"Multicore" myopathy: report of 5 cases

Five cases (three of them from a same family) of multicore myopathy are presented. The age at diagnosis ranged from 4 to 38 years. In 2 cases muscle complaints developed early in childhood while in the remaining 3 cases raised CK serum levels lead to perform a muscle biopsy. Malignant hyperthermia occurred in a young boy among the three affected relatives. Other family members are probably affected, suggesting an autosomal dominant inheritance. In none of the patients progressive disabling myopathy has occurred after a long term follow-up. A review of the bibliography is included, and clinical and evolutive characteristics of this myopathy are commented.     

Effect of Elevated Temperatures on Mechanical Performance of Normal and Lightweight Concretes Reinforced with Carbon Nanotubes

An experimental program was developed to evaluate the effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) inclusion on elevated temperature properties of normal weight concrete (NWC) and lightweight concrete (LWC). The mechanical performance was assessed by conducting material property tests namely compressive strength (f’_c,_T), tensile strength (f’_t,T), mass loss (M_T), elastic modulus (E_T), compressive toughness (T_c) and stress–strain response under unstressed and residual conditions in the range of 23°C to 800°C. The mechanical properties were measured by heating 100?×?200 mm cylindrical specimens to 200°C, 400°C, 600°C and 800°C at a heating rate of 5°C/min. Results show that the inclusion MWCNTs in cementitious matrices enhanced the fire endurance. The relative retention of mechanical strength and mass of concretes modified with MWCNTs was higher. The stress–strain response of specimens modified with MWCNTs was more ductile. Microstructural study of cyrofractured samples evidenced the homogenous dispersion of nano-reinforcements in host matrix. Furthermore, the data obtained from high temperature material property tests was utilized to develop mathematical relationships for expressing mechanical properties of modified mixes as a function of temperature.     

Setup of Driven Piles in Layered Soil

The load capacity of driven piles has been reported to sometimes increase or decrease with time after pile installation. An increase in pile capacity with time is known as setup, whereas a decrease in capacity is referred to as relaxation. In this paper, we review the current understanding of pile setup and discuss how to account for it in design. A total of forty-three dynamic tests were conducted over a period of five months on four H piles and four closed-ended pipe piles driven into layered soil. Test results show that the amount and rate of pile setup are quite different from those observed in other studies. Empirical formulas for predicting setup proposed by several researchers were compared with observations. Of the empirical formulas considered, the Svinkin (1996) lower-bound method predicted the rate of setup on these piles driven in layered soil relatively well. Additionally, some theoretical methods for prediction of evolution of static pile bearing capacity with time were tested against the dynamic pile test results. The bearing capacity from these theoretical methods was found to correspond to approximately 2 times the capacity measured at the end of initial driving by a dynamic test.     

Derivatization of keto fatty acids. III. synthesis of terminal thiazole and oxazole derivatives from α-bromoketones

The synthesis of alkyl chain substituted thiazole and oxazole derivatives is described. The reaction of 11-bromo-10-oxoundecanoic acid with thiourea and acetamide yielded terminally located thiazole and oxazole derivatives, respectively. A similar treatment with urea produced the unexpected urea-substituted product, together with an unidentified product.     

Evaluation of the optimum induction gap for the GEM-MIGAS

A gas electron multiplier with a micro-induction gap amplifying structure (GEM-MIGAS) is formed when a conventional GEM is operated with a short induction gap, typically set at 50 μm. The main aims of this study were to examine the charge amplification in the induction gap of the GEM-MIGAS and then to evaluate the optimum induction gap thickness for achieving the maximum charge amplification in the region. For the present study, the GEM-MIGAS was operated in the gas flow mode using He/iso-C₄H₁₀ (85/15%). It was also possible to determine the optimum gap thickness, where the dependence of the charge amplification was least sensitive to the small variations of the gap thickness and to the ambient variables, such as pressure and temperature. This was accomplished by setting the voltage across the GEM-holes to a small value as to allow the transfer of electrons from the drift region into the induction region, without incurring multiplication within the holes. Through parametric curve fitting of the charge gain-induction gap voltage characteristics, the optimum induction gap for sustaining highest charge gains was evaluated and compared with trends observed using a conventional Micromegas.     

Effect of sulphiting and drying methods on physico-chemical and sensorial quality of dried apricots during ambient storage

Fresh mature and ripe apricots after preparations were pre-treated with potassium meta-bisulphite (KMS) at concentrations of 2–8% for 30, 45 and 60 min followed by drying in solar tunnel dryer and in open air. After completion of drying, the samples were packed in polyethylene pouches and evaluated for various quality parameters at 0, 6 and 12 months of ambient storage. KMS pre-treatment at concentration of 6% for 60 min prior to drying helped significantly in improving and maintaining the quality of dried apricots for up to 12 months of ambient storage. Solar tunnel drying resulted in hygienic product and reduced the drying time to 3–4 days compared with 14–16 days in open air drying. Residual free sulphur dioxide of apricots pre-treated at KMS concentration of 6% for 60 min was within the prescribed limits of the Fruit Product Order (1955) specifications for dried products.     

Mixed Micellization and Interfacial Properties of Polyoxyethylene Sorbitan Esters with Cetylpyridinium Chloride: A Tensiometric Study

In this work a surface tensiometric method was used to study the effect of the chain length of non-ionic surfactants, viz. ethoxylated sorbitan esters, on micellar composition, critical micellar concentration, mutual interaction parameter (β ₁₂), and activity coefficients of the mixed micelles formed with the cationic surfactant cetylpyridinium chloride at 25 °C. The micellar characteristics evaluated using the Clint, Rubingh, and Blankschtein models deviated significantly from ideality, and were used to ascertain the validity of these theories. Thermodynamic stability in terms of Maeda’s approach and interfacial properties is also discussed.     

Cyclopropenoid fatty acids in seed oils ofSida acuta andSida rhombifolia (malvaceae)

Seed oils ofSida acuta andSida rhombifolia were found to contain sterculic (11.0, 10.8%) and malvalic (1.7, 2.0%) acids respectively, in addition to the normal fatty acids. Co-occurrence of these acids was established by gas liquid chromatography of the silver nitrate-methanol-treated methyl esters usingSterculia foetida esters as a reference standard. This gas liquid chromatography technique of quantitation was found most suitable to estimate these acids in low level cyclopropenoid acid-containing seed oils.     

Charge transport studies in thermally evaporated 2,2′,7,7′-tetrakis-(N,N-di-4-methoxyphenylamino)-9,9′-spirobifluorene (spiro-MeOTAD) thin film

Charge transport mechanism in 2,2′,7,7′-tetrakis-(N,N-di-4-methoxyphenyl amino)-9,9′-spirobifluorene (spiro-MeOTAD) has been investigated as a function of temperature and organic layer thicknesses. Hole only devices of different thicknesses were fabricated in configuration ITO/spiro-MeOTAD/Au by vacuum evaporation technique. The hole current is space charge limited which provides a direct measurement of the hole mobility μ as a function of electric field and temperature. Gaussian disorder model has been used to explain the temperature and field dependent behavior of mobility. The values of energetic disorder (σ = 0.088 eV), positional disorder (Σ = 3.35) and mobility prefactor (μ₀ = 0.0147 cm²/V s) have been evaluated using this model.