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Summary The Duvernay Formation is an unconventional reservoir characterized by induced seismicity and fluid migration, with natural fractures likely contributing to both cases. An alpine outcrop of the Perdrix and Flume formations, correlative with the subsurface Duvernay and Waterways formations, was investigated to characterize natural fracture networks. A semiautomated image-segmentation and fracture analysis was applied to orthomosaics generated from a photogrammetric survey to assess small- and large-scale fracture intensity and rock mass heterogeneity. The study also included manual scanlines, fracture windows, and Schmidt hammer measurements. The Perdrix section transitions from brittle fractures to en echelon fractures and shear-damage zones. Multiple scales of fractures were observed, including unconfined, bedbound fractures, and fold-related bed-parallel partings (BPPs). Variograms indicate a significant nugget effect along with fracture anisotropy. Schmidt hammer results lack correlation with fracture intensity. The Flume pavements exhibit a regionally extensive perpendicular joint set, tectonically driven fracturing, and multiple fault-damage zones with subvertical fractures dominating. Similar to the Perdrix, variograms show a significant nugget effect, highlighting fracture anisotropy. The results from this study suggest that small-scale fractures are inherently stochastic and that fractures observed at core scale should not be extrapolated to represent large-scale fracture systems; instead, the effects of small-scale fractures are best represented using an effective continuum approach. In contrast, large-scale fractures are more predictable according to structural setting and should be characterized robustly using geological principles. This study is especially applicable for operators and regulators in the Duvernay and similar formations where unconventional reservoir units abut carbonate formations.

Pour endiguer la récente pandémie de Covid-19, la France a pris des mesures pour mettre rapidement à la disposition de la population des masques de protection respiratoire efficaces. Les laboratoires en capacité de réaliser des mesures d'efficacité et de perméabilité de matériaux filtrants ont été sollicités pour mettre en ?uvre des bancs d'essais permettant de caractériser les media filtrants utilisés pour la confection des masques dits « barrière » ou « grand public » en termes d'efficacité de filtration et de perméabilité selon les spécifications établies par l'AFNOR (efficacité de filtration vis-à-vis d'aérosols de 3 µm supérieure à 70% et 90% pour deux catégories de masques, et perméabilité à 100 Pa supérieure à 96 L.m-2.s-1). Face à l'urgence, ces différents laboratoires ont mis en ?uvre des protocoles différents pour caractériser ces dispositifs. La présente communication vise à comparer les résultats obtenus par trois laboratoires impliqués dans ces essais en utilisant des protocoles différents. Les résultats montrent un bon accord entre les trois laboratoires impliqués dans l'intercomparaison avec des dispersions probablement imputables à l'hétérogénéité des échantillons., In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, France has taken measures to quickly produce respiratory protection masks for the population. Laboratories able to carry out filtration media efficiency and permeability measurements were asked to implement test benches to characterize the filter media used for making these so-called ?community face covering? in terms of filtration efficiency and permeability according to the AFNOR specifications (3 µm filtration efficiency greater than or equal to 70% and 90% for two categories, and permeability at 100 Pa greater than 96 L.m-2.s-1). In this context of emergency, these laboratories implemented different protocols and this communication aims at comparing the results obtained by the three laboratories involved in these tests. The results show good agreement between laboratories participating in the intercomparison with a dispersion probably due to the sample heterogeneity.

Background We investigated the association between socioclinical, inflammatory, and metabolic markers and weight gain in people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). Methods Individuals from the COPANA cohort of normal weight (body mass index [BMI], 18.5–24.9 [ calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) at cART initiation who achieved virological suppression (viral load, Results After 36 months of cART, 32 of 158 people with HIV (20%) became overweight or obese (21% female; 65% born in France and 23% born in sub-Saharan Africa; median BMI at cART initiation, 22 [interquartile range, 21–23]). After adjustment, higher BMI, originating from sub-Saharan Africa, living in a couple, and higher soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 and lower adiponectin concentrations at cART initiation were associated with becoming overweight or obese. Conclusion Weight gain on cART is multifactorial. Special attention should be given to migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. Monocyte activation and adipocyte dysfunction at cART initiation affect weight regulation.

Intraspinal microstimulation (ISMS) using implanted electrodes can evoke locomotor movements after spinal cord injury (SCI) but has not been explored in the context of respiratory motor output. An advantage over epidural and direct muscle stimulation is the potential of ISMS to selectively stimulate components of the spinal respiratory network. The present study tested the hypothesis that medullary respiratory activity could be used to trigger midcervical ISMS and diaphragm motor unit activation in rats with cervical SCI. Studies were conducted after acute (hours) and subacute (5–21 days) C2 hemisection (C2Hx) injury in adult rats. Inspiratory bursting in the genioglossus (tongue) muscle was used to trigger a 250-ms train stimulus (100 Hz, 100–200 μA) to the ventral C4 spinal cord, targeting the phrenic motor nucleus. After both acute and subacute injury, genioglossus EMG activity effectively triggered ISMS and activated diaphragm motor units during the inspiratory phase. The ISMS paradigm also evoked short-term potentiation of spontaneous inspiratory activity in the previously paralyzed hemidiaphragm (i.e., bursting persisting beyond the stimulus period) in ∼70% of the C2Hx animals. We conclude that medullary inspiratory output can be used to trigger cervical ISMS and diaphragm activity after SCI. Further refinement of this method may enable “closed-loop-like” ISMS approaches to sustain ventilation after severe SCI. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We examined the feasibility of using intraspinal microstimulation (ISMS) of the cervical spinal cord to evoke diaphragm activity ipsilateral to acute and subacute hemisection of the upper cervical spinal cord of the rat. This proof-of-concept study demonstrated the efficacy of diaphragm activation, using an upper airway respiratory EMG signal to trigger ISMS at the level of the ipsilesional phrenic nucleus during acute and advanced postinjury intervals.

