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Quantification of land surface-atmosphere fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes and their trends and uncertainties is essential for monitoring progress of the EU27+UK bloc as it strives to meet ambitious targets determined by both international agreements and internal regulation. This study provides a consolidated synthesis of fossil sources (CO2 fossil) and natural sources and sinks over land (CO2 land) using bottom-up (BU) and top-down (TD) approaches for the European Union and United Kingdom (EU27+UK), updating earlier syntheses (Petrescu et al., 2020, 2021b). Given the wide scope of the work and the variety of approaches involved, this study aims to answer essential questions identified in the previous syntheses and understand the differences between datasets, particularly for poorly characterized fluxes from managed ecosystems. The work integrates updated emission inventory data, process-based model results, data-driven sectoral model results, and inverse modeling estimates, extending the previous period 1990–2018 to the year 2020 to the extent possible. BU and TD products are compared with European National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (NGHGIs) reported by Parties including the year 2019 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The uncertainties of the EU27+UK NGHGI were evaluated using the standard deviation reported by the EU Member States following the guidelines of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and harmonized by gap-filling procedures. Variation in estimates produced with other methods, such as atmospheric inversion models (TD) or spatially disaggregated inventory datasets (BU), originate from within-model uncertainty related to parameterization as well as structural differences between models. By comparing NGHGIs with other approaches, key sources of differences between estimates arise primarily in activities. System boundaries and emission categories create differences in CO2 fossil datasets, while different land use definitions for reporting emissions from Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) activities result in differences for CO2 land. The latter has important consequences for atmospheric inversions, leading to inversions reporting stronger sinks in vegetation and soils than are reported by the NGHGI. For CO2 fossil emissions, after harmonizing estimates based on common activities and selecting the most recent year available for all datasets, the UNFCCC NGHGI for the EU27+UK accounts for 3392 ± 49 Tg CO2 yr-1 (926 ± 13 Tg C yr-1), while eight other BU sources report a mean value of 3340 [3238,3401] [25th,75th percentile] Tg CO2 yr-1 (948 [937,961] Tg C yr-1). The sole top-down inversion of fossil emissions currently available accounts for 3800 Tg CO2 yr-1 (1038 Tg C yr-1), a value close to that of the NGHGI, but for which uncertainty estimates are not yet available. For the net CO2 land fluxes, during the most recent five-year period including the NGHGI estimates, the NGHGI accounted for -91 ± 32 Tg C yr-1 while six other BU approaches reported a mean sink of -62 [-117,-49] Tg C yr-1 and a 15-member ensemble of dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) reported -69 [-152,-5] Tg C yr-1. The five-year mean of three TD regional ensembles combined with one non-ensemble inversion of -73 Tg C yr-1 has a slightly smaller spread (0th–100th percentile of [-135,45] Tg C yr-1), and was calculated after removing land-atmosphere CO2 fluxes caused by lateral transport of carbon (crops, wood trade and inland waters) resulting in increased agreement with the the NGHGI and bottom-up approaches. Results at the sub-sector level (Forestland, Cropland, Grassland) show generally good agreement between the NGHGI and sub-sector-specific models, but results for a DGVM are mixed. Overall, for both CO2 fossil and net CO2 land fluxes, we find current independent approaches are consistent with the NGHGI at the scale of the EU27+UK. We conclude that CO2 emissions from fossil sources have decreased over the past 30 years in the EU27+UK, while large uncertainties on net uptake of CO2 by the land surface prevent trend identification. In addition, a gap on the order of 1000 Tg C yr-1 between CO2 fossil emissions and net CO2 uptake by the land exists regardless of the type of approach (NGHGI, TD, BU), falling well outside all available estimates of uncertainties. However, uncertainties in top-down approaches to estimate CO2 fossil emissions remain uncharacterized and are likely substantial. The data used to plot the figures are available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7365863.

