Human capital

Human capital is one of the determining factors of human development and economic growth and it becomes the main source of wealth

Investigation of initiation of gigantic jets connecting thunderclouds to the ionosphere

The initiation of giant electrical discharges called as "gigantic jets" connecting thunderclouds to the ionosphere is investigated by numerical simulation method in this paper. Using similarity relations, the triggering conditions of streamer formation in laboratory situations are extended to form a criterion of initiation of gigantic jets. The energy source causing a gigantic jet is considered due to the quasi-electrostatic field generated by thunderclouds. The electron dynamics from ionization threshold to streamer initiation are simulated by the Monte Carlo technique. It is found that gigantic jets are initiated at a height of ~18-24 km. This is in agreement with the observations. The method presented in this paper could be also applied to the analysis of the initiation of other discharges such as blue jets and red sprites.Comment: 12th International Congress on Plasma Physics, 25-29 October 2004, Nice (France

Linezolid Clearance During Continuous Venovenous Hemodiafiltration: A Case Report

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90207/1/phco.23.8.1071.32874.pd

NUV/Blue spectral observations of sprites in the 320-460 nm region: N2{\mathrm N_2} (2PG) Emissions

A near-ultraviolet (NUV) spectrograph (320-460 nm) was flown on the EXL98 aircraft sprite observation campaign during July 1998. In this wavelength range video rate (60 fields/sec) spectrographic observations found the NUV/blue emissions to be predominantly N2 (2PG). The negligible level of N2+ (1NG) present in the spectrum is confirmed by observations of a co-aligned, narrowly filtered 427.8 nm imager and is in agreement with previous ground-based filtered photometer observations. The synthetic spectral fit to the observations indicates a characteristic energy of ~1.8 eV, in agreement with our other NUV observations.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, 1 table, JGR Space Physics "Effects of Thunderstorms and Lightning in the Upper Atmosphere" Special Sectio

The splice site variant rs11078928 may be associated with a genotype-dependent alteration in expression of GSDMB transcripts.

Published onlineJournal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tBACKGROUND: Many genetic variants have been associated with susceptibility to complex traits by genome wide association studies (GWAS), but for most, causal genes and mechanisms of action have yet to be elucidated. Using bioinformatics, we identified index and proxy variants associated with autoimmune disease susceptibility, with the potential to affect splicing of candidate genes. PCR and sequence analysis of whole blood RNA samples from population controls was then carried out for the 8 most promising variants to determine the effect of genetic variation on splicing of target genes. RESULTS: We identified 31 splice site SNPs with the potential to affect splicing, and prioritised 8 to determine the effect of genotype on candidate gene splicing. We identified that variants rs11078928 and rs2014886 were associated with altered splicing of the GSDMB and TSFM genes respectively. rs11078928, present in the asthma and autoimmune disease susceptibility locus on chromosome 17q12-21, was associated with the production of a novel Δ exon5-8 transcript of the GSDMB gene, and a separate decrease in the percentage of transcripts with inclusion of exon 6, whereas the multiple sclerosis susceptibility variant rs2014886, was associated with an alternative TFSM transcript encompassing a short cryptic exon within intron 2. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate the utility of a bioinformatic approach in identification and prioritisation of genetic variants effecting splicing of their host genes, and suggest that rs11078928 and rs2014886 may affect the splicing of the GSDMB and TSFM genes respectively.Mendip Golf ClubNIHR Exeter Clinical Research Facilit

Antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-proliferative properties and zinc content of five south Portugal herbs

