Second OH Overtone Excitation And Statistical Dissociation Dynamics Of Peroxynitrous Acid

The second OH overtone transition of the trans-perp conformer of peroxynitrous acid (tp-HOONO) is identified using infrared action spectroscopy. HOONO is produced by the recombination of photolytically generated OH and NO(2) radicals, and then cooled in a pulsed supersonic expansion. The second overtone transition is assigned to tp-HOONO based on its vibrational frequency (10 195.3 cm(-1)) and rotational band contour, which are in accord with theoretical predictions and previous observations of the first overtone transition. The transition dipole moment associated with the overtone transition is rotated considerably from the OH bond axis, as evident from its hybrid band composition, indicating substantial charge redistribution upon OH stretch excitation. The overtone band exhibits homogeneous line broadening that is attributed to intramolecular vibrational redistribution, arising from the coupling of the initially excited OH stretch to other modes that ultimately lead to dissociation. The quantum state distributions of the OH X (2)Pi (nu=0) products following first and second OH overtone excitation of tp-HOONO are found to be statistical by comparison with three commonly used statistical models. The product state distributions are principally determined by the tp-HOONO binding energy of 16.2(1) kcal mol(-1). Only a small fraction of the OH products are produced in nu=1 following the second overtone excitation, consistent with statistical predictions

Human impacts on soils and geomorphic processes on the Des Moines Lobe, Iowa

A watershed scale approach to examining post-European settlement erosion-sedimentation was undertaken on the Des Moines Lobe in northcentral Iowa. Two closed basins comprised of glacigenic diamicton were selected for detailed field examination. The objectives of the study were to quantify post-settlement erosion-sedimentation rates and to characterize post-settlement hillslope sediments (PSHS) and the underlying buried soils. Soil morphology, particle-size distribution, mass magnetic susceptibility measurements, organic carbon depth distributions, quantitative soil color measurements, and cesium-137 depth distributions were utilized to identify PSHS and quantify erosion-sedimentation rates. Maximum thicknesses of 100 and 93 cm of PSHS were described in the two basins. Average post-settlement erosion rates were calculated to be 6.3 and 12 Mg/ha/yr for the two basins. These rates are approximately 10 times greater than pre-settlement rates for similar basins and geologic materials in northcentral Iowa reported in the literature. Post-settlement erosion-sedimentation resulted in the loss of at least 1.0 m of total relief in both basins since the time when land clearing and cultivation were initiated (approximately 1870). PSHS were coarser, contained less organic carbon, exhibited higher mass magnetic susceptibility values, and had higher bulk densities than the underlying buried soils. Difficulties utilizing Soil Taxonomy and master horizon nomenclature were encountered during the classification and description of PSHS;Quantitative relationships between soil color, soil texture, and organic matter content of three small drainage basins on the Des Moines Lobe were also examined. Quantitative soil color measurements were made on 130 Ap horizons using a tristimulus colorimeter. Strong relationships were observed between organic matter content and percent moist reflectance (r2 = 0.77), moist Munsell value (r2 = 0.77), moist Munsell chroma (r2 = 0.68), percent sand (r2 = 0.74), percent clay (r 2 = 0.71), and geometric mean particle diameter (r2 = 0.74). Logarithmic relationships existed for reflectance, Munsell value and chroma, and geometric mean particle diameter while linear relationships were observed for sand and clay contents. The rapid quantification of soil color properties with tristimulus colorimeter technology should prove to be a useful applied tool in the prediction of organic matter contents for soils in the study region

Pair term in the Electromagnetic Current within the Front-Form Dynamics: Spin-0 Case

