Some considerations of oxygen utilization rates in Puget Sound

Concentrationa of dissolved oxygen in tributary basins of the fjord-like Puget Sound region (Washington) have been determined during monthly surveys of water characteristics. By selecting periods when a consideration of conaervative properties suggests that the effects of advection and diffusion are small, the local rates of change in oxygen concentration have been determined; it is assumed that these rates approximate the utilization or consumption rates...

Textural variations in MORB sulfide droplets due to differences in crystallization history

Sulfide droplets from fresh Mid-Ocean-Ridge Basalt (MORB) glasses show different textures. Some are fine-grained droplets consist of Monosulfide Solid Solution (Mss) and Intermediate Solid Solution (Iss) micrometric intergrowths with pentlandite at the Mss-Iss interface and disseminated Fe-oxide grains; other droplets display a characteristic “zoned” texture consisting of segregated massive grains of Mss and Iss, with euhedral Fe-oxides and pentlandite occuring as equant grains and as flame-shaped domains in the Mss formed by exsolutions. The difference in the textures implies a difference in the crystallization history of the sulfide droplets. These different textures are observed in droplets that are only millimeters apart in the same sample, and thus had an identical cooling history. Therefore, some other factors controlled the textural development. There is relationship between the size and the texture of the droplets. The larger sulfide droplets tend to have zoned textures and the smaller ones fine-grained textures. We propose that the latter have experienced greater undercooling before crystallization. The reason for the delay in crystallization could be that, in the small sulfide droplets, large stable grains with low surface to volume ratio cannot form, which results in higher effective solubility of the Mss. Due to the high degree of undercooling in the small droplets, there were numerous nucleation sites and the diffusion rates of the crystal components in the liquid were lower, leading to fine-grained Mss-Iss intergrowths. In contrast, larger droplets with lower effective solubility of Mss began to crystallize at higher temperature, and thus had fewer nucleation sites, higher diffusion rates, and more time for sulfide differentiation

Geographically touring the eastern bloc: British geography, travel cultures and the Cold War

This paper considers the role of travel in the generation of geographical knowledge of the eastern bloc by British geographers. Based on oral history and surveys of published work, the paper examines the roles of three kinds of travel experience: individual private travels, tours via state tourist agencies, and tours by academic delegations. Examples are drawn from across the eastern bloc, including the USSR, Poland, Romania, East Germany and Albania. The relationship between travel and publication is addressed, notably within textbooks, and in the Geographical Magazine. The study argues for the extension of accounts of cultures of geographical travel, and seeks to supplement the existing historiography of Cold War geography

Validation of the questionnaire on beliefs about medication with type 2 diabetic patients

O presente trabalho teve como objectivo validar o Questionário Crenças sobre a Medicação, que avalia Crenças Gerais e Crenças Específicas, estudando suas propriedades psicométricas em uma amostra de 387 pacientes diabéticos tipo 2. O estudo de validade para as Crenças Gerais revelou uma solução de um factor, com um alfa de 0,76, e para as Crenças Específicas, dois factores – Necessidades e Preocupações –, com um alfa de 0,77 e 0,69 respectivamente. Quanto à validade de constructo, verificou-se uma relação entre as Crenças Gerais e a subescala Necessidades das Crenças Específicas com Adesão à Medicação, avaliada pela Escala de Avaliação de Aderência Médica. O instrumento apresenta boas qualidades psicométricas para ser utilizado em pacientes diabéticos tipo 2.The present paper focused on the validation of the Questionnaire on Beliefs about Medication, which assesses both General Beliefs and Specific Beliefs. The psychometric properties of the instrument were analyzed on a sample of 387 type 2 diabetic patients. The validity study for General Beliefs found a unifactorial solution, with an alpha of .76, and for Specific Beliefs, a two-factor solution – Necessities and Concern –, with an alpha of .77 and .69, respectively. In terms of construct validity, a relationship between General Beliefs, subscale Necessities from Specific Beliefs, and adherence to medication, as evaluated by Medical Adherence Rating Scale, was found. The instrument presents good psychometric qualities to be used in type 2 diabetic patients.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT

Parity Mixing of 0+ and 0- Levels in 18F

The circular polarization of the γ rays emitted in the transition from the 1.081-MeV state to the ground state in 18F has been measured to be (1.6±5.6)×10^-4, corresponding to a parity-nonconserving (PNC) matrix element |〈0+, I=1|VPNC|0-, I=0〉|=0.03±0.10 eV. The weak pion-nucleon coupling constant deduced from the weighted average of all recent 18F measurements is (0.28-0.28+0.89)×10^-7. This result, together with PNC matrix elements in other experiments, suggests that the isovector weak NN interaction may be strongly suppressed compared with the isoscalar weak NN interaction

