Neurophysiological Model of the Normal and Abnormal Human Pupil

A model of the pathways controlling the size of the human pupil is presented. Computer simulation of this model demonstrates the role played by each of the elements in the pupil pathways. Simulations of the effects of drugs and a few common abnormalities in the system also help to illustrate the workings of the internal processes. Computer models of this type can be used as teaching aids or as tools for testing of hypotheses regarding the system.     

Survival of Salmonella Enteritidis PT 30 on inoculated almond kernels in hot water treatments

Almonds are blanched by exposure to hot water or steam-injected water to remove the pellicle (skin) from the kernel. This study evaluated the survival of Salmonella Enteritidis PT 30, Salmonella Senftenberg 775W and Enterococcus faecalis on whole raw almond kernels exposed to hot water. Whole, inoculated (7 to 9 log CFU/g) Nonpareil almonds (40 g) were submerged in 25 L of water maintained at 60, 70, 80 and 88 °C. Almonds were heated for up to 12 min, drained for 2 s, and transferred to 80 mL of cold (4 °C) tryptic soy broth. Almonds in broth were stomached at high speed for 2 min, serially diluted, plated onto tryptic soy and bismuth sulfite agars (Salmonella) or bile esculin agar (Enterococcus) and incubated at 37 °C for 24 and 48 h, respectively. D values of 2.6, 1.2, 0.75 and 0.39 min were calculated for exposure of S. Enteritidis PT 30 to water at 60, 70, 80 and 88 °C, respectively; the calculated z value was 35 C°. D values determined for Salmonella Senftenberg 775W and E. faecalis at 88 °C were 0.37 and 0.36 min, respectively. Neither Salmonella serovar could be recovered by enrichment of 1-g samples after almonds inoculated at 5 log CFU/g were heated at 88 °C for 2 min. These data will be useful to validate almond industry blanching processes.     

Dynamically vulcanized polypropylene/ethylene‐propylene diene monomer/organoclay nanocomposites: Effect of mixing sequence on structural,rheological, and mechanical properties

Dynamically vulcanized thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) nanocomposites based on polypropylene (PP), ethylene‐propylene diene monomer (EPDM) and cloisite 15A were prepared via direct melt mixing in a co‐rotating twin‐screw extruder. The mixing process was carried out with optimized processing parameters (barrel temperature = 180°C; screw speed = 150 rpm; and feeding rate = 0.2 kg/hr). The formulation used to prepare the nanocomposites was fixed to 75/20/5 (PP/EPDM/Cloisite^©15A), expressed in mass fraction. Effect of mixing sequence on the properties of vulcanized and unvulcanized (TPE) nanocomposites prepared under similar conditions was investigated using X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and a tensile testing machine. Results showed that the sequence of mixing does affect the properties of final TPE nanocomposites. Accordingly, nanocomposite samples prepared through mixing the preblended PP/clay masterbatch with EPDM phase, show better clay dispersion within the polymer matrix. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 22:320–325, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Privacy and consent in the digital era

In today's digital era no one has knowledge, access or control of all their available personal information. This makes the very concepts of privacy and consent increasingly illusory and raises questions that are likely to shape not only the future form of cyberspace, but also the political, social and economic interactions within it. The institutions tasked with regulation of the physical world are ill equipped to respond and undertake a similar role in the virtual world; the timescales, dimensions and scope are all materially different. This article sets out five dilemmas that will need to be addressed in the search for solutions.     

Effect of corona discharge treatment on indigo dyed cotton fabric

The present study proposes new conditions for achieving the aged-look effect of denim. Indigo dyed cotton fabrics were treated by corona discharge at different power levels and number of passages. Colorimetric parameters of corona treatment were assessed by the CIE L*a*b* colorimetric system and the pH and colour fastness of samples were tested. The surfaces of dyed samples were studied by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier Transform–infrared/attenuated total reflectance (FTIR/ATR) analysis. Under the same conditions of corona treatment, the faded-look effect was reduced as the depth of dyeing was increased. Increasing the power and the number of passages increases L* and b * and decreases a * values. This indicates that samples become lighter and yellower but soaping can reduce yellowness. FTIR/ATR results show that indigo dye oxidises, and isatin and anthranilic acid are produced. The pH levels of corona-treated samples reduce as the power and number of passages increase. This acidification is in agreement with the results of FTIR/ATR analysis.     

