A novel study of the polymerisation process involved in the formation of the network component of polymer-stabilised liquid crystals within electro-optic cells using high performance liquid chromatography

Polymer-stabilised liquid crystals are systems in which a small amount of monomer is dissolved within a liquid crystalline host, and then polymerised in situ to produce a network. The progress of the polymerisation, performed within electro-optic cells, was studied by establishing an analytical method novel to these systems. Samples were prepared by photopolymerisation of the monomer under well-defined reaction conditions; subsequent immersion in acetone caused the host and any unreacted monomer to dissolve. High performance liquid chromatography was used to separate and detect the various solutes in the resulting solutions, enabling the amount of unreacted monomer for a given set of conditions to be quantified. Longer irradiations cause a decrease in the proportion of unreacted monomer since more network is formed, while a more uniform LC director alignment (achieved by decreasing the sample thickness) or a higher level of order (achieved by decreasing the polymerisation temperature) promotes faster reactions.

Monitoring the penetration enhancer dimethyl sulfoxide in human stratum corneum in vivo by confocal raman spectroscopy

The stratum corneum (SC) barrier typically consists of layers of corneocytes embedded in a lipid continuum that regulates barrier function. The lipid domain containing ceramides, cholesterol, and free fatty acids provides the major pathway for most drugs permeating across SC. Penetration enhancers diminish the SC barrier function. The classic enhancer is dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Its mechanisms of action remain unclear, although DMSO disrupts lipid organisation and may displace protein-bound water. Here we use confocal Raman spectroscopy to probe molecular interactions between a finite (depleting) dose of DMSO and SC, as functions of depth and time, providing novel information about residence time and location of DMSO in human SC in vivo

New evidence from Southern Jordan: rethinking the role of architecture in changing societies at the beginning of the Neolithic process

The development of architecture and the settlement is central to discussions concerning the Neolithic transformation asthe very visible evidence for the changes in society that run parallel to the domestication of plants and animals. Architecture hasbeen used as an important aspect of models of how the transformation occurred, and as evidence for the sharp difference betweenhunter-gatherer and farming societies. We suggest that the emerging evidence for considerable architectural complexity from theearly Neolithic indicates that some of our interpretations depend too much on a very basic understanding of structures which arenormally seen as being primarily for residential purposes and containing households, which become the organising principle for thenew communities which are often seen as fully sedentary and described as villages. Recent work in southern Jordan suggests that inthis region at least there is little evidence for a standard house, and that structures are constructed for a range of diverse primary purposes other than simple domestic shelters.

August Thienemann and Loch Lomond - an approach to the design of a system for monitoring the state of north-temperate standing waters

Limnologists had an early preoccupation with lake classification. It gave a necessary structure to the many chemical and biological observations that were beginning to form the basis of one of the earliest truly environmental sciences. August Thienemann was the doyen of such classifiers and his concept with Einar Naumann of oligotrophic and eutrophic lakes remains central to the world-view that limnologists still have. Classification fell into disrepute, however, as it became clear that there would always be lakes that deviated from the prescriptions that the classifiers made for them. Continua became the de rigeur concept and lakes were seen as varying along many chemical, biological and geographic axes. Modern limnologists are comfortable with this concept. That all lakes are different guarantees an indefinite future for limnological research. For those who manage lakes and the landscapes in which they are set, however, it is not very useful. There may be as many as 300000 standing water bodies in England and Wales alone and maybe as many again in Scotland. More than 80 000 are sizable (> 1 ha). Some classification scheme to cope with these numbers is needed and, as human impacts on them increase, a system of assessing and monitoring change must be built into such a scheme. Although ways of classifying and monitoring running waters are well developed in the UK, the same is not true of standing waters. Sufficient understanding of what determines the nature and functioning of lakes exists to create a system which has intellectual credibility as well as practical usefulness. This paper outlines the thinking behind a system which will be workable on a north European basis and presents some early results.

