Product Formulae for Ozsvath-Szabo 4-manifold Invariants

We give formulae for the Ozsvath-Szabo invariants of 4-manifolds X obtained by fiber sum of two manifolds M_1, M_2 along surfaces S_1, S_2 having trivial normal bundle and genus g>0. The formulae follow from a general theorem on the Ozsvath-Szabo invariants of the result of gluing two 4-manifolds along a common boundary, which is phrased in terms of relative invariants of the pieces. These relative invariants take values in a version of Heegaard Floer homology with coefficients in modules over certain Novikov rings; the fiber sum formula follows from the theorem that this "perturbed" version of Heegaard Floer theory recovers the usual Ozsvath-Szabo invariants, when the 4-manifold in question has b^+>1. The construction allows an extension of the definition of the Ozsvath-Szabo invariants to 4-manifolds having b^+ = 1 depending on certain choices, in close analogy with Seiberg-Witten theory. The product formulae lead quickly to calculations of the Ozsvath-Szabo invariants of various 4-manifolds; in all cases the results are in accord with the conjectured equivalence between the Ozsvath-Szabo and Seiberg-Witten invariants.Comment: 70 pages, 2 figure

Encouraging innovation

The second annual report of the Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA), Sir Mark Walport, looks at the power of forensic science and its many applications. The report draws on evidence provided by experts in several fields. It covers the use of forensic analysis within the criminal justice system through to the prevention, deterrence and detection of fraudulent products and services

Methods for generation of reporter phages and immobilization of active bacteriophages on a polymer surface

Novel reporter bacteriophages are provided. Provided are compositions and methods that allow bacteriophages that are used for specific detection or killing of E. coli 0157:H7 to be propagated in nonpathogenic E. coli, thereby eliminating the safety and security risks of propagation in E. coli 0157:H7. Provided are compositions and methods for attaching active bacteriophages to the surface of a polymer in order to kill target bacteria with which the phage comes into contact. Provided are modified bacteriophages immobilized to a surface, which capture E. coli 0157:H7 and cause the captured cells to emit light or fluorescence, allowing detection of the bacteria in a sample

Brain Trust: Students for Students: VCU to RPS Mentorship Program

As a public, urban research institution, Virginia Commonwealth University embraces the importance of developing university-community partnerships that generate innovative solutions to societal challenges and prepare engaged citizens of tomorrow. The Students for Students: VCU to RPS Mentorship Program provides a model that will connect current VCU students to current Richmond Public Schools (RPS) students through a formal, multi-year mentorship. The ultimate goal of this program is to support and positively influence RPS students, while providing current VCU students with an opportunity to give back to the community while developing their mentorship skills. The mentoring relationship will seek to motivate RPS sophomores, juniors and seniors to improve school performance, graduate on time, and craft a post-high school path

RETROCAM: A Versatile Optical Imager for Synoptic Studies

We present RETROCAM, an auxiliary CCD camera that can be rapidly inserted into the optical beam of the MDM 2.4m telescope. The speed and ease of reconfiguring the telescope to use the imager and a straightforward user interface permit the camera to be used during the course of other observing programs. This in turn encourages RETROCAM's use for a variety of monitoring projects.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, Accepted by A

Factors affecting the offer of pulmonary rehabilitation to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by primary care professionals : a qualitative study

Aim: To explore health professionals&rsquo; experiences of barriers and facilitators to referring patients for pulmonary rehabilitation in a primary care setting. Background: Pulmonary rehabilitation involves a multidisciplinary teamwork approach to improvingthe quality of life for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This study aimed to find out about health care professionals&rsquo; experiences when referring patients. Reports suggest that a health care professional&rsquo;s attitude towards a treatment affects the willingness of patients to accept advice. Methods: Five focus group interviews were undertaken with 21 health professionals from North Midlands, UK. Data were analysed using a thematic analysis drawing on the techniques of grounded theory.Findings: Chronic disease management has been delegated to Practice Nurses in many cases leaving some nurses feeling unsupported and some General Practitioners feeling deskilled. Problems with communication, a lack of adequate and timely local service provision, a difficult referral process, time pressures and lack of information were barriers to health care professionals making an offer of pulmonary rehabilitation. An explanatory model is proposed to describe how addressing barriers to referral may improve health care professionals views about pulmonary rehabilitation and therefore may mean that they present it in a more positive manner.<br /

Presentation of flight control design and handling quality commonality by separate surface stability augmentation for the family of commuter airplanes

The methodology and results for a flight control design and implementation for common handling qualities by Separate Surface Stability Augmentation (SSSA) for the family of commuter airplanes are contained. The open and closed loop dynamics and the design results of augmenting for common handling qualities are presented. The physical and technology requirements are presented for implementing the SSSA system. The conclusion of this report and recommendations for changes or improvement are discussed

The Sad1-UNC-84 homology domain in Mps3 interacts with Mps2 to connect the spindle pole body with the nuclear envelope

The spindle pole body (SPB) is the sole site of microtubule nucleation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae; yet, details of its assembly are poorly understood. Integral membrane proteins including Mps2 anchor the soluble core SPB in the nuclear envelope. Adjacent to the core SPB is a membrane-associated SPB substructure known as the half-bridge, where SPB duplication and microtubule nucleation during G1 occurs. We found that the half-bridge component Mps3 is the budding yeast member of the SUN protein family (Sad1-UNC-84 homology) and provide evidence that it interacts with the Mps2 C terminus to tether the half-bridge to the core SPB. Mutants in the Mps3 SUN domain or Mps2 C terminus have SPB duplication and karyogamy defects that are consistent with the aberrant half-bridge structures we observe cytologically. The interaction between the Mps3 SUN domain and Mps2 C terminus is the first biochemical link known to connect the half-bridge with the core SPB. Association with Mps3 also defines a novel function for Mps2 during SPB duplication