Deep Inside Research Articles

Abstract 283: The Coupling of Tumor Endothelial Marker-8 and Capillary Morphogenesis Gene-2 Receptors to Contractile-Related Signaling Pathway in Cardiac Myocytes

Recent molecular and pharmacological studies performed on non-cardiac tissues suggest that tumor endothelial marker-8 (TEM-8), also known as anthrax toxin receptor 1 (ANTXR1) and capillary morphogenesis gene-2 (CMG-2), known as anthrax toxin receptor 2 (ANTXR2) regulate survival, proliferation, cell shape, as well as polarity, adhesion, migration and differentiation. However, downstream signaling mechanisms and function of these molecules have not been studied. Recent studies indicate that activation of protein kinase B (Akt) and c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) have been associated with hypertrophic growth, as well as regulation of contractility in cardiac myocytes (CM). In this study we’ve investigated the role of ANTXR1 and ANTXR2 receptors in intracellular pathways of contractility regulation in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVM). Primary culture of NRVM was used to determine the effects of ANTXR1/ANTXR2 activation on Akt and JNK phosphorylation by Western blot analysis. Flow cytometry and immunostaining of alive CM were used to determine expression levels and distribution of anthrax receptors throughout the cells. Furin-activated form of anthrax protective antigen (PA 63 ) was used in order to selectively stimulate ANTXR1/ANTXR2 receptors and get understanding of downstream signaling mechanisms coupled to them. The treatments with angiotensin II, type1 receptor (AT 1 ) inhibitors were used in order to separate responses of distinct regulatory pathways of contractility. All treatments were done at variable time courses started in seconds and finished in half of hour to determine a sequence of phosphorylation reactions going from cellular membrane to deep inside of cell. As a result, abundant expression of both receptors was observed in cardiac myocytes. Activation of one phospho-site of focal adhesion kinase (FAK 861 ) was started in 15 sec with subsequent phosphorylation of JNK and Akt 473 in 5 and 10 minutes. Involvement of new molecules was observed in cascade chain reaction of contractility regulation. In conclusion, ANTXR1/ANTXR2 were demonstrated to couple to mechano-sensor molecules: FAK, Akt and JNK, as well as interact with the AT 1 receptors to mediate downstream signaling events responsible for regulation of contractility.

Molecular-Switch-Mediated Multiphoton Fluorescence Microscopy with High-Order Nonlinearity

Two-photon excited fluorescence microscopy is now an indispensable imaging tool for studying biological samples because of its intrinsic optical sectioning. However, both of its contrast and penetration depth are still limited when imaging deep inside of scattering samples. Herein, we propose a general spectroscopy concept to enhance the image contrast and the fundamental depth limit of two-photon imaging. We show that the population transfer kinetics of the photoinduced molecular switches could generate additional high-order nonlinearity between the signal and the laser intensity. Due to the long-lived nature of these switchable states, the incident photons can operate in a sequential manner, and the nonlinearity effect could accumulate (up to sixth order) as the population is being cycled through these states. Conceptually different from conventional multiphoton processes mediated by transient virtual states, our strategy constitutes a new class of fluorescence microscopy with high-order nonlinearity that is mediated by population transfer.

Looking deep inside: detection of low-abundance proteins in leaf extracts of Arabidopsis and phloem exudates of pumpkin.

