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The reducibility of bulk metal oxides in which the cation is in its highest oxidation state (MgO, ScO, YO, TiO, m-ZrO, m-HfO, CeO, VO, NbO, TaO, WO, CrO, AlO, β-GaO, SiO, SnO and ZnO) has been studied by standard periodic density functional theory. We have defined and calculated descriptors able to describe and quantify semi-quantitatively the extent of reduction: electronic band gap, oxygen vacancy formation energy and electronic localization. We find that there is no single criterion for characterizing the reducibility. We discuss the advantages and limitations of each method, and we apply them to classify the materials with the PBE+U and B3LYP functionals. Typical irreducible oxides such as MgO show a large band gap, high oxygen vacancy formation energy and electronic localization of the reduction electrons forming and F-center, with a diamagnetic singlet electronic state. Reducible oxides such as TiO present small band gaps, small oxygen vacancy formation energy and electron localization of the reduction electrons in the cations, decreasing their oxidation state and presenting open-shell electronic states. Intermediate or ambivalent behavior is found for ZrO, HfO, β-GaO, ZnO and SnO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most high-temperature alloys rely on the formation of a protective chromia scale during service. Generally, the oxidation resistance is mainly influenced or limited by corrosive environments around the alloy. In the present study, the evaluation of kinetic data is connected to microstructural analyses and stress measurements of the CrO-layer formed on the Ni-25Cr model alloy after 1000 °C of isothermal exposure to atmospheres with and without water vapor and a varying (1 and 0.01%) oxygen content. Significant differences in oxide morphology, scale thickness, and oxide grain appearance could be observed. The results, with respect to oxidation kinetics and microstructures, showed a high tendency of variation when water vapor is present in the test gas. It was found that the addition of water vapor to the dry gas leads to decreased oxidation rates and reduced chromia scale thicknesses. The influence of the gas composition on the defect structure, the chromium flux, and diffusion of gas species is discussed on the basis of classical oxidation theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer-aided drug design encompasses a wide variety of tools and techniques, and can be implemented with a range of organisational structures and focus in different organisations. Here we outline the computational chemistry skills within Sygnature Discovery, along with the software and hardware at our disposal, and briefly discuss the methods that are not employed and why. The goal of the group is to provide support for design and analysis in order to improve the quality of compounds synthesised and reduce the timelines of drug discovery projects, and we reveal how this is achieved at Sygnature. Impact on medicinal chemistry is vital to demonstrating the value of computational chemistry, and we discuss the approaches taken to influence the list of compounds for synthesis, and how we recognise success. Finally we touch on some of the areas being developed within the team in order to provide further value to the projects and clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High chromium content in Ni50Cr thermally sprayed coatings can generate a dense and protective scale at the surface of coating. Thus, the Ni50Cr coating is widely used in high-temperature oxidation and corrosion applications. A commercially available gas atomized Ni50Cr powder was sprayed onto a power plant steel (ASME P92) using a liquid-fueled high velocity oxy-fuel thermal spray with three processing parameters in this study. Microstructure of as-sprayed coatings was examined using oxygen content analysis, mercury intrusion porosimetry, scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Short-term air oxidation tests (4 h) of freestanding coatings (without boiler steel substrate) in a thermogravimetric analyzer at 700 °C were performed to obtain the kinetics of oxidation of the as-sprayed coating. Long-term air oxidation tests (100 h) of the coated substrates were performed at same temperature to obtain the oxidation products for further characterization in detail using SEM/EDX and XRD. In all samples, oxides of various morphologies developed on top of the Ni50Cr coatings. CrO was the main oxidation product on the surface of all three coatings. The coating with medium porosity and medium oxygen content has the best high-temperature oxidation performance in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an application of a hybrid Chemical Reaction Optimization (CRO) algorithm with adaptive Differential Evolution (DE) mutation strategies for training Higher Order Neural Networks (HONNs), especially the Pi-Sigma Network (PSN) is presented. Contrasting to traditional CRO algorithms, the reactant size (population size) remains fixed throughout all iterations, which makes it easier to implement. In addition, four DE mutation strategies (DE/rand/1, DE/best/1, DE/rand/2 and DE/best/2) with adaptive selection of control parameters as inter-molecular reactions and one intra-molecular reaction have been used. The proposed algorithm combines the diversification property of inter-molecular reactions following DE/rand mutation strategies and intensification property of intra-molecular reaction as well as inter-molecular reactions following DE/best mutation strategies, thereby glorifying the chances of reaching the global optima in less iteration. The performance of the proposed algorithm for HONN training is evaluated through a well-known neural network training benchmark i.e., to classify the parity-p problems. The results obtained from the proposed algorithm to train HONN have been compared with results from the following algorithms: Basic CRO algorithm, CRO-HONN Training (HONNT) and the most popular variants of DE algorithm (DE/rand/1/bin, DE/best/1/bin). It is observed that the application of the proposed hybridized algorithm to (DE-CRO-HONNT) performs statistically better than that of other algorithms considering both classification accuracy and number of generation taken to attain the solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phi11, a temperate bacteriophage of Staphylococcus aureus, has been found to harbor a cro repressor gene which facilitates Phi11 to adopt the lytic mode of development. The Cro protein has been found to bind very specifically to a 15-bp operator DNA, located in the Phi11 cI- cro intergenic region [1]. To investigate the effects exerted by different ions upon the interaction between Cro and its cognate operator DNA, we have employed gel shift assays as well as circular dichroism spectral analysis. In this communication, we have shown that NH and acetate ions better facilitated the binding of Cro with its cognate operator as compared to Na, K and Li. Interestingly, Mg, carbonate and Citrate have an inhibitory effect upon the binding. The effect of the said ions upon the structure of Cro was also investigated by circular dichroism and it was found that other than Citrate ions, none of the other ions destabilised the protein. On the other hand, Mg and carbonate ions maintained the structure of the protein but severely hampered its functional activity. Citrate ions severely unfolded Cro and also inhibited its function. Considering all the data, NH and acetate ions appeared to be more suitable in maintaining the biological activity of Cro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The asset-liability management (ALM) function covers both a prudential component (management of all possible risks and rules and regulation) and an optimisation role (management of funding costs, generating results on balance sheet position) within the limits of compliance (implementation and monitoring with internal rules and a regulatory set of rules). As well as intervening in these aspects of current business activities, ALM is also consulted for organic development and external acquisition to analyse and validate funding terms options, conditions of projects, and any risks (ie funding issues in local currencies). For the sake of simplicity, treasury management can be covered and depicted from a corporate perspective by looking at the management of liquidity, funding and financial risk. ALM, on the other hand, is a discipline relevant to banks and financial institutions whose balance sheets present different challenges that must meet regulatory standards. For banking institutions, risk, treasury and ALM are interrelated and collaborate in managing liquidity, interest rate and currency risk at the individual and group level. ALM focuses more on risk analysis and medium- and long-term financing needs, while treasury manages short-term funding (mainly up to one year), including intraday liquidity management, cash clearing and crisis liquidity monitoring. ALM is concerned with the strategic management of the assets (uses of funds) and liabilities (sources of funds) of banks against risks caused by changes in the liquidity position of the bank, interest rates and exchange rates, and against credit risk and contingency risk. The author makes a modest attempt to provide a pragmatic view of the day-to-day ALM techniques used in managing the volume, mix, maturity, rate sensitivity, quality and liquidity of assets and liabilities as a whole so as to attain an acceptable risk/reward ratio. The purpose of this paper is to provide a perspective from a risk practitioner in enhancing asset quality, quantifying the risks associated with assets and liabilities, and further managing them in order to stabilise short-term profits, long-term earnings, and the long-run sustenance of the bank. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduction of hypochlorite is the most important side reaction in the sodium chlorate reactor leading to high energy losses. Today chromate is added to the reactor solution to minimize the hypochlorite reduction but a replacement is necessary due to health and environmental risks with chromate. In order to understand the effect of different substrates on the hypochlorite reduction, α-FeOOH, γ-FeOOH, CrO and CrOH were electrodeposited on titanium and subjected to electrochemical investigations. These substances are commonly found on cathodes in the chlorate process and can serve as model substances for the experimental investigation. The mechanism of hypochlorite reduction was also studied using DFT calculations in which the reaction at Fe(III) and Cr(III) surface sites were considered in order to single out the electrocatalytic properties. The experimental results clearly demonstrated that the chromium films completely block the reduction of hypochlorite, while for the iron oxyhydroxides the process can readily occur. Since the electrocatalytic properties per se were shown by the DFT calculations to be very similar for Fe(III) and Cr(III) sites in the oxide matrix, other explanations for the blocking ability of chromium films are addressed and discussed in the context of surface charging, reduction of anions and conduction in the deposited films. The main conclusion is that the combined effect of electronic properties and reduction of negatively charged ions can explain the reduction kinetics of hypochlorite and the effect of chromate in the chlorate process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The objective of this study was to develop and validate clinician and patient measures of satisfaction for pharmacologic stress agents (PSAs) used in single-photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging procedures. Methods Two questionnaires were developed: the Clinician Satisfaction and Preference Questionnaire (CSPQ) and the Patient Satisfaction and Preference Questionnaire (PSPQ). Items were developed, and the content validity of the questionnaires was ensured by participants’ involvement in the item generation (5 clinician and 18 patient face-to-face concept elicitation interviews) and item modification phases (5 clinician and 10 patient face-to-face cognitive debriefing interviews). Psychometric validation of the satisfaction component of the questionnaires was conducted in a sample of 9 clinicians and 90 patients. Findings After initial patient interviews and cognitive interviews, two 8-item instruments were developed with each containing an optional PSA preference question. The PSPQ assessed patients’ receptiveness and satisfaction with the PSA that they received. The CSPQ assessed clinicians’ satisfaction with the time and ease of PSA preparation, administration, and monitoring of the PSA. The optional preference question in both instruments assesses preference among PSAs. In a multicenter observational study of 88 patients and 9 clinicians, the PSPQ Preparation and Reaction to Agent scales elicited reliability coefficients of 0.90 and 0.87, respectively. In addition, the test-retest reliability was acceptable for all PSPQ scales (intraclass correlation coefficient range, 0.73–0.86). Concurrent validity with the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM) indicates low-to-moderate correlations between the Effectiveness, Convenience, and Global Satisfaction scales of the TSQM with the PSPQ Satisfaction with Administration, Satisfaction with Effects, and Overall Satisfaction items (range, 0.46–0.78). Analysis of the CSPQ found that both the Preparation and Reaction to Agent subscales indicated strong internal consistency (α = 0.98 and 0.99, respectively). Implications The PSPQ and CSPQ were developed and validated with rigorous methods. The instruments and their domains found strong internal consistency and good test-retest reliability. These questionnaires, when used as measures of treatment satisfaction in clinical trials, real-world observational studies, or by clinicians in their own laboratories, may help patients and clinicians better understand the impact of single-photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging pharmacologic stress testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate what kind of regulatory affairs tasks is outsourced in the pharmaceutical industry and what are the reasons for outsourcing in the EU countries. Methods: The study was conducted as an e-mail survey in the pharmaceutical industry in Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Germany, and Spain, focusing on those companies that undertake regulatory affairs. Results: The survey received 71 completed responses out of 147, a response rate of 48 %. The most outsourced tasks were related to translations of product information texts (75 % of the respondents). The principal reason for outsourcing regulatory affairs tasks to a Contract Research Organization (CRO) was the excessively heavy workload in the company's regulatory affairs. Also, outsourcing should be cost-effective. The fact that the CRO has experience and knowledge was seen as a very important requirement when choosing the CRO partner. Personal, individual contacts were mentioned in many of the open-ended responses as an essential criterion in the selection of the CRO. Conclusions: This survey indicated that outsourcing in regulatory affairs will continue. The quality of the CRO has a significant role when the companies select their partner. The CRO has to assure