A simple approach to the correlation of rotovibrational states in four-atomic molecules

The problem of correlation between quantum states of four-atomic molecules in different geometrical configurations is reviewed in detail. A general, still simple rule is obtained which allows one to correlate states of a linear four-atomic molecule with those of any kind of non-linear four-atomic molecule.Comment: 16 pages (+8 figures), Postscript (ready to print!

Templeting of Thin Films Induced by Dewetting on Patterned Surfaces

The instability, dynamics and morphological transitions of patterns in thin liquid films on periodic striped surfaces (consisting of alternating less and more wettable stripes) are investigated based on 3-D nonlinear simulations that account for the inter-site hydrodynamic and surface-energetic interactions. The film breakup is suppressed on some potentially destabilizing nonwettable sites when their spacing is below a characteristic lengthscale of the instability, the upper bound for which is close to the spinodal lengthscale. The thin film pattern replicates the substrate surface energy pattern closely only when, (a) the periodicity of substrate pattern matches closely with the characteristic lengthscale, and (b) the stripe-width is within a range bounded by a lower critical length, below which no heterogeneous rupture occurs, and an upper transition length above which complex morphological features bearing little resemblance to the substrate pattern are formed.Comment: 5 pages TeX (REVTeX 4), other comments: submitted to Phys. Rev.Let

The nucleotide and partial amino acid sequences of rat fetuin

Fetuins are among the major plasma proteins, yet their biological role has remained elusive. Here we report the molecular cloning of rat fetuin and the sequence analysis of a full-length clone, RF619 of 1456 bp with an open reading frame of 1056 bp encoding 352 amino acid residues. The coding part of RF619 was identical with the cDNA sequence of the natural inhibitor of the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase from rat (pp63) except for four substitutions and a single base insertion causing divergence of the predicted protein sequences. Partial amino acid sequences of rat plasma fetuin were in agreement with the predictions based on the RF619 cDNA. Purified rat fetuin inhibited the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase in vitro. Therefore, we conclude that RF619 and pp63 cDNA encode the same protein, i.e. authentic rat fetuin which is a functional tyrosine kinase inhibitor

Nail lacquer films’ surface energies and in vitro water-resistance and adhesion do not predict their in vivo residence

The in vivo residence of nail lacquers (which are ideal topical drug carriers for the treatment of nail diseases) determines their frequency of application, and is thereby expected to influence patient adherence and success of treatment. Thus in vitro measurements to indicate lacquers’ in vivo residence are routinely conducted during formulation development. However the literature on in vitro-in vivo correlations is severely limited. Thus, the aim of the work discussed in this paper was to investigate correlations between in vivo residence and in vitro film resistance to water, in vitro film adhesion and surface energy of lacquer films. In vivo measurements were conducted on fingernails in six volunteers. Seven commercially available nail lacquers were tested in commonly-used measurements. Correlations between in vivo residence and in vitro water resistance and adhesion were found to be extremely poor. The surface energies of the lacquer films (which were between 33 and 39 mJ/m2) were also not predictive of in vivo residence. High density polyethylene (HDPE) sheet – whose surface energy was determined to be similar to that of the human nailplate – was found to be a suitable model for the nailplate (when investigating surface energy) and was used in a number of experiments

Streaming instability of slime mold amoebae: An analytical model

During the aggregation of amoebae of the cellular slime mould Dictyostelium, the interaction of chemical waves of the signaling molecule cAMP with cAMP-directed cell movement causes the breakup of a uniform cell layer into branching patterns of cell streams. Recent numerical and experimental investigations emphasize the pivotal role of the cell-density dependence of the chemical wave speed for the occurrence of the streaming instability. A simple, analytically tractable, model of Dictyostelium aggregation is developed to test this idea. The interaction of cAMP waves with cAMP-directed cell movement is studied in the form of coupled dynamics of wave front geometries and cell density. Comparing the resulting explicit instability criterion and dispersion relation for cell streaming with the previous findings of model simulations and numerical stability analyses, a unifying interpretation of the streaming instability as a cAMP wave-driven chemotactic instability is proposed

Models of Dictyostelium discoideum aggregation

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Is Perioperative Hypothermia a Risk Factor for Post-Cesarean Infection?