Toward monitoring the tropospheric temperature by means of a general circulation model

The recent global tropospheric temperature trend can be reproduced by climate models that are forced only by observed sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies. In this study, simulations with the Hamburg climate model (ECHAM) are compared to temperatures from microwave sounding units (MSU) and to reanalyses from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. There is overall agreement of observed and simulated tropospheric temperature anomalies in many regions, in particular in the tropics and over the oceans, which lack conventional observing systems. This provides the opportunity to link physically different quantities, such as surface observations or analyses (SST) and satellite soundings (MSU) by means of a general circulation model. The proposed method can indicate inconsistencies between MSU temperatures and SSTs and has apparently done so. Differences between observed and simulated tropospheric temperature anomalies can partly be attributed to stratospheric aerosol variations due to major volcanic eruptions.

Metaproteomics analysis reveals the adaptation process for the chicken gut microbiota

The animal gastrointestinal tract houses a large microbial community, the gut microbiota, that confers many benefits to its host, such as protection from pathogens and provision of essential metabolites. Metagenomic approaches have defined the chicken fecal microbiota in other studies, but here, we wished to assess the correlation between the metagenome and the bacterial proteome in order to better understand the healthy chicken gut microbiota. Here, we performed high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons and metaproteomics analysis of fecal samples to determine microbial gut composition and protein expression. 16 rRNA gene sequencing analysis identified Clostridiales, Bacteroidaceae, and Lactobacillaceae species as the most abundant species in the gut. For metaproteomics analysis, peptides were generated by using the Fasp method and subsequently fractionated by strong anion exchanges. Metaproteomics analysis identified 3,673 proteins. Among the most frequently identified proteins, 380 proteins belonged to Lactobacillus spp., 155 belonged to Clostridium spp., and 66 belonged to Streptococcus spp. The most frequently identified proteins were heat shock chaperones, including 349 GroEL proteins, from many bacterial species, whereas the most abundant enzymes were pyruvate kinases, as judged by the number of peptides identified per protein (spectral counting). Gene ontology and KEGG pathway analyses revealed the functions and locations of the identified proteins. The findings of both metaproteomics and 16S rRNA sequencing analyses are discussed.

Stakeholder interpretations of design: Semiotic insights into the briefing process

Briefing phase interactions between clients and designers are recognized as social engagements, characterized by communicative sign use, where conceptual ideas are gradually transformed into potential design solutions. A semiotic analysis of briefing communications between client stakeholders and designers provides evidence of the significance and importance of stakeholder interpretation and understanding of design, empirical data being drawn from a qualitative study of NHS hospital construction projects in the UK. It is contended that stakeholders engage with a project through communicative signs and artefacts of design, referencing personal cognitive knowledge in acts of interpretation that may be different from those of designers and externally appointed client advisers. Such interpretations occur in addition to NHS client and design team efforts to ‘engage’ with and ‘understand’ stakeholders using a variety of methods. Social semiotic theorizations indicate how narrative strategies motivate the formulation of signs and artefacts in briefing work, the role of sign authors and sign readers being elucidated as a result. Findings are contextualized against current understandings of briefing communications and stakeholder management practices, a more socially attuned understanding of briefing countering some of the process-led improvement models that have characterized much of the post-Egan report literature. A stakeholder interpretation model is presented as one potential method to safeguard against unforeseen interpretations occurring, the model aligning with the proposal for a more measured recognition of how designs can trigger interpretations among client stakeholders.

Trust in authorities monitoring the distribution of genetically modified foods: dimensionality, measurement issues, and determinants

Based on a combined internet and mail survey in Germany the independence of indica-tors of trust in public authorities from indicators of attitudes toward genetically modified food is tested. Despite evidence of a link between trust indicators on the one hand and evaluation of benefits and perceived likelihoods of risks, correlation with other factors is found to be moderate on average. But the trust indicators exhibit only a moderate relation with the re-spondents’ preference for either sole public control or a cooperation of public and private bodies in the monitoring of GM food distribution. Instead, age and location in either the New or the Old Lander are found to be significantly related with such preferences.

