Global Stability of a Premixed Reaction Zone (Time-Dependent Liñan’s Problem)

Global stability properties of a premixed, three-dimensional reaction zone are considered. In the nonadiabatic case (i.e., when there is a heat exchange between the reaction zone and the burned gases) there is a unique, spatially one-dimensional steady state that is shown to be unstable (respectively, asymptotically stable) if the reaction zone is cooled (respectively, heated) by the burned mixture. In the adiabatic case, there is a unique (up to spatial translations) steady state that is shown to be stable. In addition, the large-time asymptotic behavior of the solution is analyzed to obtain sufficient conditions on the initial data for stabilization. Previous partial numerical results on linear stability of one-dimensional reaction zones are thereby confirmed and extended

The Development Of An Interactive Industry/Academic Power Engineering Education Program At The University Of Missouri-Rolla

This paper describes the development of a unique andinno-vative program in power engineering education enhanced through an Industry/Academic interrelationship. This program is devoted to both the teaching and the practice of power engineering. The development of the Industry/Academic relationship and its value as a model for power engineering education are related. A summary of present and proposed future activities concludes the report. Copyright © 1978 by The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc

Bostonia: The Boston University Alumni Magazine. Volume 10

Founded in 1900, Bostonia magazine is Boston University's main alumni publication, which covers alumni and student life, as well as university activities, events, and programs

Viewpoints of pedestrians with and without cognitive impairment on shared zones and zebra crossings

Background: Shared zones are characterised by an absence of traditional markers that segregate the road and footpath. Negotiation of a shared zone relies on an individual’s ability to perceive, assess and respond to environmental cues. This ability may be impacted by impairments in cognitive processing, which may lead to individuals experiencing increased anxiety when negotiating a shared zone. Method: Q method was used in order to identify and explore the viewpoints of pedestrians, with and without cognitive impairments as they pertain to shared zones. Results: Two viewpoints were revealed. Viewpoint one was defined by “confident users” while viewpoint two was defined by users who “know what [they] are doing but drivers might not”. Discussion: Overall, participants in the study would not avoid shared zones. Pedestrians with intellectual disability were, however, not well represented by either viewpoint, suggesting that shared zones may pose a potential barrier to participation for this group

Co-Expression of miRNA Targeting the Expression of PERK, but Not PKR, Enhances Cellular Immunity from an HIV-1 Env DNA Vaccine

Small non-coding micro-RNAs (miRNA) are important post-transcriptional regulators of mammalian gene expression that can be used to direct the knockdown of expression from targeted genes. We examined whether DNA vaccine vectors co-expressing miRNA with HIV-1 envelope (Env) antigens could influence the magnitude or quality of the immune responses to Env in mice. Human miR-155 and flanking regions from the non-protein encoding gene mirhg155 were introduced into an artificial intron within an expression vector for HIV-1 Env gp140. Using the miR-155-expressing intron as a scaffold, we developed novel vectors for miRNA-mediated targeting of the cellular antiviral proteins PKR and PERK, which significantly down-modulated target gene expression and led to increased Env expression in vitro. Finally, vaccinating BALB/c mice with a DNA vaccine vector delivering miRNA targeting PERK, but not PKR, was able to augment the generation of Env-specific T-cell immunity. This study provides proof-of-concept evidence that miRNA effectors incorporated into vaccine constructs can positively influence vaccine immunogenicity. Further testing of vaccine-encoded miRNA will determine if such strategies can enhance protective efficacy from vaccines against HIV-1 for eventual human use

The genome landscape of indigenous African cattle

Background: The history of African indigenous cattle and their adaptation to environmental and human selection pressure is at the root of their remarkable diversity. Characterization of this diversity is an essential step towards understanding the genomic basis of productivity and adaptation to survival under African farming systems. Results: We analyze patterns of African cattle genetic variation by sequencing 48 genomes from five indigenous populations and comparing them to the genomes of 53 commercial taurine breeds. We find the highest genetic diversity among African zebu and sanga cattle. Our search for genomic regions under selection reveals signatures of selection for environmental adaptive traits. In particular, we identify signatures of selection including genes and/ or pathways controlling anemia and feeding behavior in the trypanotolerant N’Dama, coat color and horn development in Ankole, and heat tolerance and tick resistance across African cattle especially in zebu breeds. Conclusions: Our findings unravel at the genome-wide level, the unique adaptive diversity of African cattle while emphasizing the opportunities for sustainable improvement of livestock productivity on the continent

The Astropy Project: Building an inclusive, open-science project and status of the v2.0 core package

The Astropy project supports and fosters the development of open-source and openly-developed Python packages that provide commonly-needed functionality to the astronomical community. A key element of the Astropy project is the core package Astropy, which serves as the foundation for more specialized projects and packages. In this article, we provide an overview of the organization of the Astropy project and summarize key features in the core package as of the recent major release, version 2.0. We then describe the project infrastructure designed to facilitate and support development for a broader ecosystem of inter-operable packages. We conclude with a future outlook of planned new features and directions for the broader Astropy project

Glycobiology of cell death: when glycans and lectins govern cell fate

Although one typically thinks of carbohydrates as associated with cell growth and viability, glycosylation also has an integral role in many processes leading to cell death. Glycans, either alone or complexed with glycan-binding proteins, can deliver intracellular signals or control extracellular processes that promote initiation, execution and resolution of cell death programs. Herein, we review the role of glycans and glycan-binding proteins as essential components of the cell death machinery during physiologic and pathologic settings.Fil: Lichtenstein, Rachel. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Faculty of Engineering. Department of Biotechnology Engineering; IsraelFil: Rabinovich, Gabriel Adrian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (i); Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Cs.exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Quimica Biologica; Argentin

Drivers of population structure of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea

The drivers of population differentiation in oceanic high dispersal organisms, have been crucial for research in evolutionary biology. Adaptation to different environments is commonly invoked as a driver of differentiation in the oceans, in alternative to geographic isolation. In this study, we investigate the population structure and phylogeography of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in the Mediterranean Sea, using microsatellite loci and the entire mtDNA control region. By further comparing the Mediterranean populations with the well described Atlantic populations, we addressed the following hypotheses: (1) bottlenose dolphins show population structure within the environmentally complex Eastern Mediterranean Sea; (2) population structure was gained locally or otherwise results from chance distribution of preexisting genetic structure; (3) strong demographic variations within the Mediterranean basin have affected genetic variation sufficiently to bias detected patterns of population structure. Our results suggest that bottlenose dolphin exhibits population structures that correspond well to the main Mediterranean oceanographic basins. Furthermore, we found evidence for fine scale population division within the Adriatic and the Levantine seas. We further describe for the first time, a distinction between populations inhabiting pelagic and coastal regions within the Mediterranean. Phylogeographic analysis suggests that current genetic structure, results mostly from stochastic distribution of Atlantic genetic variation, during a recent postglacial expansion. Comparison with Atlantic mtDNA haplotypes, further suggest the existence of a metapopulation across North Atlantic/Mediterranean, with pelagic regions acting as source for coastal environments