Crystal structures of four indole derivatives as possible cannabinoid allosteric antagonists

Acknowledgements We thank the EPSRC National Crystallography Service (University of Southampton) for the data collections and the EPSRC National Mass Spectrometry Service (University of Swansea) for the HRMS data. We thank John Low for carrying out the Cambridge Database survey.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

A preliminary survey of the estuaries on the south coast of South Africa, Cape St Blaize, Mossel Bay - Robberg Peninsula, Plettenberg Bay, with particular reference to the fish fauna

The coastal river systems on the south coast of South Africa from Cape St Blaize to Robberg Peninsula were surveyed during October and November 1994. The ichthyofaunal and physico-chemical characteristics of each system are presented and their suitability as estuarine nursery areas is discussed. Five systems (Rooi, Meul, Grooteiland, Kranshoek and Crooks) are outlets of small coastal streams and probably provide little or no habitat for either resident estuarine or migrant marine fishes owing to their small size. Four systems (Maalgate, Gwaing, Skaapkop and Kaaimans) are located within deeply incised valleys and have a permanent connection with the sea. The amount of marginal and intertidal habitat available to fishes, however, is limited due to their morphology. Six systems (Hartenbos, Groot Brak, Touw, Swartvlei, Goukamma and Noetsie) are intermittently open to the sea. Although the Touw and Swartvlei are connected to coastal lake systems, flow within these estuaries is not sufficient to prevent the build up of a sand barrier at the mouth. The Hartenbos, Groot Brak, Goukamma, and Noetsie are also periodically closed by a sand bar. The construction of a dam in the lower catchment of the Groot Brak has affected the hydrology of the system. The two remaining estuaries (Klein Brak and Knysna) are permanently open. In addition to strong tidal currents, the fixing of the mouth of the Knysna Estuary between rocky headlands also serves to maintain a permanent connection with the sea. Mugilidae and Sparidae were represented by the greatest number of species, and also dominated catches numerically and by mass. The fish fauna of all the estuaries surveyed were dominated by the juveniles of estuarine-dependent marine species and estuarine-resident species were also well represented in catches. The estuaries surveyed provide a vital habitat for both marine migrant species and resident species, most of which are endemic to the region

Do structured methods help eco-innovation: An evaluation of the product ideas tree diagram

This paper reports on the first test of the Product Ideas Tree diagram (PIT): a structured method aimed to help Eco-innovation. The PIT diagram structures ideas output from chaotic idea generating sessions. This study compared four ways of conducting an Eco-innovation workshop. The results show that structured methods help Eco-innovation by improving the constructive communication between the participants. Further development of the PIT diagram promises to contribute several new approaches to sustainable product and process design

An NGO-Implemented Community-Clinic Health Worker Approach to Providing Long-Term Care for Hypertension in a Remote Region of Southern India.

Poor blood pressure control results in tremendous morbidity and mortality in India where the leading cause of death among adults is from coronary heart disease. Despite having little formal education, community health workers (CHWs) are integral to successful public health interventions in India and other low- and middle-income countries that have a shortage of trained health professionals. Training CHWs to screen for and manage chronic hypertension, with support from trained clinicians, offers an excellent opportunity for effecting systemwide change in hypertension-related burden of disease. In this article, we describe the development of a program that trained CHWs between 2014 and 2015 in the tribal region of the Sittilingi Valley in southern India, to identify hypertensive patients in the community, refer them for diagnosis and initial management in a physician-staffed clinic, and provide them with sustained lifestyle interventions and medications over multiple visits. We found that after 2 years, the CHWs had screened 7,176 people over age 18 for hypertension, 1,184 (16.5%) of whom were screened as hypertensive. Of the 1,184 patients screened as hypertensive, 898 (75.8%) had achieved blood pressure control, defined as a systolic blood pressure less than 140 and a diastolic blood pressure less than 90 sustained over 3 consecutive visits. While all of the 24 trained CHWs reported confidence in checking blood pressure with a manual blood pressure cuff, 4 of the 24 CHWs reported occasional difficulty documenting blood pressure values because they were unable to write numbers properly. They compensated by asking other CHWs or members of their community to help with documentation. Our experience and findings suggest that a CHW blood pressure screening system linked to a central clinic can be a promising avenue for improving hypertension control rates in low- and middle-income countries

