Investigation of the relationship of tip extension and cellulase secretion in Neurospora Crassa

The relationship of the extension of hyphal tips to secretion was examined in several strains of Neurospora crassa. Cellulase, an extracellular enzyme, was chosen as an index of protein secretion. The plan of this thesis was to examine the following points related to secretion: 1. Simplification of the assay of cellulase activity by improving existing methods and by originating other methods. 2. Determination of the number of cellulases present in induced mycelial and conidial cultures. 3. Study of factors which influence the rate of tip extension. 4. Determination if tip extension is necessary for secretion. As part of the assay of cellulase activity, improvements were made in the Somogyi reducing sugar method. Several limitations of this method were identified including the inhibitory effect of high protein concentrations and the Inhibitory effect of Vogel's and of Fries media. The Worthington Glucostat reagent, in oowbination with excess B-glucosidase, was used to develop a spot test for cellulase activity and to determine the location of cellulase activity for thin-layer gel separations. An additional variation of the Glucostat method was developed using homovanillic acid rather than the standard Glucostat chromogen for a fluorescent determination of cellulase activity

The Influence of Job Satisfaction and Work Experience on Lecturer Performance of Pamulang University

The purpose of this research is to know the effect of job satisfaction and work experience on lecturer performance of Pamulang University. The research design used is quantitative with descriptive method. The analysis method used is multiple linear regression analysis with a sample of 150 and the sampling technique used is proporsionate random sampling. Furthermore, the research is done by testing the stages of analysis that includes descriptive analysis of questionnaires, validity test, reliability test, linear regression test, correlation coefficient test, partial test (t test), simultaneous test and determination test. Regression analysis results proved, Job satisfaction has a significant positive effect on the performance of 0.557, tcount 6.751 and a significance value of 0.000 smaller than 0.05. Work experience has a significant effect on performance of 0.451, the tcount of 5.467 and the significance value of 0.000 is smaller than 0.05. Simultaneous analysis proved job satisfaction and work experience have positive and significant effect on performance value of F arithmetic of 72.201, significance value of 0.000 and determination coefficient of 0.744.  It's means, job satisfaction and work experience able to explain the performance of 74.4% while the rest of 25.6% is explained by other variable

Unitarity of Little Higgs Models Signals New Physics of UV Completion

The ``Little Higgs'' opens up a new avenue for natural electroweak symmetry breaking in which the standard model Higgs particle is realized as a pseudo-Goldstone boson and thus is generically light. The symmetry breaking structure of the Little Higgs models predicts a large multiplet of (pseudo-)Goldstone bosons and their low energy interactions below the ultraviolet (UV) completion scale $\Lambda \sim 4\pi f \sim O(10)$ TeV, where $f$ is the Goldstone decay constant. We study unitarity of the Little Higgs models by systematically analyzing the high energy scatterings of these (pseudo-)Goldstone bosons. We reveal that the collective effect of the Goldstone scatterings via coupled channel analysis tends to push the unitarity violation scale $\Lambda_U$ significantly below the conventional UV scale $\Lambda \sim 4\pi f$ as estimated by naive dimensional analysis (NDA). Specifically, $\Lambda_U \sim (3-4)f$, lying in the multi-TeV range for $f\sim 1$ TeV. We interpret this as an encouraging sign that the upcoming LHC may explore aspects of Little Higgs UV completions, and we discuss some potential signatures. The meanings of the two estimated UV scales $\Lambda_U$ (from unitarity violation) and $\Lambda$ (from NDA) together with their implications for an effective field theory analysis of the Little Higgs models are also discussed.Comment: To match Phys.Lett.B version (9pp, only minor rewording

A Phase I Trial of Aminolevulinic Acid-Photodynamic Therapy for Treatment of Oral Leukoplakia

