Publisher's Note: "Solution processed multilayer polymer light-emitting diodes based on different molecular weight host" (vol 109, 074516, 2011)

Solution processed multilayer polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) based on different molecular weight host have been investigated. A PLED based on high molecular weight poly (vinyl carbazole) PVKH and low molecular weight poly (vinyl carbazole) PVKL, doped with iridium, tris(2-phenylpyidine) Ir(ppy)3 as a host-guest emitting layer (EML), shows a dramatic increase in device efficiency. When the PVKH was used as a hole transport electron blocking layer (HT-EBL), effective electron blocking was achieved, which leads to an increase exciton population in the phosphorescent zone. The use of low molecular weight PVKL as a host material in the top layer prevents barrier formation for hole transport from the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy-thiophene) (PEDOT)–EBL to the EML. External quantum efficiency of 11%, current efficiencies of 38 cd/A, power efficiency of 13 lm/W and brightness of 7000 cd/m2, were obtained. The effect of the PVKH layer on the electrical and optical device characteristics was investigated. Simulation of the optical outcoupling using SETFOS 3.1 software is in agreed with the observed results and allowed us to predict the emissive dipole location and distribution in the EML layer. The effect of the PVKH on the exciton quenching by the electrodes was also investigated using time resolved fluorescence photon counting, which indicates weak exciton quenching by the PEDOT layer and the device enhancement predominantly achieved by exciton confinement in the emissive layer

TREATMENT OF DEPLETED URANIUMCONTAMINATION IN SOIL BY USING SODIUMBICARBONATE SOLUTION

The Depleted Uranium contamination in soil was treated with chemical leaching method by using sodium bicarbonate with respect to the effect of several variables (Time, Temperature, Bicarbonate Concentration, Carbonate/Bicarbonate Ratio, Oxidative Reagent Effect, pH, Soil/Solution Ratio and Rinsing Effect after treatment) in order to decontaminate or remove Depleted Uranium to acceptable regulatory levels. The objective is to reach a selectively extracted Depleted Uranium by using a soil washing/extraction without generating a secondary waste which would be difficult to manage and/or dispose off. Results of Depleted Uranium removal efficiency were ranged from (35.4-88.25) %

Quantitative and qualitative differences in subcutaneous adipose tissue stores across lipodystrophy types shown by magnetic resonance imaging

BACKGROUND: Lipodystrophies are characterized by redistributed subcutaneous fat stores. We previously quantified subcutaneous fat by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the legs of two patients with familial partial lipodystrophy subtypes 2 and 3 (FPLD2 and FPLD3, respectively). We now extend the MRI analysis across the whole body of patients with different forms of lipodystrophy. METHODS: We studied five subcutaneous fat stores (supraclavicular, abdominal, gluteal, thigh and calf) and the abdominal visceral fat stores in 10, 2, 1, 1 and 2 female subjects with, respectively, FPLD2, FPLD3, HIV-related partial lipodystrophy (HIVPL), acquired partial lipodystrophy (APL), congenital generalized lipodystrophy (CGL) and in six normal control subjects. RESULTS: Compared with normal controls, FPLD2 subjects had significantly increased supraclavicular fat, with decreased abdominal, gluteal, thigh and calf subcutaneous fat. FPLD3 subjects had increased supraclavicular and abdominal subcutaneous fat, with less severe reductions in gluteal, thigh and calf fat compared to FPLD2 subjects. The repartitioning of fat in the HIVPL subject closely resembled that of FPLD3 subjects. APL and CGL subjects had reduced upper body, gluteal and thigh subcutaneous fat; the APL subject had increased, while CGL subjects had decreased subcutaneous calf fat. Visceral fat was markedly increased in FPLD2 and APL subjects. CONCLUSION: Semi-automated MRI-based adipose tissue quantification indicates differences between various lipodystrophy types in these studied clinical cases and is a potentially useful tool for extended quantitative phenomic analysis of genetic metabolic disorders. Further studies with a larger sample size are essential for confirming these preliminary findings

An investigation into the roles of chlorides and sulphate salts on the performance of low salinity injection in sandstone reservoirs : experimental approach