Aquatic systems near major urban centers are constantly contaminated with effluent from wastewater treatment plants. Pharmaceuticals are part of the contamination and several classes of drugs have been detected in surface waters in the last decade. To better understand the impact of those pharmaceuticals in ecosystems, the exposure to aquatic species needs to be investigated. This study presents a new simple and rugged quantitative method for the determination of several classes of drugs using 100μL of plasma from fish environmentally exposed to a major but highly diluted urban effluent. Six common drugs (i.e., diclofenac, ibuprofen, naproxen, salbutamol, sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim) and one major metabolite (2-hydroxy-ibuprofen), present in significant amount in impacted waterways have been selected for the development and validation of the method. First, all drugs were extracted using cation exchange solid phase extraction (SPE) and eluted with two solvent mixtures. Then, the extracts were analyzed using a reverse-phase analytical column Waters® CORTECS C18+ (150×2.1mm, 2.7μm) within 14min. MS/MS was performed with an electrospray (ESI) interface in positive ion mode, with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) experiment acquiring two product ions per drugs. Quantification has been made with standard curves for each analyte using isotopically labeled internal standards. This method has high sensitivity with limits of quantification of 1ngmL-1 for each drug, except for ibuprofen and its metabolite 2-hydroxy-ibuprofen at 2ngmL-1. The precision of the method was below 11%, the accuracy between 94 and 105% and overall recovery between 94 and 111% for all drugs, with high selectivity. Application of the method to plasma samples from wild northern pike inhabiting the St. Lawrence River collected over a three-year period showed the presence of naproxen, diclofenac, trimethoprim and salbutamol at very low concentrations (around 1ngmL-1).

The concentration of the saxitoxin analogue LWTX-1 was quantified in samples of the benthic filamentous cyanobacterium Lyngbya wollei (Farlow ex Gomont) Speziale and Dyck collected in two fluvial lakes of the St. Lawrence River (Canada) over the 2006–2013 period. The study was aimed at documenting the spatial (between fluvial lakes, between sites within each lake) and temporal (interannual, monthly) variations of toxin concentration in relation with hydrological (water level), physical (water temperature, conductivity, transparency), chemical (nutrients in overlying water) and biological (L. wollei biomass and mat condition) characteristics. Toxin concentration was hypothesized to vary seasonally with biomass accumulation and environmental conditions. Toxin concentrations measured in Lake Saint-Louis (51 +/- 40 mg LWTX-1 g-1 DM, N = 29 days in 2007, 2009–2011) were double those in Lake Saint-Pierre (25 +/- 31 mg LWTX-1 g-1 DM, N = 26 days in 2006–2008, 2012–2013); however, August 2007 measurements taken from both lakes did not differ significantly. Ten of the twelve highest values (>100 mg LWTX-1 g-1 DM) were obtained from Lake Saint-Louis, between April and October in 2007, 2010 or 2011. Under ice samples showed intermediate concentrations of LWTX-1 (42 +/- 9 mg LWTX-1 g-1 DM, N = 2). Concentrations of LWTX-1 were positively correlated with Secchi depth (r = 0.59, p < 0.001), L. wollei biomass (Spearman r = 0.31, p < 0.01) and %N in filaments (r = 0.48, p < 0.001), suggesting toxin production was linked to mat growth and metabolism rather than water quality. Although LWTX-1 has been reported to have a low toxicity, monitoring of L. wollei abundance is required to assess the environmental and human health risks posed by this taxon in the St. Lawrence - Great Lakes system.

Contamination of the aquatic environment by pharmaceuticals via urban effluents is well known. Several classes of drugs have been identified in waterways surrounding these effluents in the last 15years. To better understand the fate of pharmaceuticals in ecosystems, degradation processes need to be investigated and transformation products must be identified. Thus, this study presents the first comparative study between three different natural environmental conditions: photolysis and biodegradation in aerobic and anaerobic conditions both in the dark of diclofenac and sulfamethoxazole, two common drugs present in significant amounts in impacted surface waters. Results indicated that degradation kinetics differed depending on the process and the type of drug and the observed transformation products also differed among these exposure conditions. Diclofenac was nearly degraded by photolysis after 4days, while its concentration only decreased by 42% after 57days of exposure to bacteria in aerobic media and barely 1% in anaerobic media. For sulfamethoxazole, 84% of the initial concentration was still present after 11days of exposure to light, while biodegradation decreased its concentration by 33% after 58days of exposure under aerobic conditions and 5% after 70days of anaerobic exposure. In addition, several transformation products were observed and persisted over time while others degraded in turn. For diclofenac, chlorine atoms were lost primarily in the photolysis, while a redox reaction was promoted by biodegradation under aerobic conditions. For sulfamethoxazole, isomerization was favored by photolysis while a redox reaction was also favored by the biodegradation under aerobic conditions. To summarize this study points out the occurrence of different transformation products under variable degradation conditions and demonstrates that specific functional groups are involved in the tested natural attenuation processes. Given the complexity of environmental samples more analytical effort is needed to fully identify new products of potential toxicity.

