We theoretically investigate the mechanism of chemical enhancement of surface-enhanced resonance Roman scattering (SERRS) of para-aminothiophenol (PATP)/metal complexes and metal/PATP/metal junctions. The method of charge difference density is used to visualize intracluster excitation and charge transfer (CT) between PATP and metal during the process of resonant electronic transitions. It is found

The 3-hydroxy fatty acids (3-OHFAs) in lipopolysaccharides (LPS) play an important role in determining endotoxin activity, and childhood exposure to endotoxin has recently been associated with reduced risk of atopic diseases. To characterize the 3-OHFAs in house dust (HD), we used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to assay 190 HD samples. Dust from beds, bedroom floors, family rooms, and kitche

To use nutrition in order to limit the negative consequences of physical and mental stress is not new. Recent advances in immunology and particularly in the understanding of the chemical language used to communicate both by eukarytic and prokarotic cells has made it easier to objectively evaluate effects of various immunomodulating efforts including the use of nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants

This paper presents new tuning rules for PIcontrol of processes with essentially monotone step response that aretypically encountered in process control. The rules are based oncharacterization of process dynamics by three parameters that can beobtained from a step response experiment. The rules are obtained bymaximizing integral gain subject to a constraint on themaximum sensitivity. They are almo

Objective. Although anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) antibodies are important in lupus nephritis, the question regarding which glomerular structures (a-actinin, nucleosomes, or others) are recognized by nephritogenic anti-dsDNA antibodies is still controversial. In this study, we determined which glomerular structures are recognized by monoclonal and in vivo-bound nephritogenic antibodies. Me

Total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) concentration is elevated in elderly patients with mental illness compared to control subjects. There are many different determinants of plasma tHcy concentration, including the presence of vascular disease. The presence of vascular disease may contribute to cognitive impairment. Clarification of the role of vascular risk factors in mental illness is important beca

During forward flight, a bird's body generates drag that tends to decelerate its speed. By flapping its wings, or by converting potential energy into work if gliding, the bird produces both lift and thrust to balance the pull of gravity and drag. In flight mechanics, a dimensionless number, the body drag coefficient (C-D,C-par), describes the magnitude of the drag caused by the body. The drag coef

Photofragmentation laser-induced fluorescence (PF-LIF) is for the first time demonstrated to be a practical diagnostic tool for detection of hydrogen peroxide. Point measurements as well as two-dimensional (2D) measurements in free-flows, with nitrogen as bath gas, are reported. The present application of the PF-LIF technique involves one laser, emitting radiation of 266 nm wavelength, to dissocia

Scaling methodology represents a problem in assessments of activities of daily living (ADL) and little is known about how the results of these assessments are affected by data treatment principles and statistical methods. The aims of this paper are to: (i) describe alternative ways of transforming a response pattern on ADL into a single number; and (ii) to present and compare different ways of ana

Because of the extreme ecological and environmental changes along an urban-rural gradient, it has been proposed that urbanised and non-urbanised populations of the same species may be distinctly isolated. There is evidence that urban populations have become significantly different from the original forest populations in several aspects. However, little is known about the extent to which urban and

Water uptake and release characteristics of PMMA cement containing the water-soluble contrast media iohexol or iodixanol have been investigated. The water uptake study revealed that iohexol had the highest uptake of water (3.7%) and that iodixanol had an uptake close to that of Palacos(R) R (2.3% and 1.9%). The curves obtained showed the materials to follow classic diffusion theory, with an initia

Two first-line antihypertensive therapies for initiating treatment in hypertension were compared, the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) zofenopril and the beta-blocker atenolol. The study was multi-centre and double-blind, and included 304 middle-aged to elderly patients with mild to moderate hypertension who were randomized to receive either zofenopril 30-60 mg once daily (od) or ate

Researchers of work-related musculoskeletal disorders are increasingly asked about the evidentiary base for mechanical exposure reductions. Mixed messages can arise from the different disciplinary cultures of evidence, and these mixed messages make different sets of findings incommensurate. Interventions also operate at different levels within workplaces and result in different intensities of mech

A quantitative evaluation of the hydrolysis of wheat starch using Termamyl, a thermostable alpha-amylase (endo-l,4-alpha-D-glucan, glucanohydrolase; EC 3.2.1.78), is reported. Data from the monitoring of the hydrolysis of wheat starch indicated that, after 1 h, glucose and maltooligosaccharides up to DP 7 were the main hydrolysis products and thus enabled optimization of a liquefication step durin

The relationship between the North Atlantic oscillation (NAO) and winter temperature and precipitation over northern Europe has long been known. However, its strength is variable within this region. In this paper, an analysis of the regional variability of the influence of the NAO on winter precipitation in northern Europe is developed using empirical orthogonal function analysis, cluster analysis

An action spectrum for photosensitivity in sponge larvae published by Leys et al. [J. Comp. Physiol., A, 2002, 188, 199–202] was interpreted by the authors as being due to a combination of light absorption by flavin or carotenoid in the blue region, and another pigment such as pterin in the long-wavelength region. Here we show here that their action spectrum closely matches the absorption spectrum

Two alkaline protease producing alkaliphilic bacterial strains, designated as AL-20 and AL-89, were isolated from a naturally occurring alkaline habitat. The two strains were identified as Nesternkonia sp. and Bacillus pseudofirmus, respectively. Both strains grew and produced alkaline protease using feather as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen. Addition of 0.5% glucose to the feather medium

Acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) is the target enzyme for a number of herbicides. A S653N mutation in the AHAS gene results in an increased tolerance to imidazolinone herbicides. We have investigated the use of the mutated gene as selection gene for potato transformation. This resulted in a transformation system with a very high transformation frequency and low rate of escapes. The mutated AHAS ge

An all-diode-laser-based spectrometer is used for the simultaneous detection of methane, oxygen and water vapour. This is accomplished using a 760-nm diode laser and a 980-nm diode laser in conjunction with difference-frequency generation to 3.4 mum in a periodically poled lithium niobate crystal. Each of the output wavelengths is resonant with one of the molecular species. Simultaneous recordings