Development of nonflammable coating for polycarbonate Final report

Sodium and potassium silicates applied to polycarbonates to provide nonflammable coating

Delayed kinetics of poliovirus RNA synthesis in a human cell line with reduced levels of hnRNP C proteins.

The hnRNP C heterotetramer [(C1(3))C2] binds RNA polymerase II transcripts in the nucleus, along with other proteins of the core hnRNP complex, and plays an important role in mRNA biogenesis and transport. Infection of HeLa cells with poliovirus causes hnRNP C to re-localize from the nucleus, where it is normally retained during interphase, to the cytoplasm. We have proposed that in the cytoplasm, the protein isoforms of hnRNP C participate in the recognition of viral specific RNAs by the poliovirus replication proteins and/or in the assembly of membrane-bound RNA replication complexes. In SK-OV-3 cells, which express reduced levels of hnRNP C compared to HeLa cells or 293 cells, the kinetics of poliovirus replication are delayed. hnRNP C is also re-localized from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in SK-OV-3 cells infected with poliovirus. Increased expression of hnRNP C in SK-OV-3 cells by transient transfection increases the rate of virus production and overall yield over that seen in mock-transfected cells. We propose that hnRNP C interacts with poliovirus RNA and replication proteins to increase the efficiency of viral genomic RNA synthesis

Bifurcations in nonlinear models of fluid-conveying pipes supported at both ends

Stationary bifurcations in several nonlinear models of fluid conveying pipes fixed at both ends are analyzed with the use of Lyapunov-Schmidt reduction and singularity theory. Influence of gravitational force, curvature and vertical elastic support on various properties of bifurcating solutions are investigated. In particular the conditions for occurrence of supercritical and subcritical bifurcations are presented for the models of Holmes, Thurman and Mote, and Paidoussis.Comment: to appear in Journal of Fluids and Structures; 6 figure

Faculty development in teaching and learning : the UK framework and current debates

Following the publication of a recent report, commissioned by the Higher Education Academy (HEA) and conducted by Staff and Educational Developers Association, this short paper considers the HEA UK Professional Standards Framework in the UK Higher Education Sector, in the context of recent and continuing debates about how best to support faculty professional development in teaching (and supporting learning). The need for a framework is briefly articulated, followed by a description of its main elements and a summary of recent evidence on its impact. A discussion of issues and (international) debates about the role of formal qualifications in delivering the kind of faculty development envisaged in the framework and aligned programmes is then presented. The paper concludes with some suggestions for research that arise from this review.PostprintPeer reviewe

High-redshift Cool-core Galaxy Clusters Detected via the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect in the South Pole Telescope Survey

We report the first investigation of cool-core properties of galaxy clusters selected via their Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect. We use 13 galaxy clusters uniformly selected from 178 deg2 observed with the South Pole Telescope (SPT) and followed up by the Chandra X-ray Observatory. They form an approximately mass-limited sample (>3 × 10^(14) M_☉ h^(–1)_(70)) spanning redshifts 0.3 0.5 cool-core clusters, including two strong cool cores. This rules out the hypothesis that there are no z > 0.5 clusters that qualify as strong cool cores at the 5.4σ level. The fraction of strong cool-core clusters in the SPT sample in this redshift regime is between 7% and 56% (95% confidence). Although the SPT selection function is significantly different from the X-ray samples, the high-z c_(SB) distribution for the SPT sample is statistically consistent with that of X-ray-selected samples at both low and high redshifts. The cool-core strength is inversely correlated with the offset between the brightest cluster galaxy and the X-ray centroid, providing evidence that the dynamical state affects the cool-core strength of the cluster. Larger SZ-selected samples will be crucial in understanding the evolution of cluster cool cores over cosmic time

Design Considerations for Factorial Adaptive Multi-Arm Multi-Stage (FAST) Clinical Trials

Multi-Arm, Multi-Stage (MAMS) clinical trial designs allow for multiple therapies to be compared across a spectrum of clinical trial phases. MAMS designs can be categorized into several overarching design groups, including adaptive designs (AD) and multi-arm (MA) designs. Factorial clinical trials designs represent an additional group of designs which can provide increased efficiency relative to fixed, traditional designs. In this work, we explore design choices associated with Factorial Adaptive Multi-Arm Multi-Stage (FAST) designs, which represent the combination of factorial and MAMS designs. This category of trial can potentially offer benefits similar to both MAMS and factorial designs. This work is motivated by a proposed clinical trial under development

A GLIMPSE into the Nature of Galactic Mid-IR Excesses

We investigate the nature of the mid-IR excess for 31 intermediate-mass stars that exhibit an 8 micron excess in either the Galactic Legacy Infrared Mid-Plane Survey Extraordinaire or the Mid-Course Space Experiment using high resolution optical spectra to identify stars surrounded by warm circumstellar dust. From these data we determine projected stellar rotational velocities and estimate stellar effective temperatures for the sample. We estimate stellar ages from these temperatures, parallactic distances, and evolutionary models. Using MIPS [24] measurements and stellar parameters we determine the nature of the infrared excess for 19 GLIMPSE stars. We find that 15 stars exhibit Halpha emission and four exhibit Halpha absorption. Assuming that the mid-IR excesses arise in circumstellar disks, we use the Halpha fluxes to model and estimate the relative contributions of dust and free-free emission. Six stars exhibit Halpha fluxes that imply free-free emission can plausibly explain the infrared excess at [24]. These stars are candidate classical Be stars. Nine stars exhibit Halpha emission, but their Halpha fluxes are insufficient to explain the infrared excesses at [24], suggesting the presence of a circumstellar dust component. After the removal of the free-free component in these sources, we determine probable disk dust temperatures of Tdisk~300-800 K and fractional infrared luminosities of L(IR)/L(*)~10^-3. These nine stars may be pre-main-sequence stars with transitional disks undergoing disk clearing. Three of the four sources showing Halpha absorption exhibit circumstellar disk temperatures ~300-400 K, L(IR)/L(*)~10^-3, IR colors K-[24]< 3.3, and are warm debris disk candidates. One of the four Halpha absorption sources has K-[24]> 3.3 implying an optically thick outer disk and is a transition disk candidate.Comment: 17 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap