Comparison of preparation routes of spinel catalyst for alkaline fuel cells

MnCo₂O₄ has been used as a catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline fuel cells due to easier production and lower costs compared to noble metals. A novel method using a microwave-assisted route of synthesis in the presence of amorphous carbon was developed resulting in MnCo₂O₄ with particle sizes <30 nm. For comparison, spinel prepared in a conventional oven with or without carbon was also studied. The surface area, carbon content, and chemical and morphological properties of the catalyst materials were analyzed. The catalytic activity towards oxygen reduction reaction was measured in a half-cell in 6 M KOH and by microagglomerate method. Compared to the catalysts prepared in a conventional oven, microwave-assisted route resulted in higher specific surface areas, higher current densities and stability, as well as lower apparent activation energies and Tafel slopes.     

Matrix Metalloproteinase 8 Expression in a Tumour Predicts a Favourable Prognosis in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a significant cause of cancer-related death globally, and, despite improvements in diagnostics and treatment, survival remains poor. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are enzymes involved in stroma remodelling in inflammation and cancer. MMP-8 plays a varied prognostic role in cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. We examined the prognostic value of MMP-8 immunoexpression in tumour tissue and the amount of MMP-8-positive polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) in PDAC and their association with immune responses using C-reactive protein (CRP) as a marker of systemic inflammation. Tumour samples from 141 PDAC patients undergoing surgery in 2002–2011 at the Department of Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital were stained immunohistochemically, for which we evaluated MMP-8 expression in cancer cells and the amount of MMP-8-positive PMNs. We assessed survival using the Kaplan–Meier analysis while uni- and multivariable analyses relied on the Cox proportional hazards model. A negative MMP-8 stain and elevated CRP level predicted a poor prognosis (hazard ratio [HR] = 6.95; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.69–17.93; p < 0.001) compared to a positive stain and low CRP level (<10 mg/L). The absence of PMNs together with an elevated CRP level also predicted an unfavourable outcome (HR = 3.17; 95% CI 1.60–6.30; p = 0.001). MMP-8 expression in the tumour served as an independent positive prognostic factor (HR = 0.33; 95% CI 0.16–0.68; p = 0.003). Tumour MMP-8 expression and a low CRP level may predict a favourable outcome in PDAC with similar results for MMP-8-positive PMNs and low CRP levels. Tumoural MMP-8 expression represents an independent positive prognostic factor in PDAC.     

Machine-Learning Analysis of Serum Proteomics in Neuropathic Pain after Nerve Injury in Breast Cancer Surgery Points at Chemokine Signaling via SIRT2 Regulation

Background: Persistent postsurgical neuropathic pain (PPSNP) can occur after intraoperative damage to somatosensory nerves, with a prevalence of 29–57% in breast cancer surgery. Proteomics is an active research field in neuropathic pain and the first results support its utility for establishing diagnoses or finding therapy strategies. Methods: 57 women (30 non-PPSNP/27 PPSNP) who had experienced a surgeon-verified intercostobrachial nerve injury during breast cancer surgery, were examined for patterns in 74 serum proteomic markers that allowed discrimination between subgroups with or without PPSNP. Serum samples were obtained both before and after surgery. Results: Unsupervised data analyses, including principal component analysis and self-organizing maps of artificial neurons, revealed patterns that supported a data structure consistent with pain-related subgroup (non-PPSPN vs. PPSNP) separation. Subsequent supervised machine learning-based analyses revealed 19 proteins (CD244, SIRT2, CCL28, CXCL9, CCL20, CCL3, IL.10RA, MCP.1, TRAIL, CCL25, IL10, uPA, CCL4, DNER, STAMPB, CCL23, CST5, CCL11, FGF.23) that were informative for subgroup separation. In cross-validated training and testing of six different machine-learned algorithms, subgroup assignment was significantly better than chance, whereas this was not possible when training the algorithms with randomly permuted data or with the protein markers not selected. In particular, sirtuin 2 emerged as a key protein, presenting both before and after breast cancer treatments in the PPSNP compared with the non-PPSNP subgroup. Conclusions: The identified proteins play important roles in immune processes such as cell migration, chemotaxis, and cytokine-signaling. They also have considerable overlap with currently known targets of approved or investigational drugs. Taken together, several lines of unsupervised and supervised analyses pointed to structures in serum proteomics data, obtained before and after breast cancer surgery, that relate to neuroinflammatory processes associated with the development of neuropathic pain after an intraoperative nerve lesion.     

