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Acute sleep restriction (SR) reduces strength through an unknown mechanism. Purpose: To determine how SR affects quadriceps contractile function and recruitment. Methods: Eighteen healthy subjects (9 M, 9F, age 23.8 ± 2.8y) underwent isometric (maximal and submaximal), isokinetic (300–60°·s−1), and interpolated twitch (ITT) assessment of knee extensors following 3d of adequate sleep (SA; 7–9 h·night−1), 3d of SR (5 h·night−1), and 7d of washout (WO; 7-9 h·night−1). Results: Compared to SA (227.9 ± 76.6Nm) and WO (228.19 ± 62.9Nm), MVIC was lesser following SR (209.9 ± 73.9Nm; p = 0.006) and this effect was greater for males (− 9.8 v. − 4.8%). There was no significant effect of sleep or sleep x speed interaction on peak isokinetic torque. Peak twitch torque was greater in the potentiated state, but no significant effect of sleep was noted. Males displayed greater potentiation of peak twitch torque (12 v. 7.5%) and rate of torque development (16.7 v. 8.2%) than females but this was not affected by sleep condition. ITT-assessed voluntary activation did not vary among sleep conditions (SA: 81.8 ± 13.1% v. SR: 84.4 ± 12.6% v. WO 84.9 ± 12.6%; p = 0.093). SR induced a leftward shift in Torque-EMG relationship at high torque output in both sexes. Compared to SA, females displayed greater y-intercept and lesser slope with SR and WO and males displayed lesser y-intercept and greater slope with SR and WO. Conclusions: Three nights of SR decreases voluntary isometric knee extensor strength, but not twitch contractile properties. Sex-specific differences in neuromuscular efficiency may explain the greater MVIC reduction in males following SR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nLAY SUMMARYThis article aims to review the critically acclaimed debut documentary “Smoke Sauna Sisterhood” (2023) by Anna Hints. On the outside the movie is rather culturally specific - setting of a smoke sauna in a Võromaa region of the small country of Estonia, following the lived experiences of women growing up in the late Soviet to early post-Soviet times. However, in this context, much more universal themes of womanhood are unveiled. As the themes of womanhood, bodies, nudity, patriarchy, and violence are ever-present in the therapy rooms of sex and relationships therapists, this is a movie that holds a gentle reminder of the fragility and stories people hold. In the context of visceral smoke sauna traditions, the relevance of cultural wisdom and humanity invite therapists to reflect on the nature of our work and the spaces we create.Through Anna Hints’ documentary “Smoke Sauna Sisterhood,” the themes of cultural (smoke) sauna rituals and practices as well as more universal themes of humanity, womanhood, vulnerability, pain, and connection are examined. The relevance of such themes to (sex and relationship) therapists is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the radiomic predictors F18-FDG PET/CT in the complete pathological response to neoadju vant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer. Material and methods: A total of 127 records were used to make up a mock data set and 19 were included in the final analysis. Age, response to treatment and radiomic characteristics were analyzed. Results: The distribution of response to treatment was partial in 13 patients (68.42%), total response in three patients (15.79%), stability in two patients (19.53%) and progression in one patient (5.26 %). A packed ensemble of a LightGBM model was constructed in 3 folds given 85 original features from the input dataset. Conclusion: Diagnostic performance of radiomics features superior to the gold standard was shown. Although the usefulness of this approach in correct and early prediction of treatment has yet to be demonstrated, this study suggests that texture radiomics obtained by PET/CT may be useful in predicting response to treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the Zr doped CuFe2O4 nanoparticles were prepared with different concentrations of zirconium ions through the chemical precipitation method. The Zr ion are added as Zr(x wt%):CuFe2(100-xwt%)O4 with (x = 0, 1, 3, 5). The crystal structure and phase were identified by XRD characterization. From the XRD the average crystallite sizes of the synthesized material were calculated and are obtained as 33 nm, 34 nm, 38 nm, and 42 nm. FT-IR characterization was taken to find the functional groups present in the material. The optical properties and corresponding optical band gap were determined by UV-DRS and PL studies. The bandgap was found to be 1.39 eV, 1.56 eV, 1.80 eV, and 1.97 eV for 0%, 1%, 3%, and 5% Zr doped CuFe2O4 nanoparticles respectively. The surface morphology is studied by SEM analysis. EDAX is used for the elemental composition analysis of the prepared materials. Further, the photocatalytic performances were studied with Rose Bengal (RB) and Indigo Carmine (IC) textile dyes. The maximum degradation percentage was obtained as 88% for RB dye and 71% for IC dye with 5wt% Zr doped CuFe2O4 nanoparticles within 120 min. The mineralization of the degraded dye solution was confirmed by the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the compounds of natural origin, diterpenes have proved useful as drugs for the treatment of cancer. Marine organisms, such as soft corals and algae, are a promising source of diterpenes, being a rich and unexplored source of cytotoxic agents. This study evaluated a library of 32 natural and semisynthetic marine diterpenes, including briarane, cembrane, and dolabellane nuclei, with the aim of determining their cytotoxicity against three human cancer cell lines (A549, MCF7, and PC3). The three most active compounds were submitted to a flow cytometry analysis in order to determine induction of apoptosis against the A549 cell line. An NMR analysis was conducted to determine and evaluate the interactions between active diterpenes and tubulin. These interactions were characterized by a computational study using molecular docking and MD simulations. With these results, two cembrane and one chlorinated briarane diterpenes were active against the three human cancer cell lines, induced apoptosis in the A549 cell line, and showed interactions with tubulin preferably at the taxane‐binding site. This study is a starting point for the identification and optimization of the marine diterpenes selected for better antitumor activities. It also highlights the power of integrating NMR studies, computational predictions, and in vitro assays in the search for compounds with antitumor activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A set of 4,4-dichloro-1,2-diazabutadienes