Method to Suppress Isobaric and Polyatomic Interferences for Measurements of Highly Siderophile Elements in Desilicified Geological Samples

Sample decomposition using inverse aqua regia at elevated temperatures and pressures (e.g., Carius tube or high‐pressure asher) is the most common method used to extract highly siderophile elements (HSEs: Ru, Rh, Pd, Re, Os, Ir, Pt and Au) from geological samples. Recently, it has been recognised that additional HF desilicification is necessary to better recover HSEs, potentially contained within silicate or oxide minerals in mafic samples, which cannot be dissolved solely by inverse aqua regia. However, the abundance of interfering elements tends to increase in the eluent when conventional ion‐exchange purification procedures are applied to desilicified samples. In this study, we developed an improved purification method to determine HSEs in desilicified samples. This method enables the reduction of the ratios of isobaric and polyatomic interferences, relative to the measured intensities of HSE isotope masses, to less than a few hundred parts per million. Furthermore, the total procedural blanks are either comparable to or lower than conventional methods. Thus, this method allows accurate and precise HSE measurements in mafic and ultramafic geological samples, without the need for interference corrections. Moreover, the problem of increased interfering elements, such as Zr for Pd and Cr for Ru, is circumvented for the desilicified samples

ESR Study of (C_5H_{12}N)_2CuBr_4

ESR studies at 9.27, 95.4, and 289.7 GHz have been performed on (C$_5$H$_{12}$N)$_2$CuBr$_4$ down to 3.7 K. The 9.27 GHz data were acquired with a single crystal and do not indicate the presence of any structural transitions. The high frequency data were collected with a polycrystalline sample and resolved two absorbances, consistent with two crystallographic orientations of the magnetic sites and with earlier ESR studies performed at 300 K. Below $B_{C1}=6.6$ T, our data confirm the presence of a spin singlet ground state.Comment: 2 pages, 4 figs., submitted 23rd International Conference on Low Temperature Physics (LT-23), Aug. 200

Reliability in digital systems with asymmetrical failure modes

Reliability schemes in digital systems with asymmetrical failure mode

Assessment of monocytic HLA-DR expression in ICU patients: analytical issues for multicentric flow cytometry studies

International audienc

Survey of public definitions of the term 'overdiagnosis' in the UK

Objectives: To determine how ‘overdiagnosis’ is currently conceptualised among adults in the United Kingdom (UK) in light of previous research, which has found that the term is difficult for the public to understand and awareness is low. This study aims to add to current debates on healthcare in which overdiagnosis is a prominent issue. Design: An observational, web-based survey was administered by a survey company. Setting: Participants completed the survey at a time and location of their choosing. Participants: 390 consenting UK adults aged 50-70 years. Quota sampling was used to achieve approximately equal numbers in three categories of education. Primary outcome measures: Participants were asked whether they had seen or heard the term ‘overdiagnosis’. If they had, they were then invited to explain in a free text field what they understood it to mean. If they had not previously encountered it, they were invited to say what they thought it meant. Responses were coded and interpreted using content analysis and descriptive statistics. Results: Data from 390 participants were analysed. Almost a third (30.0%) of participants reported having previously encountered the term. However, their responses often indicated that they had no knowledge of its meaning. The most prevalent theme consisted of responses related to the diagnosis itself. Subthemes indicated common misconceptions, including an ‘overly negative or complicated diagnosis’, ‘false positive diagnosis’ or ‘misdiagnosis’. Other recurring themes consisted of responses related to testing (i.e. ‘too many tests’), treatment (e.g. ‘overtreatment’), and patient psychology (e.g. ’overthinking’). Responses categorised as consistent with ‘overdiagnosis’ (defined as detection of a disease that would not cause symptoms or death) were notably rare (n=10; 2.6%). Conclusions: Consistent with previous research, public awareness of ‘overdiagnosis’ in the UK is low and its meaning is often misunderstood or misinterpreted

