Search

Although polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) are by far the world’s largest volume plastics, only a tiny fraction of these energy-rich polyolefins are currently recycled. Depolymerization of PE to its constituent monomer, ethylene, is highly endothermic and conventionally accessible only through unselective, high-temperature pyrolysis. Here, we provide experimental demonstrations of our recently proposed tandem catalysis strategy, which uses ethylene to convert PE to propylene, the commodity monomer used to make PP. The approach combines rapid olefin metathesis with rate-limiting isomerization. Monounsaturated PE is progressively disassembled at modest temperatures via many consecutive ethenolysis events, resulting selectively in propylene. Fully saturated PE can be converted to unsaturated PE starting with a single transfer dehydrogenation to ethylene, which produces a small amount of ethane (1 equiv per dehydrogenation event). These principles are demonstrated using both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts. While selectivity under batch conditions is limited at high conversion by the formation of an equilibrium mixture of olefins, high selectivity to propylene (≥94%) is achieved in a semicontinuous process due to the continuous removal of propylene from the reaction mixture.

High starch sweetpotatoes (HSSPs) are renewable feedstocks with the potential to support industrially relevant chemical production. Here, three HSSP genotypes (NC-413, NCPUR06-020, and NCDM02-180) and a table-stock variety (Covington) were tested for butanol production by Clostridium beijerinckiiNCIMB 8052 in two process configurations, separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF). Results indicated that sweetpotato genotype, preparation (fresh vs flour), and system configuration significantly affected acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation efficiency. Particularly, conversion using the Covington variety showed the highest product yields and robust results with both preparations (0.137 and 0.094 g butanol/g initial starch for fresh and flour preparations, respectively) without requiring pre-processing for phenolic removal with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). On the other hand, cultures with purple varieties NC-413 and NCPUR06-020, with the exception of NCPUR06-020 fresh preparations, required anthocyanin removal to achieve 0.103 g butanol/g initial starch, which represented more than a 1.6-fold increase in butanol concentration compared to purple sweetpotato hydrolysates without PVP phenolic pretreatment. Conversions with the white genotype (NCDM02-180) showed the lowest performance and largest variability under a SHF configuration (0.012 to 0.034 g butanol/g initial starch for fresh and flour, respectively), while butanol yields under SSF conditions (0.069 g butanol/g initial starch) were similar to the other genotypes examined. This study establishes the feasibility of using regionally relevant sweetpotato feedstocks (e.g., non-food-intended varieties as well as table-stock residues or culls) as a source of crude sugars for butanol fermentation and some of the key processing conditions that influence C. beijerinckiiculture performance.

Seventeen per cent of the world's population is estimated to be at risk of inadequate zinc intake, which could in part be addressed by zinc fortification of widely consumed foods. We conducted a review of efficacy and effectiveness studies to ascertain the effect of zinc fortification [postharvest fortification of an industrially produced food or beverage; alone or with multiple micronutrients (MMN)] on a range of health outcomes. Previous reviews have required that the effect of zinc be isolated; because zinc is always cofortified with MMN in existing fortification programs, we did not impose this condition. Outcomes assessed were zinc-related biomarkers (plasma or serum, hair or urine zinc concentrations, comet assay, plasma fatty acid concentrations, and the proportion of and total zinc absorbed in the intestine from the diet), child anthropometry, morbidity, mortality, cognition, plasma or serum iron and copper concentrations, and for observational studies, a change in consumption of the food vehicle. Fifty-nine studies were included in the review; 54 in meta-analyses, totaling 73 comparisons. Zinc fortification with and without MMN increased plasma zinc concentrations (efficacy, n= 27: 4.68 μg/dL; 95% CI: 2.62–6.75; effectiveness, n= 13: 6.28 μg/dL; 95% CI: 5.03–7.77 μg/dL) and reduced the prevalence of zinc deficiency (efficacy, n= 11: OR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.60–0.96; effectiveness, n= 10: OR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.31–0.64). There were statistically significant increases in child weight (efficacy, n= 11: 0.43 kg, 95% CI: 0.11–0.75 kg), improvements in short-term auditory memory (efficacy, n= 3: 0.32 point, 95% CI: 0.13–0.50 point), and decreased incidence of diarrhea (efficacy, n= 3: RR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.68–0.92) and fever (efficacy, n= 2: RR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.74–0.97). However, these effects cannot be solely attributed to zinc. Our review found that zinc fortification with or without MMN reduced the prevalence of zinc deficiency and may provide health and functional benefits, including a reduced incidence of diarrhea.Zinc fortification increased plasma/serum zinc concentrations and reduced the prevalence of zinc deficiency; limited evidence indicated that MMN + zinc-fortified food increased body weight and reduced the incidence of fever and diarrhea.

