Collisional deactivation of highly vibrationally excited pyrazine

The collisional deactivation of vibrationally excited pyrazine (C4N2H4) in the electronic ground state by 19 collider gases was studied using the time‐resolved infrared fluorescence (IRF) technique. The pyrazine was photoexcited with a 308 nm laser and its vibrational deactivation was monitored following rapid radiationless transitions to produce vibrationally excited molecules in the electronic ground state. The IRF data were analyzed by a simple approximate inversion method, as well as with full collisional master equation simulations. The average energies transferred in deactivating collisions (〈ΔE〉d) exhibit a near‐linear dependence on vibrational energy at lower energies and less dependence at higher energies. The deactivation of ground state pyrazine was found to be similar to that of ground state benzene [J. R. Barker and B. M. Toselli, Int. Rev. Phys. Chem. 12, 305 (1990)], but it is strikingly different from the deactivation of triplet state pyrazine [T. J. Bevilacqua and R. B. Weisman, J. Chem. Phys. 98, 6316 (1993)]. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/70797/2/JCPSA6-105-4-1383-1.pd

Thermosonication applied to blueberry juice – impact on quality properties

Aim: The conventional heat treatment (HT) is still used by the food processing industry as a solution to inactivate pathogenic agents and to extend the shelf-life of juice products. However, pasteurization involves quality modifications of the final product by losing part of its nutritional value and properties. This factor is critical in industrial juice manufacture, whose freshness is essential. This study aims to evaluate if thermosonication (TS) can be considered a potential alternative to the pasteurization of blueberry juice. Method: Juices were prepared by defrosting the frozen blueberries and then using a cold centrifugal juicer. Freshly prepared juices were thermosonicated with a sonicator probe (700 W, 20 kHz, 100% amplitude) at 45 and 55 °C for 25 and 1 min and using an ultrasonic bath (230 V, 35 kHz) at the same temperatures for 30 and 60 min. These processes were compared to the traditional pasteurization by the juice heat-treated at 75 °C for 1 min. The temperature/time binomials were chosen based on the 5-log10 L. innocua reduction. Physicochemical parameters, anthocyanins content, total phenolics, antioxidant activity, and enzyme activity were monitored before and after treatments.Results: The TS applied with the probe (TSP) had significant positive effects on blueberry juice, such as the increase of antioxidant activity (according to the ABTS scavenging method), the inactivation of enzymatic activity (a residual activity of about 25% and 1% was achieved for POD and PPO), and the decrease on the browning index. However, a significant reduction of phenolic compounds and anthocyanins was observed. HT had the most impact on juice colour parameters but was the most effective method in totally inactivating the POD enzyme. TS with ultrasonic bath (TSB) showed no significant differences in antioxidant activity and anthocyanins compared with the untreated juice. However, also juice colour was significantly changed. Conclusion: TSP and TSB effectively maintained or improved most blueberry juice quality characteristics compared with HT and untreated samples. Nevertheless, since TSB needs a higher treatment time for the 5log10 microbial inactivation, physicochemical parameters were more negatively affected. Therefore, thermosonication (especially TSP) seems a possible processing option to preserve blueberry juice quality.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Temperature effects in the collisional deactivation of highly vibrationally excited pyrazine by unexcited pyrazine

Time‐dependent infrared fluorescence (IRF) from the C–H fundamental and overtone bands was used to monitor the vibrational deactivation (by unexcited pyrazine) of pyrazine excited at 308 nm with a pulsed laser. The 1‐color and 2‐color IRF results were modeled with collisional master equation calculations in order to determine the temperature dependence of the energy transfer parameters. The experimental data cannot be modeled without invoking a biexponential collision step size distribution, which implies that ‘‘super collisions’’ are significant. The results show that the energy transfer parameters are essentially constant at temperatures greater than the Lennard–Jones well depth, but at lower temperatures, energy transfer is enhanced. It is likely that vibration–vibration energy transfer dominates in this system. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/70488/2/JCPSA6-105-8-3012-1.pd

