Dependence of Maximum Trappable Field on Superconducting Nb3Sn Cylinder Wall Thickness

Uniform dipole magnetic fields from 1.9 to 22.4 kOe were permanently trapped, with high fidelity to the original field, transversely to the axes of hollow Nb3Sn superconducting cylinders. These cylinders were constructed by helically wrapping multiple layers of superconducting ribbon around a mandrel. This is the highest field yet trapped, the first time trapping has been reported in such helically wound taped cylinders, and the first time the maximum trappable field has been experimentally determined as a function of cylinder wall thickness.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, 1 table. PACS numbers: 74.60.Ge, 74.70.Ps, 41.10.Fs, 85.25.+

Predicting Non-linear Cellular Automata Quickly by Decomposing Them into Linear Ones

We show that a wide variety of non-linear cellular automata (CAs) can be decomposed into a quasidirect product of linear ones. These CAs can be predicted by parallel circuits of depth O(log^2 t) using gates with binary inputs, or O(log t) depth if ``sum mod p'' gates with an unbounded number of inputs are allowed. Thus these CAs can be predicted by (idealized) parallel computers much faster than by explicit simulation, even though they are non-linear. This class includes any CA whose rule, when written as an algebra, is a solvable group. We also show that CAs based on nilpotent groups can be predicted in depth O(log t) or O(1) by circuits with binary or ``sum mod p'' gates respectively. We use these techniques to give an efficient algorithm for a CA rule which, like elementary CA rule 18, has diffusing defects that annihilate in pairs. This can be used to predict the motion of defects in rule 18 in O(log^2 t) parallel time

Target validation:switching domains

Chemical probes and drugs often bind to functional domains on disease-relevant proteins. A study suggests a chemical genetic approach to establish on-target effects by swapping the targeted domain, affording resistance to pharmacological inhibition while retaining functionality

Economic impact of Tegaderm chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) dressing in critically ill patients.

PURPOSE: To estimate the economic impact of a Tegaderm(TM) chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) gel dressing compared with a standard intravenous (i.v.) dressing (defined as non-antimicrobial transparent film dressing), used for insertion site care of short-term central venous and arterial catheters (intravascular catheters) in adult critical care patients using a cost-consequence model populated with data from published sources. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A decision analytical cost-consequence model was developed which assigned each patient with an indwelling intravascular catheter and a standard dressing, a baseline risk of associated dermatitis, local infection at the catheter insertion site and catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI), estimated from published secondary sources. The risks of these events for patients with a Tegaderm CHG were estimated by applying the effectiveness parameters from the clinical review to the baseline risks. Costs were accrued through costs of intervention (i.e. Tegaderm CHG or standard intravenous dressing) and hospital treatment costs depended on whether the patients had local dermatitis, local infection or CRBSI. Total costs were estimated as mean values of 10,000 probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) runs. RESULTS: Tegaderm CHG resulted in an average cost-saving of £77 per patient in an intensive care unit. Tegaderm CHG also has a 98.5% probability of being cost-saving compared to standard i.v. dressings. CONCLUSIONS: The analyses suggest that Tegaderm CHG is a cost-saving strategy to reduce CRBSI and the results were robust to sensitivity analyses

A computational model of excitation and contraction in uterine myocytes from the pregnant rat

Aberrant uterine myometrial activities in humans are major health issues. However, the cellular and tissue mechanism(s) that maintain the uterine myometrium at rest during gestation, and that initiate and maintain long-lasting uterine contractions during delivery are incompletely understood. In this study we construct a computational model for describing the electrical activity (simple and complex action potentials), intracellular calcium dynamics and mechanical contractions of isolated uterine myocytes from the pregnant rat. The model reproduces variant types of action potentials – from spikes with a smooth plateau, to spikes with an oscillatory plateau, to bursts of spikes – that are seen during late gestation under different physiological conditions. The effects of the hormones oestradiol (via reductions in calcium and potassium selective channel conductance), oxytocin (via an increase in intracellular calcium release) and the tocolytic nifedipine (via a block of L-type calcium channels currents) on action potentials and contractions are also reproduced, which quantitatively match to experimental data. All of these results validated the cell model development. In conclusion, the developed model provides a computational platform for further investigations of the ionic mechanism underlying the genesis and control of electrical and mechanical activities in the rat uterine myocytes

