Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Noticeable Change (noticeable + change)
Selected AbstractsTriplet Exciton and Polaron Dynamics in Phosphorescent Dye Blended Polymer Photovoltaic DevicesADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 17 2010Chang-Lyoul Lee Abstract The triplet exciton and polaron dynamics in phosphorescent dye (PtOEP) blended polymer (MEH-PPV) photovoltaic devices are investigated by quasi-steady-state photo-induced absorption (PIA) spectroscopy. According to the low-temperature PIA and photoluminescence (PL) results, the increase in strength of the triplet-triplet (T1 - Tn) absorption of MEH-PPV in the blend system originates from the triplet-triplet energy transfer from PtOEP to MEH-PPV. The PtOEP blended MEH-PPV/C60 bilayer photovoltaic device shows a roughly 30%,40% enhancement in photocurrent and power-conversion efficiency compared to the device without PtOEP. However, in contrast to the bilayer device results, the bulk heterojunction photovoltaic devices do not show a noticeable change in photocurrent and power-conversion efficiency in the presence of PtOEP. The PIA intensity, originating from the polaron state, is only slightly higher (within the experimental error), indicating that carrier generation in the bulk heterojunction is not enhanced in the presence of PtOEP. The rate and probability of the exciton dissociation between PtOEP and PCBM is much faster and higher than that of the triplet-triplet energy transfer between PtOEP and MEH-PPV. [source] Genome-wide gene expression differences in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis from endoscopic pinch biopsies: Insights into distinctive pathogenesisINFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES, Issue 7 2007Feng Wu PhD Abstract Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) with variable, overlapping clinical features and complex pathophysiologies. Methods: To identify pathogenic processes underlying these disease subtypes, we used single endoscopic pinch biopsies to elucidate patterns of gene expression in active and inactive areas of UC and CD and compared these to infectious colitis and healthy control samples. Results: Unsupervised classification of a total of 36 samples yielded promising separation between the affected IBD, unaffected IBD, non-IBD colitis, and normal control samples, suggesting each sample type had a distinctive gene expression pattern. Genes differentially expressed in the CD samples compared to in the controls were related to IFN,-inducible TH1 processes (IFITM1, IFITM3, STAT1, and STAT3) and antigen presentation (TAP1, PSME2, PSMB8). The most noticeable change in the UC samples was reduced expression of genes regulating biosynthesis, metabolism, and electrolyte transport (HNF4G, KLF5, AQP8, ATP2B1, and SLC16A). Twenty-five percent of genes down-regulated in the UC samples were also down-regulated in the infectious colitis samples. Unaffected biopsy samples of IBD patients also registered differences expression of genes compared to in the normal controls. Of these differentially expressed genes, only 2 were up-regulated, PSKH1, a regulator of mRNA processing, and PPID, a suppressor of apoptosis. Conclusions: The study shows that the gene expression patterns of IBD, CD in particular, are quite different from those of infectious colitis, highlighting distinctive expression of genes and pathways in UC and CD. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2007) [source] Elastic deformations in a perfect bulk Si crystal studied by high-energy X-raysJOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 5 2009Alexander Gröschel Long-range strain fields induced in highly perfect bulk crystals during the manufacturing process significantly affect the quality and may even lead to spontaneous fracturing. Obviously a quantitative assessment of these deformations is crucial. A possible means is to examine the diffraction of X-rays by strained crystals, as the deformations bear on the diffraction characteristics of such crystals. In this report a quantitative examination of the diffraction characteristics of a perfect silicon bulk crystal with long-range strain fields in a well defined geometry is presented. The experiments were carried out using a high-energy X-ray laboratory source. By simulating the elastic deformation of the crystal by a finite element program the strain fields of the diffracting crystal are accessed. From these, simulated data values for integrated intensities can be derived on the basis of the dynamical diffraction theory for slightly distorted crystals. The theoretical calculations show good agreement with the experimental measured values. The smallest deformation yielding a noticeable change of the integrated intensity can be associated with a bending radius of the diffracting lattice planes of 16,km. [source] Effect of UV and hygrothermal aging on the mechanical performance of polyurethane elastomersJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 1 2008H. Aglan Abstract In this study, the effects of environmental aging on the mechanical performance of elastomeric polyurethane (PU) were investigated using two accelerated aging techniques, namely, ultraviolet (UV) and hygrothermal (HT). Samples were prepared and subjected to UV and HT exposure for a period of 5 months and removed and mechanically tested at different time intervals. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was performed. A noticeable change in the chemical structure of the PU after 1 month of UV exposure was found, however, that was not the case after 1 month of HT exposure. The stress and strain to failure, tearing energy, and storage modulus were evaluated at different intervals for both aging techniques. It was found that the UV exposure caused severe degradation of the PU in comparison with the HT. A reduction of more than 98% in the tearing energy was observed for the UV-exposed samples after 5 months when compared with only a 35% reduction in the tearing energy for the HT-exposed samples. A similar trend was observed for tear strength and storage modulus. The degradation mechanisms of the PU elastomers have been identified using SEM and correlated with the tearing energy. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008 [source] Shade darkening effect of polyorganosiloxane modified with amino and hydroxy groups on dyed polyester microfiber fabricJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 2 2007Kongliang Xie Abstract The novel polyorganosiloxane material S-101 modified with amino and hydroxy groups is synthesized. Shade darkening effect of modified polyorganosiloxane on dyed polyester microfiber fabric is investigated by reflectance spectrum, color yield (K/S), and the color differences (,E). The colorimetric data of CIELAB is discussed. The results show that the novel material of silicone polymer modified with amino and hydroxy groups has excellent shade darkening effect on dyed polyester microfiber fabric. The rates of the color yield increase (I%) of all dyed fabric with four dyes (Disperse Yellow S-4RL, Red GS, Blue 2BLN, and Black SF-R) exceed 10%. The shapes of the reflectance spectra curves of the dyed fabrics before and after treated with S-101 are not noticeable change. The dyed fabrics with the polymer have not significant effect on the wash fastness and wet rubbing fastness. The low reflectance thin film on dyed fabrics is formed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007 [source] Physical characteristics and aerosolization performance of insulin dry powders for inhalation prepared by a spray drying methodJOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 7 2007Yu You The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of formulation excipients on the physical characteristics and aerosolization performance of insulin dry powders for inhalation. Insulin dry powders were prepared by a spray drying technique using excipients such as sugars (trehalose, lactose and dextran), mannitol and amino acids (L-leucine, glycine and threonine). High performance liquid chromatography and the mouse blood glucose method were used for determination of the insulin content. The powder properties were determined and compared by scanning electron microscopy, thermo-gravimetric analysis and size distribution analysis by a time-of-flight technique. The in-vitro aerosolization behaviour of the powders was assessed with an Aerolizer inhaler using a twin-stage impinger. Powder yield and moisture absorption were also determined. Results showed that there was no noticeable change in insulin content in any of the formulations by both assay methods. All powders were highly wrinkled, with median aerodynamic diameters of 2,4 ,m, and consequently suitable for pulmonary administration. The tapped density was reduced dramatically when glycine was added. The powders containing mannitol, with or without L-Ieucine, were less sensitive to moisture. The highest respirable fraction of 67.3 ± 1.3% was obtained with the formulation containing L-leucine, in contrast to formulations containing glycine and threonine, which had a respirable fraction of 11.2 ± 3.9% and 23.5 ± 2.5%, respectively. In addition, powders with good physical properties were achieved by the combination of insulin and trehalose. This study suggests that L-leucine could be used to enhance the aerosolization behaviour of the insulin dry powders for inhalation, and trehalose could potentially be used as an excipient in the formulations. [source] The influence of binary stars on the kinematics of low-mass galaxiesMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 