293 research outputs found
Keeping Score One Score Later
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68404/2/10.1177_104687818902000204.pd
Diffusion in a generalized Rubinstein-Duke model of electrophoresis with kinematic disorder
Using a generalized Rubinstein-Duke model we prove rigorously that kinematic
disorder leaves the prediction of standard reptation theory for the scaling of
the diffusion constant in the limit for long polymer chains
unaffected. Based on an analytical calculation as well as Monte Carlo
simulations we predict kinematic disorder to affect the center of mass
diffusion constant of an entangled polymer in the limit for long chains by the
same factor as single particle diffusion in a random barrier model.Comment: 29 pages, 3 figures, submitted to PR
In and out domains. Playful principles to in-form urban solutions
The implementation of games in architecture and urban planning has a long history since the 1960s and is still a preferential tool to foster public participation and address contemporary spatial – and social - conflicts within the urban fabric. Moreover, in the last decade, we have seen the rise of urban play as a tool for community building, and city-making and Western society is actively focusing on play/playfulness – together with ludic dynamics and mechanics - as an applied methodology to deal with complex challenges, and deeper comprehend emergent situations.
In this paper, we aim to initiate a dialogue between game scholars and architects through the use of the PLEX/CIVIC framework. Like many creative professions, we believe that architectural practice may benefit significantly from having more design methodologies at hand, thus improving lateral thinking. We aim at providing new conceptual and operative tools to discuss and reflect on how games facilitate long-term planning processes and help to solve migration issues, allowing citizens themselves to take their responsibility and contribute to durable solutions
Regular Incidence Complexes, Polytopes, and C-Groups
Regular incidence complexes are combinatorial incidence structures
generalizing regular convex polytopes, regular complex polytopes, various types
of incidence geometries, and many other highly symmetric objects. The special
case of abstract regular polytopes has been well-studied. The paper describes
the combinatorial structure of a regular incidence complex in terms of a system
of distinguished generating subgroups of its automorphism group or a
flag-transitive subgroup. Then the groups admitting a flag-transitive action on
an incidence complex are characterized as generalized string C-groups. Further,
extensions of regular incidence complexes are studied, and certain incidence
complexes particularly close to abstract polytopes, called abstract polytope
complexes, are investigated.Comment: 24 pages; to appear in "Discrete Geometry and Symmetry", M. Conder,
A. Deza, and A. Ivic Weiss (eds), Springe
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Post-traumatic ocular lymphoma in three rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
This report describes post-traumatic ocular lymphoma in 3 companion rabbits; 2 rabbits with unilateral disease and 1 with bilateral disease. Historical findings suggestive of a traumatic event included either external unilateral ocular trauma or bilateral phacoemulsification. Severe corneal changes, presence of an anterior chamber mass(es), low intraocular pressures, and ocular discomfort were noted on ophthalmic examinations. All eyes were treated for variable courses with standard ophthalmic topical medications (antibiotic, anti-inflammatories, and steroid) and systemic anti-inflammatories. Based upon progression of disease, all affected eyes were ultimately enucleated; lenticular capsular rupture and a round cell neoplasm effacing normal structures with variable mitotic indices were noted on histopathology. Neoplastic lymphocytes strongly expressed CD79a via immunohistochemistry and lacked expression for CD3, indicating B lymphocyte lineage and not of T cell lineage. A single animal had evidence of local metastasis to a regional lymph node. Post-traumatic sarcomas have been reported in this species previously, however, these cases are the first reports of this novel round cell variant, named post-traumatic ocular lymphoma due to the B cell lineage confirmed through immunohistochemistry. Clinicians should be aware of this clinical presentation and the possibility of metastasis when evaluating ocular pathology in this species. Copyright 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved
InflateSail de-orbit flight demonstration results and follow-on drag-sail applications
The InflateSail (QB50-UK06) CubeSat, designed and built at the Surrey Space Centre (SSC) for the Von Karman
Institute (VKI), Belgium, was one of the technology demonstrators for the European Commission’s QB50
programme. The 3.2 kg 3U CubeSat was equipped with a 1 metre long inflatable mast and a 10m2
deployable drag
sail. InflateSail's primary mission was to demonstrate the effectiveness of using a drag sail in Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
to dramatically increase the rate at which satellites lose altitude and re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and it was one of
31 satellites that were launched simultaneously on the PSLV (polar satellite launch vehicle) C-38 from Sriharikota,
India on 23rd June 2017 into a 505km, 97.44o
Sun-synchronous orbit.
Shortly after safe deployment in orbit, InflateSail automatically activated its payload. Firstly, it inflated its metrelong
metal-polymer laminate tubular mast, and then activated a stepper motor to extend four lightweight bi-stable
rigid composite (BRC) booms from the end of the mast, so as to draw out the 3.1m x 3.1m square, 12m thick
polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) drag-sail. As intended, the satellite immediately began to lose altitude, causing it to
re-enter the atmosphere just 72 days later – thus successfully demonstrating for the first time the de-orbiting of a
spacecraft using European inflatable and drag-sail technologies.