Seventeen per cent of the world's population is estimated to be at risk of inadequate zinc intake, which could in part be addressed by zinc fortification of widely consumed foods. We conducted a review of efficacy and effectiveness studies to ascertain the effect of zinc fortification [postharvest fortification of an industrially produced food or beverage; alone or with multiple micronutrients (MMN)] on a range of health outcomes. Previous reviews have required that the effect of zinc be isolated; because zinc is always cofortified with MMN in existing fortification programs, we did not impose this condition. Outcomes assessed were zinc-related biomarkers (plasma or serum, hair or urine zinc concentrations, comet assay, plasma fatty acid concentrations, and the proportion of and total zinc absorbed in the intestine from the diet), child anthropometry, morbidity, mortality, cognition, plasma or serum iron and copper concentrations, and for observational studies, a change in consumption of the food vehicle. Fifty-nine studies were included in the review; 54 in meta-analyses, totaling 73 comparisons. Zinc fortification with and without MMN increased plasma zinc concentrations (efficacy, n = 27: 4.68 μg/dL; 95% CI: 2.62–6.75; effectiveness, n = 13: 6.28 μg/dL; 95% CI: 5.03–7.77 μg/dL) and reduced the prevalence of zinc deficiency (efficacy, n = 11: OR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.60–0.96; effectiveness, n = 10: OR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.31–0.64). There were statistically significant increases in child weight (efficacy, n = 11: 0.43 kg, 95% CI: 0.11–0.75 kg), improvements in short-term auditory memory (efficacy, n = 3: 0.32 point, 95% CI: 0.13–0.50 point), and decreased incidence of diarrhea (efficacy, n = 3: RR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.68–0.92) and fever (efficacy, n = 2: RR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.74–0.97). However, these effects cannot be solely attributed to zinc. Our review found that zinc fortification with or without MMN reduced the prevalence of zinc deficiency and may provide health and functional benefits, including a reduced incidence of diarrhea.

AbstractLow gestational weight gain (GWG) is a known risk factor of low birthweight. Although studies have previously examined the associations between GWG and birthweight, the period-specific effects of low GWG in each trimester remain unclear. This study aimed to quantify the trimester-specific direct effects of low GWG in Japanese women on birthweight. Using perinatal data from a cohort study, we analyzed pregnant women delivered at an obstetrics/gynecology hospital between October 2006 and May 2010. We focused on women with a pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) below 25 kg/m2. The exposure was low GWG. The gestation period was subdivided into trimesters, and the direct effects of low trimester-specific GWG on birthweight were estimated using marginal structural models. These models were guided by a direct acyclic graph that incorporated potential confounders, including pre-pregnancy BMI, age, smoking during pregnancy, height, and parity. We analyzed 563 women and their families. The mean cumulative GWG by the end of the first, second, and third trimesters was 0.9, 6.2, and 10.7 kg, respectively. Approximately 14.0% of the women gained total weight below the range recommended by Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The direct effects of low GWG on birthweight were 65.9 g (95% confidence interval: 11.4, 120.5), −195.4 g (−263.4, −127.4), and −188.8 g (−292.0, −85.5) for the first, second, and third trimesters, respectively. Insufficient weight gain in the second and third trimesters had a negative impact on birthweight after adjusting for pre-pregnancy BMI and other covariates.

