Paper Chromatographic Separation of Mn(II), Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), & Zn(II) with Solvents Containing Diphenyl Sulphoxide

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Practical performance analysis of real-time multiprocessor scheduling algorithms

This paper presents a practical performance analysing of two real-time multiprocessor scheduling algorithms, namely, Largest Remaining Execution-Time and Local Time Domain (LRE-TL) and Unfair Semi-Greedy (USG). The analysis is intended to reflect the behindthe- scene time overhead incurred by optimal real-time algorithms such as LRE-TL. The overhead is known to be capable of dismissing the actual optimality of such algorithms in practical applications. Here, the time overhead is measured in terms of the number of scheduler invocations and the time required by the scheduling event handlers. In the implementation of the proposed analysis method, the CPU profiler of Oracle JavaTM VisualVM was used to monitor the executions of LRE-TL and USG. The profiler measured the number of invocations of the scheduling event handlers for each algorithm and the total time required for all the invocations. The results revealed that USG outperformed LRE-TL on both measures, indicating that optimal algorithms may prove to be non-optimal in practical applications.Keywords: Real-time; Multiprocessor; Schedulin

Comparison of genetic diversities in native and alien populations of hoary mustard (Hirschfeldia incana [L.] Lagreze-Fossat)

Increased selfing and inbreeding and, consequently, depauperate genetic diversities are commonly expected for alien colonies. We compared RAPDs data for native (southern Europe) and alien (British Isles) populations of hoary mustard (Hirschfeldia incana). This species is normally out-breeding, but it is capable of self- fertilization. Contrary to the common expectations, genetic diversities in native and alien populations were similar, without any strong evidence of decreased levels of genetic diversities in alien populations. A variety of factors may have contributed to this observation, including high variation in founding groups, founders originating from multiple H. incana source populations, and high rates of past and/or current gene flow. A review of other studies showed that this pattern of similar genetic diversities in native and alien populations was not unusual but has been regularly observed in other invasive plant species

Discovery of a redshift 6.13 quasar in the UKIRT infrared deep sky survey

Original article can be found at: http://www.aanda.org/ Copyright The European Southern Observatory (ESO) DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/200811161Optical and near-infrared (NIR) spectra are presented for ULAS J131911.29+095051.4 (hereafter ULAS J1319+0950), a new redshift z = 6.127 0.004 quasar discovered in the Third Data Release (DR3) of the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS). The source has = 19.10 0.03, corresponding to = -27.12, which is comparable to the absolute magnitudes of the z 6 quasars discovered in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). ULAS J1319+0950 was, in fact, registered by SDSS as a faint source with = 20.13 0.12, just below the signal-to-noise ratio limit of the SDSS high-redshift quasar survey. The faint z-band magnitude is a consequence of the weak Ly /N V emission line, which has a rest-frame equivalent width of ~20Å and provides only a small boost to the z-band flux. Nevertheless, there is no evidence of a significant new population of high-redshift quasars with weak emission lines from this UKIDSS-based search. The Ly  optical depth to ULAS J1319+0950 is consistent with that measured towards similarly distant SDSS quasars, implying that results from optical- and NIR-selected quasars may be combined in studies of cosmological reionization. Also presented is a new NIR-spectrum of the previously discovered UKIDSS quasar ULAS J020332.38+001229.2, which reveals the object to be a broad absorption line quasar. The new spectrum shows that the emission line initially identified as Ly  is actually N V, leading to a revised redshift of z = 5.72, rather than z = 5.86 as previously estimatedPeer reviewe

Experimental pretesting of message framing to motivate caregiver self-care among parents of children with eating disorders

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of message framing strategies and approach avoidance trait moderators on health communication intervention messages aimed at encouraging adaptive coping among parents of those children with eating disorders (PCEDs). Parents of children with eating disorders (N = 108) were randomly assigned in a three-condition (gain frame, loss frame, and control) online message pretesting experiment. Outcome measures included decisional balance (Transtheoretical Model) and behavioral intentions. Gain frames were more beneficial in promoting adaptive behaviors among PCEDs, as loss frames were often harmful. Findings are qualified by approach/avoidance moderator interactions. Formative research benefits from incorporating experimental pretesting methods. Interventions using framed messages should consider relevant personality traits that serve as moderators to behavior adoption

Interleukin-7 deficiency in rheumatoid arthritis: consequences for therapy-induced lymphopenia

