A Family of Well-Clear Boundary Models for the Integration of UAS in the NAS

The FAA-sponsored Sense and Avoid Workshop for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) defines the concept of sense and avoid for remote pilots as "the capability of a UAS to remain well clear from and avoid collisions with other airborne traffic." Hence, a rigorous definition of well clear is fundamental to any separation assurance concept for the integration of UAS into civil airspace. This paper presents a family of well-clear boundary models based on the TCAS II Resolution Advisory logic. For these models, algorithms that predict well-clear violations along aircraft current trajectories are provided. These algorithms are analogous to conflict detection algorithms but instead of predicting loss of separation, they predict whether well-clear violations will occur during a given lookahead time interval. Analytical techniques are used to study the properties and relationships satisfied by the models

Less is more:A molecular dynamics study of truncated nanopores and nanopore translocation

Nanopores are biosensing tools with incredible potential for diagnostics.Though these proteins occur naturally in nature, they require careful engineering and design to be able to detect diagnostically relevant biomarkers.In this thesis we have developed several computational approaches to assist nanopore engineering efforts.One such nanopore is the funnel-shaped "FraC", a pore that has been used extensively for detecting several types of biomarkers.We hypothesized that when FraC is made shorter, the shape of the pore changes in a way that changes its biosensing properties.To support this hypothesis we performed molecular simulations that show the change in shape as the pore gets shortened.When these short pores are produced in the lab and tested, they indeed behave differently to the original pore.Another sensing challenge for nanopores lies in sensing peptides; small bits of protein that are often markers for disease.Due to their flexible nature, it is hard to predict the result of a peptide detection experiment.As such, we present a simulation workflow to study the nanopore sensing process of peptides, which enables us to make more accurate predictions about the detection results.Because nanopores are rather large molecules, this requires a specialized setup to be able to do effectively.The flexible nature of the peptides poses an additional challenge, which we address using a simulation technique that attempts to simulate such flexibility more efficiently.While the results are promising, more work is needed to improve the method

Increased frequency of circulating IL-21 producing Th-cells in patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA).

INTRODUCTION: The present study aimed to explore a possible role for IL-21 producing Th-cells in the immunopathogenesis of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). METHODS: Peripheral blood from 42 GPA patients in remission and 29 age-matched healthy controls (HCs) were stimulated in vitro, and the frequencies of IL-21 producing Th-cells were determined by flow cytometry. Since Th17-cells produce a low level of IL-21, IL-17 was also included in the analysis. Given that IL-21 is a hallmark cytokine for T follicular helper cells (T(FH)), we next evaluated the expression of their key transcription factor BCL-6 by RT-PCR and flow cytometry. To investigate the effect of IL-21 on autoantibody-production, PBMCs from GPA patients were stimulated in vitro with BAFF/IL-21 and total IgG and ANCA levels were measured in supernatants. In addition, the expression of IL-21-receptor on B-cells was analyzed. RESULTS: Percentages of IL-21 producing Th-cells were significantly elevated in GPA-patients compared to HCs, and were restricted to ANCA-positive patients. The expression of BCL-6 was significantly higher in ANCA-positive GPA-patients, as compared with ANCA-negative patients and HCs. IL-21 enhanced the production of IgG and ANCA in vitro in stimulated PBMCs from GPA patients. No difference was found in the expression of the IL-21-receptor on B-cells between ANCA-negative patients, ANCA-positive patients, and HCs. CONCLUSION: The increased frequency of circulating IL-21 producing Th-cells in ANCA-positive GPA patients and the stimulating capacity of IL-21 on ANCA-production suggest a role for these cells in the immunopathogenesis of GPA. Blockade of IL-21 could constitute a new therapeutic strategy for GPA

If No One Ever Marries Me

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/6048/thumbnail.jp

Factors associated with the compliance to ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (RA 9003) of inland resort establishments in the Province of Iloilo: Inputs to policy enhancement

Abstract onlyThis is a correlational study that determined the factors associated with the compliance to the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 200 (RA 9003) of the inland resort establishments in the province of Iloilo. The data was collected using survey questionnaire from 118 managers and employees in all 23 inland resorts operating in the province. Findings show that the inland resorts in the province of Iloilo are mostly micro enterprises with 1 to 9 employees and have in in business for an average of 2 years. Most of them are without DOT accreditation. Those with DOT accreditation, mostly are Class AA accreditation and few have Class AAA and have the availability of resources for solid waste management as mandated by local law. The managers and employees are fully are of RA 9003, almost always participate in public programs and activities related to the implementation of RA 9003. They said RA 9003 is totally enforced in their workplace and have always complied with RA 9003. Among the four predictors - level of awareness of RA 9003, extent of public participation, availability of resources, extent of enforcement of RA 9003, it is only the availability of resources found to be statistically significantly associated with inland resort extent of compliance to RA 9003, though it is weak (R = 0.281, p-value = 0.030). Further a 0.226 change in the extent of compliance is accounted for every unit change in the availability of resources.Includes bibliographical referencesDoctor of Management (Tourism and Hospitality Management

Blobs form during the single-file transport of proteins across nanopores

The transport of biopolymers across nanopores is an important biological process currently under investigation for the rapid analysis of DNA and proteins. While the transport of DNA is generally understood, methods to induce unfolded protein translocation have only recently been discovered (Yu et al., 2023, Sauciuc et al., 2023). Here, we found that during electroosmotically driven translocation of polypeptides, blob-like structures typically form inside nanopores, often obstructing their transport and preventing addressing individual amino acids. This is in contrast with the electrophoretic transport of DNA, where the formation of such structures has not been reported. Comparisons between different nanopore sizes and shapes and modifications by different surface chemistries allowed formulating a mechanism for blob formation. We also show that single-file transport can be achieved by using 1) nanopores that have an entry and an internal diameter smaller than the persistence length of the polymer, 2) nanopores with a nonsticky (i.e., nonaromatic) inner surface, and 3) moderate translocation velocities. These experiments provide a basis for understanding polypeptide transport under confinement and for improving the design and engineering of nanopores for protein analysis