The Development of a Sample Controlled Differential Scanning Calorimeter and its Application to the Study of Different Reaction Types

A new sample controlled DSC (SC-DSC) system has been developed, which for the first time has enabled the benefits of sample controlled thermal analysis to be extended to the widely used technique of DSC. The system was based on a heat flux DSC cell interfaced to an in-house control and data processing system. Careful optimisation of the instrument parameters during the development stages minimised the potential problem of shifts in the DSC baseline when the temperature programme is changed. This has enabled the rate of heating to be controlled directly from the DSC signal and has also allowed controlled cooling to be incorporated. The difficulty of making baseline corrections in sample controlled experiments has been resolved by the implementation of the facility to replay the temperature programme for an experiment. The potential of the new SC-DSC system was evaluated by studying a wide range of reaction types. The first group consisted of reactions taking place with a change in mass, including endothermic dehydration, dehydroxylation and decomposition reactions and exothermic decomposition and oxidation reactions. The results were compared with those obtained by sample controlled thermogravimetry. Similar profiles were obtained using both techniques and the ability of SC-DSC to provide direct information on reaction mechanisms was demonstrated The second group included both endothermic and exothermic reactions that occurred without any significant mass change and which therefore could not be studied by existing sample controlled techniques. Although it proved difficult to control the rapid fusions of metal and organic DSC standards with the present equipment, promising results were obtained for the fusion of both organic and inorganic phase change materials which occur over a broader temperature range. SC-DSC was found to be successful in preventing the ignition reactions in number of exothermic reactions which could occur under linear heating condition, thus providing a means to investigate the systems in more detail than is possible with conventional thermal analysis techniques. In addition, the ability to control the curing reaction of an epoxy resin should allow the development of temperature profiles to enable samples to be cured at a selected rate

Economic Feasibility of Ethanol Production from Sweet Sorghum Juice in Texas

The economic feasibility of producing ethanol from sweet sorghum juice is projected using Monte Carlo simulation models to estimate the price ethanol plants will likely have to pay for sweet sorghum and the uncertain returns for ethanol plants. Ethanol plants in high yielding regions will likely generate returns on assets of 11%-12% and in low yield areas the returns on assets will be less than 10%.Sweet Sorghum, Ethanol, Monte Carlo Simulation, Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance, Crop Production/Industries, Farm Management, Risk and Uncertainty, D20 G10 D81 C15,

Congenital Lateral Luxation of the Patella in the Horse

Lateral luxation of the patella has been described in horses and ponies. Medial luxation has been reported only twice. Upward fixation of the patella is not true luxation. This report concerns two cases of lateral luxation of the patella related to hypoplasia of the lateral ridge of the trochlea of the femur

Thermal Studies on Rubidium Dinitramide

The present study has been carried out to investigate conflicting reports in the literature on the nature of the thermal decomposition of the energetic oxidant rubidium dinitramide in the liquid state. The techniques employed included DSC, simultaneous TG-DTA, simultaneous TG-mass spectrometry and thermomicroscopy. The measurements were supplemented by quantitative chemical analysis of the reaction products. The results showed that, following fusion at 106 °C, the overall decomposition proceeded in a single exothermic reaction stage forming a mixture of rubidium nitrate and rubidium nitrite in the molar ratio 1.2 : 1

IL-21 receptor expression in human tendinopathy

The pathogenetic mechanisms underlying tendinopathy remain unclear, with much debate as to whether inflammation or degradation has the prominent role. Increasing evidence points toward and early inflammatory infiltrate and associated inflammatory cytokine production in human and animal models of tendon disease. The IL-21/IL-21R axis is a proinflammatory cytokine complex that has been associated with chronic inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. This project aimed to investigate the role and expression of the cytokine/receptor pair IL-21/IL-21R in human tendinopathy. We found significantly elevated expression of IL-21 receptor message and protein in human tendon samples but found no convincing evidence of the presence of IL-21 at message or protein level. The level of expression of IL-21R message/protein in human tenocytes was significantly up regulated by proinflammatory cytokines (TNFα/IL-1β) in vitro. These findings demonstrate that IL-21R is present in early human tendinopathy mainly expressed by tenocytes and macrophages. Despite a lack of IL-21 expression these data again suggest that early tendinopathy has an inflammatory/cytokine phenotype, which may provide novel translational targets in the treatment of tendinopathy

