OBJECTIVE

To assess whether there is a relationship between having quality as an item on the board's agenda, perceived external pressure (PEP) and the implementation of quality management in European hospitals.

METHODS

A quantitative, mixed method, cross-sectional study in seven European countries in 2011 surveying CEOs and quality managers and data from onsite audits.

METHODS

One hundred and fifty-five CEOs and 155 quality managers.

METHODS

One hundred and fifty-five randomly selected acute care hospitals in seven European countries (Czech Republic, France, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Turkey). Main outcome measure(s) Three constructs reflecting quality management based on questionnaire and audit data: (i) Quality Management System Index, (ii) Quality Management Compliance Index and (iii) Clinical Quality Implementation Index. The main predictor was whether quality performance was on the executive board's agenda.

RESULTS

Discussing quality performance at executive board meetings more often was associated with a higher quality management system score (regression coefficient b = 2.53; SE = 1.16; P = 0.030). We found a trend in the associations of discussing quality performance with quality compliance and clinical quality implementation. PEP did not modify these relationships.

CONCLUSIONS

Having quality as an item on the executive board's agenda allows them to review and discuss quality performance more often in order to improve their hospital's quality management. Generally, and as this study found, having quality on the executive board's agenda matters.

BACKGROUND

As part of the planning process for a larger survey study to examine factors affecting employers' intention to hire and hiring of people with disabilities, a series of three semi-structured focus groups were held with key hiring decision makers, such as Human Resources directors, Chief Operating Officers (COOs), or Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of small, medium, and large Seattle area companies.

OBJECTIVE

The chief goals of the focus groups were to elicit and refine the participants' beliefs, normative influences, and perceived control relative to hiring workers with disabilities.

METHODS

Narrative data obtained from the focus group discussion were examined using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to identify themes expressed by the focus group participants within the context of company size.

RESULTS

Themes did vary by company size, but a prevailing concern across all companies related to questions about the efficiency/effectiveness of contact with vocational rehabilitation agencies. For both small- and mid-sized companies, there was a belief that people with disabilities could not do the work or were somehow less qualified. For large companies, convincing departmental and team managers that outreaching workers with disabilities would be a worthwhile hiring practice remained a challenge.

CONCLUSIONS

The themes derived from this study can be used to help occupational rehabilitation professionals develop educational and marketing interventions to improve employers' attitudes toward hiring and retaining individuals with disabilities.

We investigated phase-noise characteristics of both a phase/intensity-modulated laser with 25-GHz mode spacing and a mode-locked fiber laser with carrier-envelope-offset (CEO) locking. As the separation from the frequency of the continuous wave (CW) laser diode (LD) for a seed light source increases, the integrated phase noise of each comb mode of both the phase/intensity-modulated laser and supercontinuum light originating from it increases with the same slope as a function of mode number. The dependence of the integrated phase noise on mode number with the phase/intensity-modulated laser is much larger than with the mode-locked fiber laser of the CEO locking. However, the phase noise of the phase/intensity-modulated laser is extremely lower than that of the mode-locked fiber laser with CEO locking in the frequency region around the CW LD. The phase noise of the phase/intensity-modulated laser with 25-GHz mode spacing and that of the mode-locked fiber laser with the CEO locking could be estimated and were found to be almost the same at the wavelengths required in an f-to-2f self-referencing interferometer. Our experimental results indicate the possibility of achieving an offset-frequency-locked frequency comb with the phase/intensity-modulated laser.

