Impact scenarios in boron carbide: A computational study

The effect of radiative impacts on the structure of boron carbide has been studied by both classical and ab initio simulations. As a part of this study, a new forcefield was developed for use in studying boron carbide materials. Impact scenarios in boron carbide were simulated in order to investigate the exceptional resistance of this material, and other icosahedral boron solids, to high-energy impact events. It was observed that interstitial defects created by radiative impacts are likely to be quenched locally, utilizing the high substitutional disorder of chains and cages in the boron carbide structure, rather than via impacted atoms recombining with their vacated lattice site

Molecular dynamics study of liquid silica under high pressure

Structural changes of liquid silica are investigated under high pressure by molecular dynamics simulation. It is well known that high-silica liquids display anomalous pressure-dependent behavior in their diffusivities. The potential model, the so-called ‘soft potential’, is used, as it is expected to simulate the structural changes of silica at high temperature well. With increasing pressure, above the glass transition temperature, the simulated silica melt shows the so-called diffusivity maximum under a pressure of 20 GPa, as already shown by the previous studies. However, it is also found that this diffusivity maximum disappears above 2800 K. The analysis of Si coordination number suggests that the competition between the increase of five-fold and that of three-fold controls the extent of the anomaly. Secondly, the analysis of ‘local oxygen packing number (LOPN)’, that had been developed to investigate geometrical features in amorphous structures, is applied. In a complementary manner to the analysis of the Si coordination number, the local structure in the silica melt shows the gradual structural transformation from a low-density to high density packing on compression. Finally, a model explaining the two types of change of diffusivity in silica melt was proposed in combination with the LOPN analysis and the structon analysis that had been developed to investigate the thermal change of local structures

Structural and dynamical properties of ionic liquids: a molecular dynamics study employing DL_POLY 4

Molecular dynamics simulations are often used to study the structures and dynamics of ionic liquids. Here, we have simulated three ionic liquids, trihexyl(tetradecyl)-phosphonium chloride [P66614][Cl], 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acecate [BMIm][Oac] and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide, [EMIm][DCA] in a comparison of two force fields, GAFF and CL&PFF. In most cases, the resulting theoretical densities agree with experimental values within a 2% error. Diffusive properties were characterised by mean squared displacements to show the significant effect of the alkyl chain on the movement of the [P66614] cation. Activation energies of diffusion were calculated from linear Arrhenius plots which agree with previous studies. Simulations of the dynamical behaviour show retention of short and medium-range structure of the ionic liquids with temperature. However, although with increasing temperature more high energy local configurations become accessible, they are observed less frequently as energy barriers are more easily overcome, resulting in more ordered time-averaged structures

Mechanisms of CO2 Capture in Ionic Liquids: A Computational Perspective

We present computational studies of CO2 sorption in two different classes of ionic liquid. The addition of carbon dioxide to four superbase ionic liquids, [P3333][Benzim], [P3333][124Triz], [P3333][123Triz] and [P3333][Bentriz] was studied using DFT approach and considering anions alone and individual ion pairs. Addition of CO2 to the anion alone clearly resulted in the formation of a covalently-bound carbamate function with the strength of binding correlated to experimental capacity. In the ion pair however the cation significantly alters the nature of the bonding such that the overall cohesive energy is reduced. Formation of a strong carbamate function occurs at the expense of weakening the interaction between anion and cation. In [N111][L-ALA], a representative amino acid ionic liquid, evidence was found for a low-enegy monomolecular mechanism for carbamate formation, explaining the 1:1 molar uptake ratio observed in some amino acid ionic liquids. The mechanism involves proton transfer to to the carboxylate group of the aminate anion

Black economic empowerment progress in the advertising industry in Cape Town: Challenges and benefits

Black economic empowerment (BEE) aims to enable black peoplein South Africa, as legislatively classified, to make a noteworthycontribution to the local economy by irreversibly altering the racialprofile of ownership, management echelons and all employmentlevels of existing and new organisations (SA dti 2004: 4–5). Thetransformation process in South Africa has been a lengthy andcomplex one, with the government gradually enacting enablinglegislation. The advertising industry has been criticised for its slowempowerment advancement, which led to two parliamentary hearingsin the early 2000s to investigate allegations of racism and poortransformation progress. The Association for Communication andAdvertising (ACA) has been the main driving force of transformationwithin the South African advertising industry, but there have beenfew studies that have effectively investigated transformation and BEEprogress within this industry over recent years. Therefore, the mainobjective of this study was to explore progress made by advertisingagencies towards transformation in Cape Town, as well as thechallenges and benefits that result from implementing BEE measures.The aforementioned was thoroughly examined by utilising a multiplecase study approach and by interviewing the top 12 traditional fullserviceadvertising agencies in Cape Town

Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points Assessment as a Tool to Respond to Emerging Infectious Disease Outbreaks

