Field Statistics in a One-Dimensional Reverberation Chamber Model

This work focuses on building a fairly simple yet physically appropriate 1D model for a Reverberation Chamber which claims to be able to analytically predict the statistical behavior of such a chamber, without forsaking to the benefits of deterministic models. The statistical properties are introduced by varying the size of a 1D stirrer or the cavity size itself. A validation analysis shows agreement with other theories and measured results on real RCs. Field statistics in undermoded regime is examined. A radiated emission test is defined and shows reliable matching with reality. The field performance near the conducting walls is investigate

In vitro and in vivo modification of Neisseria gonorrhoeae lipooligosaccharide epitope structure by sialylation.

After growth of gonococci in the presence of cytidine monophospho-N-acetyl-neuraminic acid (CMP-NANA), their 4.5-kD lipooligosaccharide (LOS) component was increased by approximately 400 daltons, whereas the LOS of strains lacking the 4.5-kD component were unaffected. Expression of mAb-defined epitopes on the 4.5-kD component was decreased on LOS of strains grown in CMP-NANA, and treatment of the LOS with neuraminidase reversed this affect. Gonococci incubated with human PMNs also had decreased expression of the 4.5-kD+ epitopes. A detergent extract of gonococci incorporated radiolabeled NANA in the LOS, suggesting the presence of a sialyltransferase in gonococci. Exogenous sialyltransferases also could use LOS as an acceptor

UK COVID-19 lockdown: 100 days of air pollution reduction?

On the 23 March 2020, a country-wide COVID-19 lockdown was imposed on the UK. The following 100 days saw anthropogenic movements quickly halt, before slowly easing back to a “new” normality. In this short communication, we use data from official UK air-quality sensors (DEFRA AURN) and the UK Met Office stations to show how lockdown measures affected air quality in the UK. We compare the 100 days post-lockdown (23 March to 30 June 2020) with the same period from the previous 7 years. We find, as shown in numerous studies of other countries, the nitrogen oxides levels across the country dropped substantially (∼ 50%). However, we also find the ozone levels increased (∼ 10%), and the levels of sulphur dioxide more than doubled across the country. These changes, driven by a complex balance in the air chemistry near the surface, may reflect the influence of low humidity as suggested by Met Office data, and potentially, the reduction of nitrogen oxides and their interactions with multiple pollutants

The Impact of Herbal Drug Use on Adverse Drug Reaction Profiles of Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy in Zimbabwe

Background. The main objective was to determine the impact of herbal drug use on adverse drug reactions in patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Methodology. Patients receiving first-line ART from the national roll-out program participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants were interviewed and a data collection sheet was used to collect information from the corresponding medical record. Results. The majority (98.2%) of participants were using at least one herbal drug together with ART. The most common herbal remedies used were Allium Sativum (72.7%), Bidens pilosa (66.0%), Eucalyptus globulus (52.3%), Moringa oleifera (44.1%), Lippia javanica (36.3%), and Peltoforum africanum (34.3%). Two indigenous herbs, Musakavakadzi (OR = 0.25; 95% CI 0.076–0.828) and Peltoforum africanum (OR = 0.495; 95% CI 0.292–0.839) reduced the occurrence of adverse drug events. Conclusions. The use of herbal drugs is high in the HIV-infected population and there is need for pharmacovigilance programs to recognize the role they play in altering ADR profiles

Ultrasonic Wave Dispersion and Attenuation in Fluid Filled Porous Media

The study of ultrasonic wave propagation in granular materials can lead to a better understanding of wave interaction with such materials as uncured cement and concrete. The measured parameters can then be used to investigate the curing process in particular the time required for a given mixture to consolidate. The cohesionless granular materials having loose contact between the constituent grains form a matrix that has negligible shear modulus. Sediment, sandy ground and concrete before solidification can be considered as examples of cohesionless granular materials. The shear and rigidity moduli of these materials can differ greatly from the values obtained by effective medium theories. In particular these differences could affect the ultrasonic wave propagation in such a material. In the case of cohesionless granular material the complete description of mechanical properties requires the consideration of discrete nature of the solid frame and the contact areas between the grains. Therefore wave interaction with such a material should also include the above mentioned effects. The goal of this work is to investigate the ultrasonic wave dispersion and attenuation in cohesionless granular materials the results can be to applied to the monitoring of cement and concrete during the curing process

Quantitative Microscopy of Hepatic Changes Induced by Phenethyl Isothiocyanate in Fischer-344 Rats Fed Either a Cereal-Based Diet or a Purified Diet

