Electron Wave Filters from Inverse Scattering Theory

Semiconductor heterostructures with prescribed energy dependence of the transmittance can be designed by combining: {\em a)} Pad\'e approximant reconstruction of the S-matrix; {\em b)} inverse scattering theory for Schro\"dinger's equation; {\em c)} a unitary transformation which takes into account the variable mass effects. The resultant continuous concentration profile can be digitized into an easily realizable rectangular-wells structure. For illustration, we give the specifications of a 2 narrow band-pass 12 layer $Al_cGa_{1-c}As$ filter with the high energy peak more than {\em twice narrower} than the other.Comment: 4 pages, Revtex with one eps figur

Deformed Harry Dym and Hunter-Zheng Equations

We study the deformed Harry Dym and Hunter-Zheng equations with two arbitrary deformation parameters. These reduce to various other known models in appropriate limits. We show that both these systems are bi-Hamiltonian with the same Hamiltonian structures. They are integrable and belong to the same hierarchy corresponding to positive and negative flows. We present the Lax pair description for both the systems and construct the conserved charges of negative order from the Lax operator. For the deformed Harry Dym equation, we construct the non-standard Lax representation for two special classes of values of the deformation parameters. In general, we argue that a non-standard description will involve a pseudo-differential operator of infinite order.Comment: Latex file, 15 page

Action versus Result-Oriented Schemes in a Grassland Agroecosystem: A Dynamic Modelling Approach

Effects of agri-environment schemes (AES) on biodiversity remain controversial. While most AES are action-oriented, result-oriented and habitat-oriented schemes have recently been proposed as a solution to improve AES efficiency. The objective of this study was to compare action-oriented, habitat-oriented and result-oriented schemes in terms of ecological and productive performance as well as in terms of management flexibility. We developed a dynamic modelling approach based on the viable control framework to carry out a long term assessment of the three schemes in a grassland agroecosystem. The model explicitly links grazed grassland dynamics to bird population dynamics. It is applied to lapwing conservation in wet grasslands in France. We ran the model to assess the three AES scenarios. The model revealed the grazing strategies respecting ecological and productive constraints specific to each scheme. Grazing strategies were assessed by both their ecological and productive performance. The viable control approach made it possible to obtain the whole set of viable grazing strategies and therefore to quantify the management flexibility of the grassland agroecosystem. Our results showed that habitat and result-oriented scenarios led to much higher ecological performance than the action-oriented one. Differences in both ecological and productive performance between the habitat and result-oriented scenarios were limited. Flexibility of the grassland agroecosystem in the result-oriented scenario was much higher than in that of habitat-oriented scenario. Our model confirms the higher flexibility as well as the better ecological and productive performance of result-oriented schemes. A larger use of result-oriented schemes in conservation may also allow farmers to adapt their management to local conditions and to climatic variations

Estabilidad y funcionalidad de sellantes dentales en altas temperaturas ambientales

Los sellantes dentales son materiales que se emplean en estomatología para sellar las fosas y fisuras oclusales de los dientes y evitar la adherencia del estreptococus mutans agente que produce la caries dental. Estos materiales se suministran en dos partes que al mezclarse producen el endurecimiento de la resina. Sin embargo, estos productos presentan dificultades para su comercialización en los países tropicales, debido a que las altas temperaturas ambientales traen problemas en su manipulación y almacenamiento en lugares sin control de clima. En Cuba se desarrolló un sellante dental, CUBRIDEM, el cual cumple con las normativas internacionales y mantiene su estabilidad como mínimo por un año, entre 2 y 8 °C . El objetivo de este trabajo ha sido obtener una variante de CUBRIDEM más estable a mayores temperaturas y con tiempos de trabajo (TT) y de fraguado (TF) adecuados, cuando el producto se manipula en ambientes no climatizados. Se realizaron diseños experimentales factoriales 23 donde se estudió la influencia de la concentración de los componentes minoritarios: peróxido de benzoílo (PBO), N,N-dimetil p-toluidina (DMPT) y éter monometílico de la hidroquinona (MHQ), manteniendo invariable la composición de la mezcla monomérica Bis-GMA/Dimetacrilato de tetraetilenglicol: 1/1. El sellante, compuesto por un Diluyente que contiene 0.8 % de PBO y 0.05 % de MHQ y una Base con 0.8 % DMPT, manipulado a 30±2°C después de un almacenamiento por dos meses a la misma temperatura, permite obtener valores de TT y TF cercanos a los deseados. Por otra parte, el almacenamiento a 16±2°C y un contenido de 0,6 % de DMPT en la Base permiten lograr tiempos similares para almacenamientos más prolongados. Los resultados de las regresiones lineales sugieren que, para un almacenamiento a 16±2°C, contenidos de 0.7 %, tanto de PBO en Diluyente como de DMPT en Base, posibilitan alcanzar tiempos satisfactorios: TT=44 s y TF=113 s.Peer Reviewe

Expression of HLA-G in human cornea, an immune-privileged tissue.

