Some properties of NaBaPO[4]:Eu luminophore surface

There is an increased interest to the compounds of the ABPO[4] type, activated by europium, where A and B are mono- and divalent cations, because of their luminescent properties. In this paper NaBaPO[4]:Eu{2+}phosphors with different europium content were synthesized by SHS method. It is shown that phosphor surface becomes less alkaline (pHiis changes in the interval 10,7-9,5) with an increase in the concentration of an introduced activator (5-12%). Two bands with maxima wavelength of approximately 425 and 490 nm are observed in the luminescent spectra (the positions of maxima differ somewhat in different spectra). The relationship between acid-base and luminescent properties of the investigated phosphor samples is traced

Mortality from Ischemic Heart Disease and Diabetes Mellitus (Type 2) in Four U.S. Wheat-Producing States: A Hypothesis-Generating Study

In this ecologic study I examined ischemic heart disease (IHD) and diabetes mortality in rural agricultural counties of Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota, in association with environmental exposure to chlorophenoxy herbicides, using wheat acreage as a surrogate exposure. I collected data on agricultural land use and 1979–1998 mortality from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention websites, respectively. Counties were grouped based on percentage of land area dedicated to wheat farming. Poisson relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), comparing high- and medium- with low-wheat counties, were obtained for IHD, the subcategories acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and coronary atherosclerosis (CAS), and diabetes, adjusting for sex, age, mortality cohort, and poverty index. Mortality from IHD was modestly increased (RR = 1.08; 95% CI, 1.04–1.12). Analyses of its two major forms were more revealing. Compared with low-wheat counties, mortality in high-wheat counties from AMI increased (RR = 1.20; 95% CI, 1.14–1.26), and mortality from CAS decreased (RR = 0.89; 95% CI, 0.83–0.96). Mortality from AMI was more pronounced for those < 65 years of age (RR = 1.31; 95% CI 1.22–1.39). Mortality from type 2 diabetes increased (RR = 1.16; 95% CI, 1.08–1.24). These results suggest that the underlying cause of mortality from AMI and type 2 diabetes increased and the underlying cause of mortality from CAS decreased in counties where a large proportion of the land area is dedicated to spring and durum wheat farming. Firm conclusions on causal inference cannot be reached until more definitive studies have been conducted

ОПТИМІЗАЦІЯ ВИКОРИСТАННЯ РЕСУРСІВ ВУГЛЕВИДОБУВНИХ ПІДПРИЄМСТВ НА ОСНОВІ ВРАХУВАННЯ ВНУТРІШНІХ ЕНТРОПІЙНИХ ЗВ'ЯЗКІВ

У статті розглядаються питання оцінки ефективності використання внутрішніх ресурсів підприємства з метою гармонізації економічних та екологічних взаємовідносин та розробки ноосферного підходу до розробки родовищ корисних копалин. The article is dealt with some problems of the estimation of an enterprise's internal resources utilization. The main goal of it is coordination of economic and ecological interrelations and development of the noosphere approach to the utilization of natural resources' deposits

Metal detector by the principle phasemeter

Рассмотрен новый способ обработки сигнала металлоискателя, основанный на измерениях фазы разностного сигнала. Определены преимущества над разработанными металлоискателями имеющих фазометрическую схему. Изучена зависимость фазы разностного сигнала от амплитуды входных сигналов и разности их фаз. Проведен анализ чувствительностей к разности амплитуд входных сигналов и разности фаз. Установлено, что данный металлоискатель обладает большей чувствительности по сравнению с известными разработками и способен детектировать металл при малейшем изменении выходного сигнала первичного преобразователя. Разработана структурная схема для предлагаемого металлоискателя и приведено описание принципа работы

Perturbation of lipids and glucose metabolism associated with previous 2,4-D exposure: a cross-sectional study of NHANES III data, 1988-1994

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Results from previous population studies showed that mortality rates from acute myocardial infarction and type-2 diabetes during the 1980s and 1990s in rural, agricultural counties of Minnesota, Montana, North and South Dakota, were higher in counties with a higher level of spring wheat farming than in counties with lower levels of this crop. Spring wheat, one of the major field crops in these four states, was treated for 85% or more of its acreage with chlorophenoxy herbicides. In the current study NHANES III data were reviewed for associations of 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) exposure, one of the most frequently used chlorophenoxy herbicides, with risk factors that are linked to the pathogenesis of acute myocardial infarction and type-2 diabetes, such as dyslipidemia and impaired glucose metabolism.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To investigate the toxicity pattern of chlorophenoxy herbicides, effects of a previous 2,4-D exposure were assessed by comparing levels of lipids, glucose metabolism, and thyroid stimulating hormone in healthy adult NHANES III subjects with urinary 2,4-D above and below the level of detection, using linear regression analysis. The analyses were conducted for all available subjects and for two susceptible subpopulations characterized by high glycosylated hemoglobin (upper 50^thpercentile) and low thyroxine (lower 50^thpercentile).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Presence of urinary 2,4-D was associated with a decrease of HDL levels: 8.6% in the unadjusted data (p-value = 0.006), 4.8% in the adjusted data (p-value = 0.08), and 9% in the adjusted data for the susceptible subpopulation with low thyroxine (p-value = 0.02). An effect modification of the inverse triglycerides-HDL relation was observed in association with 2,4-D. Among subjects with low HDL, urinary 2,4-D was associated with increased levels of triglycerides, insulin, C-peptide, and thyroid stimulating hormone, especially in the susceptible subpopulations. In contrast, subjects with high HDL did not experience adverse 2,4-D associated effects.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results indicate that exposure to 2,4-D was associated with changes in biomarkers that, based on the published literature, have been linked to risk factors for acute myocardial infarction and type-2 diabetes.</p

