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This article aims to prepare novel shape-stabilized phase change materials (PCMs) by encapsulating fatty acids (stearic acid [SA], palmitic acid [PA], and myristic acid [MA]) as a PCM in an acrylic resin (Eudragit E) as supporting material and to determine latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) properties. The maximum percentage of all fatty acids in the shape-stabilized PCMs was found to be 70 wt% in which no fatty acid seepage was observed as the blends were heated over the melting points of the fatty acids. The optic microscope (OM) investigation demonstrated that fatty acid domains were coated by Eudragit E. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) results revealed that the interactions between Eudragit E and fatty acids were only adequate for adhesion of Eudragit E on fatty acid domains. Single phase was observed for the blends by OM, and interactions between the components were investigated by FT-IR spectroscopy. The melting and freezing temperatures and latent heats of the shape-stabilized PCMs were measured by the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) method. Based on the results, it was concluded that Eudragit E/MA, Eudragit E/PA, and Eudragit E/SA blends (30/70 wt%) have good utility potential for LHTES purposes in terms of their satisfying thermal properties and advantages of easy preparation in desired dimensions, direct usefulness function in LHTES systems, and cost effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toscana virus (TOSV; Bunyaviridae, Phlebovirus ) is transmitted by sandflies of the genus Phlebotomus in the Mediterranean area. One strain of TOSV was isolated from a total of almost 23  000 sandflies collected in Kabylia, Algeria. The complete genome was sequenced, and phylogenetic studies indicated that it was most closely related with TOSV strain from Tunisia within lineage A, which also includes Italian, French and Turkish strains. A seroprevalence study performed on 370 sera collected from people living in the same area showed that almost 50% possessed neutralizing antibodies against TOSV, a rate much higher than that observed in Southern Europe. Sandfly species distribution in the study area suggests that the vector of TOSV in this region belongs to the subgenus Larroussius. These data support the rapid implementation of the diagnosis of TOSV in clinical microbiology laboratories to estimate the burden in patients presenting with neuroinvasive infections and febrile illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery and development of methods for isolation, characterisation and taxonomy of viruses represents an important milestone in the study, treatment and control of virus diseases during the 20th century. Indeed, by the late-1950s, it was becoming common belief that most human and veterinary pathogenic viruses had been discovered. However, at that time, knowledge of the impact of improved commercial transportation, urbanisation and deforestation, on disease emergence, was in its infancy. From the late 1960s onwards viruses, such as hepatitis virus (A, B and C) hantavirus, HIV, Marburg virus, Ebola virus and many others began to emerge and it became apparent that the world was changing, at least in terms of virus epidemiology, largely due to the influence of anthropological activities. Subsequently, with the improvement of molecular biotechnologies, for amplification of viral RNA, genome sequencing and proteomic analysis the arsenal of available tools for virus discovery and genetic characterization opened up new and exciting possibilities for virological discovery. Many recently identified but “unclassified” viruses are now being allocated to existing genera or families based on whole genome sequencing, bioinformatic and phylogenetic analysis. New species, genera and families are also being created following the guidelines of the International Committee for the Taxonomy of Viruses. Many of these newly discovered viruses are vectored by arthropods (arboviruses) and possess an RNA genome. This brief review will focus largely on the discovery of new arthropod-borne viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study deals with the preparation and characterization of polyethyl methacrylate/fatty acid blends as a novel form-stable phase change material for latent heat thermal energy storage applications. In the blends, fatty acids act as a phase change material when polyethyl methacrylate is operated as a supporting material. The fatty acids could be retained by 50 wt% into polyethyl methacrylate without melted phase change material seepage from the blends. Therefore, these blends are called form stable composite phase change materials and they have utility advantage without encapsulation in passive latent heat thermal energy storage applications. The prepared fatty acid/polyethyl methacrylate blends (50/50 w/w%) as form-stable phase change material was characterized using optic microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy methods and the results showed that the polyethyl methacrylate was physically and chemically compatible with the fatty acids. Thermal properties and thermal stabilities of the form-stable phase change materials were measured using differential scanning calorimetry. Differential scanning calorimetry results indicated that the melting temperatures and latent heats of the prepared phase change materials are in the range of 30.67–61.09°C and 86.93–107.75 J/g, respectively. The thermal cycling test, including 5,000 cycling processes, was conducted to determine the thermal reliability of the synthesized form-stable phase change materials, and it is found that phase change materials were thermally and chemically stable after thermal cycling. On the basis of all the results, it was concluded that form stable polyethyl methacrylate/fatty acids composite phase change materials had important potential for practical latent heat thermal energy storage applications, such as under floor space heating of buildings and passive solar space heating of buildings by using wallboard, plasterboard, or floors impregnated with a form stable phase change material. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Presents a comparative and phylogenetic analysis of the highly duplicated 16p12.2 region of the human genome, which is composed of at least four different segmental duplications spanning in excess of 160 kilobase. Discussion on fluorescence in situ hybridization; Comparison of the dispersal of the genomic segment with a second adjacent duplication called LCR16u; Discussion on the phylogeny of human genome duplication.

The temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity, microstructure and crystal structure properties of the [Co2(L)L′(dioxane)2(NO3)2](NO3)2 complex was investigated. The X-ray diffraction showed that the [Co2(L)L′(dioxane)2(NO3)2](NO3)2 has a triclinic structure. Temperature dependence of the conductivity curve of the complex exhibited two conduction regions, and while increase of conductivity with temperature in the first region is of hopping conduction which takes place in localized states, the conduction in the second region is of Arrhenius-type. These conduction mechanisms are related to intermolecular and intramolecular conduction progresses. The electrical conductivity of the [Co2(L)L′(dioxane)2(NO3)2](NO3)2 complex was 2.57×10−7 (S/cm) at room temperature with activation energy of 0.46 eV which showed semiconductivity behavior. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]