Antibodies to glycans dominate the host response to schistosome larvae and eggs: Is their role protective or subversive?

Multiple exposures of chimpanzees to the radiation-attenuated schistosome vaccine provoked a strong parasite-specific cellular and humoral immune response. Specific IgM and IgG were directed mainly against glycans on antigens released by cercariae; these were also cross-reactive with soluble antigens from larvae, adult worms, and eggs. Egg deposition was the major antigenic stimulus after challenge of vaccinated and control chimpanzees with normal parasites, eliciting strong antiglycan responses to egg secretions. Glycan epitopes recognized included LacdiNAc, fucosylated LacdiNAc, LewisX (weakly), and those on keyhole limpet hemocyanin. Antibodies to peptide epitopes became prominent only during the chronic phase of infection, as glycan-specific IgM and IgG decreased. Because of their intensity and cross-reactivity, the antiglycan responses resulting from infection could be a smoke screen to subvert the immune system away from more vulnerable larval peptide epitopes. Their occurrence in humans might explain the long time required for antischistosome immunity to build up after infection

Advances in Design Methodology in Swelling Shale Rock in Southern Ontario

As infrastructure requirements increase in southern Ontario, excavations within swelling rock formations will become more frequent and larger. The objective of this study is to advance design capability for structures in swelling rock through three aspects: i) developing a practical swelling model for design engineers, ii) investigate two crushable/compressible materials for the mitigation of swelling rock effects, and iii) observe and analyze the behaviour of swelling rock to current excavation techniques. A swelling rock constitutive model has been developed. The swelling parameters include the horizontal and vertical free swell potential, threshold stress, and critical stress as well as a “pseudo-Poisson’s ratio” effect that allows the practicing engineer to explore the interaction between orthogonal suppression pressures without the need for advanced testing. The model has been verified through analysis of swell tests and well-documented case studies. Extruded polystyrene foams and light-weight cellular grouts were tested at monotonic low strain rates mimicking the loading behaviour of swelling rock to identify their potential as mitigation materials. Results show low strain rates affect the yield strengths and elastic moduli. Cellular grout test results indicate it behaves as three-phase material in stress and groundwater conditions typical for infrastructure projects. Two case studies were investigated, monitoring, and analyzed. The Zone 1 Water Main project was located in the Halton Region, Ontario and the Billy Bishop Pedestrian Tunnel was located in Toronto, Ontario Results were analyzed to investigate the effect of excavation technique and shape on the elastic and time-dependent deformations of the rock mass

Hybrid Inflation Exit through Tunneling

For hybrid inflationary potentials, we derive the tunneling rate from field configurations along the flat direction towards the waterfall regime. This process competes with the classically rolling evolution of the scalar fields and needs to be strongly subdominant for phenomenologically viable models. Tunneling may exclude models with a mass scale below 10^12 GeV, but can be suppressed by small values of the coupling constants. We find that tunneling is negligible for those models, which do not require fine tuning in order to cancel radiative corrections, in particular for GUT-scale SUSY inflation. In contrast, electroweak scale hybrid inflation is not viable, unless the inflaton-waterfall field coupling is smaller than approximately 10^-11.Comment: 17 pages, 2 figure

Highly-branched poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide)s with core-shell morphology below the lower critical solution temperature

YesHighly-branched poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide)s in water pass through coil-to-globule transitions. Using calorimetry and the colour change of a solvatochromic dye within the polymer, we show that some compositions have biphasic core–shell morphologies, with globular cores and open coil shells. The two-phase structure is favoured by increased branching and arises because the chain ends penetrate only to a limited degree into the polymer coil

Computational studies on gas phase polyborate anions

The borate anions [B(OH)4]�, [B2O(OH)5]�, [B3O3(OH)4]�, [B3O3(OH)5]2�, [B3O3(OH)6]3�, [B4O5(OH)4]2�, [B5O6(OH)4]�, and [B7O9(OH)5]2� (2 isomers) and the neutral orthoboric and metaboric acids, B(OH)3 and B3O3(OH)3, have been structurally optimised in the gas phase at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level. Energetic data, combined with analogous data for �building blocks� H2O and [OH]�, has enabled their relative gas phase stabilities (all exothermic) to be determined using an isodesmic approach as: [B5O6(OH)4]� > [B3O3(OH)4]� > [B(OH)4]� > [B7O9(OH)5]2� > [B4O5(OH)4]2� > [B3O3(OH)5]2�. The two isomers of [B7O9(OH)5]2� have similar total energies although the �ribbon� isomer is calculated to be more stable by only 10.0 kJ mol�1. QTAIM analyses have been undertaken on all computed structures, and QTAIM charges for H, O and B atoms have been calculated. It is concluded that H-bond interactions dominate the solid-state energetics of non-metal cation polyborate salts

