The influence of post-growth annealing on the optical properties of InAs quantum dot chains grown on pre-patterned GaAs(100)

We report on the effect of post-growth thermal annealing of [011]- ,[011(-)]-, and [010]-oriented quantum dot chains grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs(100) substrates patterned by UV-nanoimprint lithography. We show that the quantum dot chains experience a blueshift of the photoluminescence energy, spectral narrowing, and a reduction of the intersubband energy separation during annealing. The photoluminescence blueshift is more rapid for the quantum dot chains than for self-assembled quantum dots that were used as a reference. Furthermore, we studied polarization resolved photoluminescence and observed that annealing reduces the intrinsic optical anisotropy of the quantum dot chains and the self-assembled quantum dots.     

Technical note: Infusion,sampling, and vacuum-assisted collection devices for use in ruminally cannulated calves

Calves can be ruminally cannulated at young ages, but equipment size limitations preclude use of an infusion and sampling device in these small animals. Likewise, a procedure to easily evacuate rumen contents in young calves has not been described. Overcoming these technical complications related to assessment of ruminal passage kinetics, nutrient digestion, and volatile fatty acid absorption would aid in future studies advancing our knowledge of dairy calf nutrition. The first objective was to design and fabricate 2 devices (one device for infusion and sampling, and another for vacuum-assisted collection) suitable for use in young ruminally cannulated dairy calves. The second objective was to test the utility of these tools when performing procedures commonly used in ruminant nutrition research. A single weaned 62-d-old ruminally cannulated calf was used to evaluate the ability to infuse a solution of LiCoEDTA and sample rumen contents through the cannula cap over a period of 2 h to assess the rumen liquid passage rate (procedure 1). The device was capable of infusing the LiCoEDTA and sampling the rumen fluid, as evidenced by the presence of elevated Co concentrations in the sampled rumen fluid. Using the fluid samples obtained, liquid passage rate within the calf was estimated to be 40.2% of ruminal fluid/h. The second procedure tested the vacuum-assisted collection device and consisted of evacuating and weighing the rumen contents, which is considered a key preparatory step in washed reticulorumen technique experiments that aim to measure nutrient absorption. In agreement with existing literature, evacuated rumen contents represented approximately 4% of the calf's body weight. In conclusion, custom-built devices for infusion, sampling, and vacuum-assisted collection were efficacious when tested in a 62-d-old ruminally cannulated calf fed a diet of 100% texturized starter (18% crude protein, as-fed). Fellow scientists may employ and further modify these techniques to suit their needs when assessing passage kinetics, nutrient digestion, and volatile fatty acid absorption in calves.     

Physiologically based persistent organic pollutant accumulation in pig tissues and their edible safety differences: An in vivo study

As one of the most important animal food sources, pigs are an important model in the assessment of human exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs). In the present study, the distribution of the administrated polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxin/furan (PCDD/F)–polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixture and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the different tissues of pigs, including liver, lung, kidney, subcutaneous fat, mesentery and muscle, for understanding the physiologically based pollutant accumulation in these tissues and their edible safety was investigated. It was found that liver had a much higher potential to accumulate PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like pollutants like PCB-126 than the other tissues, but it did not specifically concentrate PBDE congeners as compared to the other tissues. The different PCDD/F congeners and PCB-126 followed a similar distribution pattern in the different tissues; also the different PBDE congeners have the similar pattern in these tissues. The liver’s higher concentrating potency for dioxin-like pollutants may result from its detoxification function, however, it can concentrate dioxin-like pollutants but not PBDEs may suggest that it is the toxicity but not lipophilic property of these POPs dominated their accumulation in liver tissues. Also the result suggested that liver is a high-risk edible tissue for dioxin-like pollutants. In conclusion, the present study suggested that physiologically based assessments are necessary for evaluating edible tissue safety in animal source foods.     

Identifying the directions of a set of 2D contours for additive manufacturing process planning

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a process in which material is added layer by layer to build a physical part. In AM process planning, a stack of 2D closed contours is obtained when a 3D stereolithography (STL) model is sliced. Each slice may have a set of closed contours or polygons, each of which needs to be classified (oriented) as internal (clockwise) or external (counterclockwise) to identify where material should be added. This is not a straightforward task as the STL format does not ensure correct surface orientation of the 3D model. This work describes two methods for identifying the direction of each contour in a set, i.e., for sorting them into internal and external contours. Three alternative tests to check whether a point is inside or outside a polygon were evaluated. The tests are based on the ray-tracing principle and the classical point-in-polygon test. The proposed algorithms were devised and implemented in an AM process planning system. The methods were validated using 3D models with a variety of geometries, and the computing time for the alternative tests was compared. The results showed that the method based on the point-in-polygon tests has some advantages.     

Facilitation Model for Supporting Integrative Water Resource Management

In this paper, the Soft Systems Methodology foundations was integrated to a water resources management model to construct a facilitation process to support integrative water resources management. The facilitation model aims to achieve agreements over conflicts, by promoting engagement of actors to construct a common and holistic understanding about the problematic situation through an interactive, participative, clear, and transparent process. The facilitation model is divided into two phases: (i) Preparing Logistics and (ii) Work meeting. The first phase starts when a conflict emerges, then, the facilitator should prepare the logistics necessary to proceed with the examination of the problem, including the selection of volunteers who will compose the work group. The second phase is intended to the application of an interactive and participatory modeling approach organized into five steps: 1 - Expressing the problematic situation; 2 - Constructing a multi-sectoral representation; 3 - Examining the multi-sectoral representation; 4 - Building a conceptual model; and 5 - Exploring actions. To illustrate its application, we applied these steps to structure a real complex problematic situation that exists in an area of the watershed of the Paraiba do Norte River, in Northeastern Brazil. To construct a multi-sectoral representation of the problem, perspectives of different actors who are involved in the problem were considered. We conclude that the model is a powerful tool for the analysis of complex problems, for which there is no consensus regarding alternatives to solve/mitigate it and/or there is a high level of uncertainties involved in the decision-making process.