Effect of solvent hydration and temperature in the deacidification process of sunflower oil using ethanol

This work presents liquid-liquid experimental data for systems composed of sunflower seed oil, ethanol and water from 10 to 60 degrees C. The influence of process variables (temperature (T) and water concentration in the solvent (W)) on both the solvent content present in the raffinate (S(RP)) and extract (S(EP)) phases and the partition of free fatty acids (k(2)) was evaluated using the response surface methodology, where flash calculations were performed for each trial using the UNIQUAC equation. Water content in the solvent was the most important factor on the responses of S(EP) and k(2). Additionally, statistical analysis showed that the S(RP) was predominantly affected by temperature factor for low water content in the solvent. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fibroelastic Components of the Vesicourethral Junction of Rats in the Aging Process

The vesicourethral junction comprising the vesical trigone, is relevant in setting and positioning of the urinary bladder, along with the vesical neck, fixed by lateral ligaments of the bladder and tendinous arch of the pelvis fascia. Namely, the puboprostatic ligament (men) and the pubovesical (women). The circular set elastic fibers in this junction are important and valuable in the elasticity and plasticity of the area, allowing quick expansion and withdrawal with the flow of urine, and associated to smooth muscle tissue and nerve control form an important collective to maintain urinary continence. The objective of the present study is to describe the elastic system in the vesicouretral junction in relation to aging and its involvement in the states of urinary continence and incontinence, as well as the study of the vesicouretral junction in various age groups while evaluating with electron transmission microscopy. To carry out the study, 12 Wistar rats were used, divided into groups: neonate (4 animals), adult group (4 animals) and aged group (4 animals). Electron transmission microscopy with use of tanic acid technique associated to glutaraldehyde fixation, satisfactorily showed the extreme structural differences between mature elaunin and oxytalan fibers present between intercelular spaces and bundles of collagen fibers. The phases of elastogenesis in neonate animals and degradation of the elastic system of older animals were also evaluated.

Effects of exercise on the morphology of the myenteric neurons of the duodenum of Wistar rats during the ageing process

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of regular physical activity on the morphology of the myenteric plexus of the duodenum in rats during the ageing process. To this end, 45 Wistar rats were divided into three groups: C (sedentary - 6 months old), S (sedentary - 12 months old) and T (trained - 12 months old). The animals of group S were given with a physical activity programme consisting of a 10-min-treadmill workout once a week. The animals of group T were submitted to the physical activity programme five times a week. Their duodenums were collected and submitted to the techniques of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)-diaphorase enzyme histochemistry for whole-mount preparations and transmission electron microscopy. No differences in the constitution of the myenteric plexuses were found when the sedentary and trained groups were compared with the control group. The ultrastructural features were similar for the three groups. However, it was verified that the physical activity of the trained animals resulted in a similar myenteric neuron morphology to that of the adult animals (6 months old), thereby confirming its beneficial effect, as the sedentary animals had larger alterations in the collagen fibrils and the basal membrane that occur through ageing. The quantitative analysis showed that the NADH-diaphorase positive neurons decreased with ageing and increased with physical activity (P > 0.05). No significant alteration (P > 0.05) in the neuronal profile area of the NADH-diaphorase positive neurons has been observed with ageing.

Identification and characterization of antigenic proteins potentially expressed during the infectious process of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis causes paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), a systemic mycosis presenting clinical manifestations ranging from mild to severe forms. A P. brasiliensis cDNA expression library was produced and screened with pooled sera from PCM patients adsorbed against antigens derived from in vitro-grown P. brasiliensis yeast cells. Sequencing DNA inserts from clones reactive with PCM patients sera indicated 35 open reading frames presenting homology to genes involved in metabolic pathways, transport, among other predicted functions. The complete cDNAs encoding aromatic-L-amino-acid decarboxylase (Pbddc), lumazine synthase (Pbls) and a homologue of the high affinity copper transporter (Pbctr3) were obtained. Recombinant proteins PbDDC and PbLS were obtained; a peptide was synthesized for PbCTR3. The proteins and the synthetic peptide were recognized by sera of patients with confirmed PCM and not by sera of healthy patients. Using the in vivo-induced antigen technology (IVIAT), we identified immunogenic proteins expressed at high levels during infection. Quantitative real time RTPCR demonstrated high transcript levels of Pbddc, Pbls and Pbctr3 in yeast cells infecting macrophages. Transcripts in yeast cells derived from spleen and liver of infected mice were also measured by qRT-PCR. Our results suggest a putative role for the immunogenic proteins in the infectious process of P. brasiliensis. (C) 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.