Normal range of bleeding scores for the ISTH-BAT: adult and pediatric data from the merging project.

Bleeding Assessment Tools (BATs) have been developed to aid in the standardized evaluation of bleeding symptoms. The Vicenza Bleeding Questionnaire (BQ), published in 2005, established a common framework and scoring key that has undergone subsequent modification over the years, culminating in the publication of the ISTH-BAT in 2010. Understanding the normal range of bleeding scores is critical when assessing the utility of a BAT. Within the context of The Merging Project, a bioinformatics system was created to facilitate the merging of legacy data derived from four different (but all Vicenza-based) BATs; the MCMDM1-VWD BQ, the Condensed MCMDM-1VWD BQ, the Pediatric Bleeding Questionnaire and the ISTH-BAT. Data from 1040 normal adults and 328 children were included in the final analysis, which showed that the normal range is 0-3 for adult males, 0-5 for adult females and 0-2 in children for both males and females. Therefore, the cut-off for a positive or abnormal BS is ≥4 in adult males, ≥6 in adult females and ≥3 in children. This information can now be used to objectively assess bleeding symptoms as normal or abnormal in future studies.

Inspection of multiferroicity in BiMn(2-x)Ti(x)O(5) ceramics through specific heat and Raman spectroscopic studies.

Inspection of multiferroicity in BiMn(2 - x)Ti(x)O(5) (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.30) (BMTO) ceramics is performed through specific heat and Raman spectroscopic studies. Thermal variation of specific heat (C) (in the absence and presence of fixed magnetic fields up to 14 T) and Raman spectra of BMTO are presented. In the temperature variation of C, a remarkable anomaly at the antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering temperature (T(N) ∼ 39 K) is observed in all samples. Pure BiMn(2)O(5) (for x = 0.0) exhibits a larger specific heat anomaly at T(N) compared to that of Ti substituted samples, both in the presence and absence of external magnetic fields. The excess specific heat (ΔC) versus T clearly illustrates appreciable anomalies at ∼ 86 and ∼ 120 K in Ti doped samples related to the magnetic and dielectric transitions, respectively. The low temperature specific heat (LTSH) data indicate a considerably improved ferromagnetic contribution in samples with higher Ti concentration (x > 0.15). The Raman spectra of the doped samples at different fixed temperatures validate the strong electron-phonon coupling corresponding to the observed magnetism and increased harmonicity at dielectric transitions.

Continuous-flow laser synthesis of large quantities of iron oxide nanowires in solution.

Large quantities of iron oxide nanowires are rapidly synthesized at room temperature by pulsed-laser (248 nm) ablation of iron powder under methanol. By introducing a stream of methanol, a continuous flow of nanoscale products is collected. Through control of the flow rate, and hence the residence time of the products within the growth vessel, their morphology can be controlled. At high collection rates a lamellate 'nanobelt' morphology is observed, whereas at low collection rates nanowires dominate. Chemical and structural characterization suggests that the as-synthesized products have the stoichiometry of the goethite [FeO(OH)] phase. Annealing at temperatures above 400 °C crystallizes the products as hematite (α-Fe(2)O(3)).

Identification of metal cations, metal complexes, and anions by electrospray mass spectrometry in the negative ion mode

Pneumatically assisted electrospray mass spectrometry (ES-MS) is used in the negative ion mode for aqueous metal (M) solutions in an excess of hydrochloric or nitric acid, where the major anion X = Cl- or NO3-. A collision energy of approximately 20 eV removes anion-solvent clusters for most elements and leaves negative complex ions of the general form (Mn+Xn+1)-. Complexation with anions prevents charge reduction reactions at least to n = 3, even in cases where the third ionization energy of M greatly exceeds the first ionization energy of the solvent. These negative ions thus preserve the charge state of the metal cation from the solution and allow identification of both cations and anions in a single set of electrospray conditions. Cations such as Fe3+ or Cu2+ that have a lower oxidation state in solution produce a distribution of negative ions, each with a single negative charge overall; e.g., an Fe3+ solution produces both Fe(III)X4- and Fe(III)X3-. This distribution of FeIII and FeII species is attributed to electrochemical reduction of Fe3+ at the negatively charged ES needle. "Native" anions such as perrhenate or molybdate produce singly charged analogues such as ReO4- or HMoO4-. Metal-EDTA complexes are seen as M(III)Y- or M(II)HY-. The sensitivity for these "native" anions is suppressed by competition with the excess chloride or nitrate used to produce the metal-containing complex ions.