Microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition diamond nucleation on ferrous substrates with Ti and Cr interlayers

Diamond-coated steel is considered an important issue in synthetic diamond technology due to the great economical importance of enhancing the wear resistance and surface hardness of commercial Fe-based alloys. However, direct diamond coating by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) is rather problematic-adhesion and growth are seriously affected. The use of interlayers is a common approach to minimise these problems. This work reports an investigation on the establishment of good nucleation and growth conditions of diamond films by microwave plasma CVD (MPCVD) on ferrous substrates coated with Ti and Cr interlayers. Commercial grade ferrous substrates were pre-coated with commercial interlayers by sputtering (Ti, Cr) and electroplating (Cr) techniques. Steel substrates led to better results than iron cast substrates. The best films were obtained on Ti pre-coated steel substrate. The results on Cr interlayers pointed to the advantage of electroplating over the physical vapour deposition (PVD) sputtering. From the two selected parameter sets for diamond deposition, the one using lower power level conducted to the best results. Initial roughness and growth parameters were found to counteract on the uniformity of the diamond films. The morphology was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the roughness was estimated by profilometry, while diamond quality and stress state were evaluated by mu-Raman spectroscopy. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

Allopatry increases the balance of phylogenetic trees during radiation under neutral speciation

The shape of a phylogenetic tree is defined by the sequence of speciation events, represented by its branching points, and extinctions, represented by branch interruptions. In a neutral scenario of parapatry and isolation by distance, species tend to branch off the original population one after the other, leading to highly unbalanced trees. In this case the degree of imbalance, measured by the normalized Sackin index, grows linearly with species richness. Here we claim that moderate values of imbalance for trees with large number of species can occur if the geographic distribution involves more than one deme (allopatry) and speciation is parapatric within demes. The combined values of balance (normalized Sackin index) and species richness provide an estimate of how many demes were involved in the process if it happened in such neutral scenario. We also show that the spatial division in demes moderately slows down the diversification process, portraying a neutral mechanism for structuring the branch length distribution of phylogenetic trees

Vibrational analysis of d-PCL(530)/siloxane based hybrids doped with two lithium salts

Published online: 22 May 2013The present study has been focused on environmentally friendly sol-gel derived electrolytes based on a di-urethane cross-linked d-PCL(530)/siloxane network (where d represents di, PCL identifies the poly(ε–caprolactone) biopolymer and 530 is the average molecular weight in g.mol-1) doped with a wide range of concentration of lithium perchlorate (LiClO4) and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI). Fourier Transform Infrared and Raman (FT-IR and FT-Raman, respectively) spectroscopies have been applied to evaluate the extent of ionic association. Characteristic bands of the PCL(530) segments, of the urethane cross-links and of the anions have been examined to gain insight into the cation/biopolymer, cation/anion and cation/cross-link interactions. In both electrolyte systems “free” ions and contact ions have been identified. The addition of salt modifies the hydrogen-bonded array of the host matrix, causing the destruction/formation of the urethane/urethane aggregates.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

The sound of street corner society: UK grime music as ethnography

This article explores the ways in which popular music can be linked to ethnography. While there is a tradition of connecting popular music with sociology, this article posits a further resonance that is not so much theoretical as methodological. The article suggests that forms of contemporary popular music parallel key facets of ethnography, not simply in terms of sociological analysis, but with regard to popular music as an ethnographic resource, as ‘data’, and as the reflexive expression of Paul Willis’ conception of the ‘ethnographic imagination’; and the article argues that contemporary British hip-hop in the form of ‘grime’ is a potent exemplar. This is due to the resolutely cultural, spatial nature of grime music: a factor that marks out grime as a distinctive musical genre and a distinctive ethnographic form, as it is an experientially rooted music about urban locations, made from within those urban locations

Measurement of the inclusive and dijet cross-sections of b-jets in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The inclusive and dijet production cross-sections have been measured for jets containing b-hadrons (b-jets) in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV, using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements use data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 34 pb^-1. The b-jets are identified using either a lifetime-based method, where secondary decay vertices of b-hadrons in jets are reconstructed using information from the tracking detectors, or a muon-based method where the presence of a muon is used to identify semileptonic decays of b-hadrons inside jets. The inclusive b-jet cross-section is measured as a function of transverse momentum in the range 20 < pT < 400 GeV and rapidity in the range |y| < 2.1. The bbbar-dijet cross-section is measured as a function of the dijet invariant mass in the range 110 < m_jj < 760 GeV, the azimuthal angle difference between the two jets and the angular variable chi in two dijet mass regions. The results are compared with next-to-leading-order QCD predictions. Good agreement is observed between the measured cross-sections and the predictions obtained using POWHEG + Pythia. MC@NLO + Herwig shows good agreement with the measured bbbar-dijet cross-section. However, it does not reproduce the measured inclusive cross-section well, particularly for central b-jets with large transverse momenta.Comment: 10 pages plus author list (21 pages total), 8 figures, 1 table, final version published in European Physical Journal

Urocortin protects chondrocytes from NO-induced apoptosis: a future therapy for osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by a loss of joint mobility and pain resulting from progressive destruction and loss of articular cartilage secondary to chondrocyte death and/ or senescence. Certain stimuli including nitric oxide (NO) and the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α have been implicated in this chondrocyte death and the subsequent accelerated damage to cartilage. In this study, we demonstrate that a corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) family peptide, urocortin (Ucn), is produced by a human chondrocyte cell line, C-20/A4, and acts both as an endogenous survival signal and as a cytoprotective agent reducing the induction of apoptosis by NO but not TNF-α when added exogenously. Furthermore, treatment with the NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetyl-D-L-penicillamine upregulates chondrocyte Ucn expression, whereas treatment with TNF-α does not. The chondroprotective effects of Ucn are abolished by both specific ligand depletion (with an anti-Ucn antibody) and by CRF receptor blockade with the pan-CRFR antagonist α-helical CRH(9-41). CRFR expression was confirmed by reverse transcription-PCR with subsequent amplicon sequence analysis and demonstrates that C-20/A4 cells express both CRFR1 and CRFR2, specifically CRFR1α and CRFR2β. Protein expression of these receptors was confirmed by western blotting. The presence of both Ucn and its receptors in these cells, coupled with the induction of Ucn by NO, suggests the existence of an endogenous autocrine/paracrine chondroprotective mechanism against stimuli inducing chondrocyte apoptosis via the intrinsic/mitochondrial pathway

