Protective Coverall Design Development and Testing

The purpose of this study was to improve the design and function of a disposable, level-one protective coverall for a Fortune 500 company. This research used the design process in conjunction with product benchmarking, on-site observational studies, user feedback, 3D body scan technology, fit tests, and expert evaluation to develop a coverall that is superior to the company\u27s current offering

Dithiinmaleimide Functionalized ET Derivatives: Syntheses, Characterization and X-ray Structure

Dithiinmaleimide (ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene (1) and N-phenyldithiinmaleimide (ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene (2) have been synthesized from bis(tetraethylammonium)bis(ethylenedithiotetrathiafulvalenyldithiolato)-zincate (3) in high yields. Their electrochemical properties were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements which show two reversible redox potentials of the tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) moiety and an irreversible reduction potential of the maleimide ring. The X-ray structure of 1 shows close S···S contacts in the range of the van der Waals radii (3.6 Å) and hydrogen bonds between the maleimide unite

O2Activation over Ag-Decorated CeO2(111) and TiO2(110) Surfaces: A Theoretical Comparative Investigation

Periodic spin-polarized hybrid density functional theory calculations have been performed to investigate the reactivity of pristine, O-defective, and Ag-decorated CeO2(111) and TiO2(110) surfaces with a small Ag10 cluster toward O2. The adsorption of O2 and its subsequent dissociation have been studied in order to provide a better understanding of the role of the oxide, the metallic nanoparticle, and their interaction in the reactivity of composite metal/metal oxide materials toward O2, as potential catalysts to this reaction. Structural, energetic, electronic, and vibrational properties of all species involved in the different reaction paths considered have been fully characterized. On the stoichiometric surfaces, Ag10 is oxidized and reduces surface Ce4+/Ti4+ ions, while on the O-defective surfaces, the adhesion of silver is promoted only on CeO2 but unfavored on TiO2. On the other hand, on the silver-free supports, O2 strongly adsorbs at vacancies and preferentially reduces to peroxide. When no O vacancies are considered on the Ag10-decorated supports, the net positive charge on Ag10 actually prevents the adsorption and reduction of O2. Instead, when O vacancies are included, two reaction pathways are observed; oxygen molecules can weakly absorb on the silver cluster as a superoxide moiety or strongly adsorb at the vacancy as peroxide. The dissociation of the O-O bond of the peroxide is favored both from the thermodynamic and kinetic points of view in silver-decorated surfaces, in contrast with the silver-free cases. In addition, Ag10/CeO2 shows higher activity toward the O2 adsorption and dissociation than Ag10/TiO2, which can be related both to the higher ionicity and superior electron storage/release ability of ceria with respect to titania, thus leading to the weakening of the O-O bond and providing lower activation barriers for oxygen reduction. These results deepen the current understanding of the reactivity of metal/metal oxide composites toward O2, especially elucidating how the surface stoichiometry affects the charge state of the metal clusters, and hence the reactivity of these interfaces toward O2, with potential important consequences when such composites are considered for catalytic applications

The mal protein, an integral component of specialized membranes, in normal cells and cancer

The MAL gene encodes a 17-kDa protein containing four putative transmembrane segments whose expression is restricted to human T cells, polarized epithelial cells and myelin-forming cells. The MAL protein has two unusual biochemical features. First, it has lipid-like properties that qualify it as a member of the group of proteolipid proteins. Second, it partitions selectively into detergent-insoluble membranes, which are known to be enriched in condensed cell membranes, consistent with MAL being distributed in highly ordered membranes in the cell. Since its original description more than thirty years ago, a large body of evidence has accumulated supporting a role of MAL in specialized membranes in all the cell types in which it is expressed. Here, we review the structure, expression and biochemical characteristics of MAL, and discuss the association of MAL with raft membranes and the function of MAL in polarized epithelial cells, T lymphocytes, and myelin-forming cells. The evidence that MAL is a putative receptor of the epsilon toxin of Clostridium perfringens, the expression of MAL in lymphomas, the hypermethylation of the MAL gene and subsequent loss of MAL expression in carcinomas are also presented. We propose a model of MAL as the organizer of specialized condensed membranes to make them functional, discuss the role of MAL as a tumor suppressor in carcinomas, consider its potential use as a cancer biomarker, and summarize the directions for future researchResearch in the laboratory of MAA was supported by a grant (PGC2018-095643-B-I00) from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MCIN), Agencia Estatal de Investigación, and the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional, European Union (MCIN/AEI/FEDER, EU). Research in the laboratory of IC was supported by a grant (B2017/BMD-3817) from the Comunidad de Madrid, Spai

Left ventricular ejection time, not heart rate, is an independent correlate of aortic pulse wave velocity.

