Genetic differentiation between the clam species Ruditapes decussatus (grooved carpet shell) and Venerupis pullastra (pullet carpet shell) by PCR–SSCP analysis

Genetic differentiation of the clam species Ruditapes decussatus (grooved carpet shell) and Venerupis pullastra (pullet carpet shell) has been achieved based on polymerase chain reaction–single‐strand conformation polymorphism (PCR–SSCP) analysis. A short fragment (150 bp) of the α‐actin gene was amplified by PCR. Amplicons were denatured to obtain single‐stranded DNA, electrophoresed on a non‐denaturing polyacrylamide gel and visualised by silver staining for detection of SSCPs. Species‐specific DNA band patterns were obtained for R decussatus and V pullastra, allowing clear differentiation of the two clam species. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry     

Two Fuzzy Approaches for Solving Multiobjective Decision Problems

Zimmermann (1978) proposed a fuzzy method for solving multiple objectivedecision problems whose main difficulty is in specifying the membershipfunctions of the objectives. We have considered two different approaches toconstruct those membership functions that give rise to two algorithms forsolving linear multiobjective decision problems.     

Season of birth and schizophrenia: A response to the Lewis and Griffin critique.

A number of studies have suggested that schizophrenics are particularly likely to have been born in the winter months. M. S. Lewis and T. A. Griffin (1981) have argued that this "seasonality" effect may be an artifact resulting from (a) the use of inappropriate expected values in calculating chi-squares; (b) the age–incidence effect—the tendency of risk to increase with time in disorders whose incidence increases with age; and (c) the age–prevalence effect—the fact that people born early in a reporting period have been at risk for any disease longer than those born later in that period. The birth months of 3,556 schizophrenics at a Minnesota VA hospital were studied before and after instituting corrections in expected values for year-to-year across-month variations in birthrates and for the age-prevalence bias toward the January–March seasonality effect. Data on a subset of patients in whom the age–incidence effect should be minimal were reanalyzed. Even after these corrections, results support the contention that the winter birthrate for schizophrenics is excessive, at least in severe climates. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Young people's perceptions of traffic injury risks, prevention and enforcement measures: a qualitative study

The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate young people's perceptions, in Barcelona, Spain, about the evolution, magnitude, causes and determinants of traffic crashes, to describe their opinions on road safety regulations, and to explore their suggestions and proposals. Interviews were conducted with 43 key informants and 12 focus groups involving 98 participants. Discussion guides were designed to get insight on perceptions of relevance and trends in road traffic injuries, determinants of these, regulations and enforcement, as well as to gather their own ideas for reducing traffic injuries. Young people are aware that traffic injuries are a relevant and increasingly serious problem. The main determinants identified are: driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, fatigue, night driving, unsafe infrastructures, age of drivers and lack of public transport alternatives. Young people admit that fines, speed cameras and alcohol breath testing reduce risky driving. They prefer community work to fines. They have a poor image of public administrations in charge of prevention of traffic injuries. They demand information on traffic regulations and politicians' decisions, and a considerable increase in weekend and night time public transport. Effectiveness of interventions to reduce traffic injuries can be improved by taking the recipients' perceptions into account.     

Photoluminescent, transparent and flexible di-ureasil hybrids containing CdSe/ZnS quantum dots

We describe, in this paper, the sol-gel synthesis of di-ureasil based nanocomposites prepared in situ in the presence of organically capped CdSe quantum dots (QDs) or CdSe QDs which have been coated with a ZnS shell. For the latter a new chemical route to coat the CdSe QDs with ZnS shells was investigated and is now reported. The QDs became well dispersed in the final nanocomposites, whose microstructural homogeneity was evaluated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses. In order to understand the optical behaviour of di-ureasil containing QDs, a detailed photoluminescent study was undertaken for a selected particle size distribution of ZnS coated CdSe QDs (d～4.5?nm). Emission quantum yields up to 0.11 were measured in the final nanocomposites that present a huge (between 3 and 6 orders of magnitude) increase in the lifetime of the QDs (relative to that of isolated ones), as a result of energy transfer occurring between the intimately mixed di-ureasil host and the QDs.     

