Morphologic changes in the urethral epithelium in an ethanol-drinking rat strain (UChA and UChB)

The extreme use of ethanol causes metabolic and pathologic changes in testes and urogenital system in different animal species. The enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) catalyses the conversion of ethanol into carcinogenic metabolite acetaldehyde which is partly excreted into the urine. However, papers relating the chronic ethanol consumption to the urethral morphology are unknown. This work evaluates the toxic effect of the chronic ethanol ingestion on the urethral epithelium of UChA and UChB rats. Conventional techniques of histology, histochemistry, immunohistochemistry and ultrastructural analysis were used. The analysis showed the presence of lipid drops and intercellular spaces in the epithelial cells in the urethra of UChA and UChB rats compared to control rats. Urethral neuroendocrine cell were observed and characterized for presenting vesicles containing electron-dense granules associated with nervous fibers. We conclude that the chronic consumption of ethanol induces the presence lipid drops in the epithelial cells of the urethra of UChA and UChB rats. The NE cells of the urethra of UChA and UChB rats did not show alterations under chronic effect of the ethanol.     

Kinetics and mechanism of the collision-activated dissociation of the acetone cation

For center-of-mass collision energies E_cm = 1–60 eV, the major fragment ions for the collision-activated dissociation (CAD) of the acetone cation are the acetyl cation (m / z 43; absolute branching ratios of 0.96–0.60) and the methyl cation (m/ z 15; absolute branching ratios of 0.02–0.26); the absolute total cross-sections were 24–35) Ų. The breakdown curves (viz, plots of the absolute branching ratios versus E_cm) show complex, complementary energy dependences for production of MeCO⁺ and Me⁺, indicating apparent closure of the Me⁺ channel for E_cm > 30 eV. Our observations are consistent with a competition between three fast, primary (direct) reactions, each of which opens sequentially at its respective threshold energy (viz, reactions 8, 10, and 8′). 1 $$Me_2 CO^ + \cdot \to MeCO^ + + Me \cdot (X^2 A''_2 ) \Delta H = 0.82 eV$$ 1 $$ \to MeCO^ + + Me \cdot (B, 1^2 A'_1 ) \Delta H = 6.55 eV$$ 1 $$ \to Me^ + + Me \cdot + CO \Delta H = 4.24 eV$$ That is, the breakdown curves for MeCO⁺ and Me⁺ (and other CAD fragments) are consistent with the interpretation by other authors that the collisional activation of the acetone cation involves electronic transitions, so that CAD occurs primarily from isolated electronic states (i.e., non-quasi-equilibrium theory (QET) behavior). For acetone we found a correspondence between the photoelectron-photoion-coincidence and CAD breakdown curves. This may indicate that collisional activation in non-QET systems corresponds to scattering angles that emphasize optically allowed transitions accessed by photoionization.     

The additive property of the inconsistency degree in intertemporal decision making through the generalization of psychophysical laws

Intertemporal decision making involves choices among options whose effects occur at different moments. These choices are influenced not only by the effect of reward value perception at different moments, but also by the time perception effect. One of the main difficulties that affect standard experiments involving intertemporal choices is the simultaneity of both effects on time discounting. In this paper, we unify the psychophysical laws and discount value functions using the one-parameter exponential and logarithmic functions from nonextensive statistical mechanics. Also, we propose to measure the degree of inconsistency. This quantity allow us to discriminate both effects of time and value perception on discounting process and, by integration, obtain other main quantities like impulsivity and discount functions.     

Chemical tuning by 5-Methyl and N-Methyl-substitution in heptanuclear complexes effects multistability investigated by Mössbauer spectroscopy

The precursors [Fe^(III)(^N???R???L)Cl] (^N???R???LH₂=N,N′-bis(2′-hydroxy- 5′-methyl-benzyliden)-1,7-diamino-4-R-4-azaheptane, R ?=? H, methyl(Me)) are high-spin (S?=?5/2) complexes. The Lewis-acidic precursors are combined with Lewis- Base-bridging-units [M(CN) _x ] ^y??? (M = Fe^(II), Ru^(II), Co^(III)) to form heptanuclear star-shaped [M{CN-Fe^(III)(^N???R???L)} _x ]Cl _y molecular switches. The star-shaped compounds are high-spin systems at room temperature. On cooling to 20 K some of the compounds exhibit multistability, i.e. several iron(III) centers within a molecule switch to the low-spin state as shown by Mössbauer spectroscopy.     

