2O_2 and shows high sensitivity (0.37 mA mM"−"1 cm"−"2) with low detection limit (0.5 μM at an S/N of 3). Hence, this study provides new avenue for high performance supercapacitor and H_2O_2 detection.

  10. Non-condensed (oxo)nitridosilicates: La{sub 3}-[SiN{sub 4}]F and the polymorph o-La{sub 3}-[SiN{sub 3}O]O

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Durach, Dajana; Schnick, Wolfgang [Department of Chemistry, Chair in Inorganic Solid-State Chemistry, University of Munich (LMU) (Germany)

    2015-08-15

    The isotypic compounds La{sub 3}[SiN{sub 4}]F and La{sub 3}[SiN{sub 3}O]O were synthesized in a radio-frequency furnace at 1600 C. The crystal structures [Pnma (no. 62), Z = 4; La{sub 3}(SiN{sub 4})F: a = 9.970(3), b = 7.697(2), c = 6.897(2) Aa, V = 529.3(3) Aa{sup 3}; La{sub 3}(SiON{sub 3})O: a = 9.950(2), b = 7.6160(15), c = 6.9080(14) Aa, V = 523.48(18) Aa{sup 3}] were elucidated from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data and corroborated by Rietveld refinement, lattice-energy calculations (Madelung part of lattice energy, MAPLE) and Raman/FTIR spectroscopy. Both compounds are homeotypic with Na{sub 2}Pr[GeO{sub 4}]OH forming a network of vertex-sharing FLa{sub 6}/OLa{sub 6} octahedra, whose voids are filled with non-condensed SiN{sub 4}/SiN{sub 3}O tetrahedra. o-La{sub 3}[SiON{sub 3}]O is the orthorhombic polymorph of this compound, which probably represents the high-temperature modification, whereas the tetragonal polymorph t-La{sub 3}[SiON{sub 3}]O represents the low-temperature modification. While the space group of the t-polymorph [I4/mcm (no. 140)] differs from the new La{sub 3}[SiN{sub 4}]F and o-La{sub 3}[SiN{sub 3}O]O, the crystal structure contains the same linking pattern. (Copyright copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  11. Chemotherapy versus best supportive care in stage IV non-small cell lung cancer, non metastatic to the brain Quimioterapia versus melhor tratamento de suporte em câncer de pulmão estádio clínico IV não metastático para o sistema nervoso central

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnaldo Anelli

    2001-04-01

    Full Text Available Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer is a fatal disease, with a median survival of 14 months. Systemic chemotherapy is the most common approach. However the impact in overall survival and quality of life still a controversy. OBJECTIVES: To determine differences in overall survival and quality of life among patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer non-metastatic to the brain treated with best supportive care versus systemic chemotherapy. PATIENTS: From February 1990 through December 1995, 78 eligible patients were admitted with the diagnosis of stage IV non-small cell lung cancer . Patients were divided in 2 groups: Group A (n=31 -- treated with best supportive care , and Group B (n=47 -- treated with systemic chemotherapy. RESULTS: The median survival time was 23 weeks (range 5 -- 153 weeks in Group A and 55 weeks (range 7.4 -- 213 weeks in Group B (p=0.0018. In both groups, the incidence of admission for IV antibiotics and need of blood transfusions were similar. Patients receiving systemic chemotherapy were also stratified into those receiving mytomycin, vinblastin, and cisplatinum, n=25 and those receiving other combination regimens (platinum derivatives associated with other drugs, n=22. Patients receiving mytomycin, vinblastin, and cisplatinum, n=25 had a higher incidence of febrile neutropenia and had their cycles delayed for longer periods of time than the other group. These patients also had a shorter median survival time (51 versus 66 weeks, p=0.005. CONCLUSION: In patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer, non-metastatic to the brain, chemotherapy significantly increases survival compared with best supportive care.O câncer de pulmão de células não pequenas em estádio IV é uma doença fatal, com uma sobrevida mediana de seis meses. Quimioterapia é a abordagem mais freqüente, apresentando um impacto na sobrevida controverso e questionável alteração na qualidade de vida. OBJETIVOS: Comparar o impacto na

  12. A non-multimacrocyclic heteroditopic receptor that cooperatively binds and effectively extracts KAcO salt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zakrzewski, Maciej; Kwietniewska, Natalia; Walczak, Wojciech; Piątek, Piotr

    2018-06-06

    Prepared in only three synthetic steps, a non-multimacrocyclic heteroditopic receptor binds potassium salts of halides and carboxylates with unusually high cooperativity, suggesting salt binding as associated ion-pairs. Unprecedented extraction of highly hydrophilic KAcO salt from water to organic solution is also demonstrated.

  13. Além do cânon: mão invisível, ordem natural e instituições

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Tiago Loureiro Araújo dos Santos

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available O artigo propõe um entendimento não canônico da mão invisível de Adam Smith, que implicou uma leitura atenta dos textos originais e sua inserção no contexto histórico e intelectual da época. Para atingir esse objetivo, identificamos a conexão entre mão invisível e noções correlatas (ordem natural, conseqüências não intencionais e discutimos o deísmo e o papel das instituições no pensamento de Smith. A discussão é precedida por breve apresentação dos fundamentos comportamentais da teoria smithiana, com a qual procuramos melhor amparar nossas conclusões.The article proposes a non-canonical understanding of Adam Smith´s invisible hand, which implied a careful reading of the original texts and their framing in the historical and intelectual context of their time. To reach this goal, we identify the connection between the invisible hand and correlated notions (natural order, non-intentional consequences and we discuss deism and the role of institutions in Smith´s thought. The discussion is preceded by a brief exposition of the behavioral foundations of the Smithian theory, in which we looked for a better support to our conclusions.

  14. Escherichia coli O104 associated with human diarrhea, South Africa, 2004-2011.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tau, Nomsa P; Meidany, Parastu; Smith, Anthony M; Sooka, Arvinda; Keddy, Karen H

    2012-08-01

    To determine the origin of >4,000 suspected diarrheagenic Escherichia coli strains isolated during 2004-2011 in South Africa, we identified 7 isolates as serotype O104; 5 as enteroaggregative E. coli O104:H4, and 2 as enteropathogenic E. coli O104:non-H4. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed that these isolates were unrelated to the 2011 E. coli O104:H4 outbreak strain from Germany.

  15. Multiferroic Properties of o-LuMnO3 Controlled by b-Axis Strain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Windsor, Y. W.; Huang, S. W.; Hu, Y.; Rettig, L.; Alberca, A.; Shimamoto, K.; Scagnoli, V.; Lippert, T.; Schneider, C. W.; Staub, U.

    2014-10-01

    Strain is a leading candidate for controlling magnetoelectric coupling in multiferroics. Here, we use x-ray diffraction to study the coupling between magnetic order and structural distortion in epitaxial films of the orthorhombic (o-) perovskite LuMnO3. An antiferromagnetic spin canting in the E-type magnetic structure is shown to be related to the ferroelectrically induced structural distortion and to a change in the magnetic propagation vector. By comparing films of different orientations and thicknesses, these quantities are found to be controlled by b-axis strain. It is shown that compressive strain destabilizes the commensurate E-type structure and reduces its accompanying ferroelectric distortion.

  16. Nonlinear convective analysis of a rotating Oldroyd-B nanofluid layer under thermal non-equilibrium utilizing Al2O3-EG colloidal suspension

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agarwal, Shilpi; Rana, Puneet

    2016-04-01

    In this paper, we examine a layer of Oldroyd-B nanofluid for linear and nonlinear regimes under local thermal non-equilibrium conditions for the classical Rayleigh-Bénard problem. The free-free boundary condition has been implemented with the flux for nanoparticle concentration being zero at edges. The Oberbeck-Boussinesq approximation holds good and for the rotational effect Coriolis term is included in the momentum equation. A two-temperature model explains the effect of local thermal non-equilibrium among the particle and fluid phases. The criteria for onset of stationary convection has been derived as a function of the non-dimensionalized parameters involved including the Taylor number. The assumed boundary conditions negate the possibility of overstability due to the absence of opposing forces responsible for it. The thermal Nusselt number has been obtained utilizing a weak nonlinear theory in terms of various pertinent parameters in the steady and transient mode, and has been depicted graphically. The main findings signify that the rotation has a stabilizing effect on the system. The stress relaxation parameter λ_1 inhibits whereas the strain retardation parameter λ_2 exhibits heat transfer utilizing Al2O3 nanofluids.

  17. Effects of MnO-Al2O3 on the grain growth and high-temperature deformation strain of UO2 fuel pellets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Ki Won; Yang, Jae Ho; Kim, Jong Hun; Rhee, Young Woo; Kim, Dong Joo; Kim, Keon Sik; Song, Kun Woo

    2010-01-01

    The fabrication and high-temperature deformation strain of MnO-Al 2 O 3 -doped UO 2 pellets were studied. The effects of additive composition and amount on the microstructure evolution of a UO 2 pellet were investigated. The compressive creep behaviors of MnO-Al 2 O 3 -doped UO 2 pellets were examined. The results indicated that a MnO-Al 2 O 3 binary additive can effectively promote the grain growth of UO 2 pellets. In addition, the high-temperature deformation strain of the UO 2 pellet can be improved significantly with 1,000 ppm 95MnO-5Al 2 O 3 (mol%). The developed MnO-Al 2 O 3 -additive-containing UO 2 pellets can be a potential candidate for a high-burn-up fuel and a pellet-cladding interaction (PCI) remedy. (author)

  18. Molecular Analysis and Toxigenic Potential of Vibrio cholerae Isolated from Hilsha fish (Tenualosa ilisha), Bangladesh

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hossain, Zenat Zebin; Farhana, Israt; Tulsiani, Suhella

    water fish may serve as a transmission vehicle of potential emerging epidemic causing strains. For this, we studied 9 toxigenic V. cholerae strains isolated from Hilsha fish including 6 V. cholerae O1 and 3 non O1/O139 serogroups for virulence associated genotype and their pathogenic potential on animal......Exposure to contaminated fish may upsurge the virulent strains of Vibrio cholerae, the deadly human pathogen in the households of rural and urban Bangladesh. Since V. cholerae spreading was reported from the Bay of Bengal, this study hypothesized that Hilsha (Tenualosa ilisha), a marine and fresh...

  19. Non-stoichiometric mullites from Al2O3-SiO2-ZrO2 amorphous materials by rapid quenching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshimura, M.; Hanaue, Y.; Somiya, S.

    1990-01-01

    In order to study the formation of zirconia dispersed mullite ceramics from homogeneous starting materials hot-pressing and heat-treatments have been carried out for rapidly quenched amorphous materials with 0 to 20 wt% ZrO 2 mullite compositions. These amorphous materials crystallized directly to mullite for 0-10 wt% ZrO 2 samples or mullite + t-ZrO 2 for 20 wt% ZrO 2 at about 970 degrees C. An A1 2 O 3 - rich composition (82 wt% A1 2 O 3 ) and also a significant solid solubility of ZrO 2 (>10 wt%) were estimated for these mullites by XRD studies. Amorphous speres of 10 nm which were considered to be SiO 2 - rich phase were produced by a phase separation in mullite grains

  20. Strain relaxation studies of the Fe3O4/MgO (100) heteroepitaxial system grown by magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balakrishnan, K; Arora, S K; Shvets, I V

    2004-01-01

    Detailed strain relaxation studies of epitaxial magnetite, Fe 3 O 4 , films on MgO(100) substrates grown by magnetron sputtering reveal the accommodation of strain up to 600 nm thickness, a thickness far above the critical thickness (t c ) predicted by theoretical models. The results are in agreement with the suggestion that the excess strain in Fe 3 O 4 /MgO (100) heteroepitaxy is accommodated by the presence of antiphase boundaries. The compressive strain generated by the antiphase boundaries compensates for the tensile strain within the growth islands, allowing the film to remain fully coherent with the substrate. Contrary to earlier findings, magnetization decreases with an increase in the film thickness. This vindicates the view that the structure of the antiphase boundaries depends on the growth conditions

  1. Dielectric relaxations in non-metallic materials related to Y-Ba-Cu-O superconductors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bennani, H.; Pilet, J.C. (Lab. Instrumentation, Rennes-1 Univ., 35 (France)); Guilloux-Viry, M.; Perrin, C.; Perrin, A.; Sergent, M. (Lab. de Chimie Minerale B, C.N.R.S., 35 - Rennes (France))

    1990-10-15

    In relation with high Tc superconducting material studies, dielectric measurements have been carried out, in the frequency range 10 Hz - 100 kHz, on two powdered compounds belonging to the Y-Ba-Cu-O system. The non-metallic tetragonal phases YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 6+x} exhibit dielectric relaxations: for the studied samples (x<0.4) the activation energy U is observed in the range 0.51 eV and the entropy factor in the range 10{sup 11}O chains. The insulating green phase Y{sub 2}BaCuO{sub 5} has a lower activation energy U {approx equal} 0.4 eV and an entropy factor A {approx equal} 10{sup 10} Hz. A second dielectric relaxation has been detected at higher temperature, near 400 K. Additional measurements to 77 K at 1 MHz give a value of dielectric constant {epsilon}'=3 and a low loss factor tg{delta}=10{sup -3}: this latter value is comparable to the one of lanthanum gallate recently proposed as a substrate for high frequency uses. This result enhances the previously reported potential interest of this material as substrate or buffer layer for preparation of superconducting thin films for high frequency applications. (orig.).

  2. Study of non-stoichiometric BaSrTiFeO3 oxide dedicated to semiconductor gas sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fasquelle, D.; Verbrugghe, N.; Deputier, S.

    2016-01-01

    Developing instrumentation systems compatible with the European RoHS directive (restriction of hazardous substances) to monitor our environment is of great interest for our society. Our research therefore aims at developing innovating integrated systems of detection dedicated to the characterization of various environmental exposures. These systems, which integrate new gas sensors containing lead-free oxides, are dedicated to the detection of flammable and toxic gases. We have firstly chosen to study semiconductor gas sensors implemented with lead-free oxides in view to develop RoHS devices. Therefore thick films deposited by spin-coating and screen-printing have been chosen for their robustness, ease to realize and ease to finally obtain cost-effective sensors. As crystalline defects and ionic vacancies are of great interest for gas detection, we have decided to study a non-stoichiometric composition of the BaSrTiFeO 3 sensible oxide. Nonstoichiometric BaSrTiFeO 3 lead-free oxide thick films were deposited by screen-printing on polycrystalline AFO 3 substrates covered by a layer of Ag-Pd acting as bottom electrode. The physical characterizations have revealed a crystalline structure mainly composed of BaTiO 3 pseudo-cubic phase and Ba 4 Ti 12 O 27 monoclinic phase for the powder, and a porous microstructure for the thick films. When compared to a BSTF thick film with a stoichiometric composition, a notable increase in the BSTF dielectric constant value was observed when taking into account of a similar microstructure and grain size. The loss tangent mean value varies more softly for the non-stoichiometric BaSrTiFeO 3 films than for the perovskite BSTF film as tanδ decreases from 0.45 to 0.04 when the frequency increases from 100 Hz to 1 MHz. (paper)

  3. Improved hydrogen production by uptake hydrogenase deficient mutant strain of Rhodobacter sphaeroides O.U.001

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kars, Goekhan; Guenduez, Ufuk; Yuecel, Meral [Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, 06531 Ankara (Turkey); Rakhely, Gabor; Kovacs, Kornel L. [Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged (Hungary); Eroglu, Inci [Department of Chemical Engineering, Middle East Technical University, 06531 Ankara (Turkey)

    2008-06-15

    Rhodobacter sphaeroides O.U.001 is a purple non-sulfur bacterium producing hydrogen under photoheterotrophic conditions. Hydrogen is produced by Mo-nitrogenase enzyme and substantial amount of H{sub 2} is reoxidized by a membrane-bound uptake hydrogenase in the wild type strain. To improve the hydrogen producing capacity of the cells, a suicide vector containing a gentamicin cassette in the hupSL genes was introduced into R. sphaeroiodes O.U.001 and the uptake hydrogenase genes were destroyed by site directed mutagenesis. The correct integration of the construct was confirmed by uptake hydrogenase activity measurement, PCR and subsequent sequence analysis. The wild type and the mutant cells showed similar growth patterns but the total volume of hydrogen gas evolved by the mutant was 20% higher than that of the wild type strain. This result demonstrated that the hydrogen produced by the nitrogenase was not consumed by uptake hydrogenase leading to higher hydrogen production. (author)

  4. Spontaneous orientation-tuning driven by the strain variation in self-assembled ZnO-SrRuO{sub 3} heteroepitaxy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhu, Yuanmin; Liu, Ruirui; Zhan, Qian, E-mail: qzhan@mater.ustb.edu.cn [Department of Material Physics and Chemistry, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China); Chang, Wei Sea [School of Engineering, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor 47500 (Malaysia); Yu, Rong [National Center for Electron Microscopy in Beijing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Wei, Tzu-Chiao [Institute of Photonics and Optoelectronics and Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); He, Jr-Hau [Electrical Engineering Program, King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (Saudi Arabia); Chu, Ying-Hao [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan (China); Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, Taipei 105, Taiwan (China)

    2015-11-09

    Heteroepitaxial ZnO and SrRuO{sub 3} were grown on SrTiO{sub 3} (111) substrates and formed a self-assembled wurtzite-perovskite nanostructure. Spontaneous orientation-tuning of the SrRuO{sub 3} pillars was observed, with the growth direction changing from [111]{sub SRO} to [011]{sub SRO} as the film thickness increased, which is attributed to a misfit strain transition from the biaxial strain imposed by the SrTiO{sub 3} substrate to the vertical strain provided by the ZnO matrix. The [011]-SrRuO{sub 3} and [0001]-ZnO combination presents a favorable matching in the nanocomposite films, resulting in higher charge carrier mobility. This vertically integrated configuration and regulation on the crystallographic orientations are expected to be employed in designing multi-functional nanocomposite systems for applications in electronic devices.

  5. High-activity MgO-supported CoMo Hydrodesulfurization Catalysts Prepared by Non-aqueous Impregnation

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kaluža, Luděk; Gulková, Daniela; Vít, Zdeněk; Zdražil, Miroslav

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 162, JAN 2015 (2015), s. 430-436 ISSN 0926-3373 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP106/11/0902 Institutional support: RVO:67985858 Keywords : CoMo/MgO * benzothiophene hydrodesulfurization * non-aqueous impregnation Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 8.328, year: 2015

  6. Habilidades de praxia verbal e não-verbal em indivíduos gagos Verbal and non-verbal praxic abilities in stutterers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natália Casagrande Brabo

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: caracterizar as habilidades de praxias verbal e não-verbal em indivíduos gagos. MÉTODOS: participaram do estudo 40 indivíduos, com idade igual ou superior a 18 anos, do sexo masculino e feminino: 20 gagos adultos e 20 sem queixas de comunicação. Para a avaliação das praxias verbal e não-verbal, os indivíduos foram submetidos à aplicação do Protocolo de Avaliação da Apraxia Verbal e Não-verbal (Martins e Ortiz, 2004. RESULTADOS: com relação às habilidades de praxia verbal houve diferença estatisticamente significante no número de disfluências típicas e atípicas apresentadas pelos grupos estudados. Quanto à tipologia das disfluências observou-se que nas típicas houve diferença estatisticamente significante entre os grupos estudados apenas na repetição de frase, e nas atípicas, houve diferença estatisticamente significante, tanto no bloqueio quanto na repetição de sílaba e no prolongamento. Com relação às habilidades de praxia não-verbal, não foram observadas diferenças estatisticamente significantes entre os indivíduos estudados na realização dos movimentos de lábios, língua e mandíbula, isolados e em sequência. CONCLUSÃO: com relação às habilidades de praxia verbal, os gagos apresentaram frequência maior de rupturas da fala, tanto de disfluências típicas quanto de atípicas, quando comparado ao grupo controle. Já na realização de movimentos práxicos isolados e em sequência, ou seja, nas habilidades de praxia não-verbal, os indivíduos gagos não se diferenciaram dos fluentes não confirmando a hipótese de que o início precoce da gagueira poderia comprometer as habilidades de praxia não-verbal.PURPOSE: to characterize the verbal and non-verbal praxic abilities in adult stutterers. METHODS: for this research, 40 over 18-year old men and women were selected: 20 stuttering adults and 20 without communication complaints. For the praxis evaluation, they were submitted to

  7. Sono, trabalho e estudo: duração do sono em estudantes trabalhadores e não trabalhadores Sleep, work, and study: sleep duration in working and non-working students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Érico Felden Pereira

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Este estudo objetivou investigar a duração do sono e fatores associados em escolares trabalhadores e não trabalhadores. Foram coletadas informações sobre o padrão do ciclo vigília/sono de 863 adolescentes de 10 a 19 anos em escolas de São Paulo, Brasil. Análises ajustadas foram aplicadas para comparação da duração do sono entre trabalhadores e não trabalhadores. O porcentual de adolescentes trabalhadores foi de 18,4% e 52% dos jovens que trabalhavam apresentaram oito ou menos horas de sono. A prevalência de baixa duração do sono foi maior nos trabalhadores dos sexos masculino (p = 0,017 e feminino (p The aim of this study was to investigate the duration of sleep and associated factors in working and non-working students. Data were analyzed on the sleep-wake cycle in 863 teenage students in São Paulo, Brazil. Adjusted analyses were performed to compare sleep duration in working and non-working students. 18.4% of the group worked, and 52% of the working students slept eight hours or less per night. Prevalence of short sleep duration was higher in working students of both sexes (males, p = 0.017; females, p < 0.001. Working students showed short sleep duration in the analysis adjusted for socioeconomic status, but short sleep was more frequent in older adolescents (p = 0.004 and in lower (p = 0.001 and middle (p = 0.011 socioeconomic classes. Although more working students were in night school, in the model adjusted for gender and socioeconomic status, working students in afternoon courses showed higher prevalence of short sleep duration (PR = 2.53; 95%CI: 1.68-4.12.

  8. Highly stable bilayer of LiPON and B2O3 added Li1.5Al0.5Ge1.5(PO4) solid electrolytes for non-aqueous rechargeable Li-O2 batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jadhav, Harsharaj S.; Kalubarme, Ramchandra S.; Jadhav, Arvind H.; Seo, Jeong Gil

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • LiPON thin film deposited by RF-sputtering technique. • The effect of deposition temperature on ionic conductivity was investigated. • The LiPON/B-LAGP composite was successfully employed in Li-O 2 battery. • LiPON interlayer enhances stability of B-LAGP in contact with Li-metal. - Abstract: Lithium ion conducting membranes are barely studied, although they are essentially indispensable for building Li-air batteries composed of aqueous and non-aqueous electrolytes for long-term operation. Lithium phosphorous oxynitride (LiPON) thin films were deposited by RF-sputtering technique on B 2 O 3 -added lithium aluminum germanium phosphate (B-LAGP). Compact thin amorphous LiPON layer could act as a protective interlayer for B-LAGP by separating it from Li metal electrode and mitigate the reaction between them. Large electrochemical stability window (0–5 V) of LiPON/B-LAGP solid electrolyte shows promising feasibility for applications in all lithium based batteries. The aprotic Li-O 2 cell with protected lithium electrode configuration employing LiPON/B-LAGP solid electrolyte has exhibited reasonable cycling stability with long-life of 52 cycles at a limited capacity of 1000 mA h g −1 .

  9. Cancro do pulmão de não pequenas células: Comparação entre o estadiamento clínico e o patológico Non small cell lung cancer: Comparison between clinical and pathological staging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G Fernandes

    2006-07-01

    condicionado importante alteração na estratégia terapêutica nem na sobrevida. No futuro, será necessário considerar outros meios de estadiamento, bem como factores biológicos, para além dos anatómicos actualmente usados.Lung cancer (LC staging remains a clinical challenge as it determines the disease’s prognosis and treatment. Surgery is the best option for controlling non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC and the only potential cure. In this setting, lung cancer staging helps select patients who will benefit from surgery, excluding inoperable patients and including patients with resectable lesions. The aim of this study is to compare clinical staging (TNMc with pathological staging (TNMp and to evaluate diagnosis, complementary treatment and survival of these patients. This is a retrospective study that included patients with non-small cell lung cancer or with highly suspicious lesions who had undergone surgery and were followed up in the Hospital de São João lung cancer unit between January 1999 and December 2003. It is based on clinical files and pathology reports. 73.3% of this group of 60 patients were male, with median age 59.2 years. The most frequent TNMc stages were 41.7% T1N0M0 and 36.7% T2N0M0. Thoracotomy for therapeutic purpose was performed in 80% and thoracotomy for diagnostic purpose also in the remaining 20%. In 6.7% the resection was incomplete. The most frequent TNMp stages were T2N0p in 33.3%, T2N1p in 15.0% and T2N2p in 13.3%. There was a significant difference between the two staging types, with upstaging in 65.0%, down staging in 67% and only 28.3% keeping the same stage. The most frequent differences were from T1N0c to T2N0p and from T2N0c to T2N1p. The global agreement between both staging methods was 21.7%. Median global survival was 43 months. In conclusion, while clinical staging was less accurate, it did not determine important changes in therapeutic strategy and survival. For the future, we should consider using other diagnostic tools and

  10. Non-perturbative measurement of cross-field thermal diffusivity reduction at the O-point of 2/1 neoclassical tearing mode islands in the DIII-D tokamak

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bardóczi, L.; Rhodes, T. L.; Carter, T. A.; Crocker, N. A.; Peebles, W. A. [University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095 (United States); Grierson, B. A. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States)

    2016-05-15

    Neoclassical tearing modes (NTMs) often lead to the decrease of plasma performance and can lead to disruptions, which makes them a major impediment in the development of operating scenarios in present toroidal fusion devices. Recent gyrokinetic simulations predict a decrease of plasma turbulence and cross-field transport at the O-point of the islands, which in turn affects the NTM dynamics. In this paper, a heat transport model of magnetic islands employing spatially non-uniform cross-field thermal diffusivity (χ{sub ⊥}) is presented. This model is used to derive χ{sub ⊥} at the O-point from electron temperature data measured across 2/1 NTM islands in DIII-D. It was found that χ{sub ⊥} at the O-point is 1 to 2 orders of magnitude smaller than the background plasma transport, in qualitative agreement with gyrokinetic predictions. As the anomalously large values of χ{sub ⊥} are often attributed to turbulence driven transport, the reduction of the O-point χ{sub ⊥} is consistent with turbulence reduction found in recent experiments. Finally, the implication of reduced χ{sub ⊥} at the O-point on NTM dynamics was investigated using the modified Rutherford equation that predicts a significant effect of reduced χ{sub ⊥} at the O-point on NTM saturation.

  11. Coupling of electric charge and magnetic field via electronic phase separation in (La,Pr,Ca)MnO3/Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 multiferroic heterostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Ming; Wang, Wei

    2016-04-01

    The electric-field-tunable non-volatile resistivity and ferromagnetism switching in the (La0.5Pr0.5)0.67Ca0.33MnO3 films grown on (111)-oriented 0.7Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.3PbTiO3 ferroelectric single-crystal substrates have been investigated. By combining the 180° ferroelectric domain switching and in situ X-ray diffraction and resistivity measurements, we identify that this voltage control of order parameters stems from the domain switching-induced accumulation/depletion of charge carriers at the interface rather than induced lattice strain effect. In particular, the polarization-induced charge effect (i.e., ferroelectric field effect) is strongly dependent on the magnetic field. This, together with the charge-modulated magnetoresistance and magnetization, reveals the strong correlation between the electric charge and the magnetic field. Further, we found that this coupling is essentially driven by the electronic phase separation, the relative strength of which could be determined by recording charge-tunability of resistivity [ (Δρ/ρ)c h arg e ] under various magnetic fields. These findings present a potential strategy for elucidating essential physics of perovskite manganites and delivering prototype electronic devices for non-volatile information storage.

  12. Strain dependent microstructural modifications of BiCrO{sub 3} epitaxial thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kannan, Vijayanandhini, E-mail: kvnandhini@gmail.com [Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Weinberg 2, D-06120 Halle (Saale) (Germany); CNRS, University of Bordeaux, ICMCB, UPR 9048, F-33600 Pessac (France); Arredondo, Miryam; Johann, Florian; Hesse, Dietrich [Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Weinberg 2, D-06120 Halle (Saale) (Germany); Labrugere, Christine [CNRS, University of Bordeaux, ICMCB, UPR 9048, F-33600 Pessac (France); CeCaMA, University of Bordeaux, ICMCB, F-33600 Pessac (France); Maglione, Mario [CNRS, University of Bordeaux, ICMCB, UPR 9048, F-33600 Pessac (France); Vrejoiu, Ionela [Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Weinberg 2, D-06120 Halle (Saale) (Germany)

    2013-10-31

    Strain-dependent microstructural modifications were observed in epitaxial BiCrO{sub 3} (BCO) thin films fabricated on single crystalline substrates, utilizing pulsed laser deposition. The following conditions were employed to modify the epitaxial-strain: (i) in-plane tensile strain, BCO{sub STO} [BCO grown on buffered SrTiO{sub 3} (001)] and in-plane compressive strain, BCO{sub NGO} [BCO grown on buffered NdGaO{sub 3} (110)] and (ii) varying BCO film thickness. A combination of techniques like X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to analyse the epitaxial growth quality and the microstructure of BCO. Our studies revealed that in the case of BCO{sub STO}, a coherent interface with homogeneous orthorhombic phase is obtained only for BCO film with thicknesses, d < 50 nm. All the BCO{sub STO} films with d ≥ 50 nm were found to be strain-relaxed with an orthorhombic phase showing 1/2 <100> and 1/4 <101> satellite reflections, the latter oriented at 45° from orthorhombic diffraction spots. High angle annular dark field scanning TEM of these films strongly suggested that the satellite reflections, 1/2 <100> and 1/4 <101>, originate from the atomic stacking sequence changes (or “modulated structure”) as reported for polytypes, without altering the chemical composition. The unaltered stoichiometry was confirmed by estimating both valency of Bi and Cr cations by surface and in-depth XPS analysis as well as the stoichiometric ratio (1 Bi:1 Cr) using scanning TEM–energy dispersive X-ray analysis. In contrast, compressively strained BCO{sub NGO} films exhibited monoclinic symmetry without any structural modulations or interfacial defects, up to d ∼ 200 nm. Our results indicate that both the substrate-induced in-plane epitaxial strain and the BCO film thickness are the crucial parameters to stabilise a homogeneous BCO phase in an epitaxially grown film. - Highlights: • Phase pure

  13. MnO{sub x}/C nanocomposite: An insight on high-performance supercapacitor and non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahuja, Preety, E-mail: drpreetyahuja@gmail.com [Department of Chemistry, Jamia Hamdard, Delhi 110062 (India); Kumar Ujjain, Sanjeev [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, UP 208016 (India); Kanojia, Rajni [Department of Chemistry, Shivaji College, University of Delhi, Delhi 110027 (India)

    2017-05-15

    Graphical abstract: In-situ inclusion of carbon matrix during growth of MnO{sub x} nanoparticles resulted in MnO{sub x}/C nanocomposite with enhanced electronic diffusion leading to high energy/power densities supercapacitor and highly sensitive H{sub 2}O{sub 2} sensor. - Highlights: • MnO{sub x}/C, synthesized via microemulsion method, is electrochemically investigated towards supercapacitor and sensing applications. • In-situ inclusion of conducting carbon in manganese oxide enhances the network conductivity facilitating the charge transfer process. • It provides high energy and power density, 31.6 Wh kg{sup −1} and 3.8 kW kg{sup −1} respectively, with short relaxation time ∼3 ms for fabricated cell. • MnO{sub x}/C as sensor, exhibits excellent catalytic activity toward H{sub 2}O{sub 2} oxidation and offer high sensitivity with low detection limit. - Abstract: In this work, we have used microemulsion method for synthesis of MnO{sub x}/C nanocomposite and investigated its electrochemical properties via fabrication of supercapacitor and non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide (H{sub 2}O{sub 2}) sensor. In-situ inclusion of conducting carbon in manganese oxide (MnO{sub x}/C) enhances the network conductivity facilitating the charge transfer process which is beneficial for supercapacitor and sensing applications. MnO{sub x}/C provides high energy and power density, 31.6 Wh kg{sup −1} and 3.8 kW kg{sup −1} respectively and short relaxation time ∼3 ms for fabricated cell (MnO{sub x}/C//MnO{sub x}/C) endowing excellent power delivery capacity. Furthermore, MnO{sub x}/C as sensor, exhibits excellent catalytic activity toward the oxidation of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} and shows high sensitivity (0.37 mA mM{sup −1} cm{sup −2}) with low detection limit (0.5 μM at an S/N of 3). Hence, this study provides new avenue for high performance supercapacitor and H{sub 2}O{sub 2} detection.

  14. Occurrence and characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 and other non-sorbitol-fermenting E. coli in cattle and humans in urban areas of Morogoro, Tanzania.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lupindu, Athumani M; Olsen, John E; Ngowi, Helena A; Msoffe, Peter L M; Mtambo, Madundo M; Scheutz, Flemming; Dalsgaard, Anders

    2014-07-01

    Escherichia coli strains such as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), enteropathogenic E. coli, enterotoxigenic, attaching, and effacing E. coli, and enteroinvasive E. coli cause diarrhea in humans. Although other serotypes exist, the most commonly reported STEC in outbreaks is O157:H7. A cross-sectional study was conducted to isolate and characterize non-sorbitol-fermenting (NSF) E. coli O157:H7 from urban and periurban livestock settings of Morogoro, Tanzania. Human stool, cattle feces, and soil and water samples were collected. Observations and questionnaire interview studies were used to gather information about cattle and manure management practices in the study area. E. coli were isolated on sorbitol MacConkey agar and characterized by conventional biochemical tests. Out of 1049 samples, 143 (13.7%) yielded NSF E. coli. Serological and antimicrobial tests and molecular typing were performed to NSF E. coli isolates. These procedures detected 10 (7%) pathogenic E. coli including STEC (n=7), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) (n=2), and attaching and effacing E. coli (A/EEC) (n=1) strains. The STEC strains had the ability to produce VT1 and different VT2 toxin subtypes that caused cytopathic effects on Vero cells. The prevalence of STEC in cattle was 1.6%, out of which 0.9% was serotype O157:H7 and the overall prevalence of diarrheagenic E. coli in cattle was 2.2%. The serotypes O157:H7, O142:H34, O113:H21, O+:H-, O+:H16, and O25:H4 were identified. One ESBL-producing isolate showed the MLST type ST131. To our knowledge, this is the first finding in Tanzania of this recently emerged worldwide pandemic clonal group, causing widespread antimicrobial-resistant infections, and adds knowledge of the geographical distribution of ST131. Cattle manure was indiscriminately deposited within residential areas, and there was direct contact between humans and cattle feces during manure handling. Cattle and manure management practices expose humans, animals, and the environment

  15. High electron mobility and quantum oscillations in non-encapsulated ultrathin semiconducting Bi2O2Se

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Jinxiong; Yuan, Hongtao; Meng, Mengmeng; Chen, Cheng; Sun, Yan; Chen, Zhuoyu; Dang, Wenhui; Tan, Congwei; Liu, Yujing; Yin, Jianbo; Zhou, Yubing; Huang, Shaoyun; Xu, H. Q.; Cui, Yi; Hwang, Harold Y.; Liu, Zhongfan; Chen, Yulin; Yan, Binghai; Peng, Hailin

    2017-07-01

    High-mobility semiconducting ultrathin films form the basis of modern electronics, and may lead to the scalable fabrication of highly performing devices. Because the ultrathin limit cannot be reached for traditional semiconductors, identifying new two-dimensional materials with both high carrier mobility and a large electronic bandgap is a pivotal goal of fundamental research. However, air-stable ultrathin semiconducting materials with superior performances remain elusive at present. Here, we report ultrathin films of non-encapsulated layered Bi2O2Se, grown by chemical vapour deposition, which demonstrate excellent air stability and high-mobility semiconducting behaviour. We observe bandgap values of ˜0.8 eV, which are strongly dependent on the film thickness due to quantum-confinement effects. An ultrahigh Hall mobility value of >20,000 cm2 V-1 s-1 is measured in as-grown Bi2O2Se nanoflakes at low temperatures. This value is comparable to what is observed in graphene grown by chemical vapour deposition and at the LaAlO3-SrTiO3 interface, making the detection of Shubnikov-de Haas quantum oscillations possible. Top-gated field-effect transistors based on Bi2O2Se crystals down to the bilayer limit exhibit high Hall mobility values (up to 450 cm2 V-1 s-1), large current on/off ratios (>106) and near-ideal subthreshold swing values (˜65 mV dec-1) at room temperature. Our results make Bi2O2Se a promising candidate for future high-speed and low-power electronic applications.

  16. The Effect of Tensile Strain on Optical Anisotropy and Exciton of m-Plane ZnO

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, H. H.

    2015-03-20

    The near band edge emission of the tensile-strained m-plane ZnO film grown on (112)LaAlO3 substrates shows abnormal low polarization degree (ρ = 0.1). The temperature dependency of polarization degree clarifies the origins of different emission peaks. In tensile-strained m-plane ZnO, the [0001] polarized state is upper shifted and is overlapping with the [112̅0] polarized state. This phenomenon causes the abnormal low polarization degree and reveals the effect of strain on the emission anisotropy of m-plane ZnO.

  17. Linfoma não-Hodgkin de órbita: relato de caso Non-Hodgkin orbital lymphoma: case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristiane do Prado Silva

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available O objetivo é relatar manifestação incomum de linfoma não-Hodgkin de órbita. Paciente masculino, de 75 anos, se apresentou com queixa de lacrimejamento crônico bilateral. Havia feito dacriocistorrinostomia endonasal à direita e à esquerda por duas vezes, sem sucesso. Ao exame, massas de consistência fibroelástica, em topografia das "bolsas" de gordura das pálpebras inferiores e proptose axial. O paciente negava outros sintomas ou sinais sistêmicos. Hemograma sem alteração, hormônios tireoidianos normais. A tomografia computadorizada mostrava infiltrado difuso na órbita e proptose axial. Biópsia de gordura orbitária e de medula óssea diagnosticaram linfoma não-Hodgkin. O paciente foi tratado com quimioterapia, sendo em seguida submetido à cirurgia da via lacrimal bilateral, com resolução do quadro. A doença sistêmica que exigia diagnóstico e tratamento adequados para que se tivesse bom prognóstico estava mascarada pelo quadro de epífora bilateral.The purpose is to report an unusual case of orbital non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A 75-year-old man presented with bilateral chronic epiphora complaint and inferior eyelid tumors, axial proptosis, without previous systemic manifestation. The patient was submitted to bilateral endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy twice and the epiphora complaint persisted. The inferior eyelid and bone marrow biopsy revealed non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The patient was treated with systemic chemotherapy and dacryocystorhinostomy with good resolution. The precise diagnosis and the treatment were very important to reach a good resolution of the bilateral epiphora complaint.

  18. Formation mechanism and control of MgO·Al2O3 inclusions in non-oriented silicon steel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Yan-hui; Zeng, Ya-nan; Xu, Rui; Cai, Kai-ke

    2014-11-01

    On the basis of the practical production of non-oriented silicon steel, the formation of MgO·Al2O3 inclusions was analyzed in the process of "basic oxygen furnace (BOF) → RH → compact strip production (CSP)". The thermodynamic and kinetic conditions of the formation of MgO·Al2O3 inclusions were discussed, and the behavior of slag entrapment in molten steel during RH refining was simulated by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software. The results showed that the MgO/Al2O3 mass ratio was in the range from 0.005 to 0.017 and that MgO·Al2O3 inclusions were not observed before the RH refining process. In contrast, the MgO/Al2O3 mass ratio was in the range from 0.30 to 0.50, and the percentage of MgO·Al2O3 spinel inclusions reached 58.4% of the total inclusions after the RH refining process. The compositions of the slag were similar to those of the inclusions; furthermore, the critical velocity of slag entrapment was calculated to be 0.45 m·s-1 at an argon flow rate of 698 L·min-1, as simulated using CFD software. When the test steel was in equilibrium with the slag, [Mg] was 0.00024wt%-0.00028wt% and [Al]s was 0.31wt%-0.37wt%; these concentrations were theoretically calculated to fall within the MgO·Al2O3 formation zone, thereby leading to the formation of MgO·Al2O3 inclusions in the steel. Thus, the formation of MgO·Al2O3 inclusions would be inhibited by reducing the quantity of slag entrapment, controlling the roughing slag during casting, and controlling the composition of the slag and the MgO content in the ladle refractory.

  19. Klebsiella pneumoniae lipopolysaccharide O typing: revision of prototype strains and O-group distribution among clinical isolates from different sources and countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, D S; Mestre, F; Alberti, S

    1999-01-01

    of the currently recognized O types. The method was validated by studying the prototype strains that have defined the O groups by the classical tube agglutinatination O-typing method. Based on these results, we confirmed the O types of 60 of 64 typeable strains, and we propose a revised O-antigenic scheme...

  20. Genética molecular aplicada ao câncer cutâneo não melanoma Molecular genetics of non-melanoma skin cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcos Antonio Rodrigues Martinez

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available Os cânceres cutâneos não melanoma são as neoplasias malignas mais comuns em humanos. O carcinoma basocelular e o carcinoma espinocelular representam cerca de 95% dos cânceres cutâneos não melanoma, o que os torna um crescente problema para a saúde p��blica mundial devido a suas prevalências cada vez maiores. As alterações genéticas que ocorrem no desenvolvimento dessas malignidades cutâneas são apenas parcialmente compreendidas, havendo muito interesse no conhecimento e determinação das bases genéticas dos cânceres cutâneos não melanoma que expliquem seus fenótipos, comportamentos biológicos e potenciais metastáticos distintos. Apresenta-se uma revisão atualizada da genética molecular aplicada aos cânceres cutâneos não melanoma, em especial ao carcinoma basocelular e carcinoma espinocelular, enfatizando os mais freqüentes genes e os principais mecanismos de instabilidade genômica envolvidos no desenvolvimento dessas malignidades cutâneas.Non-melanoma skin cancers are the most common malignant neoplasms in humans. About 95% of all non-melanoma skin cancers are represented by basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Their prevalences are still increasing worldwide, representing an important public health problem. The genetic alterations underlying basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma development are only partly understood. Much interest lies in determining the genetic basis of non-melanoma skin cancers, to explain their distinctive phenotypes, biological behaviors and metastatic potential. We present here a molecular genetic update, focusing on the most frequent genes and genomic instability involved in the development and progression of non-melanoma skin cancers.