The field of proteomics suffers from the immense complexity of even small proteomes and the enormous dynamic range of protein concentrations within a given sample. Most protein samples contain a few major proteins, which hamper in-depth proteomic analysis. In the human field, combinatorial hexapeptide ligand libraries (CPLL; such as ProteoMiner) have been used for reduction of the dynamic range of protein concentrations; however, this technique is not established in plant research. In this work, we present the application of CPLL to Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaf proteins. One- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showed a decrease in high-abundance proteins and an enrichment of less abundant proteins in CPLL-treated samples. After optimization of the CPLL protocol, mass spectrometric analyses of leaf extracts led to the identification of 1,192 proteins in control samples and an additional 512 proteins after the application of CPLL. Upon leaf infection with virulent Pseudomonas syringae DC3000, CPLL beads were also used for investigating the bacterial infectome. In total, 312 bacterial proteins could be identified in infected Arabidopsis leaves. Furthermore, phloem exudates of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) were analyzed. CPLL prefractionation caused depletion of the major phloem proteins 1 and 2 and improved phloem proteomics, because 67 of 320 identified proteins were detectable only after CPLL treatment. In sum, our results demonstrate that CPLL beads are a time- and cost-effective tool for reducing major proteins, which often interfere with downstream analyses. The concomitant enrichment of less abundant proteins may facilitate a deeper insight into the plant proteome.

이중자아 이미지를 표현한 무대의상 디자인 개발 - 페르난도 아라발의 부조리극 '장엄한 예식' 무대의상을 중심으로 -

With entering the 21st century, modern people's dark inside and panic are emerging as the talking point on the theater stage. Even in the field of stage costume, the necessity of a research is being demanded through analyzing on psychological anguish and structure of characters. Accordingly, this study aims to allow the stage costume design to be expressed a human being's Doppelg<TEX>$\ddot{a}$</TEX>nger Image, which was elicited through analyzing a work of the play titled Le Grand C<TEX>$\acute{e}$</TEX>r<TEX>$\acute{e}$</TEX>monial by a playwriter Fernando Arrabal, who draws the conflictory and contradictory duplicity, which positions in a human being's deep inside by having chaos as catalyst. A research subject is 'Le Grand C<TEX>$\acute{e}$</TEX>r<TEX>$\acute{e}$</TEX>monial,' which was staged as the winter performance in commemoration of the 50th anniversary for the foundation of Dept. of Theater, Chung-Ang Univ. in November 2009. Psychology of characters in a play, which varies dimensionally, could be delivered, as nonverbal element called costume, by applying costume design of Cavanoza, Syl, Nice to Doppelg<TEX>$\ddot{a}$</TEX>nger Image such as Innocence vs Cruelty, Purity vs Superficiality and Restraint vs Freedom, which were elicited through analyzing characters. Through this study, the costume, which was expressed by visualizing a human being's Doppelg<TEX>$\ddot{a}$</TEX>nger Image, could be known to function as important dramatic factor of allowing character's psychology to be understood through costume as well as functioning as visual and sensible language, which is important for communication with the audience. A research on costume design, which reflects a character's complex inside, is expected to be likely continued through in-depth analysis on a playwriter's intention and on the appearing characters at the current point of time when an active research is being performed on stage costume in the wake of this study.

Axisymmetric and stationary structures of magnetized barotropic stars with extremely strong magnetic fields deep inside

We have succeeded in obtaining magnetized star models that have extremely strong magnetic fields in the interior of the star. In our formulation, arbitrary functions of the magnetic flux function appear in the expression for the current density. By appropriately choosing the functional form for one of the arbitrary functions that corresponds to the distribution of the toroidal current density, we have obtained configurations with magnetic field distributions that are highly localized within the central part and near the magnetic axis region. The absolute values of the central magnetic fields are stronger than those of the surface region by two orders of magnitude. By applying our results to magnetars, the internal magnetic poloidal fields could be 10^17 G, although the surface magnetic fields are about 10^15 G in the case of magnetars. For white dwarfs, the internal magnetic poloidal fields could be 10^12 G, when the surface magnetic fields are 10^9-10^10 G .