Hepatic changes induced by phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) in the liver of rats were determined by quantitative microscopy. Groups of male Fischer-344 rats were fed either a standard, cereal-based diet (Wayne rodent meal) or a purified diet (AIN-76A) containing PEITC at concentrations of 0.75 and 6.0 mmol/kg for 13 wk. Severe hepatic lipidosis was observed in control rats fed the purified diet. Addition of PEITC to the purified diet significantly reduced lipid content in hepatocytes. In contrast, lipid content in the liver of the rats fed the cereal-based diet containing PEITC was greater than in control rats maintained on the same diet. In addition, dose-related reductions in hepatocyte, lipid droplet, peroxisome, and mitochondrial volumes were observed in PEITC-treated rats fed the cereal-based diet. These results indicate that PEITC exerts differential effects on the liver of rats fed either the cereal-based or purified diet.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68493/2/10.1177_019262339502300602.pd

Bromido(dodecafluorosubphthalo­cyaninato)boron(III)

The title compound, C24BBrF12N6 or Br-F12BsubPc (BsubPc is boronsubphtalocyanine), has a bowl-shaped structure with an approximate mol­ecular C 3v symmetry characteristic of boronsubphthalocyanine compounds. In the crystal, mol­ecules are arranged in one-dimensional columns and the boron–subphthalocyanine units within each column are offset and angled in a bowl-to-ligand packing arrangement such that the axial Br atom rests in the aromatic concaved bowl of the neighboring subphthalocyanine with an inter­molecular Br⋯B distance of 3.721 (3) Å

Shear-strain step response in linear regime of dilute suspensions of naturally bent carbon nanotubes

Impressive enhancements of the storage modulus have been documented when low volume fractions of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are added to a Newtonian solvent for obtaining dilute suspensions. The intrinsic bending dynamics of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been proposed to explain such elasticity. CNTs contain topological defects inducing naturally bent structures in absence of external forces and, hence, a semiflexible filament with a bent configuration at minimal internal-bending-energy is used for mimicking the structure of SWNTs in suspension. Previous continuous model is discretized as a non-freely jointed bead-rod chain with a naturally bent configuration for simulating the rheological behaviour after a shear-strain step in linear regime of SWNT dilute suspension by using a Brownian dynamics (BD) approach. In general, bead-rod chains exhibit an instantaneous relaxation after a high shear-strain step. Bending rigidity and number of constitutive rods are found to be determinant parameters in the internal-energy relaxation behaviour of non-freely jointed bead-rod chains in dilute solution. Proper comparisons between the BD simulation results and the experimental data for treated SWNT dilute suspensions confirm the consistency of the physical model mimicking the structure of a SWNT

Interaction of Disulfiram with Antiretroviral Medications: Efavirenz Increases While Atazanavir Decreases Disulfiram Effect on Enzymes of Alcohol Metabolism

Background and Objectives Alcohol abuse complicates treatment of HIV disease and is linked to poor outcomes. Alcohol pharmacotherapies, including disulfiram (DIS), are infrequently utilized in co-occurring HIV and alcohol use disorders possibly related to concerns about drug interactions between antiretroviral (ARV) medications and DIS. Method This pharmacokinetics study (n = 40) examined the effect of DIS on efavirenz (EFV), ritonavir (RTV), or atazanavir (ATV) and the effect of these ARV medications on DIS metabolism and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity which mediates the DIS-alcohol reaction. Results EFV administration was associated with decreased S-Methyl-N-N-diethylthiocarbamate (DIS carbamate), a metabolite of DIS (p = .001) and a precursor to the metabolite responsible for ALDH inhibition, S-methyl-N,N-diethylthiolcarbamate sulfoxide (DETC–MeSO). EFV was associated with increased DIS inhibition of ALDH activity relative to DIS alone administration possibly as a result of EFV-associated induction of CYP 3A4 which metabolizes the carbamate to DETC–MeSO (which inhibits ALDH). Conversely, ATV co-administration reduced the effect of DIS on ALDH activity possibly as a result of ATV inhibition of CYP 3A4. DIS administration had no significant effect on any ARV studied. Discussion/Conclusions ATV may render DIS ineffective in treatment of alcoholism. Future Directions DIS is infrequently utilized in HIV-infected individuals due to concerns about adverse interactions and side effects. Findings from this study indicate that, with ongoing clinical monitoring, DIS should be reconsidered given its potential efficacy for alcohol and potentially, cocaine use disorders, that may occur in this population. (Am J Addict 2014;23:137–144

Cooperative secretions facilitate host range expansion in bacteria

The majority of emergent human pathogens are zoonotic in origin, that is, they can transmit to humans from other animals. Understanding the factors underlying the evolution of pathogen host range is therefore of critical importance in protecting human health. There are two main evolutionary routes to generalism: organisms can tolerate multiple environments or they can modify their environments to forms to which they are adapted. Here we use a combination of theory and a phylogenetic comparative analysis of 191 pathogenic bacterial species to show that bacteria use cooperative secretions that modify their environment to extend their host range and infect multiple host species. Our results suggest that cooperative secretions are key determinants of host range in bacteria, and that monitoring for the acquisition of secreted proteins by horizontal gene transfer can help predict emerging zoonoses