  1. The ethylene glycol template assisted hydrothermal synthesis of Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanowires; structural characterization and their application as glucose non-enzymatic sensor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khun, K., E-mail: kimleang.khun@liu.se [Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, SE-60174 Norrköping (Sweden); Ibupoto, Z.H. [Dr M.A. Kazi Institute of Chemistry, University of Sindh Jamshoro, Sindh Jamshoro (Pakistan); Liu, X. [Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, 58183 Linköping (Sweden); Beni, V. [Biosensors and Biolelectronics Centre, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, 58183 Linköping (Sweden); Willander, M. [Department of Science and Technology, Linköping University, SE-60174 Norrköping (Sweden)

    2015-04-15

    Highlights: • Ethylene glycol assisted Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanowires were synthesized by hydrothermal method. • The grown Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanowires were used for sensitive non-enzymatic glucose sensor. • The proposed glucose sensor shows a wide linear range with fast response. • The Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} modified electrode is a highly specific enzyme-less glucose sensor. - Abstract: In the work reported herein the ethylene glycol template assisted hydrothermal synthesis, onto Au substrate, of thin and highly dense cobalt oxide (Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}) nanowires and their characterization and their application for non-enzymatic glucose sensing are reported. The structure and composition of Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanowires have been fully characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, high resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The synthesized Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanowires resulted to have high purity and showed diameter of approximately 10 nm. The prepared Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanowires coated gold electrodes were applied to the non-enzymatic detection of glucose. The developed sensor showed high sensitivity (4.58 × 10{sup 1} μA mM{sup −1} cm{sup −2}), a wide linear range of concentration (1.00 × 10{sup −4}–1.2 × 10{sup 1} mM) and a detection limit of 2.65 × 10{sup −5} mM. The developed glucose sensor has also shown to be very stable and selective over interferents such as uric acid and ascorbic acid. Furthermore, the proposed fabrication process was shown to be highly reproducible response (over nine electrodes)

  2. Constraining N=1 supergravity inflation with non-minimal Kähler operators using δN formalism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choudhury, Sayantan

    2014-01-01

    In this paper I provide a general framework based on δN formalism to study the features of unavoidable higher dimensional non-renormalizable Kähler operators for N=1 supergravity (SUGRA) during primordial inflation from the combined constraint on non-Gaussianity, sound speed and CMB dipolar asymmetry as obtained from the recent Planck data. In particular I study the nonlinear evolution of cosmological perturbations on large scales which enables us to compute the curvature perturbation, ζ, without solving the exact perturbed field equations. Further I compute the non-Gaussian parameters f NL , τ NL and g NL for local type of non-Gaussianities and CMB dipolar asymmetry parameter, A CMB , using the δN formalism for a generic class of sub-Planckian models induced by the Hubble-induced corrections for a minimal supersymmetric D-flat direction where inflation occurs at the point of inflection within the visible sector. Hence by using multi parameter scan I constrain the non-minimal couplings appearing in non-renormalizable Kähler operators within, O(1), for the speed of sound, 0.02≤c s ≤1, and tensor to scalar, 10 −22 ≤r ⋆ ≤0.12. Finally applying all of these constraints I will fix the lower as well as the upper bound of the non-Gaussian parameters within, O(1−5)≤f NL ≤8.5, O(75−150)≤τ NL ≤2800 and O(17.4−34.7)≤g NL ≤648.2, and CMB dipolar asymmetry parameter within the range, 0.05≤A CMB ≤0.09

  3. Constraining N=1 supergravity inflation with non-minimal Kähler operators using δN formalism

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choudhury, Sayantan [Physics and Applied Mathematics Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 203 B.T. Road, Kolkata 700 108 (India)

    2014-04-15

    In this paper I provide a general framework based on δN formalism to study the features of unavoidable higher dimensional non-renormalizable Kähler operators for N=1 supergravity (SUGRA) during primordial inflation from the combined constraint on non-Gaussianity, sound speed and CMB dipolar asymmetry as obtained from the recent Planck data. In particular I study the nonlinear evolution of cosmological perturbations on large scales which enables us to compute the curvature perturbation, ζ, without solving the exact perturbed field equations. Further I compute the non-Gaussian parameters f{sub NL} , τ{sub NL} and g{sub NL} for local type of non-Gaussianities and CMB dipolar asymmetry parameter, A{sub CMB}, using the δN formalism for a generic class of sub-Planckian models induced by the Hubble-induced corrections for a minimal supersymmetric D-flat direction where inflation occurs at the point of inflection within the visible sector. Hence by using multi parameter scan I constrain the non-minimal couplings appearing in non-renormalizable Kähler operators within, O(1), for the speed of sound, 0.02≤c{sub s}≤1, and tensor to scalar, 10{sup −22}≤r{sub ⋆}≤0.12. Finally applying all of these constraints I will fix the lower as well as the upper bound of the non-Gaussian parameters within, O(1−5)≤f{sub NL}≤8.5, O(75−150)≤τ{sub NL}≤2800 and O(17.4−34.7)≤g{sub NL}≤648.2, and CMB dipolar asymmetry parameter within the range, 0.05≤A{sub CMB}≤0.09.

  4. Bulgakov's sophiology as philosopheme: non-ontology and ontogenesis A sofiologia de Bulgakov como filosofema: não-ontologia e ontogênese

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Myroslav Feodosijeviè Hryschko

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The text examines Sergej Nikolajeviè Bulgakov's description of the philosopheme as thoroughly "immanent" (viz., the immanence of man qua being, such that ontology in Bulgakov becomes a conceptual analogue for immanence and the corollary that such immanence necessarily excludes the problematic of the "creation of the world." Because of this resolute immanence and the notion that the creation of the world in the form of creatio ex nihilo requires a non-immanent or non-ontological thought and concept, the problematic for Bulgakov is approached only by a theologeme. Appropriating this argument as material for a cursory philosopheme, the text attempts to transform Bulgakov's theologeme into a philosopheme through an elision of God and dogma that overdetermines the theologeme. This philosopheme (nascent within Bulgakov's work itself, in both his hesitation to the overdetermination of immanence and the commitment to the problem of creation would be a thoroughly non-ontological philosopheme, one that allows for the treatment of the problematic of "creation" or singular ontogenesis, yet with the corollary that this philosopheme must rely on an "ontological zero" Such a philosopheme qua ontologically empty formula nevertheless remains ontologically significant insofar as it is to evince the limit of ontology, in the ontological zero's non-relationality to ontology.O texto examina a descrição do filosofema de Sergej Nikolajeviè Bulgakov como completamente "imanente" [a saber, a imanência do homem qua ser, de modo que a ontologia em Bulgakov torna-se um análogo conceitual da imanência] e o corolário de que tal imanência necessariamente exclui a problemática da "criação do mundo". Em razão dessa imanência resoluta e da noção de que a criação do mundo na forma de creatio ex nihilo requer um pensamento e um conceito não-imanentes ou não-ontológicos, a problemática da "criação do mundo" para Bulgakov é abordada somente por um teologema

  5. Airborne fungi in the region of Cubatão, São Paulo State, Brazil Fungos anemófilos da região de Cubatão, São Paulo, Brasil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iracema H. Schoenlein-Crusius

    2001-03-01

    Full Text Available From March/1993 to March/1995, airborne fungi were isolated from the "Vale do Rio Moji" (highly affected by the air pollution caused by fertilizer industries, steel works, cement factories and chemical products industries, among others and from the "Vale do Rio Pilões" (less affected by the air pollution, both in the municipality of Cubatão, São Paulo State, Brazil, by exposing Petri dishes with potato dextrose agar medium, placed one meter from the ground, during 5 min. After 5 days of incubation at 20ºC, the colonies of the fungi were purified and identified, resulting in the identification of 39 taxa, three unidentified strains of Fusarium and non-sporulating cultures. A total of 28 taxa, one unidentified strain of Fusarium and non-sporulating fungi (71 records were isolated in the "Vale do Rio Moji" and 29 taxa, two unidentified strains of Fusarium and non-sporulating fungi (72 records in the "Vale do Rio Pilões. The airborne mycota of the higher polluted site presented 17 common, 12 rare and only one constant fungal species. In the other site, the airborne mycota was composed by 19 common, 10 rare and two constant fungal species. Among the obtained fungi, at least 12 taxa were reported as opportunistic fungi, 26 have been mentioned related to plant diseases and eight have been associated to allergy problems. The similarity Index of Sörensen between the mycotas, corresponding to 58%, may be considered low, and is probably justified by the air pollution, that mainly distinguish the two studied areas.De março/1993 a março/1995, foram isolados fungos anemófilos no Vale do Rio Moji (afetada pela poluição aérea causada por indústrias de fertilizantes, metalúrgicas, fábricas de cimento e indústrias de produtos químicos, entre outras e no Vale do Rio Pilões (área menos afetada pela poluição aérea, no município de Cubatão, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil, expondo placas-de-Petri, contendo meio de batata-dextrose-ágar, durante

  6. Local strain heterogeneity and elastic relaxation dynamics associated with relaxor behavior in the single-crystal perovskite Pb (I n1 /2N b1 /2 ) O3-PbZr O3-Pb (M g1 /3N b2 /3 ) O3-PbTi O3

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Wenhui; Carpenter, Michael A.; Lampronti, Giulio I.; Li, Qiang; Yan, Qingfeng

    2017-10-01

    Recently, Pb (In1/2Nb1/2 ) O3-PbZr O3-Pb (Mg1/3Nb2/3 ) O3-PbTiO3 (PIN-PZ-PMN-PT) relaxor single crystals were demonstrated to possess improved temperature-insensitive properties, which would be desirable for high-power device applications. The relaxor character associated with the development of local random fields (RFs) and a high rhombohedral-tetragonal (R-T) ferroelectric transition temperature (TR-T>120°C) would be critical for the excellent properties. A significant effect of the chemical substitution of In3+ and Zr4+ in PMN-PT to give PIN-PZ-PMN-PT is the development of local strain heterogeneity, which acts to suppress the development of macroscopic shear strains without suppressing the development of local ferroelectric moments and contribute substantially to the RFs in PIN-PZ-PMN-PT. Measurements of elastic and anelastic properties by resonant ultrasound spectroscopy show that PIN-PZ-PMN-PT crystal has a quite different form of elastic anomaly due to Vogel-Fulcher freezing, rather than the a discrete cubic-T transition seen in a single crystal of PMN-28PT. It also has high acoustic loss of the relaxor phase down to TR-T. Analysis of piezoresponse force microscopy phase images at different temperatures provides a quantitative insight into the extent to which the RFs influence the microdomain structure and the short-range order correlation length 〈ξ 〉 .

  7. Fissuras lábio palatinas não sindrômicas: relação entre o sexo e a extensão clínica Non sindromic cleft lip and palate: relationship between sex and clinical extension

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniella Reis Barbosa Martelli

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available A fenda labial e/ou palatina representa a anomalia congênita mais comum na face. OBJETIVO: Descrever a correlação existente entre a fenda labial e/ou palatina não sindrômica e gênero e sua gravidade na população brasileira. MÉTODO: Estudo transversal, conduzido entre 2009 e 2011, em uma amostra de 366 pacientes. Os dados foram analisados com estatística descritiva e regressão logística multinomial com intervalo de 95% para estimar a probabilidade dos tipos de fenda labial e/ou palatina afetar os gêneros. RESULTADOS: Entre os 366 casos de fenda labial e/ou palatina não sindrômica, as fendas mais frequentes foram a fenda lábio-palatina, seguida, respectivamente, pela fenda labial e fenda palatina. As fendas palatinas foram mais frequentes entre as mulheres e a fenda lábio-palatina e fenda labial apenas predominaram nos homens. O risco de fenda labial em relação à fenda palatina foi de 2,19 vezes maior em homens quando comparados às mulheres; enquanto o risco de fenda labial e palatina em relação à fenda palatina apenas foi 2,78 vezes em homens, quando comparados às mulheres. CONCLUSÃO: Este estudo mostrou que há diferenças na distribuição de fendas labiais e/ou palatinas não sindrômicas entre homens e mulheres.Cleft lip and/or palate represent the most common congenital anomaly of the face. AIM: To describe the correlation between non-syndromic cleft lip and/or palate and gender, and its severity in the Brazilian population. METHODS: Cross-sectional study, between 2009 and 2011, in a sample of 366 patients. The data was analyzed with descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression with a 95% interval to estimate the likelihood of the types of cleft lip and/or palate affecting the genders. RESULTS: Among the 366 cases of non-syndromic cleft lip and/or palate, the more frequent clefts were cleft lip and palate, followed respectively by cleft lip and cleft palate. The cleft palates were more frequent in

  8. Hamiltonian structures of some non-linear evolution equations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tu, G.Z.

    1983-06-01

    The Hamiltonian structure of the O(2,1) non-linear sigma model, generalized AKNS equations, are discussed. By reducing the O(2,1) non-linear sigma model to its Hamiltonian form some new conservation laws are derived. A new hierarchy of non-linear evolution equations is proposed and shown to be generalized Hamiltonian equations with an infinite number of conservation laws. (author)

  9. Comparison of methods for the identification and sub-typing of O157 and non-O157 Escherichia coli serotypes and their integration into a polyphasic taxonomy approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prieto-Calvo M.A.

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic data from 12 strains of Escherichia coli were collected, including carbon source utilisation profiles, ribotypes, sequencing data of the 16S–23S rRNA internal transcribed region (ITS and Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR spectroscopic profiles. The objectives were to compare several identification systems for E. coli and to develop and test a polyphasic taxonomic approach using the four methodologies combined for the sub-typing of O157 and non-O157 E. coli. The nucleotide sequences of the 16S–23S rRNA ITS regions were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR, sequenced and compared with reference data available at the GenBank database using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST . Additional information comprising the utilisation of carbon sources, riboprint profiles and FT-IR spectra was also collected. The capacity of the methods for the identification and typing of E. coli to species and subspecies levels was evaluated. Data were transformed and integrated to present polyphasic hierarchical clusters and relationships. The study reports the use of an integrated scheme comprising phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic information (carbon source profile, sequencing of the 16S–23S rRNA ITS, ribotyping and FT-IR spectroscopy for a more precise characterisation and identification of E. coli. The results showed that identification of E. coli strains by each individual method was limited mainly by the extension and quality of reference databases. On the contrary, the polyphasic approach, whereby heterogeneous taxonomic data were combined and weighted, improved the identification results, gave more consistency to the final clustering and provided additional information on the taxonomic structure and phenotypic behaviour of strains, as shown by the close clustering of strains with similar stress resistance patterns.

  10. TBA equations for the mass gap in the O(2r) non-linear σ-models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balog, Janos; Hegedues, Arpad

    2005-01-01

    We propose TBA integral equations for 1-particle states in the O(n) non-linear σ-model for even n. The equations are conjectured on the basis of the analytic properties of the large volume asymptotics of the problem, which is explicitly constructed starting from Luscher's asymptotic formula. For small volumes the mass gap values computed numerically from the TBA equations agree very well with results of three-loop perturbation theory calculations, providing support for the validity of the proposed TBA system

  11. Strain and electric field mediated manipulation of magnetism in La_(_1_-_x_)Sr_xMnO_3/BaTiO_3 heterostructures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmitz, Markus

    2016-01-01

    Heterostructures of ferromagnetic La_1_-_xSr_xMnO_3 (LSMO) and ferroelectric BaTiO_3 (BTO) were produced and investigated for their structural and magnetic properties. The combination of these ferroic properties can lead to an artificial multiferroic. Special emphasis was given to the manipulation of magnetic properties by applying electric fields. A magneto-electric coupling could be observed in the heterostructures under investigation. Epitaxial LSMO thin films were grown on BTO substrates using a state-of-the-art oxide molecular beam epitaxy (OMBE) and a high oxygen sputtering system (HOPSS). Stoichiometric La_1_-_xSr_xMnO_3 films with doping levels of x=0.5 and x=0.3 were produced. The film quality in terms of roughness and crystalline structure was confirmed by X-ray scattering methods. The presence of structural domains in the BaTiO_3 single crystal substrate, whose proportion could be altered due to the application of electric fields, was shown by X-ray diffraction. Tensile strain is induced into the epitaxial La_1_-_xSr_xMnO_3 films in the whole temperature range under investigation. The magnetization of LSMO alteres by the variation of strain induced into the film, generated by the different structural phases of single crystal BaTiO_3 substrates. The magnetization shows sharp steps at the structural phase transition temperatures of BTO. The evaluation of magnetic hysteresis loops reveals a change of the magnetic anisotropy of LSMO for each structural phase of BTO, but also within the orthorhombic phase. Special focus was given to the manipulation of magnetic properties by the application of electric fields. A newly established measurement option was used to determine the magnetic response to an applied electric field as a function of temperature and magnetic field. The electrically induced modification of the magnetization is profound near the structural phase transition temperatures. Electrical hysteresis loops give a detailed view on the influence of the

  12. Fatores associados a não-utilização de anticoncepcionais na adolescência Factors associated with the non-utilization of contraceptives in adolescence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evely Boruchovitch

    1992-12-01

    Full Text Available Elaborou-se revisão crítica da literatura sobre os fatores associados ao não uso de anticoncepcionais, na adolescência. Procurou-se integrar resultados de pesquisa, tanto no sentido de uma maior compreensão da vulnerabilidade do adolescente para problemas como a gravidez indesejada e a AIDS, quanto para o desenvolvimento de uma educação sexual mais efetiva e realista para esta faixa etária.The literature concerning the major correlates of the non-utilization contraceptives in adolescence is critically reviewed. Research findings are analyzed and discussed in terms of their contribution not only to a deeper understanding of adolescents' risk-taking sexual behavior, but also to the implementation of more effective and realistic sexual education for this age-group.

  13. Non-classical logic inverter coupling a ZnO nanowire-based Schottky barrier transistor and adjacent Schottky diode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hosseini Shokouh, Seyed Hossein; Raza, Syed Raza Ali; Lee, Hee Sung; Im, Seongil

    2014-08-21

    On a single ZnO nanowire (NW), we fabricated an inverter-type device comprising a Schottky diode (SD) and field-effect transistor (FET), aiming at 1-dimensional (1D) electronic circuits with low power consumption. The SD and adjacent FET worked respectively as the load and driver, so that voltage signals could be easily extracted as the output. In addition, NW FET with a transparent conducting oxide as top gate turned out to be very photosensitive, although ZnO NW SD was blind to visible light. Based on this, we could achieve an array of photo-inverter cells on one NW. Our non-classical inverter is regarded as quite practical for both logic and photo-sensing due to its performance as well as simple device configuration.

  14. Shape-selective synthesis of non-micellar cobalt oxide (CoO) nanomaterials by microwave irradiations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kundu, Subrata; Jayachandran, M.

    2013-01-01

    Shape-selective formation of CoO nanoparticles has been developed using a simple one-step in situ non-micellar microwave (MW) heating method. CoO NPs were synthesized by mixing aqueous CoCl 2 ·6H 2 O solution with poly (vinyl) alcohol (PVA) in the presence of sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The reaction mixture was irradiated using MW for a total time of 2 min. This process exclusively generated different shapes like nanosphere, nanosheet, and nanodendrite structures just by tuning the Co(II) ion to PVA molar ratios and controlling other reaction parameters. The proposed synthesis method is efficient, straightforward, reproducible, and robust. Other than in catalysis, these cobalt oxide nanomaterials can be used for making pigments, battery materials, for developing solid state sensors, and also as an anisotropy source for magnetic recording.Graphical Abstract

  15. Non-Conventional Yeast Strains Increase the Aroma Complexity of Bread

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rezaei, Mohammad Naser; Steensels, Jan; Courtin, Christophe M.; Verstrepen, Kevin J.

    2016-01-01

    Saccharomyces cerevisiae is routinely used yeast in food fermentations because it combines several key traits, including fermentation efficiency and production of desirable flavors. However, the dominance of S. cerevisiae in industrial fermentations limits the diversity in the aroma profiles of the end products. Hence, there is a growing interest in non-conventional yeast strains that can help generate the diversity and complexity desired in today’s diversified and consumer-driven markets. Here, we selected a set of non-conventional yeast strains to examine their potential for bread fermentation. Here, we tested ten non-conventional yeasts for bread fermentation, including two Saccharomyces species that are not currently used in bread making and 8 non-Saccharomyces strains. The results show that Torulaspora delbrueckii and Saccharomyces bayanus combine satisfactory dough fermentation with an interesting flavor profile. Sensory analysis and HS-SPME-GC-MS analysis confirmed that these strains produce aroma profiles that are very different from that produced by a commercial bakery strain. Moreover, bread produced with these yeasts was preferred by a majority of a trained sensory panel. These results demonstrate the potential of T. delbrueckii and S. bayanus as alternative yeasts for bread dough leavening, and provide a general experimental framework for the evaluation of more yeasts and bacteria. PMID:27776154

  16. Non-Conventional Yeast Strains Increase the Aroma Complexity of Bread.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aslankoohi, Elham; Herrera-Malaver, Beatriz; Rezaei, Mohammad Naser; Steensels, Jan; Courtin, Christophe M; Verstrepen, Kevin J

    2016-01-01

    Saccharomyces cerevisiae is routinely used yeast in food fermentations because it combines several key traits, including fermentation efficiency and production of desirable flavors. However, the dominance of S. cerevisiae in industrial fermentations limits the diversity in the aroma profiles of the end products. Hence, there is a growing interest in non-conventional yeast strains that can help generate the diversity and complexity desired in today's diversified and consumer-driven markets. Here, we selected a set of non-conventional yeast strains to examine their potential for bread fermentation. Here, we tested ten non-conventional yeasts for bread fermentation, including two Saccharomyces species that are not currently used in bread making and 8 non-Saccharomyces strains. The results show that Torulaspora delbrueckii and Saccharomyces bayanus combine satisfactory dough fermentation with an interesting flavor profile. Sensory analysis and HS-SPME-GC-MS analysis confirmed that these strains produce aroma profiles that are very different from that produced by a commercial bakery strain. Moreover, bread produced with these yeasts was preferred by a majority of a trained sensory panel. These results demonstrate the potential of T. delbrueckii and S. bayanus as alternative yeasts for bread dough leavening, and provide a general experimental framework for the evaluation of more yeasts and bacteria.

  17. Non-Conventional Yeast Strains Increase the Aroma Complexity of Bread.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elham Aslankoohi

    Full Text Available Saccharomyces cerevisiae is routinely used yeast in food fermentations because it combines several key traits, including fermentation efficiency and production of desirable flavors. However, the dominance of S. cerevisiae in industrial fermentations limits the diversity in the aroma profiles of the end products. Hence, there is a growing interest in non-conventional yeast strains that can help generate the diversity and complexity desired in today's diversified and consumer-driven markets. Here, we selected a set of non-conventional yeast strains to examine their potential for bread fermentation. Here, we tested ten non-conventional yeasts for bread fermentation, including two Saccharomyces species that are not currently used in bread making and 8 non-Saccharomyces strains. The results show that Torulaspora delbrueckii and Saccharomyces bayanus combine satisfactory dough fermentation with an interesting flavor profile. Sensory analysis and HS-SPME-GC-MS analysis confirmed that these strains produce aroma profiles that are very different from that produced by a commercial bakery strain. Moreover, bread produced with these yeasts was preferred by a majority of a trained sensory panel. These results demonstrate the potential of T. delbrueckii and S. bayanus as alternative yeasts for bread dough leavening, and provide a general experimental framework for the evaluation of more yeasts and bacteria.

  18. Determination and analysis of non-linear index profiles in electron-beam-deposited MgOAl2O3ZrO2 ternary composite thin-film optical coatings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sahoo, N.K.; Thakur, S.; Senthilkumar, M.; Das, N.C.

    2005-01-01

    Thickness-dependent index non-linearity in thin films has been a thought provoking as well as intriguing topic in the field of optical coatings. The characterization and analysis of such inhomogeneous index profiles pose several degrees of challenges to thin-film researchers depending upon the availability of relevant experimental and process-monitoring-related information. In the present work, a variety of novel experimental non-linear index profiles have been observed in thin films of MgOAl 2 O 3 ZrO 2 ternary composites in solid solution under various electron-beam deposition parameters. Analysis and derivation of these non-linear spectral index profiles have been carried out by an inverse-synthesis approach using a real-time optical monitoring signal and post-deposition transmittance and reflection spectra. Most of the non-linear index functions are observed to fit polynomial equations of order seven or eight very well. In this paper, the application of such a non-linear index function has also been demonstrated in designing electric-field-optimized high-damage-threshold multilayer coatings such as normal- and oblique-incidence edge filters and a broadband beam splitter for p-polarized light. Such designs can also advantageously maintain the microstructural stability of the multilayer structure due to the low stress factor of the non-linear ternary composite layers. (orig.)

  19. Raman analysis of non stoichiometric Ni1O

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dubey, Paras; Choudhary, K. K.; Kaurav, Netram

    2018-04-01

    Thermal decomposition method was used to synthesize non-stoichiometric nickel oxide at different sintering temperatures upto 1100 °C. The structure of synthesized compounds were analyzed by X ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and magnetic ordering was studied with the help of Raman scattering spectroscopy for the samples sintered at different temperature. It was found that due to change in sintering temperature the stoichiometry of the sample changes and hence intensity of two magnon band changes. These results were interpreted as the decomposition temperature increases, which heals the defects present in the non-stoichiometric nickel oxide and antiferromagnetic spin correlation changes accordingly.

  20. A Structural Molar Volume Model for Oxide Melts Part I: Li2O-Na2O-K2O-MgO-CaO-MnO-PbO-Al2O3-SiO2 Melts—Binary Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thibodeau, Eric; Gheribi, Aimen E.; Jung, In-Ho

    2016-04-01

    A structural molar volume model was developed to accurately reproduce the molar volume of molten oxides. As the non-linearity of molar volume is related to the change in structure of molten oxides, the silicate tetrahedral Q-species, calculated from the modified quasichemical model with an optimized thermodynamic database, were used as basic structural units in the present model. Experimental molar volume data for unary and binary melts in the Li2O-Na2O-K2O-MgO-CaO-MnO-PbO-Al2O3-SiO2 system were critically evaluated. The molar volumes of unary oxide components and binary Q-species, which are model parameters of the present structural model, were determined to accurately reproduce the experimental data across the entire binary composition in a wide range of temperatures. The non-linear behavior of molar volume and thermal expansivity of binary melt depending on SiO2 content are well reproduced by the present model.

  1. Non-adiabatic molecular dynamics investigation of photoionization state formation and lifetime in Mn²⁺-doped ZnO quantum dots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fischer, Sean A; Lingerfelt, David B; May, Joseph W; Li, Xiaosong

    2014-09-07

    The unique electronic structure of Mn(2+)-doped ZnO quantum dots gives rise to photoionization states that can be used to manipulate the magnetic state of the material and to generate zero-reabsorption luminescence. Fast formation and long non-radiative decay of this photoionization state is a necessary requirement for these important applications. In this work, surface hopping based non-adiabatic molecular dynamics are used to demonstrate the fast formation of a metal-to-ligand charge transfer state in a Mn(2+)-doped ZnO quantum dot. The formation occurs on an ultrafast timescale and is aided by the large density of states and significant mixing of the dopant Mn(2+) 3dt2 levels with the valence-band levels of the ZnO lattice. The non-radiative lifetime of the photoionization states is also investigated.

  2. Study of Non-Isothermal Crystallization Kinetics of Biodegradable Poly(ethylene adipate/SiO2 Nanocomposites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. R. Memarzadeh

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Poly(ethylene adipte and poly(ethylene adipate/silica nanocomposite (PEAd/SiO2 containing 3 wt. % SiO2  were prepared by an in situ method. The examinations on the non-isothermal crystallization kinetic behavior have been conducted by means of differential scanning calorimeter (DSC. The Avrami, Ozawa, and combined Avrami and Ozawa equations were applied to describe the crystallization kinetics and to determine the crystallization parameters of the prepared PEAd/SiO2 nanocomposites. It is found that the inclusion of the silica nanoparticles can accelerate the nucleation rate due to heterogeneous nucleation effect of silica on the polymer matrix. According to the obtained results, the combined Avrami and Ozawa equation shown that the better model for examination of this system.

  3. Application of Hydrothermal and Non-Hydrothermal TiO2 Nanoporous Materials as New Adsorbents for Removal of Heavy Metal Ions from Aqueous System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mansoor Anbia

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Hydrothermal and non-hydrothermal spherical TiO2 nanoporous with crystalline framework were prepared by sol-gel method. The Crystalline structures, morphologies and surface texturing of materials were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM and N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms. The Hydrothermal spherical TiO2 nanoporous was found to have a narrow and strong pore size distribution peaks with average of 37.8 Å and pore volume of 0.41 cm3/g and the (Brunauer–Emmett–TellerBET specific surface area of 365 m2/g. Hydrothermal and non-hydrothermal spherical TiO2 nanoporous have been used as adsorbent to study of the adsorption behavior of Pb(II, Co(II and Ni(II ions from aqueous system in a batch system. Effect of equilibrium time on adsorption Pb(II, Co(II and Ni(II ions on these adsorbent was studied The results show that the shaking time 0.5 to 10h has no serious effect on the percentage of ions removal, and the adsorption is fast in all cases. The maximum uptake capacities of Hydrothermal and non-hydrothermal spherical TiO2 nanoporous was calculated. Both hydrothermal and non-hydrothermal TiO2 nanoporous materials were found to have very good potential as new adsorbents in removal of these ions. In batch systems the maximum uptake capacities of Pb(II, Ni(II and Co(II on the hydrothermal and non-hydrothermal TiO2 nanoporous materials was Co(II > Pb(II > Ni(II and Co(II > Ni(II > Pb(II, respectively.

  4. Caracterização molecular de acessos de mandioca açucarados e não açucarados Molecular characterization of sugary and non-sugary cassava accessions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduardo Alano Vieira

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Acessos de mandioca que armazenam açúcares livres em suas raízes de reserva e não somente amido, como os acessos de mandioca cultivados comercialmente, vêm recebendo destaque atualmente. Esses acessos são popularmente conhecidos como mandiocas açucaradas ou mandiocabas, e evidenciam potencial de uso na produção de álcool combustível. Entretanto, esse germoplasma ainda não foi suficientemente estudado quanto àsua variabilidade genotípica, o que é fundamental para sua conservação e utilização no melhoramento genético. Neste tabalho, objetivou-se caracterizar por meio de marcadores RAPD 14 acessos de mandioca açucarados e não açucarados. Em laboratório, os acessos foram avaliados por meio de 12 iniciadores RAPD. Posteriormente, foi estimada a matriz de dissimilaridade genética entre os acessos, por meio da utilização do complemento do índice de Jaccard. Os iniciadores geraram 131 marcadores RAPD, dos quais 73% foram polimórficos, evidenciando a existência de variabilidade e a eficiência da técnica de RAPD. Os acessos mais similares foram BGMC 1207 e BGMC 1209, ambos açucarados e os menos similares foram o açucarado BGMC 1219 e a cultivar BGMC 436. Os acessos foram divididos em quatro grupos, sendo o primeiro grupo formado pelos 10 acessos açucarados, o segundo grupo formado por dois acessos locais não açucarados, o terceiro e o quarto foram formados pelos acessos melhorados BGMC 753 e BGMC 436. Os resultados obtidos revelaram a existência de elevada variabilidade genética entre os acessos avaliados e diferenciaram os acessos açucarados das cultivares locais não açucaradas e das cultivares comerciais não açucaradas.Emphasis has been given lately to cassava accessions that accumulate free sugars in their storage roots, besides starch, such as the commercial cultivars. These accessions are popularly known as sugary cassavas or "mandiocabas", and present a high potential for the use in ethanol biofuel

  5. Environmental risk factors related to the development of canine non-Hodgkin's lymphoma Fatores de risco ambientais relacionados ao desenvolvimento do linfoma não Hodgkin canino

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danielle Almeida Zanini

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This research aimed to investigate the possible risk factors associated with the development of canine non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Owners of 83 dogs with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and of 84 healthy dogs answered an epidemiological questionnaire. Dogs who lived outside of the house and within 100 meters of busy streets or avenues (defined as more than 50 vehicles per minute had a higher risk for developing the disease (OR: 3.1, 95% CI: 1.4-6.9, P=0.005. These results suggest that air pollution derived from vehicle traffic may be associated with the development of canine non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.Este trabalho teve como objetivo investigar os possíveis fatores de risco ambientais, associados com o desenvolvimento de linfoma não-Hodgkin nos cães. Um questionário epidemiológico foi aplicado aos proprietários de 83 cães com linfoma não-Hodgkin e 84 proprietários de cães saudáveis. Os cães que viviam permanentemente no lado de fora da casa e em torno de 100 metros de ruas movimentadas ou avenidas (mais de 50 veículos por minuto tiveram um maior risco de desenvolvimento da doença (OR: 3,1, IC 95%: 1,4-6,9, P=0,005. Esses resultados sugerem que a poluição do ar oriunda do tráfego veicular pode estar associada com o desenvolvimento de linfomas não-Hodgkin canino.

  6. Non-equilibrium effects in the magnetic behavior of Co_3O_4 nanoparticles

    OpenAIRE

    Bisht, Vijay; Rajeev, K. P.

    2011-01-01

    We report detailed studies on non-equilibrium magnetic behavior of antiferromagnetic Co_3O_4 nanoparticles. Temperature and field dependence of magnetization, wait time dependence of magnetic relaxation (aging), memory effects and temperature dependence of specific heat have been investigated to understand the magnetic behavior of these particles. We find that the system shows some features characteristic of nanoparticle magnetism such as bifurcation of field cooled (FC) and zero field cooled...

  7. Molecular and Phenotypic Characterization of Escherichia coli O26:H8 among Diarrheagenic E. coli O26 Strains Isolated in Brazil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piazza, Roxane M. F.; Delannoy, Sabine; Fach, Patrick; Saridakis, Halha O.; Pedroso, Margareth Z.; Rocha, Letícia B.; Gomes, Tânia A. T.; Vieira, Mônica A. M.; Beutin, Lothar

    2013-01-01

    Escherichia coli strains of serogroup O26 comprise two distinct groups of pathogens, characterized as enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). Among the several genes related to type III secretion system-secreted effector proteins, espK was found to be highly specific for EHEC O26:H11 and its stx-negative derivative strains isolated in European countries. E. coli O26 strains isolated in Brazil from infant diarrhea, foods, and the environment have consistently been shown to lack stx genes and are thus considered atypical EPEC. However, no further information related to their genetic background is known. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to discriminate and characterize these Brazilian O26 stx-negative strains by phenotypic, genetic, and biochemical approaches. Among 44 isolates confirmed to be O26 isolates, most displayed flagellar antigen H11 or H32. Out of the 13 nonmotile isolates, 2 tested positive for fliCH11, and 11 were fliCH8 positive. The identification of genetic markers showed that several O26:H11 and all O26:H8 strains tested positive for espK and could therefore be discriminated as EHEC derivatives. The presence of H8 among EHEC O26 and its stx-negative derivative isolates is described for the first time. The interaction of three isolates with polarized Caco-2 cells and with intestinal biopsy specimen fragments ex vivo confirmed the ability of the O26 strains analyzed to cause attaching-and-effacing (A/E) lesions. The O26:H32 strains, isolated mostly from meat, were considered nonvirulent. Knowledge of the virulence content of stx-negative O26 isolates within the same serotype helped to avoid misclassification of isolates, which certainly has important implications for public health surveillance. PMID:23974139

  8. NON PREFERENCE FOR OVIPOSITION AND FEEDING OF Weevil Zabrotes subfasciatus (BOHEMANN, 1833 (COLEOPTERA-BRUCHIDAE IN BEAN LINES (Phaseolus vulgaris L. BEARERS OF ARCELIN NÃO-PREFERÊNCIA PARA OVIPOSIÇÃO E ALIMENTAÇÃO DE Zabrotes subfasciatus (BOHEMANN, 1833 (COLEOPTERA: BRUCHIDAE EM CULTIVARES DE FEIJÃO (Phaseolus vulgaris L. PORTADORES DE ARCELINA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eliane Divina de Tolêdo Souza

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available

    Arcelin is a seed protein only found in wild beans which gives resistance to bean weevil (Zabrotes subfasciatus Bohemann, 1833. In this study the non preference for oviposition and feeding of the bean weevil was evaluated on a series of near isogenic bean lines: Arc 1, Arc 2, Arc 3 and Arc 4. The bean cultivars Porrillo 70 and Goiano Precoce were utilized as susceptible checks. There wasn’t oviposition preference among the six genotypes studied. The near isogenic lines that contain Arcelin 1 and Arcelin 2 were the last in preference for feeding.

    KEY-WORDS: Resistance; non preference.

    A arcelina é uma proteína encontrada somente em feijões silvestres e é o fator que confere resistência ao caruncho Zabrotes subfasciatus (Bohemann, 1833. Procurou-se verificar a não-preferência para oviposição e alimentação de Z. subfasciatus em uma série de linhagens de feijão quase isogênicas contendo diferentes alelos de arcelina: Arc 1, Arc 2, Arc 3 e Arc 4. Os controles suscetíveis utilizados foram Porrillo 70 e Goiano Precoce. Não houve preferência para oviposição entre os seis genótipos estudados. As linhagens quase isogênicas contendo Arcelina 1 e Arcelina 2 foram as menos preferidas para alimentação.

    PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Resistência; Phaseolus; Zabrotes; não-preferência.

  9. Determination of band offsets at strained NiO and MgO heterojunction for MgO as an interlayer in heterojunction light emitting diode applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singh, S.D., E-mail: devsh@rrcat.gov.in [Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore, Madhya Pradesh 452013 (India); Nand, Mangla [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400085 (India); Ajimsha, R.S.; Upadhyay, Anuj; Kamparath, Rajiv; Mukherjee, C.; Misra, P.; Sinha, A.K. [Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore, Madhya Pradesh 452013 (India); Jha, S.N. [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400085 (India); Ganguli, Tapas [Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore, Madhya Pradesh 452013 (India)

    2016-12-15

    Highlights: • Valence band offset at NiO/MgO heterojunction is experimentally determined. • Experimentally determined value of 2.3 ± 0.4 eV is significantly larger than the predicted from theoretical calculations. • The value of valence band offset is in corroboration with that estimated from the band transitivity model. • Our result can be used to predict accurately carrier transport and electroluminescence mechanisms for heterojunction LEDs. - Abstract: Valence band offset of 2.3 ± 0.4 eV at strained NiO/MgO heterojunction is determined from photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) measurements. The determined value of valence band offset is larger than that is predicted from first principle calculations, but is in corroboration with that obtained from band transitivity rule. Our PES result indicates a larger value of the valence band offset at strained NiO/MgO heterojunction and can be used to predict accurately carrier transport and electroluminescence mechanisms for n-ZnO/MgO/p-NiO and p-NiO/MgO/n-GaN heterojunction light emitting diodes.

  10. Bond length effects during the dissociation of O2 on Ni(1 1 1)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shuttleworth, I.G.

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The dissociation of O 2 on Ni(1 1 1) has been investigated using the Nudged Elastic Band (NEB) technique. • An exceptional correlation has been identified between the O/Ni bond order and the O 2 bond length for a series of sterically different reaction paths. • Direct magnetic phenomena accompany these processes suggesting further mechanisms for experimental control. - Abstract: The interaction between O 2 and Ni(1 1 1) has been investigated using spin-polarised density functional theory. A series of low activation energy (E A = 103–315 meV) reaction pathways corresponding to precursor and non-precursor mediated adsorption have been identified. It has been seen that a predominantly pathway-independent correlation exists between O−Ni bond order and the O 2 bond length. This correlation demonstrates that the O−O interaction predominantly determines the bonding of this system

  11. Profundidade de localização do herbicida imazetapir + imazapique no solo sobre a fitotoxicidade em de plantas de arroz não resistente Depth of placement of the herbicide imazethapyr + imazapic in soil profile on non-tolerant rice injury

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angela Da Cas Bundt

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Os herbicidas imazetapir e imazapique, usados em cultivares de arroz Clearfield®, possuem alta persistência e mobilidade no solo, ocasionando danos em genótipos de arroz não resistentes cultivados em rotação. Tais herbicidas podem lixiviar e atingir maiores profundidades ao longo do perfil. Esse posicionamento em profundidade pode ser um fator de seletividade e explicar parcialmente os diferentes resultados encontrados na literatura sobre o efeito residual do herbicida no solo. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar o efeito da profundidade de localização no solo e da mistura formulada pelos herbicidas imazetapir e imazapique (75 e 25g e.a. L-1 na fitotoxicidade em genótipos de arroz não resistentes. Nesse sentido, foram conduzidos dois experimentos em solo com 15% de argila e 1,2% de matéria orgânica, em casa-de-vegetação, no campus da Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPel, em Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul (RS. O experimento I consistiu de estudo preliminar visando a determinar a profundidade máxima de localização do herbicida no solo que causa danos ao arroz não resistente, e o herbicida foi alocado nas profundidades de 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 50 e 70cm. O experimento II também consistiu na alocação do herbicida em profundidades ao longo do perfil do solo de 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 e 18cm. As variáveis analisadas foram fitotoxicidade, massa da matéria seca e estatura das plantas. O herbicida resultante da mistura formulada de imazetapir com imazapique localizado próximo à superfície do solo causa danos intensos em plantas de arroz não resistente, porém, quando alocado em profundidades maiores que 20cm da superfície do solo, não prejudica o desenvolvimento de genótipos de arroz não resistentes a essa mistura de herbicidas.The herbicides imazethapyr and imazapic, used in Clearfield® rice, have high mobility and persistence in the soil, causing injury to non-resistant rice grown in rotation. These herbicides can leach and reach greater

  12. Occurrence of Vibrio cholerae in fish and water from a reservoir and a neighboring channel in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Traoré, Oumar; Martikainen, Outi; Siitonen, Anja; Traoré, Alfred S; Barro, Nicolas; Haukka, Kaisa

    2014-10-15

    Vibrio cholerae is a human pathogen and natural inhabitant of aquatic environments. In this study, we surveyed the occurrence of V. cholerae in fish harvested from a reservoir that receives discharges from the population in Ouagadougou through several channels. A total of 238 fish and 80 water samples were analyzed for the presence of V. cholerae. Altogether, 13 V. cholerae strains were isolated. They were all identified as non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae without the ctxA gene. The strains were mostly susceptible to the antimicrobials tested. Although no strains of epidemic V. cholerae serotypes were encountered, it is important to monitor the microbiological quality of this extensively used water resource and its fish.

  13. Molecular epidemiology of Vibrio cholerae associated with flood in Brahamputra River valley, Assam, India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhuyan, Soubhagya K; Vairale, Mohan G; Arya, Neha; Yadav, Priti; Veer, Vijay; Singh, Lokendra; Yadava, Pramod K; Kumar, Pramod

    2016-06-01

    Cholera is often caused when drinking water is contaminated through environmental sources. In recent years, the drastic cholera epidemics in Odisha (2007) and Haiti (2010) were associated with natural disasters (flood and Earthquake). Almost every year the state of Assam India witnesses flood in Brahamputra River valley during reversal of wind system (monsoon). This is often followed by outbreak of diarrheal diseases including cholera. Beside the incidence of cholera outbreaks, there is lack of experimental evidence for prevalence of the bacterium in aquatic environment and its association with cholera during/after flood in the state. A molecular surveillance during 2012-14 was carried out to study prevalence, strain differentiation, and clonality of Vibrio cholerae in inland aquatic reservoirs flooded by Brahamputra River in Assam. Water samples were collected, filtered, enriched in alkaline peptone water followed by selective culturing on thiosulfate bile salt sucrose agar. Environmental isolates were identified as V. cholerae, based on biochemical assays followed by sero-grouping and detailed molecular characterization. The incidence of the presence of the bacterium in potable water sources was higher after flood. Except one O1 isolate, all of the strains were broadly grouped under non-O1/non-O139 whereas some of them did have cholera toxin (CT). Surprisingly, we have noticed Haitian ctxB in two non-O1/non-O139 strains. MLST analyses based on pyrH, recA and rpoA genes revealed clonality in the environmental strains. The isolates showed varying degree of antimicrobial resistance including tetracycline and ciprofloxacin. The strains harbored the genetic elements SXT constins and integrons responsible for multidrug resistance. Genetic characterization is useful as phenotypic characters alone have proven to be unsatisfactory for strain discrimination. An assurance to safe drinking water, sanitation and monitoring of the aquatic reservoirs is of utmost importance for

  14. Anisotropic-strain-relaxation-induced crosshatch morphology in epitaxial SrTiO{sub 3}/NdGaO{sub 3} thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tan, X. L.; Chen, F.; Chen, P. F.; Xu, H. R.; Chen, B. B.; Jin, F.; Gao, G. Y.; Wu, W. B., E-mail: wuwb@ustc.edu.cn [Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, and High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230026 (China)

    2014-10-15

    We investigate the strain relaxation and surface morphology of epitaxial SrTiO{sub 3} (STO) films grown on (001){sub O} and (110){sub O} planes of orthorhombic NdGaO{sub 3} (NGO), and (001) plane of cubic (LaAlO{sub 3}){sub 0.3}(Sr{sub 2}AlTaO{sub 6}){sub 0.7} (LSAT) substrates. Although the average lattice mismatches are similar, strikingly regular crosshatched surface patterns can be found on STO/NGO(001){sub O}[(110){sub O}] films, contrary to the uniform surface of STO/LSAT(001). Based on the orientation and thickness dependent patterns and high-resolution x-ray diffractions, we ascribe the crosshatch morphology to the anisotropic strain relaxation with possibly the 60° misfit dislocation formation and lateral surface step flow in STO/NGO films, while an isotropic strain relaxation in STO/LSAT. Further, we show that the crosshatched STO/NGO(110){sub O} surface could be utilized as a template to modify the magnetotransport properties of epitaxial La{sub 0.6}Ca{sub 0.4}MnO{sub 3} films. This study highlights the crucial role of symmetry mismatch in determining the surface morphology of the perovskite oxide films, in addition to their epitaxial strain states, and offers a different route for designing and fabricating functional perovskite-oxide devices.

  15. Critical current density of strained multilayer thin films of Nd sub 1. 83 Ce sub 0. 17 CuO sub x /YBa sub 2 Cu sub 3 O sub 7 minus. delta

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gross, R.; Gupta, A.; Olsson, E.; Segmueller, A.; Koren, G. (IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, P.O. Box 218, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 (USA))

    1990-07-09

    The superconducting transport properties of strained multilayer thin films of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{delta}}/ Nd{sub 1.83}Ce{sub 0.17}CuO{sub {ital x}}, grown heteroepitaxially by laser ablation deposition, are reported. For individual layer thicknesses below a critical layer thickness of about 250 A, coherency strain removes the orthorhombic distortion in the YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{delta}} layers and makes them twin-free. Zero-field critical current densities as high as 1.1{times}10{sup 7} A/cm{sup 2} at 77 K have been measured for the YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{delta}} layers. Flux pinning energies at zero temperature and zero magnetic field in the range of 80--140 meV have been found.

  16. [Phenotypic diversity of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor strains identified in China].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Xuan; Zhang, Li; Li, Jie; Kan, Biao; Liang, Weili

    2014-05-01

    To understand the phenotypic diversity of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor strains isolated from different provinces in China during the last 50 years. Traditional biotyping testings including susceptibility to polymyxin B, sensitivity to group IV phage, Voges-Proskauer test and haemolysis of sheep erythrocytes were conducted. Data from Biotype-specific phenotype analysis revealed that only 133 isolates carried the typical El Tor phenotypes while the other 251 isolates displayed atypical El Tor phenotypes. Combined with ctxB, rstR genotypes and phenotypic characteristics, 64 isolates were identified as typical El Tor biotype, 21 were El Tor variants that showing the typical El Tor biotype-specific phenotype but with ctxB(class). 280 isolates were defined as the hybrid groups with traits of both classical and El Tor biotypes that could be further classified into 45 groups, based on the combination of genotypes of ctxB, rstR and phenotypic characteristics. Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor strains that isolated from different provinces in China displayed high phenotypic diversity. The traditional biotype traits could not be used to correctly distinguish the two different biotypes.

  17. Polarization-independent rapidly tunable optical add-drop multiplexer utilizing non-polarizing beam splitters in Ti:LiNbO3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Yong-Wook; Sung, Won Ju; Eknoyan, O.; Madsen, C. K.; Taylor, H. F.

    2012-04-01

    A polarization-independent four-port wavelength-tunable optical add drop multiplexer (OADM) that utilizes non-polarizing relaxed beam splitters has been analyzed and demonstrated in Ti:LiNbO3 at the 1530 nm wavelength regime. The design utilizes an asymmetric interferometer configuration with strain induced index grating for polarization coupling along its arms that are shifted in position relative to each other. Experimental results of the filter response agree with theoretical predictions. Electrooptic tuning over a range of 15.7 nm at a rate of 0.08 nm/V has been measured. A temporal response < 46 ns to a 20 V step change in tuning voltage has been demonstrated. Fiber-to-fiber insertion loss is ~ 6.5 dB.

  18. Development of stable Vibrio cholerae O1 Hikojima type vaccine strains co-expressing the Inaba and Ogawa lipopolysaccharide antigens.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefan L Karlsson

    Full Text Available We describe here the development of stable classical and El Tor V. cholerae O1 strains of the Hikojima serotype that co-express the Inaba and Ogawa antigens of O1 lipopolysaccharide (LPS. Mutation of the wbeT gene reduced LPS perosamine methylation and thereby gave only partial transformation into Ogawa LPS on the cell surface. The strains express approximately equal amounts of Inaba- and Ogawa-LPS antigens which are preserved after formalin-inactivation of the bacteria. Oral immunizations of both inbred and outbred mice with formalin-inactivated whole-cell vaccine preparations of these strains elicited strong intestinal IgA anti-LPS as well as serum vibriocidal antibody responses against both Inaba and Ogawa that were fully comparable to the responses induced by the licensed Dukoral vaccine. Passive protection studies in infant mice showed that immune sera raised against either of the novel Hikojima vaccine strains protected baby mice against infection with virulent strains of both serotypes. This study illustrates the power of using genetic manipulation to improve the properties of bacteria strains for use in killed whole-cell vaccines.

  19. Effects of precursor on the morphology and size of ZrO2 nanoparticles, synthesized by sol-gel method in non-aqueous medium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammed Rafiq Hussain Siddiqui

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Pure zirconium oxide (ZrO2 nanoparticles with diameters 10-25 nm were synthesized from ZrOCl2.8H2O and Zr(SO42.H2O with benzyl alcohol as non-aqueous solvent medium using sol-gel method. Sodium lauryl sulfate was added as surfactants to control the particle size. The synthesized ZrO2 nanoparticles have a mixture of tetragonal and monoclinic structure. The XRD showed the purity of obtained ZrO2 nanoparticles with tetragonal and monoclinic phase and the crystallite size for ZrOCl2.8H2O precursor was estimated to be 18.1 nm and that from Zr(SO42.H2O was 9.7 nm. The transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopic studies also shows different sizes of nanoparticles and different morphology depending on the precursor used for the synthesis of ZrO2 nanoparticles

  20. Effects of precursor on the morphology and size of ZrO2 nanoparticles, synthesized by sol-gel method in non-aqueous medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siddiqui, Mohammed Rafiq Hussain; Al-Wassil, Abdulaziz Ibrahim; Mahfouz, Refaat Mohamad; Al-Otaibi, Abdullah Mohmmed

    2012-01-01

    Pure zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ) nanoparticles with diameters 10-25 nm were synthesized from ZrOCl 2 .8H 2 O and Zr(SO 4 )2.H 2 O with benzyl alcohol as non-aqueous solvent medium using sol-gel method. Sodium lauryl sulfate was added as surfactants to control the particle size. The synthesized ZrO 2 nanoparticles have a mixture of tetragonal and monoclinic structure. The XRD showed the purity of obtained ZrO 2 nanoparticles with tetragonal and monoclinic phase and the crystallite size for ZrOCl 2 .8H 2 O precursor was estimated to be 18.1 nm and that from Zr(SO 4 )2.H 2 O was 9.7 nm. The transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopic studies also shows different sizes of nanoparticles and different morphology depending on the precursor used for the synthesis of ZrO 2 nanoparticles. (author)

  1. Anomalous non-resonant microwave absorption in SmFeAs(O,F) polycrystalline sample

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Onyancha, R.B., E-mail: 08muma@gmail.com [Department of Physics, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa, Johannesburg, 1710 (South Africa); Shimoyama, J. [Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo (Japan); Singh, S.J. [Leibniz-Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, IFW-Dresden, D-01171 Dresden (Germany); Hayashi, K.; Ogino, H. [Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo (Japan); Srinivasu, V.V. [Department of Physics, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa, Johannesburg, 1710 (South Africa)

    2017-02-15

    Highlights: • The non-resonant microwave absorption (NRMA) line shape in evolved with microwave power. • Observed a cross over from ‘normal’ absorption to ‘anomalous’ absorption as a function of microwave power. • The anomalous absorption has been explained in the context of non-hysteretic Josephson junction. - Abstract: Here we present the non-resonant microwave absorption (NRMA) studies on SmFeAsO{sub 0.88}F{sub 0.12} polycrystalline sample measured at 6.06 K with the magnetic field swept from −250 G to +250 G at a frequency of 9.45 GHz. It was observed that the (NRMA) line shape evolves as a function of microwave power. Again, the signal intensity increases from 22.83 µW to 0.710 mW where it reaches a maximum and quite remarkably it changed from ‘normal’ absorption to ‘anomalous’ absorption at 2.247 mW, then the intensity decreases with further increase of microwave power. The crossover from ‘normal’ to ‘anomalous’ NRMA absorption and its dependence on microwave power is a new phenomenon in iron pnictides superconductors and we have attributed this anomaly to come from non-hysteretic Josephson junction.

  2. The first pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica bioserotype 4/O:3 strain isolated from a hunted wild boar (Sus scrofa) in Poland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bancerz-Kisiel, A; Platt-Samoraj, A; Szczerba-Turek, A; Syczyło, K; Szweda, W

    2015-10-01

    The objective of this study was to identify the bioserotypes and virulence markers of Yersinia enterocolitica strains isolated from wild boars in Poland. Bacteriological examination of 302 rectal swabs from 151 wild boars resulted in the isolation of 40 Y. enterocolitica strains. The majority of the examined strains (n = 30), belonged to bioserotype 1A/NI. The presence of individual Y. enterocolitica strains belonging to bioserotypes 1B/NI (3), 1A/O:8 (2), 1A/O:27 (2), 2/NI (1), 2/O:9 (1) and 4/O:3 (1) was also demonstrated. Amplicons corresponding to ail and ystA genes were observed only in one Y. enterocolitica strain--bioserotype 4/O:3. The ail and ystB gene amplicons were noted in 11 Y. enterocolitica biotype 1A strains, although single amplicons of ystB gene were found in 28 of the tested samples. In four out of eight cases when two Y. enterocolitica strains were isolated from the same animal, the strains differed in biotype, serotype or virulence markers. The European population of wild boars continues to grow and spread to new areas, therefore, wild boars harbouring potentially pathogenic Y. enterocolitica 4/O:3 strains pose a challenge to public health.

  3. Giant strain with ultra-low hysteresis and high temperature stability in grain oriented lead-free K0.5Bi0.5TiO3-BaTiO3-Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 piezoelectric materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maurya, Deepam; Zhou, Yuan; Wang, Yaojin; Yan, Yongke; Li, Jiefang; Viehland, Dwight; Priya, Shashank

    2015-02-26

    We synthesized grain-oriented lead-free piezoelectric materials in (K0.5Bi0.5TiO3-BaTiO3-xNa0.5Bi0.5TiO3 (KBT-BT-NBT) system with high degree of texturing along the [001]c (c-cubic) crystallographic orientation. We demonstrate giant field induced strain (~0.48%) with an ultra-low hysteresis along with enhanced piezoelectric response (d33 ~ 190pC/N) and high temperature stability (~160°C). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) results demonstrate smaller size highly ordered domain structure in grain-oriented specimen relative to the conventional polycrystalline ceramics. The grain oriented specimens exhibited a high degree of non-180° domain switching, in comparison to the randomly axed ones. These results indicate the effective solution to the lead-free piezoelectric materials.

  4. The highly virulent 2006 Norwegian EHEC O103:H25 outbreak strain is related to the 2011 German O104:H4 outbreak strain.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Trine M L'Abée-Lund

    Full Text Available In 2006, a severe foodborne EHEC outbreak occured in Norway. Seventeen cases were recorded and the HUS frequency was 60%. The causative strain, Esherichia coli O103:H25, is considered to be particularly virulent. Sequencing of the outbreak strain revealed resemblance to the 2011 German outbreak strain E. coli O104:H4, both in genome and Shiga toxin 2-encoding (Stx2 phage sequence. The nucleotide identity between the Stx2 phages from the Norwegian and German outbreak strains was 90%. During the 2006 outbreak, stx(2-positive O103:H25 E. coli was isolated from two patients. All the other outbreak associated isolates, including all food isolates, were stx-negative, and carried a different phage replacing the Stx2 phage. This phage was of similar size to the Stx2 phage, but had a distinctive early phage region and no stx gene. The sequence of the early region of this phage was not retrieved from the bacterial host genome, and the origin of the phage is unknown. The contaminated food most likely contained a mixture of E. coli O103:H25 cells with either one of the phages.

  5. Resistance gene pool to co-trimoxazole in non-susceptible Nocardia strains.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sylvia eValdezate

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available The soil-borne pathogen Nocardia spp. causes severe cutaneous, pulmonary and central nervous system infections. Against them, co-trimoxazole (SXT constitutes the mainstay of antimicrobial therapy. However, some Nocardia strains show resistance to SXT, but the underlying genetic basis is unknown. We investigated the presence of genetic resistance determinants and class 1-3 integrons in 76 SXT-resistant Nocardia strains by PCR and sequencing. By E-test, these clinical strains showed SXT MICs of ≥32:608 mg/L (ratio of 1:19 for trimethoprim: sulfamethoxazole. They belonged to 12 species, being the main representatives N. farcinica (32%, followed by N. flavorosea (6.5%, N. nova (11.8%, N. carnea (10.5%, N. transvalensis (10.5% and Nocardia spp. (6.5%. The prevalence of resistance genes in the SXT-resistant strains was as follows: sul1 and sul2 93.4% and 78.9% respectively, dfrA(S1 14.7%, blaTEM-1 and blaZ 2.6% and 2.6% respectively, VIM-2 1.3%, aph(3´-IIIa 40.8%, ermA, ermB, mefA and msrD 2.6%, 77.6%, 14.4%, and 5.2% respectively, and tet(O, tet(M, and tet(L 48.6%, 25.0% and 3.9% respectively. Detected amino acid changes in GyrA were not related to fluoroquinolone resistance, but probably linked to species polymorphism. Class 1 and 3 integrons were found in 93.42% and 56.57% strains, respectively. Class 2 integrons and sul3 genes were not detected. Other mechanisms, different than dfrA(S1, dfrD, dfrF, dfrG and dfrK, could explain the strong trimethoprim resistance shown by the other 64 strains. For first time, resistance determinants commonly found in clinically important bacteria were detected in Nocardia spp. sul1, sul2, erm(B and tet(O were the most prevalent in the SXT-resistant strains. The similarity in their resistome could be due to a common genetic platform, in which these determinants are co-transferred

  6. Ozone Sensitivity and Catalase Activity in Pigmented and Non-Pigmented Strains of Serratia Marcescens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Ondarza, José

    2017-01-01

    Ozone exposure rapidly leads to bacterial death, making ozone an effective disinfectant in food industry and health care arena. However, microbial defenses may moderate this effect and play a role in the effective use of oxidizing agents for disinfection. Serratia marcescens is an opportunistic pathogen, expressing genes differentially during infection of a human host. A better understanding of regulatory systems that control expression of Serratia 's virulence genes and defenses is therefore valuable. Here, we investigated the role of pigmentation and catalase in Serratia marcescens on survival to ozone exposure. Pigmented and non-pigmented strains of Serratia marcescens were cultured to exponential or stationary phase and exposed to 5 ppm of gaseous ozone for 2.5 - 10 minutes. Survival was calculated via plate counts. Catalase activity was measured photometrically and tolerance to hydrogen peroxide was assayed by disk-diffusion. Exposure of S. marcescens to 5 ppm gaseous ozone kills > 90% of cells within 10 minutes in a time and concentration-dependent manner. Although pigmented Serratia (grown at 28°C) survived ozonation better than unpigmented Serratia (grown at 35°C), non-pigmented mutant strains of Serratia had similar ozone survival rates, catalase activity and H 2 O 2 tolerance as wild type strains. Rather, ozone survival and catalase activity were elevated in 6 hour cultures compared to 48 hour cultures. Our studies did not bear out a role for prodigiosin in ozone survival. Rather, induction of oxidative stress responses during exponential growth increased both catalase activity and ozone survival in both pigmented and unpigmented S. marcescens .

  7. Pathogenic Potential to Humans of Bovine Escherichia coli O26, Scotland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosser, Tracy; Allison, Lesley J.; Courcier, Emily; Evans, Judith; McKendrick, Iain J.; Pearce, Michael C.; Handel, Ian; Caprioli, Alfredo; Karch, Helge; Hanson, Mary F.; Pollock, Kevin G.J.; Locking, Mary E.; Woolhouse, Mark E.J.; Matthews, Louise; Low, J. Chris; Gally, David L.

    2012-01-01

    Escherichia coli O26 and O157 have similar overall prevalences in cattle in Scotland, but in humans, Shiga toxin–producing E. coli O26 infections are fewer and clinically less severe than E. coli O157 infections. To investigate this discrepancy, we genotyped E. coli O26 isolates from cattle and humans in Scotland and continental Europe. The genetic background of some strains from Scotland was closely related to that of strains causing severe infections in Europe. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling found an association between hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and multilocus sequence type 21 strains and confirmed the role of stx2 in severe human disease. Although the prevalences of E. coli O26 and O157 on cattle farms in Scotland are equivalent, prevalence of more virulent strains is low, reducing human infection risk. However, new data on E. coli O26–associated HUS in humans highlight the need for surveillance of non-O157 enterohemorrhagic E. coli and for understanding stx2 phage acquisition. PMID:22377426

  8. Sequence Variations in the Flagellar Antigen Genes fliCH25 and fliCH28 of Escherichia coli and Their Use in Identification and Characterization of Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC O145:H25 and O145:H28.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lothar Beutin

    Full Text Available Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC serogroup O145 is regarded as one of the major EHEC serogroups involved in severe infections in humans. EHEC O145 encompasses motile and non-motile strains of serotypes O145:H25 and O145:H28. Sequencing the fliC-genes associated with the flagellar antigens H25 and H28 revealed the genetic diversity of the fliCH25 and fliCH28 gene sequences in E. coli. Based on allele discrimination of these fliC-genes real-time PCR tests were designed for identification of EHEC O145:H25 and O145:H28. The fliCH25 genes present in O145:H25 were found to be very similar to those present in E. coli serogroups O2, O100, O165, O172 and O177 pointing to their common evolution but were different from fliCH25 genes of a multiple number of other E. coli serotypes. In a similar way, EHEC O145:H28 harbor a characteristic fliCH28 allele which, apart from EHEC O145:H28, was only found in enteropathogenic (EPEC O28:H28 strains that shared some common traits with EHEC O145:H28. The real time PCR-assays targeting these fliCH25[O145] and fliCH28[O145] alleles allow better characterization of EHEC O145:H25 and EHEC O145:H28. Evaluation of these PCR assays in spiked ready-to eat salad samples resulted in specific detection of both types of EHEC O145 strains even when low spiking levels of 1-10 cfu/g were used. Furthermore these PCR assays allowed identification of non-motile E. coli strains which are serologically not typable for their H-antigens. The combined use of O-antigen genotyping (O145wzy and detection of the respective fliCH25[O145] and fliCH28[O145] allele types contributes to improve identification and molecular serotyping of E. coli O145 isolates.

  9. Time-resolved photoluminescence investigation of (Mg, Zn) O alloy growth on a non-polar plane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohammed Ali, Mohammed Jassim; Chauveau, J. M.; Bretagnon, T.

    2018-04-01

    Excitons recombination dynamics in ZnMgO alloy have been studied by time-resolved photoluminescence according to temperature. At low temperature, localisation effects of the exciton are found to play a significant role. The photoluminescence (PL) decays are bi-exponential. The short lifetime has a constant value, whereas the long lifetime shows a dependency with temperature. For temperature higher than 100 K the declines show a mono-exponential decay. The PL declines are dominated by non-radiative process at temperatures above 150 K. The PL lifetime dependancy with temperature is analysed using a model including localisation effects and non-radiative recombinations.

  10. Structure and transport properties of coherently strained La{sub 2/3}Ca{sub 1/3}MnO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} superlattices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lu, Yafeng [Walther-Meissner-Institut, Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Walther-Meissner Str. 8, 85748 Garching (Germany); Northwest Institute for Nonferrous Metal Research, P.O. Box 51, Xi' an, Shaanxi 710016 (China); Klein, J.; Herbstritt, F.; Philipp, J.B.; Marx, A.; Alff, L.; Gross, R. [Walther-Meissner-Institut, Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Walther-Meissner Str. 8, 85748 Garching (Germany); Zhang, H. [Engineering Center of Electronic Information Materials and Devices, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054 (China)

    2005-07-01

    We have prepared high quality, coherently strained La{sub 2/3}Ca{sub 1/3}MnO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} superlattices with different modulation periods by laser molecular beam epitaxy on (001) SrTiO{sub 3} and NdGaO{sub 3} substrates. A detailed structural characterization was performed by high-angle X-ray diffraction (HAXRD) and low-angle X-ray reflectivity (LAXRR). All superlattices are very flat, show excellent structural coherence and very small mosaic spread (0.02 ). The in-plane coherency strain was varied by changing the thickness ratio of the constituent layers allowing for a systematic variation of the resulting tetragonal distortion of LCMO. The c-axis lattice parameter of LCMO could be continuously changed from 3.87 Aa to 3.79 Aa. The interface roughness was analyzed by offset low-angle X-ray reflectivity and low-angle rocking curve measurements. It was found to be of the order of one unit cell with a significant part of the roughness being vertically correlated. The strain induced tetragonal distortion of LCMO was found to cause strong reduction of the paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition temperature from about 260 to 120 K and an increase of resistivity. The transport properties in the paramagnetic regime could be well described by a small polaron hopping model. The lattice distortions were found to result in a significant increase of the polaron trapping energy. Our results show that coherently strain superlattices are an interesting model system for the systematic study of the effect of lattice distortions on the magnetic and electronic properties of the doped manganites. (copyright 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  11. Survival and interaction of Escherichia coli O104:H4 on Arabidopsis thaliana and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in comparison to E. coli O157:H7: Influence of plant defense response and bacterial capsular polysaccharide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, Hyein; Matthews, Karl R

    2018-06-01

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) has been associated with illnesses and outbreaks linked to fresh vegetables, prompting a growing public health concern. Most studies regarding interactions of STEC on fresh produce focused on E. coli O157:H7. Limited information is available about survival or fitness of E. coli O104:H4, non-O157 pathogen that was linked to one of the largest outbreaks of hemolytic uremic syndrome in 2011. In this study, survival of E. coli O104:H4 was evaluated on Arabidopsis thaliana plant and lettuce for 5 days compared with E. coli O157:H7, and expression of pathogenesis-realted gene (PR1; induction of plant defense response) was examined by reverse transcription quantitative PCR, and potential influence of capsular polysaccharide (CPS) on the bacterial fitness on plant was investigated. Populations of E. coli O104:H4 strains (RG1, C3493, and LpfA) on Arabidopsis and lettuce were significantly (P E. coli O157:H7 strains (7386 and sakai) at day 5 post-inoculation, indicating E. coli O104:H4 may have better survival ability on the plants. In addition, the E. coli O104:H4 strains produced significantly (P E. coli O157:H7 strains. RG1 strain (1.5-fold) initiated significantly (P E. coli O157:H7 strains 7386 (2.9-fold) and sakai (2.7-fold). Collectively, the results in this study suggests that different level of CPS production and plant defense response initiated by each STEC strain might influence the bacterial survival or persistence on plants. The present study provides better understanding of survival behavior of STEC, particularly E. coli O104:H4, using a model plant and vegetable under pre-harvest conditions with plant defense response. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Relação entre o tamanho de hérnia hiatal e tempo de exposição ácida esofágica nas doenças do refluxo erosiva e não-erosiva Relationship between the size of hiatal hernia and esophageal acid exposure time in erosive and non-erosive reflux disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luiz João Abrahão Jr.

    2006-03-01

    erosiva e doença do refluxo não-erosiva.BACKGROUND: In the last few years studies have demonstrated that hiatal hernias have an important role in the pathogenesis of reflux disease, promoting reflux by many different mechanisms, emphasizing that the larger the hiatal hernia, the higher the reflux intensity and erosive esophagitis prevalence. AIM: To correlate the size of hiatal hernias (small or large with reflux intensity (measured by pH monitoring parameters in patients with non-erosive and erosive reflux disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed pH monitoring from patients with typical reflux symptoms (heartburn previously submitted to upper endoscopy. Reflux intensity was measured by the % of total time of pH 5 cm. RESULTS: A total of 192 patients were included, being 115 in erosive reflux disease group and 77 in non-erosive reflux disease group. In erosive reflux disease patients, there were 94 (81% with small hiatal hernias and 21 (19% with large ones and in non-erosive reflux disease patients there were 66 (85% with small and 11(15% with large hiatal hernias. In erosive reflux disease group, the %TT, %UT and %ST were of 13.1 + 7.1; 13.4 + 7.4 and 12.3 + 11.5 in small hiatal hernias and 20.2 + 12.3; 17.8 + 14.1 and 20.7 + 14.1 in large hiatal hernias, respectively (P <0,05 for %TT and %TS. In non-erosive reflux disease patients, %TT, %UT and %ST were 9.6 + 4.8; 10.8 + 6.8 and 8.6 + 7.3 in small hiatal hernias and of 14.6 + 13.3; 11.2 + 7.5 and 18.1 + 21.0 in large hiatal hernias respectively (P <0,05 for %TT and %TS. CONCLUSION: Large hiatal hernias increase acid exposure time only in supine position in erosive esophagitis patients and in non-erosive patients.

  13. Ab initio study of native defects in SnO under strain

    KAUST Repository

    Bianchi Granato, Danilo

    2014-04-01

    Tin monoxide (SnO) has promising properties to be applied as a p-type semiconductor in transparent electronics. To this end, it is necessary to understand the behaviour of defects in order to control them. We use density functional theory to study native defects of SnO under tensile and compressive strain. We show that Sn vacancies are less stable under tension and more stable under compression, irrespectively of the charge state. In contrast, O vacancies behave differently for different charge states. It turns out that the most stable defect under compression is the +1 charged O vacancy in an Sn-rich environment and the charge neutral O interstitial in an O-rich environment. Therefore, compression can be used to transform SnO from a p-type into either an n-type or an undoped semiconductor. Copyright © EPLA, 2014.

  14. Non-equilibrium ionization by a periodic electron beam. II. Synthetic Si IV and O IV transition region spectra

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dzifčáková, Elena; Dudík, Jaroslav

    2018-03-01

    Context. Transition region (TR) spectra typically show the Si IV 1402.8 Å line to be enhanced by a factor of 5 or more compared to the neighboring O IV 1401.2 Å, contrary to predictions of ionization equilibrium models and the Maxwellian distribution of particle energies. Non-equilibrium effects in TR spectra are therefore expected. Aims: To investigate the combination of non-equilibrium ionization and high-energy particles, we apply the model of the periodic electron beam, represented by a κ-distribution that recurs at periods of several seconds, to plasma at chromospheric temperatures of 104 K. This simple model can approximate a burst of energy release involving accelerated particles. Methods: Instantaneous time-dependent charge states of silicon and oxygen were calculated and used to synthesize the instantaneous and period-averaged spectra of Si IV and O IV. Results: The electron beam drives the plasma out of equilibrium. At electron densities of Ne = 1010 cm-3, the plasma is out of ionization equilibrium at all times in all cases we considered, while for a higher density of Ne = 1011 cm-3, ionization equilibrium can be reached toward the end of each period, depending on the conditions. In turn, the character of the period-averaged synthetic spectra also depends on the properties of the beam. While the case of κ = 2 results in spectra with strong or even dominant O IV, higher values of κ can approximate a range of observed TR spectra. Spectra similar to typically observed spectra, with the Si IV 1402.8 Å line about a factor 5 higher than O IV 1401.2 Å, are obtained for κ = 3. An even higher value of κ = 5 results in spectra that are exclusively dominated by Si IV, with negligible O IV emission. This is a possible interpretation of the TR spectra of UV (Ellerman) bursts, although an interpretation that requires a density that is 1-3 orders of magnitude lower than for equilibrium estimates. Movies associated to Fig. A.1 are available at http://https://www.aanda.org

  15. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O22:H8 isolated from cattle reduces E. coli O157:H7 adherence in vitro and in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martorelli, L; Albanese, A; Vilte, D; Cantet, R; Bentancor, A; Zolezzi, G; Chinen, I; Ibarra, C; Rivas, M; Mercado, E C; Cataldi, A

    2017-09-01

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are a group of bacteria responsible for food-associated diseases. Clinical features include a wide range of symptoms such as diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis and the hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening condition. Our group has observed that animals naturally colonized with STEC strains of unknown serotype were not efficiently colonized with E. coli O157:H7 after experimental infection. In order to assess the basis of the interference, three STEC strains were isolated from STEC persistently-colonized healthy cattle from a dairy farm in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The three isolated strains are E. coli O22:H8 and carry the stx1 and stx2d genes. The activatable activity of Stx2d was demonstrated in vitro. The three strains carry the adhesins iha, ehaA and lpf O113 . E. coli O22:H8 formed stronger biofilms in abiotic surface than E. coli O157:H7 (eae+, stx2+) and displayed a more adherent phenotype in vitro towards HeLa cells. Furthermore, when both serotypes were cultured together O22:H8 could reduce O157:H7 adherence in vitro. When calves were intragastrically pre-challenged with 10 8 CFU of a mixture of the three STEC strains and two days later challenged with the same dose of the strain E. coli O157:H7 438/99, the shedding of the pathogen was significantly reduced. These results suggest that E. coli O22:H8, a serotype rarely associated with human illness, might compete with O157:H7 at the bovine recto-anal junction, making non-O157 carrying-calves less susceptible to O157:H7 colonization and shedding of the bacteria to the environment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Compressibilidade de um solo sob sistemas de pastejo rotacionado intensivo irrigado e não irrigado Soil compressibility under non-irrigated and irrigated short duration grazing systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. L. R. Lima

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available O incremento da produtividade das pastagens tem sido associado ao comportamento à compressão dos solos. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram: quantificar as curvas de compressão e a pressão de preconsolidação em sistemas de pastejo intensivo rotacionado irrigado e não irrigado. Foram coletadas 96 amostras indeformadas de solo em quatro ciclos sucessivos de pastejo instalado com capim Tanzânia (Panicum maximum Jacq. em um Argissolo Vermelho. Após saturadas com água e equilibradas no potencial (psi: -10 kPa, as amostras foram pesadas e submetidas ao ensaio de compressão uniaxial com a aplicação sucessiva e contínua de pressões de 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1.000, 1.300 e 1.600 kPa. Os resultados comprovaram a hipótese de que houve diferença na compressibilidade do solo sob os sistemas de pastejo rotacionado intensivo irrigado e não irrigado. A maior compactação inicial verificada no sistema de pastejo rotacionado intensivo irrigado favoreceu o deslocamento das curvas de compressão uniaxial para valores superiores de densidade do solo. A pressão de preconsolidação foi significativamente superior no quarto ciclo de pastejo no sistema de pastejo rotacionado intensivo irrigado em relação ao sistema pastejo rotacionado intensivo não irrigado.Increment in pasture productivity has been associated with the understanding of the soil behavior under compression. The objective of this research was to quantify (a the compression curves and (b the preconsolidation pressure of the soils under non-irrigated and irrigated short duration grazing systems. Ninety-six undisturbed soil samples were taken from the four successive pasture cycles of Tanzania grass (Panicum maximum Jacq. in a Hapludalf. The samples were saturated in water and equilibrated at the matrix potential (psi: -10 kPa and then were weighed and submitted to an uniaxial compression test, applying the following pressures: 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1,000, 1,300, and

  17. Selective epitaxial growth properties and strain characterization of Si1- x Ge x in SiO2 trench arrays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koo, Sangmo; Jang, Hyunchul; Ko, Dae-Hong

    2017-04-01

    In this study, we investigated the formation of a Si1- x Ge x fin structure in SiO2 trench arrays via an ultra-high-vacuum chemical-vapor deposition (UHV-CVD) selective epitaxial growth (SEG) process. Defect generation and microstructures of Si1- x Ge x fin structures with different Ge concentrations ( x = 0.2, 0.3 and 0.45) were examined. In addition, the strain evolution of a Si1- x Ge x fin structure was analyzed by using reciprocal space mapping (RSM). An (111) facet was formed from the Si1- x Ge x epi-layer and SiO2 trench wall interface to minimize the interface and the surface energy. The Si1- x Ge x fin structures were fully relaxed along the direction perpendicular to the trenches regardless of the Ge concentration. On the other hand, the fin structures were fully or partially strained along the direction parallel to the trenches depending on the Ge concentration: fully strained Si0.8Ge0.2 and Si0.7Ge0.3, and a Si0.55Ge0.45 strain-relaxed buffer. We further confirmed that the strain on the Si1- x Ge x fin structures remained stable after oxide removal and H2/N2 post-annealing.

  18. Vanillin production by recombinant strains of Escherichia coli Produção de vanilina por linhagens recombinantes de Escherichia coli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Attilio Converti

    2003-11-01

    Full Text Available Vanillin production from ferulate was studied using different recombinant strains of Escherichia coli. To prevent the occurrence of aerobic conditions and then possible product oxidation, tests were performed in Erlenmeyer flasks under mild mixing (150 rpm. Among other transformants, E. coli JM109(pBB1 appeared to be the best vanillin producer, being able to convert no less than 95% of starting ferulate to the product within 1h. This yield decreased down to 72% after 72h, likely because of a non-specific oxidase activity responsible for vanillin oxidation to vanillate.A produção de vanilina a partir de ácido ferúlico foi estudada utilizando-se diferentes linhagens recombinantes de Escherichia coli. Para prevenir a ocorrência de condições de aerobiose e a possível oxidação do produto, os ensaios foram realizados em frascos Erlenmeyer sob agitação moderada (150 rpm. E. coli JM109 (pBBI mostrou-se o melhor produtor de vanilina entre os demais agentes transformantes, sendo capaz de converter 95% do ácido ferúlico inicial em produto após 1h, rendimento este que decresceu para 72% após 72h, provavelmente devido à atividade de uma oxidase não-específica responsável pela oxidação de vanilina a ácido vanílico.

  19. Non-isothermal crystallization kinetics and phase transformation of Bi2O3-SiO2 glass-ceramics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guo H.W.

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The Bi2O3-SiO2 (BS glass-ceramics were prepared by melt-quench technique, and the crystallization kinetics and phase transformation behavior were investigated in accordance with Kissinger and Johson-Mehl-Avrami equation, DSC, XRD and SEM. The results show that in the heat treatment process (or termed as re-crystallizing process Bi2SiO5 and Bi4Si3O12 crystals were found consequently. Respectively, the crystallization activation energies of the two crystals are Ep1=14.8kJ/mol and Ep2=34.1kJ/mol. And the average crystallization index of n1=1.73 and n2=1.38 suggested volume nucleation, one-dimensional growth and surface nucleation, one-dimensional growth from surface to the inside respectively. The meta-stable needle-like Bi2SiO5 crystals are easily to be transformed into stable prismatic Bi4Si3O12 crystals. By quenching the melt and hold in 850°C for 1h, the homogenous single Bi4Si3O12 crystals were found in the polycrystalline phase of the BS glassceramics system.

  20. Spatial distribution and shell utilization in three sympatric hermit crabs at non-consolidated sublittoral of estuarine-bay complex in São Vicente, São Paulo, Brazil

    OpenAIRE

    Sant'Anna, Bruno S. [UNESP; Zangrande, Cilene M. [UNESP; Reigada, Álvaro L.D. [UNESP; Severino-Rodrigues, Evandro

    2006-01-01

    The objective of the present study was to characterize the spatial distribution and shell utilization of three hermit crab species in the estuarine-bay complex of São Vicente, São Paulo State, Brazil. Monthly samples were done throughout two years, in the non-consolidated sub-littoral at the estuarine-bay complex. The environmental factors, such as temperature, salinity and depth, were measured every month. The three hermit crab species, Clibanarius vittatus, Loxopagurus loxochelis and Isoche...

  1. Caracterização de biótipos de Staphylococcus aureus isolados de mastite bovina Biotyping of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from bovine mastitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.A.V.P. Brito

    2000-10-01

    Full Text Available Duzentos e dezoito amostras de Staphylococcus aureus, isoladas de infecção intramamária de vacas de 44 rebanhos leiteiros, foram classificadas em biótipos de acordo com os testes de produção de estafiloquinase (K, beta-hemolisina (beta , coagulação do plasma bovino (Pl e crescimento na presença de cristal violeta (CV. As amostras foram distribuídas em 10 biótipos e 63 delas foram classificadas nas ecovariedades bovina (35, ovina (17, aviária (10 e humana (1 e 155 não apresentaram características específicas de hospedeiro. Estas últimas podem ser isoladas de homem, cabra, coelho, suíno, alimentos e de mastite bovina. O biótipo 1, encontrado com maior freqüência (37,2%, apresentou o padrão K (-, beta (+, Pl (- e CV (azul. Em sete rebanhos nos quais se examinaram 10 ou mais amostras, verificou-se que, apesar da ocorrência simultânea de mais de um biótipo por rebanho, houve predominância de um sobre os demais.Two hundred and eighteen strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bovine intramammary infections, obtained from 44 different dairy herds, were classified in biotypes based on staphylokinase (K and beta-haemolysin (beta production, bovine plasma coagulation (Pl and growth on crystal violet agar (CV. The strains were assigned to 10 different types, with 63 in the bovine (35, ovine (17, poultry (10 and human (1 ecovars and 155 in non-host specific biotypes. The latter can be isolated from man, goat, rabbit, pig, food, and bovine mastitis. The biotype 1, with reaction pattern K (-, beta (+, Pl (- and CV (blue, was the most frequently found (37,2%. From seven herds ten or more strains were examined. It was found that in spite of the presence of different biotypes per herd, there was always one prevalent biotype.

  2. Characterization of dispersion of a nano composites PP/TiO{sub 2} non modified; Caracterizacao da dispersao dos nanocompositos de PP/TiO{sub 2} nao modificados

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Soares, Igor L.; Tavares, Maria I.B.; Silva, Vanessa A. da; Legramanti, Cintia, E-mail: igorl@ima.ufrj.br [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ, Instituto de Macromoleculas - IMA (Brazil); Luetkmeyer, Leandro [Universidades Federais do Mato Grosso - UFMT, Escritorio de Inovacao Tecnologica - EIT (Brazil)

    2011-07-01

    Polymeric nano composites are composite materials where an inorganic particle, which has a dimension in the nanometer range, is dispersed in a polymer matrix. Nano composites, using polypropylene (PP) as matrix polymer and titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) as filler, have great versatility in marketing applications, this factor is inherent in the PP and the inherent ability photo degraded TiO{sub 2} particles. This combination can lead to a widely used material and a degradation time after discharge reduced, there by becoming, a residue of low environmental impact. This study aimed to evaluate the dispersion and particle distribution of TiO{sub 2}, non modified, in PP matrix, using the process of preparation by melt extrusion pathway and characterization of the materials obtained: on the molecular dynamics, using low field NMR solid state, measures the relaxation time spin-network (T{sub 1}H); morphology using XRD technique, and thermal analysis technique with the TGA of pure PP and nano composites PP/TiO{sub 2}. (author)

  3. Avaliação nutricional pré e pós-operatória em pacientes com megaesôfago não-avançado Preoperative and postoperative nutrional evaluation in patients with non-advanced megaesophagus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Aparecida Coelho de Arruda Henry

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available O megaesôfago, afecção caracterizada por aperistalse do corpo esofágico e relaxamento deficiente do esfíncter inferior do esôfago, apresenta a disfagia como o sintoma mais frequente. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o estado nutricional de pacientes com megaesôfago não-avançado nos períodos pré e pós-operatórios de cardiomiotomia videolaparoscópica. Dez pacientes foram avaliados em cinco momentos (pré-operatório e aos 1, 3, 6 e 12 meses após a cirurgia. Os parâmetros antropométricos, hematimétricos e bioquímicos foram estudados nos cinco momentos. CONCLUSÕES: 1 a maioria dos pacientes com megaesôfago não-avançado é eutrófica; 2 o tratamento cirúrgico acarreta melhora do estado nutricional e aumento dos valores do HDL colesterol.Megaesophagus, an affection characterized by the aperistalsis of the esophageal body and deficient relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter presents dysphagia as the most frequent complaint. The goal of this study was to evaluate the nutritional status of patients with non-advanced megaesophagus in pre and postoperative periods of laparoscopic cardiomyotomy. Ten patients were studied in five moments (pre operative and at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery. The anthropometric, hematimetric and biochemical parameters were studied in five moments. CONCLUSIONS: 1 most patients with non-advanced megaesophagus were eutrophic; 2 surgical treatment led to improvement in nutritional status and increase of HDL cholesterol fraction.

  4. Non-O blood groups can be a prognostic marker of in-hospital and long-term major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cetin, Mehmet Serkan; Ozcan Cetin, Elif Hande; Aras, Dursun; Topaloglu, Serkan; Temizhan, Ahmet; Kisacik, Halil Lutfi; Aydogdu, Sinan

    2015-09-01

    Recent studies have suggested ABO blood type locus as an inherited predictor of thrombosis, cardiovascular risk factors, myocardial infarction. However, data is scarce about the impact of non-O blood groups on prognosis in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic importance of non-O blood groups in patients with STEMI undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) METHODS: 1835 consecutive patients who were admitted with acute STEMI between 2010 and 2015 were included and followed-up for a median of 35.6months. The prevalence of hyperlipidemia, total cholesterol, LDL, peak CKMB and no-reflow as well as hospitalization duration were higher in patients with non-O blood groups. Gensini score did not differ between groups. During the in-hospital and long-term follow-up period, MACE, the prevalence of stent thrombosis, non-fatal MI, and mortality were higher in non-O blood groups. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, non-0 blood groups were demonstrated to be independent predictors of in-hospital (OR:2.085 %CI: 1.328-3.274 p=0.001) and long term MACE (OR:2.257 %CI: 1.325-3.759 pblood group compared with O blood group (pblood groups were determined to be significant prognostic indicators of short- and long-term cardiovascular adverse events and mortality in patients with STEMI undergoing pPCI. In conjunction with other prognostic factors, evaluation of this parameter may improve the risk categorization and tailoring the individual therapy and follow-up in STEMI patient population. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Critical current density of strained multilayer thin films of Nd1.83Ce0.17CuOx/YBa2Cu3O7-δ

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gross, R.; Gupta, A.; Olsson, E.; Segmueller, A.; Koren, G.

    1990-01-01

    The superconducting transport properties of strained multilayer thin films of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ / Nd 1.83 Ce 0.17 CuO x , grown heteroepitaxially by laser ablation deposition, are reported. For individual layer thicknesses below a critical layer thickness of about 250 A, coherency strain removes the orthorhombic distortion in the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ layers and makes them twin-free. Zero-field critical current densities as high as 1.1x10 7 A/cm 2 at 77 K have been measured for the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ layers. Flux pinning energies at zero temperature and zero magnetic field in the range of 80--140 meV have been found

  6. Strain and Ferroelectric-Field Effects Co-mediated Magnetism in (011)-CoFe2O4/Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)0.7Ti0.3O3Multiferroic Heterostructures

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Ping; Jin, Chao; Zheng, Dongxing; Li, Dong; Gong, Junlu; Li, Peng; Bai, Haili

    2016-01-01

    Electric-field mediated magnetism was investigated in CoFe2O4 (CFO, deposited by reactive cosputtering under different Oxygen flow rates) films fabricated on (011)-Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)(0.7)Ti0.3O3 (PMN-PT) substrates. Ascribed to the volatile strain

  7. A Animação de Imagens no 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico Programa CRIANÇAS PRIME1Rº do Serviço Educativo CINANIMA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paulo Oliveira Fernandes

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Este artigo apresenta o programa CRIANÇAS PRIME1Rº, uma iniciativa do Serviço Educativo CINANIMA – Festival Internacional de Cinema de Animação de Espinho, com o apoio da Direção-geral de Educação – Plano Nacional de Cinema, dirigido a crianças do 1.º ciclo do Ensino Básico, com o objetivo de proporcionar o contacto com a animação de imagens e a realização de filmes de animação em contexto educativo. Para além das questões técnicas associadas ao cinema de animação, este programa tem na sua base preocupações eminentemente pedagógicas, desenvolvendo-se através de metodologias de projeto e didática da imagem animada. No seu primeiro ano de desenvolvimento (ano letivo 2015/2016 estiveram envolvidas 139 crianças de 7 turmas do 1.º ciclo do ensino básico. No final do processo os filmes foram exibidos em duas sessões especiais inseridas no programa da 40ª edição do Festival CINANIMA, editados em suporte DVD e oferecidos a todos os alunos intervenientes, professores e parceiros deste programa.