Objective: To determine whether hypothermia during Cesarean delivery is a risk factor for postoperative infection. Methods: An historical cohort investigation was conducted on all women delivered by Cesarean at our center during 2001. Initial recovery-room temperature, taken via the oral or axillary route, was used as a surrogate for intraoperative temperature. Adding 0.5(°)C to axillary temperatures generated oral temperature equivalents. Women with chorioamnionitis were excluded, as were those with an initial recovery-room temperature that exceeded 37.9(°)C or was recorded more than 20 minutes after the end of surgery. Prophylactic antibiotics (cefazolin, 1 g) were given during Cesarean delivery. Results: A total of 42 women (7.6%) were diagnosed with postoperative infections. Infections included endometritis (n= 25), wound abscess (n = 7), wound cellulitis (n = 7) and urinary tract infection (UTI) (n = 4). No cases of septic pelvic thrombophlebitis or pelvic abscess occurred. One woman had both endometritis and a UTI. Mean temperatures were higher, rather than lower, for women who subsequently had postoperative infections compared with those who did not (36.4 ± 0.8(°)Cvs. 35.9 ± 0.7(°)C; p < 0.001). Mean temperatures for the various postoperative infections were as follows: endometritis, 36.5 ± 0.8(°)C (p < 0.001 vs. uninfected group); wound abscess 36.0 ± 0.8(°)C (p = 0.63); wound cellulitis, 36.3 ± 0.6(°)C (p = 0.14); UTI, 36.7 ± 0.9(°)C (p = 0.04). Conclusions: Women who develop post-Cesarean infections have higher initial recovery-room temperatures than those who do not develop such infections. This suggests the presence of subclinical infection at the time of Cesarean. Evaluating whether intraoperative warming has any role during Cesarean delivery requires a randomized clinical trial

Interactions of Candida albicans with host epithelial surfaces

Candida albicans is an opportunistic, fungal pathogen of humans that frequently causes superficial infections of oral and vaginal mucosal surfaces of debilitated and susceptible individuals. The organism is however, commonly encountered as a commensal in healthy individuals where it is a component of the normal microflora. The key determinant in the type of relationship that Candida has with its host is how it interacts with the epithelial surface it colonises. A delicate balance clearly exists between the potentially damaging effects of Candida virulence factors and the nature of the immune response elicited by the host. Frequently, it is changes in host factors that lead to Candida seemingly changing from a commensal to pathogenic existence. However, given the often reported heterogeneity in morphological and biochemical factors that exist between Candida species and indeed strains of C. albicans, it may also be the fact that colonising strains differ in the way they exploit resources to allow persistence at mucosal surfaces and as a consequence this too may affect the way Candida interacts with epithelial cells. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of some of the possible interactions that may occur between C. albicans and host epithelial surfaces that may in turn dictate whether Candida removal, its commensal persistence or infection follows

Particles at oil–air surfaces : powdered oil, liquid oil marbles, and oil foam

The type of material stabilized by four kinds of fluorinated particles (sericite and bentonite platelet clays and spherical zinc oxide) in air–oil mixtures has been investigated. It depends on the particle wettability and the degree of shear. Upon vigorous agitation, oil dispersions are formed in all the oils containing relatively large bentonite particles and in oils of relatively low surface tension (γla &lt; 26 mN m⁻¹) like dodecane, 20 cS silicone, and cyclomethicone containing the other fluorinated particles. Particle-stabilized oil foams were obtained in oils having γla > 26 mN m⁻¹ where the advancing air–oil–solid contact angle θ lies between ca. 90° and 120°. Gentle shaking, however, gives oil-in-air liquid marbles with all the oil–particle systems except for cases where θ is &lt;60°. For oils of tension >24 mN m⁻¹ with omniphobic zinc oxide and sericite particles for which advancing θ ≥ 90°, dry oil powders consisting of oil drops in air which do not leak oil could be made upon gentle agitation up to a critical oil:particle ratio (COPR). Above the COPR, catastrophic phase inversion of the dry oil powders to air-in-oil foams was observed. When sheared on a substrate, the dry oil powders containing at least 60 wt % of oil release the encapsulated oil, making these materials attractive formulations in the cosmetic and food industries