Organic geochemistry of Amynteo lignite deposit, northern Greece: a Multi-analytical approach

Several lignite samples were collected from boreholes of the Amynteo opencast lignite mine, northern Greece. Organic geochemical characteristics were investigated with the help of various analytical techniques, comprising Gas Chromatography (GC) and Gas-chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, petrographical measurements as well as determination of bulk parameters. In the low rank (Rr = 0.21%) Amynteo lignites, huminite is the most abundant maceral group, inertinite has relatively low percentages and liptinite concentrations are rather high. Carbon Preference Index (CPI) reveals the predominance of odd-numbered, long-chained aliphatic hydro-carbons, which is related to a higher terrestrial plant input. The Pr/Ph ratio suggests that reducing conditions were persistent during peatification. Gymnosperm biomarkers such as isoprimarane, abietane, phyllocladane and sandaracopimarane, as well as angiosperm indicators (lupane) and hopanoid compounds with bacterial origin were identified. Analyses of the aromatic fractions revealed the presence of naphthalene, alkyl benzenes and phenols, pyrene, cadalene, cadinane, fluoranthene and dibenzofurane. Based on the FTIR analysis, aliphatic and oxygen containing structures were prevailed over the aromatic moieties. The intensity of the mineral bands was preferentially increased in the FTIR spectra of insoluble material. According to NMR analysis, the aliphatic carbons (0–50 ppm) have higher proportions comparing to aromatic carbons (100–160 ppm). The aromaticity fraction is low (fa = 0.32), as expected for these low rank coals. The presence of free organic radicals and Fe3+ and Mn2+ paramagnetic ions was revealed by EPR. In summary, the combined application of complementary analytical techniques allowed a deep inside into the geochemical characteristics of Amynteo lignites.

Ghosts in London

Ghosts in London Anne Derrig (bio) Green Girl. Kate Zambreno. Emergency Press. http://emergencypress.org. 251 pages; paper, $16.00. Kate Zambreno's Green Girl is a roar of a novel. It is rambunctious in its language and determinedly off-kilter in its worldview. It challenges notions of limitations, particularly those of the bodily sort: "Today she doesn't want to live in her skin," it's said of the green girl at the center of the work. "She neededwantedneeded to peel it off, peel it off." What is a green girl? She is best illustrated with a single body: in this instance, Ruth, an American transplanted to London. As the novel grimly tells us, "Wisdom is not something that the green girl possesses in abundance." Ruth muses from behind a makeup counter where she's employed (winkingly, the store's nicknamed "Horrids"). She contemplates life, love, and loss while her best friend, Agnes, virulently babbles away. She engages in incompetent sex—as a matter of fact, all of her relations are incompetent—and is very bored indeed. "The green girl likes to watch herself suffer." She is, at the same time, "a pale ghost." The reader is left watching a ghostly figure traipsing around the city, filling time with glumness and manicures. She rattles her chains in the form of jewelry. Naturally, this ghost is enamored with a ghost: a nameless HE/HIM haunts the pages, a specter from Chicago that has, in spirit at least, trailed Ruth across the ocean. Moments in the work are palatial. Events are pushed to their extremes. When Ruth ponders having a makeup consultation done, the effect is dizzying. Of the makeup artists, she thinks, "They flatter you. They are your friend.... They worship you.... You sit greedy for attention, gobbling it up. You are meek, suppliant.... You offer your face up to his gaze." By the time her train of thought grinds to a halt, the makeover is more religious ritual than color-matching. Each moment is doled out its share of importance—perhaps more than its fair share. The work luxuriates in its own misery. Each moment is a new flash of pain. We watch as Ruth stands in front of a mirror and chomps off her hair in clumps: "Is it masochistic? An act of self-flagellation.... Cut, cut, cut. I am a monument to pain." She then sobs hysterically and lies down in a posture of crucifixion. To be a reader in these moments is challenging: the novel violently disputes the notion that some moments in life are calm. Quiet. Unfrenzied. Some moments are simply breathing moments—but these oxygenated moments don't exist for the green girl, leaving the impression of an exceedingly tortured mind. Her greenness, representative of limited experience, renders her a mentally claustrophobic worldview. Far along into the work, Ruth meets a young man who is, by all accounts, exceedingly decent. A would-be preacher, he preaches. "I see a deep pain inside of you the boy with the enflamed face is now saying." One can't help but think: exactly how long did it take you to figure that out? Scattered throughout are quotes pulled from here (Roland Barthes) and there (Breakfast at Tiffany's [1961]). The quotes echo the themes of the text—misery, a feeling of ineptness—and one wonders why these quotes are required to bolster already thundering tropes of the work. The author does interesting work with creating a character out of London. Tapping into the personification of London's foggy breath—think Charles Dickens, think Monica Ali's Brick Lane—Zambreno carries on a tradition of having London act as a magnetic force around which characters pull and swirl. One moment at the opening of the novel consists of Ruth staring up at the face of Horrids "towering like a giant stone wedding cake." Darkly exuberant, Green Girl reads like tinder, producing a quick and violent burn. [End Page 24] Anne Derrig Anne Derrig holds an MA from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is currently teaching at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Copyright © 2012 American Book Review

