Incorporation of a sodium ion guest in the host of copper(II)-Schiff-base complexes: Structural characterization and magnetic study

Three copper(II) complexes, [CuL1], [CuL2] and [CuL3] where L-1, L-2 and L-3 are the tetradentate di-Schiff-base ligands prepared by the condensation of acetylacetone and appropriate diamines (e.g. 1,2-diaminoethane, 1,2-diaminopropane and 1,3-diaminopropane, respectively) in 2:1 ratios, have been prepared. These complexes act as host molecules and include a guest sodium ion by coordinating through the oxygen atoms to result in corresponding new trinuclear complexes, [(CuL1)(2)Na(ClO4)(H2O)][CuL1], [(CuL2)(2)Na(ClO4)(H2O)] (2) and [(CuL3)(2)Na(ClO4)(H2O)] (3) when crystallized from methanol solution containing sodium perchlorate. All three complexes have been characterized by single crystal X-ray crystallography. In all the complexes, the sodium cation has a six-coordinate distorted octahedral environment being bonded to four oxygen atoms from two Schiff-base complexes of Cu(II) in addition to a perchlorate anion and a water molecule. The copper atoms are four coordinate in a square planar environment being bonded to two oxygen atoms and two nitrogen atoms of the Schiff-base ligand. The variable temperature susceptibilities for complexes 1-3 were measured over the range 2-300 K. The isotropic Hamiltonian, H = g(1)beta HS1 + g(2)beta HS2 + J(12)S(1)S(2) + g(3)beta HS3 for complex 1 and H = g(1)beta HS1 + g2 beta HS2 +J(12)S(1)S(2) for complexes 2 and 3 has been used to interpret the magnetic data. The best fit parameters obtained are: g(1) = g(2) = 2.07(0), J = - 1.09(1) cm(-1) for complex 1, g(1) = g(2) = 2.06(0), J = -0.55(1) cm(-1) for complex 2 and g1 = g2 = 2.07(0).J = -0.80(1) cm(-1) for 3. Electrochemical studies displayed an irreversible Cu(II)/Cu(I) one-electron reduction process. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality of tender documents: case studies from the UK

Tendering is one of the stages in construction procurement that requires extensive information and documents exchange. However, tender documents are not always clear in practice. The aim of this study was to ascertain the clarity and adequacy of tender documents used in practice. Access was negotiated into two UK construction firms and the whole tender process for two projects was shadowed for 6-7 weeks in each firm using an ethnographic approach. A significant amount of tender queries, amendments and addenda were recorded. This showed that quality of tender documentation is still a problem in construction despite the existence of standards like Co-ordinated Project Information (1987) and British Standard 1192 (1984 and 1990) that are meant to help in producing clear and consistent project information. Poor quality tender documents are a source of inaccurate estimates, claims and disputes on contracts. Six recommendations are presented to help in improving the quality of tender documentation. Further research is needed into the recommendations to help improve the quality of tender documents, perhaps in conjunction with an industry-wide investigation into the level of incorporation of CPI principles in practice.

Markers of intestinally-derived lipoproteins: application to studies of altered diet and meal fatty acid compositions

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The atherogenic potential of dietary derived lipids, chylomicrons (CM) and their remnants (CMr) is now becoming more widely recognised. To investigate factors effecting levels of CM and CMr and their importance in coronary heart disease risk it is essential to use a specific method of quantification. Two studies were carried out to investigate: (i) effects of increased daily intake of long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC n-3 PUFA), and (ii) effects of increasing meal monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) content on the postprandial response of intestinally-derived lipoproteins. The contribution of the intestinally-derived lipoproteins to total lipaemia was assessed by triacylglycerol-rich lipoprotein (TRL) apolipoprotein B-48 (apo B-48) and retinyl ester (RE) concentrations. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a randomised controlled crossover trial (placebo vs LC n-3 PUFA) a mean daily intake of 1.4 g/day of LC n-3 PUFA failed to reduce fasting and postprandial triacylglycerol (TAG) response in 9 healthy male volunteers. Although the pattern and nature of the apo B-48 response was consistent with the TAG response following the two diets, the postprandial RE response differed on the LC n-3 PUFA diet with a lower early RE response and a delayed and more marked increase in RE in the late postprandial period compared with the control diet, but the differences did not reach levels of statistical significance. In the meal study there was no effect of MUFA/SFA content on the total lipaemic response to the meals nor on the contribution of intestinally derived lipoproteins evaluated as TAG, apo B-48 and RE responses in the TRL fraction. In both studies, the RE and apo B-48 measurements provided broadly similar information with respect to lack of effects of dietary or meal fatty acid composition and the presence of single or multiple peak responses. However the apo B-48 and RE measurements differed with respect to the timing of their peak response times, with a delayed RE peak, relalive to apo B-48, of approximately 2-3 hours for the LC n-3 PUFA diet (p = 0.002) study and 1-1.5 hours for the meal MUFA/SFA study. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that there are limitations of using RE as a specific CM marker, apo B-48 quantitation was found to be a more appropriate method for CM and CMr quantitation. However it was still considered of value to measure RE as it provided additional information regarding the incorporation of other constituents into the CM particle.

