Triplet luminescent dinuclear-gold(I) complex-based light-emitting diodes with low turn-on voltage

The electroluminescence (EL) from a dinuclear-gold(I)-chlorate compound containing bridging phosphine ligands [Au 2(dppm)Cl 2] as emitting layer is reported. Devices with a structure Al/Au 2(dppm)Cl 2/indium-tin-oxide demonstrated a uniform emission under the driving voltage below 1 V. The EL emission was from triplet excited state and the emission color of the device was found to depend on the deposition rate of Au 2(dppm)Cl 2, which can be explained as the different aggregation forms of the stacking compound in the deposition process. © 1999 American Institute of Physics.published_or_final_versio

An invisibility cloak using silver nanowires

In this paper, we use the parameter retrieval method together with an analytical effective medium approach to design a well-performed invisible cloak, which is based on an empirical revised version of the reduced cloak. The designed cloak can be implemented by silver nanowires with elliptical cross-sections embedded in a polymethyl methacrylate host. This cloak is numerically proved to be robust for both the inner hidden object as well as incoming detecting waves, and is much simpler thus easier to manufacture when compared with the earlier proposed one [Nat. Photon. 1, 224 (2007)].Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, 2 table

Effects of surgical caponisation on growth, carcass and some haematological parameters in cockerel chickens

The study was conducted to assess the effects of surgical caponisation on growth, carcass and some haematological parameters in cockerel chickens. Sixty (60) apparently healthy day old chicks were randomly distributed into two experimental groups (caponised and un-caponised) of thirty (30) cockerels each. The birds were caponised at the age of eight (8) weeks old and slaughtered at sixteen (16) weeks of age. The means of weekly weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio and final body weight in the two groups were not significantly different (p>0.05) except the mean of final body weight that was significantly different (p.0.05). The mean weights of carcass, eviscerated carcass, hind-limb and fore-limb of the two groups were significantly different (p.0.05) while that of the breast was not significantly different (p>0.05). The mean weights of the heart, liver and gizzard of the two groups were significantly different (p.0.05) however the mean weight of the kidney was not (P>0.05). All the mean values of Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Haemoglobin Content (HBC) and Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) in the two groups were not significantly different (p>0.05) however the White Blood Cells (WBC) was significantly different (p.0.05). It was concluded that the surgical caponisation of cockerel chickens at eight (8) weeks of age has significant effects on the growth and carcass traits (p.0.05) except on kidney (p>0.05) and has no significant effects on the haematological parameters (p>0.05) except on WBC (p.0.05).Keywords: Caponisation, Carcass, Cockerel, Growth, Haematological

Toxicity studies of ethanol extract of the leaves of Datura stramonium in rats

The effect of administration of ethanol extract of the leaves of Datura stramonium on some serum biochemical parameters was studied in rats to establish its safety. 50 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg doses of the extract were administered to the rats for five weeks. Parameters studied were the indices of liver and kidney function and some biochemical and hematological parameters. Feed intake, final body weight, serum AST, ALT, bilirubin, total protein, urea and the electrolytes studied were all not affected by the extract administration. Serum creatinine levels were however significantly raised in the rats administered the 200 mg/kg body weight ethanol extract. The biochemical and hematological parameters studied were also not affected. Administration of the extract for the five weeks period did not therefore establish its complete safety

Distribution of abo blood group, rhesus factor and haemoglobin genotype in Maiduguri Metropolis, North-eastern Nigeria

