Restraint use and seating position among child car passengers: an observational study in Shanghai

Child passenger restraint practices in China are poorly characterized and few direct observational studies have been performed. This study aims to describe child passenger restraint use and to investigate factors influencing the restraint practices. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted at toll-gates in Shanghai during an 11-day period in June in 2009. A pro-forma observation checklist was used to collect data related to restraint use by child passengers aged ≤12 years, restraint use by drivers, and the number of child passengers traveling in passenger cars registered in Shanghai. Adjusted risk ratios (RR) comparing those children who were properly rear seated with those in other positions (front seat, on adult's lap) and any restraint use with no restraint use were evaluated using multivariate binomial regression with robust variance estimation. Among 967 children observed, 44.1% of children were in suboptimal seating positions (i.e., 12.2% in the front seat and 31.9% in adult laps) and 93.9% were unrestrained. Children aged ≤4 years (RR: 0.35, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.28–0.44), and those who were the only child in a car (RR: 0.84, 95% confidence interval: 0.74–0.96) had a lower likelihood of being properly rear seated. Children traveling with unrestrained drivers (RR: 0.09, 95% confidence interval: 0.01–0.60) were less likely to be restrained. This study demonstrates low restraint use and common suboptimal seating positions for child passengers in China and relates these to driver restraint use. These findings support the need for targeted programs to improve child restraint practices in China.     

Portable microcoil NMR detection coupled to capillary electrophoresis

High-efficiency separation techniques, such as capillary electrophoresis (CE), coupled to a nondestructive nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer offer the ability to separate, chemically identify, and provide structural information on analytes in small sample volumes. Previous CE-NMR coupled systems utilized laboratory-scale NMR magnets and spectrometers, which require very long separation capillaries. New technological developments in electronics have reduced the size of the NMR system, and small 1-2 T permanent magnets provide the possibilities of a truly portable NMR. The microcoils used in portable and laboratory-scale NMR may offer the advantage of improved mass sensitivity because the limit of detection (LOD) is proportional to the coil diameter. In this work, CE is coupled with a portable, briefcase-sized NMR system that incorporates a microcoil probe and a 1.8 T permanent magnet to measure (19)F NMR spectra. Separations of fluorinated molecules are demonstrated with stopped- and continuous-flow NMR detection. The results demonstrate that coupling CE to a portable NMR instrument is feasible and can provide a low-cost method to obtain structural information on microliter samples. An LOD of 31.8 nmol for perfluorotributylamine with a resolution of 4 ppm has been achieved with this system.     

Apoptosis-inducing activity of hydroxylated polymethoxyflavones and polymethoxyflavones from orange peel in human breast cancer cells

Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis L.) peel is a rich resource of flavonoids, especially polymethoxyflavones (PMFs). Citrus flavonoids exert a broad spectrum of biological activity, including antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects in cancer cells. We have recently shown that individual PMFs from orange peel induce Ca(2+)-mediated apoptosis in human breast cancer cells and that hydroxylation of PMFs is critical for enhancing their proapoptotic activity. Here, we report that the fraction of orange peel extract containing a mixture of non-hydroxylated PMFs (75.1%) and hydroxylated PMFs (5.44%) and the fraction containing only hydroxylated PMFs (97.2%) induce apoptosis in those cells as well. Treatment of MCF-7 breast cancer cells with these fractions inhibited growth and induced apoptosis associated with an increase in the basal level of intracellular Ca(2+). Effective concentrations of the hydroxylated PMFs fraction in inhibiting growth, inducing apoptosis, and increasing intracellular Ca(2+) were lower than those of the non-hydroxylated PMFs fraction. Our results strongly imply that bioactive PMFs from orange peel exert proapoptotic activity in human breast cancer cells, which depends on their ability to induce an increase in intracellular Ca(2+ )and thus, activate Ca(2+)-dependent apoptotic proteases.     