derived from 3-nitrobenzaldehyde was prepared by the copper catalyzed reaction of the corresponding hydrazones with CCl4 in the presence of TMEDA. The structure of all products was confirmed by ¹H and 13C NMR spectra and ESI-MS. X-ray diffraction revealed Cl···O halogen binding in the crystal form for some dienes. Moreover, Br···p and Cl··p types of halogen bonds are observed. Azo dyes absorb in the UV-Vis region with the &#952-max located at about 234-437 nm in CH2Cl2, DMF and MeOH. Both absorption intensity and &#952-max is dependent on the solvent polarity and the electronwithdrawing/donating ability of para-substituents on the aromatic moiety of the dichlorodiazadienes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spinel nickel manganite (NiMn2O4) nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully synthesized through simple co-precipitation method, and their structural, optical, morphological and photocatalytic behavior is examined in this investigation. The powder X-ray diffraction pattern confirms the face-centered cubic spinel structure of the as-prepared sample, and the average crystallite size is found to be 46.27 nm. The absorption spectrum of the material was obtained via diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS), and the bandgap value is calculated using Tauc's relation as 2.41 eV. Morphological analysis was investigated by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). From the SEM analysis, the hexagonal cake-like structure was observed from the prepared material and size was achieved around to be 50–100 nm. Furthermore, the photocatalytic behavior of NiMn2O4 (NPs) against organic dyes under direct sunlight was analyzed by using methylene blue, malachite green and Congo red and the efficiency is observed as 92%, 94% and 62%, within 120 min, 60 min and 120 min, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the crystal of the title compound, C7H5FN4S, the mol­ecules are non-planar, with dihedral angle formed by least-squares planes of tetra­zole and benzene rings of 59.94 (8) °. The crystal packing is formed by N—H···S hydrogen bonds, which link the mol­ecules into centrosymmetric dimers with an R²2(8) ring motif, and by the offset face-to-face π–π stacking inter­actions between the benzene rings, which join the dimers into layers parallel to (100). The Hirshfeld surface analysis shows that the most important contributions to the surface contacts are from N···H/H···N (21.9%), S···H/H···S (21.1%), H···H (14.6%), F···H/H···F (11.8%) and C···H/H···C (9.5%) inter­actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this paper is to construct approximate analytic solutions for a time-fractional attraction Keller-Segel (TFAKS) chemotaxis model using the q-homotopy analysis transform method (q-HATM). The obtained results and numerical simulations for three sets of initial data describe the behavior of the system. This further assert the convenience, computational efficiency and wide applicability of the proposed method even to more complex coupled systems of partial differential equations arising from mathematical biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kombucha - a spontaneously fermented tea beverage, produced by SCOBY (a symbiont of bacteria and yeasts), has become popular in recent years. Its functional properties and features for industrial production and treatment remain largely unknown, however. Our aim of using additional yeast cultures during the primary fermentation was to modify and ultimately improve the sensory properties of the kombucha beverage. During five fermentation experiments the total viable count (TVC) of microbes was determined both in Kombucha and SCOBY samples. The first four fermentation experiments were conducted to stabilize the growth of SCOBYs that were initially of different origin. The last (5th) fermentation contained the simultaneous inoculation of three different active S. cerevisiae cultures into the sweetened black tea together with the SCOBY and was followed by a sensory analysis. Two samples remained as control samples without additional yeast starter culture. The yeast starter cultures affected the microbial counts of Kombucha, but the effect on the microbial count of SCOBY was not statistically significant (p >0.05). The Kombucha containing wine yeast culture had the lowest sensory quality, while Kombucha containing brewer's yeast had the most pleasant flavour and aroma. In conclusion, the simultaneous fermentation with commercial yeast cultures had a minor effect on the microbial counts in SCOBY when compared to the fermentation time, but all added cultures clearly modified the taste and aroma properties of the Kombucha drinks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Novel approach to methyl 2-aryl-2-(arylhydrazono) acetates via methanolysis of dichlorodiazabutadienes was developed. Hydrogen bonding in methyl Z -2-phenyl-2-(phenyl-hydrazono) acetate was explored by DFT calculations and topological analysis of the electron density distribution within the framework of Bader's theory (QTAIM method). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A detailed study of the dispersion of magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles in the polypropylene (PP) matrix, the degree of coagulation, and the dependence of magnetic properties of PP + Fe3O4 nanocomposites on the size of nanoparticles is reported. The size distribution of nanoparticles in polymer matrix and morphology of the nanocomposites were studied by the means of scanning electron microscope (JEOL JSM-7600 F) and atomic force microscopy (NT-MDT). It was found that when the Fe3O4 nanoparticles are introduced into the PP matrix, their coagulation takes place. The increase in the size of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles depends on their volume content in the polymer matrix, the viscosity of polymer, mixing time, and so on. The magnetic properties of PP + Fe3O4 nanocomposites were experimentally and theoretically studied. It was found that the magnetic hysteresis parameters of the nanocomposites directly depend on the size and concentration of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the matrix. Theoretical calculations were compared with experimental results obtained from M(H) measurements. Discrepancy between theoretical and experimental magnetic values have been explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] 1-Aryl-3-(4-bromophenyl)-4,4-dichloro-1,2-diazabuta-1,3- dienes were synthesized via copper-catalyzed reaction of 4-bromobenzaldehyde arylhydrazones with CCl 4. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed non-covalent Cl···Br interactions in the crystalline state and formation of 3D supramolecular framework; DFT calculations and topological analysis of the electron density distribution within the framework of Bader's theory (QTAIM method) confirmed these observations. Theoretical calculations showed that highly polarizable dichlorodiazadiene unit is capable of acting as a relatively strong halogen bond donor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schiff base condensation of 2-nitrobenzaldehyde with ( para -substituted phenyl)hydrazine in the presence of CH 3 COONa in EtOH at 80 °C produces ( E )-1-( para -substituted phenyl)-2-(2-nitrobenzylidene)hydrazines [−OCH 3 ( 1 ), −CH 3 ( 2 ), −H ( 3 ), −Br ( 4 ), −Cl ( 5 ), −F ( 6 )]. CuCl catalyzed olefination of 1 − 6 with CCl 4 in the presence of tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) in DMSO leads to ( E )-1-(2,2-dichloro-1-(2-nitrophenyl)vinyl)-2-( para- substituted phenyl)-diazenes [−OCH 3 ( 7 ), −CH 3 ( 8 ), −H ( 9 ), −Br ( 10 ), −Cl ( 11 ), −F ( 12 )], respectively. 1 – 12 were characterized by 1 H and 13 C NMR spectroscopies, ESI-MS, elemental and X-ray diffraction (for 8 , 9 and 12 ) analysis. The single crystal X-ray analysis of 8 , 9 and 12 evidence the intramolecular N ⋯ Cl pnicogen bonds which is significantly strengthened in view of the planarity of the four atoms involved in the 1,4-membered synthon. The intermolecular halogen and hydrogen bonds also contribute to stabilize the crystal structures of 8 , 9 and 12 . In DMSO solution 1 – 12 exist in the E -isomeric form, which stabilized by inter- and intramolecular noncovalent interactions. Solvatochromic behavior on UV–vis absorption spectra of azo dyes 7 – 12 were studied in CH 2 Cl 2 , DMF and MeOH, which λ max is dependent on the attached substituents at para- position of aromatic moiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the cation of the title salt, C15H15N4S+.Br.H2O, the central thiazolidine ring adopts an envelope conformation with puckering parameters Q(2) = 0.279 (4) Å and φ(2) = 222.5 (9)°. The mean plane of the thiazolidine ring makes dihedral angles of 12.4 (2) and 66.8 (3)° with the pyridine and phenyl rings, respectively. The pyridine ring in the title molecule is essentially planar (r.m.s deviation = 0.005 Å). In the crystal, the cations, anions and water molecules are linked into a three-dimensional network, which forms cross layers parallel to the (120) and (120) planes via O--H...Br, N--H...Br and N--H...N hydrogen bonds. C-- H...π interactions also help in the stabilization of the molecular packing. Hirshfeld surface analysis and 2D (two-dimensional) fingerprint plots indicate that the most important contributions to the crystal packing are from H...H (35.5%), C...H/H...C (23.9%), Br...H/H...Br (16.4%), N...H/H...N (10.6%) and S...H/H...S (7.9%) interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two known iron(III) complexes, [Fe(H2O)3(L¹)]⋅xH2O (x=4 (1), 5 (2)) and [Fe(H2O)3(L2)]⋅3H2O (3), bearing the basic forms of 5-chloro-3-(2-(4,4-dimethyl-2,6-dioxocyclohexylidene)hydrazinyl)-2-hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid (H3L¹) and 3-(2-(2,4-dioxopentan-3-ylidene)hydrazinyl)-2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzenesulfonic acid (H3L²), were prepared and used as homogeneous catalysts for cyanosilylation of a variety of aldehydes with trimethylsilyl cyanide leading to the corresponding cyanohydrin trimethylsilyl ethers. High yield (up to 98 %) was observed in the reaction catalyzed by 3 at room temperature in methanol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new trinuclear [Co II (H 2 O) 2 (Me 2 NCHO) 2 {Co III (1κ NOO′ :2κ O″ -μ-HL)} 2 (1κ NOO′ )]·2H 2 O ( 1 ) and polymeric [Co II (1κ NOO′ :2κ O″ -μ-HL)(MeOH) 2 ] n ( 2 ) complexes were isolated by the reaction of ( Z )-2-(2-(1,3-dioxo-1-(phenylamino)butan-2-ylidene)hydrazinyl)benzoic acid (H 3 L) with CoCl 2 ·6H 2 O and Co(ClO 4 ) 2 ·6H 2 O, respectively, in a mixture of DMF/MeOH (1/10, v/v), in the presence of Et 3 N at room temperature, and characterized by IR and ESI-MS spectroscopies, elemental and X-ray crystal structural analyses. In both structures the cobalt centres display distorted octahedral geometries. The structural units in 1 and 2 are connected via intermolecular hydrogen bonds involving the coordinated HL 2− and the bound and non-bound water molecules (in 1 ) or the methanol ligands (in 2 ) which provides supramolecular networks. 1 and 2 are catalyst precursors for the cyanosilylation reaction of a variety of both aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes with trimethylsilyl cyanide leading to the corresponding cyanohydrin trimethylsilyl ethers in high yields (up to 89%) in methanol and at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is an ablative treatment undergoing assessment for the treatment of benign and malignant disease. We describe the first reported intracavitary HIFU ablation for recurrent, unresectable and symptomatic cervical cancer. Case description: A 38 year old woman receiving palliative chemotherapy for metastatic cervical adenocarcinoma was offered ablative treatment from an intracavitary trans-rectal HIFU device (Sonablate® 500). Pre-treatment symptoms included vaginal bleeding and discharge that were sufficient to impede her quality of life. No periprocedural adverse events occurred. Symptoms resolved completely immediately post-procedure, reappeared at 7 days, increasing to pre-procedural levels by day 30. Discussion and evaluation: This first time experience of intracavitary cervical HIFU suggests that it is feasible for palliation of advanced cervical cancer, with no early evidence of unexpected toxicity. Ethical approval had also been granted for the use of per-vaginal access if appropriate. This route, alone or in combination with the rectal route, may provide increased accessibility in future patients with a redesigned device more suited to trans-vaginal ablations. Conclusion: Intracavitary HIFU is a potentially safe procedure for the treatment of cervical cancer and able to provide symptomatic improvement in the palliative setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present model is committed to the study of MHD boundary layer flow and heat transfer past a nonlinear vertically stretching porous stretching sheet with the effects of hydrodynamic and thermal slip. The boundary value problem, consisting of boundary layer equations of motion and heat transfer, which are nonlinear partial differential equations are transformed into nonlinear ordinary differential equations, with the aid of similarity transformation. This problem has been solved, using Runge Kutta fourth order method with shooting technique. The effects of various