Interactive digital signal processor

The Interactive Digital Signal Processor (IDSP) is examined. It consists of a set of time series analysis Operators each of which operates on an input file to produce an output file. The operators can be executed in any order that makes sense and recursively, if desired. The operators are the various algorithms used in digital time series analysis work. User written operators can be easily interfaced to the sysatem. The system can be operated both interactively and in batch mode. In IDSP a file can consist of up to n (currently n=8) simultaneous time series. IDSP currently includes over thirty standard operators that range from Fourier transform operations, design and application of digital filters, eigenvalue analysis, to operators that provide graphical output, allow batch operation, editing and display information

Excitation Enhancement of a Quantum Dot Coupled to a Plasmonic Antenna

Plasmonic antennas are key elements to control the luminescence of quantum emitters. However, the antenna's influence is often hidden by quenching losses. Here, the luminescence of a quantum dot coupled to a gold dimer antenna is investigated. Detailed analysis of the multiply excited states quantifies the antenna's influence on the excitation intensity and the luminescence quantum yield separately

HIF mediated and DNA damage independent histone H2AX phosphorylation in chronic hypoxia

The histone variant 2AX (H2AX) is phosphorylated at Serine 139 by the PI3K-like kinase family members ATM, ATR and DNA-PK. Genotoxic stress, such as tumor radio- and chemotherapy, is considered to be the main inducer of phosphorylated H2AX (γH2AX), which forms distinct foci at sites of DNA damage where DNA repair factors accumulate. γH2AX accumulation under severe hypoxic/anoxic (0.02% oxygen) conditions has recently been reported to follow replication fork stalling in the absence of detectable DNA damage. In this study, we found HIF-dependent accumulation of γH2AX in several cancer cell lines and mouse embryonic fibroblasts exposed to physiologically relevant chronic hypoxia (0.2% oxygen), which did not induce detectable levels of DNA strand breaks. The hypoxic accumulation of γH2AX was delayed by the RNAi-mediated knockdown of HIF-1α or HIF-2α and further decreased when both HIF-αs were absent. Conversely, basal phosphorylation of H2AX was increased in cells with constitutively stabilized HIF-2α. These results suggest that both HIF-1 and HIF-2 are involved in γH2AX accumulation by tumor hypoxia, which might increase a cancer cell's capacity to repair DNA damage, contributing to tumor therapy resistanc

Lines pinning lines

A line g is a transversal to a family F of convex polytopes in 3-dimensional space if it intersects every member of F. If, in addition, g is an isolated point of the space of line transversals to F, we say that F is a pinning of g. We show that any minimal pinning of a line by convex polytopes such that no face of a polytope is coplanar with the line has size at most eight. If, in addition, the polytopes are disjoint, then it has size at most six. We completely characterize configurations of disjoint polytopes that form minimal pinnings of a line.Comment: 27 pages, 10 figure

Source and microenvironmental regulation of erythropoietin in the kidney

We hypothesize that REP cells are neuron-like setpoint providers and controllers, which integrate information about blood O2 concentration and local O2 consumption via tissue pO2, and combine these inputs with intrinsic negative feedback loops and perhaps tubular cross-talk, converging in Epo regulation

Designing Contextualized Learning

Specht, M. (2008). Designing Contextualized Learning. In H. H. Adelsberger, Kinshuk, J. M. Pawlowski & D. Sampson (Eds.), Handbook on Information Technologies for Education and Training (2th ed., pp. 101-111). Springer, Berlin Heidelberg 2008: International Handbook on Information Systems Series.Contextualized and ubiquitous learning are relatively new research areas that combine the latest developments in ubiquitous and context aware computing with pedagogical approaches relevant to structure more situated and context aware learning support. Searching for different backgrounds of mobile and contextualized learning authors have identified the relations between existing educational paradigms and new classes of mobile appli- cations for education (Naismith, Lonsdale, Vavoula, & Sharples, 2004). Furthermore best practices of mobile learning applications have been iden- tified and discussed in focused workshops (Stone, Alsop, Briggs, & Tomp- sett, 2002; Tatar, Roschelle, Vahey, & Peunel, 2002). Especially in the area of educational field trips (Equator Project, 2003; RAFT, 2003) in the last years innovative approaches for intuitive usage of contextualized mo- bile interfaces have been developed. The following paper describes the motivation and background for con- textualizing learning and illustrates the implementation of a service based and flexible learning toolkit developed in the RAFT project for supporting contextualized collaborative learning support

Influences on academics' approaches to development: voices from below

The purpose of this qualitative case study research was to explore faculty-based academics’ views on what influences their behaviours and attitudes towards their development. Informed by critical realist ontology, the data collection was carried out through narrative interviews with academics in two contrasting English Universities. Findings, or areas for reflection, have emerged about the constraints and enablements academics perceive in respect of their professional development. In particular, themes such as the significance of professional status; misaligned initiatives and priorities; the influence of supportive networks; and emergent personal, individual concerns have surfaced. The conclusion is drawn that the significance of agency raises the importance of responding to the ‘voices from below’

Integration of oxygen signaling at the consensus HRE.

The hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) was initially identified as a transcription factor that regulated erythropoietin gene expression in response to a decrease in oxygen availability in kidney tissue. Subsequently, a family of oxygen-dependent protein hydroxylases was found to regulate the abundance and activity of three oxygen-sensitive HIFalpha subunits, which, as part of the HIF heterodimer, regulated the transcription of at least 70 different effector genes. In addition to responding to a decrease in tissue oxygenation, HIF is proactively induced, even under normoxic conditions, in response to stimuli that lead to cell growth, ultimately leading to higher oxygen consumption. The growing cell thus profits from an anticipatory increase in HIF-dependent target gene expression. Growth stimuli-activated signaling pathways that influence the abundance and activity of HIFs include pathways in which kinases are activated and pathways in which reactive oxygen species are liberated. These pathways signal to the HIF protein hydroxylases, as well as to HIF itself, by means of covalent or redox modifications and protein-protein interactions. The final point of integration of all of these pathways is the hypoxia-response element (HRE) of effector genes. Here, we provide comprehensive compilations of the known growth stimuli that promote increases in HIF abundance, of protein-protein interactions involving HIF, and of the known HIF effector genes. The consensus HRE derived from a comparison of the HREs of these HIF effectors will be useful for identification of novel HIF target genes, design of oxygen-regulated gene therapy, and prediction of effects of future drugs targeting the HIF system

Judging the impact of leadership-development activities on school practice

The nature and effectiveness of professional-development activities should be judged in a way that takes account of both the achievement of intended outcomes and the unintended consequences that may result. Our research project set out to create a robust approach that school staff members could use to assess the impact of professional-development programs on leadership and management practice without being constrained in this judgment by the stated aims of the program. In the process, we identified a number of factors and requirements relevant to a wider audience than that concerned with the development of leadership and management in England. Such an assessment has to rest upon a clear understanding of educational leadership,a clearly articulated model of practice, and a clear model of potential forms of impact. Such foundations, suitably adapted to the subject being addressed, are appropriate for assessing all teacher professional development