Assessing multilingual lexical incorporation hypotheses through a primed picture-naming task

The incorporation of new representations into the mental lexicon has raised numerous questions about the organisational principles that govern the process. A number of studies have argued that similarity between the new L3 items and existing representations in the L1 and L2 is the main incorporating force (Hall & Ecke, 2003; Herwig, 2001). Experimental evidence obtained through a primed picture-naming task with L1 Polish-L2 English learners of L3 Russian supports Hall and Ecke’s Parasitic Model of L3 vocabulary acquisition, displaying a significant main effect for both priming and proficiency. These results complement current models of vocabulary acquisition and lexical access in multilingual speakers.

Internal nanoparticle structure of temperature-responsive self-assembled PNIPAM-b-PEG-b-PNIPAM triblock copolymers in aqueous solutions: NMR, SANS and light scattering studies

In this study we report detailed information on the internal structure of PNIPAM-b-PEG-b-PNIPAM nanoparticles formed from self-assembly in aqueous solutions upon increase in temperature. NMR spectroscopy, light scattering and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) were used to monitor different stages of nanoparticle formation as a function of temperature, providing insight into the fundamental processes involved. The presence of PEG in a copolymer structure significantly affects the formation of nanoparticles, making their transition to occur over a broader temperature range. The crucial parameter that controls the transition is the ratio of PEG/PNIPAM. For pure PNIPAM, the transition is sharp; the higher the PEG/PNIPAM ratio results in a broader transition. This behavior is explained by different mechanisms of PNIPAM block incorporation during nanoparticle formation at different PEG/PNIPAM ratios. Contrast variation experiments using SANS show that the structure of nanoparticles above cloud point temperatures for PNIPAM-b-PEG-b-PNIPAM copolymers is drastically different from the structure of PNIPAM mesoglobules. In contrast with pure PNIPAM mesoglobules, where solid-like particles and chain network with a mesh size of 1-3 nm are present; nanoparticles formed from PNIPAM-b-PEG-b-PNIPAM copolymers have non-uniform structure with “frozen” areas interconnected by single chains in Gaussian conformation. SANS data with deuterated “invisible” PEG blocks imply that PEG is uniformly distributed inside of a nanoparticle. It is kinetically flexible PEG blocks which affect the nanoparticle formation by prevention of PNIPAM microphase separation.

War and culture studies in 2016. Putting 'translation' into the transnational?

The first issue of the 'Journal of War and Culture Studies' in 2008 mapped out the academic space which the discipline sought to occupy. Nearly a decade later, the location of war, traditionally within the nation-state, is being challenged in ways which arguably affect the analytical spaces of War and Culture Studies. The article argues for an overt engagement with a reconceptualization of the location of war as broader in both spatial and temporal terms than the nation-state. Within this framing, it identifies local 'contact zones' which are multi-vocal translational spaces, and calls for an incorporation of 'translation' into our analyses of war: translating identities, including associations of the material as well as of subjective identities, and espousing a conscious interdisciplinarity which might lead us to focus more on the performative than the representational. Putting 'translation' into the 'transnational' marks the spaces of War and culture studies as multilingual, making accessible the cultural products and cultural analyses of a much broader range of sources and reflections. The article calls for the discipline of Translation Studies to become a leading contributor to War and Culture Studies in the years to come.

