Electromagnetic Resistive Drift Instability in Current Carrying Low Temperature Tokamak Edges

It is shown that the purely growing electrostatic rippling mode can couple with the shear Alfven wave to give rise to an oscillatory electromagnetic instability in tokamak edge regions. This mechanism can be one of the causes of electromagnetic fluctuations observed near plasma edges. This instability can occur only in the very low temperature regions where resistivity fluctuations can become important due to large electron-ion collision frequency.     

Mechanisms of resistance in a human cell line exposed to sequential topoisomerase poisoning

Camptothecins are a new class of anticancer drugs that target DNA topoisomerase I; current efforts are directed toward elucidating optimal combinations of these drugs with other antineoplastic agents. A rationale for the use of sequential therapy involving the combination of camptothecins with topoisomerase II-targeting drugs, such as etoposide, has arisen from observations of increased topoisomerase II protein levels in cell lines resistant to camptothecin. In an effort to understand potential mechanisms of resistance to this strategy, we developed a U-937 cell subline, denoted RERC, that is capable of surviving exposure to sequential topoisomerase poisoning. The RERC cells are 200-fold resistant to camptothecin, 8-fold resistant to etoposide, and 10-fold hypersensitive to cisplatin compared to the parental U-937 cells. Biochemical analyses indicate that the resistant phenotype involves alterations in both topoisomerase I and topoisomerase IIalpha. Topoisomerase I catalytic activity in the resistant cells is similar to that of the parental line but is resistant to camptothecin. Moreover, the resistant cells express a single mRNA species of topoisomerase I that codes for a mutation in codon 533. In addition, topoisomerase IIalpha protein levels are decreased 10-fold in the resistant line, coincident with a two-fold decrease in the expression of topoisomerase IIalpha mRNA. Collectively, these results indicate that resistance to sequential topoisomerase poisoning may involve a reduction in total cellular topoisomerase activity.     

A strategy for the electro-organic synthesis of new hydrocaffeic acid derivatives

Electrochemical treatment processes can significantly contribute to the protection of the environment through the minimization of waste and toxic materials in effluents. From a pharmaceutical point of view and due to the existing resemblance between the electrochemical and biological reactions, it can be assumed that the oxidation mechanisms on the electrode and in the body share similar principles. In this paper, the application of electrochemical studies in the design of an environmentally friendly method was delineated for the new hydrocaffeic acid (HCA, 3,4-dihydroxy hydrocinnamic acid) derivatives synthesis at carbon electrodes in an undivided cell. In this cell, the EC mechanism reaction was involved, comprising two steps alternatively; (1) electrochemical oxidation and (2) chemical reaction. In particular, the electro-organic reactions of HCA, an important biological molecule, were studied in a water–acetonitrile (90:10 v/v) mixture in the presence of benzenesulfinic acid (3) and p-toluenesulfinic acid (4). The research included the use of a variety of experimental techniques, such as cyclic voltammetry, controlled-potential electrolysis and product spectroscopic identification.     

Synthesis and thermomechanical characterization of polyurethane elastomers extended with α,ω‐alkane diols

A series of polyurethane (PU) elastomers was prepared by the reaction of poly(?‐caprolactone) and 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate, which was extended with a series of chain extenders (CEs) having 2–10 methylene units in their structure. The completion of the reaction was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The chemical structures of the synthesized PU samples were characterized with Fourier transform infrared, ¹H‐NMR, and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy, and the thermal properties were determined by thermogravimetric analysis, DSC, and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis techniques. The mechanical properties were also studied and are discussed. The thermogravimetric analysis and DSC analysis showed that CE length had a considerable effect on the thermal properties of the prepared samples. The dynamic mechanical thermal analysis and damping peaks were also affected by the number of methylene units in the CE length. The elastomer extended with 1,2‐ethane diol exhibited optimum thermal properties, whereas the elastomer based on 1,10‐decane diol displayed the worst thermal properties. Tensile strength and elongation at break decreased with increasing CE length, whereas hardness showed the opposite trend. The glass‐transition temperature moved toward lower temperatures with increasing CE length. The decrease in the glass‐transition temperature and tensile properties were interpreted in terms of decreasing hard segments and increasing chain flexibility. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Theoretical Modeling of Frequency-Chirped Optical Pulses in Birefringent Single-Mode Fibers

We analyze nonlinear coupling of polarized solitons in the presence of initial frequency chirp on the basis of a theoretical model described by a coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equations. We also obtain a threshold condition for the bound state of two polarizations and show analytically that the threshold amplitude for soliton trapping can be controlled by varying the chirp parameter.     

Fecal bile acid excretion and composition in response to changes in dietary wheat bran,fat and calcium in the rat

The effect and possible interactive influence of different dietary amounts of wheat bran, fat and calcium on the fecal excretion, concentration and composition of bile acids was studied in Fischer-344 rats. The fecal bile acids were analyzed using gas-liquid chromatography. Dietary wheat bran increased both total bile acid excretion and fecal weight without changes in fecal bile acid concentration. The proportion of fecal hyodeoxycholic acid decreased with increasing dietary fiber, whereas that of lithocholic and deoxycholic acids increased significantly with fiber intake. The percent content of fecal chenodeoxycholic acid did not change. Increasing dietary fat led to an increase in bile acid excretion without changes in either fecal weight or bile acid concentration. In contrast, the level of dietary calcium did not affect the total excretion of bile acids. However, since calcium increased the fecal weight, it consequently diluted bile acids and decreased their fecal concentration. Dietary fat and calcium had no influence on fecal bile acid composition. There were no interactive effects of wheat bran, fat and calcium on fecal bile acids. The finding in this study that dietary fiber, fat and calcium induce significant changes in fecal bile acids may be of relevance to the potential of bile acids to promote carcinogenesis.     

Benchmarking performance of machine and deep learning-based methodologies for Urdu text document classification

Neural Computing and Applications - In order to provide benchmark performance for Urdu text document classification, the contribution of this paper is manifold. First, it provides a publicly...     

Statistically correlated multi-task learning for autonomous driving

Neural Computing and Applications - Autonomous driving research is an emerging area in the machine learning domain. Most existing methods perform single-task learning, while multi-task learning...     

Hyperspectral imaging-based unsupervised adulterated red chili content transformation for classification: Identification of red chili adulterants

Neural Computing and Applications - Preserving red-chili quality is of utmost importance in which the authorities demand quality techniques to detect, classify, and prevent it from impurities. For...