physical parameters, such as, stretching parameter m, magnetic parameter M, porosity parameter fw, buoyancy parameter λ, Prandtl number Pr, Eckert number Ec, hydrodynamic slip parameter γ, and thermal slip parameter δ, on flow and heat transfer characteristics, are computed and represented graphically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, published in the journal Neuropediatrics, examines the short-term effects of selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) on gait in children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy (BSCP). The study included 36 children aged 5.8 ± 2.5 years who underwent SDR. The researchers used 3D gait analysis to assess the effects of SDR on tempospatial parameters, gait profile score (GPS), and joint angles. The results showed that SDR led to improvements in gait, particularly in children with higher GMFCS levels and more kinematic alterations. However, the study suggests that longer follow-up may yield even better results, and a short interval to prior myofasciotomy may delay recovery. [Extracted from the article]

To investigate the relationship between gonadotroph function and ultrastructure, we have compared, in parallel in female mice, the effects of several different mutations that perturb the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Specifically, serum and pituitary gonadotrophin concentrations, gonadotrophin gene expression, gonadotroph structure and number were measured. Follicle-stimulating hormone β knockout (FSHβKO), follicle-stimulating hormone receptor knockout (FSHRKO), luteinising hormone receptor knockout (LuRKO), hypogonadal ( hpg) and ovariectomised mice were compared with control wild-type or heterozygote female mice. Serum levels of LH were elevated in FSHβKO and FSHRKO compared to heterozygote females, reflecting the likely decreased oestrogen production in KO females, as demonstrated by the threadlike uteri and acyclicity. As expected, there was no detectable FSH in the serum or pituitary and an absence of expression of the FSHβ subunit gene in FSHβKO mice. However, there was a significant increase in expression of the FSHβ and LHβ subunit genes in FSHRKO female mice. The morphology of FSHβKO and FSHRKO gonadotrophs was not significantly different from the control, except that secretory granules in FSHRKO gonadotrophs were larger in diameter. In LuRKO and ovariectomised mice, stimulation of LHβ and FSHβ mRNA, as well as serum protein concentrations, were reflected in subcellular changes in gonadotroph morphology, including more dilated rough endoplasmic reticula and fewer, larger secretory granules. In the gonadotophin-releasing hormone deficient hpg mouse, gonadotrophin mRNA and protein levels were significantly lower than in control mice and gonadotrophs were correspondingly smaller with less abundant endoplasmic reticula and reduced numbers of secretory granules. In summary, major differences in pituitary content and serum concentrations of the gonadotrophins LH and FSH were found between control and mutant female mice. These changes were associated with changes in expression of the gonadotrophin subunit genes and were reflected in the cellular structure and secretory granule appearance within the gonadotroph cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the search for improvements in the environmental credentials of the organic coatings industry, several different aspects are currently being addressed, including the reduction of volatile organic compounds, development of UV curable coatings and the reduction of potentially hazardous components in coating formulations. The performance of a novel water-based primer system, applied to alkali cleaned hot dipped galvanized steel, was investigated previously. It was shown that the level of adhesion promoter has a clear effect on durability and performance to the panels painted with the candidate primer and topcoat. Two concentrations of adhesion promoter were used, and the formulation with the higher concentration exhibited better coating longevity. The aim of this work is to understand the role of adhesion promoter in the primer formulation, particularly the manner in which it interacts with the substrate and the topcoat. This paper will describe the distribution of the adhesion promoter across the primer layer considering the possible opportunities of such a component enhancing the primer interaction at either interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Chlorinated 1,3,5-triazapentadienato ligand. [•] One-pot template synthesis of 1,3,5-triazapentadienato-zinc(II) complex. [•] The complex acts as an effective catalyst in the nitroaldol (Henry) reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate brain-pituitary-gonadal inter-relationships, we have compared the effects of mutations that perturb the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in male mice. Specifically, serum and pituitary gonadotrophin concentrations, gonadotrophin gene expression, and gonadotroph structure and number were measured. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)β knockout (FSHβKO), FSH receptor knockout (FSHRKO), luteinising hormone (LH) receptor knockout (LuRKO), hypogonadal ( hpg), testicular feminised ( tfm) and gonadectomised mice were compared with control wild-type mice or heterozygotes. Serum levels of LH were similar in FSHβKO, FSHRKO and heterozygote males despite decreased androgen production in KO males. As expected, there was no detectable FSH in the serum or pituitary and an absence of expression of the FSHβ subunit gene in FSHβKO mice. However, there was a significant increase in expression of the common α and LHβ subunit genes in FSHRKO males. The morphology of FSHβKO and FSHRKO gonadotrophs was not significantly different from controls, except that the subpopulation of granules consisting of an electron-dense core and electron-lucent 'halo' was not observed in FSHβKO gonadotrophs and the granules were smaller in diameter. In the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone deficient hpg mouse, gonadotrophin mRNA and hormone levels were significantly lower compared to control mice and gonadotrophs were correspondingly smaller, with less abundant endoplasmic reticulum and reduced secretory granules. In LuRKO, tfm and gonadectomised mice, hyperstimulation of LHβ and FSHβ mRNA and serum protein concentrations was reflected by subcellular changes in gonadotroph morphology, including more dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum and more secretory granules distributed adjacent to the plasma membrane. In summary, major differences in pituitary content and serum concentrations of the gonadotrophins LH and FSH have been found between normal and mutant male mice. These changes are associated with changes in transcriptional activity of the gonadotrophin subunit genes and are reflected by changes in the cellular structure and secretory granule architecture within the gonadotroph cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Template condensation of CCl3CN, NH4OH on Ni(II), Cu(II) and Pd(II). [•] New CuII and PdII complexes with chlorinated aliphatic tap ligands. [•] Multiple hydrogen and halogen bonds create 2D supramolecular assembly. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The condensation of diethyl 4-hydroxy-4-methyl-6-oxo-2-(4-substitutedphenyl)-cyclohexane-1,3-dicarboxylates and N′-(2-chloropropyl)ethane-1,2-diamine leads to diethyl 1-(2-chloropropyl)-9-hydroxy-9-methyl-7-phenyl-1,4-diazaspiro[4.5]decane-6,8-dicarboxylate (2) and its para-substituted methyl (1), chloro (3), bromo (4), and nitro (5) derivatives with a new stereogenic center, which were fully characterized by elemental analysis, ESI-MS, IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopies and X-ray single-crystal analysis (for 2). The condensation reaction is regioselective, only cyclohexanone carbonyl moiety undergoes the transformation, leaving the β-keto ester carbonyls unreacted. Withing the compounds 1–5, the increase in the Hammett’s σ p, related normal σpn, inductive σI, negative σp- and positive σp+ polar conjugation and Taft’s σop substituent constants generally leads to the corresponding drift of δO-H and δN-H NMR chemical shifts to lower field. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To date, most experimental studies of the tragedy of the anticommons treat individuals’ preferences as common knowledge. Here, we conduct experiments in which values are private information. We vary the bargaining institution, the buyer''s signaled willingness to pay, and the fraction of sellers whose inputs must be assembled. In our experiments simultaneous bargaining gives the buyer a better tradeoff between the total price paid and the risk of failure than sequential bargaining when all sellers’ inputs are necessary. When two thirds are necessary assembly failure virtually disappears, but simultaneous bargaining still generates lower prices for the buyer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Bacterial colonization and infection are important factors in compromised wound healing. Antiseptics have become an alternative for antimicrobial applications as antibiotic resistance is increasing; they have multiple targets with a broad spectrum of activity. Hence, the risk for developing resistance should be low. However, concerns have been raised that their growing use may result in bacteria that are less susceptible. Methods: The capacity of common antiseptics such as silver nitrate, polihexanide, octenidine, chlorhexidine and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-iodine to induce adaptation in a Staphylococcus aureus strain was analyzed in vitro using microplate laser nephelometry. S. aureus was repeatedly incubated with the respective half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) over a time period of 100 days. The influence of the continued treatment was determined by in situ monitoring of changes in the dose-response curves and calculation of the current IC50 values for the substances tested. Results: During the experiment, S. aureus quickly adapted to high concentrations of the antibiotic mupirocin during repeated treatment. Moreover, a significant increase of the IC50 for silver nitrate was observed over time. On the other hand, no significant difference was observed for polihexanide or chlorhexidine. While the IC50 for octenidine was also found to increase significantly, although the change was only marginal, reiterated incubation with PVP-iodine led to a decrease in the IC50. Conclusion: Repeated treatment of S. aureus with polihexanide, chlorhexidine, octenidine and PVP-iodine did not trigger bacterial adaptation to these substances. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: New arylhydrazones of β-diketones, 2-(2-(4,4-dimethyl-2,6-dioxocyclohexylidene)hydrazinyl) benzoic acid (1) and (Z)-ethyl-2-(2-(2-nitrophenyl)hydrazono)-3-oxobutanoate (2), have been synthesized by reaction of activated β-diketones with the corresponding aryldiazonium salts, and characterized by IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopies and elemental analysis. In DMSO solution, 1 is stable exclusively in the hydrazone form, while 2 exists in DMSO and H2O solutions as a mixture of enol–azo and hydrazone tautomeric forms. In the latter case, an increase in the solvent polarity shifts the tautomeric balance to the enol–azo form. Solvatochromic, thermal and photoluminescent properties of 1, 2 and the known related 2-(2-(2,4-dioxopentan-3-ylidene)hydrazinyl)benzoic acid (3), (2-(2-(2,4-dioxopentan-3-ylidene)hydrazinyl)phenyl)arsonic acid (4), (Z)-2-(2-(1,3-dioxo-1-phenylbutan-2-ylidene)hydrazinyl)benzoic acid (5) and 5-(2-(2,4-dioxopentan-3-ylidene)hydrazinyl)-2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione (6) were studied. The obtained UV–vis absorption spectra confirm that ε mах depends on the solvent and on the nature of AHBD, but no clear correlation was found. Upon heating, 1–3, 5 and 6 are stable up to 474K and decompose in two steps whereas 4 decomposes in three steps starting from 343K. The kinetic parameters of the thermal decomposition were estimated suggesting a low rate of the thermal decomposition. Compounds 2 and 3 exhibit luminescence with intense emission bands with maxima at λ em of 466.0 (λ ex =318nm) and 532.5nm (λ ex =315nm), respectively, while compounds 4 and 6 show low-intensity bands at λ em of 501 (λ ex =396nm) and 503nm (λ ex =389nm). Compounds 1 and 5 display no photoluminescence. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Development of efficient business process models and determination of their characteristic properties are subject of intense interdisciplinary research. Here, we consider a business process model as a directed graph. Its nodes correspond to the units identified by the modeler and the link direction indicates the causal dependencies between units. It is of primary interest to obtain the stationary flow on such a directed graph, which corresponds to the steady-state of a firm during the business process. Following the ideas developed recently for the World Wide Web, we construct the Google matrix for our business process model and analyze its spectral properties. The importance of nodes is characterized by PageRank and recently proposed CheiRank and 2DRank, respectively. The results show that this two-dimensional ranking gives a significant information about the influence and communication properties of business model units. We argue that the Google matrix method, described here, provides a new efficient tool helping companies to make their decisions on how to evolve in the exceedingly dynamic global market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: New arylhydrazone derivatives of β-diketones, 2-(4-bromophenylhydrazono)-5,5-dimethylcyclohexane-1,3-dione (1), 5-(4-bromophenylhydrazono)pyrimidine-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)-trione (2) and (E)-2-(4-bromophenylhydrazono)-1-phenylbutane-1,3-dione (3), were prepared by coupling of β-diketone with the respective para-bromophenyldiazonium chloride, and characterized by IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectra. The IR and NMR spectral data disclose an effective intramolecular hydrogen bonding in all the cases. The single crystal X-ray analysis of 3-(4-bromophenyl-hydrazono)pentane-2,4-dione (4) evidences the intramolecular resonance-assisted hydrogen bonding (RAHB) which is significantly strengthened in view of the planarity of the six atoms involved in the resonance cycle. Compound 3 derived from the unsymmetric 1-phenylbutane-1,3-dione exists in solution as a mixture of the enol-azo and hydrazone tautomeric forms and an increase of the solvent polarity shifts the tautomeric balance to the enol-azo form, while for 1, 2 and 4, derived from the symmetric β-diketones, the hydrazone form is dominating under all the studied conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents information on predatory pricing which is one of the important exclusionary practices which is a core problem of monopolization in the U.S. and the European Union (EU) law. A focus is on the rules for identifying predatory pricing based on finance theory, management for decisions related to investments and market strategies. The issues related to social welfare, strategies related to linear and nonlinear pricing and several tests based on the case laws are also discussed. Theory related to average variable cost, long-term average total cost and long-run average incremental cost are also discussed.

The geometry and electronic structure of iron oxide Fe3O4 with de-glucose and pentapeptide CREKA complex compound have been studied by te semiempirical molecular mechanics MM+ and quantum chemistry PM3 methods. The geometrical and energy parameters, characterizing the low energy states of the complex, were calculated using the HyperChem 8.03 program. A synthetic macromolecule, aminodextran-coated iron oxide nanoparticles conjugated with CREKA peptide, was te synthesized as a nanocarrier, which was detectable using magnetic resonance imaging. The synthesis process began with a two-step reaction that attached a high density of amino groups to a dextran backbone. The aminodextran-coated iron oxide nanoparticles thus synthesized were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Also, the morphology of this synthetic macromolecule was studied by scanning electron microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: New azoderivatives of pentane-2,4-dione, 3-(4-bromophenylhydrazo)pentane-2,4-dione (HL1) and 3-(4-acetylphenylhydrazo)pentane-2,4-dione (HL2), have been synthesized by reaction between pentane-2,4-dione and the corresponding aryldiazonium salts, and characterized by IR, UV–vis, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopies, potentiometry, X-ray diffraction analysis (for HL2) and thermogravimetry. The collected data confirm that HL1–2 exist in DMSO solution and in solid phase exclusively in the hydrazo form, being stabilized by an intramolecular hydrogen bonding. The thermodynamics of proton dissociation of HL1–2 and of the related known 3-(4-nitrophenylhydrazo)pentane-2,4-dione (HL3), in water–ethanol media, were studied quantitatively and the corresponding functions were calculated, showing a dependence on the inductive electron-acceptor character of the substituent in para-position of the aromatic part of the molecule. The thermal decompositions of HL1–3 were also investigated showing their high thermal stability with well-defined peaks of phase transition at 413–418K. The wavelengths (or wavenumbers) of maxima of absorption bands in the UV–vis spectra of HL1–3 and the corresponding absorption coefficients are dependent on the para substituent, but no correlation was found with any particular property of the solvent, such as polarity, H-bond donating or accepting ability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A study of the hydromagnetic flow due to a stretching sheet and heat transfer in an incompressible micropolar liquid is made. Temperature-dependent thermal conductivity and a non-uniform heat source/sink render the problem analytically intractable and hence a numerical study is made using the shooting method based on Runge–Kutta and Newton–Raphson methods. The two problems of horizontal and vertical stretching are considered to implement the numerical method. The former problem involves one-way coupling between linear momentum and heat transport equations and the latter involves two-way coupling. Further, both the problems involve two-way coupling between the non-linear equations of conservation of linear and angular momentums. A similarity transformation arrived at for the problem using the Lie group method facilitates the reduction of coupled, non-linear partial differential equations into coupled, non-linear ordinary differential equations. The algorithm for solving the resulting coupled, two-point, non-linear boundary value problem is presented in great detail in the paper. Extensive computation on velocity and temperature profiles is presented for a wide range of values of the parameters, for prescribed surface temperature (PST) and prescribed heat flux (PHF) boundary conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: By considering the recent developments in porous media, the correction to the fundamental error made by many researchers, while formulating the flow and heat transfer in porous medium over stretching surface has been incorporated in this present problem, which is still open in the literature. Here an analysis is carried out to study the flow and heat transfer characteristics in a viscoelastic fluid flow in porous medium over a stretching surface with two general cases namely PST and PHF cases, including the effects of viscous dissipation. The partial differential equations governing the flow and heat transfer are converted into ordinary differential equations and boundary conditions by suitable similarity transformation. The proposed problem has been solved analytically by power series