Use of "entertainment" chimpanzees in commercials distorts public perception regarding their conservation status.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kara K Schroepfer

Full Text Available Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes are often used in movies, commercials and print advertisements with the intention of eliciting a humorous response from audiences. The portrayal of chimpanzees in unnatural, human-like situations may have a negative effect on the public's understanding of their endangered status in the wild while making them appear as suitable pets. Alternatively, media content that elicits a positive emotional response toward chimpanzees may increase the public's commitment to chimpanzee conservation. To test these competing hypotheses, participants (n = 165 watched a series of commercials in an experiment framed as a marketing study. Imbedded within the same series of commercials was one of three chimpanzee videos. Participants either watched 1 a chimpanzee conservation commercial, 2 commercials containing "entertainment" chimpanzees or 3 control footage of the natural behavior of wild chimpanzees. Results from a post-viewing questionnaire reveal that participants who watched the conservation message understood that chimpanzees were endangered and unsuitable as pets at higher levels than those viewing the control footage. Meanwhile participants watching commercials with entertainment chimpanzees showed a decrease in understanding relative to those watching the control footage. In addition, when participants were given the opportunity to donate part of their earnings from the experiment to a conservation charity, donations were least frequent in the group watching commercials with entertainment chimpanzees. Control questions show that participants did not detect the purpose of the study. These results firmly support the hypothesis that use of entertainment chimpanzees in the popular media negatively distorts the public's perception and hinders chimpanzee conservation efforts.

Limitations of Commercializing Fuel Cell Technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Nordin, Normayati

2010-06-01

Fuel cell is the technology that, nowadays, is deemed having a great potential to be used in supplying energy. Basically, fuel cells can be categorized particularly by the kind of employed electrolyte. Several fuel cells types which are currently identified having huge potential to be utilized, namely, Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC), Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells (MCFC), Alkaline Fuel Cells (AFC), Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells (PAFC), Polymer Electron Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC), Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFC) and Regenerative Fuel Cells (RFC). In general, each of these fuel cells types has their own characteristics and specifications which assign the capability and suitability of them to be utilized for any particular applications. Stationary power generations and transport applications are the two most significant applications currently aimed for the fuel cell market. It is generally accepted that there are lots of advantages if fuel cells can be excessively commercialized primarily in context of environmental concerns and energy security. Nevertheless, this is a demanding task to be accomplished, as there is some gap in fuel cells technology itself which needs a major enhancement. It can be concluded, from the previous study, cost, durability and performance are identified as the main limitations to be firstly overcome in enabling fuel cells technology become viable for the market.

PV Status Report 2010. Research, Solar Cell Production and Market Implementation of Photovoltaics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaeger-Waldau, A.

2010-08-01

Photovoltaics is a solar power technology to generate Electricity using semiconductor devices, known as solar cells. A number of solar cells form a solar 'Module' or 'Panel', which can then be combined to solar systems, ranging from a few Watts of electricity output to multi Megawatt power stations. The unique format of the Photovoltaic Status Report combines international up-to-date information about Research Activities with Manufacturing and Market Implementation data of Photovoltaics. These data are collected on a regular basis from public and commercial studies and cross-checked with personal communications. Regular fact finding missions with company visits, as well as meetings with officials from funding organisations and policy makers, complete the picture. Growth in the solar Photovoltaic sector has been robust. Yearly growth rates over the last decade were on average more than 40 %, thus making Photovoltaics one of the fastest growing industries at present. The PV Status Report provides comprehensive and relevant information on this dynamic sector for the public interested, as well as decision-makers in policy and industry.

Fuel cell commercialization: The key to a hydrogen economy

Science.gov (United States)

Zegers, P.

