Plasma outflow from a corrugated trap in the kinetic regime

The problem of stationary plasma outflow from an open corrugated trap in the kinetic regime is considered with allowance for pair collisions in the framework of a kinetic equation with the Landau collision integral. The distribution function is studied in the limit of small-scale corrugation and a large mirror ratio. In considering a single corrugation cell, a correction for the distribution function is calculated analytically. An equation describing variations of the distribution function along the system is derived and used to study the problem of plasma outflow into vacuum.     

Escaping the trap of allergic rhinitis

Rhinitis is often the first symptom of allergy but is frequently ignored and classified as a nuisance condition. Ironically it has the greatest socioeconomic burden worldwide caused by its impact on work and on daily life.However, patients appear reticent to seek professional advice, visiting their doctor only when symptoms become ‘intolerable’ and often when their usual therapy proves ineffective.Clearly, it’s time for new and more effective allergic rhinitis treatments.MP29-02 (Dymista®; Meda, Solna, Sweden) is a new class of medication for moderate to severe seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis if monotherapy with either intranasal antihistamine or intranasal corticosteroids is not considered sufficient.MP29-02 is a novel formulation of azelastine hydrochloride (AZE) and fluticasone propionate (FP). It benefits not only from the incorporation of two active agents, but also from a novel formulation; its lower viscosity, smaller droplet size, larger volume (137 μl) and wider spray angle ensure optimal coverage of, and retention on the nasal mucosa and contribute to its clinical efficacy.In clinical trials, patients treated with MP29-02 experienced twice the symptom relief as those treated with FP and AZE, who in turn exhibited significantly greater symptom relief than placebo-patients. Indeed, the advantage of MP29-02 over FP was approximately the same as that shown for FP over placebo. The advantage of MP29-02 was particularly evident in those patients for whom nasal congestion is predominant, with MP29-02 providing three times the nasal congestion relief of FP (p = 0.0018) and five times the relief of AZE (p = 0.0001). Moreover, patients treated with MP29-02 achieved each and every response up to a week faster than those treated with FP or AZE alone and in real life 1 in 2 patients reported the perception of well-controlled disease after only 3 days. MP29-02’s superiority over FP was also apparent long-term in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis or non-allergic rhinitis, with statistical significance noted from the first day of treatment, with treatment difference maintained for a full year.Taken together, these data suggest that MP29-02 may improve the lives of many of our patients, enabling them to finally escape the allergic rhinitis trap.     

Comparison of the Paul ion trap to the linear ion trap for use in global proteomics

A critical evaluation of the performance of a 2-D linear ion trap (IT) instrument to two 3-D quadrupole IT instruments with emphasis on identification of rat serum proteins by bottom-up LC-MS/MS is presented. The speed and sensitivity of each of the instruments were investigated, and the effects that each of these have on the bottom-up proteomics identification approach are discussed.     

Human mouse trap

A new biometric that tracks the unique movements created when a user signs their name using a regular computer mouse could be an excellent and cheap addition to improve computer security. Although at an early stage of development, the technology has already received significant interest and with further work could be a commercially viable product.     

LCA Software tool for corrugated board

FEFCO, Groupement Ondulé and Kraft Institute have integrated the data from their recently published updated “European Database for Corrugated Board Life Cycle Studies” into a software tool that has been developed especially for the corrugated board industry. The tool links input and output data reported in the Database to average European data for upstream and downstream processes from BUWAL 250 [3]. The tool is intended to support environmental management of companies since it provides a possibility to find opportunities for improvements and to take environment into consideration when designing corrugated board boxes. The entire system of corrugated packaging is the basis for the calculations. It is assumed that the fibres that are used for the production of the corrugated base papers are produced and recycled only within this system. This simplified so-called closedloop approach, which is described in detail in the Database report, avoids the problem of allocating impacts caused by primary fibre production and the final treatment of corrugated packaging that is not recycled between primary and recovered fibre based paper grades. This means that with the software tool it is not possible to make comparisons between the production of primary fibre and recovered fibre based materials as such. The tool enables the user to vary parameters such as transport, box design, logistics and waste management according to his personal circumstances. In this way he can use the tool to introduce parameters for possible alternatives he wants to investigate. The LCA results of these alternative cases can then be compared and analysed at inventory, characterisation, normalisation and weighing level. The user cannot change the basic data nor the methodology.     

Proteins: caught in the trap

Two independent groups have recently devised innovative methods using light to trap and manipulate particles as small as proteins.     

The composite insect trap: an innovative combination trap for biologically diverse sampling

Documentation of insect diversity is an important component of the study of biodiversity, community dynamics, and global change. Accurate identification of insects usually requires catching individuals for close inspection. However, because insects are so diverse, most trapping methods are specifically tailored to a particular taxonomic group. For scientists interested in the broadest possible spectrum of insect taxa, whether for long term monitoring of an ecosystem or for a species inventory, the use of several different trapping methods is usually necessary. We describe a novel composite method for capturing a diverse spectrum of insect taxa. The Composite Insect Trap incorporates elements from four different existing trapping methods: the cone trap, malaise trap, pan trap, and flight intercept trap. It is affordable, resistant, easy to assemble and disassemble, and collects a wide variety of insect taxa. Here we describe the design, construction, and effectiveness of the Composite Insect Trap tested during a study of insect diversity. The trap catches a broad array of insects and can eliminate the need to use multiple trap types in biodiversity studies. We propose that the Composite Insect Trap is a useful addition to the trapping methods currently available to ecologists and will be extremely effective for monitoring community level dynamics, biodiversity assessment, and conservation and restoration work. In addition, the Composite Insect Trap will be of use to other insect specialists, such as taxonomists, that are interested in describing the insect taxa in a given area.     

