Study of process variables associated with manufacturing hermetically sealed nickel-cadium cells Quarterly report, 23 May - 23 Aug. 1970

Separator materials, ceramic to metal seals, cell plate polarization and impregnation processes, and plaque sintering data for study of variables in manufacture of nickel cadmium cell

Sweep, Step, Pulse, and Frequency-Based Techniques Applied to Protein Monolayer Electrochemistry at Nanoparticle Interfaces

Protein monolayer electrochemistry (PME), a strategy using synthetic platforms to study the electron transfer (ET) properties of adsorbed proteins, has been successfully applied to proteins adsorbed at monolayer-protected gold cluster (MPCs) assembled films, an adsorption interface shown to be an effective alternative, compared to traditional self-assembled monolayer (SAM) films, for the immobilization and study of ET proteins. Within PME studies, cyclic voltammetry (CV) remains the most commonly applied electrochemical technique in spite of several limitations that occur when the sweep technique is used at either platform. In particular, CV for PME at MPC films results in analysis complications stemming from the increased charging current inherent to electrochemical interfaces incorporating MPCs with capacitive properties. In this study, multiple electroanalytical techniques, involving step (chronocoulometry, CC), pulse (square wave voltammetry, SWV), and frequency-based impedance (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, EIS) measurements, are applied to monolayers of adsorbed Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin and horse heart cytochrome c at both MPC film assemblies as well as traditional SAMs. Electrochemical parameters (formal potential, electroactive surface coverage, double-layer capacitance, and ET rate constant) measured from these various techniques are directly compared and offer insight into the performance and reliability of each technique’s effectiveness in PME. While certain techniques result in measurements indistinguishable from CV, others offer distinct differences. Moreover, the application of alternative techniques reveals systemic limitations and complications within the electrochemical analysis that we further explore, including strategies for applying fast scanning techniques like SWV as well as the construction of MPC platforms with controlled levels of charging current that enable successful impedance analysis. The application of more advanced electrochemical techniques to developing electrochemical interfaces such as MPC film assemblies allows for a greater understanding of not only PME but also the applicability and effectiveness of these techniques to optimize the measurement of specific electrochemical parameters

Autocorrelation analysis for the unbiased determination of power-law exponents in single-quantum-dot blinking

We present an unbiased and robust analysis method for power-law blinking statistics in the photoluminescence of single nano-emitters, allowing us to extract both the bright- and dark-state power-law exponents from the emitters' intensity autocorrelation functions. As opposed to the widely-used threshold method, our technique therefore does not require discriminating the emission levels of bright and dark states in the experimental intensity timetraces. We rely on the simultaneous recording of 450 emission timetraces of single CdSe/CdS core/shell quantum dots at a frame rate of 250 Hz with single photon sensitivity. Under these conditions, our approach can determine ON and OFF power-law exponents with a precision of 3% from a comparison to numerical simulations, even for shot-noise-dominated emission signals with an average intensity below 1 photon per frame and per quantum dot. These capabilities pave the way for the unbiased, threshold-free determination of blinking power-law exponents at the micro-second timescale

An introduction to crowdsourcing for language and multimedia technology research

Language and multimedia technology research often relies on large manually constructed datasets for training or evaluation of algorithms and systems. Constructing these datasets is often expensive with significant challenges in terms of recruitment of personnel to carry out the work. Crowdsourcing methods using scalable pools of workers available on-demand offers a flexible means of rapid low-cost construction of many of these datasets to support existing research requirements and potentially promote new research initiatives that would otherwise not be possible

A double masked randomised 4-week, placebo-controlled study in the USA, Thailand and Taiwan to compare the efficacy of oral valganciclovir and topical 2% ganciclovir in the treatment of cytomegalovirus anterior uveitis: study protocol.