The InflateSail project was funded by two European Commission Framework Program Seven (FP7) projects:
DEPLOYTECH and QB50. DEPLOYTECH had eight European partners including DLR, Airbus France, RolaTube,
Cambridge University, and was assisted by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. DEPLOYTECH’s objectives were
to advance the technological capabilities of three different space deployable technologies by qualifying their
concepts for space use. QB50 was a programme, led by VKI, for launching a network of 50 CubeSats built mainly by
university teams all over the world to perform first-class science in the largely unexplored lower thermosphere.
The boom/drag-sail technology developed by SSC will next be used on a third FP7 Project: RemoveDebris,
launched in 2018, which will demonstrate the capturing and de-orbiting of artificial space debris targets using a net
and harpoon system. This paper describes the results of the InflateSail mission, including the observed effects of
atmospheric density and solar activity on its trajectory and body dynamics. It also describes the application of the
technology to RemoveDebris and its potential as a commercial de-orbiting add-on package for future space missions
Repositioning of a diaminothiazole series confirmed to target the cyclin-dependent kinase CRK12 for use in the treatment of African animal trypanosomiasis
African animal trypanosomiasis or nagana, caused principally by infection of the protozoan parasites Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma vivax, is a major problem in cattle and other livestocks in sub-Saharan Africa. Current treatments are threatened by the emergence of drug resistance and there is an urgent need for new, effective drugs. Here, we report the repositioning of a compound series initially developed for the treatment of human African trypanosomiasis. A medicinal chemistry program, focused on deriving more soluble analogues, led to development of a lead compound capable of curing cattle infected with both T. congolense and T. vivax via intravenous dosing. Further optimization has the potential to yield a single-dose intramuscular treatment for this disease. Comprehensive mode of action studies revealed that the molecular target of this promising compound and related analogues is the cyclin-dependent kinase CRK12
Genetic diversity and structure of Iberian Peninsula cowpeas compared to world-wide cowpea accessions using high density SNP markers
Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) is an important legume crop due to its high protein content, adaptation to heat and drought and capacity to fix nitrogen. Europe has a deficit of cowpea production. Knowledge of genetic diversity among cowpea landraces is important for the preservation of local varieties and is the basis to obtain improved varieties. The aims of this study were to explore diversity and the genetic structure of a set of Iberian Peninsula cowpea accessions in comparison to a worldwide collection and to infer possible dispersion routes of cultivated cowpea.This study was supported by EUROLEGUME project. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no 613781. European Investment Funds by FEDER/COMPETE/ POCI – Operational Competitiveness and Internationalization Programme, under Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006958 and National Funds by FCT – Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the project UID/AGR/04033/2013. MMA was partially supported by the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Climate Resilient Cowpea (USAID Cooperative Agreement AID-OAA-A-13-00070), which is directed by TJC. The funding entities had no role in the design of the study, collection, analysis and interpretation of data, or in writing the manuscript.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial
Background
Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy
Equity in the delivery of community healthcare to older people: findings from 10/66 Dementia Research Group cross-sectional surveys in Latin America, China, India and Nigeria
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To describe patterns of recent health service utilisation, and consequent out-of-pocket expenses among older people in countries with low and middle incomes, and to assess the equity with which services are accessed and delivered.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>17,944 people aged 65 years and over were assessed in one-phase population-based cross-sectional surveys in geographically-defined catchment areas in nine countries - urban and rural sites in China, India, Mexico and Peru, urban sites in Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Venezuela, and a rural site in Nigeria. The main outcome was use of community health care services in the past 3 months. Independent associations were estimated with indicators of need (dementia, depression, physical impairments), predisposing factors (age, sex, and education), and enabling factors (household assets, pension receipt and health insurance) using Poisson regression to generate prevalence ratios and fixed effects meta-analysis to combine them.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The proportion using healthcare services varied from 6% to 82% among sites. Number of physical impairments (pooled prevalence ratio 1.37, 95% CI 1.26-1.49) and ICD-10 depressive episode (pooled PR 1.21, 95% CI 1.07-1.38) were associated with service use, but dementia was inversely associated (pooled PR 0.93, 95% CI 0.90-0.97). Other correlates were female sex, higher education, more household assets, receiving a pension, and health insurance. Standardisation for age, sex, physical impairments, depression and dementia did not explain variation in service use. There was a strong borderline significant ecological correlation between the proportion of consultations requiring out-of-pocket costs and the prevalence of health service use (r = -0.50, p = 0.09).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>While there was little evidence of ageism, inequity was apparent in the independent enabling effects of education and health insurance cover, the latter particularly in sites where out-of-pocket expenses were common, and private health insurance an important component of healthcare financing. Variation in service use among sites was most plausibly accounted for by stark differences in the extent of out-of-pocket expenses, and the ability of older people and their families to afford them. Health systems that finance medical services through out-of-pocket payments risk excluding the poorest older people, those without a secure regular income, and the uninsured.</p
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