The effect of hyperfine interaction on the lifetime of the 3s3p P-3(2) level of Mg-like ions

On the basis of previous work, the hyperfine-induced 3s3p P-3(2) -> 3s(2) S-1(0) E1 transition probabilities of Mg-like ions were further calculated using the GRASP2K package based on the multiconfiguration Dirac-Hartree-Fock method. The contribution to the lifetime of the P-3(2) level from the 3s3p P-3(2) -> 3s(2) S-1(0) hyperfine-induced E1, 3s3p P-3(2) -> 3s3p P-3(1) M1, 3s3p P-3(2) -> 3s(2) S-1(0) M2 and 3s3p P-3(2) -> 3s3p P-3(0,1) E2 transition was discussed in detail. It was found that hyperfine interaction has an obvious effect on the lifetime at the beginning of the Mg-like isoelectronic sequence.

Tuning the Energy Level of Organic Sensitizers for High-Performance Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Cost-effective organic sensitizers will play a pivotal role in the future large-scale production and application of dye-sensitized solar cells. Here we report two new organic D-pi-A dyes featuring electron-rich 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene- and 2,2'-bis(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-conjugated linkers, showing a remarkable red-shifting of photocurrent action spectra compared with their thiophene and bithiophene counterparts. On the basis of the 3-f{5'-[N,N-bis(9,9-dimethylfluorene-2-yl)phenyl]-2,2'-bis(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-5-yl}2-cyanoacrylic acid dye, we have set a new efficiency record of 7.6% for solvent-free dye-sensitized solar cells based on metal-free organic sensitizers. Importantly, the cell exhibits an excellent stability, keeping over 92% of its initial efficiency after 1000 h accelerated tests under full sunlight soaking at 60 degrees C. This achievement will considerably encourage further design and exploration of metal-free organic dyes for higher performance dye-sensitized solar cells.

A selenium-containing abzyme, the activity of which surpassed the level of native glutathione peroxidase

Using two different glutathione derivatives as hapten, we have prepared two abzymes, which display glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity. Their GPX activities are 0.2 and 1.6 times that of natural GPX from rabbit liver, respectively. Selenium content analysis indicates that the activity difference between the two abzymes is possibly attributed to the conformation difference of the abzymes.

Influence of intraperitoneal injection of rare earth compounds on the activities of antioxidant enzymes and the level of lipid peroxidation in mice livers

Following intraperitoneal injection of lanthanum and terbium chloride and their complexes of diethyltriaminopentagacetic acid (DTPA) to adult mice with a dose of 0.28 mmol/kg body weight/day for three days. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and the content of lipid end product, malonaldehyde (MDA) in the mice livers have been assayed respectively. The results show that the activity of SOD was increased and the content of MDA was reduced for LaCl3 treated mice and the two targets were not changed for TbCl3, but the activity of GSH-Px was reduced markedly for both LaCl3 and TbCl3 while the above three targets were not changed for La-DTPA and Tb-DTPA complexes.

Exploring human resource development: a level of analysis approach.

Levels of analysis perform an important function in framing research and practice in human resource development (HRD). The purpose of this paper is to examine the concept of HRD from the individual, organizational and community/societal levels of analysis. The paper highlights both the distinctiveness and usefulness of each level of analysis, identifies tensions within and between them, and outlines differences in underpinning assumptions, characteristics of HRD provision and delivery of HRD interventions. By adopting this approach, the paper draws attention to variations in meaning, intent, content and practice with implications for developing both the theory and practice of HRD.

Chronic active hepatitis with high level of anti-ds-DNA detected by a solid phase radioimmunoassay

SCOPUS: ar.j

Level of beta-adrenergic receptor kinase 1 inhibition determines degree of cardiac dysfunction after chronic pressure overload-induced heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure is characterized by abnormalities in beta-adrenergic receptor (betaAR) signaling, including increased level of myocardial betaAR kinase 1 (betaARK1). Our previous studies have shown that inhibition of betaARK1 with the use of the Gbetagamma sequestering peptide of betaARK1 (betaARKct) can prevent cardiac dysfunction in models of heart failure. Because inhibition of betaARK activity is pivotal for amelioration of cardiac dysfunction, we investigated whether the level of betaARK1 inhibition correlates with the degree of heart failure. METHODS AND RESULTS: Transgenic (TG) mice with varying degrees of cardiac-specific expression of betaARKct peptide underwent transverse aortic constriction (TAC) for 12 weeks. Cardiac function was assessed by serial echocardiography in conscious mice, and the level of myocardial betaARKct protein was quantified at termination of the study. TG mice showed a positive linear relationship between the level of betaARKct protein expression and fractional shortening at 12 weeks after TAC. TG mice with low betaARKct expression developed severe heart failure, whereas mice with high betaARKct expression showed significantly less cardiac deterioration than wild-type (WT) mice. Importantly, mice with a high level of betaARKct expression had preserved isoproterenol-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity and normal betaAR densities in the cardiac membranes. In contrast, mice with low expression of the transgene had marked abnormalities in betaAR function, similar to the WT mice. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that the level of betaARK1 inhibition determines the degree to which cardiac function can be preserved in response to pressure overload and has important therapeutic implications when betaARK1 inhibition is considered as a molecular target.

Choosing the appropriate level of coupling in multi-physics modeling of metallurgical processes

A computational model for the interrelated phenomena in the process of vacuum arc remelting is analyzed and adjusted of optimal accuracy and computation time. The decision steps in this case study are offered as an example how the coupling in models of similar processes can be addressed. Results show dominance of the electromagnetic forces over buoyancy and inertia for the investigated process conditions.

Excitation rate coefficients for transitions from the ground level of Gd XXXVII

Excitation rate coefficients, for transitions from the ground level to excited levels of Gd XXXVII, have been calculated over the temperature range 5002500 eV using the R-matrix method. It is observed that the contribution of resonances enhances the rates by up to an order of magnitude over the available (non- resonant) results of Hagelstein.

Competence in research planning in the fourth level of Spanish Secondary Education: a case study

In the last years, “Inquiry-Based Science Education” methodologies (IBSE) are being recommended by European institutions in order to improve the competence levels and the attitudes towards science of primary and secondary school students. Therefore, the aim of this study is to test the effectiveness of an IBSE methodology, the Methodology of Problem Solving as an Investigation (MPSI), for the teaching-learning process of planning of experiments in the fourth level of Spanish Secondary Education. By means of the students’ solutions for a series of open problems, the progress in the learning of the competences related to the planning of experiments has been analyzed, along with the influence of the methodology on the development of these competencies. The results show a students’ command from higher to lower levels on: emission of hypothesis, design of the experiment, qualitative analysis, identification of variables and reformulation of the open problem. Furthermore, the Methodology has contributed to an improvement of the scientific competence in the area of planning experiments.