WAXS studies of global molecular orientation induced in nematic liquid crystals by simple shear flow

Global molecular orientation function coefficients for the nematic liquid crystal 4-cyano 4'-nn -pentylbiphenyl (5CB) in shear flow are presented, being extracted from 2-dimensional Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering data. A linear increase in orientation parameter P2 is observed with a logarithmic increase in shear rate. It is proposed that this arises from an increased number of LC directors aligning to the shear axis. Upon cessation of shear flow, the anisotropy is seen to relax away completely, over a time scale which is inversely proportional to the previously applied shear rate.

Quantitative analysis of mannitol polymorphs: X-ray powder diffractometry—exploring preferred orientation effects

Mannitol is a polymorphic pharmaceutical excipient, which commonly exists in three forms: alpha, beta and delta. Each polymorph has a needle-like morphology, which can give preferred orientation effects when analysed by X-ray powder diffractometry (XRPD) thus providing difficulties for quantitative XRPD assessments. The occurrence of preferred orientation may be demonstrated by sample rotation and the consequent effects on X-ray data can be minimised by reducing the particle size. Using two particle size ranges (less than 125 and 125–500�microns), binary mixtures of beta and delta mannitol were prepared and the delta component was quantified. Samples were assayed in either a static or rotating sampling accessory. Rotation and reducing the particle size range to less than�125 microns halved the limits of detection and quantitation to 1 and 3.6%, respectively. Numerous potential sources of assay errors were investigated; sample packing and mixing errors contributed the greatest source of variation. However, the rotation of samples for both particle size ranges reduced the majority of assay errors examined. This study shows that coupling sample rotation with a particle size reduction minimises preferred orientation effects on assay accuracy, allowing discrimination of two very similar polymorphs at around the 1% level

Adult attachment orientation and implicit behavioral mimicry

We investigated whether adult attachment orientation predicted the extent to which individuals engaged in implicit behavioral mimicry of a confederate presented by video. Results demonstrated that following an attachment threat prime: (1) those low in attachment anxiety and high in attachment avoidance showed less mimicry of face-rubbing gestures than individuals low in both attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety; (2) those high in attachment anxiety and low in attachment avoidance showed less mimicry of face-rubbing gestures than individuals low in both attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety. Importantly, attachment orientation did not predict baseline levels of face-rubbing gesturing; demonstrating that attachment orientation had an effect on mimicry rather than overall behavior expression. Attachment anxiety was positively related to attraction to the confederate such that those higher in attachment anxiety rated the confederate as more attractive. The findings are discussed with reference to both the mimicry and attachment literatures.

Cardioprotective effects of insulin: how intensive insulin therapy may benefit cardiac surgery patients

Interest in the effects of insulin on the heart came with the recognition that hyperglycemia in the context of myocardial infarction is associated with increased risks of mortality, congestive heart failure, or cardiogenic shock. More recently, instigated by research findings on stress hyperglycemia in critical illness, this interest has been extended to the influence of insulin on clinical outcome after cardiac surgery. Even in nondiabetic individuals, stress hyperglycemia commonly occurs as a key metabolic response to critical illness, eg, after surgical trauma. It is recognized as a major pathophysiological feature of organ dysfunction in the critically ill. The condition stems from insulin resistance brought about by dysregulation of key homeostatic processes, which implicates immune/inflammatory, endocrine, and metabolic pathways. It has been associated with adverse clinical outcomes, including increased mortality, increased duration of mechanical ventilation, increased intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital stay, and increased risk of infection. Hyperglycemia in critical illness is managed with exogenous insulin as standard treatment; however, there is considerable disagreement among experts in the field as to what target blood glucose level is optimal for the critically ill patient. Conventionally, the aim of insulin therapy has been to maintain blood glucose levels below the renal threshold, typically 220 mg/dL (12.2 mmol/L). In recent years, some have advocated tight glycemic control (TGC) with intensive insulin therapy (IIT) to normalize blood glucose levels to within the euglycemic range, typically 80 to 110 mg/dL (4.4–6.1 mmol/L).

Application of the BRAFO-tiered approach for benefit-risk assessment to case studies on natural foods

There is evidence that consumption of fish, especially oily fish, has substantial beneficial effects on health. In particular an inverse relationship of oily fish intake to coronary heart disease incidence has been established. These beneficial effects are ascribed to fish oil components including long chain ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. On the other hand it should be noted that oily fish also contains hazardous substances such as dioxins, PCBs and methylmercury. Soy consumption has been associated with potential beneficial and adverse effects. The claimed benefits include reduced risk of cardiovascular disease; osteoporosis, breast and prostate cancer whereas potential adverse effects include impaired thyroid function, disruption of sex hormone levels, changes in reproductive function and increased breast cancer risk The two cases of natural foods highlight the need to consider both risks and benefits in order to establish the net health impact associated to the consumption of specific food products. Within the Sixth Framework programme of the European Commission, the BRAFO project was funded to develop a framework that allows for the quantitative comparison of human health risks and benefits in relation to foods and food compounds. This paper describes the application of the developed framework to two natural foods, farmed salmon and soy protein. We conclude that the BRAFO methodology is highly applicable to natural foods. It will help the benefit-risk managers in selecting the appropriate dietary recommendations for the population.