With the current level of global oil production, oil reserves will be sufficient for 40 years. However, due to the fact that the global GDP will have increased by a factor seven in 2050, oil reserves are likely to be exhausted in a much shorter time period. The EU and car industry aim at a reduction of the consumption of oil, at energy savings (with a key role for fuel cells) and an increased use of hydrogen from natural gas and, possibly, coal, in the medium term. The discovery of huge methane resources as methane hydrates (20 times those of oil, gas and coal together) in oceans at 1000-3000 m depth could be of major importance. In the long term, the EU aims at a renewable energy-based energy supply. The European Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Platform is expected to play a major role in bringing about a hydrogen economy. The availability of commercial fuel cells is here a prerequisite. However, after many years of research, fuel cells have not yet been commercialized. If they will not succeed to enter the market within 5 years there is a real danger that activities aiming at a hydrogen society will peter out. In a hydrogen strategy, high priority should therefore be given to actions which will bring about fuel cell commercialization within 5 years. They should include the identification of fuel cell types and (niche) markets which are most favorable for a rapid market introduction. These actions should include focused short-term RTD aiming at cost reduction and increased reliability.

Fuel Cell Buses in U.S. Transit Fleets: Current Status 2017

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eudy, Leslie [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Post, Matthew B [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-11-21

This report, published annually, summarizes the progress of fuel cell electric bus (FCEB) development in the United States and discusses the achievements and challenges of introducing fuel cell propulsion in transit. The report provides a summary of results from evaluations performed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. This annual status report combines results from all FCEB demonstrations, tracks the progress of the FCEB industry toward meeting technical targets, documents the lessons learned, and discusses the path forward for commercial viability of fuel cell technology for transit buses. These data and analyses help provide needed information to guide future early-stage research and development. The 2017 summary results primarily focus on the most recent year for each demonstration, from August 2016 through July 2017. The primary results presented in the report are from five demonstrations of two different fuel-cell-dominant bus designs: Zero Emission Bay Area Demonstration Group led by Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) in California; American Fuel Cell Bus (AFCB) Project at SunLine Transit Agency in California; AFCB Project at the University of California at Irvine; AFCB Project at Orange County Transportation Authority; and AFCB Project at Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

Canadian fuel cell commercialization roadmap update : progress of Canada's hydrogen and fuel cell industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Filbee, S.; Karlsson, T.

2009-01-01

Hydrogen and fuel cells are considered an essential part of future low-carbon energy systems for transportation and stationary power. In recognition of this, Industry Canada has worked in partnership with public and private stakeholders to provide an update to the 2003 Canadian Fuel Cell Commercialization Roadmap to determine infrastructure requirements for near-term markets. The update includes technology and market developments in terms of cost and performance. This presentation included an overview of global hydrogen and fuel cell markets as background and context for the activities of the Canadian industry. Approaches toward commercial viability and mass market success were also discussed along with possible scenarios and processes by which these mass markets could develop. Hydrogen and fuel cell industry priorities were outlined along with recommendations for building a hydrogen infrastructure

Cell Phone Carriers, TV-Commercials & Branding : A study of cell phone carriers TV- commercials, branding and its affect on young people

OpenAIRE

Sköld, Robin; Nilsson, Magnus

2009-01-01

Problem: As almost everyone has a cell phone today, keeping your customers is very important. An important group for cell phone carriers is young people. This is a group that uses cell phones more and more. However, attracting these people could be hard. One of the most common strategies to attract customers today is promotion through TV-commercials. Another strategy that has gained popularity is branding. We therefore asked ourselves how these strategies could affect each other and eventuall...

Opportunities for PEM fuel cell commercialization : fuel cell electric vehicle demonstration in Shanghai

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Z.F. [Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ., Shanghai (China). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

2006-07-01

The research and development activities devoted to the development of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) were discussed with reference to its application in the fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). In the past decade, PEMFC technology has been successfully applied in both the automobile and residential sector worldwide. In China, more than one billion RMB yuan has been granted by the Chinese government to develop PEM fuel cell technology over the past 5 years, particularly for commercialization of the fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). The City of Shanghai has played a significant role in the FCEV demonstration with involvement by Shanghai Auto Industrial Company (SAIC), Tongji University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, and Shanghai Shenli High Tech Co. Ltd. These participants were involved in the development and integration of the following components into the FCEV: fuel cell engines, batteries, FCEV electric control systems, and primary materials for the fuel cell stack. During the course of the next five year-plan (2006-2010), Shanghai will promote the commercialization of FCEV. More than one thousand FCEVs will be manufactured and an FCEV fleet will be in operation throughout Shanghai City by 2010.