Materiały i konstrukcja wybranych reliefów Henryka Stażewskiego

The first reliefs appeared in the achievements of Henryk Stażewski around 1956. Artist made these objects in large quantities to the mid seventies. Each new series was built in a slightly different way, sometimes with the use of new materials. The kind of material often decides about character of works of art, as it is in metal reliefs. Similarly, a way to combine elements is very significant, for example can makes an impression of mysterious play of light and shadows, especially exposed in the white reliefs. Analyzing the importance of material and structure in the works of Henryk Stażewski, it can be concluded, that these are equivalent to other means of artistic expression, which reflect artist’s thoughts.The essay presents seven reliefs from the subsequent series, focusing primarily on its technical construction. The main aim was to show how the way of performing this works of art had been changing and prove that this was consequent and fluent process, where each component has its origin in the earlier works.Knowledge about the used materials and structures let the receivers better know the works of Stażewski and get new information, which are often hidden in them. Looking into the relief we can find many surprises. Artist assumed that accurate recipient would observe them from different points, reaching even deep inside of it. This is supported by the fact that the layer of color is also on parts hidden under the geometric elements. Artist often changed his compositions and colors of his works. The remains of his previous actions can sometimes be found under the surface of the paint and sometimes in hollows of relief.

Two-Photon Scanned Light Sheet Microscopy Reveals Spatio-Temporal Organization of Cells and Proteins in Developing Embryos

Light sheet microscopy, with its novel sheet-illumination orthogonal to the detection direction, has been shown in recent years to achieve higher acquisition speed and lower photodamage than conventional techniques for in vivo imaging of cells and organisms. We recently applied 2-photon excitation to light sheet microscopy to increase the penetration depth, allowing long-term imaging of cells deep inside of live embryos. Here we show the application of this novel imaging technology to record the cellular and protein dynamics in developing embryos. The combination of subcellular spatial resolution, high acquisition speed, and high penetration depth allows study of the spatio-temporal organization and control of cells and proteins that are critical in the development of an organism.

Thermal Structure of a Protoplanetary Disk around HD 163296: A Study of Vertical Temperature Distribution by CO Emission Lines

