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Protective immunity against infection with Bacillus anthracis is almost entirely based on a response to the protective antigen (PA), the binding moiety for the two other toxin components....Full Text Available

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Correlates between immunological parameters and protection against Bacillus anthracis infection in animals vaccinated with protective antigen (PA)-based vaccines could provide surrogate markers to evaluate the putative protective efficiency of immunization in humans. In previous studies we demonstrated that neutralizing antibody levels serve as correlates for protection in guinea pigs (S. Reuveny et al., Infect. Immun. 69:2888-2893, 2001; H. Marcus et al., Infect. Immun. 72:3471-3477, 2004). In this study we evaluated similar correlates for protection by active and passive immunization of New Zealand White rabbits. Full immunization and partial immunization were achieved by single and multiple injections of standard and diluted doses of a PA-based vaccine. Passive immunization was carried out by injection of immune sera from rabbits vaccinated with PA-based vaccine prior to challenge with B. anthracis spores. Immunized ...

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Gene arrays containing all currently known open reading frames of Bacillus subtilis were used to examine the general stress response of Bacillus. By proteomics, transcriptional...Full Text Available

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PMID:8677780

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Amino acid transport in membrane vesicles of Bacillus stearothermophilus was studied. A relatively high concentration of sodium ions is needed for uptake of L-alanine (Kt = 1.0 mM) and L-leucine (Kt...Full Text Available

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A rapid, sensitive, inexpensive in situ hybridization technique, using 30-mer 16S rRNA probes, can

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The speA gene in Bacillus subtilis encodes arginine decarboxylase, which catalyzes the conversion of arginine to agmatine. Arginine decarboxylase is an important enzyme...Full Text Available

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The chaperone-encoding groESL and dnaK operons constitute the CIRCE regulon of Bacillus subtilis. Both operons are under negative control of the repressor...Full Text Available

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In the presence of electrochemical energy, several branched-chain neutral and acidic amino acids were found to accumulate in membrane vesicles of Bacillus stearothermophilus. The membrane vesicles contained...Full Text Available

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The reaction of iodine with glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase from Bacillus stearothermophilus was investigated. The active-site thiol group of the cysteine residue homologous with cysteine-149...Full Text Available

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The use of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) endotoxins to control insect vectors of human diseases and agricultural pests is threatened by the possible evolution of resistance in major pest...Full Text Available

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Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis, which is used worldwide to control Aedes aegypti larvae, produces Cry11Aa and other toxins during...Full Text Available

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The alternative sigma factor ς^B of Bacillus subtilis is required for the induction of approximately 100 genes after the imposition of a whole range of stresses and...Full Text Available

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We compared two insecticidal and eight noninsecticidal soil isolates of Bacillus thuringiensis with regard to the solubility of their proteinaceous crystals at alkaline pH values. The...Full Text Available

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BackgroundBacillus thuringiensis is a bacterium known for producing protein crystals with insecticidal properties. These toxins are widely sought after for controlling...Full Text Available

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A new strain of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) was isolated from pooled gut suspensions from an epizootic of lethal enteritis in newborn mice. Negative-contrast electron microscopy showed an abundance...Full Text Available

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Splenectomy or pretreatment of adult hamsters with cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) increased the lethality of the TC-83 vaccine strain of Venezuelan encephalitis virus (VEE), inoculated subcutaneously, from 12% for normal hamsters to 75 and 76% respectively. A...

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This study was conducted to investigate the antibacterial effect of BSAP-254 on Bacillus cereus with the induced stress proteins. The BSAP-254 is an antimicrobial peptide isolated from soybean-fermenting bacteria, Bacillus subtilis SC-8. It had a narrow spectrum of activity against B. cereus group. The growth inhibitory effect of BSAP-254 (50??g/mL) reduced the population of B. cereus from >108 to 104 colony-forming units per milliliter within 30?min. In B. cereus exposed to BSAP-254, 14 intracellular proteins were differentially expressed as determined by 2-DE coupled with MS. Of the differentially expressed proteins identified, the stress protein GroEL, which is heat shock protein, was induced in B. cereus exposed to antibacterial peptide.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The sterile insect release technique can often be improved by removal of females before release. Rearing efficiencies can also be increased if removal of the females occurs at early developmental stages. In order to begin to develop genetic sexing strains for the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), it was necessary to determine the best dosage of radiation for induction of viable sex linked recessive lethal mutations and to see if stocks containing induced sex linked lethals could be maintained in culture. Sex linked recessive lethal mutations can be detected by distorted sex ratios in the progeny of treated adults. However, in the pink bollworm, highly distorted sex ratios are common even in the absence of induced mutations. Therefore, a visible sex linked trait, purple eye, was used as a marker for the untreated X-chromosomes in crosses. Thus, the presence of a recessive sex linked ...

