Achirality in the low temperature structure and lattice modes of tris(acetylacetonate)iron(iii)

Tris(acetylacteonate) iron(III) is a relatively ubiquitous mononuclear inorganic coordination complex. The bidentate nature of the three acetylacteonate ligands coordinating around a single centre inevitably leads to structural isomeric forms, however whether or not this relates to chirality in the solid state has been questioned in the literature. Variable temperature neutron diffraction data down to T = 3 K, highlights the dynamic nature of the ligand environment, including the motions of the hydrogen atoms. The Fourier transform of the molecular dynamics simulation based on the experimentally determined structure was shown to closely reproduce the low temperature vibrational density of states obtained using inelastic neutron scattering

148 The engagement of sle patients in their health care

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Operation of microstrip gas chambers manufactured on glass coated with high resistivity diamond-like layers

We describe recent observations and measurements realized with micro-strip gas chambers (MSGCs) manufactured on boro-silicate glass coated with a thin layer of diamond-like carbon (DLC) having a surface resistivity around 4.10$^{16}\Omega/\Box$. The role of the back-pla electrode configuration and potential in the detector performance has been studied. Even for this very high resistivity of the coatings, MSGCs operate differently from those manufactured on bare boro-silicate glass; the charge gain increases with the radiation flux for counting rates above 103 Hz/mm2, reaching a value 60% higher for 105 Hz/mm2. This behavior does not depend on the presence and potential of the back plane electrode; however, both maximum gain and rate capability are influenced by the drift field. From this study, compared with measurements realized previously with other detectors, we deduce that for stable high rate operation of MSGCs the resistivity of the coating should not exceed ~10$^{15}\Omega/\Box$

High Rate of Regression From Micro-Macroalbuminuria to Normoalbuminuria in Children and Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Treated or Not With Enalapril: The influence of HDL cholesterol

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the frequency of normalization, the persistence of remission, and the impact on normalization of glycemic control and lipid profile, we analyzed data from a retrospective observational cohort study of type 1 diabetic children and adolescents with abnormal urinary albumin excretion (UAE). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: All diabetic children and adolescents (n = 41) who had persistent abnormal UAE in the period of 1984 to 2008 and followed up until 2009 (follow-up duration = 13.1 \ub1 6.2 years) were included in the study. Nine patients progressed to macroalbuminuria; 24 patients were administered ACE inhibitor treatment. RESULTS: The cumulative prevalence of abnormal UAE was 9%. During follow-up, 14 of 17 untreated and 19 of 24 treated patients reverted to normoalbuminuria. In the remission group compared with the nonremission group, A1C levels during follow-up decreased (7.5 \ub1 1.0 vs. 9.4 \ub1 1.2%, P < 0.0001) and serum HDL cholesterol increased (52.7 \ub1 11.3 vs. 42.7 \ub1 8.6 mg/dL, P < 0.05). The micro-macroalbuminuric patients had lower HDL cholesterol (51.0 \ub1 11.4 vs. 62.4 \ub1 13.6 mg/dL, P < 0.0001) than 134 normoalbuminuric diabetic patients. CONCLUSIONS: Microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria were not permanent in most of our diabetic children and adolescents. If abnormal UAE values are high and persist for >1 year, only long-lasting treatment with ACE inhibitors seems able to induce persistent remission, especially when associated with good metabolic control and high HDL cholesterol level

Community projects: an experimental analysis of a fair implementation process

We define and experimentally test a public provision mechanism that meets three basic ethical requirements and allows community members to influence, via monetary bids, which of several projects is implemented. For each project, participants are assigned personal values, which can be positive or negative. We provide either public or private information about personal values. This produces two distinct public provision games, which are experimentally implemented and analyzed for various projects. In spite of the complex experimental task, participants do not rely on bidding their own personal values as an obvious simple heuristic whose general acceptance would result in fair and efficient outcomes. Rather, they rely on strategic underbidding. Although underbidding is affected by projects’ characteristics, the provision mechanism mostly leads to the implementation of the most efficient project

Assessing young people's political engagement: a critical and systematic literature review of the instruments used to measure political engagement

Over the past few decades, there has been an increasing interest in understanding youth political engagement. However, it has been argued that the instruments used to assess the concept often lack adequate validation, and this is important as this practice may result in biased statistical conclusions. Consequently, the main aim of the present study was to systematically review, summarize, and critique the extant research evidence on the development of psychometric instruments that assess young people’s political engagement. Following a systematic review of the literature, seven instruments were identified that were both valid and reliable, but none explicitly assessed young people’s political engagement. Instead, they considered broad concepts and/or dimensions related to political engagement. Emphasising the lack of statistically robust standardised measurement tools that empirically assess young people’s political engagement, the available evidence confirms the pressing need to adopt a robust psychometric approach to assess political engagement in youth

New understandings of the genetic basis of isolated idiopathic central hypogonadism

Idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism is a rare disease that is characterized by delayed/absent puberty and/or infertility due to an insufficient stimulation of an otherwise normal pituitary-gonadal axis by gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) action. Because reduced or normal luteinizing hormone (LH)/follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels may be observed in the affected patients, the term idiopathic central hypogonadism (ICH) appears to be more appropriate. This disease should be distinguished from central hypogonadism that is combined with other pituitary deficiencies. Isolated ICH has a complex pathogenesis and is fivefold more prevalent in males. ICH frequently appears in a sporadic form, but several familial cases have also been reported. This finding, in conjunction with the description of numerous pathogenetic gene variants and the generation of several knockout models, supports the existence of a strong genetic component. ICH may be associated with several morphogenetic abnormalities, which include osmic defects that, with ICH, constitute the cardinal manifestations of Kallmann syndrome (KS). KS accounts for approximately 40% of the total ICH cases and has been generally considered to be a distinct subgroup. However, the description of several pedigrees, which include relatives who are affected either with isolated osmic defects, KS, or normo-osmic ICH (nICH), justifies the emerging idea that ICH is a complex genetic disease that is characterized by variable expressivity and penetrance. In this context, either multiple gene variants or environmental factors and epigenetic modifications may contribute to the variable disease manifestations. We review the genetic mechanisms that are presently known to be involved in ICH pathogenesis and provide a clinical overview of the 227 cases that have been collected by the collaborating centres of the Italian ICH Network

The Italian National Register of infants with congenital hypothyroidism: twenty years of surveillance and study of congenital hypothyroidism

All the Italian Centres in charge of screening, diagnosis, and follow-up of infants with congenital hypothyroidism participate in the Italian National Registry of affected infants, which performs the nationwide surveillance of the disease. It was established in 1987 as a program of the Health Ministry and is coordinated by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità. The early diagnosis performed by the nationwide newborn screening programme, the prompt treatment and the appropriate clinical management of the patients carried out by the Follow-up Centres, and the surveillance of the disease performed by the National Register of infants with congenital hypothyroidism are the components of an integrated approach to the disease which has been successfully established in our country