IntroductionCytomegalovirus (CMV) anterior uveitis is a recognised cause of anterior uveitis in immunocompetent patients and is preventable cause of vision loss. Ocular sequelae include corneal endothelial damage which can cause corneal oedema and failure, as well as glaucoma. Recurrences of inflammation are common and therefore patients are often exposed to long-term therapy. Oral therapy is available in the form of valganciclovir, although with the caveat of systemic side effects such as bone marrow suppression and renal failure necessitating regular interval laboratory monitoring. Recent reports have demonstrated that topical 2% ganciclovir solution may offer promising treatment outcomes in patients with CMV anterior uveitis with superior safety, cost-effectiveness and convenience profiles. An investigation into the relative equipoise of these therapies is warranted for these reasons.Methods and analysisThe Systemic and Topical Control of Cytomegalovirus Anterior uveitis: Treatment Outcomes (STACCATO) trial is designed as a multicentre, block randomised by site, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial comparing the efficacy of oral valganciclovir, 2% topical ganciclovir and placebo in treating PCR-proven CMV anterior uveitis. Participant clinical evaluation will occur at three study time points by a masked study ophthalmologist over a 28-day period to assess resolution of ocular inflammation (secondary outcome). A control group will provide additional information about the possible impact that the infected host's immune response may play in controlling local viral replication. The primary analysis is an analysis of covariance (three arms) correcting for baseline to compare quantitative CMV viral load in the anterior chamber (AC) aqueous fluid before and 7 days after treatment.Ethics and disseminationThe University of California San Francisco Committee on Human Research and the Khon Kaen University Institutional Review Board have given ethical approval. The results of this trial will be presented at local and international meetings and submitted for peer-reviewed journals for publication.Trial registration numberNCT03576898

The extended molecular envelope of the asymptotic giant branch star π1 Gruis as seen by ALMA II. The spiral-outflow observed at high-angular resolution

Context. This study is a follow up to the previous analysis of lower-angular resolution data in which the kinematics and structure of the circumstellar envelope (CSE) around the S-type asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star pi(1) Gruis were investigated. The AGB star has a known companion (at a separation of 400 AU) that cannot explain the strong deviations from spherical symmetry of the CSE. Recently, hydrodynamic simulations of mass transfer in closer binary systems have successfully reproduced the spiral-shaped CSEs found around a handful of sources. There is growing evidence for an even closer, undetected companion complicating the case of pi(1) Gruis further. Aims. The improved spatial resolution allows for the investigation of the complex circumstellar morphology and the search for imprints on the CSE of the third component. Methods. We have observed the (CO)-C-12 J = 3-2 line emission from pi(1) Gruis using both the compact and extended array of Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The interferometric data have furthermore been combined with data from the ALMA total power array. The imaged brightness distribution has been used to constrain a non-local, non-local thermodynamic equilibrium 3D radiative transfer model of the CSE. Results. The high-angular resolution ALMA data have revealed the first example of a source on the AGB where both a faster bipolar outflow and a spiral pattern along the orbital plane can be seen in the gas envelope. The spiral can be traced in the low- to intermediate-velocity (13-25 km s(-1)) equatorial torus. The largest spiral-arm separation is approximate to 5.\u27\u27 5 and consistent with a companion with an orbital period of approximate to 330 yr and a separation of less than 70 AU. The kinematics of the bipolar outflow is consistent with it being created during a mass-loss eruption where the mass-loss rate from the system increased by at least a factor of five for 10-15 yr. Conclusions. The spiral pattern is the result of an undetected companion. The bipolar outflow is the result of a rather recent mass-loss eruption event

Content analysis of nutritional information in paediatric oral health education leaflets

Background: The aim of this study was to determine if paediatric oral health education leaflets with a food and nutritional focus provide messages that are clear and consistent with the current Australian Dietary Guidelines and the Infant Feeding Guidelines. Methods: Forty-three leaflets aimed at parents were sourced from Australian state and territory Health Departments, oral health industry partners and commercial organisations, and a content analysis was performed. Recommendations on food and drink type, consumption frequency and general diet and nutrition advice were considered and cross-referenced with the Australian Dietary Guidelines and the Infant Feeding Guidelines to identify areas of consistency and discrepancy. Results: Twenty leaflets recommended reducing the consumption of sugary and/or acidic food, while 23 leaflets recommended reducing the consumption of sugary and/or acidic drinks. The majority of the leaflets advised water (n = 35) and milk (n = 23) to drink. Although 33 leaflets encouraged a healthy diet, seven of these did not specify what a healthy diet was. Twenty-eight leaflets provided early childhood-related (0-2 years) feeding advice. Confusing messages were found in nine leaflets, with ambiguous recommendations that were open to individual interpretation. Conclusions: There were some inconsistencies between the leaflets and the dietary and infant feeding guidelines in Australia; and across the leaflets, as not all important messages were included in any one leaflet. Government Health Departments and other relevant agencies should ensure that advisory messages regarding diet, particularly those with dental implications, are clear, complete and consistent across all dental educational leaflets. © 2017 The Author(s)