To establish the frequency distribution of ABO, Rhesus (Rh) blood groups and haemoglobin genotype in Maiduguri metropolis. Methods: A total of four hundred and seventy subjects consisting of males and females were enrolled into the study. The subjects enrolled were university students and patients coming to the haematology department of the university of Maiduguri teaching hospital they were randomly selected and their ABO blood groups, Rhesus D antigen and genotype were determined. Results: The distribution of the blood groups antigen evaluated by our study are as follows; Blood group O were found to be231 (49.1%), blood group B categorized as 104 (22.1%),blood group A91 (19.3%), and blood group AB had the least 46 (9.3%).The Rhesus (Rh D) factor positivity was 399 (85%), and that (Rh D) negativity were71 (15%). The haemoglobin genotype were expressed as HbAA, AS, SS, AC and SC and the study revealed frequencies of AA, 297 (63.2%), AS, 122 (26%), SS,32 (6.8%),AC 12 (2.5%) and SC 07 (1.4%). Conclusion: This study showed that blood group O is predominant than the other blood groups and that blood group AB had the least. Rhesus (D) positivity was 85% as compared to Rhesus (D) negativity of 15%. The haemoglobin genotype showed HbAA had the highest occurrence, while SC had the least

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هدف از پژوهش حاضر بررسی نقش میانجی ابعاد کمال گرایی در رابطۀ بین ابعاد فرزندپروری واهمال کاری تحصیلی بود. بدین منظور 490 دانشجو ( 211 پسر و 279 دختر ) از دانشگاه شه یدبهشتی تهران که به شیوة نمونه گیری خوشه ای با واحد نمونه ای کلاس انتخاب شده بودند،پرسشنامۀ سبک فرزندپروری ادراک شده (نقاشیان، 1358 )، مقیاس ارزیابی اهمال کار ی نسخۀدانشجو (سولومون و راث بلوم، 1984 ) و مقیاس چندبعدی کمال گرایی (فلت و هویت، 1991 ) راتکمیل کردند. برای تحلیل اطلاعات از روش آماری رگرسیون چندگانه استفاده شد. نتایج حاصل ازتحلیل رگرسیون نشان داد که بعد محبت طرد فرزندپروری به صورت مستقیم و منفی اهمال کاریتحصیلی و کمال گرایی جامعه مدار و به صورت مستقیم و مثبت کمال گرایی خودمدار و همچنین بهصورت غیر مستقیم و منفی و به واسطۀ ابعاد کمال گرایی، اهمال کاری تحصیلی را پی شبینی میکند .همچنین نتایج نشان داد که بعد کنترل آزادی فرزندپروری به صورت غیرمستقیم و مثبت و تنها ازطریق بعد کمال گرایی جامعه مدار و نه بعد کمال گرایی خودمدار اهمال کاری تحصیلی را پ یش بین یمیکند

Thyroidectomy under local anaesthesia: how safe?

In order to compliment the inadequate health facilities in the rural areas in Nigeria, nongovernmental organisations provide adhoc outreach health camps that offer treatment in various medical specialties including surgery. Rural outreach health camps. To evaluate the safety of thyroidectomy under local anaesthesia at rural outreach setting with inadequate facilities for general anaesthesia. This was a prospective descriptive study of 33 consecutive cases of thyroidectomy performed using field block with 1% lignocaine and adrenaline 1: 200,000 dilution during two free medical outreaches that held at Jos,Nigeria inMarch andOctober 2005 respectively, lasting twoweeks each. : A total of 33 primary thyroid operations were performed consisting of 30 subtotal thyroidectomies (91%), 2 lobectomies (6%) and one total thyroidectomy (3%), The patientswere aged between 23 and 62 years with a mean age of 45.8years. There were 3males and 30 females with a male: female ratio of 1:10. There was no mortality butmorbidity was 2/33 (6%) Two complications were recorded in 2 patients and were superficial surgical site infection (3%) and reactionary haemorrhage (3%). We conclude that thyroidectomy under local anaesthesia is a safe procedure in experienced hands at rural settingswith inadequate facilities for general anaesthesia. Keywords: Thyroidectomy; Local anaesthesia; Safety;Rural outreach;Nigeria Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice Vol. 11 (1) 2008: pp.37-4

