Memory of Things Future

Lecture given at University of Dayton on January 26, the first of the IntellectuaL Frontiers series for 1965. Anthony A. Nemetz, Ph.D., is Professor of Philosophy at Univ. of Georgia; Member of Armed Services 1943-1946, received Bronze Star; Good Teaching Award (Ohio State Univ. 1955); Member of Fellowship Selection Committee, Woodrow Wilson Foundation; Member of six or more professional societies; Frequent lecturer; Author of many learned technical articles

Evaluation of the New Version of the Laser-Optical Disdrometer, Parsivel

Disdrometer based hydrometeor size distribution measurements have a wide range of application in radar meteorology among other disciplines. The low-cost laser optical disdrometer which became commercially available in 2005 opened a new era to study the variability of the hydrometeor size distribution. The pixel and footprint scale variability of the ground and spaceborne radar remote sensing of precipitation, respectively, has been investigated through a network of Parsivel disdrometers. At the same timE, the cross comparison of impact-type, two-dimensional video and laser-optical disdrometers highlighted the relative strengths and weaknesses of each type of disdrometer. The Parsivel instrument tended to underestimate the number of small drops less than 0.8 mm in diameter quite severely, while the size of drops larger than 2.0 mm in diameter were overestimated at heavy rain quite frequently. Through a close collaboration with the manufacturer, these shortcomings were attributed to the inexpensive laser device. The manufacturer has just released a beta version of Parsivel2. The preliminary comparisons with old and new versions of Parsivel, impact type disdrometer and rain gauges showed a noticeable improvement of the Parsivel at both small and large drop end. This presentation will demonstrate the evaluation of the new unit and its potential impact on radar rainfall relations, including polarimetric and high frequency radar rainfall

Two-step flux synthesis of ultrapure transition metal dichalcogenides

Here, we describe synthesis of TMD crystals using a two-step flux growth method that eliminates a major potential source of contamination. Detailed characterization of TMDs grown by this two-step method reveals charged and isovalent defects with densities an order of magnitude lower than in TMDs grown by a single-step flux technique. Initial temperature-dependent electrical transport measurements of monolayer WSe2 yield room-temperature hole mobility above 840 cm2/Vs and low-temperature disorder-limited mobility above 44,000 cm2/Vs. Electrical transport measurements of graphene-WSe2 heterostructures fabricated from the two-step flux grown WSe2 also show superior performance: higher graphene mobility, lower charged impurity density, and well-resolved integer quantum Hall states

Corporate Social Responsibility/Sustainability Reporting Among the Fortune Global 250: Greenwashing or Green Supply Chain?

The sustainability reporting efforts of MNCs who are members of the Fortune Global 250 (FG250) was investigated. The focus was on sustainability reporting by MNCs of supply chain impacts. The reporting of FG250 MNCs was examined to determine if greenwashing was occurring or whether MNCs had committed to operating a green supply chain. A mixed methodology was used consisting of quantitative analysis of twenty-five MNC CSR/sustainability reports which were randomly selected from the FG250 listing. Qualitative analysis using content analysis was also conducted on the reports. Both methodologies concentrated on the sustainability reporting of the selected MNCs in regard to their supply chain. Findings were mixed as there were great variations among the MNCs in their level of sustainability reporting about their supply chains. Some MNCs did not report on the activities of their supply chain at all (20%), the majority of the MNCs reported on their supply chain impacts at the value and goal level (48%), while the rest reported at the management approach level (32%). A majority of the sampled MNCs could be accused of greenwashing due to the lack of detailed quantitative information provided by the MNCs on the environmental impacts of their supply chai

Pionic decay of a possible d' dibaryon and the short-range NN interaction

We study the pionic decay of a possible dibaryon d′→N+N+π in the microscopic quark shell model. The initial d′ dibaryon wave function (JP=0-, T=0) consists of one 1ħω six-quark shell-model s5p[51]X configuration. The most important final six-quark configurations s6[6]X, s4p2[42]X, and (s4p2-s52s)[6]X are properly projected onto the NN channel. The final state NN interaction is investigated by means of two phase-equivalent—but off-shell different—potential models. We demonstrate that the decay width Γd′ depends strongly on the short-range behavior of the NN wave function. In addition, the width Γd′ is very sensitive to the mass and size of the d′ dibaryon. For dibaryon masses slightly above the experimentally suggested value Md′=2.065GeV, we obtain a pionic decay width of Γd′≈0.18–0.32MeV close to the experimental value Γd′≈0.5MeV.Obukhovsky, I. Itonaga, K. ; Wagner, Georg ; Buchmann, A. ; Faessler, Aman