  8. Tratamento cirúrgico de nasoangiofibroma sem embolização Surgical Treatment of Non-embolized Patients with Nasoangiofibroma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adriano Santana Fonseca

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Nasoangiofibroma juvenil (NAFJ é um tumor incomum que se localiza na região do forame esfenopalatino. A cirurgia combinada à embolização pré-operatória tem sido a opção terapêutica mais empregada nos pacientes com NAFJ sem invasão intracraniana. O objetivo desse estudo é avaliar a viabilidade do tratamento cirúrgico do nasoangiofibroma em pacientes estágios I- III de Fisch, sem uso de embolização pré- operatória. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: Estudo descritivo, retrospectivo, utilizando-se dados de revisão de prontuário de quinze pacientes com NAFJ estágio I a III de Fisch submetidos à cirurgia sem embolização pré-operatória, entre os anos de 2000 e 2005. RESULTADOS: Dos quinze pacientes, sete pacientes foram submetidos à cirurgia endoscópica, quatro via transmaxilar, três via endoscópica e transmaxilar e um via transmaxilar e transpalatina. Seis pacientes necessitaram de hemotransfusão no intra-operatório, com média geral de 1.3 bolsa/paciente. Nenhum caso de mortalidade ou morbidade significativa foi registrado. Onze dos quinze pacientes foram acompanhados por tempo médio de doze meses com taxa de recidiva de 27%. Quatro pacientes perderam seguimento. CONLUSÃO: A ressecção de NAFJ classes I- III foi realizada com segurança em pacientes não-embolizados, com taxa de sangramento intraoperatório, ocorrência de complicações e taxa de recorrência próximas dos valores pesquisados na literatura para pacientes embolizados.Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA is an uncommon tumor of the sphenopalatine foramen. Surgery combined with preoperative embolization has been the treatment of choice for JNA patients without intracranial invasion. This study aims to assess the viability of surgically treating non-embolized patients with JNA (types I-III according to Fisch. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This is a retrospective, descriptive study based on the medical records of 15 patients with histologically confirmed JNA (Fisch

  9. Enhancing Thermoelectric Figure-of-Merit of Polycrystalline Na y CoO2 by a Combination of Non-stoichiometry and Co-substitution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallick, Md. Mofasser; Vitta, Satish

    2018-06-01

    Co-oxides with a layered structure are of interest for high-temperature thermoelectric applications as they can be tuned to enhance their electrical conductivity while retaining their low thermal conductivity. The figure-of-merit of Na y CoO2 has been enhanced using the combined effects of Na-non-stoichiometry and non-isoelectronic Co-substitution. A series of compounds Na0.7Co1- x Ni x O2 with x ≤ 0.1 have been synthesized using conventional techniques. Structural analysis using x-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement shows the formation of a γ-NaCoO2-type phase in all the compounds. The presence of a small amount of NiO for x > 0.05 indicates that the solubility limit of Ni in Na0.7CoO2 is 5 at.%. All the compounds have been found to be p-type with the thermopower reaching a maximum of 220 μV K-1 at 1023 K for x = 0.1. The thermopower has been found to vary linearly with temperature for all the compounds; a degenerate metallic behavior. The electrical resistivity varies between 3 and 10 mΩ cm at all temperatures and has a metallic temperature dependence in agreement with the thermopower results. The power factor for the x = 0.1 compound reaches a maximum value of 0.55 mW m-1 K-2 at ˜ 900 K compared to 0.45 mW m-1 K-2 for the compound with no substitution. The thermal conductivity at 1023 K decreases from 1.2 to 0.9 W m-1 K-1 for x = 0.1. These factors lead to an increase of the figure-of-merit, zT, to 0.58 at 1023 K for x = 0.1, an increase of 57% compared to the unsubstituted compound. The magnetic studies show that Na0.7CoO2 is paramagnetic with an antiferromagnetic transition at ˜ 36 K. Substitution of Ni2+ for Co3+ has been found to induce a ferromagnetic-like transition at ˜ 240 K which is suppressed at high fields.

  10. Genetic Diversity of the fliC Genes Encoding the Flagellar Antigen H19 of Escherichia coli and Application to the Specific Identification of Enterohemorrhagic E. coli O121:H19

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beutin, Lothar; Delannoy, Sabine

    2015-01-01

    Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O121:H19 belong to a specific clonal type distinct from other classical EHEC and major enteropathogenic E. coli groups and is regarded as one of the major EHEC serogroups involved in severe infections in humans. Sequencing of the fliC genes associated with the flagellar antigen H19 (fliCH19) revealed the genetic diversity of the fliCH19 gene sequences in E. coli. A cluster analysis of 12 fliCH19 sequences, 4 from O121 and 8 from non-O121 E. coli strains, revealed five different genotypes. All O121:H19 strains fell into one cluster, whereas a second cluster was formed by five non-O121:H19 strains. Cluster 1 and cluster 2 strains differ by 27 single nucleotide exchanges in their fliCH19 genes (98.5% homology). Based on allele discrimination of the fliCH19 genes, a real-time PCR test was designed for specific identification of EHEC O121:H19. The O121 fliCH19 PCR tested negative in 73 E. coli H19 strains that belonged to serogroups other than O121, including 28 different O groups, O-nontypeable H19, and O-rough:H19 strains. The O121 fliCH19 PCR reacted with all 16 tested O121:H19 strains and 1 O-rough:H19 strain which was positive for the O121 wzx gene. A cross-reaction was observed only with E. coli H32 strains which share sequence similarities in the target region of the O121 fliCH19 PCR. The combined use of O-antigen genotyping (O121 wzx) and the detection of O121 fliCH19 allele type contributes to improving the identification and molecular serotyping of EHEC O121:H19 motile and nonmotile strains and variants of these strains lacking stx genes. PMID:25862232

  11. Preditores de não aderência ao tratamento na psicoterapia psicanalítica de crianças Predictors of treatment non-adherence in child psychoanalytic psychotherapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marina Bento Gastaud

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUÇÃO: A alta prevalência de interrupções nas fases iniciais do atendimento psicoterapêutico tem sido demonstrada em estudos nacionais e internacionais. Estudos com pacientes adultos têm demonstrado variáveis sociodemográficas e clínicas associadas à aderência/não aderência à psicoterapia, porém a literatura voltada a crianças é escassa. OBJETIVO:Examinar a associação entre variáveis sociodemográficas/clínicas e aderência/não aderência à psicoterapia psicanalítica de crianças. MÉTODO: Trata-se de estudo documental, retrospectivo, realizado a partir dos prontuários de todas as crianças atendidas em duas instituições de atendimento psicológico em Porto Alegre entre 1979 e 2007. RESULTADOS: Foram analisados 2.106 prontuários, sendo que 1.083 compuseram a amostra final da presente investigação. Destas, 21,5% não aderiram ao tratamento. A variável fonte de encaminhamento mostrou-se associada ao desfecho, demonstrando que o encaminhamento à psicoterapia por psiquiatras é um fator protetor à não aderência ao tratamento, enquanto que o encaminhamento pela família é um fator de risco para a não aderência. CONCLUSÃO: Conhecer o perfil das crianças que não aderem à psicoterapia possibilita aos terapeutas o estabelecimento de técnicas de intervenção em fases iniciais do tratamento, a fim de facilitar a adesão da família à psicoterapia da criança. Abandono e não aderência à psicoterapia devem ser entendidos por clínicos e pesquisadores como fenômenos distintos, tendo em vista que apresentam preditores diferentes.INTRODUCTION: The high prevalence of interruptions in the early stages of psychotherapeutic treatment has been shown in national and international studies. Studies conducted with adults have demonstrated association between social, demographic, and clinical characteristics and adherence/non-adherence to psychotherapy; however, literature focused on children is scarce. OBJECTIVE: To

  12. Bradyrhizobium strain and the 15N natural abundance quantification of biological N2 fixation in soybean Estirpe do Bradyrhizobium e quantificação da fixação biológica de nitrogênio em soja utilizando a técnica da abundância natural de 15N

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Paula Guimarães

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available In commercial plantations of soybean in both the Southern and the Cerrado regions, contributions from biological nitrogen fixation (BNF are generally proportionately high. When using the 15N natural abundance technique to quantify BNF inputs, it is essential to determine, with accuracy, the 15N abundance of the N derived from BNF (the 'B' value. This study aimed to determine the effect of four recommended strains of Bradyrhizobium spp. (two B. japonicum and two B. elkanii on the 'B' value of soybean grown in pots in an open field using an equation based on the determination of δ15N natural abundance in a non-labelled soil, and estimate of the contribution of BNF derived from the use of 15N-isotope dilution in soils enriched with 15N. To evaluate N2 fixation by soybean, three non-N2-fixing reference crops were grown under the same conditions. Regardless of Bradyrhizobium strain, no differences were observed in dry matter, nodule weight and total N between labelled and non-labelled soil. The N2 fixation of the soybeans grown in the two soil conditions were similar. The mean 'B' values of the soybeans inoculated with the B. japonicum strains were -1.84 ‰ and -0.50 ‰, while those inoculated with B. elkanii were -3.67 ‰ and -1.0 ‰, for the shoot tissue and the whole plant, respectively. Finally, the 'B' value for the soybean crop varied considerably in function of the inoculated Bradyrhizobium strain, being most important when only the shoot tissue was utilised to estimate the proportion of N in the plant derived from N2 fixation.Em plantações comerciais de soja na região Sul e do Cerrado, as contribuições da fixação biológica de Nitrogênio (FBN são geralmente elevadas. Quando usamos a técnica da abundância natural de 15N para quantificar a FBN, é essencial determinar com exatidão a abundância de 15N do N derivado da FBN (valor 'B'. Este trabalho buscou determinar o efeito das quatro estirpes de Bradyrhizobium spp. (duas B

  13. Comparison of the optics of non-tracking and novel types of tracking solar thermal collectors for process heat applications up to 300{sup o}C

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grass, C.; Schoelkopf, W.; Staudacher, L.; Hacker, Z. [Bavarian Centre for Applied Energy Research, ZAE Bayern Division 4, Garching (Germany)

    2004-03-01

    Evacuated CPC (compound parabolic concentrator) collectors with non-tracking reflectors are compared with two novel tracking collectors: a parabolic trough and an evacuated tube collector with integrated tracking reflector. Non-tracking low concentrating CPC collectors are mostly mounted in east-west direction with a latitude dependent slope angle. They are suitable at most for working temperatures up to 200-250 {sup o}C. We present a tracking evacuated tube-collector with a trough-like concentrating mirror. Single-axis tracking of the mirror is realized with a magnetic mechanism. The mirror is mounted inside the evacuated tube and hence protected from environmental influences. One axis tracking in combination with a small acceptance angle allows for higher concentration as compared to non-tracking concentrating collectors. Ray-tracing analysis shows a half acceptance angle of about 5.7{sup o} at geometrical concentration ratio of 3.2. Losses of well constructed evacuated tube collectors (heat conductivity through the manifolds inside the thermally insulated terminating housing are low) are dominated by radiation losses of the absorber. Hence, reducing the absorber size can lead to higher efficiencies at high operating temperature levels. With the presented collector we aim for operating temperatures up to 350 {sup o}C. At temperatures of 300 {sup o}C we expect with anti-reflective coating of the glass tube and a selective absorber coating efficiencies of 0.65. This allows for application in industrial process heat generation, high efficient solar cooling and power generation. A first prototype, equipped with a standard glass tube and a black paint absorber coating, was tested at ZAE Bayern. The optical efficiency was measured to be 0.71. This tube-collector is compared by ray-tracing with non-tracking market available tube-collectors with geometrical concentration ratios up to 1.1 and with a low cost parabolic trough collector of Industrial Solar Technology (IST

  14. Hepatectomia para o tratamento de metástases colorretais e não-colorretais: análise comparativa em 30 casos operados Hepatectomy for metastasis from colorectal and non-colorectal origin: comparative analysis in 30 resectable cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergio Renato Pais Costa

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available RACIONAL: Hepatectomia é a melhor opção terapêutica curativa para metástases hepáticas de origem colorretal. Mais recentemente, ressecção hepática também tem sido realizada para metástases de etiologia não-colorretal. OBJETIVO: Comparar os resultados em curto e longo prazo de uma série de hepatectomias para 20 doentes com metástase colorretal com uma série de 10 doentes com metástase não-colorretal realizadas pelo Serviço de Cirurgia Geral (Disciplina de Cirurgia do Aparelho Digestivo da Faculdade Medicina do ABC (Santo André - Brasil. MÉTODOS: Os dados completos de 30 doentes submetidos à hepatectomia por metástase metacrônica entre o período de Janeiro de 2001 e Setembro de 2007 foram avaliados. Vinte com metástase colorretal (Grupo 1 foram comparados com dez com metástase não-colorretal (Grupo 2. Foi realizada análise multivariada dos fatores prognósticos com o programa Epi-Info para Windows. RESULTADOS: Foram realizadas vinte hepatectomias maiores e dez hepatectomias menores. A morbidade foi similar entre os grupos (p >0,05. A mortalidade cirúrgica foi maior no Grupo 1 do que no Grupo 2 (5 % X 0 %, mas não houve significância estatística (p>0,05. Os índices de sobrevida global em 3 e 5 anos foram comparáveis entre os dois grupos (p>0,05. CONCLUSÃO: Nessa amostra, a ressecção hepática para metástase de etiologia não-colorretal apresenta resultados similares aos da metástase colorretal com sobrevida em cinco anos de 20 %. Foram fatores prognósticos adversos: mais que uma metástase e linfonodo positivo.BACKGROUND: Hepatectomy has presented the best curative therapeutic choice for hepatic metastatic colorectal cancer. More recently, hepatic resection has been performed for hepatic metastases from non-colorectal origin too. AIM: To compare both early and long-term surgical outcomes on 20 patients' series of colorectal with 10 patients' series of non-colorectal hepatic metastases realized by General

  15. Immunogenicity of a killed bivalent (O1 and O139 whole cell oral cholera vaccine, Shanchol, in Haiti.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richelle C Charles

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Studies of the immunogenicity of the killed bivalent whole cell oral cholera vaccine, Shanchol, have been performed in historically cholera-endemic areas of Asia. There is a need to assess the immunogenicity of the vaccine in Haiti and other populations without historical exposure to Vibrio cholerae.We measured immune responses after administration of Shanchol, in 25 adults, 51 older children (6-17 years, and 47 younger children (1-5 years in Haiti, where cholera was introduced in 2010. A≥4-fold increase in vibriocidal antibody titer against V. cholerae O1 Ogawa was observed in 91% of adults, 74% of older children, and 73% of younger children after two doses of Shanchol; similar responses were observed against the Inaba serotype. A≥2-fold increase in serum O-antigen specific polysaccharide IgA antibody levels against V. cholerae O1 Ogawa was observed in 59% of adults, 45% of older children, and 61% of younger children; similar responses were observed against the Inaba serotype. We compared immune responses in Haitian individuals with age- and blood group-matched individuals from Bangladesh, a historically cholera-endemic area. The geometric mean vibriocidal titers after the first dose of vaccine were lower in Haitian than in Bangladeshi vaccinees. However, the mean vibriocidal titers did not differ between the two groups after the second dose of the vaccine.A killed bivalent whole cell oral cholera vaccine, Shanchol, is highly immunogenic in Haitian adults and children. A two-dose regimen may be important in Haiti, and other populations lacking previous repeated exposures to V. cholerae.

  16. Microstructure research for ferroelectric origin in the strained Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 thin film via geometric phase analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bi, Han; Sun, Qingqing; Zhao, Xuebing; You, Wenbin; Zhang, David Wei; Che, Renchao

    2018-04-01

    Recently, non-volatile semiconductor memory devices using a ferroelectric Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 film have been attracting extensive attention. However, at the nano-scale, the phase structure remains unclear in a thin Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 film, which stands in the way of the sustained development of ferroelectric memory nano-devices. Here, a series of electron microscopy evidences have illustrated that the interfacial strain played a key role in inducing the orthorhombic phase and the distorted tetragonal phase, which was the origin of the ferroelectricity in the Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 film. Our results provide insight into understanding the association between ferroelectric performances and microstructures of Hf0.5Zr0.5O2-based systems.

  17. The increased severity in patients presenting to hospital with diarrhea in Dhaka, Bangladesh since the emergence of the hybrid strain of Vibrio cholerae O1 is not unique to cholera patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chowdhury, Fahima; Kuchta, Alison; Khan, Ashraful Islam; Faruque, A S G; Calderwood, Stephen B; Ryan, Edward T; Qadri, Firdausi

    2015-11-01

    A hybrid strain of Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor that expresses a classical cholera toxin (CT) emerged in 2001. This hybrid variant rapidly replaced the previous El Tor strain around the world. The global emergence of this variant coincided with anecdotal reports that cholera patients were presenting with more severe dehydration and disease in many locations. A comparison was made of the severity of disease before and after the emergence of the hybrid strain in cholera patients attending an icddr,b hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was found that cholera patients presented with more severe dehydration and severe disease in the later period. However, this was also true for all non-cholera patients as well. In addition, in sub-analyses of patients who presented with rotavirus and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), similar results were found. Comparing the two periods for differences in patient characteristics, nutritional status, vaccination status, and income, no plausible cause for patients presenting with more severe disease was identified in the later period. As a shift in severity for both cholera and non-cholera was observed, these results indicate that the altered El Tor strain cannot fully explain the difference in cholera severity before and after 2001. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  18. Optical properties of nanocrystalline potassium lithium niobate in the glass system (100-x) TeO2-x(1.5K2O-Li2O-2.5Nb2O5).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahamad, M Niyaz; Varma, K B R

    2009-08-01

    Optically clear glasses of various compositions in the system (100-x) TeO2-x(1.5K2O-Li2O-2.5Nb2O5) (2 glasses comprising potassium lithium niobate (K3Li2Nb5O15) microcrystallites on the surface and nanocrystallites within the glass were obtained by controlled heat-treatment of the as-quenched glasses just above the glass transition temperature (T(g)). The optical transmission spectra of these glasses and glass-crystal composites of various compositions were recorded in the 200-2500 nm wavelength range. Various optical parameters such as optical band gap, Urbach energy, refractive index were determined. Second order optical non-linearity was established in the heat-treated samples by employing the Maker-Fringe method.

  19. O transplante de células-tronco hematopoéticas como opção no tratamento de doenças não hematológicas Hematopoietic stem cell transplant: a therapeutic option for non-hematologic diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milton A. Ruiz

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Nesta revisãoo abordadas as doenças em que existem dados e perspectivas do uso de transplante de células-tronco hematopoéticas em suas diversas modalidades. São apresentados também os aspectos referentes aos regimes de condicionamento empregados, e sua relação com toxicidade e taxa de mortalidade ligadas ao transplante. São apresentadas as doenças autoimunes e particularizados dados específicos do lúpus eritematoso sistêmico, esclerose sistêmica e esclerose múltipla e diabetes mellitus tipo 1. A base do procedimento nas doenças autoimunes é a reprogramação imunológica. Aparentemente o procedimento tem sua indicação nas doenças em que os tratamentos convencionais de imunossupressão tenham falhado, e o dano orgânico não tenha sido definitivo, mas tenha chance de ocorrer caso não seja realizado o transplante. A modalidade aparentemente indicada no momento deve ser o transplante de células-tronco autogênico com regimes de condicionamento não mieloablativo para se obter sobrevivência estimada em mais de 50% em todas as doenças, com baixa toxicidade e com mortalidade nula ligada ao transplante. São apresentados também os resultados nos tumores sólidos, que são discutíveis, e particularidades no câncer de mama. A aparente indicação para os tumores sólidos é transplante de células-tronco alogênico e se baseia no tratamento intensivo com doses mieloablativas com a finalidade de se induzir o efeito enxerto contra o tumor. Os regimes não mieloablativos são preconizados com a finalidade de redução da toxicidade e indução de imunossupressão, sendo os dados insuficientes e discutíveis, o que obriga a introdução de novas estratégias terapêuticas baseadas na terapia imune e celular.In this report we discuss data and perspectives of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in non-hematologic diseases. Aspects related to the conditioning regimen and its relationship with toxicity and mortality are also

  20. Effects of precursor on the morphology and size of ZrO{sub 2} nanoparticles, synthesized by sol-gel method in non-aqueous medium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Siddiqui, Mohammed Rafiq Hussain; Al-Wassil, Abdulaziz Ibrahim; Mahfouz, Refaat Mohamad [King Saud University, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). Department of Chemistry, College of Science; Al-Otaibi, Abdullah Mohmmed [King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (Saudi Arabia). The NationalProgram for Advanced Materials and Building Systems

    2012-11-15

    Pure zirconium oxide (ZrO{sub 2}) nanoparticles with diameters 10-25 nm were synthesized from ZrOCl{sub 2}.8H{sub 2}O and Zr(SO{sub 4})2.H{sub 2}O with benzyl alcohol as non-aqueous solvent medium using sol-gel method. Sodium lauryl sulfate was added as surfactants to control the particle size. The synthesized ZrO{sub 2} nanoparticles have a mixture of tetragonal and monoclinic structure. The XRD showed the purity of obtained ZrO{sub 2} nanoparticles with tetragonal and monoclinic phase and the crystallite size for ZrOCl{sub 2}.8H{sub 2}O precursor was estimated to be 18.1 nm and that from Zr(SO{sub 4})2.H{sub 2}O was 9.7 nm. The transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopic studies also shows different sizes of nanoparticles and different morphology depending on the precursor used for the synthesis of ZrO{sub 2} nanoparticles. (author)

  1. Metodologia de seleção de cepas para produção etodologia da ciclodextrina glicosiltransferase e para purificação da enzima - DOI: 10.4025/actascihealthsci.v29i1.133 Strains selection methodology for cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase production and enzyme purification - DOI: 10.4025/actascihealthsci.v29i1.133

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Graciette Matioli

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available As ciclodextrinas (CDs são maltooligossacarídeos, produzidas a partir do amido, pela enzima ciclodextrina glicosiltransferase (CGTase. Esta pesquisa teve por objetivo estabelecer metodologias de seleção de cepas para produção de CGTase e para purificação da enzima. Os microrganismos foram selecionados a partir de 53 análises de solos de cultura de amido, em placas contendo meio de cultivo específico, para seleção de cepas produtoras de CGTase. As enzimas foram obtidas com cultivo destes microrganismos em meio líquido. As atividades enzimáticas das CGTases foram determinadas pelos métodos espectrofotométricos e precipitação com tricloroetileno. A cepa isolada do solo de aveia foi a que apresentou maior atividade [0,1864 mol de -CD (min mL-1]. Esta cepa foi utilizada para a produção da enzima em escala laboratorial e purificação em cromatografia de afinidade bioespecífica. A cepa selecionada nesta pesquisa abre novas perspectivas para produção de enzima e CDs em escala industrial. Palavras-chave: ciclodextrina, glicosiltransferase, CGTase.Cyclodextrins (CDs are maltooligosaccharides produced from starch by cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase enzyme. This research aimed at establishing method for strains selection for CGTase production and enzyme purification. The microorganisms were selected from 53 analyses of starch cultures soils on plates containing specific culture medium for strains selection that produce CGTase. The enzymes were obtained by culturing these microorganisms in liquid medium. The enzyme activity was determined with photospectrometric methods and precipitation with trichloroethylene. The strain isolated from oat soil was the one that showed the highest activity [0.1864 µmol of ß-CD (min mL-1]. This strain was used for enzyme production in laboratory scale and purification by biospecific affinity chromatography. The strain selected in this research opens new perspectives for enzymes

  2. Effects of electric-field-induced piezoelectric strain on the electronic transport properties of La0.9Ce0.1MnO3 thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng, R.K.; Dong, S.N.; Wu, Y.Q.; Zhu, Q.X.; Wang, Y.; Chan, H.L.W.; Li, X.M.; Luo, H.S.; Li, X.G.

    2012-01-01

    The authors constructed multiferroic structures by growing La 0.9 Ce 0.1 MnO 3 (LCEMO) thin films on piezoelectric 0.68Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 –0.32PbTiO 3 (PMN-PT) single-crystal substrates. Due to the efficient elastic coupling at the interface, the electric-field-induced piezoelectric strain in PMN-PT substrates is effectively transferred to LCEMO films and thus, leads to a decrease in the resistance and an increase in the magnetoresistance of the films. Particularly, it was found that the resistance-strain coefficient [(ΔR/R) film /(Δε zz ) film ] of the LCEMO film was considerably enhanced by the application of magnetic fields, demonstrating strong coupling between the lattice and the spin degrees of freedom. (ΔR/R) film /(Δε zz ) film at 122 K was enhanced by ∼ 28.8% by a magnetic field of 1.2 T. An analysis of the overall results demonstrates that the phase separation is crucial to understand strain-mediated modulation of electronic transport properties of manganite film/PMN-PT multiferroic structures. - Highlights: ► La 0.9 Ce 0.1 Mn O3 films were epitaxially grown on piezoelectric single crystals. ► Piezoelectric strain influences the electronic transport properties of films. ► Magnetic field enhances the piezoelectric strain effect. ► Phase separation is crucial to understand the piezoelectric strain effect.

  3. Characterization of partial and near full-length genomes of HIV-1 strains sampled from recently infected individuals in São Paulo, Brazil.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sabri Saeed Sanabani

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Genetic variability is a major feature of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1 and is considered the key factor frustrating efforts to halt the HIV epidemic. A proper understanding of HIV-1 genomic diversity is a fundamental prerequisite for proper epidemiology, genetic diagnosis, and successful drugs and vaccines design. Here, we report on the partial and near full-length genomic (NFLG variability of HIV-1 isolates from a well-characterized cohort of recently infected patients in São Paul, Brazil. METHODOLOGY: HIV-1 proviral DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 113 participants. The NFLG and partial fragments were determined by overlapping nested PCR and direct sequencing. The data were phylogenetically analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 113 samples (90.3% male; median age 31 years; 79.6% homosexual men studied, 77 (68.1% NFLGs and 32 (29.3% partial fragments were successfully subtyped. Of the successfully subtyped sequences, 88 (80.7% were subtype B sequences, 12 (11% BF1 recombinants, 3 (2.8% subtype C sequences, 2 (1.8% BC recombinants and subclade F1 each, 1 (0.9% CRF02 AG, and 1 (0.9% CRF31 BC. Primary drug resistance mutations were observed in 14/101 (13.9% of samples, with 5.9% being resistant to protease inhibitors and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI and 4.9% resistant to non-NRTIs. Predictions of viral tropism were determined for 86 individuals. X4 or X4 dual or mixed-tropic viruses (X4/DM were seen in 26 (30.2% of subjects. The proportion of X4 viruses in homosexuals was detected in 19/69 (27.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm the existence of various HIV-1 subtypes circulating in São Paulo, and indicate that subtype B account for the majority of infections. Antiretroviral (ARV drug resistance is relatively common among recently infected patients. The proportion of X4 viruses in homosexuals was significantly higher than the proportion seen in other study populations.

  4. Poly[di-μ-aqua-diaquabis(μ7-oxalato-κ9O1:O1:O1,O2:O2:O2′:O2′,O1′:O1′calciumdicaesium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamza Kherfi

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available In the title compound, [CaCs2(C2O42(H2O4]n, the Ca2+ ion, lying on a twofold rotation axis, is coordinated by four O atoms from two oxalate ligands and two bridging water molecules in an octahedral geometry. The Cs+ ion is coordinated by seven O atoms from six oxalate ligands, one bridging water and one terminal water molecule. The oxalate ligand displays a scarce high denticity. The structure contains parallel chain units runnig along [10-1], formed by two edge-sharing Cs polyhedra connected by CsO9 polyhedra connected by a face-sharing CaO6 octahedron. These chains are further linked by the oxalate ligands to build up a three-dimensional framework. O—H...O hydrogen bonds involving the water molecules and the carboxylate O atoms enhance the extended structure.

  5. Evaluation of coronary endothelial dysfunction in healthy young smokers: Cold pressor test using [15O]H2O PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, Kyung Hoon; Lee, Byeong-il; Kim, Su Jin; Lee, Jae Sung; Lee, Dong Soo

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate coronary endothelial dysfunction in young healthy smokers by measuring myocardial blood flow (MBF) using [ 15 O]H 2 O-PET. The study population was 18 young male volunteers consisted of 9 smokers (age: 23.8±1.1 yr) and 9 non-smokers (age: 25.0±2.5 yr). The smokers had been smoking cigarettes for 6.6±2.5 pack years. Myocardial [ 15 O]H 2 O-PET was performed at rest, during cold (5 deg. C) pressor stimulation and during adenosine infusion. Left ventricular (LV) input function and tissue time-activity curves were obtained by drawing region of interest (ROI) on the LV blood pool and myocardium images obtained by non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) of dynamic [ 15 O]H 2 O-PET data, and MBF was calculated using these time-activity curves and single compartmental model. There were no significant difference in resting MBF between two groups (smokers: 1.43±0.41 and non-smokers: 1.37±0.41 ml/g/min; P=NS). However, during cold pressor stimulation, MBF in smokers was significantly lower than that in non-smokers (1.25±0.33 vs. 1.59±0.29 ml/g/min; P=0.019). MBF changed to 90±24% of resting MBF in smokers and 122±28% in non-smokers. The difference in the ratio of cold pressor MBF to basal MBF between two groups was also significant (P=0.024). During adenosine infusion, however, hyperemic MBF did not differ significantly between smokers and non-smokers (5.81±1.99 vs. 5.03±1.27 ml/g/min; P=NS). This study shows that [ 15 O]H 2 O PET analysis can reveal that endothelial dysfunction occurs in even young smokers of about 6 pack years.

  6. On the Novel Biaxial Strain Relaxation Mechanism in Epitaxial Composition Graded La1−xSrxMnO3 Thin Film Synthesized by RF Magnetron Sputtering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yishu Wang

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available We report on a novel method to fabricate composition gradient, epitaxial La1−xSrxMnO3 thin films with the objective to alleviate biaxial film strain. In this work, epitaxial, composition gradient La1−xSrxMnO3, and pure LaMnO3 and La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin films were deposited by radio frequency (RF magnetron sputtering. The crystalline and epitaxy of all films were first studied by symmetric θ–2θ X-ray diffraction (XRD and low angle XRD experiments. Detailed microstructural characterization across the film thickness was conducted by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. Four compositional gradient domains were observed in the La1−xSrxMnO3 film ranging from LaMnO3 rich to La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 at the surface. A continuous reduction in the lattice parameter was observed accompanied by a significant reduction in the out-of-plane strain in the film. Fabrication of the composition gradient La1−xSrxMnO3 thin film was found to be a powerful method to relieve biaxial strain under critical thickness. Besides, the coexistence of domains with a composition variance is opening up various new possibilities of designing new nanoscale structures with unusual cross coupled properties.

  7. Non-iridescent structural colors from uniform-sized SiO2 colloids

    Science.gov (United States)

    Topçu, Gökhan; Güner, Tuğrul; Demir, Mustafa M.

    2018-05-01

    Structural colors have recently attracted interest from diverse fields of research due to their ease of fabrication and eco-friendliness. These types of colors are, in principle, achieved by periodically arranged submicron-diameter colloidal particles. The interaction of light with a structure containing long-range ordered colloidal particles leads to coloration; this usually varies depending on the angle of observation (iridescence). However, the majority of the applications demand constant color that is independent of the viewing angle (non-iridescence). In this work, silica colloids were obtained using the Stöber method at different sizes from 150 to 300 nm in an alcoholic dispersion. The casting of the dispersion on a substrate leaves behind a photonic crystal showing a colorful iridescent film. However, centrifugation and redispersion of the SiO2 particles into fresh solvent may cause the formation of small, aggregated silica domains in the new dispersion. The casting of this dispersion allows for the development of photonic glass, presumably due to the accumulation of aggregates showing stable colloidal film independent of viewing angle. Moreover, depending on the size of the silica colloids, non-iridescent photonic glasses with various colors (violet, blue, green, and orange) are obtained.

  8. Strain-induced large spin splitting and persistent spin helix at LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ interface

    OpenAIRE

    Yamaguchi, Naoya; Ishii, Fumiyuki

    2017-01-01

    We investigated the effect of the tensile strain on the spin splitting at the n-type interface in LaAlO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ in terms of the spin-orbit coupling coefficient $\\alpha$ and spin texture in the momentum space using first-principles calculations. We found that the $\\alpha$ could be controlled by the tensile strain and be enhanced up to 5 times for the tensile strain of 7%, and the effect of the tensile strain leads to a persistent spin helix, which has a long spin lifetime. These results ...

  9. Non-perturbative effects in two-dimensional lattice O(N) models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ogilvie, M.C.; Maryland Univ., College Park

    1981-01-01

    Non-abelian analogues of Kosterlitz-Thouless vortices may have important effects in two-dimensional lattice spin systems with O(N) symmetries. Renormalization group equations which include these effects are developed in two ways. The first set of equations extends the renormalization group equations of Kosterlitz to 0(N) spin systems, in a form suggested by Cardy and Hamber. The second is derived from a Villain-type 0(N) model using Migdal's recursion relations. Using these equations, the part played by topological excitations int he crossover from weak to strong coupling behavior is studied. Another effect which influences crossover behavior is also discussed; irrelevant operators which occur naturally in lattice theories can make important contributions to the renormalization group flow in the crossover region. When combined with conventional perturbative results, these two effects may explain the observed crossover behavior of these models. (orig.)

  10. Epitaxial strain and its relaxation at the LaAlO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} interface

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Guozhen, E-mail: guozhen.liu@hotmail.com [Department of Physics, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122 (United States); Research Center for Solid State Physics and Materials, School of Mathematics and Physics, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009 (China); Lei, Qingyu; Wolak, Matthäus A.; Xi, Xiaoxing [Department of Physics, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122 (United States); Li, Qun [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802 (United States); State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, School of Aerospace, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Chen, Long-Qing [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802 (United States); Winkler, Christopher; Sloppy, Jennifer; Taheri, Mitra L. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (United States)

    2016-08-28

    A series of LaAlO{sub 3} thin films with different thicknesses were deposited by pulsed laser deposition at temperatures from 720 °C to 800 °C. The results from grazing incidence x-ray diffraction and reciprocal space mapping indicate that a thin layer of LaAlO{sub 3} adjacent to the SrTiO{sub 3} substrate remains almost coherently strained to the substrate, while the top layer starts to relax quickly above a certain critical thickness, followed by a gradual relaxation at larger film thickness when they are grown at lower temperatures. The atomic force microscopy results show that the fast relaxation is accompanied by the formation of cracks on the film surface. This can be ascribed to the larger energy release rate when compared with the resistance of LaAlO{sub 3} to cracking, according to calculations from the Griffith fracture theory. For films grown at 720 °C, a drop in sheet resistance by two orders of magnitude is observed when the top layer starts to relax, indicating a relationship between the strain and the conductivity of the two-dimensional electron gas at the LaAlO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} interface. The strain engineered by growth temperature provides a useful tool for the manipulation of the electronic properties of oxide heterointerfaces.

  11. Non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide detection at NiO nanoporous thin film- electrodes prepared by physical vapor deposition at oblique angles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salazar, Pedro; Rico, Victor; González-Elipe, Agustín R.

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • A non-enzymatic sensor for H 2 O 2 detection based on nickel thin film is reported. • Nanostructured nickel thin films are prepared by physical vapor deposition at oblique angles. • Main analytical parameters were obtained under optimal operation conditions. • Sensors depict an outstanding selectivity and a high stability. • Sensors are successfully used to determine H 2 O 2 in antiseptic solutions. - Abstract: In this work we report a non-enzymatic sensor for hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) detection based on nanostructured nickel thin films prepared by physical vapor deposition at oblique angles. Porous thin films deposited on ITO substrates were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microcopy (SEMs), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrochemical techniques such as Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) and Constant Potential Amperometry (CPA). The microstructure of the thin films consisted of inclined and separated Ni nanocolumns forming a porous thin layer of about 500 nm thickness. Prior to their use, the films surface was electrochemically modified and the chemical state studied by CV and XPS analysis. These techniques also showed that Ni 2+ /Ni 3+ species were involved in the electrochemical oxidation and detection of H 2 O 2 in alkaline medium. Main analytical parameters such as sensitivity (807 mA M −1 cm −2 ), limit of detection (3.22 μM) and linear range (0.011–2.4 mM) were obtained under optimal operation conditions. Sensors depicted an outstanding selectivity and a high stability and they were successfully used to determine H 2 O 2 concentration in commercial antiseptic solutions.

  12. Linfoma não-Hodgkin apresentando-se como massa hepática única Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma presenting as a single liver mass

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mila Correia Góis Peixoto

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Descrever as principais características de imagem do linfoma não-Hodgkin apresentando-se como massa hepática única. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Realizamos estudo retrospectivo mediante análise de casos de pacientes com massa hepática única aos exames de ultrassonografia, tomografia computadorizada e ressonância magnética, com diagnóstico histológico de linfoma não-Hodgkin. Esses exames foram analisados por dois examinadores em consenso. RESULTADOS: Identificamos três pacientes, todos do sexo masculino, na quinta década de vida, com quadro clínico inespecífico e que apresentavam massa hepática única e com diagnóstico de linfoma não-Hodgkin. Na ultrassonografia a lesão hepática apresentava-se como massa com aspecto "em alvo" nos três casos estudados. Na tomografia computadorizada observou-se massa hipodensa e heterogênea, com realce anelar em todos os casos. Na ressonância magnética as lesões apresentavam-se heterogêneas, hipointensas em T1 e hiperintensas em T2, e também com realce anelar após a injeção do contraste. Nenhum paciente apresentava linfonodomegalia ou comprometimento de outras vísceras sólidas no momento do diagnóstico. CONCLUSÃO: Na presença de massa hepática solitária e com aspecto "em alvo" deve-se considerar, entre as hipóteses, o diagnóstico de linfoma.OBJECTIVE: To describe the main imaging findings of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma presenting as a single liver mass. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was developed with analysis of cases where a single liver mass was observed at ultrasonography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, and histologically diagnosed as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The studies were reviewed by two observers in consensus. RESULTS: Three male patients in the fifth decade of life, with non-specific clinical manifestations and single liver mass diagnosed as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were identified. A hepatic lesion with target sign was observed at

  13. Mulheres vítimas de violência sexual: meios coercitivos e produção de lesões não-genitais Female victims of sexual abuse: coercive methods and non-genital injuries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jair Naves dos Reis

    2004-04-01

    Full Text Available Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar os meios coercitivos utilizados pelos ofensores sexuais e a produção de lesões não-genitais em mulheres crianças, adolescentes e adultas, vítimas de estupro e atentado violento ao pudor notificados pela Delegacia de Defesa da Mulher e examinados no Núcleo de Perícias Médico-Legais de Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brasil, no período de 1996 a 2000. Na distribuição dos casos segundo a idade, utilizou-se o critério estabelecido pelo Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente. A violência física foi o constrangimento mais empregado contra adultas (44,1% e adolescentes (25,0%, seguida da grave ameaça em 36,5% e 17,0% dos casos, respectivamente. A violência presumida pela innocentia consilii ocorreu em 94,1% das crianças e 42,8% das adolescentes. Lesões não-genitais de natureza leve foram evidenciadas em 7,8% dos casos, acometendo crianças (3,0%, adolescentes (7,2% e adultas (14,4%, produzidas sem o uso de armas (75,0%. Quando utilizadas, constatou-se que o número de casos com lesões decresce frente ao emprego de facas (14,3% e revólveres (10,7% contra vítimas adultas e adolescentes.This study aims to analyze the coercive methods used by sex offenders and the occurrence of non-genital injuries in female children, adolescent, and adult victims of sexual abuse reported to the Women's Police Precinct and examined at the Department of Forensic Medicine in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo State, Brazil, from 1996 to 2000. Age distribution followed the criteria established by Brazil's Statute for Children and Adolescents (the prevailing legislation on issues pertaining to minors. Physical violence was the most frequently used form of coercion against adults (44.1% and adolescents (25.0%, followed by serious threat in 36.5% and 17.0% of the cases, respectively. Presumed violence by innocentia consilii occurred in 94.1% of the children and 42.8% of the adolescents. Minor non-genital injuries were found in 7

  14. Non-verbal communication: aspects observed during nursing consultations with blind patients Comunicación no-verbal: aspectos observados durante la consulta de Enfermería con el paciente ciego Comunicaçãoo-verbal: aspectos observados durante a consulta de Enfermagem com o paciente cego

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristiana Brasil de Almeida Rebouças

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Exploratory-descriptive study on non-verbal communication among nurses and blind patients during nursing consultations to diabetes patients, based on Hall's theoretical reference framework. Data were collected by recording the consultations. The recordings were analyzed every fifteen seconds, totaling 1,131 non-verbal communication moments. The analysis shows intimate distance (91.0% and seated position (98.3%; no contact occurred in 83.3% of the interactions. Emblematic gestures were present, including hand movements (67.4%; looks deviated from the interlocutor (52.8%, and centered on the interlocutor (44.4%. In all recordings, considerable interference occurred at the moment of nurse-patient interaction. Nurses need to know about and deepen non-verbal communication studies and adequate its use to the type of patients attended during the consultations.Estudio exploratorio y descriptivo sobre comunicación no-verbal entre el enfermero y el paciente ciego durante la consulta de enfermería al diabético, desde el referencial teórico de Hall. Colecta de datos con filmación de la consulta, analizadas a cada quince segundos, totalizando 1.131 momentos de comunicación no-verbal. El análisis muestra alejamiento íntimo (91,0% y postura sentada (98,3%, en 83,3% de las intervenciones no hubo contacto. Estubo presente el gesto emblemático mover las manos (67,4%; el mirar desviado del interlocutor (52,8% y al mirar centrado en el interlocutor (44,4%. En todas las filmaciones, hubieron interferencias considerables en el momento de la interacción enfermero y paciente. Concluyese que el enfermero precisa conocer y profundizar los estudios en comunicación no-verbal y adecuar su utilización al tipo de pacientes asistidos durante las consultas.Estudo exploratório-descritivo sobre comunicaçãoo-verbal entre o enfermeiro e o cego durante a consulta de enfermagem ao diabético, a partir do referencial teórico de Hall. Coleta de dados com filmagem da

  15. Decomposition of poly(amide-imide) film using atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasma generated in a stream of H2O/Ar mixed gases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ueshima, M.; Aoki, Y.; Suzuki, K.; Kuwasima, S.; Sugiyama, K.