Accelerated Long Term Forgetting in patients with focal seizures: Incidence rate and contributing factors

Background: Accelerated Long Term Forgetting (ALF) is usually defined as a memory impairment that is seen only at long delays (e.g., after days or weeks) and not at shorter delays (e.g., 30 min) typically used in clinical settings. Research indicates that ALF occurs in some patients with epilepsy, but the incidence rates and underlying causes have not been established. In this study, we considered these issues. Methods: Forty-four patients with a history of focal seizures were tested at 30 min and 7 day delays for material from the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) and Aggie Figures Test. Recently published norms from a matched group of 60 control subjects (Miller et al., 2015 ) were used to determine whether patients demonstrated ALF, impairment at 30 min or intact memory performance. Results: The incidence of ALF in the epilepsy patients (18%) was > 3 times higher than normal on the RAVLT, but no different (7%) from the incidence in normal subjects on the Aggie Figures. A different, but again significantly high, proportion of patients (36%) showed shorter-term memory deficits on at least one task. ALF was found mainly in patients with temporal-lobe epilepsy, but also occurred in one patient with an extratemporal seizure focus. Presence of a hippocampal lesion was the main predicting factor of ALF. Conclusions: Many patients with a focal seizure disorder show memory deficits after longer delays that are not evident on standard assessment. The present study explored the factors associated with this ALF memory profile. These new findings will enhance clinical practice, particularly the management of patients with memory complaints

Koinonia

In This IssueThe Fabric of Our Faithfulness: Part 1, David S. Guthrie What is the Sophomore Slump-and Why Should We Care?: Excerpted from Visible Solutions for Invisible Students: Helping Sophomores Succeed, by Laurie A. Schreiner & Jerry Pattengale Around CampusServant Leadership, Tess Bradley The 7 Be\u27s of Student Leader Supervision, Jesse Brown Spotlight on SpeakersJohn 7:53-8:11: The Politically Correct Version, Calvin Miller Regular FeaturesPresident\u27s Corner Editor\u27s Disk ACSD Business: Placement Services 2001, Conference Thoughts: Something Old...Something New..., Submissions Soughthttps://pillars.taylor.edu/acsd_koinonia/1031/thumbnail.jp

Exploring physical exposures and identifying high-risk work tasks within the floor layer trade

INTRODUCTION: Floor layers have high rates of musculoskeletal disorders yet few studies have examined their work exposures. This study used observational methods to describe physical exposures within floor laying tasks. METHODS: We analyzed 45 videos from 32 floor layers using Multimedia-Video Task Analysis software to determine the time in task, forces, postures, and repetitive hand movements for installation of four common flooring materials. We used the WISHA checklists to define exposure thresholds. RESULTS: Most workers (91%) met the caution threshold for one or more exposures. Workers showed high exposures in multiple body parts with variability in exposures across tasks and for different materials. Prolonged exposures were seen for kneeling, poor neck and low back postures, and intermittent but frequent hand grip forces. CONCLUSIONS: Floor layers experience prolonged awkward postures and high force physical exposures in multiple body parts, which probably contribute to their high rates of musculoskeletal disorders

Genome-Wide Association Study for Maize Leaf Cuticular Conductance Identifies Candidate Genes Involved in the Regulation of Cuticle Development.