4 2002S. De Rijcke In this paper, the influence of binary stars on the measured kinematics of dwarf galaxies is investigated. Using realistic distributions of the orbital parameters (semi-major axis, eccentricity, etc.), analytical expressions are derived for the changes induced by the presence of binary stars in the measured velocity moments of low-mass galaxies (such as the projected velocity dispersion and the fourth-order Gauss,Hermite coefficient h4). It is shown that there is a noticeable change in the observed velocity dispersion if the intrinsic velocity dispersion of a galaxy is of the same order as the binary velocity dispersion. The kurtosis of the line-of-sight velocity distribution (LOSVD) is affected even at higher values of the intrinsic velocity dispersion. Moreover, the LOSVD of the binary stars (i.e. the probability of finding a star in a binary system with a particular projected velocity) is given in closed form, approximating the constituent stars of all binaries to revolve on circular orbits around each other. With this binary LOSVD, we calculate the observed LOSVD, the latter quantifying the movement of stars along the line of sight caused both by the orbits of the stars through the galaxy and by the motion of the stars in binary systems. As suggested by the changes induced in the moments, the observed LOSVD becomes more peaked around zero velocity and develops broader high-velocity wings. These results are important in interpreting kinematics derived from integrated-light spectra of low-mass galaxies and many of the intermediate results are useful for comparison with Monte Carlo simulations. [source] Patterns of respiration in Locusta migratoria nymphs when feedingPHYSIOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 1 2000Scott M. Gouveia Summary Flow-through respirometry was used to investigate patterns of respiration of fifth-instar Locusta migratoria L. nymphs fed a chemically defined, synthetic food. Each animal was recorded for up to 2.7 h, during which they had access to food and water ad libitum, and at least one meal was taken. The start of feeding was coincident with a sudden and rapid rise in respiration. Both carbon dioxide (CO2) production and oxygen (O2) consumption rose, the traces for the two gasses showing a high degree of alignment. The end of a meal correlated with a sudden and rapid decrease in respiratory rate towards resting levels. When feeding was interrupted by an intra-meal pause, respiratory rate tended to drop marginally and then stabilize, before rising rapidly upon the resumption of feeding within the meal. Maximal rates of respiration during feeding represented a 3,4-fold increase over those at rest. Walking and climbing within the chamber were not associated with any noticeable change in respiratory rate above baseline. When locusts were quiescent between feeding episodes, respiration was steady and continuous, rather than discontinuous. Possible causes for large changes in respiration during feeding are discussed. [source] The effect of environmental innovations on employment changes: an econometric analysisBUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 6 2004Klaus Rennings This paper examines the determinants of employment changes due to an environmental innovation of an establishment. The data stem from telephone surveys in five European countries. 1594 interviews have been realized with environmentally innovative establishments representing the European industry and service sector. Based on results of discrete choice models, we show that if the most important environmental innovation is a product or service innovation it has a significantly positive effect on the probability of an increase in employment compared with the probability of no noticeable change. In contrast, if the most important environmental innovation is an end-of-pipe innovation it has a significantly positive influence on employment decrease. Methodologically, we consider the multinomial logit model and several multinomial probit models. We find that the estimates of the parameters of the explanatory variables are very similar in the different approaches. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Effect of late 1970's climate shift on tropospheric biennial oscillation,role of local Indian Ocean processes on Asian summer monsoonINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Prasanth A Pillai Abstract The tropical climate has undergone noticeable changes on interdecadal time scales. The climate shift that occurred in the late 1970s attained enormous attention owing to its global-scale variations in ocean temperature, heat content and El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) properties. Earlier studies presented the effect of this shift on ENSO and the Asian summer monsoon,ENSO relationship. The present study is an attempt to investigate the effect of late 1970's climate shift on tropospheric biennial oscillation (TBO), which is an important tropical phenomenon that includes both air,sea processes in the tropical Indian and Pacific Ocean regions. TBO is the tendency for the Asian,Australian monsoon system to alternate between relatively strong and weak years. The study comprises a detailed analysis of the TBO cycle in the time periods before (1951,1975) and after (1978,2002) the climate shift in 1976 with the help of National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) data sets of 200-hPa velocity potential; the Indian Ocean sea surface temperature (SST) and circulation are more obvious after the shift, although they were significant in the Pacific Ocean before 1976. The effect of ENSO in the biennial cycle is reduced with climate shift. The persistence of Asian-to-Australian summer monsoon has weakened in recent decades, as it is controlled by ENSO. Local oceanic processes in the Indian Ocean and local monsoon Hadley circulation have an increased role in the biennial oscillation of the Asian summer monsoon after 1976. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society [source] The spatial and temporal behaviour of the lower stratospheric temperature over the Southern Hemisphere: the MSU view.INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2001Part II: spatial behaviour Abstract Monthly lower stratosphere temperature anomalies in a layer centred about 70 hPa, from the MSU data set are analysed for the period 1979,1997. T-mode approach principal component analysis (PCA) is used in order to obtain the leading spatial anomaly patterns and their sequences of occurrence throughout the period under study. Five principal components (PCs) are significantly different from the spatial distribution of noisy data. The patterns given by the PC scores represent ten typical spatial anomaly patterns: five correspond to the direct mode, that is to say anomaly fields with the same sign as the PC score patterns, and five have the opposite sign. The first three PCs represent simple spatial temperature anomaly distributions, with zonal wave 0 to wave 2 wave structures. The following significant PCs, orders four and five, display a more complex spatial behaviour, with wave 3 wave structures. The first two PC's frequency distribution in time, given by the PC loadings time series, do not show noticeable changes throughout the period analysed. The remaining three PCs show changes in their frequency of occurrence that might be associated with the negative trends in the lower stratosphere temperature, as well as to the other different features observed in the real temperature anomaly time series for the grid points in the Southern Hemisphere. The latter are studied with the PCA in the S-mode approach in the companion paper (Compagnucci et al., 2001. International Journal of Climatology21: 419,437). Copyright © 2001 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Nuclear aggregates of polyaminesIUBMB LIFE, Issue 2 2006Luciano D'Agostino Abstract Nuclear aggregates of polyamines (NAPs) are cyclic supramolecular compounds made of polyamines and phosphate groups. Three different aggregates, s-NAP, m-NAP and l-NAP, with a molecular weight of 1035, 5175 and 9552 Da, respectively, are described. These molecules interact with genomic DNA. In consequence of this interaction, NAPs not only protect DNA from nucleases with extraordinarily greater efficiency than single polyamines (spermine, spermidine and putrescine), but also induce noticeable changes in DNA condensation status, as shown by temperature-dependent modifications of DNA electrophoretic properties. The biochemical characterization of these compounds has allowed the definition of a structural model for each NAP. According to this model, five s-NAPs assemble together to form a m-NAP unit. We hypothesize that the complexation of s-NAP into m-NAP favours the transition to Z-DNA through the progressive widening of DNA strands and the exposure of bases. We propose that NAPs, by wrapping the DNA helixes, form supramolecular tunnel-like structures that confer efficient protection without affecting DNA elasticity. iubmb Life, 58: 75-82, 2006 [source] Temperature scanning FTIR analysis of secondary structures of proteins embedded in amorphous sugar matrixJOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 9 2009Koreyoshi Imamura Abstract Heat-induced changes in secondary structures of five proteins (bovine serum albumin, BSA; human serum albumin, HSA; myoglobin; ribonuclease A, RNase A; and, ,-lactoglobulin, ,-Lg) in an amorphous sugar matrix were analyzed by temperature-scanning Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to elucidate the