The aim of this case- control study was to investigate the association between preterm birth (PTB), MICA-129 A/G dimorphism and sMICA levels. Fifty pregnant women with singleton pregnancy and previous PTB, or clinic diagnostic of threatened preterm labor in the actual pregnancy, or cervical leng...

This research deals with creating a hydrophobic surface by preparing a rough surface. To create a rough surface, that is to have low surface energy and properly constructed surface morphology. In order to find an environmentally friendly and simple method, we have explored two different techniqu...

Adsorption and desorption of CO from Ni nanostructures deposited on muscovite mica substrates have been studied by TPD and characterized by XPS and AFM. In agreement with previous reports it is found that CO does not adsorb on the bare mica substrate. The desorption spectra depend strongly on th...

Obreimoff reported his first instrumented measurements of the cleavage of muscovite mica in 1930 and that work helped to propel a greater understanding of fracture. This study builds upon that effort by investigating the role of compliance heterogeneities in brittle materials through mica splitt...

Two-dimensional single- and/or multi-layered mica exfoliated from original bulk mica are fabricated via a simple sonication technique. At 298 K, the photoluminescence spectra of nano-sized mica reveal green emission in the region of approximately 516 nm, while the spectra of bulk mica do not exh...

In this study, the contact area between the glass ceramic containing apatite [Ca10(PO4)6(O,F2)] and wollastonite [CaO·SiO2] crystals (A-W glass ceramic) and feldspathic dental porcelain was characterized using scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Alumina-added A–W g...

The aim of this study was to evaluate microhardness and elastic modulus of a novel sol-gel derived dental ceramic − 58S bioactive glass composite (BP67: Bioactive Glass:33.3%, Dental Ceramic:66.7%) BP671 material by micro-indentation and to investigate its microstructure and bioactivity. The res...

Radiation accidents led to the birth of an area in physics, accidental dosimetry. Thermoluminescence (TL) is a basic application tool in radiation dosimetry. Ceramic porcelain has been widely used in dentistry and is the most applied material as veneer layer in metal-ceramic restorations. The pr...

The objective of this study is to determine the effect of simulated body fluid (SBF) exposure on two types of opaque dental porcelain, i.e., local opaque dental porcelain and commercial opaque dental porcelain before it can be applied for the dental applications. The first type has been produced...

An investigation was made of hybrid microwave-assisted sintering of dental porcelains, using five commercial ceramic frits employed in the production of dental porcelains. The powders were characterized, transformed into prismatic test specimens, and subjected to conventional and microwave sinte...

Gemmology deals with the characterization of coloured stones, diamonds and pearls used in the jewellery sector. As the investigated objects are in general rather valuable, a large variety of non-destructive testing methods (e.g. X-ray luminescence, X-ray tomography, UV/VIS spectroscopy, etc.) is...

In 1991 the most prominent leaders of Colombia's emerald mining sector signed a peace agreement that brought a decades-long conflict to an end. Peace brought consolidation to the business. It gave mine owners the ability to control the supply of emeralds that would be let out onto the marke...

This paper critically examines the social dynamics of emerald mining in the Swat Valley and its impact on the broader gemstone processing sector in Pakistan. In particular, it pays attention to problematizing the existing structure of artisanal, small-scale emerald mining, and its fragmented sup...

The invasive emerald ash borer beetle (Agrilus planipennis, EAB) has caused significant ash tree (Fraxinus spp.) mortality and cascading forest changes in the United States. We quantitatively estimated the viability of a local green ash tree (F. pennsylvanica) population to evaluate the magnitud...

Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) is one of the most destructive, invasive forest pests in North America and is responsible for the death of hundreds of millions of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in its introduced host range. Recently, this invasive beetle was also discovered attacking the whit...

This article analyzes recent changes in the distribution of the land left over from the extraction of emeralds in the Colombian province of Muzo to account for the relationship between current environmental policies and the growing monopoly of emeralds in the country. Recently, the distribution ...

The results of a programme of compositional analysis on a series of emerald green glass vessels of known form and date suggest that emerald green vessels have distinct characteristics that set them apart from most contemporary glasses. These specific compositional peculiarities presented here wi...

In this work, the efficiency of Musa acuminata and Solanum tuberosum peels was evaluated and compared for removal of Emerald green dye from water in batch mode. Optimized conditions of temperature, pH and biosorbent dosage were used for isothermal and kinetic investigations; which revealed that ...

From a business perspective, climate change mitigation offers certain opportunities that drive the market for new business, and presents an opportunity to engage in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). In this study, we examine the motivation for companies in Latin America to implement Clean D...

Project developers in South Africa are puzzled with the long process of evaluating and registering their CDM projects. In addition to other obstacles, we find that South African big businesses are rather reluctant to engage in any new business activities such as CDM projects and municipalities o...