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The heat resistance of spores of Bacillus subtilis formed at 30°C was enhanced by pretreatment at 48°C for 30 min, 60 min into sporulation, for all four strains examined....Full Text Available

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Mutations in the Drosophila gene drop-dead (drd) result in early adult lethality and neurodegeneration, but the molecular identity of the drd...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Mycolic acids are key cell wall components for the survival, pathogenicity, and antibiotic resistance of the human tubercle bacillus. Although it was thought that Mycobacterium tuberculosis...Full Text Available

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The presence of highly heat-resistant spores of Bacillus sporothermodurans in ultrahigh-temperature or sterilized consumer milk has emerged as an important item in the dairy industry....Full Text Available

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An extracellular polysaccharide was purified from culture supernatants of Paenibacillus jamilae CP-7, a gram-positive bacillus that was isolated from compost prepared with olive mill...Full Text Available

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Toxigenic Clostridium sordellii strains are increasingly recognized to cause highly lethal infections in humans that are typified by a toxic shock syndrome (TSS). Two glucosylating toxins, lethal toxin (TcsL) and hemorrhagic toxin (TcsH) are believed to be important in the pathogenesis of TSS. While non-toxigenic strains of C. sordellii demonstrate reduced cytotoxicity in vitro and lower virulence in animal models of infection, there are few data regarding their behavior in humans. Here we report a non-TSS C. sordellii infection in the context of a polymicrobial bacterial cholangitis. The C. sordellii strain associated with this infection did not carry either the TcsL-encoding tcsL gene or the tcsH gene for TcsH. In addition, the strain was neither cytotoxic in vitro nor lethal in a murine...

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Patients with pancreatic cancer normally present with advanced disease that is lethal and notoriously difficult to treat. Survival has not improved dramatically, despite routine use of chemotherapy...Full Text Available

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BackgroundMalignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is a lethal disease of cattle, characterized by vasculitis, necrosis, and accumulation of activated, dysregulated cytotoxic lymphocytes...Full Text Available

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We describe the lethal, recessive accelerated-cell-death11 Arabidopsis mutant (acd11). Cell death in acd11 exhibits characteristics of animal apoptosis...Full Text Available

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The outcome of various osteoprogenitor-cell transplantation protocols was assessed using Col1a1-GFP reporter transgenic mice. The model requires the recipient mice to undergo lethal total body irradiation...Full Text Available

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Glioblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor, is among the most lethal and difficult cancers to treat. Although epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations are frequent in glioblastoma,...Full Text Available

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Radionuclides are distributed nonuniformly in tissue. The present work examined the impact of nonuniformities at the multicellular level on the lethal effects of ²¹⁰Po. A three-dimensional...Full Text Available

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Lethal yellow (A{sup y}) is a mutation at the mouse agouti locus in chromosome 2 that causes a number of dominant pleiotropic effects, including a completely yellow coat color, obesity, an insulin-resistant type II diabetic condition, and an increased propensity to develop a variety of spontaneous and induced tumors. Additionally, homozygosity for A{sup y} results in preimplantation lethality, which terminates development by the blastocyst stage. The A{sup y} mutation is the result of a 170-kb deletion that removes all but the promoter and noncoding first exon of another gene called Raly, which lies in the same transcriptional orientation as agouti and maps 280 kb proximal to the 3{prime} end of the agouti gene. The authors present a model for the structure of the A{sub y} allele that can explain the dominant pleiotropic effects associated with this mutation, as well as the recessive lethality, which is unrelated to the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We report here the imaging findings of a rare case of a lethal form of Gorham disease in a young female patient. Multimodality imaging findings over 13 year-follow-up demonstrated progressive wide spread skeletal and soft tissue abnormalities with permeative osteolysis, pathological fractures and severe skeletal deformities. Unusual extensive osseous and soft tissue pneumatosis was illustrated on cross-sectional studies. The progressive nature of this form of Gorham disease and the subsequent complications eventually culminated in patient's death. (orig.)

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The production of {alpha}-amylase by Bacillus licheniformis M27 in submerged fermentation was completely inhibited due to catabolic repression in medium containing 1% glucose. In contrast, the enzyme production in a solid state fermentation system was 19,550 units/ml extract even when the medium contained 15% glucose. The peak in enzyme titre was, however, shifted from 48 to 72 h. The ability of the solid state fermentation system to significantly overcome catabolic repression was not known earlier and is probably conferred by various physico-chemical factors and culture conditions specific to the system. (orig.).

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The effects of repeated low-level nerve agent exposure on animal performance and lethality are a major concern of USAF Medical Research. This concern has generated interest in the role that pretreatment drugs such as pyridostigmine may play during simultaneous exposure to soman. This role was investigated by recording lethality, weights, symptoms, and cholinesterase (ChE) inhibition in rats chronically exposed to 4 levels of soman (32, 39, 48 or 59 micrograms/kg/day) while simultaneously receiving 10.0 milligrams/kg/day pyridostigmine, 1.0 milligrams/kg/day pyridostigmine, or vehicle via an osmotic pump. No effect (either protective or detractive) was found in the soman-poisoned animals due to the presence or absence of pyridostigmine. However, rat blood biochemistry is different from that of the primate, warranting further study in the primate before extrapolation to man.

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The bacterial strain E1R-j, isolated as an endophyte from wheat roots, exhibited high antifungal activity to Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici (Ggt). Strain E1R-j was identified as Bacillus subtilis based on morphological, physiological and biochemical methods as well as on 16S rDNA analysis. This strain inhibited mycelium growth in vitro of numerous plant pathogenic fungi, especially of Ggt, Coniothyrium diplodiella, Phomopsis sp. and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. In greenhouse experiments, soil drenches with cell densities of 106, 109 and 1012CFU ml-1 E1R-j reduced significantly take-all disease, caused by Ggt, in wheat seedling by 62.6%, 68.6% and 70.7%, respectively, compared to the inoculated control, 4weeks after sowing. Growth parameters such as lengths and fresh weights of roots and...

