Metal-containing nanoparticles and nano-structured particles in fingermark detection

This article reviews the application of metal-containing nanoparticles and nano-structured particles to fingermark detection. This area of research is attracting significant interest as advances in nanoscience are being incorporated into the field of forensic fingermark detection. Although more research is needed before some of the techniques presented can be implemented in routine casework, nanotechnology is likely to play a major role in the future to deliver more selective and more sensitive ways to detect and enhance fingermarks. © 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Highly efficient synthesis of heterocycles via 5-endo radical cyclisation

The principal aim of this project was to synthesise a range of functionalised heterocycles using novel transition metal promoted radical cyclisation reactions as an alternative to the well-established tin hydride method. On achieving this we hoped to successfully apply these methods towards the synthesis of natural product templates. In chapter two, a series of copper(l)-amine catalysts were employed to mediate the 5- endo-trig radical cyclisation of trichloroacetamides, which led to the formation of a variety of highly functionalised bicyclic y-Iactams in good to excellent yield. A variety of cyclisation precursors were examined. This work was also extended towards the synthesis of analogues of the heterocyclic ring fragment of non-peptide bradykinin inhibitor, L-755,807. In chapter 3, the reaction of a series of tertiary bromoacetamides with catalytic copper(I) bromide/N,N,N',N',N",N" -hexamethyltriethylenetetramine (Me6-tren) at room 'temperature is described. This reaction furnished regioisomeric mixtures of unsaturated pyrrolidinones via a highly efficient 5-endo-trig radical cyclisation reaction. We also illustrated that a variety of less activated secondary bromoacetamides undergo efficient 5-endo-trig radical cyclisation reactions to give a,l3-unsaturated monoene lactams under atom transfer conditions mediated by copper(l) bromide and tripyridylamine (TP A) in refluxing toluene. Changing the solvent for this reaction to 1,2-dichloroethane caused a,l3-unsaturated diene lactams to be produced instead. This approach was used towards the synthesis of analogues of the sesquiterpenic alkaloid, eremophilene y-Iactam. Chapter 4 describes an alternative route to constrained bicyclic ring systems mediated by ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN). In addition, the first reported 5-endo-trig radical cyclisation of l3-amido esters to afford functionalised y-Iactams was developed. This methodology was exploited in the production of analogues of the heterocyclic ring fragments of a' number of biologically active natural products

Demolitions of the Savannah River Site's Concentrator and Finishing Facilities

The Savannah River Site (SRS) has produced Special Nuclear Materials (SNMs) starting in the early 1950's to the mid 1970's for the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and from the mid 1970's to the present for the Department of Energy (DOE). In that time, over 1,000 facilities have been built in the sixteen (16) operational areas of the eight hundred (800) square kilometer site. Over the years, many of the facilities have been dispositioned by the DOE as inactive. In FY-03, DOE identified two hundred and forty-seven (247) (inactive or soon to be inactive) facilities that required demolition. Demolition work was scheduled to start in FY-04 and be completed in the first quarter of FY-07. Two-hundred and thirty-nine (239) of these facilities have been demolished employing Routine demolition techniques. This presentation reviews and discusses two (2) of the eight (8) Non-Routine demolitions Facilities, 420-D ''The Concentrator Facility'', and 421-D ''The Finishing Facility''

Crystallographic coincidence of two bridging species in a dinuclear CoIII ethynyl­benzene complex

In the title compound, trans,trans-[μ-(m-phenyl­ene)bis­(ethyne-1,2-di­yl)]bis­[chlorido(1,4,8,11-tetra­aza­cyclo­tetra­deca­ne)cobalt(III)]–trans,trans-[μ-(5-bromo-m-phenyl­ene)bis­(ethyne-1,2-di­yl)]bis­[chlorido(1,4,8,11-tetra­aza­cyclo­tetra­deca­ne)cobalt(III)]–tetra­phenyl­borate–acetone (0.88/0.12/2/4), [Co2(C12H4)Cl2(C10H24N4)2]0.88[Co2(C10H3Br)Cl2(C10H24N4)2]0.12(C24H20B)2·4C3H6O, with the exception of the acetyl­ene and bromine groups, all atomic postitions are the same in the two compounds and are modeled at full occupancy. The CoIII ions are six-coordinate with acetyl­ide and chloride ligands bound to the axial sites and the N atoms from the cyclam rings coordinated at the equatorial positions. N—H⋯O and N—H⋯Cl hydrogen-bonding interactions help to consolidate the crystal packing