In this paper, a new fast, efficient and accurate contour extraction method, using eight sequential Euclidean distance map and connectivity criteria based on maximal disk, is proposed. The connectivity criterion is based on a set of point pairs along the image boundary pixels. The proposed algorithm generates a contour of an image with less number of iterations compared to many of the existing methods. The performance of the proposed algorithm is tested with a database of handwritten character images. In comparison to two standard contour tracing algorithms (the Moore method and the Canny edge detection method), the proposed algorithm found to give good quality contour images and require less computing time. Further, features extracted from contours of handwritten character images, generated using the proposed algorithm, resulted in better recognition accuracy.

Pathological complete response (pCR) is often achieved by neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), particularly in hormone receptor-negative breast cancer. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) is the most reliable imaging modality to evaluate the pathological effect of NAC. Ultrasonography is indispensable to collect representative specimens from the target lesion by core needle biopsy (CNB). This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of predicting pCR by adding CNB after NAC, in cases with complete clinical response (cCR) diagnosed by cMRI.

Inhibitory control, i.e., the ability to stop or suppress actions, thoughts, or memories, represents a prevalent and popular concept in basic and clinical neuroscience as well as psychology. At the same time, it is notoriously difficult to study as successful inhibition is characterized by the absence of a continuously quantifiable direct behavioral marker. It has been suggested that the P3 latency, and here especially its onset latency, may serve as neurophysiological marker of inhibitory control as it correlates with the stop signal reaction time (SSRT). The SSRT estimates the average stopping latency, which itself is unobservable since no overt response is elicited in successful stop trials, based on differences in the distribution of go reaction times and the delay of the stop-relative to the go-signal in stop trials.

Fifty-three bis(phosphines) were evaluated as ligands for chromium-catalyzed ethylene tetramerization in a high-throughput reactor. Selected ligands previously reported in the literature gave high activities with expected selectivities when evaluated under our reactor conditions. While the majority of ligands evaluated gave low activity catalysts that produced mostly high-density polyethylene (HDPE), alkyl phosphines were unexpectedly identified as a promising ligand class. In particular, the MeDuPhos ligand led to an active catalyst that produced 81.8 wt % α-olefins (50.0 wt % 1-octene, 31.8 wt % 1-hexene) and 3.5 wt % HDPE, approaching the selectivity of the state-of-the-art i-Pr-PNP ligand.

Chromium complexes with bis(phospholane) ligands were synthesized and evaluated for ethylene tetramerization in a high-throughput reactor. Three ligand parameters—the phospholane substituent, the ligand backbone, and the type of phosphine (cyclic vs acyclic)—were investigated. The size of the phospholane substituent was found to impact the selectivity of the resulting catalysts, with smaller substituents leading to the production of larger proportions of 1-octene. Changing the ligand backbone from 1,2-phenylene to ethylene did not impact catalysis, but the use of acyclic phosphines in place of the cyclic phospholanes had a detrimental effect on catalytic activity. Selected phospholane-chromium complexes were evaluated in a 300 mL Parr reactor at 70 °C and 700 psi of ethylene pressure, and the ethylene oligomerization performance was consistent with that observed in the smaller, high-throughput reactor. MeDuPhos-CrCl3(THF) (MeDuPhos = 1,2-bis(2,5-dimethylphospholano)benzene; THF = tetrahydrofuran) gave activity and selectivity for 1-octene (54.8 wt %) similar to the state-of-the-art i-PrPNP-CrCl3(THF) (64.0 wt %) (PNP = bis(diphenylphosphino)amine), while EtDuPhos-CrCl3(THF) (EtDuPhos = 1,2-bis(2,5-diethylphospholano)benzene) exhibited even higher activity, with catalyst selectivity shifted toward 1-hexene production (90 wt %). These results are surprising, given the prevalence of the aryl phosphine motif in ligands used in ethylene oligomerization catalysts and the inferior performance of previously reported catalysts with alkyl phosphine-containing ligands.

The potential long-term effects of childhood fluoxetine therapy on brain serotonin systems were studied using a nonhuman primate model, the rhesus monkey.