Vinyl chloride (VC), a known human and rodent carcinogen, is metabolically activated by cytochrome P450 to chloroethylene oxide (CEO), which can rearrange to chloroacetaldehyde (CAA) or undergo hydrolysis. To further understand the roles of CEO and CAA in VC mutagenesis, the types and frequencies of mutations induced at the hypoxanthine (guanine) phosphoribosyl-transferase (hprt) locus were examined in a human B-lymphoblastoid line constitutively expressing human cytochrome P450 2E1 (H2E1 cells). VC was toxic and mutagenic to H2E1 cells as a function of incubation time; exposure to 7.5% VC in air resulted in 75% survival and an hprt mutant frequency of 42 x 10(-6) after 48 h, compared to 5.7 +/- 2.7 x 10(-6) for unexposed cells. The exposure of H2E1 cells to 0.8 to 15.0% VC in air produced similar mutant frequencies without a clear dose-response relationship, suggesting saturation of metabolic activation. Both CEO and CAA exhibited dose-dependent increases in cell killing and mutant frequency in H2E1 cells. Treatment with 16 microM CEO for 24 h resulted in 75% survival and an induced mutant frequency of 23 x 10(-6), while 16 microM CAA produced 5% survival and an induced mutant frequency of 20 x 10(-6). Structural alterations at the hprt locus in independent thioguanine-resistant clones were examined by Southern blot analysis of Pst I-digested DNA with a full-length human hprt cDNA probe. Ten percent (5/50) of VC-induced and 18% (7/38) of CEO-induced mutants showed detectable deletions, compared with 45% (9/20) of CAA-induced mutants. Thus, VC and CEO displayed similar toxicity/mutation profiles and a similar frequency of large deletions, whereas CAA displayed greater toxicity and a larger frequency of deletion mutations. These results suggest that the majority of mutations induced by VC occur through its metabolite, CEO.

We previously reported that when midkine (MK), a heparin-binding growth differentiation factor was used in in vitro maturation (IVM) culture of bovine cumulus-enclosed oocytes (CEOs), their developmental competence to the blastocyst stage after in vitro fertilization (IVF) was enhanced and the effect of MK might be mediated by its action upon mural granulosa cells and cumulus cells that closely surround the oocyte. In the present study, when denuded oocytes (DOs) were matured in IVM medium with or without MK (200 ng/ml) in the presence or absence of isolated cumulus cell masses and subjected to IVF, the enhancing effects of MK on the developmental competence of DOs to the blastocyst stage after IVF were exerted only in the presence of cumulus cells. In addition, we prepared the conditioned media of granulosa cells cultured with or without 200 ng MK/ml (CMMK+ or CMMK- respectively) and examined their effects on the IVM of DOs in terms of their developmental competence to the blastocyst stage after IVF. The supplementation of CMMK+ into IVM medium at 40% (v/v) significantly enhanced the blastocyst development compared with the no additive control and the CMMK- supplemented groups. Furthermore, the effects of MK during IVM of bovine CEOs on the cumulus cell apoptosis were investigated. CEOs were cultured up to 24 h in IVM medium without (control) or with 200 ng MK/ml. The genomic DNA was extracted from CEOs at 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24 h of IVM and subjected to ligation-mediated PCR (LM-PCR) to detect the apoptotic internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. DNA fragmentation was scarcely detected at the start of IVM, whereas it increased time-dependently as the IVM culture progressed. The degree of the fragmentation was significantly lower in the MK-treatment group compared with the control group at 18 and 24 h of IVM. The apoptosis-suppressing effect of MK on cumulus cells was further confirmed in situ by using TUNEL on CEOs. In conclusion, data from the present study further confirmed that MK enhances the developmental competence of bovine oocytes via cumulus and granulosa cells. It was also demonstrated that MK suppresses the apoptosis that occurs in cumulus cells during the period of IVM of bovine CEOs. The putative soluble factor(s) from cumulus cells was suggested from the experiment using CMMK+ . MK may promote the production of such factors in part by its anti-apoptotic effects on cumulus cells.

