Simultaneous measurement of muon neutrino νμ\nu_\mu charged-current single π+\pi^+ production in CH, C, H2_2O, Fe, and Pb targets in MINERvA

Neutrino-induced charged-current single $\pi^+$ production in the $\Delta(1232)$ resonance region is of considerable interest to accelerator-based neutrino oscillation experiments. In this work, high statistics differential cross sections are reported for the semi-exclusive reaction $\nu_\mu A \to \mu^- \pi^+ +$ nucleon(s) on scintillator, carbon, water, iron, and lead targets recorded by MINERvA using a wide-band $\nu_\mu$ beam with \left \approx 6~GeV. Suppression of the cross section at low $Q^2$ and enhancement of low $T_\pi$ are observed in both light and heavy nuclear targets compared to phenomenological models used in current neutrino interaction generators. The cross-section ratios for iron and lead compared to CH across the kinematic variables probed are 0.8 and 0.5 respectively, a scaling which is also not predicted by current generators.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, 117 pages of supplementary material; submitted to Physical Review Letter

Safety and immunogenicity of the two-dose heterologous Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo Ebola vaccine regimen in children in Sierra Leone: a randomised, double-blind, controlled trial

Background—Children account for a substantial proportion of cases and deaths from Ebola virus disease. We aimed to assess the safety and immunogenicity of a two-dose heterologous vaccine regimen, comprising the adenovirus type 26 vector-based vaccine encoding the Ebola virus glycoprotein (Ad26.ZEBOV) and the modified vaccinia Ankara vectorbased vaccine, encoding glycoproteins from the Ebola virus, Sudan virus, and Marburg virus, and the nucleoprotein from the Tai Forest virus (MVA-BN-Filo), in a paediatric population in Sierra Leone. Methods—This randomised, double-blind, controlled trial was done at three clinics in Kambia district, Sierra Leone. Healthy children and adolescents aged 1–17 years were enrolled in three age cohorts (12–17 years, 4–11 years, and 1–3 years) and randomly assigned (3:1), via computer-generated block randomisation (block size of eight), to receive an intramuscular injection of either Ad26.ZEBOV (5 × 1010 viral particles; first dose) followed by MVA-BN-Filo (1 × 108 infectious units; second dose) on day 57 (Ebola vaccine group), or a single dose of meningococcal quadrivalent (serogroups A, C, W135, and Y) conjugate vaccine (MenACWY; first dose) followed by placebo (second dose) on day 57 (control group). Study team personnel (except for those with primary responsibility for study vaccine preparation), participants, and their parents or guardians were masked to study vaccine allocation. The primary outcome was safety, measured as the occurrence of solicited local and systemic adverse symptoms during 7 days after each vaccination, unsolicited systemic adverse events during 28 days after each vaccination, abnormal laboratory results during the study period, and serious adverse events or immediate reportable events throughout the study period. The secondary outcome was immunogenicity (humoral immune response), measured as the concentration of Ebola virus glycoprotein-specific binding antibodies at 21 days after the second dose. The primary outcome was assessed in all participants who had received at least one dose of study vaccine and had available reactogenicity data, and immunogenicity was assessed in all participants who had received both vaccinations within the protocol-defined time window, had at least one evaluable post-vaccination sample, and had no major protocol deviations that could have influenced the immune response. This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02509494. Findings—From April 4, 2017, to July 5, 2018, 576 eligible children or adolescents (192 in each of the three age cohorts) were enrolled and randomly assigned. The most common solicited local adverse event during the 7 days after the first and second dose was injection-site pain in all age groups, with frequencies ranging from 0% (none of 48) of children aged 1–3 years after placebo injection to 21% (30 of 144) of children aged 4–11 years after Ad26.ZEBOV vaccination. The most frequently observed solicited systemic adverse event during the 7 days was headache in the 12–17 years and 4–11 years age cohorts after the first and second dose, and pyrexia in the 1–3 years age cohort after the first and second dose. The most frequent unsolicited adverse event after the first and second dose vaccinations was malaria in all age cohorts, irrespective of the vaccine types. Following vaccination with MenACWY, severe thrombocytopaenia was observed in one participant aged 3 years. No other clinically significant laboratory abnormalities were observed in other study participants, and no serious adverse events related to the Ebola vaccine regimen were reported. There were no treatment-related deaths. Ebola virus glycoprotein-specific binding antibody responses at 21 days after the second dose of the Ebola virus vaccine regimen were observed in 131 (98%) of 134 children aged 12–17 years (9929 ELISA units [EU]/mL [95% CI 8172–12 064]), in 119 (99%) of 120 aged 4–11 years (10 212 EU/mL [8419–12 388]), and in 118 (98%) of 121 aged 1–3 years (22 568 EU/mL [18 426–27 642]). Interpretation—The Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo Ebola vaccine regimen was well tolerated with no safety concerns in children aged 1–17 years, and induced robust humoral immune responses, suggesting suitability of this regimen for Ebola virus disease prophylaxis in children

