Mixed valuation methods: a combined AHP-GP procedure for individual and group multicriteria agricultural valuation

This paper introduces a new assessment method classification, in which a third procedure, mixed valuation, is jointly included with the traditional economic and non-economic methodologies. The paper considers a case of multiple actors (from a previous work by the same authors—Aznar et al. (Estudios de Economía Aplicada, 25(2):389–409, 2007), in which a new technique for multicriteria agriculture valuation (MAVAM) was proposed. The method is specifically designed for situations in which scarce information about the elements being compared (quantified or not) is available. It works in individual and group decision making contexts and attempts to both obtain and incorporate the objective information associated with the tangible aspects of the problem and the subjective knowledge associated with the human factor into the valuation process. It combines two of the most extended multicriteria decision making techniques: the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Goal Programming (GP). The first of these enables tangible and intangible information stemming from known elements to be collected by using pairwise comparisons; the second allows the scarce information available and the personal approach to the valuation to be included in the valuation process. The proposed methodology is illustrated by means of its application to a case of individual and group valuation of an agricultural asset in the La Ribera district, Valencia (Spain).     

Some comments on floating and centroid bodies in the plane

Consider a long, convex, homogenous cylinder with horizontal axis and with a planar convex body K as transversal section. Suppose the cylinder is immersed in water and let \(K_w\) be the wet part of K. In this paper we study some properties of the locus of the centroid of \(K_w\) and prove an analogous result to Klamkin–Flanders’ theorem when the locus is a circle. We also study properties of bodies floating at equilibrium when either the origin or the centroid of the body is pinned at the water line. In some sense this is the floating body problem for a density varying continuously. Finally, in the last section we give an isoperimetric type inequality for the perimeter of the centroid body (defined by C. M. Petty in Pacific J Math 11:1535–1547, 1961) of convex bodies in the plane.     

Tuning the In Vivo Transport of Anticancer Drugs Using Renal‐Clearable Gold Nanoparticles

Precise control of in vivo transport of anticancer drugs in normal and cancerous tissues with engineered nanoparticles is key to the future success of cancer nanomedicines in clinics. This requires a fundamental understanding of how engineered nanoparticles impact the targeting‐clearance and permeation‐retention paradoxes in the anticancer‐drug delivery. Herein, we systematically investigated how renal‐clearable gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) affect the permeation, distribution, and retention of the anticancer drug doxorubicin in both cancerous and normal tissues. Renal‐clearable AuNPs retain the advantages of the free drug, including rapid tumor targeting and high tumor vascular permeability. The renal‐clearable AuNPs also accelerated body clearance of off‐target drug via renal elimination. These results clearly indicate that diverse in vivo transport behaviors of engineered nanoparticles can be used to reconcile long‐standing paradoxes in the anticancer drug delivery.     

Structural investigation of an amorphous Si24Nb76 alloy produced by mechanical alloying using reverse Monte Carlo simulations

The atomic structure of an amorphous Si₂₄Nb₇₆ alloy produced by mechanical alloying was investigated by using one X-ray total structure factor S(K) as input data for reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) simulations. The partial S_Si–Si(K), S_Si–Nb(K), S_Nb–Nb(K) structure factors and G_Si–Si(r), G_Si–Nb(r), G_Nb–Nb(r) pair probability functions were obtained from the RMC simulations. The structural parameters (interatomic distances and co-ordination numbers) for the first neighbors were extracted and compared with those found in the Nb₃Si compound. It was observed some resemblance between these phases.     

Synthesis of hybrid gold-gold sulfide colloidal particles

The nucleation and growth mechanism of nanometer size gold onto gold sulfide colloidal particles by irradiation-induced reduction is reported. The process is characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, electronic diffraction, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, allowing for observation of several key intermediates and characteristics of the growth mechanism. The formation mechanism of gold on the surface of the gold sulfide particles is shown to depend strongly on the deposition rate. At low dose rate, gold nucleates preferentially onto specific gold-rich Au2S facets {110}, resulting in epitaxial growth. The gold crystal lattice plastically deforms near the interface to accommodate a substantial lattice mismatch. Upon increasing gold precursor concentration, this low dose rate results in growth of elongated gold island on the gold sulfide surface. At a high dose rate, several randomly oriented gold particles are simultaneously produced on gold sulfide, resulting in a layered structure. The absorption spectra of these particles show a dominant surface plasmon band, whose peak wavelength shifts markedly to the red as layered structure is formed.     