Commercialization of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goel, N.; Pant, A.; Sera, G.

1995-01-01

The MCTTC performed a market assessment for PEM Fuel Cells for terrestrial applications for the Center for Space Power (CSP). The purpose of the market assessment was to gauge the market and commercial potential for PEM fuel cell technology. Further, the market assessment was divided into subsections of technical and market overview, competitive environment, political environment, barriers to market entry, and keys to market entry. The market assessment conducted by the MCTTC involved both secondary and primary research. The primary target markets for PEM fuel cells were transportation and utilities in the power range of 10 kW to 100 kW. The fuel cell vehicle market size was estimated under a pessimistic scenario and an optimistic scenario. The estimated size of the fuel cell vehicle market in dollar terms for the year 2005 is $17.3 billion for the pessimistic scenario and $34.7 billion for the optimistic scenario. The fundamental and applied research funded and conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and DOE in the area of fuel cells presents an excellent opportunity to commercialize dual-use technology and enhance U.S. business competitiveness. copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles: Paving the Way to Commercial Success -

Science.gov (United States)

Continuum Magazine | NREL Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles: Paving the Way to Commercial Success Powered by a fuel cell system with light-weight, high-pressure hydrogen tanks, an electric motor, a nickel -metal-hydride battery, and a power-control unit, the Toyota fuel cell electric vehicle has zero tailpipe

2010 Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Global Commercialization & Development Update

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2010-11-01

This report offers examples of real-world applications and technical progress of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, including policies adopted by countries to increase technology development and commercialization.

Status of the M-C Power IMHEX{reg_sign} MCFC commercialization program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laurens, R.M.; Scroppo, J.A.; Petri, R.J.; Benjamin, T.G. [M-C Power Corp., Burr Ridge, IL (United States)

1996-12-31

Six years ago, M-C Power (MCP) developed a comprehensive business plan to commercialize molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) power plants. On an annual basis the plan has been reviewed and modified to adapt to identified end user needs and technological advancements. As a result, product definition kept abreast with marketing requirements. Over the last five years, there was order and reason for subtle shifts in supply, demand, competition and pricing policies. Today, however, traditional market assessment assumptions must be challenged. There is a revolution taking place. The revolution can be summed up in one word ... deregulation. Deregulation of the airline industry led to consideration of the natural gas industry. Now that natural gas deregulation is behind us, it is electric power and telecommunications that are receiving attention. Increased emphasis is being placed on achieving market-priced power. The net result will be thinner margins for the seller and the end user. What does this mean for the commercialization of molten carbonate fuel cells?

Pathways to Commercial Success. Technologies and Products Supported by the Fuel Cell Technologies Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2010-08-01

This report identifies the commercial and near-commercial (emerging) hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and products that resulted from Department of Energy support through the Fuel Cell Technologies Program in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Photovoltaic technologies for commercial power generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlson, D.E.

1990-01-01

Photovoltaic power generation is an attractive source of energy since it involves the direct conversion of sunlight into electricity with no moving parts and no pollution. Following the demonstration of the first solar cell 35 years ago at Bell Laboratories, a steady stream of scientific and commercial progress has led to a rapid increase in applications in recent years. The first commercial application of solar cells occurred more than 20 years ago when they were used to supply power for space satellites, and even today photovoltaic arrays are used to supply electricity for most satellites and space probes. This paper reviews the status of the various photovoltaic technologies as well as present applications. The prospects for both distributed and central station grid-connected systems are discussed. The paper concludes with a discussion of the institutional and political factors that will affect the introduction of grid-connected photovoltaic power systems

"Commercial stem cells" damage medicine: medicine is aware.