On Multiphase-Linear Ranking Functions

Multiphase ranking functions ($\mathit{M{\Phi}RFs}$) were proposed as a means to prove the termination of a loop in which the computation progresses through a number of "phases", and the progress of each phase is described by a different linear ranking function. Our work provides new insights regarding such functions for loops described by a conjunction of linear constraints (single-path loops). We provide a complete polynomial-time solution to the problem of existence and of synthesis of $\mathit{M{\Phi}RF}$ of bounded depth (number of phases), when variables range over rational or real numbers; a complete solution for the (harder) case that variables are integer, with a matching lower-bound proof, showing that the problem is coNP-complete; and a new theorem which bounds the number of iterations for loops with $\mathit{M{\Phi}RFs}$. Surprisingly, the bound is linear, even when the variables involved change in non-linear way. We also consider a type of lexicographic ranking functions, $\mathit{LLRFs}$, more expressive than types of lexicographic functions for which complete solutions have been given so far. We prove that for the above type of loops, lexicographic functions can be reduced to $\mathit{M{\Phi}RFs}$, and thus the questions of complexity of detection and synthesis, and of resulting iteration bounds, are also answered for this class.Comment: typos correcte

Studies of SARS virus vaccines

1. Intranasal vaccination using inactivated SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) vaccine with adjuvant can induce strong systemic (serum immunoglobulin [Ig] G) and respiratory tract local (tracheal-lung wash fluid IgA) antibody responses with neutralising activity. 2. RBD-Fc (protein-based vaccine) is able to induce effective neutralising antibodies able to provide protection from SARS-CoV infection in animal models. 3. A single dose of RBD-rAAV vaccination can induce adequate neutralising antibody against SARS-CoV infection. 4. Additional doses of vaccine increased the production of neutralising antibody 5-fold compared with a single dose. 5. RBD-rAAV vaccination provoked a prolonged antibody response with continually increasing levels of neutralising activity. 6. Intranasal vaccination with RBD-rAAV induced local IgA and systemic IgG neutralising antibodies and specific T-cell responses, able to protect against SARS-CoV infection in animal models. 7. When compared with the RBD-rAAV prime/boost vaccination, RBD-rAAV prime/RBD-peptide boost induced similar levels of Th1 and neutralising antibody responses that protected vaccinated mice from subsequent SARS-CoV challenges,but stronger Th2 and CTL responses. 8. Overall, our findings suggest that the inactivated vaccine, RBD-Fc and RBD-rAAV, can be further developed into effective and safe vaccines against SARS and that intranasal vaccination may be the preferred route of administration.published_or_final_versio

Studies of SARS virus vaccines

1. Intranasal vaccination using inactivated SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) vaccine with adjuvant can induce strong systemic (serum immunoglobulin [Ig] G) and respiratory tract local (tracheal-lung wash fluid IgA) antibody responses with neutralising activity. 2. RBD-Fc (protein-based vaccine) is able to induce effective neutralising antibodies able to provide protection from SARS-CoV infection in animal models. 3. A single dose of RBD-rAAV vaccination can induce adequate neutralising antibody against SARS-CoV infection. 4. Additional doses of vaccine increased the production of neutralising antibody 5-fold compared with a single dose. 5. RBD-rAAV vaccination provoked a prolonged antibody response with continually increasing levels of neutralising activity. 6. Intranasal vaccination with RBD-rAAV induced local IgA and systemic IgG neutralising antibodies and specific T-cell responses, able to protect against SARS-CoV infection in animal models. 7. When compared with the RBD-rAAV prime/boost vaccination, RBD-rAAV prime/RBD-peptide boost induced similar levels of Th1 and neutralising antibody responses that protected vaccinated mice from subsequent SARS-CoV challenges,but stronger Th2 and CTL responses. 8. Overall, our findings suggest that the inactivated vaccine, RBD-Fc and RBD-rAAV, can be further developed into effective and safe vaccines against SARS and that intranasal vaccination may be the preferred route of administration.published_or_final_versio