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When the vehicle-treated, sham-operated mice underwent heat stress, the fraction survival and core temperature at +4 h of body heating were found to be 5 of 15 and 34.4°C ± 0.3°C,...Full Text Available

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BackgroundHerpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) infections can cause a number of diseases ranging from simple cold sores to dangerous keratitis and lethal encephalitis. The interaction...Full Text Available

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The possible genetic (dominant lethal mutations (DLM) and cytogenetic changes in the regenerating liver) and somatic (hematopoietic stem cell changes, growth and nonspecific life time shortening) effects in mice maintained on tritiated water (HTO) over two generations was investigated. Results to date are summarized. (ACR)

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The preparation of neem oil microemulsion and its acaricidal activity in vitro was developed in this study. In these systems, the mixture of Tween-80 and the sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) (4:1, by weight) was used as compound surfactant; the mixture of compound surfactant and hexyl alcohol (4:1, by weight) was used as emulsifier system; the mixture of neem oil, emulsifier system and water (1:3.5:5.5, by weight) was used as neem oil microemulsion. All the mixtures were stired in 800rpm for 15min at 40^oC. The acaricidal activity was measured by the speed of kill. The whole lethal time value of 10% neem oil microemulsion was 192.50min against Sarcoptes scabiei var. cuniculi larvae in vitro. The median lethal time value was 81.7463min with the toxicity regression equations of Y=-6.0...

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The Drosophila melanogaster tissue-specific transcription factor NTF-1 was originally identified in vitro as a protein that could bind to and activate transcription from the Dopa decarboxylase (Ddc) gene. A structure-function analysis of NTF-1 led to the identification of a discrete amino-terminal activation domain. Here, we report that an NTF-1 mutant lacking the activation domain acts as a trans-dominant inhibitor of NTF-1 activation in tissue culture cells by forming inactive heterodimers with the full-length protein. Ectopically expressing this dominant-negative protein or the full-length protein in developing Drosophila embryos leads to dire developmental consequences. Overexpressing the trans-dominant NTF-1 leads to lethality, while overexpressing full-length NTF-1 results in both lethality and morphogenetic defects. Our results suggest that both the activity and the regulation of NTF-1 are critical for viability and proper development of ...

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An acute fish toxicity model was constructed on the basis of a wide series of experimental data for guppy. The Multiple Computer-Automated structure Evaluation program was used to construct the model. The created model possesses very good predictive ability. It can correctly predict acute toxicity for guppy for 80% of compounds with an average error of only 0.63 log unit per median lethal concentration. The importance of the narcosis effect was demonstrated. The main toxicophores, corresponding to polar narcosis and to the reactive chemicals, were identified.

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Abstract Microbiological quality and biophenol content evolution was studied in minimally processed Thassos cv table olives by hot air dehydration under mild conditions (40C, 24-h, aw-=-0.893) and storage under characteristic packaging conditions (vacuum, 100% N2 and air) at 4 and 20C over a period of 180 days. No salt was used in the production line or packaging. The undesirable microorganisms (Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus, Clostridium) were undetectable until the end of the storage period. Also, modified atmospheres prevented fungal growth at both temperatures apart from the samples stored in air, in which Penicillium and Aspergillus spp. were identified. At 20C, a coexistence of mesophilic bacteria and yeasts occurred. At 4C, yeasts were the predominant microflora...

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We describe a simple one-pot thermal decomposition method for the production of a stable colloidal suspension of narrowly dispersed superparamagnetic Fe3O4-Ag core-shell nanostructures. These biocompatible nanostructures are highly toxic to microorganisms. Antimicrobial activity studies were carried out on both Gram negative (Escherichia coli and Proteus vulgaris) and Gram positive (Bacillus megaterium and Staphylococcus aureus) bacterial strains. Efforts have been made to understand the underlying molecular mechanism of such antibacterial actions. The effect of the core-shell nanostructures on Gram negative strains was found to be better than that observed for silver nanoparticles. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of these nanostructures were found to be considerably lowe...

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A number of aerobic species capable of decolorizing some of the dyes in a textile mill effluent were isolated. One of the isolates was able to decolorize Terasil black dye under aerobic conditions in the presence of an exogenous carbon source after 5 days. Glucose or starch (%1 ea) are essential for decolorization but the process proceeds faster in the presence of 0.5% yeast extract. Results of the BOD5 show that the untreated effluent samples have a low BOD value, whereas treated samples show an initial increase in BOD up to 15 days followed by a decrease after 20 days. FT-IR and GC-MS data also reveal that the initial components in the untreated effluent disappear after 20 days of treatment, confirming biodegradation of the dye. Phytotoxicity tests on the untreated effluent samples using...

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Kong-Ming Wu (Corresponding author) The application of recombinant DNA technology has resulted in many insect-resistant varieties by genetic engineering (GE). Crops expressing Cry toxins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have been planted worldwide, and are an effective tool for pest control. However, one ecological concern regarding the potential effects of insect-resistant GE plants on non-target organisms (NTOs) has been continually debated. In the present study, we briefly summarize the data regarding the development and commercial use of transgenic Bt varieties, elaborate on the procedure and methods for assessing the non-target effects of insect-resistant GE plants, and synthetically analyze the related research results, mostly those published between 2005 and 2010. A mass of laboratory and field studies have shown that the currently available Bt crops have no direct detrimental effects on NTOs due to their narrow spectrum of activity, and Bt crops are ...

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Elevation of zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) levels in the blood has served as an indicator of lead poisoning and iron deficiency anemia for many years. We have discovered that sublethal doses of whole body irradiation with x-rays also elevates ZPP 2-3-fold over normal levels. The ZPP level does not begin to increase until days 12-14 postirradiation and peaks between days 18 and 20 before returning to normal levels between days 28 and 35. Increasing the radiation dose delays the onset of the rise in ZPP, but does not affect the magnitude of the elevation. At lethal doses, ZPP elevation is not observed. Neither of the two previously described mechanisms that cause elevations of ZPP, namely iron deficiency and inhibition of ferrochelatase, are responsible for the radiation-induced elevation of ZPP. The elevation of ZPP appears to be correlated with the recovery of the hematopoietic system from radiation injury.