Numerous studies have been carried out to ascertain the mechanisms of low salinity and smart water flooding technique for improved oil recovery. Focus were often on brine composition and, specifically the cationic content in sandstone reservoirs. Given the importance of the salt composition and concentration, tweaking the active ions which are responsible for the fluids-rock equilibrium will bring into effect numerous mechanisms of displacement which have been extensively debated. This experimental study, however, was carried out to evaluate the extent of the roles of chloride and sulphate-based brines in improved oil recovery. To carry this out, 70,000 ppm sulphates and chloride-based brines were prepared to simulate formation water and 5,000ppm brines of the same species as low salinity displacement fluids. Core flooding process was used to simulate the displacement of oil by using four (4) native sandstones core samples, obtained from Burgan oil field in Kuwait, at operating conditions of 1500 psig and 50oC. The core samples were injected with 70,000 ppm chloride and sulphates and subsequently flooded with the 5,000 ppm counterparts in a forced imbibition process. Separate evaluations of chloride and sulphate-based brines were carried out to investigate the displacement efficiencies of each brine species. The results showed that the in both high and low salinity displacement tests, the SO4 brine presented better recovery of up to 89% of the initial oil saturation (Soi). Several mechanisms of displacement were observed to be responsible for improved recovery during SO4 brine displacement. IFT measurement experiments also confirmed that there was reduction in IFT at test conditions between SO4 brine and oil and visual inspection of the effluent showed a degree emulsification of oil and brines. Changes in pH were observed in the low salinity flooding and negligible changes were noticed in the high salinity floods. These results provide an insight into the roles of chloride and sulphate ions in the design of smart “designer” water and low salinity injection scenarios

Production of 1-Butyl-3-Methylimidazolium Acetate [Bmim][Ac] Using 1-Butyl-3-Methylimidazolium Chloride [Bmim]Cl and Silver Acetate: A Kinetic Study

Since most of the literature alternatives used to produce the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [Bmim][Ac] are very slow and require different solvents, we have used in this work a new process to produce the [Bmim][Ac] by the reaction of the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [Bmim]Cl with silver acetate (AgAc) where silver chloride (AgCl) precipitates as a by-product. The genuine experimental work and kinetic analyses presented here indicate that the reaction rate constant k = 7.67x1012 e(−79.285/RT). That is, the Arrhenius constant ko = 7.67x1012 L/mol.s and the activation energy Ea = 79.285 kJ/mol. The very high value of the Arrhenius constant indicates that the reaction of [Bmim]Cl with silver acetate to produce [Bmim][Ac] and silver chloride is extremely fast

When is a GIST not a GIST? A case report of synchronous metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor and fibromatosis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A number of non-malignant diseases that share similar morphological features as gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) have been reported. Co-existence of GIST with these other diseases is rarely recognized or reported.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report a case of a 62 year-old man with long-term stable control of metastatic GIST with systemic therapy, presented with an apparent intra-abdominal progression but not supported by imaging with positron emission tomography. Subsequent resection of the intra-abdominal tumor identified a non-malignant fibroid.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Differentiating localized progression of GIST from other diseases has important prognostic and therapeutic implications. The potential for co-existence of non-malignant soft tissue neoplasm should always be considered.</p

Effect of Mitomycin - C and Triamcinolone on Preventing Urethral Strictures

Urethral stricture is a common disease with high recurrence rate. Several manipulations were defined to prevent the recurrence but the results were disappointing. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of triamcinolone and mitomycin-C on urethral stricture formation and their effect on inhibition of urethral fibrosis. A total of 24 New Zealand rabbits were divided into 3 groups. Urethras of rabbits were traumatized with pediatric resectoscope. Resection area was irrigated with 10mL saline, swapped with a cotton wool soaked with 0.5mg/mL MMC and injected by 40mg triamcinolone in groups 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Retrograde urethrogram was performed at 28th day of procedure and the urethra was removed for histopathologic evaluation. There were significant differences in urethral diameters and in lumen reduction rate between the control and study groups (p< 0.001). Compared to control group, all treatment groups showed mild fibrosis, less collagen bundle irregularity, and lower numbers of fibroblasts (p= 0.003). The Tunnel assay showed that the number of apoptotic cells in the submucosal connective tissue was quantitatively higher in control groups (p= 0.034). In the view of efficacy and safety, MMC and triamcinolone have the potential to replace the use of stents, clean intermittent catheterization, or long term catheters following internal urethrotomy. There were no statistically significant differences between two agents in terms of preventing urethral stricture formation in the present study. Mitomycin C and triamcinolone decreased the recurrence rates of urethral stricture