Efficient,high photostability,high brightness,co-polymer solid state dye lasers

Abstract

We report an investigation of the laser beam quality, efficiency and photostability of rhodamine 590 solid state dye lasers with hosts based upon 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate and methylmethacrylate P(HEMA:MMA) co-polymers and modified methylmethacrylate (MPMMA) polymers with ethanol and dimethylsulphoxide additives. Highest efficiencies were obtained with MPMMA, with slope efficiencies of up to 44% (corresponding to 61% optical-optical conversion) measured for ethanolic MPMMA. P(HEMA:MMA) hosts gave superior photostability, with the highest normalized photostability of 240 GJ mol^?1 obtained for a P(HEMA:MMA) 1:1 rod. A simple resonator has been used to compensate the effects of thermal lensing and pump mode-mismatch, resulting in optimized beam quality for MPMMA lasers.     

Using chemical reactivity to provide insights into environmental transformations of priority organic substances: the Fe⁰-mediated reduction of Acid Blue 129

Sulfonated anthracenedione dyes are medium priority organic compounds targeted for environmental assessment under the Government of Canada's Chemical Management Plan (CMP). Since organic compounds undergo transformations in environmental matrices, understanding these transformations is critical for a proper assessment of their environmental fate. In the current study, we used zero-valent iron (ZVI) to provide insight into reductive transformation processes available to the anthracenedione dye, Acid Blue 129 (AB 129), a dye which is used in the textile industry. At high temperatures, we found that AB 129 was rapidly reduced (within 3 h) after being adsorbed onto the ZVI-surface, whereupon decomposition took place via multiple competitive and consecutive reaction pathways. Reaction products were identified using state-of-the-art accurate mass Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole Time of Flight-Mass Spectroscopy (LC-QToF-MS). Five transformation products were identified, including a genotoxic (and thus, potentially carcinogenic) end-product, 2,4,6-trimethylaniline. The same products were found at room temperature, demonstrating that the transformation pathways revealed here could plausibly arise from biological and/or environmental reductions of AB 129. Our results demonstrate the importance of identifying reaction product arising from priority substances as part of the environmental risk assessment process.     

Carcinoma of the stomach following the Chernobyl nuclear accident

Medical consequences of many nuclear accidents on humans are well studied, but the results pertaining to gastric cancer patients who were exposed to radiation as a result of the Chernobyl nuclear accident have not been analysed. In this study, the outcome of the surgical treatment of 68 gastric cancer patients who were exposed to radiation as a result of the Chernobyl nuclear accident was compared with that of 117 consecutive gastric cancer patients from uncontaminated areas of the Ukraine. Patients in the study group was significantly younger than that of the control group. Comparative analysis showed the same frequency of regional metastases (65.7% versus 71.1%, P > 0.05), but a smaller number of distant metastases (23.8% versus 38.1%, P < 0.05) in the study group. 41.2% of patients in the study group underwent total gastrectomy compared to 19.6% of patients in the control group (P = 0.002). Postoperative complications developed in 13.2% of patients in the study group, while postoperative mortality in the study group was 7.3% compared to 1.7% in the control group. A significant decrease in CD16 cells was noted in patients from the study group following the operative procedure. Young age, invasive tumours with smaller number of distant metastases, frequent necessity for total gastrectomy and combined operations with adjacent organs, a higher level of postoperative morbidity and mortality and low levels of natural killer cells (CD16+) with a tendency to decrease after surgery are characteristic of patients with carcinoma of the stomach affected by the Chernobyl accident.     

An evaluation of the prognostic significance of antigen CD95(Fas/APO-1) expression on the cells of patients with a myelodysplastic syndrome, acute myeloid leukemia and chronic myeloleukemia

AIM: The expression of CD95(Fas/APO-1) antigen was studied on bone marrow cells of 19 MDS patients, peripheral blood blast cells of 15 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients, blast cells and granulocytes of 68 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)--24 in chronic, 9 in accelerated phase and 35 in blastic crisis (BC)--by indirect surface immunofluorescence assay using flow cytometry (FACScan, Becton Dickinson, USA). RESULTS: CD95(Fas/APO-1) antigen was revealed on bone marrow cells of 8 out of 19 (36.8%) MDS patients; the percentage of antigen-positive cells was 38.1 +/- 19.2%; on 45.5 +/- 22.8% of cells in 6(45%) of 15 AML patients. Fas/APO-1 antigen was totally absent in CML chronic stage; its expression was found in 34% (12 of 35) of our patients with CML BC on peripheral blood blasts and in 56% (5 of 9) on peripheral blast cells of CML patients in acceleration phase. CONCLUSION: The data on overall survival of CD95-positive MDS patients suggest that the presence of Fas antigen is a favorable prognostic sign for patients with MDS. The patients from CD95-negative group represent a risk group both for survival and AML transformation. In CML BC group the survival does not depend upon Fas-antigen expression.