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Summary Reference to an ancient Hindu picture of a snarling dog may be a convincing enough proof to consider the fact that rabies has been known in the world for the past 50 centuries. Prior to the monumental observation about rabies of Fracastoro in the 16th century, facts and fantasies were intermingled in the study of rabies. In the realm of fantasy, consider the statement of Aristotle (otherwise a great philosopher) that only animals and not humans die of rabies. It took 19 centuries before Fracastoro finally established that infection with rabies is lethal for all warm-blooded beings including humans. The new era of rabies dates from the time of Galtier who isolated the virus and Pasteur who was able to create a somewhat attenuated strain of virus fixe which became the tool of laborat...

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Abstract:- Two motorcycle riders lost control of their vehicle, fell, and hit a guardrail, which acted as a blade and led to a rapid, fatal outcome. In one case, the high velocity of the body at the time of the impact resulted in complete detachment of the trunk. Reconstruction of the accident dynamics enabled the guardrail post to be identified as the means of injury in both cases. The two accidents occurred over a short period of time, highlighting a dangerous phenomenon that in less severe cases is presumably associated with different degrees of survivor disability. The accidents deserve mention, because a different design of the impact surface of the guardrail post might have prevented the lethal outcome. There is an urgent need for legislators to pass regulations that modify crash bar...

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Phage display is effective in screening peptides that mimic venom's neutralizing epitopes. A phage display cyclized heptapeptide library (C7C library) was panned with purified divalent antivenin IgG, which neutralizes Naja naja atra venom (NAV) and Bungarus multicinctus venom (BMV). The selected heptapeptide sequences were aligned with known protein sequences of NAV and BMV in GenBank. One of the four consensus sequences, L/PKSSLL, mimicked the crucial epitope on Loop III of Taiwan cobra cardiotoxin that is associated with the venom's lethal potency. In dot blot analysis, several clones showed varying reactivities for NAV monovalent antivenin and lesser cross-reactions with BMV monovalent antivenin. The KSSLLRN-carrying phage occurred four times in selected clones and showed the strongest ...

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The book examines current experimental and clinical knowledge concerning the biological and biophysical effects of electromagnetic radiation, particularly that in the microwave range. The biophysical bases of the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter are reviewed with emphasis on biological systems, and the effects of radiation on critical biological systems, including the nervous, reproductive, visual and blood-forming systems are compared. Data concerning the lethal effects of nonionizing radiation is presented and characteristics of the effects of electromagnetic radiation on the whole mammalian organisms are examined. Various reactions of the neuroendocrine system to electromagnetic radiation are described, with particular attention given to the adrenal system, and the combined effects of ionizing and microwave radiation in the flight environment are discussed. Results are also presented of a series of animal experiments on the quantitative ...

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Eremostachys laciniata (L) Bunge (family: Lamiaceae alt. Labiatae; subfamily: Lamioideae) is one of the 15 endemic Iranian herbs of the genus Eremostachys. A decoction of the roots and flowers of E. laciniata has traditionally been taken orally for the treatment of allergies, headache and liver diseases. Three antibacterial iridoid glucosides, phloyoside I (1), phlomiol (2) and pulchelloside I (3) have been isolated from the rhizomes of this plant. The structures of these compounds were elucidated unequivocally by a series of 1D and 2D NMR analyses. The antibacterial activity and brine shrimp toxicity of these compounds were assessed using the resazurin microtitre assay and the brine shrimp lethality assay, respectively. All three iridoid glycosides 1-3 exhibited from low to moderate level...

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Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) is widely distributed in the acid soil region of Southern China, where great potential of aluminum (Al) toxicity exists. To evaluate the Al tolerance of Moso bamboo, seed germination and root elongation were compared with two rice cultivars, and physical and physiological damages were examined under various levels of Al stress. Results showed that Moso bamboo seed germination was inhibited when Al concentration increased to 500 ?M, and the median lethal concentration was 2,000??M. Comparatively, the rice seed germination was not inhibited even at a concentration of 2,000??M Al. Aluminum accumulated mainly in the cell wall of root apices, and entered into protoplasts as treating time prolonged and/or Al concentration increased, which resulted in apoptos...

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New tetradentate N(2)O(2) donor Schiff bases and their mononuclear Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Pd(II) complexes were synthesized and characterized extensively by IR, (1)H-, (13)C-NMR, mass, ESR, conductivity measurements, elemental and thermal analysis. Specifically the magnetic and electronic spectral measurements demonstrate the octahedral structures of cobalt(II), nickel(II) complexes and square planar geometries of copper(II), palladium(II) complexes. All the ligands and complexes were screened for their in vitro antibacterial activity against two gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus) and two gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia). In this study, Pd(II) complexes exhibited potent antibacterial activity against B. subtilis, S. aureus whereas other metal complexes also exerted good activity towards all tested strains even than standard drugs streptomycin and ampicillin. PMID:21297294

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Gas-insulated systems employing SF/sub 6/ are utilized in a variety of applications in power delivery systems. Because electric arcs, sparks or corona can decompose SF/sub 6/ into byproducts having chemical properties different from SF/sub 6/, environmental concerns arise regarding inadvertent human exposures to electrically-decomposed SF/sub 6/. Biological assays in our laboratory using mammalian cell culture systems have revealed that spark-decomposed SF/sub 6/ produces cell death, and the extent of cell killing increases with increasing spark energy. Chemical analysis of spark-decomposed SF/sub 6/ has identified the major decomposition pathways and byproducts, but biological testing of individual or byproduct mixtures has indicated that these major decomposition products do not contribute, in a significant fashion, to the cell lethality seen in our assays. Further experiments have suggested that S/sub 2/F/sub 10/ may be produced under our decomposition ...