Сшиваемые in situ гидрогели для создания клеточного микроокружения

In situ crosslinkable hydrogels have been widely used as therapeutic implants and vehicles for a broad range of biomedical applications including tissue regenerative medicine because of their biocompatibility and easiness of encapsulation of cells or signaling molecules during hydrogel formation. Recently, these hydrogel materials have been widely utilized as an artificial extracellular matrix (aECM) because of its structural similarity with the native extracellular matrix (ECM) of the human body and its multi-tunable properties. Various synthetic, natural, and semisynthetic hydrogels have been developed as engineered cellular microenvironments by using various crosslinking strategies. In this review, we discuss how in situ forming hydrogels are being created with tunable physical, chemical, and biological properties. In particular, we focus on emerging techniques to apply advanced hydrogel materials for engineered cellular microenvironments.Формируемые (сшиваемые) in situ гидрогели широко применяются в качестве терапевтических имплантатов и систем доставки для различных биомедицинских технологий, включая тканевую инженерию, регенеративную медицину и фармакологию, благодаря биосовместимости гидрогелей и простоте инкорпорирования в них лекарственных веществ, клеток или сигнальных молекул в процессе образования сетчатой структуры. В последнее время гидрогелевые материалы часто используются в качестве искусственного внеклеточного матрикса из-за их структурного сходства с нативным внеклеточным матриксом человека, а также из-за возможности регулировать их многообразные свойства. В качестве клеточной микросреды (матриксов, носителей) на основе различных технологий сшивки был разработан ряд синтетических, природных и полусинтетических гидрогелей. В данном обзоре обсуждаются вопросы создания формируемых in situ гидрогелей с регулируемыми физическими, химическими и биологическими свойствами. Будет сделан также анализ новых методов применения инновационных гидрогелевых материалов для создания клеточной микросреды как матриксов для биомедицинских тканевых продуктов, так и систем доставки клеток и лекарственных веществ

Protective Intestinal Effects of Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase Activating Polypeptide

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is an endogenous neuropeptide widely distributed throughout the body, including the gastrointestinal tract. Several effects have been described in human and animal intestines. Among others, PACAP infl uences secretion of intestinal glands, blood fl ow, and smooth muscle contraction. PACAP is a well-known cytoprotective peptide with strong anti-apoptotic, anti-infl ammatory, and antioxidant effects. The present review gives an overview of the intestinal protective actions of this neuropeptide. Exogenous PACAP treatment was protective in a rat model of small bowel autotransplantation. Radioimmunoassay (RIA) analysis of the intestinal tissue showed that endogenous PACAP levels gradually decreased with longer-lasting ischemic periods, prevented by PACAP addition. PACAP counteracted deleterious effects of ischemia on oxidative stress markers and cytokines. Another series of experiments investigated the role of endogenous PACAP in intestines in PACAP knockout (KO) mice. Warm ischemia–reperfusion injury and cold preservation models showed that the lack of PACAP caused a higher vulnerability against ischemic periods. Changes were more severe in PACAP KO mice at all examined time points. This fi nding was supported by increased levels of oxidative stress markers and decreased expression of antioxidant molecules. PACAP was proven to be protective not only in ischemic but also in infl ammatory bowel diseases. A recent study showed that PACAP treatment prolonged survival of Toxoplasma gondii infected mice suffering from acute ileitis and was able to reduce the ileal expression of proinfl ammatory cytokines. We completed the present review with recent clinical results obtained in patients suffering from infl ammatory bowel diseases. It was found that PACAP levels were altered depending on the activity, type of the disease, and antibiotic therapy, suggesting its probable role in infl ammatory events of the intestine

Disease Severity in Patients Infected with Leishmania mexicana Relates to IL-1β

Leishmania mexicana can cause both localized (LCL) and diffuse (DCL) cutaneous leishmaniasis, yet little is known about factors regulating disease severity in these patients. We analyzed if the disease was associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in IL-1β (−511), CXCL8 (−251) and/or the inhibitor IL-1RA (+2018) in 58 Mexican mestizo patients with LCL, 6 with DCL and 123 control cases. Additionally, we analyzed the in vitro production of IL-1β by monocytes, the expression of this cytokine in sera of these patients, as well as the tissue distribution of IL-1β and the number of parasites in lesions of LCL and DCL patients. Our results show a significant difference in the distribution of IL-1β (−511 C/T) genotypes between patients and controls (heterozygous OR), with respect to the reference group CC, which was estimated with a value of 3.23, 95% CI = (1.2, 8.7) and p-value = 0.0167), indicating that IL-1β (−511 C/T) represents a variable influencing the risk to develop the disease in patients infected with Leishmania mexicana. Additionally, an increased in vitro production of IL-1β by monocytes and an increased serum expression of the cytokine correlated with the severity of the disease, since it was significantly higher in DCL patients heavily infected with Leishmania mexicana. The distribution of IL-1β in lesions also varied according to the number of parasites harbored in the tissues: in heavily infected LCL patients and in all DCL patients, the cytokine was scattered diffusely throughout the lesion. In contrast, in LCL patients with lower numbers of parasites in the lesions, IL-1β was confined to the cells. These data suggest that IL-1β possibly is a key player determining the severity of the disease in DCL patients. The analysis of polymorphisms in CXCL8 and IL-1RA showed no differences between patients with different disease severities or between patients and controls

Stress testing and non-invasive coronary angiography in patients with suspected coronary artery disease: time for a new paradigm

Diagnosis and management of coronary artery disease represents major challenges to our health care system, affecting millions of patients each year. Until recently, the diagnosis of coronary artery disease was possible only through cardiac catheterization and invasive coronary angiography. To avoid the risks of an invasive procedure, stress testing is often employed for an initial assessment of patients with suspected coronary artery disease, serving as a gatekeeper for cardiac catheterization. With the emergence of non-invasive coronary angiography, the question arises if such a strategy is still sensible, particularly, in view of only a modest agreement between stress testing results and the presence of coronary artery disease established by cardiac catheterization. Much data in support of the diagnostic accuracy and prognostic value of non-invasive coronary angiography by computed tomography have emerged within the last few years. These data challenge the role of stress testing as the initial imaging modality in patients with suspected coronary artery disease. This article reviews the clinical utility, limitations, as well as the hazards of stress testing compared with non-invasive coronary artery imaging by computed tomography. Finally, the implications of this review are discussed in relation to clinical practice