Effect of Supercritical Ethanol Drying on the Properties of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

The synthesis, characterization, and application as polymers and anti-wear additives of nanosized zinc oxide particles obtained by conventional and supercritical ethanol drying are reported in this study. The nanaoparticles of ZnO produced by the two different drying techniques were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectrophotometry, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to elucidate the shape, size, composition, and stability of the nanoparticles. ZnO nanoparticles were then applied to poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) powder and light mineral oil to assess their effectiveness and suitability as additives in diverse areas. XRD analysis revealed ZnO crystalline structure with average particle size of 24.7 nm for zinc oxide nanoparticles prepared by supercritical ethanol drying while SEM showed well-isolated and monodisperse particles with average size of 61.08 nm.     

Leveraging agriculture to improve nutrition in the Philippines

The typical Filipino diet mainly consists of rice, fish and vegetables, with rice being the greatest source of calories. The consumption of a maize, starchy roots and tubers as rice substitutes or supplements, and vegetables and fruits has generally declined, while the consumption of fats, oils and meats has increased. Stunting is the most prevalent form of malnutrition among Filipinos. Vitamin A Deficiency, Iodine Deficiency Disorder, and Iron Deficiency Anemia remain public health problems for children and pregnant and lactating women. The link between nutrition and agriculture in the Philippines has focused on leveraging agriculture to improve nutrition. The programs that had been initiated by the government, NGO/CSO or private sector were conceptualized and implemented before the elements of a nutrition-sensitive agriculture framework were identified. These programs were implemented to address food production and the nutritional needs of individuals, families, and communities only with reference to nutrition security. Many of these programs have been successful as they implemented best practices that could be applied to forge a superior approach that optimizes the agriculture-nutrition nexus. This study identified these best practices or elements of success. The elements that have been noted as reasons for the success of some of these programs are: presence of strong political will and enabling policy environment; forging of new forms of partnerships, strategic collaboration, sound coordination and structures; exploiting the best that science and technology could offer; democratizing community participation; strong capacity building component and access to reliable technical expertise; knowledge and sensitivity to local cultures, beliefs and practices; professionalized promotion and ‘messaging’; use of catchy terms for easy recall; availability of sustainable funding; use of the life cycle approach in nutrition; holistic community nutrition perspective; practice and promotion of biodiversity-based agricultural production system; and control of the means of production.     

Social and environmental factors influence the suppression of pup-directed aggression and development of paternal behavior in captive meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus).

During summer, female meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) maintain territories and males do not engage in paternal care. As day length shortens, territories dissolve and males nest with females and young. Because paternal behavior has never been studied in free-living meadow voles during colder months or in the laboratory under short photoperiods, the authors examined whether males housed in short day (SD) lengths exhibited more frequent or better quality paternal behavior than males housed in long day (LD) lengths. Sexually and parentally inexperienced (naive) SD males exhibited proportionally more and qualitatively better paternal care than naive LD males. SD males were more responsive than LD males to classic social cues associated with preparturn aggression inhibition and paternal onset. SD sires also displayed qualitatively better paternal behavior than LD sires. These data suggest that meadow vole paternal state is regulated by specific social and environmental cues that may contain reliable information about ecological conditions that favor paternal care. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preliminary Observations on Phase Relations in the "V2O3–FeO" and V2O3–TiO2 Systems from 1400°C to 1600°C in Reducing Atmospheres

Phase relations within the "V₂O₃–FeO" and V₂O₃–TiO₂ oxide systems were determined using the quench technique. Experimental conditions were as follows: partial oxygen pressures of 3.02 × 10⁻¹⁰, 2.99 × 10⁻⁹, and 2.31 × 10⁻⁸ atm at 1400°, 1500°, and 1600°C, respectively. Analysis techniques that were used to determine the phase relations within the reacted samples included X-ray diffractometry, electron probe microanalysis (energy-dispersive spectroscopy and wavelength-dispersive spectroscopy), and optical microscopy. The solid-solution phases M₂O₃, M₃O₅, and higher Magneli phases (M _n O_{2 n −1}, where M = V, Ti) were identified in the V₂O₃–TiO₂ system. In the "V₂O₃–FeO" system, the solid-solution phases M₂O₃ and M₃O₄ (where M = V, Ti), as well as liquid, were identified.     

Factors influencing service utilization and mood symptom severity in children with mood disorders: Effects of multifamily psychoeducation groups (MFPGs).

This study investigated the impact of psychoeducation on service utilization and mood symptom severity in children with mood disorders. Parents’ knowledge of mood disorders, beliefs about treatment, and perceptions of children’s need for treatment were hypothesized to mediate the relationship between psychoeducation and service utilization and between psychoeducation and mood symptom severity. Linear mixed effects modeling and joint significance test for mediation were used in secondary data analyses of the multifamily psychoeducation group (MFPG) study, a randomized controlled trial of 165 children ages 8 to 12 years with mood disorders. A majority of those sampled were male (73%) and White, non-Hispanic (90%), and the median range of family income was $40,000–$59,000. Participation in MFPG significantly improved quality of services utilized, mediated by parents’ beliefs about treatment. Participation in MFPG also significantly improved severity of child’s mood symptoms, mediated by quality of services utilized. MFPG appears to be a psychoeducational intervention that helps parents to become better consumers of the mental health system who access higher quality services. Children’s symptom severity decreases as a result. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of polymer solvents on the performance of cellulose acetate membranes in methanol/methyl tertiary butyl ether separation

The performances of cellulose acetate membranes prepared with casting solutions, with acetone, dimethylformamide (DMF), and N‐methylpyrrolidone (NMP) as solvents, were studied in a series of methanol/methyl tertiary butyl ether separation experiments. The flux and selectivity of the membrane samples were affected by the type of solvent used to prepare the casting solution. The sample with DMF consistently gave the highest selectivity and lowest flux, followed by the samples with NMP and acetone. The differences in the performances were attributed to the effects of the volatility and evaporation rates of the solvents. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy techniques were used for comparing the morphologies of the membranes. In addition, we used Raman spectroscopy as a novel technique to study the sorption selectivities of the membrane samples prepared with the three different solvents. In a parallel study, the relation between the polymer concentration in the casting solution and the morphology and performance of the membrane samples was studied. Under similar preparation conditions, the morphology of the membrane changed from being porous to being dense when the membrane was prepared with casting solutions with increasing polymer concentration. Also, the selectivity increased and the permeability decreased with increasing polymer concentration in the casting solution. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 82: 2882–2895, 2001     

Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Advanced Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: What Do We Currently Know in 2020?

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most common skin cancer that predominantly arises in chronically sun-damaged skin. Immunosuppression, genetic disorders such as xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), exposure to certain drugs and environmental noxae have been identified as major risk factors. Surgical removal of cSCC is the therapy of choice and mostly curative in early stages. However, a minority of patients develop locally advanced tumors or distant metastases that are still challenging to treat. Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) targeting CTLA-4, PD-L1 and PD-1 has tremendously changed the field of oncological therapy and especially the treatment of skin cancers as tumors with a high mutational burden. In this review, we focus on the differences between cSCC and cutaneous melanoma (CM) and their implications on therapy, summarize the current evidence on ICB for the treatment of advanced cSCC and discuss the chances and pitfalls of this therapy option for this cancer entity. Furthermore, we focus on special subgroups of interest such as organ transplant recipients, patients with hematologic malignancies, XP and field cancerization.