Reagentless and calibrationless silicate measurement in oceanic waters

Determination of silicate concentration in seawater without addition of liquid reagents was the key prerequisite for developing an autonomous in situ electrochemical silicate sensor (Lacombe et al., 2007) [11]. The present challenge is to address the issue of calibrationless determination. To achieve such an objective, we chose chronoamperometry performed successively on planar microelectrode (ME) and ultramicroelectrode (UME) among the various possibilities. This analytical method allows estimating simultaneously the diffusion coefficient and the concentration of the studied species. Results obtained with ferrocyanide are in excellent agreement with values of the imposed concentration and diffusion coefficient found in the literature. For the silicate reagentless method, successive chronoamperometric measurements have been performed using a pair of gold disk electrodes for both UME and ME. Our calibrationless method was tested with different concentrations of silicate in artificial seawater from 55 to 140×10−6 mol L−1. The average value obtained for the diffusion coefficient of the silicomolybdic complex is 2.2±0.4×10−6 cm2 s−1, consistent with diffusion coefficient values of molecules in liquid media. Good results were observed when comparing known concentration of silicate with experimentally derived ones. Further work is underway to explore silicate determination within the lower range of oceanic silicate concentration, down to 0.1×10−6 mol L−1

Etude physico-chimique de l'interface bois-vin pendant l'élevage en barriques

Des phénomènes physico-chimiques complexes interviennent lors de l'élevage du vin en barriques et rendent sa maîtrise complexe. L'objectif général de ce travail est de proposer au monde de la tonnellerie des concepts théoriques et des méthodes physico-chimiques globales pour caractériser le bois de chêne. Une partie théorique décrit des profils de concentration qui rendent compte de la diffusion et de l'adsorption de quelques composés dans le bois. Six outils de caractérisation du bois, de sa surface et de sa composition chimique sont ensuite présentés. Un premier groupe porte sur la détermination de la porosité par l'imprégnation d'hexadécane, la définition de composantes acides et basiques de la surface à partir de mesures d'angles de contact et l'estimation de la dimension des pores déduite de la vitesse d'ascension capillaire. Un deuxième groupe est relatif à l'électrochimie avec l'étude en solution modèle de 28 molécules, la définition d'une activité antioxydante globale et d'un indice global aldéhydique; des mesures électrochimiques sont également réalisées directement sur la surface du bois à l'aide d'un capteur original.Physico-chemical processes occur during wine ageing and make its control difficult. The goal of this work is to offer to barrelmakers some theoretical elements and physico-chemical methods to characterize oak wood. A theoretical part describes some profiles of concentration of some molecules submitted to diffusion and adsorption in wood. Six tools for characterization of wood, its surface and its chemical composition are then presented. A first group concerns the determination of porosity by impregnation of hexadecane, the definition of acid and base components from contact angle measurements and the estimation of pore sizes deducted from speed of capillary ascending. A second group is relative to electrochemistry with the study, in a model solution, of 28 molecules ; the definition of a global antioxidant activity and a global aldehydic index; electrochemical measurements are also realized directly on wood surface with an original sensor

Cause and Effectors: whole genome comparisons reveal shared but rapidly evolving effector sets among host-specific plant-castrating fungi

International audienceWord Count: 240 16 17 Text Word Count: 6,466 1

Highly Ordered Titanium Dioxide Nanostructures via a Simple One Step Vapor Inclusion Method in Block Copolymer Films

Nanostructured crystalline titanium dioxide (TiO2) finds applications in numerous fields such as photocatalysis or photovoltaics where its physical and chemical properties depend on its shape and crystallinity. We report a simple method of fabricating TiO2 nanowires by selective area deposition of titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) and water in a CVD-based approach at low temperature by utilizing PS-b-PEO self-assembled block copolymer thin film as a template. Parameters such as exposure time to TTIP (minutes to hours), working temperature (~18 to 40 °C) and relative humidity (20 to 70 RH%) were systemically investigated through GISAXS, SEM and XPS and optimized for fabrication of TiO2 nanostructures. The resulting processing conditions yielded titanium dioxide nanowires with a diameter of 24 nm. An extra calcination step (400 – 700 °C) was introduced to burn off the remaining organic matrix and introduce phase change from amorphous to anatase in TiO2 nanowires without any loss in order

2017 Walden University Research Symposium

Welcome to the 2017 Walden University Research Symposium. We are glad you can join us in celebrating our 10th anniversary of this Walden University tradition. The Research Symposium is an annual event that showcases research projects from our academic community, especially work by our recent graduates. If there is a theme this year, beyond their shared focus on social change, it would be research aimed at “assuring success” for a variety of people and groups. The presentations at a symposium appear in two different formats • Poster presentations provide an opportunity for researchers to engage with all individuals attending the symposium and potentially to network with other interested researchers. New to this year’s symposium are poster presentations by local alumni who have continued the research they started as doctoral students. • Using a roundtable presentation format, a select group of researchers is available for interactive discussions of their work, with handouts and visual materials available to support the discussion. For this symposium, we are highlighting the in-progress research by fellows associated with Walden University’s Center for Social Change. The “magic” of a research symposium can be found in the interactions between presenters and audience, however. So, please, don’t be shy—step up, ask questions, make comments, and enjoy the experience.https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/current/1000/thumbnail.jp

A multi-phase linear kinematic elastoplastic model for the HAZ of welded S355J2 steel under low-cycle fatigue

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Clinical, radiologic, pathologic, and molecular characteristics of long-term survivors of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG): a collaborative report from the International and European Society for Pediatric Oncology DIPG registries

