Polyclonal antibodies were raised in rabbits by immunization with free peptides corresponding to positions 197-222 of the human beta 1-adrenergic receptor (beta 1 peptide) and the corresponding sequence...Full Text Available
The homologous sequences observed for many calciumbinding proteins such as parvalbumin, troponin C, the myosin light chains, and calmodulin has lead to the hypothesis that these proteins have homologous...Full Text Available
S100A4, a member of the Ca(2+)-activated S100 protein family, regulates the motility and invasiveness of cancer cells. Moreover, high S100A4 expression levels correlate with poor patient survival in several cancers. Although biochemical, biophysical, and structural data indicate that S100A4 is a noncovalent dimer, it is unknown if two functional S100A4 monomers are required for the productive recognition of protein targets and the promotion of cell invasion. To address this question, we created covalently linked S100A4 dimers using a glycine rich flexible linker. The single-chain S100A4 (sc-S100A4) proteins exhibited wild-type affinities for calcium and nonmuscle myosin-IIA, retained the ability to regulate nonmuscle myosin-IIA assembly, and promoted tumor cell invasion when expressed in S100A4-deficient colon carcinoma cells. Mutation of the two calcium-binding EF-hands in one monomer, while leaving the other monomer intact, caused a 30-60-fold reduction in ...
E-cadherins belong to a family of membrane-bound, cellular adhesion proteins. Their adhesive properties mainly involve the two N-terminal extracellular domains (EC1 and EC2). The junctions between these...Full Text Available
Background: Thyroid-stimulating autoantibodies (TSAb) bind to the thyrotropin receptor (TSHR) extracellular domain, or ectodomain (ECD), comprising a leucine-rich repeat domain (LRD) linked by a hinge region to the transmembrane domain (TMD). The LRD (residues 22???260; signal peptide 1???21) contains two disulfide-bonded loops at its N-terminus. In the crystal structure of the isolated LRD complexed with human TSAb monoclonal antibody (mAb) M22, N-terminal disulfide loop 1 (residues 22???30) could not be determined because of crystal disorder. Nevertheless, present crystal structure data are interpreted to exclude a role for the LRD N-terminal disulfide loops in the TSAb epitope(s), contradicting prior functional evidence of a role for these loops in TSAb function. Materials and Methods: ...
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 ...
Human complement protein C9 is shown to be a metalloprotein that binds 1 mol of Ca"2"+/mol of C9 with a dissociation constant of 3 #mu#m as measured by equilibrium dialysis. Incubation with EDTA removes the bound calcium, resulting in a apoprotein with decreased thermal stability. This loss in stability leads to aggregation and, therefore, to loss of hemolytic activity upon heating to a few degrees above the physiological temperature. Heat-induced aggregation of apoC9 can be prevented by salts that stabilize proteins according to the Hofmeister series of lyotropic ions, suggesting that the ion in native C9 may ligand with more than one structural element of domain of the protein. Ligand blotting indicates that the calciumbinding site is located in the amino-terminal half of the protein. Removal of calcium by inclusion of EDTA in assay mixtures has no effect on the hemolytic activity of C9, and its capacity to bind to C8 in solution, or to ...
A general method is described to sequester peptides containing azides from complex peptide mixtures, aimed at facilitating mass spectrometric analysis to study different aspects of proteome...Full Text Available
A pore-forming peptide is implicated in the potent cytolytic activity of pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica. Using NH2-terminal sequence information of this peptide, the corresponding cDNA was isolated....Full Text Available
A hallmark of congestive heart failure (CHF) is the activation of the cardiac endocrine system, in particular atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). The natriuretic peptides are a group of structurally similar but genetically distinct peptides that have diverse actions in cardiovascular, renal, and endocrine homeostasis. ANP and BNP are of myocardial cell origin and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) is of endothelial origin. ANP and BNP bind to the natriuretic peptide-A receptor (NPR-A), which, via 3',5'-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), mediates natriuresis, vasodilatation, renin inhibition, antimitogenesis, and lusitropic properties. CNP lacks natriuretic actions but possesses vasodilating and growth inhibiting actions via the guanylyl cyclase-linked natriuretic peptide-B receptor. All three ...
BackgroundThe binding of peptide fragments of antigens to class II MHC is a crucial step in initiating a helper T cell immune response. The identification of such peptide epitopes...Full Text Available
AIM: To investigate atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) secretion from gastric mucosa and the relationship between the ANP/natriuretic peptide receptor type A (NPR-A) pathway and diabetic gastroparesis.METHODS:...Full Text Available
The sequences of the peptide binding domains of 33 70 kd heat shock proteins (hsp70) have been aligned and a consensus secondary structure has been deduced. Individual members showed no significant...Full Text Available
The active site of chicken gizzard myosin was labeled by direct photoaffinity labeling with ["3H]UDP. ["3H] UDP was stably trapped at the active site by addition of vanadate (Vi) and Co"2"+. The extraordinary stability of the myosin.Co2+.[3H]UDP.Vi complex (t1/2 greater than 5 days at 0 degrees C) allowed it to be purified free of extraneous ["3H]UDP before irradiation began. Upon UV irradiation, greater than 60% of the trapped ["3H]UDP was photoincorporated into the active site. Only the 200-kDa heavy chain was labeled, confirming earlier results using ["3H]UTP. Extensive tryptic digestion of photolabeled myosin subfragment 1 followed by high performance liquid chromatography separations and removal of nucleotide phosphates by treatment with alkaline phosphatase allowed two labeled peptides to be isolated. Sequencing of the labeled peptides and radioactive counting showed that Glu185 was the residue labeled. Since UDP is a zero-length ...
BackgroundAmino-terminal signal peptides (SPs) are short regions that guide the targeting of secretory proteins to the correct subcellular compartments in the cell. They are cleaved...Full Text Available
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, ...
Four major natriuretic peptides have been isolated: atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), and Dendroaspis-type natriuretic peptide (DNP). Natriuretic peptides play an important role in the regulation of cardiovascular homeostasis maintaining blood pressure and extracellular fluid volume. The classical endocrine effects of natriuretic peptides to modulate fluid and electrolyte balance and vascular smooth muscle tone are complemented by autocrine and paracrine actions that include regulation of coronary blood flow and, therefore, myocardial perfusion; modulation of proliferative responses during myocardial and vascular remodeling; and cytoprotective anti-ischemic effects. The actions of natriuretic peptides are mediated by the specific binding of these ...
If two loops are isomorphic, then it is shown that their holomorphs are also isomorphic. Conversely, it is shown that if their holomorphs are isomorphic, then the loops are isotopic. It is shown that a loop is a Smarandache loop if and only if its holomorph is a Smarandache loop. This statement is also shown to be true for some weak Smarandache loops(inverse property, weak inverse property) but false for others(conjugacy closed, Bol, central, extra, Burn, A-, homogeneous) except if their holomorphs are nuclear or central. A necessary and sufficient condition for the Nuclear-holomorph of a Smarandache Bol loop to be a Smarandache Bruck loop is shown. Whence, it is found also to be a Smarandache Kikkawa loop if in addition the loop is a Smarandache A-loop with ...
C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) is a member of the small family of natriuretic peptides that also includes atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain, or B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP). Unlike them, it performs its major functions in an autocrine or paracrine manner. Those functions, mediated through binding to the membrane guanylyl cyclase natriuretic peptide receptor B (NPR-B), or by signaling through the non-enzyme natriuretic peptide receptor C (NPR-C), include the regulation of endochondral ossification, reproduction, nervous system development, and the maintenance of cardiovascular health. To date, the regulation of CNP gene expression has not received the attention that has been paid to regulation of the ANP and BNP genes. CNP expression in vitro is regulated by TGF-b and recepto...
For the past ten years, alternative loop rings have intrigued mathematicians from a wide cross-section of modern algebra. As a consequence, the theory of alternative loop rings has grown tremendously. One of the main developments is the complete characterization of loops which have an alternative but not associative, loop ring. Furthermore, there is a very close relationship between the algebraic structures of loop rings and of group rings over 2-groups. Another major topic of research is the study of the unit loop of the integral loop ring. Here the interaction between loop rings and group ri
Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) is a nutrient-regulated intestinotrophic hormone derived from proglucagon in the distal intestine. Enteral nutrients (EN) potentiate the action of GLP-2 to reverse parenteral...Full Text Available
BackgroundCalcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) is a neuropeptide that is abundant in the sensory neurons which innervate bone. The effects of CGRP on isolated bone cells have been...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVEThis randomized, four-arm, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging phase 2 trial was conducted to determine whether repeated subcutaneous injections of the altered peptide ligand,...Full Text Available
A unique antibacterial peptide derivative found in immune honeybee lymph, apidaecin 1b (AP1), was randomly mutagenized and characterized by a newly established system to analyze in vivo its structure-function...Full Text Available
High-density lipoproteins (HDL) were examined as potential carriers of small peptides in plasma. HDL purified by density gradient centrifugation was delipidated and fractionated by size-exclusion...Full Text Available
Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) causes relaxation in the opossum lower esophageal sphincter. The effects of dendroaspis natriuretic peptide (DNP) and other natriuretic peptides in the lower esophageal sphincter were not known. We measured the relaxation of transverse strips from the guinea pig lower esophageal sphincter caused by DNP, ANP, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), and a natriuretic peptide receptor-C agonist des[Gln^1^8, Ser^1^9, Gly^2^0, Leu^2^1, Gly^2^2]ANP(4-23) amide (cANF(4-23)) in vitro. In resting strips of the guinea pig lower esophageal sphincter DNP and BNP caused marked relaxations. Furthermore, in both sarafotoxin S6c and carbachol-contracted lower esophageal sphincter strips, DNP caused marked and BNP caused moderate, concentration-de...
BackgroundAtrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia with a population prevalence of about 1%. Natriuretic peptide level is elevated in patients with AF with...Full Text Available
BackgroundMammalian antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are effectors of the innate immune response. A multitude of signals coming from pathways of mammalian pathogen/pattern recognition...Full Text Available
CART peptides are endogenous neurotransmitters that are involved in a variety of physiologic functions. Injection of CART 55-102 into the nucleus accumbens produces no effect, but when co-administered...Full Text Available
Recombinant biotin-binding phages were affinity-selected from a random peptide library expressed on the surface of filamentous phage. Phage binding to biotinylated proteins was half-maximally inhibited...Full Text Available
Background: The causes of elevated B-Type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels are multifactorial. Renal dysfunction has been shown to affect BNP levels in some studies and...Full Text Available
In the cellular immune response, recognition by CTL-TCRs of viral antigens presented as peptides by HLA class I molecules, triggers destruction of the virally infected cell (Townsend, A.R.M., J. Rothbard,...Full Text Available
The identification of MHC class II restricted peptide epitopes is an important goal in immunological research. A number of computational tools have been developed for this purpose, but there is a lack...Full Text Available
The gastrin releasing peptide (GRP) receptor is becoming an increasingly attractive target for development of new radiolabeled peptides with diagnostic and therapeutic potential. The attractiveness of the GRP receptor as a target is based upon the functional expression of GRP receptors in several tumors of neuroendocrine origin including prostate, breast, and small cell lung cancer. This concise review outlines some of the efforts currently underway to develop new GRP receptor specific radiopharmaceuticals by employing a variety of radiometal chelation systems.
A new proprietary de novo peptide design technique generated ten 15-residue peptides targeting and containing the leading nontransmembrane hydrophobic autocorrelation wavelengths, “modes”,...Full Text Available
The pair $(G_H,\\cdot)$ is called a special loop if $(G,\\cdot)$ is a loop with an arbitrary subloop $(H,\\cdot)$. A special loop $(G_H,\\cdot)$ is called a second Smarandache Bol loop(S$_{2^{{\\tiny\\textrm{nd}}}}$BL) if and only if it obeys the second Smarandache Bol identity $(xs\\cdot z)s=x(sz\\cdot s)$ for all $x,z$ in $G$ and $s$ in $H$. The popularly known and well studied class of loops called Bol loops fall into this class and so S$_{2^{{\\tiny\\textrm{nd}}}}$BLs generalize Bol loops. The basic properties of S$_{2^{{\\tiny\\textrm{nd}}}}$BLs are studied. These properties are all Smarandache in nature. The results in this work generalize the basic properties of Bol loops, found in the Ph.D. thesis of D. A. Robinson. Some questions for further studies are raised.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder for which the research of new treatments is highly challenging. Since the fibrillogenesis of amyloid-b peptide 1-42 (Ab1-42) peptide is considered as a major cause of neuronal degeneration, specific interest has been focused on aromatic molecules for targeting this peptide. In this paper, the synthesis of selegiline-functionalized and fluorescent poly(alkyl cyanoacrylate) nanoparticles (NPs) and their evaluation for the targeting of the Ab1-42 peptide are reported. The synthetic strategy relied on the design of amphiphilic copolymers by tandem Knoevenagel-Michael addition of cyanoacetate derivatives, followed by their self-assembly in aqueous solutions to give the corresponding NPs. Different cyanoacetates were used: (i) hexadecyl cy...
Abstract Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) is a serious but treatable disease. The diagnosis of LNB poses a challenge to clinicians, and improved tests are needed. The C6-peptide ELISA is frequently used on serum but not on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Data on the sensitivity of the C6-peptide ELISA in CSF in patients suffering from LNB have been conflicting. Serum-CSF pairs from 59 LNB patients, 36 Lyme non-neuroborreliosis cases, 69 infectious meningitis/encephalitis controls and 74 neurological controls were tested in a C6-peptide ELISA. With the optimal cut-off of 1.1, the sensitivity of the C6-peptide ELISA for LNB patients in CSF was 95%, and the specificity was 83% in the Lyme non-neuroborreliosis patients, 96% in the infectious controls, and 97% in the neurological controls. These results ...
Cholera toxin catalyzes transfer of radiolabel from ["3"2P]NAD"+ to several peptides in particulate preparations of human foreskin fibroblasts. Resolution of these peptides by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis allowed identification of two peptides of M/sub r/ = 42,000 and 52,000 as peptide subunits of a regulatory component of adenylate cyclase. The radiolabeling of another group of peptides (M/sub r/ = 50,000 to 65,000) suggested that cholera toxin could catalyze ADP-ribosylation of cytoskeletal proteins. This suggestion was confirmed by showing that incubation with cholera toxin and ["3"2P]NAD"+ caused radiolabeling of purified microtubule and intermediate filament proteins.
The natriuretic peptides are considered to be cardioprotective; however, their receptors have not been identified in human myocardium using radiolabeled analogs. Dendroaspis natriuretic peptide (DNP) has been recently identified as a new member of this peptide family and is thought to be less susceptible to enzymatic degradation. Therefore, we have developed the novel radiolabeled analog [125I]-DNP and used this to localize high-affinity (K(D)=0.2 nmol/L), saturable, specific binding sites in adult human heart (n=6) and coronary artery (n=8). In competition binding experiments, atrial natriuretic peptide and brain type natriuretic peptide had greater affinity for [125I]-DNP binding sites than C-type natriuretic peptide and the natriuretic peptide receptor (NPR)-C ligand, cANF. This rank order of potency suggested binding of [125I]-DNP was ...
Synthetic atrial natriuretic peptide (carperitide) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP; nesiritide) are used to treat congestive heart failure. However, despite beneficial cardiac unloading properties, reductions in renal perfusion pressures limit their clinical effectiveness. Recently, CD-NP, a chimeric peptide composed of C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) fused to the C-terminal tail of Dendroaspis natriuretic peptide (DNP), was shown to be more glomerular filtration rate-enhancing than BNP in dogs. However, the molecular basis for the increased responsiveness was not determined. Here, we show that the DNP tail has a striking effect on CNP, converting it from a non-agonist to a partial agonist of natriuretic peptide receptor (NPR)-A while maintaining the ability to activate NPR-B. This effect is specific for human receptors because CD-NP was only a slightly ...
We study the temporal evolution of coronal loops using data from the Solar X-ray Imager (SXI) on board of GOES-12. This instrument allows us to follow in detail the full lifetime of coronal loops. The observed light curves suggest three somewhat distinct evolutionary phases: rise, main, and decay. The durations and characteristic timescales of these phases are much longer than a cooling time and indicate that the loop-averaged heating rate increases slowly, reaches a maintenance level, and then decreases slowly. This suggests that a single heating mechanism operates for the entire lifetime of the loop. For monolithic loops, the loop-averaged heating rate is the intrinsic energy release rate of the heating mechanism. For loops that are bundles of impulsively heated strands, it is an indication of the frequency of occurrence of individual ...
Recurrent tumour after radical pancreaticoduodenectomy may cause obstruction of the small bowel loop draining the liver. Roux-loop obstruction presents a particular therapeutic challenge, since the...Full Text Available
A closed loop control process assures that a system performs within control limits. In closed loop control, the system's output feeds back directly to change the system's inputs. We describe an approach...Full Text Available
The term "homology" or "homologous" means an amino acid similarity measured by the program, BLAST (Altschul et al (1997), "Gapped BLAST and PSI-BLAST: a new generation of protein database search programs", Nucleic Acids Res. 25:33 89 3402), and expressed as --(% identity n/n). In measuring homology between a peptide and a protein of greater size, homology is measured only in the corresponding region; that is, the protein is regarded as only having the same general length as the peptide, allowing for gaps and insertions.
Two constructions due to Dr\\'apal produce a group by modifying exactly one quarter of the Cayley table of another group. We present these constructions in a compact way, and generalize them to Moufang loops, using loop extensions. Both constructions preserve associators, the associator subloop, and the nucleus. We conjecture that two Moufang 2-loops of finite order $n$ with equivalent associator can be connected by a series of constructions similar to ours, and offer empirical evidence that this is so for $n=16$, 24, 32; the only interesting cases with $n\\le 32$. We further investigate the way the constructions affect code loops and loops of type $M(G, 2)$. The paper closes with several conjectures and research questions concerning the distance of Moufang loops, classification of small Moufang loops, and generalizations of the two ...
SummaryMammalian iron homeostasis is regulated by the interaction of the liver-produced peptide hepcidin and its receptor, the iron transporter ferroportin. Hepcidin binds to...Full Text Available
In an effort to develop octahedral metal complexes as chemotherapeutic and diagnostic agents targeted to DNA, it is critical to optimize the properties of their cellular uptake. Appending d-octaarginine...Full Text Available
Endogenous opioid peptides are substances involved in cell communication. They are present in various organs and tissues of the male and female reproductive tract, suggesting that they may regulate...Full Text Available
BackgroundGenetic predisposition to scrapie in sheep is associated with several variations in the peptide sequence of the prion protein gene (PRNP). DNA-based tests...Full Text Available
Technology is being developed for preparing functional materials by synthesizing new functional peptides in which non-natural amino acid needed for the functional manifestation is introduced, and by modifying the surface of a base plate such as silica glass by using such peptides. Activities were conducted in the three areas of (1) creation of functional molecules, (2) materialization technology, and (3) comprehensive investigation and research; the activities were carried out independently and parallelly in the first two areas. In (1), design technique for the structures and functions of peptides was developed, as were conformational control technique, synthesis of peptides having optical/electronic functions, peptide synthesis by an enzyme method, and R and D on introduction of non-natural amino acid into peptides; in (2), element technologies were developed ...
The role of dietary calcium and phosphorus in modifying the intestinal absorption of lead and also the effect of lead ingestion on the metabolism of cholecalciferol were studied in chicks. The efficiency of absorption of /sup 203/Pb and /sup 47/Ca was increased when the animals were fed a low calcium diet and treated with cholecalciferol. The synthesis of the vitamin D-induced calcium-binding protein (CaBP) was correspondingly increased. When the chicks were depleted of vitamin D and repleted with 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25(OH)/sub 2/D/sub 3/) as their only source of the vitamin, the absorption of both /sup 47/Ca and /sup 203/Pb was unaffected by dietary calcium levels, and no change in CaBP levels occurred. Low dietary intake of phosphorus resulted in an increase in /sup 47/Ca and /sup 203/Pb absorption and in CaBP synthesis when the animals were treated with cholecalciferol. However, when the birds were repleted with 1,25(OH)/sub 2/D/sub 3/, the ...
The role of dietary calcium and phosphorus in modifying the intestinal absorption of lead and also the effect of lead ingestion on the metabolism of cholecalciferol were studied in chicks. The efficiency of absorption of "2"0"3Pb and "4"7Ca was increased when the animals were fed a low calcium diet and treated with cholecalciferol. The synthesis of the vitamin D-induced calcium-binding protein (CaBP) was correspondingly increased. When the chicks were depleted of vitamin D and repleted with 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [1,25(OH)_2D_3] as their only source of the vitamin, the absorption of both "4"7Ca and "2"0"3Pb was unaffected by dietary calcium levels, and no change in CaBP levels occurred. Low dietary intake of phosphorus resulted in an increase in "4"7Ca and "2"0"3Pb absorption and in CaBP synthesis when the animals were treated with cholecalciferol. However, when the birds were repleted with 1,25(OH)_2D_3, the intestinal absorption of "4"7Ca and of "2"0"3Pb ...
In order to investigate the systematics of the loop expansion in high temperature gauge theories beyond the leading order hard thermal loop (HTL) approximation, we calculate the two-loop electron proper self-energy #SIGMA# in high temperature QED. The two-loop bubble diagram of #SIGMA# contains a linear infrared divergence. Even if regulated with a nonzero photon mass M of order of the Debye mass, this infrared sensitivity implies that the two-loop self-energy contributes terms to the fermion dispersion relation that are comparable to or even larger than the next-to-leading order (NLO) contributions of the one-loop #SIGMA#. Additional evidence for the necessity of a systematic restructuring of the loop expansion comes from the explicit gauge-parameter dependence of the fermion damping rate at both one and two loops. The ...
This study aims to investigate the difference in the interaction of antimicrobial peptides with two classes of zwitterionic peptides, phosphatidylethanolamines (PE) and phosphatidylcholines (PC). Further experiments were performed on model membranes prepared from specific bacterial lipids, lipopolysaccharides (LPS) isolated from Salmonella minnesota. The structure of the lipid-peptide aqueous dispersions was studied by small-and wide-angle X-ray diffraction during heating and cooling from 5 to 85 C. The lipids and peptides were mixed at lipid-to-peptide ratios 10-10000 (POPE and POPC) or 2-50 (LPS). All experiments were performed at synchrotron soft condensed matter beamline A2 in Hasylab at Desy in Hamburg, Germany. The phases were identified and the lattice parameters were calculated. Alamethicin and melittin interact in similar ways with the lipids. Pure POPC forms only lamellar ...
The effects of D-amino acids at Asp"2"3 and Ser"2"6 residues on the conformational preference of #beta#-amyloid (A#beta#) peptide fragment (A#beta#_2_0_-_2_9) have been studied using different spectroscopic techniques, namely vibrational circular dichroism (VCD), vibrational absorption, and electronic circular dichroism. To study the structure of the A#beta#_2_0_-_2_9, [D-Asp"2"3]A#beta#_2_0_-_2_9, and [D-Ser"2"6]A#beta#_2_0_-_2_9 peptides under different conditions, the spectra were measured in 10 mM acetate buffer (pH 3) and in 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE). The spectroscopic results indicated that at pH 3, A#beta#_2_0_-_2_9 peptide takes random coil with #beta#-turn structure, while [D-Ser"2"6]A#beta#_2_0_-_2_9 peptide adopts significant amount of polyproline II (PPII) type structure along with #beta#-turn contribution and D-Asp-substituted peptide ([D-Asp"2"3]A#beta#_2_0_-_2_9) ...
Insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) degrades insulin and other peptides, including the Aβ peptide of Alzheimer’s disease. However, the mechanism by which IDE acts on its substrates...Full Text Available
Staphylococcus aureus survives inside eukaryotic cells. Our objective was to assess the activity of NZ2114, a novel peptidic antibiotic, against intracellular S. aureus in comparison with established antistaphylococcal agents acting on the bacterial envelope with a distinct mechanism.
A collection of neurons in the upper lumbar spinal cord of male rats projects to the lower lumbar spinal cord, releasing gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) onto somatic and autonomic centers known to regulate...Full Text Available
A Smarandache quasigroup(loop) is shown to be universal if all its f,g-principal isotopes are Smarandache f,g-principal isotopes. Also, weak Smarandache loops of Bol-Moufang type such as Smarandache: left(right) Bol, Moufang and extra loops are shown to be universal if all their f,g-principal isotopes are Smarandache f,g-principal isotopes. Conversely, it is shown that if these weak Smarandache loops of Bol-Moufang type are universal, then some autotopisms are true in the weak Smarandache sub-loops of the weak Smarandache loops of Bol-Moufang type relative to some Smarandache elements. Futhermore, a Smarandache left(right) inverse property loop in which all its f,g-principal isotopes are Smarandache f,g-principal isotopes is shown to be universal if and only if it is a Smarandache left(right) Bol loop in which all its ...
CD-NP is a novel chimeric natriuretic peptide (NP) consisting of the 22-amino-acid (AA) human C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), a venodilating peptide with limited renal actions and minimal effects on blood pressure, and the 15-AA C-terminus of Dendroaspis NP (DNP). The rationale for the design of CD-NP was to enhance the renal actions of CNP, the ligand for natriuretic peptide receptor-B, but without inducing excessive hypotension. Here we report the first-in-human studies for CD-NP, which represent the first successful clinical testing of a chimeric NP demonstrating in normal human volunteers that CD-NP possesses cyclic guanosine monophosphate-activating, natriuretic, and aldosterone-suppressing properties without inducing excessive hypotension, laying the foundation for additional studies on this first-in-class new cardiovascular therapeutic in human heart failure, which are now underway worldwide. ...
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are useful tools for the delivery of hydrophilic bioactive molecules, such as peptides, proteins, and oligonucleotides, across the cell membrane. To realize the delivery of therapeutic macromolecules by CPPs, the CPPs are required to show resistance to protease and no cytotoxicity. In order to produce potent non-toxic and protease-resistant CPPs with high cellular uptake, we designed an amphipathic helix peptide using ?-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib, U) and named it MAP(Aib). In the MAP(Aib) molecule, five Aib residues are aligned on the hydrophobic face of the helix and five lysine (K) residues are aligned on the hydrophilic face. MAP(Aib) showed potent resistance to trypsin and pronase compared with MAP, an amphipathic helix peptide formed by usual amino acids. Fluorescein-labeled MAP(Aib) efficiently traversed the A549 cell membrane, diffusing into the cytoplasm and ...
This paper reports the development of a relay coordination package specially designed as a teaching aid. Fault studies required for relay coordination has been performed by using a newly developed loop impedance matrix. This new method of forming loop impedance matrix is particularly suitable for multiple fault studies environment as required in relay coordination. A simple topology searching technique has been used to find all loops of the network. This package simultaneously serves the purpose of teaching relay coordination, loop analysis technique and the method of topology searching.
In this paper, we describe our vectorized and parallelized adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) N-body code with shared time steps, and report its performance on a Fujitsu VPP5000 vector-parallel supercomputer. Our AMR N-body code puts hierarchical meshes recursively where higher resolution is required and the time step of all particles are the same. The parts which are the most difficult to vectorize are loops that access the mesh data and particle data. We vectorized such parts by changing the loop structure, so that the innermost loop steps through the cells instead of the particles in each cell, in other words, by changing the loop order from the depth-first order to the breadth-first order. Mass assignment is also vectorizable using this loop order exchange and splitting the loop into $2^{N_{dim}}$ loops, if the cloud-in-cell scheme is ...
In APCs, presentation by MHC II molecules of the chemically dominant peptide from the protein hen egg white lysozyme (HEL) generates different conformational isomers of the peptide-MHC II complexes (pMHC). Type B pMHCs are formed in early endosomes from exogenous peptides in the absence of H2-DM, whereas in contrast, type A pMHC complexes are formed from HEL protein in late vesicles after editing by H2-DM. Thus, H2-DM edits off the more unstable pMHC complexes, which are not presented from HEL. In this study, we show that type B pMHC complexes were presented from HEL protein only after stimulation of dendritic cells (DC) with TLR ligands or type I IFN. Type I IFN contributed to most TLR ligand-induced type B pMHC generation, as presentation decreased in DC lacking the receptor for type I IFNs (IFNAR1(-/-)). In contrast, presentation of type A pMHC from HEL and from peptide was minimally affected by TLR ...
The amino acid residues 114-118 in actin were found to be implicated strongly in the binding of nucleotide, and as would be expected for such an important binding site, they are located in a completely conserved region of the actin sequence. A 19-residue peptide with the actin sequence 106-124 was synthesized in order to span the putative triphosphate binding site. Proton NMR spectra of the actin peptide 114-118 in the presence and absence of ATP indicated that Arg-116 and Lys-118 are particularly involved in binding ATP. A strong binding of ATP to the peptide 106-124 also was measured. Tripolyphosphate bound to the peptide 106-124 somewhat more weakly than ATP. Binding involved residues 115-118 and 121-124, indicating the presence of a reverse turn between these segments. Proton resonances were assigned by using two-dimensional double quantum correlated spectroscopy, one-dimensional spin decoupling ...
In a given species, injected opioid peptides usually cause changes in temperature similar to those caused by nonpeptide opioids. The main effect in those species most studied, the cat, rat, and mouse, is an increase in the level about which body temperature is regulated; there is a coordinated change in the activity of thermoregulatory effectors such that hyperthermia is produced in both hot and cold environments. Larger doses may depress thermoregulation, thereby causing body temperature to decrease in the cold. Elicitation of different patterns of response over a range of environmental temperatures and studies with naloxone and naltrexone indicate that stimulation of a number of different receptors by both peptide and nonpeptide opioids can evoke thermoregulatory responses. ..beta..-Endorphin is readily antagonized by naloxone whereas methionine-enkephalin can act on naloxone-insensitive receptors. Moreover, synthetic ...
Introduction: Tumor-derived heat shock protein (HSP)-peptide complexes (HSPPCs) induced immunity against malignancies in preclinical trials, working across tumor types and bypassing the need to identify single immunogenic peptides. These results paved the way for the use of human gp96 obtained from autologous tumor samples as an anti-cancer vaccine. Areas covered: Autologous tumor-derived HSP gp96 peptide complex (HSPPC-96) vaccine is emerging as a tumor- and patient-specific cancer vaccine, with confirmed activity in several malignancies. It has been tested in Phase III clinical trials in advanced melanoma and kidney cancer with evidence for efficacy in patients with earlier stage disease. HSPPC-96-based vaccine demonstrated an excellent safety profile, thus emerging as a novel therapeuti...
Antibodies to hemoglobin have been studied with a radioimmunoassay which employs ["1"4C]carbamylated (= carbamoylated) hemoglobin S. An antiserum raised against hemoglobin S, which initially discriminated poorly between hemoglobins S and A, was fractionated by absorption to a column of Sepharose to which a synthetic peptide corresponding to the first 13 amino-acid residues of the #beta# chain of sickle hemoglobin had been covalently bound. A subpopulation of the antiserum was eluted from this column with 4 M guanidine . HCl. These antibodies showed binding to hemoglobin S but not to hemoglobin A and this interaction could be inhibited by the synthetic peptide. These antibodies, of demonstrated fine structural specificity, may be useful in the detection of sickle hemoglobin and in the study of its structure in solution.
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.
The atmospheric processing by ozone of peptide-containing mixed particles was investigated as proxies for biogenic and sea spray primary organic aerosol. Reactions were performed in a flow reactor and particle composition was monitored by photoelectron resonance capture ionization aerosol mass spectrometry. Mixed particles containing dipeptides in a saturated organic matrix of stearic and palmitic acids showed no reaction under ozonolysis at exposure levels of 2.5???10?4?atm s O3. However reactions of mixed particles of a dipeptide (Leu-Leu) in an unsaturated matrix (oleic acid) under the same conditions resulted in a rapid loss of the peptide ion signal, as well as the carrier matrix, and appearance of a number of ion signals corresponding to secondary products. High molecular weight imid...
Analyses of food-borne pathogens are of great importance in order to minimize the health risk for customers. Thus, very sensitive and rapid detection methods are required. Current conventional culture techniques are very time consuming. Modern immunoassays and biochemical analysis also require pre-enrichment steps resulting in a turnaround time of at least 24 h. Biomagnetic separation (BMS) is a promising more rapid method. In this study we describe the isolation of high affine and specific peptides from a phage-peptide library, which combined with BMS allows the detection of Salmonella spp. with a similar sensitivity as that of immunomagnetic separation using antibodies.
We analyze the nucleon axial-vector coupling to two loops in chiral perturbation theory. We show that chiral extrapolations based on this representation require lattice data with pion masses below 300 MeV.
A structurally conserved element, the trigger loop, has been suggested to play a key role in substrate selection and catalysis of RNA polymerase II (pol II) transcription elongation. Recently resolved...Full Text Available
The T-loop motif is an important recurrent RNA structural building block consisting of a U-turn sub-motif and a UA trans Watson–Crick/Hoogsteen base pair. In the presence of...Full Text Available
As evidence of its effectiveness rapidly accumulates, the Lomi process has most recently been used to decontaminate the recirculation loops and the reactor water clean-up unit of a BWR at Monticello in the United States. An average decontamination factor of 23 was achieved in the recirculation loops.