Ciliated bronchial epithelium 1 (CBE1) is a microtubule-associated protein localized to the manchette and developing flagellum during spermiogenesis and is associated with sperm maturation arrest in humans. It was hypothesized that CBE1 functions in microtubule-mediated transport mechanisms and sperm tail formation. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed Cbe1 expression and localization during spermiogenesis, and in mouse inner medullary collecting duct-3 (IMCD3) cells as a model of ciliogenesis. Furthermore, we generated and analyzed the fertility of a Cbe1 mutant mouse line. Mice containing a homozygous deletion in the long forms of Cbe1 were born at a lower frequency than predicted by Mendelian inheritance; however, adult male mice were fertile. An in-depth analysis of the Cbe1 gene revealed alternative transcript variants, which were not affected by the exon 2 mutation. To assess whether short variants compensate for the loss of long variants, exons 2 and 4 (which affect all variants) were individually mutated in IMCD3 cells and the effects on cell proliferation and ciliogenesis were analyzed. In wild-type IMCD3 cells, both variants were upregulated during cilia assembly. CBE1 protein was not a structural component of cilia; rather, CBE1 localized to the mitochondria and the contractile ring of dividing IMCD3 cells. Although IMCD3 cells carrying the mutation in long variants showed no phenotypic alterations, the mutation in exon 4 resulted in a significantly decreased proliferation rate. This study reveals that long isoforms of CBE1 are not essential for male fertility. Data, however, suggest that CBE1 is associated with intramanchette transport and midpiece formation of the sperm tail.

Although the guidelines in most countries do not recommend continuous inhalation of l-isoproterenol to treat pediatric patients with acute severe exacerbation of asthma, lower dose of l-isoproterenol has been widely used in Japan. To determine whether the efficacy of low-dose l-isoproterenol was superior to that of salbutamol, we conducted a double-blind, randomized controlled trial.

Le lait maternel est unique sur le plan nutritionnel, biologique et immunologique et sa composition évolue constamment pour répondre aux mieux aux besoins de l’enfant jusqu’à 6 mois. Dans les sociétés industrialisées les jeunes mamans ont rarement vu d’autres mamans allaiter avant de le faire elles-mêmes et beaucoup de femmes se trouvent désemparées face à d’inévitables petites difficultés. Les centres ressources (PMI, consultantes en lactation, association de soutien…) ont alors un rôle majeur. Cependant les conseils discordants des personnels de santé constituent parfois un obstacle à la poursuite de l’allaitement maternel. Combien d’interruptions d’allaitement pour une poussée de fièvre, une prescription médicamenteuse ou une lymphangite ? Un soutien des femmes allaitantes, des conseils et réponses adaptés à leurs demandes, une prise en charge rapide de chaque problème, doivent permettre la poursuite de l’allaitement maternel dans la grande majorité des situations.

Le lait maternel est unique sur le plan nutritionnel, biologique et immunologique et sa composition évolue constamment pour répondre au mieux aux besoins de l’enfant jusqu’à 6 mois. Dans les sociétés industrialisées les jeunes mamans ont rarement vu d’autres mamans allaiter avant de le faire elles-mêmes. Avec les sorties précoces de maternités beaucoup de femmes se trouvent désemparées face à d’inévitables petites difficultés. Les centres ressources (protection maternelle infantile [PMI], consultantes en lactation, association de soutien…) vont alors avoir un rôle à part entière. C’est en se rapprochant au mieux des dix conditions pour le succès de l’allaitement (WHO/UNICEF World Health Organization/United Nations Children's Fund) que celui-ci a des chances de bien démarrer et de se prolonger sans douleur. Si l’allaitement n’implique aucun interdit alimentaire, il peut être une bonne occasion de limiter sa consommation de café ou de thé et d’arrêter l’alcool et le tabac. Par ailleurs, il ne constitue pas une contraception infaillible et n’est pas incompatible avec la reprise du travail.