We are the Clare Inclusive Research Group (CIRG) a group of advocates with a learning disability, funded by the Irish support agency the Brothers of Charity (B.O.C.), Clare Services. As a long-established inclusive research group we were approached to reflect on our journey as advocates and researchers. In this article we talk about our work, challenging and helping repeal discriminating Irish law regarding intimate relationships. We then talk about our understanding of advocacy and inclusive research and make recommendations to make this work more effective. Method: As a group of members of CIRG, with the coordinator of the group, we developed this article using online Zoom discussion calls to identify themes, circulating online explanations of drafts followed by Zoom reflections and finally responding to academic reviews. The direct comments made by us as advocate researchers have been retained as they were expressed. Conclusions, Limitations and recommendations: One of our team remarked “advocacy and inclusive research are twins”. We concluded that they are very close but not identical. Our work together on this article led us to create a discussion paper, Manifesto for Inclusive Research. This was adopted as a touchstone for presentations at the first webinar roundtable of the newly formed Inclusive Research IASSID Special Interest Research Group in March 2022. In it we set out guidelines for creating inclusive research which require accessible information and valuing our input in terms that match our status as experts by experience in inclusive research. We challenge academic inclusive researchers who explore the world of intellectual disability to stand shoulder to shoulder with advocate inclusive researchers. Through our work together, we aim to create more fulfilling lives for us all.

We hypothesized that feeding 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25-(OH)D3] during lactation and prepartum in conjunction with negative dietary cation-anion difference diets would improve milk production, increase the probability of pregnancy, and reduce the incidence of postcalving diseases. Cows from 4 dairies with prepartum transition diets negative in dietary cation-anion difference were used in 2 randomized cohort experiments. In Experiment 1 (Exp. 1), cows were assigned to control [CON; n = 645; no 25-(OH)D3] or treatment [TRT; n = 537; 2 mg/d of 25-(OH)D3 from ∼21 d prepartum to parturition and 1 mg/d in lactation] groups at ∼21 d prepartum. Cows were monitored for weekly milk yield, milk composition every 60 d, and health and reproductive measures. In Experiment 2 (Exp. 2), cows (n = 2,064; median 147 d in milk) were assigned to 4 groups and monitored for the same measures as in Exp. 1 to the end of that lactation (L1), the subsequent transition (∼21 d prepartum to parturition), and the next lactation (L2). Groups were as follows, with the amount of 25-(OH)D3 fed (mg/d) indicated in parentheses for L1, transition, and L2, respectively: (A) control-control (CON-CON; 0-0-0), (B) treatment-treatment (TRT-TRT; 1-2-1), (C) control-treatment (CON-TRT; 0-2-1), and (D) treatment-control (TRT-CON; 1-0-0). For L1, a total of 1,032 cows entered the control groups A or C and a total of 1,032 cows in groups B or D. The number of cows in groups A to D that entered L2 was 521, 523, 273, and 248, respectively. Blood calcium, phosphorus, and 25-(OH)D3 concentrations were measured from 17 cows/group at 5 times. In Exp. 1, TRT cows had 0.2 lower log somatic cell count than CON cows (4.21 ± 0.045 vs. 4.01 ± 0.050, respectively) and multiparous TRT cows had 41 ± 23% higher probability of pregnancy/day than multiparous CON cows, resulting in a 22-d median decrease in time to pregnancy. Primiparous TRT cows had 1.67 ± 0.40 times greater odds of mastitis/day than primiparous CON cows. In Exp. 2 TRT-TRT cows had between 16 and 29% lower probability to be bred/day than other groups. Multiparous CON-CON and TRT-CON cows had 20 ± 8% and 30 ± 17% greater probability of pregnancy, respectively, than multiparous TRT-TRT cows. Serum calcium concentrations were not affected by group, but phosphorus and 25-(OH)D3 concentrations were highest in the TRT-TRT cows. The study provides further insights into the use of 25(OH)D3 in transition and lactation.