Early age exposure to moisture damage and systemic inflammation at the age of 6 years

Cross‐sectional studies have shown that exposure to indoor moisture damage and mold may be associated with subclinical inflammation. Our aim was to determine whether early age exposure to moisture damage or mold is prospectively associated with subclinical systemic inflammation or with immune responsiveness in later childhood. Home inspections were performed in children's homes in the first year of life. At age 6 years, subclinical systemic inflammation was measured by serum C‐reactive protein (CRP) and blood leukocytes and immune responsiveness by ex vivo production of interleukin 1‐beta (IL‐1β), IL‐6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) in whole blood cultures without stimulation or after 24 hours stimulation with phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate and ionomycin (PI), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), or peptidoglycan (PPG) in 251‐270 children. Moisture damage in child's main living areas in infancy was not significantly associated with elevated levels of CRP or leukocytes at 6 years. In contrast, there was some suggestion for an effect on immune responsiveness, as moisture damage with visible mold was positively associated with LPS‐stimulated production of TNF‐α and minor moisture damage was inversely associated with PI‐stimulated IL‐1β. While early life exposure to mold damage may have some influence on later immune responsiveness, it does not seem to increase subclinical systemic inflammation in later life.     

Effect of heat‐treatment on the performance of gas barrier layers applied by atomic layer deposition onto polymer‐coated paperboard

The effect of heat treatment on the gas barrier of the polymer‐coated board further coated with an Al₂O₃ layer by atomic layer deposition (ALD) was studied. Heat treatment below the melting point of the polymer followed by quenching at room temperature was used for the polylactide‐coated board [B(PLA)], while over‐the‐melting‐point treatment was utilized for the low‐density polyethylene‐coated board [B(PE)] followed by quenching at room temperature or in liquid nitrogen. Heat treatment of B(PLA) and B(PE) followed by quenching at room temperature improved the water vapor barrier. However, because of the changes in the polymer morphology, quenching of B(PE) with liquid nitrogen impaired the same barrier. No improvement in oxygen barrier was observed explained by, e.g., the spherulitic structure of PLA and the discontinuities and possible short‐chain amorphous material around the spherulites forming passages for oxygen molecules. This work emphasizes the importance of a homogeneous surface prior to the ALD growth Al₂O₃ barrier layer. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

WCDMA Downlink Coverage Reduction Due to Adjacent Channel Interference

This paper determines the coverage reduction of the Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) downlink in the case of interference, due to adjacent narrowband system. The coverage reduction has been evaluated in terms of blocking area around the interfering base station. The analysis takes into account different interference mechanisms and their individual effects to the coverage. The interference mechanisms which have been considered here are the out-of-band emissions of the base station transmitter, the adjacent channel interference due to non-ideal sideband filtering, the intermodulation and the crossmodulation. The coverage effects in realistic network environment have been computed by using accurate ray-tracing propagation models designed for the path loss calculation in the urban environment. In the numerical examples, the effect of GSM interference has been demonstrated, but the method can be utilized with other narrowband systems as well. The results can be utilized in radio system design, radio network planning (RNP) and the frequency allocation of the WCDMA systems.     