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1. Choline, and the choline analogues monoethylcholine (MEC) and N-aminodeanol (NAD) were examined for prophylactic activity in acute acetylcholinesterase inhibitor toxicity in mice. The rank order of potency of the compounds was MEC greater than NAD greater than choline. 2. Simultaneous administration of MEC (60 mg kg-1) or NAD (200 mg kg-1) with physostigmine reduced lethality to 17 and 13% respectively. MEC (60 mg kg-1) completely protected against disopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) and diazinon toxicity, and NAD reduced lethality to 17% for both agents. Choline (200 mg kg-1) exhibited only negligible antidotal activity against the inhibitors. 3. In vitro concentrations of choline, MEC, and NAD, similar to the estimated concentration obtained in vivo in the acute toxicity study, produced mixed inhibition of mouse brain acetylcholinesterase. The inhibition was dose-related and was additive to the inhibition produced by the cholinesterase ...

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The family of natriuretic peptides consists of the atria natriuretic peptide (ANP), the cerebral natriuretic peptide (BNP), the type C natriuretic peptide (CNP) and the peptide isolated from the dendroaspis snakes' poison (DNP), whose presence in humans has not been confirmed. The physiological function of ANP is in the control of arterial blood pressure by regulation of systemic vascular resistance of blood vessels. BNP is produced as one of the factors in the acute response to inflammatory tissue damage, mainly in coronary vessels. Increased serum concentrations of natriuretic peptides have been found in stress situations, such as trauma or major surgery, systemic hypotension, and in intrinsic myocardial dysfunction. High concentrations of natriuretic peptides were observed in severe sepsis, septic shock and in multiple organ failure, probably due to increased secretion by mediators of the inflammatory process.The highest concentrations of ANP and BNP were found in ...

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I review the past and present of wound ballistics research in China and look toward the future of this subject. The main points area as follows: (1) Before the 1970s, China did not conduct any experimental study on wound ballistics. (2) After the 1970s, experts in ordnance and medicine closely cooperated to conduct a series of experiments or tests on wound ballistics, such as wounding effects and the mechanism of various high-speed projectiles, the treatment of the protection from firearm wounds, high quality of ammunition design, lethality criterion, blast injuries, etc. Between 1981 and 1993, four national symposia on wound ballistics were held in China. In 1988, China sponsored the Sixth International Symposium on wound Ballistics. China has made great contributions to this subject. (3) As for the future of Chinese research on wound ballistics, I suggest strengthening the following areas: the relationship with weapons traumatology; the basic science research on ...

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Germination inhibition of the marine macrophyte Phyllospora comosa was utilized as a sub-lethal end-point to assess and compare the effects of four oil dispersants and dispersed diesel fuel and crude oil combinations. Inhibition of germination by the water-soluble fraction of diesel fuel increased following the addition of each of the dispersants; the nominal 48-h EC{sub 50} concentration of diesel fuel declined from 6800 to approximately 400 {mu}l 1{sup -1} nominal for each dispersed combination. This contrasted with crude oil, where the addition of two dispersants resulted in an enhanced germination rate and an increase in nominal EC{sub 50} concentrations from 130 {mu}l 1{sup -1} for the undispersed crude to 4000 and 2500 {mu}l 1{sup -1}. The results indicate that, while germination inhibition of P. comosa may be enhanced by the chemical dispersal of oil response varies with type of both oil and oil dispersant. (author)

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The number and type of stem cells in spleen and bone marrow of mice were determined after exposure to a single dose of 150 R on day 6, to a single dose of 500 R on day 6 or day 9 or to a fractionated dose of 150 R + 350 R on day 6 and 9. The stem cells were assayed on the basis of colony forming units (CFU) in spleen and of incorporation of iododeoxyuridine in spleen and bone marrow of lethally irradiated host mice. During the first month of life, the number of stem cells in non-irradiated mice increases markedly in bone marrow and slightly in spleen. Irradiation causes a long-lasting depression in stem cells, particularly in bone marrow and affecting preferentially erythropoietic precursor cells. Following a dose of only 150 R, the number of CFU in bone marrow is still below control levels 24 days later. An exposure to 500 R fractionated between day 6 and 9 has a markedly greater effect on stem cells in the spleen than the same dose given in a single application ...

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The purpose of this review is to consider the hypothesis that cancer frequently originates from stem cells. Using the spleen transplantation assay where stem cells were transplanted in the spleen of mice lethally irradiated by ionizing radiation, the author undertook a study aimed at defining the risk of radiogenic cancer per susceptible cells with use of rat radiogenic mammary and thyroid cancers because of the high incidences of these cancers in a-bomb survivors. Measured were the number of cancer-susceptible cells initially present in the tissue, the number of such cells that survived at a given dose and the number of cancers that developed per surviving cell. Thyroid cell differentiation and proliferation in rats transplanted with thyroid cells were enhanced by thyroidectomy and low iodine diet. Further, the relationship between the low LET radiation dose and thyroid clonogen survival was also investigated. Data showed that follicular-unit-forming clonogens ...

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Experiments were carried out on mice and the subjects irradiated for cancer therapy to evaluate the protective efficacy of a Chinese medicinal herb-compound (CMHC). The lethality and the degree of leucopenia caused by radiation in mice medicated with CMHC were significantly less in comparison with control mice (p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.001, respectively). CMHC significantly improved the WBC and the thrombocytes in irradiated workers (p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.001, respectively). The WBC count of 40 patients under radiotherapy while treated with CMHC recovered from 3450 +/- 77/c.mm to 5425 +/- 264/c.mm (p less than 0.001); whereas, in the control group, without any medication, the WBC count dropped significantly (p less than 0.001). Our results revealed the applicabilities of CMHC in protection against radiation damage in spaceflight and in other fields.

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Coastal zones are among the most productive and vulnerable areas on the planet. An example of impact on these fragile environments was shown in the case of the Sea Empress oil tanker, which ran aground in the Bristol Channel in 1996, spilling 72,000 tonnes of Forties crude oil. The objective was to investigate the sub-lethal cellular pathology and tissue hydrocarbon contamination in marine mussel populations, 4 months after the initial spill, using the neutral red retention (NRR) assay for lysosomal stability in blood cells. NRR was reduced in mussels, and indicative of cell injury, from the two sites closest to the spill in comparison with more distant and reference sites. Lysosomal stability was inversely correlated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations in mussel tissues. Reduced lysosomal stability has previously been shown to contribute to impaired immunocompetence and to autophagic loss of body tissues. The use of this type of technique is ...

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Escherichia coli B and K-12 are equally susceptible to the bacteriostatic effects of aerobic paraquat, but they differed strikingly when the lethality of paraquat was evaluated. E. coli B suffered an apparent loss of viability when briefly exposed to paraquat, whereas E. coli K-12 did not. This difference depended on the ability of the B-strain, but not the K-12 strain, to retain internalized paraquat; the B strain was killed on aerobic tryptic soy-yeast extract plates during the incubation which preceded the counting of colonies. This difference in retention of paraquat between strains was demonstrated by delayed loss of viability, by growth inhibition, and by cyanide-resistant respiration after brief exposure to paraquat, washing, and testing in fresh medium. This difference was also shown by using ({sup 14}C)paraquat. This previously unrecognized difference between E. coli B and K-12 has been the cause of apparently contradictory reports and should lead to some ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Polycystic kidney diseases (PKD) are inherited disorders characterized by fluid-filled cysts primarily in the kidneys. We previously reported differences between the expression of Cux1, p21, and p27 in the cpk and Pkd1 null mouse models of PKD. Embryonic lethality of Pkd1 null mice limits its study to early stages of kidney development. Therefore, we examined mice with a collecting duct specific deletion in the Pkd1 gene. Cux1 was ectopically expressed in the cyst lining epithelial cells of newborn, P7 and P15 Pkd1CD mice. Cux1 expression correlated with cell proliferation in early stages of cystogenesis, however, as the disease progressed, fewer cyst lining cells showed increased cell proliferation. Rather, Cux1 expression in late stage cystogenesis was associated with increased ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macroinvertebrate communities in Rietvlei nature reserve wetland area and their relationship with water quality were studied with the aim to evaluate their use as potential indicators of pollution. Sampling locations were selected to include outlets from swage effluent, agricultural and informal residential runoff. A large increase in nutrient concentrations was observed downstream from discharged treated sewage with an associated decrease in species richness. Bioassays performed included: Daphnia magna, Hydra attenuate, Lactuca sativa, Allium cepa and Pyxicephalus adspersus. The highest percentage of lethality response to a screen (100% concentration) of sampled wetland water by test specimens were observed at the point source input of the Hartbeespoort treated sewage plant. Data generated from the AUSRIVAS method and multitrophic level bioassays revealed the deterioration of the wetland possibly due to factors such as increasing urbanization, industrialization, ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Sepsis induced by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has worse outcome because of multiresistance to a large group of antibiotics, which may lead to death from septic shock. In the present study, we firstly found that artesunate in combination with oxacillin was capable of protecting mice challenged with live MRSA WHO-2 (WHO-2) and the protection was related to the reduced TNF-a and IL-6 levels and decreased bacterial load. Based on above results, artesunate was further investigated from two aspects in vitro, anti-inflammation effect and antibacterial enhancement effect on antibiotics. Artesunate not only inhibited TNF-a and IL-6 release but also inhibited mRNA and protein expressions of TLR2 and Nod2, two important receptors, in murine peritoneal macrophages stimulated wit...

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The overall objective of this project has been to develop immunochemical methods to quantitate unique DNA base damages in order to facilitate studies on radiation-induced damage production and repair. Specifically, we have been using antibodies raised to damaged bases to quantitate unique lesions in model systems in order to evaluate their potential biological consequences. Our approach has been to synthesize modified nucleotides or nucleosides, conjugate them to protein carriers, and use the conjugates as immunogens in rabbits or to prepare monoclonal antibodies. We have been studying damages that are stable radiolysis products found in X-irradiated DNA and thus of potential biological consequence. Our aim is to build an in vitro and in vivo data base on the interactions between model DNA lesions and such cellular enzymes as DNA polymerases and repair endonucleases. Initial studies have focused on pyrimidine ring saturation products (thymine glycol.and dihydrothymine), products ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The purpose was to identify human in vitro cell lines with a high relative cellular sensitivity to fast neutrons as compared to photons and to examine their relationship to intrinsic photon radiosensitivity and cellular proliferation kinetics. The clonogenic cell survival following exposure to low LET, 4 MeV photons or, high LET, 62.5 MeV (p #-># Be"+) fast neutrons and the cell survival following exposure to low LET, 4 MeV photons or, high LET, 62.5 MeV (p #-># Be"+) fast neutrons and the cell kinetic parameters of 30 human in vitro cell lines, covering a wide range of histologies, were analyzed alone and with previously published data of Fertil and Malaise. The relative survival at 1.6 Gy of neutrons (SF_1_._6) compared to 2 Gy of photons (SF_2) and the cell kinetic parameters of the 30 cell lines were also compared. The relative lethality of 62.5 MeV fast neutrons was assessed by comparing the ratio #alpha# neutrons/#alpha# photons or SF_1_._6 ...