This review examines the role of nutritional strategies to improve lifetime performance in ruminants. Strategies to increase ruminants' productive longevity by means of nutritional interventions provide the opportunity not only to increase their lifetime performances and their welfare, but also to decrease their environmental impact. This paper will also address how such nutritional interventions can increase herd efficiency and farm profitability. The key competencies reviewed in this article are redox balance, skeletal development and health, nutrient utilization and sustainability, which includes rearing ruminants without antibiotics and methane mitigation. While the relationships between these areas are extremely complex, a multidisciplinary approach is needed to develop nutritional strategies that would allow ruminants to become more resilient to the environmental and physiological challenges that they will have to endure during their productive career. As the demand of ruminant products from the rapidly growing human world population is ever-increasing, the aim of this review is to present animal and veterinary scientists as well as nutritionists a multidisciplinary approach towards a sustainable ruminant production, while improving their nutrient utilization, health and welfare, and mitigation of their carbon footprint at the same time.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety of 25-OH-D3 addition to the diet of bovine calves. The investigation was conducted as a feeding experiment for 90 days. 40 calves were allotted to four groups: T1 - control group which received 30 IU vitamin D3/kg feed, and three experimental groups, which received 25-OH-D3 in increasing dosages: T2 - 25-OH-D3 at 1.7 μg/kg, T3 - 25-OH-D3 at 5.1 μg/kg and T4 - 25-OH-D3 at 8.5 μg/kg. All calves in the four groups gained weight continually: no growth depression was observed. No adverse effects of 25- OH-D3 were observed for any of the hematology and serum chemistry parameters measured or during the routine clinical examinations. Plasma 25-OH-D3 concentration was higher (p

This dissertation seeks to explain variation in legislative strategies to control policymaking across institutional contexts. Of these many strategies, I focus particularly on the use of statutory language meant to direct agency action and on the use of oversight hearings. I argue that while low levels of oversight activity need not imply that a legislature is helplessly abdicating policymaking responsibility to unelected agencies, this may be the case in some circumstances. With the goal of establishing when the lack of oversight may mean such normatively problematic abdication, I develop a signaling model of delegation and oversight which proposes that oversight depends on institutional features (such as legislative capacity, the existence of legislative term limits and a legislative veto), political features (such as policy conflict within the government and within the legislature and the policy preferences and activism of important judicial actors), and the legislatures initial delegation of policymaking discretion to an agency. Critically, the pursuit of either strategy depends on alternative strategies available as well as on the likely actions of other institutions with the power to affect policy outcomes. The dissertation extends our theoretical understanding of legislative-executive relations and provides one of the first large-scale empirical analyses of legislative policymaking. In the first empirical chapter of this dissertation, I assess the predictions of the theory concerning congressional oversight activity from 1947-2006. I find that both the extent to which a congressional committees ideology diverges from an agency’s and the policy-specific expertise of said committee affect the number of oversight hearing

The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety of 25-OH-D

The bottom-up colloidal synthesis of photonic band gap (PBG) materials or photonic crystals (PC) has attracted considerable interest as compared to so-called top-down lithographic approaches due to the simple processing steps involved and the prospect of the economically viable production of complex 3-dimensional optical materials from simple colloidal particles. To date self-assembly techniques constitute the most popular approach to fabricate 3D photonic crystals from colloidal particle suspensions. Based on the natural tendency of monodisperse colloidal particles to organise into ordered arrays, this method represent the best option due to the ease of fabrication, ability to produce larger area samples and cost. Here we report on the fabrication of long range three-dimensional (3D) ordered poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-silica PC structures and the subsequent fabrication of robust silica inverse opals using self-assembly methods. The optical properties of these materials are described and discussed in terms of potential applications of these materials.

Vanadium oxides were hydrothermally grown on opal glass substrates at 95 °C. The deposition period was observed to affect the structure of the oxides and the voids filling of the opal surfaces. V6O13 grown on opal for 50 h presented satisfactory electrochemical performance and electrochromic response with a contrast ratio of 2. The specific capacitance of this composite reached a value of 192 F g−1, which was stable up to 500 continuous charge intercalation/deintercalation scans. The importance of achieving crystalline V6O13 and high opal surface coverage towards the enhancement of the electrochemical properties is presented.

We present our results on the fabrication of large area colloidal photonic crystals on flexible poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) film using a roll-to-roll Langmuir-Blodgett technique. Two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) colloidal photonic crystals from silica nanospheres (250 and 550 nm diameter) with a total area of up to 340 cm(2) have been fabricated in a continuous manner compatible with high volume manufacturing. In addition, the antireflective properties and structural integrity of the films have been enhanced via the use of a second roll-to-roll process, employing a slot-die coating of an optical adhesive over the photonic crystal films. Scanning electron microscopy images, atomic force microscopy images, and UV-vis optical transmission and reflection spectra of the fabricated photonic crystals are analyzed. This analysis confirms the high quality of the 2D and 3D photonic crystals fabricated by the roll-to-roll LB technique. Potential device applications of the large area 2D and 3D colloidal photonic crystals on flexible PET film are briefly reviewed.

With structural guidance, tropane-derived HTS hits were modified to optimize for HSP90 inhibition and a desirable in vivo profile. Through an iterative SAR development process 12i (XL888) was discovered and shown to reduce HSP90 client protein content in PD studies. Furthermore, efficacy experiments performed in a NCI-N87 mouse xenograft model demonstrated tumor regression in some dosing regimens.

The study of vitamin D in cattle has often focussed on its role in calcium and mineral metabolism. However, there is evidence of a wider role for vitamin D in bone and energy metabolism. Two studies were conducted to explore relationships between calcidiol supplementation, blood minerals and metabolites in mid-lactation dairy cows. In Experiment 1, a dose-response study was conducted in which 25 mid-lactation cows were fed one of five supplementary calcidiol doses (0, 0.5, 1, 2 or 4 mg calcidiol/day) for 30 days, with blood samples taken every 10 days. Increasing calcidiol dose increased plasma calcidiol (P = 0.001), 24,25-(OH)2-D3 (P = 0.001) and serum phosphate (P = 0.003) in a curvilinear manner, increased and then decreased plasma 25-OH-D2 (P = 0.004) and linearly increased 3-epi 25-OH-D3 (P = 0.001) and milk calcidiol concentrations (P = 0.001). Calcidiol supplementation did not affect milk yield or composition, bodyweight or condition score. In Experiment 2, relationships between blood calcidiol and mineral and metabolite concentrations over time were explored using time-series analysis. Ten mid-lactation cows were fed either 0 or 0.5 mg calcidiol/day for 27 days, with blood samples taken every 3 days. Feeding calcidiol increased plasma calcidiol (P = 0.001), 24,25-OH-D3 (P = 0.038), and insulin (P = 0.046), but decreased 25-OH-D2 (P = 0.008) concentrations. Positive associations were identified between blood calcidiol and concentrations of other metabolites, including cholecalciferol, calcium, osteocalcin, glucose, insulin, non-esterified fatty acids, β-hydroxybutyrate, cholesterol, magnesium, phosphorus and total protein at varying lags (±0, 3 or 6 days), while negative relationships were identified between calcidiol and 24,25-(OH)2-D3, and phosphorus 3 days later. Importantly, strong positive associations between calcidiol and indicators of energy metabolism were identified. Overall, these experiments provide support for a positive effect of calcidiol treatment on dairy cow metabolism.

Presenilins are components of the gamma-secretase protein complex that mediates intramembranous cleavage of betaAPP and Notch proteins. A C. elegans genetic screen revealed two genes, aph-1 and pen-2, encoding multipass transmembrane proteins, that interact strongly with sel-12/presenilin and aph-2/nicastrin. Human aph-1 and pen-2 partially rescue the C. elegans mutant phenotypes, demonstrating conserved functions. The human genes must be provided together to rescue the mutant phenotypes, and the inclusion of presenilin-1 improves rescue, suggesting that they interact closely with each other and with presenilin. RNAi-mediated inactivation of aph-1, pen-2, or nicastrin in cultured Drosophila cells reduces gamma-secretase cleavage of betaAPP and Notch substrates and reduces the levels of processed presenilin. aph-1 and pen-2, like nicastrin, are required for the activity and accumulation of gamma-secretase.