Safety and long-term immunogenicity of the two-dose heterologous Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo Ebola vaccine regimen in adults in Sierra Leone: a combined open-label, non-randomised stage 1, and a randomised, double-blind, controlled stage 2 trial

Background The Ebola epidemics in west Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo highlight an urgent need for safe and effective vaccines to prevent Ebola virus disease. We aimed to assess the safety and long-term immunogenicity of a two-dose heterologous vaccine regimen, comprising the adenovirus type 26 vector-based vaccine encoding the Ebola virus glycoprotein (Ad26.ZEBOV) and the modified vaccinia Ankara vector-based vaccine, encoding glycoproteins from Ebola virus, Sudan virus, and Marburg virus, and the nucleoprotein from the Tai Forest virus (MVA-BN-Filo), in Sierra Leone, a country previously affected by Ebola. Methods The trial comprised two stages: an open-label, non-randomised stage 1, and a randomised, double-blind, controlled stage 2. The study was done at three clinics in Kambia district, Sierra Leone. In stage 1, healthy adults (aged ≥18 years) residing in or near Kambia district, received an intramuscular injection of Ad26.ZEBOV (5×1010 viral particles) on day 1 (first dose) followed by an intramuscular injection of MVA-BN-Filo (1×108 infectious units) on day 57 (second dose). An Ad26.ZEBOV booster vaccination was offered at 2 years after the first dose to stage 1 participants. The eligibility criteria for adult participants in stage 2 were consistent with stage 1 eligibility criteria. Stage 2 participants were randomly assigned (3:1), by computer-generated block randomisation (block size of eight) via an interactive web-response system, to receive either the Ebola vaccine regimen (Ad26.ZEBOV followed by MVA-BN-Filo) or an intramuscular injection of a single dose of meningococcal quadrivalent (serogroups A, C, W135, and Y) conjugate vaccine (MenACWY; first dose) followed by placebo on day 57 (second dose; control group). Study team personnel, except those with primary responsibility for study vaccine preparation, and participants were masked to study vaccine allocation. The primary outcome was the safety of the Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo vaccine regimen, which was assessed in all participants who had received at least one dose of study vaccine. Safety was assessed as solicited local and systemic adverse events occurring in the first 7 days after each vaccination, unsolicited adverse events occurring in the first 28 days after each vaccination, and serious adverse events or immediate reportable events occurring up to each participant’s last study visit. Secondary outcomes were to assess Ebola virus glycoprotein-specific binding antibody responses at 21 days after the second vaccine in a per-protocol set of participants (ie, those who had received both vaccinations within the protocol-defined time window, had at least one evaluable post-vaccination sample, and had no major protocol deviations that could have influenced the immune response) and to assess the safety and tolerability of the Ad26.ZEBOV booster vaccination in stage 1 participants who had received the booster dose. This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02509494. Findings Between Sept 30, 2015, and Oct 19, 2016, 443 participants (43 in stage 1 and 400 in stage 2) were enrolled; 341 participants assigned to receive the Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo regimen and 102 participants assigned to receive the MenACWY and placebo regimen received at least one dose of study vaccine. Both regimens were well tolerated with no safety concerns. In stage 1, solicited local adverse events (mostly mild or moderate injection-site pain) were reported in 12 (28%) of 43 participants after Ad26.ZEBOV vaccination and in six (14%) participants after MVA-BN-Filo vaccination. In stage 2, solicited local adverse events were reported in 51 (17%) of 298 participants after Ad26.ZEBOV vaccination, in 58 (24%) of 246 after MVA-BN-Filo vaccination, in 17 (17%) of 102 after MenACWY vaccination, and in eight (9%) of 86 after placebo injection. In stage 1, solicited systemic adverse events were reported in 18 (42%) of 43 participants after Ad26.ZEBOV vaccination and in 17 (40%) after MVA-BN-Filo vaccination. In stage 2, solicited systemic adverse events were reported in 161 (54%) of 298 participants after Ad26.ZEBOV vaccination, in 107 (43%) of 246 after MVA-BN-Filo vaccination, in 51 (50%) of 102 after MenACWY vaccination, and in 39 (45%) of 86 after placebo injection. Solicited systemic adverse events in both stage 1 and 2 participants included mostly mild or moderate headache, myalgia, fatigue, and arthralgia. The most frequent unsolicited adverse event after the first dose was headache in stage 1 and malaria in stage 2. Malaria was the most frequent unsolicited adverse event after the second dose in both stage 1 and 2. No serious adverse event was considered related to the study vaccine, and no immediate reportable events were observed. In stage 1, the safety profile after the booster vaccination was not notably different to that observed after the first dose. Vaccine-induced humoral immune responses were observed in 41 (98%) of 42 stage 1 participants (geometric mean binding antibody concentration 4784 ELISA units [EU]/mL [95% CI 3736–6125]) and in 176 (98%) of 179 stage 2 participants (3810 EU/mL [3312–4383]) at 21 days after the second vaccination. Interpretation The Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo vaccine regimen was well tolerated and immunogenic, with persistent humoral immune responses. These data support the use of this vaccine regimen for Ebola virus disease prophylaxis in adults