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pT181 is a naturally-occurring 4437 basepair (bp) plasmid isolated from Staphylococcus aureus which encodes inducible resistance to tetracycline (Tc). The DNA sequence data has identified three open reading frames (ORFs). The largest ORF B, has been found to be responsible for the Tc resistance phenotype of pT181. Since most Tc resistance systems appear to be regulated by an effector protein and a repressor protein, several Bal 31 deletion mutants of pT181 were constructed and analyzed in an effort to identify the elements involved in Tc resistance. Two transcomplementing groups of mutants were identified within the tet gene. The mechanism of Tc resistance was studied by assaying the accumulation of (7-/sup 3/H) Tc by Tc sensitive cells, and uninduced and induced pT181-containing cells. A sharp decrease in accumulation of the drug after an initial increase was observed in Tc induced pT181-containing cells. In vivo labeling of Bacillus subtilis minicells containing ...

Science.gov (United States)

Eight phospholipases A2 (PLAs) and four three-finger-toxins (3FTx) from the pooled venom of Bungarus fasciatus (Bf) were previously studied and sequenced, but their expression pattern in individual Bf venom and possible geographic variations remained to be investigated. We herein analyze the individual venom of two Bf specimens from Kolkata (designated as KBf) to address this question. Seven PLAs and five 3FTx were purified from the KBf venoms, and respective cDNAs were cloned from venom glands of one of the snakes. Comparison of their mass and N-terminal sequence revealed that all the PLAs were conserved in both KBf venoms, but that two of their 3FTx isoforms were variable. When comparing the sequences of these KBf-PLAs with those published, only one was found to be identical to that of Bf Vb-2, and the other five were 94-98% identical to those of Bf II, III, Va, VI and XI-2, respectively. Notably, the most abundant PLA isoforms of Bf and KBf venoms contain Pro31 substitution. They ...

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A semiquantitative assay was developed and used to measure the effects of immune responses against 16 independent non-H-2 antigenic loci on erythropoietic stem cells. The assay compares repopulation in genetically anemic WBB6F1-W/Wv recipients that have normal immune responses, and in lethally irradiated WBB6F1 +/+ mice whose immune responses are suppressed by the irradiation. The differences in repopulating ability between these two types of recipients measure how immune responses affect erythropoietic stem cells. Stem cell repopulating abilities for the cells with antigens specified by the Thy-1, H-1, H-24, Ly-1, H-37, and H-17 loci were affected slightly, if at all. Repopulating abilities were moderately reduced by responses against antigens specified by H-15, 16, Ea-2, and Ly-2, 3 loci, and against the differences between the B6 and B10 genotypes, although marrow of these types cured W/Wv recipients. A surprising result occurred for the antigen specified by the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The results of 144 previously untreated cases of primary Ewing's sarcoma of bone are reported with a minimum follow-up of 5 years. This series was treated between 1972 and 1982 at Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli with a combined therapy. The local control of the disease consisted of amputation (ten cases), resection followed by radiation therapy (35-45 Gy) (48 cases) and radiation therapy alone (40-60 Gy) (86 cases). Adjuvant chemotherapy, rigorously standardized, was performed according two different protocols: the first (85 cases treated in the period 1972-1978) consisted of vincristine (VCR) Adriamycin (doxorubicin) (ADM), and cyclophosphamide (EDX); the second (59 cases treated in the period 1979-1982) of VCR, ADM, EDX and dactinomycin (DACT). At a follow-up of 5 to 16 years (median, 9), 59 patients (41%) are continuously disease-free (CDF), 81 (56%) developed metastatic disease and/or local recurrence, and four (3%) had a second malignancy. Three factors seem to be correlated to ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patients with Ewing's sarcoma who present with a central axis or proximal extremity primary and/or with metastatic disease have a poor prognosis despite aggressive combination chemotherapy and local irradiation. In this high risk group of patients, total body irradiation (TBI) has been proposed as a systemic adjuvant. To aid in the design of a clinical TBI protocol, the authors have studied in the in vitro radiation response of two established cell lines of Ewing's sarcoma and human bone marrow CFUc. The Ewing's lines showed a larger D_0 and anti-n compared to the bone marrow CFU. No repair of potentially lethal radiation damage (PLDR) was found after 4.5 Gy in plateau phase Ewing's sarcoma cells. A theoretical split dose survival curve for both the Ewing's sarcoma lines and human bone marrow CFUc using this TBI schedule shows a significantly lower surviving fraction (10"-"4-10"-"5) for the bone marrow CFUc. Based on these in vitro results, two 4.0 Gy fractions ...

