Solar Protons and Magnetic Storms in July 1961

Injun i satellite observations of solar protons and magnetic storm

An evaluation of geomagnetic harmonic series for 1100 kilometers altitude

Geomagnetic harmonic series evaluation for 1100 kilometers altitude using satellite observation

The scaler magnetic intensity at 1100 kilometers in middle and low latitudes

Satellite borne magnetometer for measuring scalar magnetic intensities in middle and low latitudes at 1100 km altitud

A Method for Murine Islet Isolation and Subcapsular Kidney Transplantation

Since the early pioneering work of Ballinger and Reckard demonstrating that transplantation of islets of Langerhans into diabetic rodents could normalize their blood glucose levels, islet transplantation has been proposed to be a potential treatment for type 1 diabetes 1,2. More recently, advances in human islet transplantation have further strengthened this view 1,3. However, two major limitations prevent islet transplantation from being a widespread clinical reality: (a) the requirement for large numbers of islets per patient, which severely reduces the number of potential recipients, and (b) the need for heavy immunosuppression, which significantly affects the pediatric population of patients due to their vulnerability to long-term immunosuppression. Strategies that can overcome these limitations have the potential to enhance the therapeutic utility of islet transplantation

A novel 18F-labelled high affinity agent for PET imaging of the translocator protein

The translocator protein (TSPO) is an important target for imaging focal neuroinflammation in diseases such as brain cancer, stroke and neurodegeneration, but current tracers for non-invasive imaging of TSPO have important limitations. We present the synthesis and evaluation of a novel 3-fluoromethylquinoline-2-carboxamide, AB5186, which was prepared in eight steps using a one-pot two component indium(III)-catalysed reaction for the rapid and efficient assembly of the 4-phenylquinoline core. Biological assessment and the implementation of a physicochemical study showed AB5186 to have low nanomolar affinity for TSPO, as well as optimal plasma protein binding and membrane permeability properties. Generation of [18F]-AB5186 through 18F incorporation was achieved in good radiochemical yield and subsequent in vitro and ex vivo autoradiography revealed the ability of this compound to bind with specificity to TSPO in mouse glioblastoma xenografts. Initial positron emission tomography imaging of a glioma bearing mouse and a healthy baboon support the potential for [18F]-AB5186 use as a radiotracer for non-invasive TSPO imaging in vivo

Information Literacy in Students Entering Higher Education in the French Speaking Community of Belgium: lessons learned from an evaluation

Although universities are providing more and more information literacy training for their undergraduate students, the students’ real level of information literacy at the beginning of their studies has never been assessed. Hence EduDOC has decided to team up with the CIUF ‘Library’ Commission in order to organize a wide study aiming at objectively describing this initial level of information literacy, at identifying the students’ main weaknesses, as well as allowing instructors to adjust their training on this basis. The questionnaire was based on a similar study carried out in Québec and contains 20 questions grouped in five themes relating to information search steps. It was sent in September 2007 to a random sample of students entering a higher education institution in the French Speaking Community of Belgium for the first time. The students’ rather poor results confirm that organizing an information literacy program is imperative if students are to perform well in their studies.Peer reviewe

Multi-center evaluation of analytical performance of the Beckman Coulter AU5822 chemistry analyzer

Objectives Our three academic institutions, Indiana University, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and Wake Forest, were among the first in the United States to implement the Beckman Coulter AU5822 series chemistry analyzers. We undertook this post-hoc multi-center study by merging our data to determine performance characteristics and the impact of methodology changes on analyte measurement. Design and methods We independently completed performance validation studies including precision, linearity/analytical measurement range, method comparison, and reference range verification. Complete data sets were available from at least one institution for 66 analytes with the following groups: 51 from all three institutions, and 15 from 1 or 2 institutions for a total sample size of 12,064. Results Precision was similar among institutions. Coefficients of variation (CV) were 10% included direct bilirubin and digoxin. All analytes exhibited linearity over the analytical measurement range. Method comparison data showed slopes between 0.900-1.100 for 87.9% of the analytes. Slopes for amylase, tobramycin and urine amylase were 1.5, due to known methodology or standardization differences. Consequently, reference ranges of amylase, urine amylase and lipase required only minor or no modification. Conclusion The four AU5822 analyzers independently evaluated at three sites showed consistent precision, linearity, and correlation results. Since installations, the test results had been well received by clinicians from all three institutions

Underground operation of the ICARUS T600 LAr-TPC: first results

Open questions are still present in fundamental Physics and Cosmology, like the nature of Dark Matter, the matter-antimatter asymmetry and the validity of the particle interaction Standard Model. Addressing these questions requires a new generation of massive particle detectors exploring the subatomic and astrophysical worlds. ICARUS T600 is the first large mass (760 ton) example of a novel detector generation able to combine the imaging capabilities of the old famous "bubble chamber" with an excellent energy measurement in huge electronic detectors. ICARUS T600 now operates at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory, studying cosmic rays, neutrino oscillation and proton decay. Physical potentialities of this novel telescope are presented through few examples of neutrino interactions reconstructed with unprecedented details. Detector design and early operation are also reported.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables. Submitted to Jins

First E region observations of mesoscale neutral wind interaction with auroral arcs

We report the first observations of E region neutral wind fields and their interaction with auroral arcs at mesoscale spatial resolution during geomagnetically quiet conditions at Mawson, Antarctica. This was achieved by using a scanning Doppler imager, which can observe thermospheric neutral line-of-sight winds and temperatures simultaneously over a wide field of view. In two cases, the background E region wind field was perpendicular to an auroral arc, which when it appeared caused the wind direction within ∼50 km of the arc to rotate parallel along the arc, reverting to the background flow direction when the arc disappeared. This was observed under both westward and eastward plasma convection. The wind rotations occurred within 7–16 min. In one case, as an auroral arc propagated from the horizon toward the local zenith, the background E region wind field became significantly weaker but remained unaffected where the arc had not passed through. We demonstrate through modeling that these effects cannot be explained by height changes in the emission layer. The most likely explanation seems to be the greatly enhanced ion drag associated with the increased plasma density and localized ionospheric electric field associated with auroral arcs. In all cases, the F region neutral wind appeared less affected by the auroral arc, although its presence is clear in the data