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G retains the capacity to modulate immune responses, favoring the establishment of tolerance in solid-tissue allotransplants. To better understand the mechanisms that promote corneal allograft survival, we investigated whether HLA-G was an immunoregulatory factor involved in corneal immunology. We therefore sought HLA-G expression in corneal tissues. Corneal transplantation consists in replacing the center of a diseased cornea with normal corneal tissue. Two corneal parts are not used in such surgery: diseased central corneal tissue and peripheral normal cornea. For this study, we used healthy corneas obtained from deceased donors and diseased corneas obtained from patients with pseudophakic bullous keratopathy or keratoconus who had undergone corneal transplantation. Immunohistochemical analysis carried out on the cryopreserved corneas showed a positive immunohistochemical staining with anti-HLA-G, anti-HLA-A, -B, and -C, and anti-HLA class I monoclonal antibodies. Staining was obtained for keratocytes, epithelial cells, and endothelial cells from both healthy and pathologic human corneas, revealing the presence of HLA class I proteins, including HLA-G. HLA-G transcripts were detected in normal cornea by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction with a classical pattern of alternative splicing. The detection of HLA-G protein in adult corneas leads to the conclusion that this protein may contribute to the maintenance of the privileged immune status of cornea

Telomerase activation cooperates with inactivation of p16 in early head and neck tumorigenesis

Alteration of the p16/pRb pathway may cooperate with telomerase activation during cellular immortalization and tumour progression. We studied p16 expression status by immunohistochemistry and telomerase activity using the TRAP assay in 21 premalignant lesions of the head and neck epithelium as well as 27 squamous-cell carcinomas. We also examined expression of other components of the pathway (cyclin D1 and pRb) as well as presence of human papillomavirus genomes which can target these molecules. 4 of 9 mild dysplastic lesions (44%), 8 of 12 moderate/severe dysplastic lesions (67%), and 25 of 27 squamous-cell carcinomas (92%) demonstrated high telomerase activity (P = 0.009). There was a parallel increase with severity of lesions for the trend in proportions of cases demonstrating p16 inactivation or cyclin D1 overexpression (P = 0.02 and P = 0.01, respectively). For Ki67, a marker of cell proliferation, this trend was not significant (P = 0.08). Human papillomavirus infection was only found in 4 cases among the 48 samples tested (8.3%). In conclusion, progression of disease is accompanied by a parallel and continuous increase in telomerase activity and alterations in cell cycle regulators (p16, cyclin D1), as proposed by in vitro models. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.co

Biological Effects of Stellar Collapse Neutrinos

Massive stars in their final stages of collapse radiate most of their binding energy in the form of MeV neutrinos. The recoil atoms that they produce in elastic scattering off nuclei in organic tissue create radiation damage which is highly effective in the production of irreparable DNA harm, leading to cellular mutation, neoplasia and oncogenesis. Using a conventional model of the galaxy and of the collapse mechanism, the periodicity of nearby stellar collapses and the radiation dose are calculated. The possible contribution of this process to the paleontological record of mass extinctions is examined.Comment: gzipped PostScript (filename.ps.Z), 12 pages. Final version, Phys. Rev. Lett., in pres

Hamiltonian formulation of systems with linear velocities within Riemann-Liouville fractional derivatives

The link between the treatments of constrained systems with fractional derivatives by using both Hamiltonian and Lagrangian formulations is studied. It is shown that both treatments for systems with linear velocities are equivalent.Comment: 10 page

Underperforming policy networks : the biopesticides network in the United Kingdom

Loosely integrated and incomplete policy networks have been neglected in the literature. They are important to consider in terms of understanding network underperformance. The effective delivery and formulation of policy requires networks that are not incomplete or underperforming. The biopesticides policy network in the United Kingdom is considered and its components identified with an emphasis on the lack of integration of retailers and environmental groups. The nature of the network constrains the actions of its agents and frustrates the achievement of policy goals. A study of this relatively immature policy network also allows for a focus on network formation. The state, via an external central government department, has been a key factor in the development of the network. Therefore, it is important to incorporate such factors more systematically into understandings of network formation. Feedback efforts from policy have increased interactions between productionist actors but the sphere of consumption remains insufficiently articulated

Nonlinear Evolution Equations Invariant Under Schroedinger Group in three-dimensional Space-time

A classification of all possible realizations of the Galilei, Galilei-similitude and Schroedinger Lie algebras in three-dimensional space-time in terms of vector fields under the action of the group of local diffeomorphisms of the space \R^3\times\C is presented. Using this result a variety of general second order evolution equations invariant under the corresponding groups are constructed and their physical significance are discussed