International audience; A pH-sensitive molecular switch able to change its conformation upon protonation at endosomal pH values is embedded into the structure of cationic lipidoid materials, thus conferring endosomal escape properties. Involvement of the conformational switch in the endosomal escape process was confirmed and leading material identified was able to induce efficient gene knockdown both in vitro and in vivo. The lipid nanoparticles reported here are promising for therapeutic applications and this work could serve as a template for future design of stimulus-responsive (ionic, redox, light) molecular switch for drug and gene delivery.

This article describes the in vivo evaluation of a new topical preparation (Zincostatin) indicated for Candida albicans infected diaper rash. In order to study the influence of the 20% zinc oxide (W/W) (a protectant) on the anti-candidal efficacy of the 100,000 U/g of nystatin found in the ointment, groups of guinea pigs received different treatments with or without local occlusion. Zinc oxide, nystatin, or the combination of both were applied, in the ointment base, on the backs of the animals inoculated with a fresh strain of Candida albicans. Macroscopic and microbiological evaluation of the skin lesions were assessed at regular intervals during 21 days. While the two treatments containing nystatin were more effective than zinc oxide alone, the latter agent did not decrease the efficacy of the antifungal drug in combination therapy. Also, zinc oxide seemed to afford some protection against local maceration induced by occlusion, which increased the severity of the infection.

Influenza is a vaccine-preventable contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza (flu) viruses which can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Current flu vaccines delivered intramuscularly (IM) or intradermally (ID) are less effective at eliciting protective mucosal immune responses and vaccines delivered intranasally (IN) possess potential safety concerns. Sublingual (SL) vaccination is a promising alternative route for vaccine delivery which has been indicated as safe and effective at inducing protective immune responses in both systemic and mucosal compartments. We evaluated the efficacy of methylglycol chitosan (MGC) and a synthetic toll-like receptor 4 agonist (CRX-601), alone or in combination, for improving systemic and mucosal immune responses to a monovalent detergent-split flu virus vaccine delivered SL. SL vaccination of mice with split-flu vaccine formulated with either MGC or CRX-601 resulted in specific serum IgG and mucosal IgA titers that were significantly greater than titers from non-adjuvanted vaccination and equivalent to or greater than titers in mice vaccinated IM. Our results demonstrate that SL vaccination utilizing MGC or CRX-601 as adjuvants is a viable alternative route of vaccination for flu which can elicit systemic immune responses equivalent to or greater than IM vaccination with the added benefit of stimulating a robust specific mucosal immune response.

Changes in the structure of a surfactant adsorbed on oxidized silicon arising from interaction with a polyelectrolyte have been studied using polarized infrared attenuated total reflection spectroscopy. Specifically, the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was found to form a highly ordered layer on oxidized silicon at a concentration of 5.5 x 10(-5) M and a pH of 9.6. Addition of a solution of the anionic polyelectrolyte poly(styrenesulfonate) to the ordered CTAB layer resulted in a rapid and dramatic decrease in the surface excess of CTAB. Interestingly however, the interfacial order of the residual surfactant was retained for a time period greater than 1 h, before decreasing. Reintroduction of a surfactant solution prior to destabilization of the residual interfacial CTAB resulted in the readsorption of the surfactant, the recovery of the initial equilibrium coverage, and the maintenance of an ordered CTAB conformation. This desorption/readsorption process may be subsequently repeated without destroying the order of the CTAB on the surface. If however sufficient time is allowed for the residual interfacial surfactant to destabilize prior to readdition of CTAB, the degree of surfactant order remains low, despite the rapid reobtainment of a surface excess equal to or greater than that initially measured. These results are interpreted in terms of polymer/surfactant interfacial complexation and the removal of adsorbed surfactant into solution. The ordering behavior of the residual surfactant suggests that CTAB is left on the surface in isolated patches of highly ordered species that maintain their order until two-dimensional diffusion leads to a more homogeneous surfactant surface distribution and hence the loss of conformational order. The degree of orientation order assumed by surfactant readsorbing on a depleted surface appears to be templated by the order of the residual interfacial surfactant, suggestive of a two-dimensional epitaxial growth mechanism for CTAB readsorption.