    2010-01-01

    Atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium Ar-H 2 O plasma was irradiated to exfoliate a thin film of a heat-resistant polymer, poly(amide-imide) coating on enamel copper wire. The plasma was produced by applying microwave power inducted with Ar-H 2 , Ar-O 2 , Ar-H 2 O or Ar-H 2 -O 2 mixed gases. The poly(amide-imide) thin film was exfoliate by those plasma irradiations. The magnitude of exfoliation depended on the distance of the copper wire from the plasma generating material and reached a maximum at a distance around 4 cm for each plasma irradiation. Surface conditions of the copper wire varied depending on the inducted gases. Ar-O 2 plasma irradiation oxidized the copper surface while other plasmas kept the copper surface unchanged. The time it took to exfoliate the poly(amide-imide) depended on the irradiation source, either Ar-O 2 (within 60 s), Ar-H 2 O (within 70 s), Ar-H 2 -O 2 (within 70 s) or Ar-H 2 (within 125 s). The Ar-H 2 O plasma irradiation under non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure was found to be the best method for exfoliating the poly(amide-imide) thin film coating on enamel copper wires rather than the Ar-H 2 -O 2 plasma because of its simplicity and safety.

  16. 5-Acetamido-3,5-dideoxy-L-glycero-L-manno-non-2-ulosonic acid-containing O-polysaccharide from marine bacterium Pseudomonas glareae KMM 9500T.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kokoulin, Maxim S; Kalinovsky, Anatoly I; Romanenko, Lyudmila A; Mikhailov, Valery V

    2018-05-22

    The O-polysaccharide was isolated from the lipopolysaccharide of a marine bacterium Pseudomonas glareae KMM 9500 T and studied by chemical methods along with 1D and 2D 1 H and 13 C NMR spectroscopy including 1 H, 1 H-TOCSY, 1 H, 1 H-COSY, 1 H, 1 H-ROESY, 1 H, 13 C-HSQC and 1 H, 13 C-HMBC experiments. The O-polysaccharide was found to consist of linear tetrasaccharide repeating units constituted by D-glucuronic acid (D-GlcA), L-rhamnose (L-Rha), D-glucose (D-Glc) and 5-acetamido-7,9-O-[(S)-1-carboxyethylidene]-3,5-dideoxy-L-glycero-L-manno-non-2-ulosonic acid (Sug7,9(S-Pyr)), partially O-acetylated at position 8 (∼70%): →4)-α-D-GlcpA-(1→3)-β-L-Rhap-(1→4)-β-D-Glcp-(1→4)-β-Sugp8Ac(∼70%)7,9(S-Pyr)-(2→. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1 in vegetables and fish raised in wastewater irrigated fields and stabilization ponds during a non-cholera outbreak period in Morogoro, Tanzania

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hounmanou, Yaovi M G; Mdegela, Robinson H; Dougnon, Tamègnon V

    2016-01-01

    gene (tcpA) and the haemolysin gene (hlyA). RESULTS: The prevalence of V. cholerae in wastewater, vegetables and fish was 36.7, 21.7 and 23.3 %, respectively. Two isolates from fish gills were V. cholerae O1 and tested positive for ctx and tcpA. One of these contained in addition the hlyA gene while......BACKGROUND: Cholera, one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases, remains rampant and frequent in Tanzania and thus hinders existing control measures. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the occurrence of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1 in wastewater, fish and vegetables during a non......-outbreak period in Morogoro, Tanzania. METHODS: From October 2014 to February 2015, 60 wastewater samples, 60 fish samples from sewage stabilization ponds and 60 wastewater irrigated vegetable samples were collected. Samples were cultured for identification of V. cholerae using conventional bacteriological...

  18. Mesospheric H2O Concentrations Retrieved from SABER/TIMED Measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feofilov, A. G.; Marshall, B. T.; Garcia-Comas, M.; Kutepov, A. A.; Lopez-Puertas, M.; Manuilova, R. O.; Yankovsky, V.A.; Goldberg, R. A.; Gordley, L. L.; Petelin, S.; hide

    2008-01-01

    The SABER instrument on board the TIMED Satellite is a limb scanning infrared radiometer designed to measure temperature and minor constituent vertical profiles and energetics parameters in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT). The H2O concentrations are retrieved from 6.3 micron band radiances. The populations of H2O(v2) vibrational levels are in non-Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (non-LTE) above approximately 55 km altitude and the interpretation of 6.3 micron radiance requires utilizing non-LTE H2O model that includes various energy exchange processes in the system of H2O vibrational levels coupled with O2, N2, and CO2 vibrational levels. We incorporated these processes including kinetics of O2/O3 photolysis products to our research non-LTE H2O model and applied it for the development and optimization of SABER operational model. The latter has been validated using simultaneous SCISAT1/ACE occultation measurements. This helped us to estimate CO2(020)-O2(X,v=I), O2(X,v=I)- H2O(010), and O2(X,v=1) O rates at mesopause temperatures that is critical for an adequate interpretation of non-LTE H2O radiances in the MLT. The first distributions of seasonal and meridional H2O concentrations retrieved from SABER 6.3 micron radiances applying an updated non-LTE H2O model are demonstrated and discussed.

  19. 40 CFR 180.1289 - Candida oleophila Strain O; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Candida oleophila Strain O; exemption... FOOD Exemptions From Tolerances § 180.1289 Candida oleophila Strain O; exemption from the requirement... the microbial pesticide, Candida oleophila Strain O, on apples and pears when applied/used as a post...

  20. Non-Equilibrium Chemistry of O-Rich AGB Stars as Revealed by ALMA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Ka Tat

    2018-04-01

    Chemical models suggest that pulsation driven shocks propagating from the stellar surfaces of oxygen-rich evolved stars to the dust formation zone trigger non-equilibrium chemistry in the shocked gas near the star, including the formation of carbon-bearing molecules in the stellar winds dominated by oxygen-rich chemistry. Recent long-baseline ALMA observations are able to give us a detailed view of the molecular line emission and absorption at an angular resolution of a few stellar radii. I am going to present the latest results from the ALMA observations of IK Tau and o Cet in late 2017, with a particular focus on HCN.

  1. Chlorobenzene degeradation by non-thermal plasma combined with EG-TiO{sub 2}/ZnO as a photocatalyst: Effect of photocatalyst on CO{sub 2} selectivity and byproducts reduction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ghorbani Shahna, Farshid; Bahrami, Abdulrahman [Center of Excellence for Occupational Health and Research Center for Health Science, School of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Alimohammadi, Iraj; Yarahmadi, Rassuol [Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Jaleh, Babak; Gandomi, Mastaneh [Faculty of Science, Physics Department, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ebrahimi, Hossein, E-mail: hossein.ebrahimi@yahoo.com [Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ad-Din Abedi, Kamal [Department of Occupational Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Kurdistan University of Medical sciences, Sanandaj (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2017-02-15

    Highlights: • TiO{sub 2} and ZnO Nano particles were coated on the surface of expanded graphite. • Expanded graphite-TiO{sub 2}/ZnO nano composite under UV light was placed downstream non-thermal plasma reactor. • Chlorobenzene removal and selectivity of CO{sub 2} were enhanced in combined system. • Produced harmful byproducts from plasma reactor were reduced dramatically in combined system. - Abstract: The non-thermal plasma (NTP) technique, which suffers from low selectivity in complete oxidation of volatile organic compounds to CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O, creates unwanted and harmful byproducts. NTP in concert with photocatalyst can resolve this limitation due to additional oxidation. TiO{sub 2} and ZnO nanoparticles were coated on the surface of the expanded graphite and placed downstream of the NTP reactor under UV light. In this study, to compare the performance of NTP and the combined system, chlorobenzene removal, selectivity of CO{sub 2} and byproducts formation were investigated. The results showed that the combined system enhanced both the removal efficiency and CO{sub 2} selectivity. The output gas of the NTP reactor contained chlorobenzene, phosgene, O{sub 3}, NO, NO{sub 2}, CO, CO{sub 2}, HCL and CL. The bulk of these byproducts was oxidized on the surface of the nanocomposite; as a result, the content of the byproducts in the output gas of the combined system decreased dramatically. The removal efficiency and CO{sub 2} selectivity increased by rising the applied voltage and residence time because the collision between active species and pollutant molecules increases. Based on these results, the combined system is preferred due to a higher performance and lower formation of harmful byproducts.

  2. Strain-Induced Ferromagnetism in Antiferromagnetic LuMnO3 Thin Films

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, J. S.; Bator, M.; Hu, Y.; Luetkens, H.; Stahn, J.; Capelli, S.; Das, S.; Döbeli, M.; Lippert, Th.; Malik, V. K.; Martynczuk, J.; Wokaun, A.; Kenzelmann, M.; Niedermayer, Ch.; Schneider, C. W.

    2013-07-01

    Single phase and strained LuMnO3 thin films are discovered to display coexisting ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic orders. A large moment ferromagnetism (≈1μB), which is absent in bulk samples, is shown to display a magnetic moment distribution that is peaked at the highly strained substrate-film interface. We further show that the strain-induced ferromagnetism and the antiferromagnetic order are coupled via an exchange field, therefore demonstrating strained rare-earth manganite thin films as promising candidate systems for new multifunctional devices.

  3. Modelagem não linear da extração de zinco de um solo tratado com lodo de esgoto = Non-linear modeling of zinc extracted from a sewage sludge-treated soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edcarlos Miranda de Souza

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available A predição da disponibilidade de elementos-traço para plantas com o uso de extratores é dificilmente obtida. Por essa razão, um método de extração sucessiva que simulou a solução da rizosfera com misturas de ácidos orgânicos sintéticos para acessar a disponibilidade potencial desses elementos em longo prazo foi anteriormente proposto. Com o emprego deste método, dados de extrações sucessivas de zinco pelas misturas de ácidos orgânicos, bem como por extratores usados na rotina (Mehlich I, DTPA e NH4OAc foram ajustados por meio de um modelo não-linear baseado nos mecanismos cinéticos de primeira ordem. A partir do ajuste deste modelo, o presente trabalho realizou um estudo rigoroso sobre as propriedades estatísticas dos estimadores, fazendo um esboço da nãolinearidade do modelo, tendo como referência medidas de curvatura. O objetivo foi verificar se as propriedades assintóticas dos estimadores seriam válidas, considerando o tamanho daamostra realizada, para o ajuste do modelo aos dados da extração sucessiva de zinco. A inferência clássica, baseada na aproximação linear, foi considerada, tendo, como técnica alternativa, a metodologia bootstrap. No geral, a metodologia da aproximação linear, a técnica bootstrap e as medidas de curvatura validaram a precisão dos resultados inferenciais obtidos na predição da disponibilidade de zinco.The prediction of trace element availability to plants using chemical extractants is hard to achieve. For this reason, a successive extraction method which simulated a rhizosphere solution employing synthetic organic acids was previously proposed. The method wasdeveloped in order to access the long term potential availability of trace elements to plants. Data from successive zinc extractions with organic acid mixtures, as well as with routine extractants (Mehlich I, DTPA, and NH4OAc adjusted to a non-linear model based in firstorder kinetic mechanisms. The aim of the present study

  4. Solvating additives drive solution-mediated electrochemistry and enhance toroid growth in non-aqueous Li-O2 batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aetukuri, Nagaphani B.; McCloskey, Bryan D.; García, Jeannette M.; Krupp, Leslie E.; Viswanathan, Venkatasubramanian; Luntz, Alan C.

    2015-01-01

    Given their high theoretical specific energy, lithium-oxygen batteries have received enormous attention as possible alternatives to current state-of-the-art rechargeable Li-ion batteries. However, the maximum discharge capacity in non-aqueous lithium-oxygen batteries is limited to a small fraction of its theoretical value due to the build-up of insulating lithium peroxide (Li2O2), the battery’s primary discharge product. The discharge capacity can be increased if Li2O2 forms as large toroidal particles rather than as a thin conformal layer. Here, we show that trace amounts of electrolyte additives, such as H2O, enhance the formation of Li2O2 toroids and result in significant improvements in capacity. Our experimental observations and a growth model show that the solvating properties of the additives prompt a solution-based mechanism that is responsible for the growth of Li2O2 toroids. We present a general formalism describing an additive’s tendency to trigger the solution process, providing a rational design route for electrolytes that afford larger lithium-oxygen battery capacities.

  5. Typing of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli strains by REP-PCR Tipificação de amostras aviárias patogênicas de Escherichia coli pela REP-PCR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcelo Brocchi

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available In the present study the repetitive extragenic palindromic (REP polymerase chain reaction (PCR technique was used to establish the clonal variability of 49 avian Escherichia coli (APEC strains isolated from different outbreak cases of septicemia (n=24, swollen head syndrome (n=14 and omphalitis (n=11. Thirty commensal strains isolated from poultry with no signs of these illnesses were used as control strains. The purified DNA of these strains produced electrophoretic profiles ranging from 0 to 15 bands with molecular sizes varying from 100 bp to 6.1 kb, allowing the grouping of the 79 strains into a dendrogram containing 49 REP-types. Although REP-PCR showed good discriminating power it was not able to group the strains either into specific pathogenic classes or to differentiate between pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains. On the contrary, we recently demonstrated that other techniques such as ERIC-PCR and isoenzyme profiles are appropriate to discriminate between commensal and APEC strains and also to group these strains into specific pathogenic classes. In conclusion, REP-PCR seems to be a technique neither efficient nor universal for APEC strains discrimination. However, the population clonal structure obtained with the use of REP-PCR must not be ignored particularly if one takes into account that the APEC pathogenic mechanisms are not completely understood yet.A técnica de REP (Repetitive extragenic palindrome-PCR foi utilizada para avaliar a variabilidade genética de 49 amostras de Escherichia coli patogênicas para aves (APEC, isoladas de aves de corte (frangos em diferentes surtos de septicemia (n=24, síndrome da cabeça inchada (n=14 e onfalite (n=11. Trinta amostras comensais, isoladas de frangos sem sinais de doença, foram utilizadas como controle. A análise do perfil eletroforético obtido por reação de REP-PCR utilizando DNA purificado das amostras evidenciou a amplificação de 0 a 15 bandas de DNA com pesos moleculares

  6. Non-aqueous hybrid supercapacitors fabricated with mesoporous TiO2 microspheres and activated carbon electrodes with superior performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Yong; Zhao, Bote; Wang, Jie; Shao, Zongping

    2014-05-01

    Mesoporous TiO2 microspheres, synthesized by a facile template-free solvothermal method and subsequent heat treatment, are exploited as the electrode for hybrid supercapacitors. The effects of the calcination temperature on the phase composition, particulate microstructure and morphology are characterized by XRD, Raman, FE-SEM and N2 adsorption/desorption measurements. Hybrid supercapacitors utilizing the as-prepared TiO2 mesoporous microspheres as the negative electrode and activated carbon (AC) as the positive electrode in a non-aqueous electrolyte are fabricated. The electrochemical performance of these hybrid supercapacitors is studied by galvanostatic charge-discharge and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The hybrid supercapacitor built from TiO2 microspheres calcined at 400 °C shows the best performance, delivering an energy density of 79.3 Wh kg-1 at a power density of 178.1 W kg-1. Even at a power density of 9.45 kW kg-1, an energy density of 31.5 Wh kg-1 is reached. These values are much higher than the AC-AC symmetric supercapacitor. In addition, the hybrid supercapacitor exhibits excellent cycling performance, retaining 98% of the initial energy density after 1000 cycles. Such outstanding electrochemical performance of the hybrid supercapacitor is attributed to the matched reaction kinetics between the two electrodes with different energy storage mechanisms.

  7. Exame microbiológico de sorvetes não pasteurizados Microbiological examination of non pasteurized ice cream

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deise Pasetto Falcão

    1983-02-01

    Full Text Available Realizou-se exame microbiológico em 24 amostras de sorvetes não pasteurizados, todos preparados de maneira não industrial e à base de leite (creme, nata, chocolate, fabricados por 12 sorveterias diferentes da cidade de Araraquara, SP. Colheram-se duas amostras de cada sorveteria com intervalo de 15 dias entre as colheitas. Realizaram-se as seguintes provas: contagem de bactérias aeróbicas ou facultativas mesófilas e psicrófilas e de Staphylococcus aureus; determinação do Número Mais Provável (NMP de coliformes totais e fecais e da presença de Salmonella. As técnicas utilizadas foram aquelas convencionalmente usadas para tais determinações. Não foi encontrada Salmonella em nenhuma das amostras e de cerca de 16,6% delas isolou-se Staphylococcus aureus. Em proporções variáveis verificou-se a presença de microrgarnismos deteriorantes e daqueles indicadores de poluição de origem fecal.A microbiological examination was made on 24 samples of non pasteurized, non industrial ice cream, all made with milk collected from 12 different ice cream shops in Araraquara, SP, Brazil. For the study, two samples were collected 15 days apart, from each store. The following" tests were made using ice-cream samples: presence or absence of Salmonella; counts of mesophilic and psichrophilic bacteria and Staphylococcus aureus and verification of the Most Probable Number (MPN of enteric organisms (faecal coliforms and other coliforms. The techniques used were the conventional ones used in such calculations. All samples were negative for Salmonella while about 16.6% showed the presence of Staphylococcus aureus. There were deteriorative microorganisms and faecal coliforms present in varying proportions.

  8. Analysis of iron acquisition and storage-related genes in clinical and non-clinical strains of Yersinia enterocolitica biovar 1A.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanaujia, Pawan Kumar; Bajaj, Priyanka; Virdi, Jugsharan Singh

    2015-10-01

    Possession of mechanisms for iron acquisition and its storage enhances the ability of the bacteria to survive in the iron-limiting environment of the host. In this study, 81 strains of Yersinia enterocolitica biovar 1A isolated from various clinical (n = 51) and non-clinical (n = 30) sources were investigated for the presence of the genes related to iron acquisition and storage. Important genes which were present in more than 85% of the strains included hasA, foxA, bfr, bfd, ftnA, and hmsT as well as the fhuCDB, fepBDGCfesfepA, feoAB, yfuABCD, hemPRSTUV, and hmsHFRS gene clusters. Majority of these genes is being reported for the first time in biovar 1A strains and showed significant homology with genes present in the known pathogenic biovars of Y. enterocolitica. However, no significant difference was observed in the distribution of iron acquisition and storage-related genes among clinical and non-clinical biovar 1A strains. Thus, it may be suggested that the presence of iron acquisition and storage-related genes per se might not be responsible for the supposedly better ability of clinical biovar 1A strains to cause infections in humans. However, in the backdrop of this data, the need to undertake functional studies are highly recommended. © 2015 APMIS. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. CuO nanoparticles and their antimicrobial activity against nosocomial strains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mónica Marcela Gómez León

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Using a prototype reactor, CuO nanoparticles (NPs were synthetized through the precipitation method, starting from CuSO2·5H2O and Cu(CH3COO2·H2O. The obtained NPs were characterized by XDR, FT-IR, SEM, and TEM. The antimicrobial activity of the NPs was determined by the plate diffusion method, placing 20 mg of NPs onto four nosocomial strains obtained from north Lima national hospital Intensive-Care Unit (Staphylococcus epidermidis, Aerococcus viridans, Ochrobactrum anthropic, and Micrococcus lylae. NPs characterization revealed that those synthetized from acetate (CuO–Acet shown pure CuO phase, while those synthetized from sulphate CuO–Sulf shown two phases where CuO was the predominant one, having more than 84%. The crystal domains for CuO–Acet and CuO–Sulf were 15 and 19 nm, respectively. The inhibition halos for the studied strains were larger for CuO–Sulf NPs than CuO–Acet NPs, only Ochrobactrum anthropi displayed similar inhibition halos for both types of NPs.

  10. Fatores associados à não realização de exame citopatológico de colo uterino no extremo Sul do Brasil Factors associated with non-participation in screening for cervical cancer in Southern Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juraci A. Cesar

    2003-10-01

    Full Text Available A identificação precoce do câncer de colo uterino aumenta substancialmente a sua probabilidade de cura. Este estudo mediu a prevalência e identificou alguns fatores associados à não realização de exame citopatológico de colo uterino entre mulheres em idade fértil, no Município de Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Utilizou-se delineamento transversal, de base populacional com amostragem sistemática por conglomerados. Aplicou-se questionário individual, padronizado mediante visita domiciliar, por entrevistadores previamente treinados. Os dados foram analisados por regressão logística obedecendo a modelo hierárquico previamente determinado. Dentre as 1.302 mulheres entrevistadas, 57% nunca se submeteram ao exame citopatológico para detecção de câncer uterino. Mulheres de cor parda ou preta, de menor idade, renda familiar e escolaridade, que estavam vivendo sem companheiros e que tiveram o primeiro parto com 25 anos ou mais de idade foram as que apresentaram as maiores razões de prevalências para a não realização deste tipo de exame. A cobertura para detecção precoce de câncer de colo uterino por meio de exame citopatológico foi muito baixa em Rio Grande. Além disso, mulheres com maior probabilidade de ter esta doença foram as que apresentaram maiores razões de prevalências à sua não realização.Early detection of cervical cancer substantially increases the probability of cure. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with non-participation in cervical cancer screening among women 15 to 49 years of age in Rio Grande, Southern Brazil. A representative survey was carried out using a systematic sample based on a census tract. Trained interviewers used standard, individualized, household questionnaires to interview the women. Data analysis used logistic regression according to a previously determined hierarchical framework. Among 1,302 women interviewed, 57% had never had a Pap

  11. Metodologia de seleção de cepas para produção etodologia da ciclodextrina glicosiltransferase e para purificação da enzima = Strains selection methodology for cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase production and enzyme purification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Glauciane de Lara Costa

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available As ciclodextrinas (CDs são maltooligossacarídeos, produzidas a partir do amido, pela enzima ciclodextrina glicosiltransferase (CGTase. Esta pesquisa teve por objetivo estabelecer metodologias de seleção de cepas para produção de CGTase e para purificação da enzima. Os microrganismos foram selecionados a partir de 53 análises de solos de cultura de amido, em placas contendo meio de cultivo específico, para seleção de cepas produtoras de CGTase. As enzimas foram obtidas com cultivo destes microrganismos em meio líquido. As atividades enzimáticas das CGTases foram determinadas pelos métodos espectrofotométricos e precipitação com tricloroetileno. A cepa isolada do solo de aveia foi a que apresentou maior atividade [0,1864 mmol de b-CD (min mL-1]. Esta cepa foi utilizada para a produção da enzima em escala laboratorial e purificação em cromatografia deafinidade bioespecífica. A cepa selecionada nesta pesquisa abre novas perspectivas para produção de enzima e CDs em escala industrial.Cyclodextrins (CDs are maltooligosaccharides produced from starch by cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase enzyme. This researchaimed at establishing method for strains selection for CGTase production and enzyme purification. The microorganisms were selected from 53 analyses of starch cultures soils on plates containing specific culture medium for strains selection that produce CGTase. Theenzymes were obtained by culturing these microorganisms in liquid medium. The enzyme activity was determined with photospectrometric methods and precipitation with trichloroethylene. The strain isolated from oat soil was the one that showed the highest activity [0.1864 mmol of b-CD (min mL-1]. This strain was used for enzyme production in laboratory scale and purification by biospecific affinity chromatography. The strain selected in this research opens new perspectives for enzymes production and CDs in industrial scale.

  12. Situação vacinal da população discente da Universidade de São Paulo Vaccinal condition of the student population of the S. Paulo University

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ernesto Lima Gonçalves

    1977-06-01

    Full Text Available São apresentados aspectos da situação vacinal dos alunos dos Institutos da Universidade de São Paulo, situados na capital e nos "campi" do interior em Ribeirão Preto, São Carlos, Bauru e Piracicaba, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Foi realizado inquérito preliminar mediante a aplicação de questionário especial a uma amostra de 13.139 alunos (42,3% do total de matriculados, sendo 1.707 alunos no interior (38,3% dos matriculados e 11.432 na capital (43% dos matriculados. Os principais dados sobre vacinação antivariólica foram: 20% dos alunos do interior e 30% dos da capital informaram não ter a cicatriz ou não saber de sua existência; 50% dos alunos do interior e 75% dos da capital informaram ter sido vacinados há menos de 5 anos; 35% do total de alunos afirmaram que o resultado da última vacina recebida foi positivo. Não foram vacinados contra o tétano ou não receberam a vacina de acordo com o esquema preconizado pela Secretaria de Estado da Saúde, 2/3 dos alunos. Os dados sobre vacinação antimeningocócica revelaram que 17% dos alunos do interior e 80% dos da capital declaravam ter sido vacinados. Foram examinados 3.113 estudantes, definindo-se pela vacinação antivariólica de 405 deles (13% do total; destes, 253 (62,5% retornaram para leitura, que foi positiva em 221 (87,3 deles. Em relação à vacina antitetânica, 1 .118 alunos da USP receberam as duas doses programadas, o que dá um índice de 66,9%; considerados separadamente os alunos de graduação e de pós-graduação, esse índice foi respectivamente de 66,1% e 80,2%.Some aspects regarding the vaccinal situation of students in the various "campi" of the São Paulo University (USP are presented. At first an inquest was made, by means of a questionnaire which was answered by 13.139 people (42.3% of the total university population. With respect to amallpox immunization, 20% of pupils from upcountry and 30% from São Paulo said they had no vaccination scar; 50% of

  13. Odd-order o.d.f. expansion coefficient determination. Case of diffraction strain measurements on cubic materials under macrostress loading

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brakman, C.M.

    1985-01-01

    Diffraction intensity pole figures are often used for the determination of orientation distribution function (o.d.f.) expansion coefficients. The intensity can be seen as a convolution of the o.d.f. times unity with respect to one rotation angle (about the direction of measurement). The 'normal' polycrystalline diffraction experiment only yields the even-order o.d.f. coefficients. The experiment itself imposes a centre of inversion even upon non-centrosymmetric crystals. Crystals may exhibit a centre of inversion themselves. The hkl and anti hanti kanti l contributions to the intensity are indistinguishable then owing to the centre of inversion. As a consequence, the odd-order coefficients cannot be determined. The mean value of a general physical property determined by means of diffraction can be taken as a convolution of the o.d.f. times the single-crystal value of the physical property with respect to the rotation angle mentioned before. The dependency of the physical property on the rotation angle leads to more information being extracted from the o.d.f. in the property's mean-value pole figure. Then, all o.d.f. coefficients may be present in the mean value, i.e. the measurement. Consequently, diffraction-line-shift strain pole figures exhibit even- and odd-order o.d.f. coefficients, present or induced centres of inversion notwithstanding. If the dependency of the single-crystal strain on the rotation angle is known no model of elastic polycrystal coupling is needed. However, this does not occur in practice. The present state of the art does not allow the Kroener model to be used for textured materials. In this paper the Reuss model is used. If the (applied) macrostresses are known, the o.d.f. coefficients can be obtained from the formulae presented. (orig.)

  14. Strain distribution of confined Ge/GeO2 core/shell nanoparticles engineered by growth environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Wenyan; Yuan, Cailei; Luo, Xingfang; Yu, Ting; Wang, Gongping

    2016-02-01

    The strain distributions of Ge/GeO2 core/shell nanoparticles confined in different host matrix grown by surface oxidation are investigated. The simulated results by finite element method demonstrated that the strains of the Ge core and the GeO2 shell strongly depend on the growth environments of the nanoparticles. Moreover, it can be found that there is a transformation of the strain on Ge core from tensile to compressive strain during the growth of Ge/GeO2 core/shell nanoparticles. And, the transformation of the strain is closely related with the Young's modulus of surrounding materials of Ge/GeO2 core/shell nanoparticles.

  15. Piezoelectricity and rotostriction through polar and non-polar coupled instabilities in bismuth-based piezoceramics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acosta, Matias; Schmitt, Ljubomira A; Cazorla, Claudio; Studer, Andrew; Zintler, Alexander; Glaum, Julia; Kleebe, Hans-Joachim; Donner, Wolfgang; Hoffman, Mark; Rödel, Jürgen; Hinterstein, Manuel

    2016-07-01

    Coupling of order parameters provides a means to tune functionality in advanced materials including multiferroics, superconductors, and ionic conductors. We demonstrate that the response of a frustrated ferroelectric state leads to coupling between order parameters under electric field depending on grain orientation. The strain of grains oriented along a specific crystallographic direction, 〈h00〉, is caused by converse piezoelectricity originating from a ferrodistortive tetragonal phase. For 〈hhh〉 oriented grains, the strain results from converse piezoelectricity and rotostriction, as indicated by an antiferrodistortive instability that promotes octahedral tilting in a rhombohedral phase. Both strain mechanisms combined lead to a colossal local strain of (2.4 ± 0.1) % and indicate coupling between oxygen octahedral tilting and polarization, here termed "rotopolarization". These findings were confirmed with electromechanical experiments, in situ neutron diffraction, and in situ transmission electron microscopy in 0.75Bi1/2Na1/2TiO3-0.25SrTiO3. This work demonstrates that polar and non-polar instabilities can cooperate to provide colossal functional responses.

  16. Sequence Variations in the Flagellar Antigen Genes fliC H25 and fliC H28 of Escherichia coli and Their Use in Identification and Characterization of Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) O145:H25 and O145:H28

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beutin, Lothar; Delannoy, Sabine; Fach, Patrick

    2015-01-01

    Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) serogroup O145 is regarded as one of the major EHEC serogroups involved in severe infections in humans. EHEC O145 encompasses motile and non-motile strains of serotypes O145:H25 and O145:H28. Sequencing the fliC-genes associated with the flagellar antigens H25 and H28 revealed the genetic diversity of the fliC H25 and fliC H28 gene sequences in E. coli. Based on allele discrimination of these fliC-genes real-time PCR tests were designed for identification of EHEC O145:H25 and O145:H28. The fliC H25 genes present in O145:H25 were found to be very similar to those present in E. coli serogroups O2, O100, O165, O172 and O177 pointing to their common evolution but were different from fliC H25 genes of a multiple number of other E. coli serotypes. In a similar way, EHEC O145:H28 harbor a characteristic fliC H28 allele which, apart from EHEC O145:H28, was only found in enteropathogenic (EPEC) O28:H28 strains that shared some common traits with EHEC O145:H28. The real time PCR-assays targeting these fliC H25[O145] and fliC H28[O145] alleles allow better characterization of EHEC O145:H25 and EHEC O145:H28. Evaluation of these PCR assays in spiked ready-to eat salad samples resulted in specific detection of both types of EHEC O145 strains even when low spiking levels of 1–10 cfu/g were used. Furthermore these PCR assays allowed identification of non-motile E. coli strains which are serologically not typable for their H-antigens. The combined use of O-antigen genotyping (O145wzy) and detection of the respective fliC H25[O145] and fliC H28[O145] allele types contributes to improve identification and molecular serotyping of E. coli O145 isolates. PMID:26000885

  17. Evaluation of coronary endothelial dysfunction in healthy young smokers: Cold pressor test using [{sup 15}O]H{sub 2}O PET

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hwang, Kyung Hoon [Department of Nuclear Medicine, Gachon University Gil Hospital of Korea, 1198, Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon 405-760 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: forrest88@hanmail.net; Lee, Byeong-il [Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Chonnam National University Hospital of Korea, 671, Jebong-no, Dong-gu, Gwangju 0-757 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: dewpapa@hanmail.net; Kim, Su Jin; Lee, Jae Sung; Lee, Dong Soo [Department of Nuclear Medicine, College of Medicine, The Seoul National University of Korea, 28, Yeongeon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-799 (Korea, Republic of)

    2009-07-15

    The purpose of this study was to investigate coronary endothelial dysfunction in young healthy smokers by measuring myocardial blood flow (MBF) using [{sup 15}O]H{sub 2}O-PET. The study population was 18 young male volunteers consisted of 9 smokers (age: 23.8{+-}1.1 yr) and 9 non-smokers (age: 25.0{+-}2.5 yr). The smokers had been smoking cigarettes for 6.6{+-}2.5 pack years. Myocardial [{sup 15}O]H{sub 2}O-PET was performed at rest, during cold (5 deg. C) pressor stimulation and during adenosine infusion. Left ventricular (LV) input function and tissue time-activity curves were obtained by drawing region of interest (ROI) on the LV blood pool and myocardium images obtained by non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) of dynamic [{sup 15}O]H{sub 2}O-PET data, and MBF was calculated using these time-activity curves and single compartmental model. There were no significant difference in resting MBF between two groups (smokers: 1.43{+-}0.41 and non-smokers: 1.37{+-}0.41 ml/g/min; P=NS). However, during cold pressor stimulation, MBF in smokers was significantly lower than that in non-smokers (1.25{+-}0.33 vs. 1.59{+-}0.29 ml/g/min; P=0.019). MBF changed to 90{+-}24% of resting MBF in smokers and 122{+-}28% in non-smokers. The difference in the ratio of cold pressor MBF to basal MBF between two groups was also significant (P=0.024). During adenosine infusion, however, hyperemic MBF did not differ significantly between smokers and non-smokers (5.81{+-}1.99 vs. 5.03{+-}1.27 ml/g/min; P=NS). This study shows that [{sup 15}O]H{sub 2}O PET analysis can reveal that endothelial dysfunction occurs in even young smokers of about 6 pack years.

  18. Effect of strain on voltage-controlled magnetism in BiFeO3-based heterostructures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, J. J.; Hu, J. M.; Yang, T. N.; Feng, M.; Zhang, J. X.; Chen, L. Q.; Nan, C. W.

    2014-01-01

    Voltage-modulated magnetism in magnetic/BiFeO3 heterostructures can be driven by a combination of the intrinsic ferroelectric-antiferromagnetic coupling in BiFeO3 and the antiferromagnetic-ferromagnetic exchange interaction across the heterointerface. However, ferroelectric BiFeO3 film is also ferroelastic, thus it is possible to generate voltage-induced strain in BiFeO3 that could be applied onto the magnetic layer across the heterointerface and modulate magnetism through magnetoelastic coupling. Here, we investigated, using phase-field simulations, the role of strain in voltage-controlled magnetism for these BiFeO3-based heterostructures. It is predicted, under certain condition, coexistence of strain and exchange interaction will result in a pure voltage-driven 180° magnetization reversal in BiFeO3-based heterostructures. PMID:24686503

  19. Study of strained-Si p-channel MOSFETs with HfO2 gate dielectric

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pradhan, Diana; Das, Sanghamitra; Dash, Tara Prasanna

    2016-10-01

    In this work, the transconductance of strained-Si p-MOSFETs with high-K dielectric (HfO2) as gate oxide, has been presented through simulation using the TCAD tool Silvaco-ATLAS. The results have been compared with a SiO2/strained-Si p-MOSFET device. Peak transconductance enhancement factors of 2.97 and 2.73 has been obtained for strained-Si p-MOSFETs in comparison to bulk Si channel p-MOSFETs with SiO2 and high-K dielectric respectively. This behavior is in good agreement with the reported experimental results. The transconductance of the strained-Si device at low temperatures has also been simulated. As expected, the mobility and hence the transconductance increases at lower temperatures due to reduced phonon scattering. However, the enhancements with high-K gate dielectric is less as compared to that with SiO2.

  20. Influence of the goethite (α-FeOOH) surface on the stability of distorted PuO{sub 2} and PuO{sub 2-x} phases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Taylor, Sandra D.; Becker, Udo [Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States). Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences; Powell, Brian A. [Clemson Univ., Anderson, SC (United States). Environmental Engineering and Earth Science Dept.

    2016-07-01

    Cl substrate. These models suggest that the lattice of a fcc PuO{sub 2} particle can distort upon formation of a heterointerface with goethite to lower LM, in turn better enabling the growth of the PO adsorbates and yielding more exothermic adsorption energies. A more detailed understanding of the interfacial environment between PO and goethite is obtained through structural, chemical, and energetic analyses on modeled PuO{sub 2} (110)- and PuO{sub 2-x} (110)-goethite (001) heterointerfaces. Structural analyses of the heterointerfaces continue to support that the lattice of PO is strained to better match that of goethite and thus lead to the formation of a non-fcc PO phase. When the lattice of the PO (110) surface is distorted to match that of the goethite (001) surface, the alignment and d-spacings from simulated electron diffraction patterns for the PO-goethite heterointerfaces reproduce experimental observations. Non-fcc PO thin-films are also found to be stabilized through the formation of an interface with goethite, as the work of adhesion for the PuO{sub 2}- and PuO{sub 2-x}-goethite interfaces are 1.4 J/m{sup 2} and 2.0 J/m{sup 2}, respectively. Analyses of electron and charge density of the heterointerfaces also show that covalent- to polar-covalent bonding at the interface promotes the stabilization of a PO-goethite interface. The results from these models contribute to experimental observations, providing further understanding of how the goethite substrate influences the formation and stabilization of a non-fcc PO phase. Furthermore, the information from this study aids in better understanding processes at mineral-water interfaces that influence actinide transport.

  1. Accessible switching of electronic defect type in SrTi O3 via biaxial strain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chi, Yen-Ting; Youssef, Mostafa; Sun, Lixin; Van Vliet, Krystyn J.; Yildiz, Bilge

    2018-05-01

    Elastic strain is used widely to alter the mobility of free electronic carriers in semiconductors, but a predictive relationship between elastic lattice strain and the extent of charge localization of electronic defects is still underdeveloped. Here we considered SrTi O3 , a prototypical perovskite as a model functional oxide for thin film electronic devices and nonvolatile memories. We assessed the effects of biaxial strain on the stability of electronic defects at finite temperature by combining density functional theory (DFT) and quasiharmonic approximation (QHA) calculations. We constructed a predominance diagram for free electrons and small electron polarons in this material, as a function of biaxial strain and temperature. We found that biaxial tensile strain in SrTi O3 can stabilize the small polaron, leading to a thermally activated and slower electronic transport, consistent with prior experimental observations on SrTi O3 and distinct from our prior theoretical assessment of the response of SrTi O3 to hydrostatic stress. These findings also resolved apparent conflicts between prior atomistic simulations and conductivity experiments for biaxially strained SrTi O3 thin films. Our computational approach can be extended to other functional oxides, and for the case of SrTi O3 our findings provide concrete guidance for conditions under which strain engineering can shift the electronic defect type and concentration to modulate electronic transport in thin films.

  2. Comparative genome analysis of pathogenic and non-pathogenic Clavibacter strains reveals adaptations to their lifestyle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Załuga, Joanna; Stragier, Pieter; Baeyen, Steve; Haegeman, Annelies; Van Vaerenbergh, Johan; Maes, Martine; De Vos, Paul

    2014-05-22

    The genus Clavibacter harbors economically important plant pathogens infecting agricultural crops such as potato and tomato. Although the vast majority of Clavibacter strains are pathogenic, there is an increasing number of non-pathogenic isolates reported. Non-pathogenic Clavibacter strains isolated from tomato seeds are particularly problematic because they affect the current detection and identification tests for Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (Cmm), which is regulated with a zero tolerance in tomato seed. Their misidentification as pathogenic Cmm hampers a clear judgment on the seed quality and health. To get more insight in the genetic features linked to the lifestyle of these bacteria, a whole-genome sequence of the tomato seed-borne non-pathogenic Clavibacter LMG 26808 was determined. To gain a better understanding of the molecular determinants of pathogenicity, the genome sequence of LMG 26808 was compared with that of the pathogenic Cmm strain (NCPPB 382). The comparative analysis revealed that LMG 26808 does not contain plasmids pCM1 and pCM2 and also lacks the majority of important virulence factors described so far for pathogenic Cmm. This explains its apparent non-pathogenic nature in tomato plants. Moreover, the genome analysis of LMG 26808 detected sequences from a plasmid originating from a member of Enterobacteriaceae/Klebsiella relative. Genes received that way and coding for antibiotic resistance may provide a competitive advantage for survival of LMG 26808 in its ecological niche. Genetically, LMG 26808 was the most similar to the pathogenic Cmm NCPPB 382 but contained more mobile genetic elements. The genome of this non-pathogenic Clavibacter strain contained also a high number of transporters and regulatory genes. The genome sequence of the non-pathogenic Clavibacter strain LMG 26808 and the comparative analyses with other pathogenic Clavibacter strains provided a better understanding of the genetic bases of virulence and

  3. Construction of a non-enzymatic sensor based on the poly(o-phenylenediamine)/Ag-NPs composites for detecting glucose in blood

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Jinxiang; Wang, Meirong [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering and Monitoring, Yangzhou University, 180 Si–Wang–Ting Road, Yangzhou 225002 (China); Guan, Jun [Clinical Medical College of Yangzhou University, Subei People' s Hospital of Jiangsu Province, Yangzhou 225002 (China); Wang, Chengyin, E-mail: wangcy@yzu.edu.cn [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering and Monitoring, Yangzhou University, 180 Si–Wang–Ting Road, Yangzhou 225002 (China); Wang, Guoxiu [School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, City Campus, Broadway, Sydney, NSW 2007 (Australia)

    2017-02-01

    A non-enzymatic glucose sensor, based on the silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs)/poly (o-phenylenediamine) (PoPD) composites, is developed by the electrochemical polymerization of o-phenylenediamine and electrodeposition of silver nanoparticles on an indium tin oxide electrode. The Ag-NPs/PoPD composites are characterized by atomic force microscopy, scanning electronic microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometer. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the proposed glucose sensor demonstrates a wide linear range from 0.15 to 13 mmol L{sup −1} with a correlation coefficient of 0.998. The proposed glucose sensor can be used to detect glucose in blood sample with a satisfactory result. In addition, the proposed sensor presents the advantages, such as facile preparation, low cost, high sensitivity and fast response time. It also exhibits good anti-interference performance and stability. - Highlights: • A facile AgNPs/PoPD/ITO modified sensor was developed for the first time. • The non-enzymatic sensor can detect glucose in human blood directly with a wide detection range. • This sensor is of rapid response, low cost, high sensitivity, and long-time stability.

  4. Comparison of hydrogen-production capability of four different Enterobacteriaceae strains under growing and non-growing conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seol, Eunhee; Kim, Seohyoung; Raj, S. Mohan; Park, Sunghoon [Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735 (Korea)

    2008-10-15

    Non-growing cells can function as whole-cell biocatalysts for hydrogen (H{sub 2}) production, a process that has recently drawn much attention. In order to evaluate their potential as whole-cell biocatalysts, we compared the H{sub 2}-production capability of four Enterobacteriaceae strains (Citrobacter amalonaticus Y19, Escherichia coli K-12 MG1655, Escherichia coli DJT135, and Enterobacter aerogenes) under growing and non-growing conditions. We evaluated their H{sub 2}-production activity at varying temperatures (25-45 C) and pH conditions (6.0-8.0) using glucose or formate as the carbon source. Under growing conditions with 10 mM glucose as a substrate, E. aerogenes exhibited the highest H{sub 2}-production activity (17.0 {+-} 0.2 {mu}mol H{sub 2} mg cell{sup -1} h{sup -1}) among the four strains, but the final H{sub 2} yield was similar (1.7-1.8 mol H{sub 2} mol{sup -1} glucose) in all four strains. H{sub 2} production in the four strains proceeded through a formate-dependent pathway that involved the formate hydrogen lyase (FHL) complex. Under non-growing conditions with 20 mM formate as a substrate, we obtained high H{sub 2}-production activities, in the range of 95.5-195.2 {mu}mol H{sub 2} mg cell{sup -1} h{sup -1}, with E. coli DJT135 exhibiting the highest activity (195.2 {mu}mol H{sub 2} mg{sup -1} h{sup -1}) at pH 6.0 and 45 C. In contrast, using glucose as the carbon substrate in non-growing cell experiments greatly reduced the H{sub 2}-production activity to 6.1-7.7 {mu}mol H{sub 2} mg cell{sup -1} h{sup -1}. This study indicated that formate is a better substrate than glucose for H{sub 2} production by non-growing cells, and that the H{sub 2}-production performance among the strains did not vary significantly, with the exception of E. coli K-12 MG1655. (author)

  5. Rigid, non-porous and tunable hybrid p-aminobenzoate/TiO2 materials: Toward a fine structural determination of the immobilized RhCl(Ph3)3 complex

    KAUST Repository

    Espinas, Jeff

    2015-05-01

    By exchange of ligands, Wilkinson complex RhCl(PPh3)3 are immobilized on p-aminobenzoate/TiO2 with different organic loading (6, 11 and 16%). This new hybrid material exhibit a linear correlation between the ligand content of the starting TiO2 and the rhodium loading, showing the accessibility of all surfaces amines fonctions on the non-porous parent materials. 1H, 13C, and 1D, 2D INAQUEDATE refocused and J-resolved 31P solid-state NMR confirm the well-defined structure [(≡TiO)2(n{right tail}2-O2C-C6H4-NH2)RhCl-cis-(PPh3)2]. New immobilized catalysts show interesting activity in cyclohexene hydroformylation.

