Transfer of iodine from soil to cereal grains in agricultural areas of Austria

The concentrations of iodine in cereal grains cultivated at 38 locations in Austria from cereal-producing sites in agricultural areas and soil-to-grain transfer factors (TF) were determined. The concentrations of iodine in cereal grains, which were analyzed by radiochemical neutron activation analysis ranged from 0.002 to 0.03 microg g(-1), the arithmetic mean and the median were 0.0061 microg g(-1) and 0.0046 microg g(-1), respectively. The TF values for cereal grains were calculated to be 0.0005-0.02 and the median was 0.0016. The TF values correlated positively with the iodine concentrations in cereal grains. However, the TF values correlated negatively with the iodine concentrations in soils as well as with the amount of clay contents of soils. The TF values were almost independent on pH values (5.4-7.6) of soils.     

A case study of defects due to process marginalities in deep sub-micron technology

The difficulties in identifying the precise defect location and real leakage path is increasing as the integrated circuit design and process have become more and more complicated in and below deep sub-micron technology node. Most of the defects causing chip leakage are detectable with only one of the failure analysis (FA) tools such as liquid crystal detection (LCD) or photon emission microscope (PEM). However, due to process marginalities some defects are often not detectable with only one FA tool [Hung-Sung Lin, Wen-Tung Chang, Chun-Lin Chen, Tsui-Hua Huang, Vivian Chiang, Chun-Ming Chen. A study of asymmetrical behaviour in advanced nano SRAM devices. In: 13th IPFA proceedings; July 2006. p. 63–6; Kruseman Bram, Majhi Ananta, Hora Camelia, Eichenberger Stefan, Meirlevede Johan. Systematic defects in deep sub-micron technologies. ITC international test conference, 2004. p. 290–9.]. This paper present an example of an abnormal power consumption process related defect which could only be detected with more advanced FA tools.     

白洋淀流域降水特性分析

选取白洋淀流域6个雨量站1959年-2009年日降水量资料,并以此为基础运用滑动平均法、Mann-Kendall非参数秩次检验法及小波分析法对该流域降水特性演变规律进行了分析。结果表明:在流域内,年降水量呈下降趋势且主要由年降水日数显著下降引起;年内各月降水量的不均匀程度呈减小趋势;不同量级降水频率波动较小,但呈现小强度降水比例增加、较大强度降水比例减少的结构变化;暴雨雨量和暴雨强度有较明显的下降趋势,降水潜力下降;年降水量存在4类尺度的周期变化规律,其中16a变化为主周期。     

Synthesis of acetonitrile and related compounds from CO-H2-NH3 over Mo/SiO2

In the reaction of CO-H₂-NH₃ on Mo/SiO₂ catalysts, HCN is formed and is considered to be the principal intermediate for the formation of CH₃CN. At low temperature methylamine is also formed.     

The depolarization near-field scanning optical microscope: comparison of experiment and theory

The depolarization near-field scanning optical microscope allows for sub-wavelength optical resolution with uncoated optical fibre tips. We show by a simple thought experiment, by numerical solution of the Maxwell equations for a realistic geometry, and by direct experiments, that this novel apparatus images gradients of the dielectric function of a sample in the direction of the incident electric field vector. The near-field images obtained from experiment and theory agree well.     

An in vitro tissue culture bilayer model to examine early events in Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection

A tissue culture bilayer system that mimics some aspects of early alveolar infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis was developed. This model incorporates human lung epithelial type II pneumocyte (A549) (upper chamber) and endothelial cell (lower chamber) layers separated by a microporous membrane. This construction makes it possible to observe and quantify the passage of bacteria through the two layers, to observe the interaction of the bacteria with the various cell types, and to examine the basic mechanisms of immune cell recruitment to the site of infection. After 10(7) organisms were added to the upper chamber we microscopically observed large numbers of bacteria attached to and within the pneumocytes and we determined by viable-cell counting that a small percentage of the inoculum (0.02 to 0.43%) passed through the bilayer into the lower chamber. When peripheral blood mononuclear cells were added to the lower chamber, microscopic examination indicated a migration of the mononuclear cells through the bilayer to the apical surface, where they were seen associated with the mycobacteria on the pneumocytes. The added complexity of the bilayer system offers an opportunity to define more precisely the roles of the various lung cell types in the pathogenesis of early tuberculosis.     

Improvement of strength distribution inside slab concrete by vacuum dewatering method

The strength and hardness of concrete slab surface is considered significantly affected by bleeding of concrete. It has been reported that dewatering by vacuum processing is quite effective to obtain high density of concrete. The method, however, has not been successfully used for the concrete work in the field of building construction, compared with that of civil engineering works in Japan. In the present study, firstly the state of the art concerning vacuum dewatering method is reviewed and the newly improved vacuum dewatering method is introduced. Then the effect of the proposed method on concrete properties of slab is examined by a series of experiments in order to find more reasonable and effective way in the application of the proposed method.     

Stereochemical influence on the stability of radio-metal complexes in vivo. Synthesis and evaluation of the four stereoisomers of 2-(p-nitrobenzyl)-trans-CyDTPA

Distinct differences in in vivo stability of the two diastereomeric C-Functionalized CyDTPA chelating agents, (CHX-A DTPA and CHX-B DTPA, both racemates), as recently reported prompted further investigation as to why differences in configuration produced striking effects on the in vivo stability of their yttrium complexes. To this end, the four individual component stereoisomers of CHX-A and CHX-B were synthesized and ability to bind yttrium was investigated both in vitro and in vivo.     

Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in a liver transplant recipient with previous primary biliary cirrhosis

The loss of immunotolerance has been implicated in the pathogenesis of both primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and idiopathic, immune-mediated thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). An association between these two autoimmune diseases has been well described. We describe a 41-year-old woman in whom ITP developed 457 days after liver transplantation for PBC while receiving immunosuppressive medications sufficient to maintain allograft function. Our case report, the first to describe post-transplant ITP in association with PBC, demonstrates the persistence of the underlying immune dysregulation of PBC after transplantation. The practice of decreasing the dosage of immunosuppressive medication to maintenance levels after transplantation may unmask the effects of this defect in immunotolerance.