The Spectrum of the Cubic Oscillator

We prove the simplicity and analyticity of the eigenvalues of the cubic oscillator Hamiltonian, $$\begin{array}{ll}H(\beta)=-\frac{d^2}{dx^2}+x^2+i\sqrt{\beta}x^3\end{array}$$ , for β in the cut plane ${\mathcal{C}_c:=\mathcal{C}\backslash \mathcal{R}_-}$ . Moreover, we prove that the spectrum consists of the perturbative eigenvalues {E _n (β)} _{n ≥ 0} labeled by the constant number n of nodes of the corresponding eigenfunctions. In addition, for all ${\beta \in \mathcal{C}_c, E_n(\beta)}$ can be computed as the Stieltjes-Padé sum of its perturbation series at β = 0. This also gives an alternative proof of the fact that the spectrum of H(β) is real when β is a positive number. This way, the main results on the repulsive PT-symmetric and on the attractive quartic oscillators are extended to the cubic case.     

A dislocation dynamics study of the strength of stacking fault tetrahedra. Part I: interactions with screw dislocations

We present a comprehensive dislocation dynamics (DD) study of the strength of stacking fault tetrahedra (SFT) to screw dislocation glide in fcc Cu. Our methodology explicitly accounts for partial dislocation reactions in fcc crystals, which allows us to provide more detailed insights into the dislocation–SFT processes than previous DD studies. The resistance due to stacking fault surfaces to dislocation cutting has been computed using atomistic simulations and added in the form of a point stress to our DD methodology. We obtain a value of 1658.9 MPa, which translates into an extra force resolved on the glide plane that dislocations must overcome before they can penetrate SFTs. In fact, we see they do not, leading to two well differentiated regimes: (i) partial dislocation reactions, resulting in partial SFT damage, and (ii) impenetrable SFT resulting in the creation of Orowan loops. We obtain SFT strength maps as a function of dislocation glide plane-SFT intersection height, interaction orientation, and dislocation line length. In general SFTs are weaker obstacles the smaller the encountered triangular area is, which has allowed us to derive simple scaling laws with the slipped area as the only variable. These laws suffice to explain all strength curves and are used to derive a simple model of dislocation–SFT strength. The stresses required to break through obstacles in the 2.5–4.8-nm size range have been computed to be 100–300 MPa, in good agreement with some experimental estimations and molecular dynamics calculations.     

Complex classical fields: An example

We study complex, classical, scalar fields within a new framework introduced in a previous work. We replace the usual functional integral by a complex functional arising from a boosted Hamiltonian. We generalize the Feynman–Kac relation to this setting, and use it to establish the spectral condition on a cylinder. We consider also positive-temperature states.     

Charge fractionalization in biased bilayer graphene

Fractional charge may arise when fermionic zero modes exist in a topological background field. In biased bilayer graphene (BBLG), the bias plays the role of the nontrivial background field. When semi-infinite BBLG with a zigzag edge is used, the dynamics induces an odd number of zero-energy modes, which, together with the conjugation symmetry between positive-?and negative-energy states, are the requisite conditions for fractionalization. Exploiting the trigonal interaction to isolate a given zero-energy mode on the zigzag edge, we consider extended and localized modes (the latter being obtained from a localized wavepacket generated by prior irradiation of the sample with an electromagnetic vortex). The valley degeneracy is lifted by a layer asymmetry, while an edge-induced spin polarization breaks the spin degeneracy. We describe scenarios for the detection of charge-[Formula: see text] edge states.     

Cloud point extraction for cobalt preconcentration with on-line phase separation in a knotted reactor followed by ETAAS determination in drinking waters

A novel method for cobalt preconcentration by cloud point extraction with on-line phase separation in a PTFE knotted reactor and further determination by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) is proposed. The cloud point system was formed in the presence of non-ionic micelles of polyethyleneglycolmono-p-nonylphenylether (PONPE 7.5) and it was retained on the inner walls of a knotted reactor (KR). The surfactant rich-phase was removed from the knotted reactor with 75 microL of methanol acidified with 0.8 mol L(-1) nitric acid, directly into the dosing hole of the L'Vov graphite tube. An enrichment factor of 15 was obtained with a preconcentration time of 60 s, with respect to the direct determination of cobalt by ETAAS in aqueous solutions. The value of the detection limit for the preconcentration of 5 mL of sample solution was 10 ng L(-1). The precision, expressed as the relative standard deviation (R.S.D.), for 10 replicate determinations at 0.5 microg L(-1) Co level was 4.5%. Verification of the accuracy was carried out by analysis of a standard reference material (NIST SRM 1640e "Trace elements in natural water"). The method was successfully applied to the determination of cobalt in drinking water samples.