Nothing Has Changed

Tradução de: Alice Borges Leal. Colin Thubron (Inglaterra, 1934) é considerado um escritorcujo gênero oscila entre turismo e literatura, fato que torna suadicção um híbrido de linguagem jornalística e literária

Ethyl (2E)-2-(hydroxy­imino)propanoate

The mol­ecule of the title compound, C5H9NO3, is essentially planar [the maximum deviation for a non-H atom from the mean plane is 0.021 (3) Å] due to the π-conjugation of the hydroxy­imino and carbonyl groups, which are trans to each other; ab initio calculations in vacuo at the DFT (B3LYP/6–311G**++) level of theory confirmed that E conformer is indeed the lowest in energy. The packing in crystal structure is influenced by strong inter­molecular O—H⋯N hydrogen-bonding inter­actions between oxime groups and also by π-stacking of the mol­ecules due to the carbonyl and oxime group orbital overlap [inter­planar distance between adjacent mol­ecules = 3.143 (4) Å]. Jointly, these factors afford infinite 6.32 Å thick mol­ecular sheets, where the plane of each mol­ecule is perpendicular to the plane of the sheet. Seen from above, the mol­ecules within the sheet are arranged in a herringbone pattern. Such sheets form a stack due to weak van der Waals inter­actions; the gap between adjacent sheets is 2.07 Å

The world's colonization and trade routes formation as imitated by slime mould

The plasmodium of Physarum polycephalum is renowned for spanning sources of nutrients with networks of protoplasmic tubes. The networks transport nutrients and metabolites across the plasmodium's body. To imitate a hypothetical colonization of the world and the formation of major transportation routes we cut continents from agar plates arranged in Petri dishes or on the surface of a three-dimensional globe, represent positions of selected metropolitan areas with oat flakes and inoculate the plasmodium in one of the metropolitan areas. The plasmodium propagates towards the sources of nutrients, spans them with its network of protoplasmic tubes and even crosses bare substrate between the continents. From the laboratory experiments we derive weighted Physarum graphs, analyze their structure, compare them with the basic proximity graphs and generalized graphs derived from the Silk Road and the Asia Highway networks. © 2012 World Scientific Publishing Company

Mitochondrial genes are altered in blood early in Alzheimer's disease

Although mitochondrial dysfunction is a consistent feature of Alzheimer's disease in the brain and blood, the molecular mechanisms behind these phenomena are unknown. Here we have replicated our previous findings demonstrating reduced expression of nuclear-encoded oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) subunits and subunits required for the translation of mitochondrial-encoded OXPHOS genes in blood from people with Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment. Interestingly this was accompanied by increased expression of some mitochondrial-encoded OXPHOS genes, namely those residing closest to the transcription start site of the polycistronic heavy chain mitochondrial transcript (MT-ND1, MT-ND2, MT-ATP6, MT-CO1, MT-CO2, MT-C03) and MT-ND6 transcribed from the light chain. Further we show that mitochondrial DNA copy number was unchanged suggesting no change in steady-state numbers of mitochondria. We suggest that an imbalance in nuclear and mitochondrial genome-encoded OXPHOS transcripts may drive a negative feedback loop reducing mitochondrial translation and compromising OXPHOS efficiency, which is likely to generate damaging reactive oxygen species

Evaporation rates of water contained within porous silica particles

We have used a gravimetric technique to measure the rate of evaporation of water contained within the pores of powdered silica particles. The experimental conditions are such that the rate is directly proportional to the water vapour pressure. For silica powders of different mean pore sizes, the reduced water evaporation rates are in agreement with the reduction of vapour pressure predicted according to the Kelvin equation. For a particular silica powder, evaporation rates determined from samples with different water contents show the variation in effective pore radius as a function of pore filling volume. Experiments in which a partially water filled powder is overlaid with a dry powder show that the achievement of a homogeneous distribution of water throughout the powder sample takes several hours

The Great Cities : Jerusalem

Amsterdam200 p. ; Illus.; 30 c

Bridging the gap between science and animal ethics. The morality of industrial animal farming with regards to animal welfare

Current debates regarding animal rights and ethics tend to remain separated from the relevant science and scientific evidence. The aim of this thesis is to therefore help fill this gap by bringing together moral philosophy and the scientific study of animal welfare in the context of industrial animal farming. Although the facts and research exist, they have so far mostly remained independent of the ethical questions industrial animal farming raises. Discussion will draw upon empirical studies and scientific theory to debate the three main areas of evolutionary closeness, pain and physical discomfort, and psychological suffering to demonstrate how the conditions and practises in industrial farming affect animal welfare. The evidence presented regarding whether animals suffer in industrial conditions is used to conclude that it is not morally acceptable to continue to industrially farm animals. The impacts of industrial animal farming upon the environment, human health, violence and animal welfare additionally demonstrate that this system is of significant relevance to the field of peace studies