A priority based routing protocol for wireless sensor networks

Recently, the demands on wireless sensor networks have switched from low traffic rate and static topology to more challenging requirements in order to meet the rapid expansion of WSN into various domain applications. This paper proposes a seamless cross layer solution that integrates network layer and medium access control to accommodate some of the new challenges. This new solution allows routing paths being generated dynamically to meet the requirement of potential mobile nodes. Higher data throughput and flow control are part of the new demands required to be addressed urgently. The proposed solution integrates a priority based MAC to handle congestion and packet loss problems which commonly happened in WSN when an occurrence of event spread into wide are

Reactivity of Sodium Pentaphospholide Na[cyclo-P5] towards C≡E (E=C, N, P) Triple Bonds

A diglyme solution of Na[cyclo-P5] (1) reacts with alkynes and isolobal nitriles and phosphaalkynes to afford the otherwise elusive (aza)phospholide anions 2 a–c, 4 a,b, and 6. The reaction of Na[cyclo-P5] with alkynes and nitriles was studied by means of DFT methods, which suggested a concerted mechanism for the formation of 2 a and 4 b. The anions 2 a–c, 4 a,b, and 6 coordinate in an η5-fashion towards FeII to give the sandwich (aza)phosphametallocenes 3 a–c, 5 a,b and 7 in moderate to good yields. The new compounds were characterized by means of multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray diffraction and cyclic voltammetry

Reactivity of Sodium Pentaphospholide Na[cyclo ‐P 5] towards C≡E (E=C, N, P) Triple Bonds

A diglyme solution of Na[cyclo‐P5] (1) reacts with alkynes and isolobal nitriles and phosphaalkynes to afford the otherwise elusive (aza)phospholide anions 2 a–c, 4 a,b, and 6. The reaction of Na[cyclo‐P5] with alkynes and nitriles was studied by means of DFT methods, which suggested a concerted mechanism for the formation of 2 a and 4 b. The anions 2 a–c, 4 a,b, and 6 coordinate in an η5‐fashion towards FeII to give the sandwich (aza)phosphametallocenes 3 a–c, 5 a,b and 7 in moderate to good yields. The new compounds were characterized by means of multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction and cyclic voltammetry

Solution Equilibria of Anticancer Ruthenium(II)-(η6-p-Cymene)-Hydroxy(thio)pyr(id)one Complexes: Impact of Sulfur vs. Oxygen Donor Systems on the Speciation and Bioactivity

Stoichiometry and stability of antitumor ruthenium(II)-eta(6)-p-cymene complexes of bidentate (0,0) hydroxypyrone and (O,S) hydroxythiopyr(id)one type ligands were determined by pH-potentiometry, H-1 NMR spectroscopy and UV-Vis spectrophotometry in aqueous solution and in dependence of chloride ion concentration. Formation of mono-ligand complexes with moderate stability was found in the case of the hydroxypyrone ligands (ethyl maltol and allomaltol) predominating at the physiological pH range. These complexes decompose to the dinuclear tri-hydroxido bridged species [(Ru-II(eta(6)-p-cymene)h(OH)(3)](+) and to the metal-free ligand at basic pH values. In addition, formation of a hydroxido [Ru-II(eta(6)-p-cymene)(L)(OH)] species was found. The hydroxythiopyr(id)one ligands (thiomaltol, thioallomaltol, 3-hydroxy-1,2-dimethyl-thiopyridone) form complexes of significantly higher stability compared with the hydroxypyrones; their complexes are biologically more active, the simultaneous bi- and monodentate coordination of the ligands in the bis complexes (ML2 and ML2H) was also demonstrated. In the case of thiomaltol, formation of tris complexes is also likely at high pH. The replacement of the chlorido by the aqua ligand in the [Ru-II(eta(6)-p-cymene)(L)(CI)] species was monitored, which is an important activation step in the course of the mode of action of the complexes, facilitating binding to biological targets

A role for VEGF as a negative regulator of pericyte function and vessel maturation.

