Constraining cometary ejection models from meteor storm observations

Modelling and observations of the Leonids have shown that maxima in the meteor storm activity can be identified as due to particles released from the comet during certain perihelion passages. If the particles originating from a certain perihelion passage can be identified, the next obvious question to ask is what information can be gained about the ejection process of particles from a cometary nucleus. We have developed a method to calculate the set of all possible dust trajectories that reach the Earth at some given time. The method involves numerical integration of a few dust particles only and is applied to the Leonid activity in the year 2000. We show that particles of different sizes entering the Earth's atmosphere at the same time were released from the comet at different heliocentric distances. Therefore one has to make assumptions about the activity of the comet with heliocentric distance in order to derive the cometary mass distribution from an observed meteor mass distribution. However, we outline how lower limits on the ejection velocity of the observed particles can be derived

Gene amplifications associated with the development of hormone- resistant prostate cancer

Purpose: Hormone resistance remains a significant clinical problem in prostate cancer with few therapeutic options. Research into mechanisms of hormone resistance is essential. Experimental Design: We analyzed 38 paired (prehormone/posthormone resistance) prostate cancer samples using the Vysis GenoSensor. Archival microdissected tumor DNA was extracted, amplified, labeled, and hybridized to Amplione I DNA microarrays containing 57 oncogenes. Results: Genetic instability increased during progression from hormone-sensitive to hormone-resistant cancer (P = 0.008). Amplification frequencies of 15 genes (TERC, MYBL3, HRAS, PI3KCA, JUNB, LAMC2, RAF1, MYC, GARP, SAS, FGFR1, PGY1, MYCL1, MYB, FGR) increased by greater than 10% during hormone escape. Receptor tyrosine kinases were amplified in 73% of cases; this was unrelated to development of hormone resistance. However, downstream receptor tyrosine kinase signaling pathways showed increased amplification rates in resistant tumors for the mitogen-activated protein kinase (FGR/Src-2, HRAS, and RAF1; P = 0.005) and phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase pathways (FGR/ Src-2, PI3K, and Akt; P = 0.046). Transcription factors regulated by these pathways were also more frequently amplified after escape (MYC family: 21% before versus 63% after, P = 0.027; MYB family: 26 % before versus 53 % after, P = 0.18). Conclusions: Development of clinical hormone escape is linked to phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. These pathways may function independently of the androgen receptor or via androgen receptor activation by phosphorylation, providing novel therapeutic targets

The Carboxyl-Terminal Segment of Apolipoprotein A-V Undergoes a Lipid-Induced Conformational Change

Apolipoprotein (apo) A-V is a 343-residue, multidomain protein that plays an important role in regulation of plasma triglyceride homeostasis. Primary sequence analysis revealed a unique tetraproline sequence (Pro293-Pro296) near the carboxyl terminus of the protein. A peptide corresponding to the 48-residue segment beyond the tetraproline motif was generated from a recombinant apoA-V precursor wherein Pro295 was replaced by Met. Cyanogen bromide cleavage of the precursor protein, followed by negative affinity chromatography, yielded a purified peptide. Nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis verified that apoA-V(296-343) solubilizes phospholipid vesicles, forming a relatively heterogeneous population of reconstituted high-density lipoprotein with Stokes’ diameters\u3e17 nm. At the same time, apoA-V(296-343) failed to bind a spherical lipoprotein substrate in vitro. Far-UV circular dichroism spectroscopy revealed the peptide is unstructured in buffer yet adopts significant R-helical secondary structure in the presence of the lipid mimetic solvent trifluoroethanol (TFE; 50% v/v). Heteronuclear multidemensional NMR spectroscopy experiments were conducted with uniformly 15N- and 15N/13C-labeled peptide in 50% TFE. Peptide backbone assignment and secondary structure prediction using TALOSþ reveal the peptide adopts R-helix secondary structure from residues 309 to 334. In TFE, apoA-V(296-343) adopts an extended amphipathic R-helix, consistent with a role in lipoprotein binding as a component of full-length apoA-V

Efficiently Integrating Boolean Reasoning and Mathematical Solving

Many real-world problems require the ability of reasoning efficiently on formulae which are boolean combinations of boolean and unquantified mathematical propositions. This task requires a fruitful combination of efficient boolean reasoning and mathematical solving capabilities. SAT tools and mathematical reasoners are respectively very effective on one of these activities each, but not on both. In this paper we present a formal framework, a generalized algorithm and architecture for integrating boolean reasoners and mathematical solvers so that they can efficiently solve boolean combinations of boolean and unquantified mathematical propositions. We describe many techniques to optimize this integration, and highlight the main requirements for SAT tools and mathematicalsolvers to maximize the benefits of their integration

Fishing and the impact of marine reserves in a variable environment

We use discrete-time models to investigate the impact of marine reserve establishment on fishery catch and biomass levels in open-access and quota-regulated fisheries under conditions of recruitment variability and natural mortality events. We find that under the conditions of variability tested, reserves can increase the probability of achieving target levels of biomass (60%, 35%, and 5% of carrying capacity) and can reduce catch variability in neighbouring fisheries, making future planning in the fishery more efficient. The size of the reserve required to meet each objective will depend on the initial condition of the stock and the exploitation rate in the fishery. Reserve coverage of between 20% and 40% prevent stock collapse in most cases. In heavily exploited fisheries, reserves are also likely to enhance mean catches, particularly in highly variable systems. If the stock has previously been heavily exploited, large reserves (greater than or equal to60%) may be required to significantly increase the probability of achieving target biomass levels. However, once stocks have recovered, reserve coverage may be reduced without a reduction in this probability of success

Nuclear Imminence in Contemporary Indo‐Pakistani Conflict

November of 2008 saw frightening attacks on India’s foreigners. Over the course of three days, hostages had been taken, hotels and restaurants in India’s busiest city of Mumbai were burned and English, American and Canadian citizens lay among the nearly 200 dead. Pakistani terrorists were arrested and held accountable for this act of brutality. However, it seemed that tensions had just begun. The upset of peace in Indo-Pakistani relations fuelled the international communities’ fear of a nuclear war between the two nations. This paper will address this concern and discover that such acts of terrorism do not reflect nuclear imminence due to tensions between the Indian and Pakistani states. However, they do reflect unrest within Indian and Pakistani civil society; a civil society that is both tied and fragmented by ethnic and religious identity. The fear of nuclear war in this historically conflicted region of South East Asia may aid in the plight for peace by forcing these states to accept international norms and treaties on nuclear proliferation

Community Organizing in Three South Side Chicago Communities: Leadership, Activities, and Prospects

This study identifies barriers facing groups and leaders in communities on the South Side of Chicago that limit not only their capacity for organizing but also their ability to attract resources for their work. The findings also provide key data on current activities at the grassroots level, with particular attention to groups and leaders that have the potential to expand the scope of their efforts to larger, community-based initiatives

Front Matter

Front Matte

A porous prolate-spheroidal model for ciliated micro-organisms

A fluid-mechanical model is developed for representing the mechanism of propulsion of a finite ciliated micro-organism having a prolate-spheroidal shape. The basic concept is the representation of the micro-organism by a prolate-spheroidal control surface upon which certain boundary conditions on the tangential and normal fluid velocities are prescribed. Expressions are obtained for the velocity of propulsion, the rate of energy dissipation in the fluid exterior to the cilia layer, and the stream function of the motion. The effect of the shape of the organism upon its locomotion is explored. Experimental streak photographs of the flow around both freely swimming and inert sedimenting Paramecia are presented and good agreement with the theoretical prediction of the streamlines is found