Use of signals from space vehicles for determining the metrological characteristics of frequency and time standards

In this paper methods are considered for checking frequency and time standards used at control points. The most effective of the checking methods proposed is based on the use of spaceborne time-scale signals transmitted by space vehicles. The checking devices, the main computing relationships, and the test results are described.Translated from Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika, No. 7, pp. 31–32, July, 1993.     

A multiagent approach to managing air traffic flow

Intelligent air traffic flow management is one of the fundamental challenges facing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today. FAA estimates put weather, routing decisions and airport condition induced delays at 1,682,700 h in 2007 (FAA OPSNET Data, US Department of Transportation website, ), resulting in a staggering economic loss of over $41 billion (Joint Economic Commission Majority Staff, Your flight has been delayed again, 2008). New solutions to the flow management are needed to accommodate the threefold increase in air traffic anticipated over the next two decades. Indeed, this is a complex problem where the interactions of changing conditions (e.g., weather), conflicting priorities (e.g., different airlines), limited resources (e.g., air traffic controllers) and heavy volume (e.g., over 40,000 flights over the US airspace) demand an adaptive and robust solution. In this paper we explore a multiagent algorithm where agents use reinforcement learning (RL) to reduce congestion through local actions. Each agent is associated with a fix (a specific location in 2D space) and has one of three actions: setting separation between airplanes, ordering ground delays or performing reroutes. We simulate air traffic using FACET which is an air traffic flow simulator developed at NASA and used extensively by the FAA and industry. Our FACET simulations on both artificial and real historical data from the Chicago and New York airspaces show that agents receiving personalized rewards reduce congestion by up to 80% over agents receiving a global reward and by up to 90% over a current industry approach (Monte Carlo estimation).     

Focal Ischemic Injury to the Early Neonatal Rat Brain Models Cognitive and Motor Deficits with Associated Histopathological Outcomes Relevant to Human Neonatal Brain Injury

Neonatal arterial ischemic stroke is one of the more severe birth complications. The injury can result in extensive neurological damage and is robustly associated with later diagnoses of cerebral palsy (CP). An important part of efforts to develop new therapies include the on-going refinement and understanding of animal models that capture relevant clinical features of neonatal brain injury leading to CP. The potent vasoconstrictor peptide, Endothelin-1 (ET-1), has previously been utilised in animal models to reduce local blood flow to levels that mimic ischemic stroke. Our previous work in this area has shown that it is an effective and technically simple approach for modelling ischemic injury at very early neonatal ages, resulting in stable deficits in motor function. Here, we aimed to extend this model to also examine the impact on cognitive function. We show that focal delivery of ET-1 to the cortex of Sprague Dawley rats on postnatal day 0 (P0) resulted in impaired learning in a touchscreen-based test of visual discrimination and correlated with important clinical features of CP including damage to large white matter structures.     

Secretion and secretory tissues of the anal sac of the mink,Mustela vison

The sulfur-rich anal sac secretion of the mink,Mustela vison, consisted of immiscible lipid (1.7% sulfur) and aqueous (0.7% sulfur) phases. Light and electron microscopy revealed secretory tissue of two types, sebaceous (holocrine) and apocrine. A major input of sulfur into the sac appeared to be associated with glycoprotein granules present in the apical portions of the apocrine cells as X-ray energy probe microanalysis showed these to contain relatively high levels of sulfur. The lipid of the secretion, presumed to be largely of sebaceous origin, consisted mainly of wax monoesters, while the aqueous phase contained volatile fatty acids, ammonia, and amines, including putrescine (1,4-diaminobutane). The identity of the major headspace volatiles was confirmed by NMR, MS, and Raney nickel desulfuration as being 2,2-dimethylthiacyclobutane and 3,3-dimethyl-1, 2-dithiacyclopentane. These compounds were not detected by GC-MS in the headspace volatiles of the anal sac secretions of eight other mustelid species examined. Other sulfur compounds detected included isomeric dimethylthiacyclobutanes, a number of disulfides and 3-methyl-but-3-enyl methyl sulfide (isopentenyl methyl sulfide). The significance of these findings is discussed.     

Peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of β-carotene in HL-60 cells and in model systems: Involvement of phenoxyl radicals

Recent studies provide extensive evidence for the importance of carotenoids in protecting against oxidative stress associated with a number of diseases. In particular, reactions of carotenoids with phenoxyl radicals generated by peroxidasecatalyzed one-electron metabolism of phenolic compounds may represent an important antioxidant function of carotenoids. To further our understanding of the antioxidant mechanisms of carotenoids, we used in the present work two different phenolic compounds, phenol and a polar homologue of vitamin E (2,2,5,7,8-pentamethyl-6-hydroxychromane, PMC), as representatives of two different types of phenols to study reactions of their respective phenoxyl radicals with carotenoids in cells and in model systems. We found that phenoxyl radicals of PMC did not oxidize β-carotene in either HL-60 cells or in model systems with horseradish peroxidase (HRP)/H₂O₂. In contrast, the phenoxyl radicals generated from phenol (by native myeloperoxidase in HL-60 cells or HRP/H₂O₂ in model systems) effectively oxidized β-carotene and other carotenoids (canthaxanthin, lutein, lycopene). One-electron reduction of the phenoxyl radical by ascorbate (assayed by electron spin resonance-detectable formation of semidehydroascorbyl radicals) prevented HRP/H₂O₂-induced oxidation of β-carotene. PMC, but not phenol, protected β-carotene against oxidation induced by a lipid-soluble azo-initiator of peroxyl radicals. No adducts of peroxidase/phenol/H₂O₂-induced β-carotene oxidation intermediates with phenol were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the reaction mixture. Since carotenoids are essential constituents of the antioxidant defenses in cells and biological fluids, their depletion through the reaction with phenoxyl radicals formed from endogenous, nutritional and environmental phenolics, as well as phenolic drugs, may be an important factor in the development of oxidative stress.     