An aqueous dispersion of poly (acrylic acid)-stabilised cerium oxide (CeO₂) nanoparticles (PAA-CeO₂) was evaluated for its stability in a range of freshwater ecotoxicity media (MHRW, TG 201 and M7), with and without natural organic matter (NOM). In a 15 day dispersion stability study, PAA-CeO₂ did not undergo significant aggregation in any media type. Zeta potential varied between media types and was influenced by PAA-CeO₂ concentration, but remained constant over 15 days. NOM had no influence on PAA-CeO₂ aggregation or zeta potential. The ecotoxicity of the PAA-CeO₂ dispersion was investigated in 72 h algal growth inhibition tests using the freshwater microalgae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata. PAA-CeO₂ EC₅₀ values for growth inhibition (GI; 0.024 mg/L) were 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than pristine CeO₂ EC₅₀ values reported in the literature. The concentration of dissolved cerium (Ce(3+)/Ce(4+)) in PAA-CeO₂ exposure suspensions was very low, ranging between 0.5 and 5.6 μg/L. Free PAA concentration in the exposure solutions (0.0096-0.0384 mg/L) was significantly lower than the EC10 growth inhibition (47.7 mg/L) value of pure PAA, indicating that free PAA did not contribute to the observed toxicity. Elemental analysis indicated that up to 38% of the total Cerium becomes directly associated with the algal cells during the 72 h exposure. TOF-SIMS analysis of algal cell wall compounds indicated three different modes of action, including a significant oxidative stress response to PAA-CeO₂ exposure. In contrast to pristine CeO₂ nanoparticles, which rapidly aggregate in standard ecotoxicity media, PAA-stabilised CeO₂ nanoparticles remain dispersed and available to water column species. Interaction of PAA with cell wall components, which could be responsible for the observed biomarker alterations, could not be excluded. This study indicates that the increased dispersion stability of PAA-CeO₂ leads to an increase in toxicity compared to pristine non-stabilised forms.

Pd-Au/C and Pd-Ag/C were found to have a unique characteristic of evolving high-quality hydrogen dramatically and steadily from the catalyzed decomposition of liquid formic acid at convenient temperature, and further this was improved by the addition of CeO(2)(H(2)O)(x).

Oxides play a central role in important industrial processes, including applications such as the production of renewable energy, remediation of environmental pollutants, and the synthesis of fine chemicals. They were originally used as catalyst supports and were thought to be chemically inert, but now they are used to build catalysts tailored toward improved selectivity and activity in chemical reactions. Many studies have compared the morphological, electronic, and chemical properties of oxide materials with those of unoxidized metals. Researchers know much less about the properties of oxides at the nanoscale, which display distinct behavior from their bulk counterparts. More is known about metal nanoparticles. Inverse-model catalysts, composed of oxide nanoparticles supported on metal or oxide substrates instead of the reverse (oxides supporting metal nanoparticles), are excellent tools for systematically testing the properties of novel catalytic oxide materials. Inverse models are prepared in situ and can be studied with a variety of surface science tools (e.g. scanning tunneling microscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy, low-energy electron microscopy) and theoretical tools (e.g. density functional theory). Meanwhile, their catalytic activity can be tested simultaneously in a reactor. This approach makes it possible to identify specific functions or structures that affect catalyst performance or reaction selectivity. Insights gained from these tests help to tailor powder systems, with the primary objective of rational design (experimental and theoretical) of catalysts for specific chemical reactions. This Account describes the properties of inverse catalysts composed of CeOx nanoparticles supported on Cu(111) or CuOx/Cu(111) as determined through the methods described above. Ceria is an important material for redox chemistry because of its interchangeable oxidation states (Ce⁴⁺ and Ce³⁺). Cu(111), meanwhile, is a standard catalyst for reactions such as CO oxidation and the water-gas shift (WGS). This metal serves as an ideal replacement for other noble metals that are neither abundant nor cost effective. To prepare the inverse system we deposited nanoparticles (2-20 nm) of cerium oxide onto the Cu(111) surface. During this process, the Cu(111) surface grows an oxide layer that is characteristic of Cu₂O (Cu¹⁺). This oxide can influence the growth of ceria nanoparticles. Evidence suggests triangular-shaped CeO₂(111) grows on Cu₂O(111) surfaces while rectangular CeO₂(100) grows on Cu₄O₃(111) surfaces. We used the CeOx/Cu₂O/Cu(111) inverse system to study two catalytic processes: the WGS (CO + H₂O → CO₂ + H₂) and CO oxidation (2CO + O₂ → 2CO₂). We discovered that the addition of small amounts of ceria nanoparticles can activate the Cu(111) surface and achieve remarkable enhancement of catalytic activity in the investigated reactions. In the case of the WGS, the CeOx nanoparticle facilitated this process by acting at the interface with Cu to dissociate water. In the CO oxidation case, an enhancement in the dissociation of O₂ by the nanoparticles was a key factor. The strong interaction between CeOx nanoparticles and Cu(111) when preoxidized and reduced in CO resulted in a massive surface reconstruction of the copper substrate with the introduction of microterraces that covered 25-35% of the surface. This constitutes a new mechanism for surface reconstruction not observed before. These microterraces helped to facilitate a further enhancement of activity towards the WGS by opening an additional channel for the dissociation of water. In summary, inverse catalysts of CeOx/Cu(111) and CeO₂/Cu₂O/Cu(111) demonstrate the versatility of a model system to obtain insightful knowledge of catalytic processes. These systems will continue to offer a unique opportunity to probe key catalytic components and elucidate the relationship between structure and reactivity of novel materials and reactions in the future.