Recent global demand of polyethylene was 187 billion pounds with 23% being low density polyethylene (LDPE). LDPE is used in a variety of applications including liners, consumer bags, heavy duty sacks, caps, closures, toys, lamination, and agricultural films. A key feature of LDPE is the presence of long chain branching (LCB) which has a significant impact on physical and rheological properties, including melt strength. Previously it was reported that there are no C6branches in LDPE, and therefore the common practice has been to use the resonance around 32.2 ppm as a measure of LCB content. Herein, the existence of C6branches in LDPE is reported for the first time, enabled by the use of 1-chloronaphthalene as the NMR solvent. It is shown that the C6branches have a contribution to the resonance around 32.2 ppm. This finding suggests that C6branches should be measured in LDPE samples and be excluded from LCB quantification because they do not affect LDPE rheological properties as LCB does. The data obtained strongly suggest that C7branches are present in much lower concentrations in the LDPE samples studied. The quantification of these resonances traditionally requires long acquisition time, even with the use of a cryoprobe. In this work, different polarization transfer techniques, refocused insensitive nuclei enhanced by polarization transfer (RINEPT), and distortionless enhancement by polarization transfer (DEPT) were compared in terms of their ability to enhance CH2sensitivity, thus leading to a greater ability to observe the CH2resonances belonging to the C6branches. It was found that RINEPT with hard 180° 13C pulses is most suitable for this purpose. A much faster method is proposed for measuring LCB in LDPE that employs a combination of a conventional quantitative 13C NMR technique and a polarization transfer technique.

Open up, share and network information so that marine stewardship can mitigate climate change, overfishing and pollution.

Near infrared spectroscopy is widely used for compositional analysis of bulk materials because it is inexpensive, fast, and non-destructive. However, the chemometric techniques required to produce near infrared calibrations are varied and complex. While there are a number of commercial applications capable of implementing these techniques, there has also been a recent proliferation of R packages for chemometrics. The R programming language has greater capabilities for data processing, automation of multiple analyses, and user development of new techniques than many of the closed-source, graphical user interface-based commercial chemometrics applications do. The R project is thus a powerful, open-source option for generating and testing near infrared calibrations, albeit with a longer learning curve than many of the commercial chemometric applications. The calibration techniques available in R have been widely demonstrated in both the primary literature and introductory texts, but less so the steps between the acquisition of the data and the calibration. This tutorial seeks to bridge that gap by demonstrating a practical approach to data transfer and handling, using R and several packages available on the Comprehensive R Archive Network (https://cran.r-project.org/), and then illustrates the use of the resulting data framework in the generation of near infrared calibrations.

Near infrared spectroscopy is widely used for compositional analysis of bulk materials because it is inexpensive, fast, and non-destructive. However, the chemometric techniques required to produce near infrared calibrations are varied and complex. While there are a number of commercial applications capable of implementing these techniques, there has also been a recent proliferation of R packages for chemometrics. The R programming language has greater capabilities for data processing, automation of multiple analyses, and user development of new techniques than many of the closed-source, graphical user interface-based commercial chemometrics applications do. The R project is thus a powerful, open-source option for generating and testing near infrared calibrations, albeit with a longer learning curve than many of the commercial chemometric applications. The calibration techniques available in R have been widely demonstrated in both the primary literature and introductory texts, but less so the steps between the acquisition of the data and the calibration. This tutorial seeks to bridge that gap by demonstrating a practical approach to data transfer and handling, using R and several packages available on the Comprehensive R Archive Network (https://cran.r-project.org/), and then illustrates the use of the resulting data framework in the generation of near infrared calibrations.

Male infertility is an increasing problem partly due to inherited genetic variations. Mutations in genes involved in formation of the sperm tail cause motility defects and thus male infertility. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the protein networks required for sperm differentiation. Sperm motility is produced through activation of the sperm flagellum, which core structure, the axoneme, resembles motile cilia. In addition to this, cytoskeletal axonemal structure sperm tail motility requires various accessory structures. These structures are important for the integrity of the long tail, sperm capacitation, and generation of energy during sperm passage to fertilize the oocyte. This review discusses the current knowledge of mechanisms required for formation of the sperm tail structures and their effect on fertility. The recent research based on animal models and genetic variants in relation to sperm tail formation and function provides insights into the events leading to fertile sperm production. Here we compile a view of proteins involved in sperm tail development and summarize the current knowledge of factors contributing to reduced sperm motility, asthenozoospermia, underline the mechanisms which require further research, and discuss related clinical aspects on human male infertility.This review studies the known factors contributing to male fertility through production of sperm motility by the sperm tail.