uniform quality of their personnel knowledge and skills in regulatory affairs, i.e., when the person in charge of the outsourced task changes in the CRO. Practically all product development steps can be outsourced by hiring local and multinational CROs. The companies should plan the outsourcing carefully and compare possible CROs even if the company has no plans to outsource at present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel approach to prepare a coating system containing an in situ grown CrO diffusion barrier between a nickel top layer and 310SS was reported. Cold spraying was employed to deposit Ni(O) interlayer and top nickel coating on the Cr-contained stainless steel substrate. Ni(O) feedstock was prepared by mechanical alloying of pure nickel powders in ambient atmosphere, acting as an oxygen provider. The post-spray annealing was adopted to grow in situ CrO layer between the substrate and nickel coating. The results revealed that the diffusible oxygen can be introduced into nickel powders by mechanical alloying. The oxygen content increases to 3.25 wt.% with the increase of the ball milling duration to 8 h, while Ni(O) powders maintain a single phase of Ni. By annealing the sample in Ar atmosphere at 900 °C, a continuous CrO layer of 1-2 μm thick at the interface between 310SS and cold-sprayed Ni coating is formed. The diffusion barrier effect evaluation by thermal exposure at 750 °C shows that the CrO oxide layer effectively suppresses the outward diffusion of Fe and Cr in the substrate effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the views of Indian journalists on media convergence in a context where the print media is thriving and Internet penetration is relatively low. Findings show that many journalists do not view convergence as a matter of survival as the print media remains robust. The lack of a strong revenue model for multimedia journalism also contributes to dampening enthusiasm about convergence among many journalists. However, forms of tactical convergence such as cross promotion of content among outlets owned by the same media conglomerate are becoming common. Coordination among journalists working on multiple platforms is more visible in the case of breaking news events than other areas. The desirability of multi-platform delivery by the same reporter is strongly contested among Indian journalists. Overall, journalists working at smaller organizations are more supportive of convergence than those working for large ones with an established reputation in a particular medium. Finally, the study indicates that any effort at introducing convergence in Indian newsrooms must take into account the strength and reach of the print media in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug development is a complicated and lengthy process requiring a significant amount of intellectual and capital input, as well as extensive collaborations among various organizations and institutions. Contract research organizations play important roles at some or even all stages of the drug development process. To provide better service in in vitro drug absorption, disposition, metabolism and excretion studies, maintain data accuracy and promote work efficiency, we developed an integrated information system termed the 'Drug Metabolism Information System', and it is being used routinely by our drug metabolism department. The Drug Metabolism Information System assists scientists with assay design, data analysis and report drafting and thus reduces human error.

The resistive switching memory characteristics of 100 randomly measured devices were observed by reducing device size in a Cr/CrO/TiO/TiN structure for the first time. Transmission electron microscope image confirmed a via-hole size of 0.4 µm. A 3-nm-thick amorphous TiO with 4-nm-thick polycrystalline CrO layer was observed. A small 0.4-µm device shows reversible resistive switching at a current compliance of 300 µA as compared to other larger size devices (1-8 µm) owing to reduction of leakage current through the TiO layer. Good device-to-device uniformity with a yield of >85 % has been clarified by weibull distribution owing to higher slope/shape factor. The switching mechanism is based on oxygen vacancy migration from the CrO layer and filament formation/rupture in the TiO layer. Long read pulse endurance of >10 cycles, good data retention of 6 h, and a program/erase speed of 1 µs pulse width have been obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, CrO single crystal slices were successfully synthesized on chromium substrate under water vapor atmosphere by firing. XRD pattern indicated that relatively weak diffraction peaks belonged to CrO slices while the intensive ones belonged to Cr 2 O 3 under the layer of CrO, which was further proved by HR-TEM image. The as-synthesized CrO single crystal slices were uniform with a thickness of about 100 nm when obtained at 1080 °C for 4 h. And the SAED result showed that the thickness direction of CrO single crystal slices is 〈111〉 orientation. Moreover, the formation mechanism of the CrO single crystal slices was given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, green nano CrO-coated mica pigments were prepared by homogeneous precipitation. Structure, morphology, and optical properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and colorimetric analysis. The results showed that an amorphous coating was synthesized and crystallized to CrO after heat treatment at 800°C. Average particle size of the coating was about 100 nm. The optical properties of the final pigment depended on the Cr content and heat-treatment temperature. The pearlescent index increased as chromium nitrate content increased and then decreased. Lower calcination temperature can cause lower L* value and pearlescent index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperate bacteriophages possess a molecular switch, which regulates the lytic and lysogenic growth. The genomes of the temperate telomere phages N15, PY54 and ΦKO2 harbor a primary immunity region (immB) comprising genes for the prophage repressor, the lytic repressor and a putative antiterminator. The roles of these products are thought to be similar to those of the lambda proteins CI, Cro and Q, respectively. Moreover, the gene order and the location of several operator sites in the prototype telomere phage N15 and in ΦKO2 are also reminiscent of lambda-like phages. By contrast, in silico analyses revealed the presence of only one operator (OR3) in PY54. The purified PY54 Cro protein was used for EMSA studies demonstrating that it exclusively binds to a 16-bp palindromic site (OR3) upstream of the prophage repressor gene. The OR3 operator sequences of PY54 and ΦKO2/N15 only differ by their peripheral base pairs, which are responsible for Cro specificity. PY54 cI and cro transcription is regulated by highly active promoters initiating the synthesis of a homogenious species of leaderless mRNA. The location of the PY54 Cro binding site and of the identified promoters suggests that the lytic repressor suppresses cI transcription but not its own synthesis. The results indicate an unexpected diversity of the growth regulation mechanisms in lambda-related phages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The chemical compatibility of perovskite-type BaSrCoFeO (BSCF) oxides with CrO has been examined between room temperature and 1,100 °C. Differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis were used to analyze the thermal behavior of BSCF-CrO binary mixtures in all composition ranges (0-100 mass% BSCF). The reaction products were identified by X-ray analysis after heating at 700-1,100 °C. As we expected, it was found that perovskite-type BSCF oxide had a poor chemical compatibility with the CrO oxide. In particular, the decomposition process of the BSCF-CrO binary mixture is quite complex and it starts at about 700-750 °C. The mixtures of BSCF and CrO oxides reacted forming mixed complex oxides based on (Ba/Sr)FeO, (Co/Fe)CrO, and (Ba/Sr)CrO mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the role of alliances between pharmaceutical companies for research and development and production. Topics discussed include competition in generic drugs market, novel therapeutics and drug development and short-term outsourcing research. It also discusses public-private partnerships, and the role of technology in production and traditional biotechnology partnerships.

Pharmaxi (hereinafter CRO) is a Ukrainian group of companies providing full service in clinical trials. At the beginning of the massive military Russian invasion of Ukraine on the 24 th of February 2022, it was the biggest CRO in Ukraine with 17 full-time employees and 8 contractors. Founded in 2013, it has grown up increasingly while building resilience to repeated crises in Ukraine, sustaining continuity of operations. The company evolved through political instability during the Revolution of Dignity, the subsequent beginning of the Russian occupation of Crimea, the beginning of hybrid armed conflict in the Eastern part of Ukraine in 2014, and the COVID-2019 crisis. In the sixth month of the active Russian-Ukrainian war, the company continues business operations and is ready for further development. This case study investigates the strategy and best practices for ensuring business stability through contingency, resilience, and recovery actions analysis, expert interviews with management, and the SWOT analysis of the study findings. In particular, the organisational continuity framework features financial policy, human resources management, organisational behaviour practices, internal communication, and diversification. While investigating the case of company's continuity of operations, it appeared that the company had a crosscutting orientation on stability. The core domains ensuring resilient company's activity over repeated crises were the diversification, utilization tools for financial stability, distinct human capital management and design of operations. Study's results might be relevant to small and middle-sized service companies., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: The first author, Mariia Yashchenko, declare being the Head of Biometrics at Pharmaxi group of companies (“Pharmaxi” LLC, “Pharmaxi-Ukraine” LLC, “Pharmaxi