The high natural abundance of silicon, together with its excellent reliability and good efficiency in solar cells, suggest its continued use in production of solar energy, on massive scales, for the ...foreseeable future. Although organics, nanocrystals, nanowires and other new materials hold significant promise, many opportunities continue to exist for research into unconventional means of exploiting silicon in advanced photovoltaic systems. Here, we describe modules that use large-scale arrays of silicon solar microcells created from bulk wafers and integrated in diverse spatial layouts on foreign substrates by transfer printing. The resulting devices can offer useful features, including high degrees of mechanical flexibility, user-definable transparency and ultrathin-form-factor microconcentrator designs. Detailed studies of the processes for creating and manipulating such microcells, together with theoretical and experimental investigations of the electrical, mechanical and optical characteristics of several types of module that incorporate them, illuminate the key aspects.
This study aimed to develop a chitosan‐based hydrogel containing a mixture of flavonoids isolated from the leaves of Passiflora edulis Sims and to evaluate its stability, antioxidant properties, and ...wound healing effects on cutaneous lesions in diabetic rats. in vitro studies were carried out to evaluate the biocompatibility and flavonoid release from the chitosan hydrogel. in vivo wound healing studies were conducted on male Wistar rats, where the injured tissue was removed for histological analysis and determination of lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase activity, and glutathione peroxidase activity. From the histological analysis and macroscopic evaluation of the contraction of the wounds, it was observed that the formulation presented wound healing properties. In addition, treatment of the wound with the formulation stimulated the antioxidant defense system, suggesting a beneficial effect during the treatment of skin lesions in diabetic rats, especially in the first few days after wounding. According to these results, we can conclude that the chitosan hydrogel containing the flavonoid analyzed in this study has potential use as dressings in the treatment of wounds.
We examined the relationships between three eating behaviors and nine motives underlying food choices made by Brazilian adults. Using participant responses to the short version of the Three-Factor ...Eating Questionnaire and the Food Choice Questionnaire, we investigated eating behaviors (cognitive restriction, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating) and motives for food choices (health, mood, convenience, sensory appeal, natural content, price, weight control, familiarity, and ethical concern). We used a structural equation model to test relationship pathways (β), with eating behaviors as independent variables and motives for food choices as dependent variables. Participants were 1297 individuals (69.5% female) with a mean age of 25.0 years (SD = 5.8). We confirmed the validity and reliability of the questionnaires in this sample. Restrictive eating behavior was significantly related to motives of health (β = .415), mood (β = .127), natural content (β = .364), weight control (β = .681), and ethical concern (β = .161). Emotional eating behavior was related to motives of mood (β = .277), health (β = −.137), and natural content (β = −.136). Uncontrolled eating behavior was related to motives of convenience (β = .226), sensory appeal (β = .121), price (β = .153), and familiarity (β = .090). We believe these findings can now help design future research and clinical interventions for managing people’s risky eating behaviors and promoting beneficial food choices.
We have analyzed new and previously published radial velocity (RV) observations of MARVELS-1, known to have an ostensibly substellar companion in a ~6 day orbit. We find significant (~100 m s ...super(-1)) residuals to the best-fit model for the companion, and these residuals are naively consistent with an interior giant planet with a P = 1.965 days in a nearly perfect 3:1 period commensurability (|P sub(b)/P sub(c) - 3| < 10 super(4)). We have performed several tests for the reality of such a companion, including a dynamical analysis, a search for photometric variability, and a hunt for contaminating stellar spectra. We find many reasons to be critical of a planetary interpretation, including the fact that most of the three-body dynamical solutions are unstable. We find no evidence for transits, and no evidence of stellar photometric variability. We have discovered two apparent companions to MARVELS-1 with adaptive optics imaging at Keck; both are M dwarfs, one is likely bound, and the other is likely a foreground object. We explore false-alarm scenarios inspired by various curiosities in the data. Ultimately, a line profile and bisector analysis lead us to conclude that the ~100 m s super(-1) residuals are an artifact of spectral contamination from a stellar companion contributing ~15%-30% of the optical light in the system. We conclude that origin of this contamination is the previously detected RV companion to MARVELS-1, which is not, as previously reported, a brown dwarf, but in fact a G dwarf in a face-on orbit.