Improvement in the Reduction Behavior of Novel ZrO(2)-CeO(2) Solid Solutions with a Tubular Nanostructure by Incorporation of Pd

In this work, 1 wt % Pd/ZrO(2)-CeO(2) mixed oxide nanotubes with 90 mol % CeO(2) were synthesized following a very simple, high-yield procedure and their properties were characterized by synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES), and scanning and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (SEM and HRTEM). In situ XANES experiments were carried out under reducing conditions to investigate the reduction behavior of these novel nanotube materials. The Pd/CeO(2)-based nanotubes exhibited the cubic phase (Fm3m space group). The nanotube walls were composed of nanoparticles with an average crystallite size of about 7 nm, and the nanotubes exhibited a large specific surface area (85 m(2).g(-1)). SEM and HRTEM studies showed that individual nanotubes were composed of a curved sheet of these nanoparticles. Elemental analysis showed that the Ce:Zr:Pd ratios appeared to be approximately constant across space, suggesting compositional homogeneity in the samples. XANES results indicated that the extent of reduction of these materials is low and that the Ce(4+) state is in the majority over the reduced Ce(3+) state. The results suggest that Pd cations-most likely Pd(2+)-form a Pd-Ce-Zr oxide solid solution and that the Pd(2+) is stabilized against reduction in this phase. However, incorporation of the Pd (1 wt %) into the crystal lattice of the nanotubes also appeared to destabilize Ce(4+) against reduction to Ce(3+) and caused a significant increase in its reducibility.

PtSnCe/C electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation: DEFC and FTIR ""in-situ"" studies

The ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) was investigated using PtSnCe/C electrocatalysts in different mass ratios (72:23:5, 68:22:10 and 64:21:15) that were prepared by the polymeric precursor method. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that the particles ranged in size from approximately 2 to 5 nm. Changes in the net parameters observed for Pt suggest the incorporation of Sn and Ce into the Pt crystalline network with the formation of an alloy between Pt, Sn and/or Ce. Among the PtSnCe catalysts investigated, the 68:22:10 composition showed the highest activity toward ethanol oxidation, and the current time curves obtained in the presence of ethanol in acidic media showed a current density 50% higher than that observed for commercial PtSn/C (E-Tek). During the experiments performed on single direct ethanol fuel cells, the power density for the PtSnCe/C 68:22:10 anode was nearly 40% higher than the one obtained using the commercial catalyst. Data from Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy showed that the observed behavior for ethanol oxidation may be explained in terms of a double mechanism. The presence of Sn and Ce seems to favor CO oxidation, since they produce an oxygen-containing species to oxidize acetaldehyde to acetic acid. Copyright (C) 2011, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The power of literature : A literature review on the incorporation of children’s literature in the lower-elementary English as a Second- Language classroom.

The use of children’s literature in the English as a Second language (ESL) classroom is a widely used teaching method. This study aims to find research relating to the incorporation of children’s literature in the lower elementary English as a secondlanguage classroom. The main questions are how children’s literature can be used in the classroom and what potential benefits it has. A systematic literature review was carried out and research from six studies was included. The included studies, analyzed in this thesis, involved children aged 6-9, who are learning a second language. The results reveal multiple benefits with the use of children’s literature in the lower elementary ESL classroom, such as vocabulary gains, improved speaking and listening skills, increased motivation and better pronunciation. The results also present a few suggestions on how to incorporate the literature in the classroom, where reading aloud to the students appears to be the most common practice. It also appears common to have post-reading sessions that include discussions about what has been read.

