Mortar finite element discretization for the flow in a nonhomogeneous porous medium

Darcy’s equations model the flow of a viscous incompressible fluid in a rigid porous medium. One of the parameters of the system depends on the permeability of the medium and, when this medium is not homogeneous, the variations of the parameter could be very high. To handle this phenomenon, we propose a discretization of the model that relies on the mortar finite element method. Indeed, the idea is to construct a decomposition of the domain such that the permeability is constant on each element of the partition and to use independent meshes on the different subdomains. We perform the a priori and a posteriori analysis of this discretization and present some numerical experiments which are in good coherency with the results of the analysis.     

Connective Ethnography for the Exploration of e-Science

E-science comprises diverse sites, connected in complex and heterogeneous ways. While ethnography is well established as a way of exploring the detail of the knowledge production process, some strategic adaptations are prompted by this spatial complexity of e-science. This article describes a study that focused on the biological discipline of systematics, exploring the ways in which use of a variety of information and communication technologies has become a routine part of disciplinary practice. The ethnography combined observation and interviews within systematics institutions with mailing list participation, exploration of web landscapes, and analysis of expectations around information and communications technologies as portrayed in policy documents. Exploring connections among these different activities offers a means of understanding multiple dimensions of e-science as a focus of practice and policy. It is important when studying e-science to engage critically with claims about the transformative capacity of new technologies and to adopt methodologies that remain agnostic in the face of such claims: A connective approach to ethnography offers considerable promise in this regard.     

Industrial and spatial interdependency in modeling: An employment forecasting model for the counties in the San Francisco Bay Region

This paper discusses the structure and empirical estimation of the County Employment Forecasting System (CEFS), a system used to forecast employment for 32 sectors for each one of the nine counties of the San Francisco Bay Region. CEFS differs in several aspects from the majority of models which attempt to simulate employment change at the subregional level; it explicitly considers the relationships between sectors, it accounts for the interactions between counties, and can provide a set of county forecasts which are consistent with the overall regional projections.     

Motor neuron disease: etiology, pathogenesis and treatment--a review

This study was conducted in order to determine the effects of body position on integrated electromyographic (IEMG) activity of sternocleidomastoid and masseter muscles in 17 patients with myogenic cranio-cervical-mandibular dysfunction. EMG recordings at rest and during swallowing of saliva and maximal voluntary clenching were performed by placing surface electrodes on the sternocleidomastoid and masseter muscles (contralateral to the habitual side of sleeping of each patient), in the following body positions: standing, seated, supine, and lateral decubitus position. Significant higher EMG activities were recorded in the sternocleidomastoid muscle in the lateral decubitus position and in the supine position (except during swallowing), whereas a significant higher EMG activity was recorded in the masseter muscle during maximal voluntary clenching in standing and seated positions. The EMG pattern observed suggests that the presence of parafunctional habits and body position could be closely correlated with the clinical symptomatology in the sternocleidomastoid and masseter muscles at wakening and during waking hours, respectively, in patients with myogenic cranio-cervical-mandibular dysfunction.     

Estimating room temperatures from fires along walls and in corners

Determination of temperatures associated with room fires provides a means of assessing an important aspect of fire hazard: the likelihood of the occurrence of flashover. Layer temperatures in excess of 600°C have been associated with the occurrence of flashover. A data correlation has previously been presented to estimate layer temperatures for fires burning in the center of rooms. For fires in corners and along walls, restricted entrainment results in higher layer temperatures than predicted by the previous correlation. Modification factors for the previous correlation are developed to extend its applicability to wall and corner burning geometries. The present analysis suggests that a fire in a corner may cause flashover with only half the heat release rate necessary for a fire burning in the center of a room. Reference: Frederick Mowrer and Robert Williamson, Estimating Room Temperatures from Fires along Walls and in Corners,Fire Technology, Vol. 23, May 1987, pp. 133–145.     

