Inversion in the change of the refractive index and memory effect near the nematic-isotropic phase transition in a lyotropic liquid crystal

This work demonstrates the occurrence of dn/dT inversion from negative to positive near the nematic-isotropic phase transition in a lyotropic liquid crystal. It is suggested that this effect can he attributed to a sudden increase of the electronic polarizability due to a change in the micelle shape near this phase transition. Formation of a long lasting lenslike element within the sample when it is irradiated at moderately high laser powers is also reported. This permanent lens is erasable by increasing the temperature above the nematicisotropic transition temperature.615A5410541

Effects of alirocumab on types of myocardial infarction: insights from the ODYSSEY OUTCOMES trial

Aims  The third Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction (MI) Task Force classified MIs into five types: Type 1, spontaneous; Type 2, related to oxygen supply/demand imbalance; Type 3, fatal without ascertainment of cardiac biomarkers; Type 4, related to percutaneous coronary intervention; and Type 5, related to coronary artery bypass surgery. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction with statins and proprotein convertase subtilisin–kexin Type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors reduces risk of MI, but less is known about effects on types of MI. ODYSSEY OUTCOMES compared the PCSK9 inhibitor alirocumab with placebo in 18 924 patients with recent acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and elevated LDL-C (≥1.8 mmol/L) despite intensive statin therapy. In a pre-specified analysis, we assessed the effects of alirocumab on types of MI. Methods and results  Median follow-up was 2.8 years. Myocardial infarction types were prospectively adjudicated and classified. Of 1860 total MIs, 1223 (65.8%) were adjudicated as Type 1, 386 (20.8%) as Type 2, and 244 (13.1%) as Type 4. Few events were Type 3 (n = 2) or Type 5 (n = 5). Alirocumab reduced first MIs [hazard ratio (HR) 0.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.77–0.95; P = 0.003], with reductions in both Type 1 (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.77–0.99; P = 0.032) and Type 2 (0.77, 0.61–0.97; P = 0.025), but not Type 4 MI. Conclusion  After ACS, alirocumab added to intensive statin therapy favourably impacted on Type 1 and 2 MIs. The data indicate for the first time that a lipid-lowering therapy can attenuate the risk of Type 2 MI. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol reduction below levels achievable with statins is an effective preventive strategy for both MI types.For complete list of authors see http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehz299</p

Consistent patterns of common species across tropical tree communities

Trees structure the Earth’s most biodiverse ecosystem, tropical forests. The vast number of tree species presents a formidable challenge to understanding these forests, including their response to environmental change, as very little is known about most tropical tree species. A focus on the common species may circumvent this challenge. Here we investigate abundance patterns of common tree species using inventory data on 1,003,805 trees with trunk diameters of at least 10 cm across 1,568 locations 1–6 in closed-canopy, structurally intact old-growth tropical forests in Africa, Amazonia and Southeast Asia. We estimate that 2.2%, 2.2% and 2.3% of species comprise 50% of the tropical trees in these regions, respectively. Extrapolating across all closed-canopy tropical forests, we estimate that just 1,053 species comprise half of Earth’s 800 billion tropical trees with trunk diameters of at least 10 cm. Despite differing biogeographic, climatic and anthropogenic histories 7, we find notably consistent patterns of common species and species abundance distributions across the continents. This suggests that fundamental mechanisms of tree community assembly may apply to all tropical forests. Resampling analyses show that the most common species are likely to belong to a manageable list of known species, enabling targeted efforts to understand their ecology. Although they do not detract from the importance of rare species, our results open new opportunities to understand the world’s most diverse forests, including modelling their response to environmental change, by focusing on the common species that constitute the majority of their trees

A simple and rapid method for estimating the content of solids in industrialized cashew juice

A simple and rapid method based on the microcentrifugation of cashew juice samples was evaluated for its applicability to the estimation of the soluble, insoluble and total solids contents. The method consisted of the microcentrifugation for 5 min at 15,000 rpm of capillary tubes filled with a sample of juice. The percentage of solids was determined by the ratio of the lengths of the solid phase relative to the total sample. The values were correlated with the soluble, insoluble and total solids Contents determined by a gravimetric method and the degrees Brix obtained by refractometry. The was good correlation between the results of the proposed method and standard assays (R-2 greater than or equal to 0.94). Appropriate equations were used to correct the values for the percentage of solids determined by the proposed method relative to those predicted for the soluble, insoluble and total solids contents of cashew juice. The average errors the estimation of the soluble solids content by the proposed method relative to the degrees Brix values and for gravimetry were 3.83 and 3.41%, respectively. For the determination of the insoluble and total solids contents, the average errors for the microcentrifugation method relative to the conventional gravimetric method were 3.48 and 3.07%, respectively. The microcentrifugation method provides an excellent alternative to conventional methods for estimation of the contents of soluble, insoluble and total solids. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.70224725