Abstract Background Cardiomyocytes are organized in microstructures termed sheetlets that reorientate during left ventricular thickening. Diffusion tensor cardiac magnetic resonance (DT-CMR) may ...enable noninvasive interrogation of in vivo cardiac microstructural dynamics. Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a condition of abnormal myocardium with unknown sheetlet function. Objectives This study sought to validate in vivo DT-CMR measures of cardiac microstructure against histology, characterize microstructural dynamics during left ventricular wall thickening, and apply the technique in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and DCM. Methods In vivo DT-CMR was acquired throughout the cardiac cycle in healthy swine, followed by in situ and ex vivo DT-CMR, then validated against histology. In vivo DT-CMR was performed in 19 control subjects, 19 DCM, and 13 HCM patients. Results In swine, a DT-CMR index of sheetlet reorientation (E2A) changed substantially (E2A mobility ∼46°). E2A changes correlated with wall thickness changes (in vivo r2 = 0.75; in situ r2 = 0.89), were consistently observed under all experimental conditions, and accorded closely with histological analyses in both relaxed and contracted states. The potential contribution of cyclical strain effects to in vivo E2A was ∼17%. In healthy human control subjects, E2A increased from diastole (18°) to systole (65°; p < 0.001; E2A mobility = 45°). HCM patients showed significantly greater E2A in diastole than control subjects did (48°; p < 0.001) with impaired E2A mobility (23°; p < 0.001). In DCM, E2A was similar to control subjects in diastole, but systolic values were markedly lower (40°; p < 0.001) with impaired E2A mobility (20°; p < 0.001). Conclusions Myocardial microstructure dynamics can be characterized by in vivo DT-CMR. Sheetlet function was abnormal in DCM with altered systolic conformation and reduced mobility, contrasting with HCM, which showed reduced mobility with altered diastolic conformation. These novel insights significantly improve understanding of contractile dysfunction at a level of noninvasive interrogation not previously available in humans.
•M06-2X/6-311++G(d,p) level calculations on structures and tautomeric stabilities of 2-phenylpyrazolo4,3-cquinolin-3-ones.•X-ray crystallographic study of 2-phenylpyrazolo4,3-cquinolin-3-one ...monohydrates.•Supramolecular arrangements of 2-phenylpyrazolo4,3-cquinolin-3-one monohydrates.
A single crystal X-ray diffraction and theoretical study has been carried out on mono hydrates of three 2H-pyrazolo4,3-cquinolin-3(5H)-one derivatives, namely 6-methyl-2-phenylpyrazolo4,3-cquinolin-3-one, 3, 6-methyl-2-(4-chlorophenyl)pyrazolo4,3-cquinolin-3-one, 4, and 8-methyl-2-(4-nitrophenyl)pyrazolo4,3-cquinolin-3-one, 5. The monohydrates were obtained on recrystallization from moist solvents. While there are three tautomeric forms possible for such pyrazolo4,3-cquinolin-3-one molecules, the sole form isolated in the solid (X)⋅(H2O) (X=3, 4 and 5) compounds was the quinoloid form – the one calculated to be the most stable at the M06-2X/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory. Excellent agreement was found between the calculated and X-ray determined structures. Molecule 5 in (5)⋅(H2O) is very near planar while both molecules 3 and 4 in their respective hydrates are much less so as a consequence of angles about 24° between the two aromatic rings. In each hydrate, the pyrazolo4,3-cquinolin-3-one molecule is bonded to three water molecules and each water molecule is likewise H-bonded to three pyrazolo4,3-cquinolin-3-one molecules. While the water molecules are H-bonded to 3 and 4 via the pyridinyl N and 2x the carbonyl O atoms, in (5)⋅(H2O) the H-bonds are to pyridinyl N, carbonyl O and a nitro O atoms. Calculations indicated that the found arrangement in (5)⋅(H2O) is more stable than one using the connections as found in (3)⋅(H2O) and (4)⋅(H2O). While each of the hydrates possess strong NH⋯O and OH⋯O hydrogen bonds, and weaker CH⋯π and π⋯π interactions, the supramolecular arrays are very different.
The objective of this study was to evaluate high-concentrate diets and two energy sources on intake, performance and meat quality parameters of feedlot Nellore heifers. Twenty-eight heifers (200 ± ...22.5 kg BW) were randomly assigned to four treatments in a 2×2 factorial arrangement: two concentrate levels (70 and 80%) and two energy sources (corn and corn germ meal). At the end of day 112, heifers were slaughtered. There was no interaction (P>0.05) of concentrate levels and energy sources for dry matter intake, unlike crude protein (CP) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) intakes. The concentrate level of 80% and corn, allowed the highest CP (1.17 kg/day) and NDF (4.05 kg/day) intakes. Final BW (P<0.05) and daily gain (P<0.01) were influenced just by energy source. The carcass composition represented by muscle and fat was affected by concentrate level (P<0.05). Treatments affected (P<0.01) carcass fat deposition, global preference and texture of Longissimus muscle (P<0.05). It was concluded that high proportions of concentrate containing corn as energy source provided the best performance in heifers, and that the total replacement of corn with corn germ meal in high-concentrate diets is not recommended for performance Nellore heifers, but provided good sensory quality to the meat.
Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is a usual way for analysing experiments. However, depending on the design and/or the analysis scheme, it can be a hard task. ExpDes, acronym for Experimental Designs, is ...a package that intends to turn such task easier. Devoted to fixed models and balanced experiments (no missing data), ExpDes allows user to deal with additional treatments in a single run, several experiment designs and exhibits standard and easy-to-interpret outputs. It was developed at the Exact Sciences Institute of the Federal University of Alfenas, Brazil. Stable versions of package ExpDes are available on CRAN (Comprehensive R Archive Network) since 2012. Based on users' feedback, the package was used to illustrate graduation and post-graduation classes and to carry out data analysis, in Brazil and many other countries. Package ExpDes differs from the other R tools in its easiness in use and cleanliness of output.
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