Background Photodynamic therapy with aminolevulinic acid (ALA PDT) for oral leukoplakia has shown promising effects in regression of oral leukoplakia. Although ALA has been extensively studied and is an ideal photosensitizer, the optimal light dose for treatment of oral leukoplakia has not been determined. We conducted a phase I study to determine MTD and DLT of PDT in patients treated with ALA for leukoplakia. Methods Patients with histologically confirmed oral leukoplakia received a single treatment of ALA PDT in cohorts with escalating doses of light (585 nm). Clinical, histologic, and biologic markers were assessed. Results Analysis of 11 participants is reported. No significant toxicity from ALA PDT was observed in patients who received ALA with a light dose of up to 4 J/cm2. One participant experienced transient grade 3 transaminase elevation due to ALA. One participant had a partial clinical response 3 months after treatment. Biologic mucosal risk markers showed no significant associations. Determination of MTD could not be accomplished within a feasible timeframe for completion of the study. Conclusions ALA PDT could be safely administered with a light dose up to 4 J/cm2 and demonstrated activity. Larger studies are needed to fully elucidate the MTD and efficacy of ALA-PDT

Identification of target system operations. 1. Determination of the time of the actual completion of the target operation

It was found in the paper that the time frames of the studied system operation depend on the research objective. In cases when it comes to problems, related to the physical movement of the input and output products, limits of the study are defined by the time of the beginning of the movement of the first input product of the operation and ends with the time of issue of the last output product of the operation by the system. Time of completion of the physical movement of products is defined in the paper as the time of the physical completion of the operation. Since the purpose of any operation is to increase the value of the output products in relation to the value of input products of the operation, in cases when there is a problem of investigating the target operation, the time of completion of the target operation is determined not by the physics of the process, but its cybernetics. Since for the time of the operation, conversion processes link input products in time, the added value of output products is intended to compensate in time the costs of temporary binding of input products that initially have their value. The time, when the added value of output products of the target operation compensates the value of tight input products for the time of the operation, is defined in the paper as the time of the actual completion of the target operation. A system of notations to describe the system processes of target operations was proposed. The expressions for the numerical and analytical determination of the time of actual completion of the target operation were obtained. A link to the resource, with examples of calculations of the time of the actual completion of the operation with the use of numerical methods and analytic expressions, obtained in the paper was given.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure

Determination of optimal drug dose and light dose index to achieve minimally invasive focal ablation of localised prostate cancer using WST11-vascular-targeted photodynamic (VTP) therapy

Objective: To determine the optimal drug and light dose for prostate ablation using WST11 (TOOKAD® Soluble) for vascular-targeted photodynamic (VTP) therapy in men with low-risk prostate cancer. Patients and Methods: In all, 42 men with low-risk prostate cancer were enrolled in the study but two who underwent anaesthesia for the procedure did not receive the drug or light dose. Thus, 40 men received a single dose of 2, 4 or 6 mg/kg WST11 activated by 200 J/cm light at 753 nm. WST11 was given as a 10-min intravenous infusion. The light dose was delivered using cylindrical diffusing fibres within hollow plastic needles positioned in the prostate using transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) guidance and a brachytherapy template. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to assess treatment effect at 7 days, with assessment of urinary function (International Prostate Symptom Score [IPSS]), sexual function (International Index of Erectile Function [IIEF]) and adverse events at 7 days, 1, 3 and 6 months after VTP. TRUS-guided biopsies were taken at 6 months. Results: In all, 39 of the 40 treated men completed the follow-up. The Day-7 MRI showed maximal treatment effect (95% of the planned treatment volume) in men who had a WST11 dose of 4 mg/kg, light dose of 200 J/cm and light density index (LDI) of >1. In the 12 men treated with these parameters, the negative biopsy rate was 10/12 (83%) at 6 months, compared with 10/26 (45%) for the men who had either a different drug dose (10 men) or an LDI of <1 (16). Transient urinary symptoms were seen in most of the men, with no significant difference in IPSS score between baseline and 6 months after VTP. IIEF scores were not significantly different between baseline and 6 months after VTP. Conclusion: Treatment with 4 mg/kg TOOKAD Soluble activated by 753 nm light at a dose of 200 J/cm and an LDI of >1 resulted in treatment effect in 95% of the planned treatment volume and a negative biopsy rate at 6 months of 10/12 men (83%)