A New Type of Supramolecular Fluid Based on H₂O-Alkylammonium/Phosphonium Solutions

Here we show that by adjusting the concentration of tetrabutyl ammonium and phosphonium salts in water (approximate to 1.5-2.0 m), hydrophobic solvation triggers the formation of a unique, highly incompressible supramolecular liquid, with a dynamic structure similar to clathrates, involving essentially all H2O molecules of the solvent. Despite the increasing local order, the thermal diffusivity, and compressibility of these supramolecular liquids is strongly decreased with respect to bulk water due to slower relaxation dynamics. The results presented in this paper open an avenue to design a new family of supramolecular fluids, stable under atmospheric conditions, which can find important technological applications in energy storage and conversion

Discordant MZ twins With Cleft Lip and Palate: a model for identifying genes in complex traits.

Monozygotic (MZ) twins may be discordant for complex traits due to differential environmental exposure in utero, epigenetic variability in imprinting, X chromosome inactivation, or stochastic effects. Occasionally MZ twins may be discordant for chromosomal and single gene disorders due to somatic mosaicism. For complex traits, which are due to the interactive effects of multiple genes and environmental factors, the affected twin of a discordant MZ pair offers the possibility for identifying somatic mutations in candidate genes. DNA sequencing of candidate genes in discordant MZ twins can identify those rare etiologic mutational events responsible for the different phenotypes since the confounding effects of common single nucleotide polymorphisms are eliminated, as DNA sequences should be identical in MZ pairs. In this report we describe the extensive DNA sequencing of 18 candidate genes in a sample of MZ and dizygotic (DZ) twins with nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate. We were unable to identify any somatic differences in approximately 34 Kb of DNA sequenced in 13 MZ pairs, for a total of approximately 900 Kb of sequence comparisons, supporting the hypothesis that nonetiologic posttwinning mutations are rare. While no etiologic variants were identified in this study, sequence comparisons of discordant MZ twins can serve as a tool for identifying etiologic mutations in clefting and other complex traits

Measuring Recidivism Rate: Its Predictive Variables and Antecedents

This study examined the recidivism rate at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology – National Capital Region (BJMP-NCR), Philippines, from 2020 to 2022 based on predictive variables and antecedents of recidivism. The results revealed that young individuals; males; married; Person Deprived of Liberty (PDL) with drug cases, leading to death or intending to cause death, and acts involving fraud and deception; and those having shorter stays in prison tend to recidivate more. Likewise, the pattern of recidivism in the Metro Manila District Jail (MMDJ) from 2020 to 2022 was affected by the existence of the COVID-19 pandemic. In conclusion, both predictive variables and antecedents of recidivism show no significant association with the pattern of recidivism