Impact of FTO genotypes on BMI and weight in polycystic ovary syndrome : a systematic review and meta-analysis

Aims/hypothesis FTO gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been shown to be associated with obesity-related traits and type 2 diabetes. Several small studies have suggested a greater than expected effect of the FTO rs9939609 SNP on weight in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). We therefore aimed to examine the impact of FTO genotype on BMI and weight in PCOS. Methods A systematic search of medical databases (PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane CENTRAL) was conducted up to the end of April 2011. Seven studies describing eight distinct PCOS cohorts were retrieved; seven were genotyped for SNP rs9939609 and one for SNP rs1421085. The per allele effect on BMI and body weight increase was calculated and subjected to meta-analysis. Results A total of 2,548 women with PCOS were included in the study; 762 were TT homozygotes, 1,253 had an AT/CT genotype, and 533 were AA/CC homozygotes. Each additional copy of the effect allele (A/C) increased the BMI by a mean of 0.19 z score units (95% CI 0.13, 0.24; p = 2.26 × 10−11) and body weight by a mean of 0.20 z score units (95% CI 0.14, 0.26; p = 1.02 × 10−10). This translated into an approximately 3.3 kg/m2 increase in BMI and an approximately 9.6 kg gain in body weight between TT and AA/CC homozygotes. The association between FTO genotypes and BMI was stronger in the cohorts with PCOS than in the general female populations from large genome-wide association studies. Deviation from an additive genetic model was observed in heavier populations. Conclusions/interpretation The effect of FTO SNPs on obesity-related traits in PCOS seems to be more than two times greater than the effect found in large population-based studies. This suggests an interaction between FTO and the metabolic context or polygenic background of PCOS

A Systematic Mapping Approach of 16q12.2/FTO and BMI in More Than 20,000 African Americans Narrows in on the Underlying Functional Variation: Results from the Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE) Study

Genetic variants in intron 1 of the fat mass- and obesity-associated (FTO) gene have been consistently associated with body mass index (BMI) in Europeans. However, follow-up studies in African Americans (AA) have shown no support for some of the most consistently BMI-associated FTO index single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). This is most likely explained by different race-specific linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns and lower correlation overall in AA, which provides the opportunity to fine-map this region and narrow in on the functional variant. To comprehensively explore the 16q12.2/FTO locus and to search for second independent signals in the broader region, we fine-mapped a 646-kb region, encompassing the large FTO gene and the flanking gene RPGRIP1L by investigating a total of 3,756 variants (1,529 genotyped and 2,227 imputed variants) in 20,488 AAs across five studies. We observed associations between BMI and variants in the known FTO intron 1 locus: the SNP with the most significant p-value, rs56137030 (8.3×10-6) had not been highlighted in previous studies. While rs56137030was correlated at r2>0.5 with 103 SNPs in Europeans (including the GWAS index SNPs), this number was reduced to 28 SNPs in AA. Among rs56137030 and the 28 correlated SNPs, six were located within candidate intronic regulatory elements, including rs1421085, for which we predicted allele-specific binding affinity for the transcription factor CUX1, which has recently been implicated in the regulation of FTO. We did not find strong evidence for a second independent signal in the broader region. In summary, this large fine-mapping study in AA has substantially reduced the number of common alleles that are likely to be functional candidates of the known FTO locus. Importantly our study demonstrated that comprehensive fine-mapping in AA provides a powerful approach to narrow in on the functional candidate(s) underlying the initial GWAS findings in European populations