Angiogenesis does not only depend on endothelial cell invasion and proliferation: it also requires pericyte coverage of vascular sprouts for vessel stabilization. These processes are coordinated by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) through their cognate receptors on endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), respectively. PDGF induces neovascularization by priming VSMCs/pericytes to release pro-angiogenic mediators. Although VEGF directly stimulates endothelial cell proliferation and migration, its role in pericyte biology is less clear. Here we define a role for VEGF as an inhibitor of neovascularization on the basis of its capacity to disrupt VSMC function. Specifically, under conditions of PDGF-mediated angiogenesis, VEGF ablates pericyte coverage of nascent vascular sprouts, leading to vessel destabilization. At the molecular level, VEGF-mediated activation of VEGF-R2 suppresses PDGF-Rbeta signalling in VSMCs through the assembly of a previously undescribed receptor complex consisting of PDGF-Rbeta and VEGF-R2. Inhibition of VEGF-R2 not only prevents assembly of this receptor complex but also restores angiogenesis in tissues exposed to both VEGF and PDGF. Finally, genetic deletion of tumour cell VEGF disrupts PDGF-Rbeta/VEGF-R2 complex formation and increases tumour vessel maturation. These findings underscore the importance of VSMCs/pericytes in neovascularization and reveal a dichotomous role for VEGF and VEGF-R2 signalling as both a promoter of endothelial cell function and a negative regulator of VSMCs and vessel maturation

Metaphysics or Modernity? Contributions to the Bamberg Summer School 2012

This collection of essays originated in the Summer School ‘Metaphysics or Modernity?’, which was held at the University of Bamberg in August 2012. Designed as a forum for graduate students in philosophy, the Summer School brought together a highly diverse group of young academics who – more often than not – came from utterly different schools and traditions of thought. This pluralism is reflected in the pages of this book. While the volume is roughly divided into two halves – one with a more historical focus, the other with a more systematic focus – the reader will find an unusually wide array of topics and questions treated here. Since the aforementioned pluralism was one of the main strengths of our Summer School, this is something in which we take much prid

Bone Marrow Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Inhibit Inflammation and Preserve Vascular Endothelial Integrity in the Lungs after Hemorrhagic Shock

Hemorrhagic shock (HS) and trauma is currently the leading cause of death in young adults worldwide. Morbidity and mortality after HS and trauma is often the result of multi-organ failure such as acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), conditions with few therapeutic options. Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a multipotent stem cell population that has shown therapeutic promise in numerous pre-clinical and clinical models of disease. In this paper, in vitro studies with pulmonary endothelial cells (PECs) reveal that conditioned media (CM) from MSCs and MSC-PEC co-cultures inhibits PEC permeability by preserving adherens junctions (VE-cadherin and β-catenin). Leukocyte adhesion and adhesion molecule expression (VCAM-1 and ICAM-1) are inhibited in PECs treated with CM from MSC-PEC co-cultures. Further support for the modulatory effects of MSCs on pulmonary endothelial function and inflammation is demonstrated in our in vivo studies on HS in the rat. In a rat “fixed volume” model of mild HS, we show that MSCs administered IV potently inhibit systemic levels of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the serum of treated animals. In vivo MSCs also inhibit pulmonary endothelial permeability and lung edema with concurrent preservation of the vascular endothelial barrier proteins: VE-cadherin, Claudin-1, and Occludin-1. Leukocyte infiltrates (CD68 and MPO positive cells) are also decreased in lungs with MSC treatment. Taken together, these data suggest that MSCs, acting directly and through soluble factors, are potent stabilizers of the vascular endothelium and inflammation. These data are the first to demonstrate the therapeutic potential of MSCs in HS and have implications for the potential use of MSCs as a cellular therapy in HS-induced lung injury

Twelve- and fourteen-year-old school children differentially benefit from sensorimotor- and multisensory-enriched vocabulary training

Both children and adults have been shown to benefit from the integration of multisensory and sensorimotor enrichment into pedagogy. For example, integrating pictures or gestures into foreign language (L2) vocabulary learning can improve learning outcomes relative to unisensory learning. However, whereas adults seem to benefit to a greater extent from sensorimotor enrichment such as the performance of gestures in contrast to multisensory enrichment with pictures, this is not the case in elementary school children. Here, we compared multisensory- and sensorimotor-enriched learning in an intermediate age group that falls between the age groups tested in previous studies (elementary school children and young adults), in an attempt to determine the developmental time point at which children's responses to enrichment mature from a child-like pattern into an adult-like pattern. Twelve-year-old and fourteen-year-old German children were trained over 5 consecutive days on auditorily-presented, concrete and abstract, Spanish vocabulary. The vocabulary was learned under picture-enriched, gesture-enriched, and non-enriched (auditory-only) conditions. The children performed vocabulary recall and translation tests at 3 days, 2 months, and 6 months post-learning. Both picture and gesture enrichment interventions were found to benefit children's L2 learning relative to non-enriched learning up to 6 months post-training. Interestingly, gesture-enriched learning was even more beneficial than picture-enriched learning for the fourteen-year-olds, while the twelve-year-olds benefitted equivalently from learning enriched with pictures and gestures. These findings provide evidence for opting to integrate gestures rather than pictures into L2 pedagogy starting at fourteen years of age