Field of view: 1 x 0.5 mm (C) 2010 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA. Weinheim”
“Delayed sleep phase (and sometimes free-run) is common in the Antarctic winter (no natural sunlight) and optimizing the artificial light conditions is desirable. This project evaluated sleep when using 17 000 K blue-enriched lamps compared with standard white lamps (5000 K) for personal and communal illumination. Base personnel, 10 males, five females, 32.5 +/- 8 years took part in the study. From 24 March to 21 September 2006 light exposure alternated between 4-5-week periods of standard

white (5000 K) and blue-enriched lamps (17 000 K), with a 3-week control before and after extra light. Sleep and light exposure were assessed by actigraphy and sleep diaries. General health (RAND 36-item questionnaire) and circadian phase

(urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin rhythm) were evaluated see more at the end of each light condition. Direct comparison (rmANOVA) of blue-enriched light with white light showed that sleep onset was earlier by 19 min (P = 0.022), and sleep latency tended to be shorter by 4 min (P = 0.065) with blue-enriched light. Analysing all light conditions, control, blue and white, again provided evidence for greater efficiency of blue-enriched light compared with white (P < 0.05), but with the best sleep timing, duration, efficiency and ISRIB quality in control natural light conditions. Circadian phase was earlier on average in midwinter blue compared with midwinter white light by 45 min (P < 0.05). Light condition had no influence on general health. We conclude that the use of blue-enriched light had some beneficial effects, notably earlier sleep, compared with standard white light during the polar winter.”
“In this work grain growth associated with isochronous annealing in polycrystalline pure copper is studied using nonlinear ultrasonic method. In isochronous annealing, holding time is constant but annealing temperatures vary. It is observed GSK2245840 in vivo that, grain growth due to isochronous annealing significantly influences the ultrasonic nonlinearity parameter, beta. A decrease in nonlinearity parameter with increase in grain size is noticed.

Further, micro-hardness measurements as well as metallographic results are presented to underscore the utility of the nonlinear ultrasonic method in gauging the progress of annealing. As the time and effort involved in this method is less, with suitable calibration, this method may be gainfully employed for determination of grain size on annealing.”
“The study of somatic DNA instabilities constitutes a debatable topic because different causes can lead to seeming DNA alteration patterns between different cells or tissues from the same individual. Carcinogenesis or the action of a particular toxic could generate such patterns, and this is in fact the leitmotif of a number of studies on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) instability.