Weed Control Research in Sugar Beets.

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Singular solutions of fully nonlinear elliptic equations and applications

We study the properties of solutions of fully nonlinear, positively homogeneous elliptic equations near boundary points of Lipschitz domains at which the solution may be singular. We show that these equations have two positive solutions in each cone of $\mathbb{R}^n$, and the solutions are unique in an appropriate sense. We introduce a new method for analyzing the behavior of solutions near certain Lipschitz boundary points, which permits us to classify isolated boundary singularities of solutions which are bounded from either above or below. We also obtain a sharp Phragm\'en-Lindel\"of result as well as a principle of positive singularities in certain Lipschitz domains.Comment: 41 pages, 2 figure

The Victorian Newsletter (Fall 1981)

The Victorian Newsletter is sponsored for the Victorian Group of Modern Language Association by the Western Kentucky University and is published twice annually.Tennyson and Carlyle: A Source for "The Eagle" / Paul F. Mattheisen -- The Schooling of John Bull: Form and Moral in Talbot Baines Reed's Boys' Stories and in Kipling's Stalky & Co. / Patrick Scott -- How It Struck A Contemporary: Tennyson's "Lancelot and Elaine" and Pre-Raphaelite Art / Catherine Barnes Stevenson -- Amours de Voyage and Matthew Arnold in Love: An Inquiry / Eugene R. August -- Tennyson's "Ulysses" as Rhetorical Monologue / Mary Saunders -- The Mathematical References to the Adoption of the Gregorian Calendar in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Laurence Dreyer -- Self-Helpers and Self-Seekers: Some Changing Attitudes to Wealth, 1840-1910 / J. L. Winte

Control of interjoint coordination during the swing phase of normal gait at different speeds

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that the control of unconstrained movements is simplified via the imposition of a kinetic constraint that produces dynamic torques at each moving joint such that they are a linear function of a single motor command. The linear relationship between dynamic torques at each joint has been demonstrated for multijoint upper limb movements. The purpose of the current study was to test the applicability of such a control scheme to the unconstrained portion of the gait cycle – the swing phase. METHODS: Twenty-eight neurologically normal individuals walked along a track at three different speeds. Angular displacements and dynamic torques produced at each of the three lower limb joints (hip, knee and ankle) were calculated from segmental position data recorded during each trial. We employed principal component (PC) analysis to determine (1) the similarity of kinematic and kinetic time series at the ankle, knee and hip during the swing phase of gait, and (2) the effect of walking speed on the range of joint displacement and torque. RESULTS: The angular displacements of the three joints were accounted for by two PCs during the swing phase (Variance accounted for – PC1: 75.1 ± 1.4%, PC2: 23.2 ± 1.3%), whereas the dynamic joint torques were described by a single PC (Variance accounted for – PC1: 93.8 ± 0.9%). Increases in walking speed were associated with increases in the range of motion and magnitude of torque at each joint although the ratio describing the relative magnitude of torque at each joint remained constant. CONCLUSION: Our results support the idea that the control of leg swing during gait is simplified in two ways: (1) the pattern of dynamic torque at each lower limb joint is produced by appropriately scaling a single motor command and (2) the magnitude of dynamic torque at all three joints can be specified with knowledge of the magnitude of torque at a single joint. Walking speed could therefore be altered by modifying a single value related to the magnitude of torque at one joint

Probing the Balance of AGN and Star-Forming Activity in the Local Universe with ChaMP

