Analysis and tests of TF magnet insulation samples for the JET upgrade to 4 tesla

The JET Toroidal Field (TF) coils were originally designed for operation at 3.4 tesla. In order to upgrade the field to 4 tesla and thus improve the performance of the JET machine, new mechanical tests and analysis were carried out on the insulation of TF coil samples. They are aimed at investigating the mechanical properties and the status of the insulation in order to set allowable stresses and force limits. In particular since the shear stress in the insulation is strongly affected by the shear modulus of elasticity G, it is important to measure this parameter. A method for the measurement of G in glass-resin fibres, the V-notched beam method (Iosipescu method) , was applied. The particular shape of the rectangular Iosipescu V- notched sample and the particular modality of force application produce pure shear stress for a reliable measurement of the G value and of the shear strength of the insulation. The effect of temperature on these mechanical properties was also investigated. Results show higher average shear strength with lower scatter compared with previous tests on conventional rectangular samples, thus confirming the reliability of the method. Micrographic analysis of the insulation and comparison between the straight and curved regions of the magnet, where the highest stress occurs, confirm the good quality of the impregnation of the coil. Glass-resin content, void content, micros and TG measurements have been performed on different samples and correlation between the different properties of the insulation investigated. Moreover fatigue tests at different temperatures were performed and data analyzed with the cumulative damage technique, which allows for an extrapolation of the fatigue curve with less samples than the standard method. (6 refs)

Classifying new anti-tuberculosis drugs: Rationale and future perspectives

The classification of anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs is important as it helps the clinician to build an appropriate anti-TB regimen for multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB cases that do not fulfil the criteria for the shorter MDR-TB regimen. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently approved a revision of the classification of new anti-TB drugs based on current evidence on each drug. In the previous WHO guidelines, the choice of drugs was based on efficacy and toxicity in a step-down manner, from group 1 first-line drugs and groups 2-5 second-line drugs, to group 5 drugs with potentially limited efficacy or limited clinical evidence. In the revised WHO classification, exclusively aimed at managing drug-resistant cases, medicines are again listed in hierarchical order from group A to group D. In parallel, a possible future classification is independently proposed. The aim of this viewpoint article is to describe the evolution in WHO TB classification (taking into account an independently proposed new classification) and recent changes in WHO guidance, while commenting on the differences between them. The latest evidence on the ex-group 5 drugs is also discussed

The Declining Role of Elementary Science Education in the United States:

Nationally, the most important goal of contemporary science education is to produce scientifically literate adults (Zimmerman, 2007). The current goal of the National Framework for K-12 science education, which is to ensure that by the end of 12th grade, all students have some appreciation of the beauty and wonder of science. This includes their ability to possess sufficient knowledge of science and engineering information to adequately engage in public discussions on related issues. These abilities will increase in time with a goal of creating a student body that is able to continue to learn about science outside school. Further, it strives to create students who are careful consumers of scientific and technology. Most importantly, the framework strives to ensure that American students have the required skills to enter careers of their choice, including (but not limited to) careers in science, engineering, and technology (U.S. Department of Education, 2008). These goals are meant to hold true in elementary schools as well as it is here that children receive their initial experience of formal science education. They are taught, by selection of national and state curriculum, what matters in the world and how to deepen their understanding of concepts presented. Despite the goals and intent of elementary science education, the role of science in elementary grades has been declining steadily in the United States according to some national and private research. Meaningful science education reaches beyond the science classroom as the thinking skills used to understand science can be related to other formal and informal thinking skills (Kuhn, 2002). Currently, recent efforts to reform and improve the way science is taught strives to make certain that those who do not pursue a career in science are able benefit from the basic thinking skills taught in the classroom (Ford & Forman, 2006; Metz, 2004; ONeill & Polman, 2004). By focusing on interventions that encourage the development and practice of investigation and inference skills, science education will become increasingly relevant to the needs of all students (Zimmerman, 2007). Despite current efforts and the conceived notions of the importance of science, the role of elementary science education and its effectiveness is declining in the United States. A host of research suggests that science education should be centered around inquiry-based learning. A central issue of elementary science education is that inquiry and Nature of Science education is not present in the curricula of most elementary science teachers’ personal education. To remedy this issue, it has been found that appropriate pre and in-serve science education in the form of professional developments can increase a teacher’s ability to effectively teach elementary science

The Declining Role of Elementary Science Education in the United States:

Please see attached power point.Nationally, the most important goal of contemporary science education is to produce scientifically literate adults (Zimmerman, 2007). The current goal of the National Framework for K-12 science education, which is to ensure that by the end of 12th grade, all students have some appreciation of the beauty and wonder of science. This includes their ability to possess sufficient knowledge of science and engineering information to adequately engage in public discussions on related issues. These abilities will increase in time with a goal of creating a student body that is able to continue to learn about science outside school. Further, it strives to create students who are careful consumers of scientific and technology. Most importantly, the framework strives to ensure that American students have the required skills to enter careers of their choice, including (but not limited to) careers in science, engineering, and technology (U.S. Department of Education, 2008). These goals are meant to hold true in elementary schools as well as it is here that children receive their initial experience of formal science education. They are taught, by selection of national and state curriculum, what matters in the world and how to deepen their understanding of concepts presented. Despite the goals and intent of elementary science education, the role of science in elementary grades has been declining steadily in the United States according to some national and private research. Meaningful science education reaches beyond the science classroom as the thinking skills used to understand science can be related to other formal and informal thinking skills (Kuhn, 2002). Currently, recent efforts to reform and improve the way science is taught strives to make certain that those who do not pursue a career in science are able benefit from the basic thinking skills taught in the classroom (Ford & Forman, 2006; Metz, 2004; ONeill & Polman, 2004). By focusing on interventions that encourage the development and practice of investigation and inference skills, science education will become increasingly relevant to the needs of all students (Zimmerman, 2007). Despite current efforts and the conceived notions of the importance of science, the role of elementary science education and its effectiveness is declining in the United States. A host of research suggests that science education should be centered around inquiry-based learning. A central issue of elementary science education is that inquiry and Nature of Science education is not present in the curricula of most elementary science teachers’ personal education. To remedy this issue, it has been found that appropriate pre and in-serve science education in the form of professional developments can increase a teacher’s ability to effectively teach elementary science.SUNY BrockportEducation and Human DevelopmentMaster of Science in Education (MSEd)Education and Human Development Master's These

Inhalation therapy in the next decade : Determinants of adherence to treatment in asthma and COPD

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Effect of gene-gene and gene-environment interactions associated with antituberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity

This study evaluated the association between environmental factors and genetic variations in enzymes that metabolize antituberculosis (anti-TB) drugs [arylamine N-acetyltransferase 2, cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1), glutathione S-transferase theta 1 (GSTT1), and glutathione S-transferase mu 1] with antituberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity (ATDH). We also investigated the potential gene-gene and gene-environment interactions as well as their association with ATDH development in a population of hospitalized TB patients from Buenos Aires

Performance of the CMS Cathode Strip Chambers with Cosmic Rays

The Cathode Strip Chambers (CSCs) constitute the primary muon tracking device in the CMS endcaps. Their performance has been evaluated using data taken during a cosmic ray run in fall 2008. Measured noise levels are low, with the number of noisy channels well below 1%. Coordinate resolution was measured for all types of chambers, and fall in the range 47 microns to 243 microns. The efficiencies for local charged track triggers, for hit and for segments reconstruction were measured, and are above 99%. The timing resolution per layer is approximately 5 ns

Unravelling the genome-wide contributions of specific 2-alkyl-4-quinolones and PqsE to quorum sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The pqs quorum sensing (QS) system is crucial for Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence both in vitro and in animal models of infection and is considered an ideal target for the development of anti-virulence agents. However, the precise role played by each individual component of this complex QS circuit in the control of virulence remains to be elucidated. Key components of the pqs QS system are 2-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline (HHQ), 2-heptyl-3-hydroxy-4-quinolone (PQS), 2-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline N-oxide (HQNO), the transcriptional regulator PqsR and the PQS-effector element PqsE. To define the individual contribution of each of these components to QS-mediated regulation, transcriptomic analyses were performed and validated on engineered P. aeruginosa strains in which the biosynthesis of 2-alkyl 4-quinolones (AQs) and expression of pqsE and pqsR have been uncoupled, facilitating the identification of the genes controlled by individual pqs system components. The results obtained demonstrate that i) the PQS biosynthetic precursor HHQ triggers a PqsR-dependent positive feedback loop that leads to the increased expression of only the pqsABCDE operon, ii) PqsE is involved in the regulation of diverse genes coding for key virulence determinants and biofilm development, iii) PQS promotes AQ biosynthesis, the expression of genes involved in the iron-starvation response and virulence factor production via PqsR-dependent and PqsR-independent pathways, and iv) HQNO does not influence transcription and hence does not function as a QS signal molecule. Overall this work has facilitated identification of the specific regulons controlled by individual pqs system components and uncovered the ability of PQS to contribute to gene regulation independent of both its ability to activate PqsR and to induce the iron-starvation response

Performance and Operation of the CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter

The operation and general performance of the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter using cosmic-ray muons are described. These muons were recorded after the closure of the CMS detector in late 2008. The calorimeter is made of lead tungstate crystals and the overall status of the 75848 channels corresponding to the barrel and endcap detectors is reported. The stability of crucial operational parameters, such as high voltage, temperature and electronic noise, is summarised and the performance of the light monitoring system is presented

Expanding drug resistance through integron acquisition by IncFI plasmids of Salmonella enterica Typhimurium.

We conducted a 30-year retrospective analysis of IncFI plasmids from Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium. These plasmids have been associated with the emergence of epidemic clones of multidrug-resistant Salmonella. Molecular and genetic evidence indicates that IncFI plasmids are evolving through sequential acquisition of integrons carrying different arrays of antibiotic- resistance genes