Kaon Electromagnetic Production on Nuclei

The formation and excitation of hypernuclei through kaon photoproduction is reviewed. Basic features of the production process are emphasized. The possibility of extracting new information on hypernuclear structure and on the wave function of the bound $\Lambda$ is discussed. New results are presented for the quasifree production process $A(\gamma, K \Lambda)B$. Observables of this reaction are shown to be sensitive to the $\Lambda$-nucleus final state interaction.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures. Invited talk given at the International Conference on Hypernuclear and Strange Particle Physics (HYP97), Brookhaven National Laboratory, USA, October 13-18, 1997. To be published in Nucl. Phys.

Relationship between macroeconomic variables and stock market indices: cointegration evidence from stock exchange of Singapore’s all-S sector indices

The relationship between macroeconomic variables and stock market returns is, by now, well-documented in the literature. However, a void in the literature relates to examining the cointegration between macroeconomic variables and stock market’s sector indices rather than the composite index. Thus in this paper we examine the long-term equilibrium relationships between selected macroeconomic variables and the Singapore stock market index (STI), as well as with various Singapore Exchange Sector indices—the finance index, the property index, and the hotel index. The study concludes that the Singapore’s stock market and the property index form cointegrating relationship with changes in the short and long-term interest rates, industrial production, price levels, exchange rate and money supply. Implications of the study and suggestions for future research are provide

Mobile Image Ratiometry: A New Method for Instantaneous Analysis of Rapid Test Strips

Here we describe Mobile Image Ratiometry (MIR), a new method for the automated quantification of standardized rapid immunoassay strips using consumer-based mobile smartphone and tablet cameras. To demonstrate MIR we developed a standardized method using rapid immunotest strips directed against cocaine (COC) and its major metabolite, benzoylecgonine (BE). We performed image analysis of three brands of commercially available dye-conjugated anti-COC/BE antibody test strips in response to three different series of cocaine concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 300 ng/ml and BE concentrations ranging from 0.003 to 0.1 ng/ml. These data were then used to create standard curves to allow quantification of COC/BE in biological samples. MIR quantification of COC and BE proved to be a sensitive, economical, and faster alternative to more costly methods, such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, tandem mass spectrometry, or high pressure liquid chromatography. MIR is a valuable tool that provides instant data acquisition, tracking and analysis for the emerging field of mobile platform informatics (MPI)

Breakdown of counterflow superfluidity in a disordered quantum Hall bilayer

We present a theory for the regime of coherent interlayer tunneling in a disordered quantum Hall bilayer at total filling factor one, allowing for the effect of static vortices. We find that the system consists of domains of polarized superfluid phase. Injected currents introduce phase slips between the polarized domains which are pinned by disorder. We present a model of saturated tunneling domains that predicts a critical current for the breakdown of coherent tunneling that is extensive in the system size. This theory is supported by numerical results from a disordered phase model in two dimensions. We also discuss how our picture might be used to interpret experiments in the counterflow geometry and in two-terminal measurements.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure

A genetic screen to identify novel regulators of Ikaros-mediated cell cycle arrest

Failure to regulate cellular proliferation is one of the hallmarks of cancer. The development of pre-B cells is demarcated by alternating stages of quiescence, in which immunoglobulin receptors are sequentially rearranged, and clonal expansion, in which signals from the assembled pre-B cell receptor lead to proliferation. Ikaros (encoded by Ikzf1 in mice) is a transcription factor that regulates gene expression in cycling B cell progenitors to enforce proliferative arrest. In humans IKZF1 mutations are prevalent in subsets of haematological malignancies and result in inappropriate proliferation, therefore the regulation of the cell cycle by Ikaros may be fundamental to its tumour suppressor function. The study of Ikaros-mediated cell cycle arrest in pre-B cells is complicated by the role of Ikaros in the regulation of genes involved in pre-B cell differentiation. I used 3T3 fibroblasts as a reductionist model to study the regulation of the cell cycle by Ikaros independently of pre-B cell receptor signalling. Using this model I performed an RNAi screen to discover novel regulators that cooperate with Ikaros to arrest the cell cycle. Amongst a number of candidates I identified the scaffolding protein SSeCKS (Akap12) as necessary for Ikaros-mediated proliferative arrest. Overexpression of Ikaros and SSeCKS synergistically arrested the cell cycle and silenced the expression of the proto-oncogene Myc. Utilising fibroblasts in which Ikaros and SSeCKS could be inducibly expressed I performed RNAseq to profile the global gene expression of cells that had undergone Ikaros and SSeCKS-mediated cell cycle arrest. Ikaros and SSeCKS together regulated the expression of hundreds of genes to coordinate proliferative arrest. The insights gained from these analyses may be applied to pre-B cells to deepen our understanding of the role of Ikaros in the regulation of proliferation in normal development and in the leukaemic state.Open Acces

Dominican Republic Community Center

The Santiago Agriculture and Water Company will partner with the Amoveo Group and Mission TwentyFive35 in order to bring healthy and sustainable solutions to the overall project region known as “El Cibao” in the Dominican Republic. This facility focuses on the revitalization of the community with educational facilities like libraries, a green house, and agricultural landscaping. The project navigates the trials and complications often encountered with foreign humanitarian work by providing a rough construction schedule, budget, and analysis reports necessary to understand the project hazards