Ultrasonic-aided fabrication of gold nanofluids

A novel ultrasonic-aided one-step method for the fabrication of gold nanofluids is proposed in this study. Both spherical- and plate-shaped gold nanoparticles (GNPs) in the size range of 10-300 nm are synthesized. Subsequent purification produces well-controlled nanofluids with known solid and liquid contents. The morphology and properties of the nanoparticle and nanofluids are characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering, as well as effective thermal conductivities. The ultrasonication technique is found to be a very powerful tool in engineering the size and shape of GNPs. Subsequent property measurement shows that both particle size and particle shape play significant roles in determining the effective thermal conductivity. A large increase in effective thermal conductivity can be achieved (approximately 65%) for gold nanofluids using plate-shaped particles under low particle concentrations (i.e.764 μM/L)

How risky is caring for emergency patients at risk of malpractice litigation: a population based epidemiological study of Taiwan's experiences

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Emergency medicine has generally been considered a high risk specialty. The purpose of this study is to assess the risk of being sued in the district courts for caring emergency room (ER) patients from the perspective of epidemiology.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This research was designed to be a retrospective population based cohort study. We intended to find out the incidence of litigations arising from ER patients and that of birth inpatients in Taiwan, and computed their relative risks. The inclusion criterion was set to be incidents transpired in the time period of 1998 to 2002. The study materials included the reimbursement claim dataset of the National Health Insurance from 1998 to 2002, and the district court decision database of the Judicial Yuan from 1999 to 2006.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The average annual incidence rate of becoming a plaintiff for ER patients is 0.86 per million, and for birth patients is 33.5 per million. There is a statistically significant difference between birth patients and ER patients. The relative risk comparing ER patients against birth inpatients is 0.03.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The findings of this population based study indicate that the patient population emergency physicians are facing in Taiwan have relatively lower risks of developing litigation in comparison with the patients that come to give birth. Due to the large volume of ER patients, malpractice still pose a major threat in the emergency department, and misdiagnosis remains the major complaint of plaintiffs in subsequent litigations.</p

Role of the RNA-Binding Protein Nrd1 in Stress Granule Formation and Its Implication in the Stress Response in Fission Yeast

We have previously identified the RNA recognition motif (RRM)-type RNA-binding protein Nrd1 as an important regulator of the posttranscriptional expression of myosin in fission yeast. Pmk1 MAPK-dependent phosphorylation negatively regulates the RNA-binding activity of Nrd1. Here, we report the role of Nrd1 in stress-induced RNA granules. Nrd1 can localize to poly(A)-binding protein (Pabp)-positive RNA granules in response to various stress stimuli, including heat shock, arsenite treatment, and oxidative stress. Interestingly, compared with the unphosphorylatable Nrd1, Nrd1DD (phosphorylation-mimic version of Nrd1) translocates more quickly from the cytoplasm to the stress granules in response to various stimuli; this suggests that the phosphorylation of Nrd1 by MAPK enhances its localization to stress-induced cytoplasmic granules. Nrd1 binds to Cpc2 (fission yeast RACK) in a phosphorylation-dependent manner and deletion of Cpc2 affects the formation of Nrd1-positive granules upon arsenite treatment. Moreover, the depletion of Nrd1 leads to a delay in Pabp-positive RNA granule formation, and overexpression of Nrd1 results in an increased size and number of Pabp-positive granules. Interestingly, Nrd1 deletion induced resistance to sustained stresses and enhanced sensitivity to transient stresses. In conclusion, our results indicate that Nrd1 plays a role in stress-induced granule formation, which affects stress resistance in fission yeast

Monodisperse α-Fe2O3 Mesoporous Microspheres: One-Step NaCl-Assisted Microwave-Solvothermal Preparation, Size Control and Photocatalytic Property

A simple one-step NaCl-assisted microwave-solvothermal method has been developed for the preparation of monodisperse α-Fe2O3 mesoporous microspheres. In this approach, Fe(NO3)3 · 9H2O is used as the iron source, and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) acts as a surfactant in the presence of NaCl in mixed solvents of H2O and ethanol. Under the present experimental conditions, monodisperse α-Fe2O3 mesoporous microspheres can form via oriented attachment of α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals. One of the advantages of this method is that the size of α-Fe2O3 mesoporous microspheres can be adjusted in the range from ca. 170 to ca. 260 nm by changing the experimental parameters. High photocatalytic activities in the degradation of salicylic acid are observed for α-Fe2O3 mesoporous microspheres with different specific surface areas