Time without time: a stochastic clock model

We study a classical reparametrization-invariant system, in which ``time'' is not a priori defined. It consists of a nonrelativistic particle moving in five dimensions, two of which are compactified to form a torus. There, assuming a suitable potential, the internal motion is ergodic or more strongly irregular. We consider quasi-local observables which measure the system's ``change'' in a coarse-grained way. Based on this, we construct a statistical timelike parameter, particularly with the help of maximum entropy method and Fisher-Rao information metric. The emergent reparametrization-invariant ``time'' does not run smoothly but is simply related to the proper time on the average. For sufficiently low energy, the external motion is then described by a unitary quantum mechanical evolution in accordance with the Schr\"odinger equation.Comment: 18 pages; LaTeX. 4 (.ps) plus 2 (.gif) figure file

EFFECTS OF JOINT PRODUCT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ON E.COLI 0157:H7 AND FEEDLOT PROFITS

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 on feedlot profits. Fecal samples from 711 feedlot pens in 73 feedlots in Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas were tested for E. coli 0157:H7. Average daily gain and feed-to-gain ratios were computed for each feedlot pen, and managers from each feedlot provided information on various feedlot management practices. Cattle performance and E. coli 0157:H7 prevalence are both affected by feedlot management practices. The indirect effect of E. coli 0157:H7 on potential feedlot profits was determined by measuring the effects of management practices on E. coli 0157:H7 levels and cattle performance. Management practices that affect cattle performance were identified using ordinary least squares regressions. A negative binomial regression was used to identify management practices that affect E. coli 0157:H7 prevalence. Certain feedlot management practices were identified that have a joint impact on cattle performance and E. coli 0157:H7 prevalence. Using predatory insects to control flies, controlling for stray dogs, foxes, and coyotes in feed areas, removing manure from pens during finishing, and including tallow in the ration were management strategies associated with higher feedlot profits and lower E. coli 0157:H7 prevalence. Using mobile sprinklers for dust control and including alfalfa or sorghum hay or silage in the ration were associated with lower E. coli 0157:H7 prevalence and lower feedlot profits. Increasing days between cleaning water tanks and restricting movement of horses were associated with higher feedlot profits and higher E. coli 0157:H7 levels. Controlling for stray cats in feed areas and including liquid protein in the ration were associated with lower feedlot profits and higher E. coli 0157:H7 levels. These specific management strategies, which were not robust through a sensitivity analysis, should be interpreted with caution. The general categories of management strategies, however, were robust and consistent with past researchLivestock Production/Industries,

Assessment of Internet Service Provided using UMTS operators at the University of Ilorin main campus

Over the years the need for mobile broadband had seen a great increment due to the demand of internet mobile users. In this research work, data size for Internet operation on UMTS mobile network operators on the University of Ilorin Campus was assessed. The study assessed three UMTS network operators using an Infinix T627 android smart phone and RantCell App. to measure the download and upload at the selected points on the University of Ilorin Campus. It was observed that the number of active subscribers with their relative position in a cell have a great effect on the performance of the networks and therefore, the authors recommend the need for the operators to improve their data sizes so as to enhance users’ satisfaction. Keywords: GSM, CDMA, ISP, PS, UMTS

Keratoacanthoma management: results of a survey of UK dermatologists and surgeons.

Distinction of keratoacanthoma (KA) from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is challenging. Management is controversial, with some advocating prompt surgical excision and others monitoring to allow for spontaneous resolution(1) . The controversy is compounded by rare reports of metastasis(2) . And yet the benign natural history of KA is supported by various studies, including a systematic review of 455 cases with no cases of metastasis or death(1) , and observational studies confirming spontaneous resolution(1)

Steady and Stable: Numerical Investigations of Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations

Excerpt: Mathematics is a language which can describe patterns in everyday life as well as abstract concepts existing only in our minds. Patterns exist in data, functions, and sets constructed around a common theme, but the most tangible patterns are visual. Visual demonstrations can help undergraduate students connect to abstract concepts in advanced mathematical courses. The study of partial differential equations, in particular, benefits from numerical analysis and simulation