Research on the physics of solid materials Semiannual status report, 1 May - 31 Oct. 1967

Research projects on defect structure, mechanical behavior, electrical and optical properties, and thermodynamics of solid materials at universit

Research on the physics of solid materials Semiannual status report, 1 Jan. - 30 Jun. 1969

Research in solid state physics including mechanical properties, and optical propertie

How Gender and Victim Blame Impact the Identification of Human Trafficking Victims

Human trafficking is a worldwide phenomenon that uses fraud, force, or coercion to subjugate human beings into a modern form of slavery. Male and transgender victims have been excluded from previous research and as a result, the numbers of victims identifying as male, and transgender is unknown. This study examined the impact of gender and victim blame on the identification of human trafficking victims, particularly male and transgender. The theoretical frameworks of feminist theory and belief in a just world theory supported the study and supported the hypotheses. The research questions focused on the impact of gender and victim blame as it pertained to male and transgender human trafficking victims. The study was a quantitative study with a cross-sectional design, that used the Modified Victim Blaming Measure. A pilot study was conducted within the full study to determine the validity of the measure. There were 450 participants who completed the measure and an ANOVA and MANOVA was used to analyze the data from the vignette questions to determine any significance. The findings of the analysis revealed that gender and the trafficking situation both significantly impact victim blame attributed to human trafficking victims. The analysis also found that the identification of the victims was impacted by the trafficking situation suggesting that victims are less likely to be identified. This study helps support social change through the inclusion of all victims of human trafficking and by providing more information on the impact that gender and victim blame have on these victims

Odontogenic gene expression profile of human dental pulp-derived cells under high glucose influence: a microarray analysis

Hyperglycemia, a major characteristic of diabetes, is considered to play a vital role in diabetic complications. High glucose levels have been found to inhibit the mineralization of dental pulp cells. However, gene expression associated with this phenomenon has not yet been reported. This is important for future dental therapeutic application. Objective: Our study aimed to investigate the effect of high glucose levels on mineralization of human dental pulp-derived cells (hDPCs) and identify the genes involved. Methodology: hDPCs were cultured in mineralizing medium containing 25 or 5.5 mM D-glucose. On days 1 and 14, RNA was extracted and expression microarray performed. Then, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were selected for further validation using the reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) method. Cells were fixed and stained with alizarin red on day 21 to detect the formation of mineralized nodules, which was further quantified by acetic acid extraction. Results: Comparisons between high-glucose and low-glucose conditions showed that on day 1, there were 72 significantly up-regulated and 75 down-regulated genes in the high-glucose condition. Moreover, 115 significantly up- and 292 down-regulated genes were identified in the high-glucose condition on day 14. DEGs were enriched in different GO terms and pathways, such as biological and cellular processes, metabolic pathways, cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction and AGE-RAGE signaling pathways. RT-qPCR results confirmed the significant expression of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 3 (PDK3), cyclin-dependent kinase 8 (CDK8), activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), fibulin-7 (Fbln-7), hyaluronan synthase 1 (HAS1), interleukin 4 receptor (IL-4R) and apolipoprotein C1 (ApoC1). Conclusions: The high-glucose condition significantly inhibited the mineralization of hDPCs. DEGs were identified, and interestingly, HAS1 and Fbln-7 genes may be involved in the glucose inhibitory effect on hDPC mineralization

Sucrose alleviates capsaicin-induced tongue burning : an in vivo study

Spicy foods are flavorful and stimulate salivation, which is beneficial for individuals with poor appetite. They are also ubiquitous in many regional cuisines, but the chemical compounds in such foods, especially capsaicin from chili peppers, can cause t

Fluoride Release Of Dental Sealants Following Exposure To Fluoride Toothpaste And Fluoride Varnish