We previously demonstrated prolonged, profound CD4+ T-lymphopenia in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients following lymphocyte-depleting therapy. Poor reconstitution could result either from reduced de novo T-cell production through the thymus or from poor peripheral expansion of residual T-cells. Interleukin-7 (IL-7) is known to stimulate the thymus to produce new T-cells and to allow circulating mature T-cells to expand, thereby playing a critical role in T-cell homeostasis. In the present study we demonstrated reduced levels of circulating IL-7 in a cross-section of RA patients. IL-7 production by bone marrow stromal cell cultures was also compromised in RA. To investigate whether such an IL-7 deficiency could account for the prolonged lymphopenia observed in RA following therapeutic lymphodepletion, we compared RA patients and patients with solid cancers treated with high-dose chemotherapy and autologous progenitor cell rescue. Chemotherapy rendered all patients similarly lymphopenic, but this was sustained in RA patients at 12 months, as compared with the reconstitution that occurred in cancer patients by 3–4 months. Both cohorts produced naïve T-cells containing T-cell receptor excision circles. The main distinguishing feature between the groups was a failure to expand peripheral T-cells in RA, particularly memory cells during the first 3 months after treatment. Most importantly, there was no increase in serum IL-7 levels in RA, as compared with a fourfold rise in non-RA control individuals at the time of lymphopenia. Our data therefore suggest that RA patients are relatively IL-7 deficient and that this deficiency is likely to be an important contributing factor to poor early T-cell reconstitution in RA following therapeutic lymphodepletion. Furthermore, in RA patients with stable, well controlled disease, IL-7 levels were positively correlated with the T-cell receptor excision circle content of CD4+ T-cells, demonstrating a direct effect of IL-7 on thymic activity in this cohort

Androgen receptors in areas of the spinal cord and brainstem: A study in adult male cats

Sex hormones, including androgens and estrogens, play an important role in autonomic, reproductive and sexual behavior. The areas that are important in these behaviors lie within the spinal cord and brainstem. Relevant dysfunctional behavior in patients with altered androgen availability or androgen receptor sensitivity might be explained by the distribution of androgens and their receptors in the central nervous system. We hypothesize that autonomic dysfunction is correlated with the androgen sensitivity of spinal cord and brainstem areas responsible for autonomic functions. In this study, androgen receptor immunoreactive (AR-IR) nuclei in the spinal cord and brainstem were studied using the androgen receptor antibody PG21 in four uncastrated young adult male cats. A dense distribution of AR-IR nuclei was detected in the superior layers of the dorsal horn, including lamina I. Intensely stained nuclei, but less densely distributed, were found in lamina X and preganglionic sympathetic and parasympathetic cells of the intermediolateral cell column. Areas in the caudal brainstem showing a high density of AR-IR nuclei included the area postrema, the dorsal motor vagus nucleus and the retrotrapezoid nucleus. More cranially, the central linear nucleus in the pons contained a dense distribution of AR-IR nuclei. The mesencephalic periaqueductal gray (PAG) showed a dense distribution of AR-IR nuclei apart from the

A new urban landscape in East–Southeast Asia, 2000–2010

East–Southeast Asia is currently one of the fastest urbanizing regions in the world, with countries such as China climbing from 20 to 50% urbanized in just a few decades. By 2050, these countries are projected to add 1 billion people, with 90% of that growth occurring in cities. This population shift parallels an equally astounding amount of built-up land expansion. However, spatially-and temporally-detailed information on regional-scale changes in urban land or population distribution do not exist; previous efforts have been either sample-based, focused on one country, or drawn conclusions from datasets with substantial temporal/spatial mismatch and variability in urban definitions. Using consistent methodology, satellite imagery and census data for >1000 agglomerations in the East–Southeast Asian region, we show that urban land increased >22% between 2000 and 2010 (from 155 000 to 189 000 km2), an amount equivalent to the area of Taiwan, while urban populations climbed >31% (from 738 to 969 million). Although urban land expanded at unprecedented rates, urban populations grew more rapidly, resulting in increasing densities for the majority of urban agglomerations, including those in both more developed (Japan, South Korea) and industrializing nations (China, Vietnam, Indonesia). This result contrasts previous sample-based studies, which conclude that cities are universally declining in density. The patterns and rates of change uncovered by these datasets provide a unique record of the massive urban transition currently underway in East–Southeast Asia that is impacting local-regional climate, pollution levels, water quality/availability, arable land, as well as the livelihoods and vulnerability of populations in the regio

Charge dynamics through pi-stacked arrays of conjugated molecules: effect of dynamic disorder in different transport/transfer regimes

We provide further computational evidence that the electronic coupling between pi-stacked molecules is strongly modulated by the thermal motions at room temperature, not only in supramolecular flexible systems (like DNA) but also in molecular crystals. The effect of this modulation on the charge dynamics is different for different transfer/transport mechanisms and depends on the modulation timescale. In the case of charge transfer (CT) between a donor and an acceptor, the effect of electronic coupling fluctuations introduces a corrective term in the expression of the rate constant (different for adiabatic and non-adiabatic CT). For the transport in molecular crystals, this fluctuation can be the limiting factor for the charge mobility. Although the fluctuation of the electronic coupling is similar in magnitude for all systems containing molecular pi-stacking, its importance for the charge dynamics increases with the decrease of the reorganization energy