Improved plaque materials for aerospace nickel-cadmium cells

Improved cadmium electrode substrates with precisely controlled microstructures for possible use in aerospace nickel-cadmium cells were prepared. The preparative technique was a powder metallurgical process in which a fugitive pore-former and a nickel powder were blended, then isostatically compacted, and subsequently sintered. Cadmium electrodes prepared from such substrates were cycle tested using an accelerated tortuous test regime. It was discovered that plaques of 60% or 80% porosity prepared with a 25 micron pore-former were better than state-of-the-art electrodes in terms of efficienty and/or mechanical strength. The 60% structures were particularly outstanding in this respect in that they had efficiencies only 5-10 percentage points lower than state-of-the-art electrodes and vastly superior mechanical properties. This added strength was observed to eliminate cracking and physical degradation of the electrodes during processing and cycling. The cadmium electrodes prepared from the 80% porous substrates proved to be the best electrodes made during the course of the work from the point of view of highest efficiency. Three-point bend tests were used to measure mechanical properties of the plaques produced and also as a general characterization tool. In addition, the BET surface areas of selected specimens was determined. The SEM was used for judging microscopic uniformity and quantitatively determining the induced pore size and various other fine structures in the substrates. The technique of X-ray radiography was used to follow the bulk uniformity of the substrates at various stages of their processing

Bayesian estimation of incomplete data using conditionally specified priors

In this paper, a class of conjugate prior for estimating incomplete count data based on a broad class of conjugate prior distributions is presented. The new class of prior distributions arises from a conditional perspective, making use of the conditional specification methodology and can be considered as the generalisation of the form of prior distributions that have been used previously in the estimation of in- complete count data well. Finally, some examples of simulated and real data are given

A fresh look at instrumentation - an introduction

The theme of "instrumentation between science, state and industry" does not square well with the venerable discourse which opposes "science" and "technology" in social studies of science. In this discourse, "technology" stands for the contrary of "science"; it represents the practical uses of science in society at large and is understood as separate from the somehow autonomous sphere of "science" (Layton 1971a). This vocabulary, widespread as it may be, is not very useful for our purposes, and, for that matter, for any inquiry into the role of instruments. Technology, in the sense of technical instruments and the knowledge systems that go with them, pervades all societal systems. There are technologies of science, of industry, of state, and so forth, and it would be ill-advised to assume that, in the end, they all flow out of "science." But even if the crude opposition of science and technology has little analytic value, the dual problem remains: how to effectively conceive the dynamic relationship between scientific spheres and other societal spheres, and how to conceive the role that technological matters play in this relationship

Neutrophils in cancer: neutral no more

Neutrophils are indispensable antagonists of microbial infection and facilitators of wound healing. In the cancer setting, a newfound appreciation for neutrophils has come into view. The traditionally held belief that neutrophils are inert bystanders is being challenged by the recent literature. Emerging evidence indicates that tumours manipulate neutrophils, sometimes early in their differentiation process, to create diverse phenotypic and functional polarization states able to alter tumour behaviour. In this Review, we discuss the involvement of neutrophils in cancer initiation and progression, and their potential as clinical biomarkers and therapeutic targets

Systemic importance of financial institutions: regulations, research, open issues, proposals

In the field of risk management, scholars began to bring together the quantitative methodologies with the banking management issues about 30 years ago, with a special focus on market, credit and operational risks. After the systemic effects of banks defaults during the recent financial crisis, and despite a huge amount of literature in the last years concerning the systemic risk, no standard methodologies have been set up to now. Even the new Basel 3 regulation has adopted a heuristic indicator-based approach, quite far from an effective quantitative tool. In this paper, we refer to the different pieces of the puzzle: definition of systemic risk, a set of coherent and useful measures, the computability of these measures, the data set structure. In this challenging field, we aim to build a comprehensive picture of the state of the art, to illustrate the open issues, and to outline some paths for a more successful future research. This work appropriately integrates other useful surveys and it is directed to both academic researchers and practitioners

Rgs2 Mediates Pro-Angiogenic Function of Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cells in the Tumor Microenvironment via Upregulation of MCP-1