mechanism of heat-induced conformational change of solid-phase proteins. Three sugars, trehalose, maltose, and dextran (MW 6000), were used. Loss of ,-helices due to increasing temperature was observed for BSA, HSA, and myoglobin, which are rich in ,-helices. RNase A showed a marked decrease in predominant secondary structural components (,-sheet) with increasing temperature. However, no noticeable changes in the content of secondary structures, except for a slight loss of ,-helices, were observed for ,-Lg, which is also ,-sheet-rich. These heat-induced conformational changes were significant at temperatures above the glass transition temperature. The heat-induced conformational change in BSA dried with sugar appeared time-independent and was clearly different from that due to dehydration and from the thermal conformational change for a solution of BSA. In particular, differences in secondary structural components that increased due to loss of ,-helices were noted. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 98:3088,3098, 2009 [source] Temperature Effect on the Fluroescence Anisotropy Decay Dynamics of Coumarin-153 Dye in Triton-X-100 and Brij-35 Miscellar Solutions,PHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2005Manoj Kumbhakar ABSTRACT The fluorescence anisotropy decay dynamics of the fluorescent probe Coumarin-153 (C153) have been investigated in two neutral micelles, Triton-X-100 (TX-100) and Brij-35 (BJ-39, at different temperatures and analyzed on the basis of the wellknown two-step model. Because steady-state fluorescence spectra of the above probe do not show any noticeable changes with respect to temperature, for either of the studied micelles, suggests a similar polarity in the microenvironment around the probe at all the temperatures studied. The anisotropy results indicated that, for both the micelles, the fluidity inside the Palisade layer increases with temperature. However, the temperature effect on the anisotropy decay is relatively more pronounced in TX-100 than in BJ-35. It is inferred that the temperature effect on the anisotropy decay in the BJ-35 micelle is mainly due to the thermal effect on the microviscosity in the micellar phase. In the case of TX-100, the results indicate that, along with the above thermal effect, an additional effect is observed due to the increased size and hydration of the micelle with temperature, with the result being that the fluorescence anisotropy decay in TX-100 is more sensitive to temperature than in BJ-35. In the TX-100 micelle, our studies show that with an increase in temperature, even though the micellar size increases substantially, the distance of the probe from the micellar core does not increase that significantly. Thus, with increasing temperature, the probe undergoes a relative migration toward the micellar core to avoid the increased hydration in the micellar Palisade layer. [source] A novel on-line solid-phase extraction approach integrated with a monolithic column and tandem mass spectrometry for direct plasma analysis of multiple drugs and metabolitesRAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 22 2005Xu Zang An on-line solid-phase extraction liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (SPE LC/MS/MS) assay using a newly developed SPE column and a monolithic column was developed and validated for direct analysis of plasma samples containing multiple analytes. This assay was developed in an effort to increase bioanalysis throughput and reduce the complexity of on-line SPE LC/MS/MS systems. A simple column-switching configuration that requires only one six-port valve and one HPLC pumping system was employed for on-line plasma sample preparation and subsequent gradient chromatographic separation. The resulting analytical method couples the desired sensitivity with ease of use. The method was found to perform satisfactorily for direct plasma analysis with respect to assay linearity, specificity, sensitivity, precision, accuracy, carryover, and short-term stability of an eight-analyte mixture in plasma. A gradient LC condition was applied to separate the eight analytes that cannot be distinctly differentiated by MS/MS. With a run time for every injection of 2.8,min, a minimum of 300 direct plasma injections were made on one on-line SPE column without noticeable changes in system performance. Due to the ruggedness and simplicity of this system, generic methods can be easily developed and applied to analyze a wide variety of compounds in a high-throughput manner without laborious off-line sample preparation. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] DonorNet and the Potential Effects on Organ UtilizationAMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 4p2 2010D. A. Gerber The evolution of communication as donor data flows from organ procurement organization to transplant centers has evolved with the incorporation of DonorNet 2007® into the UNetSM system. The ensuing study looks at DonorNet's impact on this process. We established defined time periods for comparison purposes. The study looked at match number for organ placement and overall organ utilization with a focus on ischemia time and graft outcomes. The results of the study demonstrate no significant change in the median match number of organ placement in liver or kidney transplantation. Changes in discard rates were varied amongst transplanted organs and there were noticeable changes in organ sharing with an increase in local allocation for kidney and liver and an ensuing decrease in regional and national distribution. There were no significant differences in the outcomes of livers and kidneys with low offer numbers compared with those with high offer numbers. Overall the study suggests a modest impact by DonorNet on organ placement and utilization, but a longer term study would need to be done to fully evaluate its impact. [source] Altered Interatrial Conduction Detected in MADIT II Patients Bound to Develop Atrial FibrillationANNALS OF NONINVASIVE ELECTROCARDIOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Fredrik Holmqvist M.D., Ph.D. Background: Changes in P-wave morphology have recently been shown to be associated with interatrial conduction route used, without noticeable changes of P-wave duration. This study aimed at exploring the association between P-wave morphology and future atrial fibrillation (AF) development in the Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Trial II (MADIT II) population. Methods: Patients included in MADIT-II without a history of AF with sinus rhythm at baseline who developed AF during the study ("Pre-AF") were compared to matched controls without AF development ("No-AF"). Patients were followed for a mean of 20 months. A 10-minute high-resolution bipolar ECG recording was obtained at baseline. Signal-averaged P waves were analyzed to determine orthogonal P-wave morphology, P-wave duration, and RMS20. The P-wave morphology was subsequently classified into one of three predefined types using an automated algorithm. Results: Thirty patients (age 68 ± 7 years) who developed AF during MADIT-II were compared with 60 patients (age 68 ± 8 years) who did not. P-wave duration and RMS20 in the Pre-AF group was not significantly different from the No-AF group (143 ± 21 vs 139 ± 30 ms, P = 0.26, and 2.0 ± 1.3 vs 2.1 ± 1.0 ,V, P = 0.90). The distribution of P-wave morphologies was shifted away from Type 1 in the Pre-AF group when compared to the No-AF group (Type 1/2/3/atypical; 25/60/0/15% vs 10/63/10/17%, P = 0.04). Conclusions: This study is the first to describe changes in P-wave morphology in patients prior to AF development. The results indicate that abnormal interatrial conduction may play a role in AF development in patients with prior myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure. [source] Real-time detection of single-living pancreatic ,-cell by laser tweezers Raman spectroscopy: High glucose stimulationBIOPOLYMERS, Issue 7 2010Xi Rong Abstract Glucose acts as a ,-cell stimulus factor and leads to cellular responses that involve a large amount of biomolecule formation, relocation, and transformation. We hypothesize that information about these changes can be obtained in real-time by laser tweezers Raman spectroscopy. To test this hypothesis, repeated measurements designs in accordance with the application of Raman spectroscopy detection were used in the current experiment. Single rat ,-cells were measured by Raman spectroscopy in 2.8 mmol/l glucose culture medium as a basal condition. After stimulation with high glucose (20 mmol/l), the same cells were measured continuously. Each cell was monitored over a total time span of 25 min, in 5 min intervals. During this period of time, cells were maintained at an appropriate temperature controlled by an automatic heater, to provide near-physiological conditions. It was found that some significant spectral changes induced by glucose were taking place during the stimulation time course. The most noticeable changes were the increase of spectral intensity at the 1002, 1085, 1445, and 1655 cm,1 peaks, mainly corresponding to protein and lipid. We speculate that these changes might have to do with ,-cell protein and lipid synthesis. Using laser tweezers Raman spectroscopy in combination with glucose stimulation, optical spectral information from rat ,-cells was received and analyzed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 93: 587,594, 2010. This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The "Published Online" date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com [source] | |||||||||||||||||||