A hitherto unreported immunofluorescent staining pattern obtained from human sera is described. Serum from six patients was found to possess specific antibody activity against lining cells of loops...Full Text Available
Effector proteins expressed in the esophageal gland cells of cyst nematodes are delivered into plant cells through a hollow, protrusible stylet. Although evidence indicates that effector proteins function...Full Text Available
The acyl coenzyme A (CoA) binding protein AcbA is secreted unconventionally and processed into spore differentiation factor 2 (SDF-2), a peptide that coordinates sporulation in Dictyostelium...Full Text Available
AbstractThere is an urgent need for innovative therapies against ovarian cancer, one of the leading causes of death from gynecological cancers in the United States. Immunotherapy employing...Full Text Available
1. Seven unique carboxymethylcysteine-containing peptides have been isolated from tryptic digests of rabbit muscle aldolase carboxymethylated with iodo[2-14C]acetic acid in 8m-urea....Full Text Available
OBJECTIVETo determine if ProL1, a member of the opiorphin family of genes, can modulate erectile physiology, as it encodes a peptide which acts as...Full Text Available
We have performed multicanonical Monte Carlo simulations of C-peptide of ribonuclease A. It is known by CD and NMR experiments that this peptide has high alpha-helix content in aqueous solution and that the side-chain charges of residues Glu-2$^-$ and His-12$^+$ play an important role in the stability of the alpha-helix. In order to confirm these experimental implications, we have used two analogues of the peptide with charged and neutral side chains of Glu-2 and His-12. Two dielectric functions, distance-dependent and constant, are considered to study the effects of solvent contributions. All the simulations were started from random initial conformations. Various thermodynamic quantities such as average helicity as a function of residue number and average distance between two side chains as a function of temperature are calculated. The results are found to be in accord with the implications of CD and NMR experiments. The ...
To capitalize on the response of tumor cells to ionizing radiation, we developed a controlled-release nanoparticle drug delivery system using a targeting peptide that recognizes a radiation-induced...Full Text Available
Peptide toxins with high affinity, divergent pharmacological functions, and isoform-specific selectivity are powerful tools for investigating the structure-function relationships of voltage-gated...Full Text Available
In this work, we explore the potential of the metalloendopeptidase Lys-N for MALDI-MS/MS proteomics applications. Initially we digested a HEK293 cellular lysate with Lys-N and, for comparison, in parallel...Full Text Available
Constitutive activation of the transcription factor Stat5 in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells leads to various hematopoietic malignancies including myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN). Our recent study...Full Text Available
The neonatal Fc receptor FcRn provides IgG molecules with their characteristically long half-lives in vivo by protecting them from intracellular catabolism and then returning them to...Full Text Available
BackgroundBaculovirus, which has a width of 40 nm and a length of 250-300 nm, can display functional peptides, receptors and antigens on its surface by their fusion with a baculovirus...Full Text Available
The parathyroid hormone receptor (PTHR) is a class B G protein-coupled receptor that plays critical roles in bone and mineral ion metabolism. Ligand binding to the PTHR involves interactions to both...Full Text Available
Secreted human bronchial mucins, directly collected from macroscopically healthy bronchial mucosa, were prepared in the presence of six proteinase inhibitors, and analysed by electron microscopy. These...Full Text Available
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an infectious disease caused by a novel coronavirus that cost nearly 800 lives. While there have been no recent outbreaks of the disease, the threat...Full Text Available
Human skin is a local source of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and expresses CRH and CRH receptors (CRH-R) at mRNA and protein levels. Epidermal melanocytes respond to CRH by induction...Full Text Available
We have developed a method for dissecting single neurons from the nematode Ascaris suum, in order to determine their peptide content by mass spectrometry (MS). In this paper,...Full Text Available
Gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR), a member of the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily, has been utilized for receptor-mediated targeting of imaging and therapeutic agents; here we extend...Full Text Available
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) results from insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction, in the setting of hyperglucagonemia. Glucagon is a 29 amino acid peptide hormone, which is secreted from...Full Text Available
In the synthesis of the peptidyl-polymer corresponding to the sequence (57-100) of the ..beta.. chain of human hemoglobin on Teflon with radiationally grafted polystyrene a comparative study was made of different methods of fragment condensation. It was shown that the most effective methods are azide condensation and condensation with the use of complex F.
In the synthesis of the peptidyl-polymer corresponding to the sequence (57-100) of the #beta# chain of human hemoglobin on Teflon with radiationally grafted polystyrene a comparative study was made of different methods of fragment condensation. It was shown that the most effective methods are azide condensation and condensation with the use of complex F.
A monensin-sensitive ruminal peptostreptococcus was able to grow rapidly (growth rate of 0.5/h) on an enzymatic hydrolysate of casein, but less than 23% of the amino acid nitrogen was ever utilized....Full Text Available
The carboxyl-terminal region of tubulin alpha and beta subunits plays a major role in regulating its assembly into microtubules and constitutes an essential domain for the selective interaction of microtubule-associated...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe successful interaction of bacterial pathogens with host tissues requires the sensing of specific chemical and physical cues. The human gut contains a huge number of...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVEPreimplantation factor (PIF) is a novel, 15 amino acid peptide, secreted by viable embryos. This study aims to elucidate PIF’s effects in human endometrial...Full Text Available
A pentapeptide open reading frame equipped with a canonical ribosome-binding site is present in the Escherichia coli 23S rRNA. Overexpression of 23S rRNA fragments containing the mini-gene renders cells...Full Text Available
During complementary chromatic adaptation (CCA), cyanobacterial light harvesting structures called phycobilisomes are restructured in response to ambient light quality shifts. Transcription of genes...Full Text Available
Humanin (HN), a 24-residue peptide, was identified as a novel neuroprotective factor and shows anti-cell death activity against a wide spectrum of Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related cytotoxicities, including...Full Text Available
Developed is a simple method alloing one to determine the k-loop coefficient of #beta# function in gauge theories provided the operator expansion is constructed in (k-1) loop for certain two-point functions. The calculation of the two-loop coefficient of the Gell-Mann-Low function becomes trival - it reduces to a few algebraic operations with expressions which are already known. As an example spinor, scalar and supersymmetric electrodynamics are considered. Although the corresponding results for #beta#"("2") are known in the literature, both the method of the calculations and some points referring to the construction of the operator expansion are novel.
It has been observed that dislocation loops form and grow during annealing of silicon wafers implanted at doses above the amorphization threshold. Dislocation loops can act to store interstitials for prolonged periods of anneals, sustaining an interstitial super-saturation and thus causing substantial transient enhanced diffusion (TED). The authors have developed a comprehensive model which, in combination with a model and parameters for {l_brace}311{r_brace} defects from previous work, accounts for the formation and evolution of dislocation loops during ion implant annealing, as well as giving the correct TED behavior.
It has been observed that dislocation loops form and grow during annealing of silicon wafers implanted at doses above the amorphization threshold. Dislocation loops can act to store interstitials for prolonged periods of anneals, sustaining an interstitial super-saturation and thus causing substantial transient enhanced diffusion (TED). The authors have developed a comprehensive model which, in combination with a model and parameters for #left brace#311#right brace# defects from previous work, accounts for the formation and evolution of dislocation loops during ion implant annealing, as well as giving the correct TED behavior.
Nine secondary metaboites of cyclic peptide were isolated from three mangrove endophytic fungi Paecilomyces sp. (treel-7), 4557,ZZF65. They were viscumamide(1),cyclo(Pro-Iso)(2),cyclo(Phe-Gly)(3),cyclo(Phe-Ana)(4),cyclo(Gly-Pro) (5),cyclo(Gly-Leu)(6), cyclo(Trp-Ana)(7),neoechinulin A(8),cyclo(Pro-Thr)(9). The compounds 1,7,8,9 were firstly isolated from marine fungus. PMID:18422185
Presented are some preliminary studies made in preparation for the design of a solar powered loop for desalination by humidification - dehumidification process. The studies concentrated on the evaluation of different parameters affecting the performance of the combination of different components in such a loop in the hope of outlining the most decisive factors for the choice or design of solar collectors or heat source. The results presented relate to the performance of two of the most important components in a loop of such purpose, that is: the humidifying and the dehumidifying columns or stacks. 4 refs.
Using the manifestly causal gluon propagator in the light-cone gauge, we evaluate two one-loop Feynman integrals which appear in the computation of the three-gluon vertex correction in the two-component formalism of the Yang-Mills gauge fields. We conclude that they both are finite for {omega} -> 2, where {omega} is the dimensional regulator. They belong to a class of finite one-loop light-cone integrals. (author). 7 refs.
Nop25 is a putative RNA binding nucleolar protein associated with rRNA transcription. The present study was undertaken to determine the mechanism of Nop25 localization in the nucleolus. Deletion experiments of Nop25 amino acid sequence showed Nop25 to contain a nuclear targeting sequence in the N-terminal and a nucleolar targeting sequence in the C-terminal. By expressing derivative peptides from the C-terminal as GFP-fusion proteins in the cells, a lysine and arginine residue-enriched peptide (KRKHPRRAQDSTKKPPSATRTSKTQRRRR) allowed a GFP-fusion protein to be transported and fully retained in the nucleolus. When the peptide was fused with cMyc epitope and expressed in the cells, a cMyc epitope was then detected in the nucleolus. Nop25 did not localize in the nucleolus by deletion of the peptide from Nop25. Furthermore, deletion of a subdomain (KRKHPRRAQ) in the peptide or amino acid ...
BackgroundDespite an ever-improving understanding of the molecular biology of cancer, the treatment of most cancers has not changed dramatically in the past three decades and drugs that do not discriminate between tumor cells and normal tissues remain the mainstays of anticancer therapy. Since Hsp90 is typically involved in cell proliferation and survival, this is thought to play a key role in cancer, and Hsp90 has attracted considerable interest in recent years as a potential therapeutic target.MethodsWe focused on the interaction of Hsp90 with its cofactor protein p60/Hop, and engineered a cell-permeable peptidomimetic, termed "hybrid Antp-TPR peptide", modeled on the binding interface between the molecular chaperone Hsp90 and the TPR2A domain of Hop.ResultsIt was demonstrated that this designed hybrid Antp-TPR peptide inhibited the interaction of Hsp90 with the TPR2A domain, inducing cell death of breast, pancreatic, renal, lung, prostate, ...
Nano indentation analysis and transmission electron microscopy observation were performed to investigate a microstructural evolution and its influence on the hardening behavior in Fe-Cr alloys after an irradiation with 8 MeV Fe4+ ions at room temperature. Nano indentation analysis shows that an irradiation induced hardening is generated more considerably in the Fe-15Cr alloy than in the Fe-5Cr alloy by the ion irradiation. TEM observation reveals a significant population of the a0 dislocation loops in the Fe-15Cr alloy and an agglomeration of the 1/2a0 dislocation loops in the Fe-5Cr alloy. The results indicate that the a0 dislocation loops will act as stronger obstacles to a dislocation motion than 1/2a0 dislocation loops.
Heat pipes, loop heat pipes (LHP), and capillary pumped loops (CPL) have already proven their potential to remove high heat fluxes from a small electronic device and transport the heat to a heat sink that is large enough to transfer it into the ambient air. We introduce a novel two-loop system similar in design to CPLs but with an additional buoyancy-driven fluid loop. Non-degassed methanol is used as a working fluid. Key benefits compared to LHPs and CPLs are easy filling procedure, easy startup, and the tolerance toward noncondensable gases in the fluid. The amount of fluid in the system can be varied over a broad range without affecting the heat transfer performance. Three different inverted-meniscus-type evaporators have been employed in this study. A maximum evaporator heat transfer r...
1 - Description of test facility: The LOBI facility is a 1/700 scale model of a four loop PWR and has two primary loops, the intact loop representing three loops and the broken loop representing one loop of a four-loop PWR. The reactor pressure vessel model contains an electrically heated rod-bundle with 64 rods and a heated length of 3.9 m. The nominal heating power is 5.3 MW. The downcomer is of annular shape. An upper head simulator is connected to the vessel. Each of the two primary loops contains a pump and a steam generator. The different mass flows in the loops are established by the pump speeds, since the two pumps are identical. Heat is removed from the steam generators by a secondary system. ECC water can be supplied from two accumulators, one for each loop. Cold or hot ...
The sequence segment 181-200 of the Torpedo nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) #alpha#subunit forms a binding site for #alpha#-bungarotoxin (#alpha#-BTX). Synthetic peptides corresponding to the homologous sequences of human, calf, mouse, chicken, frog, and cobra muscle nAChR #alpha#1 subunits were tested for their ability to bind "1"2"5I-#alpha#-BTX, and differences in #alpha#-BTX affinity were determined by using solution (IC_5_0s) and solid-phase (K_ds) assays. Panels of overlapping peptides corresponding to the complete #alpha#1 subunit of mouse and human were also tested for #alpha#-BTX binding, but other sequence segments forming the #alpha#-BTX site were not consistently detectable. The role of a putative vicinal disulfide bound between Cys-192 and -193, relative to the Torpedo sequence, was determined by modifying the peptides with sulfhydryl reagents. Reduction and alkylation of the ...
An improved labeling procedure for peptides attached to organometallic 99mTc(III) '4+1' mixed-ligand complexes in which the radiometal is coordinated by a tripodal tetradentate chelator 2,2',2''-nitrilotriethanethiol (NS3) and a monodentate isocyanide ligand is presented. The labeling procedure was evaluated by the synthesis of [99mTc(NS3)(L2-RGD)]. The containing radiopharmaceutically interesting RGD-peptide cyclo[Arg-Gly-Asp-D-Tyr-Lys] was modified with 4-isocyanobutanoic acid (L2) as linker conjugated to N6-Lys to get the monodentate ligand L2-RGD. The structural identity of the 99mTc-conjugate was confirmed by comparison to a Re reference compound. The Tc- and Re-conjugates had matching retention times under identical HPLC conditions. The 99mTc-labeling was performed in a novel one-step procedure using the eluate of a 99Mo/99mTc generator, NS3, the isocyanide modified peptide, SnCl2, Na2EDTA, mannitol and ascorbic acid ...
Designer natriuretic peptides (NPs) represent an active area of drug development. In canine and human studies, the designer natriuretic peptide CD-NP demonstrated more desirable therapeutic potential than recombinant B-type NP (BNP), which is known as nesiritide and is approved for treatment of acute decompensated heart failure. However, why CD-NP is more effective than BNP is not known. We previously reported that CD-NP is a poorer activator of human guanylyl cyclase-A (GC-A) and a better activator of human guanylyl cyclase-B than BNP. Here, guanylyl cyclase bioassays were used to compare the susceptibility of CD-NP verses ANP, BNP, CNP and DNP to inactivation by human kidney membranes. The half time (t(1/2)) for CD-NP inactivation was increased by factors of 13, 3 and 4 compared to ANP, BNP and CNP, respectively, when measured in the same assay. Surprisingly, DNP failed to undergo complete inactivation and was the most degradation resistant ...
In order to study the two-phase natural circulation and flow termination during a small break loss of coolant accident in LWR, simulation experiments have been performed using two different thermal-hydraulic loops. The main focus of the experiment was the two-phase flow behavior in the hot-leg U-bend typical of BandW LWR systems. The first group of experiments was carried out in the nitrogen gas-water adiabatic simulation loop and the second in the Freon 113 boiling and condensation loop. Both of the loops have been designed as a flow visualization facility and built according to the two-phase flow scaling criteria developed under this program. The nitrogen gas-water system has been used to isolate key hydrodynamic phenomena such as the phase distribution, relative velocity between phases, two-phase flow regimes and flow termination mechanisms, whereas the Freon loop has been used ...
Scaling criteria for a natural-circulation loop are examined. The present state of knowledge of scaling to obtain similarity during single- and two-phase flow conditions in a closed loop are reviewed, and an alternative development of two-phase similarity parameters is presented. The loop scaling criteria are the results of analyses in which flow from one component to another is considered. In this work, boundary conditions for the closed loop are developed to obtain scaling criteria for leak flow, injection flow, and heat loss to ambient. The leak scaling criteria are specialized for modeling approaches using prototypic fluid at prototypic or reduced pressures. The derived scaling parameters are examined for their application to two existing scaled test facilities: the Multi-Loop Integral System Test (MIST) facility at Babcock and Wilcox, and the UMCP 2 x 4 facility at the ...
In this paper, we propose a simple method for controlling an electromagnetic levitation (Mag lev) system. The model of the Mag lev system under consideration in this paper is third order, inherently nonlinear and unstable. For designing a controller to obtain a good disturbance rejection and being insensitive to parameter variations, we use an inner-loop and an outer-loop configuration. The configuration is the key to solve this problem. By using a nonlinear state transformation in the feedback path, a cascaded PI controller and a redefined input in the inner loop, we obtain a linear second order system. Furthermore, to achieve a stable system with a good disturbance rejection, we design a Pid controller cascaded with the inner loop system in the negative unity feedback configuration in the outer loop. We show that the closed-loop system is robustly stabilized ...
The presence of endothelin (ET)-like immunoreactivity and the cardiovascular effects of mammalian ET-1 in fish have been reported. To identify ET-related peptides in fish, we screened the cDNA library of the salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) stomach by means of rapid amplification of cDNA ends, and we cloned cDNAs encoding an ET-related peptide. The salmon ET-related sequence of 21 amino acids is identical to the trout ET-1 peptide recently purified from kidney specimens of Oncorhynchus mykiss. The deduced amino acid sequence of salmon pre-proET-1 (PPET-1) comprises 244 amino acids, including a putative signal sequence and mature ET-1, as well as big ET-1 and ET-1-like sequences. This precursor, the first reported PPET-1 sequence for Salmoniformes, Teleostei, has low homology with the sequences of human, mouse, frog (Xenopus laevis), and zebrafish (Danio rerio) PPET-1 (26%, 29%, 24%, and 39%, respectively). PMID:16740985
Zinc-fingers, which widely exist in eukaryotic cell and play crucial roles in life processes, depend on the binding of zinc ion for their proper folding. To computationally study the zinc coupled folding of the zinc-fingers, charge transfer and metal induced protonation/deprotonation effects have to be considered. Here, by attempting to implicitly account for such effects in classical molecular dynamics and performing intensive simulations with explicit solvent for the peptides with and without zinc binding, we investigate the folding of the Cys2His2 type zinc-finger motif and the coupling between the peptide folding and zinc binding. We find that zinc ion not only stabilizes the native structure, but also participates in the whole folding process. It binds to the peptide at early stage of folding, and directs or modulates the folding and stabilizations of the component beta-hairpin and alpha-helix. Such a crucial role of ...
The recent development of matrix-assisted UV laser desorption (LD) mass spectrometry has made possible the ionization and detection of extremely large molecules (with molecular weights exceeding 100,000 Daltons). This technique has generated enormous interest in the biological community for the direct examination of large peptides and oligonucleotides. Although this matrix-assisted ionization method has been developed and used almost exclusively with time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometers, research is currently in progress to demonstrate this technique with trapped ion mass spectrometers, such as Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTMS). The potential capabilities of FTMS for wide mass range, high resolution measurement, and ion trapping experiments suggest that this instrumental technique should be useful for the detailed structural characterization of large ions generated by the matrix-assisted technique. We have recently demonstrated ...
The photoelectron resonance capture ionization (PERCI) of cysteine (Cys) and small gas-phase neutral peptides that contain the Cys residue (Cys-Gly, g-Glu-Cys, and glutathione (g-Glu-Cys-Gly)) is reported. At an ionization energy less than 1eV two types of dissociative electron attachment ionization were observed for Cys: hydrogen atom loss, resulting in formation of the ion [Cys-H]-, and dissociation of the CH2-SH bond, resulting in formation of the ion [SH]-. The presence of these ions suggests that both the p*(-CO2H) and *(C-S) orbitals can act as low energy electrophores on Cys. This ionization trend was observed for the dipeptides Cys-Gly and g-Glu-Cys as well as glutathione, with evidence that dissociation of the CH2-SH bond in these peptides can also result in ions of the form [M-SH...
The Drell-Yan mechanism for the production of lepton pairs is one of the most basic processes for physics studies at hadron colliders. It is therefore important to have accurate theoretical predictions. In this work we compute the two-loop virtual mixed QCD x QED corrections to Drell-Yan production. We evaluate the Feynman diagrams by decomposing the amplitudes into a set of known master integrals and their coefficients, which allows us to derive an analytical result. We also perform a detailed study of the ultraviolet and infrared structure of the two-loop amplitude and the corresponding poles in epsilon.
We demonstrate reversible movement of (1/2)[110](110) dislocation loops generated from nanodisturbances in a #beta#-titanium alloy. High resolution transmission electron microscope observations during an in situ tensile test found three reversible deformation mechanisms, nanodisturbances, dislocation loops and martensitic transformation, that are triggered in turn with increasing applied stress. All three mechanisms contribute to the nonlinear elasticity of the alloy. The experiments also revealed the evolution of the dislocation loops to disclination dipoles that cause severe local lattice rotations.
This study is targeted to the NLO corrections of multileg processes, very important for the LHC. Starting from the construction of Feynman diagrams, the analytical reduction of general one-loop integrals to scalar master ones, the calculation of color structures, manipulation of spinor lines and other amplitude constituents and finally phase space point selection are obtained by use of a program producing Fortran code for numerical calculation of one-loop corrections for processes like gg{yields}t anti tgg. (orig.)
Compared with that of Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant, the reactor power of QS-II Nuclear Power Plant is decreased and the primary coolant system is changed from three loops to two loops. Thereby the related systems were re-designed, and corresponding tests and engineering validation were carried out. Results of preliminary operation indicate that it is successful. The author describes the design modifications, features and corresponding tests of some systems, reflecting the successful incorporation of engineering and testing, and revealing the capability to develop nuclear power and design the large or medium sized commercial NPP on Self-Reliance in China
The General Electric Test Reactor emergency cooling system performance was tested by intentionally scramming the reactor and then terminating the power to the primary pump. Certain transient thermal-hydraulic data were obtained preceding and during the established natural convection cooling loop composed of the upward flow through the core and the downward flow through the pool. An analysis was performed to permit the data to be extrapolated to obtain distributed fuel element flow rates and bulk temperature rises during the established cooling loop. The earliest time for the quasi-steady natural cooling loop to develop is about 2.5 min following scram. The cladding hot-spot temperature does not exceed the local saturation temperature after quasi-steady flow is established. Data are presented to assist in the modeling of the GETR natural convection loop. Semi-empirical relationships for friction factor ...
The spread spectrum acquisition and tracking performance for the Shuttle S-band and Ku-band communication links are analyzed and compared to test results. The S-band link requirements are more severe than those of the Ku-band links, hence, different despreader designs were developed for the two systems. The S-band despreader acquires pseudonoise code lock by examining all possible code phases in half chip steps while the Ku-band despreader acquires pseudonoise code lock by continuously sweeping a tau-jitter loop. Both despreaders employ a tau-jitter loop for code tracking. The code tracking performance is computed for the tau-jitter loop and compared to that of the more complex delay lock loop.
Experiments have been performed with the PMK integral-type facility, a model of WWER-440 type PWRs, to investigate two-phase natural circulation behaviour. The phenomena to be expected in this reactor type are different from those in PWRs with vertical steam generators mainly due to the loop seal in the hot leg and the horizontal layout of the steam generator heat transfer tubes. The experiments showed that the system is repressurized when the water level drops to the hot leg elevation due to the effect of the loop seal. Opening of the loop seal can be smooth, but may lead to oscillations depending on the power and the mass inventory. Natural circulation recovers after the hot leg loop seal is opened, but then decreases with further mass inventory decrease. (orig.).
This paper proposes two interference mitigation strategies that adjust the maximum transmit power of femtocell users to suppress the cross-tier interference at a macrocell base station (BS). The open-loop and the closed-loop control suppress the cross-tier interference less than a fixed threshold and an adaptive threshold based on the noise and interference (NI) level at the macrocell BS, respectively. Simulation results show that both schemes effectively compensate the uplink throughput degradation of the macrocell BS due to the cross-tier interference and that the closed-loop control provides better femtocell throughput than the open-loop control at a minimal cost of macrocell throughput.
The inflexibility of double-stranded DNA with respect to bending and twisting is well established in vitro. Understanding apparent DNA physical properties in vivo is...Full Text Available
... of the loop filter based on ... algorithms, including delta-sigma approaches, routinely uses double-precision floating point number representations for ...
FELs require tight control of the amplitudes and phase of the fields in two linear accelerator tanks to obtain stable lasing. The accelerator control loops must establish constant, stable, repeatable amplitudes and phases of the rf fields and must have excellent bandwidth to control high-frequency noise components. A model of the feedback loops has been developed that agrees well with measurements and allows easy substitution of components and circuits, thus reducing breadboarding requirements. The model permits both frequency and time-domain analysis. The accelerator control scheme and model are described and the control of noise in feedback loops is discussed, showing how low-frequency-noise components (errors) can be corrected, but high-frequency-noise components (errors) are actually amplified by the feedback circuit. Measurements of noise in both open- and closed-loop modes is shown and comparison ...
The antimicrobial peptide scygonadin (Scy) was first isolated from the gonad of Scylla serrata and its gene is predominantly expressed in the ejaculatory duct of adult males. Thus, its function was predicted to be associated with reproductive immunity, but this is still unclear and needs further investigation. In our study, the expression pattern of Scy at different developmental stages of both male and female S. paramamosain was investigated, so that the potential function of this peptide could be examined. Using real-time quantitative PCR, Scy mRNA transcripts were demonstrated obviously in the vulnerable embryos and larvae-zoea I but very weakly detected in the larvae-zoea III, megalops and juveniles. The gene expression pattern showed a decreasing trend during the early developmental s...
Two peptide ligands conjugated adenine, [9-N-(tritylmercapto acetyl diglycyl aminoethyl) adenine, Tr-MAG_2-Ade] and [9-N-(tritylmercapto acetyl triglycyl aminoethyl) adenine, Tr-MAG3-Ade], are synthesized and labeled with "9"9"mTc by directly labeling method. The stability of "9"9"mTc-MAG_2- adenine and "9"9"mTc-MAG_3-adenine in vitro is measured. The uptake radios of tumor to muscle at 3h post-injection are 5.70 and 4.92, respectively. The biodistribution and scintigraphic imaging studies show that the two complexes have high localization in tumor and high contrasted tumor images can be obtained, which suggest their potential utility as tumor imaging agents. But the high radioactivity of abdomen could prevent the tumor imaging in this area. (author)
Background/Objectives: Cardiotoxic drug poisoning can lead to severe cardiac shock (CS) and death. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a well-established diagnostic and prognostic marker in heart failure but has never been assessed in patients with cardiotoxic drug poisoning. The aim of the study was to determine whether BNP could be useful for early stratification of patients admitted to intensive care unit. Methods: 30 consecutive patients experiencing shock and cardiotoxic drug exposure were enrolled in a prospective monocentric study and underwent at least two BNP measurements within the first 24 h after admission. Results: While BNP values on admission were poorly informative, subsequent BNP measurements (11 +- 6 h after admission) were significantly increased in patients with CS comp...
Human heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27, HspB1) is an anti-apoptotic protein characterized for its tumorigenic and metastatic properties, and now referenced as a major therapeutic target in many types of cancer. Hsp27 biochemical properties rely on a structural oligomeric and dynamic organization. Downregulation by small interfering RNA or inhibition with dominant-negative mutant have proven their efficiency to counteract the anti-apoptotic and protective properties of Hsp27. In this study, we report the isolation and characterization of Hsp27-targeted molecules interfering with its structural organization. Using the peptide aptamer (PA) strategy, we isolated PAs that specifically interact with Hsp27 and not with the other members of the small heat shock protein family. In mammalian cell cultur...
Peptide sequences such as lysine-arginine-serine-arginine (KRSR) selectively bind transmembrane proteoglycans (e.g. heparin sulfate) of osteoblasts (bone-forming cells) and are, therefore, actively being investigated for orthopedic applications. Further, nanophase materials (or materials with grain or particle sizes less than 100 nm) are promising new materials that promote new bone growth more than compared to conventional (that is, micron grain or particle size) materials. To combine the above two promising approaches for improving orthopedic implants, the objective of this in vitro study was to functionalize titanium (Ti) surfaces (both nanophase and conventional) with KRSR peptides and study their osteoblast cell adhesive properties. Materials were characterized by X-ray photoelectron ...
A series of [60]fullerene-substituted phenylalanine (Baa) and lysine derivatives have been prepared by the condensation of 1,2-(4prime-oxocyclohexano)fullerene with the appropriately protected (4-amino)phenylalanine and lysine, respectively. Conversion of the imine to the corresponding amine is achieved by di-acid catalyzed hydroboration. The reduction of the imine is not accompanied by hydroboration of the fullerene cage. The [70]fullerene phenylalanine derivative has also been prepared as have the di-amino acid derivatives. The compounds were characterized by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, UV/Vis spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy allowed the observation of diastereomers. Fullerene-substituted peptides may be synthesized on relatively large scale by solid-pha...
Abstract In 46 febrile neutropenic patients who had undergone haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, the fluorescence in situ hybridisation using peptide nucleic acid probes (PNA FISH), Gram stain/acridine orange leukocyte cytospin (Gram/AOLC), and differential time to positivity (DTP) methods were performed for detection of catheter related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs). As compared with the DTP method (which detected 11 patients with CRBSI), the PNA FISH and the Gram/AOLC methods detected ten of 11 CRBSI patients, resulting in a sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value and positive predictive value of 91%, 100%, 97% and 100%, respectively, for the PNA FISH method as well as for the Gram/AOLC method.
Apelin is a peptide known as the ligand of the G-protein-coupled receptor APJ. Several active apelin forms exist such as apelin-36, apelin-17, apelin-13, and the pyroglutamated form of apelin-13. Apelin and APJ are expressed in the central nervous system, particularly in the hypothalamus and in many peripheral tissues. Apelin has been shown to be involved in the regulation of cardiovascular and fluid homeostasis, food intake, cell proliferation, and angiogenesis. In addition to be an ubiquitous peptide, apelin is also produced and secreted by adipocytes and thus considered as an adipokine. This has opened a new field of investigation establishing a link between apelin and metabolic disorders (obesity, type 2 diabetes, etc.) which is the focus of the present review. Several studies, but not...
Abstract in english Functional properties of soy proteins for food are closely related to the composition of their storage protein subunits. Using base excision sequence scanning (BESS), we show that the absence of the A4 peptide in the G4 glycinin subunit of the soybean (Glycine max L.) cultivar Enrei was caused by the same point mutation in the Gy4 gene as previously reported in the soybean cultivar Raiden. Although the genetic relationship between Raiden and Enrei is not known, the same p (more) oint mutation in their Gy4 genes may indicate that they probably share a related origin. The application of BESS to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as co-dominant markers for marker-assisted selection (MAS) of a recessive null allele is also discussed.
Current European and the US experiences in waste management are reviewed in the perspective of sustainable development. This publication questions the validity of the current approach taken by the Germany at ``closing the loop`` based on the example of packaging and packaging waste. The product item focus of current German legislation is compared with Danish and US approaches that are based on an integrated policy which covers the whole of waste generation and handling and is not product/item oriented. 1 fig., 2 tabs.
All-order spurion-corrected superpropagators and superfield Feynman rules are employed to systematically compute a two-loop corrected effective potential for the O'Raifeartaigh model, that realizes spontaneous supersymmetry breaking. Though the shifted superpropagators are rather nontrivial, superspace techniques may be suitably extended and confirm their efficacy in computing radiative corrections even when supersymmetry breakdown occurs.
HANARO fuel test loop will be equipped in HANARO to obtain the development betterment of advanced fuel and materials through the irradiation test. The object of this study is to evaluate the structural integrity of FTL in-pool piping by investigating a dynamic analysis of the loop containing a postulated rupture section. The method to perform the dynamic analysis and structural integrity evaluation caused by the pipe whip in water environment can be a reference for a similar structural integrity evaluation. (author). 7 refs., 39 tabs., 34 figs.
We present a modification of the closed-loop state space model for AO control which allows delays that are a non-integer multiple of the system frame rate. We derive the new forms of the Predictive Fourier Control Kalman filters for arbitrary delays and show that they are linear combinations of the whole-frame delay terms. This structure of the controller is independent of the delay. System stability margins and residual error variance both transition gracefully between integer-frame delays.
In this paper, we show how to calculate analytically the one-loop helicity amplitudes for the process $q\\bar{q} rightarrow t\\bar{t}$ induced by KK gluon, using the spinor-helicity formalism. A minimal set of Feynman rules which are uniquely fixed by gauge invariance and the color representation of the KK gluon are derived and used in the calculation. Our results can be applied to a variety of models containing a massive color octet vector boson.
