Effect of vitamin E and mannitol on renal calcium oxalate retention in experimental nephrolithiasis

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of laser laparoscopic photocoagulation of endometriomas (2-18 cm) in patients with pain, infertility, or a combination of the two. DESIGN: Retrospective review of all patients with endometriomas from June 1, 1983, to December 31, 1993. SETTING: Department of gynecology and obstetrics at a district general hospital and national training center in minimal access surgery. PATIENTS: One hundred sixty-five women with large endometriomas present at the time of laser laparoscopy. INTERVENTIONS: Carbon dioxide laser or potassium-titanyl-phosphate laser laparoscopic surgery. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Ninety (74%) of 122 patients reported improvement or resolution of pain; and 30 of 66 achieved a pregnancy, for a cumulative conception rate of 45%. CONCLUSION: Laser laparoscopy is a practical, safe, and effective technique for the management of large ovarian endometriomas.     

Removal of organics in water using hydrogen peroxide in presence of ultraviolet light

The optimum conditions for the removal of dissolved organic impurities from water using hydrogen peroxide (50%) followed by ultraviolet irradiation were investigated. The photochemically initiated hydroxyl radical (OH) oxidation reduced the total organic carbon (TOC) content of distilled water samples by about 88% and of tap water by 98%. Extraction with hexane of equal volumes of water samples before and after H₂O₂/u.v. treatment followed by gas chromatographic analysis of the concentrated extracts indicated that about 12% of the electron-capturing, residual organics remained after this treatment. These results support the conclusion drawn from total organic carbon analysis that this simple method yields water nearly free of organic impurities.     

Synthesis and characterization of nickel doped cadmium sulfide (CdS:Ni2+) nanoparticles

Nickel doped cadmium sulfide (CdS:Ni²⁺) nanocrystals were synthesized at three different pH values. Nanocrystalline state of nickel doped cadmium sulfide material was established using X-ray diffraction analysis. Peak broadening and peak shifts in the XRD spectra were caused by the replacement of Cd²⁺ with Ni²⁺. Particles size (～62 nm) and the morphology of the synthesized nanoparticles were established through SEM analysis. The TEM analysis further established the presence of nanostate with particles size of 35 nm. The EDS analysis confirmed the existence of Ni in all the three samples. Blue shift in the absorption region and increase in the bandgap to the larger value (3.72 eV) were attributed to the nano dimensional state and incorporation of dopant into the host lattice. Weak metal sulfur interaction was identified from the FT-IR spectroscopy. The room temperature magnetic studies showed that 10% nickel doped CdS at 10 pH, 11.0 pH and 9.0 pH showed weak ferromagnetic and strong ferromagnetic hysteresis. The variations in the magnetic property of the nanomaterials were caused by the weak interaction of Ni²⁺ with the host material.     

An association of CYP2A6 genotype and smoking topography.

Nicotine is metabolized into biologically inactive cotinine primarily by the cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP2A6. CYP2A6 genetic variations have been phenotypically grouped as slow, intermediate, and normal metabolizers. Slow metabolizers smoke fewer cigarettes daily and weekly, and have lower carbon monoxide (CO) and plasma nicotine levels, suggesting a reduced smoking rate compared with normal metabolizers. CYP2A6 also is involved in the metabolic activation of tobacco-specific procarcinogenic nitrosamines, such as 4-(methyl-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) and 4-(methyl-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol (NNAL). NNK is one of the most abundant and potent procarcinogens in cigarette smoke. The present study investigated the association of CYP2A6 genotype with smoking topography, a quantifiable measure of smoking behavior, in a sample of treatment-seeking smokers prior to treatment. Smoking topography measures indicative of quantity of smoke exposure--number of puffs, mean puff volume, and total puff volume--were the outcome variables. Covariates associated with smoking topography were included in the analyses. Results indicated that CYP2A6 genotype group had a significant effect on mean puff volume and total puff volume, but not number of puffs, such that slow metabolizers exhibited reduced puffing compared with others. Smokers having CYP2A6 variants resulting in low activity metabolize nicotine more slowly, and convert procarcinogen nitrosamines to carcinogens more slowly, than do normal metabolizers. The results from this study also suggest a behavioral mechanism that may account for reduced cancer risk in slow metabolizers.     

Selective emitter using porous silicon for crystalline silicon solar cells

This study is devoted to the formation of high–low-level-doped selective emitter for crystalline silicon solar cells for photovoltaic application. We report here the formation of porous silicon under chemical reaction condition. The chemical mixture containing hydrofluoric and nitric acid, with de-ionized water, was used to make porous on the half of the silicon surface of size 125×125 cm. Porous and non-porous areas each share half of the whole silicon surface. H₃PO₄:methanol gives the best deposited layer with acceptable adherence and uniformity on the non-porous and porous areas of the silicon surface to get high- and low-level-doped regions. The volume concentration of H₃PO₄ does not exceed 10% of the total volume emulsion. Phosphoric acid was used as an n-type doping source to make emitter for silicon solar cells. The measured emitter sheet resistances at the high- and low-level-doped regions were 30–35 and 97–474 Ω/□ respectively. A simple process for low- and high-level doping has been achieved by forming porous and porous-free silicon surface, in this study, which could be applied for solar cells selective emitter doping.     