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI) strain H5N1 has had direct and indirect economic impacts arising from direct mortality and control programmes in over 50 countries reporting poultry outbreaks. HPAI H5N1 is now reported as the most widespread and expensive zoonotic disease recorded and continues to pose a global health threat. The aim of this research was to assess the potential of utilising Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points (HACCP) assessments in providing a framework for a rapid response to emerging infectious disease outbreaks. This novel approach applies a scientific process, widely used in food production systems, to assess risks related to a specific emerging health threat within a known zoonotic disease hotspot. We conducted a HACCP assessment for HPAI viruses within Vietnam’s domestic poultry trade and relate our findings to the existing literature. Our HACCP assessment identified poultry flock isolation, transportation, slaughter, preparation and consumption as critical control points for Vietnam’s domestic poultry trade. Introduction of the preventative measures highlighted through this HACCP evaluation would reduce the risks posed by HPAI viruses and pressure on the national economy. We conclude that this HACCP assessment provides compelling evidence for the future potential that HACCP analyses could play in initiating a rapid response to emerging infectious diseases

Roadmaps to Utopia: Tales of the Smart City

Notions of the Smart City are pervasive in urban development discourses. Various frameworks for the development of smart cities, often conceptualized as roadmaps, make a number of implicit claims about how smart city projects proceed but the legitimacy of those claims is unclear. This paper begins to address this gap in knowledge. We explore the development of a smart transport application, MotionMap, in the context of a £16M smart city programme taking place in Milton Keynes, UK. We examine how the idealized smart city narrative was locally inflected, and discuss the differences between the narrative and the processes and outcomes observed in Milton Keynes. The research shows that the vision of data-driven efficiency outlined in the roadmaps is not universally compelling, and that different approaches to the sensing and optimization of urban flows have potential for empowering or disempowering different actors. Roadmaps tend to emphasize the importance of delivering quick practical results. However, the benefits observed in Milton Keynes did not come from quick technical fixes but from a smart city narrative that reinforced existing city branding, mobilizing a growing network of actors towards the development of a smart region. Further research is needed to investigate this and other smart city developments, the significance of different smart city narratives, and how power relationships are reinforced and constructed through them

IFNβ Protects Neurons from Damage in a Murine Model of HIV-1 Associated Brain Injury.

Infection with human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) causes brain injury. Type I interferons (IFNα/β) are critical mediators of any anti-viral immune response and IFNβ has been implicated in the temporary control of lentiviral infection in the brain. Here we show that transgenic mice expressing HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein 120 in their central nervous system (HIVgp120tg) mount a transient IFNβ response and provide evidence that IFNβ confers neuronal protection against HIVgp120 toxicity. In cerebrocortical cell cultures, neuroprotection by IFNβ against gp120 toxicity is dependent on IFNα receptor 1 (IFNAR1) and the β-chemokine CCL4, as IFNAR1 deficiency and neutralizing antibodies against CCL4, respectively, abolish the neuroprotective effects. We find in vivo that IFNβ mRNA is significantly increased in HIVgp120tg brains at 1.5, but not 3 or 6 months of age. However, a four-week intranasal IFNβ treatment of HIVgp120tg mice starting at 3.5 months of age increases expression of CCL4 and concomitantly protects neuronal dendrites and pre-synaptic terminals in cortex and hippocampus from gp120-induced damage. Moreover, in vivo and in vitro data suggests astrocytes are a major source of IFNβ-induced CCL4. Altogether, our results suggest exogenous IFNβ as a neuroprotective factor that has potential to ameliorate in vivo HIVgp120-induced brain injury

Safety of anti-immunoglobulin E therapy with omalizumab in allergic patients at risk of geohelminth infection

BACKGROUND: Although the role of immunoglobulin E (IgE) in immunity against helminth parasites is unclear, there is concern that therapeutic antibodies that neutralize IgE (anti-IgE) may be unsafe in subjects at risk of helminth infection. OBJECTIVE: We conducted an exploratory study to investigate the safety of omalizumab (anti-IgE) in subjects with allergic asthma and/or perennial allergic rhinitis at high risk of intestinal helminth infection. The primary safety outcome was risk of infections with intestinal helminths during anti-IgE therapy. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in 137 subjects (12–30 years) at high risk of geohelminth infection. All subjects received pre-study anthelmintic treatment, followed by 52 weeks' treatment with omalizumab or placebo. RESULTS: Of the omalizumab subjects 50% (34/68) experienced at least one intestinal geohelminth infection compared with 41% (28/69) of placebo subjects [odds ratio (OR) 1.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.74–2.95, one-sided P = 0.14; OR (adjusted for study visit, baseline infection status, gender and age) 2.2 (0.94–5.15); one-sided P = 0.035], providing some evidence for a potential increased incidence of geohelminth infection in subjects receiving omalizumab. Omalizumab therapy was well tolerated, and did not appear to be associated with increased morbidity attributable to intestinal helminths as assessed by clinical and laboratory adverse events, maximal helminth infection intensities and additional anthelmintic requirements. Time to first infection (OR 1.30, 95% CI 0.79–2.15, one-sided P = 0.15) was similar between treatment groups. Infection severity and response to anthelmintics appeared to be unaffected by omalizumab therapy. CONCLUSIONS: In this exploratory study of allergic subjects at high risk of helminth infections, omalizumab therapy appeared to be safe and well tolerated, but may be associated with a modest increase in the incidence of geohelminth infection