International audience; We present spectroscopic observations of galaxies in 4 clusters at z = 0.7-0.8 and in one cluster at z ˜ 0.5 obtained with the FORS2 spectrograph on the VLT as part of the ESO Distant Cluster Survey (EDisCS), a photometric and spectroscopic survey of 20 intermediate to high redshift clusters. We describe our target selection, mask design, observation and data reduction procedures, using these first 5 clusters to demonstrate how our strategies maximise the number of cluster members for which we obtain spectroscopy. We present catalogues containing positions, I-band magnitudes and spectroscopic redshifts for galaxies in the fields of our 5 clusters. These contain 236 cluster members, with the number of members per cluster ranging from 30 to 67. Our spectroscopic success rate, i.e. the fraction of spectroscopic targets which are cluster members, averages 50% and ranges from 30% to 75%. We use a robust biweight estimator to measure cluster velocity dispersions from our spectroscopic redshift samples. We also make a first assessment of substructure within our clusters. The velocity dispersions range from 400 to 1100 km s-1. Some of the redshift distributions are significantly non-Gaussian and we find evidence for significant substructure in two clusters, one at z ˜ 0.79 and the other at z ˜ 0.54. Both have velocity dispersions exceeding 1000 km s-1 but are clearly not fully virialised; their velocity dispersions may thus be a poor indicator of their masses. The properties of these first 5 EDisCS clusters span a wide range in redshift, velocity dispersion, richness and substructure, but are representative of the sample as a whole. Spectroscopy for the full dataset will allow a comprehensive study of galaxy evolution as a function of cluster environment and redshift.

The di[octa(N,N-dimethylformamide) cerium (III)] tri(tetrathiotungstate (VI)) monohydrate, [Ce(dmf)8]2(WS4)3.H2O, has been synthesized from a mixture of (NH4)WS4 and CeCl3·7H2O in dmf. This new, yellow material crystallizes in the triclinic P 1 space group with the following cell parameters: a = 10.3547(17) A, b= 18.772(3) A, c = 25.260(7) A, α = 79.28(3)°, β = 83.36(3)°, γ = 83.02(2)°, and V = 4767(4) A3 (Z = 2). The structure refinement yielded the residual factors R/Rw = 0.0556/0.1369 for 880 parameters and 11262 independent reflections at a 3-sigma level, with different Fourier residues ranging from −2.0 to 2.6 e−/A3. The structure can be viewed as built upon [WS4]2− tetrahedral anions and DMF eight-folded coordinated Ce3+ cations with inclusion of water molecules.

In scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM), an approach curve performed in feedback mode involves the downward displacement of a microelectrode toward a substrate while applying a bias to detect dissolved electroactive species at a diffusion-limited rate. The resulting measured current is said to be at steady state. In order to reduce the required measurement time, the approach velocity can be increased. In this paper, we investigate experimentally and theoretically the combination of diffusion and convection processes related to a moving microdisk electrode during feedback approaches. Transient modeling and numerical simulations with moving boundaries are performed, and the results are compared to the experimental approach curves obtained in aqueous solution. The geometry and misalignment of the microelectrode influence the experimental approach curves recorded at high approach velocities. The effects are discussed through the decomposition of the current into transient diffusional, radial convectional, and axial convectional contributions. Finally a ready-to-use expression is provided to rapidly evaluate the maximal approach velocity for steady state measurements as a function of the microelectrode geometry and the physical properties of the media. This expression holds for the more restrictive case of negative feedback as well as other modes, such as SECM approach curves performed at substrates displaying first order kinetics.

The similarities and differences between imagery acquired at X-, C- and L-bands are examined by calculating the correlations between X-, C-, and L-band SAR data acquired over an agricultural area near Melfort, Saskatchewan in western Canada with the CCRS SAR-580. The SAR data were acquired on two separate occasions during the growing season (July and August, 1983) with vertical polarization in both transmit and receive. It was found that the correlations between the C- and L-band and between X- and L-band data were very low indicating that the radar backscatter at the different frequencies is caused by different mechanisms. The correlation between X- and C-band data was low for grains, which have a well defined vertical structure. For canola and field peas, which are both broadleaved plants with little definite structure, there was a higher correlation between the measured back-scatter values. For L-band data the primary cause of the radar backscatter is probably from the underlying soil and thus...

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has initiated a coordinated R&D programme to improve its verification methods and equipment applicable to enrichment plants. The programme entails several individual projects to meet the objectives of the IAEA Safeguards Model Approach for Gas Centrifuge Enrichment Plants updated in 2006. Upgrades of verification methods to confirm the absence of HEU production have been initiated and, in particular, the Cascade Header Enrichment Monitor (CHEM) has been redesigned to reduce its weight and incorporate an electrically cooled germanium detector. Such detectors are also introduced to improve the attended verification of UF 6 cylinders for the verification of the material balance.

This paper reviews works of the team to characterize and model chlorine high‐density plasmas. The model allows in particular determining the pressure‐dependence of the concentration of neutral and charged species. Comparison of this model to experimental measurements achieved in high‐density surface‐wave‐produced plasmas shows an excellent agreement for the neutral atomic and molecular species. As far as charged species are concerned, the model reproduces well experiments for atomic chlorine ions and electrons, but some discrepancy occurs for molecular positive ions and negative ions at low pressure. The cause of this discrepancy remains to be clarified but might result from an underestimation of the creation rates of Cl2+ and Cl−. The model seems promising for predicting the ion density in a recently installed ICP reactor.