The frame and scale dependence of the pair-term contribution to the electromagnetic form factor of a spin-zero composite system of two-fermions is studied within the Light Front. The form factor is evaluated from the plus-component of the current in the Breit frame, using for the first time a nonconstant, symmetric ansatz for the Bethe-Salpeter amplitude. The frame dependence is analyzed by allowing a nonvanishing plus component of the momentum transfer, while the dynamical scale is set by the masses of the constituents and by mass and size of the composite system. A transverse momentum distribution, associated with the Bethe-Salpeter amplitude, is introduced which allows to define strongly and weakly relativistic systems. In particular, for strongly relativistic systems, the pair term vanishes for the Drell-Yan condition, while is dominant for momentum transfer along the light-front direction. For a weakly relativistic system, fitted to the deuteron scale, the pair term is negligible up to momentum transfers of 1(GeV/c)$^2$. A comparison with results obtained within the Front-Form Hamiltonian dynamics with a fixed number of constituents is also presented.Comment: 25 pages + 7 figures; axodraw.sty included. To appear in Nucl. Phys.

Photo- and Electroproduction of Eta Mesons

Eta photo- and electroproduction off the nucleon is investigated in an effective lagrangian approach that contains Born terms and both vector meson and nucleon resonance contributions. In particular, we review and develop the formalism for coincidence experiments with polarization degrees of freedom. The different response functions appearing in single and double polarization experiments have been studied. We will present calculations for structure functions and kinematical conditions that are most sensitive to details of the lagrangian, in particular with regard to contributions of nucleon resonances beyond the dominant $S_{11}$(1535) resonance.Comment: 24 pages RevTeX/LaTeX2.09, NFSS1, 13 figures (in separate file (tar,gzip and uue)), accepted for publication in Z. Phys.

The correlates of urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR) in a high risk Australian Aboriginal community

Background: Albuminuria marks renal disease and cardiovascular risk. It was estimated to contribute 75% of the risk of all-cause natural death in one Aboriginal group. The urine albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) is commonly used as an index of albuminuria. This study aims to examine the associations between demographic factors, anthropometric index, blood pressure, lipid-protein measurements and other biomarkers and albuminuria in a cross-sectional study in a high-risk Australian Aboriginal population. The models will be evaluated for albuminuria at or above the microalbuminuria threshold, and at or above the "overt albuminuria" threshold with the potential to distinguish associations they have in common and those that differ

Identification of the Microsporidian Encephalitozoon cuniculi as a New Target of the IFNγ-Inducible IRG Resistance System

The IRG system of IFNγ-inducible GTPases constitutes a powerful resistance mechanism in mice against Toxoplasma gondii and two Chlamydia strains but not against many other bacteria and protozoa. Why only T. gondii and Chlamydia? We hypothesized that unusual features of the entry mechanisms and intracellular replicative niches of these two organisms, neither of which resembles a phagosome, might hint at a common principle. We examined another unicellular parasitic organism of mammals, member of an early-diverging group of Fungi, that bypasses the phagocytic mechanism when it enters the host cell: the microsporidian Encephalitozoon cuniculi. Consistent with the known susceptibility of IFNγ-deficient mice to E. cuniculi infection, we found that IFNγ treatment suppresses meront development and spore formation in mouse fibroblasts in vitro, and that this effect is mediated by IRG proteins. The process resembles that previously described in T. gondii and Chlamydia resistance. Effector (GKS subfamily) IRG proteins accumulate at the parasitophorous vacuole of E. cuniculi and the meronts are eliminated. The suppression of E. cuniculi growth by IFNγ is completely reversed in cells lacking regulatory (GMS subfamily) IRG proteins, cells that effectively lack all IRG function. In addition IFNγ-induced cells infected with E. cuniculi die by necrosis as previously shown for IFNγ-induced cells resisting T. gondii infection. Thus the IRG resistance system provides cell-autonomous immunity to specific parasites from three kingdoms of life: protozoa, bacteria and fungi. The phylogenetic divergence of the three organisms whose vacuoles are now known to be involved in IRG-mediated immunity and the non-phagosomal character of the vacuoles themselves strongly suggests that the IRG system is triggered not by the presence of specific parasite components but rather by absence of specific host components on the vacuolar membrane.Grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft: SFB635, 670, 680, SPP1399

Prosthetic heart valve assessment with multidetector-row CT: imaging characteristics of 91 valves in 83 patients

