A full wave method for rough surface scattering using fictitious current distributions

Rough surface scattering is a current topic of interest in many diverse fields. But, despite its importance, the two most widely used solution methods, the Kirchhoff and first order perturbation methods, are valid only for a restricted range of surface types. There is a large range of surface statistics for which neither of these theories is valid. There are purely numerical solutions to the problem, i.e., the integral equation technique and FDTD method, but these methods require a prohibitively large amount of computer time and storage space for use in practical applications. A full wave method has been introduced by E. Bahar which agrees with the Kirchhoff method in its range of validity, but does not bridge the gap between the later two standard theories and does not provide understanding of the physical processes involved in rough surface scattering. Consequently, it has been a center of controversy since modifications made to improve the method seem arbitrary and are without mathematical or physical justification. The method presented here is a new full wave method which uses equivalent currents to provide insight into the physical scattering processes. This full wave method analytically reduces to the two standard theories in their respective regions of validity and bridges the gap between the two, which was shown by comparison to the integral equation method. The results presented here are for statistically rough surfaces with Gaussian distributed heights and slopes. A Monte Carlo procedure is used to generate the radar cross section data for this new full wave method

Pathogenesis of polymyalgia rheumatica

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a chronic, inflammatory disorder of unknown cause, almost exclusively occurring in people aged over 50 and often associated with giant cell arteritis. The evidence that PMR occurs almost exclusively in individuals aged over 50 may indicate that age-related immune alterations in genetically predisposed subjects contribute to development of the disease. Several infectious agents have been investigated as possible triggers of PMR even though the results are inconclusive. Activation of the innate and adaptive immune systems has been proved in PMR patients as demonstrated by the activation of dendritic cells and monocytes/macrophages and the altered balance between Th17 and Treg cells. Disturbed B cell distribution and function have been also demonstrated in PMR patients suggesting a pathogenesis more complex than previously imagined. In this review we will discuss the recent findings regarding the pathogenesis of PMR

Triphilic ionic-liquid mixtures: fluorinated and non-fluorinated aprotic ionic-liquid mixtures

We present here the possibility of forming triphilic mixtures from alkyl- and fluoroalkylimidazolium ionic liquids, thus, macroscopically homogeneous mixtures for which instead of the often observed two domainspolar and nonpolarthree stable microphases are present: polar, lipophilic, and fluorous ones. The fluorinated side chains of the cations indeed self-associate and form domains that are segregated from those of the polar and alkyl domains. To enable miscibility, despite the generally preferred macroscopic separation between fluorous and alkyl moieties, the importance of strong hydrogen bonding is shown. As the long-range structure in the alkyl and fluoroalkyl domains is dependent on the composition of the liquid, we propose that the heterogeneous, triphilic structure can be easily tuned by the molar ratio of the components. We believe that further development may allow the design of switchable, smart liquids that change their properties in a predictable way according to their composition or even their environment

Intestinal dysbiosis and innate immune responses in axial spondyloarthritis

Purpose of review Inflammatory innate and adaptive immune cell responses to commensal bacteria underlie the pathogenesis of human chronic inflammatory diseases. Intestinal dysbiosis has been described in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) and seems to be correlated with histologic and immunologic alterations. Purpose of this review is to discuss the relationship occurring between intestinal dysbiosis and innate immune responses in patients with axial SpA. Recent findings Intestinal dysbiosis and differential activation of intestinal immune responses in patients with SpA have been demonstrated. Furthermore, innate cells that appear to be involved in the pathogenesis of SpA may control intestinal homeostasis through induction of apoptotic cell death and deletion of activated commensal bacteria-specific T cells. Summary Although the evidence shows that dysbiosis occurs in SpA, it is not clear the role of dysbiosis in regulating innate immune responses in SpA. Relationships between cause and effect remain to be answered

Impact of Aging and Exercise on Mitochondrial Quality Control in Skeletal Muscle

Mitochondria are characterized by its pivotal roles in managing energy production, reactive oxygen species, and calcium, whose aging-related structural and functional deteriorations are observed in aging muscle. Although it is still unclear how aging alters mitochondrial quality and quantity in skeletal muscle, dysregulation of mitochondrial biogenesis and dynamic controls has been suggested as key players for that. In this paper, we summarize current understandings on how aging regulates muscle mitochondrial biogenesis, while focusing on transcriptional regulations including PGC-1α, AMPK, p53, mtDNA, and Tfam. Further, we review current findings on the muscle mitochondrial dynamic systems in aging muscle: fusion/fission, autophagy/mitophagy, and protein import. Next, we also discuss how endurance and resistance exercises impact on the mitochondrial quality controls in aging muscle, suggesting possible effective exercise strategies to improve/maintain mitochondrial health

A suspected case of hunting accident. Case report

Nowadays, the use of molecular biology in forensics has made it possible to identify human victim and sometimes even the circumstances under which the death occurred through. In our case, a corpse of a 50-years old man with a gunshot wound was found in the woods. The suspected murderer declared that it had been a hunting accident while he shot a wild boar. During the autopsy, a bullet (Borra-bullet Gualandi, 32 gr) was found in the abdomen of the victim. The authors investigated the presence of boar and victim blood both on the bullet, in order to substantiate the thesis of the hunting accident. Laboratory investigations underscored the presence of human cellular material on the bullet, which corresponds to profile of the victim and human and porcine ribosomal DNA. Through this investigation, the authors showed that it was a hunting accident, because the bullet passed through the body of the boar before hitting the victim

Test for contamination of MgF2 - coated mirrors

Graphs show preflight and postflight reflectivities in percent for exposed and covered mirrors carried on the OSS-1 payload pallet during STS-3. No changes greater than 1.8 sigma were observed except for a fingerprint. Weak evidence for degradation at 1216 A and 1600 A was found in several samples. There was no difference between flight mirrors and control mirrors. Covered samples suffered more than samples exposed to the Sun, but the differences are barely significant. The exposed side of the flight mirrors were somewhat dusty. No evidence was found for permanent solar-induced or shuttle-induced deterioration. There also was no evidence on oil-pumped vacuum versus oil-free vacuum during coating

A 2-year comparative open label randomized study of efficacy and safety of etanercept and infliximab in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

The signs and symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) respond inadequately to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, and disease modifying antirheumatic drugs in quite a number of patients. Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors have demonstrated to be of value in reducing AS disease activity in clinical trials. The efficacy and safety of both etanercept and infliximab in patients with ankylosing spondylitis were compared in a 2-year open label randomised study. Our results are consistent with a significant more rapid clinical improvement in the infliximab treated group. Treatment with both etanercept and infliximab at the end of the study was effective, safe, and well tolerated. \ua9 2009 Springer-Verlag

Successful intravenous immunoglobulin treatment for steroid-resistant eosinophilic enteritis in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is a rare condition of unknown etiology characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of the bowel. Corticosteroids are the mainstay of EG therapy. Although rare, steroid-resistant EG could be a life-threatening condition with tissue destructive evolution. Associations of eosinophilic gastroenteritis with systemic lupus erythematosus have rarely been reported. In this report we describe a case of successful IVIG treatment in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus and steroid-refractory eosinophilic gastroenteritis