Magmatism on rift flanks: insights from ambient noise phase velocity in Afar region

During the breakup of continents in magmatic settings, the extension of the rift valley is commonly assumed to initially occur by border faulting and progressively migrate in space and time toward the spreading axis. Magmatic processes near the rift flanks are commonly ignored. We present phase velocity maps of the crust and uppermost mantle of the conjugate margins of the southern Red Sea (Afar and Yemen) using ambient noise tomography to constrain crustal modification during breakup. Our images show that the low seismic velocities characterize not only the upper crust beneath the axial volcanic systems but also both upper and lower crust beneath the rift flanks where ongoing volcanism and hydrothermal activity occur at the surface. Magmatic modification of the crust beneath rift flanks likely occurs for a protracted period of time during the breakup process and may persist through to early seafloor spreading

The relationship between chronic kidney disease–associated pruritus and health-related quality of life: a systematic review

Background Chronic kidney disease–associated pruritus (CKD-aP) is a common and burdensome condition for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients, especially those receiving haemodialysis. High-quality evidence of the relationship between CKD-aP and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) can therefore inform clinicians and policymakers about treatment choice and reimbursement decisions. Methods A systematic literature review and narrative synthesis stratified by study design and HRQoL instrument was conducted to evaluate in adult ESKD patients receiving in-centre haemodialysis the relationship between CKD-aP and HRQoL assessed using multi dimensional generic or condition-specific preference- or non-preference-based measures. MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, BIOSIS Citation Index, Cochrane Library and PsycINFO from inception to March 2020 were searched, with two reviewers extracting data independently. Results Searches identified 2684 unique records, of which 20 papers relating to 18 unique studies [5 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and 13 observational studies] were included. HRQoL was assessed using four generic and eight disease-specific measures. The impact of CKD-aP was assessed by comparison of means, linear regression and correlation. Observational studies employing comprehensively adjusted multivariable linear regression largely found associations between CKD-aP severities and HRQoL. Analyses suggest this relationship is partially mediated by the sleep disturbance caused by CKD-aP. RCTs showing improvements in CKD-aP severity were associated with clinically meaningful improvements in HRQoL. Compared with generic measures, disease-specific HRQoL instruments reported greater changes with reduced CKD-aP. Heterogeneity in study design and reporting precluded meta-analysis. Conclusions CKD-aP severity was found to be associated with a worsening of HRQoL in the majority of observational and RCT studies. Parallel improvements in CKD-aP and HRQoL with interventions may support their use (PROSPERO registration 175035)

Chronic Oedema and the older person: The effects of ageing upon treatment outcomes

Chronic oedema (CO) and lymphoedema (LO) are long-term conditions that can become more complicated or are more likely to develop with age. The ageing process can involve alterations in the structures that support the normal function of the lymphatic system or put it at greater risk of damage. The main three components (skin care, exercise and compression therapy) within the management of CO/LO can become more difficult to apply with age. This is because of reduced healing rates, decreased cardiovascular capacity and deterioration in vascular and arterial structures. The impact of ageing and how this can affect patients and treatment outcomes requires careful consideration

Age-period-cohort analysis of trends in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis incidence

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with an unknown cause. Studies have reported that the incidence rate of ALS might be changing. As ALS is an age related disease, crude incidence could increase as population structure changes and overall life expectancy improves. Age-period-cohort (APC) models are frequently used to investigate trends in demographic rates such as incidence. Age-specific incidence rate for ALS from 1996 to 2014 were taken from a population-based ALS register in Ireland. To circumvent the well-known identifiability issue in APC models, we apply the method of Partial Least Squares Regression to separate the effects of Age, Period and Cohort on ALS incidence over time. This APC analysis shows no cohort effect and the initial signs of a period effect; increasing incidence of ALS in the most recently diagnosed group. As further years of data accrue to the Irish register it will become clear if this effect emerges as a strong trend in the incidence of ALS in Ireland and replication of these analyses in other populations will show if our findings on temporal patterns in ALS incidence are shared elsewhere