Design of luminescent sulfur-containing polynuclear gold(I) complexes for advanced nanomaterials and chemosensors

A series of high-nuclearity gold(I) sulfido complexes with bridging diphosphine ligands have been synthesized and isolated, with the general formulae of [Au10(μ-P∧P)4(μ3-S) 4]X2 and [Au12(μ-P∧P) 6(μ3-S)4]X4 (P∧P = diphosphine; X = PF6 or ClO4). Intense green and orange emissions were observed upon excitation at λ > 350 nm both in the solid state and in solutions. The green emission has been attributed to originate from excited states derived from the metal-perturbed intraligand (IL) transition while the orange emission arises from the ligand-to-metal-metal bond charge-transfer (LMMCT; S (Au⋯Au) states. The switching on and off of the LMMCT emission in a series of dinuclear gold(I) thiolate complexes with crown ether pendants induced by ion-binding has been demonstrated, and this provides a new strategy for the design of luminescence signalling and chemosensing devices in optoelectronics and sensor technology.published_or_final_versio

IG-WRDRR Report 2010: Hong Kong

Reports on WRDRR activities in Asia-Pacific region (Part 1)This report gives an account of the wind conditions in Hong Kong and the corresponding wind related damages in Hong Kong throughout the years. Details are presented in the report under three different aspects. First, typhoon wind and related damages; second, thunderstorm wind and related damages; and third, flooding related to wind storms and damages. Measures taken by the Hong Kong Government to reduce the risk of damages and disaster mitigation are also presented.postprin

Direct measurement of hairpin-like vortices in the bottom boundary layer of the coastal ocean

Laboratory measurements and numerical modeling at low Reynolds numbers (Reθ<7700) indicate the energy-containing turbulence of boundary layer flows comprises coherent packets of hairpin vortices. Here direct measurements in the bottom boundary layer of the coastal ocean at higher Reynolds numbers (Reθ = 266,150) show tidal flows also contain packets of large vortices separated by periods of more quiescent conditions. The 1452 vortices recorded within a 20 min period are typically aligned along stream (∼8.0° from the mean flow direction) and inclined to the horizontal (∼27.0° from the seabed), with a mean period of occurrence of 4.3 s. These results lend three-dimensional, in situ support to an interpretation of the coastal ocean bottom boundary layer as comprising coherent packets of hairpin vortices. This demonstrates a direct linkage from low Reynolds number experiments to higher Reynolds number flows, permitting fine-scale details of particle transport and pollutant dispersion to be inferred from lower Reynolds number data

Databases in the Asia-Pacific Region: The Potential for a Distributed Network Approach

Background: This study describes the availability and characteristics of databases in Asian-Pacific countries and assesses the feasibility of a distributed network approach in the region. Methods: A web-based survey was conducted among investigators using healthcare databases in the Asia-Pacific countries. Potential survey participants were identified through the Asian Pharmacoepidemiology Network. Results: Investigators from a total of 11 databases participated in the survey. Database sources included four nationwide claims databases from Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan; two nationwide electronic health records from Hong Kong and Singapore; a regional electronic health record from western China; two electronic health records from Thailand; and cancer and stroke registries from Taiwan. Conclusions: We identified 11 databases with capabilities for distributed network approaches. Many country-specific coding systems and terminologies have been already converted to international coding systems. The harmonization of health expenditure data is a major obstacle for future investigations attempting to evaluate issues related to medical costs.postprin

Prescription sequence symmetry analysis: assessing risk, temporality, and consistency for adverse drug reactions across datasets in five countries

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Blood pressure to height ratios as simple, sensitive and specific diagnostic tools for adolescent (pre)hypertension in Nigeria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The age-, gender-, and height-percentile requirements of the 'gold-standard' for the diagnosis of (pre)hypertension in adolescents make it time-consuming for clinicians and difficult-to-use by non-professionals. Simplified diagnostic tools are therefore needed. The use of blood pressure-to-height ratio (BPHR) - systolic BPHR (SBPHR) and diastolic BPHR (DBPHR) - has been reported in Han adolescents, but it requires validation in other racial groups. The diagnostic accuracy of SBPHR and DBPHR in a population of 1,173 Nigerian adolescents aged 11-17 years, was therefore studied.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Blood pressures were measured using standard procedures and (pre)hypertension were defined according to international recommendations. ROC curve analyses were used to assess the diagnostic accuracy of BPHR in defining (pre)hypertension in this population. Sex-specific threshold values for SBPHR and DBPHR were determined, and thereafter used to define (pre)hypertension. The sensitivity/specificity of this method was determined.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The accuracies of SBPHR and DBPHR in diagnosing (pre)hypertension, in both sexes, was >92%. The optimal thresholds for diagnosing prehypertension were 0.72/0.46 in boys and 0.73/0.48 in girls; while for hypertension, they were 0.75/0.51 in boys and 0.77/0.50 in girls. The sensitivity and specificity of this method were >96%.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The use of BPHR is valid, simple and accurate in this population. Race-specific thresholds are however needed.</p

Erie County Broadband Feasibility Study: Final Report

In April of 2016 the Erie County Planning Department contracted with ECC Technologies, Inc. (ECC) to perform a Broadband Feasibility Study in Erie County. The purpose of the study was to provide analysis and guidance for the planning and development of broadband improvement strategies. The study methodology was to gather and document broadband infrastructure and services information and to provide analysis and initiatives for moving forward, which will be used to support economic development and County broadband planning

Corporate sustainability reporting index and baseline data for the cruise industry

Sustainability policies and corporate reports demonstrate the impacts cruise companies acknowledge as their responsibility, and the actions put in place to address them. This paper develops a corporate social responsibility index based on the Global Reporting Initiative, with industry specific additions including labor and human rights, health and safety, and environmental and economic aspects. Companies disclose more management than performance data, which is typical of early stages of development. Companies disclosing less information focus on soft indicators which are easy to mimic and demonstrate posturing. Items disclosed tend to be marginal to the core of the business, have a positive economic impact or pre-empt sector regulation. Reports echo the voice of the corporations and not the demands of stakeholders. Institutional isomorphism has not influenced a homogenization in reporting, with only the largest firms reporting at this stage

The Rise of Urban Slum in Nigeria: Implications on the Urban Landscape

This paper focuses on the rise of urban slum in Nigeria and its implication on the urban landscape its objectives are to find out the negative implications of the rise of urban slum on the urban landscape and find our strategies for solving the problem of urban slum growth in Nigeria. It used the survey research method, focusing on three (3) South-eastern cities of Nigeria - Owerri, Aba and Onitsha with a total of three hundred and twenty (320) structured questionnaires. The study finds out that the activities of urban slum dwellers have degraded and equally defaced the aesthetic value of the environmental landscape and that there is a significant relationship between the activities of slum communities and the defacement of the urban landscape in Nigeria. It recommends that Government and city planners should provide affordable land and low cost housing for the urban dwellers. This will enable people to own their property or rent as the case may be.Keywords: Urban Slum, Urban Landscape, Implication, Population, GrowthInternational Journal of Development and Management Review (INJODEMAR) Vol. 7 June, 201