This paper presents observations of a protoplanetary disk around the Herbig Ae star HD 163296 in $^{12}$CO ($J$$=$ 1–0), $^{12}$CO ($J$$=$ 3–2), $^{13}$CO ($J$$=$ 1–0), and $^{13}$CO ($J$$=$ 3–2) emission lines. Double-peaked emission profiles originating from the rotating circumstellar disk were detected in all of the lines. The disk parameters were estimated from model calculations in which the radial distribution of the temperature or surface density inside the disk had a power-law form. The surface density should be sufficiently high so that the disk is optically thick for all of the CO lines, as discussed in previous studies based on interferometric observations. The temperature and outer radius of the disk were also confirmed to be consistent with the previous results. Taking advantage of the difference in the position of the photosphere among the CO lines, we revealed the temperature distribution in the vertical direction. The temperature of the $^{12}$CO ($J$$=$ 3–2) emitting region is about twice higher than that of any other CO emitting region; the former is 58.5$\ \pm\ $9.5 K, while the latter is 31$\ \pm\ $15 K at 100 AU from the central star, suggesting that there are at least two distinct temperature regions. The best-fit temperature for $^{13}$CO ($J$$=$ 1–0) that should trace the deepest region of the disk is even lower, implying that there is also a different temperature region deep inside of the disk. Such a vertical temperature distribution in a disk was identified both in T Tauri and Herbig Ae stars (e.g., DM Tau, AB Aur, and HD 31648), and this should be a common feature in protoplanetary disks.

Telescopes, stars, and cells: adaptive optics microscopy

In the late 1980s, well before the digital revolution reached microscopy, a weekly job in our cell biology lab was to immerse black-and-white 35mm film in a tank of pressurized hydrogen gas. This was a trick borrowed from astronomers. The hydrogensensitized film enabled the long exposures required for imaging faint objects in deep space. Similarly, we used the sensitized film to pick up faint fluorescent signals from deep within cells. Now, some two decades later, cell and developmental biologists are again turning to an imaging technique pioneered by astronomers, known as adaptive optics (AO). Adaptive optics has transformed imaging from ground-based telescopes. The technology continuously corrects wavefront distortions produced from starlight passing through the earth’s turbulent atmosphere. A key component of the imaging system is a deformable mirror operating at rates of 30Hz to over 1kHz that restores refracted wavefronts to plane waves through an array of actuators underlying the mirror. These systems rely on a ShackHartman sensor to precisely measure the wavefront distortions and either a natural or laser-induced guide star to provide a known point source of light. Over the past five years, a group of us (engineers, astronomers, and biologists) at the University of California, Santa Cruz, have made significant progress applying AO technology to microscopy.1, 2 The past two decades have seen dramatic changes in light microscopy. Previously, to obtain high-quality fluorescent images, samples were fixed in formaldehyde or other crosslinking reagents. With the advent of confocal microscopy and a new generation of probes, namely, green fluorescent protein, obtaining live high-resolution time-lapse fluorescent images from living tissues has become routine. This has been a tremendous advance for biologists studying the complexities of living systems at single-molecule resolution. Figure 1. Image aberration in a Drosophila melanogaster embryo. (a) Mitotic spindle at the surface of an embryo versus (b) distorted mitotic spindle 30 m deep inside.

The Berlin Wall after Fifty Years: Introduction

Fifty years ago on 13 August 1961, the East Germans sealed the east-westborder in Berlin, beginning to build what would become known as theBerlin Wall. Located 110 miles/177 kilometers from the border with WestGermany and deep inside of East Germany, West Berlin had remained the“last loophole” for East Germans to escape from the communist GermanDemocratic Republic (GDR) to the western Federal Republic of Germany(FRG, West Germany). West Berlin was an island of capitalism and democracywithin the GDR, and it enticed increasing numbers of dissatisfied EastGermans to flee to the West. This was particularly the case after the borderbetween the GDR and FRG was closed in 1952, leaving Berlin as the onlyplace in Germany where people could move freely between east and west.By the summer of 1961, over 1,000 East Germans were fleeing westwardsevery day, threatening to bring down the GDR. To put a stop to this, EastGermany’s leaders, with backing from their Soviet ally, slammed shut this“escape hatch.”

