Capacity strengthening in malaria research: the Gates Malaria Partnership.

The Gates Malaria Partnership (GMP) includes five African and four European partner institutions. Its research programme has five priority areas involving an extensive range of field-based studies. GMP research has contributed significantly to the development of new research consortia investigating strategies for improving means of malaria control, and has already had an impact on policy and practice. A substantial investment in innovative training activities in malaria has enhanced knowledge and practice of malaria control at all levels from policy making to local community involvement. Capacity development, notably through a PhD programme, has been an underlying feature of all aspects of the programme

Development of a Radioimmunoassay for Pig Pancreatic Kallikrein

Peer Reviewe

Derivation of Internally-Consistent Thermodynamic Data by the Technique of Mathematical Programming: a Review with Application the System MgO-SiO2-H2O

The problem of deriving an optimal set of thermodynamic properties of minerals from a diverse experimental data base is reviewed and a preferred methodology proposed. Mathematical pro-gramming(MAP) methods extend the linear programming (LIP) approach first presented by Gordon (1973), and make it possible to account for the type of information conveyed, and the uncertainties attending both phase equilibrium data and direct measurements of phase properties. For phase equilibrium data which are (in most cases) characterized by non-normal error distributions across experimental brackets, the midpoint of a bracket is no more probable than other points, and the data are best treated by considering the inequality in the change in Gibbs free energy of reaction at each half-bracket. Direct measurements of phase properties can be assumed to have approximately normal error distributions, and the MAP technique optimizes agreement with these values by using the principles of least squares in the definition of an objective function. The structure of this problem, treatment of uncertainties in various types of experimental data, and method of optimizing final solutions are discussed in some detail. The method is applied to experimental data in the MgO-SiO2-H2O system, where inconsistencies among the data are resolved and an optimal set of thermodynamic properties is presented. The derived standard state entropies and volumes agree with all direct measurements (within their uncertainties), as do enthalpies of formation from the elements except for those of talc (+16 kJ mol−1), anthophyllite (+ 14 kJ mol−1), and brucite (−1 kJ mol−1). Stable phase relations in the system have the topology predicted by Greenwood (1963, 1971), with quartz- and forsterite-absent invariant points at 683 °C-6-4 kb and 797 °C-12 kb respectively, repeating at 552 °C-120 b and 550 °C-55 b. The thermodynamic analysis indicates little remaining flexibility in the phase relations, which, when combined with suitable activity models for solid solution, should allow for accurate determination of the conditions of metamorphism of ultramafic rock

Paris: The slightly altered, slightly metamorphosed CM that bridges the gap between CMs and Cos

A fresh, 1.3 kilo stone was found in Paris. It is a CM chondrite with metal, Fe-sulfide, FeS-rich PCPs and relict mesostasis and is ~3.0 ± 0.1. Petrographic and oxygen isotope evidence indicates that it has affinities with the CO chondrites

Circuit enhances vertical resolution in raster scanning systems

Circuit enhances vertical resolution in electron beam, raster scanning systems exhibiting aperture distortion in the vertical direction. A sensitized area /image/ produces a video output when the scan beam nears it, which causes vertical elongation in the reconstructed images of all sensitized areas on the surface

Seasonal abundance of small cladocerans in Lake Mangakaware, Waikato, New Zealand

The seasonal changes in the dynamics and life histories of the Cladocera in Lake Mangakaware, North Island, New Zealand, were studied over 19 months by sampling at weekly or 2-weekly intervals. Lake Mangakaware is a 13.3 ha polymictic lake with high nutrient status, low Secchi disc transparencies, and an unstable thermal regime. The four planktonic cladoceran species (Bosmina longirostris, B. meridionalis, Ceriodaphnia pulchella, and C. dubia) exhibited disjunct population maxima. Only B. longirostris was perennially present. All species exhibited low fecundities and low lipid content, indicating that food resources were limited and that competitive interactions and resistance to starvation were probably important in determining species success. Increases in body size in cooler seasons were unrelated to clutch size, giving further support for the view that available food was limited. These results are consistent with previous experimental findings that subtle differences in life history can determine seasonal success and the outcome of competition between similar species

Performance of an Operating High Energy Physics Data Grid: D0SAR-Grid

The D0 experiment at Fermilab's Tevatron will record several petabytes of data over the next five years in pursuing the goals of understanding nature and searching for the origin of mass. Computing resources required to analyze these data far exceed capabilities of any one institution. Moreover, the widely scattered geographical distribution of D0 collaborators poses further serious difficulties for optimal use of human and computing resources. These difficulties will exacerbate in future high energy physics experiments, like the LHC. The computing grid has long been recognized as a solution to these problems. This technology is being made a more immediate reality to end users in D0 by developing a grid in the D0 Southern Analysis Region (D0SAR), D0SAR-Grid, using all available resources within it and a home-grown local task manager, McFarm. We will present the architecture in which the D0SAR-Grid is implemented, the use of technology and the functionality of the grid, and the experience from operating the grid in simulation, reprocessing and data analyses for a currently running HEP experiment.Comment: 3 pages, no figures, conference proceedings of DPF04 tal

Classical and Quantum Equations of Motion for a BTZ Black String in AdS Space

We investigate gravitational collapse of a $(3+1)$-dimensional BTZ black string in AdS space in the context of both classical and quantum mechanics. This is done by first deriving the conserved mass per unit length of the cylindrically symmetric domain wall, which is taken as the classical Hamiltonian of the black string. In the quantum mechanical context, we take primary interest in the behavior of the collapse near the horizon and near the origin (classical singularity) from the point of view of an infalling observer. In the absence of radiation, quantum effects near the horizon do not change the classical conclusions for an infalling observer, meaning that the horizon is not an obstacle for him/her. The most interesting quantum mechanical effect comes in when investigating near the origin. First, quantum effects are able to remove the classical singularity at the origin, since the wave function is non-singular at the origin. Second, the Schr\"odinger equation describing the behavior near the origin displays non-local effects, which depend on the energy density of the domain wall. This is manifest in that derivatives of the wavefunction at one point are related to the value of the wavefunction at some other distant point.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure. Minor Clarification and corrections. Accepted for Publication in JHE

Controlling crystal symmetries in phase-field crystal models

We investigate the possibility to control the symmetry of ordered states in phase-field crystal models by tuning nonlinear resonances. In two dimensions, we find that a state of square symmetry as well as coexistence between squares and hexagons can be easily obtained. In contrast, it is delicate to obtain coexistence of squares and liquid. We develop a general method for constructing free energy functionals that exhibit solid-liquid coexistence with desired crystal symmetries. As an example, we develop a free energy functional for square-liquid coexistence in two dimensions. A systematic analysis for determining the parameters of the necessary nonlinear terms is provided. The implications of our findings for simulations of materials with simple cubic symmetry are discussed.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figure