Multiple-project discount rates for cost-benefit analysis in construction projects: A formal risk model for microgeneration renewable energy technologies

The traditional economic approach for appraising the costs and benefits of construction project Net Present Values involves the calculation of net returns for each investment option under different discount rates. An alternative approach consists of multiple-project discount rates based on risk modelling. The example of a portfolio of microgeneration renewable energy technology (MRET) is presented to demonstrate that risks and future available budget for re-investment can be taken into account when setting discount rates for construction project specifications in presence of uncertainty. A formal demonstration is carried out through a reversed intertemporal approach of applied general equilibrium. It is demonstrated that risk and the estimated available budget for future re-investment can be included in the simultaneous assessment of the costs and benefits of multiple projects.

Addressee orientation in political speeches: tracing the dialogical 'other' in argumentative monologue

This article suggests that the addressees as the dialogical ‘other’ loom large in monological political speeches. However, political speeches are produced under conditions of addressee heterogeneity, i.e. the speakers do not actually know who they will be talking to. It will be argued that the addressees are nevertheless a crucial element in speakers’ context models, that speakers orientate towards imagined addressees and that certain aspects – what possible addressees may do, think or believe and that they are a part of an imagined community – are particularly relevant from the speakers’ point of view. An analysis of addressee orientation in political speeches aims at reconstructing speakers’ conceptualisations of possible addressees. The analysis reveals patterns of addressee orientation which suggest that the addressees are framed in terms of presumed nearness (i.e. agreement) or distance (i.e. disagreement) to the speakers. Both presumed agreement and disagreement will be discussed in terms of how the speakers aim to impose their default perspectives on the addressees. The analysis is based on examples from a substantial corpus of German chancellors’ political speeches from 1951-2001.

Preferred orientation in an angled intercalation site of a chloro-substituted lambda- [Ru(TAP)2(dppz)]2+ complex bound to d(TCGGCGCCGA)2

The crystal structure of the ruthenium DNA ‘light-switch’ complex -[Ru(TAP)2(11-Cl-dppz)]2+ (TAP = tetraazaphenanthrene, dppz = dipyrido[3,2-a':2',3'-c]phenazine)) bound to the oligonucleotide duplex d(TCGGCGCCGA)2 is reported. The synthesis of the racemic ruthenium complex is described for the first time, and the racemate was used in this study. The crystal structure, at atomic resolution (1.0 Å), shows one ligand as a wedge in the minor groove, resulting in the 51 kinking of the double helix, as with the parent lambda-[Ru(TAP)2(dppz)]2+. Each complex binds to one duplex by intercalation of the dppz ligand and also by semi-intercalation of one of the orthogonal TAP ligands into a second symmetrically equivalent duplex. The 11-Cl substituent binds with the major component (66%) oriented with the 11-chloro substituent on the purine side of the terminal step of the duplex.

Spatial-temporal aspects of cost-benefit analysis for park management: an example from Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

Using a model calibrated to Khao Yai National Park in Thailand, this paper highlights the importance of generating explicitly spatial and temporal data for developing management plans for tropical protected forests. Spatial and temporal cost-benefit analysis should account for the interactions between different land uses – such as the benefits of contiguous areas of preserved land and edge effects – and the realities of villagers living near forests who rely on extracted resources. By taking a temporal perspective, this paper provides a rare empirical assessment of the importance of quasi-option values when determining optimal management plans.

Therapeutic benefit of low-dose clopidogrel in patients undergoing carotid surgery is linked to variability in the platelet adenosine diphosphate response and patients' weight

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We have previously shown that a single 75-mg tablet of clopidogrel, taken before carotid endarterectomy, significantly reduces postoperative embolization, a marker of thromboembolic stroke. This study explores the antiplatelet effect of this submaximal dose. METHODS: Fifty-six patients on long-term aspirin (150 mg) were randomized to 75 mg clopidogrel or placebo before carotid endarterectomy. Blood samples were taken pre- and postdrug administration and at the end of surgery to measure platelet activation and adenosine diphosphate (ADP) response by flow cytometry and aggregometry. RESULTS: Surgery produced a significant rise in platelet activation in vivo as evidenced by a rise in the percentage of monocyte-platelet aggregates in patients given placebo, but this was not seen in patients receiving clopidogrel. Before surgery, clopidogrel produced a significant reduction in the platelet response to ADP; for example, with 10(-6)M ADP, 77.32+/-2.3% bound fibrinogen in placebo group compared with 67.16+/-3.1% after clopidogrel (P=0.01). This was accentuated after surgery when the percentage of platelets binding fibrinogen in response to ADP was 76.53+/-2.2% in patients given placebo and 62.84+/-3.3% in the clopidogrel group (P=0.002). Similar differences were seen over a range of ADP concentrations and by aggregometry. Platelet responsiveness before treatment was highly variable and was positively correlated with the inhibitory effect of clopidogrel; patients with the highest baseline response to ADP showed the greatest response to clopidogrel. A negative correlation was seen between the effect of clopidogrel and patients' weight (r=0.57; P=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: These results explain how a single 75-mg dose of clopidogrel produces a significant clinical impact on embolization.