The precipitation of excess silicon interstitials into dislocation loops is modeled. This situation occurs when an amorphous layer is created at the surface in order to avoid boron channeling and form shallow p junctions. The modeling of the nucleation of these extended defects is included into the process simulator IMPACT-4. Their density and mean radius are calculated for several annealing times and temperatures and they are compared with experimental characterizations. This is the first step towards a full modeling of the complex processes involved in the transient enhanced diffusion of boron.
The loop quantum cosmology 'improved dynamics' of the Bianchi type IX model are studied. The action of the Hamiltonian constraint operator is obtained via techniques developed for the Bianchi type I and type II models, no new input is required. It is shown that the big bang and big crunch singularities are resolved by quantum gravity effects. We also present effective equations which provide quantum geometry corrections to the classical equations of motion.
A formula is obtained which describes the kinetics of low-temperature radiation hardening caused by creation of dislocation loops of interstitial type during irradiation. The radiation hardening of aluminum and vanadium is estimated using this formula and results of experiments on studying processes of nucleation and growth of interstitial dislocation loops in these materials by transparent electron microscopy. It is shown that the proposed formula is valid for description of the kinetics of low-temperature radiation hardening.
This workshop on heat pipes and two-phase capillary pumping loops was organized by the French society of thermal engineers. The 11 papers presented during this workshop deal with the study of thermal performances of heat pipes and on their applications in power electronics (cooling of components), and their use in satellites, aircrafts and trains. (J.S.)
This talk is a brief review of gaugino condensation in superstring effective field theories and some related issues (such as renormalization of the gauge coupling in the effective supergravity theories and modular anomaly cancellation). As a specific example, we discuss a model containing perturbative (1-loop) corrections to the K{umlt a}hler potential and approximate S-duality symmetry.
This paper discusses the concept of controllable subspace for open quantum dynamical systems. It is constructively demonstrated that combining structural features of decoherence-free subspaces with the ability to perform open-loop coherent control on open quantum systems will allow decoherence-free subspaces to be controllable. This is in contrast to the observation that open quantum dynamical systems are not open-loop controllable. To a certain extent, this paper gives an alternative control theoretical interpretation on why decoherence-free subspaces can be useful for quantum computation.
A consistent combination of quantum geometry effects rules out a large class of models of loop quantum cosmology and their critical densities as they have been used in the recent literature. In particular, the critical density at which an isotropic universe filled with a free, massless scalar field would bounce must be well below the Planck density. In the presence of anisotropy, no model of the Schwarzschild black hole interior analyzed so far is consistent.
We discuss the calculation of two-point three-loop functions with an arbitrary number of massive propagators and one large external momentum. The relevant subdiagrams are generated automatically. The resulting massless two-point integrals and massive tadpoles are transformed on-line to FORM-expressions ready to be used by existing FORM packages which calculate them analytically. As an example we compute the quartic mass corrections to the photon polarization function. (orig.).
A description of LOOP covers the single point mooring (SPM) system; the offshore pipelines connecting each SPM to the pumping platform; the offshore platform complex, a pumping platform and a control platform; the onshore pipelines; and the Clovelly Dome storage terminal.
In the present study, the immunomodulatory effect of {beta}-endorphin ({beta}-E) and shorter pro-opiomelancortin (POMC) fragments was evaluated by assessing their influence on respiratory burst in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). The effect of the peptides on phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-stimulated production of reactive oxygen metabolites was measured in a lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence (CL) assay. Both POMC peptides with opiate-like activity and their non-opioid derivatives were tested. With the exception of {alpha}-E, PMA-stimulated respiratory burst was suppressed by all POMC fragments tested. A U-shaped dose-response relation was observed. Doses lower than 10{sup {minus}17}M and higher than 10{sup {minus}8}M were without effect. {beta}-E and dT{beta}E both suppressed PMA-induced oxidative burst in human PMN at physiological concentrations. {gamma}-E and dT{gamma}E proved to be less potent inhibitors, reaching maximal ...
Spider venoms provide a highly valuable source of peptide toxins that act on a wide diversity of membrane-bound receptors and ion channels. In this work, we report isolation, biochemical analysis, and...Full Text Available
BackgroundOur previous studies indicate that either PEP-1-superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) or PEP-1-catalase (CAT) fusion proteins protects myocardium from ischemia-reperfusion-induced...Full Text Available
Several early genes of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) encode proteins that mediate immune evasion by interference with the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) pathway of antigen presentation...Full Text Available
The management of CNS tumors is limited by the blood-brain barrier (BBB), a vascular interface that restricts the passage of most molecules from the blood into the brain. Here we show that phage particles...Full Text Available
With the aim of an experimental check on the validity of the theory of molecular recognition, the authors have carried out the chemical-enzymatic synthesis and cloning of the gene of human calcitonin and also of the genes of antisense polypeptides to human calcitonin and miniproinsulin. It has been shown that recombinant plasmids obtained on the basis of these synthetic genes are capable of ensuring the biosynthesis of the given polypeptides in E. coli cells as hybrid proteins with the IgG-binding domain of staphylococcal protein A.
There are about fifty SET domain protein methyltransferases (PMTs) in the human genome, that transfer a methyl group from S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) to substrate lysines on histone tails or other peptides. A number of structures in complex with cofactor, substrate, or inhibitors revealed the mechanisms of substrate recognition, methylation state specificity, and chemical inhibition. Based on these structures, we review the structural chemistry of SET domain PMTs, and propose general concepts towards the development of selective inhibitors.
Transforming growth factor (TGF)-βs are secreted in large latent complexes consisting of TGF-β, its N-terminal latency-associated peptide (LAP) propeptide, and latent TGF-β...Full Text Available
A cDNA library was constructed from HL60 human promyelocyte poly(A)+ RNA harvested 3 h after induction of macrophage differentiation with 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate in the presence of cycloheximide....Full Text Available
CAP18 (an 18-kDa cationic antimicrobial protein) is a granulocyte-derived protein that can bind lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and inhibit various activities of LPS in vitro. The present study examined the...Full Text Available
The IgG response to gp41 (envelope glycoprotein of Mr 41,000) of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was studied with eight synthetic peptides derived from three different regions of the protein....Full Text Available
Low-level lead exposure during early childhood has long been associated with altered neurocognitive development and diminished cognitive functions. Over nine thousand U.S. industrial facilities...Full Text Available
During protein synthesis, aminoacyl-tRNA (aa-tRNA) and release factors 1 and 2 (RF1 and RF2) have to bind at the catalytic center of the ribosome on the 50S subunit where they take part in peptide bond...Full Text Available
DescriptionIron deficiency anaemia is a common problem and may be particularly important to certain groups of vegetarians. This project investigates isolating and identifying iron-binding constituents of meat digests using human Caco-2 cell lines. Stable isotope techniques used to test whether one or more of these compounds enhance iron absorpion in vivo and could therefore be added to vegetarian products to imporve iron nutrition.
TH1 cytokine secretion was examined in response to synthetic peptides of the 85A component of the major secreted, fibronectin-binding antigen 85 complex from Mycobacterium tuberculosis in seven different...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe human endogenous retrovirus HERV-K(HML-2) family is associated with testicular germ cell tumors (GCT). Various HML-2 proviruses encode viral proteins such as Env and...Full Text Available
FMRFamide-related peptides (FaRPs) are a diverse and physiologically important class of neuropepeptides in the metazoa. In insects, FaRPs function as brain-gut neuropeptides and have been immunolocalized...Full Text Available
During this report period our research efforts have concentrated on studies of the dissociation reactions of model peptides and other biologically important molecules. In addition, a considerable amount of research effort has been directed toward improving the apparatus used for laser-ion beam photodissociation. The instrumental improvements include some changes on the original apparatus, but most of this effort involved designing a second generation laser-ion beam photodissociation instrument.
The affinity label 8-((4-bromo-2,3-dioxobutyl)thio)adenosine 5{prime}-triphosphate (8-BDB-TA-5{prime}-TP) reacts covalently with rabbit muscle pyruvate kinase, incorporating 2 mol of reagent/mol of enzyme subunit upon complete inactivation. Protection against inactivation is provided by phosphoenolpyruvate, K{sup +}, and Mn{sup 2+} and only 1 mol of reagent/mol of subunit is incorporated. The authors have now identified the resultant modified residues. After reaction with 8-BDB-TA-5{prime}-TP at pH 7.0, modified enzyme was incubated with ({sup 3}H)NaBH{sub 4} to reduce the carbonyl groups of enzyme-bound 8-BDB-TA-5{prime}-TP and to introduce a radioactive tracer into the modified residues. Following carboxymethylation and digestion with trypsin, the radioactive peptides were separated on a phenylboronate agarose column followed by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography in 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid with an acetonitrile gradient. Gas-phase sequencing ...
Several examples of the 14-membered, para-bridged ring system of the cyclopeptide alkaloids have been synthesized via an active ester cyclization. The yield of monomeric cyclopeptide varied from 1 to 33% and was affected by the amino acid substitution pattern and amide conformation of the linear peptide precursors. Both the synthetic models and a naturally occurring cyclopeptide alkaloid, ceanothine B, bind monovalent (Li"+) and divalent (Ca"2"+, Mg"2"+) cations. 4 figures, 1 table.
The catecholamine release-inhibitory catestatin [Cts; human chromogranin (Cg) A352-372, bovine CgA344-364] is a vasoreactive and anti-hypertensive peptide derived...Full Text Available
This study focuses on the effects of long-term renin-angiotensin system suppression and/or incretin mimetic therapies on the regulation and binding affinity of GLP-1 to its receptor in the coronary...Full Text Available
Epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulates adenylyl cyclase in the heart via activation of the stimulatory GTP-binding protein Gs. Therefore, employing peptides corresponding to regions in the cytosolic...Full Text Available
We have purified and characterized two peptides, named KAaH1 and KAaH2 (AaH polypeptides 1 and 2 active on K+ channels, where AaH stands for Androctonus australis Hector),...Full Text Available
Carbon capture and storage have been receiving increasing interest lately, mainly as an option to reduce CO{sub 2} emissions from the power sector. The concept could be adapted for production of H{sub 2} as well, which would provide a carbon free energy carrier that could be used for example as transportation fuel. In this doctoral thesis, the option to use chemical-looping technologies to produce H{sub 2} from fossil fuels with CO{sub 2} capture is explored. In chemical-looping combustion, direct contact between fuel and combustion air is avoided. Instead, a solid oxygen carrier performs the task of bringing oxygen from the air to the fuel. Thus, the resulting CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O are not diluted with N{sub 2}, and pure CO{sub 2} can easily be recovered by cooling and condensation. The heat of reaction is the same as for ordinary combustion. Chemical-looping reforming uses the same basic principles as ...
Very High Temperature gas cooled nuclear Reactor (VHTR), which was coupled with Sulfur-Iodine (SI) thermo-chemical cycle, has been selected for the Nuclear Hydrogen Development and Demonstration (NHDD) project in Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. Among the various hydrogen production methods, Sulfur-Iodine (SI) thermo-chemical cycle is a good method as a massive hydrogen production without CO2 emission. In SI cycle, the sulfuric acid decomposition is one issue for the material corrosion on high temperature and pressure condition. For the simulation of the sulfuric acid decomposition, we designed a sulfuric acid loop with a small-scale gas loop which is simulated for the integrity and feasibility tests on a H2SO4 decomposition process. The primary objective of the loop is to validate the corrosion and the mechanical performances of a key component of the NHDD, Process Heat Exchanger (PHE). In this paper, we discussed ...
Daylight responsive dimming systems have been used in few buildings to date because they require improvements to improve reliability. The key underlying factor contributing to poor performance is the variability of the ratio of the photosensor signal to daylight workplane illuminance in accordance with sun position, sky condition, and fenestration condition. Therefore, this paper describes the integrated systems between automated roller shade systems and daylight responsive dimming systems with an improved closed-loop proportional control algorithm, and the relative performance of the integrated systems and single systems. The concept of the improved closed-loop proportional control algorithm for the integrated systems is to predict the varying correlation of photosensor signal to daylight workplane illuminance according to roller shade height and sky conditions for improvement of the system accuracy. In this study, the performance of the ...
This paper proposes an optimization algorithm to reduce the distortion produced in the loop-filter of Continuous-Time Sigma-Delta Modulators. The aim of the algorithm is to find the loop-filter implementation that minimizes distortion at the output of the modulator, by modifying the output swing of every integrator. The algorithm is implemented in Matlab as an evolutive searching. During each step of the searching, the algorithm evaluates the harmonical distortion of a tone when it is applied to the modulator with a certain loop-filter implementation. The output of the algorithm is an optimum linear state-space representation of the loop-filter. This particular state-space representation leads to minimum distortion at the output of the modulator when the loop-filter is implemented with some specific circuitry previously defined. As long as the search is of evolutive type, the ...
We re-examine the process of loop quantization for flat isotropic models in cosmology. In particular, we contrast different inequivalent `loop quantizations' of these simple models through their respective successes and limitations and assess whether they can lead to any viable physical description. We propose three simple requirements which any such admissible quantum model should satisfy: i) independence from any auxiliary structure, such as a fiducial interval/cell introduced to define the phase space when integrating over non-compact manifolds; ii) existence of a well defined classical limit and iii) provide a sensible "Planck scale" where quantum gravitational effects become manifest. We show that even when it may seem that one can have several possible loop quantizations, these physical requirements considerably narrow down the consistent choices. Apart for the so called improved dynamics of LQC, none of the other ...
The five thermal-hydraulic concepts chosen for advanced PWR have been studied as follows: (1) Critical Heat Flux: Review of previous works, analysis of parametric trends, analysis of transient CHF characteristics, extension of the CHF date bank, survey and assessment of correlations, design of a intermediate-pressure CHF test loop have been performed. (2) Passive Cooling Concepts for Concrete Containment system: Review of condensation phenomena with noncondensable gases, selection of a promising concept (i.e., use of external condensers), design of test loop according to scaling laws have been accomplished. and computer programs based on the control-volume approach, and the conceptual design of test loop have been accomplished. (4) Fluidic Diode Concepts: Review of previous applications of the concept, analysis major parameters affecting the performance, development of a computational code, and conceptual investigation of ...
Small bowel obstructions can be distinguished into more simple and closed loop obstructions. The latter is a more severe condition which is often complicated by strangulation with vascular impairment, edema and intramural and mesenteric hemorrhage. Consequent arterial insufficiency rapidly leads to ischemia, infarction and necrosis. The radiologist plays a role in the early recognition of the closed loop obstruction and of any sign of strangulation. The role of CT in the diagnosis and workup of patients with suspected intestinal occlusion has been analyzed in the literature with reported 63% sensitivity, 78% specificity and 66% accuracy. CT is also capable of revealing the causes of occlusion in 73-95% of cases. The above CT signs allow to identify closed loop obstruction and also small bowel strangulation, thus supplying a valuable contribution to diagnosis and accurate preoperative evaluation. The conclusion is that CT ...
Ischemic bowel disease is a rare disorder whose incidence is increasing as the mean age of the population increases. Diagnosis by clinical, laboratory and radiologic means is often difficult, and delay in definitive therapy results in substantial morbidity and mortality. A series of 26 consecutive patients, with proved acute superior mesenteric ischemia, was retrospectively reviewed: the authors reports the diagnostic methods performed preoperatively, the site and the cause of infarction and the time passed between the first radiograph and surgery. Plain abdominal radiographs were performed in 25 of 26 patients, screening abdominal US in 23 cases and CT in 19 cases. All radiological examinations were retrospectively reviewed by the three authors, independently, to recognize the different signs of infarction. On plain abdominal films, the findings warranting a presumptive diagnosis of bowel infarction were air-fluid levels (84% of cases), dilated bowel loops (48%), ...
Infinite loop space theory, both additive and multiplicative, arose largely from two basic motivations. One was to solve calculational questions in geometric topology. The other was to better understand algebraic K-theory. The Adams conjecture is intrinsic to the first motivation, and Quillen's proof of that led directly to his original, calculationally accessible, definition of algebraic K-theory. In turn, the infinite loop understanding of algebraic K-theory feeds back into the calculational questions in geometric topology. For example, use of infinite loop space theory leads to a method for determining the characteristic classes for topological bundles (at odd primes) in terms of the cohomology of finite groups. We explain just a little about how all that works, focusing on the central role played by E infinity ring spaces.
We study the dynamics of states perturbatively expanded about a harmonic system of loop quantum cosmology, exhibiting a bounce. In particular, the evolution equations for the first and second order moments of the system are analyzed. These moments back-react on the trajectories of the expectation values of the state and hence alter the energy density at the bounce. This analysis is performed for isotropic loop quantum cosmology coupled to a scalar field with a small but non-zero constant potential, hence in a regime in which the kinetic energy of matter dominates. Analytic restrictions on the existence of dynamical coherent states and the meaning of semi-classicality within these systems are discussed. A numerical investigation of the trajectories of states that remain semi-classical across the bounce demonstrates that, at least for such states, the bounce persists and that its properties are similar to the standard case, in which the moments ...
We complete the effective potential calculation of the two-loop, top/bottom Yukawa corrections to the Higgs boson masses in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model, by computing the O(at^2 + at*ab + ab^2) contributions for arbitrary values of the bottom Yukawa coupling. We also compute the corrections to the minimization conditions of the effective potential at the same perturbative order. Our results extend the existing O(at^2) calculation, and are relevant in regions of the parameter space corresponding to tan(beta) >> 1. We extend to the Yukawa corrections a convenient renormalization scheme, previously proposed for the O(ab*as) corrections, that avoids unphysically large threshold effects associated with the bottom mass and absorbs the bulk of the corrections into the one-loop expression. For large values of tan(beta), the new contributions can account for a variation of several GeV in the lightest Higgs boson mass.
This paper introduces a novel three-phase power flow approach for unbalanced radial distribution systems. The proposed approach is developed based on the loop frame of reference, rather than the traditional bus frame of reference. On the basis of the loop frame of reference, a simple direct iterative method in impedance form is applied. Basic graph theory and injection current technique are also applied in the proposed approach. The clear theoretical foundation and the simple topology of the radial distribution network make the proposed method efficient and reliable. To demonstrate the better convergence performance and the efficiency of the proposed approach, four three-phase IEEE test feeders are used for comparisons. The test results show that the proposed method has robust convergence characteristics and high performance, especially for large-scale radial distribution systems. (author)
In order to apply chemical-looping combustion to a practical power plant, carbon deposition on the solid particle is one of the key problems to be overcome. Six kinds of solid particles were examined to clarify the kinetic behavior of carbon deposition. The effects of the solid composition, feed gas composition, and reaction temperature on carbon deposition were investigated by thermogravimetrical reactor on the basis of NiO/YSZ particle. From the viewpoints of both reactivity and resistance against carbon deposition, the particle of NiO mixed with YSZ (i.e., yttria-stabilized zirconia) was found to be a good candidate for chemical-looping combustion. It has been observed that carbon deposition could be completely avoided with very low concentration of water vapor. By means of a proposed model, the condition that carbon deposition would be avoided was identified. 12 refs., 8 figs., 2 tabs.
Unitarity cuts are widely used in analytic computation of loop amplitudes in gauge theories such as QCD. We expand upon the technique introduced in hep-ph/0503132 to carry out any finite unitarity cut integral. This technique naturally separates the contributions of bubble, triangle and box integrals in one-loop amplitudes and is not constrained to any particular helicity configurations. Loop momentum integration is reduced to a sequence of algebraic operations. We discuss the extraction of the residues at higher-order poles. Additionally, we offer concise algebraic formulas for expressing coefficients of three-mass triangle integrals. As an application, we compute all remaining coefficients of bubble and triangle integrals for nonsupersymmetric six-gluon amplitudes.
A fully consistent linear perturbation theory for cosmology is derived in the presence of quantum corrections as they are suggested by properties of inverse volume operators in loop quantum gravity. The underlying constraints present a consistent deformation of the classical system, which shows that the discreteness in loop quantum gravity can be implemented in effective equations without spoiling space-time covariance. Nevertheless, non-trivial quantum corrections do arise in the constraint algebra. Since correction terms must appear in tightly controlled forms to avoid anomalies, detailed insights for the correct implementation of constraint operators can be gained. The procedures of this article thus provide a clear link between fundamental quantum gravity and phenomenology.
A detailed assessment of the FFTF Primary Heat Transport System (PHTS) piping has led to the conclusion that the integrity of the piping is assured such that there is no realistic potential for a rupture. Nevertheless, consistent with the practice of showing design margins even for hypothetical events, a spectrum of postulated PHTS ruptures has been analyzed. The analyses showed that upstream of the reactor vessel inlet downcomer, rupture areas of any size including a double-ended rupture could be tolerated with no core coolant boiling. At the most limiting location, the reactor inlet nozzle, rupture areas of 75 in."2 and 55 in."2 could be tolerated for three-loop and two-loop operation, respectively. This paper will present the following: (1) the criterion with which consequences of postulated pipe ruptures are compared; (2) the general transient response of the FFTF to postulated ruptures; and (3) the acceptable rupture sizes for the FFTF ...
Perturbative approach to two-dimensional gravity and supergravity is considered. One-loop renormalization of the central charge of SL(2,R) Kac-Moody algebra is calculated perturbatively by functional integration and by explicit calculations of the Feynman diagrams. Also the wavefunction renormalization and the anomalous dimensions in the presence of gravity are calculated.
In order to study the two-phase natural circulation and flow termination during a small break loss of coolant accident in LWR, simulation experiments have been performed. Based on the two-phase flow scaling criteria developed under this program, an adiabatic hot leg U-bend simulation loop using nitrogen gas and water and a Freon 113 boiling and condensation loop were built. The nitrogen-water system has been used to isolate key hydrodynamic phenomena from heat transfer problems, whereas the Freon loop has been used to study the effect of phase changes and fluid properties. Various tests were carried out to establish the basic mechanism of the flow termination and reestablishment as well as to obtain essential information on scale effects of parameters such as the loop frictional resistance, thermal center, U-bend curvature and inlet geometry. In addition to the above experimental study, a preliminary ...
In order to study the two-phase natural circulation and flow termination during a small break loss of coolant accident in LWR, simulation experiments have been performed. Based on the two-phase flow scaling criteria developed under this program, an adiabatic hot leg U-bend simulation loop using nitrogen gas and water and a Freon 113 boiling and condensation loop were built. The nitrogen-water system has been used to isolate key hydrodynamic phenomena from heat transfer problems, whereas the Freon loop has been used to study the effect of phase changes and fluid properties. Various tests were carried out to establish the basic mechanism of the flow termination and reestablishment as well as to obtain essential information on scale effects of parameters such as the loop frictional resistance, thermal center, U-bend curvature and inlet geometry. In addition to the above experimental study, a preliminary ...
In mice and humans the circadian rhythm of many biochemical reactions, physiology, and behavior is generated by a transcriptional-translation feedback loop (TTFL) made up of the so-called core clock...Full Text Available
The authors present a state-of-the-art review of natural circulation heat transfer in loop type reactor plants. Most of the examples are taken from Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) design experience, drawing on the authors' familiarity and a developing base of available documentation. On-going studies related to the Clinch River Breeder Reactor (CRBR) and some foreign experience are also noted where available in the literature. The emphasis is on the role of natural circulation in decay heat removal; however, free convection during either operation at power or normal shutdown does influence some aspects of the design and these are reviewed. In treating decay heat removal the topics discussed include steady state loop performance and transient dynamics for conditions immediately after scram and for the longer term which involves different considerations. The review summarizes complex dynamics, specific to the FFTF design evaluation, which ...
Endothelial cells and mural cells (smooth muscle cells, pericytes, or fibroblasts) are known to communicate with one another. Their interactions not only serve to support fully functional blood...Full Text Available
Coal direct chemical looping (CDCL) substitutes the gasification process in syngas chemical looping (SCL), thus eliminating the need for higher oxygen consumption. In this study, operating conditions are assessed for CDCL and SCL, directed towards hydrogen production from coal. The main objective is to increase the overall H{sub 2}/CO{sub 2} ratio for a given amount of coal, based on the various conditions. The operating variables considered as part of a resource optimization analysis include: (i) inlet conditions to the primary reactors, (ii) minimum resource requirements (air, steam and iron oxide), (iii) hydrogen-to-component ratios, and (iv) effect of coal carrier gas. The results suggest that CDCL has a higher hydrogen-to-CO{sub 2} ratio than SCL along with advantages such as low overall resource requirements (steam and air) and fewer intermediate processes. The coal carrier gas affects the hydrogen production only in the SCL system by ...
Three major series of experiments have been conducted with the FELIX facility at ANL. Experiments on the coupling between eddy currents and angular displacements of loops and plates in crossed constant and changing magnetic fields demonstrated that the co...
In this paper the authors present some final results from a research project focused on introducing automatic control to the operation of cupola iron furnaces. The main aim of this research is to improve the operational efficiency and performance of the cupola furnace, an important foundry process used to melt iron. Previous papers have described the development of appropriate control system architectures for the cupola. In this paper experimental data is used to calibrate the model, which is taken as a first-order multivariable system with time delay. Then relative gain analysis is used to select loop pairings to be used in a multiloop controller. The resulting controller pairs melt rate with blast volume, iron temperature with oxygen addition, and carbon composition with metal-to-coke ratio. Special (nonlinear) filters are used to compute melt rate from actual scale readings of the amount of iron produced and to smooth the temperature measurement. The temperature ...
Tensile properties of reduced-activation 10Cr-30Mn austenitic steels with carbon levels from 0.003 to 0.55% were investigated over the temperature range from room temperature to 873 K after neutron irradiation in the Japan Materials Testing Reactor at 573 K to 8.5x10"2"2 n/m"2. Irradiation-induced increase in yield stress increased significantly with carbon concentration up to about 0.1% and it was constant above 0.1% carbon. A high density of dislocation loops with small (below 10 nm) and large (20-30 nm) sizes formed during irradiation. The high density, small loops caused a large irradiation hardening, while the large loops contributed only slightly to irradiation hardening. It was considered that carbon atoms formed the small loops together with irradiation defects. The deformation channeling was observed in the irradiated high carbon steels, 0.11 and 0.55% carbon, but not in the very low carbon ...
Results indicate that the probability of double-ended guillotine break (DEGB) in the reactor coolant loop piping of Westinghouse and Combustion Engineering plants is extremely low. It is recommended that the NRC seriously consider eliminating DEGB as a design basis event for reactor coolant loop piping in Westinghouse plants. Pipe whip restraints on reactor coolant loop piping could then be excluded or removed, and the requirement to design supports to withstand asymmetric blowdown loads could be eliminated. It is also recommended that the current requirement to couple safe shutdown earthquake (SSE) and DEGB be eliminated. Recognizing however that seismically induced support failure is the weak link in the DEGB evaluation, it is recommended that the strength of component supports, currently designed for the combination of SSE plus DEGB, not be reduced. The study indicates that the probability of DEGB in reactor coolant ...
PurposeWound infection after an ileostomy reversal is a common problem. To reduce wound-related complications, purse-string skin closure was introduced as an alternative to conventional...Full Text Available
The Los Alamos FEL requires tight control of the amplitudes and phases of the fields in two linear accelerator tanks to obtain stable lasing. The accelerator control loops must establish constant, stable, repeatable amplitudes and phases of the rf fields and must have excellent bandwidth to control high-frequency noise components. A model of the feedback loops has been developed that agrees well with measurements and allows easy substitution of components and circuits, thus reducing breadboarding requirements. The model permits both frequency and time-domain analysis. This paper describes the accelerator control scheme and our model and discusses the control of noise in feedback loops, showing how low-frequency-noise components (errors) can be corrected, but high-frequency-noise components (errors) are actually amplified by the feedback circuit. Measurements of noise in both open- and closed-loop modes ...
We describe a closed-loop brain-computer interface that re-ranks an image database by iterating between user generated 'interest' scores and computer vision generated visual similarity measures. The interest scores are based on decoding the electroencephalographic (EEG) correlates of target detection, attentional shifts and self-monitoring processes, which result from the user paying attention to target images interspersed in rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) sequences. The highest scored images are passed to a semi-supervised computer vision system that reorganizes the image database accordingly, using a graph-based representation that captures visual similarity between images. The system can either query the user for more information, by adaptively resampling the database to create additional RSVP sequences, or it can converge to a 'done' state. The done state includes a final ranking of the image database and also a 'guess' of the user's chosen category of ...
Escherichia coli ILT-1, Klebsiella pneumoniae ILT-2, and K. pneumoniae ILT-3 were isolated in May 1999 in Paris, France, from a rectal swab of a hospitalized...Full Text Available
Hairpin oligonucleotides were synthesized with stems ending in a double-stranded structure, which can be ligated to double-strand breaks in DNA, and with loops that contain nucleotides modified by the...Full Text Available
Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved degradative pathway that has been implicated in a number of physiological events important for human health. This process was originally identified as a response...Full Text Available
The theory and application of the optimal control of linear systems to stabilize or improve the system stability is well known. For an optimal linear regulator design, the arbitrariness involved in the parameters of the cost function always affects the final control law and the closed-loop system poles which decide the system dynamic characteristics. A new approach, 'The inverse problem approach' has been developed to overcome this difficulty. The system so designed will have preassigned closed-loop poles and the resulting closed-loop system performance can be ensured. In this paper the inverse problem approach for optimal regulator design is applied to the power system stabilizer (PSS) design for single-machine infinite-bus systems. The results show that, as far as the linearized model is concerned, systems designed by the inverse problem approach have better closed-loop performance ...
Essential in mitosis, the human Kinesin-5 protein is a target for >80 classes of allosteric compounds that bind to a surface-exposed site formed by the L5 loop. Not established is why there...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:For treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), Plasma Kinetic loop Resection of the Prostate (PKRP) is an alternative to conventional monopolar...Full Text Available
In this paper we have proposed a novel gas turbine cycle with hydrogen-fueled chemical-looping combustion, and the system study on two hydrogen-fueled power plants, the new gas turbine cycle and an advanced gas turbine cycle with H{sub 2}/O{sub 2} combustion, has been investigated with the aid of exergy principle (EUD methodology). The hydrogen fueled chemical-looping combustion in the new gas turbine cycle consists of two successive reactions: hydrogen fuel is reacted with metal oxide (reduction of metal oxide), and then instead of air or pure oxygen, the reduced metal is successively oxidized by the saturated air. As a result, the new hydrogen-fueled gas turbine cycle has a breakthrough performance, with at least about 12 percentage-point higher efficiency compared to the gas turbine cycle with H{sub 2}/O{sub 2} combustion, and will be environmentally superior due to complete elimination of NO{sub x} formation. The promising results obtained ...
BackgroundThe MYC transcription factors are known to be involved in the biology of many human cancer types. But little is known about the Myc/microRNAs cooperation in the regulation...Full Text Available
We cloned and characterized horse preproendothelin-2 (PPET-2) cDNA from intestinal tissue. The cDNA encoded 178 amino acids of the PPET-2 polypeptide, in which a 21-amino-acid mature endothelin-2 peptide and a 16-amino acid endothelin-2-like peptide were found. For the open reading frame the correspondence of horse PPET-2 cDNA with those of the ferret, human, dog, mouse and rat was 85.1%, 84.9%, 82.1%, 77.8% and 77.2%, respectively. Analysis of the organ distribution of PPET-2 mRNA by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that the kidney, stomach and small intestine are major sites of expression of the PPET-2 gene. Surprisingly, the mRNA is not detected in the large intestine, where high expression is demonstrated in the mouse and rat. This difference may result from the underlying functional differences of the large intestine between a herbivore (horse) and an omnivore (mouse and rat). PMID:15838341
Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) was localized by an immunocytochemical technique in the thyroid-parathyroid complexes of rat, guinea pig, rabbit, and in normal human thyroids and parathyroids. Human medullary carcinomas and parathyroid adenomas were also studied. In man and all animal species examined CGRP was present in the parafollicular cell, however, in guinea pigs only in small amounts. Except in rabbits, presence of CGRP was demonstrated in nerves of the thyroid and parathyroid capsule as well as in the nerve fibers of the capsular blood vessels. In the thyroid of guinea pigs CGRP was also noted in nerve fibers and in blood vessel walls between follicles. CGRP was also present in the parathyroid glands of rat and man, in nerve fibers localized between parathyroid cells. In rabbit the parafollicular cells between parathyroid cells also expressed CGRP immunoreactivity. No CGRP was noted in the parathyroids of the guinea pig. The proximity of parathyroid ...
The effects of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) on guanylate cyclase activity and cyclic GMP accumulation were examined, since these hormones appear to be intimately associated with blood pressure and intravascular volume homeostasis. ANP was found to increase cyclic GMP accumulation in ten cell culture systems, which were derived from blood vessels, adrenal cortex, kidney, lung, testes and mammary gland. ANP receptors were characterized in intact cultured cells using {sup 125}I-ANP{sub 8-33}. Specific {sup 125}I-ANP binding was saturable and of high affinity. Scratchard analysis of the binding data for all cell types exhibited a straight line, indicating that these cells possessed a single class of binding sites. Despite the presence of linear Scatchard plots, these studies demonstrated that cultured cells possess two functionally and physically distinct ANP-binding sites. Most of the ANP-binding sites in cultured cells have a ...