Application of 3D Printed Casting Models for Disamatch Forming Method

This paper presents results of a research on the possibilities of applying 3D printed casting models for small production series as alternative to traditional tooling production on automated DisaMatch mould production lines. The main task was to verify and compare the dimensions of the 3D printed models before and after moulding process. The paper discusses main advantages and disadvantages of the 3D printing methods used like FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling)/FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication), SLA (stereolitography) and DPP (Daylight Polymer Printing). Measurement of casting model outside dimension change resulting from moulding sand friction on their surface was made with the use of GOM INSPECT software on the basis of 3D scans made with ATOS TripleScan optical scanner. Hardness of 3D printed models made of ABS, Z-ULTRAT, three different photopolymer resins (from FormLab and Liquid Crystal companies) was verified. The result of the research printed models usability for the foundry industry was presented

Resource-Constrained Synchrony: Kuramoto Oscillators Competing for Shared Resources

Many systems of biological interest exhibit oscillatory behavior, from the beating of a heart to the firing of neurons to the flashing of fireflies. Further, these oscillatory agents are rarely isolated from one another, and so may interact with one another. In the presence of such interactions, one possible outcome is synchronization of the oscillatory motions. Such synchrony may be observed in the simultaneous flashing of a great many fireflies, or the simultaneous firing of many neurons during an epileptic seizure. A classic model that captures this synchronization is the Kuramoto model. However, the Kuramoto model is a toy model, and thus much work has been directed to extending the model by introducing additional dynamics. In the dissertation, we will present two extensions of the Kuramoto model that make it more appropriate to the study or neural systems. The first extension will add a resource dependence to the Kuramoto dynamics, making the internal dynamics of the oscillators more complex, and thereby introducing novel phases into the Kuramoto phase diagram (Chapter 2). The next extension will allow the oscillators to compete for a shared supply of resources, creating a secondary avenue of communication between the oscillators (Chapter 4). This additional communication pathway will generate correlations in behavior, which may have some relevance for the differences observed between functional and structural connectivity measures in the brain. These two studies serve to elucidate some interesting results on the dynamics of Kuramoto oscillators competing for shared resources, and so serve as my primary contribution to the study of the physics of synchronizable systems. Further, as a scientist-educator, I am also interested in and committed to the education of young physicists, and so I have pursued a separate line of inquiry that studies the learning of students in a cross-disciplinary network-neuroscience course using the tool of concept networks (Chapter 6). We will find that student-drawn concept networks are a useful tool in studying the learning process at a high level, but that more thought needs to be put toward optimizing the collection task in order to bring out the full power of this tool. Collectively, these three studies --- two in the physics of dynamical systems and one in education --- have enabled me to develop in my role as a scientist-educator

