Lorentz-Lorenz Coefficient, Critical Point Constants, and Coexistence Curve of 1,1-Difluoroethylene

We report measurements of the Lorentz-Lorenz coefficient density dependence, the critical temperature, and the critical density, of the fluid 1,1-difluoroethylene. Lorentz-Lorenz coefficient data were obtained by measuring refractive index and density of the same fluid sample independently of one another. Accurate determination of the Lorentz-Lorenz coefficient is necessary for transformation of refractive index data into density data from optics-based experiments on critical phenomena of fluid systems done with different apparatus, with which independent measurement of the refractive indes and density is not possible. Measurements were made along the coexistence curve of the fluid and span the density range 0.01 to 0.80 g/cc. The Lorentz-Lorenz coefficient results show a stronger density dependence along the coexistence curve than previously observed in other fluids, with a monotonic decrease from a density of about 0.2 g/cc onwards, and an overall variation of about 2.5% in the density range studied. No anomaly in the Lorentz-Lorenz coefficient was observed near the critical density. The critical temperature is measured at Tc=(302.964+-0.002) K (29.814 C) and the measured critical density is (0.4195+-0.0018)g/cc.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, MikTeX 2.4, submitted to Physical Review

Optical Studies of the coexistence curve of the n-heptane+nitrobenzene mixture near its consolute point measured by an optical method

We have measured the coexistence curve of the binary liquid mixture n-heptane+nitrobenzene near its consolute point using an optical method. In particular, the critical exponent beta describing the coexistence curve was measured for this system. Previous experimental values of beta for n-heptane+nitrobenzene were higher than the typical theoretically calculated value, an unusual, although not unique, occurrence. In an effort to study this discrepancy, we have used an improved experimental apparatus for our measurements. We have taken special care to minimize temperature gradients and maximize the temperature stability of our thermal control system. We have also exploited features of a known optical method to analyze, thoroughly, sources of systematic errors. We measured an apparent value of beta as 0.367+/- 0.006 and by a careful study of the known sources of error we find that they are not able to remove the discrepancy between the measured and the theoretical values of beta. We also measured the critical temperature of the system at Tc=291.80+/- 0.02 K (18.65 C).Comment: 21 pages, 8 figures, submitted to Physical Review B. Shrunk Experimental section, expanded Equilibration and Conclusion sections, eliminated a figure, added reference; 19 pages, 7 figures, resubmitted to PRB. Replaced Fig. 3, added separate simple text file with coexistence curve data (OPvsT.txt); resubmitted to PR

Bankability of a public private partnership in agricultural sector: A project in sub Saharan Africa

A public private partnership can be an effective approach to deal the projects with modern agricultural development in Sub Saharan Africa. A former financial analysis of a development project, carried out by the authors, showed that public and private partners can effectively join in a mutually satisfactory venture capital. The same project is now complemented with a bankability study, considering lenders options, equity allocation, collaterals and likely applicable interest rates, available cash flow and sustainable debt service repayment to provide a through financing scenario for each partner’s perspective assessing the relevant Debt Service and Loan Life Cover Ratios. Cash flow and interest rates fluctuation impacts are eventually investigated with a sensitivity analysis to prove the robustness of the proposed scenario

Financial sustainability of a public-private partnership for an agricultural development project in Sub-Saharan Africa

Land, water, sun, infrastructure, capital and know-how are needed for any agricultural development. Sub-Saharan Africa has immense natural resources, though often not immediately available altogether in the same place, but is generally short of the other inputs. That is why a public-private partnership can be an effective approach to deal the projects with modern agricultural development: public partner provides land, most of the infrastructure and finance; private partners provide the intensive farming practice, processing know-how and part of the equity. Financial analysis of lower and higher capital demanding scenarios and testing of the impact of changes in the critical drivers of costs and revenues shown that a combination of staple crops and cash crops can be found to balance national food security policy targets and financial appeal for private partners in a mutually satisfactory venture capital. The effect of environmental and infrastructural constraints was also considered, showing how likely-to-happen threats on the side of the implementation of the project may turn into challenging opportunity to climb the agribusiness value chain upward

Relationship and sexual quality in the wake of COVID-19: Effects of individual regulatory focus and shared concerns over the pandemic

Research has shown mixed findings regarding the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on relation-ship and sexual quality and activity. We argue that some of these findings might be understood considering people’s predisposition to maintain safety (i.e., prevention focus) or take risks (i.e., promotion focus), and sharing concerns with one’s partner about the pandemic. A longitudinal study (N = 153) tested if regulatory focus before the pandemic (November 2019) was associated with relationship quality, sexual quality, and joint sexual activity later on (June 2020) and whether these effects were moderated by shared concerns over the pandemic. Results showed that participants more focused on prevention experienced higher relationship quality later on, but also less sexual quality and less frequent joint sexual activity, when they shared fewer (vs. more) con-cerns with their partner. In contrast, participants more focused on promotion experienced higher relationship quality later on when they shared more (vs. less) concerns with their partner. These results indicate how individuals’ regulatory focus and shared concerns in times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, can have downstream consequences on people’s relational and sexual dynamics. We offer insights for mental health professionals to improve psychosocial health and well-being when people are faced with critical events.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Having a prevention regulatory focus longitudinally predicted distress and health‐protective behaviors during the COVID‐19 pandemic