Salvi P, Palombo C, Salvi GM, Labat C, Parati G, Benetos A. Left ventricular ejection time, not heart rate, is an independent correlate of aortic pulse wave velocity. J Appl Physiol 115: 1610–1617, 2013. First published September 19, 2013; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00475.2013.— Several studies showed a positive association between heart rate and pulse wave velocity, a sensitive marker of arterial stiffness. However, no study involving a large population has specifically addressed the dependence of pulse wave velocity on different components of the cardiac cycle. The aim of this study was to explore in subjects of different age the link between pulse wave velocity with heart period (the reciprocal of heart rate) and the temporal components of the cardiac cycle such as left ventricular ejection time and diastolic time. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity was assessed in 3,020 untreated subjects (1,107 men). Heart period, left ventricular ejection time, diastolic time, and early-systolic dP/dt were determined by carotid pulse wave analysis with high-fidelity applanation tonometry. An inverse association was found between pulse wave velocity and left ventricular ejection time at all ages (25 years, r2 0.043; 25–44 years, r2 0.103; 45–64 years, r2 0.079; 65–84 years, r2 0.044; 85 years, r2 0.022; P 0.0001 for all). A significant (P 0.0001) negative but always weaker correlation between pulse wave velocity and heart period was also found, with the exception of the youngest subjects (P0.20). A significant positive correlation was also found between pulse wave velocity and dP/dt (P 0.0001). With multiple stepwise regression analysis, left ventricular ejection time and dP/dt remained the only determinant of pulse wave velocity at all ages, whereas the contribution of heart period no longer became significant. Our data demonstrate that pulse wave velocity is more closely related to left ventricular systolic function than to heart period. This may have methodological and pathophysiological implications

Structure and Magnetic Properties of the Radical Cation Salt of a TTF-based NiII Complex

Chemical oxidation of a TTF-based NiII complex with I2 produces the corresponding radical cation salt 1, [Ni2Cl2(L)2](I3)2(I5)2(I2)(H2O)2(C4H8O)3, (L=4,5-bis(2-pyridylmethylsulfanyl)-4',5'-ethylenedithiotetrathiafulvalene). The results of magnetic susceptibility measurements show the occurrence of intramolecular magnetic exchange interactions in 1. The lack of close S···S contacts, confirmed by crystal structure analysis, results in an insulating behavio

A Comparative Study on the Impact Evaluation of World Vision’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Program in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia: Analyses Using Lives Saved Tool

Background According to the World Health Organization, diarrheal disease is the second top killer of children under five years of age (U5), claiming around 760,000 young children’s lives every year, and 88% of diarrheal disease is attributed to unsafe water supply, inadequate sanitation and hygiene. The humanitarian aid organization, World Vision, launched community-based water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) project in 76 Area Development Programs (ADPs) for 506,019 target U5 population across Southern Africa Region (SAR): Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia in 2010. Objective This study estimated the retrospective health impact of the project between 2010 and 2014 to measure how effectively WASH interventions were implemented. Method Computer-based modeling software, Lives Saved Tool (LiST) was utilized for quantitative analysis. The effectiveness and scaled up coverage of five WASH interventions – improved water source, home water connection, improved sanitation, hand washing with soap, and hygienic disposal of children’s stools – were calculated by conducting ADP field visits and analyzing SAR’s quantitative data. Result The significant impact demonstrated that the combined effect of interventions have prevented 989,745 diarrheal cases; this translated to the prevention of 1.96 cases of diarrhea for every U5 and 13% prevention rate for diarrhea. It contributed a 209% mean increase in percentage of U5 lives saved and 15.5% mean decrease in U5 mortality rates. The total number of U5 lives saved from diarrhea was 550. Conclusion These results suggest that the project is achieving the organization’s ultimate goal, “Every child deserves clean water,” and LiST acted as an effective tool for conducting the quantitative impact assessment of the project at subnational level. To reach the universal coverage by 2020 to prevent all 3 cases of diarrhea per child each year, programming activities must include promotion and facilitation of household-level water connection and regular availability of soap or equivalent, WASH-related health interventions must be fully incorporated into programming, and the existing community-level water treatment sensitization meetings should be leveraged as a forum to bring together additional sector representatives for raising awareness about integrated WASH programming