Nowadays, aerosol processes are widely used for the manufacture of nanoparticles (NPs), creating an increased occupational exposure risk of workers, laboratory personnel and scientists to airborne particles. There is evidence that possible adverse effects are linked with the accumulation of NPs in target cells, pointing out the importance of understanding the kinetics of particle internalization. In this context, the uptake kinetics of representative airborne NPs over 30 min and their internalization after 24 h post-exposure were investigated by the use of a recently established exposure system. This system combines the production of aerosolized cerium oxide (CeO(2)) NPs by flame spray synthesis with its simultaneous particle deposition from the gas-phase onto A549 lung cells, cultivated at the air-liquid interface. Particle uptake was quantified by mass spectrometry after several exposure times (0, 5, 10, 20 and 30 min). Over 35% of the deposited mass was found internalized after 10 min exposure, a value that increased to 60% after 30 min exposure. Following an additional 24 h post-incubation, a time span, after which adverse biological effects were observed in previous experiments, over 80% of total CeO(2) could be detected intracellularly. On the ultrastructural level, focal cerium aggregates were present on the apical surface of A549 cells and could also be localized intracellularly in vesicular structures. The uptake behaviour of aerosolized CeO(2) is in line with observations on cerium suspensions, where particle mass transport was identified as the rate-limiting factor for NP internalization.

Two cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO(2) NPs) and one micro-sized CeO(2) particle were thoroughly characterized in their pristine form, in water and in cell culture medium. The particles were tested for cytotoxicity to the H4IIE rat hepatoma cell line or the RTG-2 rainbow trout gonadal cell line by means of four standard cytotoxicity assays. Nominal concentrations were verified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and methods were assessed for their suitability to detect reliably adverse effects due to particle exposure. All three particles showed aggregation in water and media. In the H4IIE cell line, the MTT cytotoxicity test revealed that negative effects could be observed for the CeO(2) NPs after 24h and for all particles after 72h of exposure, making the effects size, concentration and time dependent. No negative effect for the concentrations tested was detected for the remaining three assays and the RTG-2 cell line, making the MTT assay and the H4IIE cell line an appropriate system to assess adverse effects of CeO(2) NPs. A verification of the nominal concentration through ICP-MS revealed that there was a discrepancy between nominal and measured concentration depending on concentration and particle tested. Interferences of particles with assays were found to be present and need to be taken into consideration.

This study demonstrated a facile method for the synthesis of CeO(2) nanoplates and nanorods via the thermal decomposition of a mixture of cerium acetate, oleic acid, oleyamine and 1-octadecene under controlled atmospheres. Morphologies of the produced cerium oxides were controlled by the adding procedures of activators. Activators added at room temperature and heated with the reaction mixture result in the formation of nanoplates. Injection of activators at high temperature leads to the formation of nanorods. Both the nanoplates and nanorods are achieved via the [100] oriented assembly of smaller particles. A blue-shifting of the UV absorption threshold edge are observed for the cerium oxide nanoplates and nanorods, contrasting with the bulk commercial powders.

