Galaxy gas kinematics are sensitive to the physical processes that contribute to a galaxy’s evolution. It is expected that external processes will cause more significant kinematic disturbances in the outer regions, while internal processes will cause more disturbances for the inner regions. Using a subsample of 47 galaxies ($0.27<z<0.36$) from the Middle Ages Galaxy Properties with Integral Field Spectroscopy (MAGPI) survey, we conduct a study into the source of kinematic disturbances by measuring the asymmetry present in the ionised gas line-of-sight velocity maps at the $0.5R_e$ (inner regions) and $1.5R_e$ (outer regions) elliptical annuli. By comparing the inner and outer kinematic asymmetries, we aim to better understand what physical processes are driving the asymmetries in galaxies. We find the local environment plays a role in kinematic disturbance, in agreement with other integral field spectroscopy studies of the local universe, with most asymmetric systems being in close proximity to a more massive neighbour. We do not find evidence suggesting that hosting an Active Galactic Nucleus contributes to asymmetry within the inner regions, with some caveats due to emission line modelling. In contrast to previous studies, we do not find evidence that processes leading to asymmetry also enhance star formation in MAGPI galaxies. Finally, we find a weak anti-correlation between stellar mass and asymmetry (i.e., high stellar mass galaxies are less asymmetric). We conclude by discussing possible sources driving the asymmetry in the ionised gas, such as disturbances being present in the colder gas phase (either molecular or atomic) prior to the gas being ionised, and non-axisymmetric features (e.g., a bar) being present in the galactic disk. Our results highlight the complex interplay between ionised gas kinematic disturbances and physical processes involved in galaxy evolution.

Absorption, distribution and elimination of 14C-labelled isoflavone-containing extracts from kudzu (Pueraria lobata) root culture and red clover (Trifolium pratense) cell culture were investigated in an in vivo rat model. The predominant isoflavones in the kudzu extract were the glycosides puerarin, daidzin and malonyl daidzin, while in the red clover extract, the major isoflavones were formononetin and its derivatives, genistein and biochanin A, with radioactivities of 3·770 and 7·256 MBq/g, respectively. Male Sprague–Dawley rats, implanted with a jugular catheter and a subcutaneous ultrafiltrate probe, were orally administered with 14C-labelled isoflavone extracts from either kudzu or clover cell cultures. Serum, interstitial fluid (ISF), urine and faeces were collected using a Culex® Automated Blood Collection System for 24 h. Analysis of bone tissues revealed that radiolabel accumulated in the femur, tibia and vertebrae at 0·04, 0·03 and 0·01 % of the administered dose, respectively, in both kudzu and red clover treatments. The liver accumulated the greatest concentration of radiolabel among the tissues tested, at 1·99 and 1·54 % of the administered kudzu and red clover extracts, respectively. Serum and ISF analysis showed that both extracts were rapidly absorbed, distributed in various tissues, and largely eliminated in the urine and faeces. Urine and faeces contained 8·53 and 9·06 % of the kudzu dose, respectively, and 3·60 and 5·64 % of the red clover dose, respectively. Serum pharmacokinetics suggest that extracts from kudzu may undergo enterohepatic circulation.

Data from a community-based sample of 1,126 10th- and 11th-grade adolescents were analyzed using a model-based cluster analysis approach to empirically identify heterogeneous adolescent subpopulations from the person-oriented and pattern-oriented perspectives. The model-based cluster analysis is a new clustering procedure to investigate population heterogeneity utilizing finite mixture multivariate normal densities and accordingly to classify subpopulations using more rigorous statistical procedures for the comparison of alternative models. Four cluster groups were identified and labeled multiproblem high-risk, smoking high-risk, normative, and low-risk groups. The multiproblem high risk exhibited a constellation of high levels of problem behaviors, including delinquent and sexual behaviors, multiple illicit substance use, and depressive symptoms at age 16. They had risky temperamental attributes and lower academic functioning and educational expectations at age 15.5 and, subsequently, at age 24 completed fewer years of education, and reported lower levels of physical health and higher levels of continued involvement in substance use and abuse. The smoking high-risk group was also found to be at risk for poorer functioning in young adulthood, compared to the low-risk group. The normative and the low risk groups were, by and large, similar in their adolescent and young adult functioning. The continuity and comorbidity path from middle adolescence to young adulthood may be aided and abetted by chronic as well as episodic substance use by adolescents.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2005 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, July 31--August 4, 2005

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2005 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, July 31--August 4, 2005

A laboratory test of X-ray tomography employing a diverging beam of X-rays rather than the usual parallel X-ray beam is described. We chose to test and demonstrate the advantages of divergent beam tomography by imaging an extracted juvenile human premolar using an ordinary dental X-ray source and a cooled CCD camera. Experiments with a three-piece cover-glass sample and with the human tooth demonstrated that three-dimensional reconstruction can be achieved at 34 μm per pixel resolution employing an X-ray tube spot 800 μm in its smallest direction without requiring close contact with the fluorescent screen. Reconstruction of a 256 x 256 pixel single-plane image from 100 projection images took only 45 sec on a personal computer with a Pentium 166 MHz processor. We have also demonstrated a volume reconstruction of 256 x 256 x 256 voxels from the data. Successful extension of this work to submicrometer projection X-ray microscopy is predicted. Improved resolution of medical tomography is another possible application.

Thin films of Pb(Mg,Zn)1/3Nb2/3O3 (PMZN) were fabricated by spin casting the partially hydrolyzed Pb-Mg-Zn-Nb-O complex alkoxide sols on (111) Pt-coated MgO(100) planes. Analysis of the isothermal transformation data indicated that the growth of perovskite grains from the pyrochlore matrix is a diffusion-controlled process with an initial fast nucleation. The effect of water concentration in the sol on the preferential orientation of perovskite grains in the corresponding thin film was examined. A strong preferential orientation of (100) perovskite was obtained in the PMZN thin film derived from the sol having a molar ratio of H2O to total metal alkoxides (Rw) of 2. A small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) experiment in the Porod region indicated that weakly branched precursor systems led to highly (100)-oriented perovskite grains after thin-film formation. The pyroelectric coefficient and the corresponding figure-of-merit were controlled by suitably varying the degree of preferential orientation during the fabrication of thin films.

Thin films of Pb(Mg,Zn)1/3Nb2/3O3 were fabricated by spin casting the Pb-Mg-Zn-Nb-0 complex alkoxide sols on (111)Pt-coated MgO (100) planes. It was observed that the rheological characteristics of sol greatly influenced the orientation of perovskite grains after thin-film formation. A strong preferential orientation of (100)-type planes of the perovskite grains was obtained in the thin films derived from the sols exhibiting pseudoplastic behavior. Small angle X-ray scattering experiment in the Porod region was performed to correlate the observed preferential orientation with the network structure of precursors at various stages of aging. It was shown that weakly branched precursor chains led to highly oriented grains after thin-film formation.