Nanocapillarity and Chemistry in Carbon Nanotubes

Open carbon nanotubes were filled with molten silver nitrate by capillary forces. Only those tubes with inner diameters of 4 nanometers or more were filled, suggesting a capillarity size dependence as a result of the lowering of the nanotube-salt interface energy with increasing curvature of the nanotube walls. Nanotube cavities should also be less chemically reactive than graphite and may serve as nanosize test tubes. This property has been illustrated by monitoring the decomposition of silver nitrate within nanotubes in situ in an electron microscope, which produced chains of silver nanobeads separated by high-pressure gas pockets.     

An epidemiological study of Fasciola hepatica in the Netherlands

Summary

Transmission of F.hepatica under natural conditions was analysed in a three year programme. The variables used were the indirect haemagglutination (IHA) technique, worm establishment in tracer lambs and the population dynamics, infection rate and shedding pattern of Lymnaea truncatula.

It is concluded that fluke eggs, infected snails and metacercariae on herbage can survive the winter in the Netherlands. Metacercarial availability was positively correlated to the amount of rainfall in the grazing period. The role of developed eggs that survive the winter is important, because this results in earlier infections in the herd.

The use of the serological diagnosis method IHA is important to detect F. hepatica infection in an early stage. Use of cellophane paper on floats is a useful method for determining the shedding pattern of cercariae from L. truncatula. It is concluded that collection of metacercariae on cellophane floats, inventarization of L. truncatula and its infection level are useful tools for the prediction of liverfluke infections.     

Early Pregnancy Diagnosis by Serum Progesterone and Ultrasound in Sheep Carrying Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer-Derived Pregnancies

Early pregnancy diagnosis and monitoring play an important role following embryo transfer in sheep. The aims of the current study were to investigate (i) the pattern of serum progesterone profiles in sheep carrying somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT)‐derived (clone) pregnancies, and (ii) the frequency of pregnancy loss during development following SCNT embryo transfer. Sheep SCNT embryos were made using standard nuclear transfer techniques. Day 7 embryos were surgically transferred to oestrus‐synchronized recipients (n = 27). As a control, normal fertile ewes (n = 12) were bred by natural breeding. Serum was collected from all the ewes on the day of estrus (day 0 sample), 7 days post‐estrus (day 7 sample) and 19 days post‐estrus (day 19 sample) and every 10 days thereafter until lambing or pregnancy loss occurred. Serum progesterone (P4) was assessed using enzyme immunoassay. Pregnancy was confirmed by ultrasound scanning on day 35 of pregnancy followed by subsequent scanning every 10 days. In control ewes, pregnancy rate on day 35 was 83.3% (10/12), whereas in the ewes that received SCNT embryos, it was 22.2% (6/27; p < 0.05). The day 45 pregnancy rate in the control ewes was 83.3%, whereas in the SCNT embryo recipients it was 11.0% (p < 0.05). Hormone analysis revealed that SCNT embryo recipients exhibited a significantly lower P4 profiles at different time points in pregnancy compared to controls (p < 0.05). This study highlights the use of serum progesterone in combination with ultrasound for the investigation of embryo loss and crucial times during development of normal and SCNT embryos in sheep. Further, the serum P4 levels directly reflect the degree of placental development in these two groups.     

Suppression of volcanism during rapid extension in the basin and range province, united states

Continental extension and volcanism are generally thought to be complementary. Stratigraphic and structural data from some highly extended parts of the Basin and Range province reveal instead that rapid extension appears to have suppressed volcanism. This relation may reflect enhanced crystallization of midcrustal magmas during extension resulting from exsolution of magmatic volatiles, increased interaction of magmas with meteoric water, and dispersal of magma into smaller bodies. Some rift environments may thus be characterized by voluminous synextensional plutonism with little or no concomitant volcanism.     

Implications of piscine predator control on the federally listed fountain darter

One strategy for protecting the federally listed fountain darter, Etheostoma fonticola (Jordan & Gilbert), during low flow conditions is the removal of piscine carnivores [in this case, largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides (Lacepède)]. However, headwater spring communities of the Comal and San Marcos rivers include another potential predator [red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii (Girard)]. Removal of piscine carnivores could produce cascading effects by increasing crayfish consumption of benthic fish. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if piscine carnivore removal will lessen predatory pressure or induce a trophic cascade with crayfish increasing and causing declines in fountain darter. The numbers of fountain darter consumed were quantified among three predator treatments (red swamp crayfish only, largemouth bass only and red swamp crayfish and largemouth bass combined) and vegetation treatments (vegetated and non‐vegetated) at three temperature regimes (18, 22, 27°C). Vegetation had no effect on fountain darter predation. Among temperature trials, largemouth bass only and red swamp crayfish and largemouth bass combined consumed similar numbers of fountain darter, and red swamp crayfish only consumed the least numbers of fountain darter, except at 22°C. Largemouth bass did not consume more red swamp crayfish than fountain darter. Therefore, largemouth bass removal appears to be a viable option for reducing fountain darter predation during periods of low flow.     

周小舟教授治疗肝癌经验

周小舟教授认为肝癌的病因是内因正气亏虚和外因外染疫毒相互作用所致,其主要病机是气虚血瘀,针对主要病机设立芪术抗癌方辨证加减治疗,临床疗效显著;周教授通过实验及临床研究亦初步阐明了芪术抗癌方的作用机制,值得临床借鉴。     

热处理对水牛乳稳定特性的影响

为比较不同热处理条件对水牛乳稳定性的影响,实验采用不同条件热处理后的pH缓冲容量、总溶解固体（total dissolved solids,TDS）、蛋白沉淀量及表观黏度等指标研究杂交高代水牛乳样品。结果表明：与未经处理的水牛乳样品相比,水牛乳经不同条件热处理后,其pH缓冲容量、TDS、蛋白沉淀量及表观黏度皆发生显著变化。其中水牛乳分别在经121℃/15 min和95℃/5 min处理后,其pH缓冲容量、TDS、蛋白沉淀量及表观黏度分别达到最大值和最小值。因此,认为在本实验研究范围内,水牛乳经121℃/15 min及95℃/5 min处理后,对其稳定性影响最大。