We report the application of nanoindentation and atomic force microscopy to establish the fundamental relationships between mechanical properties and chemical bonding in a dense inorganic-organic framework material: Ce(C(2)O(4))(HCO(2)), 1. Compound 1 is a mixed-ligand 3-D hybrid which crystallizes in an orthorhombic space group, in which its three basic building blocks, i.e. the inorganic metal-oxygen-metal (M-O-M) chains and the two organic bridging ligands, (oxalate and formate) are all oriented perpendicular to one another. This unique architecture enabled us to decouple the elastic and plastic mechanical responses along the three primary axes of a single crystal to understand the contribution associated with stiff vs compliant basic building blocks. The (001)-oriented facet that features rigid oxalate ligands down the c-axis exhibits the highest stiffness and hardness (E approximately 78 GPa and H approximately 4.6 GPa). In contrast, the (010)-oriented facet was found to be the most compliant and soft (E approximately 43 GPa and H approximately 3.9 GPa), since the formate ligand, which is the more compliant building block within this framework, constitutes the primary linkages down the b-axis. Notably, intermediate stiffness and hardness (E approximately 52 GPa and H approximately 4.1 GPa) were measured on the (100)-oriented planes. This can be attributed to the Ce-O-Ce chains that zigzag down the a-axis (Ce...Ce metal centers form an angle of approximately 132 degrees) and also the fact that the 9-coordinated CeO(9) polyhedra are expected to be geometrically more compliant. Our results present the first conclusive evidence that the crystal orientation dominated by inorganic chains is not necessarily more robust from the mechanical properties standpoint. Rigid organic bridging ligands (such as oxalate), on the other hand, can be used to produce greater stiffness and hardness properties in a chosen crystallographic orientation. This study demonstrates that there exists a vast opportunity to design the mechanical properties of dense hybrid framework materials through the incorporation of organic multifunctional ligands of varying rigidity.

Acrylonitrile, a carcinogen in rats, undergoes extensive metabolism via two routes: direct glutathione conjugation or epoxidation. Metabolism to cyanoethylene oxide may mediate the carcinogenic and toxic activity of acrylonitrile. To characterize comprehensively the metabolism in vivo of acrylonitrile, the detection and identification of metabolites in urine of rodents dosed with acrylonitrile have been carried out using NMR spectroscopy. Following administration of [1,2,3-13C]acrylonitrile to male Fisher 344 rats (10 or 30 mg/kg, po) or B6C3F1 mice (10 mg/kg, po), urine samples were collected for 24 h. Carbon-13 NMR spectra were acquired directly on the urine samples after centrifugation and addition of 10-25% D2O. Resonances were assigned to carbons of acrylonitrile metabolites on the basis of chemical shift, proton multiplicity, carbon-carbon coupling, and calculated values of shift, and by comparison with standards. The proton multiplicity of each carbon was determined by heteronuclear 2D J-resolved spectroscopy (HET2DJ), and the carbon-carbon connectivities of resonances were determined using incredible natural abundance double quantum transfer spectroscopy (INADEQUATE). The metabolites identified in rat urine were thiocyanate, N-acetyl-S-(2-cyanoethyl)cysteine, N-acetyl-S-(2-hydroxyethyl)cysteine, N-acetyl-S-(1-cyano-2-hydroxyethyl)cysteine, thiodiglycolic acid, thionyldiacetic acid, and S-(carboxymethyl)cysteine or its N-acetyl derivative. These metabolites were also identified in mouse urine. Metabolites were quantitated by integrating metabolite carbon resonances with respect to that of dioxane added at a known concentration. Thiodiglycolic acid and (carboxymethyl)cysteine (or its N-acetyl derivative) were the major metabolites in the mouse, while N-acetyl-S-(2-cyanoethyl)cysteine and N-acetyl-S-(2-hydroxyethyl)cysteine were the major metabolites in the rat. Metabolites derived from cyanoethylene oxide (CEO) accounted for approximately 60% of the products excreted in rat urine, compared with 80% in the urine from mice. Differences between rat and mouse in the further metabolism of CEO were also observed. The proportion of the dose metabolized via CEO may be an important determinant of the toxicity and carcinogenicity of acrylonitrile.

