Criminal Justice Act of 1964; State Malpractice Suit Against Appointed Counsel; Ferri v. Ackerman

The United States Supreme Court in Ferri v. Ackerman reversed the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and held that an attorney appointed by a federal judge to represent an indigent defendant in a federal criminal trial is not, as a matter of federal law, entitled to absolute immunity in a state malpractice suit brought against him by his former client. In a unanimous opinion, the Court decided that the function of appointed counsel is more closely analogous to that of private retained counsel, who enjoy no immunity from malpractice prosecution than to that of judges and prosecutors who have traditionally been accorded immunity at common law

Genetic Enhancers ofsem-5Define Components of the Gonad-Independent Guidance Mechanism Controlling Sex Myoblast Migration inCaenorhabditis elegansHermaphrodites

AbstractThe migrations of the sex myoblasts inCaenorhabditis eleganshermaphrodites involve two guidance mechanisms: a gonad-dependent attraction that confers precise positioning of the sex myoblasts and a gonad-independent mechanism that is sufficient for coarse positioning in the absence of the gonad (Thomaset al.,1990). Here we show that mutations inunc-53, unc-71,andunc-73disrupt sex myoblast positioning in the absence of the gonad, while they do not affect positioning in the presence of the gonad. Thus, mutations in these genes appear to compromise the gonad-independent mechanism without affecting motility or the gonad-dependent attraction. Mutations insem-5confer dramatic sex myoblast positioning defects in double mutant combinations withunc-53, unc-71,orunc-73mutations, even in the presence of the gonad. This suggests thatsem-5is required for the gonad-dependent attractive mechanism. Mutations inlet-60 rasandlet-341also confer sex myoblast migration defects in anunc-53background, implicating these genes in gonad-dependent positioning as well

Norspermidine is not a self-produced trigger for biofilm disassembly

SummaryFormation of Bacillus subtilis biofilms, consisting of cells encapsulated within an extracellular matrix of exopolysaccharide and protein, requires the polyamine spermidine. A recent study reported that (1) related polyamine norspermidine is synthesized by B. subtilis using the equivalent of the Vibrio cholerae biosynthetic pathway, (2) exogenous norspermidine at 25 μM prevents B. subtilis biofilm formation, (3) endogenous norspermidine is present in biofilms at 50–80 μM, and (4) norspermidine prevents biofilm formation by condensing biofilm exopolysaccharide. In contrast, we find that, at concentrations up to 200 μM, exogenous norspermidine promotes biofilm formation. We find that norspermidine is absent in wild-type B. subtilis biofilms at all stages, and higher concentrations of exogenous norspermidine eventually inhibit planktonic growth and biofilm formation in an exopolysaccharide-independent manner. Moreover, orthologs of the V. cholerae norspermidine biosynthetic pathway are absent from B. subtilis, confirming that norspermidine is not physiologically relevant to biofilm function in this species

Millimeter Wave Communications

Millimeter wave (mmWave) technologies promise to revolutionize wireless networks by enabling multi-gigabit data rates. However, they suffer from high attenuation, and hence have to use highly directional antennas to focus their power on the receiver. Existing radios have to scan the space to find the best alignment between the transmitter’s and receiver’s beams, a process that takes up to a few seconds. This delay is problematic in a network setting where the base station needs to quickly switch between users and accommodate mobile clients. We present Agile-Link, the first mmWave beam steering system that is demonstrated to find the correct beam alignment without scanning the space. Instead of scanning, Agile- Link hashes the beam directions using a few carefully chosen hash functions. It then identifies the correct alignment by tracking how the energy changes across different hash functions. Our results show that Agile-Link reduces beam steering delay by orders of magnitude.National Science Foundation (U.S.

Immunodepletion in xenotransplantation

Xenograft transplantation is perhaps the most immunologically difficult problem in transplantation today. An overwhelming hyperacute rejection reaction (HAR) occurs within minutes of organ implantation. Preformed antibodies are thought to initiate this process. We used a pig-to-dog renal xenograft transplant model and investigated methods of decreasing the severity of hyperacute rejection. Female pigs weighing 15-20 kg were used as donors. Recipients were mongrel dogs weighing 15-25 kg. Experimental dogs were all given a number of treatments of IgG depletion using an antibody removal system (Dupont-Excorim). This machine immunoadsorbs plasma against a column containing immobilized staphylococcal protein A, which is known to bind the IgG Fc receptor. An 84% reduction in the IgG levels and a 71% reduction in IgM levels was achieved. Postoperative assessment was made of urine output, time to onset of HAR, and histopathological examination of the rejected kidneys. Although cross-matches between donor lymphocytes and recipient sera remained strongly positive in the treated dogs, there was a two- to fourfold reduction in the titers. The time to onset of HAR was prolonged in the experimental group, and the urine output was increased slightly. The histopathologic changes in the experimental group generally showed signs of HAR, but of less intensity than in the nonimmunodepleted control group. © 1990 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or part not permitted

In vivo mutations in human blood cells: Biomarkers for molecular epidemiology

Mutations arising in vivo in recorder genes of human blood cells provide biomarkers for molecular epidemiology by serving as surrogates for cancer-causing genetic changes. Current markers include mutations of the glycophorin-A (GPA) or hemoglobin (Hb) genes, measured in red blood cells, or mutations of the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (hprt) or HLA genes, measured in T-lymphocytes. Mean mutant frequencies (variant frequencies) for normal young adults are approximately: Hb (4 x10-8) < hprt (5 x 10-6) = GPA (10 x 10-6) <HLA (30 x 10-6). Mutagen-exposed individuals show decided elevations. Molecular mutational spectra are also being defined. For the hprt marker system, about 15% of background mutations are gross structural alterations of the hprt gene (e.g., deletions); the remainder are point mutations (e.g., base substitutions or frameshifts). Ionizing radiations result in dose-related increases in total gene deletions. Large deletions may encompass several megabases as shown by co-deletions of linked markers. Possible hprt spectra for defining radiation and chemical exposures are being sought. In addition to their responsiveness to environmental mutagens/carcinogens, three additional findings suggest that the in vivo recorder mutations are relevant in vivo surrogates for cancer mutations. First, a large fraction of GPA and HLA mutations show exchanges due to homologous recombination, an important mutational event in cancer. Second, hprt mutations arise preferentially in dividing T-cells, which can accumulate additional mutations in the same clone, reminiscent of the multiple hits required in the evolution of malignancy. Finally, fetal hprt mutations frequently have characteristic deletions of hprt exons 2 and 3, which appear to be mediated by the VDJ recombinase that rearranges the T-cell receptor genes during thymic ontogeny. Illegitimate events such as these also appear to occur in human leukemias

Evaluación del consumo eléctrico en el sector residencial de Mar del Plata: propuestas de ahorro y eficiencia energética

La experiencia de los países desarrollados ha demostrado que el ahorro energético y la utilización racional de la energía son la base de la estrategia que pueden adoptar los países en desarrollo frente a un escenario de recursos energéticos limitados y con preocupaciones crecientes respecto a la protección del medio ambiente. A diferencia de lo que sucede a nivel nacional, el sector residencial en el Partido de General Pueyrredón, al cuál pertenece la ciudad de Mar del Plata, es el de mayor consumo de electricidad alcanzando el 36,88%. En este trabajo se analiza el consumo de energía eléctrica en el sector residencial de clase media en la ciudad de Mar del Plata a través de una encuesta y análisis de la facturación de electricidad a 61 familias durante el año 2011. Esto permitió diagnosticar la situación y seleccionar las estrategias de ahorro más adecuadas.The experience of developed countries has shown that energy saving and rational use of energy are the basis of the strategy can be adopted by developing countries against a backdrop of limited energy resources and increasing concerns about environmental protection environment. Unlike what happens at the national level, the residential sector in the Municipality of General Pueyrredon, to which belongs the city of Mar del Plata is the largest electricity consumption reaching 36.88%. This paper analyzes the energy consumption in the residential sector in the city of Mar del Plata through a survey and analysis of sales of electricity to 61 families in 2011. This allowed to diagnose the situation and select the most appropriate savings strategies.Asociación Argentina de Energías Renovables y Medio Ambiente (ASADES

Evaluación del consumo eléctrico en el sector residencial de Mar del Plata : Aspectos económicos y ambientales

Este trabajo es continuación del trabajo presentado en AS ADES 2012 donde se analizó el consumo de energía eléctrica en el sector residencial de la ciudad de Mar del Plata a través de una encuesta y análisis de la facturación de electricidad. Esto permitió diagnosticar la situación y seleccionar las estrategias de ahorro más adecuadas. En este trabajo se realiza un análisis económico comparando la situación actual con una futura que supone reemplazar las lámparas actualmente utilizadas en las viviendas encuestadas por la tecnología LED, el impacto ambiental que representa desechar las lámparas utilizadas en una vivienda a la basura y cuál sería el beneficio si se las dispusiera adecuadamente, así como también el CO2 que se evitaría enviar a la atmósfera.This paper is a continuation of work presented in ASADES 2012 which analyzed the energy consumption in the residential sector of the city of Mar del Plata through a survey and analysis of electricity billing. This allowed diagnose the situation and select the most appropriate savings strategies. In this paper an economic analysis comparing the current situation with a future that involves replacing the lamps currently used in the houses surveyed by LED technology, the environmental impact is disposing of lamps used in a home in the trash and what the benefit if properly willed them and also avoid sending CO2 into the atmosphere.Asociación Argentina de Energías Renovables y Medio Ambiente (ASADES