A polymer waveguide is fabricated on top of an inverted opal photonic crystal structure to demonstrate an air clad functioning waveguide for the first time to the best of our knowledge. An optically thick layer with a refractive index (n = 1.01) close to air was realized on a silicon wafer by first co-forming a self-assembled 3-D photonic crystal structure with PMMA spheres and a silica backbone. Following the fabrication of polyimide waveguides on this surface by micro-molding, the PMMA spheres were removed to leave behind an inverted opal structure underneath the waveguides with refractive index close to air. Broadband, polarization independent fundamental mode optical waveguiding from 1300 nm to 1600 nm wavelengths was obtained. This original approach overcomes some of the drawbacks associated with conventional polymer waveguides and can be the basis for a range of optical interconnection and sensing applications.

The articles discussed in working group 3 dealt with specific aspects of clinical research. In this context, the literature reporting on survival and complication rates of implant-supported or implant-tooth supported restorations in longitudinal studies of at least 5 years were discussed. The second aspect dealt with the evaluation of aesthetic outcomes in clinical studies and the related index systems available. Finally, the third aspect discussed dealt with patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). A detailed appraisal of the available methodology was presented.

There is a substantial evidence base linking prenatal exposure to infectious agents and an increased risk of schizophrenia. However, there has been less research examining the potential for these exposures to also contribute to risk for bipolar disorder. The aim of this study was to examine the association between neonatal markers of selected prenatal infections and risk for bipolar disorder.Using population-based Danish registers, we examined 127 individuals with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, and 127 sex and day-of-birth individually matched controls. Based on neonatal dried blood spots, we measured antibodies to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and 2 (HSV-2), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Toxoplasma gondii. Relative risks were calculated for the matched pairs when examined for optical density units for antibodies to each of the infectious agents.There was no association between any of the neonatal markers of prenatal infection and risk of bipolar disorder.In contrast with studies of schizophrenia, our analysis does not support maternal infection with HSV-1, HSV-2, CMV, or Toxoplasma gondii as risk factors for bipolar disorder. However, larger study samples are needed, and data on, for example, specific serotypes of Toxoplasma and indicators of the timing of maternal infection are still warranted.

BackgroundMany proteins that are dysregulated or mutated in cancer cells rely on the molecular chaperone HSP90 for their proper folding and activity, which has led to considerable interest in HSP90 as a cancer drug target. The diverse array of HSP90 client proteins encompasses oncogenic drivers, cell cycle components, and a variety of regulatory factors, so inhibition of HSP90 perturbs multiple cellular processes, including mitogenic signaling and cell cycle control. Although many reports have investigated HSP90 inhibition in the context of the cell cycle, no large-scale studies have examined potential correlations between cell genotype and the cell cycle phenotypes of HSP90 inhibition.Methodology/principal findingsTo address this question, we developed a novel high-content, high-throughput cell cycle assay and profiled the effects of two distinct small molecule HSP90 inhibitors (XL888 and 17-AAG [17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin]) in a large, genetically diverse panel of cancer cell lines. The cell cycle phenotypes of both inhibitors were strikingly similar and fell into three classes: accumulation in M-phase, G2-phase, or G1-phase. Accumulation in M-phase was the most prominent phenotype and notably, was also correlated with TP53 mutant status. We additionally observed unexpected complexity in the response of the cell cycle-associated client PLK1 to HSP90 inhibition, and we suggest that inhibitor-induced PLK1 depletion may contribute to the striking metaphase arrest phenotype seen in many of the M-arrested cell lines.Conclusions/significanceOur analysis of the cell cycle phenotypes induced by HSP90 inhibition in 25 cancer cell lines revealed that the phenotypic response was highly dependent on cellular genotype as well as on the concentration of HSP90 inhibitor and the time of treatment. M-phase arrest correlated with the presence of TP53 mutations, while G2 or G1 arrest was more commonly seen in cells bearing wt TP53. We draw upon previous literature to suggest an integrated model that accounts for these varying observations.

