Fractal scattering dynamics of the three-dimensional HOCl molecule

We compare the 2D and 3D classical fractal scattering dynamics of Cl and HO for energies just above dissociation of the HOCl molecule, using a realistic potential energy surface for the HOCl molecule and techniques developed to analyze 3D chaotic scattering processes. For parameter regimes where the HO dimer initially has small vibrational energy, only small intervals of initial conditions show fractal scattering behavior and the scattering process is well described by a 2D model. For parameter regimes where the HO dimer initially has large vibrational energy, the scattering process is fully 3D and is dominated by fractal behavior.Robert A. Welch Foundation F-1051CONACyT 79988DGAPA IN110110Physic

The Relationship between Stock Market Reaction and Issuing DRs in Taiwan Listed Companies

This investigation utilized the event study methodology to examine the information effect of announcements on depositary receipt listing and stock reward fluctuation behavior during 1990 to 2006. Empirical evidence demonstrates that listing depositary receipts leads to negative abnormal returns around the recommendation date. Furthermore, the stock market exhibits negative abnormal returns near the recommendation date when listed depositary receipts in the electronics industries, but the stock prices in the non-electronics industries are not immediately influenced by the announcement of DRs

Detecting the direction of ambient light using an array of photodiodes

So as to gain context, mobile devices, e.g., phones, tablets, laptops, etc., capture information about their surroundings, including sounds, lights, temperature, etc. An important piece of information is the direction of nearby light sources. Currently available ambient light sensors provide illuminance information so that the display can adjust its brightness accordingly. However, there is no directional information provided. This disclosure describes techniques that use a planar array of ambient light sensors with asymmetric masks to determine the angle of incident light

Performance of rank-minimization under different scenarios: a simulation study focusing on baseline covariates imbalances in clinical trials

Clinical trials are often considered to be the gold standard for assessing effectiveness and safety of medical treatments and public health interventions. The validity of inferences from clinical trials depends on randomizing subjects to different treatment groups. Although simple randomization is the most common approach, and generally prevents differences in baseline covariate imbalances between groups, other approaches may be necessary for balancing covariate distributions within important strata. However, the performance of stratified randomization may be limited when the sample size is small and there are many strata. These scenarios may be better addressed through minimization, or rank-minimization algorithms. The concept of rank-minimization is straightforward but very little research has been published on the topic. To address this gap in the literature, we conducted a simulation study to investigate how rank-minimization performed, compared to Taves’ minimization, with different sample sizes and baseline covariate distributions. Results indicated that both sample size and covariate distributions influence the performance of rank-minimization and minimization. Overall, rank-minimization yields better properties, and larger sample sizes yield better properties for both methods. However, the performance for both methods decreases when the distribution is more skewed. Results of this study provide researchers with more information to decide between randomization methods for their specific applications. Public Health Significance: In clinical trials, the comparability of subjects between different treatment groups is critical to validity of the subsequent inferences. Since clinical trials are often considered the gold standard for assessing medical treatments and public health interventions, and the trials are usually expensive and time-consuming to conduct, optimizing the randomization process represents a highly significant aspect of public health research. Consulting results of the simulation study will provide additional information for researchers to decide the best method for randomization for different size data sets and different covariate distributions encountered in practice

Fucosylation of LAMP-1 and LAMP-2 by FUT1 correlates with lysosomal positioning and autophagic flux of breast cancer cells.

Alpha1,2-fucosyltransferases, FUT1 and FUT2, which transfer fucoses onto the terminal galactose of N-acetyl-lactosamine via α1,2-linkage have been shown to be highly expressed in various types of cancers. A few studies have shown the involvement of FUT1 substrates in tumor cell proliferation and migration. Lysosome-associated membrane protein 1, LAMP-1, has been reported to carry alpha1,2-fucosylated Lewis Y (LeY) antigens in breast cancer cells, however, the biological functions of LeY on LAMP-1 remain largely unknown. Whether or not its family member, LAMP-2, displays similar modifications and functions as LAMP-1 has not yet been addressed. In this study, we have presented evidence supporting that both LAMP-1 and 2 are substrates for FUT1, but not FUT2. We have also demonstrated the presence of H2 and LeY antigens on LAMP-1 by a targeted nanoLC-MS(3) and the decreased levels of fucosylation on LAMP-2 by MALDI-TOF analysis upon FUT1 knockdown. In addition, we found that the expression of LeY was substantial in less invasive ER+/PR+/HER- breast cancer cells (MCF-7 and T47D) but negligible in highly invasive triple-negative MDA-MB-231 cells, of which LeY levels were correlated with the levels of LeY carried by LAMP-1 and 2. Intriguingly, we also observed a striking change in the subcellular localization of lysosomes upon FUT1 knockdown from peripheral distribution of LAMP-1 and 2 to a preferential perinuclear accumulation. Besides that, knockdown of FUT1 led to an increased rate of autophagic flux along with diminished activity of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) and enhanced autophagosome-lysosome fusion. This may be associated with the predominantly perinuclear distribution of lysosomes mediated by FUT1 knockdown as lysosomal positioning has been reported to regulate mTOR activity and autophagy. Taken together, our results suggest that downregulation of FUT1, which leads to the perinuclear localization of LAMP-1 and 2, is correlated with increased rate of autophagic flux by decreasing mTOR signaling and increasing autolysosome formation

Effects of ranibizumab on human corneal endothelial cells

AbstractPurposeThis study aims to evaluate corneal endothelial changes occurring over a 3-month period after intravitreal injections of ranibizumab in patients with wet age-related macular degeneration.MethodsThis is a prospective case series. A total of 29 patients (29 eyes) received a 0.5-mg intravitreal injection of ranibizumab. Specular microscopy, including measurement of central corneal thickness and endothelial cell count, was performed on each patient prior to and after completing three intravitreal injections.ResultsAll patients received three intravitreal injections and were followed up for a mean of 3 months. There was no significant change in corneal thickness (p = 0.32) or endothelial cell density (p = 0.38) after ranibizumab injections.ConclusionIntravitreal ranibizumab injections (0.5 mg) have no harmful effects on corneal endothelial cells

Antidepressant Effects on Insulin Sensitivity and Proinflammatory Cytokines in the Depressed Males

Growing evidence suggests that mood disorder is associated with insulin resistance and inflammation. Thus the effects of antidepressants on insulin sensitivity and proinflammatory responses will be a crucial issue for depression treatment. In this study, we enrolled 43 non-diabetic young depressed males and adapted standard testing procedures to assess glucose metabolism during 4-week hospitalization. Before and after the 4-week antidepressant treatment, participants underwent oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIGT). Insulin sensitivity (SI), glucose effectiveness (SG), acute insulin response, and disposition index (DI) were estimated using the minimal model method. The plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and adiponectin were measured. The Hamilton depression rating scale (HAM-D) total scores were reduced significantly during the course of treatment. There were no significant changes in the parameters of SI, SG, and DI. Compared to drug naïve status, the level of plasma IL-6 was significantly elevated (0.77 to 1.30 pg/ml; P = .001) after antidepressant therapy. However, the concentrations of CRP, TNF-α, and adiponectin showed no differences during the course of treatment. The results suggest that antidepressants may promote stimulatory effect on the IL-6 production in the early stage of antidepressant treatment