A facile approach for decorating quantum dots deep inside of anodically grown self-organized TiO2 nanotubes

We demonstrate here a simple but very effective approach to decorate anodically grown TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) uniformly with CdS and PbS quantum dots (QDs) deep inside the NT walls. This approach is based on SILAR (successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction) technique assisted with evacuation of the NTs. The basic idea of evacuation is to remove air pockets trapped inside the NTs so as to clear the passage for the penetration of QD precursors down the bottom of the NTs. (© 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Non stationary Infrared Imaging for Non destructive Characterization

Infrared non-destructive testing (IRNDT) involves mapping the surface temperature over a test object with the intent of detecting surface and subsurface defects. It is a whole field, non-contact and a nondestructive testing method for defect detection. Since most solids conduct heat, IRNDT has potential for wide use in defect detection in a variety of materials such as metals, composites and semiconductors [1]. IRNDT has numerous applications in aeronautical, space, electrical, electronic and mechanical industries. Of the various possibilities for thermal non destructive testing (TNDT) implementation, IRNDT has gained wide acceptance in non-destructive testing and evaluation (NDT & E). Various methods and techniques have further been developed throughout the world to improve and widen the use of IRT for nondestructive characterization. IRNDT can be carried out either in active mode or in passive mode. Passive thermography involves mapping the temperature profile of a sample surface in the absence of any external heat stimulus. This approach may not provide sufficient temperature contrast over the defect and non-defective regions of the test specimen, especially for defects lying deep inside. In order to reveal these deep defects with a high contrast, active thermography is used. This requires an external thermal stimulus to the inspected specimen in order to obtain significant temperature differences, witnessing the presence of subsurface defects. In active approach, external heat stimulus on to the test sample is provided, whose thermal response is observed. As the characteristics of the external thermal stimulation applied onto the specimen are known (i.e. nature of excitation, its time duration and its band width etc), for a possible qualitative and quantitative characterization of sub-surface defects.

Emerging breast cancer epidemic: impact on palliative care

Imagine that you are poor and living in Africa, you develop breast cancer, your country has no oncology service, no prevention, early detection or treatment, and the strongest analgesic is paracetamol. You are lucky just to be found under these circumstances. Th is is the plight of thousands of women and some men in Africa today. And yet to control their pain and symptoms and bring them to peace before the end of life would cost so little. Th e West today sees the breast as a fashion symbol. In my lifetime it has gone from needing to be hidden from all to being fl aunted, pumped up and pumped down according to fashion. A treatise could be written on fashions for breasts in the generations in the developed world. But deep inside, the breast to an African woman is much more than a sexual organ. In Africa it is the life bringing organ that allows a child to survive above 1 year of age. To the woman it makes her attractive to her man. To the man it is sexual and brings the relationship between his wife and his mother into stark reality. But the breast is attached to a woman. A woman with feelings and, in Africa, a need to survive in the world of men. Losing a breast may make her unacceptable to her husband. She may be sent back to her family without her children. And the age for onset of breast cancer is much younger than in the developed world. So, breast cancer in Africa is a huge tragedy. In women it also sometimes occurs during pregnancy, and if the woman is among the 5% who are lucky enough to reach treatment, then they can only have it in the last trimester, when it may be too late (Fig. 1). Uganda In 1993, Uganda was chosen by Hospice Africa as the country in which to place a model hospice, Hospice Africa would reach out to all Africa at a time when only 3 of the 56 countries in Africa had any palliative care. Even today, many in the west still remember the atrocities carried out during the Amin and Obote eras in Uganda’s history. But since 1986, Uganda has developed and grown under the leadership of President Yoweri Museveni. Since 1993, the population has grown from 23 million to 33 million and the prevalence of HIV has been reduced from 30% to 6.7% of the population. HIV has aff ected the incidence and prevalence of cancer. Today, 50% of cancer patients at Hospice Africa Uganda are HIV-positive. Although cancer of the breast is not directly linked with HIV, the rates of all cancers have doubled with the advent of HIV. Although it is diffi cult to get statistics in most African countries for any disease, Uganda has boasted a cancer registry for many years and Hospice Africa Uganda keeps its own statistics. Based in Kampala, the cancer registry is confi ned to one district, Kyandondo, and only records those who reach hospital and have a confi rmed biopsy. Given that 57% of a population never see a health worker and 30% live on less than $2 per day, it is apparent that not only are most cancer cases not recorded but they also never reach any form of health care, so the cancers grow and patients die in severe pain and displaying obvious symptoms witnessed by their grieving families.

