Adsorption mechanisms of palladium on the Tobacco Mosaic Virus surface

Organic-inorganic materials synthesis using biological templates has recently drawn immense attention of researchers. Biotemplating has shown to be an efficient and economic means of nanomaterials production. Naturally stable, readily available and genetically malleable, Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) is one of the most extensively studied and characterized biotemplates. Particularly, templated synthesis using TMV has produced high quality nanorods and nanowires that have been applied to batteries, memory devices and catalysis. The fundamental mechanisms, governing the adsorption of palladium on the TMV Wild Type and genetically modified versions (TMV1Cys and TMV2Cys), are not fully understood; this knowledge, however, is essential for future controllable synthesis. We are using UV Vis spectrometer to track the absorbance of palladium species in the solution in order to model the mechanism of adsorption on TMV surfaces using Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms. The mechanism is studied at 25 degrees Celsius at various palladium incubation concentrations. Adsorption on TMV Wild Type and TMV1Cys was successfully characterized by Langmuir isotherm, while adsorption on TMV2Cys, however, was found to be well characterized by Freundlich isotherm. With these models we were able to quantify the maximum capacities and adsorption intensities for TMV Wild Type and its mutants. Therefore, we were able to mathematically describe the differences in adsorption caused by the presence of thiol groups on the surface of TMV

Health system outcomes and determinants amenable to public health in industrialized countries: a pooled, cross-sectional time series analysis

BACKGROUND: Few studies have tried to assess the combined cross-sectional and temporal contributions of a more comprehensive set of amenable factors to population health outcomes for wealthy countries during the last 30 years of the 20(th )century. We assessed the overall ecological associations between mortality and factors amenable to public health. These amenable factors included addictive and nutritional lifestyle, air quality, public health spending, healthcare coverage, and immunizations. METHODS: We used a pooled cross-sectional, time series analysis with corrected fixed effects regression models in an ecological design involving eighteen member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development during the period 1970 to 1999. RESULTS: Alcohol, tobacco, and fat consumption, and sometimes, air pollution were significantly associated with higher all-cause mortality and premature death. Immunizations, health care coverage, fruit/vegetable and protein consumption, and collective health expenditure had negative effects on mortality and premature death, even after controlling for the elderly, density of practicing physicians, doctor visits and per capita GDP. However, tobacco, air pollution, and fruit/vegetable intake were sometimes sensitive to adjustments. CONCLUSION: Mortality and premature deaths could be improved by focusing on factors that are amenable to public health policies. Tackling these issues should be reflected in the ongoing assessments of health system performance

Exploring the ingredients required to successfully model the placement, generation, and evolution of ice streams in the British-Irish Ice Sheet

Ice stream evolution is a major uncertainty in projections of the future of the Greenland and Antarctic Ice sheets. Accurate simulation of ice stream evolution requires an understanding of a number of “ingredients” that control the location and behaviour of ice stream flow. Here, we test the influence of geothermal heat flux, grid resolution, and bed hydrology on simulated ice streaming. The palaeo-record provides snapshots of ice stream evolution, with a particularly well constrained ice sheet being the British-Irish Ice Sheet (BIIS). We implement a new basal sliding scheme coupled with thermo-mechanics into the BISICLES ice sheet model, to simulate the evolution of the BIIS ice streams. We find that the simulated location and spacing of ice streams matches well with the empirical reconstructions of ice stream flow in terms of position and direction when simple bed hydrology is included. We show that the new basal sliding scheme allows the accurate simulation for the majority of BIIS ice streams. The extensive empirical record of the BIIS has allowed the testing of model inputs, and has helped demonstrate the skill of the ice sheet model in simulating the evolution of the location, spacing, and migration of ice streams through millennia. Simulated ice streams also prompt new empirical mapping of features indicative of streaming in the North Channel region. Ice sheet model development has allowed accurate simulation of the palaeo record, and allows for improved modelling of future ice stream behaviour

Benefit-Cost Analysis Using Data Envelopment Analysis Benefit-Cost Analysis using Data Envelopment Analysis

Abstract Benefit-cost analysis is required by law and regulation throughout the federal government. Rober

Federalismo e gastos em saúde: competição e cooperação nos municípios da região metropolitana de São Paulo

O objetivo do trabalho é examinar implicações da estrutura federativa brasileira na avaliação comparativa de desempenho dos gastos públicos no setor saúde. Busca discutir a responsabilização dos gestores públicos municipais e avaliar a eficiência técnica dos municípios da Região Metropolitana de São Paulo nas ações de atenção básica à saúde. A atenção básica é a única subfunção de competência exclusiva dos gestores locais; as demais ações em saúde são compartilhadas entre os próprios municípios e com os outros entes federativos, União e estados. Para explorar as características de cooperação e competição do federalismo, são analisados dados levantados relativos aos municípios e agregados para as diferentes regiões de saúde que compõem a Região Metropolitana. O foco do estudo é a avaliação da eficiência técnica, capacidade de uma entidade obter máximos outputs com menor quantidade de insumos, realizada com o uso da metodologia Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Os resultados indicam grande dispersão dos dados dos municípios tanto em termos de despesa quanto da quantidade de procedimentos realizados, incluindo a cobertura dos principais programas de atenção básica, o Programa de Saúde da Família e o Programa de Agentes Comunitários de Saúde; e apontam menos de 20% dos municípios como eficientes. A análise dos municípios dentro de suas respectivas regiões sugere a prevalência de práticas de competição sobre as de cooperação. Tais informações podem contribuir para melhorar a integração dos serviços de saúde em redes de atenção e para repensar os pactos estabelecidos entre os municípios de uma determinada região de saúde. Além disso, este artigo, ao apontar potencialidades e limites de metodologias/técnicas para geração de informações úteis à tomada de decisão, pode contribuir para o debate atual em torno da controladoria no setor público

Is there an association between economic performance and public satisfaction in health care?

Public satisfaction, Data envelopment analysis, Malmquist index, Health system performance, Cohort analysis,