Hydrogenation of Citral Over IrAu/TiO2 Catalysts. Effect of the Preparation Method

Hydrogenation of citral over Ir/TiO₂ and IrAu/TiO₂ catalysts was studied. Catalysts were prepared by deposition?Cprecipitation with urea (Ir/TiO₂) and sequential incorporation of the metals using a combined DPU-incipient wetness impregnation approach (IrAu/TiO₂). Samples were reduced in H₂ at 573 K (LT) and 773 K (HT). These materials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (HAADF), TPR and CO adsorption followed by DRIFT. The liquid phase hydrogenation of citral was studied in a Parr type batch reactor at 363 K and a H₂ pressure of 0.62 MPa. An Ir/TiO₂ catalyst prepared by wet impregnation was used as reference catalyst. High selectivity to unsaturated alcohols was found, the only reaction products were geraniol and nerol for Ir/TiO₂ DPU and IrAu/TiO₂ catalysts. The IrAu/TiO₂ (HT) catalyst showed the higher conversion levels.     

Oxidative biodegradation of single- and multi-walled carbon nanotubes

In this study we compare the biodegradation of both single-walled (SWCNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) using two different oxidative conditions. In particular, we demonstrate that oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes are highly degraded, although not to completeness when treated with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide.     

Microstructure and Strengthening Mechanisms in an Ultrafine Grained Al-Mg-Sc Alloy Produced by Powder Metallurgy

Additions of Sc to an Al-Mg matrix were investigated, paying particular attention to the influence of Al₃Sc precipitates and other dispersoids, as well as grain size, on mechanical behavior. Prior studies have shown that Sc significantly increases the strength of coarse-grained Al-Mg alloys. Prompted by these findings, we hypothesized that it would be of fundamental and technological interest to study the behavior of Sc additions to an ultrafine-grained (UFG) microstructure (e.g., 100’s nm). Accordingly, we investigated the microstructural evolution and mechanical behavior of a cryomilled ultrafine grained Al-5Mg-0.4Sc (wt pct) and compared the results to those of an equivalent fine-grained material (FG) produced by powder metallurgy. Experimental materials were consolidated by hot isostatic pressing (HIP’ing) followed by extrusion or dual mode dynamic forging. Under identical processing conditions, UFG materials generate large Al₃Sc precipitates with an average diameter of 154 nm and spaced approximately 1 to 3 μm apart, while precipitates in the FG materials have a diameter of 24 nm and are spaced 50 to 200 nm apart. The strengthening mechanisms are calculated for all materials and it is determined that the greatest strengthening contributions for the UFG and FG materials are Mg-O/N dispersion strengthening and precipitate strengthening, respectively.     

The Relation of Children's Everyday Nonsocial Peer Play Behavior to Their Emotionality, Regulation, and Social Functioning.

The relations of children's nonsocial behavior to their emotionality, regulation, and social functioning were examined in a short-term longitudinal study. Parents (primarily mothers) and teachers rated children's effortful regulation, emotionality, asocial behaviors, problem behaviors, and social acceptance, and children's nonsocial play behaviors were observed for two semesters. Peers also rated likability. Children's observed reticent activities were related to adults' ratings of high regulation, low externalizing problems, and high asocial behavior, as well as to low anger and low positive emotion. On the other hand, solitary play was associated with low positive emotion and low regulation over time and with high asocial behavior and high peer exclusion. Peer rejection mediated the relation of internalizing emotions (anxiety, low positive emotion) and regulation to solitary play later in the school year, and asocial play mediated the relation of internalizing emotions to both solitary and reticent play behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Wild buckwheat is unlikely to pose a risk to buckwheat-allergic individuals

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) is a commonly allergenic food especially in Asia where buckwheat is more commonly consumed. Wild buckwheat (Polygonum convolvulus, recently changed to Fallopia convolvulus) is an annual weed prevalent in grain-growing areas of the United States. Wild buckwheat is not closely related to edible buckwheat although the seeds do have some physical resemblance. A large shipment of wheat into Japan was halted by the discovery of the adventitious presence of wild buckwheat seeds over possible concerns for buckwheat-allergic consumers. However, IgE-binding was not observed to an extract of wild buckwheat using sera from 3 buckwheat-allergic individuals either by radio-allergosorbent test inhibition or by immunoblotting after protein separation by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Furthermore, the extract of wild buckwheat was not detected in a buckwheat enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay developed with antisera against common buckwheat. Thus, wild buckwheat is highly unlikely to pose any risk to buckwheat-allergic individuals. The common names of plants should not be a factor in the risk assessment for possible cross-allergenicity.