Resistance of superconducting nanowires connected to normal metal leads

We study experimentally the low temperature resistance of superconducting nanowires connected to normal metal reservoirs. We find that a substantial fraction of the nanowires is resistive, down to the lowest temperature measured, indicative of an intrinsic boundary resistance due to the Andreev-conversion of normal current to supercurrent. The results are successfully analyzed in terms of the kinetic equations for diffusive superconductors

Effects of reward and punishment on the interaction between going and stopping in a selective stop-change task

Dataset available at: http://hdl.handle.net/10871/24540Inhibition of no-longer relevant go responses supports flexible and goal-directed behavior. The present study explored if the interaction between going and stopping is influenced by monetary incentives. Subjects (N = 108) performed a selective stop-change task, which required them to stop and change a go response if a valid signal occurred, but to execute the planned go response if invalid signals or no signals occurred. There were two incentive groups: the punishment group lost points for unsuccessful valid-signal trials, whereas the reward group gained points for successful valid-signal trials. There was also a control group that could not win or lose points on any trials. We found that, compared with the control group, incentives encouraged subjects to slow down on no-signal trials, suggesting proactive control adjustments. Furthermore, latencies of valid change responses were shorter in the incentive groups than in the control group, suggesting improvements in executing an alternative response. However, incentives did not modulate stop latency or the interaction between going and stopping on valid-signal trials much. Finally, Bayesian analyses indicated that there was no difference between the reward and punishment groups. These findings are inconsistent with the idea that reward and punishment have distinct effects on stop performance.This study was supported by a starting grant to FV from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013)/ ERC Grant Agreement No. 312445. FV is also supported by a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award

Effects of reward and punishment on the interaction between going and stopping in a selective stop-change task (dataset)

This data is related to the article 'Effects of reward and punishment on the interaction between going and stopping in a selective stop-change task' to be published by Springer in Psychological Research. Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/10871/24543Behavioural data and R scripts (analyses) for a behavioural experiment. Experiment documentation is included as well

Ecotoxicologische Ernstig Risico Concentraties voor bodem, sediment en (grond)water: herziene voorstellen voor de eerste serie stoffen. Annex

This annex is supplementary to RIVM report 711701020, 'Ecotoxicological Serious Risk Concentrations for soil, sediment and (ground)water: updated proposals for first series of compounds' (E.M.J. Verbruggen, R. Posthumus and A.P. van Wezel). For the compounds considered in this report, which were not yet evaluated in the context of the project 'Setting Integrated Environmental Quality Standards', new toxicity data have been searched for. Further, additional toxicity data were collected for chlorophenols. These toxicity data are incorporated in this annex. The data are single species toxicity data for terrestrial and aquatic organisms and effect data on terrestrial processes. All toxicity data on aquatic and terrestrial organisms refer to effects that may affect the species at the population level

Agonistic and antagonistic estrogens in licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

The roots of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) are a rich source of flavonoids, in particular, prenylated flavonoids, such as the isoflavan glabridin and the isoflavene glabrene. Fractionation of an ethyl acetate extract from licorice root by centrifugal partitioning chromatography yielded 51 fractions, which were characterized by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry and screened for activity in yeast estrogen bioassays. One third of the fractions displayed estrogenic activity towards either one or both estrogen receptors (ERs; ERa and ERß). Glabrene-rich fractions displayed an estrogenic response, predominantly to the ERa. Surprisingly, glabridin did not exert agonistic activity to both ER subtypes. Several fractions displayed higher responses than the maximum response obtained with the reference compound, the natural hormone 17ß-estradiol (E2). The estrogenic activities of all fractions, including this so-called superinduction, were clearly ER-mediated, as the estrogenic response was inhibited by 20–60% by known ER antagonists, and no activity was found in yeast cells that did not express the ERa or ERß subtype. Prolonged exposure of the yeast to the estrogenic fractions that showed superinduction did, contrary to E2, not result in a decrease of the fluorescent response. Therefore, the superinduction was most likely the result of stabilization of the ER, yeast-enhanced green fluorescent protein, or a combination of both. Most fractions displaying superinduction were rich in flavonoids with single prenylation. Glabridin displayed ERa-selective antagonism, similar to the ERa-selective antagonist RU 58668. Whereas glabridin was able to reduce the estrogenic response of E2 by approximately 80% at 6¿×¿10-6 M, glabrene-rich fractions only exhibited agonistic responses, preferentially on ERa

Ecotoxicologische Ernstig Risico Concentraties voor bodem, sediment en (grond)water: herziene voorstellen voor de eerste serie stoffen

The Intervention Value for soil and groundwater is based on the integration of a separately derived human toxicological Serious Risk Concentration or SRChuman as well as an ecotoxicological Serious Risk Concentration or SRCeco. This report presents proposals for updated SRCseco for the first series of compounds. For substances for which MPCs/NCs have been derived between 1990 and now, the same data are used to derive the SRCeco. Together with the derivation of the SRCeco, also a new MPC is derived, according the most recent guidelines as summarised in this report. The information in this report is used in the technical evaluation of Intervention Values for soil, sediment and groundwater, RIVM report 711701 023.De Interventiewaarde voor bodem, sediment en grondwater is gebaseerd op een integratie van onafhankelijk afgeleide humaan toxicologische Ernstig Risico Concentraties of SRChuman en ecotoxicologische Ernstig Risico Concentraties of SRCeco. Dit rapport presenteert voorstellen voor herziene SRCeco voor de eerste serie stoffen. Voor stoffen, waarvoor MTRs/VRs zijn afgeleid tussen 1990 en nu, zijn dezelfde gegevens gebruikt om de SRCeco af te leiden. Samen met de afleiding van de SRCeco is ook een nieuwe MTR waarde afgeleid, in overeenstemming met de meest recente richtlijnen, zoals samengevat in dit rapport. De informatie in dit rapport wordt gebruikt in de technische evaluatie van de Interventiewaarden voorbodem, sediment en grondwater, RIVM rapport 711701 023

Optimized alkylated cyclodextrin polysulphates with reduced risks on thromboembolic accidents improve osteoarthritic chondrocyte metabolism

Objectives. To compare the ability of different cyclodextrin polysulphate (CDPS) derivatives to affect human articular cartilage cell metabolism in vitro