The US Army Research Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM), Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) have teamed with all Department of Defense (DoD) services and organizations with interest in programs and investments in Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS) technology and systems. These organizations include: Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) to include: Joint Staff (JS); Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ALT); Director of Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E), Advanced Systems and Concepts (AS&C), Joint Forces Command (JFCOM), US Air Force Air Mobility Command (USAF AMC), USAF Air Mobility Warfare Center (AMWC), the US Army Product Manager Force Sustainment Systems (PM-FSS), US Marine Corps (USMC), US Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and many other government agencies and contractors to plan and execute JPADS programs. This paper will provide an overview of some of the DoD JPADS programs to include: Results of the JPADS Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD), recent Joint Military Utility Assessment (JMUA) # 2, The US Army Formal Program of Record (PoR) for the JPADS Extra Light (700-2200lb capability), Rapid Combat Fielding (RCFs) Initiatives for JPADS 2,200lb systems and early results and lessons learned from Combat Operations, the recently started Wireless Gate Release System (WGRS), and related precision airdrop activities within NATO.

This paper covers the first developments of the SCREAMER from its beginning when we dropped 250 lbs under a 14 square foot ram-air canopy, this (manned!) flight, with a wing loading of 16 lbs per sq. ft. of canopy proved the concept. A contract was then obtained in early 2001 from Natick Soldier Center (NSC) to develop and demonstrate the concept with 500 lbs. A demonstration drop with 750 lbs was accomplished in December 2001 at Yuma Proving Grounds, AZ. A follow-on contract received from NSC to further develop the SCREAMER system to a payload weight of 2,000 lbs. included utilizing radio control for the small ram-air canopy. This paper describes the four years of subsequent development of the SCREAMER system being commanded by a “control box” utilizing GPS for navigation and round recovery parachutes for the final descent to a target area. Throughout this development, design refinements and unique solutions needed to be found to solve the problems of dropping from larger aircraft with air speed in access of 130 knots and altitudes up to 25,000 feet MLS.

The US Army Natick Soldier Center (NSC) is teamed with the Joint Forces Command (JFCOM), US Air Force Air Mobility Command (USAF AMC), the US Army Project Manager Force Sustainment Systems (PM-FSS), and under the oversight of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Advanced Systems and Concepts (AS&C) office, along with numerous other government agencies and contractors to plan and execute the Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS) Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD). The purpose of the JPADS ACTD is to meet the Combatant Commanders (COCOM) requirement of sustaining combat power using high altitude, precision airdrop as a direct and theater delivery method, into a dynamic, dispersed, and unsecured battle space. This must be done with speed and flexibility to provide a capability previously unavailable to the COCOM, and to enable decisive operational superiority. This paper will provide an overview of the JPADS program goals and the status of the effort with flight test results to date. It will also highlight the research, technology and integration challenges associated with precision airdrop systems, and how the JPADS team is overcoming these challenges. This paper will also provide an overview of precision airdrop activities within a recently-established NATO Joint Precision Airdrop Capabilities Working Group (JPACWG).

The US Army Natick Soldier Center (NSC) is teamed with the Joint Forces Command (JFCOM), US Air Force Air Mobility Command (USAF AMC), the US Army Project Manager Force Sustainment and Support (PM-FSS), and under the oversight of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Advance Systems and Concepts (AS&C) office, along with numerous other government agencies and contractors to plan and execute the Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS) Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD). The JPADS ACTD is integrating a USAF developed laptop-computer-based precision airdrop planning system known as the Joint Precision Airdrop System Mission Planner (JPADS-MP) with the USA Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS) in the “light” category of weight (2201-10000lbs rigged weights). The integrated system objectives include the ability to airdrop JPADS systems of up to 10,000 lbs rigged weight, from altitudes of up to 25,000 ft mean sea level (MSL), with up to 30kms of offset (in a zero wind condition), and land precisely within 100 meters circular error probable (CEP) of a preplanned ground impact point. An additional key metric is to have the final system work with the Enhanced Container Delivery System (ECDS) under a gravity drop (ECDS is not extracted), the type V platform, or a 463L pallet (when the payload can be item suspended) and for the entire decelerator/platform system to cost under $60K (in FY04 $s and in quantities of 100). This paper will provide an overview of the JPADS program goals, status of the effort with some flight test results to date. The paper will also introduce the reader to the JPADS Concept of Operation (CONOPS), highlight the research, technology and integration challenges associated with precision airdrop systems, and how the JPADS team is overcoming these challenges.

