Method of constructing braid group representation and entanglement in a Yang-Baxter sysytem

In this paper we present reducible representation of the $n^{2}$ braid group representation which is constructed on the tensor product of n-dimensional spaces. By some combining methods we can construct more arbitrary $n^{2}$ dimensional braiding matrix S which satisfy the braid relations, and we get some useful braiding matrix S. By Yang-Baxteraition approach, we derive a $9\times9$ unitary $\breve{R}$ according to a $9\times9$ braiding S-matrix we have constructed. The entanglement properties of $\breve{R}$-matrix is investigated, and the arbitrary degree of entanglement for two-qutrit entangled states can be generated via $\breve{R}(\theta, \phi_{1},\phi_{2})$-matrix acting on the standard basis.Comment: 9 page

Transient down-regulation of beta1 integrin subtypes on kidney carcinoma cells is induced by mechanical contact with endothelial cell membranes

Adhesion molecules of the integrin beta1 family are thought to be involved in the malignant progression renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Still, it is not clear how they contribute to this process. Since the hematogenous phase of tumour dissemination is the rate-limiting step in the metastatic process, we explored beta1 integrin alterations on several RCC cell lines (A498, Caki1, KTC26) before and after contacting vascular endothelium in a tumour-endothelium (HUVEC) co-culture assay. Notably, alpha2, alpha3 and alpha5 integrins became down-regulated immediately after the tumour cells attached to HUVEC, followed by re-expression shortly thereafter. Integrin down-regulation on RCC cells was caused by direct contact with endothelial cells, since the isolated endothelial membrane fragments but not the cell culture supernatant contributed to the observed effects. Integrin loss was accompanied by a reduced focal adhesion kinase (FAK) expression, FAK activity and diminished binding of tumour cells to matrix proteins. Furthermore, intracellular signalling proteins RCC cells were altered in the presence of HUVEC membrane fragments, in particular 14-3-3 epsilon, ERK2, PKCdelta, PKCepsilon and RACK1, which are involved in regulating tumour cell motility. We, therefore, speculate that contact of RCC cells with the vascular endothelium converts integrin-dependent adhesion to integrin-independent cell movement. The process of dynamic integrin regulation may be an important part in tumour cell migration strategy, switching the cells from being adhesive to becoming motile and invasive

A review of wet air oxidation and thermal hydrolysistechnologies in sludge treatment

With rapid world population growth and strict environmental regulations, increasingly large volumes of sludge are being produced in today's wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) with limited disposal routes. Sludge treatment has become an essential process in WWTP, representing 50% of operational costs. Sludge destruction and resource recovery technologies are therefore of great ongoing interest. Hydrothermal processing uses unique characteristics of water at elevated temperatures and pressures to deconstruct organic and inorganic components of sludge. It can be broadly categorized into wet oxidation (oxidative) and thermal hydrolysis (non-oxidative). While wet air oxidation (WAO) can be used for the final sludge destruction and also potentially producing industrially useful by-products such as acetic acid, thermal hydrolysis (TH) is mainly used as a pre-treatment method to improve the efficiency of anaerobic digestion. This paper reviews current hydrothermal technologies, roles of wet air oxidation and thermal hydrolysis in sludge treatment, and challenges faced by these technologies

Benign intermuscular lipoma in a bitch

A case of intermuscular lipoma located between the external abdominal oblique and internal abdominal oblique muscles in a fourteen- year -old dog is described. Presenting signs, radiographic findings, surgical treatments and the follow-up treatment are discussed

Spatial and Temporal Variation in Abundance of Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) in a Malaria Endemic Area in Papua New Guinea

Abundance of anophelines in 10 villages in the Wosera area of Papua New Guinea was monitored during 1990-1993. Of 85,197 anophelines collected in 1,276 paired indoor and outdoor landing catches, 40.4% were Anopheles koliensis Owen, 36.7% An. punctulatus Donitz, 14.3% Art. karwari (James), 4.9% An. farauti s.l. Laveran, 3.1% An. longirostris Brug, and 0.7% An. bancroftii Giles. Maps of average indoor biting rates were produced using a Bayesian conditional autoregressive model which allowed for heterogeneities in sampling effort over time and space. Differences in spatial distributions among species were observed among and within villages and were related to the distribution of larval habitats and vegetation. Abundance of An. punctulatus and An. koliensis decreased with distance from the main waterway and probably from a sago swamp forest at 6 villages in North Wosera. Abundance of An. punctulatus was associated negatively with those of An. farauti s.l., An. longirostris, and An. bancroftii. The latter 3 species also had relatively low ratios of indoor-to-outdoor biting rates, and earlier biting times than An. punctulatus. Human blood indices of at least 0.79 were observed for all species except An. bancroftii. Abundance of all 6 species was correlated temporally with recent rainfall, but An. koliensis, An. kanvari, and An. longirostris showed greater temporal variability than the other species. An. punctulatus and An. koliensis tended to occur together in time and space (index of association, I = 0.85). Weaker associations were seen between An. farauti s.l. and An. longirostris (I = 0.44) and An. koliensis and An. kanvari (I = 0.34). The most frequently collected species occurred together and were concentrated near the Amugu river; the remaining species tended to occur together but in different parts of the Wosera area. The importance of understanding ecological requirements of the different Anopheles vectors and their association with key household and landscape features are discussed in relation to malaria transmission and contro