Reuse of cement-solidified municipal incinerator fly ash in cement mortars: physico-mechanical and leaching characteristics

The reuse of cement-solidified Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator (MSWI) fly ash (solidified/stabilised (S/S) product) as an artificial aggregate in Portland cement mortars was investigated. The S/S product consisted of a mixture of 48 wt.% washed MSWI fly ash, 20 wt.% Portland cement and 32 wt.% water, aged for 365 days at 20 degrees C and 100% RH. Cement mortars (water/cement weight ratio=0.62) were made with Portland cement, S/S product and natural sand at three replacement levels of sand with S/S product (0%, 10% and 50% by mass). After 28 days of curing at 20 degrees C and 100% RH, the mortar specimens were characterised for their physico-mechanical (porosity, compressive strength) and leaching behaviour. No retardation in strength development, relatively high compressive strengths (up to 36 N/mm2) and low leaching rates of heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn) were always recorded. The leaching data from sequential leach tests on monolithic specimens were successfully elaborated with a pseudo-diffusional model including a chemical retardation factor related to the partial dissolution of contaminant.     

Benzimidazolium salts as small, nonpeptidic and BBB-permeable human prolyl oligopeptidase inhibitors

Prolyl oligopeptidase (POP) is a cytosolic serine peptidase that hydrolyzes proline-containing peptides at the carboxy terminus of proline residues. This peptidase has gained importance as a target for the treatment of cognitive disturbances of patients with neuropsychiatric diseases. Our research addresses the identification of POP inhibitors from a small focused library of polar heterocyclic compounds arising from multicomponent reactions. Two selective POP-specific inhibitors were identified on the basis of their inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase IV. The most active compounds were evaluated for their in vitro transport through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) using a parallel artificial membrane permeability assay. Our results show for the first time that benzimidazolium salts are new POP-inhibitory scaffolds with properties of solubility, specificity, and lipophilicity that may allow them to cross the BBB by passive diffusion. These findings constitute an excellent starting point to synthesize new POP inhibitors with enhanced properties.     

Influence of a salt marsh plant (Halimione portulacoides) on the concentrations and potential mobility of metals in sediments

Influence of Halimione portulacoides, commonly found in temperate salt marshes, on sediment metal contents, speciation and potential mobility in case of sediment re-suspension was evaluated. Both colonized and non-colonized sediments were studied for total Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn contents and metal fraction exchangeable to water collected in situ. Sediment elutriates, prepared with water collected from each site, were used to simulate a sediment re-suspension phenomenon. As the characteristics and degree of contamination of sediments may influence system behaviour, salt marshes of two Portuguese estuaries, Cavado (NW coast) and Sado (SW coast), were studied. Cu, Pb and Zn contents higher than ERL (quality guideline, effect range-low) were observed, indicating potential risks for living organisms. Strong Cu-complexing organic ligands, also determined in both water and elutriates, were higher in rhizosediment elutriates, at concentrations similar, or even higher, to those of Cu. Such ligands condition metals speciation in the water column and probably also metal bioavailability. From rhizosediment significant amounts of Cu and Zn were transferred to the aqueous phase, concentrations 2-8 times higher than concentrations present in water. In contrast, elutriates of non-colonized sediment removed metals from water, Cu and Zn levels in elutriates being 2-6 times lower than initial ones. Cd and Pb levels in water and elutriates were not measurable in most cases. Results clearly indicate that metals potential solubility in the rhizosphere of plants was markedly higher than that in the surrounding sediment. The obtained results indicated that H. portulacoides presence (and probably other salt marsh plants) may cause a marked increase in metals concentrations in dissolved phase (pore water or even water column if rhizosediment is re-suspended). As salt marsh plants may be abundant in temperate and subtropical estuaries and costal lagoons, this phenomenon should not be disregard in future studies towards the sustainable management of such environments.     

第一代葡萄牙风景园林大师（1940—1970）

详细阐述了第一代葡萄牙风景园林大师弗朗西斯科·卡德拉·卡法兰的求学和工作历程,着重介绍了他在葡萄牙风景园林教育和研究上取得的卓越成就,创立专业的实践课程并为教育系统奠定基础,使其成为欧洲风景园林行业先锋之一。法兰卡还积极参与风景园林实践,从私人庭院、公园到农场建设、水利灌溉以及当地和周边的景观规划都有所涉及,设计了设计了国家体育馆、阿格莱拉庄园和其他在全球各地的精典作品。