The US Army Natick Soldier Center (NSC) is currently engaged in the development of a family of modified high altitude low opening (HALO) autonomously guided precision cargo aerial delivery systems. In alliance with the US Joint Forces Command and the US Air Force Air Mobility Command, DUSD-AS&C, the NSC including PM-FSS and Strong Enterprises, has engaged in the design and development of an autonomously guided 2000 lbs. and 10,000 lbs capable high glide delivery system, which has been successfully demonstrated in weight ranges 500 lbs. through 10,000 lbs. GRW. This platform known as SCREAMER is currently being tested at system design weight of 10,000 lbs GRW from military C-130/C-17 aircraft at the US Army Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona.

Long-term, declining fertility is a reported trend in high-production dairy herds. Nutrition management is identified as a key area where improvement is required. Most published literature relating to nutrition management of dairy cow fertility examines energy and protein status and peri-parturient calcium (Ca) homeostasis availability. This paper examines the current understanding of Ca homeostasis relevant to improving performance in the high-production dairy herd. In particular, this article reviews Ca and vitamin D nutrition during lactation, for achieving health and productivity improvements in subsequent lactations, with specific reference to pasture-based dairy herds. Vitamin D metabolites are essential for increasing the proportion of absorbed Ca when dietary Ca concentration is low or when the requirement for Ca is high. Vitamin D metabolites stimulate the synthesis of the proteins that control active intestinal Ca absorption. This has particular relevance to cows that may not be able to replenish Ca reserves before parturition, which may be a common occurrence in current pasture-based dairy systems. It is possible that due to reductions in Ca reserves, the effectiveness of the cow to liberate sufficient Ca into plasma at parturition will be compromised as she faces subsequent lactations. This has significant implications for the ability of the cow to progress through transition in a healthy state, maintain an optimum energy balance during early lactation and subsequently conceive. Suboptimal nutritional management of Ca status through successive lactations may be shortening the productive life of the high-producing dairy cow.

The case of a 34-year-old man is reported, in whom a ligament was found at arthrotomy connecting the anterior horn of the medial meniscus of the knee joint to the medial aspect of the lateral femoral condyle. It appeared to be an example of a rare accessory meniscal ligament, previous reports of which are reviewed. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Phosphorus (P) is recommended as a supplement for beef cattle grazing rangelands and for dairy cows grazing pastures. However, existing supplementation mechanisms are wasteful, labour intensive, and are becoming increasingly expensive. Cattle have an inability to absorb or retain >70% of the P they consume. Therefore, the need for supplementation could be reduced if the utilisation of dietary P was increased. Vitamin D and its metabolites are involved in the absorption and metabolism of calcium (Ca) and P. However, the use of vitamin D for improving utilisation of P is novel. This review presents information gathered from various studies that demonstrate the potential for vitamin D metabolites to increase P utilisation. The concentration of dietary Ca is demonstrated to be the controlling element for utilisation of endogenous sources of vitamin D. Therefore, the use of exogenous sources of vitamin D in greater than normal concentration is required to overcome the suppression of active absorption mechanisms by normal calcaemia. Use of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in sufficient doses has been shown to increase active absorption of both Ca and P and therefore potentially provide a method of increasing utilisation of existing sources of P or increase the utilisation of P supplements for cattle.