AIMS. We present spectroscopic observations of galaxies in 15 survey fields as part of the ESO Distant Cluster Survey (EDisCS). We determine the redshifts and velocity dispersions of the galaxy clusters located in these fields, and we test for possible substructure in the clusters. METHODS. We obtained multi-object mask spectroscopy using the FORS2 instrument at the VLT. We reduced the data with particular attention to the sky subtraction. We implemented the method of Kelson for performing sky subtraction prior to any rebinning/interpolation of the data. From the measured galaxy redshifts, we determine cluster velocity dispersions using the biweight estimator and test for possible substructure in the clusters using the Dressler-Shectman test. RESULTS. The method of subtracting the sky prior to any rebinning/interpolation of the data delivers photon-noise-limited results, whereas the traditional method of subtracting the sky after the data have been rebinned/interpolated results in substantially larger noise for spectra from tilted slits. Redshifts for individual galaxies are presented and redshifts and velocity dispersions are presented for 21 galaxy clusters. For the 9 clusters with at least 20 spectroscopically confirmed members, we present the statistical significance of the presence of substructure obtained from the Dressler-Shectman test, and substructure is detected in two of the clusters. CONCLUSIONS. Together with data from our previous paper, spectroscopy and spectroscopic velocity dispersions are now available for 26 EDisCS clusters with redshifts in the range 0.40-0.96 and velocity dispersions in the range 166-1080 km/s., Comment: 31 pages, 23 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

We present the ESO Distant Cluster Survey (EDisCS) a survey of 20 fields containing distant galaxy clusters with redshifts ranging from 0.4 to almost 1.0. Candidate clusters were chosen from among the brightest objects identified in the Las Campanas Distant Cluster Survey, half with estimated redshift z_est~0.5 and half with z_est~0.8. They were confirmed by identifying red sequences in moderately deep two colour data from VLT/FORS2. For confirmed candidates we have assembled deep three-band optical photometry using VLT/FORS2, deep near-infrared photometry in one or two bands using NTT/SOFI, deep optical spectroscopy using VLT/FORS2, wide field imaging in two or three bands using the ESO Wide Field Imager, and HST/ACS mosaic images for 10 of the most distant clusters. This first paper presents our sample and the VLT photometry we have obtained. We present images, colour-magnitude diagrams and richness estimates for our clusters, as well as giving redshifts and positions for the brightest cluster members. Subsequent papers will present our infrared photometry, spectroscopy, HST and wide-field imaging, as well as a wealth of further analysis and science results. Our reduced data become publicly available as these papers are accepted., 21 pages, 6 figures, A&A in press. A version with full resolution figures is available at http://www.mpa-garching.mpg.de/ediscs/papers.html

We study the rest-frame (U-V) color-magnitude relation in 4 clusters at redshifts 0.7-0.8, drawn from the ESO Distant Cluster Survey. We confirm that red-sequence galaxies in these clusters can be described as an old, passively-evolving population and we demonstrate, by comparison with the Coma cluster, that there has been significant evolution in the stellar mass distribution of red-sequence galaxies since z~0.75. The EDisCS clusters exhibit a deficiency of low luminosity passive red galaxies. Defining as `faint' all galaxies in the passive evolution corrected range 0.4>~ L/L*>~0.1, the luminous-to-faint ratio of red-sequence galaxies varies from 0.34+/-0.06 for the Coma cluster to 0.81+/-0.18 for the high redshift clusters. These results exclude a synchronous formation of all red-sequence galaxies and suggest that a large fraction of the faint red galaxies in current clusters moved on to the red-sequence relatively recently. Their star formation activity presumably came to an end at z, 4 pages; 3 figures; ApJL accepted

Maskless selective area cw Nd:YAG laser annealing of GaInAsP/InP quantum well (QW) structures has been investigated as a possible route towards the fabrication of monolithically integrated photonic circuits. Laser irradiation of a 5 QW laser structure, originally designed for lasers emitting at 1.52 μm, yielded material having a continuously changing band gap ranging from 1.52 to 1.4 μm over the distance of about 3 mm. Bars with arrays of ridge waveguide lasers, having cavity lengths from 300 to 600 μm, were fabricated from the processed material. An individual bar, 2–3 mm long, comprised lasers operating typically between 1.4 and 1.52 μm. The lasers showed stable threshold current density and high quantum efficiency at all operating wavelengths. The results indicate that the applied approach has the potential to realize the cost-effective fabrication of advanced photonic devices and photonic integrated circuits.

We present the very first results of a new 3D numerical model for the formation and evolution of spiral galaxies along the Hubble sequence. We take into account the hydrodynamical properties of the gas with an SPH method while we use a tree code for the gravitational forces of the dark matter and stars. The chemical evolution is also fully included, with both SNe Ia and SNe II explosions being followed, and this will allows us to predict abundances of various chemical species, abundance ratios and their radial distributions.

