Multigrid methods for discrete elliptic problems on triangular surfaces

We construct and analyze multigrid methods for discretized self-adjoint elliptic problems on triangular surfaces in ${\mathbb{R}^3}$ . The methods involve the same weights for restriction and prolongation as in the case of planar triangulations and therefore are easy to implement. We prove logarithmic bounds of the convergence rates with constants solely depending on the ellipticity, the smoothers and on the regularity of the triangles forming the triangular surface. Our theoretical results are illustrated by numerical computations.     

Encapsulation of legacy software: A technique for reusing legacy software components

The following paper reviews the possibilities of encapsulating existing legacy software for reuse in new distributed architectures. It suggests wrapping as an alternative strategy to reengineering and redevelopment. It then defines the levels of granularity at which software can be encapsulated before going on to describe how to construct a wrapper and how to adapt host programs for wrapping. Some wrapping products are discussed and the state of the art summarized. The advantage of wrapping over conventional reengineering is the low cost and even lower risks involved. This is the driving force in the search for improved wrapping technology. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Nodal DG-FEM solution of high-order Boussinesq-type equations

A discontinuous Galerkin finite-element method (DG-FEM) solution to a set of high-order Boussinesq-type equations for modelling highly nonlinear and dispersive water waves in one horizontal dimension is presented. The continuous equations are discretized using nodal polynomial basis functions of arbitrary order in space on each element of an unstructured computational domain. A fourth-order explicit Runge-Kutta scheme is used to advance the solution in time. Methods for introducing artificial damping to control mild nonlinear instabilities are also discussed. The accuracy and convergence of the model with both h (grid size) and p (order) refinement are confirmed for the linearized equations, and calculations are provided for two nonlinear test cases in one horizontal dimension: harmonic generation over a submerged bar, and reflection of a steep solitary wave from a vertical wall. Test cases for two horizontal dimensions will be considered in future work.     

Computerized transcutaneous monitoring incorporating laser Doppler velocimetry

Measurements of transcutaneous oxygen tension, transcutaneous carbon dioxide tension, transcutaneous heater power, transcutaneous electrode temperature, and peripheral perfusion at the gas measurement site (assessed by laser Doppler velocimetry) are monitored by a microprocessor-based data acquisition system. Arterial blood pressure, central venous pressure, pulmonary artery pressure, respiration rate, and heart rate may be simultaneously captured with the system unattended for 12-hour intervals. This computerized monitoring system is mobile and easily applied by medical technologists to adult or neonatal intensive care patients. Simultaneous collection of the measurement data has facilitated research on the interrelationships of the measured parameters. It should be helpful in assessing optimal therapeutic interventions as well as the changing physiology of acutely ill patients.     

The microRNA-202 as a Diagnostic Biomarker and a Potential Tumor Suppressor

MicroRNA-202 (miR-202) is a member of the highly conserved let-7 family that was discovered in Caenorhabditis elegans and recently reported to be involved in cell differentiation and tumor biology. In humans, miR-202 was initially identified in the testis where it was suggested to play a role in spermatogenesis. Subsequent research showed that miR-202 is one of the micro-RNAs that are dysregulated in different types of cancer. During the last decade, a large number of investigations has fortified a role for miR-202 in cancer. However, its functions can be double-edged, depending on context they may be tumor suppressive or oncogenic. In this review, we highlight miR-202 as a potential diagnostic biomarker and as a suppressor of tumorigenesis and metastasis in several types of tumors. We link miR-202 expression levels in tumor types to its involved upstream and downstream signaling molecules and highlight its potential roles in carcinogenesis. Three well-known upstream long non-coding-RNAs (lncRNAs); MALAT1, NORAD, and NEAT1 target miR-202 and inhibit its tumor suppressive function thus fueling cancer progression. Studies on the downstream targets of miR-202 revealed PTEN, AKT, and various oncogenes such as metadherin (MTDH), MYCN, Forkhead box protein R2 (FOXR2) and Kirsten rat sarcoma virus (KRAS). Interestingly, an upregulated level of miR-202 was shown by most of the studies that estimated its expression level in blood or serum of cancer patients, especially in breast cancer. Reduced expression levels of miR-202 in tumor tissues were found to be associated with progression of different types of cancer. It seems likely that miR-202 is embedded in a complex regulatory network related to the nature and the sensitivity of the tumor type and therapeutic (pre)treatments. Its variable roles in tumorigenesis are mediated in part thought its oncogene effectors. However, the currently available data suggest that the involved signaling pathways determine the anti- or pro-tumorigenic outcomes of miR-202’s dysregulation and its value as a diagnostic biomarker.     

White Electroluminescence by Supramolecular Control of Energy Transfer in Blends of Organic‐Soluble Encapsulated Polyfluorenes

Here, it is demonstrated that energy transfer in a blend of semiconducting polymers can be strongly reduced by non‐covalent encapsulation of one constituent, ensured by threading of the conjugated strands into functionalized cyclodextrins. Such macrocycles control the minimum intermolecular distance of chromophores with similar alignment, at the nanoscale, and therefore the relevant energy transfer rates, thus enabling fabrication of white‐light‐emitting diodes (CIE coordinates: x = 0.282, y = 0.336). In particular, white electroluminescence in a binary blend of a blue‐emitting, organic‐soluble rotaxane based on a polyfluorene derivative and the green‐emitting poly(9,9‐dioctylfluorene‐alt‐benzothiadiazole ( F8BT ) is achieved. Morphological and structural analyses by atomic force microscopy, fluorescence mapping, µ‐Raman, and fluorescence lifetime microscopy are used to complement optical and electroluminescence characterization, and to enable a deeper insight into the properties of the novel blend.