Grain boundary energies and cohesive strength as a function of geometry

Cohesive laws are stress-strain curves used in finite element calculations to describe the debonding of interfaces such as grain boundaries. It would be convenient to describe grain boundary cohesive laws as a function of the parameters needed to describe the grain boundary geometry; two parameters in 2D and 5 parameters in 3D. However, we find that the cohesive law is not a smooth function of these parameters. In fact, it is discontinuous at geometries for which the two grains have repeat distances that are rational with respect to one another. Using atomistic simulations, we extract grain boundary energies and cohesive laws of grain boundary fracture in 2D with a Lennard-Jones potential for all possible geometries which can be simulated within periodic boundary conditions with a maximum box size. We introduce a model where grain boundaries are represented as high symmetry boundaries decorated by extra dislocations. Using it, we develop a functional form for the symmetric grain boundary energies, which have cusps at all high symmetry angles. We also find the asymptotic form of the fracture toughness near the discontinuities at high symmetry grain boundaries using our dislocation decoration model.Comment: 12 pages, 19 figures, changed titl

A Novel Mechanism for Type-I Superconductivity in Neutron Stars

We suggest a mechanism that may resolve a conflict raised by Link between the precession of a neutron star and the standard picture in which its core is composed of a mixture of a neutron superfluid and a type-II proton superconductor. We will show that if there is a persistent, non-dissipating current running along the magnetic flux tubes, the force between magnetic flux tubes may be attractive, resulting in a type-I, rather than a type-II, superconductor. If this is the case, the conflict between the observed precession and the canonical estimation of the Landau-Ginzburg parameter (which suggests type II behaviour) will be automatically resolved. Such a current arises in some condensed matter systems and may also appear in QCD dense matter as a consequence of quantum anomalies. We calculate the interaction between two vortices carrying a current j and find a constraint on the magnitude of j where a superconductor is always type-I, even when the cannonical Landau-Ginzburg parameter indicates type-II behaviour. If this condition is met, the magnetic field is expelled from the superconducting regions of the neutron star leading to the formation of the intermediate state where alternating domains of superconducting matter and normal matter coexist. We further argue that even when the induced current is small the vortex Abrikosov lattice will nevertheless be destroyed due to the helical instability studied previously in many condensed matter systems. This would also resolve the apparent contradiction with the precession of the neutron stars. We also discuss some instances where anomalous induced current may play a crucial role, such as the neutron star kicks, pulsar glitches and the toroidal magnetic field.Comment: 10 pages, Additional arguments are given supporting the idea that the Abrikosov lattice will be destroyed in regions where longitudinal currents are induce

Prevalence of iron deficiency in 62,685 women of seven race/ethnicity groups: The HEIRS Study.

BackgroundFew cross-sectional studies report iron deficiency (ID) prevalence in women of different race/ethnicity and ages in US or Canada.Materials and methodsWe evaluated screening observations on women who participated between 2001-2003 in a cross-sectional, primary care-based sample of adults ages ≥25 y whose observations were complete: race/ethnicity; age; transferrin saturation; serum ferritin; and HFE p.C282Y and p.H63D alleles. We defined ID using a stringent criterion: combined transferrin saturation <10% and serum ferritin <33.7 pmol/L (<15 μg/L). We compared ID prevalence in women of different race/ethnicity subgrouped by age and determined associations of p.C282Y and p.H63D to ID overall, and to ID in women ages 25-44 y with or without self-reported pregnancy.ResultsThese 62,685 women included 27,079 whites, 17,272 blacks, 8,566 Hispanics, 7,615 Asians, 449 Pacific Islanders, 441 Native Americans, and 1,263 participants of other race/ethnicity. Proportions of women with ID were higher in Hispanics and blacks than whites and Asians. Prevalence of ID was significantly greater in women ages 25-54 y of all race/ethnicity groups than women ages ≥55 y of corresponding race/ethnicity. In women ages ≥55 y, ID prevalence did not differ significantly across race/ethnicity. p.C282Y and p.H63D prevalence did not differ significantly in women with or without ID, regardless of race/ethnicity, age subgroup, or pregnancy.ConclusionsID prevalence was greater in Hispanic and black than white and Asian women ages 25-54 y. p.C282Y and p.H63D prevalence did not differ significantly in women with or without ID, regardless of race/ethnicity, age subgroup, or pregnancy

Weak interactions in the crystal structures of two indole derivatives

Acknowledgements We thank the EPSRC National Crystallography Service (University of Southampton) for the data collections and the EPSRC National Mass Spectrometry Service (University of Swansea) for the HRMS data.Peer reviewedPublisher PD