Kinetics of A+B--->0 with Driven Diffusive Motion

We study the kinetics of two-species annihilation, A+B--->0, when all particles undergo strictly biased motion in the same direction and with an excluded volume repulsion between same species particles. It was recently shown that the density in this system decays as t^{-1/3}, compared to t^{-1/4} density decay in A+B--->0 with isotropic diffusion and either with or without the hard-core repulsion. We suggest a relatively simple explanation for this t^{-1/3} decay based on the Burgers equation. Related properties associated with the asymptotic distribution of reactants can also be accounted for within this Burgers equation description.Comment: 11 pages, plain Tex, 8 figures. Hardcopy of figures available on request from S

Serial interferon-gamma release assays during treatment of active tuberculosis in young adults

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The role of interferon-γ release assay (IGRA) in monitoring responses to anti-tuberculosis (TB) treatment is not clear. We evaluated the results of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-tube (QFT-GIT) assay over time during the anti-TB treatment of adults with no underlying disease.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We enrolled soldiers who were newly diagnosed with active TB and admitted to the central referral military hospital in South Korea between May 1, 2008 and September 30, 2009. For each participant, we preformed QFT-GIT assay before treatment (baseline) and at 1, 3, and 6 months after initiating anti-TB medication.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 67 eligible patients, 59 (88.1%) completed the study protocol. All participants were males who were human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative and had no chronic diseases. Their median age was 21 years (range, 20-48). Initially, 57 (96.6%) patients had positive QFT-GIT results, and 53 (89.8%), 42 (71.2%), and 39 (66.1%) had positive QFT-GIT results at 1, 3, and 6 months, respectively. The IFN-γ level at baseline was 5.31 ± 5.34 IU/ml, and the levels at 1, 3, and 6 months were 3.95 ± 4.30, 1.82 ± 2.14, and 1.50 ± 2.12 IU/ml, respectively. All patients had clinical and radiologic improvements after treatment and were cured. A lower IFN-γ level, C-reactive protein ≥ 3 mg/dl, and the presence of fever (≥ 38.3°C) at diagnosis were associated with negative reversion of the QFT-GIT assay.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although the IFN-γ level measured by QFT-GIT assay decreased after successful anti-TB treatment in most participants, less than half of them exhibited QFT-GIT reversion. Thus, the reversion to negativity of the QFT-GIT assay may not be a good surrogate for treatment response in otherwise healthy young patients with TB.</p

The First Very Long Baseline Interferometry Image of 44 GHz Methanol Maser with the KVN and VERA Array (KaVA)

We have carried out the first very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) imaging of 44 GHz class I methanol maser (7_{0}-6_{1}A^{+}) associated with a millimeter core MM2 in a massive star-forming region IRAS 18151-1208 with KaVA (KVN and VERA Array), which is a newly combined array of KVN (Korean VLBI Network) and VERA (VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry). We have succeeded in imaging compact maser features with a synthesized beam size of 2.7 milliarcseconds x 1.5 milliarcseconds (mas). These features are detected at a limited number of baselines within the length of shorter than approximately 650 km corresponding to 100 Mlambda in the uv-coverage. The central velocity and the velocity width of the 44 GHz methanol maser are consistent with those of the quiescent gas rather than the outflow traced by the SiO thermal line. The minimum component size among the maser features is ~ 5 mas x 2 mas, which corresponds to the linear size of ~ 15 AU x 6 AU assuming a distance of 3 kpc. The brightness temperatures of these features range from ~ 3.5 x 10^{8} to 1.0 x 10^{10} K, which are higher than estimated lower limit from a previous Very Large Array observation with the highest spatial resolution of ~ 50 mas. The 44 GHz class I methanol maser in IRAS 18151-1208 is found to be associated with the MM2 core, which is thought to be less evolved than another millimeter core MM1 associated with the 6.7 GHz class II methanol maser.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figure

Fabrication and current-voltage characterization of a ferroelectric lead zirconate titanate/AlGaN∕GaN field effect transistor

We demonstrated ferroelectricfield effect transistors (FFETs) with hysteretic I-V characteristics in a modulation-doped field effect transistors(MODFET)AlGaN∕GaN platform with ferroelectricPb(Zr,Ti)O3 between a GaN channel and a gate metal. The pinch-off voltage was about 6–7V comparable to that of conventional Schottky gate MODFET. Counterclockwise hysteresis appeared in the transfer characteristics with a drain current shift of ∼5mA for zero gate-to-source voltage. This direction is opposite and much more pronounced than the defect induced clockwise hysteresis in conventional devices, which suggests that the key factor contributing to the counterclockwise hysteresis of the FFET is the ferroelectric switching effect of the lead zirconate titanate gate

Functional role of aspartic proteinase cathepsin D in insect metamorphosis

BACKGROUND: Metamorphosis is a complex, highly conserved and strictly regulated development process that involves the programmed cell death of obsolete larval organs. Here we show a novel functional role for the aspartic proteinase cathepsin D during insect metamorphosis. RESULTS: Cathepsin D of the silkworm Bombyx mori (BmCatD) was ecdysone-induced, differentially and spatially expressed in the larval fat body of the final instar and in the larval gut of pupal stage, and its expression led to programmed cell death. Furthermore, BmCatD was highly induced in the fat body of baculovirus-infected B. mori larvae, suggesting that this gene is involved in the induction of metamorphosis of host insects infected with baculovirus. RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated BmCatD knock-down inhibited programmed cell death of the larval fat body, resulting in the arrest of larval-pupal transformation. BmCatD RNAi also inhibited the programmed cell death of larval gut during pupal stage. CONCLUSION: Based on these results, we concluded that BmCatD is critically involved in the programmed cell death of the larval fat body and larval gut in silkworm metamorphosis

Self-Consistent Model of Annihilation-Diffusion Reaction with Long-Range Interactions

We introduce coarse-grained hydrodynamic equations of motion for diffusion-annihilation system with a power-law long-range interaction. By taking into account fluctuations of the conserved order parameter - charge density - we derive an analytically solvable approximation for the nonconserved order parameter - total particle density. Asymptotic solutions are obtained for the case of random Gaussian initial conditions and for system dimensionality $d \geq 2$. Large-t, intermediate-t and small-t asymptotics were calculated and compared with existing scaling theories, exact results and simulation data.Comment: 22 pages, RevTEX, 1 PostScript figur

Propofol and Aminophylline Antagonize Each Other During the Mobilization of Intracellular Calcium in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells

This study examined whether propofol and aminophylline affect the mobilization of intracellular calcium in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Intracellular calcium was measured using laser scanning confocal microscopy. Cultured and serum-starved cells on round coverslips were incubated with propofol or aminophylline for 30 min, and then stimulated with lysophosphatidic acid, propofol and aminophylline. The results were expressed as relative fluorescence intensity and fold stimulation. Propofol decreased the concentration of intracellular calcium, whereas aminophylline caused increased mobilization of intracellular calcium in a concentration-dependent manner. Propofol suppressed the lysophosphatidic acid-induced mobilization of intracellular calcium in a concentration-dependent manner. Propofol further prevented the aminophylline-induced increase of intracellular calcium at clinically relevant concentrations. However, aminophylline reversed the inhibitory effect of propofol on the elevation of intracellular calcium by lysophosphatidic acid. Our results suggest that propofol and aminophylline antagonize each other on the mobilization of intracellular calcium in human umbilical vein endothelial cells at clinically relevant concentrations. Serious consideration should be given to how this interaction affects mobilization of intracellular calcium when these two drugs are used together

Transcriptome analysis of Dnmt3l knock-out mice derived multipotent mesenchymal stem/stromal cells during osteogenic differentiation

Multipotent mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) exhibit great potential for cell-based therapy. Proper epigenomic signatures in MSCs are important for the maintenance and the subsequent differentiation potential. The DNA methyltransferase 3-like (DNMT3L) that was mainly expressed in the embryonic stem (ES) cells and the developing germ cells plays an important role in shaping the epigenetic landscape. Here, we report the reduced colony forming ability and impaire

Cross-National Differences in Victimization : Disentangling the Impact of Composition and Context

Varying rates of criminal victimization across countries are assumed to be the outcome of countrylevel structural constraints that determine the supply ofmotivated o¡enders, as well as the differential composition within countries of suitable targets and capable guardianship. However, previous empirical tests of these ‘compositional’ and ‘contextual’ explanations of cross-national di¡erences have been performed upon macro-level crime data due to the unavailability of comparable individual-level data across countries. This limitation has had two important consequences for cross-national crime research. First, micro-/meso-level mechanisms underlying cross-national differences cannot be truly inferred from macro-level data. Secondly, the e¡ects of contextual measures (e.g. income inequality) on crime are uncontrolled for compositional heterogeneity. In this paper, these limitations are overcome by analysing individual-level victimization data across 18 countries from the International CrimeVictims Survey. Results from multi-level analyses on theft and violent victimization indicate that the national level of income inequality is positively related to risk, independent of compositional (i.e. micro- and meso-level) di¡erences. Furthermore, crossnational variation in victimization rates is not only shaped by di¡erences in national context, but also by varying composition. More speci¢cally, countries had higher crime rates the more they consisted of urban residents and regions with lowaverage social cohesion.