The formation of a double oxide layer on pure copper

The theory for the growth of a double oxide layer proposed by Yurek, Hirth, and Rapp, has been applied to copper using experimental rate-constant data obtained by Valensi. Calculated thicknesses of the layers agree very well with experimentally measured values.     

Priority pollutants in wastewater and combined sewer overflow

Implementation of the European Water Framework Directive and its affiliated directives requires Member States to improve their understanding of priority pollutants (PPs) in urban areas and obviously within wastewater systems. As a direct consequence, this study is intended to furnish data on both PP occurrence and the significance of concentrations in wastewater during dry and wet periods within combined sewers. Various sampling sites within the Paris combined sewer network were selected; for each sample, a total of 66 determinants, including metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pesticides, organotins, volatile organic compounds, chlorobenzenes, phthalates and alkylphenols, were analysed. A broad range of PPs was observed in wastewater during dry as well as wet weather periods. Of the 66 elements investigated, 33 and 40 priority substances could be observed in raw sewage and wet weather effluent, respectively. As expected, a majority of metals were present in all samples, reflecting their ubiquitous nature. For both periods, chlorobenzenes and most of the pesticides always remained below the limit of quantification, while the majority of other organic pollutants assessed were identified within the microg l(-1) range. As highlighted by the larger number of substances detected in wet weather samples and the significance of their concentrations, runoff via atmospheric inputs and/or surface leaching was found to induce a wider range of PPs (n=40) and lead to higher concentrations of certain metals, PAHs, pesticides and other individual compounds. The data generated during this survey, which constitutes one of the first studies conducted in Europe to report concentrations for a variety of priority substances in wastewater within combined sewers, may be used in the future to identify PPs of potential significance for dry and wet weather periods and targeted for further investigation.     

Hepatitis C virus infection in dialysis patients

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a global health problem, common worldwide, leading to acute and chronic hepatitis and its consequences of hepatocirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Patients on hemodialysis belong to the high-risk group of HCV infection. The prevalence of HCV infection in dialysis patients ranges from 4% to more than 70% in some countries. The main reasons for such a high incidence of infections are a high prevalence of HCV infection in the general population, lack of standard infection precautions and effective vaccination, inadequate disinfection procedures of dialysis machines and other medical equipment, as well as spread of infection from patient to patient, especially in dialytic centers with a high percentage of infected patients. The diagnostic procedures useful in the evaluation of HCV infection are detection of anti-HCV antibodies, identification of HCV RNA, counts of virus copies, and identification of its genome. From the 6 major genotypes and multiple subtypes of the HCV, genotypes 1a and 1b are the most common in Europe and Japan, and 1b is responsible for more severe liver disease and aggressive course leading to liver fibrosis. Antiviral therapy of HCV+ dialysis patients with interferon-alpha (INF-alpha) gives slightly better results than in the general population, but is poorly tolerated and associated with side effects. Although ribavirin in not recommended for dialysis patients, the addition of small doses of this compound to pegylated INF is discussed, especially for patients in whom previous infection treatment failed.     

How to prevent ripening blockage in 1-MCP-treated 'Conference' pears

BACKGROUND: Some European pear varieties treated with 1‐methylcyclopropene (1‐MCP) often remain ‘evergreen’, meaning that their ripening process is blocked and does not resume after removal from cold storage. In this work this was confirmed also to be the case in ‘Conference’ pears. To reverse the blockage of ripening 1‐MCP treatments combined with external exogenous ethylene were tested. RESULTS: 1‐MCP treatment of ‘Conference’ pears is very effective in delaying ripening and, more specifically, softening. The same 1‐MCP concentration in different experimental years caused a different response. The higher dose of 1‐MCP (600 nL L^?1) always resulted in irreversible blockage of ripening, whereas the behaviour of fruit receiving a lower dose (300 nL L^?1) depended on the year, and this did not depend on maturity at harvest or on storage conditions. Simultaneous exposure to 1‐MCP and exogenous ethylene significantly affected fruit ripening, allowing significant softening to occur but at a lower rate compared with control fruit. CONCLUSION: The application of exogenous ethylene and 1‐MCP simultaneously after harvest permitted restoration of the ripening process after storage in ‘Conference’ pears, extending the possibility of marketing and consumption. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Aligned carbon nanotubes sandwiched in epitaxial NbC film for enhanced superconductivity

Highly aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) ribbons were sandwiched in epitaxial superconducting NbC films by a chemical solution deposition method. The incorporation of aligned long CNTs into NbC film enhances the normal-state conductivity and improves the superconducting properties of the assembly.     

Monitoring fat crystallization in aerated food emulsions by combined DSC and time-resolved synchrotron X-ray diffraction

The thermal and structural evolutions associated to the fat crystallization in a whipped emulsion made from interesterified palm oil are monitored using a new instrument allowing simultaneous time-resolved synchrotron X-ray diffraction at both wide and small angles as a function of temperature (XRDT). This is performed simultaneously with high sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) that is carried out in the same apparatus at scanning rates between 0. 01 and 10 K/min on the same sample (typical: 20 mg) in the −30 to +230 °C range. The thermal and structural properties of palm oil-based emulsions are also studied. It is found that the combination of these techniques allows the thermal monitoring of fat polymorphism even within the fat droplets at scanning rates of up to 5 K/min. The formation of , β′ and β phases,and their transitions are followed simultaneously by DSC and XRDT allowing the identification of the thermal events recorded. It is shown that this interpretation is only possible when high resolution X-ray scattering at small angles and wide angles is coupled with DSC from the same sample.     

Holding parents responsible: Is vicarious responsibility the public's answer to juvenile crime?

Parental responsibility laws hold parents accountable for the delinquent behaviors of their children even when parents' actions are not the direct cause of an offense. Despite the prevalence of these laws, we know little about their perceived fairness. Is it reasonable to make parents vicariously responsible for outcomes they could not have foreseen and if so, under what circumstances? Our series of three studies addressed those questions by systematically examining the impact of various situational and dispositional factors on public opinions regarding parental responsibility. Respondents attributed most of the responsibility for a crime to the child, and attributions of responsibility to the parents varied as a function of the child's age. Case characteristics including the type of crime committed and the described parents' actions versus inactions did not consistently influence responsibility attributions. We conclude that people feel rather lukewarm about the notion of vicarious parental responsibility and this indifference may be related to issues surrounding the laws' enforcement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)