Open Atlas of Defects as a Supporting Knowledge Base for Cast Iron Defects Analysis

A significant development of the foundry industry contributes to the creation of high reliability and operational strength castings so that they meet specific standards in accordance with customers’ needs. This technology, however, is inseparably connected with casting defects in finished products. Cast products are subject to various defects which are considered acceptable or not, which is conditioned by the alloy chemical composition and strength characteristics, that is, generally – qualities to be agreed between the foundry and the customer. It is the latter that led the authors to research on designing a tool enabling the most reliable possible assessment of the emerging casting defects, which after proper consultations can be repaired and the casting – sold. The paper presents an original tool named the Open Atlas of Defects (OAD), developed for the last few years to support the evaluation of cast iron defects using Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) casting defects analysis tools (DCC card – Demerit Control Chart, Pareto-Lorenz analysis and ABC analysis). The OAD tool structure was presented as an integral part of the original system module for acquisition and data mining (A&DM) in conjunction with the possibilities of using selected tools for defect analysis support on the example of cast iron casting

The use of glycosaminoglycans in cosmetic products

Glikozaminoglikany (GAG) są bogato reprezentowanymi składnikami macierzy międzykomórkowej, odgrywającej istotną rolę w funkcjonowaniu tkanek. Związki te należą do grupy hetero polisacharydów. Składają się z aminocukru oraz kwasu uronowego. Większość GAG tworzy kowalencyjne wiązania z białkami tworząc w efekcie proteoglikany. Obecność w strukturze tych związków dużej ilości grup -OH oraz ładunków ujemnych sprawia, że wykazują one zdolność wiązania dużej ilości cząsteczek wody oraz pęcznienia. Ze względu na te właściwości glikozaminoglikany są szeroko stosowanymi składnikami preparatów kosmetycznych, w których wykazują przede wszystkim aktywność nawilżającą, przyczyniając się jednocześnie do poprawy jędrności i elastyczności skóry.Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are richly represented components of connective tissue, matrix which plays an important role in the functioning of tissues. These compounds belong to the group heteropolysaccharides, and they occur as long chains of repeated disaccharide units, consisting of amino sugar and uronic acid. Most of GAGs form covalent bonds with proteins to produce proteoglycans in effect. Because of the presence of a large number of -OH groups and negative charge, GAGs are capable of binding great numbers of water molecules inducing the effect of swelling. For this reason GAGs are widely used cosmetic ingredients responsible for moisturizing effect, while contributing to the improvement of skin firmness and elasticity

Synchronization of coupled Kuramoto oscillators competing for resources

Populations of oscillators are present throughout nature. Very often synchronization is observed in such populations if they are allowed to interact. A paradigmatic model for the study of such phenomena has been the Kuramoto model. However, considering real oscillations are rarely isochronous as a function of energy, it is natural to extend the model by allowing the natural frequencies to vary as a function of some dynamical resource supply. Beyond just accounting for a dynamical supply of resources, however, competition over a \emph{shared} resource supply is important in a variety of biological systems. In neuronal systems, for example, resource competition enables the study of neural activity via fMRI. It is reasonable to expect that this dynamical resource allocation should have consequences for the synchronization behavior of the brain. This paper presents a modified Kuramoto dynamics which includes additional dynamical terms that provide a relatively simple model of resource competition among populations of Kuramoto oscillators. We design a mutlilayer system which highlights the impact of the competition dynamics, and we show that in this designed system, correlations can arise between the synchronization states of two populations of oscillators which share no phase-coupling edges. These correlations are interesting in light of the often observed variance between functional and structural connectivity measures in real systems. The model presented here then suggests that some of the observed discrepancy may be explained by the way in which the brain dynamically allocates resources to different regions according to demand. If true, models such as this one provide a theoretical framework for analyzing the differences between structural and functional measures, and possibly implicate dynamical resource allocation as an integral part of the neural computation process.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure