Involution products in Coxeter groups

For W a Coxeter group, let = {w ∈ W | w = xy where x, y ∈ W and x 2 = 1 = y 2}. It is well known that if W is finite then W = . Suppose that w ∈ . Then the minimum value of ℓ(x) + ℓ(y) – ℓ(w), where x, y ∈ W with w = xy and x 2 = 1 = y 2, is called the excess of w (ℓ is the length function of W). The main result established here is that w is always W-conjugate to an element with excess equal to zero

Technology as an economic catalyst in rural and depressed places in Massachusetts

This paper uses case studies, including two cities (Lynn and New Bedford), a sub-city district (Roxbury) and two towns in rural Franklin County (Greenfield and Orange), to examine the role of technology as a potential economic catalyst in rural and depressed places in Massachusetts. Though the five target areas vary in size, density, geographic area, demographic characteristics and economic resources, each exhibits chronic patterns of economic distress related to the decline of manufacturing, construction and other key industries

Voyager 1 imaging and IRIS observations of Jovian methane absorption and thermal emission: Implications for cloud structure

Images from three filters of the Voyager 1 wide angle camera are used to measure the continuum reflectivity and spectral gradient near 6000 A and the 6190 A band methane/continuum ratio for a variety of cloud features in Jupiter's atmosphere. The dark barge features in the North Equatorial Belt have anomalously strong positive continuum spectral gradients suggesting unique composition. Methane absorption is shown at unprecedented spatial scales for the Great Red Spot and its immediate environment, for a dark barge feature in the North Equatorial Belt, and for two hot spot and plume regions in the North Equatorial Belt. Methane absorption and five micrometer emission are correlated in the vicinity of the Great Red Spot but are anticorrelated in one of the plume hot spot regions. Methane absorption and simultaneous maps of five micrometer brightness temperature is quantitatively compared to realistic cloud structure models which include multiple scattering at five micrometer as well as in the visible. Variability in H2 quadrupole lines are also investigated

A wireless multi-sensor subglacial probe: design and preliminary results

This paper introduces a new way to investigate in situ processes, the wireless multi-sensor probe, as part of an environmental sensor network. Instruments are housed within a 'probe' which can move freely and so behave like a clast. These were deployed in the ice and till at Briksdalsbreen, Norway. The sensors measure temperature, resistivity, case stress, tilt angle and water pressure and send their data to a base station on the glacier surface via radio links. These data are then forwarded by radio to a reference station with mains power 2.5 km away, from where they are sent to a web server in the UK. The system deployed during 2004/05 was very successful and a total of 859 probe days worth of data from the ice and till were collected, along with GPS, weather and diagnostic data about the system

Loss of redundant gene expression after polyploidization in plants

Based on chromosomal location data of genes encoding 28 biochemical systems in allohexaploid wheat,Triticum aestivum L. (genomes AABBDD), it is concluded that the proportions of systems controlled by triplicate, duplicate, and single loci are 57%, 25%, and 18% respectively

Structure maps for hcp metals from first principles calculations

The ability to predict the existence and crystal type of ordered structures of materials from their components is a major challenge of current materials research. Empirical methods use experimental data to construct structure maps and make predictions based on clustering of simple physical parameters. Their usefulness depends on the availability of reliable data over the entire parameter space. Recent development of high throughput methods opens the possibility to enhance these empirical structure maps by {\it ab initio} calculations in regions of the parameter space where the experimental evidence is lacking or not well characterized. In this paper we construct enhanced maps for the binary alloys of hcp metals, where the experimental data leaves large regions of poorly characterized systems believed to be phase-separating. In these enhanced maps, the clusters of non-compound forming systems are much smaller than indicated by the empirical results alone.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl

Voltage controlling mechanisms in low resistivity silicon solar cells: A unified approach