A novel single-chain immunotoxin was constructed by combining a CD33-specific single chain Fv (scFv) antibody fragment with an engineered variant of Pseudomonas exotoxin A (ETA). The variant toxin carries the KDEL peptide at its C-terminus, a cellular peptide mediating improved retrograde transport to the endoplasmic reticulum. The purified recombinant fusion protein induced potent apoptosis of the human myeloid cell lines U937, HL-60 and THP-1. Up to 98% of U937 cells were eliminated after treatment for 72 h with a single dose of 500 ng/ml (c. 7 nmol/l). Killing was antigen-specific and occurred by apoptosis. A control protein, consisting of a CD19-specific scFv antibody fragment fused to the ETA-KDEL toxin, failed to induce death of the CD19-negative cell lines U937, HL-60 and THP-1. The CD33-ETA toxin also mediated apoptosis of fresh patient-derived acute myeloid leukaemia cells from bone marrow and peripheral blood. The pronounced ...
We calculate quark-antiquark potentials using the relationship between the expectation value of the Wilson loop and the action of a probe string in the string dual. We review and categorize the possible forms of the dependence of the energy on the separation between the quarks. In particular, we examine the possibility of there being a minimum separation for probe strings which do not penetrate close to the origin of the bulk space, and derive a condition which determines whether this is the case. We then apply these considerations to the flavoured resolved deformed conifold background of Gaillard et al. We suggest that the unusual behaviour we observe in this solution is likely to be related to the IR singularity which is not present in the unflavoured case.
The structural integrity of the Fuel Test Loop(FTL) in a Korean experimental reactor is evaluated when the FTL, submerged in a water environment, is subjected to a postulated pipe rupture. The analyses are performed under static and dynamic conditions, imposing the thrust force history at each postulated pipe rupture section. Through analysis the following results are found: 1) A double ended guillotine can not be expected based on the toughness of the material, 2) the structural integrity of the chimney surrounding the FTL would not impede the structural integrity by the pipe whip. All analyses are performed by finite element methods.
The bosonic string on R"2"5xS"1 has a series of states turning tachyonic at radii implying T=IT_H. We employ the B picture to examine these thermal states in the one-loop free energy and find them in various combinations, factorizing towards rational points on the real line boundary of the fundamental domain B: (-1/2=# 0). These thermal tachyons are interpreted as signaling Hagedorn instabilities against the production of an l-highly-excited-identical-strings state, which gives a relation between the one-loop partition function and l-point functions. (orig.).
Transient, greatly enhanced diffusion has been observed on annealing solid-phase-epitaxial (SPE) grown Si-Sb alloys. This is shown to be due to a high concentration of interstitials being trapped during SPE regrowth. The migration enthalpy, for diffusion of Sb by an interstitialcy mechanism was measured as 1.8 +/- 0.2 eV. The interstitials eventually condensed into loops, marking the end of the transient. In a SPE grown Si-Bi alloy a similar transient enhanced diffusion was observed, with an activation energy of 2.0 +/- 0.2 eV, but no loops formed. 8 figures, 7 references.
Transient, greatly enhanced diffusion has been observed on annealing solid-phase-epitaxial (SPE) grown Si-Sb alloys. This is shown to be due to a high concentration of interstitials being trapped during SPE regrowth. The migration enthalpy, for diffusion of Sb by an interstitialcy mechanism was measured as 1.8 +/- 0.2 eV. The interstitials eventually condensed into loops, marking the end of the transient. In a SPE grown Si-Bi alloy a similar transient enhanced diffusion was observed, with an activation energy of 2.0 +/- 0.2 eV, but no loops formed. 8 figures, 7 references.
The integrity of helium circulation loop flanged joints has been attracting recent attention as a design problem, in the development of high-temperature facilities incorporating helium loops (e.g., the VRG-50 pilot nuclear facility). Elevated temperatures and pressures, and the radiation environment, impose additional requirements on sealant materials. This applies first and foremost to rubber seals, which have found widespread favor on account of its excellent elasticity, its ability to spontaneously conform to possible changes in the clearance in the seal assembly, and the low compressive stresses developed in the flange joint assembly.
In the inflationary scenario of loop quantum cosmology (LQC) in the presence of inverse-volume corrections, we give analytic formulas for the power spectra of scalar and tensor perturbations convenient to confront with observations. Since inverse-volume corrections can provide strong contributions to the running spectral indices, inclusion of terms higher than the second-order runnings in the power spectra is crucially important. Using the recent data of cosmic microwave background (CMB) and other cosmological experiments, we place bounds on the quantum corrections for a quadratic inflaton potential.
Eight years ago, corrosion and tube denting seriously threatened the reliability and design life of steam generators, especially for closed loop arrangements in pressurized water reactors (PWRs). Concentrated research by the Steam Generator Owners Group (SGOG) diagnosed the causes and produced effective solutions, notably guidelines for water chemistry control in the secondary loop. The guidelines recommend specific levels of water impurities and remedial actions to prevent cooling-water leaks in the condenser, prevent air leaks, limit corrosion product buildup, and remove some impurities while neutralizing others. Continued research in SGOB-II is investigating intergranular corrosion and stress corrosion cracking. 3 figures.
Eight years ago, corrosion and tube denting seriously threatened the reliability and design life of steam generators, especially for closed loop arrangements in pressurized water reactors (PWRs). Concentrated research by the Steam Generator Owners Group (SGOG) diagnosed the causes and produced effective solutions, notably guidelines for water chemistry control in the secondary loop. The guidelines recommend specific levels of water impurities and remedial actions to prevent cooling-water leaks in the condenser, prevent air leaks, limit corrosion product buildup, and remove some impurities while neutralizing others. Continued research in SGOB-II is investigating intergranular corrosion and stress corrosion cracking. 3 figures.
We theoretically investigate the features of two-photon absorption in a coherently driven four-level atomic system with closed-loop configuration. It is found that two-photon absorption can be completely suppressed just by properly adjusting the relative phase of four coherent low-intensity driving fields and the atomic system becomes transparent against two-photon absorption. From a physical point of view, we explicitly explain these results in terms of quantum interference induced by two different two-photon excitation channels.
This paper reviews and elaborates on the issue of the dilaton transformation under the usual {tau} {yields} {alpha}{prime}/{tau} target space duality and its non-static generalization (or {sigma}-model duality). It is found that the transformation law {tau} {yields} {alpha}{prime}/{tau}, {phi} {yields} {phi} In ({tau}/{alpha}{prime}) which guarantees duality at the one-loop {sigma}-model level should be modified at two (and higher) loop order. The non-static duality is illustrated on the example of cosmological solutions in D {ge} 2 with time-dependent radii of space torus.
Big Bang nucleosynthesis requires a fine balance between equations of state for photons and relativistic fermions. Several corrections to equation of state parameters arise from classical and quantum physics, which are derived here from a canonical perspective. In particular, loop quantum gravity allows one to compute quantum gravity corrections for Maxwell and Dirac fields. Although the classical actions are very different, quantum corrections to the equation of state are remarkably similar. To lowest order, these corrections take the form of an overall expansion-dependent multiplicative factor in the total density. We use these results, along with the predictions of Big Bang nucleosynthesis, to place bounds on these corrections.
Convective cooling of turbine hot parts using a closed loop system is disclosed. Preferably, the present invention is applied to cooling the hot parts of combustion turbine power plants, and the cooling provided permits an increase in the inlet temperature and the concomitant benefits of increased efficiency and output. In preferred embodiments, methods and apparatus are disclosed wherein air is removed from the combustion turbine compressor and delivered to passages internal to one or more of a combustor and turbine hot parts. The air cools the combustor and turbine hot parts via convection and heat is transferred through the surfaces of the combustor and turbine hot parts.
We perform a complete analytical reduction of general one-loop Feynman integrals with five and six external legs for tensors up to rank R=3 and 4, respectively. An elegant formalism with extensive use of signed minors is developed for the cancellation of inverse Gram determinants. The 6-point tensor functions of rank R are expressed in terms of 5-point tensor functions of rank R-1, and the latter are reduced to scalar four-, three-, and two-point functions. The resulting compact formulae allow both for a study of analytical properties and for efficient numerical programming. They are implemented in Fortran and Mathematica. (orig.)
Electronic circular dichroism (ECD) of the n-#pi# and #pi# -#pi# transitions of the amide groups in the ultraviolet has become an indispensable tool for qualitative characterization of proteins in solution. Since the existence of such a spectrum (that is, of natural optical activity) comes from the three dimensional interaction of the chromophores in the molecule, CD is exquisitely sensitive to molecular conformation. However, in proteins, the amide transitions available in the near UV are limited in number and are broads and overlapping. Interactions among them yield information about the polymeric backbone, but since such amide electronic excitation are relatively delocalized, the resulting
Experimental investigation data are systematized of free radical states and processes in irradiated proteins. The investigation is performed by the radiospectral methods. Results are discussed in detail of the study of free radicals electronic structure of amino acids, peptides and proteins formed by the action of ionizing radiation. The specificity is stressed of the study of monocrystalls of these compounds by the method of electronic paramagnetic resonance. The nature is also studied of primary centres formed under the effect of radiation on biologically important compounds and their subsequent reactions in solid and liquid solutions. Ion-radical states of different functional groups of the protein molecule are studied. Prospects of the study and the role of anion-radicals in biological processes are discusses.
This paper describes the study of kinetically controlled enzymatic coupling of N- and O-glycopeptide fragments using subtilisin BPN' and two of its variants developed for use in high concentrations of dimethylformamide and in aqueous solution, respectively. Glycosyl amino acids were exploited as the P[sub 1], P[sub 2], P[sub 3], P'[sub 1], P'[sub 2], or P'[sub 3] residue in the enzymatic coupling. Glycosyltransferase-mediated glycosylation of the glycopeptide fragments obtained prior to or after enzymatic peptide bond formation is demonstrated. 19 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.
Post-irradiation annealing was used to help identify the role of radiation-induced segregation (RIS) in irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) by preferentially removing dislocation loop damage from proton-irradiated austenitic stainless steels while leaving the RIS of major and minor alloying elements largely unchanged. The goal of this study is to better understand the underlying mechanisms of IASCC. Simulations of post-irradiation annealing of RIS and dislocation loop microstructure predicted that dislocation loops would be removed preferentially over RIS due to both thermodynamic and kinetic considerations. To verify the simulation predictions, a series of post-irradiation annealing experiments were performed. Both a high purity 304L (HP-304L) and a commercial purity 304 (CP-304) stainless steel alloy were irradiated with 3.2 MeV protons at 360 deg. C to doses of 1.0 and 2.5 dpa. Following irradiation, ...
Neurodegeneration observed in Alzheimer disease (AD) is believed to be related to the toxicity from reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced in the brain by the amyloid-{beta} (A{beta}) protein bound primarily to copper ions. The evidence for an oxidative stress role of A{beta}-Cu redox chemistry is still incomplete. Details of the copper binding site in A{beta} may be critical to the etiology of AD. Here we present the structure determined by combining x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and density functional theory analysis of A{beta} peptides complexed with Cu{sup 2+} in solution under a range of buffer conditions. Phosphate-buffered saline buffer salt (NaCl) concentration does not affect the high-affinity copper binding mode but alters the second coordination sphere. The XAS spectra for truncated and full-length A{beta}-Cu{sup 2+} peptides are similar. The novel distorted six-coordinated (3N3O) geometry around copper in the A{beta}-Cu{sup ...
A portion of the active site of rabbit skeletal myosin near the ribose ring of ATP can be labeled by the photoaffinity analogue 3{prime}(2{prime})-O-(4-benzoylbenzoyl)adenosine triphosphate (Bz{sub 2}ATP). The specificity of the photolabeling was assured by first trapping ({sup 14}C)Bz{sub 2}ATP at the active site by use of thiol cross-linking agents. Five radioactive peptides were isolated by high-performance liquid chromatography after extensive trypsin and subtilisin digestion of photolabeled myosin subfragment 1. Four of these peptides were sequenced by Edman techniques, and all originated from a region with the sequence Gly-Glu-Ile-Thr-Val-Pro-Ser-Ile-Asp-Asp-Gln, which corresponds to rabbit myosin heavy chain residues 312-328. The fifth labeled peptide had an amino acid composition appropriate for residues 312-328. Amino acid composition, radiochemical analysis, and sequence data indicate that Ser-324 is the major ...
NMR spectroscopy combined with paramagnetic relaxation agents was used to study the positioning of the 40-residue Alzheimer Amyloid {beta}-peptide A{beta}(1-40) in SDS micelles. 5-Doxyl stearic acid incorporated into the micelle or Mn{sup 2+} ions in the aqueous solvent were used to determine the position of the peptide relative to the micelle geometry. In SDS solvent, the two {alpha}-helices induced in A{beta}(1-40), comprising residues 15-24, and 29-35, respectively, are surrounded by flexible unstructured regions. NMR signals from these unstructured regions are strongly attenuated in the presence of Mn{sup 2+} showing that these regions are positioned mostly outside the micelle. The central helix (residues 15-24) is significantly affected by 5-doxyl stearic acid however somewhat less for residues 16, 20, 22 and 23. This {alpha}-helix therefore resides in the SDS headgroup region with the face with residues 16, 20, 22 and 23 directed away ...
2-Azido[#alpha#-"3"2P]adenosine diphosphate (2-azido[#alpha#-"3"2P]ADP) has been used to photolabel the ADP/ATP carrier in beef heart mitochondria. In reversible binding assays carried out in the dark, this photoprobe was found to inhibit ADP/ATP transport in beef heart mitochondria and to bind to two types of specific sites of the ADP/ATP carrier characterized by high-affinity binding (K/sub d/ = 20 #mu#M) and low-affinity binding (K/sub d/ = 400 #mu#M). In contrast, it was unable to bind to specific carrier sites in inverted submitochondrial particles. Upon photoirradiation of beef heart mitochondria in the presence of 2-azido[#alpha#-"3"2P]ADP, the ADP/ATP carrier was covalently labeled. After purification, the photolabeled carrier protein was cleaved chemically by acidolysis or cyanogen bromide and enzymatically with the Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease. In the ADP/ATP carrier protein, which is 297 amino acid residues in length, two discrete regions extending from Phe-153 to ...
Aminophenpyramine, a derivative of mepyramine (pyrilamine), a typical antagonists of histamine at its H_1 receptor was synthesized and converted into ["1"2"5I]iodoazidophenpyramine, a potential photoaffinity probe for the H_1 receptor. In the dark, reversible binding of this probe to cerebellar membranes occurred with a K/sub d/ of 1.2 x 10"-"1"1 M and a B/sub max/ of 240 fmol/mg of protein and was inhibited by various H_1-receptor antagonists with the expected potencies. These features establish the compound as one of the most potent H_1-receptor antagonists known so far. Upon IV irradiation, 5% of the bound radioactivity was covalently incorporated into cerebellar membrane polypeptides as shown by standard NaDodSO_4/PAGE. Two bands of 47 and 56 kDa were consistently labeled, labeling being prevented by various H_1-receptor antagonists with the expected potencies and stereoselectivity. In the presence of protease inhibitors, labeling of the 56-kDa peptide ...
Chemical looping combustion is a novel technology that can be used to meet the demand on energy production without CO{sub 2} emission. To improve CO{sub 2} capture efficiency in the process of chemical looping combustion of coal, a prototype configuration for chemical looping combustion of coal is made in this study. It comprises a fast fluidized bed as an air reactor, a cyclone, a spout-fluid bed as a fuel reactor and a loop-seal. The loop-seal connects the spout-fluid bed with the fast fluidized bed and is fluidized by steam to prevent the contamination of the flue gas between the two reactors. The performance of chemical looping combustion of coal is experimentally investigated with a NiO/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} oxygen carrier in a 1 kW{sub th} prototype. The experimental results show that the configuration can minimize the amount of residual char entering into the ...
In this paper we present some final results from a research project focused on introducing automatic control to the operation of cupola iron furnaces. The main aim of this research is to improve the operational efficiency and performance of the cupola furnace, an important foundry process used to melt iron. Previous papers have described the development of appropriate control system architectures for the cupola. These results are summarized. Then we describe the experimental results obtained with the U.S. Department of Energy Albany Research Center`s research cupola. First, experimental data is used to calibrate the model, which is taken as a first-order multivariable system with time delay. Then relative gain analysis is used to select loop pairings to be used in a multi-loop controller. The resulting controller pairs meltrate with blast volume, iron temperature with oxygen addition, and carbon composition with percent coke. Special ...
In vertebrates, the positioning of the internal organs relative to the midline is asymmetric and evolutionarily conserved. A number of molecules have been shown to play critical roles in left-right patterning. Using representational difference analysis to identify genes that are differentially expressed on the left and right sides of the chick embryo, we cloned chick Claudin-1, an integral component of epithelial tight junctions. Here, we demonstrate that retroviral overexpression of Claudin-1, but not Claudin-3, on the right side of the chick embryo between HH stages 4 and 7 randomizes the direction of heart looping. This effect was not observed when Claudin-1 was overexpressed on the left side of the embryo. A small, but reproducible, induction of Nodal expression in the perinodal region on the right side of the embryo was noted in embryos that were injected with Claudin-1 retroviral particles on their right sides. However, no changes in Lefty,Pitx2 or cSnR ...
The five thermal-hydraulic concepts chosen for conceptual study of advanced PWR systems have been studied as follows: (1) Critical Heat Flux in passive PWR Conditions: review of previous works (various of correlations, analysis of parametric trends) on CHF, assessment and improvement of CHF prediction models for round tubes, development of the prediction model on bundle CHF with considering the correction factor calculated from the tube data base, design and construction of the intermediate-pressure CHF experimental loop, extension of CHF data base by performing the experiments at low-flow, and low-quality conditions (2) Passive Cooling Concepts for Concrete Containment Systems: Selection of the external condenser by comparing and reviewing between passive cooling concepts for concrete containment system concepts, survey and review of previous studies (theoretical mechanism of condensation heat transfer and effect of non-condensable gases) on the condensation ...
The feasibility of using three different solid fuels in chemical-looping combustion (CLC) has been investigated using NiO as oxygen carrier. A laboratory fluidized-bed reactor system for solid fuel was used, simulating a chemical-looping combustion system by exposing the sample to alternating reducing and oxidizing conditions. In each reducing phase 0.2g of fuel was added to the reactor containing 20g oxygen carrier. The experiments were performed at 970{sup o}C. Compared to previously published results with other oxygen carriers the reactivity of the used Ni-particles was considerably lower for the high-sulphur fuel and higher for the low-sulphur fuel. Much more unconverted CO was released and the fuel conversion was much slower for high-sulphur fuel such as petroleum coke, suggesting that the nickel-based oxygen carrier was deactivated by the presence of sulphur. The NiO particles also showed good reactivity with methane and a syngas mixture ...
We present an updated overview on the phenomenology of one-loop Higgs boson production at Linear Colliders within the general Two-Higgs-Doublet Model (2HDM). First we report on the Higgs boson pair production, and associated Higgs-Z boson production, at O(alpha^3_{ew}) from e+e- collisions. These channels furnish cross-sections in the range of 10-100 fb for Ecm=0.5 TeV and exhibit potentially large radiative corrections (of order 50%), whose origin can be traced back to the genuine enhancement capabilities of the triple Higgs boson self-interactions. Next we consider the loop-induced production of a single Higgs boson from direct gamma-gamma scattering. We single out sizable departures from the corresponding rates in the Standard Model, which are again correlated to trademark dynamical features of the 2HDM -- namely the balance of the non-standard Higgs/gauge, Higgs/fermion and Higgs self-interactions leading to sizable (destructive) ...
In-reactor testing of bolt-loaded compact tension specimens was performed in 360 C water. New data confirms previous results that high irradiation levels reduce SCC resistance in Alloy X-750. Low boron heats show improved IASCC (irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking). Alloy 625 is resistant to IASCC. Microstructural, microchemical, and deformation studies were carried out. Irradiation of X-750 caused significant strengthening and ductility loss associated with formation of cavities and dislocation loops. High irradiation did not cause segregation in X-750. Irradiation of 625 resulted in formation of small dislocation loops and a fine body-centered-orthorhombic phase. The strengthening due to loops and precipitates was apparently offset in 625 by partial dissolution of #gamma# precipitates. Transmutation of boron to helium at grain boundaries, coupled with matrix strengthening, is believed to be responsible for ...
This paper presents and implements an iterative feedback design algorithm for stabilisation of discrete-time switched systems under arbitrary switching regimes. The algorithm seeks state feedback gains so that the closed-loop switching system admits a common quadratic Lyapunov function (CQLF) and hence is uniformly globally exponentially stable. Although the feedback design problem considered can be solved directly via linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), direct application of LMIs for feedback design does not provide information on closed-loop system structure. In contrast, the feedback matrices computed by the proposed algorithm assign closed-loop structure approximating that required to satisfy Lie-algebraic conditions that guarantee existence of a CQLF. The main contribution of the paper is to provide, for single-input systems, a numerical implementation of the algorithm based on iterative approximate common eigenvector ...
Chemical-looping combustion is a promising technology for the combustion of gas or solid fuel with efficient use of energy and inherent separation of CO{sub 2}. Chemical-looping combustion of methane with calcium sulfate as a novel oxygen carrier was conducted in a laboratory scale fixed bed reactor. The effects of reaction temperature, gas flow rate, sample mass, and particle size on reduction reactions were investigated and an optimum operating condition was determined. The results show that this novel oxygen carrier has a high reduction reactivity and stability in a long-time reduction/oxidation test. The conversions of CH{sub 4} increased with a higher temperature, smaller gas flow rate, larger sample mass and smaller particle size. The suitable reaction temperature seems to be around 950 deg. C. Low temperatures lead to a low CH{sub 4} conversion, but a significant SO{sub 2} formation was observed at a higher temperature. The release of ...
Chemical-looping combustion is a promising technology for the combustion of gas or solid fuel with efficient use of energy and inherent separation of CO{sub 2}. Chemical-looping combustion of methane with calcium sulfate as a novel oxygen carrier was conducted in a laboratory scale fixed bed reactor. The effects of reaction temperature, gas flow rate, sample mass, and particle size on reduction reactions were investigated and an optimum operating condition was determined. The results show that this novel oxygen carrier has a high reduction reactivity and stability in a long-time reduction/oxidation test. The conversions of CH{sub 4} increased with a higher temperature, smaller gas flow rate, larger sample mass and smaller particle size. The suitable reaction temperature seems to be around 950 C. Low temperatures lead to a low CH{sub 4} conversion, but a significant SO{sub 2} formation was observed at a higher temperature. The release of SO{sub ...
Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is a process in which an oxygen carrier is used for fuel combustion instead of air or pure oxygen as shown in the figure below. The combustion is split into air and fuel reactors where the oxidation of the oxygen carrier and the reduction of the oxidized metal occur respectively. The CLC system provides a sequestration-ready CO2 stream with no additional energy required for separation. This major advantage places combustion looping at the leading edge of a possible shift in strict control of CO2 emissions from power plants. Research in this novel technology has been focused in three distinct areas: techno-economic evaluations, integration of the system into power plant concepts, and experimental development of oxygen carrier metals such as Fe, Ni, Mn, Cu, and Ca. Our recent thorough literature review shows that multiphase fluid dynamics modeling for CLC is not available in the open literature. ...
In this article, we review and clarify some of the points made by previous authors regarding chemical looping combustion (CLC). While much of the recent interest in chemical looping combustion has been associated with carbon sequestration, our primary interest here is its potential to increase the thermodynamic efficiency of converting fuel chemical energy into useful work. We expand on several points about the details of CLC that we feel have not previously been sufficiently explored, and suggest alternative (and possibly more practical) approaches that exploit some of the same thermodynamic concepts. We illustrate our key points with {First} and {Second} Law analyses of ideal conceptual processes, which in addition to {CLC} also include isothermal, non-equilibrium, preheated combustion and combustion with thermochemical recuperation. Our results suggest that a significant portion of the potential efficiency benefit of CLC might be achieved ...
This paper presents a semi-active vibration control of a scaled two-span bridge structure. Magneto-rheological fluid dampers are utilized as the semi-active energy absorbing deices and a bridge vibration control system is developed. Closed-loop control system based on fuzzy logic is used to suppress the bridge deck motion under random excitations. The sufficient condition for the closed-loop stability of the fuzzy control system is derived from the variable structure system theory. It is demonstrated that this stable fuzzy control system can significantly reduce the relative deck displacement using about 55 percent less power compared to passive-on state, while the absolute deck acceleration is relatively unaffected.
Reactor Power Measurement is an essential part of the Reactor Power Control Loop in PHWRs. None of the available power measuring sensor offers characteristics which allow their direct use in the Reactor Power Control Loop. Thermal power, which is considered as relatively accurate, suffers from measurement delays and is used only as reference. Neutronic power sensors like Ion Chambers and Self Powered Neutron Detectors (SPNDs) which sense instantaneous power suffer from inaccuracies. A technique is required which makes use of both types-reference power and instantaneous power to extract real power information from the signals. This paper describes techniques to calibrate (correct) neutronic power that with the thermal reference power signals. The paper also brings out limitation of the calibration technique. (author)
We have computed the next-next-to-leading order QCD corrections to the Gross-Llewellyn Smith sum rule for deep inelastic neutrino-nucleon scattering and to the Bjorken sum rule for polarized electron-nucleon scattering. This involved the proper treatment of #gamma#_5 inside the loop integrals within dimensional regularization. We find that the difference between the two sum rules are entirely due to a class of six three-loop graphs and is of the order of 1% of the leading QCD term (O(#alpha#_s)). Hence the Q"2 behavior of both sum rules should be nearly the same if the physics is described adequately by the lower order terms of perturbative QCD. (orig.).
An explanation is given of what a loop heat pipe (LHP) is, and how it works. It is then shown that neutron imaging (both real time neutron radioscopy and single exposure neutron radiography) is an effective experimental tool for the study of LHPs. Specifically, neutron imaging has helped to identify and correct a cooling water distribution problem in the condenser, and has enabled visualization of two-phase flow (liquid and vapor) in various components of the LHP. In addition, partial wick dry-out, a phenomenon of great importance in the effective operation of LHPs, is potentially identifiable with neutron imaging. It is anticipated that neutron radioscopy and radiography will greatly contribute to our understanding of LHP operation, and will lead to improvement of LHP modeling and design. PMID:15246420
An explanation is given of what a loop heat pipe (LHP) is, and how it works. It is then shown that neutron imaging (both real time neutron radioscopy and single exposure neutron radiography) is an effective experimental tool for the study of LHPs. Specifically, neutron imaging has helped to identify and correct a cooling water distribution problem in the condenser, and has enabled visualization of two-phase flow (liquid and vapor) in various components of the LHP. In addition, partial wick dry-out, a phenomenon of great importance in the effective operation of LHPs, is potentially identifiable with neutron imaging. It is anticipated that neutron radioscopy and radiography will greatly contribute to our understanding of LHP operation, and will lead to improvement of LHP modeling and design.
An explanation is given of what a loop heat pipe (LHP) is, and how it works. It is then shown that neutron imaging (both real time neutron radioscopy and single exposure neutron radiography) is an effective experimental tool for the study of LHPs. Specifically, neutron imaging has helped to identify and correct a cooling water distribution problem in the condenser, and has enabled visualization of two-phase flow (liquid and vapor) in various components of the LHP. In addition, partial wick dry-out, a phenomenon of great importance in the effective operation of LHPs, has been identified with neutron imaging. It is anticipated that neutron radioscopy and radiography will greatly contribute to our understanding of LHP operation, and will lead to improvement of LHP modeling and design.
Object: To permit a valve operation test to be periodically made during plant operation without causing variations in plant power by detecting flow control valve defect on the basis of a valve aperture alteration instruction. Structure: Step signals which are equal in absolute value and opposite in sign are coupled to the input side of flow controllers provided on the recycling loops of two or more recycling flow control systems. With these inputs the aperture of the flow control valve on one side is increased (or reduced) while the aperture of the valve on the other side is reduced (or increased). As a result, the recycling flow rate in the loop on one side is increased (or reduced) while that on the other side is reduced (or increased). Whether the valve is normally operating or not is confirmed by checking the recycling flow rate and valve aperture. (Nakamura, S.).
This paper is devoted to the coordination of secondary voltage control and adaptive parameters resetting of the power system stabilizer, in order to increase stability, margins in real time operation. Secondary voltage control and the power system stabilizer are two control loops, which affect the same system parameter on different bases - that parameter is the voltage set-point of the automatic voltage regulator. It was found that their effects were complementary. In that way, through the proper coordination of actions of these two control loops open up a wide range of possibilities for ensuring the stability of bulk power systems in real time. For the establishment of this coordination, an on-line sequential algorithm is proposed which is based on adaptive resetting of the voltage set-point of the automatic voltage regulator and the PSS parameters. The efficiency of the proposed algorithm is confined through simulations on a real-life ...
A cold-leg small-break loss-of-coolant accident (SBLOCA) experiment was performed on the PACTEL facility to study the behavior of natural circulation in a VVER-440 reactor geometry. The facility is a volumetrically scaled (1:305) integral test loop simulating the VVER-440 reactors used in Finland. The test results were used to assess the computer codes RELAP5/MOD3.1 and APROS 3.0 for VVER reactors. The behavior of the horizontal steam generator and the effect of the hot-leg loop seal were of particular interest. The specific parameters to be compared included the primary pressure and the downcomer mass flow rate.
A cold-leg small-break loss-of-coolant accident (SBLOCA) experiment was performed on the PACTEL facility to study the behavior of natural circulation in a VVER-440 reactor geometry. The facility is a volumetrically scaled (1:305) integral test loop simulating the VVER-440 reactors used in Finland. The test results were used to assess the computer codes RELAP5/MOD3.1 and APROS 3.0 for VVER reactors. The behavior of the horizontal steam generator and the effect of the hot-leg loop seal were of particular interest. The specific parameters to be compared included the primary pressure and the downcomer mass flow rate.
The full theory and the semiclassical description of loop quantum cosmology (LQC) have been studied in the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker and Bianchi I models. As an extension to include both anisotropy and intrinsic curvature, this paper investigates the cosmological model of Kantowski-Sachs spacetime with a free massless scalar field at the level of phenomenological dynamics with the LQC discreteness corrections. The LQC corrections are implemented in two different improved quantization schemes. In both schemes, the big bang and big crunch singularities of the classical solution are resolved and replaced by the big bounces when the area or volume scale factor approaches the critical values in the Planck regime measured by the reference of the scalar field momentum. Symmetries of scaling are also noted and suggest that the fundamental spatial scale (area gap) may give rise to a temporal scale. The bouncing scenarios are in an analogous fashion of the Bianchi I model, ...
Decay heat removal capability under boiling condition was studied using an LMFBR fuel subassembly mockup loop. The sodium flow was driven by natural convection through the loop in which was installed a 37-pin bundle heated electrically over a length of 45 cm. The heat flux furnished by the pins was increased stepwise, upon which the two-phase flow regime changed from bubble to slug flow and then to annular or annular mist flow. Dryout occurred even in slug flow regime, but only momentarily, and permanent dryout was not observed before establichment of annular flow. A suitable criterion for permanent dryout is considered to be 0.5 average exit sodium vapor quality. The results indicated that upon occurrence of sodium boiling, the coolability of fuel subassembly would be maintained by natural convection after reactor shutdown. (author).
The present work summarizes efforts on the simulation of natural convection cooling within the IFMIF target and test cell. The simulations have been performed with the STAR-CD code using the k-#omega# high-Reynolds number turbulence model. A dedicated thermohydraulic model has been devised including Lithium loop components. Nuclear heat production has been calculated by the Monte-Carlo code McDeLicious for different parts of the target and test cell walls and was used as input for the STAR-CD simulations. Helium atmospheres at several pressures from 0.1 to 10"-"5 MPa have been investigated. In order to limit the maximum temperature of the concrete walls to 80 deg. C it was necessary to add thermal insulation layers to the hot Lithium loop surfaces and a conceptual system of two cooling layers in different depths of the concrete walls.
Magnetic properties of Fe-Co-Mo-Cu-B alloy system with Co up to 26at.% were investigated. After proper thermal treatment, the nanocrystalline grain remains tiny, the density hardly increases, but the room-temperature saturation attains 1.5T mainly due to a high enough Curie temperature. The generally observed slant hysteresis loops point to ribbon surfaces, which stress the ribbon interior and induce a specific magnetoelastic contribution to hard-ribbon-axis magnetic anisotropy even after vacuum annealing. The effect does not come from cobalt but rather from the lack of silicon. Partial removal of the surfaces resulted in a decrease of the loop tilt.
