3D morphological reconstruction of oligodendrocyte precursor cells

Reconstruction of mouse cerebellar oligodendrocyte precursor cells. Cells in cultured brain slices were labeled using a recombinant viral vector encoding membrane targeted GFP. Cells were imaged using a spinning disk confocal microscope, and confocal images were then traced in 3D using NeuronStudio software

Medical Library Association Historical Marker to be Installed in Philadelphia

During 2015, its 117th anniversary year, MLA will celebrate a novel and permanent way of informing both residents and visitors to Philadelphia about the association. Several months ago, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission voted to approve the nomination of an official State Historical Marker to commemorate MLA\u27s founding in Philadelphia in 1898. The text of the marker will not be revealed until the marker\u27s dedication ceremony in keeping with the commission\u27s guidelines

Mortality in intensive care: The impact of bacteremia and the utility of systemic inflammatory response syndrome

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of bacteremia on intensive care unit (ICU) mortality and to develop a bacteremia prediction tool using systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria. Methods: Patients included those aged >18 years who had blood cultures taken in the ICU from January 1, 2011-December 31, 2013. Eligible patients were identified from microbiology records of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Scotland. Clinical and outcome data were gathered from ICU records. Patients with clinically significant bacteremia were matched to controls using propensity scores. SIRS criteria were gathered and used to create decision rules to predict the absence of bacteremia. The main outcome was mortality at ICU discharge. The utility of the decision tools was measured using sensitivity and specificity. Results: One hundred patients had a clinically significant positive blood culture and were matched to 100 controls. Patients with bacteremia had higher ICU mortality (odds ratio [OR], 2.35; P = .001) and longer ICU stay (OR, 17.0 vs 7.8 days; P ≤ .001). Of 1,548 blood culture episodes, 1,274 met ≥2 SIRS criteria (106 significant positive cultures and 1,168 negative cultures). There was no association between SIRS criteria and positive blood cultures (P = .11). A decision rule using 3 SIRS criteria had optimal predictive performance (sensitivity, 56%; specificity, 50%) but low accuracy. Conclusions: ICU patients with bacteremia have increased mortality and length of ICU stay. SIRS criteria cannot be used to identify patients at low risk of bacteremia

Soft-bottom benthic assemblages and levels of contaminants in sediments and biota at Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary and nearby shelf waters off the coast of Georgia (2000 and 2001)

A series of studies was initiated to assess the condition of benthic macroinfauna and chemical contaminant levels in sediments and biota of the Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS) and nearby shelf waters off the coast of Georgia. Four key objectives of the research are (1) to document existing environmental conditions within the sanctuary in order to provide a quantitative benchmark for tracking any future changes due to either natural or human disturbances; (2) to examine broader cross-shelf spatial patterns in benthic fauna and sediment contaminant concentrations and to identify potential controlling factors associated with the observed patterns; (3) to assess any between-year temporal variability in benthic fauna; and (4) to evaluate the importance of benthic fauna as prey for higher trophic levels. Such questions are being addressed to help fulfill long-term science and management goals of the GRNMS. However, it is anticipated that the information will be of additional value in broadening our understanding of the surrounding South Atlantic Bight (SAB) ecosystem and in bringing the knowledge to bear on related resourcemanagement issues of the region. We have begun to address the first three of these objectives with data from samples collected in spring 2000 at stations within GRNMS, and in spring 2001 at stations within the sanctuary and along three cross-shelf transects extending from the mouths of Sapelo, Doboy, and Altamaha Sounds out to sanctuary depths (about 17-20 m). This report provides a description of baseline conditions within the sanctuary, based on results of the spring 2000 survey (Section II), and uses data from both 2000 and 2001 to examine overall spatial and temporal patterns in biological and chemical variables within the sanctuary and surrounding inner-shelf environment (Section III). (PDF contains 65 pages

Poset structures in Boij-S\"oderberg theory

Boij-S\"oderberg theory is the study of two cones: the cone of cohomology tables of coherent sheaves over projective space and the cone of standard graded minimal free resolutions over a polynomial ring. Each cone has a simplicial fan structure induced by a partial order on its extremal rays. We provide a new interpretation of these partial orders in terms of the existence of nonzero homomorphisms, for both the general and the equivariant constructions. These results provide new insights into the families of sheaves and modules at the heart of Boij-S\"oderberg theory: supernatural sheaves and Cohen-Macaulay modules with pure resolutions. In addition, our results strongly suggest the naturality of these partial orders, and they provide tools for extending Boij-S\"oderberg theory to other graded rings and projective varieties.Comment: 23 pages; v2: Added Section 8, reordered previous section

KELT-23Ab: A Hot Jupiter Transiting a Near-solar Twin Close to the TESS and JWST Continuous Viewing Zones

We announce the discovery of KELT-23Ab, a hot Jupiter transiting the relatively bright (V = 10.3) star BD+66 911 (TYC 4187-996-1), and characterize the system using follow-up photometry and spectroscopy. A global fit to the system yields host-star properties of T_(eff)=5900±49K, M∗=0.945^(+0.060)_(−0.054)M⊙, R∗=0.995±0.015R⊙, L∗=1.082^(+0.051)_(−0.048)L⊙, logg∗=4.418^(+0.026)_(−0.025) (cgs), and [Fe/H]=−0.105±0.077. KELT-23Ab is a hot Jupiter with a mass of MP=0.938^(+0.045)_(−0.042)M_J, radius of R_P=1.322±0.025RJ, and density of ρ_P=0.504^(+0.038)_(−0.035) g cm^(−3). Intense insolation flux from the star has likely caused KELT-23Ab to become inflated. The time of inferior conjunction is T_0=2458149.40776±0.00091 BJD_(TDB) and the orbital period is P=2.255353^(+0.000031)_(−0.00003) days. There is strong evidence that KELT-23A is a member of a long-period binary star system with a less luminous companion, and due to tidal interactions, the planet is likely to spiral into its host within roughly a gigayear. This system has one of the highest positive ecliptic latitudes of all transiting planet hosts known to date, placing it near the Transiting Planet Survey Satellite and James Webb Space Telescope continuous viewing zones. Thus we expect it to be an excellent candidate for long-term monitoring and follow up with these facilities

Determinantal representations of hyperbolic plane curves: An elementary approach

If a real symmetric matrix of linear forms is positive definite at some point, then its determinant is a hyperbolic hypersurface. In 2007, Helton and Vinnikov proved a converse in three variables, namely that every hyperbolic plane curve has a definite real symmetric determinantal representation. The goal of this paper is to give a more concrete proof of a slightly weaker statement. Here we show that every hyperbolic plane curve has a definite determinantal representation with Hermitian matrices. We do this by relating the definiteness of a matrix to the real topology of its minors and extending a construction of Dixon from 1902. Like Helton and Vinnikov's theorem, this implies that every hyperbolic region in the plane is defined by a linear matrix inequality.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, minor revision

Between boundaries: a new border post at Beitbridge

Thesis (M.Arch. (Professional))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, School of Architecture and Planning, 2013.The current perception that engulfs borders and their posts is one of fear, apprehension and hostility. The essay seeks to formulate a new approach through which to view a border. Borders are places of cultural collision and richness, forming a type of hybrid, described best through the metaphor of theatre. This exploration is divided into three topics, namely security, immigration and the human experience, and culture and the border as theatre. Conceptual architectural projects by Lebbeus Woods, Office KGDVS and Rem Koolhaas are examples of how this thinking can be realised through architectural possibilities. It is therefore the intention of this thesis to express these ideas through the proposal of a new border post at Beitbridge, situated between South Africa and Zimbabwe. The development of no man’s land, or the ‘Space of Cultural Possibilities’ provides an opportunity to create a platform where the random encounters between travellers is encouraged. The transition from one country to another becomes a vibrant an unanticipated experience that seeks to shift the negative perception, built on fear, illegality and the questioning of one’s identity, to one that exposes the cultural richness of a place where multitudes of nationalities are filtered through a single gateway