Enhancing the crystallization and orientation of electrospinning poly (lactic acid) (PLLA) by combining with additives

PLLA is a thermoplastic biopolymer and can be used in industrial applications for medical and filtration applications. The brittleness of PLLA is attributed to slow crystallization rates and its glass transition temperature (Tg) is high (60 °C); for this reason, its applications are limited. The orientation, morphology, and crystal structure of the electrospun fibers was investigated by SEM, POM, DSC, FTIR, XRD, and SAXS. Combining with additives leads to a large decrease of fiber diameter, viscosity, and changes of fiber morphology and crystal structure compared to pure PLLA. DSC showed that the Tg of PLLA decreased about 15 °C and there was no change in relaxation enthalpy by the addition of plasticizer. FT-IR indicate a strong interaction between PLLA and additives; a new band appears in the PLLA blend at 1,756 cm−1 at room temperature as a crystalline band without any annealing. In addition, WAXD indicated that the intensities of the two peaks at (200/110) and (203) increased for the blend at room temperature without any annealing in comparison with PLLA; this means that PHB crystallizes in the amorphous region of PLLA. The POM experiments agree with the results from DSC, FTIR, and WAXS measurements, confirming that adding PHB results in an increase in the number of nuclei with much smaller spherulites and enhances the crystallization behavior of this material, thereby improving its potential for applications.

Regionalization strategy and performance: the moderating role of industry dynamism and top management team diversity

Purpose– This paper contributes to the debate about the performance implications of adopting a regional as opposed to a global strategic posture. The aim of this paper is to argue that the performance effects of a regionalization strategy vary based on the characteristics of the industry in which the MNE operates and the composition of its top management team (TMT). Design/methodology/approach– This analysis is based on a cross‐sectional dataset of 211 large European MNEs headquartered in four Western European economies at the end of 2005. Findings– Results show that firms adopting a regional orientation outperform MNEs with global strategic positioning. This positive relationship is less pronounced under conditions of industry dynamism and inter‐regional TMT diversity. Originality/value– The study contributes to our understanding of whether and under what conditions MNEs benefit from adopting a regional as opposed to a global strategic posture.

ESR and EISCAT observations of the response of the cusp and cleft to IMF orientation changes

We report observations of the cusp/cleft ionosphere made on December 16th 1998 by the EISCAT (European incoherent scatter) VHF radar at Tromso and the EISCAT Svalbard radar (ESR). We compare them with observations of the dayside auroral luminosity, as seen by meridian scanning photometers at Ny Alesund and of HF radar backscatter, as observed by the CUTLASS radar. We study the response to an interval of about one hour when the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), monitored by the WIND and ACE spacecraft, was southward. The cusp/cleft aurora is shown to correspond to a spatially extended region of elevated electron temperatures in the VHF radar data. Initial conditions were characterised by a northward-directed IMF and cusp/cleft aurora poleward of the ESR. A strong southward turning then occurred, causing an equatorward motion of the cusp/cleft aurora. Within the equatorward expanding, southward-IMF cusp/cleft, the ESR observed structured and elevated plasma densities and ion and electron temperatures. Cleft ion fountain upflows were seen in association with elevated ion temperatures and rapid eastward convection, consistent with the magnetic curvature force on newly opened held lines for the observed negative IMF B-y. Subsequently, the ESR beam remained immediately poleward of the main cusp/cleft and a sequence of poleward-moving auroral transients passed over it. After the last of these, the ESR was in the polar cap and the radar observations were characterised by extremely low ionospheric densities and downward field-aligned flows. The IMF then turned northward again and the auroral oval contracted such that the ESR moved back into the cusp/cleft region. For the poleward-retreating northward-IMF cusp/cleft, the convection flows were slower, upflows were weaker and the electron density and temperature enhancements were less structured. Following the northward turning, the bands of high electron temperature and cusp/cleft aurora bifurcated, consistent with both subsolar and lobe reconnection taking place simultaneously. The present paper describes the large-scale behaviour of the ionosphere during this interval, as observed by a powerful combination of instruments. Two companion papers, by Lockwood et al. (2000) and Thorolfsson et al. (2000), both in this issue, describe the detailed behaviour of the poleward-moving transients observed during the interval of southward B-z, and explain their morphology in the context of previous theoretical work.