Context: Crataegus monogyna L. (Rosaceae) (CM), Equisetum telmateia L. (Equisataceae) (ET), Geranium purpureum Vil. (Geraniaceae) (GP), Mentha suaveolens Ehrh. (Lamiaceae) (MS), and Lavandula stoechas L. spp. luisieri (Lamiaceae) (LS) are all medicinal. Objective: To evaluate the antioxidant, antiproliferative and antimicrobial activities of plant extracts and quantify individual phenolics and zinc. Material and methods: Aerial part extracts were prepared with water (W), ethanol (E) and an 80% mixture (80EW). Antioxidant activity was measured with TAA, FRAP and RP methods. Phenolics were quantified with a HPLC. Zinc was quantified using voltammetry. Antibacterial activity (after 48 h) was tested using Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Listeria monocytogenes. Antiproliferative activity (after 24 h) was tested using HEP G2 cells and fibroblasts. Results: Solvents influenced results; the best were E and 80EW. GP had the highest antioxidant activity (TAA and FRAP of 536.90mg AAE/g dw and 783.48mg TE/g dw, respectively). CM had the highest zinc concentration (37.21 mg/kg) and phenolic variety, with neochlorogenic acid as the most abundant (92.91 mg/100 g dw). LS was rich in rosmarinic acid (301.71 mg/100 g dw). GP and LS inhibited the most microorganisms: B. cereus, E. coli and S. aureus. GP also inhibited E. faecalis. CM had the lowest MIC: 5830 mu g/mL. The antibacterial activity is explained by the phenolics present. LS and CM showed the most significant anti-proliferative activity, which is explained by their zinc content. Conclusion: The most promising plants for further studies are CM, LS and GP.FCT, Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia of Portugal [SFRH/BSA/139/2014

Spontaneous Branching of Anode-Directed Streamers between Planar Electrodes

Non-ionized media subject to strong fields can become locally ionized by penetration of finger-shaped streamers. We study negative streamers between planar electrodes in a simple deterministic continuum approximation. We observe that for sufficiently large fields, the streamer tip can split. This happens close to Firsov's limit of `ideal conductivity'. Qualitatively the tip splitting is due to a Laplacian instability quite like in viscous fingering. For future quantitative analytical progress, our stability analysis of planar fronts identifies the screening length as a regularization mechanism.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, submitted to PRL on Nov. 16, 2001, revised version of March 10, 200

A framework for digital sunken relief generation based on 3D geometric models

Sunken relief is a special art form of sculpture whereby the depicted shapes are sunk into a given surface. This is traditionally created by laboriously carving materials such as stone. Sunken reliefs often utilize the engraved lines or strokes to strengthen the impressions of a 3D presence and to highlight the features which otherwise are unrevealed. In other types of reliefs, smooth surfaces and their shadows convey such information in a coherent manner. Existing methods for relief generation are focused on forming a smooth surface with a shallow depth which provides the presence of 3D figures. Such methods unfortunately do not help the art form of sunken reliefs as they omit the presence of feature lines. We propose a framework to produce sunken reliefs from a known 3D geometry, which transforms the 3D objects into three layers of input to incorporate the contour lines seamlessly with the smooth surfaces. The three input layers take the advantages of the geometric information and the visual cues to assist the relief generation. This framework alters existing techniques in line drawings and relief generation, and then combines them organically for this particular purpose

Nitrogenation and sintering of (Nd-Zr)Fe10Si2 tetragonal compounds for permanent magnets applications

International audienceNd(1-x)Zr(x)Fe10Si2 alloys have been prepared in the tetragonal ThMn12-type structure by arc-melting and melt-spinning and then nitrogenated to improve their magnetic properties. For x = 0.4 and 0.6 the Curie temperature and magnetic anisotropy fields increase from 280-300 ºC to about 390 ºC and from 2.8-3 T to 4.5-5 T respectively. The saturation magnetization remains almost unchanged. The nitrogenated powders were processed by spark plasma sintering (SPS) leading to compact pellets, which retain the full nitrogen content and magnetic properties up to 600 ºC, but segregated Fe-Si at elevated temperatures. Nitrogenation and SPS processing are, therefore, appropriate for sintering metastable materials such as (Nd,Zr)Fe10Si2 into compact material without loosing functional properties. This opens a way towards a new family of permanent magnets, lean of critical raw materials

Relativistic electron beams above thunderclouds

Non-luminous relativistic electron beams above thunderclouds have been detected by the radio signals of low frequency ∼40–400 kHz which they radiate. The electron beams occur ∼2–9 ms after positive cloud-to-ground lightning discharges at heights between ∼22–72 km above thunderclouds. Intense positive lightning discharges can also cause sprites which occur either above or prior to the electron beam. One electron beam was detected without any luminous sprite which suggests that electron beams may also occur independently of sprites. Numerical simulations show that beams of electrons partially discharge the lightning electric field above thunderclouds and thereby gain a mean energy of ∼7 MeV to transport a total charge of ∼−10 mC upwards. The impulsive current ∼3 × 10<sup>−3</sup> Am<sup>−2</sup> associated with relativistic electron beams above thunderclouds is directed downwards and needs to be considered as a novel element of the global atmospheric electric circuit