Chromosomal instability in in vivo radiation exposed subjects

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the efficacy of extended drainage--that is, longitudinal pancreaticojejunostomy combined with local pancreatic head excision (LPJ-LPHE)-and pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy (PPPD) in terms of pain relief, control of complications arising from adjacent organs, and quality of life. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Based on the hypotheses of pain origin (ductal hypertension and perineural inflammatory infiltration), drainage and resection constitute the main principles of surgery for chronic pancreatitis. METHODS: Sixty-one patients were randomly allocated to either LPJ-LPHE (n = 31) or PPPD (n = 30). The interval between symptoms and surgery ranged from 12 months to 10 years (mean 5.1 years). In addition to routine pancreatic diagnostic workup, a multidimensional psychometric quality-of-life questionnaire and a pain score were used. Endocrine and exocrine functions were assessed in terms of oral glucose tolerance and serum concentrations of insulin, C-peptide, and HbA1c, as well as fecal chymotrypsin and pancreolauryl testing. During a median follow-up of 24 months (range 12 to 36), patients were reassessed in the outpatient clinic. RESULTS: One patient died of cardiovascular failure in the LPJ-LPHE group (3.2%); there were no deaths in the PPPD group. Overall, the rate of in-hospital complications was 19.4% in the LPJ-LPHE group and 53.3% in the PPPD group, including delayed gastric emptying in 9 of 30 patients (30%; p < 0.05). Complications of adjacent organs were definitively resolved in 93.5% in the LPJ-LPHE group and in 100% in the PPPD group. The pain score decreased by 94% after LPJ-LPHE and by 95% after PPPD. Global quality of life improved by 71% in the LPJ-LPHE group and by 43% in the PPPD group (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Both procedures are equally effective in terms of pain relief and definitive control of complications affecting adjacent organs, but extended drainage by LPJ-LPHE provides a better quality of life.     

Mapping the identity of a viewed hand in the motor system: Evidence from stimulus–response compatibility.

Brain-imaging research has shown that a viewed acting hand is mapped to the observer's hand representation that corresponds with the identity of the hand. In contrast, behavioral research has suggested that rather than representing a seen hand in relation to one's own manual system, it is represented in relation to the midline of an imaginary body. This view was drawn from the finding that indicated that the posture of the viewed hand determines how the hand facilitates responses. The present study explored how an identity of a viewed static hand facilitates responses by varying the onset time and the posture of the hand. The results were in line with the view that an observed hand can activate the observer's hand representation that corresponds with the identity of the hand. However, the posture of the hand did not influence these mapping processes. What mattered was the perspective (i.e., egocentric vs. allocentric) from which the hand was viewed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Odour and flavour perception in flavoured model systems: Influence of sodium chloride,umami compounds and serving temperature

The effects of salt (0% or 0.5% of NaCl) and umami compounds (0% or 0.3% of monosodium glutamate (MSG) + 0.15% of disodium salts of ribonucleotides) on odour and flavour attributes of beef broth model systems (BG) were studied at two serving temperatures (25 and 50 °C). Flavoured BG samples were prepared using 1-octen-3-ol (35 mg l^?1) and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine (100 mg l^?1) alone (BGO and BGD) or in combination (BGOD). A noticeable odour and flavour potentiator effect of NaCl on flavour intensities (overall, broth-like and saltiness in all samples; mushroom flavour in BGO and BGOD samples; nutty and cocoa flavour in BGD and BGOD samples), partly related to a “salting out” phenomenon, was found. Compared to 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, 1-octen-3-ol provided a less congruent flavour, which could explain the absence of a potentiator effect of umami compounds on mushroom flavour intensity. Cocoa and nutty flavour intensities increased with serving temperature in both BGD and BGOD model systems. However, mushroom odour and flavour increased in BGOD model systems but not in BGO samples, as a result of the likely enhancement effect displayed by the presence of 2,6-dimethylpyrazine. Salting-out phenomenon on particular aroma-active volatile compounds was established using sensory analysis. The potentiator flavour effect of MSG and NaCl was dependent on the characteristics of the model systems.     

Oxidative Inorganic Multilayers for Polypyrrole Film Generation

A controlled nanoscale fabrication of conducting polymer films sets severe requirements for the preparation method and substrate. A new and versatile approach for producing thin polypyrrole films on a variety of surfaces is presented. Purely inorganic thin films are first prepared from poly(metaphosphate) and tetravalent metal ions using a sequential layer‐by‐layer technique. Redox‐active cerium(IV) polyphosphate multilayer and redox‐inactive zirconium(IV) and hafnium(IV) polyphosphate multilayers are prepared. Cerium‐based polyphosphate films grow exponentially with the number of layers but multilayers containing zirconium or hafnium exhibit a linear buildup process. All the studied systems produce relatively smooth films with initial bilayer thickness less than 2 nm. The cerium(IV) containing film is redox‐active, which is shown by its capability to form a polypyrrole layer on its surface by oxidation of pyrrole monomers in the adjacent aqueous solution. This is a general method to produce thin oxidative films of arbitrary size and form on a wide variety of surfaces.