  6. Rigid, non-porous and tunable hybrid p-aminobenzoate/TiO2 materials: Toward a fine structural determination of the immobilized RhCl(Ph3)3 complex

    KAUST Repository

    Espinas, Jeff; Rahal, Raed; Abou-Hamad, Edy; El Eter, Mohamad; Basset, Jean-Marie

    2015-01-01

    By exchange of ligands, Wilkinson complex RhCl(PPh3)3 are immobilized on p-aminobenzoate/TiO2 with different organic loading (6, 11 and 16%). This new hybrid material exhibit a linear correlation between the ligand content of the starting TiO2 and the rhodium loading, showing the accessibility of all surfaces amines fonctions on the non-porous parent materials. 1H, 13C, and 1D, 2D INAQUEDATE refocused and J-resolved 31P solid-state NMR confirm the well-defined structure [(≡TiO)2(n{right tail}2-O2C-C6H4-NH2)RhCl-cis-(PPh3)2]. New immobilized catalysts show interesting activity in cyclohexene hydroformylation.

  7. Growth of strained, ferroelectric NaNbO{sub 3} thin films by pulsed laser deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sellmann, Jan; Schwarzkopf, Jutta; Duk, Andreas; Kwasniewski, Albert; Schmidbauer, Martin; Fornari, Roberto [IKZ, Berlin (Germany)

    2012-07-01

    Due to its promising ferro-/piezoelectric properties and high Curie temperature NaNbO{sub 3} has attracted much attention. In contrast to bulk crystals, thin epitaxial films may incorporate and maintain a certain compressive or tensile lattice strain, depending on the used substrate/film combination. This deformation of the crystal lattice is known to strongly influence the ferroelectric properties of perovskites. In the case of NaNbO{sub 3} compressive strain is achieved in films deposited on NdGaO{sub 3} and SrTiO{sub 3} substrates while deposition on DyScO{sub 3} and TbScO{sub 3} leads to tensile in-plane strain. In order to characterize and practically apply the ferroelectric films, it is necessary to embed them in a capacitor structure for which we use pseudomorphically grown SrRuO{sub 3} as bottom electrodes. We report on the deposition of SrRuO{sub 3} and NaNbO{sub 3} single layers on SrTiO{sub 3}, DyScO{sub 3}, TbScO{sub 3} and NbGaO{sub 3} substrates by means of pulsed laser deposition. By adjusting the substrate temperature, the oxygen partial pressure and the laser frequency we have successfully deposited smooth, strained, single phase NaNbO{sub 3} thin films. Investigations of the films by atomic force microscopy and high resolution X-ray diffraction reveal the dependence of the surface morphology and the incorporated lattice strain on the deposition parameters and the lattice mismatch, respectively. All films exhibit piezoelectric properties, as proven by piezoresponse force microscopy.

  8. Non-Abelian vortices in N=1* gauge theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Markov, V.; Marshakov, A.; Yung, A.

    2005-01-01

    We consider the N=1* supersymmetric SU(2) gauge theory and demonstrate that the Z2 vortices in this theory acquire orientational zero modes, associated with the rotation of magnetic flux inside SU(2) group, and turn into the non-Abelian strings, when the masses of all chiral fields become equal. These non-Abelian strings are not BPS-saturated. We study the effective theory on the string world sheet and show that it is given by two-dimensional non-supersymmetric O(3) sigma model. The confined 't Hooft-Polyakov monopole is seen as a junction of the Z2-string and anti-string, and as a kink in the effective world sheet sigma model. We calculate its mass and show that besides the four-dimensional confinement of monopoles, they are also confined in the two-dimensional theory: the monopoles stick to anti-monopoles to form the meson-like configurations on the strings they are attached to

  9. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in Central Greece: prevalence and virulence genes of O157:H7 and non-O157 in animal feces, vegetables, and humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinaka, O; Pournaras, S; Mouchtouri, V; Plakokefalos, E; Katsiaflaka, A; Kolokythopoulou, F; Barboutsi, E; Bitsolas, N; Hadjichristodoulou, C

    2013-11-01

    In Greece, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) have only been sporadically reported. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of STEC and Escherichia coli O157:H7 in farm animals, vegetables, and humans in Greece. A total number of 1,010 fecal samples were collected from farm animals (sheep, goats, cattle, chickens, pigs), 667 diarrheal samples from humans, and 60 from vegetables, which were cultured in specific media for STEC isolates. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect toxin-producing colonies, which, subsequently, were subjected to a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for stx1, stx2, eae, rfbE O157, and fliC h7 genes. Eighty isolates (7.9 %) from animal samples were found to produce Shiga toxin by ELISA, while by PCR, O157 STEC isolates were detected from 8 (0.8 %) samples and non-O157 STEC isolates from 43 (4.2 %) samples. STEC isolates were recovered mainly from sheep and goats, rarely from cattle, and not from pigs and chickens, suggesting that small ruminants constitute a potential risk for human infections. However, only three human specimens (0.4 %) were positive for the detection of Shiga toxins and all were PCR-negative. Similarly, all 60 vegetable samples were negative for toxin production and for toxin genes, but three samples (two roman rockets and one spinach) were positive by PCR for rfbE O157 and fliC h7 genes. These findings indicate that sheep, goats, cattle, and leafy vegetables can be a reservoir of STEC and Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolates in Greece, which are still rarely detected among humans.

  10. Enhancing the humidity sensitivity of Ga2O3 /SnO2 core/shell microribbon by applying mechanical strain and its application as a flexible strain sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Kewei; Sakurai, Makoto; Aono, Masakazu

    2012-12-07

    The humidity sensitivity of a single β-Ga(2) O(3) /amorphous SnO(2) core/shell microribbon on a flexible substrate is enhanced by the application of tensile strain and increases linearly with the strain. The strain-induced enhancement originates from the increase in the effective surface area where water molecules are adsorbed. This strain dependence of humidity sensitivity can be used to monitor the external strain. The strain sensing of the microribbon device under various amounts of mechanical loading shows excellent reliability and reproducibility with a gauge factor of -41. The flexible device has high potential to detect both humidity and strain at room temperature. These findings and the mechanism involved are expected to pave the way for new flexible strain and multifunctional sensors. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Estudo longitudinal da atenção compartilhada em crianças autistas não-verbais Longitudinal study of joint attention in non-verbal autistic children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leila Sandra Damião Farah

    2009-12-01

    desenvolvimento da comunicação das crianças autistas.PURPOSE: to identify and characterize abilities of Joint Attention of non-verbal autistic children through the observation of communicative behaviors. METHODS: the research involved 5 boys, between 5,9 and 8,6-year old, diagnosed as Autistic Disorder (DSM IV, 2002, recorded in two instances with a four months interval. Meanwhile, the children were submitted to a language therapy mediation based on Joint Attention stimulation. Each recording was 15 minutes long and involved one child or group of 2-3 children with the therapist within non-directed and semi-directed interaction situations, at school where they studied. We observed and registered behaviors regarding Joint Attention abilities. The used material involved percussion instruments. Data were analyzed in relation to time, interaction and interlocutor. RESULTS: the gaze behavior showed the greatest growth in each subject. Data analysis revealed that the subjects showed qualitative trends for evolution of the Joint Attention ability revealing important clinical meaning although there was lack of statistical significance. Each subject showed characteristics and evolution of the communicative behaviors regarding Joint Attention in an individualized manner. After the period of language therapy intervention, we observed a quantitative behavioral growth in the 5 subjects, specifically under child-therapist interaction. CONCLUSIONS: the gaze behavior is an important step for the development of others behaviors toward Joint Attention. The adult-child interaction situation facilitates the appearance of communication behaviors and sharing. Language therapy with focus on the Joint Attention abilities seems to contribute positively for communication development of autistic children.

  12. Octahedral rotations in strained LaAlO3/SrTiO3 (001 heterostructures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. T. Fister

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Many complex oxides display an array of structural instabilities often tied to altered electronic behavior. For oxide heterostructures, several different interfacial effects can dramatically change the nature of these instabilities. Here, we investigate LaAlO3/SrTiO3 (001 heterostructures using synchrotron x-ray scattering. We find that when cooling from high temperature, LaAlO3 transforms from the Pm3¯m to the Imma phase due to strain. Furthermore, the first 4 unit cells of the film adjacent to the substrate exhibit a gradient in rotation angle that can couple with polar displacements in films thinner than that necessary for 2D electron gas formation.

  13. A non-deltaic clinoform wedge fed by multiple sources off São Sebastião Island, southeastern Brazilian Shelf

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vieira, Ivo; Lobo, Francisco José; Montoya-Montes, Isabel; Siegle, Eduardo; Passos, Jorge Luiz; De Mahiques, Michel Michaelovitch

    2018-02-01

    o Sebastião Island (SSI) marks the latitudinal boundary between two sedimentological and geochemical provinces in the São Paulo Bight, an arc-shaped sector of the southeastern Brazilian Shelf. The island is separated from the continent by the narrow, deep São Sebastião Channel (SSC). A relatively thick sediment wedge—the São Sebastião Wedge (SSW)—has been formed offshore SSI. This study explores the possible genetic and evolutionary mechanisms of the wedge, bearing in mind that clinoform wedges can form at considerable distances from major fluvial sources. For that, a marine geological database has been interpreted comprising high-resolution seismic data, a surficial sediment map and several sediment cores, from which radiocarbon dates were obtained and sedimentation rates deduced. A wave model was also applied to obtain the dominant wave directions. The SSW is a wedge-shaped deposit, and its internal structure presents three seismic units. The two lowest are wedge shaped and arranged in a backstepping pattern. The most recent unit is mostly aggradational and can be divided into three seismic subunits. Sedimentological data show that at least the most recent unit is composed of a mixture of sands and silts. Modeled wave conditions indicate a major influence from southerly waves that are able to remobilize shelf sediments and to create a bypass sediment zone until the foreset of the deposit is reached at the water depths where the SSW is found. Taken together, these data suggest that the SSW formed through contributions from different sediment sources, and should be regarded as an intermediate case of a non-deltaic clinoform wedge. Sand transport in the area involves wind-driven currents passing through the SSC and sediment remobilization by energetic southerly waves. Fine-grained sediment is derived mostly from the joint contributions of many minor catchments located north of the island, and this sediment is later transported southwestward by the

  14. Structures and properties of (U,Pu)O2 containing non-active fission products. A simulation of irradiated nuclear fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmitz, F.

    1969-01-01

    We have made oxides with the same uranium and plutonium content, the same stoichiometry and the same fission product content as an oxide fuel (U 0,8 PuO 2 )O 1,96 after 2 per cent burn up. We have calculated the stoichiometry changes due to irradiation and checked the calculation by X rays parameters measurements. We have calculated and measured the contraction of the oxide lattice due to fission products in solid solution. Microprobe analysis of precipitates have been made and have lead to the identification of non metallic barium containing compounds and have shown the particular behaviour of molybdenum. Some physical properties have been measured especially the electrical resistivity, the thermal diffusivity and the vapour pressure of zirconium in solid solution. (author) [fr

  15. Utilização da microtécnica para a identificação sorológica intratípica de estirpes de poliovírus dos tipos 1 e 3 The use of the microtechnique for intratypic serodifferentiation of type 1 and 3 poliovirus strains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Klaus E. Stewien

    1977-03-01

    Full Text Available Foram estudadas de modo comparativo a macro e a microtécnica em provas de identificação sorológica intratípica de 28 estirpes de poliovírus dos tipos 1 e 3, segundo o método da "comparação dos índices de neutralização". Os resultados alcançados mostraram uma correlação elevada entre os índices de neutralização obtidos com ambas as técnicas empregadas - 0,931 e 0,971 após incubação de três e cinco dias, respectivamente - e correspondência total na identificação das estirpes examinadas. Conclui-se que a microtécnica pode ser utilizada em substituição da macrotécnica tradicional na identificação intratípica de poliovírus dos tipos 1 e 3, com, a vantagem da economia de meios e reagentes, e até mesmo com sensível redução de esforços humanos e tempo de execução das provas.The microtechnique was compared to the conventional macrotechnique for intratypic serodifferentiation of 28 type 1 and 3 poliovirus strains by the method of comparison of neutralization indices. The results of the tests showed a high correlation between the neutralization indices - 0.931 and 0.971 after incubation periods of three and five days, respectively - and all the strains were equally identified by both techniques studied. It is concluded that the microtechnique can be used as an alternative of the macrotechnique for intratypic serodifferentiation of type 1 and 3 poliovirus strains, with the advantage of economy of media and reagents and even with a marked saving in both time and effort.

  16. Comparative genomic analysis of two isolates of Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa El Tor isolated during outbreak in Mariupol in 2011.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuleshov, Konstantin V; Kostikova, Anna; Pisarenko, Sergey V; Kovalev, Dmitry A; Tikhonov, Sergey N; Savelievа, Irina V; Saveliev, Vilory N; Vasilieva, Oksana V; Zinich, Liliia S; Pidchenko, Nadiia N; Kulichenko, Alexander N; Shipulin, German A

    2016-10-01

    Cholera is a water-borne, severe enteric infection essentially caused by toxigenic strains of Vibrio cholera O1 and O139 serogroups. An outbreak of cholera was registered during May-July 2011 in Mariupol, Ukraine, with 33 cholera cases and 25 carriers of cholera. Following this outbreak, the toxigenic strain of V. cholerae 2011EL-301 was isolated from seawater in the recreation area of Taganrog city on the territory of Russia. The aim of our study was to understand genomic features of Mariupol isolates as well as to evaluate hypothesis about possible interconnection between the outbreak of cholera in Mariupol and the single case of isolation of V. cholerae from the Sea of Azov in Russia. Mariupol isolates were phenotypically characterized and subsequently subjected to whole genome sequencing procedure. Phylogenetic analysis based on high-quality SNPs of V. cholera O1 El Tor isolates of the 7th pandemic clade from different regions showed that clinical and environmental isolates from Mariupol outbreak were attributable to a unique phylogenetic clade within wave 3 of V. cholera O1 El Tor isolates and characterized by six clade-specific SNPs. Whereas Taganrog isolate belonged to distantly related clade which allows us to reject the hypothesis of transmission the outbreak strain of V. cholerae O1 from Ukraine to Russia in 2011. Mariupol isolates shared a common ancestor with Haiti\\Nepal-4\\India clade indicating that outbreak progenitor strain most likely originated in the South Asia region and later was introduced to Ukraine. Moreover, genomic data both based on hqSNPs and similarity of virulence-associated mobile genomic elements of Mariupol isolates suggests that environmental and clinical isolates are a part of joint outbreak which confirms the role of contaminated domestic sewage, as an element of the complex chain of infection spread during cholera outbreak. In general, the genome-wide comparative analysis of both genes and genomic regions of epidemiological

  17. Anethole inhibits growth of recently emerged multidrug resistant toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor variant strains in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zahid, M Shamim Hasan; Awasthi, Sharda Prasad; Hinenoya, Atsushi; Yamasaki, Shinji

    2015-05-01

    To search natural compounds having inhibitory effect on bacterial growth is important, particularly in view of growing multidrug resistant (MDR) strains of bacterial pathogens. Like other bacterial pathogens, MDR Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of diarrheal disease cholera, is becoming a great concern. As an approach of searching new antimicrobial agents, here, we show that anethole, a well-studied natural component of sweet fennel and star anise seeds, could potentially inhibit the growth of MDR O1 El Tor biotype, the ongoing 7th cholera pandemic variant strains of toxigenic V. cholerae. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of anethole against diverse O1 El Tor biotype strains is evaluated as 200 µg/ml. Moreover, the effect of anethole is bactericidal and exerts rapid-killing action on V. cholerae cells. This study is the first report which demonstrates that anethole, purified from natural compound, is a potent inhibitor of growth of toxigenic V. cholerae. Our data suggest that anethole could be a potential antimicrobial drug candidate, particularly against MDR V. cholerae mediated infections.

  18. Non-perturbative QCD. Renormalization, O(a)-improvement and matching to heavy quark effective theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sommer, R.

    2006-11-15

    We give an introduction to three topics in lattice gauge theory: I. The Schroedinger Functional and O(a) improvement. O(a) improvement has been reviewed several times. Here we focus on explaining the basic ideas in detail and then proceed directly to an overview of the literature and our personal assessment of what has been achieved and what is missing. II. The computation of the running coupling, running quark masses and the extraction of the renormalization group invariants. We focus on the basic strategy and on the large effort that has been invested in understanding the continuum limit. We point out what remains to be done. III. Non-perturbative Heavy Quark Effective Theory. Since the literature on this subject is still rather sparse, we go beyond the basic ideas and discuss in some detail how the theory works in principle and in practice. (orig.)

  19. Non-perturbative QCD. Renormalization, O(a)-improvement and matching to heavy quark effective theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sommer, R.

    2006-11-01

    We give an introduction to three topics in lattice gauge theory: I. The Schroedinger Functional and O(a) improvement. O(a) improvement has been reviewed several times. Here we focus on explaining the basic ideas in detail and then proceed directly to an overview of the literature and our personal assessment of what has been achieved and what is missing. II. The computation of the running coupling, running quark masses and the extraction of the renormalization group invariants. We focus on the basic strategy and on the large effort that has been invested in understanding the continuum limit. We point out what remains to be done. III. Non-perturbative Heavy Quark Effective Theory. Since the literature on this subject is still rather sparse, we go beyond the basic ideas and discuss in some detail how the theory works in principle and in practice. (orig.)

  20. Tailoring the electronic structure of β-Ga2O3 by non-metal doping from hybrid density functional theory calculations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Weiyan; Guo, Yating; Dong, Hao; Zhou, Xin

    2015-02-28

    A systematic study using density functional theory has been performed for β-Ga2O3 doped with non-metal elements X (X = C, N, F, Si, P, S, Cl, Se, Br, and I) to evaluate the effect of doping on the band edges and photocatalytic activity of β-Ga2O3. The utilization of a more reliable hybrid density functional, as prescribed by Heyd, Scuseria and Ernzerhof, is found to be effective in predicting the band gap of β-Ga2O3 (4.5 eV), in agreement with the experimental result (4.59 eV). Based on the relaxed structures of X-doped systems, the defect formation energies and the plots of density of states have been calculated to analyze the band edges, the band gap states and the preferred doping sites. Our results show that the doping is energetically favored under Ga-rich growth conditions with respect to O-rich growth conditions. It is easier to replace the threefold coordinated O atom with non-metal elements compared to the fourfold coordinated O atom. X-doped systems (X = C, Si, P) show no change in the band gap, with the presence of discrete midgap states, which have adverse effect on the photocatalytic properties. The photocatalytic redox ability can be improved to a certain extent by doping with N, S, Cl, Se, Br, and I. The band alignments for Se-doped and I-doped β-Ga2O3 are well positioned for the feasibility of both photo-oxidation and photo-reduction of water, which are promising photocatalysts for water splitting in the visible region.

  1. Field-induced strain and polarization response in lead-free Bi1/2(Na0.80K0.20)1/2TiO3–SrZrO3 ceramics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hussain, Ali; Rahman, Jamil Ur; Zaman, Arif; Malik, Rizwan Ahmed; Kim, Jin Soo; Song, Tae Kwon; Kim, Won Jeong; Kim, Myong Ho

    2014-01-01

    The structure, field-induced strain, polarization and dielectric response of lead-free SrZrO 3 -modified Bi 1/2 (Na 0.80 K 0.20 ) 1/2 TiO 3 (abbreviated as BNKT–SZ100x, with x = 0–0.05) ceramics were investigated. The X-ray diffraction analysis of BNKT–SZ100x ceramics reveals no remarkable change in the crystal structure within the studied composition range. Around critical composition (x = 0.03) at a driving field of 6 kV mm −1 , large unipolar strain of 0.37% (S max /E max = 617) was obtained at room temperature. The ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of BNKT ceramics were significantly increased at 2 mol%. At x = 0.02, remnant polarization reached a maximum value of 34 μC cm −2 , while the piezoelectric constant (d 33 ) attained maximum value of 190 pC/N. These results indicate that BNKT–SZ100x ceramics can be considered as promising candidate materials for lead-free piezoelectric actuator applications. - Highlights: • BNKT–SZ ceramics were synthesized by a conventional solid state reaction process. • Field-induced strain and piezoelectric constant were increased at critical composition. • BNKT–SZ100x ceramics at x = 0.03 exhibit a large field induced dynamic piezoelectric coefficient. • BNKT–SZ100x ceramics at x = 0.02 exhibit a high static piezoelectric constant. • The depolarization temperature of BNKT–SZ100x ceramics decrease with increase in SZ content

  2. Differentiating non-0157:H7 STEC serogroups from ground beef plated on agar media by hyperspetral imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Introduction: The development of an assay to detect and confirm a positive non-O157:H7 isolate is challenging when mixed morphologically results are obtained from the serogroups growing on Rainbow agar. Rainbow agar is only claimed by the manufacturer to be very specific for E.coli O157:H7 strain...

  3. Validation of the detection of STEC (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145 and O157 in raw burgers using real-time PCR (BAX® System Q7, DuPont in “WET POOLS”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paula Mussio

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC O157:H7 and no-O157:H7 have been identified as emerging foodborne pathogens responsible for an increasing number of outbreaks worldwide. Many foods have been associated to these outbreaks, mainly undercooked beef burgers. Due to the increasing production and consumption of burgers in our country, it is important to have a rapid technique to identify and isolate the most important STEC strains in foods matrixes.The objective of these investigation was to assess the sensitivity, specificity and limit detection for the screening of the most prevalent STEC in frozen raw beef burgers, using the "STEC Screening stx/eae " kit to detect the stx/eae genes and the "Panel 1 STEC E. coli O26, O111, O121" and "Panel 2 STEC E. coli O45, O103, O145" and "E. coli O157: H7 MP” (DuPont kits for the detection of the different serogroups. The use of composed samples (wet pools, the recovery of each strain from the positives samples on selective media after specified inmunoconcentration and the detection of stx/eae virulence genes in isolates by PCR were also evaluated. We validated a technique that allows the detection of the mentioned STEC strains with limits of detection between 1-5 CFU in 65 grams of raw frozen hamburgers, using wet pools. 

  4. Nickel oxide and carbon nanotube composite (NiO/CNT) as a novel cathode non-precious metal catalyst in microbial fuel cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Jianjian; Zhu, Nengwu; Yang, Tingting; Zhang, Taiping; Wu, Pingxiao; Dang, Zhi

    2015-10-15

    Comparing with the precious metal catalysts, non-precious metal catalysts were preferred to use in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) due to the low cost and high oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) efficiency. In this study, the transmission electron microscope and X-ray diffraction as well as Raman investigation revealed that the prepared nanoscale NiO was attached on the surface of CNT. Cyclic voltammogram and rotating ring-disk electrode tests showed that the NiO/CNT composite catalyst had an apparent oxygen reduction peak and 3.5 electron transfer pathway was acquired under oxygen atmosphere. The catalyst performance was highly dependent on the percentage of NiO in the CNT nanocomposites. When 77% NiO/CNT nano-sized composite was applied as cathode catalyst in membrane free single-chamber air cathode MFC, a maximum power density of 670 mW/m(2) and 0.772 V of OCV was obtained. Moreover, the MFC with pure NiO (control) could not achieve more than 0.1 V. All findings suggested that NiO/CNT could be a potential cathode catalyst for ORR in MFCs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Synthesis of Non-uniformly Pr-doped SrTiO3 Ceramics and Their Thermoelectric Properties

    KAUST Repository

    Mehdizadeh Dehkordi, Arash; Bhattacharya, Sriparna; Darroudi, Taghi; Zeng, Xiaoyu; Alshareef, Husam N.; Tritt, Terry M.

    2015-01-01

    We demonstrate a novel synthesis strategy for the preparation of Pr-doped SrTiO3 ceramics via a combination of solid state reaction and spark plasma sintering techniques. Polycrystalline ceramics possessing a unique morphology can be achieved by optimizing the process parameters, particularly spark plasma sintering heating rate. The phase and morphology of the synthesized ceramics were investigated in detail using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microcopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy It was observed that the grains of these bulk Pr-doped SrTiO3 ceramics were enhanced with Pr-rich grain boundaries. Electronic and thermal transport properties were also investigated as a function of temperature and doping concentration Such a microstructure was found to give rise to improved thermoelectric properties. Specifically, it resulted in a significant improvement in carrier mobility and the thermoelectric power factor. Simultaneously, it also led to a marked reduction in the thermal conductivity. As a result, a significant improvement (> 30%) in the thermoelectric figure of merit was achieved for the whole temperature range over all previously reported maximum values for SrTiO3-based ceramics. This synthesis demonstrates the steps for the preparation of bulk polycrystalline ceramics of non-uniformly Pr-doped SrTiO3.

  6. Synthesis of Non-uniformly Pr-doped SrTiO3 Ceramics and Their Thermoelectric Properties

    KAUST Repository

    Mehdizadeh Dehkordi, Arash

    2015-08-15

    We demonstrate a novel synthesis strategy for the preparation of Pr-doped SrTiO3 ceramics via a combination of solid state reaction and spark plasma sintering techniques. Polycrystalline ceramics possessing a unique morphology can be achieved by optimizing the process parameters, particularly spark plasma sintering heating rate. The phase and morphology of the synthesized ceramics were investigated in detail using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microcopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy It was observed that the grains of these bulk Pr-doped SrTiO3 ceramics were enhanced with Pr-rich grain boundaries. Electronic and thermal transport properties were also investigated as a function of temperature and doping concentration Such a microstructure was found to give rise to improved thermoelectric properties. Specifically, it resulted in a significant improvement in carrier mobility and the thermoelectric power factor. Simultaneously, it also led to a marked reduction in the thermal conductivity. As a result, a significant improvement (> 30%) in the thermoelectric figure of merit was achieved for the whole temperature range over all previously reported maximum values for SrTiO3-based ceramics. This synthesis demonstrates the steps for the preparation of bulk polycrystalline ceramics of non-uniformly Pr-doped SrTiO3.

  7. Ganho de peso e características de carcaça de bovinos Nelore castrados ou não-castrados terminados em confinamento Weight gain and characteristics of carcass of castrated or non-castrated Nellore cattle finished in confinement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fredson Vieira e Silva

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Objetivou-se avaliar o ganho de peso e as características de carcaça de bovinos Nelore, castrados ou não-castrados, terminados em confinamento. Utilizaram-se 36 animais com 24 meses de idade e peso vivo médio inicial de 445,30 (não-castrados ou 449,57 kg (castrados aos 400 kg de peso corporal. Os animais foram abatidos aos 50 dias de confinamento, quando atingiram peso vivo médio de 516,30 (não-castrados e 506,86 kg (castrados. Os animais não-castrados não tiveram aumento no peso vivo final, mas apresentaram maior ganho de peso (1,42 e 1,15 kg. Os pesos de carcaça quente (272,77 e 261,89 kg e carcaça fria (266,13 e 258,24 kg não diferiram entre animais não-castrados e castrados. Animais não-castrados apresentaram maior rendimento de carcaça quente (52,88 vs 51,65% para os não-castrados, todavia, o rendimento de carcaça fria foi similar entre os grupos (51,55 e 52,39%, em virtude da menor quebra ao resfriamento nos animais castrados (2,43 e 1,40%. Os pesos absolutos de traseiro especial (133,07 e 131,55 kg, dianteiro (105,65 e 100,09 kg e ponta-de-agulha (27,41 e 26,60 kg não diferiram entre animais não-castrados e castrados, mas os pesos relativos de traseiro dos animais castrados foram maiores que dos não-castrados (50,93 vs 50,00%. O contrafilé dos animais não-castrados foi mais pesado que o dos castrados (8,41 vs 7,90 kg. A espessura de gordura (2,05 vs 2,21 mm e a área de olho-de-lombo (66,98 vs 67,48 cm² não diferiram entre animais não-castrados e castrados. O pH na carcaça fria em tempos predeterminados até o estabelecimento do rigor mortis também é semelhante entre animais não-castrados e castrados. Animais não-castrados e castrados têm peso de carcaça satisfatório, porém não apresentam acabamento mínimo de 3 mm de gordura, quando confinados por 50 dias com dieta à base de cana-de-açúcar e concentrado. Para adequação do acabamento, a dieta dos animais deve ser balanceada com maior nível energ

  8. Revisiting the O(3) non-linear sigma model and its Pohlmeyer reduction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pastras, Georgios [NCSR ' ' Demokritos' ' , Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics, Attiki (Greece)

    2018-01-15

    It is well known that sigma models in symmetric spaces accept equivalent descriptions in terms of integrable systems, such as the sine-Gordon equation, through Pohlmeyer reduction. In this paper, we study the mapping between known solutions of the Euclidean O(3) non-linear sigma model, such as instantons, merons and elliptic solutions that interpolate between the latter, and solutions of the Pohlmeyer reduced theory, namely the sinh-Gordon equation. It turns out that instantons do not have a counterpart, merons correspond to the ground state, while the class of elliptic solutions is characterized by a two to one correspondence between solutions in the two descriptions. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  9. Assessment of Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli O157:H7 growth on lettuce exposed to isothermal and non-isothermal conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Oliveira Elias, Susana; Noronha, Tiago Baptista; Tondo, Eduardo Cesar

    2018-06-01

    This study aimed to assess the growth of Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7 on lettuce exposed to isothermal and non-isothermal conditions. Pathogens were inoculated on lettuce separately and stored under isothermal condition at 5 °C, 10 °C, 25 °C, 37 °C for both bacteria, at 40 °C for Salmonella and 42 °C for E. coli O157:H7. Growth curves were built by fitting the data to the Baranyi's DMFit, generating R 2 values greater than 0.92 for primary models. Secondary models were fitted with Ratkowsky equations, generating R 2 values higher than 0.91 and RMSE lower than 0.1. Experimental data showed that both bacteria could grow at all temperatures. Also, the growth of both pathogens under non-isothermal conditions was studied simulating temperatures found from harvest to supermarkets in Brazil. Models were analysed by R 2 , RMSE, bias factor (Bf) and accuracy factor (Af). Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 were able to grow in this temperature profile and the models could predict the behavior of these microorganisms on lettuce under isothermal and non-isothermal conditions. Based on the results, a negligible growth time (ς) was proposed to provide the time which lettuce could be exposed to a specific temperature and do not present an expressive growth of bacteria. The ς was developed based on Baranyi's primary model equation and on growth potential concept. ς is the value of lag phase added of the time necessary to population grow 0.5 log CFU/g. The ς of lettuce exposed to 37 °C was 1.3 h, while at 5 °C was 3.3 days. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Evolução clínica a longo prazo, correlacionando a presença de bloqueios da condução intraventricular em pacientes chagásicos e não chagásicos assintomáticos Long-term follow up of asymptomatic chagasic individuals with intraventricular conduction disturbances, correlating with non-chagasic patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João Pimenta

    1999-12-01

    Full Text Available Estudo prospectivo para avaliar o potencial evolutivo, a longo prazo, dos transtornos da condução intraventricular em indivíduos chagásicos e não chagásicos assintomáticos. Foram submetidos a estudo eletrofisiológico, por metodologia convencional, 84 indivíduos portadores de bloqueio de ramo direito ou esquerdo, 55 chagásicos e 29 não chagásicos. A idade média foi de 45 anos nos chagásicos e 63 nos não chagásicos (pThis prospective study was designed to evaluate intraventricular conduction disturbances in asymptomatic patients with Chagas' disease, and patients with primary sclerosis of the conducting system of the heart (Lev-Lenègre's disease. Eighty-four asymptomatic individuals with right- or left-bundle branch block were submitted to electrophysiological evaluation and long-term follow-up. Fifty-five had positive serologic blood tests for Chagas' disease and 29 had Lev-Lenègre's disease. Mean-age of 45 years in chagasic and 63 in non-chagasic patients (p< 0.001. There were 54 (98.2% with right-bundle branch block in chagasic and 14 (48.3% among non-chagasic patients (p <0.001. Sinus nodal and atrioventricular nodal functions presented no differences in either group. However, mean HV interval was greater in the NCH than in the CH group (p< 0.01. After a mean follow-up of 121 ± 63.75 months among chagasic and 94.97 ± 67.55 months among non-chagasic patients, total mortality was 20 (36.6% patients in chagasic and 9 (31% among non-chagasic patients (NS. Cardiac death was recorded in 17 (85% individuals among chagasic and 3 (33.3% among non-chagasic patients(p <0.05. Sudden death occurred in 10 (50% among chagasic and was not observed in non-chagasic patients (p <0.01. In conclusion: 1. Asymptomatic chagasic individuals with intraventricular conduction disturbances showed higher cardiac mortality, sudden or non-sudden death in relation to non-chagasic individuals. 2. The evaluated electrophysiological parameters were of no

  11. The algebra of non-local charges in non-linear sigma models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdalla, E.; Abdalla, M.C.B.; Brunelli, J.C.; Zadra, A.

    1994-01-01

    It is derived the complete Dirac algebra satisfied by non-local charges conserved in non-linear sigma models. Some examples of calculation are given for the O(N) symmetry group. The resulting algebra corresponds to a saturated cubic deformation (with only maximum order terms) of the Kac-Moody algebra. The results are generalized for when a Wess-Zumino term be present. In that case the algebra contains a minor order correction (sub-saturation). (author). 1 ref

  12. Dual ferroic properties of hexagonal ferrite ceramics BaFe_1_2O_1_9 and SrFe_1_2O_1_9

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kostishyn, V.G.; Panina, L.V.; Timofeev, A.V.; Kozhitov, L.V.; Kovalev, A.N.; Zyuzin, A.K.

    2016-01-01

    Dual ferroic properties of a strong magnetism and large ferroelectricity have been observed in barium BaFe_1_2O_1_9 and strontium SrFe_1_2O_1_9 hexaferrite ceramics. The samples were fabricated by a modified ceramic technique from highly purified raw materials with addition of boron oxide allowing the control of grain size and enhancement of bulk resistivity. Whereas the samples of PbFe_1_2O_1_9 fabricated by the same technological method did not have sufficient electric resistivity to support an electric field and did not exhibit the ferroelectric properties. The structure of the samples examined by X-ray diffraction is consistent with a single hexagonal phase. The grains are randomly oriented with the average grain size of 300–400 nm coated with boron oxide. The magnetic properties are characterised by standard ferrimagnetic behavior with the Neel temperature of about 450 °C. Large spontaneous polarization was observed with the maximal values of 45–50 μC/cm"2 under an applied electric field of 100–300 kV/m. A strong coupling between magnetic and electric ordering was confirmed by measuring the magnetoelectric (ME) parameter and magnetodielectric ratio. These ME characteristics are more advanced than those for well-known room temperature multiferroic BiFeO_3. Furthermore, by applying an electric field, the manipulation of magnetization in the range of up to 9% was observed, which is even greater than in some substituted hexaferrites with a non-collinear magnetic structure. The obtained results on electrical polarization are similar to the values reported for the corresponding hexaferrites sintered by polymer precursor technique. This suggests a promising potential of M-type hexaferrite ceramics in devices utilizing magnetoelectric coupling. - Highlights: • Ba(Sr)Fe_1_2O_1_9-hexaferrites show large room-temperature multiferroic properties. • Small addition of B_2O_3 increases the hexaferrite resistivity by 4 orders of magnitude. • Large spontaneous

  13. Second cancers following non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Travis, L.B.; Curtis, R.E.; Boice, J.D. Jr.; Hankey, B.F.; Fraumeni, J.F. Jr.

    1991-01-01

    The risk of second malignancies following non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) was estimated in 29,153 patients diagnosed with NHL between 1973 and 1987 in one of nine areas participating in the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. Compared with the general population, NHL patients were at a significantly increased risk of developing second cancers (observed/expected [O/E] = 1.18; O = 1231). The O/E ratio increased significantly with time to reach 1.77 in 10-year survivors. Significant excesses were noted for acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (O/E = 2.88), cancers of the bladder (O/E = 1.30), kidney (O/E = 1.47), and lung (O/E = 1.57), malignant melanoma (O/E = 2.44), and Hodgkin's disease (O/E = 4.16). Chemotherapy appeared related to subsequent acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) and bladder cancer. Radiation therapy was associated with ANLL and possibly cancers of the lung, bladder, and bone. Malignant melanoma was not clearly related to initial NHL treatment

  14. The Effect of Tensile Strain on Optical Anisotropy and Exciton of m-Plane ZnO

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, H. H.; Tian, J. S.; Chen, C. Y.; Huang, H. H.; Yeh, Y. C.; Deng, P. Y.; Chang, L.; Chu, Y. H.; Wu, Y. R.; He, Jr-Hau

    2015-01-01

    The near band edge emission of the tensile-strained m-plane ZnO film grown on (112)LaAlO3 substrates shows abnormal low polarization degree (ρ = 0.1). The temperature dependency of polarization degree clarifies the origins of different emission

  15. Electroweak penguin contributions to non-leptonic ΔF=1 decays at NNLO

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buras, Andrzej J.; Gambino, Paolo; Haisch, Ulrich A.

    2000-01-01

    We calculate the O(α s ) corrections to the Z 0 -penguin and electroweak box diagrams relevant for non-leptonic ΔF=1 decays with F=S,B. This calculation provides the complete O(α W α s ) and O(α W α s sin 2 θ W m t 2 ) corrections (α W =α/sin 2 θ W ) to the Wilson coefficients of the electroweak penguin four quark operators relevant for non-leptonic K- and B-decays. We argue that this is the dominant part of the next-next-to-leading (NNLO) contributions to these coefficients. Our results allow us to reduce considerably the uncertainty due to the definition of the top quark mass present in the existing NLO calculations of non-leptonic decays. The NNLO corrections to the coefficient of the color singlet (V-A)x(V-A) electroweak penguin operator Q 9 relevant for B-decays are generally moderate, amount to a few percent for the choice m t (μ t =m t ) and depend only weakly on the renormalization scheme. Larger NNLO corrections with substantial scheme dependence are found for the coefficients of the remaining electroweak penguin operators Q 7 , Q 8 and Q 10 . In particular, the strong scheme dependence of the NNLO corrections to C 8 allows us to reduce considerably the scheme dependence of C 8 8 > 2 relevant for the ratio ε'/ε

  16. HQET at order 1/m. Pt. 1. Non-perturbative parameters in the quenched approximation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blossier, Benoit; Della Morte, Michele; Garron, Nicolas; Edinburgh Univ.; Sommer, Rainer

    2010-01-01

    We determine non-perturbatively the parameters of the lattice HQET Lagrangian and those of heavy-light axial-vector and vector currents in the quenched approximation. The HQET expansion includes terms of order 1/m b . Our results allow to compute, for example, the heavy-light spectrum and B-meson decay constants in the static approximation and to order 1/m b in HQET. The determination of the parameters is separated into universal and non-universal parts. The universal results can be used to determine the parameters for various discretizations. The computation reported in this paper uses the plaquette gauge action and the ''HYP1/2'' action for the b-quark described by HQET. The parameters of the currents also depend on the light-quark action, for which we choose non-perturbatively O(a)-improved Wilson fermions. (orig.)

  17. HQET at order 1/m. Pt. 1. Non-perturbative parameters in the quenched approximation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Blossier, Benoit [Paris XI Univ., 91 - Orsay (France). Lab. de Physique Theorique; Della Morte, Michele [Mainz Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Kernphysik; Garron, Nicolas [Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (Spain). Dept. Fisica Teorica y Inst. de Fisica Teorica UAM/CSIC; Edinburgh Univ. (United Kingdom). School of Physics and Astronomy - SUPA; Sommer, Rainer [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Zeuthen (Germany). John von Neumann-Inst. fuer Computing NIC

    2010-01-15

    We determine non-perturbatively the parameters of the lattice HQET Lagrangian and those of heavy-light axial-vector and vector currents in the quenched approximation. The HQET expansion includes terms of order 1/m{sub b}. Our results allow to compute, for example, the heavy-light spectrum and B-meson decay constants in the static approximation and to order 1/m{sub b} in HQET. The determination of the parameters is separated into universal and non-universal parts. The universal results can be used to determine the parameters for various discretizations. The computation reported in this paper uses the plaquette gauge action and the ''HYP1/2'' action for the b-quark described by HQET. The parameters of the currents also depend on the light-quark action, for which we choose non-perturbatively O(a)-improved Wilson fermions. (orig.)

  18. Aquisição de uma tarefa espacial por ratos submetidos a lesão hipocampal neonatal induzida por radiação ionizante Acquisition of a non-matching to place task by rats with neonatal hippocampal lesion induced by ionizing radiation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valéria Catelli Infantozzi Costa

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Costa, Bueno e Xavier (2005 mostraram que ratos com lesão do giro denteado hipocampal produzida por colchicina apresentam prejuízo de desempenho em testes pós-operatórios em uma tarefa espacial de discriminação condicional (tarefa de non-matching-to-place, NMTP, embora o treino repetitivo promova recuperação do desempenho dos animais lesados. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar o desempenho de ratos com danos seletivos no giro denteado, induzidos pela exposição neonatal a radiação ionizante, na tarefa de NMTP. O grupo irradiado apresentou prejuízo nas primeiras sessões de treino quando comparado ao grupo controle; porém, seu desempenho se igualou ao dos animais controles nas últimas sessões, replicando resultados anteriores. Os resultados são discutidos no contexto da teoria do mapa espacial cognitivo.Costa, Bueno e Xavier (2005 showed that rats with hippocampus dentate gyrus lesions produced by colchicine have post-surgical tests deficits in spatial tasks involving conditional discrimination (non-matching-to-place, NMTP, although repetitive training does promote the recovery of the lamed subject's performance. The purpose of this experiment was to assess the performance of rats with selective lesions of dentate gyrus induced by neonatal ionizing radiation in the NMTP task. The irradiated group showed deficits in the first training sessions when compared to the control group. Nevertheless, the performance of lesion and control groups was similar at the end of the sessions, as previously reported. The results are discussed in light of the cognitive map theory.

