Spectral characterization of eucalyptus wood

The main difficulties in wood and pulp analyses arise principally from their numerous components with different chemical structures. Therefore, the basic problem in a specific analytical procedure may be the selective separation of the main carbohydrate-derived components from lignin due to their chemical association and structural coexistence. The processing of the wood determines some structural modification in its components depending on the type of wood and the applied procedure. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry and X-ray diffraction have been applied to analyze Eucalyptus g. wood chips and unbleached and chlorite-bleached pulp. The differences between samples have been established by examination of the spectra of the fractions obtained by successive extraction (acetone extractives, acetone free extractive samples, hemicelluloses, and lignins) by evaluating the derivative spectra, band deconvolution, etc. The energy and the hydrogen bonding distance have been evaluated. The relationship between spectral characteristics and sample composition has been established, as well as the variation of the degree of crystallinity after pulping and bleaching. The integral absorption and lignin/carbohydrate ratios calculated from FT-IR spectra of the IR bands assigned to different bending or stretching in lignin groups are stronger in the spectrum of eucalyptus chips than those from brown stock (BS) pulp spectra because of the smaller total amount of lignin in the latter. FT-IR spectra clearly show that after chlorite bleaching the structure of the wood components is partially modified or removed. Along with FT-IR data, the X-ray results confirmed the low content of lignin in the pulp samples by increasing the calculated values of the crystalline parameters. It was concluded that FT-IR spectroscopy can be used as a quick method to differentiate Eucalyptus globulus samples.     

The bioavailability of raspberry anthocyanins and ellagitannins in rats

The fate of anthocyanins and ellagitannins in rats was monitored following ingestion of raspberry juice. After 1 h low nM concentrations of unmetabolised anthocyanins were present in plasma but these declined by 2 h and after 4 h they were no longer detectable. For the first 2 h there was an almost full recovery of anthocyanins as they passed from the stomach through the duodenum/jejunum and into the ileum. After 3 h less than 50% were recovered, and the levels declined rapidly thereafter. Excretion of raspberry anthocyanins in urine over a 24 h period was equivalent to 1.2% of the amount ingested. Trace quantities of anthocyanins were detected in the caecum, colon and faeces and they were absent in extracts of liver, kidneys and brain. Urine also contained a number of phenolic acids but most were present in quantities well in excess of the 918 nmol of anthocyanins present in the ingested juice. These findings indicate that raspberry anthocyanins per se are poorly absorbed, probably prior to reaching the ileum, and that substantial amounts pass from the small to the large intestine where they are degraded by colonic bacteria. Ellagitannins disappeared in the stomach without accumulation of ellagic acid.     

Activation of the NLRP3 Inflammasome Increases the IL-1β Level and Decreases GLUT4 Translocation in Skeletal Muscle during Insulin Resistance

Low-grade chronic inflammation plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance (IR), and skeletal muscle has a central role in this condition. NLRP3 inflammasome activation pathways promote low-grade chronic inflammation in several tissues. However, a direct link between IR and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in skeletal muscle has not been reported. Here, we evaluated the NLRP3 inflammasome components and their role in GLUT4 translocation impairment in skeletal muscle during IR. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed with a normal control diet (NCD) or high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks. The protein levels of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, gasdermin-D (GSDMD), and interleukin (IL)-1β were measured in both homogenized and isolated fibers from the flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) or soleus muscle. GLUT4 translocation was determined through GLUT4myc-eGFP electroporation of the FBD muscle. Our results, obtained using immunofluorescence, showed that adult skeletal muscle expresses the inflammasome components. In the FDB and soleus muscles, homogenates from HFD-fed mice, we found increased protein levels of NLRP3 and ASC, higher activation of caspase-1, and elevated IL-1β in its mature form, compared to NCD-fed mice. Moreover, GSDMD, a protein that mediates IL-1β secretion, was found to be increased in HFD-fed-mice muscles. Interestingly, MCC950, a specific pharmacological NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor, promoted GLUT4 translocation in fibers isolated from the FDB muscle of NCD- and HFD-fed mice. In conclusion, we found increased NLRP3 inflammasome components in adult skeletal muscle of obese insulin-resistant animals, which might contribute to the low-grade chronic metabolic inflammation of skeletal muscle and IR development.     

Modelling of photonic bandgap devices by the leaky mode propagation method

Main modelling approaches used for investigating the Photonic bandgap (PBG) devices are reviewed. In particular, the model based on Leaky Mode Propagation (LMP) method is described. A complete analysis of the propagation characteristics, including the determination of modal propagation constants, electromagnetic field harmonics and total field distribution, transmission and reflection coefficients, total forward and backward power flow in the structure, guided and radiated power, and total losses, can be carried out by a computer program based on the LMP approach. The numerical results have been validated by comparisons with those obtained by using other more complex and expensive models. The new model shows some significant advantages in terms of very low computational time, absence of any a priori theoretical assumptions and approximations, capability of simulating the actual physical behaviour of the device and fast determination of the bandgap position.Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analytical modelling of multilayer structure electronic devices for electrothermal layout optimisation