Cell walls of the dimorphic fungal pathogens Sporothrix schenckii and Sporothrix brasiliensis exhibit bilaminate structures and sloughing of extensive and intact layers

This work was supported by the Fundação Carlos Chagas de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ), grants E-26/202.974/2015 and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), grants 229755/2013-5, Brazil. LMLB is a senior research fellow of CNPq and Faperj. NG acknowledged support from the Wellcome Trust (Trust (097377, 101873, 200208) and MRC Centre for Medical Mycology (MR/N006364/1). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The geoaccumulation index and enrichment factor of mercury in mangrove sediment of Port Klang, Selangor, Malaysia.

Mangrove areas are important to the ecosystem. One of its crucial functions is as a sink of pollutants, especially metal ions. However, the accumulation of metals in mangrove sediment can generate negative impacts on plant growth, microbial activity, and soil fertility. Apart from that, the severity of the impact is highly influenced by the type of metal found in the sediment and the quality of sediment itself. One of the metals that have adverse effects on the environment is mercury. The objectives of this study are to determine the concentration and distribution of mercury and to assess the enrichment of mercury in Port Klang mangrove sediment by using geoaccumulation index and enrichment factor. Sediment samples were collected from 30 sampling points that cover Langat River and Klang River estuaries, Lumut Straits, Pulau Klang, and Pulau Indah. During sampling, water parameters such as pH, salinity, electrical conductivity, and total dissolved solids were measured in situ, whereas the total mercury in sediment samples was determined at the laboratory using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. In this study, mercury was found to be concentrated along Lumut Strait especially in the mixing zone near the confluence of Langat River and at the jetty to Pulau Ketam. The geoaccumulation index and enrichment factor (calculated using logarithmized data of the reference element) found that three stations were enriched with mercury. In addition, geoaccumulation index was also observed to be more objective compared to enrichment factor whose results were influenced by the concentration of reference element used

Educational step-by-step surgical video about operative technique in robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (RPD) at University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC): 17 steps standardized technique-Lessons learned since the first worldwide RPD performed in the year 2001

Background: RPD (Robotic pancreatoduodenectomy) was first performed by P. C. Giulianotti in 2001 (Arch Surg 138(7):777-784, 2003). Since then, the complexity and lack of technique standardization has slowed down its widespread utilization. RPD has been increasingly adopted worldwide and in few centres is the preferred apporached approach by certain surgeons. Some large retrospective series are available and data seem to indicate that RPD is safe/feasible, and a valid alternative to the classic open Whipple. Our group has recently described a standardized 17 steps approach to RPD (Giulianotti et al. Surg Endosc 32(10): 4329-4336, 2018). Herin, we present an educational step-by-step surgical video with short technical/operative description to visually exemplify the RPD 17 steps technique. Methods: The current project has been approved by our local Institutional Review Board (IRB). We edited a step-by-step video guidance of our RPD standardized technique. The data/video images were collected from a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database (IRB approved). The narration and the images describe hands-on operative "tips and tricks" to facilitate the learning/teaching/evaluation process. Results: Each of the 17 surgical steps is visually represented and explained to help the in-depth understanding of the relevant surgical anatomy and the specific operative technique. Conclusions: Educational videos descriptions like the one herein presented are a valid learning/teaching tool to implement standardized surgical approaches. Standardization is a crucial component of the learning curve. This approach can create more objective and reproducible data which might be more reliably assessed/compared across institutions and by different surgeons. Promising results are arising from several centers about RPD. However, RPD as gold standard-approach is still a matter of debate. Randomized-controlled studies (RCT) are required to better validate the precise role of RPD

Operative technique in robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (RPD) at University of Illinois at Chicago (IC): U17 steps standardized technique

Background: Minimally invasive pancreaticoduodenectomy (MIPD) was introduced in the attempt to improve the outcomes of the open approach. Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) was first reported by Gagner and Pomp (Surg Endosc 8:408–410, 1994). Unfortunately, due to its complexity and technical demand, LPD never reached widespread popularity. Since it was first performed by P. C. Giulianotti in 2001, Robotic PD (RPD) has been gaining ground among surgeons. MIPD is included as a surgical option in the latest NCCN Guidelines. However, lack of surgical standardization, however, has limited the reproducibility of MIPD and made the acquisition of the technique by other surgeons difficult. We provide an accurate description of our standardized step-by-step RDP technique. Methods: We took advantage of our 15-year long experience and &gt; 150 cases performed to provide a step-by-step guidance of our RPD standardized technique. The description includes practical “tips and tricks” to facilitate the learning curve and assist with the teaching/evaluation process. Results: 17 surgical steps were identified as key components of the RPD procedure. The steps reflect the subdivision of the RPD into several parts which help to understand a strategy that takes into accounts specific anatomical landmarks and the demands of the robotic platform. Conclusions: Standardization is a key element of the learning curve of RPD. It can potentially provide consistent, reproducible results that can be more easily evaluated. Despite promising results, full acceptance of RPD as the ‘gold standard’ is still work in progress. Randomized-controlled trials with the application of a standardized technique are necessary to better define the role of RP