  19. Efeito de ingredientes na qualidade da massa de pão de forma congelada não fermentada durante o armazenamento Effect of ingredients on the quality of non-fermented frozen form bread dough during storage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luiz C. Gutkoski

    2005-09-01

    Full Text Available O objetivo do trabalho foi estudar o efeito combinado de fermento instantâneo, lecitina de soja e extrato de soja, na produção de massa de pão congelada não fermentada, durante o período de sessenta dias de armazenamento da massa. O estudo de formulação foi realizado na padaria experimental do Centro de Pesquisa em Alimentação da Universidade de Passo Fundo, utilizando três níveis de fermento instantâneo (0,8%, 1,3% e 1,8%, três níveis de lecitina de soja (0,5%, 1,5% e 2,5% e três níveis de extrato de soja (1%, 3% e 5%, totalizando 15 tratamentos, em fatorial incompleto. A massa foi dividida em porções de 150g, modelada e congelada em ultracongelador marca Klimaquip, na velocidade do ar de 1,23°C min-1 e circulação do ar a 5ms-1. O descongelamento das massas foi realizado aos 30 dias e aos 60 dias de armazenamento, fermentação em câmara regulada na temperatura de 32 ±1°C e na umidade relativa de 80%. O cozimento foi realizado em forno rotativo de laboratório, regulado na temperatura de 190°C por 18 minutos. Variáveis físicas e funcionais foram monitoradas e a metodologia de superfície de resposta usada para otimizar o estudo de formulação de pão de forma. Entre os ingredientes estudados na formulação de pão de forma, somente as concentrações de fermento instantâneo e de extrato de soja interferiram significativamente nas variáveis respostas. O volume e a produção de gás aumentaram com o tempo de fermentação da massa sendo proporcionais à concentração de fermento utilizado na formulação. O volume específico, a cor da crosta e o escore de pontos dos pães aumentaram com a elevação da concentração de fermento instantâneo e redução do teor de extrato de soja. Com o aumento do tempo de armazenamento de 30 dias para 60 dias ocorreu uma perda nas características de qualidade dos pães, exceto para volume específico que se manteve estável.The objective of this work is to study the combined

  20. Separation of Non-metallic Inclusions from a Fe-Al-O Melt Using a Super-Gravity Field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Gaoyang; Song, Bo; Guo, Zhancheng; Yang, Yuhou; Song, Mingming

    2018-02-01

    An innovative method for separating non-metallic inclusions from a high temperature melt using super gravity was systematically investigated. To explore the separation behavior of inclusion particles with densities less than that of metal liquid under a super-gravity field, a Fe-Al-O melt containing Al2O3 particles was treated with different gravity coefficients. Al2O3 particles migrated rapidly towards the reverse direction of the super gravity and gathered in the upper region of the sample. It was hard to find any inclusion particles with sizes greater than 2 μm in the middle and bottom areas. Additionally, the oxygen content in the middle region of the sample could be reduced to 0.0022 mass pct and the maximum removal rate of the oxygen content reached 61.4 pct. The convection in the melt along the direction of the super gravity was not generated by the super-gravity field, and the fluid velocity in the molten melt consisted only of the rotating tangential velocity. Moreover, the motion behavior of the Al2O3 particles was approximatively determined by Stokes' law along the direction of super gravity.

  1. O'nyong nyong virus molecular determinants of unique vector specificity reside in non-structural protein 3.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kali D Saxton-Shaw

    Full Text Available O'nyong nyong virus (ONNV and Chikungunya virus (CHIKV are two closely related alphaviruses with very different infection patterns in the mosquito, Anopheles gambiae. ONNV is the only alphavirus transmitted by anopheline mosquitoes, but specific molecular determinants of infection of this unique vector specificity remain unidentified. Fifteen distinct chimeric viruses were constructed to evaluate both structural and non-structural regions of the genome and infection patterns were determined through artificial infectious feeds in An. gambiae with each of these chimeras. Only one region, non-structural protein 3 (nsP3, was sufficient to up-regulate infection to rates similar to those seen with parental ONNV. When ONNV non-structural protein 3 (nsP3 replaced nsP3 from CHIKV virus in one of the chimeric viruses, infection rates in An. gambiae went from 0% to 63.5%. No other single gene or viral region addition was able to restore infection rates. Thus, we have shown that a non-structural genome element involved in viral replication is a major element involved in ONNV's unique vector specificity.

  2. Misfit dislocations of anisotropic magnetoresistant Nd0.45Sr0.55MnO3 thin films grown on SrTiO3 (1 1 0) substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang, Y.L.; Zhu, Y.L.; Meng, H.; Zhang, Y.Q.; Ma, X.L.

    2012-01-01

    Nd 0.45 Sr 0.55 MnO 3 is an A-type antiferromagnetic manganite showing obvious angular-dependent magnetoresistance, which can be tuned by misfit strain. The misfit strain relaxation of Nd 0.45 Sr 0.55 MnO 3 thin films is of both fundamental and technical importance. In this paper, microstructures of epitaxial Nd 0.45 Sr 0.55 MnO 3 thin films grown on SrTiO 3 (1 1 0) substrates by pulsed laser deposition were investigated by means of (scanning) transmission electron microscopy. The Nd 0.45 Sr 0.55 MnO 3 thin films exhibit a two-layered structure: a continuous perovskite layer epitaxial grown on the substrate followed by epitaxially grown columnar nanostructures. An approximately periodic array of misfit dislocations is found along the interface with line directions of both 〈1 1 1〉 and [0 0 1]. High-resolution (scanning) transmission electron microscopy reveals that all the misfit dislocations possess a〈1 1 0〉-type Burgers vectors. A formation mechanism based on gliding or climbing of the dislocations is proposed to elucidate this novel misfit dislocation configuration. These misfit dislocations have complex effects on the strain relaxation and microstructure of the films, and thus their influence needs further consideration for heteroepitaxial perovskite thin film systems, especially for films grown on substrates with low-symmetry surfaces such as SrTiO 3 (1 1 0) and (1 1 1), which are attracting attention for their potentially new functions.

  3. Molecular analyses of Vibrio cholerae O1 clinical strains, including new nontoxigenic variants isolated in Mexico during the Cholera epidemic years between 1991 and 2000.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lizárraga-Partida, Marcial Leonardo; Quilici, Marie-Laure

    2009-05-01

    We studied the evolution of Vibrio cholerae O1 during the 1991 to 2000 cholera epidemic in Mexico by biochemical, serological, and molecular characterization of strains collected during this period. Strains were divided into toxigenic and nontoxigenic groups according to the presence or absence of genes encoding cholera toxin. As previously reported, we characterized two populations among toxigenic strains, which were present from the first year of the epidemic. BglI rRNA analysis revealed that these strains had ribotype profiles, denoted M5 and M6 in our study, that were identical to those previously designated Koblavi B5 or Popovic 5 and Popovic 6a or Tamayo B21a, respectively. Ribotype M5 was isolated between 1991 and 1993. This ribotype had a low level of genetic variation as detected by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Ribotype M6 persisted from 1991 to 2000. However, PFGE profiles suggested that two epidemiologically unrelated strains coexisted within this single ribotype from 1995 until the end of the epidemic. We identified three new BglI ribotypes, Mx1, Mx2, and Mx3, from nontoxigenic V. cholerae O1 strains isolated between 1998 and 2000; one of them grouped strains positive for the toxin-coregulated pilus island. They differed from nontoxigenic clones isolated in Latin America and on the U.S. Gulf Coast and are probably autochthonous Mexican V. cholerae O1 variants. Most of these new variants were isolated from states surrounding the Gulf of Mexico, where the highest incidence of cholera in the country was recorded. Thus, the Mexican Gulf Coast, like the U.S. Gulf Coast, may act as an environmental reservoir of V. cholerae O1.

  4. Estimation of lattice strain in nanocrystalline RuO2 by Williamson-Hall and size-strain plot methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sivakami, R.; Dhanuskodi, S.; Karvembu, R.

    2016-01-01

    RuO2 nanoparticles (RuO2 NPs) have been successfully synthesized by the hydrothermal method. Structure and the particle size have been determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). UV-Vis spectra reveal that the optical band gap of RuO2 nanoparticles is red shifted from 3.95 to 3.55 eV. BET measurements show a high specific surface area (SSA) of 118-133 m2/g and pore diameter (10-25 nm) has been estimated by Barret-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) method. The crystallite size and lattice strain in the samples have been investigated by Williamson-Hall (W-H) analysis assuming uniform deformation, deformation stress and deformation energy density, and the size-strain plot method. All other relevant physical parameters including stress, strain and energy density have been calculated. The average crystallite size and the lattice strain evaluated from XRD measurements are in good agreement with the results of TEM.

  5. Non-equilibrium dynamics from RPMD and CMD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welsch, Ralph; Song, Kai; Shi, Qiang; Althorpe, Stuart C; Miller, Thomas F

    2016-11-28

    We investigate the calculation of approximate non-equilibrium quantum time correlation functions (TCFs) using two popular path-integral-based molecular dynamics methods, ring-polymer molecular dynamics (RPMD) and centroid molecular dynamics (CMD). It is shown that for the cases of a sudden vertical excitation and an initial momentum impulse, both RPMD and CMD yield non-equilibrium TCFs for linear operators that are exact for high temperatures, in the t = 0 limit, and for harmonic potentials; the subset of these conditions that are preserved for non-equilibrium TCFs of non-linear operators is also discussed. Furthermore, it is shown that for these non-equilibrium initial conditions, both methods retain the connection to Matsubara dynamics that has previously been established for equilibrium initial conditions. Comparison of non-equilibrium TCFs from RPMD and CMD to Matsubara dynamics at short times reveals the orders in time to which the methods agree. Specifically, for the position-autocorrelation function associated with sudden vertical excitation, RPMD and CMD agree with Matsubara dynamics up to O(t 4 ) and O(t 1 ), respectively; for the position-autocorrelation function associated with an initial momentum impulse, RPMD and CMD agree with Matsubara dynamics up to O(t 5 ) and O(t 2 ), respectively. Numerical tests using model potentials for a wide range of non-equilibrium initial conditions show that RPMD and CMD yield non-equilibrium TCFs with an accuracy that is comparable to that for equilibrium TCFs. RPMD is also used to investigate excited-state proton transfer in a system-bath model, and it is compared to numerically exact calculations performed using a recently developed version of the Liouville space hierarchical equation of motion approach; again, similar accuracy is observed for non-equilibrium and equilibrium initial conditions.

  6. Effect of non-stationary climate on infectious gastroenteritis transmission in Japan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onozuka, Daisuke

    2014-06-01

    Local weather factors are widely considered to influence the transmission of infectious gastroenteritis. Few studies, however, have examined the non-stationary relationships between global climatic factors and transmission of infectious gastroenteritis. We analyzed monthly data for cases of infectious gastroenteritis in Fukuoka, Japan from 2000 to 2012 using cross-wavelet coherency analysis to assess the pattern of associations between indices for the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Infectious gastroenteritis cases were non-stationary and significantly associated with the IOD and ENSO (Multivariate ENSO Index [MEI], Niño 1 + 2, Niño 3, Niño 4, and Niño 3.4) for a period of approximately 1 to 2 years. This association was non-stationary and appeared to have a major influence on the synchrony of infectious gastroenteritis transmission. Our results suggest that non-stationary patterns of association between global climate factors and incidence of infectious gastroenteritis should be considered when developing early warning systems for epidemics of infectious gastroenteritis.

  7. Substrate-induced strain effects on Pr0.6Ca0.4MnO3 films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, C S; Hill, J P; Gibbs, Doon; Rajeswari, M; Biswas, A; Shinde, S; Greene, R L; Venkatesan, T; Millis, A J; Yokaichiya, F; Giles, C; Casa, D; Venkataraman, C T; Gog, T

    2004-01-01

    We report the characterization of the crystal structure, low-temperature charge and orbital ordering, transport and magnetization of Pr 0.6 Ca 0.4 MnO 3 films grown on LaAlO 3 , NdGaO 3 and SrTiO 3 substrates, which provide compressive (LaAlO 3 ) and tensile (NdGaO 3 and SrTiO 3 ) strain. The films are observed to exhibit different crystallographic symmetries from the bulk material and the low-temperature ordering is found to be more robust under compressive as opposed to tensile strain. In fact, bulk-like charge and orbital ordering is not observed in the film grown on NdGaO 3 , which is the substrate that provides the least amount of measured, but tensile, strain. This result suggests the importance of the role played by the Mn-O--Mn bond angles in the formation of charge and orbital ordering at low temperatures. Finally, in the film grown on LaAlO 3 , a connection between the lattice distortion associated with orbital ordering and the magnetization is reported

  8. Experimental investigation of N2O formation in selective non-catalytic NOx reduction processes performed in stoker boiler

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krawczyk Piotr

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Stoker fired boiler plants are common throughout Eastern Europe. Increasingly strict emission standards will require application of secondary NOx abatement systems on such boilers. Yet operation of such systems, in addition to reducing NOx emissions, may also lead to emission of undesirable substances, for example N2O. This paper presents results of experimental tests concerning N2O formation in the selective non-catalytic NOx emission reduction process (SNCR in a stoker boiler (WR 25 type. Obtained results lead to an unambiguous conclusion that there is a dependency between the NOx and N2O concentrations in the exhaust gas when SNCR process is carried out in a coal-fired stoker boiler. Fulfilling new emission standards in the analysed equipment will require 40–50% reduction of NOx concentration. It should be expected that in such a case the N2O emission will be approximately 55–60 mg/m3, with the NOx to N2O conversion factor of about 40%.

  9. Studies on the direct synthesis of [O-15]-H2O

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hagami, Eiichi; Murakami, Matsutaro; Takahashi, Kazuhiro; Kanno, Iwao; Aizawa, Yasuo; Hachiya, Takenori; Shoji, Yasuaki; Shishido, Fumio; Uemura, Kazuo

    1986-01-01

    A direct [O-15]-H 2 O synthesis method and its critical point of non-radioactive NH 4 + contamination were described. The 6.4 MeV deuterons were irradiated into the target chamber of 177 ml, filled up with 3.5 kg/cm 2 of 0.1 % H 2 in N 2 . [O-15]-H 2 O vapor was transported to PET room by He flow of 2.5 l/min through the teflon tubing of 2 mm in internal diameter and of 30 m in length. [O-15]-H 2 O was trapped in the vial containing 10 ml of saline and passed through Millipore filter. In this condition, the small amount of non-radioactive NH 4 + (24.9 ± 12.8 (1 SD) μg/dl, n = 23) was detected. This NH 4 + concentration varied from 25 to 11,000 μg/dl with changing H 2 amount in the target from 0.1 to 4.0 %. The NH 4 + concentration was kept lower than a normal range of the healthy human blood with 0.5 % or less H 2 in N 2 in the target. Therefore, 0.1 % of H 2 was used in clinical use. By the present method, a yield of approximately 7 mCi/μA of [O-15]-H 2 O saline was obtained. About 10 % of radioactive gases, corresponding to C 15 O, C 15 O 2 and N 2 15 O, were detected in the waste gas. The radiochemical and radionuclidic impurity was not detected in the saline. The biological tests for bacteria and pyrogen were all passed. In conclusion, the direct synthesis method provides [O-15]-H 2 O saline in the PET room with the simple handling and is convenient for the clinical use. (author)

  10. Some physical properties of irradiated and non-irradiated oxide glasses containing uranium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simon, V.; Ardelean, I.; Simon, S.; Cozar, O.; Milea, I.; Lupsa, I.; Mih, V.

    1995-01-01

    The x U O 3 (1-x) [2 P 2 O 5 · Na 2 O] non-irradiated and gamma irradiated glasses (0 3+ , U 4+ and U 5+ ions. The gamma irradiation induces paramagnetic defects around the glass network forming sites occupied by phosphorous atoms. The non-irradiated samples are weak paramagnetic up to x = 0.1. For higher U O 3 concentration (0.1 < x ≤ 0.2) the magnetic measurements indicated a larger number of paramagnetic ions which are magnetically isolated and exhibit a Curie type behaviour. (author) 5 figs., 14 refs

  11. Influence of piezoelectric strain on the Raman spectra of BiFeO{sub 3} films deposited on PMN-PT substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Himcinschi, Cameliu, E-mail: himcinsc@physik.tu-freiberg.de; Talkenberger, Andreas; Kortus, Jens [TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Institute of Theoretical Physics, 09596 Freiberg (Germany); Guo, Er-Jia [Institute of Physics, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, 06099 Halle (Germany); Institute for Metallic Materials, IFW Dresden, 01069 Dresden (Germany); Quantum Condensed Matter Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830 (United States); Dörr, Kathrin [Institute of Physics, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, 06099 Halle (Germany); Institute for Metallic Materials, IFW Dresden, 01069 Dresden (Germany)

    2016-01-25

    BiFeO{sub 3} epitaxial thin films were deposited on piezoelectric 0.72Pb(Mg{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3})O{sub 3}-0.28PbTiO{sub 3} (PMN-PT) substrates with a conductive buffer layer (La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}MnO{sub 3} or SrRuO{sub 3}) using pulsed laser deposition. The calibration of the strain values induced by the electric field applied on the piezoelectric PMN-PT substrates was realised using X-Ray diffraction measurements. The method of piezoelectrically induced strain allows one to directly obtain a quantitative correlation between the strain and the shift of the Raman-active phonons. This is a prerequisite for making Raman scattering a strong tool to probe the strain coupling in multiferroic nanostructures. Using the Poisson's number for BiFeO{sub 3}, one can determine the volume change induced by strain, and therefore the Grüneisen parameters for specific phonon modes.

  12. Ferroelectricity of strained SrTiO3 in lithium tetraborate glass-nanocomposite and glass-ceramic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdel-Khalek, E. K.; Mohamed, E. A.; Kashif, I.

    2018-02-01

    Glass-nanocomposite (GNCs) sample of the composition [90Li2B4O7-10SrTiO3] (mol %) was prepared by conventional melt quenching technique. The glassy phase and the amorphous nature of the GNCs sample were identified by Differential thermal analysis (DTA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies, respectively. DTA of the GNCs exhibits sharp and broad exothermic peaks which represent the crystallization of Li2B4O7 and SrTiO3, respectively. The tetragonal Li2B4O7 and tetragonal SrTiO3 crystalline phases in glass-ceramic (GC) were identified by XRD and scanning electron microscopic (SEM). The strain tetragonal SrTiO3 phase in GNCs and GC has been confirmed by SEM. The values of crystallization activation energies (Ec1 and Ec2) for the first and second exothermic peaks are equal to 174 and 1452 kJ/mol, respectively. The Ti3+ ions in tetragonal distorted octahedral sites in GNCs were identified by optical transmission spectrum. GNCs and GC samples exhibit broad dielectric anomalies at 303 and 319 K because of strained SrTiO3 ferroelectric, respectively.

  13. Atomic layer-deposited Al–HfO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2} bi-layers towards 3D charge trapping non-volatile memory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Congedo, Gabriele, E-mail: gabriele.congedo@mdm.imm.cnr.it; Wiemer, Claudia; Lamperti, Alessio; Cianci, Elena; Molle, Alessandro; Volpe, Flavio G.; Spiga, Sabina, E-mail: sabina.spiga@mdm.imm.cnr

    2013-04-30

    A metal/oxide/high-κ dielectric/oxide/silicon (MOHOS) planar charge trapping memory capacitor including SiO{sub 2} as tunnel oxide, Al–HfO{sub 2} as charge trapping layer, SiO{sub 2} as blocking oxide and TaN metal gate was fabricated and characterized as test vehicle in the view of integration into 3D cells. The thin charge trapping layer and blocking oxide were grown by atomic layer deposition, the technique of choice for the implementation of these stacks into 3D structures. The oxide stack shows a good thermal stability for annealing temperature of 900 °C in N{sub 2}, as required for standard complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor processes. MOHOS capacitors can be efficiently programmed and erased under the applied voltages of ± 20 V to ± 12 V. When compared to a benchmark structure including thin Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} as charge trapping layer, the MOHOS cell shows comparable program characteristics, with the further advantage of the equivalent oxide thickness scalability due to the high dielectric constant (κ) value of 32, and an excellent retention even for strong testing conditions. Our results proved that high-κ based oxide structures grown by atomic layer deposition can be of interest for the integration into three dimensionally stacked charge trapping devices. - Highlights: ► Charge trapping device with Al–HfO{sub 2} storage layer is fabricated and characterized. ► Al–HfO{sub 2} and SiO{sub 2} blocking oxides are deposited by atomic layer deposition. ► The oxide stack shows a good thermal stability after annealing at 900 °C. ► The device can be efficiently programmed/erased and retention is excellent. ► The oxide stack could be used for 3D-stacked Flash non-volatile memories.

  14. Cytokine production induced by non-encapsulated and encapsulated Porphyromonas gingivalis strains

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kunnen, A.; Dekker, D.C.; van Pampus, M.G.; Harmsen, H.J.; Aarnoudse, J.G.; Abbas, F.; Faas, M.M.

    Objective: Although the exact reason is not known, encapsulated gram-negative Porphyromonas gingivalis strains are more virulent than non-encapsulated strains. Since difference in virulence properties may be due to difference in cytokine production following recognition of the bacteria or their

  15. Identification of the Geographic Origin of Parmigiano Reggiano (P.D.O.) Cheeses Deploying Non-Targeted Mass Spectrometry and Chemometrics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Popping, Bert; De Dominicis, Emiliano; Dante, Mario; Nocetti, Marco

    2017-02-16

    Parmigiano Reggiano is an Italian product with a protected designation of origin (P.D.O.). It is an aged hard cheese made from raw milk. P.D.O. products are protected by European regulations. Approximately 3 million wheels are produced each year, and the product attracts a relevant premium price due to its quality and all around the world well known typicity. Due to the high demand that exceeds the production, several fraudulent products can be found on the market. The rate of fraud is estimated between 20% and 40%, the latter predominantly in the grated form. We have developed a non-target method based on Liquid Chomatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (LC-HRMS) that allows the discrimination of Parmigiano Reggiano from non-authentic products with milk from different geographical origins or products, where other aspects of the production process do not comply with the rules laid down in the production specifications for Parmeggiano Reggiano. Based on a database created with authentic samples provided by the Consortium of Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese, a reliable classification model was built. The overall classification capabilities of this non-targeted method was verified on 32 grated cheese samples. The classification was 87.5% accurate.

  16. Interface strain coupling and its impact on the transport and magnetic properties of LaMnO3 thin films grown on ferroelectrically active substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng, R.K.; Wang, Y.; Habermeier, H.-U.; Chan, H.L.W.; Li, X.M.; Luo, H.S.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Strong interface strain coupling in LaMnO 3 /PMN-PT heterostructure. ► In situ dynamic turning of the strain and lattice distortion of LaMnO 3 films. ► Coupling of electrons to lattice strain is crucial to understand the strain effect. - Abstract: Thin films of LaMnO 3 have been epitaxially grown on 〈0 0 1〉 oriented ferroelectric 0.67Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -0.33PbTiO 3 (PMN-PT) single-crystal substrates. The poling of the PMN-PT crystal causes a decrease in the resistance and an increase in the magnetization and magnetoresistance of the LaMnO 3 film. In situ X-ray diffraction measurements revealed that these changes arise from the poling-induced strain in the PMN-PT substrate, which reduces the in-plane tensile strain and the Jahn–Teller (JT) distortion of MnO 6 octahedra of the LaMnO 3 film. Moreover, it was found that the transport properties of LaMnO 3 films are much more sensitive to the poling-induced strain than that of CaMnO 3 films for which there is no JT distortion, implying that the electron–lattice coupling is one of the most important ingredients in understanding the strain effect in LaMnO 3 films.

  17. Doped nanocrystalline ZnO powders for non-linear resistor applications by spray pyrolysis method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hembram, Kaliyan; Vijay, R; Rao, Y S; Rao, T N

    2009-07-01

    Homogeneous and doped nanocrystalline ZnO powders (30-200 nm) were synthesized by spray pyrolysis technique. The spray pyrolysed powders were calcined in the temperature range of 500-750 degrees C. Formation of insulating pyrochlore phase started from 700 degrees C during the calcination itself. The calcined powders were compacted and sintered at different temperatures ranging from 900-1200 degrees C for 0.5-4 h. The densification behavior was found to be dependent on calcination temperature of the nanopowder. The resulting discs were found to have density (5.34-5.62 g/cc) in the range of 96-99% of theoretical density. The breakdown voltage value obtained for the nanopowder based non-linear resistor is 10.3 kV/cm with low leakage current density of 0.7 microA/cm2 and coefficient of nonlinearity as high as 193. The activation energy for grain growth of the doped ZnO nanopowder powders is 449.4 +/- 15 kJ/mol.

  18. K(MoO24O3(AsO4

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raja Jouini

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available A new compound with a non-centrosymmetric structure, potassium tetrakis[dioxomolybdenum(IV] arsenate trioxide, K(MoO24O3(AsO4, has been synthesized by a solid-state reaction. The [(MoO24O3(AsO4]+ three-dimensional framework consists of single arsenate AsO4 tetrahedra, MoO6 octahedra, MoO5 bipyramids and bioctahedral units of edge-sharing Mo2O10 octahedra. The [Mo2O8]∞ octahedral chains running along the a-axis direction are connected through their corners to the AsO4 tetrahedra, MoO6 octahedra and MoO5 bipyramids, so as to form large tunnels propagating along the a axis in which the K+ cations are located. This structure is compared with compounds containing M2O10 (M = Mo, V, Fe dimers and with those containing M2O8 (M = V chains.

  19. Non-destructive reversible resistive switching in Cr doped Mott insulator Ca2RuO4: Interface vs bulk effects

    KAUST Repository

    Shen, Shida; Williamson, Morgan; Cao, Gang; Zhou, Jianshi; Goodenough, John; Tsoi, Maxim

    2017-01-01

    A non-destructive reversible resistive switching is demonstrated in single crystals of Cr-doped Mott insulator Ca2RuO4. An applied electrical bias was shown to reduce the DC resistance of the crystal by as much as 75%. The original resistance

  20. Strain and electric field mediated manipulation of magnetism in La{sub (1-x)}Sr{sub x}MnO{sub 3}/BaTiO{sub 3} heterostructures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schmitz, Markus

    2016-07-01

    Heterostructures of ferromagnetic La{sub 1-x}Sr{sub x}MnO{sub 3} (LSMO) and ferroelectric BaTiO{sub 3} (BTO) were produced and investigated for their structural and magnetic properties. The combination of these ferroic properties can lead to an artificial multiferroic. Special emphasis was given to the manipulation of magnetic properties by applying electric fields. A magneto-electric coupling could be observed in the heterostructures under investigation. Epitaxial LSMO thin films were grown on BTO substrates using a state-of-the-art oxide molecular beam epitaxy (OMBE) and a high oxygen sputtering system (HOPSS). Stoichiometric La{sub 1-x}Sr{sub x}MnO{sub 3} films with doping levels of x=0.5 and x=0.3 were produced. The film quality in terms of roughness and crystalline structure was confirmed by X-ray scattering methods. The presence of structural domains in the BaTiO{sub 3} single crystal substrate, whose proportion could be altered due to the application of electric fields, was shown by X-ray diffraction. Tensile strain is induced into the epitaxial La{sub 1-x}Sr{sub x}MnO{sub 3} films in the whole temperature range under investigation. The magnetization of LSMO alteres by the variation of strain induced into the film, generated by the different structural phases of single crystal BaTiO{sub 3} substrates. The magnetization shows sharp steps at the structural phase transition temperatures of BTO. The evaluation of magnetic hysteresis loops reveals a change of the magnetic anisotropy of LSMO for each structural phase of BTO, but also within the orthorhombic phase. Special focus was given to the manipulation of magnetic properties by the application of electric fields. A newly established measurement option was used to determine the magnetic response to an applied electric field as a function of temperature and magnetic field. The electrically induced modification of the magnetization is profound near the structural phase transition temperatures. Electrical

  1. Strain-Mediated Inverse Photoresistivity in SrRuO3/La0.7Sr0.3MnO3Superlattices

    KAUST Repository

    Liu, Heng-Jui

    2015-12-09

    © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. In the pursuit of novel functionalities by utilizing the lattice degree of freedom in complex oxide heterostructure, the control mechanism through direct strain manipulation across the interfaces is still under development, especially with various stimuli, such as electric field, magnetic field, light, etc. In this study, the superlattices consisting of colossal-magnetoresistive manganites La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) and photostrictive SrRuO3 (SRO) have been designed to investigate the light-dependent controllability of lattice order in the corresponding functionalities and rich interface physics. Two substrates, SrTiO3 (STO) and LaAlO3 (LAO), have been employed to provide the different strain environments to the superlattice system, in which the LSMO sublayers exhibit different orbital occupations. Subsequently, by introducing light, we can modulate the strain state and orbital preference of LSMO sublayers through light-induced expansion of SRO sublayers, leading to surprisingly opposite changes in photoresistivity. The observed photoresistivity decreases in the superlattice grown on STO substrate while increases in the superlattice grown on LAO substrate under light illumination. This work has presented a model system that demonstrates the manipulation of orbital-lattice coupling and the resultant functionalities in artificial oxide superlattices via light stimulus. A fascinating model system of optic-driven functionalities has been achieved by artificial superlattices consisting of manganite La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) and photostrictive SrRuO3 (SRO). With design of different initial strain and orbital states in superlattices, we can even control the photoresistivity of the superlattices in an opposite trend that cannot be achieved in pure single film.

  2. Curvas de distribuição de efluentes do íon nitrato em amostras de solo deformadas e indeformadas Breakthrough curves of nitrate ion using deformed and non deformed soil samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paulo Rossi

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Devido à grande importância em se avaliar o destino e o transporte de íons no solo, o presente trabalho teve o objetivo de obter os parâmetros de transporte do nitrato no solo, como a velocidade da água nos poros (v, o fator de retardamento (R, a dispersividade (lambda e o coeficiente de dispersão (D, em solos de diferentes texturas e em amostras deformadas e indeformadas. O ensaio foi conduzido empregando as amostras deformadas e indeformadas oriundas de dois perfis distintos de solos, coletadas à profundidade de 0-20 cm, com aplicação de solução de nitrato de cálcio contendo 50 mg L-1 de NO3-. Após a obtenção dos parâmetros de transporte, ajustados pelo programa computacional CXTFIT, notou-se que as curvas de efluentes preparadas com solos a partir de amostra deformada superestimaram os valores dos parâmetros avaliados, com exceção da dispersividade, quando comparados à amostra indeformada, para os dois tipos de solo.There is a great importance to quantify the trace and the chemical elements transport in soil. This work had as objective to obtain the transport parameters of the nitrate ion in soil (pore water velocity (v, retardation factor (R, dispersivity (lambda and the dispersion coefficient (D in different textures soils, mainly, under different sampling forms (deformed and non deformed. The research was carried out under two samplings forms, mentioned previously, by application of 50 mg L-1 of NO3- in two different soils profiles at a depth of 0-20 cm. The breakthrough curves was made by two forms: traditional methodology (TFSA and the technique with non deformed sample developed during the research period. The results showed that the transport parameters fitted by the computational program CXTFIT, with deformed sampling, overestimated the parameters values, with exception of dispersivity, when compared to the non deformed sampling, for both soil types.

  3. Prevention of Clostridium difficile infection in hamsters using a non-toxigenic strain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Augusto de Oliveira Júnior

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT: The present study aimed to evaluate five non-toxigenic strains of Clostridium difficile (NTCD in vitro and to select one strain to prevent C. difficile (CDI infection in hamsters ( Mesocricetus auratus . The NTCD strains were evaluated for spore production in vitro, antimicrobial susceptibility and presence of antimicrobial resistance genes. Approximately 107 spores of the selected strain (Z31 were administered by esophageal gavage in hamsters pretreated with 30mg kg-1 of clindamycin. The challenge with a toxigenic strain of C. difficile was conducted at 36 and 72h, and the animals were observed for 28 days. The NTCD strain of C. difficile (Z31 was able to prevent CDI in all animals that received it.

  4. Magnetism and structure of Cu{sub 2}O{sub 1+x} and 3d-doped TiO{sub 2-x} nanopowders

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yermakov, A.Ye. [Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Division of RAS, Ekaterinburg 620041 (Russian Federation)]. E-mail: yermakov@imp.uran.ru; Uimin, M.A. [Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Division of RAS, Ekaterinburg 620041 (Russian Federation); Mysik, A.A. [Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Division of RAS, Ekaterinburg 620041 (Russian Federation); Vykhodets, V.B. [Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Division of RAS, Ekaterinburg 620041 (Russian Federation); Kurennykh, T.E. [Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Division of RAS, Ekaterinburg 620041 (Russian Federation); Sokolov, V.I. [Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Division of RAS, Ekaterinburg 620041 (Russian Federation); Gaviko, V.S. [Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Division of RAS, Ekaterinburg 620041 (Russian Federation); Schegoleva, N.N. [Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Division of RAS, Ekaterinburg 620041 (Russian Federation); Gruzdev, N.B. [Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Division of RAS, Ekaterinburg 620041 (Russian Federation)

    2007-03-15

    The structural features and magnetic properties of non-stoichiometric nanocrystalline semiconductors Cu{sub 2}O{sub 1+x} and TiO{sub 2-x} doped with 3d-metals were investigated. The nanopowders were obtained by gas-phase synthesis in the oxygen contained argon atmosphere. For nanocrystalline samples Cu{sub 2}O{sub 1+x} with oxygen concentration more than stoichiometry (x>0) magnetic hysteresis properties up to temperatures above room temperature (RT) were discovered. In the case of oxygen deficit in TiO{sub 2-x} on the condition that rutile or anatase structure remains, the magnetic moment value grows and the magnetization curves at RT become nonlinear. On doping TiO{sub 2-x} with cobalt, the magnetic moment value increases without indications of magnetic ordering at RT. In the optical absorption spectra of Cu{sub 2}O{sub 1+x} nanopowders at 77K, the peaks in the range of wavelengths 480 and 460nm were revealed, which are close to peaks at n=1 of the blue and indigo exciton series for Cu{sub 2}O single crystal.

  5. Effects of mechanical strain on optical properties of ZnO nanowire

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vazinishayan, Ali; Lambada, Dasaradha Rao; Yang, Shuming; Zhang, Guofeng; Cheng, Biyao; Woldu, Yonas Tesfaye; Shafique, Shareen; Wang, Yiming; Anastase, Ndahimana

    2018-02-01

    The main objective of this study is to investigate the influences of mechanical strain on optical properties of ZnO nanowire (NW) before and after embedding ZnS nanowire into the ZnO nanowire, respectively. For this work, commercial finite element modeling (FEM) software package ABAQUS and three-dimensional (3D) finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) methods were utilized to analyze the nonlinear mechanical behavior and optical properties of the sample, respectively. Likewise, in this structure a single focused Gaussian beam with wavelength of 633 nm was used as source. The dimensions of ZnO nanowire were defined to be 12280 nm in length and 103.2 nm in diameter with hexagonal cross-section. In order to investigate mechanical properties, three-point bending technique was adopted so that both ends of the model were clamped with mid-span under loading condition and then the physical deformation model was imported into FDTD solutions to study optical properties of ZnO nanowire under mechanical strain. Moreover, it was found that increase in the strain due to the external load induced changes in reflectance, transmittance and absorptance, respectively.

  6. Effects of mechanical strain on optical properties of ZnO nanowire

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Vazinishayan

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The main objective of this study is to investigate the influences of mechanical strain on optical properties of ZnO nanowire (NW before and after embedding ZnS nanowire into the ZnO nanowire, respectively. For this work, commercial finite element modeling (FEM software package ABAQUS and three-dimensional (3D finite-difference time-domain (FDTD methods were utilized to analyze the nonlinear mechanical behavior and optical properties of the sample, respectively. Likewise, in this structure a single focused Gaussian beam with wavelength of 633 nm was used as source. The dimensions of ZnO nanowire were defined to be 12280 nm in length and 103.2 nm in diameter with hexagonal cross-section. In order to investigate mechanical properties, three-point bending technique was adopted so that both ends of the model were clamped with mid-span under loading condition and then the physical deformation model was imported into FDTD solutions to study optical properties of ZnO nanowire under mechanical strain. Moreover, it was found that increase in the strain due to the external load induced changes in reflectance, transmittance and absorptance, respectively.

  7. High-performance non-enzymatic catalysts based on 3D hierarchical hollow porous Co3O4 nanododecahedras in situ decorated on carbon nanotubes for glucose detection and biofuel cell application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Shiyue; Zhang, Xiaohua; Huang, Junlin; Chen, Jinhua

    2018-03-01

    In this work, high-performance non-enzymatic catalysts based on 3D hierarchical hollow porous Co 3 O 4 nanododecahedras in situ decorated on carbon nanotubes (3D Co 3 O 4 -HPND/CNTs) were successfully prepared via direct carbonizing metal-organic framework-67 in situ grown on carbon nanotubes. The morphology, microstructure, and composite of 3D Co 3 O 4 -HPND/CNTs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, micropore and chemisorption analyzer, and X-ray diffraction. The electrochemical characterizations indicated that 3D Co 3 O 4 -HPND/CNTs present considerably catalytic activity toward glucose oxidation and could be promising for constructing high-performance electrochemical non-enzymatic glucose sensors and glucose/O 2 biofuel cell. When used for non-enzymatic glucose detection, the 3D Co 3 O 4 -HPND/CNTs modified glassy carbon electrode (3D Co 3 O 4 -HPND/CNTs/GCE) exhibited excellent analytical performance with high sensitivity (22.21 mA mM -1  cm -2 ), low detection limit of 0.35 μM (S/N = 3), fast response (less than 5 s) and good stability. On the other hand, when the 3D Co 3 O 4 -HPND/CNTs/GCE worked as an anode of a biofuel cell, a maximum power density of 210 μW cm -2 at 0.15 V could be obtained, and the open circuit potential was 0.68 V. The attractive 3D hierarchical porous structural features, the large surface area, and the excellent conductivity based on the continuous and effective electron transport network in 3D Co 3 O 4 -HPND/CNTs endow 3D Co 3 O 4 -HPND/CNTs with the enhanced electrochemical performance and promising applications in electrochemical sensing, biofuel cell, and other energy storage and conversion devices such as supercapacitor. Graphical abstract High-performance non-enzymatic catalysts for enzymeless glucose sensing and biofuel cell based on 3D hierarchical hollow porous Co 3 O 4 nanododecahedras anchored on carbon nanotubes were successfully prepared via direct carbonizing

  8. Production of pullulan by a thermotolerant Aureobasidium pullulans strain in non-stirred fed batch fermentation process

    OpenAIRE

    Singh, Ranjan; Gaur, Rajeeva; Tiwari, Soni; Gaur, Manogya Kumar

    2012-01-01

    Total 95 isolates of Aureobasidium pullulans were isolated from different flowers and leaves samples, out of which 11 thermotolerant strains produced pullulan. One thermotolerant non-melanin pullulan producing strain, designated as RG-5, produced highest pullulan (37.1±1.0 g/l) at 42ºC, pH 5.5 in 48h of incubation with 3% sucrose and 0.5% ammonium sulphate in a non-stirred fed batch fermentor of 6 liters capacity. The two liters of initial volume of fermentation medium was further fed with th...

  9. Non-stoichiometric disorder in α-Nb2O5 at elevated temperatures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balachandran, U.; Eror, N.G.

    1982-01-01

    The electrical conductivity of polycrystalline α-Nb 2 O 5 was determined for the oxygen partial pressure range of 10 0 to 10 -20 atm and temperature range 700 to 1150 0 C. The data were found to be proportional to the -1/6th power of the oxygen partial pressure for the oxygen pressure range 10 -20 to 10 -9 atm, and proportional to Psub(O 2 )sup(-1/4) for oxygen pressures greater than 10 -9 atm. The region of linearity where electrical conductivity varies as the -1/4th power of Psub(O 2 ) increased as the temperature was decreased. Thermogravimetric measurements were carried out in the temperature range 950 to 1250 0 C. The deviation from stoichiometry in α-Nb 2 O 5 (x in Nb 2 Osub(5-x)) as a function of partial pressure of oxygen showed two distinct regions, namely a region with an approximately -1/6th dependence on Psub(O 2 ) and a region where the deviation was nearly independent of oxygen partial pressure. The electrical conductivity and thermogravimetric data are consistent with the presence of small amounts of acceptor impurities in α-Nb 2 O 5 . (author)

  10. Hierarchical porous ZnO microflowers with ultra-high ethanol gas-sensing at low concentration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Liming; Yue, He; Li, Haiying; Liu, Li; Li, Yu; Du, Liting; Duan, Haojie; Klyui, N. I.

    2018-05-01

    Hierarchical porous and non-porous ZnO microflowers have been successfully fabricated by hydrothermal method. Their crystal structure, morphology and gas-sensing properties were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and chemical gas sensing intelligent analysis system (CGS). Compared with hierarchical non-porous ZnO microflowers, hierarchical porous ZnO microflowers exhibited ultra-high sensitivity with 50 ppm ethanol at 260 °C and the response is 110, which is 1.8 times higher than that of non-porous ZnO microflowers. Moreover, the lowest concentration limit of hierarchical porous ZnO microflowers (non-porous ZnO microflowers) to ethanol is 0.1 (1) ppm, the response value is 1.6 (1).

  11. Emerging types of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC O178 present in cattle, deer and humans from Argentina and Germany

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angelika eMiko

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available More than 400 serotypes of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC have been implicated in outbreaks and sporadic human diseases. In recent years STEC strains belonging to serogroup O178 have been commonly isolated from cattle and food of bovine origin in South America and Europe. In order to explore the significance of these STEC strains as potential human pathogens, 74 German and Argentinean E. coli O178 strains from animals, food and humans were characterized phenotypically and investigated for their serotypes, stx-genotypes and forty-three virulence-associated markers by a real-time PCR-microarray. The majority (n=66 of the O178 strains belonged to serotype O178:H19. The remaining strains divided into O178:H7 (n=6, O178:H10 (n=1 and O178:H16 (n=1. STEC O178:H19 strains were mainly isolated from cattle and food of bovine origin, but one strain was from a patient with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS. Genotyping of the STEC O178:H19 strains by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed two major clusters of genetically highly related strains which differ in their stx-genotypes and non-Stx putative virulence traits, including adhesins, toxins and serine-proteases. Cluster A-strains including the HUS-strain (n=35 carried genes associated with severe disease in humans (stx2a, stx2d, ehxA, saa, subAB1, lpfAO113, terE combined with stx1a, espP, iha. Cluster B-strains (n=26 showed a limited repertoire of virulence genes (stx2c, pagC, lpfAO113, espP, iha. Among O178:H7 strains isolated from deer meat and patients with uncomplicated disease a new STEC variant was detected that is associated with the genotype stx1c/stx2b/ehxA/subAB2/espI/[terE]/espP/iha. None of the STEC O178 strains was positive for locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE- and nle-genes. Results indicate that STEC O178:H19 strains belong to the growing group of LEE-negative STEC that should be considered with respect to their potential to cause diseases in humans.

  12. Plastic limit analysis with non linear kinematic strain hardening for metalworking processes applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaaba, Ali; Aboussaleh, Mohamed; Bousshine, Lahbib; Boudaia, El Hassan

    2011-01-01

    Limit analysis approaches are widely used to deal with metalworking processes analysis; however, they are applied only for perfectly plastic materials and recently for isotropic hardening ones excluding any kind of kinematic hardening. In the present work, using Implicit Standard Materials concept, sequential limit analysis approach and the finite element method, our objective consists in extending the limit analysis application for including linear and non linear kinematic strain hardenings. Because this plastic flow rule is non associative, the Implicit Standard Materials concept is adopted as a framework of non standard plasticity modeling. The sequential limit analysis procedure which considers the plastic behavior with non linear kinematic strain hardening as a succession of perfectly plastic behavior with yielding surfaces updated after each sequence of limit analysis and geometry updating is applied. Standard kinematic finite element method together with a regularization approach is used for performing two large compression cases (cold forging) in plane strain and axisymmetric conditions

  13. Successful small intestine colonization of adult mice by Vibrio cholerae requires ketamine anesthesia and accessory toxins.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Verena Olivier

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Vibrio cholerae colonizes the small intestine of adult C57BL/6 mice. In this study, the physical and genetic parameters that facilitate this colonization were investigated. Successful colonization was found to depend upon anesthesia with ketamine-xylazine and neutralization of stomach acid with sodium bicarbonate, but not streptomycin treatment. A variety of common mouse strains were colonized by O1, O139, and non-O1/non-O139 strains. All combinations of mutants in the genes for hemolysin, the multifunctional, autoprocessing RTX toxin (MARTX, and hemagglutinin/protease were assessed, and it was found that hemolysin and MARTX are each sufficient for colonization after a low dose infection. Overall, this study suggests that, after intragastric inoculation, V. cholerae encounters barriers to infection including an acidic environment and an immediate immune response that is circumvented by sodium bicarbonate and the anti-inflammatory effects of ketamine-xylazine. After initial adherence in the small intestine, the bacteria are subjected to additional clearance mechanisms that are evaded by the independent toxic action of hemolysin or MARTX. Once colonization is established, it is suggested that, in humans, these now persisting bacteria initiate synthesis of the major virulence factors to cause cholera disease. This adult mouse model of intestinal V. cholerae infection, now well-characterized and fully optimized, should serve as a valuable tool for studies of pathogenesis and testing vaccine efficacy.

