A semi-lagrangian scheme for hamilton-jacobi-bellman equations on networks

We present a semi-Lagrangian scheme for the approximation of a class of Hamilton- Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equations on networks. The scheme is explicit, consistent, and stable for large time steps. We prove a convergence result and two error estimates. For an HJB equation with space-independent Hamiltonian, we obtain a first order error estimate. In the general case, we provide, under a hyperbolic CFL condition, a convergence estimate of order one half. The theoretical results are discussed and validated in a numerical tests section

Microlending: What Business Can Do To Facilitate Community-Based Growth

Billions of dollars have been expended in foreign assistance throughout the third world, with much of this aid being provided by the not-for-profit community. While frequently effective in facilitating short-term benefits, these projects often do not improve the continuing living conditions for the residents of the community.  Not-for-profits generally are in the business of short-term crisis relief; consequently, they do not have a focus on job provisions in the affected community that would increase their living standards in the long-term.  Entrepreneurs, on the other hand, are in the business of job creation, which not only provides long-term benefits for the entrepreneur, but also for the entire community.  Microlending, a term coined originally by Muhammad Yunus to describe very small loans made in third-world countries, has had an enormous impact on the lives of entrepreneurs, their families, and their communities.  Many not-for-profits may wish to employ the techniques illustrated by Yunus and other successful microlending institutions.  They may find the task overwhelming, however, without employing business professionals, whose services can be costly.  For not-for-profits who might be interested in starting such a program, this paper will describe the process of microlending, articulate methods of selecting a loan recipient, and show mechanisms for documenting a microloan

Tackling Strategies for Thriving Geoscience Departments

Special sessions on thriving geosciences departments and on cyberinfrastructure in the geosciences highlighted the recent 5th AGU Meeting of Heads and Chairs of Earth and Space Science Departments. The meeting was held in conjunction with the 14th meeting of the Heads and Chairs of Programs in Atmospheric, Oceanic, Hydrologic and Related Sciences, sponsored by the American Meteorological Society (AMS),and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). “From Surviving to Thriving: Strategies for Advancing University Geoscience Programs in Times of Change” was a topic that drew intense interest. This panel discussion, led by Don Wuebbles (University of Illinois), included panelists Eric Betterton (University of Arizona), Judy Curry (Georgia Institute of Technology), Heather MacDonald (College of William and Mary), and Jim Kirkpatrick (University of Illinois)

Massive Stars in the Range 13−25M⊙\rm 13-25 M_\odot: Evolution and Nucleosynthesis. II. the Solar Metallicity Models

We present the evolutionary properties of a set of massive stellar models (namely 13, 15, 20 and 25 $\rm M_\odot$) from the main sequence phase up to the onset of the iron core collapse. All these models have initial solar chemical composition, i.e. Y=0.285 and Z=0.02. A 179 isotope network, extending from neutron up to $\rm ^{68}Zn$ and fully coupled to the evolutionary code has been adopted from the Carbon burning onward. Our results are compared, whenever possible, to similar computations available in literature.Comment: 42 pages, 18 figures, 26 tables, accepted for publicatin in ApJ

Spettacoli festivi e manifestazioni effimere nella Valletta Barocca, 1566-1798

In this paper, the author describes baroque feasts and festivities in relation to the city of Valletta. Such feasts include the election of a new Grand Master, the laying of the first stone of Valletta, the celebration of Carnival, to religious feasts held throughout the streets of the city itself.peer-reviewe

Assessing interactions, predicting function, and increasing degradation potential of a PAH-degrading bacterial consortium by effect of an inoculant strain

A natural phenanthrene-degrading consortium CON was inoculated with an exogenous strain Sphingobium sp. (ex Sp. paucimobilis) 20006FA yielding the consortium called I-CON, in order to study ecological interactions into the bacterial community. DGGE and proteomic profiles and analyses by HTS (High-Throughput Sequencing) technologies demonstrated inoculant establishment and changes on CON composition. Inoculation increased degradation efficiency in I-CON and prevented intermediate HNA accumulation. This could be explained not only by the inoculation, but also by enrichment in Achromobacter genus at expense of a decrease in Klebsiella genus. After inoculation, cooperation between Sphingobium and Achromobacter genera were improved, thereby, some competition could have been generated, and as a consequence, species in minor proportion (cheaters), as Inquilinus sp. and Luteibacter sp., were not detected. Sequences of Sphingobium (corresponding to the inoculated strain) did not vary. PICRUSt predicted a network with bacterial phylotypes connected with enzymes, showing functional redundancy in the phenanthrene pathway, with exception of the first enzymes biphenyl-2,3-diol 1,2-dioxygenase and protocatechuate 4,5-dioxygenase that were only encoded in Sphingobium sp. This is the first report where a natural consortium that has been characterized by HTS technologies is inoculated with an exogenous strain in order to study competitiveness and interactions.Fil: Macchi, Marianela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales; ArgentinaFil: Festa, Sabrina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales; ArgentinaFil: Vega Vela, Nelson E.. Pontificia Universidad Javeriana; Colombia. Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano; ColombiaFil: Morelli, Irma Susana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales; ArgentinaFil: Coppotelli, Bibiana Marina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales; Argentin

Induction of annexin-1 during TRAIL-induced apoptosis in thyroid carcinoma cells

We investigated the expression of annexin-1 (ANXA1) in thyroid carcinoma cell lines and in thyroid cancers with a different degree of differentiation. The highest level of ANXA1 expression examined by Western blotting was detected in the papillary carcinoma cells (NPA) and in the follicular cells (WRO). On the other hand, the most undifferentiated thyroid carcinoma cells (ARO and FRO) presented the lowest level of ANXA1 expression. In surgical tissue specimens from 32 patients with thyroid cancers, we found high immunoreactivity for ANXA1 in papillary (PTC) and follicular (FTC) thyroid cancers while in undifferentiated thyroid cancers (UTC) the expression of the protein was barely detectable. Control thyroid tissue resulted positive for ANXA1. In summary, 70% of UTC examined weakly expressed ANXA1, whereas 65% of PTC or FTC specimens tested showed high expression of the protein. Thus ANXA1 expression may correlate with the tumorigenesis suggesting that the protein may represent an effective differentiation marker in thyroid cancer