Purpose:The purpose of this conceptual article is to present a framework that incorporates the concept of culture humility into effective rehabilitation services.Method:Based on a comprehensive literature review and theoretical integration, this article provides the reader with the basic concept of cultural humility, similarities and differences between cultural humility and cultural competence, and significance of the cultural humility concept to rehabilitation counseling.Results:The literature consistently describes the need for professionals to be culturally competent to effectively serve an increasingly diverse population. However, when using only a multicultural competency framework, counselors may have false beliefs about their competence in working with culturally diverse individuals, understate the power imbalance between service providers and clients, and ignore institutional (e.g., system, homophobia, racism) accountability. Cultural humility can directly address these issues and serve as a complement to cultural competence in rehabilitation counseling services given its emphasis on reflectivity, power differentials between counselors and clients, and institutional accountability.Conclusion:Cultural humility can be applied to rehabilitation research, education, and practice. We need to broaden multicultural rehabilitation counseling through a cultural humility approach.

The accurate characterization of biomass is critical for development of bioenergy feedstocks and their utilization. Most analytical approaches involve acid hydrolysis of the polysaccharides in biomass, leaving most of the lignin as insoluble residue. A limitation of this approach is that the same conditions used to hydrolyze polysaccharides also degrade the liberated monosaccharides. The NREL-compiled procedures account for this effect with “Sugar Recovery Standards”, in which a solution of the expected monosaccharides is prepared and subjected to the dilute-hydrolysis portion of the procedure; however, this tends to overestimate monosaccharide degradation and introduce bias between polysaccharides of different lability. The following recommended method modifications are intended to reduce these errors: (1) quantification of immediate degradation products of monosaccharides and their stoichiometric addition to the monosaccharide yield; (2) the adjustment of this combined yield with sugar recovery standards; and (3) preautoclave analysis of hydrolyzates to improve the estimation of monosaccharide concentration profiles for adjustment calculations.

DarkSide-50 (DS-50) at Gran Sasso underground laboratory (LNGS), Italy, is a direct dark matter search experiment based on a TPC with liquid argon. DS-50 has completed its first dark matter run using atmospheric argon as target. The DS-50 detector performances and the results of the first physics run are reviewed in this proceeding.

This subanalysis aimed to provide real-world data on venous thromboembolism (VTE) from patients with lung cancer in the Cancer-VTE Registry.

Harvesting lymph nodes (LNs) after gastrectomy is essential for accurate staging. This trial evaluated the efficiency and quality of a conventional method and a methylene blue–assisted method in a randomized manner. The key eligibility criteria were as follows: (i) histologically proven adenocarcinoma of the stomach; (ii) clinical stage I-III; (iii) R0 resection planned by gastrectomy with D1+ or D2 lymphadenectomy. The primary endpoint was the ratio of the pathologic number of harvested LNs per time (minutes) as an efficacy measure. The secondary endpoint was the number of harvested LNs, as a quality measure. Between August 2012 and December 2012, 60 patients were assigned to undergo treatment using the conventional method (n=29) and the methylene blue dye method (n=31). The baseline demographics were mostly well balanced between the 2 groups. The number of harvested LNs (mean±SD) was 33.6±11.9 in the conventional arm and 43.4±13.9 in the methylene blue arm (P=0.005). The ratio of the number of the harvested LNs per time was 1.12±0.46 LNs/min in the conventional arm and 1.49±0.59 LNs/min in the methylene blue arm (P=0.010). In the subgroup analyses, the quality and efficacy were both superior for the methylene blue dye method compared with the conventional method. The methylene blue technique is recommended for harvesting LNs during gastric cancer surgery on the basis of both the quality and efficacy.

The Modified Pulmonary Index Score (MPIS) was developed as an indicator of the severity of acute asthma in children. The objective of this study is to evaluate the reliability and validity of the MPIS for children with acute asthma, including those five years or younger in age.