The cuticle, a hydrophobic layer of cutin and waxes synthesized by plant epidermal cells, is the major barrier to water loss when stomata are closed at night and under water-limited conditions. Elucidating the genetic architecture of natural variation for leaf cuticular conductance (g c) is important for identifying genes relevant to improving crop productivity in drought-prone environments. To this end, we conducted a genome-wide association study of g c of adult leaves in a maize inbred association panel that was evaluated in four environments (Maricopa, AZ, and San Diego, CA, in 2016 and 2017). Five genomic regions significantly associated with g c were resolved to seven plausible candidate genes (ISTL1, two SEC14 homologs, cyclase-associated protein, a CER7 homolog, GDSL lipase, and β-D-XYLOSIDASE 4). These candidates are potentially involved in cuticle biosynthesis, trafficking and deposition of cuticle lipids, cutin polymerization, and cell wall modification. Laser microdissection RNA sequencing revealed that all these candidate genes, with the exception of the CER7 homolog, were expressed in the zone of the expanding adult maize leaf where cuticle maturation occurs. With direct application to genetic improvement, moderately high average predictive abilities were observed for whole-genome prediction of g c in locations (0.46 and 0.45) and across all environments (0.52). The findings of this study provide novel insights into the genetic control of g c and have the potential to help breeders more effectively develop drought-tolerant maize for target environments

Long‐lived Snell dwarf mice display increased proteostatic mechanisms that are not dependent on decreased mTORC1 activity

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/111144/1/acel12329.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/111144/2/acel12329-sup-0001-SuppInfo.pd

Comparison of the stand-alone Cox-Maze IV procedure to the concomitant Cox-Maze IV and mitral valve procedure for atrial fibrillation

BACKGROUND: The majority of patients undergoing surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) worldwide receive a concomitant mitral valve (MV) procedure. This study compared outcomes of the Cox-Maze IV (CMIV) in patients with lone AF to those with AF and MV disease. METHODS: A retrospective review of 335 patients receiving either a stand-alone CMIV for AF (n=151) or a CMIV with a MV procedure (n=184) was performed from January 2002 through December of 2012. Data were obtained at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 months and patients were evaluated for recurrence of AF. Twenty-four preoperative and perioperative variables were evaluated to identify predictors of AF recurrence at one year. RESULTS: The two groups differed in that stand-alone CMIV patients were younger, had AF of longer duration and had more failed catheter ablations, while patients with AF and MV disease had larger left atria and worse New York Heart Association class (P≤0.001). Operative mortality was higher in the concomitant MV group (1% vs. 5%, P=0.015). Freedom from AF and antiarrhythmic drugs at 12 and 24 months were similar between the two groups (73% and 76% at 12 months; 77% vs. 78% at 24 months). Predictors of recurrence included failure to use a box-lesion to isolate the pulmonary veins and posterior left atria, early recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmias (ATAs) and the presence of a preoperative pacemaker (P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The efficacy of the CMIV procedure was similar in patients with and without co-existent MV pathology. Patients receiving a concomitant CMIV and MV procedure represented an older and sicker patient population and had higher mortality rates than those receiving a stand-alone CMIV procedure

De novoframeshift mutation in ASXL3 in a patient with global developmental delay, microcephaly, and craniofacial anomalies

BACKGROUND: Currently, diagnosis of affected individuals with rare genetic disorders can be lengthy and costly, resulting in a diagnostic odyssey and in many patients a definitive molecular diagnosis is never achieved despite extensive clinical investigation. The recent advent and use of genomic medicine has resulted in a paradigm shift in the clinical molecular genetics of rare diseases and has provided insight into the causes of numerous rare genetic conditions. In particular, whole exome and genome sequencing of families has been particularly useful in discovering de novo germline mutations as the cause of both rare diseases and complex disorders. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a six year old, nonverbal African American female with microcephaly, autism, global developmental delay, and metopic craniosynostosis. Exome sequencing of the patient and her two parents revealed a heterozygous two base pair de novo deletion, c.1897_1898delCA, p.Gln633ValfsX13 in ASXL3, predicted to result in a frameshift at codon 633 with substitution of a valine for a glutamine and introduction of a premature stop codon. CONCLUSIONS: We provide additional evidence that, truncating and frameshifting mutations in the ASXL3 gene are the cause of a newly recognized disorder characterized by severe global developmental delay, short stature, microcephaly, and craniofacial anomalies. Furthermore, we expand the knowledge about disease causing mutations and the genotype-phenotype relationships in ASXL3 and provide evidence that rare, nonsynonymous, damaging mutations are not associated with developmental delay or microcephaly