Tumor growth is intimately linked with stromal interactions. Myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are dramatically elevated in cancer patients and tumor bearing mice. MDSCs modulate the tumor microenvironment through attenuating host immune response and increasing vascularization.In searching for molecular mediators responsible for pro-tumor functions, we found that regulator of G protein signaling-2 (Rgs2) is highly increased in tumor-derived MDSCs compared to control MDSCs. We further demonstrate that hypoxia, a common feature associated with solid tumors, upregulates the gene expression. Genetic deletion of Rgs2 in mice resulted in a significant retardation of tumor growth, and the tumors exhibit decreased vascular density and increased cell death. Interestingly, deletion of Rgs2 in MDSCs completely abolished their tumor promoting function, suggesting that Rgs2 signaling in MDSCs is responsible for the tumor promoting function. Cytokine array profiling identified that Rgs2-/- tumor MDSCs produce less MCP-1, leading to decreased angiogenesis, which could be restored with addition of recombinant MCP-1.Our data reveal Rgs2 as a critical regulator of the pro-angiogenic function of MDSCs in the tumor microenvironment, through regulating MCP-1 production

The politics of performance: transnationalism and its limits in former Yugoslav popular music, 1999–2004

This paper examines transnational relations between the Yugoslav successor states from the point of view of popular music, and demonstrates how transnational musical figures (such as Djordje Balaševi?, Mom?ilo Bajagi?-Bajaga and Ceca Ražnatovi?) are interpreted as symbolic reference points in national ethnopolitical discourse in the process of identity construction. Another symbolic function is served by Serbian turbofolk artists, who in Croatia serve as a cultural resource to distance oneself from a musical genre associated by many urban Croats with the ruralization (and Herzegovinization) of Croatian city space. In addition, value judgements associated with both Serbian and Croatian newly composed folk music provide an insight into the transnational negotiation of conflicting identities in the ex-Yugoslav context. Ultimately the paper shows how the ethnonational boundaries established by nationalizing ideologies created separate cultural spaces which themselves have been transnationalized after Yugoslavia's disintegration

A SARS-CoV-2 RBD vaccine fused to the chemokine MIP-3α elicits sustained murine antibody responses over 12 months and enhanced lung T-cell responses

BackgroundPrevious studies have demonstrated enhanced efficacy of vaccine formulations that incorporate the chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein 3α (MIP-3α) to direct vaccine antigens to immature dendritic cells. To address the reduction in vaccine efficacy associated with a mutation in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mutants, we have examined the ability of receptor-binding domain vaccines incorporating MIP-3α to sustain higher concentrations of antibody when administered intramuscularly (IM) and to more effectively elicit lung T-cell responses when administered intranasally (IN).MethodsBALB/c mice aged 6–8 weeks were immunized intramuscularly or intranasally with DNA vaccine constructs consisting of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain alone or fused to the chemokine MIP-3α. In a small-scale (n = 3/group) experiment, mice immunized IM with electroporation were followed up for serum antibody concentrations over a period of 1 year and for bronchoalveolar antibody levels at the termination of the study. Following IN immunization with unencapsulated plasmid DNA (n = 6/group), mice were evaluated at 11 weeks for serum antibody concentrations, quantities of T cells in the lungs, and IFN-γ- and TNF-α-expressing antigen-specific T cells in the lungs and spleen.ResultsAt 12 months postprimary vaccination, recipients of the IM vaccine incorporating MIP-3α had significantly, approximately threefold, higher serum antibody concentrations than recipients of the vaccine not incorporating MIP-3α. The area-under-the-curve analyses of the 12-month observation interval demonstrated significantly greater antibody concentrations over time in recipients of the MIP-3α vaccine formulation. At 12 months postprimary immunization, only recipients of the fusion vaccine had concentrations of serum-neutralizing activity deemed to be effective. After intranasal immunization, only recipients of the MIP-3α vaccine formulations developed T-cell responses in the lungs significantly above those of PBS controls. Low levels of serum antibody responses were obtained following IN immunization.ConclusionAlthough requiring separate IM and IN immunizations for optimal immunization, incorporating MIP-3α in a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine construct demonstrated the potential of a stable and easily produced vaccine formulation to provide the extended antibody and T-cell responses that may be required for protection in the setting of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. Without electroporation, simple, uncoated plasmid DNA incorporating MIP-3α administered intranasally elicited lung T-cell responses