Adherence to pharmacotherapy is essential to optimal therapeutic outcomes. The pivotal role of the pharmacist in optimizing adherence encompasses many actions: assessing the adherence problem, identifying predisposing factors, providing comprehensive counseling, and recommending specific adherence strategies targeted to the patient's needs. Patients who have chronic conditions, physical or cognitive impairments, or cultural backgrounds outside the mainstream may have special needs that should be addressed in the adherence plan. Pharmaceutical care plans also should take into account the patient's age, stage of life, and literacy level. Although a wide range of adherence aids and strategies are available, the key to success is to tailor the intervention to the individual patient and, when necessary, to combine interventions to optimize adherence.

To describe the steps pharmacists must complete when seeking compensation from third party payers for pharmaceutical care services.Government publications; professional publications, including manuals and newsletters; authors' personal experience.Pharmacists in increasing numbers are meeting with success in getting reimbursed by third party payers for patient care activities. However, many pharmacists remain reluctant to seek compensation because they do not understand the steps involved. Preparatory steps include obtaining a provider/supplier number, procuring appropriate claim forms, developing data collection and documentation systems, establishing professional fees, creating a marketing plan, and developing an accounting system. To bill for specific patient care services, pharmacists need to collect the patient's insurance information, obtain a statement of medical necessity from the patient's physician, complete the appropriate claim form accurately, and submit the claim with supporting documentation to the insurer. Although many claims from pharmacists are rejected initially, pharmacists who work with third party payers to understand the reasons for denial of payment often receive compensation when claims are resubmitted.Pharmacists who follow these guidelines for billing third party payers for pharmaceutical care services should notice an increase in the number of paid claims.

Measurement of the rotational temperature of the second positive system of N2 was used as a diagnostic of the gas temperature in low-pressure inductively coupled Ar, Kr and N2 plasmas. The rotational temperatures determined from the rovibrational bands (ν', ν'') = (0, 0), (1, 0), (0, 2) and (4, 2) of the N2 C 3Πu → B 3Πg system differ by about 300 K depending on the operating gas pressure in the 0.4–20 mTorr range. Important discrepancies exist between the temperatures found from each of the rovibrational bands of N2. This shows that the method has important intrinsic uncertainty that may be due either to errors in the transition probabilities of N2 C 3Πu → B 3Πg or to inefficient thermal coupling between translational and rotational temperatures. In the case of argon, the population of the emitting C 3Πu states by energy transfer from Ar 3P0,2 metastable atoms is also considered as a possible factor influencing the rotational structure of some rovibrational bands. Based on these measurements, it is shown that, in the range of experimental conditions studied herein, the uncertainty of the method should be carefully accounted before considering one of the rotational temperatures of the N2 second positive system equal to the gas temperature.

One-hundred and five Candida albicans isolates from various anatomic sites of 28 patients, obtained at the onset of two consecutive episodes of well-documented recurrent vulvovaginitis, were typed by methods relying on physiologic or genomic markers. The isolates represented a wide variety of types, and neither a single biotype nor genotype was associated with recurrent vaginitis or a particular body site. Patients generally carried similar strains at various anatomic sites that persisted over time. Genomic methods indicated an 86% rate of relapse, which suggested that most recurrent vaginal infections are of endogenous origin. A similar evaluation with biotyping methods was inconclusive because of a lack of reproducibility, resulting from clonal variation or switching, and difficulties in establishing the number of phenotypic tests necessary to distinguish between identical and different strains. Therefore, Southern hybridization was considered the ideal reference method to study the epidemiology of C. albicans infections.

The influence of surface chemistry in plasma etching of multicomponent oxides was investigated through measurements of the ion energy dependence of the etch yield. Using pulsed-laser-deposited CaxBa(1−x)Nb2O6 (CBN) and SrTiO3 thin films as examples, it was found that the etching energy threshold shifts toward values larger or smaller than the sputtering threshold depending on whether or not ion-assisted chemical etching is the dominant etching pathway and whether surface chemistry is enhancing or inhibiting desorption of the film atoms. In the case of CBN films etched in an inductively coupled Cl2 plasma, it is found that the chlorine uptake is inhibiting the etching reaction, with the desorption of nonvolatile NbCl2 and BaCl2 compounds being the rate-limiting step.

We investigated the interactions of atomic and molecular chlorine with plasma-conditioned stainless steel surfaces through both experiments and modelling. The recombination of Cl during adsorption and desorption of Cl2 was characterized using a rotating-substrate technique in which portions of the cylindrical substrate surface are periodically exposed to an inductively coupled chlorine plasma and then to an Auger electron spectrometer in separate, differentially pumped chambers. After several hours of exposure to the Cl2 plasma, the stainless steel substrate became coated with a Si-oxychloride-based layer (Fe : Si : O : Cl ≈ 1 : 13 : 13 : 3) due to chlorine adsorption and the erosion of the silica discharge tube. Desorption of Cl2 from this surface was monitored through measurements of pressure rises in the Auger chamber as a function of substrate rotation frequency. Significant adsorption and desorption of Cl2 was observed with the plasma off, similar to that observed previously on plasma-conditioned anodized aluminium surfaces, but with much faster desorption rates that are most likely attributable to the smoother and non-porous stainless steel surface morphology. When the plasma was turned on, a much larger pressure rise was observed due to Langmuir–Hinshelwood recombination of Cl atoms. Recombination coefficients, γCl, ranged from 0.004 to 0.03 and increased with Cl-to-Cl2 number density ratio. This behaviour was observed previously for anodized aluminium surfaces, and was explained by the blocking of Cl recombination sites by adsorbed Cl2. Application of this variable recombination coefficient to the modelling of high-density chlorine plasmas gives a much better agreement with measured Cl2 percent dissociations compared with predictions obtained with a recombination coefficient that is independent of plasma conditions.

