Multiplexing readout channels in proportional counters

Proportional counters are important instruments used in sensing hard x-rays. The possibility is described of doubling the number of readout channels in the detector without increasing the electronics needed to amplify channel signals. This suggests that it should be possible, conversely, to reduce the number of amplifiers, thereby reducing the weight and energy budget of the instrument. Various numerical multiplexing schemes are analyzed, and a computer program is presented that can reconstruct multiplexed channel outputs with very good accuracy

The recruitment and activation of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinases α critically regulate CD28-dependent signaling responses

CD28 costimulatory receptor is a crucial determinant of the outcome of T lymphocyte activation. The engagement of CD28 by its natural ligands, B7.1/CD80 or B7.2/CD86, expressed on the surface of professional APC, lowers T cell receptor (TCR) activation threshold, thus leading to the enhancement of early signalling events necessary for efficient cytokine production, cell cycle progression, survival and regulation of T cells effector responses. CD28 is also able to act as a unique signalling receptor and to deliver TCR-independent autonomous signals, which account for its critical role in the regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine/chemokine production and T cell survival. Most of the CD28-dependent signalling functions are initiated by the recruitment and activation of class IA phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), The intracytoplasmic domain of CD28 contains a N-terminal YMNM motif that following phosphorylation binds the p85 subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K). Once activated, PI3K catalyzes the conversion of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-biphosphate (PIP2) to phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-triphosphate (PIP3) and generates the docking sites for key signalling proteins. PIP2 plays a critical role in the regulation of both cytoskeleton dynamics and second messenger generation. Indeed, PIP2 is the common source for two major distinct signalling cascades involving PI3K and PLCγ1 that often colocalize in the same signalling complexes competing for the common pool of substrate. Consequently, PIP2 levels decrease following receptor activation, thus suggesting that stimulation of PIP2 synthesis may be an essential regulatory step to sustain the activation of both PI3K and PLCγ1 following CD28 engagement. The main biosynthetic pathway of PIP2 involves phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol 4-monophosphate (PI4P) at the D5 position of the inositol ring by PIP5K. Three PIP5K isoforms (α, β and γ) have been identified. Several data obtained in different cell systems evidenced differential subcellular localizations of each isoform. PIP5Kα, for instance, is localized at the plasma membrane, where it guarantees the local availability of PIP2. Here we show that CD28 stimulation by both B7.1/CD80 or agonistic Abs induces the recruitment and activation of PIP5Kα in human primary CD4+ T lymphocytes. This event leads to the neo-synthesis of PIP2 that is consumed by CD28-activated PI3K. By either small interference RNA (siRNA)-driven cell silencing or overexpressing a kinase dead mutant, we evidenced that PIP5Kα activation is required for both CD28 autonomous signals regulating IL-8 gene expression as well as for CD28/TCR-induced Ca2+ mobilization, NF-AT nuclear translocation and IL-2 gene transcription. Our findings identify PIP5Kα as a critical mediator of CD28-dependent responses

Existence of Infinitely Many Periodic Solutions for Perturbed Semilinear Fourth-Order Impulsive Differential Inclusions

This paper discusses the existence of infinitely many periodic solutions for a semilinear fourth-order impulsive differential inclusion with a perturbed nonlinearity and two parameters. The approach is based on a critical point theorem for nonsmooth functionals

A laplace type problem for three lattices with non-convex cell

In this paper we consider three lattices with cells represented in Fig. 1, 3 and 5 and we determine the probability that a random segment of constant length intersects a side of lattic

Infinitely many solutions for impulsive nonlinear fractional boundary value problems

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Optimality Conditions for Nondifferentiable Multiobjective Semi-Infinite Programming Problems

We have considered a multiobjective semi-infinite programming problem with a feasible set defined by inequality constraints. First we studied a Fritz-John type necessary condition. Then, we introduced two constraint qualifications and derive the weak and strong Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT in brief) types necessary conditions for an efficient solution of the considered problem. Finally an extension of a Caristi-Ferrara-Stefanescu result for the (Φ,ρ)-invexity is proved, and some sufficient conditions are presented under this weak assumption. All results are given in terms of Clark subdifferential

Road Network Analysis with GIS and GRASS-GIS: A Probabilistic Approach

In this paper we show how it can be useful to the probability of intersections in the determination of a classification rule for raster conversions in Geographical Information System (GIS) and GRASS GIS for the Road Network Analysis (RNA). We use a geometric probabilities approach for irregular path considering these results for transportation planning operations. We study two particular problems with irregular tessellations, in order to have a situation more realistic respect to map GIS and considering also the maximum value of probability to narrow the range of possible probability values

Three Solutions For Discrete Anisotropic Kirchhoff-type Problems

In this article, using critical point theory and variational methods, we investigate the existence of at least three solutions for a class of double eigenvalue discrete anisotropic Kirchhoff-type problems. An example is presented to demonstrate the applicability of our main theoretical findings

Recensione. Doxiadis A., Papadimitriou C. (disegni e personaggi: Alecos Papadatos, colori: Annie Di Donna, traduzione dall’inglese: Paola Eusebio) 2010, Logicomix, Parma, Guanda, pp. 352

1Recensione di una recente graphics novel di interesse per la divulgazione della matematica.nonenoneG. CaristiCaristi, Gabriell

Existence of three solutions for impulsive multi-point boundary value problems

This paper is devoted to the study of the existence of at least three classical solutions for a second-order multi-point boundary value problem with impulsive effects. We use variational methods for smooth functionals defined on reflexive Banach spaces in order to achieve our results. Also by presenting an example, we ensure the applicability of our results