Many existing methods of identifying the optimum sites for installing power system stabilizers (PSSs) in multi-machine systems are restricted to the sequential PSS application, which considers the enhancement of damping of just one critical electromechanical mode at a time; the eigenstructure analysis of the open-loop system, which does not take the control matrix (i.e., the B matrix in the linearized model x = Ax + Bu for power systems) into consideration. This paper presents a method of identifying the optimum sites for installing power system stabilizers. The advantages of this method are: it can identify the optimum sites for installing PSSs so that several electrochemical modes are damped out simultaneously; it takes both the eigenstructure of the open-loop system and the control matrix into consideration.
In the WWER-440 reactor the primary piping consists of six horizontal loops going radially from the pressure vessel, each loop having a horizontal steam generator. In this reactor type the relatively long primary piping with many curved sections requires special attention in order to successfully eliminate the consequences of the design basis accident. Emergency supports are located in appropriate places to restrict the movements of the pipe. Under normal conditions there is a gap of some centimeters between the pipe and a support so that in the pipe can be deformed freely under changing loads. This paper deals with those energy-absorbing structures used at the Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant for protection against impact loading. Places and circumstances where energy-absorbing structures are employed are specified. Development and design of impact absorber elements are discussed and impact tests are described. (Auth.).
Bent specimens of A533B steel (0.16wt% Cu) were irradiated at 290degreeC to 1dpa with 6.4MeV Fe3+ ions. Calculated tensile stresses at the irradiated surface were set to 0, 250, 500 and 750MPa. The specimens were subjected to hardness measurements, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations and three-dimensional atom probe (3DAP) analysis. The radiation-induced hardening decreased with increasing stress to 500MPa which was near the yield strength. TEM and 3DAP results showed that well-defined dislocation loops and solute clusters were formed. The diameter of dislocation loops increased and the number density decreased when the stress was applied, whereas the diameter and number density of solute clusters decreased. The hardening was mainly attributed to solute cluster formation. A...
A new mathematical framework is formulated to derive the effective equations of motion for the constrained quantum system which possesses an internal clock. In the realm close to classical behavior, the quantum evolution is approximated by a finite system of coupled but ordinary differential equations adhered to the weakly imposed Hamiltonian constraint. For the simplified version of loop quantum cosmology in the Bianchi I model with a free massless scalar filed, the resulting effective equations of motion affirm the bouncing scenario predicted by the previous studies: The big bang singularity is resolved and replaced by the big bounces, which take place up to three times, once in each diagonal direction, whenever the directional density approaches the critical value in the regime of Planckian density. It is also revealed that back-reaction arises from the quantum corrections and modifies the precise value of the directional density at the bouncing epoch. ...
An Fe-15Cr-20Ni ternary model alloy and a Type 316 stainless steel were irradiated by dual-ions at 1 to 50 appm of He/dpa ratios, to investigate the helium effects on microstructural development in austenitic alloys under irradiation. Quantitative analysis on resultant microstructures revealed that the Frank loop nucleation rate and the network dislocation density positively correlate and Frank loop growth rate negatively correlate with the He/dpa ratio, while the cavity growth rate has its peak at an intermediate helium injection rate. Although He/dpa dependence of various microstructural features were similar for the model alloy and the 316SS, the rates of their development and the mechanism which had assisted cavity growth were significantly different in these two materials. (orig.).
This project is about the simulation design of an engine control unit (ECU) for an Otto cycle engine with electronic fuel injection (EFI). The simulation includes a model for the ECU as well as physical parameters of the engine, which allows closed-loop control and monitoring of various systems.This simulation has been realized using Simulink and Stateflow, which are components of Mathworks' MATLAB software.The program allows control of various parameters of the ECU, as well as the simulation of failures to verify that the designed ECU is fault-tolerant and can control the engine using an open loop control. The main function the ECU provides is fuel metering.Subsequently, this program could be used as a tool to quickly develop and test models of ECU in order to control an engine in laborat...
At the reference plant (Wolsung unit No. 1) a manual poison sampling system is provided to periodically sample gadolinium from each tank and analyze it in the laboratory to provide assurance that adequate poison concentration in each tank is maintained. The AECB required a continuous, on-line monitoring system. On Wolsung unit No. 2, process piping adapter and new instrument loops added to the Liquid Injection Shutdown System(LISS) which is part of SDS2. The new instrument loops continuously monitor SDS2 poison conductivity and initiate an alarm when the poison concentration is too low. 8 refs., 1 fig. (author).
In this article we present the complete resummation of the leading chirally-enhanced corrections stemming from gluino-squark, chargino-sfermion and neutralino-sfermion loops in the MSSM with non-minimal sources of flavor-violation. We compute the finite renormalization of fermion masses and the CKM matrix induced by chirality-flipping self-energies. In the decoupling limit Msusy>>v, which is an excellent approximation to the full theory, we give analytic results for the effective gaugino(higgsino)-fermion-sfermion and the Higgs-fermion-fermion vertices. Using these vertices as effective Feynman rules, all leading chirally-enhanced corrections can consistently be included into perturbative calculations of Feynman amplitudes. We also give a generalized parametrization for the bare CKM matrix which extends the classic Wolfenstein parametrization to the case of complex parameters lambda and A.
A chemical-looping process is proposed for the clean combustion of solid fuels for electric power or heat generation. The process is based on coal gasification with CO_2 to produce CO. The CO then reduces CaSO_4, which is used as an oxygen carrier, in a separate reactor to give CaS and CO_2. A portion of the CO_2 is recycled for the gasification stage and the rest can be sent for sequestration. The CaS is sent to another reactor for oxidation with air and to generate heat or power. The overall thermal effect is the same as direct combustion, but separation of CO_2 and other pollutants, such as sulphur, is achieved. In comparison with conventional chemical-looping combustion of natural gas, much less water is present in the CO_2 product, and hence the loss of heat energy and corrosion of the fuel-reactor system can be reduced.
We present a new relativistic bound-state formalism for two interacting Fermi-Dirac particles. The kernel of the integral equation for the bound-state system is generated by summing Feynman scattering amplitudes and multiplying by a bound-state amplitude. The method is illustrated through calculations of the hyperfine and fine splittings of positronium up to order #alpha#"5. Our calculations of the one-loop contributions are carried out in the explicitly covariant Feynman gauge. We also present new results for the hyperfine and fine splittings in positronium to order #alpha#"5 for arbitrary principal quantum number n, which are easily obtained owing to the virtue of conceptual and calculational simplicity of our formalism. In addition, we present the one-loop renormalization scheme in our formalism. (author).
In general relativity, the fields on a black hole horizon are obtained from those in the bulk by pullback and restriction. Similarly, in quantum gravity, the quantized horizon degrees of freedom should result from restricting, or pulling-back, the quantized bulk degrees of freedom. This is not yet fully realized in the - otherwise very successful - quantization of isolated horizons in loop quantum gravity. In this work we outline a setting in which the quantum horizon degrees of freedom are simply components of the quantized bulk degrees of freedom. There is no need to quantize them separately. We present evidence that for a horizon of sphere topology, the resulting horizon theory is remarkably similar to what has been found before.
Amyloid precursor protein (APP), a key protein in pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), is a type I transmembrane protein which can be cleaved by b- and g-secretase to release the amyloidogenic b-amyloid peptides (Ab) and the APP intracellular domain (AICD). While Ab has been widely believed to initiate pathogenic cascades culminating AD, the physiological functions and regulations of AICD remain elusive. In present study, endogenous AICD was demonstrated to be increased by canonical Wnt signal. Instead of due to g-secretase activity, enhanced AICD expression was found due to the increased protein stability by Wnt/b-catenin. b-Catenin was demonstrated to be an associating partner of AICD, capable of promoting AICD mediated transcriptional activity. Investigation by AICD mutants proved ...
A bioartificial kidney, which is composed of a membrane cartridge with renal epithelial cells, can substitute important kidney functions in patients with renal failure. A particular challenge is the maintenance of monolayer integrity and specialized renal epithelial cell functions ex vivo. We hypothesized that this can be improved by electro-spun, supramolecular polymer membranes which show clear benefits in ease of processability. We found that after 7?d, in comparison to conventional microporous membranes, renal tubular cells cultured on top of our fibrous supramolecular membranes formed polarized monolayers, which is prerequisite for a well-functioning bioartificial kidney. In future, these supramolecular membranes allow for incorporation of peptides that may increase cell function even further. PMID:20715132
Abstract Acid-treated cobia (Rachycentron canadum) skin was extracted in a retort (121C) to obtain retorted skin gelatin hydrolysates (RSGHs) containing antioxidant peptides with noticeable antioxidant properties. To improve the antioxidant activity of cobia RSGHs, five processing factors including alkali concentration, alkali pretreatment time, phosphoric acid concentration (PC), water/skin ratio (WS) and retorting time (RT) in RSGH production were screened using a fractional factorial design to identify critical factors. It indicated that PC, WS and RT had significant effects on ,-diphenyl--picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging by RSGHs. Subsequently, the optimization of PC, WS and RT on the DPPH scavenging of RSGHs was studied using a central composite design to collect data that resulted in...
The T cell receptor is a fundamental mediator of the adaptive immune responses, since TR ab on T cells recognize foreign structures (peptides derived from processed antigens) bound to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on APC cells. In the present study, we report the cloning of six TRB chains cDNA sequences from gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata), a fish of high economical impact in South Mediterranean aquaculture. The V-BETA domains have the canonical features of known teleost and mammalian TR V-BETA domains and have been divided in four different subgroups. A multiple alignment of the six sea bream TRB chains with other known TRB sequences was assembled and showed the conservation of the four cysteine residues involved in disulphide bonds and of some amino acids with an importan...
Endogenous opioid peptides (EOP) are molecules affecting many biological functions influencing productive and reproductive performance. They increase in stress conditions and interact with specific opioidergic receptors (OR): delta, kappa and mu. Several studies in other animal species suggest that they can also affect sperm cell motility. In fish the ionic external environment modulates the increase of intracellular calcium ion that is required to activate sperm motility after spawning. In mammals OR are functionally associated to calcium channels and in fishes calcium is highly required for fish sperm activation. In this study the presence of OR on spermatozoa of two Perciform fish, the sharpsnout seabream (Diplodus puntazzo, family Sparidae) and the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labr...
Abstract Many solute carrier transporters that interact with anticancer agents and contribute to their pharmacokinetics have been shown to be differentially upregulated in cancer cells as a result of adaptive response to altered nutritional requirements. This review focuses on pathophysiological function of membrane transporters responsible for the influx of physiological substances including oligopeptides, amino acids, and organic cations and anions, and summarizes the recent knowledge regarding mechanisms in their gene expressions. Broad substrate specificity of enhanced oligopeptide H+/peptide cotransporter 1 activity in cancer cells is useful for tumor tissue-specific delivery of chemotherapeutic agents and positron emission tomography diagnostic probes. Amino acid transporters such as...
Plasmid pRK404-a smaller derivative of RK2-is a tetracycline-resistant broad-host-range vector that carries a multiple cloning site and the lacZ(alpha) peptide that enables blue/white selection for cloned inserts in Escherichia coli. We present herein the complete and annotated sequence of pRK404 and three related vectors-pRK437, pRK442, and pRK442(H). These derivatives have proven to be valuable tools for genetic manipulation in Gram-negative bacteria. The knowledge of their complete sequences will facilitate efficient future engineering of them and will enhance their general applicability to the design of genetic systems for use in organisms for which new genomic sequence data are becoming available.
Aberrant amyloid-b peptide (Ab) accumulation along with altered expression and function of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) stand prominently in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Since the discovery that Ab is bound to a7 nAChRs under many experimental settings, including post-mortem AD brain, much effort has been expended to understand the implications of this interaction in the disease milieu. This research update will review the current literature on the a7 nAChR-Ab interaction in vitro and in vivo, the functional consequences of this interaction from sub-cellular to cognitive levels, and discuss the implications these relationships might have for AD therapies.
Cancer cells recruit monocytes, macrophages and other inflammatory cells by producing abundant chemoattractants and growth factors, such as macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF/CSF-1) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL2), to promote tumor growth and dissemination. An understanding of the mechanisms that target cancer cells and regulate tumor microenvironment is essential in designing anticancer therapies. Here, we showed that serum amyloid-A (SAA) and cathelicidin (LL-37) stimulated M-CSF and MCP-1 expression with or without lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration; conversely, lipoxin-A4 (LXA4) and annexin-A1 (ANXA1) inhibited LPS-induced M-CSF and MCP-1 production by human (HepG2) and mouse (H22) hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HCCs). The effects of LXA4, ANXA1, SAA ...
Abstract Under eons of evolutionary and environmental pressure, biological systems have developed strong and lightweight peptide-based polymeric materials by using the 20 naturally occurring amino acids as principal monomeric units. These materials outperform their man-made counterparts in the following ways: 1)-multifunctionality/tunability, 2)-adaptability/stimuli-responsiveness, 3)-synthesis and processing under ambient and aqueous conditions, and 4)-recyclability and biodegradability. The universal design strategy that affords these advanced properties involves -bottom-up- synthesis and modular, hierarchical organization both within and across multiple length-scales. The field of -biomimicry--elucidating and co-opting nature-s basic material design principles and molecular building blo...
Many existing agents for diabetes therapy are unable to restore or maintain normal glucose homeostasis or prevent the eventual emergence of hyperglycemia-related complication. Therefore, agents based on novel mechanisms are sought to complement and extend the current therapeutic approaches. Based on the initial paper research, we focused on active STAT3 as an attractive pharmacological target for type 2 diabetes. The subsequent text mining with a unique query to identify suppressors but not activators of STAT3 revealed the ERK2/STAT3 pathway as a novel diabetes target. The description of ERK2 inhibitors as diabetes target had not been found in our text mining research at present. The mechanism-based peptide inhibitor for ERK2 was identified using the knowledge of the KIM sequence, which ha...
The authors have cloned and determined the entire nucleotide sequence of cDNAs corresponding to the putative {alpha} subunits of the human and rat mast cell high-affinity IgE receptors. Both human and rat cDNAs encode an NH{sub 2}-terminal signal peptide, two immunoglobulin-like extracellular domains (encoded by discrete exons), a hydrophobic transmembrane region, and a positively charged cytoplasmic tail. The human and rat {alpha} subunits share an overall homology with one another and the immunoglobulin gene family, suggesting that they arose from a common ancestral gene and continue to share structural homology with their ligands. In addition, the rat gene is transcribed into at least three distinct forms, each of which yields a somewhat different coding sequence.
Successful electron capture dissociation (ECD) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) applications to peptide and protein structural analysis have been enabled by constant progress in implementation of improved electron injection techniques. The rate of ECD product ion formation has been increased to match the liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis timescales, and ECD has been combined with infrared multiphoton dissociation in a single experimental configuration to provide simultaneous irradiation, fast switching between the two techniques, and good spatial overlap between ion, photon, and electron beams. Here we begin by describing advantages and disadvantages of the various existing electron injection techniques for ECD in FT-ICR MS. We next ...
Summation Copper-64 (T1/2?=?12.7 hours; ?+, 0.653?MeV [17.8 %]; ??, 0.579?MeV [38.4 %]) has decay characteristics that allow for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and targeted radiotherapy of cancer. The well-established coordination chemistry of copper allows for its reaction with a wide variety of chelator systems that can potentially be linked to peptides and other biologically relevant small molecules, antibodies, proteins, and nanoparticles. The 12.7-hours half-life of 64Cu provides the flexibility to image both smaller molecules and larger, slower clearing proteins and nanoparticles. In a practical sense, the radionuclide or the 64Cu-radiopharmaceuticals can be easily shipped for PET imaging studies at sites remote to the production facility. Due to the versatility of 64Cu, ...
Gastrointestinal patches represent a novel multiparticulate drug delivery system able to increase the intestinal absorption of drugs with poor bioavailability. The number of patches to administer is a critical issue since it is related to the surface and drug concentration at the absorption site. The objective of this article is to evaluate the effect of the number of administered patches on the final absorption of leuprolide, a peptide chosen as model drug, assuming complete adhesion of all the devices to the intestinal membrane. The same dose of leuprolide was encapsulated into 2, 4 and 6 patches; the resulting intestinal absorption profiles were measured with the Ussing chamber ex vivo experimental setup and compared between them. The results showed that varying the number of patches, t...
Abstract A 3-month, open-label, single-center study was conducted to determine whether a uniquely formulated and physiologically balanced topical treatment serum containing multiple growth factors, cytokines, peptides, antioxidants and depigmenting agents could improve the visible signs of facial photodamage. Thirty-seven females, aged 32-55 years, with mild to severe, fine and coarse peri-ocular wrinkles were enrolled and completed the study. Subjects applied the treatment serum to the face twice daily for 3 months in conjunction with a basic skincare regimen. Clinical evaluations of photodamage were performed at baseline and months 1, 2 and 3. Cutometer measurements and subject self-assessment questionnaires were also conducted during the study. Clinical evaluations showed statistically ...
Transgenic plants offer advantages for biomolecule production because plants can be grown on a large scale and the recombinant macromolecules can be easily harvested and extracted. We introduced an Aspergillus phytase gene into canola (Brassica napus) (line 9412 with low erucic acid and low glucosinolates) by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Phytase expression in transgenic plant was enhanced with a synthetic phytase gene according to the Brassica codon usage and an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention signal KDEL that confers an ER accumulation of the recombinant phytase. Secretion of the phytase to the extracellular fluid was also established by the use of the tobacco PR-S signal peptide. Phytase accumulation in mature seed accounted for 2.6% of the total soluble proteins. The enzy...
Protein hydrogels were prepared by substituting ovalbumin with different concentrations of ethyl vinyl sulfone (EVS) or acrylic acid (AA) and crosslinking with divinyl sulfone (DVS). Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic studies confirmed the addition of EVS, AA, and DVS onto the protein. Swelling was assessed as a function of pH in the range of 2.5 to 9.4 and ionic strength. The elastic modulus of the gels was determined in shear and compression. Stress relaxation was assessed in compression. The substituent highly affected swelling and modulus with both hydrogels displaying non-Gaussian behavior in the range of hydrogel environments studied. Acrylic acid substituted ovalbumin exhibited a decreasing modulus with increasing swelling behaving as a polyelectrolyte with low added s...
Carbohydrate and nucleotide structural determination using modern spectroscopic techniques is dependent on our ability to label oligonucleotides and oligosaccharides with stable isotopes. Uniform Carbon 13 and Nitrogen 15 labeling of oligonucleotides is important to present-day efforts, which are focused on determining the structure of relatively small oligosaccharides and oligonucleotides, which form the elements of larger structures. Because of the relatively recent interest in three-dimensional structure, the development of techniques used to label them has lagged behind parallel techniques used to label peptides and proteins. Therefore, this group`s discussion focused primarily on problems faced today in obtaining oligonucleotides labeled uniformly with carbon 13 and nitrogen 15.
Using the peptide hormone glucagon and Ab(1-40) as model systems, we have sought to elucidate the mechanisms by which fibrils grow and multiply. We here present real-time observations of growing fibrils at a single-fibril level. Growing from preformed seeds, glucagon fibrils were able to generate new fibril ends by continuously branching into new fibrils. To our knowledge, this is the first time amyloid fibril branching has been observed in real-time. Glucagon fibrils formed by branching always grew in the forward direction of the parent fibril with a preferred angle of 35-40degree. Furthermore, branching never occurred at the tip of the parent fibril. In contrast, in a previous study by some of us, Ab(1-40) fibrils grew exclusively by elongation of preformed seeds. Fibrillation kinetics i...
Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV), family Nanaviridae, genus Babuvirus, is a single stranded DNA virus (ssDNA) that causes banana bunchy top disease (BBTD) in banana plants. It is the most common and most destructive of all viruses in these plants and is widespread throughout the Asia-Pacific region. In this study we isolated, cloned and sequenced a BBTV sample from Hainan Island, China. The results from sequencing and bioinformatics analysis indicate this isolate represents a satellite DNA component with 12 DNA sequences motifs. We also predicted the physical and chemical properties, structure, signal peptide, phosphorylation, secondary structure, tertiary structure and functional domains of its encoding protein, and compare them with the corresponding quantities in the replication initiatio...
The wind unit working wheel has 4 radial rectangular frames arranged in two vertical planes which are perpendicular to each other. In the planes limited by the frames, on loop hinges with limiting supports, there are flat blades. When the working wheel rotates under the influence of wind pressure, the blades automatically occupy a vertical or horizontal (wind vane) position depending on the direction of blade motion and the direction of wind velocity.
Chemical-looping combustion is an indirect combustion technology with inherent separation of the greenhouse gas CO{sub 2}. The feasibility of using NiO as an oxygen carrier during chemical-looping combustion of coal has been investigated experimentally at 800-960{degree}C in the present work. The experiments were carried out in a fluidized bed, where the steam acted as the gasification-fluidization medium. Coal gasification and the reaction of oxygen carrier with the water gas take place simultaneously in the reactor. The oxygen carrier particles exhibit high reactivity above 900{degree}C, and the dry basis concentration of CO{sub 2} in the exit gas of the reactor is nearly 95%. The flue gas composition as a function of the reactor temperature and cyclic reduction number is discussed. At 800-960{degree}C, the dry basis concentration of CO{sub 2} in the flue gas presents a monotonously increasing trend, whereas the dry basis concentration of CO, ...
We proposed a solid and a mercury target concepts through the preliminary conceptual design. To feasible these concepts, analysis and experimental works are being carried out. This paper introduces an outline of present status of target R and D such as heat transfer augmentation experiments for the solid target, mercury flow tests with a loop of maximum flow rate of 15L/min, flow pattern measurements for a cold source moderator etc. as well as preliminary conceptual design works. (author)
The Cutkosky rules are generalized to include tachyons. A consequence is that Lorentz-invariant interacting theories which possess tachyons cannot obey even the weakest possible form of unitarity beyond the tree level. The problem (although not the cutting rules) is shown to extend to bosonic string theory. Thus unitarity cannot be used to determine the range of modular integration in bosonic string loop amplitudes.
The Cutkosky rules are generalized to include tachyons. A consequence is that Lorentz-invariant interacting theories which possess tachyons cannot obey even the weakest possible form of unitarity beyond the tree level. The problem (although not the cutting rules) is shown to extend to bosonic string theory. Thus unitarity cannot be used to determine the range of modular integration in bosonic string loop amplitudes.
In the framework of the equivalence theorem the one-loop helicity amplitudes and cross section for the double Higgs production process {gamma}{gamma}{yields}HH are calculated. It is shown that the cross section is measurable at TeV {gamma}{gamma} colliders and is marginally sensitive to the triple-Higgs variation. (orig.).
In the framework of the equivalence theorem the one-loop helicity amplitudes and cross section for the double Higgs production process #gamma##gamma##->#HH are calculated. It is shown that the cross section is measurable at TeV #gamma##gamma# colliders and is marginally sensitive to the triple-Higgs variation. (orig.).
Using a simple model for soft self-consistent nonperturbative string fragmentation-recombination loops, we find that, in an open-string theory, ground-state particles necessary for the standard model either become tachyons or acquire large (Planck-scale) masses, making them unacceptable for sub-Planck-scale phenomenology. No comparable difficulties are evident for closed-string theories.
The theoretical treatment of the relation between the critical angle of planar channeling and the characteristics of crystal lattice defects is carried out. The predictions are made about some typical forms of the critical angle dependence on the mean-square static displacement produced by defects, and then these predictions are detailed for the cases of homogeneous disordering, spherical clusters of point defects and dislocation loops. Analytical results are supported by the exact computer calculations for the defects in the intermetallic A-15 compounds.
We investigate the scope of all relevant production modes of charged Higgs bosons in the MSSM, with mass larger than the one of the top quark, at future Linear Colliders operating in {gamma}{gamma} mode at the TeV energy scale. Final states with one or two H{sup {+-}} bosons are considered, as produced by both tree- and loop-level interactions. (orig.)
We investigate the scope of all relevant production modes of charged Higgs bosons in the MSSM, with mass larger than the one of the top quark, at future Linear Colliders operating in #gamma##gamma# mode at the TeV energy scale. Final states with one or two H"#+-# bosons are considered, as produced by both tree- and loop-level interactions. (orig.)
This paper deals with construction types of high temperature heat exchangers, their circulation loops and temperature differences. Most attention is given to gas dynamics, convective heat transfer, convection and radiant heat transfer interaction in high temperature heat exchangers. The ways of heat transfer augmentation and efficient heat exchanger construction are discussed.
The N1-methyl-Adenosine (m1A58) modification at the conserved nucleotide 58 in the TΨC loop is present in most eukaryotic tRNAs. In yeast, m1A58 modification...Full Text Available
We report on the calculation of multi-loop Feynman integrals for single-scale problems by means of difference equations in Mellin space. The solution to these difference equations in terms of harmonic sums can be constructed algorithmically over difference fields, the so-called {pi}{sigma}{sup *}-fields. We test the implementation of the Mathematica package Sigma on examples from recent higher order perturbative calculations in Quantum Chromodynamics. (orig.)
Because of the chaotic nature of the corrosion process and the complexity of the electrochemical noise signals that are generated, there is no generally accepted method of measuring and interpreting these signals that allows the consistent detection and identification of sustained localized pitting (SLP) as compared to general corrosion. We have reexamined electrochemical noise analysis (ENA) of localized corrosion using different hardware, signal collection, and signal processing designs than those used in conventional ENA techniques. The new data acquisition system was designed to identify and monitor the progress of SLP by analyzing the power spectral density (PSD) of the trend of the corrosion current noise level (CNL) and potential noise level (PNL). Each CNL and PNL data point was calculated from the root-mean- square value of the ac components of current and potential fluctuation signals, which were measured simultaneously during a short time period. The PSD analysis results ...
Earlier studies have indicated that xylitol may increase the absorption and urinary excretion of dietary oxalate. It has also been indicated that xylitol increases the absorption of calcium. Intestinal absorption of lead, a divalent contaminant in the diet, is in many respects similar to that of calcium. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of xylitol on the intestinal absorption of lead using two different approaches: the in situ ligated intestinal loop technique in cockerels and gastric gavage in mice.
If the soft supersymmetry (SUSY) breaking masses and couplings are complex and cancellations do take place in the SUSY induced contributions to the fermionic electric dipole moments, then the CP- violating soft phases can drastically modify much of the known phenomenological pattern of the minimal supersymmetric standard model. In particular, the squark loop content of the dominant Higgs production mechanism at the large hadron collider, the gluon-gluon fusion mode, could be responsible for large corrections to the known cross sections. (15 refs).
The report gives results of economic evaluations of three gypsum-producing flue gas desulfurization processes: advanced limestone (in-loop forced oxidation with adipic acid additive), Davy S-H (lime), and Dowa (aluminum sulfate, limestone). For a 500-MW power unit burning 3.5% su...
Qualifying corrosion inhibitors for use in high velocity multiphase flowlines in arctic or subsea environments is discussed. The tests include high velocity flow loop corrosion tests, pumpability through 0.125 (0.318 cm) inch capillary at low temperatures, compatibility with Nylon 11, emulsion tendency testing, and partitioning characteristics. Laboratory and field data show the importance for using the above criteria for inhibitor selection.
The invention concerns an improvement of a cooling device for rotors of multistage axial steam turbines by providing in the first stage of each group of turbine stages a circulation loop connecting the wheel chamber on the inlet side of the rotor disc of the first stage with the wheel chamber on its outlet side. This is to cause the cooling effect not to be hampered by gap widths of the seal in the bottom range of the rotor blades changing during operation. Design particulars are described in detail. (UWI).
Results on defect structure study and degree of molybdenum radiation hardening irradiated by fission neutrons and medium energy alpha-particles are presented. It is shown that molybdenum irradiation by alpha-particles and neutrons leads to different degree of material hardening for the same damage level. It is established that molybdenum radiation hardening is mainly defined by radiation defect clusters visible in electron microscope whose coefficient of rigidity depends on their size. 5 refs.; 6 figs.; 2 tabs. (author).
We propose a basic strategy to obtain a consistent on-shell effective action of open-string tachyons, on the background where closed-string tachyons are already condensed. We use sigma-model approach, basically. We regard D-instanton-like objects with appropriate weight as closed-string tachyon tadpoles, and we insert them into worldsheets to analyze the effect of closed-string tachyons.
A lock out assembly for a circuit breaker which consists of a generally step-shaped unitary base with an aperture in the small portion of the step-shaped base and a roughly S shaped retaining pin which loops through the large portion of the step-shaped base. The lock out assembly is adapted to fit over a circuit breaker with the handle switch projecting through the aperture, and the retaining pin projecting into an opening of the handle switch, preventing removal.
The quenched chiral logarithms are examined on a 163x28 lattice with Iwasaki gauge action and overlap fermions. The pion decay constant fpi is used to set the lattice spacing, a = 0.200(3) fm. With pion mass as low as {approx}180 MeV, we see the quenched chiral logarithms clearly in mpi2/m and fP, the pseudoscalar decay constant. The authors analyze the data to determine how low the pion mass needs to be in order for the quenched one-loop chiral perturbation theory (chiPT) to apply. With the constrained curve-fitting method, they are able to extract the quenched chiral logarithmic parameter delta together with other low-energy parameters. Only for mpi<=300 MeV do we obtain a consistent and stable fit with a constant delta which they determine to be 0.24(3)(4) (at the chiral scale Lambdachi = 0.8 GeV). By comparing to the 123x28 lattice, they estimate the finite volume effect to be about 2.7% for the smallest pion mass. They also fitted the pion mass to the ...
The quenched chiral logarithms are examined on a 163x28 lattice with Iwasaki gauge action and overlap fermions. The pion decay constant fpi is used to set the lattice spacing, a = 0.200(3) fm. With pion mass as low as #approx#180 MeV, we see the quenched chiral logarithms clearly in mpi2/m and fP, the pseudoscalar decay constant. The authors analyze the data to determine how low the pion mass needs to be in order for the quenched one-loop chiral perturbation theory (chiPT) to apply. With the constrained curve-fitting method, they are able to extract the quenched chiral logarithmic parameter delta together with other low-energy parameters. Only for mpi<=300 MeV do we obtain a consistent and stable fit with a constant delta which they determine to be 0.24(3)(4) (at the chiral scale Lambdachi = 0.8 GeV). By comparing to the 123x28 lattice, they estimate the finite volume effect to be about 2.7% for the smallest pion mass. They also fitted the pion mass to the form ...
Canonical gravity in real Ashtekar-Barbero variables is generalized to allow for fermionic matter. The resulting torsion changes several expressions in Holst's original vacuum analysis, which are explicitly displayed here. This in turn requires adaptations to the known canonical (loop) quantization of gravity coupled to fermions, which is discussed on the basis of the classical analysis.
imaging of the solar corona began in 1960 via a primitive pinhole camera on a ... IR wavelengths. Such data help us to study in detail the pre-eruptive ...... Schematic picture of flare loops, CME, and the current sheet between ..... As part of NASA's Living With a Star (LWS) program the planned Sentinel mission ...
The corrosion rate of low alloy steel SA-508 and carbon steel A-410b in simulated operation and shutdown conditions of pressurized water reactor has been determined Moreover potentiodynamic polarization curves and galvanic effect through coupling of AISI-304 have been carried out under shutdown simulated condition. (Author) 8 refs.
Yeast arginyl-tRNA synthetase recognizes the non-modified wild-type transcripts derived from both yeast tRNA(Arg) and tRNA(Asp) with equal efficiency. It discriminates its cognate natural substrate,...Full Text Available
This is an executive summary of a final subcontract report that describes the successful completion of a closed-loop demonstration of a regenerative thermoelectromechanical device using solar heat input for the production of electricity. The full report, which contains a detailed description of the two-year effort, is currently subject to a government secrecy order which precludes public release of the information. Copies of the full report will be made available for general release whenever the secrecy order is lifted.
We discuss the determination of the infrared singularities of massive one-loop 5-point functions with Mellin-Barnes (MB) representations. Massless internal lines may lead to poles in the {epsilon} expansion of the Feynman diagram, while unresolved massless final state particles give endpoint singularities of the phase space integrals. MB integrals are an elegant tool for their common treatment. An evaluation by taking residues leads to inverse binomial sums. (orig.)
The response of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough (DvH),a sulphate-reducing bacterium, to nitrate stress was examined usingquantitative proteomic analysis. DvH was stressed with 105 m M sodiumnitrate(NaNO3), a level that caused a 50 percent inhibition in growth.The protein profile of stressed cells was compared with that of cellsgrown in the absence of nitrate using the iTRAQ peptide labellingstrategy and tandem liquid chromatography separation coupled with massspectrometry (quadrupoletime-of-flight) detection. A total of 737 uniqueproteins were identified by two or more peptides, representing 22 percentof the total DvH proteome and spanning every functional category. Theresults indicate that this was a mild stress, as proteins involved incentral metabolism and the sulphate reduction pathway were unperturbed.Proteins involved in the nitrate reduction pathway increased. Increasesseen in transport systems for proline, glycine^ ...
