The wettability of solid surfaces is of fundamental scientific interest and related to many diverse chemical and physical phenomena at the heart of practical technologies. In particular, the hydrophilicity of the photocatalytically active metal-oxide TiO2 has attracted considerable attention for many applications. However, the intrinsic hydrophilicity of Ti-oxide surfaces is not fully understoo...

The possible effect of contrails in modifying the weather is reconsidered in the light of information obtained from ground-level contrails in Alaska. It appears likely that inadvertent cloud seeding b y jet aircraft may be of the same order of magnitude as that attained in commercial cloud seeding operations. Further investigation is needed; but in the meantime, the possibility of contrail cont...

Mental contamination has been described as an internal experience of dirtiness that can arise and persist in the absence of contact with observable physical contaminants. Recent research has examined mental contamination specifically related to unwanted physical contact and sexual trauma. This study evaluated the degree to which disgust propensity and both self-focused and perpetrator-focused p...

Many of the investigations of contamination related laser damage to date have been largely phenomenological. These papers can provide some direction in the quest for determining and maintaining adequate laser cleanliness levels. Purely optical analyses of laser contamination effects likewise provide direction. Neither the phenomenological nor the purely classical optical methods provide a solid...

Purpose Colonic perforation is a lethal condition presenting high morbidity and mortality in spite of urgent surgical treatment. This study investigated the surgical outcome of patients with colonic perforation associated with retroperitoneal contamination. Methods Retrospective analysis was performed for 30 patients diagnosed with colonic perforation caused by either inflammation or ischemia...