Scaling and Formulary cross sections for ion-atom impact ionization

The values of ion-atom ionization cross sections are frequently needed for many applications that utilize the propagation of fast ions through matter. When experimental data and theoretical calculations are not available, approximate formulas are frequently used. This paper briefly summarizes the most important theoretical results and approaches to cross section calculations in order to place the discussion in historical perspective and offer a concise introduction to the topic. Based on experimental data and theoretical predictions, a new fit for ionization cross sections is proposed. The range of validity and accuracy of several frequently used approximations (classical trajectory, the Born approximation, and so forth) are discussed using, as examples, the ionization cross sections of hydrogen and helium atoms by various fully stripped ions.Comment: 46 pages, 8 figure

Expression levels of the JAK/STAT pathway in the transition from hormone-sensitive to hormone-refractory prostate cancer

The main cause of prostate cancer-related mortality is the development of hormone-refractory disease. Circulating serum levels of IL-6 are raised in hormone-refractory prostate cancer patients and evidence from cell line studies suggests that the IL-6R/JAK/STAT3 pathway may be involved in development of this disease. In the current study we investigate if expression levels of these family members are implicated in the development of hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Immunohistochemistry using IL-6R, JAK1, STAT3, pSTAT3Tyr705 and pSTAT3Ser727 antibodies was performed on 50 matched hormone-sensitive and hormone-refractory tumours pairs. An increase in expression of cytoplasmic IL-6 receptor, with the development of hormone-refractory prostate cancer was associated with reduced time to relapse (P=0.0074) while an increase in expression of cytoplasmic pSTAT3Tyr705 was associated with reduced patient survival (P=0.0003). In addition, those patients with high expression of cytoplasmic pSTAT3Tyr705 in their hormone-refractory tumours had significantly shorter time to death from biochemical relapse and overall survival in comparison to those patients with low expression of cytoplasmic pSTAT3Tyr705 (P=0.002 and P=0.0027, respectively). Activation of STAT3, via phosphorylation is associated with reduced patient survival, suggesting that activation of the IL-6R/JAK/STAT3 pathway is involved with development of hormone-refractory prostate cancer

Observing convective aggregation

Convective self-aggregation, the spontaneous organization of initially scattered convection into isolated convective clusters despite spatially homogeneous boundary conditions and forcing, was first recognized and studied in idealized numerical simulations. While there is a rich history of observational work on convective clustering and organization, there have been only a few studies that have analyzed observations to look specifically for processes related to self-aggregation in models. Here we review observational work in both of these categories and motivate the need for more of this work. We acknowledge that self-aggregation may appear to be far-removed from observed convective organization in terms of time scales, initial conditions, initiation processes, and mean state extremes, but we argue that these differences vary greatly across the diverse range of model simulations in the literature and that these comparisons are already offering important insights into real tropical phenomena. Some preliminary new findings are presented, including results showing that a self-aggregation simulation with square geometry has too broad a distribution of humidity and is too dry in the driest regions when compared with radiosonde records from Nauru, while an elongated channel simulation has realistic representations of atmospheric humidity and its variability. We discuss recent work increasing our understanding of how organized convection and climate change may interact, and how model discrepancies related to this question are prompting interest in observational comparisons. We also propose possible future directions for observational work related to convective aggregation, including novel satellite approaches and a ground-based observational network

Construction of large-volume tissue mimics with 3D functional vascular networks

We used indirect stereolithography (SL) to form inner-layered fluidic networks in a porous scaffold by introducing a hydrogel barrier on the luminal surface, then seeded the networks separately with human umbilical vein endothelial cells and human lung fibroblasts to form a tissue mimic containing vascular networks. The artificial vascular networks provided channels for oxygen transport, thus reducing the hypoxic volume and preventing cell death. The endothelium of the vascular networks significantly retarded the occlusion of channels during whole-blood circulation. The tissue mimics have the potential to be used as an in vitro platform to examine the physiologic and pathologic phenomena through vascular architecture.ope

Independent prognostic value of fascin immunoreactivity in stage I nonsmall cell lung cancer

Fascin-1, the most expressed form of fascin in vertebrate tissues, is an actin-bundling protein that induces cell membrane protrusions and increases motility of normal and transformed epithelial cells. Very few data are available on the role of this protein in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Two hundred and twenty patients with stage I NSCLC and long-term follow-up were evaluated immunocytochemically for fascin expression. Overall, variable fascin immunoreactivity was detected in 98% of 116 squamous cell carcinomas, in 78% of 96 adenocarcinomas, in 83% of six large cell carcinomas, and in the two adenosquamous carcinomas under study. Neoplastic emboli were commonly decorated by the antifascin antibody (P<0.001), also when the surrounding invasive carcinoma was unreactive. Fascin immunoreactivity correlated with high tumour grade (P=0.017) and, in adenocarcinomas, with high Ki-67 labelling index (P=0.021). Adenocarcinomas with a prevalent bronchiolo-alveolar in situ component were less commonly immunoreactive for fascin than invasive tumours (P=0.005). Contralateral thoracic or distant metastases were associated significantly with diffuse (>60% immunoreactive tumour cells) fascin expression in adenocarcinomas (P=0.043), and marginally with strong fascin immunostaining in squamous cell carcinomas (P=0.13). No associations were noted with any other clinicopathological variables tested. Patients with tumours showing diffuse (>60% immunoreactive neoplastic cells) and/or strong immunoreactivity for fascin had a shorter survival (P=0.006 for adenocarcinomas and P=0.026 for squamous cell carcinomas), even after multivariate analysis (P=0.014 and 0.050, respectively). The current study documents for the first time that fascin is upregulated in invasive and more aggressive NSCLC, being an independent prognostic predictor of unfavourable clinical course of the disease. Targetting the fascin pathway could be a novel therapeutic strategy of NSCLC

Addressing constraints in promoting wild edible plants’ utilization in household nutrition: case of the Congo Basin forest area

It is worth raising the question, why are wild edible plants (WEPs) which are rich in diverse nutrients and widely abundant underutilized despite the increasing rate of undernourishment in poor regions? One reason is that their culinary uses are not quantified and standardized in nutrition surveys, and therefore, they are not properly included in household diet intensification and diversification across regions and cultures. Active steps are needed to bridge this gap. This paper outlines the constraints to including WEPs in nutritional surveys as the lack of standard ways of food identification of diverse WEPs, lack of specific food categorization and therefore difficult dissemination across regions and cultures. As a way forward, a functional categorization of 11 subgroups for WEPs is introduced and discussed. In labeling these sub-food groups, the paper advocates that more WEPs food items and culinary uses should be enlisted during household nutrition surveys. Food researchers could then capitalize these enlisted species and disseminate them to promote diverse food use of WEPs in other regions where they exist but are not utilized as food