Effect of geometric parameters of fibers on water absorption of blocks

Conclusion A comparison was made of the water absorption of two fiber-reinforced concrete blocks with different geometric parameters of the fibers. It was found that in the case of using thin fibers d=0.5 mm (block No. 2), the water absorption by weight was less and it was distributed more uniformly over the entire length than in the case of using fibers with d=1.5 mm (block No. 1). A dependence of the coefficient of variation on W_w was established (a decrease of W_w causes a decrease of C_v and vice versa). This was displayed especially clearly in block No. 1 (thick fibers) and less so in block No. 2. Furthermore, it was found that the addition of thin fibers directly into the concrete mixer (into the mixed concrete) leads to their clumping and ultimately to the occurrence of hedgehogs in the concrete and to worsening of W_w. Clumping of fibers occurs little, if at all, when thick fibers are added to the concrete mixer. Precisely the addition of fibers to the concrete mix is one of the most complex problems in the given area of construction.Translated from Gidrotekhnicheskoe Stroitel'stvo, No. 11, pp. 23–24, November, 1991.     

Effect of certain factors on the strength of ready-mixed concrete

Conclusion The strength of concrete was investigated. It was found that in the case of charging individual concrete components into TMs mounted on the chassis of KrAZ and KamAZ trucks, high-grade concrete cannot always be prepared with such a technological scheme.It was established that with a yield of various volumes of ready-mixed concrete from TMs, the strength of the concrete from the smaller volume (3.5 m³) was higher an age 1 day than of concrete from a volume of 4 m³.However, at age 28 days the strengths equalize. Furthermore, the concrete taken from 3.5 m³ was more uniform. In addition to this, an attempt was made to predict how the concrete strength would increase directly in structures during operation of tunnels constructed by the open method during the year.It was established that the maximum gain of strength of concrete will occur in the summer, in June and July. At the same time, in August there are great differences between the ambient temperature and humidity. This means that there will not be enough moisture for active hydration of cement, the concrete will have shrinkage and an increase of concrete strength may not only be markedly retarded but may stop entirely. In the winter, spring, and fall, the strength of concrete will increase, but apparently less intensely than in the summer.Translated from Gidrotekhnicheskoe Stroitel'stvo, No. 11, pp. 21–22, November, 1991.     

A localized surface plasmon resonance based immunosensor for the detection of casein in milk

In this research, a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) immunosensor based on gold-capped nanoparticle substrate for detecting casein, one of the most potent allergens in milk, was developed. The fabrication of the gold-capped nanoparticle substrate involved a surface-modified silica nanoparticle layer (core) on the slide glass substrate between bottom and top gold layers (shell). The absorbance peak of the gold-capped nanoparticle substrate was observed at ∼520 nm. In addition, the atomic force microscopy (AFM) images demonstrated that the nanoparticles formed a monolayer on the slide glass. After immobilizing anti-casein antibody on the surface, our device, casein immunosensor, could be applied easily for the detection of casein in the raw milk sample without a difficult pretreatment. Under the optimum conditions, the detection limit of the casein immunosensor was determined as 10 ng/mL. Our device brings several advantages to the existing LSPR-based biosensors with its easy fabrication, simple handling, low-cost, and high sensitivity.     

Detection and characterization of the electron paramagnetic resonance-silent glutathionyl-5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide adduct derived from redox cycling of phenoxyl radicals in model systems and HL-60 cells

Rapidly growing knowledge about the nature and behaviour of breast cancer has led to many treatment modalities. Consequently, the possibilities of individualizing the treatment of breast cancer increase. The major tool for the determination of an optimal treatment plan is the estimation of the extent of the disease: in other words, staging. As a consequence, together with the expected result of the treatment, the stage of the disease gives information on the prognosis of the patient. Current staging systems insufficiently describe the clinically important features of breast cancer with respect to management and outcome: local and regional extent, invasiveness, aggressiveness, the state of dissemination, and the effectiveness of different treatment modalities. For staging of the local and regional extent, histology plays a prominent role and should be incorporated in future staging systems. Histological workup therefore needs standardisation. Histological parameters as tumour size, grade, nodal status, and vascular invasion are also the most important prognostic factors. Many so-called biological prognostic factors are related to the invasiveness and aggressiveness (metastatic potential) of the tumour, and therefore to the prognosis of the patient. However, these factors do not necessarily predict the effectiveness of certain systemic treatments. Only if the biological foundation of a prognostic factor is completely clarified can treatment be based on this knowledge, and the factor will become a predictor for the treatment effect. Many "biological" prognostic factors do not fulfil this main criterion and are therefore not useful for clinical decision making. A clinically useful staging system covers three primary aims: (1) to guide locoregional treatment, (2) to prognosticate the chance of survival, and (3) to indicate who needs what kind of adjuvant treatment. For the conception of a new staging system the following steps should be taken: standardization of all aspects of histology, identification of regional nodal involvement, and validation of prognostic factors with respect to their predictive value to treatment outcome.