method (using Kummer’s function). The graphical results for velocity, wall frictional coefficient and temperature are presented and discussed. Furthermore, it is shown that porous medium has same effect on the flow as viscoelasticity and it is also shown that the heat flow is always from the stretching sheet to the fluid. The numeric values of wall frictional coefficient , surface velocity gradient fηη (0) and wall temperature gradient θη (0) and wall temperature g(0) are also calculated, tabulated and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Industrial PVC samples have been flame treated in order to improve their surface properties for adhesion. Using a novel procedure to avoid X-ray damage, as-received and treated PVC were analysed by angle resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS) to assess the effect of the flame treatment. An increase of wettability was obtained and tested using dyne inks showing that the flame treatment has an effect on the surface. In terms of chemistry, it was found that a reduction of the covalent chlorine to chloride is observed while a decrease of carbon and increase of oxygen concentrations are the other main effects. ARXPS shows that the chloride species appear to segregate to deeper layers than the immediate surface intimating that the difference in wettability may have been obtained by eliminating already pre-existent surface contamination. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the present article an analysis is carried out to study the boundary layer flow and heat transfer characteristics of a second grade, non-Newtonian fluid through a porous medium. The stretching sheet is assumed to be permeable so that suction effects come into play. The effects of viscous dissipation, non-uniform heat source/sink on heat transfer are addressed. The basic boundary layer equations for momentum and heat transfer, which are non-linear partial differential equations, are converted into non-linear ordinary differential equations by means of similarity transformation. Analytical solutions are obtained for the resulting boundary value problems. The effects of viscous dissipation and non-uniform heat source/sink, Prandtl number, Eckert number and suction/injection on heat transfer are shown in several plots for two different heating processes (CST and PST cases). Dimensionless surface temperature gradient is tabulated for various values of the governing the parameters. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The structural and tautomeric characteristics of 3-(4-fluorophenylhydrazone)pentane-2,4-dione were studied using IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis and quantum-chemical calculations. Crystallographic data shows that the compound has a hydrazone structure that contains intramolecular H-bonds assisted by resonance, with a N–O distance of 2.5872 Å. The effective atomic charges in the tautomeric forms of the colorant (enol-azo, keto-azo and hydrazone), was calculated using an MO LCAO quantum-chemical method employing the Hückel approximation; the compound was stabilized in the hydrazone form and displayed high reactivity. The thermodynamic functions of the proton dissociation constant of the colorant were determined by potentiometry; the dissociation process was unspontaneous, endothermic and entropically unfavorable. The findings reveal that the colorant has the same structure in both DMSO solution and the solid state. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An analysis has been carried out to study the magnetohydrodynamic boundary layer flow and heat transfer characteristics of a laminar liquid film over a flat impermeable stretching sheet in the presence of a non-uniform heat source/sink. The basic unsteady boundary layer equations governing the flow and heat transfer are in the form of partial differential equations. These equations are converted to non-linear ordinary differential equations using similarity transformation. Numerical solutions of the resulting boundary value problem are obtained by the efficient shooting technique. The effects of magnetic and the non-uniform heat source/sink parameters on the dynamics are discussed. Findings of the paper reveal that non-uniform heat sinks are better suited for effective cooling of the stretching sheet. Skin friction coefficient and the local Nusselt number are also explored for typical values of magnetic and non-uniform heat source/sink parameters. The results are in excellent agreement with the earlier published works, under some limiting cases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a mathematical analysis of MHD flow and heat transfer to a laminar liquid film from a horizontal stretching surface. The flow of a thin fluid film and subsequent heat transfer from the stretching surface is investigated with the aid of similarity transformation. The transformation enables to reduce the unsteady boundary layer equations to a system of non-linear ordinary differential equations. Numerical solution of resulting non-linear differential equations is found by using efficient shooting technique. Boundary layer thickness is explored numerically for some typical values of the unsteadiness parameter S and Prandtl number Pr, Eckert number Ec and Magnetic parameter Mn. Present analysis shows that the combined effect of magnetic field and viscous dissipation is to enhance the thermal boundary layer thickness. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper the flow of a power-law fluid due to a linearly stretching sheet and heat transfer characteristics using variable thermal conductivity is studied in the presence of a non-uniform heat source/sink. The thermal conductivity is assumed to vary as a linear function of temperature. The similarity transformation is used to convert the governing partial differential equations of flow and heat transfer into a set of non-linear ordinary differential equations. The Keller box method is used to find the solution of the boundary value problem. The effect of power-law index, Chandrasekhar number, Prandtl number, non-uniform heat source/sink parameters and variable thermal conductivity parameter on the dynamics is analyzed. The skin friction and heat transfer coefficients are tabulated for a range of values of said parameters. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses the need for aid to the financial sector of the European Union and the way the European Commission has responded to the measures taken by Member States. It states that the Commission needs to take a hard-line position on state aid to avoid subsidy races, commitment problem of the national governments and difficulty of the national governments to respect dynamics commitments. Moreover, to solve the crisis and revise its approach, the Commission needs to promote a more aggressive and transparent approach by Member States.