Purpose Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a brainstem malignancy with a median survival of < 1 year. The International and European Society for Pediatric Oncology DIPG Registries collaborated to compare clinical, radiologic, and histomolecular characteristics between short-term survivors (STSs) and long-term survivors (LTSs). Materials and Methods Data abstracted from registry databases included patients from North America, Australia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, and Croatia. Results Among 1,130 pediatric and young adults with radiographically confirmed DIPG, 122 (11%) were excluded. Of the 1,008 remaining patients, 101 (10%) were LTSs (survival ≥ 2 years). Median survival time was 11 months (interquartile range, 7.5 to 16 months), and 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year survival rates were 42.3% (95% CI, 38.1% to 44.1%), 9.6% (95% CI, 7.8% to 11.3%), 4.3% (95% CI, 3.2% to 5.8%), 3.2% (95% CI, 2.4% to 4.6%), and 2.2% (95% CI, 1.4% to 3.4%), respectively. LTSs, compared with STSs, more commonly presented at age < 3 or > 10 years (11% v 3% and 33% v 23%, respectively; P < .001) and with longer symptom duration ( P < .001). STSs, compared with LTSs, more commonly presented with cranial nerve palsy (83% v 73%, respectively; P = .008), ring enhancement (38% v 23%, respectively; P = .007), necrosis (42% v 26%, respectively; P = .009), and extrapontine extension (92% v 86%, respectively; P = .04). LTSs more commonly received systemic therapy at diagnosis (88% v 75% for STSs; P = .005). Biopsies and autopsies were performed in 299 patients (30%) and 77 patients (10%), respectively; 181 tumors (48%) were molecularly characterized. LTSs were more likely to harbor a HIST1H3B mutation (odds ratio, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.1 to 1.5; P = .002). Conclusion We report clinical, radiologic, and molecular factors that correlate with survival in children and young adults with DIPG, which are important for risk stratification in future clinical trials

Observing the Evolution of the Universe

How did the universe evolve? The fine angular scale (l>1000) temperature and polarization anisotropies in the CMB are a Rosetta stone for understanding the evolution of the universe. Through detailed measurements one may address everything from the physics of the birth of the universe to the history of star formation and the process by which galaxies formed. One may in addition track the evolution of the dark energy and discover the net neutrino mass. We are at the dawn of a new era in which hundreds of square degrees of sky can be mapped with arcminute resolution and sensitivities measured in microKelvin. Acquiring these data requires the use of special purpose telescopes such as the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), located in Chile, and the South Pole Telescope (SPT). These new telescopes are outfitted with a new generation of custom mm-wave kilo-pixel arrays. Additional instruments are in the planning stages.Comment: Science White Paper submitted to the US Astro2010 Decadal Survey. Full list of 177 author available at http://cmbpol.uchicago.ed

The Plant Pathogen Phytophthora andina Emerged via Hybridization of an Unknown Phytophthora Species and the Irish Potato Famine Pathogen, P. infestans

Emerging plant pathogens have largely been a consequence of the movement of pathogens to new geographic regions. Another documented mechanism for the emergence of plant pathogens is hybridization between individuals of different species or subspecies, which may allow rapid evolution and adaptation to new hosts or environments. Hybrid plant pathogens have traditionally been difficult to detect or confirm, but the increasing ease of cloning and sequencing PCR products now makes the identification of species that consistently have genes or alleles with phylogenetically divergent origins relatively straightforward. We investigated the genetic origin of Phytophthora andina, an increasingly common pathogen of Andean crops Solanum betaceum, S. muricatum, S. quitoense, and several wild Solanum spp. It has been hypothesized that P. andina is a hybrid between the potato late blight pathogen P. infestans and another Phytophthora species. We tested this hypothesis by cloning four nuclear loci to obtain haplotypes and using these loci to infer the phylogenetic relationships of P. andina to P. infestans and other related species. Sequencing of cloned PCR products in every case revealed two distinct haplotypes for each locus in P. andina, such that each isolate had one allele derived from a P. infestans parent and a second divergent allele derived from an unknown species that is closely related but distinct from P. infestans, P. mirabilis, and P. ipomoeae. To the best of our knowledge, the unknown parent has not yet been collected. We also observed sequence polymorphism among P. andina isolates at three of the four loci, many of which segregate between previously described P. andina clonal lineages. These results provide strong support that P. andina emerged via hybridization between P. infestans and another unknown Phytophthora species also belonging to Phytophthora clade 1c

Elevated 17β-Estradiol Protects Females from Influenza A Virus Pathogenesis by Suppressing Inflammatory Responses

Studies of the 1918 H1N1 influenza pandemic, the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak, and the 2009 H1N1 pandemic illustrate that sex and pregnancy contribute to severe outcome from infection, suggesting a role for sex steroids. To test the hypothesis that the sexes respond differently to influenza, the pathogenesis of influenza A virus infection was investigated in adult male and female C57BL/6 mice. Influenza infection reduced reproductive function in females and resulted in greater body mass loss, hypothermia, and mortality in females than males. Whereas lung virus titers were similar between the sexes, females had higher induction of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, including TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6, and CCL2, in their lungs than males. Removal of the gonads in both sexes eliminated the sex difference in influenza pathogenesis. Manipulation of testosterone or dihydrotestosterone concentrations in males did not significantly impact virus pathogenesis. Conversely, females administered high doses of estradiol had a ≥10-fold lower induction of TNF-α and CCL2 in the lungs and increased rates of survival as compared with females that had either low or no estradiol. The protective effects of estradiol on proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, morbidity, and mortality were primarily mediated by signaling through estrogen receptor α (ERα). In summary, females suffer a worse outcome from influenza A virus infection than males, which can be reversed by administration of high doses of estradiol to females and reflects differences in the induction of proinflammatory responses and not in virus load