Facet‐Dependent and Light‐Assisted Efficient Hydrogen Evolution from Ammonia Borane Using Gold–Palladium Core–Shell Nanocatalysts

Au–Pd core–shell nanocrystals with tetrahexahedral (THH), cubic, and octahedral shapes and comparable sizes were synthesized. Similar‐sized Au and Pd cubes and octahedra were also prepared. These nanocrystals were used for the hydrogen‐evolution reaction (HER) from ammonia borane. Light irradiation can enhance the reaction rate for all the catalysts. In particular, Au–Pd THH exposing {730} facets showed the highest turnover frequency for hydrogen evolution under light with 3‐fold rate enhancement benefiting from lattice strain, modified surface electronic state, and a broader range of light absorption. Finite‐difference time‐domain (FDTD) simulations show a stronger electric field enhancement on Au–Pd core–shell THH than those on other Pd‐containing nanocrystals. Light‐assisted nitro reduction by ammonia borane on Au–Pd THH was also demonstrated. Au–Pd tetrahexahedra supported on activated carbon can act as a superior recyclable plasmonic photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution.     

A characteristic property of the Euclidean disc

In this paper the following is proved: Let K ⊂ $ \mathbb{E}^2 $ \mathbb{E}^2 be a smooth strictly convex body, and let L ⊂ $ \mathbb{E}^2 $ \mathbb{E}^2 be a line. Assume that for every point x ∈ L/K the two tangent segments from x to K have the same length, and the line joining the two contact points passes through a fixed point in the plane. Then K is an Euclidean disc.     

Physicochemical properties of pH-controlled polyion complex (PIC) micelles of poly(acrylic acid)-based double hydrophilic block copolymers and various polyamines

The physicochemical properties of polyion complex (PIC) micelles were investigated in order to characterize the cores constituted of electrostatic complexes of two oppositely charged polyelectrolytes. The pH-sensitive micelles were obtained with double hydrophilic block copolymers containing a poly(acrylic acid) block linked to a modified poly(ethylene oxide) block and various polyamines (polylysine, linear and branched polyethyleneimine, polyvinylpyridine, and polyallylamine). The pH range of micellization in which both components are ionized was determined for each polyamine. The resulting PIC micelles were characterized using dynamic light scattering and small-angle X-ray scattering experiments (SAXS). The PIC micelles presented a core–corona nanostructure with variable polymer density contrasts between the core and the corona, as revealed by the analysis of the SAXS curves. It was shown that PIC micelle cores constituted by polyacrylate chains and polyamines were more or less dense depending on the nature of the polyamine. It was also determined that the density of the cores of the PIC micelles depended strongly on the nature of the polyamine. These homogeneous cores were surrounded by a large hairy corona of hydrated polyethylene oxide block chains. Auramine O (AO) was successfully entrapped in the PIC micelles, and its fluorescence properties were used to get more insight on the core properties. Fluorescence data confirmed that the cores of such micelles are quite compact and that their microviscosity depended on the nature of the polyamine. The results obtained on these core–shell micelles allow contemplating a wide range of applications in which the AO probe would be replaced by various cationic drugs or other similarly charged species to form drug nanocarriers or new functional nanodevices.     

Dose Dependencies and Biocompatibility of Renal Clearable Gold Nanoparticles: From Mice to Non‐human Primates

While dose dependencies in pharmacokinetics and clearance are often observed in clinically used small molecules, very few studies have been dedicated to the understandings of potential dose‐dependent in vivo transport of nanomedicines. Here we report that the pharmacokinetics and clearance of renal clearable gold nanoparticles (GS‐AuNPs) are strongly dose‐dependent once injection doses are above 15 mg kg^?1: high dose expedited the renal excretion and shortened the blood retention. As a result, the no‐observed‐adverse‐effect‐level (NOAEL) of GS‐AuNPs was >1000 mg kg^?1 in CD‐1 mice. The efficient renal clearance and high compatibility can be translated to the non‐human primates: no adverse effects were observed within 90 days after intravenous injection of 250 mg kg^?1 GS‐AuNPs. These fundamental understandings of dose effect on the in vivo transport of ultrasmall AuNPs open up a pathway to maximize their biomedical potentials and minimize their toxicity in the future clinical translation.     

Addition of a chiral copper reagent derived from propargylic oxazolidininone to aldehydes

[reaction: see text] The copper reagent arising from an optically pure propargylic oxazolidinone was found to react regio- and diastereoselectively with aldehydes, leading, in a one-pot procedure, to the anti homopropargylic amino alcohols derivatives in good yields.