The combination of the SDSS and the Chandra Multiwavelength Project (ChaMP) currently offers the largest and most homogeneously selected sample of nearby galaxies for investigating the relation between X-ray nuclear emission, nebular line-emission, black hole masses, and properties of the associated stellar populations. We present here novel constraints that both X-ray luminosity Lx and X-ray spectral energy distribution bring to the galaxy evolutionary sequence H II -> Seyfert/Transition Object -> LINER -> Passive suggested by optical data. In particular, we show that both Lx and Gamma, the slope of the power-law that best fits the 0.5 - 8 keV spectra, are consistent with a clear decline in the accretion power along the sequence, corresponding to a softening of their spectra. This implies that, at z ~ 0, or at low luminosity AGN levels, there is an anti-correlation between Gamma and L/Ledd, opposite to the trend exhibited by high z AGN (quasars). The turning point in the Gamma -L/Ledd LLAGN + quasars relation occurs near Gamma ~ 1.5 and L/Ledd ~ 0.01. Interestingly, this is identical to what stellar mass X-ray binaries exhibit, indicating that we have probably found the first empirical evidence for an intrinsic switch in the accretion mode, from advection-dominated flows to standard (disk/corona) accretion modes in supermassive black hole accretors, similar to what has been seen and proposed to happen in stellar mass black hole systems. The anti-correlation we find between Gamma and L/Ledd may instead indicate that stronger accretion correlates with greater absorption. Therefore the trend for softer spectra toward more luminous, high redshift, and strongly accreting AGN/quasars could simply be the result of strong selection biases reflected in the dearth of type 2 quasar detections.Comment: 23 pages, 8 figures, 1 long (3 page) table, to appear in Ap

The INTEGRAL/IBIS AGN catalogue I: X-ray absorption properties versus optical classification

In this work we present the most comprehensive INTEGRAL AGN sample which lists 272 objects. Here we mainly use this sample to study the absorption properties of active galaxies, to probe new AGN classes and to test the AGN unification scheme. We find that half (48%) of the sample is absorbed while the fraction of Compton thick AGN is small (~7%). In line with our previous analysis, we have however shown that when the bias towards heavily absorbed objects which are lost if weak and at large distance is removed, as it is possible in the local Universe, the above fractions increase to become 80% and 17%. We also find that absorption is a function of source luminosity, which implies some evolution in the obscuration properties of AGN. Few peculiar classes, so far poorly studied in the hard X-ray band, have been detected and studied for the first time such as 5 XBONG, 5 type 2 QSOs and 11 LINERs. In terms of optical classification, our sample contains 57% of type 1 and 43% of type 2 AGN; this subdivision is similar to that found in X-rays if unabsorbed versus absorbed objects are considered, suggesting that the match between optical and X-ray classification is overall good. Only a small percentage of sources (12%) does not fulfill the expectation of the unified theory as we find 22 type 1 AGN which are absorbed and 10 type 2 AGN which are unabsorbed. Studying in depth these outliers we found that most of the absorbed type 1 AGN have X-ray spectra characterized by either complex or warm/ionized absorption more likely due to ionized gas located in an accretion disk wind or in the biconical structure associated to the central nucleus, therefore unrelated to the toroidal structure. Among 10 type 2 AGN which resulted to be unabsorbed, at most 3-4% is still eligible to be classified as a "true" type 2 AGN.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figures, 5 tables. Accepted for publication on MNRAS. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:0709.2077 by other author

Development and implementation of ISAR, a new synthesis platform for radiopharmaceutical production

Abstract Background PET radiopharmaceutical development and the implementation of a production method on a synthesis module is a complex and time-intensive task since new synthesis methods must be adapted to the confines of the synthesis platform in use. Commonly utilized single fluid bus architectures put multiple constraints on synthesis planning and execution, while conventional microfluidic solutions are limited by compatibility at the macro-to-micro interface. In this work we introduce the ISAR synthesis platform and custom-tailored fluid paths leveraging up to 70 individually addressable valves on a chip-based consumable. The ISAR synthesis platform replaces traditional stopcock valve manifolds with a fluidic chip that integrates all fluid paths (tubing) and valves into one consumable and enables channel routing without the single fluid bus constraint. ISAR can scale between the macro- (10 mL), meso- (0.5 mL) and micro- (≤0.05 mL) domain seamlessly, addressing the macro-to-micro interface challenge and enabling custom tailored fluid circuits for a given application. In this paper we demonstrate proof-of-concept by validating a single chip design to address the challenge of synthesizing multiple batches of [13N]NH3 for clinical use throughout the workday. Results ISAR was installed at an academic PET Center and used to manufacture [13N]NH3 in > 96% radiochemical yield. Up to 9 batches were manufactured with a single consumable chip having parallel paths without the need to open the hot-cell. Quality control testing confirmed the ISAR-based [13N]NH3 met existing clinical release specifications, and utility was demonstrated by imaging a rodent with [13N]NH3 produced on ISAR. Conclusions ISAR represents a new paradigm in radiopharmaceutical production. Through a new system architecture, ISAR integrates the principles of microfluidics with the standard volumes and consumables established in PET Centers all over the world. Proof-of-concept has been demonstrated through validation of a chip design for the synthesis of [13N]NH3 suitable for clinical use.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/152186/1/41181_2019_Article_77.pd