Studies on the encapsulation of diclofenac in small unilamellar liposomes of soya phosphatidylcholine

The encapsulation of acid (AD) and sodium diclofenac (SD) in small unilamellar liposomes (SUV) as well as the interactions of the drug with the bilayer was studied. SUV was prepared by sonication from multilamellar liposomes containing soya phosphatidylcholine and diclofenac at various proportions. The size distribution obtained from dynamic light scattering showed that the incorporation of SD decreases significantly the size of the liposomes suggesting that the drug interacts with the bilayer of the liposomes. This size decrease is related with the phase transition of liposomes to mixed micelar solution. The encapsulation of the hydrophilic dye indocyanine green in the aqueous compartment of liposomes showed that the rate of captured dye decreases with SD concentration suggesting the transition of liposomes to mixed micelles. The P-31 NMR analysis indicates that SD interacts with the phosphate of phosphatidylcholine head groups. A schematic model for interaction of SD with phosphatidylcholine of the liposomes in which the diclofenac anion interacts with the ammonium group of the phospholipid and the dichloropheryl ring occupies a more internal site of bilayer near phosphate group was proposed. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Are supplier selection criteria going green? Case studies of companies in Brazil

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to verify if Brazilian companies are adopting environmental requirements in the supplier selection process. Further, this paper intends to analyze whether there is a relation between the level of environmental management maturity and the inclusion of environmental criteria in the companies' selection of suppliers.Design/methodology/approach - A review of mainstream literature on environmental management, traditional criteria in the supplier selection process and the incorporation of environmental requirements in this context. The empirical study's strategy is based on five Brazilian case studies with industrial companies. Face-to-face interviews and informal conversations are to be held, explanations made by e-mail with representatives from the purchasing, environmental management, logistics and other areas, and observation and the collection of company documents are also employed.Findings - Based on the cases, it is concluded that companies still use traditional criteria to select suppliers, such as quality and cost, and do not adopt environmental requirements in the supplier selection process in a uniform manner. Evidence found shows that the level of environmental management maturity influences the depth with which companies adopt environmental criteria when selecting suppliers. Thus, a company with more advanced environmental management adopts more formal procedures for selecting environmentally appropriate suppliers than others.Originality/value - This is the first known study to verify if Brazilian companies are adopting environmental requirements in the supplier selection process.

Framework for analysis and representation of external systems for online reactive-optimisation studies

The paper proposes a framework for the analysis and representation of external systems for online optimisation studies. The basis for this framework is the equivalent OPF (EOPF), an optimisation model obtained by partitioning of the OPF model. The EOPF is mathematically redefined in the paper to accommodate the concept of a buffer zone. The resulting model is more useful for online optimisation, since external information obtained through intercontrol-centre exchange contracts can be used to improve internal control calculation. Numerical results obtained with original studies involving the boundary-matching procedure have provided a conceptual basis for the definition of a buffer zone for optimisation studies with the EOPF. In the proposed framework, the accuracy of the external representation in optimisation studies is evaluated by comparing the controls obtained by an EOPF procedure with those obtained by the reference-optimisation procedure defined in this paper. The framework is then used to evaluate the accuracy of equivalent optimisation studies involving the IEEE 118-bus test system and the Brazilian South Southeast 810-bus system. The results show that the incorporation of a buffer zone improves the external system representation for all optimisation studies performed.

Loading of praziquantel in the crystal lattice of solid lipid nanoparticles Studies by DSC and SAXS

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Chromosomal studies on five species of the genus Leptodactylus Fitzinger, 1826 (Amphibia, Anura) using differential staining

Cytogenetic studies were carried out on five species of Leptodactylus, namely L. fuscus, L, notoaktites, L. labyrinthicus, L. ocellatus, and L. podicipinus, after standard staining, Ag-NOR and C-banding as well as BrdU incorporation for three of them. The species had 2n = 22 chromosomes and two basic karyotype patterns. Chromosome 8 was a marker bearing a secondary constriction. In all species, this secondary constriction corresponded to the Ag-NOR site. The species had centromeric C-bands in all chromosomes of the complement, but some interstitial or telomeric bands seemed to differentiate some karyotypes, either at the species or the population level. In L. ocellatus, the C-banding pattern confirmed the occurrence of a heteromorphic pericentric inversion in chromosome 8 in specimens from one of the populations. The BrdU incorporation technique showed no detectable difference in the replication patterns of the major bands in the chromosomes of L. noroaktites, L. labyrinthicus, and L. ocellatus.

Ligand Exchange Inducing Efficient Incorporation of CisPt Derivatives into Ureasil-PPO Hybrid and Their Interactions with the Multifunctional Hybrid Network

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)