A Cantilever balcony for a small theater

76 pagesThe slope of the Balcony and height of the stoppings shall first be considered, so that the steel used in the construction of the balcony may be designed accordingly. When "setting up" the sections of the Parquette circle or balcony in the theater, it is desirable to sight from the eye level of the spectator, which will be considered as 4 feet 2 inches from the floor when the spectator is seated, (.and 4 feet 10 inches to 5 feet when standing). The theoretical principles used when fixing the heights of the steppings upon which the seats are placed are as follows: A point is fixed on the curtain line 4 feet below the stage level, and from this point, after the distance from the stage, the stepping, and the floor level is placed, set up the spectator's eyes 4 feet 2 inches above the floor, vertical with the back rail of the seat. Now from the 4 feet point on the curtain line, a line should be drawn cutting through the eye of the spectator in the first row, and produced until it cuts a vertical line set up at the back of the second row. Then from the point where the vertical and radial lines intersect 5 inches is measured up and that point gives the eye level of the second row. From the point below the stage, a line is drawn through the eye level of the second row, and produced until it intersects the vertical line set up at the back of the third row, and from that point again measured up 3 inches for each row, and from each eye level, measured down 4 feet 2 inches will give the floor level for each stepping

Information on 'overdiagnosis' in breast cancer screening on prominent United Kingdom- and Australia-oriented health websites

Objectives: Health-related websites are an important source of information for the public. Increasing public awareness of overdiagnosis and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in breast cancer screening may facilitate more informed decision-making. This study assessed the extent to which such information was included on prominent health websites oriented towards the general public, and evaluated how it was explained. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Websites identified through Google searches in England (United Kingdom) and New South Wales (Australia) for “breast cancer screening” and further websites included based on our prior knowledge of relevant organisations. Main outcomes: Content analysis was used to determine whether information on overdiagnosis or DCIS existed on each site, how the concepts were described, and what statistics were used to quantify overdiagnosis. Results: After exclusions, ten UK websites and eight Australian websites were considered relevant and evaluated. They originated from charities, health service providers, government agencies, and an independent health organisation. Most contained some information on overdiagnosis (and/or DCIS). Descriptive information was similar across websites. In the UK sample, statistical information was often based on estimates from the Independent UK Panel on Breast Cancer Screening; the most commonly provided statistic was the ratio of breast cancer deaths prevented to overdiagnosed cases (1:3). A range of other statistics was included, such as the yearly number of overdiagnosed cases and the proportion of women screened who would be overdiagnosed. Information on DCIS and statistical information were found less commonly on the Australian websites. Conclusions: Online information about overdiagnosis has become more widely available in 2015-16 compared with the limited accessibility indicated by older research. However, there may be scope to offer more information on DCIS and overdiagnosis statistics on Australian websites. Moreover, the variability in how estimates are presented across UK websites may be confusing for the general public

Chemosensation of Bacterial Secondary Metabolites Modulates Neuroendocrine Signaling and Behavior of C. elegans

Discrimination between pathogenic and beneficial microbes is essential for host organism immunity and homeostasis. Here, we show that chemosensory detection of two secondary metabolites produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa modulates a neuroendocrine signaling pathway that promotes avoidance behavior in the simple animal host Caenorhabditis elegans. Secondary metabolites phenazine-1-carboxamide and pyochelin activate a G-protein-signaling pathway in the ASJ chemosensory neuron pair that induces expression of the neuromodulator DAF-7/TGF-β. DAF-7, in turn, activates a canonical TGF-β signaling pathway in adjacent interneurons to modulate aerotaxis behavior and promote avoidance of pathogenic P. aeruginosa. Our data provide a chemical, genetic, and neuronal basis for how the behavior and physiology of a simple animal host can be modified by the microbial environment and suggest that secondary metabolites produced by microbes may provide environmental cues that contribute to pathogen recognition and host survival.National Science Foundation (U.S.). Graduate Research Fellowship ProgramEllison Medical Foundation (New Scholar Award