Purpose: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is based on the interaction of a photosensitizing (PS) agent, light, and oxygen. Few new PS agents are being developed to the in vivo stage, partly because of the difficulty in finding the right treatment conditions. Response surface methodology, an empirical modeling approach based on data resulting from a set of designed experiments, was suggested as a rational solution with which to select in vivo PDT conditions by using a new peptide-conjugated PS targeting agent, neuropilin-1. Methods and Materials: A Doehlert experimental design was selected to model effects and interactions of the PS dose, fluence, and fluence rate on the growth of U87 human malignant glioma cell xenografts in nude mice, using a fixed drug-light interval. All experimental results were computed by Nemrod-W software and Matlab. Results: Intrinsic diameter growth rate, a tumor growth parameter independent of the initial volume of the tumor, was selected as ...
The authors have shown previously that the domain recognizing receptors on activated human platelets is located on the human fibrinogen {gamma} chain between residues 400 and 411. To study the correlation between the structure of this segment of the {gamma} chain and its reactivity toward receptors on ADP-activated human platelets, they designed a series of analogues containing replacements at 9 out of 12 positions. A double substitution of the normal His{sup 400}-His{sup 401} sequence by Ala-Ala reduced the inhibitory potency of the dodecapeptide 3-fold. When Lys{sup 406} was replaced by Arg, the inhibitory potency of the dodecapeptide decreased 15 times. On the other hand, substitution of Ala{sup 408} with Arg increased the inhibitory potency of the dodecapeptide 6-fold. A drastic decrease in the reactivity of the dodecapeptide toward platelet receptors was observed when Val{sup 411} was replaced by leucine or cysteine or tyrosine. A 3-fold decrease in reactivity was noted when ...
PACAP (pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide) is widely distributed neuropeptide acting via three subtypes of receptors, PAC(1), VPAC(1) and VPAC(2). Here we examined the localisation and nature of PACAP-immunoreactive nerves in the rat thyroid and parathyroid glands and defined the distribution of PAC(1), VPAC(1) and VPAC(2) receptor mRNA's. In the parathyroid gland a large number of nerve fibres displaying PACAP-immunoreactivity were distributed beneath the capsule, around blood vessels and close to glandular cells. Most of the PACAP-nerves were sensory, since they co-stored CGRP (calcitonin-gene-related peptide) and were sensitive to capsaicin-treatment. mRNA's for PAC(1) and VPAC(2) receptors occurred in the parathyroid gland, mainly located in the glandular cells. In the thyroid gland PACAP-immunoreactive nerve fibres were associated with blood vessels, thyroid follicles and parafollicular C-cells. A high degree of co-existence between PACAP and ...
When Silk fibre derived from Bombyx mori, a native biopolymer, was dissolved in highly concentrated neutral salts such as CaCl{sub 2}, the regenerated liquid silk, a gradually degraded peptide mixture of silk fibroin, could be obtained. The silk fibroin nanoparticles were prepared rapidly from the liquid silk by using water-miscible protonic and polar aprotonic organic solvents. The nanoparticles are insoluble but well dispersed and stable in aqueous solution and are globular particles with a range of 35-125 nm in diameter by means of TEM, SEM, AFM and laser sizer. Over one half of the {epsilon}-amino groups exist around the protein nanoparticles by using a trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) method. Raman spectra shows the tyrosine residues on the surface of the globules are more exposed than those on native silk fibers. The crystalline polymorph and conformation transition of the silk nanoparticles from random-coil and {alpha}-helix form (Silk I) into ...
Autoreactive cytotoxic CD8 T-cells (CTLs) play a key pathogenic role in the destruction of insulin-producing beta-cells resulting in type 1 diabetes. However, knowledge regarding their targets is limited, restricting the ability to monitor the course of the disease and immune interventions. In a multi-step discovery process to identify novel CTL epitopes in human preproinsulin (PPI), PPI was digested with purified human proteasomes, and resulting COOH-fragments aligned with algorithm-predicted HLA-binding peptides to yield nine potential HLA-A1, -A2, -A3 or -B7-restricted candidates. An UV-exchange method allowed the generation of a repertoire of multimers including low-affinity HLA-binding peptides. These were labeled with quantum dot-fluorochromes and encoded in a combinatorial fashion, allowing parallel and sensitive detection of specific, low-avidity T-cells. Significantly increased frequencies of T-cells against four novel PPI epitopes ...
TRITEX was a pumped loop with Pb-15.8Li, fabricated from steel 1.4922. In contact with the molten eutectic were also molybdenum, vanadium and armco-iron. The loop was originally designed to investigate tritium extraction using solid getter metals. Over the years the goal changed to the study of metals, corrosion products and purification of the eutectic mixture. Therefore many modifications were done. The first part of this report describes TRITEX. All parts were enclosed in thermoboxes for a homogeneous temperature. One test section was in an argon glove box and could be opened during operation. Other special equipment`s were: permeation membranes and liquid-metal-covergas-interfaces to study the transport of H{sub 2}, D{sub 2} and {sup 3}H, different purification devices, a quartz observation window to see the liquid metal surface, 4 different kinds of flow measurements, level indicators, freeze valves. The second part describes ...
Analyzing various SBLOCA with high pressure safety injection (HPSI) at VVER-440/213, we met a surprising phenomenon - a 'natural' circulation post SG heat transfer reversal. This is not usual, because normal natural circulation (NC) in primary circuit is connected with positive heat transfer at SG. If there is reverse heat transfer at SG (as soon as the break enthalpy outflow is sufficient for removal of reactor decay heat), it should obstruct any natural circulation. The question was, what is the driving force of this 'non-standard natural circulation'. After all we revealed that force - it is the density difference between the colder water in reactor downcomer (cold water from HPSI) and warmer water in inner reactor (lower plenum, core, upper plenum). This phenomenon could be confusing for operating personal, because there would be an opposite temperature difference at the loop than by normal natural circulation (under ...
Analyzing various SBLOCA with high pressure safety injection (HPSI) at VVER-440/213, we met a surprising phenomenon - a 'natural' circulation post SG heat transfer reversal. This is not usual, because normal natural circulation (NC) in primary circuit is connected with positive heat transfer at SG. If there is reverse heat transfer at SG (as soon as the break enthalpy outflow is sufficient for removal of reactor decay heat), it should obstruct any natural circulation. The question was, what is the driving force of this 'non-standard natural circulation'. After all we revealed that force - it is the density difference between the colder water in reactor downcomer (cold water from HPSI) and warmer water in inner reactor (lower plenum, core, upper plenum). This phenomenon could be confusing for operating personal, because there would be an opposite temperature difference at the loop than by normal natural circulation (under non-standard NC conditions water is heated ...
We solve the loop equations of the $\\beta$-ensemble model analogously to the solution found for the Hermitian matrices $\\beta=1$. For \\beta=1$, the solution was expressed using the algebraic spectral curve of equation $y^2=U(x)$. For arbitrary $\\beta$, the spectral curve converts into a Schr\\"odinger equation $((\\hbar\\partial)^2-U(x))\\psi(x)=0$ with $\\hbar\\propto (\\sqrt\\beta-1/\\sqrt\\beta)/N$. This paper is similar to the sister paper~I, in particular, all the main ingredients specific for the algebraic solution of the problem remain the same, but here we present the second approach to finding a solution of loop equations using sectorwise definition of resolvents. Being technically more involved, it allows defining consistently the B-cycle structure of the obtained quantum algebraic curve (a D-module of the form $y^2-U(x)$, where $[y,x]=\\hbar$) and to construct explicitly the correlation functions and the corresponding symplectic ...
We report the observation of quantum interference in superfluid 4He. The interferometer, an analog of a dc-superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID), employs a recently reported phenomenon wherein superfluid 4He exhibits Josephson frequency oscillations in an array of submicron apertures. An interference pattern is generated by reorienting the loop of the superfluid 'SQUID' with respect to the Earth's rotation vector, thereby varying the rotation flux in the loop. The experiment is performed at 2 K, a temperature 2000 times higher than previously achieved with superfluid 3He. We find that the interference exists not only when the aperture array current-phase relation is a sinusoidal function characteristic of the Josephson effect, but also at lower temperatures where it is linear and oscillations occur by phase slips. The modest requirements for the interferometer (2 K cryogenics and fabrication of apertures at the level of 100 nm) ...
In the WWER-440 reactor the primary piping consists of six horizontal loops going radially from the pressure vessel, each loop having a horizontal steam generator. In this reactor type the relatively long primary piping with many curved sections requires special attention in order to successfully eliminate the consequences of the design basis accident. Emergency supports are located in appropriate places to restrict the movements of the pipe in 1, 2, 3 or 4 directions depending on the geometry of the pipe near the support. Under normal conditions there is a gap of some centimeters between the pipe and a support so that the pipe can be deformed freely under changing loads. In order to analyse the behaviour of the broken piping system with the support structures a computer code called PIPEBREAK has been written. The main objects in the analyses have been to calculate the deformations of the supports and to evaluate the stresses in the pipe. The ...
In this study, sensitivity analysis of 100 MWth chemical looping combustion combined cycle (CLC-CC) plant based on fuel cost were performed. By performance analysis, net efficiency of natural gas/syngas fueled CLC-CC plant was 53-54%, corresponding to previous research. We used Chemical Engineering Plant Cost Index and Guthrie method to evaluate plant cost. For syngas fueled CLC-CC plant, the plant cost was higher since lower heating value (LHV) of syngas was lower than that of natural gas and cost of electricity (COE) was also higher since the cost of syngas was higher than that of natural gas. By sensitivity analysis, it was shown that the cost of syngas should be less than 5.3 $/GJ in order to make COE lower than 5.8 c/kWh which was COE of natural gas CLC-CC plant. 15 refs., 2 figs., 5 tabs.
Experimental observations related to the initiation of plastic deformation in metals and alloys irradiated with fission neutrons have been analyzed. The experimental results, showing irradiation-induced increase in the upper yield stress followed by a yield drop and plastic instability, cannot be explained in terms of conventional dispersed-barrier hardening because (a) the grown-in dislocations are not free, and (b) irradiation-induced defect clusters are not rigid indestructible Orowan obstacles. A new model called 'cascade-induced source hardening' is presented where glissile loops produced directly in cascades are envisaged to decorate the grown-in dislocations so that they cannot act as dislocation sources. The upper yield stress is related to the breakaway stress which is necessary to pull the dislocation away from the clusters/loops decorating it. The magnitude of the breakaway stress has been estimated and is found to be in good ...
Hot dry rock (HDR) contains insufficient permeability and fluid for natural hydrothermal development, but water pumped in a circulation loop through a HDR reservoir (hydraulically fractured between two drill holes) is being tested and evaluated. The formation of such in situ heat transfer systems, and subsequent testing of the man-made geothermal reservoirs in the Jemez volcanic field, New Mexico have already indicated the technical feasibility of the hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal concept. Documented production history and heat-extraction data obtained during the period from 1978 to 1980 have confirmed heat transfer, low water loss, and predictable thermal drawdown models for the HDR systems. During a nine month test of closed-loop heat extraction operations, 15 x 10/sup 6/ kWh of thermal energy were produced. The effective heat-transfer area and volume of the reservoir increased due to secondary fracturing caused by thermal contraction of the ...
This paper presents part-load evaluation of a natural gas-fired chemical looping combustion (CLC) combined cycle with CO2 capture. The novel combined cycle employs an air-based gas turbine, a CO2-turbine and a steam turbine cycle. In this combined cycle, the CLC reactors replace combustion chamber of the gas turbine. The proposed combined cycle has a net plant efficiency of about 52.2% at full-load, including CO2 compression to 200 bar. The part-load evaluation shows that reducing the load down to 60% results in an efficiency drop of 2.6%-points. However, the plant shows better relative part-load efficiency compared to conventional combined cycles. The pressure in CLC-reduction and -oxidation reactors is balanced by airflow control, using a compressor equipped with variable guide vanes. A combination of control strategies is discussed for plant start-up and shutdown and for part-load when airflow reduction is not practically possible with current generation of ...
A thermal analyzer-differential scanning calorimeter-mass spectrometer (TG-DSC-MS) was used to study oxygen carriers (OC) for their potential use for the application of chemical looping combustion (CLC) to solid fuels. Reaction rates, changes in reaction rates with repeated oxidation-reductions, exothermic heats during oxidation, and the effect of changing reduction gas compositions were studied. Oxidation rates were greater than reduction rates and reaction rates were reproducible through multiple oxidation-reduction cycles except where agglomeration occurred with powders. Iron oxide (Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} powder) and iron-based catalysts were found suitable for CLC of solid fuels having rapid reduction rates which increased with higher reducing gas concentrations. Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} powder was used to oxidize a high carbon coal char in an inert gas removing 88% of the carbon from the char. Other properties such as cost and durability indicated iron oxide OCs potential ...
Object: To prevent coolant inventory within a cooling system loop in an atomic power plant from being varied depending on loads thereby relieving restriction of varied speed of coolant flow rate to lowering of a liquid surface due to short in coolant. Structure: Instruments such as a superheater, an evaporator, and the like, which constitute a cooling system loop in an atomic power plant, have a plurality of free liquid surface of coolant. Portions whose liquid surface is controlled and portions whose liquid surface is varied are adjusted in cross-sectional area so that the sum total of variation in coolant inventory in an instrument such as a superheater provided with an annulus portion in the center thereof and an inner cylindrical portion and a down-comer in the side thereof comes equal to that of variation in coolant inventory in an instrument such as an evaporator similar to the superheater. which is provided with an overflow pipe in its ...
Three-flavor lattice QCD simulations and two-loop perturbation theory are used to make the most precise determination to date of the strange-, up-, and down-quark masses, $m_s$, $m_u$, and $m_d$, respectively. Perturbative matching is required in order to connect the lattice-regularized bare- quark masses to the masses as defined in the \\msbar scheme, and this is done here for the first time at next-to-next-to leading (or two-loop) order. The bare-quark masses required as input come from simulations by the MILC collaboration of a highly-efficient formalism (using so-called ``staggered'' quarks), with three flavors of light quarks in the Dirac sea; these simulations were previously analyzed in a joint study by the HPQCD and MILC collaborations, using degenerate $u$ and $d$ quarks, with masses as low as $m_s/8$, and two values of the lattice spacing, with chiral extrapolation/interpolation to the physical masses. With the new perturbation theory ...
For an assessment of the future US spallation neutron source (SNS) target performance, radiation induced hardening and microstructural evolution were investigated as a function of ion dose for EC316LN stainless steel. Irradiation was carried out using 3.5 MeV Fe{sup +}, 360 keV He{sup +}, and 180 keV H{sup +} simultaneous ion-beams at 200 deg. C to simulate the damage, He and H production in the SNS target vessel wall. At low dose (< 1 dpa), the predominant defects were black dots whose number density saturated rapidly within a few dpa. This was followed by the evolution of interstitial loops whose number density saturated below 15 dpa. Although He-bubbles were not visible, severely scalloped loops suggested that the implanted He/H atoms existed in the form of small clusters. Comparison with reported neutron irradiation data showed that hardening and ductility loss occurred mostly in the black dot regime (< 1 dpa), but that good ...
For an assessment of the future US spallation neutron source (SNS) target performance, radiation induced hardening and microstructural evolution were investigated as a function of ion dose for EC316LN stainless steel. Irradiation was carried out using 3.5 MeV Fe"+, 360 keV He"+, and 180 keV H"+ simultaneous ion-beams at 200 deg. C to simulate the damage, He and H production in the SNS target vessel wall. At low dose (< 1 dpa), the predominant defects were black dots whose number density saturated rapidly within a few dpa. This was followed by the evolution of interstitial loops whose number density saturated below 15 dpa. Although He-bubbles were not visible, severely scalloped loops suggested that the implanted He/H atoms existed in the form of small clusters. Comparison with reported neutron irradiation data showed that hardening and ductility loss occurred mostly in the black dot regime (< 1 dpa), but that good ductility (>20% ...
Pressureless-sintered AlN and hot-pressed, pressureless-sintered and reaction-bonded SiC were neutron irradiated at temperatures between 100 and 785degC up to a fluence of 5.2 x 10"2"4 n/m"2. The hardness was increased by up to 51% in AlN and 84% in SiC. The hardness decreased after annealing at temperatures around the irradiation temperature. At the same temperatures, the macroscopic length, which was increased by irradiation, also began to decrease. The hardness and length were almost recovered after 1,200 #approx# 1,400degC annealing. Thus, hardening in irradiated AlN and SiC is controlled by the number of point defects, or, more precisely, by the strain caused by small point defect clusters which pin down dislocation movement. Dislocation loops were still observed in some samples after 1,400degC annealing while the hardness was almost recovered to that in the unirradiated state. Thus, the existence of dislocation loops is not grounds for ...
The longitudinal-electric oscillations of the hot gluon system are studied beyond the well known leading order term at high temperature $T$ and small coupling $g$. The coefficient $\\eta$ in $\\omega^2 = m^2 \\, (1+ \\eta \\, g \\wu N \\, )$ is calculated, where \\hbox{$\\omega \\equiv \\omega (\\vc q =0)$} is the long-wavelength limit of the frequency spectrum, $N$ the number of colours and $m^2=g^2 N T^2/9$. In the course of this, for the real part of the gluon self-energy, the Braaten-Pisarski resummation programme is found to work well in all details. The coefficient $\\eta$ is explicitly seen to be gauge independent within the class of covariant gauges. Infrared singularities cancel as well as collinear singularities in the two-loop diagrams with both inner momenta hard. However, as it turns out, none of these two-loop contributions reaches the relative order $O(g)$ under study. The minus sign in our numerical result $\\; \\eta = -.18 \\; ...
The main sodium piping with a diameter of 16'' or 28 '' is being installed at the FFTF construction site starting in December 1974. The supplier and authority demarcations are: Combustion Engineering supplies the reactor vessel, guard vessel and adjoining pipes and uses the machine welding equipment ''Dimetrics''; for the piping system of the primary and secondary loops the pipes manufactured by Rollmet at HUICO, Pasco, were delivered and prefabricated there, as far as compatible with the installation. ''Astroarc'' welding machines are used by Bechtel for the piping prefabrication in the weld laboratory as well as on site at the construction site. Technical welding problems occurring during the course of the installation at the construction site and several during this time are described. At present 6 weld seams in the reactor and 14 weld seams in the secondary loop are accepted. The requirement exists to carry out as many welds as possible ...
Interference between the crossover leg of the Reactor Coolant System(RCS) and the Pipe Whip Restraints(PWR) has brought a degradation issue of the integrity of the Reactor Coolant System in Westinghouse type Nuclear Power Plants(NPPs) of Korea. According to the gap inspection carried out during planned overhaul (year 2000), interference between the crossover leg and the PWR was found in each RCS loop. This plant has had the high vibration problem on the RC pump 'B'. The reason for the high vibration in the RC pump 'B' had been massively surveyed and it was found that the crossover leg of RCS contacted with the PWR in hot condition. Since the contact between the crossover leg and the PWR changes the dynamic characteristics of the piping system for the RCS, this is considered as one reason for the high vibration. And a possibility of overstress on the crossover leg due to the contact with the PWR should be evaluated. Through ...
The peak flux relationship between hard X-rays and microwaves from solar flares is studied using about 400 events simultaneously recorded with the hard X-ray burst spectrometer on the SMM satellite and the Nobeyama 17 GHz radiometer. The data indicate that the hard X-ray and microwave peak fluxes correlate best for X-ray energies of less than about 80 keV for impulsive flares and greater than about 360 keV for extended flares. By postulating that electrons responsible for microwave emission at 17 GHz are those emitting hard X-rays at these photon energies, it is concluded that: (1) in impulsive flares, microwaves at about 20 GHz are emitted mainly by electrons of less than about 200 keV from a layer through which the electrons stream down into the thick-target hard X-ray source; and (2) in extended flares, microwaves are emitted mainly by MeV electrons trapped in a coronal loop or loops. 59 references.
The detailed formulation for loop quantum cosmology (LQC) in the Bianchi I model with a scalar massless field has been constructed. In this paper, its effective dynamics is studied in two improved strategies for implementing the LQC discreteness corrections. Both schemes show that the big bang is replaced by the big bounces, which take place up to three times, once in each diagonal direction, when the area or volume scale factor approaches the critical values in the Planck regime measured by the reference of the scalar field momentum. These two strategies give different evolutions: In one scheme, the effective dynamics is independent of the choice of the finite sized cell prescribed to make Hamiltonian finite; in the other, the effective dynamics reacts to the macroscopic scales introduced by the boundary conditions. Both schemes reveal interesting symmetries of scaling, which are reminiscent of the relational interpretation of quantum mechanics and also suggest ...
The effect of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) on the chemical looping combustion of coal-derived synthesis gas with bentonite-supported metal oxidesssuch as iron oxide, nickel oxide, manganese oxide, and copper oxideswas investigated by thermogravimetric analysis, mass spectrometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). During the reaction with synthesis gas containing H2S, metal-oxide oxygen carriers were first reduced by carbon monoxide and hydrogen, and then interacted with H2S to form metal sulfide, which resulted in a weight gain during the reduction/sulfidation step. The reduced/sulfurized compounds could be regenerated to form sulfur dioxide and oxides during the oxidation reaction with air. The reduction/oxidation capacities of iron oxide and nickel oxide were not affected by the presence of H2S, but both manganese oxide and copper oxide showed decreased reduction/oxidation capacities. However, the rates of reduction and oxidation decreased in the ...
The Electromagnetic Fluctuations (EMF) diagnostic will be used to monitor ion fluctuations which could be unstable in MFTF-B. Each probe assembly includes a high impedance electrostatic probe to measure potential fluctuations, and a group of nested, single turn loops to measure magnetic fluctuations in three directions. Eventually, more probes and loops will be added to each probe assembly for making more detailed measurements. The sensors must lie physically close to the plasma edge and are radially positionable. Also, probes at separate axial locations can be positioned to connect along the same magnetic field line. These probes are similar in concept to the rf probes used on TMX, but the high thermal load for 30-second shots on MFTF-B requires a water-cooled design along with temperature monitors. Each signal channel has a bandwidth of .001 to 150 MHz and is monitored by up to four different data channels which obtain amplitude and frequency ...
We compute the complete two-loop O(alpha) Wilson coefficients relevant for radiative decays of the B meson in the SM. This is a necessary step in the calculation of the O(alpha alpha_s^n ln^n m_b/M_W) corrections and improves on our previous analysis of electroweak effects in B -> X_s gamma. We describe in detail several interesting technical aspects of the calculation and include all dominant QED matrix elements. In our final result, we neglect only terms originated from the unknown O(alpha alpha_s) evolution of the Wilson coefficients and some suppressed two-loop matrix elements. Due to the compensation among different effects, we find that non-trivial electroweak corrections decrease the branching ratio by about 3.8% for a light Higgs boson, in agreement with our previous analysis. As in [1], the corresponding SM prediction for the branching ratio with E_gamma > 1.6 GeV is (3.60 +- 0.30) x 10^-4.
In the frame of the use of the Relap5 thermal hydraulic code in the predictions of LOCA transient scenarios in PWRs and considering the recent development of a methodology to evaluate the related uncertainty, the response to a Small Break LOCA of Eastern and Western type PWRs has been analyzed. A four loop/horizontal Steam Generator WWER-1000 (KOZLODUY in Bulgaria) and a two loop/vertical U-tubes Steam Generator Westinghouse (KRSKO in Slovenia) nuclear power plants have been considered in the analysis. The reference transient is a 2% equivalent cold leg break accident, without High Pressure Injection System intervention, as specified in the frame of a ``counterpart test`` activity involving experimental tests on four Integral Test Facilities: LOBI (European Community), SPES (Italy), BETHSY (France) and LSTF (Japan). The code results in the two cases, also taking into account the related uncertainty as evaluated by means of the aforementioned ...
Swelling hemoglobin CC erythrocytes stimulates a ouabain-insensitive K flux that restores original cell volume. Studies were performed with the K analog, "8"6Rb. This volume regulatory pathway was characterized for its anion dependence, sensitivity to loop diuretics, and requirement for Na. The swelling-induced K flux was eliminated if intracellular chloride was replaced by nitrate and both swelling-activated K influx and efflux were partially inhibited by 1 mM furosemide or bumetanide. K influx in swollen hemoglobin CC cells was not diminished when Na in the incubation medium was replaced with choline, indicating Na independence of the swelling-induced flux. Identical experiments with hemoglobin AA cells also demonstrated a swelling-induced increase in K flux, but the magnitude and duration of this increase were considerably less than that seen with hemoglobin CC cells. The increased K flux in hemoglobin AA cells was likewise sensitive to anion replacement and to ...
Chemical-looping combustion (CLC), has previously been studied as a method for separating CO{sub 2} during combustion of gaseous fuels. In this project the possibility to apply this process for direct use of solid fuels has been investigated. The following has been accomplished: A 10 kW reactor system for CLC with solid fuels has been designed and built. Tests with solid fuel and metal oxid particles in a laboratory reactor show that it is possible to oxidize solid fuels with metal oxide particles in cyclic testing, thus giving proof of basic concept. They also show how the reaction rate is affected by temperature, steam concentration etc., and, most important of all, that the rates of reaction are realistic. Tests with metal oxide materials available at low costs have been successful. Chemical-looping combustion with solid fuels has a potential to achieve very low costs for separation of CO{sub 2}, below 10 Euro/ton CO{sub 2}. In summary the ...
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission is proposing to amend the regulations that currently require that the design basis for nuclear power plants include the postulation of dynamic effects from loss of coolant accidents up to and including the double-ended rupture of the largest pipe in the reactor coolant system. Proposed modifications would allow analyses to serve as a sufficient basis for excluding dynamic effects, including but not necessarily limited to pipe whip and jet impingement, associated with specific pipe ruptures. Only dynamic effects would be impacted; current design requirements for containment sizing and discharge capacity of emergency core cooling systems would remain unchanged. This report presents a detailed analysis of value-impact associated with the proposed amendment for PWR reactor coolant loop piping and for BWR recirculation loop piping. The effect of extending application of the proposed rule change to other piping ...
The application of the LBB technology to the newly constructed PWRs has been approved in Korea for several high energy systems that can meet rigorous acceptance criteria. The LBB evaluation had been initiated for Yong-Gwang 3 and 4 units (YGN 3 and 4) which are in service, and subsequently performed for Ul-Chin 3 and 4 units (UCN 3 and 4) which are in construction. The LBB application in Korea is based on the USNRC requirements. The LBB evaluation for YGN 3 and 4 is to eliminate the dynamic effects associated with the postulated DEGB from design basis loads as well as to eliminate pipe whip restraints and jet impingement barriers. There were several issues on the application of LBB to the primary coolant loop and the pressurizer surge line. Of concern were material properties of carbon steel for the primary coolant loop, estimation of crack opening area at the pipe-to-nozzle interface considering the asymmetry, and the leakage crack size which ...
A self-optimizing pole-shifting control algorithm has been developed for an adaptive power system stabilizer (APSS) to improve its dynamic performance and autonomous operation. The proposed algorithm deals with the system frequency and time domain characteristics simultaneously to guarantee stability and to enhance the performance of the closed-loop system. The mechanism of discrete control system control limits influencing the closed loop system behaviour is studied. Short-term behaviour is studied by introducing the concept of a short-term behaviour index. With the introduction of dynamic control limits, an effective discrete control system design method is proposed. A PSS oriented power system dynamics simulation package (PSDSP) has been developed. Using the PSDSP, simulation studies were performed with the proposed APSS applied to a single machine and a multi machine power system. The performance of the APSS is satisfactory and is ...
General corrosion testing of Alloy 800 tube material by the General Electric Co. using out of pile loops with steam temperatures in the range 430 to 770 deg.C and 70 at. pressure with a surface heat flux of 55 W.cm"-"2 and flow velocities of 30 to 60 m.sec"-"1 showed after about 5000 h (a) a relatively moderate loss of metal at a fairly high corrosion rate, (b) a relatively high loss of oxide to the steam phase, and (c) the formation of a zone at the metal surface depleted in chromium by diffusion to the oxide film. It is important to establish whether these results for Alloy 800 were typical of those to be expected under heat transfer, and whether they could be used as a basis for extrapolation to the higher heat fluxes and longer exposure time relevant to superheat applications. Additional corrosion tests in superheated steam of 1000 h duration under isothermal conditions were therefore undertaken and an experimental loop was built to study ...
A non-invasive, wide-band electromagnetic (EM) impedance difference system for shallow subsurface electrical structure characterization in environmental and engineering problems has been developed at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). Electrical parameters of interest are electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity that are deduced from the impedance difference data. The prototype system includes a magnetic loop transmitter, which operates between 0.1 MHz and 100 MHz, an electrical dipole antenna for observing the electric field, and a loop antenna for measuring the magnetic field.All antennas are mounted on a cart made of non-metallic material for easy movement of the whole array for profiling. Surface EM impedance difference is obtained by taking the difference of the ratios of the electric fields to the magnetic fields at selected frequencies at two different levels. Numerical simulations will be presented to verify ...
We examined the subcellular localization of ryanodine receptors (RyR) in the cardiac muscle of carp using biochemical, immunohistochemical, and electron microscopic methods and compared it with those of rats and guinea pigs. To achieve this goal, an anti-RyR antibody was newly raised against a synthetic peptide corresponding to an amino acid sequence that was conserved among all sequenced RyRs. Western blot analysis using this antibody detected a single RyR band following the SDS-PAGE of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes from carp atrium and ventricle as well as from mammalian hearts and skeletal muscles. The carp heart band had slightly greater mobility than those of mammalian hearts. Although immunohistochemical staining showed evident striations corresponding to the Z lines in longitudinal sections of mammalian hearts, clusters of punctate staining, in contrast, were distributed ubiquitously throughout carp atrium and ventricle. Electron microscopic images ...
In this paper the structural and functional changes of gamma irradiated bovine hemoglobin are presented. Aqueous solutions/1%/of HbO_2 were irradiated in air with doses ranging from 1 to 4 Mrad. Isoelectric focusing indicated change of the charge of irradiated hemoglobin. The isoelectric point of hemoglobin was displaced towards more acid values with increasing doses, up from 1 Mrad. Fingerprint analysis and peptide column chromatography of irradiated hemoglobin demonstrated disturbances increasing with the dose. These changes were confirmed by amino acid analysis which showed that Cys, Met, Trp, His, Pro and Tyr residues were destroyed or modified following irradiation. At doses exceeding 1 Mrad the irradiated solutions of hemoglobin showed a decrease of heme-heme interaction and an increase of affinity for oxygen. Differences observed in oxygen-dissociation curves seem to be correlated with the radiation induced destruction of amino acid residues which are ...
The problem of homochirality is of crucial importance for the origins of Life. While most laboratory studies are focused on the search of physical and chemical sources of handedness in the Universe, they reflect only one aspect of the problem: the origin of homochiral biomolecules. At the same time, any space environments where biomolecules are expected to form and where they have to pass through before the first primitive forms of Life emerge, include strong irradiation or/and high temperatures. This automatically implies the possibility of losing the optical activity, i.e. racemization. The simulation experiments performed by our group deal with the following two aspects of amino acid abiotic chemistry: (1) amino acid pyrolysis associated with their extraterrestrial delivery; and (2) peptide formation from amino acids catalyzed by inorganic oxides. According to our observations, the racemization phenomena are very common in the systems considered, not only under ...
We examined whether or not BMD or bone markers were useful for assessing the risk of vertebral fractures in 248 Japanese men with type 2 diabetes. We analyzed the relationships between bone markers (osteocalcin [OC], bone-specific alkaline phosphatase [BAP], urinary N-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type-I collagen) or BMD and HbA1c, urinary C-peptide, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), parathyroid hormone, 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D, and the presence of prevalent vertebral fractures. Multiple regression analysis adjusted for age, body height, weight, duration of diabetes, and serum creatinine showed that serum OC and OC/BAP ratio were correlated negatively with HbA1c (P?P?P?0.05). This association was still significant after additional adjustment for lumbar or femoral neck BMD. Our res...
Aminocyclopropane 1-carboxylic acid (ACC) synthase, a pyridoxal phosphate utilizing enzyme, catalyzes the conversion of S-adenosylmethionine to ACC, the rate limiting step in the biosynthesis of the plant hormone, ethylene. Ethylene, besides being involved in normal plant growth processes, is also produced in response to stress, e.g. wounding, pathogen infection, etc. The authors report the partial purification (400 fold) of ACC synthase from wounded pink tomato pericarp by classical techniques including ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion exchange and phenyl sepharose chromatography. Further purification results in a decrease in specific activity apparently due to the instability of the enzyme and the low levels present in plant tissue. Radiolabeling of a pyridoxal phosphate-utilizing protein in the ACC synthase enriched fraction was achieved. Evidence that this radiolabeled protein is ACC synthase will be presented. Amino acid sequence determination of putative ACC synthase-derived ...
