Multi-impurity adsorption model for modeling crystal purity and shape evolution during crystallization processes in impure media

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Financial support provided by the European Research Council Grant No. [280106-CrySys] is gratefully acknowledged.Peer reviewe

From gridmap-file to VOMS: managing authorization in a Grid environment

Grids are potentially composed of several thousands of users from different institutions sharing their computing resources (or using resources provided by third parties). Controlling access to these resources is a difficult problem, as it depends on the policies of the organizations the users belong to and of the resource owners. Moreover, a simple authorization implementation, based on a direct user registration on the resources, is not applicable to a large scale environment. In this paper, we describe the solution to this problem developed in the framework of the European DataGrid [M. Draoli, G. Mascari, R. Piccinelli, Project Presentation, DataGrid-11-NOT-0103-_1] and DataTAG [http://www.datatag.org/] projects: the Virtual Organization Membership Service (VOMS) [R. Alfieri, et al., Managing Dynamic User Communities in a Grid of Autonomous Resources, TUBT005, in: Proceedings of the CHEP 2003, 2003]. VOMS allows a fine grained control of the use of the resources both to the users' organizations and to the resource owners

Prognostic significance of endogenous adhesion/growth-regulatory lectins in lung cancer

Objective: To determine the expression of endogenous adhesion/growth-regulatory lectins and their binding sites using labeled tissue lectins as well as the binding profile of hyaluronic acid as an approach to define new prognostic markers. Methods: Sections of paraffin-embedded histological material of 481 lungs from lung tumor patients following radical lung excision processed by a routine immunohistochemical method (avidin-biotin labeling, DAB chromogen). Specific antibodies against galectins-1 and - 3 and the heparin-binding lectin were tested. Staining by labeled galectins and hyaluronic acid was similarly visualized by a routine protocol. After semiquantitative assessment of staining, the results were compared with the pT and pN stages and the histological type. Survival was calculated by univariate and multivariate methods. Results: Binding of galectin-1 and its expression tended to increase, whereas the parameters for galectin-3 decreased in advanced pT and pN stages at a statistically significant level. The number of positive cases was considerably smaller among the cases with small cell lung cancer than in the group with non-small-cell lung cancer, among which adenocarcinomas figured prominently with the exception of galectin-1 expression. Kaplan-Meier computations revealed that the survival rate of patients with galectin-3-binding or galectin-1-expressing tumors was significantly poorer than that of the negative cases. In the multivariate calculations of survival lymph node metastases ( p < 0.0001), histological type ( p = 0.003), galectin-3-binding capacity ( p = 0.01), galectin-3 expression ( p = 0.03) and pT status ( p = 0.003) proved to be independent prognostic factors, not correlated with the pN stage. Conclusion: The expression and the capacity to bind the adhesion/growth regulatory galectin-3 is defined as an unfavorable prognostic factor not correlated with the pTN stage. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel

Female nursing partner choice in a population of wild house mice (Mus musculus domesticus)

Background Communal nursing in house mice is an example of cooperation where females pool litters in the same nest and indiscriminately nurse own and other offspring despite potential exploitation. The direct fitness benefits associated with communal nursing shown in laboratory studies suggest it to be a selected component of female house mice reproductive behaviour. However, past studies on communal nursing in free-living populations have debated whether it is a consequence of sharing the same nest or an active choice. Here using data from a long-term study of free-living, wild house mice we investigated individual nursing decisions and determined what factors influenced a female’s decision to nurse communally. Results Females chose to nurse solitarily more often than expected by chance, but the likelihood of nursing solitarily decreased when females had more partners available. While finding no influence of pairwise relatedness on partner choice, we observed that females shared their social environment with genetically similar individuals, suggesting a female’s home area consisted of related females, possibly facilitating the evolution of cooperation. Within such a home area females were more likely to nest communally when the general relatedness of her available options was relatively high. Females formed communal nests with females that were familiar through previous associations and had young pups of usually less than 5 days old. Conclusions Our findings suggest that communal nursing was not a by-product of sharing the same nesting sites, but females choose communal nursing partners from a group of genetically similar females, and ultimately the decision may then depend on the pool of options available. Social partner choice proved to be an integrated part of cooperation among females, and might allow females to reduce the conflict over number of offspring in a communal nest and milk investment towards own and other offspring. We suggest that social partner choice may be a general mechanism to stabilize costly cooperation

