6,103 research outputs found
CHEMICAL CONSPICUOUSNESS OF AN HERBIVORE TO ITS NATURAL ENEMY: EFFECT OF FEEDING SITE SELECTION
Seed Reserves in Desert Soils
Soil and litter samples were collected from the playa, playa fringe and bajada zones of the Jornada Validation Site. These samples were analyzed for their seed content, special attention being paid to spatial distribution. At the time of sampling, there was little litter on the soil surface, and the litter contained only a small proportion of the total seeds present
Enhanced Sensitivity Beam Emission Spectroscopy System for Nonlinear Turbulence Measurements
An upgraded Beam Emission Spectroscopy (BES) system has been deployed to
access low amplitude turbulence regions near internal transport barriers on the
DIII-D tokamak. Sixteen high sensitivity channels are being installed. A
significant increase in total signal to noise is achieved by: 1.) Increased
spatial volume sampling tailored to known turbulence characteristics; 2.) An
increased throughput spectrometer assembly to isolate the local beam
fluorescence, coupled to new large-area photoconductive photodiodes; 3.) A new
sharp edge interference filter designed to optimize detection of the beam
emission plus a significant fraction of the thermal deuterium charge exchange.
A new data acquisition system has been installed, providing an 8 times increase
in integration time or an increased sample rate. Preliminary results from the
upgraded system show a signal enhancement of greater than an order of
magnitude. A clear broadband density fluctuation signal is observed in H-mode
discharges with the upgraded BES system, demonstrating the significant
performance enhancement.Comment: HTPD-200
Tuning graphitic oxide for initiator- and metal-free aerobic epoxidation of linear alkenes
Graphitic oxide has potential as a carbocatalyst for a wide range of reactions. Interest in this material has risen enormously due to it being a precursor to graphene via the chemical oxidation of graphite. Despite some studies suggesting that the chosen method of graphite oxidation can influence the physical properties of the graphitic oxide, the preparation method and extent of oxidation remain unresolved for catalytic applications. Here we show that tuning the graphitic oxide surface can be achieved by varying the amount and type of oxidant. The resulting materials differ in level of oxidation, surface oxygen content and functionality. Most importantly, we show that these graphitic oxide materials are active as unique carbocatalysts for low-temperature aerobic epoxidation of linear alkenes in the absence of initiator or metal. An optimum level of oxidation is necessary and materials produced via conventional permanganate-based methods are far from optimal
Rehabilitation Therapy in Older Acute Heart Failure Patients (REHAB-HF) trial: Design and rationale.
BACKGROUND: Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is a leading cause of hospitalization in older persons in the United States. Reduced physical function and frailty are major determinants of adverse outcomes in older patients with hospitalized ADHF. However, these are not addressed by current heart failure (HF) management strategies and there has been little study of exercise training in older, frail HF patients with recent ADHF.
HYPOTHESIS: Targeting physical frailty with a multi-domain structured physical rehabilitation intervention will improve physical function and reduce adverse outcomes among older patients experiencing a HF hospitalization.
STUDY DESIGN: REHAB-HF is a multi-center clinical trial in which 360 patients ≥60 years hospitalized with ADHF will be randomized either to a novel 12-week multi-domain physical rehabilitation intervention or to attention control. The goal of the intervention is to improve balance, mobility, strength and endurance utilizing reproducible, targeted exercises administered by a multi-disciplinary team with specific milestones for progression. The primary study aim is to assess the efficacy of the REHAB-HF intervention on physical function measured by total Short Physical Performance Battery score. The secondary outcome is 6-month all-cause rehospitalization. Additional outcome measures include quality of life and costs.
CONCLUSIONS: REHAB-HF is the first randomized trial of a physical function intervention in older patients with hospitalized ADHF designed to determine if addressing deficits in balance, mobility, strength and endurance improves physical function and reduces rehospitalizations. It will address key evidence gaps concerning the role of physical rehabilitation in the care of older patients, those with ADHF, frailty, and multiple comorbidities
Low electronic conductivity of Li<sub>7</sub>La<sub>3</sub>Zr<sub>2</sub>O<sub>12</sub> solid electrolytes from first principles
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Imaging ATUM ultrathin section libraries with WaferMapper: a multi-scale approach to EM reconstruction of neural circuits
The automated tape-collecting ultramicrotome (ATUM) makes it possible to collect large numbers of ultrathin sections quickly—the equivalent of a petabyte of high resolution images each day. However, even high throughput image acquisition strategies generate images far more slowly (at present ~1 terabyte per day). We therefore developed WaferMapper, a software package that takes a multi-resolution approach to mapping and imaging select regions within a library of ultrathin sections. This automated method selects and directs imaging of corresponding regions within each section of an ultrathin section library (UTSL) that may contain many thousands of sections. Using WaferMapper, it is possible to map thousands of tissue sections at low resolution and target multiple points of interest for high resolution imaging based on anatomical landmarks. The program can also be used to expand previously imaged regions, acquire data under different imaging conditions, or re-image after additional tissue treatments
Inferring the time-dependent complex Ginzburg-Landau equation from modulus data
We present a formalism for inferring the equation of evolution of a complex
wave field that is known to obey an otherwise unspecified (2+1)-dimensional
time-dependent complex Ginzburg-Landau equation, given field moduli over three
closely-spaced planes. The phase of the complex wave field is retrieved via a
non-interferometric method, and all terms in the equation of evolution are
determined using only the magnitude of the complex wave field. The formalism is
tested using simulated data for a generalized nonlinear system with a
single-component complex wave field. The method can be generalized to
multi-component complex fields.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figure
Adenosine 2A receptor and TIM3 suppress cytolytic killing of tumor cells via cytoskeletal polarization
Tumors generate an immune-suppressive environment that prevents effective killing of tumor cells by CD8(+) cytotoxic T cells (CTL). It remains largely unclear upon which cell type and at which stage of the anti-tumor response mediators of suppression act. We have combined an in vivo tumor model with a matching in vitro reconstruction of the tumor microenvironment based on tumor spheroids to identify suppressors of anti-tumor immunity that directly act on interaction between CTL and tumor cells and to determine mechanisms of action. An adenosine 2A receptor antagonist, as enhanced by blockade of TIM3, slowed tumor growth in vivo. Engagement of the adenosine 2A receptor and TIM3 reduced tumor cell killing in spheroids, impaired CTL cytoskeletal polarization ex vivo and in vitro and inhibited CTL infiltration into tumors and spheroids. With this role in CTL killing, blocking A(2A)R and TIM3 may complement therapies that enhance T cell priming, e.g. anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4
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