Abstract: The paper considers the flow of a power-law fluid past a vertical stretching sheet. Effects of variable thermal conductivity and non-uniform heat source/sink on the heat transfer are addressed. The thermal conductivity is assumed to vary linearly with temperature. Similarity transformation is used to convert the governing partial differential equations into a set of coupled, non-linear ordinary differential equations. Two different types of boundary heating are considered, namely Prescribed power-law Surface Temperature (PST) and Prescribed power-law Heat Flux (PHF). Shooting method is used to obtain the numerical solution for the resulting boundary value problems. The effects of Chandrasekhar number, Grashof number, Prandtl number, non-uniform heat source/sink parameters, wall temperature parameter and variable thermal conductivity parameter on the dynamics are shown graphically in several plots. The skin friction and heat transfer coefficients are tabulated for a range of values of the parameters. Present study reveals that in a gravity affected flow buoyancy effect has a significant say in the control of flow and heat transfer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An analysis is carried out to study the magnetohydrodynamic boundary layer flow behavior and heat transfer characteristics of a viscoelastic fluid flow over a stretching sheet with radiation and for the case of large Prandtl numbers. The basic boundary layer equations of momentum and heat transfer, which are nonlinear partial differential equations, are converted into nonlinear ordinary differential equations by means of similarity transformation. The resulting nonlinear ordinary differential equations of momentum are solved exactly. Similarly, the energy equation is transformed to a confluent hypergeometric differential equation using a new variable and Rosseland approximation for radiation. The analytic solutions for temperature profile and heat transfer characteristics are obtained in terms of Kummer's function, and their asymptotic limits for large Prandtl numbers are also obtained. The effects of magnetic field, viscoelastic parameter, viscous dissipation, heat generation/absorption, work done due to deformation, and radiation on flow and heat transfer characteristics are discussed through several graphs. To assess the validity and accuracy of the present work, heat transfer results were compared to those of previously published work of Nataraja et al. (1977). This comparison shows excellent agreement between the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women with the metabolic syndrome are known to be at especially high risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome increases dramatically with menopause and may partially explain the apparent increase CVD after menopause. This study was performed to investigate the relationships between metabolic syndrome (MS) related parameters and the cardiovascular risk factors in Saudi postmenopausal women. Subjects with MS had significantly higher plasma levels of glucose, uric acid, TC, LDL-c, triacyiglycerol and atherogenic index, and lower levels of T-TDL-c and zinc compared to subjects without MS. Also, the subjects with MS had significantly higher levels of plasma ALT, AST, transferrin, TIBC and ferritin in comparison to those without MS. Postmenopausal women with MS had significantly higher levels of plasma iron compared with control group and premenopausal women with MS. Plasma ALT was positively correlated with ferritin level, waist circumference, body mass index, iron, and AST in postmenopausal women with MS. On other hand, ferritin level was associated with the variables of metabolic syndrome (positive correlation with systolic blood pressure, triacyiglycerol, LDL-c), and also was positively correlated with iron, and ALT. In conclusion, there is an association between postmenopausal status, MS and cardiovascular risk. Furthermore, levels of plasma ferritin are correlated with the levels of LDL-c, ALT & AST as well as with the components of metabolic syndrome in Saudi postmenopausal women. Because of the severe implications of cardiovascular diseases, counseling programs directed towards high-risk populations should be endorsed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An analysis has been carried out to study the magnetohydrodynamic boundary layer flow and heat transfer characteristics of a non-Newtonian viscoelastic fluid over a flat sheet with a linear velocity in the presence of thermal radiation and non-uniform heat source. The thermal conductivity is assumed to vary as a linear function of temperature. The basic equations governing the flow and heat transfer are in the form of partial differential equations, the same have been reduced to a set of non-linear ordinary differential equations by applying suitable similarity transformation. The transformed equations are solved analytically by regular perturbation method. Numerical solution of the problem is also obtained by the efficient shooting method, which agrees well with the analytical solution. The effects of various physical parameters such as viscoelastic parameter, Chandrasekhar number, Prandtl number, variable thermal conductivity parameter, Eckert number, thermal radiation parameter and non-uniform heat source/sink parameters which determine the temperature profiles are shown in several plots and the heat transfer coefficient is tabulated for a range of values of said parameters. Some important findings reported in this work reveals that combined effect of variable thermal conductivity, radiation and non-uniform heat source have significant impact in controlling the rate of heat transfer in the boundary layer region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We report results on the synchronization of two organ pipes positioned side by side. Special attention is put on the synchronization of the higher harmonics. As possible explanation, classical theory provides the amplitude death as explanation for the reduction to almost silence of two coupled organ pipes. With our measurements we exclude this scenario. The higher harmonics show a behavior in perfect coincidence with synchronization theory. In addition we investigate the dependence on the coupling of two pipes by varying their distance. In the context of synchronization in networks, a new synchronization effect is observed for extended systems with two distributed, slightly different delays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]