     

Effects of cisatracurium on cerebral and cardiovascular hemodynamics in patients with severe brain injury

BACKGROUND: For neuroanesthesia and neurocritical care the use of drugs that do not increase or preferentially decrease intracranial pressure (ICP) or change cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) are preferred. The current study investigates the effects of a single rapid bolus dose of cisatracurium on cerebral blood flow velocity, ICP, CPP, mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) in 24 mechanically ventilated patients with intracranial hypertension after severe brain trauma (Glasgow coma scale <6) under continuous sedation with sufentanil and midazolam. METHODS: Patients were randomly assigned to receive either 2xED95 (n=12) or 4xED95 (n=12) of cisatracurium as a rapid i.v. bolus injection. Before and after bolus administration mean cerebral blood flow velocity (BFV, cm/s) was measured in the middle cerebral artery using a 2-MHz transcranial Doppler sonography system, ICP (mm Hg) was measured using an extradural probe, and MAP (mm Hg) and HR (b/min) were measured during a study period of 20 min. Cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP=MAP-ICP) was also calculated. RESULTS: Our data show that a single bolus dose of up to 4xED95 cisatracurium caused no significant (P<0.05) changes in BFV, ICP, CPP, MAP and HR. Possible histamine-related events were not observed during the study. CONCLUSIONS: The results from this study suggest that cisatracurium is a safe neuromuscular blocking agent for use in adult severe brain-injured patients with increased ICP under mild hyperventilation and continuous sedation.     

Regional development and the value of migratory labor-some perverse economic/technological interactions

It has long been agreed, that the economic value of unemployed labor is less than its wage rate. Shadow-pricing of such labor is common practice in economic analysis. The usual outcome of such shadow-pricing is that the economic rate of return of a project is enhanced. But this is not always the case. Using the data from a soil productivity enhancement project in Mexico, it is shown that the use of essential, labor-saving technology in a project designed to increase output and Income may reduce, rather than increase economic benefits, if the displaced labor has no alternative employment opportunities, while the opposite is the case if such alternatives exist.     

Quantitative evaluation of cotton‐bound glyoxal in the presence of glycols

Cotton fabric is modified chemically to convey crease resistance to the cellulosic material by means of an appropriate crosslinking agent. For this purpose glyoxal was tested as a nonformaldehyde durable press agent. The cotton‐bound glyoxal can be quantified by means of isocratic HPLC, whereby the glyoxal‐treated fabric is hydrolyzed by a NaOH solution. During this pretreatment glyoxal is extracted from the cellulosic sample and converted into glycolate by an internal Cannizzaro reaction. The addition of glycols such as ethylene glycol or diethylene glycol into the formulation results in a remarkable decrease of the amount of glyoxal that is detected. This phenomenon can be explained by the fact that the glycol reacts with the glyoxal, thus hampering the internal Cannizzaro reaction. The acidic hydrolysis and the alkaline hydrolysis provide the same results, thus indicating that the alkaline treatment removes all the cotton‐bound glyoxal. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 1870–1875, 2003     

The reaction mechanism for CD38. A single intermediate is responsible for cyclization, hydrolysis, and base-exchange chemistries

Human recombinant CD38 catalyzes the formation of both cyclic ADP-ribose and ADP-ribose products from NAD+ and hydrolyzes cyclic ADP-ribose to ADP-ribose. The corresponding GDP products are formed from NGD+. The enzyme was characterized by substrate and inhibition kinetics, exchange studies, rapid-quench reactions, and stopped-flow-fluorescence spectroscopy to establish the reaction mechanism and energetics for individual steps. Noncyclizable substrates NMN+ and nicotinamide-7-deaza-hypoxanthine dinucleotide (7-deaza NHD+) were rapidly hydrolyzed by the enzyme. The kcat for NMN+ was 5-fold higher than that of NAD+ and has the greatest reported kcat of any substrate for CD38. 7-deaza-NHD+ was hydrolyzed at approximately one-third the rate of NHD+ but does not form a cyclic product. These results establish that a cyclic intermediate is not required for substrate hydrolysis. The ratio of methanolysis to hydrolysis for cADPR and NAD+ catalyzed by CD38 increases linearly with MeOH concentration. Both reactions produce predominantly the beta-methoxy riboside compound, with a relative nucleophilicity of MeOH to H2O of 11. These results indicate the existence of a stabilized cationic intermediate for all observed chemistries in the active site of CD38. The partitioning of this intermediate between cyclization, hydrolysis, and nicotinamide-exchange unites the mechanisms of CD38 chemistries. Steady-state and pre-steady-state parameters for the partition and exchange mechanisms allowed full characterization of the reaction coordinate. Stopped-flow methods indicate a burst of cGDPR formation followed by the steady-state reaction rate. A lag phase, which was NGD+ concentration dependent, was also observed. The burst size indicates that the dimeric enzyme has a single catalytic site formed by two subunits. Pre-steady-state quench experiments did not detect covalent intermediates. Nicotinamide hydrolysis of NGD+ precedes cyclization and the chemical quench decomposes the enzyme-bound species to a mixture of cyclic and hydrolysis products. The time dependence of this ratio indicated that nicotinamide bond-breakage occurs 4 times faster than the conversion of the intermediate to products. Product release is the overall rate-limiting step for enzyme reaction with NGD+.