Science.gov (United States)

Asynchronous Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells treated with conditioning hyperthermia (10 min at 45/sup 0/C) followed immediately by x irradiation with 4 Gy at room temperature display a decreased radiation response when either irradiated, or heated and irradiated again 24 h later. In addition, conditioning by 4 Gy of x radiation alone followed at 24 h by the combined heat and radiation treatment als resulted in a larger radiation D/sub 0/. Since the differential cell-cycle responses to heat- and x-ray-induced lethality are well established for CHO cells, the potential role of cell-cycle redistribution in the observed radiation desensitization was investigated by flow cytometry. At 24 h after the combined treatment, the fraction of the cells found in the G/sub 2/ + M portion of the DNA histograms was about three times that of the controls and there was a concomitant reduction in both the G/sub 1/ and S fractions. Similar observations were made after the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An attempt was made for early quantitative assessment of the severety of an injury, using the nuclear acids (NA) content as a biochemical indicator. Sexually mature male rats with body mass 160-180 g were irradiated with doses 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 8 Gy of "1"3"7Cs source. Uneven irradiation was achieved by shielding the abdominal-lumbar area with lead rings, measuring 2,5/50 mm. A 28-30% fall of the dose beneath the shielded zone was thus provided. Dose-dependent quantitative changes in Na content were determined on hours 24 and 72 within the range from 0.5 to 8 Gy and followed up until day 30 after irradiation with nonlethal (2 Gy) and lethal (8 Gy) doses. The total NA content in the leucocytes was determined by the method of Kritski and Aleksandrov. The uneven irradiation of rats within the 0,5-8 Gy range induced early dose-dependent changes in NA content. The nature of their post-irradiation dynamics also depended on the radiation dose and adequately reflected the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chemicals under the trade names Nalco 537-DA, Nalco 625, Nalco 7607, Nalco 5165, Ivamin, and technical monoethanolamine are used extensively in the oil refinery industry. Aquatic toxicity tests were conducted using zebra fish fry (Brachydanio rerio) and the unicellular algae Isochrysis galbana (a flagellate) and Chaetoceros gracilis (a diatom). Inhibition of cell division, chlorophyll content, and "1"4CO_2 uptake in the algae were sensitive end points. The effective concentrations (EC50s) of growth inhibition were 0.1 mg/L (Ivamin; I. galbana), 0.8 mg/L (Nalco 7607; I. galbana), 6 mg/L (Nalco 625; I. galbana), 10 mg/L (Nalco 5165; C. gracilis), and 15 mg/L (Nalco 537-DA; C. gracilis). The lethal concentrations (LC50s) (96 h) toward zebra fish fry was 1 mg/L for Nalco 7607, 6.5 mg/L for Nalco 537-DA, 7.1 mg/L for Nalco 625, and 20 mg/L for Ivamin 803. Monoethanolamine had an LC50 higher than 5,000 mg/L. Nalco 5165 was not tested on fish fry. The heartbeat frequency ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Apoptosis is a pattern of cell death involving nuclear pycnosis, cytoplasmic condensation, and karyorrhexis. Apoptosis induced by continuous irradiation with gamma rays (externally given by a 137Cs source) or with beta rays (from tritiated water injected ip) was quantified in the crypts of two portions of mouse bowel, the small intestine and descending colon. The time-course change in the incidence of apoptosis after each type of radiation could be explained on the basis of the innate circadian rhythm of the cells susceptible to apoptotic death and of the excretion of tritiated water (HTO) from the body. For 6-h continuous gamma irradiation at various dose rates (0.6-480 mGy/h) and for 6 h after injection of HTO of various radioactivities (0.15-150 GBq per kg body wt), the relationships between dose and incidence of apoptosis were obtained. Survival curves were then constructed from the curves for dose vs incidence of apoptosis. For the calculation of the absorbed dose from HTO, the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A Task Group of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has finished a report Biological Effects after Prenatal Irradiation (Embryo and Fetus) which has been approved by the Main Commission and Will be Published. Some new important scientific data shall be discussed in this contribution. During the preimplantation period lethality of the mammalian embryo is the dominating radiation effect. However, in mouse strains with genetic predispositions it has been shown that also malformations can be caused. This effect is genetically determined and its mechanisms is different from the induction of malformations during major organogenesis. Radiation exposures during this prenatal period leads ato an increase of genomic instability of cells in the normal appearing fetuses. These radiation effects can be transmitted to the next generation. A renewed analysis of individuals with severe mental retardation after exposures during the 8th to 15th week post ...

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This third report covers the period October 1 to November 30, 1991. During this period the authors: (1) fabricated a test fixture for studying hybrid armature brush behavior, (2) reactivated a 140kJ, 1MA capacitor bank, (3) reactivated 25 channels digital data acquisition and reduction system and (4) concluded the use of a DNA funded railgun would serve as the most expedient means to acquire a railgun test bed. Fabrication of a plasma brush test fixture for studying the formation, evolution and stability of plasma brushes was completed. The fixture will serve to study plasma brush parameters, such as brush length and voltage drop, as a function of initial solid foil mass, gap size and current concentration. A 4OkV, 168{mu}f, 140kJ capacitor bank capable of providing more than 1MA of current was reactivated. (The LLNL bank had been developed for opening switch research which was successfully completed.) The bank will be used to power the test fixture with 10{mu}s, flat top current ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Full text: Pink bollworm (PBW), Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), an introduced pest from Mexico, first occurred in United States cotton production in Texas in 1917. Unacceptable economic losses have occurred. The development of PBW sterile moth release technology, gossyplure sex pheromone behavioral control, cotton plant cultural control to reduce overwintered PBW populations, and the transfer of the insect toxin protein gene into cotton from Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Berliner) have provided an effective integrated pest management (IPM) system with PBW eradication potential. Sterile insect release was considered a potential option for PBW population suppression in the early 1960s. Research on the isolated island of St. Croix, (US Virgin Islands) demonstrated its validity. Reductions of larval infestations in bolls following sterile moth releases began when ratios of released PBW sterile male to native male moths averaged 70:1 in gossyplurebaited traps. ...