An improved magnetic field simulator - MAGFLD.

An improved two-dimensional simulator MAGFLD has been developed which is useful for the design and simulation of periodic permanent magnet (PPM) focusing system for linear beam tubes. At present, input is possible only through the input file, which is very simple and user friendly. A complete PPM circuit is generated using the coordinates of first pole piece, first magnet, gun adapter (if the structure is a-periodic) and the region of computation. Small mesh units of either square or rectangular shapes can be used with mesh refinement capability in one or more regions in any or both directions for better accuracy of the solution. Materials with different magnetic permeability can be modeled by defining a characteristic value for each mesh point of the geometry. The effective potential value at each point in the region of interest is calculated based on the vector potential model by using the 5-point finite difference method and the solution is achieved by over relaxation technique for faster convergence. This package has an interface with EGUN to model the electron gun and collector under the influence of magnetic field. Versatile color graphics are capable of plotting both axial magnetic field and flux lines along with the magnetic circuit. MAGFLD has been validated against some published data and experimental results

A Characterization of Discrete Time Soliton Equations

We propose a method to characterize discrete time evolution equations, which generalize discrete time soliton equations, including the $q$-difference Painlev\'e IV equations discussed recently by Kajiwara, Noumi and Yamada.Comment: 13 page

Nanosecond electric pulses penetrate the nucleus and enhance speckle formation

Nanosecond electric pulses generate nanopores in the interior membranes of cells and modulate cellular functions. Here, we used confocal microscopy and flow cytometry to observe Smith antigen antibody (Y12) binding to nuclear speckles, known as small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (snRNPs) or intrachromatin granule clusters (IGCs), in Jurkat cells following one or five 10 ns, 150 kV/cm pulses. Using confocal microscopy and flow cytometry, we observed changes in nuclear speckle labeling that suggested a disruption of pre-messenger RNA splicing mechanisms. Pulse exposure increased the nuclear speckled substructures by 2.5-fold above basal levels while the propidium iodide (PI) uptake in pulsed cells was unchanged. The resulting nuclear speckle changes were also cell cycle dependent. These findings suggest that 10 ns pulses directly influenced nuclear processes, such as the changes in the nuclear RNA–protein complexes

A Study of Practical Parameters and Their Relative Importance as Perceived by Various Stakeholders in Clinical Trials

A contract research organization (CRO) is a company which conducts a Good Clinical Practice (GCP) in clinical trial. There are literally hundreds of CROs worldwide employing a workforce of nearly 100,000 professionals. The project proposes the study of practical parameters and their relative importance as perceived by the various stakeholders in clinical trials. The survey was conducted in Bangalore and New Delhi. Primary market data was obtained by primary market research which included 80 clinical trial stakeholders by having a preliminary communication with them, followed by administering a questionnaire along with prior permission. There were 15 Sponsors/ CROs, 27 Investigators /Monitors and 38 Ethics committee members involved in the study. It was shown from the study that a clinical investigator involved in a clinical trial is responsible for ensuring that an investigation is conducted according to the signed investigator statement, the investigational plan, and applicable regulations; for protecting the rights, safety, and welfare of the subjects under the investigator’s care; and for the control of drugs under investigation. It was also shown from the study that the sponsors of a clinical trial carry the ultimate responsibility for the initiation, management and financing of the clinical trial. The study has identified a specific training need at the level of the individual stakeholder to perform a particular job function and to identify the actual practical parameters in the Indian context important for the conduction of clinical trials (GCP) with respect to the different stakeholders, to determine the relative importance of these parameters as perceived by various stakeholders involved in clinical trials, and to identify the relative contributions of different stakeholders to the success/ satisfactory conduct of a clinical trial

Novel nano-biomaterials for inhibition of respiratory syncytial virus

The liposomes were prepared using the conventional thin film hydration method with and without peptide RF-482. The loading of RF-482 was determined using BCA assay and the RSV inhibition was studied using immune-fluorescence imaging, plaque assay and PCR. There was little size change observed after loading RF-482. However, this change was not significant. It was observed that 77.3 % (n=3, ±2.2 %) protein was found non-encapsulated, hence it can be concluded that 22.7 % of peptide RF-482 was encapsulated. Plaque assay confirms above 60 % inhibition with just peptide RF-482 and liposomes. However, with peptide loaded liposomes more than 70 % inhibition was observed. Screening of RSV-F gene amplicon and comparison of viral gene amplicon and peptide, liposomes as well as functionalised liposomes along with water as negative control confirms the competitive inhibition of RSV by RF-482 as well as liposomes with and without peptide. Overall, it was found that similar to GNPs and FGNPs (Tiwari et al., 2014), empty liposomes as well as liposomes loaded with RF-482 can inhibit RSV fusion to HEP-2 cells and thereby save HEP-2 cells from infection. Immunofluorescence imaging confirms the inhibitory effect of liposomes with and without peptide RF-482

Precise and ultrafast molecular sieving through graphene oxide membranes

There has been intense interest in filtration and separation properties of graphene-based materials that can have well-defined nanometer pores and exhibit low frictional water flow inside them. Here we investigate molecular permeation through graphene oxide laminates. They are vacuum-tight in the dry state but, if immersed in water, act as molecular sieves blocking all solutes with hydrated radii larger than 4.5A. Smaller ions permeate through the membranes with little impedance, many orders of magnitude faster than the diffusion mechanism can account for. We explain this behavior by a network of nanocapillaries that open up in the hydrated state and accept only species that fit in. The ultrafast separation of small salts is attributed to an 'ion sponge' effect that results in highly concentrated salt solutions inside graphene capillaries

Cosmological spacetimes not covered by a constant mean curvature slicing

We show that there exist maximal globally hyperbolic solutions of the Einstein-dust equations which admit a constant mean curvature Cauchy surface, but are not covered by a constant mean curvature foliation.Comment: 11 page

Identification and mapping of the novel apple scab resistance gene Vd3

Apple scab, caused by the fungal pathogen Venturia inaequalis, is one of the most devastating diseases for the apple growing in temperate zones with humid springs and summers. Breeding programs around the world have been able to identify several sources of resistance, the Vf from Malus floribunda 821 being the most frequently used. The appearance of two new races of V. inaequalis (races 6 and 7) in several European countries that are able to overcome the resistance of the Vf gene put in evidence the necessity of the combination of different resistance genes in the same genotype (pyramiding). Here, we report the identification and mapping of a new apple scab resistance gene (Vd3) from the resistant selection “1980-015-25” of the apple breeding program at Plant Research International, The Netherlands. This selection contains also the Vf gene and the novel V25 gene for apple scab resistance. We mapped Vd3 on linkage group 1, 1 cM to the south of Vf in repulsion phase to it. Based on pedigree analysis and resistance tests, it could be deduced that 1980-015-25 had inherited Vd3 from the founder “D3.” This gene provides resistance to the highly virulent EU-NL-24 strain of race 7 of V. inaequalis capable of overcoming the resistance from Vf and Vg