Transcriptional regulation of the galactose-metabolizing genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae depends on three core proteins: Gal4p, the transcriptional activator that binds to upstream activating DNA sequences (UASGAL); Gal80p, a repressor that binds to the carboxyl terminus of Gal4p and inhibits transcription; and Gal3p, a cytoplasmic transducer that, upon binding galactose and adenosine 5'-triphosphate, relieves Gal80p repression. The current model of induction relies on Gal3p sequestering Gal80p in the cytoplasm. However, the rapid induction of this system implies that there is a missing factor. Our structure of Gal80p in complex with a peptide from the carboxyl-terminal activation domain of Gal4p reveals the existence of a dinucleotide that mediates the interaction between the two. Biochemical and in vivo experiments suggests that nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) plays a key role in the initial induction event.
We describe a method for the analysis of multi-site phosphorylation in serine/threonine (Ser/Thr)-rich protein sequences. Site-specific mutagenesis was used to introduce tryptic cleavage sites in the serine glutamine/threonine glutamine cluster domain (SCD) of the human checkpoint protein kinase (Chk2). The mutant proteins were shown to autophosphorylate on residues that are inducibly phosphorylated when mammalian cells are exposed to ionizing radiation (serine 33/35, serine 516, threonine 68 and threonine 432). Five Ser/Thr clusters within the SCD were flanked by arginine or lysine residues to produce tryptic peptides for nanospray liquid chromatography (nanoLC)/linear quadrupole ion trap Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. Phosphorylation sites were assigned usin...
The structural organization of the genes encoding Bungarus multicinctus protease inhibitor-like proteins (PILPs), PILP-1, PILP-2 and PILP-3, are reported in this study. Unlike PILP-2 and PILP-3, recombinant PILP-1 exhibited inhibitory activity on trypsin. PILP genes and B chain genes shared identical organization with three exons interrupted by two introns in similar positions. On the contrary, intron 1 of these genes had a similar size, a notable variation with the size of intron 2 was observed. It was found that two regions at the second intron of B1 chain and B2 chain genes were absent in that of PILP genes. Noticeably, intronic insertion in the second intron of B chain genes appeared in the promoter region of PILP-1 gene, but not in that of PILP-2 and PILP-3 genes. Comparative analyses of PILP genes and B chain genes showed that the protein-coding regions of the exons are more diverse than introns, except for in the signal peptide domain. These results suggest ...
A radioimmunoassay is described for the molluscan neuropeptide, Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH"2(FMRFamide). The antibody used is C-terminal-specific and shows slight but significant (1-2%) cross-reactivity with chicken pancreatic polypeptide (APP). The assay has been used to identify in rat brain extracts a pair of molecules that may represent mammalian counterparts of FMRFamide. Their concentrations were highest in spinal cord and hypothalamus (>10 pmol.g"-_1) and lowest in cerebellum and striatum (<3.5 pmol.g"-_1). The two immunoreactive peptides were separated on CM ion-exchange chromatography where they appeared to be less basic than FMRFamide. On Sephadex G50 gel filtration one eluted in a similar position to FMRFamide and the other slightly earlier suggesting it may be of higher molecular weight. The rat immunoreactive components do not correspond to previously described neuropeptides or hormones, and may be members of a new group of mammalian neuropeptides with ...
Light increased the rate of LHCP synthesis as measured by pulse-labeling with /sup 35/SO/sub 4/ and immunoprecipitation with antibody specific for Euglena LHCP. In addition to the mature LHCP, 26,000 daltons, the LHCP specific antibody immunoprecipitated large amounts of several proteins having molecular weights of approximately 100,000. On immunoblots of immunoprecipitated unlabeled protein, the antibody only detected the mature LHCP suggesting that the high molecular weight proteins are not LHCP aggregates produced during immunoprecipitation. After a 10 min pulse with /sup 35/SO/sub 4/, the 100,000 dalton proteins constituted over 80% of the immunoprecipitated material. In a subsequent chase, the radioactivity in the 100,000 dalton proteins decreased and the radioactivity in the mature LHCP increased suggesting a precursor-product relationship. After a 35 minute chase, the mature LHCP was the major radioactive protein immunoprecipitated. Peptide mapping and in ...
Selecting an appropriate matrix solution is one of the most effective means of increasing the ionization efficiency of phosphopeptides in matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). In this study, we systematically assessed matrix combinations of 2, 6-dihydroxyacetophenone (DHAP) and diammonium hydrogen citrate (DAHC), and demonstrated that the low ratio DHAP/DAHC matrix was more effective in enhancing the ionization of phosphopeptides. Low femtomole level of phosphopeptides from the tryptic digests of ?-casein and ?-casein was readily detected by MALDI-TOF-MS in both positive and negative ion mode without desalination or phosphopeptide enrichment. Compared with the DHB/PA matrix, the optimized DHAP/DAHC matrix yielded superior sample homogeneity and higher phosphopeptide measurement sensitivity, particularly when multiple phosphorylated peptides were assessed. Finally, the DHAP/DAHC matrix was applied to identify ...
The heavy chains of Acanthamoeba myosins, IA, IB and II, turkey gizzard myosin, and rabbit skeletal muscle myosin subfragment-1 were specifically labeled by radioactive ATP, ADP, and UTP, each of which is a substrate or product of myosin ATPase activity, when irradiated with uv light at 0"0C. With UTP, as much as 0.45 mol/mol of Acanthamoeba myosin IA heavy chain and 1 mol/mol of turkey gizzard myosin heavy chain was incorporated. Evidence that the ligands were associated with the catalytic site included the observations that reaction occurred only with nucleotides that are substrates or products of the ATPase activity; that the reaction was blocked by pyrophosphate which is an inhibitor of the ATPase activity; that ATP was bound as ADP; and that label was probably restricted to a single peptide following limited subtilisin proteolysis of labeled Acanthamoeba myosin IA heavy chain and extensive cleavage with CNBr and trypsin of labeled turkey gizzard myosin heavy ...
We performed density functional calculations to examine the effects of solvation, hydrogen bonding, backbone conformation, and the side chain on 15N chemical shielding in proteins. We used N-methylacetamide (NMA) and N-formyl-alanyl-X (with X being one of the 19 naturally occurring amino acids excluding proline) as model systems. In addition, calculations were performed for selected fragments from protein GB3. The conducting polarizable continuum model was employed to include the effect of solvent in the density functional calculations. Our calculations for NMA show that the augmentation of the polarizable continuum model with the explicit water molecules in the first solvation shell has a significant influence on isotropic 15N chemical shift but not as much on the chemical shift anisotropy. The difference in the isotropic chemical shift between the standard ?-sheet and ?-helical conformations ranges from 0.8 to 6.2 ppm depending on the residue type, with the mean of 2.7 ppm. This is ...
The study of chemoattractant receptors on human monocytes had been limited by the lack of a radioligand suitable for use with the small numbers of cells routinely available from human donors. A new synthetic oligopeptide radioligand f(/sup 35/S)Met-leu-phe, with a higher specific radioactivity than was available with the tritiated compound, was used to characterize a chemoattractant receptor on freshly isolated human blood monocytes. These cells bind f(/sup 35/)met-leu-phe with a dissociation constant (KD) of 30.2 +/- 5.6 nM and contain 84,000 +/- 11,300 receptors per cell. f(/sup 35/)met-leu-phe does not bind specifically to blood lymphocytes. The specificity of the oligopeptide receptor on monocytes is indistinguishable from the oligopeptide chemoattractant receptor on human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Using f(/sup 35/)met-leu-phe, it will now be feasible to study the chemotactic peptide receptor on small numbers of partially purified peripheral blood monocytes ...
The present study investigated the effects of peppermint (Mentha piperita), dill (Anethum graveolens) and basil (Ocimum basilicum) on yogurt formation, proteolysis and inhibition of angiotensin-1 converting enzyme (ACE). Herbal-yogurts had faster rates of pH reduction than plain-yogurt. All herbal-yogurts had higher (p < 0.05) antioxidant activities than plain-yogurt, both at the end of fermentation and throughout the storage period. The o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) peptides in herbal-yogurts increased by 28-36% after 7 days of storage. All herbal-yogurts showed higher anti-ACE activity than plain-yogurt at corresponding storage periods. M. piperita yogurt had highest inhibitory effect on ACE activity throughout the storage period. Peppermint, dill and basil may be used to modify microbial ferme...
The production of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for the recognition of C-terminal cholecystokinin pentapeptide (CCK-5) in the presence of metal ion is reported. The MIPs were produced under the same molar ratio of template to monomers (acrylamide, N,N'-methylene bisacrylamide) in the presence or absence of nitrilotriacetic acid-nickel (Ni-NTA) complex. Scanning electron microscopy images of MIPs were obtained in an attempt to correlate the adsorption characteristics with polymer's morphology. Subsequently Ni2+ was removed and substituted by other divalent ions such as Mg2+, Fe2+, Zn2+, Co2+ and Cu2+. It was found that polymers containing the metal ion complex with the order Fe-NTA, Ni-NTA and Cu-NTA presented lower dissociation constant values than the rest thus exhibiting stronger guest binding activity. The percentage of theoretical maximum binding sites Bmax was almost the same for these ions, indicating that the ion-template coordination is responsible only for their ...
The ability to feed on vertebrate blood has evolved many times in various arthropod clades. Each time this trait evolves, novel solutions to the problem posed by vertebrate hemostasis are generated. Consequently, saliva of blood-feeding arthropods has proven to be a rich source of antihemostatic molecules. Vasodilators include nitrophorins (nitric oxide storage and transport heme proteins), a variety of peptides that mimic endogenous vasodilatory neuropeptides, and proteins that catabolize or sequester endogenous vasoconstrictors. A variety of platelet aggregation inhibitors antagonize platelet responses to wound-generated signals, including ADP, thrombin, and collagen. Anticoagulants disrupt elements of both the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. Molecular approaches (termed 'sialomics') to characterize the full inventory of mRNAs transcribed in salivary glands have revealed a surprising level of complexity within a single species. Multiple salivary proteins may be ...
Summary Background Treatment of localised renal cell carcinoma consists of partial or radical nephrectomy. A substantial proportion of patients are at risk for recurrence because no effective adjuvant therapy exists. We investigated the use of an autologous, tumour-derived heat-shock protein (glycoprotein 96)-peptide complex (HSPPC-96; vitespen) as adjuvant treatment in patients at high risk of recurrence after resection of locally advanced renal cell carcinoma. Methods In this open-label trial, patients were randomly assigned to receive either vitespen (n=409) or observation alone (n=409) after nephrectomy. Randomisation was done in a one to one ratio by a computer-generated pseudo-random number generator, with a block size of four, and was stratified by performance score, lymph node stat...
Orientational constraints obtained from solid state NMR experiments on anisotropic samples are used here in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for determining the structure and dynamics of several different membrane-bound molecules. The new MD technique is based on the inclusion of orientation dependent pseudo-forces in the COSMOS-NMR force field. These forces drive molecular rotations and re-orientations in the simulation, such that the motional time-averages of the tensorial NMR properties approach the experimentally measured parameters. The orientational-constraint-driven MD simulations are universally applicable to all NMR interaction tensors, such as chemical shifts, dipolar couplings and quadrupolar interactions. The strategy does not depend on the initial choice of coordinates, and is in principle suitable for any flexible molecule. To test the method on three systems of increasing complexity, we used as constraints some deuterium quadrupolar couplings from the literature on ...
Orientational constraints obtained from solid state NMR experiments on anisotropic samples are used here in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for determining the structure and dynamics of several different membrane-bound molecules. The new MD technique is based on the inclusion of orientation dependent pseudo-forces in the COSMOS-NMR force field. These forces drive molecular rotations and re-orientations in the simulation, such that the motional time-averages of the tensorial NMR properties approach the experimentally measured parameters. The orientational-constraint-driven MD simulations are universally applicable to all NMR interaction tensors, such as chemical shifts, dipolar couplings and quadrupolar interactions. The strategy does not depend on the initial choice of coordinates, and is in principle suitable for any flexible molecule. To test the method on three systems of increasing complexity, we used as constraints some deuterium quadrupolar couplings from the literature on ...
Orientational constraints obtained from solid state NMR experiments on anisotropic samples are used here in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for determining the structure and dynamics of several different membrane-bound molecules. The new MD technique is based on the inclusion of orientation dependent pseudo-forces in the COSMOS-NMR force field. These forces drive molecular rotations and re-orientations in the simulation, such that the motional time-averages of the tensorial NMR properties approach the experimentally measured parameters. The orientational-constraint-driven MD simulations are universally applicable to all NMR interaction tensors, such as chemical shifts, dipolar couplings and quadrupolar interactions. The strategy does not depend on the initial choice of coordinates, and is in principle suitable for any flexible molecule. To test the method on three systems of increasing complexity, we used as constraints some deuterium quadrupolar couplings from the literature on ...
Forced vibration experiment has been conducted for the reactor building of Sendai Unit 1 nuclear power plant. The beam vibrational behaviors of the outer shielding building and the internal concrete structure have been observed by using a 50 tf vibration for low frequency region, and a 10 tf vibration for high frequency region, respectively. The outline of the experimental methods, the data handling system and the major results of experiment are described. The experimental results were simulated by an analytical model. The proper vibrational frequency and the vibration modes obtained by the analysis were compared with those obtained by the experiment. By these comparisons, the adequacy of the analytical method employed for the design was confirmed.
The thesis gives an overview of the validation process for thermal-hydraulic system codes and it presents in more detail the assessment and validation of the French code CATHARE for VVER calculations. Three assessment cases are presented: loop seal clearing, core reflooding and flow in a horizontal steam generator. The experience gained during these assessment and validation calculations has been used to analyze the behavior of the horizontal steam generator and the natural circulation in the geometry of the Loviisa nuclear power plant. Large part of the work has been performed in cooperation with the CATHARE-team in Grenoble, France. (41 refs., 11 figs., 8 tabs.).
Mitsubishi is now developing a new Pressurized water reactor (PWR), the Mitsubishi simplified PWR (MS-PWR), which has the innovative features of hybrid safety systems (an optimum combination of passive and active systems) and cooling by horizontal steam generators. In order to confirm the feasibility of the Mitsubishi hybrid safety system, various kinds of safety analyses are performed for loss-of-coolant accident events. In parallel to these safety analysis efforts, the following thermal-hydraulic tests are to be performed: (1) thermal-hydraulic test of a horizontal steam generator; (2) integrated thermal-hydraulic test using a simulation loop for the innovative MS-PWR (SLIM).
We review some interesting virtual effects from the minimal supersymmetric model (MSSM) at {gamma}{gamma} colliders. We conclude that in the research respects, such as supersymmetric particle pair production, CP-violation and electroweak-like one-loop corrections in top quark pair production, the FCNC in the R{sub p}-violating MSSM, linear collider (LC) operating in photon-photon collision mode provides powerful facilities in the measurements of new physics objects. For a precise and thorough study of the new physics, the investigation of the supersymmetric quantum effects is necessary. (author)
We review some interesting virtual effects from the minimal supersymmetric model (MSSM) at #gamma##gamma# colliders. We conclude that in the research respects, such as supersymmetric particle pair production, CP-violation and electroweak-like one-loop corrections in top quark pair production, the FCNC in the R_p-violating MSSM, linear collider (LC) operating in photon-photon collision mode provides powerful facilities in the measurements of new physics objects. For a precise and thorough study of the new physics, the investigation of the supersymmetric quantum effects is necessary. (author)
When decontaminated with continuously replenished CAN-DECON reagent in a once-through system, carbon steel contaminated with "6"0Co during exposure to reducing coolant in stainless steel loops loses up to 90 percent of its radioactivity in the first few minutes. Afterwards, the rate of removal falls to much lower values which persist for many hours to the end of the experiment. The effects of flow rate, temperature and reagent concentration on the initial rates of decontamination indicate that mass transfer in the liquid is an important factor in the decontamination. The decontamination factor is influenced by the initial rate.
We compute the entropy of a closed bounded region of space for pure 3d Riemannian gravity formulated as a topological BF theory for the gauge group SU(2) and show its holographic behavior. More precisely, we consider a fixed graph embedded in space and study the flat connection spin network state without and with particle-like topological defects. We regularize and compute exactly the entanglement for a bipartite splitting of the graph and show it scales at leading order with the number of vertices on the boundary (or equivalently with the number of loops crossing the boundary). More generally these results apply to BF theory with any compact gauge group in any space-time dimension.
High strain fatigue problem in steam turbine. Cyclic stress strain hysteresis loops and stress relaxation behaviour in 16 h dwell period tests. Variation of stress and strain during tests under nominally strain controlled conditions. Definition of test conditions and of criteria for crack initiation and failure. Comparison of reverse bend and push pull failure data. (orig.) 891 RW/orig. 892 RKD.
Axial offset anomaly (AOA) is caused by the deposition of crud on the fuel cladding of a PWR. When significant levels of crud build up on the cladding, boron can accumulate in the pores of the crud as a concentrated solution or solid phase, and cause the flux depression. Numerous studies have been conducted on the primary water chemistry to reduce the amount of crud in the primary circuit to avoid radioactivity buildup and unexpected power transition in the plant. However, experiments on the crud are restricted in the laboratory because the crud is a highly radioactive material. The objective of this study is to develop a test method for simulating the deposition of crud in a nuclear power plant
An electroweak singlet scalar can couple to pairs of vector bosons through loop-induced dimension five operators. Compared to a Standard Model Higgs boson, the singlet decay widths in the diphotons and Z gamma channels are generically enhanced, while decays into massive final states like WW and ZZ are kinematically disfavored. The overall event rates into gamma gamma and Z gamma can exceed the Standard Model expectations by orders of magnitude. Such a singlet may appear as a resonant signal in the gamma gamma and Z gamma channels, even with a mass above the WW kinematic threshold.
A self-seeded free electron laser (FEL) provides a high gain and extraction efficiency for the emitted light. An accelerator outputs a beam of electron pulses to a permanent magnet wiggler having an input end for receiving the electron pulses and an output end for outputting light and the electron pulses. An optical feedback loop collects low power light in a small signal gain regime at the output end of said wiggler and returns the low power light to the input end of the wiggler while outputting high power light in a high signal gain regime.
We present investigations of the potential between static charges from a simulation of quantum gravity coupled to an SU(2) gauge field on 6^{3}\\times 4 and 8^{3}\\times 4 simplicial lattices. In the well-defined phase of the gravity sector where geometrical expectation values are stable, we study the correlations of Polyakov loops and extract the corresponding potentials between a source and sink separated by a distance R. In the confined phase, the potential has a linear form while in the deconfined phase, a screened Coulombic behavior is found. Our results indicate that quantum gravitational effects do not destroy confinement due to non-abelian gauge fields.
A detailed component-based simulation model of a geothermal heat pump system has been calibrated to monitored data taken from a family housing unit located at Fort Polk, Louisiana. The simulation model represents the housing unit, geothermal heat pump, ground heat exchanger, thermostat, blower, and ground-loop pump. Each of these component models was tuned to better match the measured data from the site. These tuned models were then interconnected to form the system model. The system model was then exercised in order to demonstrate its capabilities.
A detailed component-based simulation model of a geothermal heat pump system has been calibrated to monitored data taken from a family housing unit located at Fort Polk, Louisiana. The simulation model represents the housing unit, geothermal heat pump, ground heat exchanger, thermostat, blower, and ground-loop pump. Each of these component models was 'tuned' to better match the measured data from the site. These tuned models were then interconnect to form the system model. The system model was then exercised in order to demonatrate its capabilities.
Point defect injection studies are performed to investigate how fluorine implantation influences the diffusion of boron marker layers in both the vacancy-rich and interstitial-rich regions of the fluorine damage profile. A 185 keV, 2.3x10"1"5 cm"-"2 F"+ implant is made into silicon samples containing multiple boron marker layers and rapid thermal annealing is performed at 1000 deg. C for times of 15-120 s. The boron and fluorine profiles are characterized by secondary ion mass spectroscopy and the defect structures by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Fluorine implanted samples surprisingly show less boron diffusion under interstitial injection than those under inert anneal. This effect is particularly noticeable for boron marker layers located in the interstitial-rich region of the fluorine damage profile and for short anneal times (15 s). TEM images show a band of dislocation loops around the range of the fluorine implant and the density of dislocation ...
In this paper, an approximate curve fitting method for photovoltaic modules is presented. The operation is based on solving a simple solar cell electrical model by a microcontroller in real time. Only four voltage and current coordinates are needed to obtain the solar module parameters and set its operation at maximum power in any conditions of illumination and temperature. Despite its simplicity, this method is suitable for low cost real time applications, as control loop reference generator in photovoltaic maximum power point circuits. The theory that supports the estimator together with simulations and experimental results are presented. (author)
The results of theoretical and experimental investigations, describing the effect of ionizing radiation on wood and its main components and methods for production of wood-plastic composites by means of radiation-induced chemical modification are generalized. Domestic and foreign experience in their production is systematized; physico-mechanical characteristics of new material, simulation and calculation of irradiating devices, as well as calculation and experimental study of #gamma#-radiation attenuation both by wood material and by wood of different species are given. Gamma sources ("6"0Co isotope, a hot loop of a nuclear reactor) as well as electron accelerators are considered as ionizing radiation sources.
The paper deals with Hawking radiation related to non-static spherically symmetric black hole. Quantum corrections are incorporated using Hamilton-Jacobi method beyond semi-classical approximation. It is found that different order correction terms satisfy identical differential equation as the semiclassical action and are solved by a typical technique. It has been shown that with proper choice of the proportionality factors, one loop back reaction effect in the space time can be obtained. Finally, using the law of black hole mechanics, a general modified form of the black hole entropy is obtained considering modified Hawking temperature.
Extensive experimental and analytical investigations of fluid flow and heat transfer in gas-cooled rod bundles have been carried out. Different bundle geometries with partially or fully roughened rod surfaces were tested in a carbon dioxide loop. An advanced and comprehensive measuring control and instrumentation are important design features of this experiment. Comprehensive thermal hydraulic subchannel analysis computer codes have been developed in order to assist fuel element design calculation for gas-cooled reactors. The experiments, codes and their verification procedure are described and the results of comparisons between measured and calculated pressure and temperature distributions are given. (orig.).
In this work, we report the preparation of lead titanate (PT) nanoceramics (with an average grain size of ~200nm in diameter) by using hydrothermal PT nanoparticles as start materials and characterized the dielectric and ferroelectric properties. The dielectric constant of the ceramic was found to be ~180 (at 1kHz) at room temperature and reached a maximum value of 8330 at ~490^oC, suggesting that the Curie temperature of the nanoceramics is consistent with the known value of PT crystals. Ferroelectric domains and hysteresis loops were obtained through piezoelectric force microscopy measurements, which provide direct and clear evidence for the ferroelectricity in the nanoceramic samples.
A systematic optimization method of choosing the weighting matrix in linear optimal control system design, under the conditions of prespecified closed-loop dominant eigenvalue locations and feedback gain limit constraints, is presented in this paper. Studies show that with the proposed method one can obtain the desired weighting matrix very quickly and conveniently without the heavy burden of choosing a suitable weighting matrix by trail and error. This method can also easily achieve a reduced-order feedback control system. The linear optimal power system stabilizer designed by using the proposed method produces very good performance.
This paper presents a novel design methodology, based on shaping the system frequency response, for the generation of an appropriate residual signal that is sensitive to sensor faults in the presence of model uncertainty and exogenous unknown (unmeasured) disturbances. An integrated feedback controller design and robust frequency-based fault detection approach is proposed for Single-Input/Single-Output systems. The effciency of the proposed method is demonstrated on a Single Machine Innite Bus (SMIB) power system that achieves a coordinate power system stabilizer with satisfactory sensor fault detection capabilities.
Bhabha scattering is one of the processes at the ILC where high precision data will be expected. The complete NNLO corrections include radiative loop corrections, with contributions from Feynman diagrams with five external legs. We take these diagrams as an example and discuss several features of the evaluation of pentagon diagrams. The tensor functions are usually reduced to simpler scalar functions. Here we study, as an alternative, the application of Mellin-Barnes representations to 5-point functions. There is no evidence for an improved numerical evaluation of their finite, physical parts. However, the approach gives interesting insights into the treatment of the IR- singularities. (orig.)
We study the duality of N=1 gauge theories in the presence of a massless adjoint field. We calculate the superpotential using the factorization method and compare with the result obtained by applying Kutasov duality. The latter result is just the leading term of the former, indicating that Kutasov duality is exact only in the IR limit as claimed in the original literature. We also study various checks for the equivalence of the calculational methods developed recently: factorization methods, diagrammatic expansion, loop equations, integrating fluxes.
An electric power generating apparatus is described, including: a solar collector; a primary thermal loop including primary thermal fluid; a cavity receiver to receive reflected solar energy from the solar reflector, convert the solar energy into thermal energy, and transmit the thermal energy to the primary thermal fluid by heating the primary thermal fluid not to exceed a given temperature, the given temperature being substantially equal to 700 F; a Stirling engine receiving the primary thermal fluid heated by the cavity receiver, including means to generate mechanical power and means to generate electrical power from the means to generate mechanical power.
Attention is paid to the production mechanisms of light scalars that reveal their nature. We reveal the chiral shielding of the \\sigma(600) meson. We show that the kaon loop mechanism of the \\phi radiative decays, ratified by experiment, points to the four-quark nature of light scalars. We show also that the light scalars are produced in the two photon collisions via four-quark transitions in contrast to the classic P wave tensor q\\bar q mesons that are produced via two-quark transitions $\\gamma\\gamma\\to q\\bar q$. The history of spontaneous breaking of symmetry in quantum physics is discussed in Appendix.
An LPP ignition timing control is described for an internal combustion engine including a combustion chamber, means effective to ignite a combustible charge within the combustion chamber and power output apparatus including a rotating crankshaft driven in response to the expansion of the combustible charge following the ignition thereof and having a predefined TDC rotational reference position, the engine being of the type having a normal combustion mode characterized by combustion pressure peaks compatible with closed loop LPP ignition timing control and an abnormal combustion mode which may not be so compatible.
As recently shown the conformal affine Toda models can be obtained via hamiltonian reduction from a two-loop Kac-Moody algebra. In this paper we propose a systematic procedure to analyze the higher spin symmetries of the conformal affine Toda models. The method is based on an explicit construction of infinite towers of extended conformal symmetry generators. Two fundamental building blocks of this construction are special spin-one and -two primary fields characterizing the conformal structure of these models. The connection to the algebra of area preserving diffeomorphisms on a two-manifold (w_#infinity# algebra) is established. (orig.).
In this letter, they present the results on a global fit to precision electroweak data in a Higgs triplet model. In models with a triplet Higgs boson, a consistent renormalization scheme differs from that of the Standard Model and the global fit shows that a light Higgs boson with mass of 100-200 GeV is preferred. Triplet Higgs bosons arise in many extensions of the Standard Model, including the left-right model and the Little Higgs models. The result demonstrates the importance of the scalar loops when there is a large mass splitting between the heavy scalars. It also indicates the significance of the global fit.
Based on the High Temperature Sodium Facility (HTSF) experience and the extensive design efforts for FFTF, procedures are in place for the unloading of the tank cars and for the fill of the FFTF reactor. Special precautions have been taken to provide safe handling and to accommodate contingencies in operation. These contingencies include special protective suits allowing personnel to enter and correct conditions arising from fill operations in the course of moving 7.71 x 10/sup 5/ kg (1.7 x 10/sup 6/ lbs) of sodium from the tank cars into the reactor vessel and its loop system.
An apparatus is provided for rapidly restarting the flow of coolant through the cold electromagnetic shield of a superconducting rotor following a thermal transient episode. A vortex diode inhibits coolant flow in the undesirable reverse direction and encourages the reestablishment of a normal thermosyphon cooling loop flow quickly following the termination of a thermal transient such as that caused by transmission line faults. The present invention requires no moving parts and may therefore be permanently sealed in the superconducting rotor without risk of costly repair efforts caused by components failure.
This study presents a semi-active vibration control of a scaled two-span bridge structure. Magneto-rheological fluid dampers are utilized as the semi-active energy absorbing devices, and a bridge vibration control system is developed. Closed-loop control system based on fuzzy logic is used to suppress the bridge deck motion under random excitation. It is demonstrated that this fuzzy logic control system can significantly reduce the relative deck displacement using about 60% less power compared to passive on state, while the absolute deck acceleration remains practically unchanged.
The electromagnetic properties of a prototype gravitational wave detector, based on two coupled superconducting microwave cavities, were tested. The radio-frequency (rf) detection system was carefully analysed. With the use of piezoelectric crystals small harmonic displacements of the cavity walls were induced and the parametric conversion of the electromagnetic field inside the cavities explored. Experimental results of bandwidth and sensitivity of the parametric converter versus stored energy and voltage applied to the piezoelectric crystal are reported. A rf control loop, developed to stabilize phase changes on signal paths, gave a 125 dBc rejection of the drive mode on a time scale of 1 h.
In the present study, a subcooled boiling loop with an annular flow on the electrically heated rod was used to make an experimental approach to investigate the effects of induced instability by the subcooled boiling on vibration of the rod in different subcooled conditions. The results show the intensive subcooled-boiling-induced vibration (SBIV) which is highly depend on dynamic force generated by fast vapor bubbles growth and collapse whilst they still attach to, or slide along, the heating surface at high loading heat fluxes. These behaviors were strongly influenced by the conditions of subcooling temperature, flow rate and linear power density. (author)
In the development of a geothermal heat pump a water source heat pump was connected to a 1-1/2'' water line, 2200' long, buried in an endless loop 10' deep. The system is closed, circulating the same water continuously through the heat pump back to the field again. This water line 10' deep is the geothermal heat source. No matter how cold the air temperature gets on a winter day the water temperature to the heat pump will always be above 45/sup 0/F. This system has efficiently heated our house the past year using no supplemental heat.
We present evidence for the creation of an exchange spring in an antiferromagnet due to exchange coupling to a ferromagnet. X-ray magnetic linear dichroism spectroscopy on single crystal Co/NiO(001) shows that a partial domain wall is wound up at the surface of the antiferromagnet when the adjacent ferromagnet is rotated by a magnetic field. We determine the interface exchange stiffness and the antiferromagnetic domain wall energy from the field dependence of the direction of the antiferromagnetic axis, the antiferromagnetic pendant to a ferromagnetic hysteresis loop. The existence of a planar antiferromagnetic domain wall, proven by our measurement, is a key assumption of most exchange bias models.
The purpose of this work was to develop and evaluate a method of locating breached fuel within the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) reactor based on the relative response of the delayed neutron monitors (DNM) located on each of the three primary sodium cooling loops. The primary method of location is the use of tag gas containing unique ratios of the noble gases xenon and krypton. Although the tag gas system works quite well, it is relatively expensive because of the costs of preparing and loading the gas into each fuel pin. Triangulation of DNM signals could potentially decrease tag gas costs while maintaining overall location reliability.
Botulinum neurotoxin is produced by the bacterium, Clostridium botulinum. The neurotoxin inhibits acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction, thus interfering with overall muscular contraction. Botulinum neurotoxin is commonly used for the following medical conditions: cervical dystonia, upper limb spasticity, blepharospasm, strabismus, and hyperhydrosis. However, the use of botulinum neurotoxin was recently approved for the prophylaxis of headaches in adults with chronic migraines. The proposed mechanism of botulinum neurotoxin is no longer solely limited to the inhibition of acetylcholine. There are new mechanisms emerging that involve inhibition of proinflammatory agents and neuropeptides involved in chronic pain. Consequently, there is a disruption of the overall sensory feedback loop...
We present a method for the analysis of singularities of Feynman amplitudes based on the Speer sector decomposition of the Schwinger parametric integrals combined with the Mellin-Barnes transform. The sector decomposition method is described in some details. We suggest the idea of applying the method to the analysis of collinear singularities in inclusive QCD cross sections in the mass-less limit regularizing the forward amplitudes by an off-shell choice of the initial particle momenta. It is shown how the suggested strategy works in the well known case of the one loop corrections to Deep Inelastic Scattering.
Double-contrast barium enema has a reduced sensitivity in patients with severe sigmoid diverticulosis. Therefore a carboxy methyl cellulose enema was employed after the conventional double-contrast examination in 15 patients with sigmoid diverticulosis. A significant increase in lumen diameter and a superior removal of barium residue from the diverticulas facilitated the interpretation of the sigmoid loops. Conclusion: The addition of methyl cellulose enema to double-contrast barium imaging improves diagnostic imaging in diverticulosis by expanding the lumen and emptying the diverticulas. (orig.).
Motivated by recent anomalous CDF data on $Wjj$ events, we study a possible explanation within the framework of the two-Higgs doublet model. We find that a charged Higgs boson of mass $\\sim$ 140 GeV with appropriate couplings can account for the observed excess. In addition, we consider the flavor-changing neutral current effects induced at loop level by the charged Higgs boson on the $B$ meson system to further constrain the model. Our study shows that the like-sign charge asymmetry $A_{s\\ell}^b$ can be of ${\\cal O}(10^{-3})$ in this scenario.
The Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 amended the Deepwater Port Act of 1974 to permit the construction of offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals. Terminals with environmentally destructive open-loop regasification systems were quickly approved in the Gulf of Mexico. This study analyzed the political methods of the George W. Bush administration to determine how it developed offshore LNG. Findings showed that the Bush administration worked closely with the energy industry to promote national energy security and limited the role of certain federal and state agencies through a centralized policy process.
The Belinskii, Khalatnikov and Lifshitz conjecture \\cite{bkl1} posits that on approach to a space-like singularity in general relativity the dynamics are well approximated by `ignoring spatial derivatives in favor of time derivatives.' In \\cite{ahs1} we examined this idea from within a Hamiltonian framework and provided a new formulation of the conjecture in terms of variables well suited to loop quantum gravity. We now present the details of the analytical part of that investigation. While our motivation came from quantum considerations, thanks to some of its new features, our formulation should be useful also for future analytical and numerical investigations within general relativity.
Abstract Telecare has become an increasingly common medical service in recent years. However, new service must be close to the market and be market-driven to have a high likelihood of success. This article analyzes the business model of a telecardiology service managed by a general hospital. The methodology of the article is as follows: (1) initially it describes the elements of the service based on the ontology of the business model, (2) then it transfers these elements into the choices for business model dynamic loops and examines their validity, and (3) finally provides an empirical financial analysis of the service to assess the profit-making possibilities.
\\lhcb is one of the four major experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (\\lhc) at CERN. It is custom built to look for CP violation and New Physics in rare decays of heavy flavour hadrons, like the B and D systems. Rare decays that occur via loop diagrams provide a way to probe New Physics at energy scales much higher than can be probed by direct production in experiments. In this article, the \\lhcb prospects for such measurements with exclusive decays of the type $B \\to \\Xs \\gamma$ and $B \\to X_{s} l^{+} l^{-}$ are presented.
LHC$b$ is one the four major experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. It is custom built to look for CP violation and New Physics in rare decays of heavy flavor hadrons, like the B and D systems. Rare decays that occur via loop diagrams provide a way to probe New Physics at energy scales much higher than can be probed by direct production in experiment. In this article, the LHC$b$ prospects for such measurement with exclusive decays of the type $B \\to X_s\\gamma$ and $B\\to X_sl^+l^-$ are presented.
Snake envenomation employs three well integrated strategies: prey immobilization via hypotension, prey immobilization via paralysis, and prey digestion. Purines (adenosine, guanosine and inosine) evidently play a central role in the envenomation strategies of most advanced snakes. Purines constitute the perfect multifunctional toxins, participating simultaneously in all three envenomation strategies. Because they are endogenous regulatory compounds in all vertebrates, it is impossible for any prey organism to develop resistance to them. Purine generation from endogenous precursors in the prey explains the presence of many hitherto unexplained enzyme activities in snake venoms: 5'-nucleotidase, endonucleases (including ribonuclease), phosphodiesterase, ATPase, ADPase, phosphomonoesterase, and NADase. Phospholipases A(2), cytotoxins, myotoxins, and heparinase also participate in purine liberation, in addition to their better known functions. Adenosine contributes to prey immobilization ...
One of the refinements of modern Nuclear Medicine is the capacity of providing dynamic and kinetics images of the administered radiopharmaceutical, reproducing its transport mechanism, action sites, receptor binding and excretion route. With the continues technological advances new radiopharmaceuticals have been developed in order to express higher specificity and with higher characters of affinity between receptor/complex. One radiopharmaceutical is formed by a reagent or bio molecule that has in its structure a radioisotope, that has the objectives of carrying it to the organs of affinity or to benign or malign tumoral process. Somatostatin inhibits the growing and proliferation of several tumoral cells. Somatostatin analogs bind to somatostatic receptors that are expressed in different kind of neoplasia DOTA-LANREOTIDE (DOTALAN) is an octapeptide analog to somatostatin. The interest of labeling the bio conjugate with gallium-67 in Nuclear Medicine comes from its physical, chemical ...
Chemical-looping combustion is a two-stage process proposed as an alternative for the combustion of carbonaceous materials, such as natural gas or coal gas, for almost complete CO{sub 2} capture. In the reduction stage, the structural oxygen contained in the lattice of a reducible inorganic oxide, is used for combustion of the carbonaceous material. In the regeneration stage the oxygen carrier, found in a reduced state after the reduction stage, is regenerated with pure air to recover the physical and chemical properties of the carrier, ready to reinitiate a new cycle reduction-regeneration. In a typical multicycle reactor test, the carriers are subjected to accumulative chemical and thermal stresses and the performance will, probably, decay progressively with the number of cycles. The occurrence of some side reactions may limit the efficiency of the overall process in CO{sub 2} capture. In this paper, titania-supported iron oxides with different iron loadings have ...
As a candidate of the new concept safety system for the next generation PWR in Japan, the hybrid safety systems, which are combination of the active and the passive safety systems, and passive core cooling system by natural circulation in the reactor coolant loop with horizontal-type steam generators during Loss of Coolant Accidents (LOCAs) are investigated. The passive safety systems are advanced accumulators (ACC), primary-side and secondary-side automatic-depressurization systems (ADS, SADS), and a gravity-driven safety injection system (GDI). The horizontal steam generator design avoids a siphon break caused from the accumulation of non-condensable gases in the tubes by using a vent line in the channel head of the steam generators. This study investigates the passive core cooling characteristics of horizontal-type steam generators under LOCAs. The integrated thermal-hydraulic test has been performed at the Simulation Loop for the Innovative ...
Mitsubishi is now developing a next-generation Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) which has the innovative feature of hybrid safety systems (optimum combination of passive safety system and active safety system) and passive core cooling by horizontal steam generators during Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA). In order to confirm the capability of this passive core cooling system during LOCAs, the thermal-hydraulic tests of horizontal steam generator and the integral thermal-hydraulic tests simulating the LOCAs were performed. The thermal-hydraulic tests of horizontal steam generator consist of a single tube test and a multi-tubes test. On the basis of these test results, the heat transfer characteristics of steam-water two-phase flow with noncondensable gas along a long horizontal tube is understood and the heat transfer correlation including the effect of noncondensable gas is presented. The integral thermal-hydraulic tests simulate the small LOCA and the large LOCA using the SLIM ...
This document deals with the couplings between the W boson and Z and gamma particles. WWZ and WW{gamma} vertex are predicted by the electroweak theory based on the symmetry group SU(2){sub L}*U(1){sub Y}, their existence is confirmed by the measurement of the production cross-section of W pairs at LEP. The effective values of the couplings are modified by the introduction of standard model particle loops at the vertex level, the impact on the coupling value is assessed to reach 10{sup -3}. These loops can also include beyond-the-standard-model particles, their impact is in the magnitude order of 10{sup -3} for most models. The fully description of these loops requires the values of 14 complex parameters whose measurement will give information about the existence of new particles. Nevertheless the number of events at LEP is not sufficient to measure all the parameters simultaneously. As a consequence the analysis is limited ...
In-reactor testing of bolt-loaded compact tension specimens was performed in 360 C water to determine the irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) behavior of HTH Alloy X-750 and direct-aged Alloy 625. New data confirm previous results showing that high irradiation levels reduce SCC resistance in Alloy X-750. Heat-to-heat variability correlates with boron content, with low boron heats showing improved IASCC properties. Alloy 625 is resistant to IASCC, as no cracking was observed in any Alloy 625 specimens. Microstructural, microchemical and deformation studies were performed to characterize the mechanisms responsible for IASCC in Alloy X-750 and the lack of an effect in Alloy 625. The mechanisms under investigation are: boron transmutation effects, radiation-induced changes in microstructure and deformation characteristics, and radiation-induced segregation. Irradiation of Alloy X-750 caused significant strengthening and ductility loss that was associated with the ...
Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is an emerging technology for clean combustion. We have previously demonstrated that the embedding of metal nanoparticles into a nanostructured ceramic matrix can result in unusually active and sinter-resistant nanocomposite oxygen carrier materials for CLC which maintain high reactivity and high-temperature stability even when sulfur contaminated fuels are used in CLC. Here, we propose a novel process scheme for in situ desulfurization of syngas with simultaneous CO{sub 2}-capture in chemical looping combustion by using these robust nanocomposite oxygen carriers simultaneously as sulfur-capture materials. We found that a nanocomposite Cu-BHA carrier can indeed strongly reduce the H{sub 2}S concentration in the fuel reactor effluent. However, during the process the support matrix is also sulfidized and takes part in the redox process of CLC. This results in SO{sub 2} production during the reduction of the ...
The sixth AER benchmark is the second AER benchmark for couplings of the thermal hydraulic codes and three dimensional neutron kinetic core models. It concerns a double end break of one main steam line in a WWER-440 plant. The core is at the end of its first cycle in full power conditions. In VTT HEXTRAN2.9 is used for the core kinetics and dynamics and SMABRE4.8 as a thermal hydraulic model for the primary and secondary loop. The plant model for SMABRE consists mainly of two input models, Loviisa model and a standard WWER-440/213 plant model. The primary loop includes six separate loops, the pressure vessel is divided into six parallel channels in SMABRE and the whole core calculation is performed in the core with HEXTRAN. The horizontal steam generators are modelled with heat transfer tubes in five levels and vertically with two parts, riser and downcomer. With this kind of detailed modelling of steam generators there ...
This is the third quarterly progress report for Year 3 of the ACTS Project. It includes a review of progress made in: (1) Flow Loop construction and development and (2) research tasks during the period of time between Jan. 1, 2002 and Mar. 31, 2002. This report presents a review of progress on the following specific tasks: (a) Design and development of an Advanced Cuttings Transport Facility (Task 3: Addition of a Cuttings Injection/Separation System), (b) Research project (Task 6): ''Study of Cuttings Transport with Foam Under LPAT Conditions (Joint Project with TUDRP)'', (c) Research project (Task 9b): ''Study of Foam Flow Behavior Under EPET Conditions'', (d) Research project (Task 10): ''Study of Cuttings Transport with Aerated Mud Under Elevated Pressure and Temperature Conditions'', (e) Research on three instrumentation tasks to measure: Cuttings ...
CT of the gastrointestinal tract is commonly performed after administration of a high-density diluted iodinated oral contrast material. However, because if inadequate mixing of the contrast material with the gastrointestinal contents, pseudotumor and poor mucosal visualization are frequently shown on abdominal CT. To overcome these problem, 10% corn oil emulsion (COE) is tested as an alternative oral contrast agent in 40 patients. We analyse patients tolerance, gastric mucosal visualization and discrimination of pancreas from the duodenal C-loop to 10% COE in 40 patients compared with those obtained from 35 patients, who was received high-density diluted iodinated oral contrast agent (gastrografin). The results are as follows : 1. Patients' tolerance to 10% COE is similar to that to conventional oral contrast agent. 2. Image of the gastric mucosa from patients receiving 10% COE is superior to that receiving oral contrast agent. 3. The discrimination ...
CT of the gastrointestinal tract is commonly performed after administration of a high-density diluted iodinated oral contrast material. However, because if inadequate mixing of the contrast material with the gastrointestinal contents, pseudotumor and poor mucosal visualization are frequently shown on abdominal CT. To overcome these problem, 10% corn oil emulsion (COE) is tested as an alternative oral contrast agent in 40 patients. We analyse patients tolerance, gastric mucosal visualization and discrimination of pancreas from the duodenal C-loop to 10% COE in 40 patients compared with those obtained from 35 patients, who was received high-density diluted iodinated oral contrast agent (gastrografin). The results are as follows : 1. Patients' tolerance to 10% COE is similar to that to conventional oral contrast agent. 2. Image of the gastric mucosa from patients receiving 10% COE is superior to that receiving oral contrast agent. 3. The discrimination between ...
Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is a novel technology where CO{sub 2} is inherently separated during combustion. Due to the existence of sulfur contaminants in the fossil fuels, the gaseous products of sulfur species and the interaction of sulfur contaminants with oxygen carrier are a big concern in the CLC practice. The reactivity of NiO/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} oxygen carrier reduction with a gas mixture of CO/H{sub 2} and H{sub 2}S is investigated by means of a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) and Fourier Transform Infrared spectrum analyzer in this study. An X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) are used to evaluate the phase characterization of reacted oxygen carrier, and the formation mechanisms of the gaseous products of sulfur species are elucidated in the process of chemical looping combustion with a gaseous fuel containing hydrogen sulfide. The results show that the rate of ...
Forced vibration experiment has been conducted for the reactor building of Sendai Unit 1 nuclear power plant. The beam vibrational behaviors of the outer shielding building and the internal concrete structure have been observed by using a 50 tf vibration for low frequency region, and a 10 tf vibration for high frequency region, respectively. The outline of the experimental methods, the data handling system and the major results of experiment are described. The experimental results were simulated by an analytical model. The proper vibrational frequency and the vibration modes obtained by the analysis were compared with those obtained by the experiment. By these comparison, the adequacy of the analytical method employed for the design was confirmed. (Aoki, K.).
We have studied in detail the transient enhanced diffusion observed during furnace or rapid-thermal-annealing of ion-implanted Si. We show that the effect originates in the trapping of Si atoms by dopant atoms during implantation, which are retained during solid-phase-epitaxial (SPE) growth but released by subsequent annealing to cause a transient dopant precipitation or profile broadening. The interstitials condense to form a band of dislocation loops located at the peak of the dopant profile, which may be distinct from the band formed at the original amorphous/crystalline interface. The band can develop into a network and effectively getter the dopant. We discuss the conditions under which the various effects may or may not be observed, and discuss conflicting observations on As/sup +/ implanted Si.
The authors have studied in detail the transient enhanced diffusion observed during furnace or rapid-thermal-annealing of ion-implanted Si. The authors show that the effect originates in the trapping of Si atoms by dopant atoms during implantation, which are retained during solid-phase epitaxial (SPE) growth but released by subsequent annealing to cause a transient dopant precipitation or profile broadening. The interstitials condense to form a band of dislocation loops located at the peak of the dopant profile, which may be distinct from the band formed at the original amorphous/crystalline interface. The band can develop into a network and effectively getter the dopant. They discuss the conditions under which the various effects may or may not be observed, and discuss preliminary observations on As"+ implanted Si. 12 references, 12 figures.
A new class of one-dimensional active acoustic metamaterials (AAMMs) with programmable effective densities is presented. The proposed AAMM is capable of producing densities that are orders of magnitudes lower or higher than the ambient fluid. Such characteristics are achieved by using an array of fluid cavities separated by piezoelectric diaphragms that are controlled to generate constant densities over wide frequency bands. The piezodiaphragms are augmented with passive electrical components to broaden the operating frequency bandwidth and enable densities higher than the fluid medium to be generated. The use of these components is shown to be essential to maintain the closed-loop compliance of the piezodiaphragm away from the zone of elastic instabilities. The values of the passive components are selected on a rational basis in order to ensure a balance between the frequency bandwidth and control voltage. With this unique structure of the AAMM, physically ...
A new formulation of the theory of tachyons using the same two postulates as in special relativity is applied to the electrodynamics of material media. A discussion of Lagrange`s equations and Hamilton`s equations for `classical` charged tachyons shows that such a formalism is a viable approach. An essay is included on why tachyons can be considered to be localised particles for the purpose of calculations. Tachyonic transformations of the electromagnetic fields D, P, H and M are shown to be the same as for bradyonic transformations. Examples discussed include the electric dipole moment of a tachyonic current loop, constitutive equations, polarisation in tachyonic dielectric materials and the velocity of light in tachyonic dielectric media. This is followed by discussions of the collision energy loss for charged tachyons interacting with a material medium and a mathematical proof that tachyons cannot emit Cherenkov radiation when passing through a bradyonic ...
A new formulation of the theory of tachyons using the same two postulates as in special relativity is applied to the electrodynamics of material media. A discussion of Lagrange's equations and Hamilton's equations for 'classical' charged tachyons shows that such a formalism is a viable approach. An essay is included on why tachyons can be considered to be localised particles for the purpose of calculations. Tachyonic transformations of the electromagnetic fields D, P, H and M are shown to be the same as for bradyonic transformations. Examples discussed include the electric dipole moment of a tachyonic current loop, constitutive equations, polarisation in tachyonic dielectric materials and the velocity of light in tachyonic dielectric media. This is followed by discussions of the collision energy loss for charged tachyons interacting with a material medium and a mathematical proof that tachyons cannot emit Cherenkov radiation when passing through a bradyonic ...
We study the finite temperature electroweak transition with non-perturbative lattice Monte Carlo simulations. We find that it is of first order, at least for Higgs masses up to 80 GeV. The critical temperature of the phase transition is found to be smaller than that determined by a 2-loop renormalization group improved effective potential. The jump of the order parameter at the critical temperature is considerably larger than the perturbative value. By comparing lattice data and perturbation theory, we demonstrate that the latter, for the computation of the vacuum expectation value of the Higgs field v(T) in the broken phase at given temperature, converges quite well, provided v(T)/T>1. An upper bound on the Higgs mass necessary for electroweak baryogenesis in the light of the lattice data is briefly discussed.
One hope to solve the cosmological constant problem is to identify a symmetry principle, based on which the cosmological constant can be reduced either to zero, or to a tiny value. Here, we note that requiring that the vacuum state is Lorentz invariant significantly reduces the theoretical value of the vacuum energy density. Hence, this also reduces the discrepancy between the observed value of the cosmological constant and its theoretical expectation, down from 123 orders of magnitude to 56 orders of magnitude. We find that, at one loop level, massless particles do not yield any contribution to the cosmological constant. Another important consequence of Lorentz symmetry is stabilization of the gravitational hierarchy: the cosmological constant (divided by Newton's constant) does not run as the quartic power of the renormalization group scale, but instead only logarithmically.
There are a total of nine operational nuclear plants in Spain totalling 7.350 MWe. These units produced 54.265 x 106 KWh in 1990, 36% of the total generation in Spain. Seven of these plants are of the PWR type. The first plant in operation was Jose Cabrera (ZORITA) in 1968, one loop Westinghouse plant with a model 24 Steam Generator. Due to the design margin and careful operation of the Steam Generator of this plant its performance have been very good, with only 5% tubes plugged after 23 years of operation. This is one of the few units in the world that remains in phosphate chemistry. During the period 1981-1985 a total of four units, two in Almaraz and two in Asco entered in operation. These three loop s Westinghouse units use model D-3 preheater Steam Generators. The poor design and manufacture of the Steam Generators of these units have caused a large number of problems: mechanical (Preheater and AVB's vibration), denting, and primary and ...
We study general two-dimensional sigma-models which do not possess manifest Lorentz invariance. We show how demanding that Lorentz invariance is recovered as an emergent on-shell symmetry constrains these sigma-models. The resulting actions have an underlying group-theoretic structure and resemble Poisson--Lie T-duality invariant actions. We consider the one-loop renormalization of these models and show that the quantum Lorentz anomaly is absent. We calculate the running of the couplings in general and show, with certain non-trivial examples, that this agrees with that of the T-dual models obtained classically from the duality invariant action. Hence, in these cases solving constraints before and after quantization are commuting operations.
We introduce reflexive polytopes of index l as a natural generalisation of the notion of a reflexive polytope of index 1. These l-reflexive polytopes also appear as dual pairs. In dimension two we show that they arise from reflexive polygons via a change of the underlying lattice. This allows us to efficiently classify all isomorphism classes of l-reflexive polygons up to index 200. As another application, we show that any reflexive polygon of arbitrary index satisfies the famous "number 12" property. This is a new, infinite class of lattice polygons possessing this property, and extends the previously known sixteen instances. The number 12 property also holds more generally for l-reflexive non-convex or self-intersecting polygonal loops. We conclude by discussing higher-dimensional examples and open questions.
Microprocessor based ''smart'' pressure, level, and flow transmitters were tested to determine the radiation hardness of this class of electronic instrumentation for use in reactor building applications. Commercial grade Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits used in these transmitters were found to fail at total gamma dose levels between 2500 and 10,000 rad. This results in an unacceptably short lifetime in many reactor building radiation environments. Radiation hardened integrated circuits can, in general, provide satisfactory service life for normal reactor operations when not restricted to the extremely low power budget imposed by standard 4--20 mA two-wire instrument loops. The design of these circuits will require attention to vendor radiation hardness specifications, dose rates, process control with respect to radiation hardness factors, and non-volatile programmable memory technology. 3 refs., 2 figs.
Preliminary studies were preformed to determine whether thermal conductivity of cementitious grouts used to backfill heat exchanger loops for geothermal heat pumps could be improved, thus improving efficiency. Grouts containing selected additives were compares with conventional bentonite and cement grouts. Significant enhancement of grout alumina grit, steel fibers, and silicon carbide increased the thermal conductivity when compared to unfilled, high solids bentonite grouts and conventional cement grouts. Furthermore, the developed grouts retained high thermal conductivity in the dry state, where as conventional bentonite and cement grouts tend to act as insulators if moisture is lost. The cementitious grouts studied can be mixed and placed using conventional grouting equipment.
A decentralized power system stabilizer output feedback design approach is considered, which is compatible with expanding the construction of multi-machine systems. We presume that the interconnected power system is constructed by connecting closed-loop subsystems one after another. We take the proper stable factorization approach for calculating the local compensators. We apply the result to the new subsystem at each connection stage with unfixed power system stabilizer parameters. We then determine the parameters appropriately, before connection, so that the expanded system is stable after connection. A numerical example is worked out to illustrate the proposed design technique. 14 refs, 5 figs, 3 tabs
A new power system stabilizer (PSS) design method for single-machine infinite-bus systems is developed. This design method not only assigns the poles corresponding to the electro-mechanical oscillation modes in the system, but also located other system poles in suitable places in the s-plane. The design procedure is used first to translate a PSS design problem to an equivalent constant output feedback controller design problem for a single-input multi-output (SIMO) system. Then, a new algorithm developed in this paper is applied to design a constant output feedback controller to achieve the desired closed-loop system pole locations. Finally, the controller gains are transferred back to the parameters in the PSS. The extension of the method to multi-machine power systems is also illustrated. (Author).
Polyethylene pipes and connections are being widely used in treated water distribution services. Migration of low molecular weight compounds from the polyethylene into the water can change its final quality. This paper is about the concentrations and identification of the migration compounds found in treated water after staying in contact with low and high-density polyethylene. Identification and quantification were carried out using CLSA (Closed Loop Stripping Analysis) extraction technique and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS). (Author) 12 refs.
The KSTAR cooling water system (CWS) consists of a primary cooling water system (PCWS), a secondary cooling water system (SCWS), and a de-mineralizing and de-ionized water system (DIWS). The PCWS cooling loops have been made for the poloidal field (PF) and toroidal field (TF) magnet power supplies (MPS), vacuum vessel (VV), electron cyclotron heating (ECH), ion cyclotron heating (ICRH), vacuum pumps, diagnostics, helium facility, etc. The CWS had been done individual commissioning of each system to confirm the design specifications by the end of 2006 and had gradually begun operation for the KSTAR ancillary devices by March 2008
We review and extend in several directions recent results on the asymptotic safety approach to quantum gravity. The central issue in this approach is the search of a Fixed Point having suitable properties, and the tool that is used is a type of Wilsonian renormalization group equation. We begin by discussing various cutoff schemes, i.e. ways of implementing the Wilsonian cutoff procedure. We compare the beta functions of the gravitational couplings obtained with different schemes, studying first the contribution of matter fields and then the so-called Einstein-Hilbert truncation, where only the cosmological constant and Newton's constant are retained. In this context we make connection with old results, in particular we reproduce the results of the epsilon expansion and the perturbative one loop divergences. We then apply the Renormalization Group to higher derivative gravity. In the case of a general action quadratic in curvature we recover, within certain ...
The interlayer exchange coupling between Co/Pt perpendicular-to-plane magnetized layers across a thin IrMn spacer layer was experimentally studied. In contrast to earlier studies on interlayer coupling through antiferromagnetic NiO, which revealed an oscillatory coupling behavior as a function of NiO thickness, a ferromagnetic coupling was observed here in the range of IrMn thickness between 0.6 and 1.5nm and antiferromagnetic between 1.5 and 2.5nm. The antiferromagnetic coupling is attributed to an orange peel magnetostatic mechanism whereas the ferromagnetic coupling is attributed to an out-of-plane polarization of the antiferromagnetic IrMn layer induced by the interfacial exchange interaction with the adjacent out-of-plane ferromagnetic layers. Measurements of hysteresis loops versus t...
Polycrystalline specimens of spinel (MgAl_2O_4) and alumina (Al_2O_3) were irradiated at room temperature and 650deg C with either dual- or triple-ion beams in order to investigate the effects of simultaneous displacement damage and helium implantation on cavity formation. The cavities in alumina were aligned along the direction of the c-axis, with diameters ranging from < 2 to 10 nm. The cavities in spinel were preferentially associated with dislocation loops and were of similar size as the cavities in alumina. Catastrophic amounts of cavitation were observed at the grain boundaries in spinel when the displacement damage level exceeded a critical value (#approx =# 20 dpa) in the presence of a fusion-relevant (#approx =# 60 appm/dpa) helium environment. (orig.).
The gastrointestinal transit was studied in 20 patients with loop transverse colostomies and previously normal colons. This analysis was performed through radiological observation of progression of 20 radiopaque pellets and measurements of its transit time in the various segments of the digestive tract. An evaluation of other related clinical and radiological events was carried out sentimentality's. In order to better understand the influence of the surgical procedure, the study was performed under similar dietary and supportive care conditions and standard radiological studies before and after the re-establishment of transit, thus enabling a comparison with the same individual. (author)
Initial ICRF heating experiment in the LHD was carried out in 1998. One pair of the movable loop antennas was used and the coupling resistance was around one ohm for the low density ECH plasma. The loading characteristics were consistent with the fast wave excitation. By applying the ICRF heating of 300 kW to the ECH target plasma, the diamagnetic energy was increased from 13 kJ to 26 kJ. The heating performance was decided by hydrogen mixture rate on puffing gas. Efficient electron heating was observed at the higher hydrogen gas ratio. These results can be explained by the one dimensional wave analysis calculation on slab plasma model. (J.P.N.)
This document contains a summarization of the results and insights from the Level 1 accident sequence analyses of internally initiated events, internally initiated fire and flood events, seismically initiated events, and the Level 2/3 risk analysis of internally initiated events (excluding fire and flood) for Surry, Unit 1. The analysis was confined to mid-loop operation, which can occur during three plant operational states (identified as POSs R6 and R10 during a refueling outage, and POS D6 during drained maintenance). The report summarizes the Level 1 information contained in Volumes 2--5 and the Level 2/3 information contained in Volume 6 of NUREG/CR-6144.
Ferroelectric [Pb_0_._9_2(La_1_-_zSb _z)_0_._0_8][Zr_0_._6_0Ti_0_._4_0]O_3 for z = 0.0, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9 and 1 were prepared from their constituent oxides by a solid state reaction technique. The powders were calcined in the temperature range of 1000 deg. C for 6 h. Phase formation, crystal structure and lattice parameter were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. The compacts were sintered at 1250 deg. C for 2 h and their dielectric, ferroelectric and conductive properties were measured. The ferroelectric behavior of the doped samples was studied from their hysteresis loop.
Background: Ventricular repolarization (VR) is strongly influenced by heart rate (HR) and autonomic nervous activity, both of which also are important for arrhythmogenesis. Their relative influence on VR is difficult to separate, but might be crucial for understanding while some but not other individuals are at risk for life-threatening arrhythmias at a certain HR. This study was therefore designed to assess the -pure- effect of HR increase by atrial pacing on the ventricular gradient (VG) and other vectorcardiographically (VCG) derived VR parameters during an otherwise unchanged condition. Methods: In 19 patients with structurally normal hearts, a protocol with stepwise increased atrial pacing was performed after successful arrhythmia ablation. Conduction intervals were measured on averag...
We consider a minimal model of GUT scalar dark matter (DM) stabilized by the discrete gauge matter parity $P_{X}$ that arises from breaking of $SO(10)$. The dark sector comprises the complex singlet $S$ and the inert doublet $H_{2}$. GUT scale parameters are evaluated to the electroweak scale via Renormalization Group Equations (RGEs). Experimental and theoretical constraints limit the DM mass to the 80 GeV to 2 TeV range. The EW symmetry breaking is radiative and can occur via RGE running and 1-loop matching corrections from integrating out DM. Because the next-to-lightest scalar is almost degenerate with DM, it gives a background free displaced decay vertex at the LHC.
Neutron stars are sensitive laboratories for testing general relativity, especially when considering deviations where velocities are relativistic and gravitational fields are strong. One such deviation is described by dynamical, Chern-Simons modified gravity, where the Einstein-Hilbert action is modified through the addition of the gravitational parity-violating Pontryagin density coupled to a field. This four-dimensional effective theory arises naturally both in perturbative and non-perturbative string theory, loop quantum gravity, and generic effective field theory expansions. We calculate here Chern-Simons modifications to the properties and gravitational fields of slowly spinning neutron stars. We find that the Chern-Simons correction affects only the gravitomagnetic sector of the metric to leading order, thus introducing modifications to the moment of inertia but not to the mass-radius relation. We show that an observational determination of the moment of ...
We study how the effect of closed-string tachyon condensation can enter into the on-shell effective action of open-string tachyons in the bosonic case. We also consider open-string one-loop quantum corrections to the on-shell action. We use a sigma-model approach with boundary terms, and we utilize some results of boundary string field theory (BSFT) to define the on-shell effective action. We regard D-instanton-like objects with appropriate weight as closed-string tachyon tadpoles, and we insert them into worldsheets to analyze the effect of closed-string tachyons. (author)
Biomass gasification provides the potential to efficiently and economically produce a renewable source of a clean gaseous fuel suitable for power generation or synthesis gas (syngas) applications. An important side benefit of the use of biomass is the effective minimization of the primary greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}), by providing a means to close-loop the CO{sub 2} cycle. However, high molecular weight hydrocarbon constituents (tar) in the product gas from gasification can complicate the downstream uses of the gas. This paper discusses both the development of a low cost, disposable catalyst system that can eliminate these heavy hydrocarbons from the gas and the use of the catalyst in conjunction with the Battelle high-throughput gasification process for power generation and synthesis applications. (author)
This paper develops optimal bidding strategies for a pumped-storage plant in a pool-based electricity market. In the competitive regime, when compared to simple hydroelectric generator, profit of the pumped-storage plant is maximized by operating it as a generator when market clearing price is high and as a pump when the price is low. Based on forecasted hourly market clearing price, a multistage looping algorithm to maximize the profit of a pumped-storage plant is developed, considering both the spinning and non-spinning reserve bids and meeting the technical operating constraints of the plant. The proposed model is adaptive for the nonlinear three-dimensional relationship between the power produced, the energy stored, and the head of the associated reservoir. Different operating cycles for a realistic pumped-storage plant are considered and simulation results are reported and compared. (author)
An adaptive power system stabilizer (APSS) employing a new self-optimizing pole shifting control strategy and its application to a power system are described in this paper. Based on an identified model of the system, the control is computed by an algorithm which shifts the closed-loop poles of the system to some optimal locations inside the unit circle in the z-domain to minimize a given performance criterion. With the self-optimization property, outside intervention in the controller design procedure is minimized, thus simplifying the tuning procedure during commissioning. Also, a new method of calculating the variable forgetting factor in real-time parameter identification is discussed. Studies show that the proposed APSS can provide good damping of the power system over a wide operating range and significantly improve the dynamic performance of the system.
We discuss the renormalisation properties of the complete set of {delta}B=2 four-quark operators with the heavy quark treated in the static approximation. We elucidate the role of heavy quark symmetry and other symmetry transformations in constraining their mixing under renormalisation. By employing the Schroedinger functional, a set of non-perturbative renormalisation conditions can be defined in terms of suitable correlation functions. As a first step in a fully non-perturbative determination of the scale-dependent renormalisation factors, we evaluate these conditions in lattice perturbation theory at one loop. Thereby we verify the expected mixing patterns and determine the anomalous dimensions of the operators at NLO in the Schroedinger functional scheme. Finally, by employing twisted-mass QCD it is shown how finite subtractions arising from explicit chiral symmetry breaking can be avoided completely. (Orig.)
A technique for designing an adaptive power system stabilizer is presented which improves the dynamic stability of power systems by effectively increasing the damping torque of the synchronous generator in the system. The proposed adaptive stabilizer is optimal in the sense of minimizing a specified performance condition. A characteristic feature of using a Lyapunov techniques is that it leads to stable adaptation loops. The dynamic responses following a step disturbance by digital simulations are obtained by means of three types of stabilizers: the conventional power system stabilizer, a frequency-response-based optimal adaptive stabilizer and the proposed Lyapunov stabilizer. Simulation results on a typical single-machine/infinite-bus system illustrate the superiority of the proposed technique. (author).