Representative samples of preserved foods collected from high-risk areas for nasopharyngeal carcinoma were assayed for capacity to induce Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) by measuring induction of the DR promoter gene or of genes for early antigens in Raji cells. The two assays gave concordant results, but the DR induction assay detected EBV-inducing substances at lower concentrations and more reproducibly. Three of 17 preserved food items were active in both assays; they were also weakly mutagenic in the SOS chromotest and contained low or moderate levels of volatile N-nitrosamines. After in-vitro nitrosation, the levels of mutagens and nitrosamines increased, whereas EBV-inducing activity was unchanged or decreased. Thus, EBV inducers appear to be a different class of substances from mutagens and volatile N-nitrosamines but could act with them in the etiology of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common disease in Southern China and Southeast Asia that also develops elsewhere (1). It has been well documented that NPC is associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection (2,3) as well as with certain dietary and environmental factors, such as salted fish, some medicinal herbs, and vegetables (4-7). It has been proposed that initiation of NPC requires EBV expression, but induction of preneoplastic events and maintenance of tumor cell phenotype require critical cellular genes (8-12). We previously found that DNA sequences from a human NPC cell line, CNE2could confer sensitivity to TPA-induced transformation when transferred to promotion-insensitive (P-) mouse JB6 cells (13,14). In addition, CNE2 DNA sequences, when introduced, can produce neoplastic transformation of promotion-sensitive (P+) mouse JB6 cells (15). Both the NPC-DNA associated promotion sensitivity and the oncogenic activity function were found to act independently of concurrent EBV gene expression (15). To isolate the DNA sequence(s) that are responsible for transforming activity, we initiated the present investigation that yielded a cloned transformation-associated gene from CNE A15 cells, a clonal line of CNE (16).

The possible role of bacteria in the etiology of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) was studied by bacteriological and biochemical analyses of nasopharyngeal swabs collected in the cavum and in the fossa of Rosenmüller of NPC patients and healthy controls in France and Algeria. Counts of total bacteria and of total nitrate-reducing bacteria, mainly enterobacteria, were higher in the Maghrebians than in the Caucasians. The composition of the bacterial flora was different: in Maghrebians, enterobacteria were present in five of 17 control subjects and eight of 15 NPC patients, while the prevalence was only one out of 15 control subjects in Caucasians. Twelve of 32 bacterial species isolated from Caucasians and Maghrebians with normal or tumorous nasopharyngeal microflora were able to catalyse nitrosation of morpholine in vitro. This result suggests that colonization of the nasopharynx by microflora that contain nitrate-reducing microorganisms which can form N-nitroso compounds might represent a risk factor for NPC in Maghrebian populations.

Chronic vulvovaginitis due to Candida albicans is a major clinical problem for the physician. Although new antifungal drugs are now available, the therapeutic approach of this disease remains disappointing. The aims of this study were two-fold. First, we wanted to evaluate the reliability of a single sampling performed by most clinicians in verifying if the yeast infects the entire genital mucosa or a preferential site and, second, to biotype the strains recovered in order to see if more than one strain are responsible for the infection. We found, in 18 patients suffering from vaginal candidosis, that the entire genital mucosa was infected by the yeast and the strain recovered from the different genital sites in a single patient was the same in 100% of the cases. Only 1.4% of the samples were negative. In addition, we biotyped the strains obtained from the gastrointestinal tract of these patients to evaluate this site as a potential source of infection. We obtained gastrointestinal tract samples for 15 of the 18 patients and we could identify C. albicans in 100% of the cases. Furthermore, 73.3% of the patients harboured the same strains of C. albicans in the gastrointestinal tract as in the vagina.

A simple fluid model was developed in order to investigate the driving kinetics of neutral and charged species in high-density chlorine plasmas. It was found that the dissociation degree of Cl2 molecules is directly linked to the power balance of the discharge which controls the electron density. The model was also used to identify those reactions that could be neglected in the particle balance of charged species and those that must be included. Our results further indicate that diffusion losses need to be considered up to a pressure that depends on magnetic-field intensity and reactor aspect ratio. Finally, it is shown that the dominant charged carriers are linked to the dissociation level of Cl2 molecules.

Protoplasts isolated enzymatically from the leaves of Antirrhinum, majus L. were cultured on a synthetic medium and their growth and development were followed in vitro. Cultured protoplasts increased in size, regenerated cell walls, divided and formed small colonies and embryoids. Cell wall formation and cell division required both auxin and cytokinin in the medium. Isolated stem segments of the same species, when cultured on a synthetic medium with an added auxin, yielded rapidly growing callus tissues in which differentiation of embryoids occurred.

The multi-date data set discussed in this paper was acquired over an agricultural site near Melfort, Saskatchewan, in 1983. The Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data are C-band (5.26GHz) with vertical polarization and two incidence angles, 53° and 30°. A comparison between the data at the two incidence angles shows that the pixel statistics of the image data are different for the two angles. Examination of the statistical distribution shows that the 53° data are more influenced by vegetation than the 30° angle data. The classification accuracy of the 53° data was higher than that obtained with the 30° data. In addition, the classification accuracies obtained using multi-date combinations with the 53° data were superior to accuracies obtained using multi-angle combinations (53°+ 30°). An overall improvement in classification accuracy was obtained using a post segmentation field classifier.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has a marked worldwide and ethnic distribution and is prevalent among three widely different populations, such as Chinese in South East Asia, Arabs in North Africa and Eskimos in the Arctic.

On the basis of anthropological pilot studies on diet in Tunisia, south China and Greenland, food items consumed frequently by these populations at high risk for NPC were analysed for volatile nitrosamines using gas chromatography combined with a thermal energy analyzer. Relatively high levels of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) and N-nitrosopiperidine (NPIP) were detected in Tunisian stewing base ("Touklia") and dried mutton preserved in olive oil ("Qaddid"). NDMA was also detected at levels ranging from trace amounts to 133 micrograms/kg in several Chinese salted and dried marine fish and in Greenland dried, unsalted fish preparations. NPYR and NPIP were also occasionally detected in several vegetables fermented in brine collected in Tunisia and China. The possible role of nitrosamines in the etiology of NPC is discussed.

Women as patients as well as providers within the health care area may yet benefit from the transformations taking place within the medical industry. The evolution from patient to consumer during this past century was fraught with reactions to overzealous paternalism and the misguided notion of separatism as a route to equality. Women's work was confined to her separate sphere and was limited to the privacy of the home or within certain circumscribed work roles "for women only," whereas the work of men involved functioning publicly in the world at large. Historically this situation relates to a key disability of nursing, that is, its dependent relationship to organized medicine which served to limit its advancement. For even though nurses could enter the public male environment of the hospital, they could do so only with the expectation that they were there to serve the physician. All women were limited by the Victorian mentality that prescribed unequal status for them in society. The active optimism which finally resulted in suffrage for women in 1920 offered promise of integration in educational and professional opportunities which remained unfulfilled decades later. In the last half of this century, the resurgence of social reforms dealing with civil rights, consumerism, and born-again feminism has once again stimulated great expectations. The ultimate solution must lie somewhere in the middle ground, where competence determines the provider and an informed compassion meets the needs for health care.

This article describes the in vivo evaluation of a new topical preparation (Zincostatin) indicated for Candida albicans infected diaper rash. In order to study the influence of the 20% zinc oxide (W/W) (a protectant) on the anti-candidal efficacy of the 100,000 U/g of nystatin found in the ointment, groups of guinea pigs received different treatments with or without local occlusion. Zinc oxide, nystatin, or the combination of both were applied, in the ointment base, on the backs of the animals inoculated with a fresh strain of Candida albicans. Macroscopic and microbiological evaluation of the skin lesions were assessed at regular intervals during 21 days. While the two treatments containing nystatin were more effective than zinc oxide alone, the latter agent did not decrease the efficacy of the antifungal drug in combination therapy. Also, zinc oxide seemed to afford some protection against local maceration induced by occlusion, which increased the severity of the infection.

This short review describes various aspects of foxtail millet Setaria italica, particularly : its origin, traditional and modern cultural practices in China and France, comparisons between French and Chinese varieties, and floral biology. Some Chinese varieties appear to be well adapted to modem French agriculture. Therefore, extension of millet culture in France might be favorable reconsidered., Une revue succincte présente différents aspects du millet Setaria italica : origines, pratiques culturales traditionnelles et actuelles en Chine et en France, comparaison de variétés chinoises et françaises, biologie florale. Des variétés chinoises semblent directement utilisables en France. Ces informations permettent de présenter les perspectives pour une nouvelle extension du millet en France., Brabant P., Belliard Jacques, Métailié Georges, Nguyen Van E., Poirier S., Poirier B., Pernes Jean. Données préliminaires pour la réintroduction et la culture du millet Setaria en France. In: Journal d'agriculture traditionnelle et de botanique appliquée, 28ᵉ année, bulletin n°3-4, Juillet-décembre 1981. pp. 309-328.

For the pharmacist or pharmacy student, who may not appear frequently on the hospital floor, lack of interaction with other health professionals may have unfortunate consequences. At a time when pharmacy is asserting its clinical role, isolation can be particularly counterproductive. Pharmacy students will daily encounter future colleagues who characterize (or caricature) the pharmacist as a "pill counter," who works in a lost corner of a chain "drugstore" or in the dingy basement of a hospital. Such images, drawn from popular media as well as professional stereotypes, impede the integration of the pharmacist into the health care team in the eyes of both the public and other health professionals. Images of the Health Professions in the Media was designed to study popular stereotypes of several health professions in an interprofessional setting, with the goals of challenging stereotypes, fostering team attitudes among future health professionals, and creating an awareness in students of the power of the media in shaping the public images of the health professions.