Background: Application of dental sealants on pit and fissure areas is an effective intervention to prevent and reduce development of dental caries. Fluoride incorporation into dental sealants increases potency on caries reduction. Fluoride exposure of dental sealant from different sources is expected to enhance fluoride release from dental sealants.Objective: The study was aimed to compare fluoride release from different dental sealants following exposure to fluoride toothpaste and fluoride varnish.Methods: Three types of dental sealants were included: Group A- glass ionomer sealant (GIS); Group B- resin sealant and Group C- giomer sealant. Thirty specimens of each material were prepared using stainless steel mold (10Å~2 mm) and stored in plastic container containing artificial saliva. Initial fluoride release was measured by a specific fluoride electrode every 24 hours for 15 days. The saliva was changed after each measurement. At day 15th, the specimens were randomly divided into 3 subgroups (n=10) and exposed to following regimens; subgroup A- fluoride toothpaste (1000 ppm) twice daily, subgroup B- fluoride varnish (22,600 ppm) once only at day 15th and subgroup C- control group; not exposed to any fluoride regimens. Fluoride release after fluoride exposure was measured for another 15 days. Data were analyzed using one way ANOVA and Games-Howell post hoc test at a significance level of 0.05.Results: GIS released highest amount of fluoride (42.9±1.91ppm) at the first 15 days followed by giomer sealant (27.79±1.66 ppm) and resin sealant (1.31±0.11 ppm) and showed significantly different among groups (p=0.00). Fluoride toothpaste increases fluoride release from all tested dental sealants while showed superior efficacy on giomer sealant followed by GIS and resin sealant (p=0.00). Fluoride varnish application promotes fluoride release significantly higher in all tested sealants (p=0.00).Conclusions: Daily exposure of fluoride toothpaste and single application of fluoride varnish enhances fluoride release of all dental sealants

Stress corrosion in titanium alloys and other metallic materials

Multiple physical and chemical techniques including mass spectroscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy, gas chromatography, electron microscopy, optical microscopy, electronic spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA), infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray analysis, conductivity, and isotopic labeling were used in investigating the atomic interactions between organic environments and titanium and titanium oxide surfaces. Key anhydrous environments studied included alcohols, which contain hydrogen; carbon tetrachloride, which does not contain hydrogen; and mixtures of alcohols and halocarbons. Effects of dissolved salts in alcohols were also studied. This program emphasized experiments designed to delineate the conditions necessary rather than sufficient for initiation processes and for propagation processes in Ti SCC

Comparative proteomic study of dog and human saliva

<div><p>Saliva contains many proteins that have an important role in biological process of the oral cavity and is closely associated with many diseases. Although the dog is a common companion animal, the composition of salivary proteome and its relationship with that of human are unclear. In this study, shotgun proteomics was used to compare the salivary proteomes of 7 Thai village dogs and 7 human subjects. Salivary proteomes revealed 2,532 differentially expressed proteins in dogs and humans, representing various functions including cellular component organization or biogenesis, cellular process, localization, biological regulation, response to stimulus, developmental process, multicellular organismal process, metabolic process, immune system process, apoptosis and biological adhesion. The oral proteomes of dogs and humans were appreciably different. Proteins related to apoptosis processes and biological adhesion were predominated in dog saliva. Drug-target network predictions by STITCH Version 5.0 showed that dog salivary proteins were found to have potential roles in tumorigenesis, anti-inflammation and antimicrobial processes. In addition, proteins related to regeneration and healing processes such as fibroblast growth factor and epidermal growth factor were also up-regulated in dogs. These findings provide new information on dog saliva composition and will be beneficial for the study of dog saliva in diseased and health conditions in the future.</p></div

Solar System Processes Underlying Planetary Formation, Geodynamics, and the Georeactor

Only three processes, operant during the formation of the Solar System, are responsible for the diversity of matter in the Solar System and are directly responsible for planetary internal-structures, including planetocentric nuclear fission reactors, and for dynamical processes, including and especially, geodynamics. These processes are: (i) Low-pressure, low-temperature condensation from solar matter in the remote reaches of the Solar System or in the interstellar medium; (ii) High-pressure, high-temperature condensation from solar matter associated with planetary-formation by raining out from the interiors of giant-gaseous protoplanets, and; (iii) Stripping of the primordial volatile components from the inner portion of the Solar System by super-intense solar wind associated with T-Tauri phase mass-ejections, presumably during the thermonuclear ignition of the Sun. As described herein, these processes lead logically, in a causally related manner, to a coherent vision of planetary formation with profound implications including, but not limited to, (a) Earth formation as a giant gaseous Jupiter-like planet with vast amounts of stored energy of protoplanetary compression in its rock-plus-alloy kernel; (b) Removal of approximately 300 Earth-masses of primordial gases from the Earth, which began Earth's decompression process, making available the stored energy of protoplanetary compression for driving geodynamic processes, which I have described by the new whole-Earth decompression dynamics and which is responsible for emplacing heat at the mantle-crust-interface at the base of the crust through the process I have described, called mantle decompression thermal-tsunami; and, (c)Uranium accumulations at the planetary centers capable of self-sustained nuclear fission chain reactions.Comment: Invited paper for the Special Issue of Earth, Moon and Planets entitled Neutrino Geophysics Added final corrections for publicatio