Regulation of lymphocyte trapping: the negative trap.

Suppression of 51Cr-labeled lymphocyte homing to the spleen occurs after administration of insoluble protein antigen and as a late sequela to the graft-vs-host response (GVHr). This decrease in splenic localization of labeled cells, termed "negative trapping," has elements of immunologic specificity in that tolerance induction or presensitization abrogates the negative trap. Increasing the dose of antigen accelerates the appearance of the negative trap, which is, however, evanescent, lasting from 24 to 48 hr. Synergistic and antergistic regulation of the GVHr-induced lymphocyte trap is produced by populations of 850 R-irradiated thymocytes and by F1 cortisone-resistant thymocytes. The time at which these subpopulations cause suppression or amplification of the lymphocyte trap correlates with the activity of the GVHr-producing inoculum. These findings suggest that regulation of lymphocyte traffic may provide a mechanism for control of immune responses in vivo.     

Energetics and forces of the Dionaea muscipula trap closing

The Venus flytrap is the most famous carnivorous plant. The electrical stimulus between a midrib and a lobe closes the Venus flytrap upper leaf in 0.3 s without mechanical stimulation of trigger hairs. Here we present results for direct measurements of the closing force of the trap of Dionaea muscipula Ellis after mechanical or electrical stimulation of the trap using the piezoelectric thin film or Fuji Prescale indicating sensor film. The closing force was 0.14 N and the corresponding pressure between rims of two lobes was 38 kPa. We evaluated theoretically using the Hydroelastic Curvature Model and compared with experimental data velocity, acceleration and kinetic energy from the time dependencies of distance between rims of lobes during the trap closing. The Charge Stimulation Method was used for trap electrostimulation between the midrib and lobes. From the dependence of voltage between two Ag/AgCl electrodes in the midrib and one of the lobes, we estimated electrical charge, current, resistance, electrical energy and electrical power dependencies on time during electrostimulation of the trap.     

Poverty trap formed by the ecology of infectious diseases

While most of the world has enjoyed exponential economic growth, more than one-sixth of the world is today roughly as poor as their ancestors were many generations ago. Widely accepted general explanations for the persistence of such poverty have been elusive and are needed by the international development community. Building on a well-established model of human infectious diseases, we show how formally integrating simple economic and disease ecology models can naturally give rise to poverty traps, where initial economic and epidemiological conditions determine the long-term trajectory of the health and economic development of a society. This poverty trap may therefore be broken by improving health conditions of the population. More generally, we demonstrate that simple human ecological models can help explain broad patterns of modern economic organization.     

Water extrustion in the trap bladders ofUtricularia vulgaris

In the trap bladder ofUtricularia vulgaris, increase in sucrose concentrations in bladder lumen fluid decreased resetting rate. Addition of 350 mM sucrose to lumen fluid stopped the resetting. Therefore, water seems to move down the water potential gradient between the lumen and the arm cells of bifid trichomes, which are the site of inlet in the water pathway. Application of dinitrophenol, sodium azide, KCN, monoiodoacetic acid or pentachlorophenol in lumen fluid much reduced the water outflow. Temperature coefficient of bladder resettings was about 2. No effect of darkness on resetting rate was found. These facts show that the resetting requires energy supplied from respiration and there exists an active ion transport mechanism somewhere in the water pathway. No effect on the resetting was seen upon immersing the bladder in 700 mM surcose solution. In the capital cells of the pavement epithelium in its outer and middle zones, which are the site of outlet in water pathway, membrance potential and resistance were lower than those in other cells. These facts indicate that bulk flow of the cell sap from the capital cells to the outside takes place by intracellular hydrostatic pressure.     

Water extrusion in the trap bladders ofUtricularia vulgaris

In the trap bladder ofUtricularia vulgaris, a sudden expansion (convex bladder) by opening of the entrance door upon stimulus was followed by slow decreases in bladder width and internal hydrostatic pressure. The decreases were caused by continuous water outflow from bladder lumen. The bladder reached initial resetting state (concave bladder) in about 30 min. The internal pressure reduced to 0.86 bar. This reduction was inhibited by application of sodium azide in the bladder lumen. The total water outflow for 30 min from a bladder, measured using a glass capillary inserted in the bladder, was 630 nl: the rate was 21 nl/min. This rate was also inhibited by sodium azide. In bladder resetting under paraffin oil, it was observed that water emerges from near the free edge of the trap door. From light and electron microscopic observations of the entrance region, it is concluded that the inlet of water outflow is the bifid trichomes which stand on the inner surface of the bladder near the entrance, and the outlet is the outer and middle zones of the pavement epithelium, or threshold, against which the free edge of the door rests.