Neutrophil Extracellular Traps and Their Implications in Cardiovascular and Inflammatory Disease

Neutrophils are primary effector cells of innate immunity and fight infection by phagocytosis and degranulation. Activated neutrophils also release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in response to a variety of stimuli. These NETs are net-like complexes composed of cell-free DNA, histones and neutrophil granule proteins. Besides the evolutionarily conserved mechanism to capture and eliminate pathogens, NETs are also associated with pathophysiological processes of various diseases. Here, we elucidate the mechanisms of NET formation and their different implications in disease. We focused on autoinflammatory and cardiovascular disorders as the leading cause of death. Neutrophil extracellular traps are not only present in various cardiovascular diseases but play an essential role in atherosclerotic plaque formation, arterial and venous thrombosis, as well as in the development and progression of abdominal aortic aneurysms. Furthermore, NETosis can be considered as a source of autoantigens and maintains an inflammatory milieu promoting autoimmune diseases. Indeed, there is further need for research into the balance between NET induction, inhibition, and degradation in order to pharmacologically target NETs and their compounds without impairing the patient’s immune defense. This review may be of interest to both basic scientists and clinicians to stimulate translational research and innovative clinical approaches.     

Characterization and Reconstitution of Human Lipoyl Synthase (LIAS) Supports ISCA2 and ISCU as Primary Cluster Donors and an Ordered Mechanism of Cluster Assembly

Lipoyl synthase (LIAS) is an iron–sulfur cluster protein and a member of the radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) superfamily that catalyzes the final step of lipoic acid biosynthesis. The enzyme contains two [4Fe–4S] centers (reducing and auxiliary clusters) that promote radical formation and sulfur transfer, respectively. Most information concerning LIAS and its mechanism has been determined from prokaryotic enzymes. Herein, we detail the expression, isolation, and characterization of human LIAS, its reactivity, and evaluation of natural iron–sulfur (Fe–S) cluster reconstitution mechanisms. Cluster donation by a number of possible cluster donor proteins and heterodimeric complexes has been evaluated. [2Fe–2S]-cluster-bound forms of human ISCU and ISCA2 were found capable of reconstituting human LIAS, such that complete product turnover was enabled for LIAS, as monitored via a liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) assay. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies of native LIAS and substituted derivatives that lacked the ability to bind one or the other of LIAS’s two [4Fe–4S] clusters revealed a likely order of cluster addition, with the auxiliary cluster preceding the reducing [4Fe–4S] center. These results detail the trafficking of Fe–S clusters in human cells and highlight differences with respect to bacterial LIAS analogs. Likely in vivo Fe–S cluster donors to LIAS are identified, with possible connections to human disease states, and a mechanistic ordering of [4Fe–4S] cluster reconstitution is evident.     

Out-of-Field Hippocampus from Partial-Body Irradiated Mice Displays Changes in Multi-Omics Profile and Defects in Neurogenesis

The brain undergoes ionizing radiation exposure in many clinical situations, particularly during radiotherapy for brain tumors. The critical role of the hippocampus in the pathogenesis of radiation-induced neurocognitive dysfunction is well recognized. The goal of this study is to test the potential contribution of non-targeted effects in the detrimental response of the hippocampus to irradiation and to elucidate the mechanisms involved. C57Bl/6 mice were whole body (WBI) or partial body (PBI) irradiated with 0.1 or 2.0 Gy of X-rays or sham irradiated. PBI consisted of the exposure of the lower third of the mouse body, whilst the upper two thirds were shielded. Hippocampi were collected 15 days or 6 months post-irradiation and a multi-omics approach was adopted to assess the molecular changes in non-coding RNAs, proteins and metabolic levels, as well as histological changes in the rate of hippocampal neurogenesis. Notably, at 2.0 Gy the pattern of early molecular and histopathological changes induced in the hippocampus at 15 days following PBI were similar in quality and quantity to the effects induced by WBI, thus providing a proof of principle of the existence of out-of-target radiation response in the hippocampus of conventional mice. We detected major alterations in DAG/IP3 and TGF-β signaling pathways as well as in the expression of proteins involved in the regulation of long-term neuronal synaptic plasticity and synapse organization, coupled with defects in neural stem cells self-renewal in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. However, compared to the persistence of the WBI effects, most of the PBI effects were only transient and tended to decrease at 6 months post-irradiation, indicating important mechanistic difference. On the contrary, at low dose we identified a progressive accumulation of molecular defects that tended to manifest at later post-irradiation times. These data, indicating that both targeted and non-targeted radiation effects might contribute to the pathogenesis of hippocampal radiation-damage, have general implications for human health.