BACKGROUND

Glaucoma drainage devices are more commonly inserted into the anterior chamber because of the relative ease of this method of insertion. However, in certain cases, posterior placement of the tube may be necessary or may be more desirable. The outcome of a series of patients with glaucoma drainage devices inserted into the pars plana was examined.

METHODS

Retrospective chart review of patients who underwent pars plana implantation of Molteno and Baerveldt glaucoma drainage devices at the Sydney Eye Hospital.

RESULTS

There were 33 cases reviewed. The mean follow-up period was 30.2 months. The mean final postoperative intraocular pressure was reduced to 13.4 +/- 4.4 mmHg (SD) from 33.06 +/- 8.47 mmHg preoperatively. The mean number of intraocular pressure-lowering medications in use postoperatively was 0.6 +/- 0.8, reduced from 3.6 +/- 1.27 medications in use preoperatively. Sixteen (48.5%) eyes were classified as complete successes, 14 (42.4%) eyes as qualified successes and three eyes (9%) as failures. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis for cumulative success (absence of failure) predicted 61.1% survival at 60 months. Complications included five cases of decompensation of corneas or corneal grafts, one case each of conjunctival wound dehiscence, large choroidal effusion, epiretinal membrane, Molteno plate extrusion and intraocular pressure unresponsive to medical therapy, and three cases of tube blockage.

CONCLUSIONS

In this series of patients, pars plana insertion of glaucoma drainage devices has been shown to be an effective alternative for selected cases where anterior chamber tube insertion is not possible or is not ideal.

Versatile and practical: Intermolecular hydroacylation of internal alkynes takes place in the presence of Ru catalysts together with HCO(2)Na and Xantphos to give the corresponding conjugated enones. Aromatic aldehydes with or without coordinating groups could be used in the present catalytic system. The solid Ru/CeO(2) catalysts can be recycled for several times without significant decreases in yield (see scheme).

Atomic surface structures of <em>CeO</em>2 nanoparticles are under debate owing to the lack of clear experimental determination of the oxygen atom positions. In this study, with oxygen atoms clearly observed using aberration-corrected high-resolution electron microscopy, we determined the atomic structures of the (100), (110), and (111) surfaces of <em>CeO</em>2 nanocubes. The predominantly exposed (100) surface has a mixture of Ce, O, and reduced <em>CeO</em> terminations, underscoring the complex structures of this polar surface that previously was often oversimplified. The (110) surface shows "sawtooth-like" (111) nanofacets and flat <em>CeO</em>2-x terminations with oxygen vacancies. The (111) surface has an O termination. These findings can be extended to the surfaces of differently shaped <em>CeO</em>2 nanoparticles and provide insight about face-selective catalysis.

Seven restriction endonucleases (REs) were used to cleave the DNA from seven vaccine strains of infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) virus and from six Georgia field isolates of ILT virus. After electrophoresis of the resulting RE fragments, the patterns were compared in order to differentiate strains of ILT virus. The six chicken-embryo-origin (CEO) vaccines were identical with each RE, but the tissue-culture-origin (TCO) vaccine strain differed from the CEO vaccines using five of the REs. Four of the six field isolates were identical by each RE, but two field isolates differed from each other and from the four identical field isolates on the basis of patterns produced by some but not all of the REs. The four identical field isolates could not be differentiated from the CEO vaccine strains by any RE, but the other two field isolates were not identical to either strain of vaccine virus. This work demonstrates that differentiable strains of ILT virus exist in the United States and that viruses other than vaccine viruses are involved in field outbreaks of ILT.

OBJECTIVE

To summarize current practice styles and patterns associated with glaucoma management in ophthalmologists of Australia and New Zealand as derived from a survey.