Factors affecting internal standard selection for quantitative elemental bio-imaging of soft tissues by LA-ICP-MS

Element response variations under different laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) operating conditions were investigated to identify important factors for selecting an internal standard (IS) for quantitative elemental bio-imaging. Analytes covering a range of atomic masses and first ionisation potentials (FIP) were selected to investigate the signal response variation with changes in laser spot diameter, mass bias and cell sampling position. In all cases, an IS improved experimental precision regardless of a close match in element mass or FIP but optimal analyte/IS combinations depended on the difference in masses of the analyte and IS. Particular attention was paid to 13C as this isotope is typically used as an IS in elemental bio-imaging applications. Despite its non-ideal IS characteristics (often different mass and FIP to many analytes), possibility of abundance sensitivity effects and poor signal-to-background ratio, 13C was a suitable IS candidate exhibiting a linear response with respect to the mass ablated, apparent independence from the high abundance of the adjacent 14N mass peak and effective analyte normalisation after background subtraction as long as the 13C signal from the sample was at least 6% of the gross signal. © 2011 The Royal Society of Chemistry

Validation of the Kinetik Blood Pressure Monitor-Series 1 for use in adults at home and in clinical settings, according to the 2002 European Society of Hypertension International Protocol on the validation of blood pressure devices

The aim of this study was to assess the blood pressure (BP) measurement accuracy of the Kinetik Blood Pressure Monitor—Series 1 (BPM-1) for use in home or clinical settings according to the 2002 European Society of Hypertension International Protocol (ESH-IP). Forty-two participants were recruited to fulfil the required number of systolic and diastolic BP measurements according to the ESH-IP. Nine sequential same-arm BP readings were measured and analysed for each participant using the test device and observer mercury standard readings according to the 2002 ESH-IP. Forty one participants were used to obtain 33 sets of systolic and diastolic BP readings and were included in the analysis. Mean difference between the device measurements and the observer (mercury standard) measurements was 1.1 ± 7.2/1.1 ± 6.8 mmHg (mean ± standard deviation; systolic/diastolic). The number of systolic BP differences between the test and observer measurements that fell within 5, 10 and 15 mmHg was 65, 86 and 92. For diastolic readings, the number of test—observer measurement differences within 5, 10 and 15 mmHg was 77, 91 and 94. The number of participants with at least two out of three differences within 5 mmHg was 28 for systolic and 40 for diastolic BP readings. Three participants had no differences between the test and observer measurements within 5 mmHg in both the systolic and diastolic measurement categories. The Kinetik BPM-1 device fulfilled the requirements of the ESH-IP validation procedure and can be recommended for clinical use and self-measurement within the home

Hospital service use in the last year of life by Indigenous Australians who died of heart failure or cardiomyopathy : a linked data study

Background: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience disproportionate rates of heart failure. However, information regarding their use of hospital services in the last year of life is poorly delineated to inform culturally appropriate end-of-life health services. Objectives: To quantify hospital service use in the last year of life of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who died of heart failure or cardiomyopathy in Queensland, Australia. Methods: A subgroup analysis of a larger retrospective linkage study using administrative health data in Queensland, Australia. Individuals that identified as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person from their first hospital admission in the last year of life, who died of heart failure or cardiomyopathy from 2008 to 2018, were included. Results: There were 99 individuals, with emergency department presentation/s recorded for 85 individuals. Over 50% of individuals presenting to the Emergency Department were from regional areas (n = 43, 51%). The 99 individuals had a total of 472 hospital admissions, excluding same day admissions for haemodialysis, and 70% (n = 70) died in hospital. Most admissions were coded as acute care (n = 442, 94%), and fewer were coded as palliative care (n = 19, 4%). Median comorbidities or factors that led to hospital contact = 5 (interquartile range 3–9). Conclusion: Acute care hospital admissions in the last year of life by this population are common for those who died of heart failure or cardiomyopathy. Multimorbidity is prevalent in the last year of life, underscoring the importance of primary health care, provided by nurses and Indigenous health workers