Clinical Research” LLC, “Pharmaxi Clinical Solutions” LLC, “OnlineCRF” LLC, Pharmaxi Poland sp. Z o. o.), Postgraduate student and Senior lecturer at National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, National Consultant at the World Health Organisation (Ukraine). The author, Yurii Lebid, declare being the CEO at Pharmaxi group of companies (“Pharmaxi” LLC, “Pharmaxi-Ukraine” LLC, “Pharmaxi Clinical Research” LLC, “Pharmaxi Clinical Solutions” LLC, “OnlineCRF” LLC, Pharmaxi Poland sp. Z o. o.). The author, Andrii Zaremba, declare being the СОО at Pharmaxi group of companies (“Pharmaxi” LLC, “Pharmaxi-Ukraine” LLC, “Pharmaxi Clinical Research” LLC, “Pharmaxi Clinical Solutions” LLC, “OnlineCRF” LLC, Pharmaxi Poland sp. Z o. o.). The author, Svitlana Bolman, declare being the Junior Statistician at Pharmaxi group of companies (“Pharmaxi” LLC, “Pharmaxi-Ukraine” LLC, “Pharmaxi Clinical Research” LLC, “Pharmaxi Clinical Solutions” LLC, “OnlineCRF” LLC, Pharmaxi Poland sp. Z o. o.). The author, Iryna Hoi, declare being the Head of Business Development Department at Pharmaxi group of companies (“Pharmaxi” LLC, “Pharmaxi-Ukraine” LLC, “Pharmaxi Clinical Research” LLC, “Pharmaxi Clinical Solutions” LLC, “OnlineCRF” LLC, Pharmaxi Poland sp. Z o. o.), Student of Master Program Public Policy and Administration at Kyiv School of Economics. The author, Roman Bystrov, declare being the Head of Data Management Department at Pharmaxi group of companies (“Pharmaxi” LLC, “Pharmaxi-Ukraine” LLC, “Pharmaxi Clinical Research” LLC, “Pharmaxi Clinical Solutions” LLC, “OnlineCRF” LLC, Pharmaxi Poland sp. Z o. o.)., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Parallel computing problems of multiphysical coupling applications based on discrete grids can be equivalently transformed into parallel computing problems based on a directed acyclic graph (DAG). Due to the problem of the discrete high-dimensional grids of the multiphysical coupling application, the directed data dependencies usually have parallelism. Moreover, this kind of scheduling problem based on DAG is NP-hard problem. Heuristic algorithms are often used to achieve optimal execution order scheduling of tasks and mapping between tasks and processors. In this paper, we propose an improved chemical reaction optimization algorithm based on adaptive search strategy (ASSCRO), which is used to solve the DAG task scheduling problem of discrete multiphysical coupling applications. ASSCRO is divided into two phases. The first phase is used to search the directed execution order of the tasks, and the second phase aims to use the heuristic strategy to map the tasks to the processors efficiently. In the four basic reactions of CRO, the algorithm can cover a larger search solution space by using an adaptive search strategy, it can obtain a better solution, and achieve less overhead and superior performance than the state-of-the-art. We conducted the experiment that applied our ASSCRO to deal with the multiphysical coupling applications. The experimental results showed that the proposed algorithm outperforms other algorithms in multiple metrics when dealing with DAG scheduling problems. • We propose the ASSCRO to solve the DAG issue with directed data dependencies. • The ASSCRO obtains the solution faster in the entire feasible solution space. • We propose a greedy strategy in the ASSCRO during the mapping process. • The strategy reduces inefficient mapping and maintains computational load-balancing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rutile TiO and Eskolaite CrO powders were mechanically mixed and fed into the plasma jet simultaneously. The influence of the ratio of components on behavior of the plasma-sprayed coatings was observed using two different compositions, both at two different feeding distances. The produced coatings were analyzed by XRD, SEM, XPS, and light microscopy. Electrical resistivity was measured at voltages from 1 to 100 V. Photocatalytic decomposition of butane on the coatings was studied using visible light together with a setup typically used for UV-light tests. For the coatings with high TiO content, besides rutile, low anatase content was identified. The coatings with predominant CrO exhibited lower porosity and higher hardness. All coatings are relatively efficient photocatalysts for butane decomposition. Moreover, they have good mechanical properties governed predominantly by CrO content as the harder component. It was proven that the spray process led to obtaining of robust photocatalytically active coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interdiffusion and microstructural evolution of the CrO-AlO (5 vol.