Global variations in peak bone mass as studied by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

In 1994, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) initiated a 5-year Co-ordinated Research Project (CRP) to determine geographical and racial differences in peak bone mineral density (BMD) in men and women aged 15-49 years. The study demonstrates that there are distinct global differences in BMD at the hip and spine in both men and women approximating to one population standard deviation between populations with the highest and lowest BMD. These differences persist following adjustments for age, sex and body size. Such information is valuable in understanding the reasons for global differences in fracture rate and predicting future trends in fracture incidence. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

New aspects on the transuranics transfer in the Palomares marine environment

The environmental contamination of transuranics following the Palomares accident in 1966 (Southern Spain) has been continuous monitored on land and scientific programs are still running. The study of the land to sea transfer of the contamination started in 1986, focussed on the depositional history recorded in marine sediments. At the continental shelf, south of the mouth of the Almanzora river, enhanced levels of plutonium and americium were found which could be related to the accident. Additional analysis of marine sediments, collected far from the impact point, showed the presence of a hot particle. The study of the chronology of this sediment core and the isotopic ratios are given in this paper to assess the origin and pathway of the particle. The route of this particle was found to be the aerial transfer at the time of the accident.     

Transport properties of alkyltrimethylammonium bromide surfactants in aqueous solutions

Differential mutual diffusion coefficients of n-alkyltrimethylammonium bromides [CH₃(CH₂)_n–1N(CH₃)₃Br, C_nTAB] (n=10, 12, 14, 16) have been measured in aqueous solutions at 298.15 K using a conductimetric cell and an automatic apparatus to follow diffusion. The cell is based on an open-ended capillary, and the technique follows the diffusion process by measuring the resistance of a solution inside the capillaries at various times. The electrical conductances of those solutions have also been measured to calculate the critical micellar concentration (cmc). Thermodynamic analysis of the data suggests that the free ion concentration decreases at concentrations above the cmc, in agreement with theoretical predictions. The obtained values of the micellization parameters were used to model the mutual diffusion coefficients of C_nTAB aqueous solutions.     

Transparent conducting oxides: texture and microstructure effects on charge carrier mobility in MOCVD-derived CdO thin films grown with a thermally stable, low-melting precursor

A series of low-melting, thermally stable cadmium metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) precursors have been synthesized, structurally and spectroscopically characterized, and implemented in growth of highly conductive and transparent CdO thin films. One member of the series, bis(1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoro-2,4-pentanedionato)(N,N-diethyl-N',N'-dimethyl-ethylenediamine)cadmium(II), Cd(hfa)(2)()(N,N-DE-N',N'-DMEDA), represents a particularly significant improvement over previously available Cd precursors, owing to the low melting point and robust thermal stability. High-quality CdO films were grown by MOCVD on glass and single-crystal MgO(100) between 300 and 412 degrees C. Film growth parameters and substrate surface have large effects on microstructure and electron carrier transport properties. Enhanced mobilities observed for highly biaxially textured films grown on MgO(100) vs glass are attributed, on the basis of DC charge transport and microstructure analysis, to a reduction in neutral impurity scattering and/or to a more densely packed grain microstructure. Although single-grained films grown on MgO(100) exhibit greater mobilities than analogues with discrete approximately 100 nm grains and similar texture, this effect is attributed, on the basis of charge transport and Hall effect measurements as well as optical reflectivity analysis, to differences in carrier concentration rather than to reduced grain boundary scattering. Unprecedented conductivities and mobilities as high as 11,000 S/cm and 307 cm(2)/V.s, respectively, are obtained for epitaxial single-grained films (X-ray diffraction parameters: fwhm(omega) = 0.30 degrees, fwhm(phi) = 0.27 degrees ) grown in situ on MgO(100) at a relatively low temperature (400 degrees C).     

Sorption/diffusion behaviour of anionic surfactants in polyacrylamide hydrogels: from experiment to modelling