Investigating the human—environment relationship of early intensive salt production: a case study from the Upper Seille Valley, Lorraine, northeast France

This paper presents the latest findings of multi-disciplinary research into the human—environment relationship of intensive Iron Age salt production in the Upper Seille Valley, Lorraine, northeast France. Investigations focus on the early Iron Age workshop “La Digue” (~ 625–500 cal BCE; Hallstatt D1–2), where high-resolution borehole sampling has been coupled with conventional excavation and geophysical surveying to establish direct linkages between intensive occupation and the alluvial environment of this site. Detailed insights into human—river interactions have been identified, enhancing current understanding of the environmental context and impact of this important early industry. The workshop's palaeogeographic setting has been reconstructed and new evidence for briquetage disposal practices has been identified, confirming that a close relationship existed between salt-making and the local hydrological regime. A large volume of briquetage waste (broken clay-fired salt-making equipment, ash and charcoal) was dumped into the river at La Digue, causing rapid and deliberate channel blockage, increasing the distance between the workshop and the river. This probably contributed to a localised increase in channel mobility and/or flooding whilst the workshop was active, producing challenging conditions for salt production. The workshop was abandoned following an intense flood event in ~ 500 cal BCE, coinciding with a major hydrological shift towards wetter floodplain conditions, likely arising from a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors. This study demonstrates the importance of understanding the environmental context of salt production and the roles of water management and briquetage disposal practices, which have been largely overlooked at other intensive salt making sites that employed the “briquetage technique”

Influence of lithology on hillslope morphology and response to tectonic forcing in the northern Sierra Nevada of California

Many geomorphic studies assume that bedrock geology is not a first-order control on landscape form in order to isolate drivers of geomorphic change (e.g., climate or tectonics). Yet underlying geology may influence the efficacy of soil production and sediment transport on hillslopes. We performed quantitative analysis of LiDAR digital terrain models to examine the topographic form of hillslopes in two distinct lithologies in the Feather River catchment in northern California, a granodiorite pluton and metamorphosed volcanics. The two sites, separated by <2 km and spanning similar elevations, were assumed to have similar climatic histories and are experiencing a transience in landscape evolution characterized by a propagating incision wave in response to accelerated surface uplift c. 5 Ma. Responding to increased incision rates, hillslopes in granodiorite tend to have morphology similar to model predictions for steady state hillslopes, suggesting that they adjust rapidly to keep pace with the incision wave. By contrast, hillslopes in metavolcanics exhibit high gradients but lower hilltop curvature indicative of ongoing transient adjustment to incision. We used existing erosion rate data and the curvature of hilltops proximal to the main channels (where hillslopes have most likely adjusted to accelerated erosion rates) to demonstrate that the sediment transport coefficient is higher in granodiorite (8.8 m2 ka-1) than in metavolcanics (4.8 m2 ka-1). Hillslopes in both lithologies get shorter (i.e., drainage density increases) with increasing erosion rates

Maternal age effects on myometrial expression of contractile proteins, uterine gene expression, and contractile activity during labor in the rat

Advanced maternal age of first time pregnant mothers is associated with prolonged and dysfunctional labor and significant risk of emergency cesarean section. We investigated the influence of maternal age on myometrial contractility, expression of contractile associated proteins (CAPs), and global gene expression in the parturient uterus. Female Wistar rats either 8 (YOUNG n = 10) or 24 (OLDER n = 10) weeks old were fed laboratory chow, mated, and killed during parturition. Myometrial strips were dissected to determine contractile activity, cholesterol (CHOL) and triglycerides (TAG) content, protein expression of connexin-43 (GJA1), prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), and caveolin 1 (CAV-1). Maternal plasma concentrations of prostaglandins PGE2, PGF2a, and progesterone were determined by RIA. Global gene expression in uterine samples was compared using Affymetrix Genechip Gene 2.0 ST arrays and Ingenuity Pathway analysis (IPA). Spontaneous contractility in myometrium exhibited by YOUNG rats was threefold greater than OLDER animals (P < 0.027) but maternal age had no significant effect on myometrial CAP expression, lipid profiles, or pregnancy related hormones. OLDER myometrium increased contractile activity in response to PGF2a, phenylephrine, and carbachol, a response absent in YOUNG rats (all P < 0.002). Microarray analysis identified that maternal age affected expression of genes related to immune and inflammatory responses, lipid transport and metabolism, steroid metabolism, tissue remodeling, and smooth muscle contraction. In conclusion YOUNG laboring rat myometrium seems primed to contract maximally, whereas activity is blunted in OLDER animals and requires stimulation to meet contractile potential. Further work investigating maternal age effects on myometrial function is required with focus on lipidmetabolism and inflammatory pathways