% ZrO) diffusion couple are studied in the temperature range 1600-1800°C under microwave heating (24 Hz) and, for comparison, under traditional heating using electron microprobe analysis and microscopic analysis. It is found that the concentration of chromium is distributed differently in AlO in diffusion zones under microwave and traditional heating. This is due to greater contribution of grain-boundary diffusion to the effective diffusion flux under microwave heating. Bulk diffusion and average grain-boundary diffusion coefficients are calculated. The grain size in the diffusion zone toward AlO is smaller after microwave heating. Traditional heating induces grain growth by recrystallization, whereas two processes, recrystallization and polygonization, are superimposed during microwave heating. The polygonization is due to the generation of dislocations under thermal stresses originating from nonuniform temperature distribution in the diffusion zone with variable concentrations of the components. The calculated bulk and grain-boundary diffusion coefficients can be used to predict the kinetics of various diffusion mass-transfer processes in AlO and CrO oxides and their mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contract research organization (CRO) outsourcing has become a critical strategy for multinational biopharmaceutical companies looking to reduce costs, time-to-market and expanding their pipelines as blockbuster patents expire. Much of the growth in the CRO industry is coming from emerging markets, such as China and India. China's CRO industry began in 1996 and is still relatively young and fragmented. However, it is growing quickly at an annual rate of 30%. Global CRO giants such as Quintiles, PPD, Covance, Parexel and ICON have invested in facilities in China and some Chinese CROs have grown to become global players. This paper will provide a detailed analysis on CROs in China, including the characterization of companies and services provided, recent IPO/M&A deal activity, trends in the sector, and intellectual property and regulatory issues to consider. Readers will be able to obtain a clear picture of China's CRO landscape. This paper should serve as a guide for companies considering outsourcing R&D to China and investors looking for opportunities in China's CRO industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to generate synthesis gas or hydrogen free from nitrogen by partial oxidation of methane using air as an oxidant, gas-solid reactions of methane and a metal oxide and/or mixed metal oxides were carried out. The background of the gas-solid reaction was briefly reviewed and then a series of the present author's studies was described. As metal oxides FeO and NiO were active, but the reaction with methane and these oxides afforded complete oxidation to give HO and CO. To both oxides, addition of Cr- and Mg- oxides promoted the following reaction to give synthesis gas. After the reaction with methane, mixed oxides were reduced to lower valence state oxides and they were regenerated by the oxidation with air. Up to 10 repeated reaction and regeneration cycles did not or only slightly decreased the activity of the mixed oxides. By switching two or more reactors, the reaction and the regeneration were carried out to give synthesis gas continuously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Test alloys ZG40Cr24 with alloying of 3 wt% aluminium were cast by intermediate frequency induction furnace. The oxidation resistance of test alloys at 1 000 °C for 500 hours was examined according to oxidation weight gain method. The scale morphology and composition were studied using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) respectively. By energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) studies, a kind of composite oxide scale compounded highly by CrO, AlO and spinel MCrO in molecule scale came into being at high temperature. With flat and compact structure, fine and even grains, such composite scale granted complete oxidation resistance to alloy ZG40Cr24. The oxidation resistance mechanism was studied deeply in electrochemistry corrosion. The P+N semiconductor composite scale composed plenty of inner PN junctions, of which the unilateral conductive and the out-of-order arrangement endowed itself insulating in all directions. The positive and negative charges in scale could not move, and the mobile number and transferring rate of them both dropped enormously, as a result, the oxidation rate of the matrix metal was cut down greatly. So the composite scale presented excellent oxidation resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel and facile synthesis route for the manufacture of transparent and uniform self-assembled nanocrystalline CrO (nc-CrO) thin films with different morphology was reported, utilizing chromium nitrate as the inorganic source and triblock copolymer F127 as the morphology-directing agent by the evaporation-induced assembly (EIA) method. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC), N-sorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the as-prepared nc-CrO thin films. The CrO thin film with different morphology was obtained by changing the relative humidity. The possible formation mechanism of the nc-CrO thin films with different morphologies was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raman spectroscopy has in recent years been used by several research groups to study the stresses that develop in thermally grown oxide layers, particularly CrO, at elevated temperatures between 700 and 900 °C. This paper presents an overview of the Raman technique and describes quantitatively the factors that, in addition to stress, affect the Raman peak shifts, including temperature, non-stoichiometry, impurities, stresses and instrumental calibration. It also summarizes and reviews published work in this area and in doing so, discusses the pros and cons of this technique for oxidation stress measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The system energy of H atom occupying different positions in CrO crystal lattice is calculated by adopting the first-principles calculation method based on density functional theory in this paper. The results indicate that the most stable position of H atom in CrO crystal lattice locates at the bilateral positions of the center of the unoccupied O octahedral interstice. The reason resulting in this situation is analyzed by comparing the change of CrO lattice distortion and density of states in CrO_H system when H atom locates at different positions in octahedral interstice. The diffusion activation energy of H atom is 0.73 eV, which is determined by seeking the diffusion path and transition state of H atom in CrO crystal lattice. The effective attempt frequency of H atom in CrO crystal lattice is also calculated by using molecular dynamics. Combining with diffusion activation energy data, the diffusion coefficient of H atom in CrO crystal is determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large number of pharmaceutical companies now use contract resource organisations (CROs) for the reporting of their clinical trials, use in data monitoring committees (DMCs) or for consultancy work. High expectations are placed on the CRO to create the best possible results, in the fastest possible time for the least possible cost. This paper intends to explore the expectations from both interested parties, resulting in some possible solutions/suggestions to make the working relationship easier, more efficient and with less stress on either side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At one point in time, there was self-insurance. Then came risk management. Now comes the era of enterprise risk management (ERM). Traditional risk management will always be necessary, but ERM will complement existing risk activities by extending the field to cover all core risks as well as emerging and strategic opportunities, because without taking risks, organisations gain no value. In addition, ERM will be taken seriously by financial participants and stakeholders if an organisation has a risk champion in the guise of a CRO, an emerging C-level position with its own set of requirements and proper training. This paper will present the main elements of an ERM framework and characteristics of different types of ERM. It will elaborate on the main roles and responsibilities of a CRO along with potential designations that would contribute to making the position fully valued and recognised by society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The lysogeny region of the Lactobacillus delbrueckii bacteriophage mv4 contains two divergently oriented ORFs coding for the Rep (221 aa) and Tec (64 aa) proteins. The transcription of these two genes was analysed by primer extension and Northern blot experiments on lysogenic strains. The location of the transcription initiation sites of rep and tec in the intergenic region allowed the identification of the divergently oriented non overlapping promoters P rep and P tec. Transcriptional fusions analysis showed that Rep negatively regulates the P tec promoter and activates its own transcription, and that Tec is a negative regulator of the two promoters. As demonstrated by gel mobility shift assays, the repressor Rep binds to a single specific 17 bp site located between the P tec −10 and −35 regions whereas Tec binds to a single specific 40 bp long complex operator site located between the two promoters. The presence of a single specific operator site for each repressor in the intergenic region is an unusual feature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Tuc2009 is a temperate bacteriophage of Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris UC509 which encodes a CI- and Cro-type lysogenic–lytic switch region. A helix-swap of the α3 helices of the closely related CI-type proteins from the lactococcal phages r1t and Tuc2009 revealed the crucial elements involved in DNA recognition while also pointing to conserved functional properties of phage CI proteins infecting different hosts. CI-type proteins have been shown to bind to specific sequences located in the intergenic switch region, but to date, no detailed binding studies have been performed on lactococcal Cro analogues. Experiments shown here demonstrate alternative binding sites for these two proteins of Tuc2009. CI2009 binds to three inverted repeats, two within the intergenic region and one within the cro 2009 gene. This DNA-binding pattern appears to be conserved among repressors of lactococcal and streptococcal phages. The Cro2009 protein appears to bind to three direct repeats within the intergenic region causing distortion of the bound DNA. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]