Glucose enhancement of memory is modulated by trait anxiety in healthy adolescent males

Glucose administration is associated with memory enhancement in healthy young individuals under conditions of divided attention at encoding. While the specific neurocognitive mechanisms underlying this ‘glucose memory facilitation effect’ are currently uncertain, it is thought that individual differences in glucoregulatory efficiency may alter an individual’s sensitivity to the glucose memory facilitation effect. In the present study, we sought to investigate whether basal hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis function (itself a modulator of glucoregulatory efficiency), baseline self-reported stress and trait anxiety influence the glucose memory facilitation effect. Adolescent males (age range = 14–17 years) were administered glucose and placebo prior to completing a verbal episodic memory task on two separate testing days in a counter-balanced, within-subjects design. Glucose ingestion improved verbal episodic memory performance when memory recall was tested (i) within an hour of glucose ingestion and encoding, and (ii) one week subsequent to glucose ingestion and encoding. Basal hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis function did not appear to influence the glucose memory facilitation effect; however, glucose ingestion only improved memory in participants reporting relatively higher trait anxiety. These findings suggest that the glucose memory facilitation effect may be mediated by biological mechanisms associated with trait anxiety

Leukocyte numbers and function in subjects eating n-3 enriched foods: selective depression of natural killer cell levels

Introduction While consumption of omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFA) has been recommended for those at risk of inflammatory disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, the mechanism of their anti-inflammatory effect remains to be clearly defined, particularly in relation to the dose and type of n-3 LCPUFA. The objective of this study was to determine whether varying the levels of n-3 LCPUFA in erythrocyte membrane lipids, following dietary supplementation, is associated with altered numbers and function of circulating leukocytes conducive to protection against inflammation. Methods In a double-blind and placebo-controlled study, 44 healthy subjects aged 23 to 63 years consumed either standard or n-3 LCPUFA-enriched versions of typical processed foods, the latter allowing a target daily consumption of 1 gram n-3 LCPUFA. After six months, peripheral blood leukocyte and subpopulation proportions and numbers were assessed by flow cytometry. Leukocytes were also examined for lymphoproliferation and cytokine production, neutrophil chemotaxis, chemokinesis, bactericidal, adherence and iodination activity. Erythrocytes were analyzed for fatty-acid content. Results Erythrocyte n-3 LCPUFA levels were higher and absolute leukocyte and lymphocyte numbers were lower in subjects consuming n-3 enriched foods than in controls. There were no changes in the number of neutrophils, monocytes, T cells (CD3+), T-cell subsets (CD4+, CD8+) and B cells (CD19+). However, natural killer (NK) (CD3-CD16+CD56+) cell numbers were lower in n-3 supplemented subjects than in controls and were inversely related to the amount of eicosapentaenoic acid or docosahexaenoic acid in erythrocytes. No significant correlations were found with respect to lymphocyte lymphoproliferation and production of IFN-γ and IL-2, but lymphotoxin production was higher with greater n-3 LCPUFA membrane content. Similarly, neutrophil chemotaxis, chemokinesis, bactericidal activity and adherence did not vary with changes in erythrocyte n-3 LCPUFA levels, but the iodination reaction was reduced with higher n-3 LCPUFA content. Conclusion The data show that regular long-term consumption of n-3 enriched foods leads to lower numbers of NK cells and neutrophil iodination activity but higher lymphotoxin production by lymphocytes. These changes are consistent with decreased inflammatory reaction and tissue damage seen in patients with inflammatory disorders receiving n-3 LCPUFA supplementation.Violet R Mukaro, Maurizio Costabile, Karen J Murphy, Charles S Hii, Peter R Howe and Antonio Ferrant