Targeting the CoREST complex with dual histone deacetylase and demethylase inhibitors

Here we report corin, a synthetic hybrid agent derived from the class I HDAC inhibitor (entinostat) and an LSD1 inhibitor (tranylcypromine analog). Enzymologic analysis reveals that corin potently targets the CoREST complex and shows more sustained inhibition of CoREST complex HDAC activity compared with entinostat. Cell-based experiments demonstrate that corin exhibits a superior anti-proliferative profile against several melanoma lines and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma lines compared to its parent monofunctional inhibitors but is less toxic to melanocytes and keratinocytes. CoREST knockdown, gene expression, and ChIP studies suggest that corin's favorable pharmacologic effects may rely on an intact CoREST complex. Corin was also effective in slowing tumor growth in a melanoma mouse xenograft model. These studies highlight the promise of a new class of two-pronged hybrid agents that may show preferential targeting of particular epigenetic regulatory complexes and offer unique therapeutic opportunities

Neotectonic Activity in the Low-Strain Broken Foreland (Santa Bárbara System) of the North-Western Argentinean Andes (26°S)

Uplift in the broken Andean foreland of the Argentine Santa Bárbara System (SBS) is associated with the contractional reactivationof basement anisotropies, similar to those reported from the thick-skinned Cretaceous-Eocene Laramide province of NorthAmerica. Fault scarps, deformed Quaternary deposits and landforms, disrupted drainage patterns, and medium-sizedearthquakes within the SBS suggest that movement along these structures may be a recurring phenomenon, with yet to bedefined repeat intervals and rupture lengths. In contrast to the Subandes thrust belt farther north, where eastward-migratingdeformation has generated a well-defined thrust front, the SBS records spatiotemporally disparate deformation along structuresthat are only known to the first order. We present herein the results of geomorphic desktop analyses, structural fieldobservations, and 2D electrical resistivity tomography and seismic-refraction tomography surveys and an interpretation ofseismic reflection profiles across suspected fault scarps in the sedimentary basins adjacent to the Candelaria Range (CR)basement uplift, in the south-central part of the SBS. Our analysis in the CR piedmont areas reveals consistency between theresults of near-surface electrical resistivity and seismic-refraction tomography surveys, the locations of prominent fault scarps,and structural geometries at greater depth imaged by seismic reflection data. We suggest that this deformation is driven bydeep-seated blind thrusting beneath the CR and associated regional warping, while shortening involving Mesozoic and Cenozoicsedimentary strata in the adjacent basins was accommodated by layer-parallel folding and flexural-slip faults that cut throughQuaternary landforms and deposits at the surface.Fil: Arnous, Ahmad. Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán; Argentina. University Of Postdam; AlemaniaFil: Zeckra, Martin. University Of Postdam; AlemaniaFil: Venerdini, Agostina Lia. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Geofísica y Astronomía; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera; ArgentinaFil: Alvarado, Patricia Monica. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Geofísica y Astronomía; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera; ArgentinaFil: Arrowsmith, Ramón. School Of Earth And Space Exploration, Arizona State Un; Estados UnidosFil: Guillemoteau, Julien. University Of Postdam; AlemaniaFil: Landgraf, Angela. University Of Postdam; AlemaniaFil: Gutiérrez, Antonio. Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán; ArgentinaFil: Strecker, Manfred R.. University Of Postdam; Alemani