People focused on prevention (vs. promotion) are motivated by safety and are less inclined to take risks. We tested if having a prevention (vs. promotion) focus before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak predicted threat perceptions and health outcomes throughout the pandemic. Participants (N = 161) took part in a longitudinal study. Measures were assessed before the pandemic was declared (on November 2019, T1) and after a global pandemic was declared (on June 2020, T2). Participants who were more focused on prevention prior to the onset of the pandemic (at T1) perceived greater risk and were more worried about contracting COVID-19 and engaged in more preventive behaviors during the pandemic (at T2). They also reported less anxiety and felt healthier (at T2). Exploratory analyses revealed that enacting preventive behaviors helped people cope with pandemic-related anxiety. Being motivated by security and enacting preventive behaviors seems to have helped people reduce anxiety over risk even during the pandemic.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Prevent2Protect Project: Regulatory focus differences in sexual health knowledge and practices

The way people perceive risks and make decisions about their health is regulated by two motivational systems—prevention of harm or promotion of pleasure. People more focused on prevention strive to avoid negative outcomes and enact more health-protective behaviors. In contrast, people more focused on promotion strive to attain positive outcomes and take more risks with their health. Building upon recent evidence extending this framework to sexual behaviors and health, we conducted a pre-registered online survey (OSF) with Portuguese and Spanish adults (N = 742; Mage = 31.42, SD = 9.16) to examine whether self-reported STI knowledge and sexual health practices differ based on predominant regulatory focus. This study was part of the Prevent2Protect project (OSF). Results showed that prevention-focused participants had heard about more STIs and retrieved more of their knowledge from scientific sources but had been tested for fewer STIs in the past. In contrast, promotion-focused participants indicated they had specific knowledge about more STIs, retrieved more of their knowledge from medical and peer sources, and had been tested for more STIs in the past. They also reported more frequent STI testing, using free testing facilities or asking their family practice doctor to get tested, more routine sexual health check-ups, and more use of other contraceptive methods, such as birth control pills. These results remained unchanged after controlling for demographic differences. Overall, our findings showed that different motives in sexuality shape sexual health knowledge and sexual health practices.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mechanisms underlying activity of antiretroviral drugs in HIV-1-infected macrophages: New therapeutic strategies

Monocyte-derived macrophages (M/M) are considered the second cellular target of HIV-1 and a crucial virus reservoir. M/M are widely distributed in all tissues and organs, including the CNS, where they represent the most common HIV-infected cells. Differently from activated CD4+ T lymphocytes, M/M are resistant to the cytopathic effect of HIV and survive HIV infection for a long lime. Moreover, HIV-1 replication in M/M is a key pathogenetic event during the course of HIV-1 infection. Overall findings strongly support the clinical relevance of anti-HIV drugs in M/M. Nucleoside RT inhibitors (NRTIs) are more active against HIV in M/M than in CD4+ T lymphocytes. Their activity is further boosted by the presence of an additional monophosphate group (i.e., a phosphonate group, as in the case of Tenofovir), thus overcoming the bottleneck of the low phosphorylation ability of M/M. In contrast, the antiviral activity of non-NRTIs (not affecting the DNA chain elongation) in M/M is similar to that in CD4+ T lymphocytes. Protease inhibitors are the only clinically approved drugs acting at a late stage of the HIV lifecycle. They are able to interfere with HIV replication in HIV-1 chronically infected M/M, even if at concentrations greater than those observed in HIV-1 chronically infected CD4+ T lymphocytes. Finally, several new drugs have been shown to interfere efficiently with HIV replication in M/M, including entry inhibitors. A better understanding of the activity of the anti-HIV drugs in M/M may represent a key element for the design of effective anti-HIV chemotherapy. © Society for Leukocyte Biology

Exploring the role of the α-carboxyphosphonate moiety in the HIV-RT activity of α-carboxy nucleoside phosphonates

As α-carboxy nucleoside phosphonates (α-CNPs) have demonstrated a novel mode of action of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibition, structurally related derivatives were synthesized, namely the malonate 2, the unsaturated and saturated bisphosphonates 3 and 4, respectively and the amide 5. These compounds were evaluated for inhibition of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase in cell-free assays. The importance of the α-carboxy phosphonoacetic acid moiety for achieving reverse transcriptase inhibition, without the need for prior phosphorylation, was confirmed. The malonate derivative 2 was less active by two orders of magnitude than the original α-CNPs, while displaying the same pattern of kinetic behavior; interestingly the activity resides in the “L”-enantiomer of 2, as seen with the earlier series of α-CNPs. A crystal structure with an RT/DNA complex at 2.95 Å resolution revealed the binding of the “L”-enantiomer of 2, at the polymerase active site with a weaker metal ion chelation environment compared to 1a (T-α-CNP) which may explain the lower inhibitory activity of 2