  14. A simple method for non-linear analysis of steel fiber reinforced concrete = Um método simples para a análise não-linear de concreto reforçado com fibras de aço

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leandro Vanalli

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes a physical non-linear formulation to deal with steel fiber reinforced concrete by the finite element method. The proposed formulation allows the consideration of short or long fibers placed arbitrarily inside a continuum domain (matrix. The most important feature of the formulation is that no additional degree offreedom is introduced in the pre-existent finite element numerical system to consider any distribution or quantity of fiber inclusions. In other words, the size of the system of equations used to solve a non-reinforced medium is the same as the one used to solve thereinforced counterpart. Another important characteristic of the formulation is the reduced work required by the user to introduce reinforcements, avoiding "rebar" elements, node by node geometrical definitions or even complex mesh generation. Bounded connectionbetween long fibers and continuum is considered, for short fibers a simplified approach is proposed to consider splitting. Non-associative plasticity is adopted for the continuum and one dimensional plasticity is adopted to model fibers. Examples are presented in order to show the capabilities of the formulation.Este artigo apresenta uma formulação baseada no Método dos Elementos Finitos (MEF, para a análise física não-linear de estruturas de concreto reforçadas com fibras de aço. A formulação proposta permite a consideração de fibras curtas e longas inseridas num meio contínuo. A mais importante característica da formulação é que nenhum grau de liberdade adicional é introduzido no sistema de equações que modela oproblema, independente da quantidade e da forma de distribuição das fibras. Em outras palavras, o tamanho do sistema de equações para resolver o problema de reforço com fibras é o mesmo do problema sem reforço. Uma outra importante característica da formulação é o reduzido trabalho requerido para a inserção das fibras, evitando-se o uso de elementos rebar

  15. The Mobilome; A Major Contributor to Escherichia coli stx2-Positive O26:H11 Strains Intra-Serotype Diversity

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    Sabine Delannoy

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli of serotype O26:H11/H- constitute a diverse group of strains and several clones with distinct genetic characteristics have been identified and characterized. Whole genome sequencing was performed using Illumina and PacBio technologies on eight stx2-positive O26:H11 strains circulating in France. Comparative analyses of the whole genome of the stx2-positive O26:H11 strains indicate that several clones of EHEC O26:H11 are co-circulating in France. Phylogenetic analysis of the French strains together with stx2-positive and stx-negative E. coli O26:H11 genomes obtained from Genbank indicates the existence of four clonal complexes (SNP-CCs separated in two distinct lineages, one of which comprises the “new French clone” (SNP-CC1 that appears genetically closely related to stx-negative attaching and effacing E. coli (AEEC strains. Interestingly, the whole genome SNP (wgSNP phylogeny is summarized in the cas gene phylogeny, and a simple qPCR assay targeting the CRISPR array specific to SNP-CC1 (SP_O26-E can distinguish between the two main lineages. The PacBio sequencing allowed a detailed analysis of the mobile genetic elements (MGEs of the strains. Numerous MGEs were identified in each strain, including a large number of prophages and up to four large plasmids, representing overall 8.7–19.8% of the total genome size. Analysis of the prophage pool of the strains shows a considerable diversity with a complex history of recombination. Each clonal complex (SNP-CC is characterized by a unique set of plasmids and phages, including stx-prophages, suggesting evolution through separate acquisition events. Overall, the MGEs appear to play a major role in O26:H11 intra-serotype clonal diversification.

  16. The Mobilome; A Major Contributor to Escherichia coli stx2-Positive O26:H11 Strains Intra-Serotype Diversity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delannoy, Sabine; Mariani-Kurkdjian, Patricia; Webb, Hattie E; Bonacorsi, Stephane; Fach, Patrick

    2017-01-01

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli of serotype O26:H11/H- constitute a diverse group of strains and several clones with distinct genetic characteristics have been identified and characterized. Whole genome sequencing was performed using Illumina and PacBio technologies on eight stx2 -positive O26:H11 strains circulating in France. Comparative analyses of the whole genome of the stx2 -positive O26:H11 strains indicate that several clones of EHEC O26:H11 are co-circulating in France. Phylogenetic analysis of the French strains together with stx2 -positive and stx -negative E. coli O26:H11 genomes obtained from Genbank indicates the existence of four clonal complexes (SNP-CCs) separated in two distinct lineages, one of which comprises the "new French clone" (SNP-CC1) that appears genetically closely related to stx -negative attaching and effacing E. coli (AEEC) strains. Interestingly, the whole genome SNP (wgSNP) phylogeny is summarized in the cas gene phylogeny, and a simple qPCR assay targeting the CRISPR array specific to SNP-CC1 (SP_O26-E) can distinguish between the two main lineages. The PacBio sequencing allowed a detailed analysis of the mobile genetic elements (MGEs) of the strains. Numerous MGEs were identified in each strain, including a large number of prophages and up to four large plasmids, representing overall 8.7-19.8% of the total genome size. Analysis of the prophage pool of the strains shows a considerable diversity with a complex history of recombination. Each clonal complex (SNP-CC) is characterized by a unique set of plasmids and phages, including stx -prophages, suggesting evolution through separate acquisition events. Overall, the MGEs appear to play a major role in O26:H11 intra-serotype clonal diversification.

  17. N, S co-doped carbon spheres with highly dispersed CoO as non-precious metal catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Linlin; Guo, Xingpeng; Zhang, Guoan

    2017-08-01

    It is still a great challenge in preparing non-precious metal catalysts with high activity and long-term stability to substitute for precious metal catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells. Herein, we report a novel and facile catalyst-N, S co-doped carbon spheres with highly dispersed CoO (CoO@NS-CSs), where biomass glucose spheres act as carbon precursor and H2S, NH3 derived from the decomposition of thiourea not only provide N, S sources but also can etch carbon spheres to produce nanoporous structure. CoO@NS-CSs catalyst exhibits excellent ORR activity with a high onset potential of 0.946 V vs. RHE (reversible hydrogen electrode) and a half-wave potential of 0.821 V vs. RHE through a four-electron pathway in alkaline solution, which is comparable to commercial Pt/C catalyst (onset potential: 0.926 V vs. RHE, half-wave potential: 0.827 V vs. RHE). Furthermore, both the long-term stability and methanol-tolerance of CoO@NS-CSs catalyst are superior to those of commercial Pt/C catalyst. The excellent ORR performance of CoO@NS-CSs catalyst can be attributed to its micro-mesopore structure, high specific surface area (667 m2 g-1), and highly dispersed CoO. This work manifests that the obtained CoO@NS-CSs catalyst is promising to be applied to fuel cells.

  18. Educaçãoo-formal, participação da sociedade civil e estruturas colegiadas nas escolas Educación no-formal, participación de la sociedad civil y estructuras de consejos en las escuelas Non-formal education, civil society participation and councils structures in the schools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria da Glória Gohn

    2006-03-01

    Full Text Available O trabalho apresenta um estudo sobre a educaçãoo-formal e seu papel no processo educativo mais geral. Considera-se a educaçãoo-formal como uma área de conhecimento ainda em construção. Estuda-se a possibilidade deste processo em conselhos de escolas e o aprendizado que resulta da participação da sociedade civil nestes conselhos. O trabalho se divide em duas partes: a primeira tem caráter teórico e discute a categoria educaçãoo-formal em si, seu campo e atributos. Por meio da análise comparativa, busca-se diferenciá-la da educação formal e da educação informal. A segunda investiga a categoria da educaçãoo - formal em conselhos escolares, e em movimentos sociais que atuam na área da educação.El objectivo de este trabajo es realizar un estudio sobre la educación no-formal y sus roles en el proceso de educación más general. La educación no-formal es un campo de conecimiento todavía en construcción. El trabajo investiga la posibilidad del proceso de educación no-formal en los consejos de las escuelas, y hace un análisis de las aprendizajes que estas experiencias generan hacia los consejeros. El trabajo fue ordenado en dos partes: la primera tiene un carácter teórico y discute la categoría educación no-formal, haciendo distinción de la educación formal y de la educación informal. La segunda investiga la categoría no-formal, en los consejos de las escuelas y en los movimientos sociales del area educacional.The paper presents a study about the non-formal education and its role in the wide educative process. It considers the non-formal education as an area of knowledge still in construction. It studies the possibility of this educational process in the councils of schools and the learning that results from the civil society participation in these councils. The paper has two parts: the first has a theoretical character and discusses the non-formal category, distinguishing it from the formal and

  19. Hierarchy and scaling behavior of multi-rank domain patterns in ferroelectric K0.9Na0.1NbO3 strained films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braun, Dorothee; Schmidbauer, Martin; Hanke, Michael; Schwarzkopf, Jutta

    2018-01-01

    The formation process of a ferroelectric multi-rank domain pattern in the thickness range of 7-52 nm is investigated for monoclinic K0.9Na0.1NbO3 strained epitaxial films on (110) NdScO3 substrates. Although the elastic strain energy density is degenerated for two pseudocubic orientations, a distinctive hierarchy of domain evolution is observed with exclusive in-plane a1a2 domains for very thin films and the retarded onset of a ferroelectric MC phase at larger film thickness. This is accompanied by a thickness dependent transformation from stripe domains to a herringbone pattern and, eventually, for the thickest film, to a checkerboard-like structure. These transformations in the domain arrangement and width are correlated to energetic aspects as depolarization field and anisotropic strain relaxation in the film. While for the MC domains plastic strain relaxation is throughout observed, the a1a2 domains show a two-step strain relaxation mechanism starting with an in-plane elastic shearing, which is followed by plastic lattice relaxation. Our results highlight a pathway for engineering and patterning of periodic ferroelectric domain structures.

  20. Major enhancement of the thermoelectric performance in Pr/Nb-doped SrTiO3 under strain

    KAUST Repository

    Amin, B.

    2013-07-16

    The electronic structure and thermoelectric properties of strained (biaxially and uniaxially) Sr0.95Pr0.05TiO3 and SrTi0.95Nb0.05O3 are investigated in the temperature range from 300 K to 1200 K. Substitutions of Pr at the Sr site and Nb at the Ti site generate n-type doping and thus improve the thermoelectric performance as compared to pristine SrTiO3. Further enhancement is achieved by the application of strain, for example, of the Seebeck coefficient by 21% for Sr0.95Pr0.05TiO3 and 10% for SrTi0.95Nb0.05O3 at room temperature in the case of 5% biaxial strain. At 1200 K, we predict figures of merit of 0.58 and 0.55 for 2.5% biaxially strained Sr0.95Pr0.05TiO3 and SrTi0.95Nb0.05O3 , respectively, which are the highest values reported for rare earth doped SrTiO3.

  1. Avaliação de desinfetantes químicos de uso doméstico contra Vibrio cholerae EL TOR (amostra não toxigênica Evaluation of the effect of chemical domestic disinfectants on Vibrio cholerae EL TOR (non toxigenic strain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge Timenetsky

    1992-10-01

    Full Text Available As metodologias de avaliação microbiológica de desinfetantes são permanentemente questionadas porque os protocolos laboratoriais não representam as condições reais de uso desses produtos. Em 1985, adotou-se no Brasil, a metodologia da Diluição-Uso da AOAC, para a qualificação microbiológica de desinfetantes químicos, para fins comerciais. Desta maneira, os desinfetantes domésticos são testados contra amostras padrões de Salmonella choleraesuis e Staphylococcus aureus. Pesquisou-se o emprego de Vibrio cholerae devido a sua atual importância, no Brasil, em termos de Saúde Pública, associada ao estudo da atividade antimicrobiana de desinfetantes. Dezenove produtos desinfetantes de uso doméstico encontrados no comércio foram microbiologicamente avaliados. A metodologia foi a Diluição-Uso com 10 carreadores. Os compostos ativos dos produtos incluíam: formaldeído, fenóis, cresóis, amônio quaternário, cloro e etanol, sendo que sete, eram de composição associada. Conforme as recomendações de uso, dezesseis produtos, devem ser utilizados sem diluição. Nestas condições, 9 desinfetantes foram vibriocidas e sete não revelaram tal atividade antibacteriana. Quatro produtos em diluições não esclarecedoras para a desinfecção também mostraram-se ineficazes. Os produtos vibriocidas que devem ser utilizados sem diluição, foram reavaliados diluídos ao dobro. Estas soluções não inativaram V.cholerae, demonstrando microbiologicamente que os seus compostos ativos estão em concentrações limítrofes. O álcool comercial (95,5° GL a 1:3, a "água sanitária" (2,8% de cloro ativo a 1:200, creolina a 1:10 e o "Lysoform" a 1:20 atingiram os padrões do teste.The methodology of microbiological evaluation of disinfectants is permanently being questioned because the laboratorial protocols do not correspond to the real conditions under which these products are used. In 1985 the Use-Dilution method of AOAC was adopted in

  2. Comparative Effect of Heat Shock on Survival of O157:H7 and Non-O157 Shiga Toxigenic Escherichia coli and Salmonella in Lean Beef with or without Moisture-Enhancing Ingredients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasan, Akhila; Ingham, Steven C; Ingham, Barbara H

    2017-06-01

    Thermal tolerance of pathogenic bacteria has been shown to increase after exposure to sublethal elevated temperatures, or heat shock. We evaluated the effect of heat shock at 48°C on thermal tolerance (D 55°C ) of cocktails of O157 and non-O157 Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) and Salmonella in lean ground beef with or without moisture-enhancing ingredients. Beef was moisture enhanced to 110% (w) with a 5% NaCl-2.5% sodium tripolyphosphate (w/w) brine. Meat, with or without added brine, was inoculated (∼10 8 CFU/g) and heat shocked at 48°C for 0, 5, or 30 min, followed by isothermal heating at 55°C. Inoculated control samples were unenhanced and were not subject to heat shock. From the linear portion of the log CFU per gram surviving cells over time plots, D 55°C -values (minutes) were calculated. D 55°C was 20.43, 28.78, and 21.15 min for O157, non-O157, and Salmonella controls, respectively. Overall, heat shock significantly increased D 55°C , regardless of pathogen (P moisture-enhanced meat (P Moisture-enhancing ingredients significantly increased D 55°C , regardless of pathogen (P moisture-enhanced beef products.

  3. Componentes não-integrantes da carcaça de novilhos não-castrados ou castrados terminados em confinamento e abatidos aos 16 ou 26 meses de idade Non-carcass components of castrate and non-castrated cattle finished in feedlot and slaughtered at 16 or 26 months of age

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernando Kuss

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Foram avaliados os componentes não-integrantes da carcaça de novilhos terminados em confinamento e abatidos aos 16 (superjovem ou 26 (jovem meses de idade. A dieta foi formulada com 50% de volumoso e 50% de concentrado e continha 11,8% de proteína bruta e 2,83 Mcal de energia digestível por kg de matéria seca. Animais superjovens apresentaram maior rendimento de corpo vazio (92,39 versus 89,76% para os jovens, como resultado de seu menor conteúdo gastrintestinal (35,23 versus 53,46 kg para os jovens. Animais não-castrados apresentaram maior peso de cabeça (13,84 versus 12,35 kg, patas (11,12 versus 8,96 kg e couro (46,44 versus 37,71 kg em comparação aos castrados, o que está relacionado ao seu maior peso corporal (541,26 versus 445,47 kg. Observou-se influência da interação categoria x condição sexual sobre o peso absoluto dos órgãos vitais (coração, fígado e pulmões e dos componentes do trato gastrintestinal. O peso total de órgãos vitais e do trato gastrintestinal foi maior nos animais não-castrados, mas deixou de ser significativo quando ajustado para peso de corpo vazio (PCV e de abate (PA. Animais superjovens apresentaram maior peso absoluto das gorduras interna (25,91 versus 20,13 kg e de toalete (13,96 versus 10,98 kg. A castração dos animais resultou em maior participação de gordura interna calculada em relação ao peso de corpo vazio e ao peso de abate.The non-carcass components of castrated and non-castrated cattle (sex condition finished in feedlot and slaughtered at 16 (super young or 26 (young months of age (animal category were evaluated. The diet was formulated to contain 11.8% of CP and 2.83 Mcal/kg DM of DE with 50:50 forage to concentrate ratio (%MS. Super young animals showed higher of empty body dressing percentage (92.39 versus 89.76%, as a result of their lower gastrointestinal content (35.23 versus 53.46 kg as compared to the young animals. Non-castrate animals showed higher head weight (13

  4. Estudo comparativo das habilidades sociais de dependentes e não dependentes de álcool Comparative study of social skills among alcohol abusers and non abusers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Poliana Patrício Aliane

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Este trabalho teve como objetivo principal avaliar e comparar diferenças nas habilidades sociais (HS de dependentes e não dependentes de álcool. Foram pesquisados 80 sujeitos, entre dependentes e não-dependentes, usuários do SUS, e usados dois instrumentos para coleta dos dados: Inventário de Habilidades Sociais (IHS e AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test. Foi realizado um estudo comparativo das HS entre os grupos de dependentes e não-dependentes de álcool e álcool e outras drogas (AOD. Os resultados obtidos mostraram não existir diferença no escore do IHS entre dependentes e não-dependentes. Os homens obtiveram maior média nas habilidades de conversação e desenvoltura social e autocontrole da agressividade que as mulheres e, na amostra masculina, dependentes de álcool apresentaram maior média na habilidade de autocontrole da agressividade que dependentes de AOD. Apesar de a literatura sobre o tema discutir os déficits de HS entre dependentes, este estudo não confirmou esta hipótese.This research aims to evaluate and compare differences in Social Skills of alcohol abusers and non-abusers. Eighty people were interviewed, among alcohol abusers and non-abusers, patients of a Health Care Center (SUS. Two instruments were used to collect the data: Social Skills Inventory (ISS and AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test. A Comparative study between the alcohol abusers and non-abusers including other drugs was carried out. The results showed that there is no difference between the alcohol abusers and non-abusers ISS scores. Men showed a better score in conversation and social abilities also in self-control of the aggressiveness than women did. In addiction, men addicted to alcohol showed a better score in self-control of the aggressiveness than men addicted to alcohol and other drugs. Although literature about this topic shows that the alcohol abuse have an decrease of these social skills, this research does not

  5. Vaccine-associated paralytic Poliomyelitis: a case report of domiciliary transmission Poliomielite associada à vacina: descrição de caso por transmissão domiciliar

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José A. Paz

    2000-06-01

    Full Text Available Poliomyelitis associated with live strain vaccine is defined as the paralytic form of the acute anterior poliomyelitis related to the vaccine strain. Since these strains behave similarly to the wild-type virus, we can differentiate, epidemiologically, two types of vaccine-associated poliomyelitis: cases in which the patient was vaccinated and cases in which the patient had had contact with vaccinated individuals. We herein present the case of an unvaccinated child, with a clinical picture of an acute anterior poliomyelitis associated with the live strain vaccine, whose brother received the Sabin vaccine 20 days before the onset of the symptoms. Vaccine strain of the type 3 poliovirus was isolated in fecal culture and a presented mutation in nucleotide 472 (C®U in the 5' non-coding region, which is strongly related to the higher strain virulence.A poliomielite associada à vacina oral é definida como a forma paralítica da poliomielite anterior aguda decorrente da cepa vacinal. Uma vez que o comportamento da cepa vacinal é semelhante ao do vírus selvagem, epidemiologicamente podemos distinguir dois tipos de poliomielite associada à vacina, os casos em que o paciente foi vacinado e os casos em que o paciente teve contato com pessoas que receberam a vacina. Apresentamos o caso de um lactente não vacinado, que apresentou quadro de poliomielite anterior aguda associada à vacina oral, cujo irmão havia recebido a vacina Sabin 20 dias antes do início do quadro clínico. Na cultura de fezes do paciente foi isolado o poliovírus tipo 3, cepa vacinal, que apresentava mutação do nucleotídeo 472 (C®U na região 5' não codificadora, a qual está significativamente relacionada com a maior virulência da cepa.

  6. Risk factors for esophageal cancer in non-smokers and non-drinkers: a case-control study in Uruguay Fatores de risco para o câncer esofágico em não usuários de tabaco e bebida alcoólica: um estudo caso-controle no Uruguai

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alvaro L. Ronco

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available In order to analyze possible associations of lifestyle factors with esophageal cancer among non-smokers and non-drinkers, the authors carried out the present study. Special emphasis was placed on the analysis of "mate" (infusion of the herb Ilex paraguariensis drinking, which has been associated with most cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract. The study was conducted at the Instituto Nacional de Oncología in Montevideo, Uruguay. Data corresponded to 73 esophageal cancer cases and 219 controls. A detailed questionnaire included sections on sociodemographic variables, occupation, family history of cancer, "mate" drinking, and a restricted list of dietary items including: red meat, processed meat, salted meat, barbecue, milk, fresh vegetables and fruits. Odds ratios (ORs were estimated by unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for major potential confounders, including age, sex, education, urban/rural status and region of birth. Moderate increases in risk were observed for: daily "mate" consumption (OR=2.2, age of quitting (OR=2.02, duration (OR=2.49 and intensity (OR=1.91, most of which were statistically significant. Consequently, our report demonstrates a particular role for "mate" consumption on esophageal cancer in Uruguay, regardless of other well-known risk factors.Os autores realizaram o presente estudo para analisar possíveis associações de fatores de estilo de vida com o câncer esofágico em não usuários de tabaco e bebida alcoólica. Foi especialmente enfatizada a análise do "mate" (infusão da erva Ilex paraguariensis, que tem sido associado à maioria dos cânceres do trato aerodigestivo. O estudo foi realizado no Instituto Nacional de Oncología em Montevidéu, Uruguai. Os dados correspondem a 73 casos de câncer esofágico e 219 controles. Um detalhado questionário incluiu seções de variáveis sócio-demográficas, ocupação, história familiar de câncer, consumo de "mate" e uma relação restritiva de itens da

  7. Metal chelates of some transition and non-transition metal ions with Schiff base derived from isatin with o-phenylenediamine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hassaan, A.M.A.; Khalifa, M.A.

    1993-01-01

    New Cr(III), Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II) chelates of the Schiff base derived from isatin with o-phenylenediamine have been synthesized and characterized on the basis of elemental analyses, electronic, IR and 1 H NMR spectra, and also by aid of molar conductivity and magnetic moment measurements. It has been found that the Schiff base behaves as ONNO tetradentate dibasic ligand forming chelates with 1:1 (metal:ligand) stoichiometry. Square planar environment is suggested for nickel(II) chelate. All the metal chelates show non-electrolytic behaviour

  8. Strain tolerance of Bi2Sr2Ca1Cu2O8-δ/Ag composites at high field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Q.; Ostenson, J.E.; Finnemore, D.K.

    1991-01-01

    Strain tolerance of Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 1 Cu 2 O 8-δ /Ag composites have been studied at fields up to 20 T and bending strains up to 2.6% in order to determine the factors that control the critical current density. The goal is to find the best way to distribute Ag such as to give both high strain tolerance and high critical current density. Partial melt processed samples prepared from micromilled mixtures containing 30% Ag by volume show a gradually decreasing critical current all the way out to 2.6% strain. Samples typically show about 1000 A/cm 2 at 4.2 K, 20 T, and 0.75% strain. At 20 K, these values occur at 4 T and 0.75% strain

  9. Molecular Analyses of Vibrio cholerae O1 Clinical Strains, Including New Nontoxigenic Variants Isolated in Mexico during the Cholera Epidemic Years between 1991 and 2000▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lizárraga-Partida, Marcial Leonardo; Quilici, Marie-Laure

    2009-01-01

    We studied the evolution of Vibrio cholerae O1 during the 1991 to 2000 cholera epidemic in Mexico by biochemical, serological, and molecular characterization of strains collected during this period. Strains were divided into toxigenic and nontoxigenic groups according to the presence or absence of genes encoding cholera toxin. As previously reported, we characterized two populations among toxigenic strains, which were present from the first year of the epidemic. BglI rRNA analysis revealed that these strains had ribotype profiles, denoted M5 and M6 in our study, that were identical to those previously designated Koblavi B5 or Popovic 5 and Popovic 6a or Tamayo B21a, respectively. Ribotype M5 was isolated between 1991 and 1993. This ribotype had a low level of genetic variation as detected by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Ribotype M6 persisted from 1991 to 2000. However, PFGE profiles suggested that two epidemiologically unrelated strains coexisted within this single ribotype from 1995 until the end of the epidemic. We identified three new BglI ribotypes, Mx1, Mx2, and Mx3, from nontoxigenic V. cholerae O1 strains isolated between 1998 and 2000; one of them grouped strains positive for the toxin-coregulated pilus island. They differed from nontoxigenic clones isolated in Latin America and on the U.S. Gulf Coast and are probably autochthonous Mexican V. cholerae O1 variants. Most of these new variants were isolated from states surrounding the Gulf of Mexico, where the highest incidence of cholera in the country was recorded. Thus, the Mexican Gulf Coast, like the U.S. Gulf Coast, may act as an environmental reservoir of V. cholerae O1. PMID:19213700

  10. Estimation of lattice strain in nanocrystalline RuO2 by Williamson-Hall and size-strain plot methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sivakami, R; Dhanuskodi, S; Karvembu, R

    2016-01-05

    RuO2 nanoparticles (RuO2 NPs) have been successfully synthesized by the hydrothermal method. Structure and the particle size have been determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). UV-Vis spectra reveal that the optical band gap of RuO2 nanoparticles is red shifted from 3.95 to 3.55eV. BET measurements show a high specific surface area (SSA) of 118-133m(2)/g and pore diameter (10-25nm) has been estimated by Barret-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) method. The crystallite size and lattice strain in the samples have been investigated by Williamson-Hall (W-H) analysis assuming uniform deformation, deformation stress and deformation energy density, and the size-strain plot method. All other relevant physical parameters including stress, strain and energy density have been calculated. The average crystallite size and the lattice strain evaluated from XRD measurements are in good agreement with the results of TEM. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. DNA microarray-based assessment of virulence potential of Shiga toxin gene-carrying Escherichia coli O104:H7 isolated from feedlot cattle feces.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pragathi B Shridhar

    Full Text Available Escherichia coli O104:H4, a hybrid pathotype reported in a large 2011 foodborne outbreak in Germany, has not been detected in cattle feces. However, cattle harbor and shed in the feces other O104 serotypes, particularly O104:H7, which has been associated with sporadic cases of diarrhea in humans. The objective of our study was to assess the virulence potential of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC O104:H7 isolated from feces of feedlot cattle using DNA microarray. Six strains of STEC O104:H7 isolated from cattle feces were analyzed using FDA-E. coli Identification (ECID DNA microarray to determine their virulence profiles and compare them to the human strains (clinical of O104:H7, STEC O104:H4 (German outbreak strain, and O104:H21 (milk-associated Montana outbreak strain. Scatter plots were generated from the array data to visualize the gene-level differences between bovine and human O104 strains, and Pearson correlation coefficients (r were determined. Splits tree was generated to analyze relatedness between the strains. All O104:H7 strains, both bovine and human, similar to O104:H4 and O104:H21 outbreak strains were negative for intimin (eae. The bovine strains were positive for Shiga toxin 1 subtype c (stx1c, enterohemolysin (ehxA, tellurite resistance gene (terD, IrgA homolog protein (iha, type 1 fimbriae (fimH, and negative for genes that code for effector proteins of type III secretory system. The six cattle O104 strains were closely related (r = 0.86-0.98 to each other, except for a few differences in phage related and non-annotated genes. One of the human clinical O104:H7 strains (2011C-3665 was more closely related to the bovine O104:H7 strains (r = 0.81-0.85 than the other four human clinical O104:H7 strains (r = 0.75-0.79. Montana outbreak strain (O104:H21 was more closely related to four of the human clinical O104:H7 strains than the bovine O104:H7 strains. None of the bovine E. coli O104 strains carried genes characteristic of E

  12. Determinação de elementos essenciais e não essenciais em palmito de pupunheira Determination of essential and non-essential elements in palm heart of peach palm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lucia K.O. Yuyama

    1999-07-01

    (hexafosfato de mioinositol foi de 554,7 mg% para o palmito in natura e 379,1 mg%, para o palmito cozido. Apesar do palmito ser um alimento dietético sob o ponto de vista nutricional, devido à baixa concentração em calorias e à presença de fibra, o mesmo pode contribuir no aporte de minerais essenciais na alimentação da população Amazônica.In recent years, there has been a steady increase in the ocurrence of obesity and chronic or degenerative diseases (cardiovascular, diabetes mellitus, cancer in Brazil. Therefore, studies on the nutritional composition of regional foodstuffs, especially those with low calorific content and high commercial value, are highly justified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the centesimal phytate and mineral micro or macroelement composition of in natura or cooked palm heart of peach palm (Pampa Hermosa race, collected in January 1995 (rainy season in the fruit experimental station of the Coordenação de Pesquisas em Ciências Agronômicas (CPCA, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA, in Manaus, Brazil. Chemical analyses were conducted on a total of 3.5 kg of plant heart samples, taken at random from 110 spineless progeny from Yurimáguas, Peru, which were grown on non-fertilized soil. Analyses were conducted in the Nutrition and Food Physico-Chemical laboratory of INPA and IPEN-CNEN. Each 100 g of the edible part of in natura or cooked palm heart provided low concentrations of lipids (0.3 and 0.2 g, respectively and high concentrations of fibre (3.8 and 2.2, respectively. Both type of palm heart contained (in 100 g: 90% humidity and 1.5 g protein. The results for nutritionally important minerals were as follows (in 100 g of in natura or cooked palm heart, respectively: K (194.0 mg; 128.0 mg, Ca (42.4 mg; 42.9 mg, Mg (3.4 mg; 2.2 mg, Fe (237.7 µg; 265.2 µg, and Se (2.1 µg: 2.8 µg. The concentrations of non essential elements minerals in in natura and cooked palm heart were, respectively, as follows: bromine (830.4

  13. The effect of the MgO buffer layer thickness on magnetic anisotropy in MgO/Fe/Cr/MgO buffer/MgO(001)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kozioł-Rachwał, Anna, E-mail: a.koziolrachwal@aist.go.jp [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Spintronics Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568 (Japan); AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków (Poland); Nozaki, Takayuki; Zayets, Vadym; Kubota, Hitoshi; Fukushima, Akio; Yuasa, Shinji [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Spintronics Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568 (Japan); Suzuki, Yoshishige [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Spintronics Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568 (Japan); Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, 1-3 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531 (Japan)

    2016-08-28

    The relationship between the magnetic properties and MgO buffer layer thickness d was studied in epitaxial MgO/Fe(t)/Cr/MgO(d) layers grown on MgO(001) substrate in which the Fe thickness t ranged from 0.4 nm to 1.1 nm. For 0.4 nm ≤ t ≤ 0.7 nm, a non-monotonic coercivity dependence on the MgO buffer thickness was shown by perpendicular magneto-optic Kerr effect magnetometry. For thicker Fe films, an increase in the buffer layer thickness resulted in a spin reorientation transition from perpendicular to the in-plane magnetization direction. Possible origins of these unusual behaviors were discussed in terms of the suppression of carbon contamination at the Fe surface and changes in the magnetoelastic anisotropy in the system. These results illustrate a method to control magnetic anisotropy in MgO/Fe/Cr/MgO(d) via an appropriate choice of MgO buffer layer thickness d.

  14. Nano-engineered ZnO/CeO2 dots@CNFs for fuel cell application

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    Zafar Khan Ghouri

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Well-dispersed ZnO(xCeO2(1−x nanodots@carbon nanofibers as anode catalysts for the electrooxidation of methanol were synthesized by an easy-controlled template-free method. Their structure and morphology were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM equipped with rapid EDX (energy dispersive analysis of X-ray. The appealed characterization techniques specified that the obtained material is carbon nanofibers decorated by ZnO and CeO2 nanodots. The electrochemical oxidation of methanol on ZnO(xCeO2(1−x nanodots@CNFs modified glassy carbon electrode in alkaline solutions was systematically evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV method. A detailed investigation is made for the electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol by varying methanol concentration. The corresponding current densities of ZnO(60%CeO2(40% nanodots@CNFs and ZnO(40%CeO2(60% nanodots@CNFs were 5.3 and 16.3 mA/cm2, respectively. Moreover, negative onset potential (−50 mV vs. Ag/AgCl was observed when ZnO(40%CeO2(60% nanodots@CNFs were utilized, which is a superior value among the reported non-precious electrocatalysts. These results suggested cheap and effective nanomaterials as non-precious catalyst for DMFCs application and pave the way to further improve the performance in energy and environmental applications.

  15. Inactivation of Shiga toxin-producing O157:H7 and non-O157:H7 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in brine-injected, gas-grilled steaks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luchansky, John B; Porto-Fett, Anna C S; Shoyer, Bradley A; Call, Jeffrey E; Schlosser, Wayne; Shaw, William; Bauer, Nathan; Latimer, Heejeong

    2011-07-01

    We quantified translocation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (ECOH) and non-O157:H7 verocytotoxigenic E. coli (STEC) into beef subprimals after brine injection and subsequently monitored their viability after cooking steaks cut therefrom. Beef subprimals were inoculated on the lean side with ca. 6.0 log CFU/g of a five-strain cocktail of rifampin-resistant ECOH or kanamycin-resistant STEC, and then passed once through an automatic brine-injector tenderizer, with the lean side facing upward. Brine solutions (9.9% ± 0.3% over fresh weight) consisted of 3.3% (wt/vol) of sodium tripolyphosphate and 3.3% (wt/vol) of sodium chloride, prepared both with (Lac(+), pH = 6.76) and without (Lac(-), pH = 8.02) a 25% (vol/vol) solution of a 60% potassium lactate-sodium diacetate syrup. For all samples injected with Lac(-) or Lac(+) brine, levels of ECOH or STEC recovered from the topmost 1 cm (i.e., segment 1) of a core sample obtained from tenderized subprimals ranged from ca. 4.7 to 6.3 log CFU/g; however, it was possible to recover ECOH or STEC from all six segments of all cores tested. Next, brine-injected steaks from tenderized subprimals were cooked on a commercial open-flame gas grill to internal endpoint temperatures of either 37.8 °C (100 °F), 48.8 °C (120 °F), 60 °C (140 °F), or 71.1 °C (160 °F). Regardless of brine formulation or temperature, cooking achieved reductions (expressed as log CFU per gram) of 0.3 to 4.1 of ECOH and 0.5 to 3.6 of STEC. However, fortuitous survivors were recovered even at 71.1 °C (160 °F) for ECOH and for STEC. Thus, ECOH and STEC behaved similarly, relative to translocation and thermal destruction: Tenderization via brine injection transferred both pathogens throughout subprimals and cooking highly contaminated, brine-injected steaks on a commercial gas grill at 71.1 °C (160 °F) did not kill all cells due, primarily, to nonuniform heating (i.e., cold spots) within the meat. Copyright ©, International Association for Food Protection

  16. Escape of O(3P), O(1D), and O(1S) from the Martian atmosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fox, Jane L.; Hać, Aleksander B.

    2018-01-01

    We have computed here the escape probabilities, fluxes and rates for hot O atoms that are initially produced in the ground state and the first two excited metastable states, O(1D)and O(1S), in the Martian thermosphere by dissociative recombination of O2+. In order to compare our results with those of our previous calculations and with those of others, we have employed here the pre-MAVEN models that we have used previously. To compute the escape probabilities, we have employed the Monte Carlo escape code that has been described previously, but we here use for the first time energy-dependent elastic cross sections for collisions of the energetic O atoms with each of the twelve background species in our model. We also incorporate three mechanisms that interchange identities of the O(3P) and O(1D) atoms, including collisional excitation of O(3P) to O(1D), quenching of O(1D) to O(3P), and excitation exchange of O(1D) with O(3P). We find that the escape probabilities of O atoms that are produced initially as O(1D) are reduced compared to those in which these processes are not included, but the escape probabilities of O atoms that are initially produced as O(3P) are not significantly reduced. As a guide for our future research and those of other investigators, we review here what is known about the interactions of O atoms with other species in which the energies of the O atoms are altered, and several other sources of hot and escaping O, many of which have been suggested by other investigators. We will incorporate these data in a future MAVEN-like model.

  17. Prognostic value of non-reactive burst suppression EEG pattern associated to early neonatal seizures Valor prognóstico do EEG com padrão de surto-supressãoo reativo associado a convulsões neonatais precoces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magda Lahorgue Nunes

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Seizures are the most frequent neurological event in newborns and clinical data suggest that etiology is the dominant factor in long term outcome. However, there are consistent background EEG abnormalities associated to neonatal seizures that are usually related to unfavorable outcome as the burst - suppression pattern. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to correlate clinical and EEG features associated to long - term outcome of newborns with non - reactive burst - suppression (BS EEG. METHOD: Newborns included in the study were selected from our database and had conceptional age (at the time of first EEG >37 weeks, EEG recordings with non - reactive BS available for review and clinical follow up. RESULTS: 12 newborns met inclusion criteria, 50% had seizures in the first day of life. Seizures became refractory to treatment in all of them. In 50% the etiology of seizures was considered cryptogenic, 33% had inborn errors of metabolism and 17% had clinical history and neuroimage suggestive of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. The follow-up showed that 7/12 infants deceased, 3 during the first year of life, and one in the neonatal period. All the survivors had severe developmental delay and multifocal neurological impairment. 92% developed refractory epilepsy, 58% were latter diagnosed with West syndrome. CONCLUSION: The non-reactive BS pattern may appear related to many neonatal neurological disorders and is associated with early and refractory neonatal seizures. It is clearly associated with elevated morbidity and mortality and to the development of post-neonatal epilepsy.RESUMO Convulsões representam o evento neurológico mais freqüente no período neonatal e a etiologia das crises parece ser o aspecto clínico mais associado ao prognóstico a longo prazo. Entretanto, existem padrões anormais de EEG, que de forma consistente relacionam-se a prognóstico, entre eles o padrão de surto - supressão. OBJETIVO: Este estudo teve

  18. Desempenho reprodutivo de vacas de corte em lactação e solteiras submetidas à indução/sincronização de estro Reproductive performance of suckling beef and non-suckling beef cows submitted to estrus induction/synchronization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cássio Cassal Brauner

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Com o objetivo de caracterizar o desempenho produtivo e reprodutivo de duas categorias de vacas de corte submetidas à indução/sincronização de estro, foram utilizadas 42 vacas em lactação e 60 vacas solteiras da raça Aberdeen Angus, de tamanho similar e condição corporal moderada (CC3, escala de 1 a 5, manejadas exclusivamente em campo nativo, no período de setembro de 2005 a abril de 2006 no município de Aceguá/RS. Para os exames ginecológicos durante o experimento, foi utilizado aparelho de ultra-som e palpação retal. Como fator fixo, foi considerada a categoria das vacas (CATV, considerando-se três grupos, vacas solteiras cíclicas (VSC, ou seja, fêmeas que falham em conceber e permanecem na propriedade até o próximo acasalamento, vacas em lactação em anestro superficial (VLAS e vacas em lactação em anestro profundo (VLAP. Como variáveis resposta, foram considerados peso das vacas pré-acasalamento (PPRA, pós-acasalamento (PPOA, à concepção (PC, o ganho de peso médio diário durante o acasalamento (GMD, resposta ao protocolo de indução/sincronização de cio (RISC e gestação. A categoria da vaca demonstrou efeito (PThe objective of this study was to characterize the reproductive performance of two cow categories submitted to estrus induction/synchronization. Forty two suckling and sixty non-suckling, Aberdeen Angus cows classified by uniformity of size and moderate body condition score (CC3 in a 1 to 5 scale, raised under range conditions in Aceguá/RS county, were evaluated between September 2005 and April 2006. The gynecological examination was made by ultrasonography and rectal palpation. Fixed factors analyzed were cow category alocated in one of three groups: cyclical non-suckling (VSC, cows that fail to conceive and remain in the farm until the next breeding season showing cyclical conditions, suckling light anestrus cow (VLAS and suckling strong anestrus cows (VLAP. The following variables were

  19. Atuação fonoaudiológica na estimulação precoce da sucçãoo-nutritiva em recém-nascidos pré-termo Action of speech therapy on early stimulation of non-nutritive sucking in preterm newborns

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    Larisse Taliane Lira Moura

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available TEMA: estimulação precoce da sucçãoo-nutritiva em recém-nascidos pré-termo. PROCEDIMENTOS: análise detalhada de três prontuários de recém-nascidos pré-termos com idade gestacional de 33 semanas que apresentavam apenas dificuldade na sucção, sem patologias associadas. Na análise dos prontuários foram levantados os seguintes dados para comparação: peso ao nascer, total de dias no alto risco, total de dias no médio risco, tônus, peso/ganho, tempo de intervenção fonoaudiológica e alta hospitalar. Os bebês foram atendidos na UTI do Hospital Regional de Taguatinga, em Brasília/DF. RESULTADOS: o primeiro recém-nascido (RN1 passou 19 dias no alto risco, o RN2 passou três dias e o RN3 quatro dias. A estimulação da sucção do RN1 foi mais tardia, pela longa permanência no alto risco, na qual não há a atuação fonoaudiológica. O RN1 teve maior dificuldade para desenvolver seu reflexo de sucção e recebeu alta com auxílio do banco de leite. Os RN2 e RN3 receberam alta realizando sucção eficaz no seio materno sem nenhuma recomendação. CONCLUSÃO: os dados obtidos nessa pesquisa apontam para a eficácia da intervenção fonoaudiológica com relação à estimulação precoce da sucção em recém-nascido pré-termo, estando relacionada com a alta hospitalar e o desenvolvimento global do bebê. A estimulação precoce da fonoaudiologia nos recém-nascidos pré-termos é fundamental para uma alimentação no seio materno eficaz, prazerosa e funcional. Além de proporcionar maior vínculo entre mãe e bebê ainda no âmbito hospitalar, a atuação da fonoaudiologia pode favorecer a diminuição do tempo de internação.BACKGROUND: early stimulation of non-nutritive sucking in preterm newborns. PROCEDURES: review of three charts of preterm newborn infants with gestational age of 33 weeks who had difficulty only in sucking, without associated pathologies. In the analysis of the records, the following data were collected

  20. Development of shearography for surface strain measurement of non planar objects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Groves, Roger Michael

    2001-01-01

    The subject of this thesis is the development of optical instrumentation for surface strain measurement of non-planar objects. The speckle interferometry technique of shearography is used to perform quantitative measurements of surface strain on non-planar objects and to compensate these measurements for the errors that are due to the shape and slope of the object. Shearography is an optical technique that is usually used for defect location and for qualitative strain characterisation. In this thesis a multi-component shearography system is described that can measure the six components of displacement gradient. From these measurements the surface strain can be fully characterised. For non-planar objects an error is introduced into the displacement gradient measurement due to the variation of the sensitivity vector across the field of view and the variation in the magnitude of applied shear due to the curvature of the object surface. To correct for these errors requires a knowledge of the slope and shape of the object. Shearography may also be used to measure object slope and shape by a source displacement technique. Therefore slope, shape and surface strain may be measured using the same optical system. The thesis describes a method of multiplexing the shear direction using polarisation switching, a method of measuring the source position using shadow Moire and the shearography source displacement technique for measuring the surface slope and shape of objects. The multi-component shearography system is used to perform measurements of the six components of surface strain, on an industrial component, with a correction applied for errors due to the shape and slope of the object. (author)