Carbon nanotubes as electrically active nanoreactors for multi-step inorganic synthesis: sequential transformations of molecules to nanoclusters, and nanoclusters to nanoribbons

In organic synthesis, the composition and structure of products are predetermined by the reaction conditions; however, the synthesis of well-defined inorganic nanostructures often presents a significant challenge yielding non-stoichiometric or polymorphic products. In this study, confinement in the nanoscale cavities of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) provides a new approach for multi-step inorganic synthesis where sequential chemical transformations take place within the same nanotube. In the first step, SWNT donate electrons to the reactant iodine molecules (I2) transforming them to iodide anions (I-). These then react with metal hexacarbonyls (M(CO)6, M = Mo or W) in the next step yielding anionic nanoclusters [M6I14]2-, the size and composition of which are strictly dictated by the nanotube cavity, as demonstrated by aberration corrected high resolution transmission electron microscopy (AC-HRTEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. Atoms in the nanoclusters [M6I14]2- are arranged in a perfect octahedral geometry and can engage in further chemical reactions within the nanotube, either reacting with each other leading to a new polymeric phase of molybdenum iodide [Mo6I12]n, or with hydrogen sulphide gas giving rise to nanoribbons of molybdenum/tungsten disulphide [MS2]n in the third step of the synthesis. Electron microscopy measurements demonstrate that the products of the multi-step inorganic transformations are precisely controlled by the SWNT nanoreactor, with complementary Raman spectroscopy revealing the remarkable property of SWNT to act as a reservoir of electrons during the chemical transformation. The electron transfer from the host-nanotube to the reacting guest-molecules is essential for stabilising the anionic metal iodide 2 nanoclusters and for their further transformation to metal disulphide nanoribbons synthesised in the nanotubes in high yield

Spreadsheets for Analyzing and Optimizing Space Missions

XCALIBR (XML Capability Analysis LIBRary) is a set of Extensible Markup Language (XML) database and spreadsheet- based analysis software tools designed to assist in technology-return-on-investment analysis and optimization of technology portfolios pertaining to outer-space missions. XCALIBR is also being examined for use in planning, tracking, and documentation of projects. An XCALIBR database contains information on mission requirements and technological capabilities, which are related by use of an XML taxonomy. XCALIBR incorporates a standardized interface for exporting data and analysis templates to an Excel spreadsheet. Unique features of XCALIBR include the following: It is inherently hierarchical by virtue of its XML basis. The XML taxonomy codifies a comprehensive data structure and data dictionary that includes performance metrics for spacecraft, sensors, and spacecraft systems other than sensors. The taxonomy contains >700 nodes representing all levels, from system through subsystem to individual parts. All entries are searchable and machine readable. There is an intuitive Web-based user interface. The software automatically matches technologies to mission requirements. The software automatically generates, and makes the required entries in, an Excel return-on-investment analysis software tool. The results of an analysis are presented in both tabular and graphical displays

Consumer credit in comparative perspective

We review the literature in sociology and related fields on the fast global growth of consumer credit and debt and the possible explanations for this expansion. We describe the ways people interact with the strongly segmented consumer credit system around the world—more specifically, the way they access credit and the way they are held accountable for their debt. We then report on research on two areas in which consumer credit is consequential: its effects on social relations and on physical and mental health. Throughout the article, we point out national variations and discuss explanations for these differences. We conclude with a brief discussion of the future tasks and challenges of comparative research on consumer credit.Accepted manuscrip

International Veterinary Epilepsy Task Force recommendations for systematic sampling and processing of brains from epileptic dogs and cats

Traditionally, histological investigations of the epileptic brain are required to identify epileptogenic brain lesions, to evaluate the impact of seizure activity, to search for mechanisms of drug-resistance and to look for comorbidities. For many instances, however, neuropathological studies fail to add substantial data on patients with complete clinical work-up. This may be due to sparse training in epilepsy pathology and or due to lack of neuropathological guidelines for companion animals. The protocols introduced herein shall facilitate systematic sampling and processing of epileptic brains and therefore increase the efficacy, reliability and reproducibility of morphological studies in animals suffering from seizures. Brain dissection protocols of two neuropathological centres with research focus in epilepsy have been optimised with regards to their diagnostic yield and accuracy, their practicability and their feasibility concerning clinical research requirements. The recommended guidelines allow for easy, standardised and ubiquitous collection of brain regions, relevant for seizure generation. Tissues harvested the prescribed way will increase the diagnostic efficacy and provide reliable material for scientific investigations