Crystal-Liquid Crystal Binary Phase Diagrams

We propose a new theoretical scheme for the binary phase diagrams of crystal-liquid crystal mixtures by a combination of a phase field model of solidification, the Flory-Huggins theory for liquid-liquid mixing and Maier-Saupe-McMillan (FH-MSM) model for nematic and smectic liquid crystal orderings. The phase field theory describes the crystal phase transition of anisotropic organic crystal and/or side chain liquid crystalline polymer crystals while the FH-MSM model explains isotropic, nematic and smectic-A phase transitions. Self-consistent calculations reveal several possible phase diagram topologies of the binary crystal-liquid crystal mixtures. The calculated phase diagrams were found to accord well to the reported experimental results. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics

Relationship of Job Design, Organizational Commitment on Compensations of Physicians In A Private Hospital, Philippines

The profession of a physician is one of the highly respected and challenging jobs in the world today. It is one of the fields where intelligence and hard decisions are made to save lives. This study examined the relationship between job design, organizational commitment, and compensations; if job design and organizational commitment are predictors of compensation of physicians of a private hospital in Manila, Philippines; and if there is a significant difference in compensation when physician’s gender and years of service are considered. The research design was correlational using a t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), regression, and Pearson Correlation. Fifty hospital physicians were conveniently selected to answer a self-constructed questionnaire. The study revealed that job design and organizational commitment has a positive correlation to compensation in a health facility. Sex and years of service of the physicians do not differ on compensation. The study also revealed that attention should be given to organizational commitment. Organizational commitment predicted a positive relationship to compensation, but job design in terms of prediction, could not predict compensation though it had a positive relationship, which requires future studies to further investigate using other variables.&nbsp

Mother in Heaven

In praise of Mar

Monk Riders From On High

Ballad about a monk on retrea

Parade of the Generals

Spirited song about the history of the Marianist

Polymerization-Induced Phase-Separation in a Liquid-Crystal-Polymer Mixture

We have used light scattering to study the kinetics of polymerization-induced phase separation in a liquid-crystal-polymer mixture. The evolution of the structure factor is compared with scaling predictions for thermally quenched systems. We have also observed a cascading phenomenon where phase separated domains become unstable and undergo phase separation for a second time

Combined extracellular matrix cross-linking activity of the peroxidase MLT-7 and the dual oxidase BLI-3 is critical for post-embryonic viability in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>

The nematode cuticle is a protective collagenous extracellular matrix that is modified, cross-linked, and processed by a number of key enzymes. This Ecdysozoan-specific structure is synthesized repeatedly and allows growth and development in a linked degradative and biosynthetic process known as molting. A targeted RNA interference screen using a cuticle collagen marker has been employed to identify components of the cuticle biosynthetic pathway. We have characterized an essential peroxidase, MoLT-7 (MLT-7), that is responsible for proper cuticle molting and re-synthesis. MLT-7 is an active, inhibitable peroxidase that is expressed in the cuticle-synthesizing hypodermis coincident with each larval molt. mlt-7 mutants show a range of body morphology defects, most notably molt, dumpy, and early larval stage arrest phenotypes that can all be complemented with a wild type copy of mlt-7. The cuticles of these mutants lacks di-tyrosine cross-links, becomes permeable to dye and accessible to tyrosine iodination, and have aberrant collagen protein expression patterns. Overexpression of MLT-7 causes mutant phenotypes further supporting its proposed enzymatic role. In combination with BLI-3, an H2O2-generating NADPH dual oxidase, MLT-7 is essential for post-embryonic development. Disruption of mlt-7, and particularly bli-3, via RNA interference also causes dramatic changes to the in vivo cross-linking patterns of the cuticle collagens DPY-13 and COL-12. This points toward a functionally cooperative relationship for these two hypodermally expressed proteins that is essential for collagen cross-linking and proper extracellular matrix formation

Health-state utilities in a prisoner population : a cross-sectional survey

Background: Health-state utilities for prisoners have not been described. Methods: We used data from a 1996 cross-sectional survey of Australian prisoners (n = 734). Respondent-level SF-36 data was transformed into utility scores by both the SF-6D and Nichol's method. Socio-demographic and clinical predictors of SF-6D utility were assessed in univariate analyses and a multivariate general linear model. Results: The overall mean SF-6D utility was 0.725 (SD 0.119). When subdivided by various medical conditions, prisoner SF-6D utilities ranged from 0.620 for angina to 0.764 for those with none/mild depressive symptoms. Utilities derived by the Nichol's method were higher than SF-6D scores, often by more than 0.1. In multivariate analysis, significant independent predictors of worse utility included female gender, increasing age, increasing number of comorbidities and more severe depressive symptoms. Conclusion: The utilities presented may prove useful for future economic and decision models evaluating prison-based health programs

Prevalence of Sorghum Ergot in Southeast Asia

Ergot is a serious endemic disease in most of the sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) producing countries of the wor ld, wi th most recent outbreaks being in central and South Amer ica (Reis et al . 1996). It is caused by the fungus Claviceps spp. Three species are predominant: C. africana is prevalent in southern and eastern Af r ica, South Amer ica, Southeast Asia, Aust ral ia, and India; C. sorghi in India and Southeast Asia; and C. sorghicola in Japa