The association of health literacy with adherence in older 2 adults, and its role in interventions: a systematic meta-review

Background: Low health literacy is a common problem among older adults. It is often suggested to be associated with poor adherence. This suggested association implies a need for effective adherence interventions in low health literate people. However, previous reviews show mixed results on the association between low health literacy and poor adherence. A systematic meta-review of systematic reviews was conducted to study the association between health literacy and adherence in adults above the age of 50. Evidence for the effectiveness of adherence interventions among adults in this older age group with low health literacy was also explored. Methods: Eight electronic databases (MEDLINE, ERIC, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, DARE, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Knowledge) were searched using a variety of keywords regarding health literacy and adherence. Additionally, references of identified articles were checked. Systematic reviews were included if they assessed the association between health literacy and adherence or evaluated the effectiveness of interventions to improve adherence in adults with low health literacy. The AMSTAR tool was used to assess the quality of the included reviews. The selection procedure, data-extraction, and quality assessment were performed by two independent reviewers. Seventeen reviews were selected for inclusion. Results: Reviews varied widely in quality. Both reviews of high and low quality found only weak or mixed associations between health literacy and adherence among older adults. Reviews report on seven studies that assess the effectiveness of adherence interventions among low health literate older adults. The results suggest that some adherence interventions are effective for this group. The interventions described in the reviews focused mainly on education and on lowering the health literacy demands of adherence instructions. No conclusions could be drawn about which type of intervention could be most beneficial for this population. Conclusions: Evidence on the association between health literacy and adherence in older adults is relatively weak. Adherence interventions are potentially effective for the vulnerable population of older adults with low levels of health literacy, but the evidence on this topic is limited. Further research is needed on the association between health literacy and general health behavior, and on the effectiveness of interventions

Increased S-nitrosylation and proteasomal degradation of caspase-3 during infection contribute to the persistence of adherent invasive escherichia coli (AIEC) in immune cells

Adherent invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) have been implicated as a causative agent of Crohn's disease (CD) due to their isolation from the intestines of CD sufferers and their ability to persist in macrophages inducing granulomas. The rapid intracellular multiplication of AIEC sets it apart from other enteric pathogens such as Salmonella Typhimurium which after limited replication induce programmed cell death (PCD). Understanding the response of infected cells to the increased AIEC bacterial load and associated metabolic stress may offer insights into AIEC pathogenesis and its association with CD. Here we show that AIEC persistence within macrophages and dendritic cells is facilitated by increased proteasomal degradation of caspase-3. In addition S-nitrosylation of pro- and active forms of caspase-3, which can inhibit the enzymes activity, is increased in AIEC infected macrophages. This S-nitrosylated caspase-3 was seen to accumulate upon inhibition of the proteasome indicating an additional role for S-nitrosylation in inducing caspase-3 degradation in a manner independent of ubiquitination. In addition to the autophagic genetic defects that are linked to CD, this delay in apoptosis mediated in AIEC infected cells through increased degradation of caspase-3, may be an essential factor in its prolonged persistence in CD patients