The sorption and diffusion processes of anionic surfactants with different chain length through polyacrylamide hydrogels with low swelling degree have been studied by electrical conductivity measurements. The multicomponent equilibrium equation has been used to model the sorption isotherms of different anionic surfactant in the hydrogels. Such isotherms show that initial rapid sorption of unimer surfactant into the membranes occurs, suggesting that non-freezing water can be involved in these interactions. In aqueous solution, at concentrations near and above the critical micelle concentration an anti-co-operative region is found. The diffusion coefficients of the anionic surfactants inside the hydrogel matrix show that the mobility of diffusing surfactant entities is dependent on cross-linker concentration and chain length. The Cukier hydrodynamic model and the free volume theory as modified by Peppas and Reinhart were applied to explain the dependence of the diffusion coefficients of surfactant on surfactant concentration inside the hydrogel. The hydrodynamic model was applied with success to the more hydrophilic surfactant, sodium 1-octanesulfonate, showing that the diffusion coefficients, D, increase when the resistance to hydrodynamic medium decreases; when the surfactant chain length increases (sodium dodecyl sulfate and sodium 1-hexadecane sulphonate) the variation of D with the free volume can only be understood considering the sieving effect produced by the surfactant inside gel.     

Evidence for orbital-specific electron transfer to oriented haloform molecules

Beams of hyperthermal K atoms cross beams of the oriented haloforms CF(3)H, CCl(3)H, and CBr(3)H, and transfer of an electron mainly produces K(+) and the X(-) halide ion which are detected in coincidence. As expected, the steric asymmetry of CCl(3)H and CBr(3)H is very small and the halogen end is more reactive. However, even though there are three potentially reactive centers on each molecule, the F(-) ion yield in CF(3)H is strongly dependent on orientation. At energies close to the threshold for ion-pair formation ( approximately 5.5 eV), H-end attack is more reactive to form F(-). As the energy is increased, the more productive end switches, and F-end attack dominates the reactivity. In CF(3)H near threshold the electron is apparently transferred to the sigma(CH) antibonding orbital, and small signals are observed from electrons and CF(3)(-) ions, indicating "activation" of this orbital. In CCl(3)H and CBr(3)H the steric asymmetry is very small, and signals from free electrons and CX(3)(-) ions are barely detectable, indicating that the sigma(CH) antibonding orbital is not activated. The electron is apparently transferred to the sigma(CX) orbital which is believed to be the LUMO. At very low energies the proximity of the incipient ions probably determines whether salt molecules or ions are formed.     

Conjugate acid structure for oxaziridines bearing primary and secondary 2-alky 1 groups

The protonation of five representative oxaziridines is reported for inert solvents (deuterio-chloroform or carbon tetrachloride) where conjugate acid formation may be effected by the addition of about 20% (v/v) TFA. Comparison of the ¹H nmr chemical shifts for neutral and conjugate acid forms suggests that oxaziridines usually undergo protonation on the N-atom under these conditions. For one compound studied, 2-ethyl-3-p-nitrophenyloxaziridine, there is a possibility that protonation occurs on the alternative O-atom. The relevance of these findings to the mechanism of the acid-catalysed hydrolysis of oxaziridines is discussed.     

Synthesis of carbon nanotube—nanodiamond hierarchical nanostructures and their polyurea nanocomposites

Hierarchical carbon nanostructures (HCNs) comprising functionalized nanodiamond particles (ND) covalently bonded to carbon nanotubes (CNTs) through urea or ethylene diamine linkers were synthesized using wet chemistry technique. Atomic force microscopy, transmission electron spectroscopy, and scanning electron spectroscopy reveal the pearl-necklace-like morphology of new HCNs with up to 50% of the CNT surface decorated by ND particles. Nanocomposites fabricated using polyuria/polyurethane hybrid polymer matrix and 0.2 wt.% of HCNs as a reinforcing filler show a 64% increase in tensile and elongation strength at break relatively to neat polymer.     

On critical parameters in homogenization of perforated domains by thin tubes with nonlinear flux and related spectral problems

Let u_? be the solution of the Poisson equation in a domain perforated by thin tubes with a nonlinear Robin‐type boundary condition on the boundary of the tubes (the flux here being β(?)σ(x,u_?)), and with a Dirichlet condition on the rest of the boundary of Ω. ? is a small parameter that we shall make to go to zero; it denotes the period of a grid on a plane where the tubes/cylinders have their bases; the size of the transversal section of the tubes is O(a_?) with a_???. A certain nonperiodicity is allowed for the distribution of the thin tubes, although the perimeter is a fixed number a. Here, is a strictly monotonic function of the second argument, and the adsorption parameter β(?) > 0 can converge toward infinity. Depending on the relations between the three parameters ?, a_?, and β(?), the effective equations in volume are obtained. Among the multiple possible relations, we provide critical relations, which imply different averages of the process ranging from linear to nonlinear. All this allows us to derive spectral convergence as ?→0 for the associated spectral problems in the case of σ a linear function of u_?. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.