Multidetector CT (MDCT) has shown potential for prosthetic heart valve (PHV) assessment. We assessed the image quality of different PHV types to determine which valves are suitable for MDCT evaluation. All ECG-gated CTs performed in our institutions since 2003 were reviewed for the presence of PHVs. After reconstruction in 3 specific PHV planes, image quality of the supravalvular, perivalvular, subvalvular and valvular regions was scored on a four-point scale (1 = non-diagnostic, 2 = moderate, 3 = good and 4 = excellent) by two independent observers. Eighty-four CT examinations (66 cardiac, 18 limited-dose aortic protocols) of 83 patients with a total of 91 PHVs in the aortic (n = 71), mitral (n = 17), pulmonary (n = 1) and tricuspid (n = 2) position were included. CT was performed on a 16-slice (n = 4), 64-slice (n = 28) or 256-slice (n = 52) MDCT system. Median image quality scores for the supra-, peri- and subvalvular regions and valvular detail were (3.5, 3.3, 3.5 and 3.5, respectively) for bileaflet PHV; (3.0, 3.0, 3.5 and 3.0, respectively) for Medtronic Hall PHV; (1.0, 1.0, 1.0 and 1.0, respectively) for Björk-Shiley and Sorin monoleaflet PHV and (3.5, 3.5, 4.0 and 2.0 respectively) for biological PHV. Currently implanted PHVs have good image quality on MDCT and are suitable for MDCT evaluatio

The empirical equilibrium structure of diacetylene

High-level quantum-chemical calculations are reported at the MP2 and CCSD(T) levels of theory for the equilibrium structure and the harmonic and anharmonic force fields of diacetylene, HCCCCH. The calculations were performed employing Dunning's hierarchy of correlation-consistent basis sets cc-pVXZ, cc-pCVXZ, and cc-pwCVXZ, as well as the ANO2 basis set of Almloef and Taylor. An empirical equilibrium structure based on experimental rotational constants for thirteen isotopic species of diacetylene and computed zero-point vibrational corrections is determined (r_e^emp: rC-H=1.0615 A, rCtripleC=1.2085 A, rC-C = 1.3727 A) and in good agreement with the best theoretical structure (CCSD(T)/cc-pCV5Z: rC-H=1.0617 Angstrom, rCtripleC=1.2083 A, rC-C=1.3737 A). In addition, the computed fundamental vibrational frequencies are compared with the available experimental data and found in satisfactory agreement.Comment: 12 pages, accepted for publication in J. Mol. Spectros

Multidetector CT imaging of mechanical prosthetic heart valves: quantification of artifacts with a pulsatile in-vitro model

Item does not contain fulltextOBJECTIVES: Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) can detect the cause of prosthetic heart valve (PHV) dysfunction but is hampered by valve-induced artifacts. We quantified artifacts of four PHV using a pulsatile in-vitro model and assessed the relation to leaflet motion and valve design. METHODS: A Medtronic Hall tilting disc (MH), and Carbomedics (CM), St Jude (SJM), and ON-X bileaflet valves underwent CT in an in-vitro model using retrospective gating with a 64 detector CT system in stationary and pulsatile conditions. Artifacts and radiopaque component volumes were quantified with thresholds based on surrounding structures and valvular components. RESULTS: Hypodense artifacts volumes (mm(3)) were 1,029 +/- 147, 535 +/- 53, 371 +/- 16, and 366 +/- 18 for the SJM, MH, CM and ON-X valves (p < 0.001 except for the latter two valves p = 0.43). Hyperdense artifact volumes were 3,546 +/- 141, 2,387 +/- 103, 2,003 +/- 102, and 3,033 +/- 31 for the SJM, MH, CM and ON-X valve, respectively (all differences p < 0.001). Leaflet motion affected hypodense (F = 41.5, p < 0.001) and hyperdense artifacts (F = 53.7, p < 0.001). Closed and moving leaflets were associated with the least and the most artifacts respectively (p < 0.001, both artifact types). CONCLUSION: Both valve design and leaflet motion affect PHV-induced artifacts. Best imaging results may be expected for the CM valve during phases in which the leaflets are closed