An experimental technique capable of resolving the dark saturation current into its base and emitter components is used as the basis of an analysis in which the voltage limiting mechanisms were determined for a variety of high voltage, low resistivity silicon solar cells. The cells studied include the University of Florida hi-low emitter cell, the NASA and the COMSAT multi-step diffused cells, the Spire Corporation ion-implanted emitter cell, and the University of New South Wales MINMIS and MINP cells. The results proved to be, in general, at variance with prior expectations. Most surprising was the finding that the MINP and the MINMIS voltage improvements are due, to a considerable extent, to a previously unrecognized optimization of the base component of the saturation current. This result is substantiated by an independent analysis of the material used to fabricate these devices

Bleomycin increases neutrophil adhesion to human vascular endothelial cells independently of upregulation of ICAM-1 and E-selectin

© 2016 Taylor & Francis. Aim of the Study: Bleomycin-induced lung disease is a serious complication of therapy characterized by alveolar injury, cytokine release, inflammatory cell recruitment, and eventually pulmonary fibrosis. The mechanisms underlying bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis may be relevant to other progressive scarring diseases of the lungs. Pulmonary vascular endothelial cells are critically involved in immune cell extravasation at sites of injury through adhesion molecule expression and cytokine release. We sought to determine the effects of bleomycin on adhesion molecule expression and cytokine release by pulmonary vascular endothelial cells, and their functional relevance to inflammatory cell recruitment. Materials and Methods: The effects of pharmacologically relevant concentrations of bleomycin on adhesion molecule expression and cytokine release by human vascular endothelial cells in vitro were studied by flow cytometry, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A flow chamber model was used to assess the functional consequences on adhesion of flowing human neutrophils to endothelial cell monolayers. Results: Bleomycin increased intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1; CD54), vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1; CD106), and E-selectin (CD62E) expression, and increased monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) and interleukin (IL-8) release by endothelial cells. Increases in protein expression were accompanied by increased mRNA transcription. In contrast, there was no direct effect of bleomycin on the profibrotic cytokines transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB), or endothelin-1. Under flow conditions, endothelial cells exposed to bleomycin supported increased neutrophil adhesion which was independent of ICAM-1 or E-selectin. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that bleomycin promotes endothelial-mediated inflammation and neutrophil adhesion. These mechanisms may contribute to the development of pulmonary fibrosis by supporting immune cell recruitment in the lungs

Study protocol: Delayed intervention randomised controlled trial within the Medical Research Council (MRC) Framework to assess the effectiveness of a new palliative care service

Background: Palliative care has been proposed to help meet the needs of patients who suffer progressive non-cancer conditions but there have been few evaluations of service development initiatives. We report here a novel protocol for the evaluation of a new palliative care service in this context. Methods/Design: Using the MRC Framework for the Evaluation of Complex Interventions we modelled a new palliative care and neurology service for patients severely affected by Multiple Sclerosis (MS). We conducted qualitative interviews with patients, families and staff, plus a literature review to model and pilot the service. Then we designed a delayed intervention randomised controlled trial to test its effectiveness as part of phase II of the MRC framework. Inclusion criteria for the trial were patients identified by referring clinicians as having unresolved symptoms or psychological concerns. Referrers were advised to use a score of greater than 8 on the Expanded Disability Scale was a benchmark. Consenting patients newly referred to the new service were randomised to either receive the palliative care service immediately (fast-track) or after a 12-week wait (standard best practice). Face to face interviews were conducted at baseline (before intervention), and at 4–6, 10–12 (before intervention for the standard-practice group), 16– 18 and 22–24 weeks with patients and their carers using standard questionnaires to assess symptoms, palliative care outcomes, function, service use and open comments. Ethics committee approval was granted separately for the qualitative phase and then for the trial. Discussion: We publish the protocol trial here, to allow methods to be reviewed in advance of publication of the results. The MRC Framework for the Evaluation of Complex Interventions was helpful in both the design of the service, methods for evaluation in convincing staff and the ethics committee to accept the trial. The research will provide valuable information on the effects of palliative care among non-cancer patients and a method to evaluate palliative care in this context