METHODS

A questionnaire was sent to all Australian and New Zealand ophthalmologists, which anonymously assessed demographic characteristics and prescribing patterns for each major class of glaucoma medication.

RESULTS

A total of 761 questionnaires were sent with a response rate of 51%. Of respondents 14% were glaucoma subspecialists. In 69%, the first-line drug-class of choice was a prostaglandin analogue. New Zealand ophthalmologists favoured beta-blockers as their first-line agent because of cost, government restrictions and familiarity. Most respondents stated "hypotensive efficacy" as the most important factor in class choice. Alpha-2-agonists, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors and miotics were considered second-line agents, because of side-effects and lack of hypotensive potency.

CONCLUSIONS

The choice of first-line agent for the treatment of glaucoma differed between Australian and New Zealand ophthalmologists, in part as the result of government restriction of prostaglandin-class drugs. Practice patterns seen in Australasia parallel the current evidence base reported in peer-reviewed literature.

Pt/CeO(2) hetero-nanocomposites were prepared from Pt/CeO(2)@SiO(2) obtained by a microemulsion-mediated method. Facilitated by the earlier calcination under the protection of a silica shell, the as-formed Pt/CeO(2) hetero-nanocomposites exhibit a good thermal stability, which can preserve their pristine properties after subsequent calcination at even 450 degrees C. The thermally stable Pt/CeO(2) hetero-nanocomposites possess the characteristics of small particle size, low aggregation, and maximized Pt/CeO(2) interfaces and thus exhibit high catalytic activity in CO oxidation.

Well-crystalline CeO(2-x) nanotubes are synthesized via a mild hydrothermal reaction route using cerium nitrate and ammonium hydroxide as reactants. The CeO(2-x) nanotubes have the same structure as the bulk CeOCeO(2-x) nanotubes.

Live attenuated vaccines have been extensively used to control infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT). Most vaccines are registered/recommended for use via eye-drop although vaccination via drinking-water is commonly used in the field. Drinking-water vaccination has been associated with non-uniform protection. Bird-to-bird passage of chick-embryo-origin (CEO) ILT vaccines has been shown to result in reversion to virulence. The purpose of the present study was to examine the replication and transmission of a commercial CEO infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) vaccine strain following drinking-water or eye-drop inoculation. Two groups of 10 specific-pathogen-free chickens were each vaccinated with Serva ILTV vaccine strain either via eye-drop or drinking-water. Groups of four or five unvaccinated birds were placed in contact with vaccinated birds at regular intervals. Tracheal swabs were collected every 4 days from vaccinated and in-contact birds to assess viral replication and transmission using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Compared with eye-drop-vaccinated birds, drinking-water-vaccinated birds showed delayed viral replication but had detectable viral DNA for a longer period of time. Transmission to chickens exposed by contact on day 0 of the experiments was similar in both groups. Birds exposed to ILTV by contact with eye-drop vaccinated birds on days 4, 8, 12 and 16 of the experiment had detectable ILTV for up to 8 days post exposure. ILTV was not detected in chickens that were exposed by contact with drinking-water vaccinated birds on day 12 of the experiment or later. Results from this study provide valuable practical information for the use of ILT vaccine.

The influence of exposure to engineered nanoparticles (NPs) was studied in tomato plants, grown in a soil and peat mixture and irrigated with metal oxides (CeO2, Fe3O4, SnO2, TiO2) and metallic (Ag, Co, Ni) NPs. The morphological parameters of the tomato organs, the amount of component metals taken up by the tomato plants from NPs added to the soil and the nutrient content in different tomato organs were also investigated. The fate, transport and possible toxicity of different NPs and nutrients in tomato tissues from soils were determined by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The tomato yield depended on the NPs: Fe3O4-NPs promoted the root growth, while SnO2-NP exposure reduced it (i.e. +152.6 and -63.1 % of dry matter, respectively). The NP component metal mainly accumulated in the tomato roots; however, plants treated with Ag-, Co- and Ni-NPs showed higher concentration of these elements in both above-ground and below-ground organs with respect to the untreated plants, in addition Ag-NPs also contaminated the fruits. Moreover, an imbalance of K translocation was detected in some plants exposed to Ag-, Co- and Fe3O4-NPs. The component metal concentration of soil rhizosphere polluted with NPs significantly increased compared to controls, and NPs were detected in the tissues of the tomato roots using electron microscopy (ESEM-EDS).

A Cu(111) surface displays a low activity for the oxidation of carbon monoxide (2CO + O(2) → 2CO(2)). Depending on the temperature, background pressure of O(2), and the exposure time, one can get chemisorbed O on Cu(111) or a layer of Cu(2)O that may be deficient in oxygen. The addition of ceria nanoparticles (NPs) to Cu(111) substantially enhances interactions with the O(2) molecule and facilitates the oxidation of the copper substrate. In images of scanning tunneling microscopy, ceria NPs exhibit two overlapping honeycomb-type moiré structures, with the larger ones (H(1)) having a periodicity of 4.2 nm and the smaller ones (H(2)) having a periodicity of 1.20 nm. After annealing CeO(2)/Cu(111) in O(2) at elevated temperatures (600-700 K), a new phase of a Cu(2)O(1+x) surface oxide appears and propagates from the ceria NPs. The ceria is not only active for O(2) dissociation, but provides a much faster channel for oxidation than the step edges of Cu(111). Exposure to CO at 550-750 K led to a partial reduction of the ceria NPs and the removal of the copper oxide layer. The CeO(x)/Cu(111) systems have activities for the 2CO + O(2) → 2CO(2) reaction that are comparable or larger than those reported for surfaces of expensive noble metals such as Rh(111), Pd(110), and Pt(100). Density-functional calculations show that the supported ceria NPs are able to catalyze the oxidation of CO due to their special electronic and chemical properties. The configuration of the inverse oxide/metal catalyst opens new interesting routes for applications in catalysis.

BACKGROUND

Eosinophils are important effector cells in severe allergic conjunctivitis such as vernal keratoconjunctivitis. Infiltration of eosinophils into the conjunctiva is mediated by type I and type IV allergic reactions. Cyclosporin A (CsA) eye drops are administered therapeutically for severe allergic conjunctivitis, but the mechanism by which CsA acts, that is, by inhibiting type I, type IV or both types of allergic reactions, is not known. We investigated whether CsA eye drops inhibit type I, type IV or both types of allergic reactions in the conjunctiva.

METHODS

Experimental immune-mediated blepharoconjunctivitis (EC) was induced in BALB/c mice by either active immunization or passive immunization by transfer of ragweed (RW)-primed splenocytes and RW-specific IgE, followed by RW challenge to the conjunctiva. These mice were treated in eye drops with vehicle, 0.1% CsA, 0.5% CsA or 0.1% betamethasone five times (1 and 2 h before RW challenge and 1, 2 and 3 h after RW challenge). Twenty-four hours after the challenge, the conjunctivas were harvested for histological analysis to evaluate eosinophilic infiltration. To evaluate effects of CsA eye drops on systemic immune responses, sera and spleens were collected from actively immunized mice at the time of sacrifice to examine serum IgE levels and cellular immune responses, respectively.

RESULTS

CsA eye drops significantly inhibited eosinophilic infiltration into the conjunctiva in actively immunized EC-developing mice compared with vehicle-treated mice. The CsA-induced inhibition was similar to inhibition induced by 0.1% betamethasone. Serum IgE levels and splenocyte responses in CsA-treated mice were equivalent to those in vehicle-treated mice. Betamethasone treatment inhibited eosinophilic infiltration into the conjunctiva induced by both splenocyte transfer and IgE transfer, while CsA treatment inhibited infiltration induced by splenocyte transfer.

CONCLUSIONS

CsA eye drops inhibited eosinophilic infiltration into the conjunctiva without affecting systemic immune responses. CsA predominantly inhibits eosinophilic infiltration by interfering with the type IV allergic reaction in the conjunctiva.