853,413 research outputs found
Letter to the editor: autoimmune pathogenic mechanisms in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
The innate immune system may affect the function and survival of motor neurons in ALS by at least three mechanisms. First, there is evidence to suggest that aggregates of mutant SOD1âwhich is derived from microglial and astroglial cellsâactivate neighbouring microglia by binding to TLR2, TLR4, and CD14, and subsequently promote neuronal cell death [9]. Second, the release of pro- inflammatory cytokines may drive motor neuron damage. Third, although poorly understood, a mechanism has been suggested on the basis of the functional analysis of microglial cells that express mutant SOD1 [10]. These cells showed impaired overall motility and a reduced capacity to clear neuronal cell debris. Impairment of microglial cell phagocytosis may therefore contribute to the accumulation of further immunostimulatory proteins, including mutant SOD1, chromogranin A, and dsRNA, thereby resulting in disease progression
Strategies for Developing Sustainable Design Practice for Students and SME Professionals
Designers and engineers seem finally to be awakening to the challenge that sustainable development has given. Educators and students alike are keenly aware of the need to become more effective in the training and practice of their specific disciplines with respect to sustainability. \noindent In the past four years since this research has developed, there has been a marked change in the mass market appeal for sustainable products and services. Implementation of sustainable design practice from both recent graduates and also innovative small and medium enterprises (SMEs) at a local level is slow. One would assume that the consumer drive would push a change in design practice but perhaps the complexities of sustainable design along with the lack of experience in the field are providing barriers to designers and marketers alike. In addition the SME sector alone makes up the bulk of industry within the European Union (EU) varying in some countries from 80-95% of the total numbers of companies (Tukker et al. 2000). These industries by their nature find it difficult to dedicate expertise solely to sustainable development issues. The strategy outlined in this paper intended to introduce concepts of sustainable design thinking and practice to both SMEs and undergraduate students. \noindent This current and ongoing research qualitatively assesses appropriate models for educating for sustainable design thinking with SME employees and undergraduate design students. The sample groups include Industrial Design and Product Design undergraduate students in Ireland at the Institute of Technology, Carlow (IT Carlow), The University of Limerick (UL) and a sample of SMEs in the South East of Ireland, with broad national participation from other students of design and professionals from industry. Current levels of understanding of students and SME professionals of key environmental and social issues are measured
Physical properties of the Schur complement of local covariance matrices
General properties of global covariance matrices representing bipartite
Gaussian states can be decomposed into properties of local covariance matrices
and their Schur complements. We demonstrate that given a bipartite Gaussian
state described by a covariance matrix \textbf{V}, the
Schur complement of a local covariance submatrix of it can be
interpreted as a new covariance matrix representing a Gaussian operator of
party 1 conditioned to local parity measurements on party 2. The connection
with a partial parity measurement over a bipartite quantum state and the
determination of the reduced Wigner function is given and an operational
process of parity measurement is developed. Generalization of this procedure to
a -partite Gaussian state is given and it is demonstrated that the
system state conditioned to a partial parity projection is given by a
covariance matrix such as its block elements are Schur complements
of special local matrices.Comment: 10 pages. Replaced with final published versio
A contribution to the knowledge of the skin albuminose cells of Torpedo ocellata Raf [Riv.Istochim.norm.pat. 8 411-416, 1962]
Glandular cells, other than the mucous cells, have been described in the skin of various groups of fish (Teleosts, Ganoids, Selachii) and they have been called 'albuminose' by various authors. The authors propose to study the albuminose cells in the skin of Torpedo ocellata Raf. from a histochemical point of view. The albuminose cells have a complex morphological structure and a correspondingly complicated histochemical make-up. One must treat them as an example of cell with secretions of a particular type, which must and will be better incorporated when more is known of characteristics existent in other species
On the propagation of semiclassical Wigner functions
We establish the difference between the propagation of semiclassical Wigner
functions and classical Liouville propagation. First we re-discuss the
semiclassical limit for the propagator of Wigner functions, which on its own
leads to their classical propagation. Then, via stationary phase evaluation of
the full integral evolution equation, using the semiclassical expressions of
Wigner functions, we provide the correct geometrical prescription for their
semiclassical propagation. This is determined by the classical trajectories of
the tips of the chords defined by the initial semiclassical Wigner function and
centered on their arguments, in contrast to the Liouville propagation which is
determined by the classical trajectories of the arguments themselves.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure. To appear in J. Phys. A. This version matches the
one set to print and differs from the previous one (07 Nov 2001) by the
addition of two references, a few extra words of explanation and an augmented
figure captio
Some Properties of Charge-Conjugated Spinors in dimensions
Spinors for an arbitrary Minkowski space with signature (, ) are
reassessed in connection with -dimensional free Dirac action. The
possibility of writing down kinetic and mass terms for charge-conjugated
spinors is discussed in terms of the number of time-like directions of the
space-time.Comment: 6 pages (latex
A Birkhoff connection between quantum circuits and linear classical reversible circuits
Birkhoff's theorem tells how any doubly stochastic matrix can be decomposed as a weighted sum of permutation matrices. Similar theorems on unitary matrices reveal a connection between quantum circuits and linear classical reversible circuits. It triggers the question whether a quantum computer can be regarded as a superposition of classical reversible computers
- âŠ