Space‐charge limited conduction in polyaniline films

Polyaniline emeraldine base (PANI‐EB) powder was synthesized by oxidative polymerization of aniline. The PANI‐EB films were prepared by the solution‐casting technique. The temperature‐dependent dc conductivity measured in the range 173–303 K suggests that the PANI‐EB is a quasi‐one‐dimensional disordered conductor. The current‐voltage characteristics of the PANI‐EB films measured in the range 333–383 K showed the SCLC mechanism. The SCLC parameters such as free carrier density (p₀), trap density (p_t), the ratio between free carrier density to the total carrier density (θ), mobility (µ) and the effective hole mobility (µ_eff) were calculated. The activation energy (E_a = 0.32 eV) and the Fermi level (E_F = 0.42 eV) were estimated. As well as these, the trap parameters such as the trap filled limit voltage (V_TFL), the shallow trap density (N_t), the depth of the dominant trap level (E_t ? E_v), the density of states within the hole mobility edge (N_v) and the characteristic energy (E_c) were also calculated and presented. The exponential type of traps distribution with large number of traps was found to be due to the disorder and moisture in the polymer films. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Soil Fulvic Acid Degradation By Ozone In Aqueous Medium

Armadale Armadale soil fulvic acid (SFA) was found to contain several loosely bound organic impurities which could be removed by ethyl acetate extraction. The ozonation of purified Armadale SFA at a variety of dosages was characterized by monitoring the UV absorbance, weight loss, pH changes, total acidity, molecular weight and elemental composition. SFA could only be partially degraded even under ozone dosages as high as SFA/O₃ (w/w) of 1:6. At high ozone dosages (SFA/O3 1:6) mostly aliphatic compounds rich in oxygen were produced, whereas at low ozone dosages (SFA/O₃ < 1:0.5) mainly benzene polycarboxylic acids and polyhydroxy benzene polycarboxylic acids were found. The solid material bisolated from the chlorination (0.5 mg/L residual level) of residues from the ozonation (SFA/O₃ 1:0.2 to 1:0.5) of Contech SFA did not contain any chlorinated products.     

Determination of mutagenic activity in salmonella of residual fulvic acids after ozonation

Residual organics of ozonated soil and water fulvic acids were tested for mutagenicity in the Salmonella: mammalian-microsome assay. A highly ozonated soil fulvic acid extract induced His reversion in Salmonella typhimurium strain TA100 only and did not require metabolic activation for the weak mutagenic response observed.     

Catalytic-assisted synthesis, characterization and low frequency AC conduction of nanostructured conducting polyaniline

Polymerizations of aniline at the reaction temperatures of 25 and 50 °C have been performed in the presence of iron catalyst. The prepared conducting polyaniline at different reaction periods was investigated for physicochemical and electrical properties, through X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–Visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and frequency-dependent electrical conductivity measurements, respectively. XRD studies established the improved nanostructured crystalline nature for the polymer prepared at 50 °C. Size of the particles ranging from 10 to 20 nm was calculated for the prepared polyaniline. SEM analysis shows the cauliflower-like morphology for optimized reaction temperature. The study further establishes the attainment of uniform distribution of polyaniline at the reaction temperature of 50 °C. The charge transitions between benzenoid (B-band) and quinonoid (Q-band) bands were witnessed by UV–Vis spectrum analysis. The band gap analysis revealed the narrow band gap direct transition semiconducting nature of the conducting polymer. Quinonoid and phenylene rings were identified through vibrational bands between 1570 and 827 cm^?1 via FTIR spectroscopy analysis. The AC conductivity of the sample synthesized at 50 °C showed 1.50 × 10^?1 S cm^?1. Enhancement in conductivity with increasing temperature represented the improved crystalline nature of the polyaniline prepared at 50 °C.     

Effect of substrate temperature on ac conduction properties of amorphous and polycrystalline GaSe thin films

X-ray diffraction analysis of GaSe thin films used in the present investigation showed that the as-deposited and the one deposited at higher substrate temperature are in amorphous and polycrystalline state, respectively. The alternating current (ac) conduction properties of thermally evaporated films of GaSe were studied ex situ employing symmetric aluminium ohmic electrodes in the frequency range of 120-10⁵ Hz at various temperature regimes. For the film deposited at elevated substrate temperature (573 K) the ac conductivity was found to increase with improvement of its crystalline structure. The ac conductivity (σ_ac) is found to be proportional to (ω^s) where s < 1. The temperature dependence of ac conductivity and the parameter, s, is reasonably well interpreted by the correlated barrier-hopping (CBH) model. The maximum barrier heights W_m calculated from ac conductivity measurements are compared with optical studies of our previous reported work for a-GaSe and poly-GaSe thin films. The distance between the localized centres (R), activation energy (ΔE_σ) and the number of sites per unit energy per unit volume N(E_F) at the Fermi level were evaluated for both a-GaSe and poly-GaSe thin films. Goswami and Goswami model has been invoked to explain the dependence of capacitance on frequency and temperature.