Amplitude,phase, and hybrid ternary modulation modes of a twisted-nematic liquid-crystal display at approximately 400 nm

Applicability of a commercial twisted-nematic liquid-crystal display is examined at approximately 400 nm. Different modulation modes predicted by Jones-matrix calculus are experimentally tested. High contrast amplitude modulation with negligible loss, high contrast and low loss hybrid ternary modulation, and 1.5pi continuous phase delay without intensity modulation and with low loss are presented. Simulation results of a 4f holographic system prove the usefulness of the high contrast for amplitude modulation, and the importance of pi phase difference between high transmission white levels in a hybrid ternary modulation.     

Effect of different levels of pine honey addition on physicochemical,microbiological and sensory properties of set‐type yoghurt

In this study, the effects of different levels of pine honey addition (3%, 5% and 7% w/v) to the yoghurt milk on starter bacteria, physicochemical and sensory characteristics of set‐type yoghurts during the storage were investigated. Antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of yoghurts with added honey increased compared to control yoghurt. There was a significant increase in water‐holding capacity (WHC), viscosity, total solids, redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) values of the yoghurt samples with the addition of honey at higher concentrations, whereas water activity (aw), pH and luminosity (L*) values decreased. Viscosity and WHC of the yoghurts increased during the storage.     

Weathering of metapelites from the Quadrilátero Ferrífero mineral province,southeastern Brazil

Low-grade metamorphic rocks are known for their low mechanical strength and high weatherability. In the Quadrilátero Ferrífero, an important mineral province located in southeastern Brazil, this set of features results in frequent issues with mining and road slope instability, mainly associated with phyllites. Despite the significant iron ore production that occurs in this province, little is known about the geotechnical properties of the materials constituting the weathering front. Here, we report work aimed at investigating the changes in the basic properties of phyllites at four weathering grades. The methodology used included the field classification and mapping of four weathering grades in order to assess their spatial distribution on a road slope, as well as sampling for geological characterization by petrography and X-ray diffraction (XRD). In addition, the authors performed a physical characterization of all weathering grades, including index properties, mercury porosimetry, and strength data obtained with a Schmidt hammer both in the field and in the laboratory as well as using the point load test (PLT). Results showed the relevance of structural features such as discontinuities and metamorphic foliation observed in the weathering morphology in situ, with different weathering intensities occurring along the slope. Changes in the porosity and pore size distribution in the weathering front were nonlinear, as were resistance variations. The difficulty involved in performing the macroscopic identification of weathering grades due to the very fine texture of the rock as well as microstructural heterogeneities are likely causes of the observed variability in phyllite properties. This fundamental knowledge may aid the prediction of short-term and long-term scenarios for slope stability based on rock weatherability.

     

Influence of the Mixed Propoxy/Ethoxy Spacer Arrangement Order and of the Ionic Head Group Nature on the Adsorption and Aggregation of Extended Surfactants

Two families of extended surfactants were prepared with the same head groups (carboxylate, sulfate, disodium phosphate) and different intermediate spacer structures. In one there was an average of 7 propylene oxide groups on the side of the tail and an average of 7 ethylene oxide groups on the side of the head, to produce a sequence of two different polarity segments. In the other case the spacer contained the same average numbers of propylene and ethylene oxide groups but in some homogeneous arrangement. The intermediate spacer structure, without ionic head group and in the cases of the carboxylate and sulfate extended surfactants, had a packing density reduction which is associated to the homogeneously alkoxide arrangement in the spacer. Such an arrangement was found to produce about 20% more surface area at the interface, apparently because it results in some plumpness due to the spacer folding to remain close to the interface. Both the critical micelle concentration and occupied interfacial area of the extended surfactant increased with the ionization of the anionic group associated with the electrostatic repulsion effect.     

Bootstrap confidence intervals for the mode of the hazard function

In many applications of lifetime data analysis, it is important to perform inferences about the mode of the hazard function in situations of lifetime data modeling with unimodal hazard functions. For lifetime distributions where the mode of the hazard function can be analytically calculated, its maximum likelihood estimator is easily obtained from the invariance properties of the maximum likelihood estimators. From the asymptotical normality of the maximum likelihood estimators, confidence intervals can be obtained. However, these results might not be very accurate for small sample sizes and/or large proportion of censored observations. Considering the log-logistic distribution for the lifetime data with shape parameter beta>1, we present and compare the accuracy of asymptotical confidence intervals with two confidence intervals based on bootstrap simulation. The alternative methodology of confidence intervals for the mode of the log-logistic hazard function are illustrated in three numerical examples.     

Oxidized low‐density lipoprotein and lipoprotein(a) levels in chronic kidney disease patients under hemodialysis: Influence of adiponectin and of a polymorphism in the apolipoprotein(a) gene

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been associated with an abnormal lipid profile. Our aim was to study the interplay between oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (ox‐LDL), adiponectin, and blood lipids and lipoproteins in Portuguese patients with CKD under hemodialysis (HD); the influence of the pentanucleotide repeat polymorphism in the apolipoprotein(a) (apo [a]) gene upon lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) levels in these patients. We studied 187 HD patients and 25 healthy individuals. ox‐LDL and adiponectin were measured using enzyme‐linked immunoassays. Apo(a) genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction, followed by electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel. Compared with controls, patients presented with significantly higher levels of adiponectin, Lp(a), and ox‐LDL/low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc) ratio; significantly lower levels of total cholesterol (TC), LDLc, apo A‐I, apo B, ox‐LDL, and TC/high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc) ratio were also observed. Similar changes were observed for patients with or without statin therapy, as compared with controls, except for Lp(a). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that body mass index, HDLc, time on HD, and triglycerides (TG) were independent determinants of adiponectin levels, and that apo B, TG and LDLc were independent determinants of ox‐LDL concentration. Concerning the apo(a) genotype, the homozygous (TTTTA)8/8 repeats was the most prevalent (50.8%). A raised proportion of LDL particles that are oxidized was observed. Adiponectin almost doubled its values in patients and seems to be an important determinant in HDLc and TG levels, improving the lipid profile in these patients. Apo(a) alleles with a lower number of repetitions are more frequent in patients with higher Lp(a).