We report here (i) a method for the synthesis of highly monodisperse silica@gold@silica core–shell–shell (CSS) particles (

Introduction: XL184 (BMS-907351) produces balanced pharmacodynamic inhibition of MET, VEGFR2, and RET, as well as robust antiangiogenic and anti-tumor effects with oral dosing in preclinical models. Based on the encouraging preclinical activity, XL184 is being studied in multiple Phase 1 to 3 clinical studies of various tumor types. Methods: Biomarker studies from a Phase 1 trial (XL184-001, n=85) of XL184 in solid tumors enriched for a medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) population and from a Phase 2 trial (XL184-201, n=46) in recurrent or progressive glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) are reported here. Plasma samples were analyzed for pharmacodynamic, on-target effects of XL184 and biomarkers known to change in response to anti-angiogenic treatment. Surrogate tissue sections of skin or hair were analyzed for biomarkers of ontarget activity of XL184 using immunofluorescence. Genomic DNA isolated from archival tumor and/or fresh blood samples was analyzed for alterations in genes relevant to either GBM or MTC and/or the target profile of XL184, such as RET, MET, KIT, PTEN, and MGMT. Plasma and genotypic biomarkers were investigated for potential correlation with clinical benefit (durable stable disease or partial response). Results: Plasma biomarker data from patients (pts) in both groups receiving 175 mg oral XL184 once daily demonstrated statistically significant changes from baseline in sVEGFR2, PlGF, VEGF-A, EPO, and sKIT levels (XL184-001 n=28; XL184-201 n=22; all p Conclusion: Biomarker analyses in plasma and surrogate tissues confirm pharmacodynamic activity of XL184. Changes in plasma HGF may be a predictive biomarker of clinical benefit and will be further evaluated. The clinical benefit rates produced in GBM and MTC coupled with clear evidence of XL184 on-target activity, independent of tumor genotypes, suggests that the clinical benefits produced by this compound may be a result of its multitargeted profile which includes inhibition of MET, VEGFR2 and RET activity. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):B269.

WOULD you or any of your readers kindly tell me where I may find an account of any of the latest methods of determining the back E. M. F. of the arc-light?

Understanding historical changes in gross primary productivity (GPP) is essential for better predicting the future global carbon cycle. However, the historical trends of terrestrial GPP, due to the CO2 fertilization effect, climate, and land-use change, remain largely uncertain. Using long-term satellite-based near-infrared radiance of vegetation (NIRv), a proxy for GPP, and multiple GPP datasets derived from satellite-based products, dynamic global vegetation model (DGVM) simulations, and an upscaled product from eddy covariance (EC) measurements, here we comprehensively investigated their trends and analyzed the causes for any discrepancies during 1982–2015. Although spatial patterns of climatological annual GPP from all products and NIRv are highly correlated (r>0.84), the spatial correlation coefficients of trends between DGVM GPP and NIRv significantly decreased (with the ensemble mean of r=0.49) and even the spatial correlation coefficients of trends between other GPP products and NIRv became negative. By separating the global land into the tropics plus extratropical Southern Hemisphere (Trop+SH) and extratropical Northern Hemisphere (NH), we found that, during 1982–2015, simulated GPP from most of the models showed a stronger increasing trend over Trop+SH than NH. In contrast, the satellite-based GPP products indicated a substantial increase over NH. Mechanistically, model sensitivity experiments indicated that the increase of annual global total GPP was dominated by the CO2 fertilization effect (83.9 % contribution), however, with the largest uncertainty in magnitude in individual simulations among the three drivers of CO2 fertilization, climate, and land-use change. Interestingly, the spatial distribution of inter-model spreads of GPP trends resulted mainly from climate and land-use change rather than CO2 fertilization effect. After 2000, trends from satellite-based GPP products were different from the full time series, suggesting weakened rising trends over NH and even significantly decreasing trends over Trop+SH, while the trends from DGVMs and NIRv kept increasing. The inconsistencies of GPP trends are very likely caused by the contrasting performance between satellite-derived and DGVM simulated vegetation structure parameter (leaf area index, LAI). Therefore, the uncertainty in satellite-based GPP products induced by highly uncertain LAI data in the tropics undermines their roles in assessing the performance of DGVM simulations and understanding the changes of global carbon sinks. The higher consistency between DGVM GPP and NIRv suggests that the trends from a DGVM ensemble might even have better performance than satellite-based GPP products.