\n\nMethod: Sixty

eyes of 60 normal human Subjects were recruited into 1 of 3 age groups, group 1 : aged <35 years, group 2: aged 35-50 years, and group 3: aged >50 years. All eyes were examined Using slit-lamp biomicroscopy, noncontact conical esthesiometry, and slit scanning in vivo confocal microscopy.\n\nResults: The mean subbasal nerve density and the mean corneal sensitivity were greatest centrally (14,731 +/- 6056 mu m/mm(2) and 0.38 +/- 0.21 millibars, respectively) and lowest in the nasal mid periphery (7850 +/- 4947 mu m/mm(2) and 0.49 +/- 0.25 millibars, Serine kina inhibitor respectively). The mean subbasal nerve tortuosity coefficient was greatest in the temporal mid periphery (27.3 +/-

6.4) and lowest in the superior mid periphery (19.3 +/- 14. 1). There was no significant difference in mean total subbasal nerve density between age groups. However, corneal sensation (P = 0.001) and subbasal nerve tortuosity (P = 0.004) demonstrated significant differences between age groups. Subbasal nerve density only showed significant correlations with cortical sensitivity threshold in the temporal cornea and BAY 73-4506 with subbasal nerve tortuosity in the interior and nasal cornea. However, these correlations were weak.\n\nConclusions: This study quantitatively analyzes living human corneal nerve structure and an aspect of nerve function. There is no strong correlation between subbasal nerve density and corneal sensation. This study provides useful baseline data for the normal living human cornea at central and mid-peripheral locations.”
“We selleck chemicals llc report results on

nucleation, growth, and structure formation of methane/n-nonane clusters in an expanding system investigated by molecular dynamics simulation. From bulk phase equilibria data, it is expected that the concentration of the less volatile substance n-nonane in the clusters is very high. However, analyses of experimental data in the literature suggest somewhat higher methane content at onset of nucleation. Our simulations show that the methane mole fraction is actually very high and increases even further at the beginning of the cluster growth. On the other hand, in this transient state after nucleation the methane mole fraction in the cluster core decreases, leaving a n-nonane rich core, i.e., we observe the phase separation inside the growing cluster. Methane is squeezed out from the core to the surface and then evaporates from the surface shell during expansion of the system. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4723868]“
“First-principles calculations of beta-SiC(111)/alpha-Ti(0001) interface have been performed and the adhesion strength, interface energy, interfacial fracture toughness, and electronic structure are obtained.