Exciton Luminescence Dynamics in ZnO Crystal Observed under One- and Two-Photon Excitation

Free-exciton luminescence dynamics at the surface and deep inside of a ZnO single crystal are investigated by one- and two-photon excitation mothods. The free-exciton lifetime is carefully evaluated at each position by considering the excitonic diffusion effect and the trapping process inside the sample. The obtained temperature dependence of the lifetime indicates that the photon recycling effect dominates the exciton lifetime inside the sample while the K-selection rule determines the lifetime at the surface.

Particle transport measurements in the LHD stochastic magnetic boundary plasma using Mach probes and ion sensitive probe

Spatial profiles of the plasma flow, electron temperature (Te) and ion temperature (Ti) in the stochastic magnetic boundary layer of Large Helical Device (LHD) has been studied by simultaneous measurements using a movable multiple functions probe, which consists of Mach probes and an ion sensitive probe. The tendency of the measured spatial profiles of Te and Ti is similar to the three-dimensional simulation. The results of ion saturation current (Isat) measurement of the upstream and downstream probes indicate that the plasma flow direction is reversed in the stochastic magnetic boundary layer. Isat observations obtained deep inside of the boundary layer contradict the simulation result, even though the existence of flow reversal in the LHD stochastic magnetic boundary layer was qualitatively confirmed.

Accurate calculations of the WIMP halo around the Sun and prospects for its gamma-ray detection

Galactic weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) may scatter off solar nuclei to orbits gravitationally bound to the Sun. Once bound, the WIMPs continue to lose energy by repeated scatters in the Sun, eventually leading to complete entrapment in the solar interior. While the density of the bound population is highest at the center of the Sun, the only observable signature of WIMP annihilations inside the Sun is neutrinos. It has been previously suggested that although the density of WIMPs just outside the Sun is lower than deep inside, gamma rays from WIMP annihilation just outside the surface of the Sun, in the so called WIMP halo around the Sun, may be more easily detected. We here revisit this problem using detailed Monte Carlo simulations and detailed composition and structure information about the Sun to estimate the size of the gamma-ray flux. Compared to earlier simpler estimates, we find that the gamma-ray flux from WIMP annihilations in the solar WIMP halo would be negligible; no current or planned detectors would be able to detect this flux.

Management research about solutions for the eradication of global poverty. A literature review

Normal 0 This article is a review of traditional literature about how business tackles poverty eradication and a later specific discussion of what is left for future research. The result of the review reveals two areas of focus: the traditional approach that looks at poverty as a general problem, and the business perspective that identifies specific causes. The article goes beyond these two approaches to emphasize that although changing the observation angles can help scholars explore other sides of poverty, targeting poverty by one or some of its symptoms can not help break down the mechanism of interacting constraints locking poor victims deep inside. The article argues that research about business for poverty eradication should start from breaking free of established assumptions about poverty such as ‘bottom’ or ‘low buying power’, establishing the construct validity and discussing how to break interacting constraints around poor victims for their escape from the tyranny of poverty.

Person-centered medicine from deep inside: personal reflections of my depression and recovery

I myself have suffered from serious mental illness. This is my story of suffering and recovery. In the year of 2006, I volunteered as a Face of Mental Illness Awareness Week, a Canada wide anti-stigma public service campaign organized—in part—by the Canadian Psychiatric Association [1]. I voluntarily chose to do this public service to fight against the stigma of mental illness. This stigma against illnesses of the mind/brain are the result of both internal stigma (self-stigma), and external stigma (social stigma [2]) and both types of stigma are especially strong in the field of medicine [3].