In this paper, an analytical model for the electrothermal solution to the non‐linear 3‐D heat flow equation for multilayer structure electronic devices is proposed. Compared with previous models presented in literature, it is general and can be easily applied to a large variety of integrated devices, provided that their structure can be represented as an arbitrary number of superimposed layers with a 2‐D embedded thermal source, so as to include the effect of the package. The proposed method is independent of the specific physical properties of the layers, hence GaAs MESFETs and HEMTs as well as silicon and silicon‐on‐insulator MOSFETs and heterostructure LASERs can be analysed. Moreover, it takes into account the dependence of the thermal conductivity of all the layers on the temperature; the heat equation is solved coupled with the device current–voltage relation in order to give physical consistence to the experimental evidence that a temperature increase causes a degradation of the electrical performances and that the electrical power is not uniformly distributed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structural investigations on TiO2 and Fe-doped TiO2 nanoparticles synthesized by laser pyrolysis

Undoped and Fe-doped TiO₂ nanopowders with Fe/Ti (atomic ratio) precursor concentration ranging from 7% up to 25% have been prepared by the IR laser pyrolysis technique. A sensitized mixture of TiCl₄ and Fe (CO)₅ was used as titanium and iron precursor, respectively. Reference undoped titania samples with a major concentration of anatase phase (about 90%) were obtained by the same technique by using very high flows of the oxidizing agent (air). The effects of the iron-dopant concentration on the essential structural properties of the resultant powders such as the phase formation, the crystallinity, the average particle size and distributions were systematically investigated by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The decrease of the TiO₂-anatase crystalline phase, the simultaneous increase of the amorphous phase and the decrease in size of particle mean diameter appear as main effects induced by the Fe-dopant concentration.     

Innovative design of a magnetocaloric system

In the present paper we consider the problem of optimizing the cooling of a magnetocaloric refrigerator. In this work we first theoretically and then experimentally study the performance of a single material regenerator under different operating conditions. The basic principles of the design and implementation of our magnetic refrigerator prototype are presented as well as a new magnetic assembly of NdFeB permanent magnets.

The design of the equipment uses a movement of relative displacement optimized for the phases of activation and inactivation of the magnetic field. Each part of the equipment is implemented in order to be controlled separately and to allow a large variety of the tests: gear pumps with individual control, sequence of programmable magnetocaloric cycle, unit control by programmable controller and application programming interface by color LCD touch screen, real-time processing data acquisition using a National Instruments System implemented on Independent PC, expelled heat using different standard heat exchangers.     

Does gender moderate the relationship between driver aggression and its risk factors?

Aim

The current study assessed gender as a potential moderator of the relationship between self-reported driver aggression and various demographic variables, general and driving-related risk factors.

Methods

Using data from a general-population telephone survey conducted from July 2002 through June 2005, two approaches to binary logistic regression were adopted. Based on the full dataset (n = 6259), the initial analysis was a hierarchical-entry regression examining self-reported driver aggression in the last 12 months. All demographic variables (i.e., gender, age, income, education, marital status), general risk factors (i.e., psychological distress, binge drinking, cannabis use), and driving-related risk factors (i.e., driving exposure, stressful driving, exposure to busy roads, driving after drinking, driving after cannabis use) were entered in the first block, and all two-way interactions with gender were entered stepwise in the second block. The subsequent analysis involved dividing the sample by gender and conducting logistic regressions with main effects only for males (n = 2921) and females (n = 3338) separately.

Results

Although the prevalence of driver aggression in the current sample was slightly higher among males (38.5%) than females (32.9%), the difference was small, and gender did not enter as a significant predictor of driver aggression in the overall logistic regression. In that analysis, difficulty with social functioning and being older were associated with a reduced risk of driver aggression. Marital status and education were unrelated to aggression, and all other variables were associated with an increased risk of aggression. Gender was found to moderate the relationships between driver aggression and only three variables: income, psychological distress, and driving exposure. Separate analyses on the male and female sub-samples also found differences in the predictive value of income and driving exposure; however, the difference for psychological distress could not be detected using this separate regression approach. The secondary analysis also identified slight differences in the predictive value of four of the risk factors, where the odds ratios for both males and females were in the same direction but only one of the two was statistically significant.

Conclusions

The results demonstrate the importance of conducting the gender analysis using both regression approaches. With few exceptions, factors that were predictive of driver aggression were generally the same for both male and female drivers.     

Immunochromatographic assay on thread

Lateral-flow immunochromatographic assays are low-cost, simple-to-use, rapid tests for point-of-care screening of infectious diseases, drugs of abuse, and pregnancy. However, lateral flow assays are generally not quantitative, give a yes/no answer, and lack multiplexing. Threads have recently been proposed as a support for transporting and mixing liquids in lateral-flow immunochromatographic assays, but their use for quantitative high-sensitivity immunoassays has yet to be demonstrated. Here, we introduce the immunochromatographic assay on thread (ICAT) in a cartridge format that is suitable for multiplexing. The ICAT is a sandwich assay performed on a cotton thread knotted to a nylon fiber bundle, both of which are precoated with recognition antibodies against one target analyte. Upon sample application, the assay results become visible to the eye within a few minutes and are quantified using a flatbed scanner. Assay conditions were optimized, the binding curves for C-reactive protein (CRP) in buffer and diluted serum were established and a limit of detection of 377 pM was obtained. The possibility of multiplexing was demonstrated using three knotted threads coated with antibodies against CRP, osteopontin, and leptin proteins. The performance of the ICAT was compared with that of the paper-based and conventional assays. The results suggest that thread is a suitable support for making low-cost, sensitive, simple-to-use, and multiplexed diagnostic tests.