Метод поиска легких нейтронных кластеров в распаде ядер 235U

Background: Cold storage using histidine-typtophan-ketoglutarate (HTK) solution is used widely in clinical practice for the preservation of warm ischaemia-damaged kidney grafts. This study assessed the efficacy of pulsatile machine perfusion in combination with Polysol (R) for the preservation of warm ischaemia-damaged kidney grafts. Methods: After induction of warm ischaemia by clamping of the left renal pedicle for 30 min, pigs were subjected to left nephrectomy. Thereafter, grafts were preserved for 20 h by cold storage with HTK (CS-HTK) or Polysol (R) (CS-PS), or machine preservation with Polysol (R) (MP-PS). Subsequently, contralateral kidneys were removed and preserved kidneys were transplanted. Control pigs underwent unilateral nephrectomy. Renal function was assessed daily for I week. Kidney biopsies were analysed for morphology and proliferative response. Results: Renal function of warm ischaemia-damaged grafts preserved using INIP-PS was comparable to that of non-ischaemic controls. NIP-PS and CS-PS groups showed improved renal function compared with the CS-HTK group, with more favourable results for MP-PS than for CS-PS. The proliferative response of tubular cells in the CS-HTK group was higher than in all other groups. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the function of warm ischaemia-damaged kidney grafts after pulsatile perfusion preservation was comparable to that of non-ischaemic control

Epidemiology of prenatal diagnosis and selective termination of pregnancy because of foetal neural tube defects in the Netherlands in comparison with other European countries

Objective. To describe the epidemiological impact of prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion on the frequency of neural tube defects (NTD) in the period 1980-1992 in the Northern Netherlands in comparison with data from other European regions. Design. Descriptive. Setting. 17 'European registration of congenital anomalies' (EUROCAT) registrations, localized in 10 European countries. Method. Data were collected actively and retrospectively from multiple sources fed by voluntary registration of congenital anomalies in live births, stillbirths and pregnancies terminated because of congenital anomalies. Results. In Europe the total birth prevalence of NTD in the period 1980-1992 ranged from 5.3 per 10,000 in Switzerland to 29.0 per 10,000 in Glasgow, a difference of a factor 5.5. In live births the difference was ninefold: ranging from 2,0 per 10,000 in Paris to 18.8 per 10,000 in Dublin. The Netherlands had a conspicuously high prevalence among live births, higher than in other regions in continental Europe. For spina bifida the live birth prevalence both in other continental regions and in Glasgow was also lower than in the Netherlands. In Glasgow serum alpha-foetoprotein screening apparently led to frequent early prenatal diagnosis of NTD and to frequent termination of pregnancy. In Paris the use of ultrasound screening appears to lead to frequent later prenatal diagnosis, as well as frequent termination of pregnancy. Conclusion. In the Netherlands the impact of prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion is limited, so that primary prevention (periconceptional use of folic acid) is more important than in some other European countries.</p

Epidemiology of prenatal diagnosis and selective termination of pregnancy because of foetal neural tube defects in the Netherlands in comparison with other European countries

Objective. To describe the epidemiological impact of prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion on the frequency of neural tube defects (NTD) in the period 1980-1992 in the Northern Netherlands in comparison with data from other European regions. Design. Descriptive. Setting. 17 'European registration of congenital anomalies' (EUROCAT) registrations, localized in 10 European countries. Method. Data were collected actively and retrospectively from multiple sources fed by voluntary registration of congenital anomalies in live births, stillbirths and pregnancies terminated because of congenital anomalies. Results. In Europe the total birth prevalence of NTD in the period 1980-1992 ranged from 5.3 per 10,000 in Switzerland to 29.0 per 10,000 in Glasgow, a difference of a factor 5.5. In live births the difference was ninefold: ranging from 2,0 per 10,000 in Paris to 18.8 per 10,000 in Dublin. The Netherlands had a conspicuously high prevalence among live births, higher than in other regions in continental Europe. For spina bifida the live birth prevalence both in other continental regions and in Glasgow was also lower than in the Netherlands. In Glasgow serum alpha-foetoprotein screening apparently led to frequent early prenatal diagnosis of NTD and to frequent termination of pregnancy. In Paris the use of ultrasound screening appears to lead to frequent later prenatal diagnosis, as well as frequent termination of pregnancy. Conclusion. In the Netherlands the impact of prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion is limited, so that primary prevention (periconceptional use of folic acid) is more important than in some other European countries.</p