Mineral Preservatives in the Wood of Stradivari and Guarneri

Following the futile efforts of generations to reach the high standard of excellence achieved by the luthiers in Cremona, Italy, by variations of design and plate tuning, current interest is being focused on differences in material properties. The long-standing question whether the wood of Stradivari and Guarneri were treated with wood preservative materials could be answered only by the examination of wood specimens from the precious antique instruments. In a recent communication (Nature, 2006), we reported about the degradation of the wood polymers in instruments of Stradivari and Guarneri, which could be explained only by chemical manipulations, possibly by preservatives. The aim of the current work was to identify the minerals from the small samples of the maple wood which were available to us from the antique instruments. The ashes of wood from one violin and one cello by Stradivari, two violins by Guarneri, one viola by H. Jay, one violin by Gand-Bernardel were analyzed and compared with a variety of commercial tone woods. The methods of analysis were the following: back-scattered electron imaging, X-ray fluorescence maps for individual elements, wave-length dispersive spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and quantitative microprobe analysis. All four Cremonese instruments showed the unmistakable signs of chemical treatments in the form of chemicals which are not present in natural woods, such as BaSO4, CaF2, borate, and ZrSiO4. In addition to these, there were also changes in the common wood minerals. Statistical evaluation of 12 minerals by discriminant analysis revealed: a. a difference among all four Cremona instruments, b. the difference of the Cremonese instruments from the French and English antiques, and c. only the Cremonese instruments differed from all commercial woods. These findings may provide the answer why all attempts to recreate the Stradivarius from natural wood have failed. There are many obvious implications with regard to how the green tone wood should be treated, which chould lead to changes in the practice of violin-making. This research should inspire others to analyze more antique violins for their chemical contents

Silencing Nociceptor Neurons Reduces Allergic Airway Inflammation

Lung nociceptors initiate cough and bronchoconstriction. To elucidate if these fibers also contribute to allergic airway inflammation, we stimulated lung nociceptors with capsaicin and observed increased neuropeptide release and immune cell infiltration. In contrast, ablating Nav1.8(+) sensory neurons or silencing them with QX-314, a charged sodium channel inhibitor that enters via large-pore ion channels to specifically block nociceptors, substantially reduced ovalbumin- or house-dust-mite-induced airway inflammation and bronchial hyperresponsiveness. We also discovered that IL-5, a cytokine produced by activated immune cells, acts directly on nociceptors to induce the release of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). VIP then stimulates CD4(+) and resident innate lymphoid type 2 cells, creating an inflammatory signaling loop that promotes allergic inflammation. Our results indicate that nociceptors amplify pathological adaptive immune responses and that silencing these neurons with QX-314 interrupts this neuro-immune interplay, revealing a potential new therapeutic strategy for asthma

Funding source, trial outcome and reporting quality: are they related? Results of a pilot study

BACKGROUND: There has been increasing concern regarding the potential effects of the commercialization of research. METHODS: In order to examine the relationships between funding source, trial outcome and reporting quality, recent issues of five peer-reviewed, high impact factor, general medical journals were hand-searched to identify a sample of 100 randomized controlled trials (20 trials/journal). Relevant data, including funding source (industry/not-for-profit/mixed/not reported) and statistical significance of primary outcome (favouring new treatment/favouring conventional treatment/neutral/unclear), were abstracted. Quality scores were assigned using the Jadad scale and the adequacy of allocation concealment. RESULTS: Sixty-six percent of trials received some industry funding. Trial outcome was not associated with funding source (p= .461). There was a preponderance of favourable statistical conclusions among published trials with 67% reporting results that favored a new treatment whereas 6% favoured the conventional treatment. Quality scores were not associated with funding source or trial outcome. CONCLUSIONS: It is not known whether the absence of significant associations between funding source, trial outcome and reporting quality reflects a true absence of an association or is an artefact of inadequate statistical power, reliance on voluntary disclosure of funding information, a focus on trials recently published in the top medical journals, or some combination thereof. Continued and expanded monitoring of potential conflicts is recommended, particularly in light of new guidelines for disclosure that have been endorsed by the ICMJE