Science.gov (United States)

Bianco, Paolo

2015-11-01

A recent Editorial in the NEJM on the flourishing of stem cell clinics providing unproven treatments ona commercial basis and the widespread use of fake cell therapies in the US resonates with worldwide concerns on unproven therapies and in Italy, with the recent and luckily finished “Stamina case”. The article brings into focus a resurgence of concern, awareness and willingness to stand up of the broad medical community, in a scenario in which fundamental values of science and medicine are at stake.

Commercial Titan program - Status and outlook

Science.gov (United States)

van Rensselaer, F. L.; Browne, E. M.

Out of a quarter-century heritage of eminently successful expendable launch vehicle history with the U.S. government, a commercial launch services enterprise which challenges the corporation as well as the competition has been launched within the Martin Marietta Corporation. This paper is an inside look at the philosophy, structure, and success of the new subsidiary, which is attempting to win a share of the international communication satellite market as well as the U.S. government commercial launch services market.

Lifestyles and mental health status are associated with natural killer cell and lymphokine-activated killer cell activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Morimoto, K; Takeshita, T; Inoue-Sakurai, C; Maruyama, S

2001-04-10

We investigated the association of lifestyle and mental health status with natural killer (NK) cell and lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell activities in healthy males. NK cell activity was determined in 105 male workers and LAK cell activity was determined in 54 male workers. Peripheral blood was obtained from each subject and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated from the blood. These PBMC were used as effector cells. LAK cells were generated by incubation of PBMC with interleukin-2 for 72 h. NK cell activity against NK-sensitive K562 cells and LAK cell activity against NK-resistant Raji cells were examined by 51Cr release assay. Overall lifestyles were evaluated according to the answers on a questionnaire regarding eight health practices (cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, eating breakfast, hours of sleep, hours of work, physical exercise, nutritional balance, mental stress). Subjects with a good overall lifestyle showed significantly higher NK cell (P mental status had significantly lower NK cell activity than those who reported stable mental status. When subjects were divided into four groups by lifestyle and mental health status, subjects who had poor or moderate lifestyle and reported unstable mental status showed the lowest NK cell activity and subjects who had good lifestyle and reported stable mental status showed the highest NK cell activity among four groups.

The road to commercialization in Africa: lessons from developing the sickle-cell drug Niprisan.

Science.gov (United States)

Perampaladas, Kumar; Masum, Hassan; Kapoor, Andrew; Shah, Ronak; Daar, Abdallah S; Singer, Peter A

2010-12-13

Developing novel drugs from traditional medicinal knowledge can serve as a means to improve public health. Yet countries in sub-Saharan Africa face barriers in translating traditional medicinal knowledge into commercially viable health products. Barriers in moving along the road towards making a new drug available include insufficient manufacturing capacity; knowledge sharing between scientists and medical healers; regulatory hurdles; quality control issues; pricing and distribution; and lack of financing. The case study method was used to illustrate efforts to overcome these barriers during the development in Nigeria of Niprisan - a novel drug for the treatment of sickle cell anemia, a chronic blood disorder with few effective therapies. Building on the knowledge of a traditional medicine practitioner, Nigeria's National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) developed the traditional herbal medicine Niprisan. The commercialization of Niprisan reached a number of commercial milestones, including regulatory approval in Nigeria; securing US-based commercial partner XeChem; demonstrating clinical efficacy and safety; being awarded orphan drug status by the US Food and Drug Administration; and striking important relationships with domestic and international groups. Despite these successes, however, XeChem did not achieve mainstream success for Niprisan in Nigeria or in the United States. A number of reasons, including inconsistent funding and manufacturing and management challenges, have been put forth to explain Niprisan's commercial demise. As of this writing, NIPRD is considering options for another commercial partner to take the drug forward. Evidence from the Niprisan experience suggests that establishing benefit-sharing agreements, fostering partnerships with established research institutions, improving standardization and quality control, ensuring financial and managerial due diligence, and recruiting entrepreneurial leaders capable of

The road to commercialization in Africa: lessons from developing the sickle-cell drug Niprisan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daar Abdallah S

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Developing novel drugs from traditional medicinal knowledge can serve as a means to improve public health. Yet countries in sub-Saharan Africa face barriers in translating traditional medicinal knowledge into commercially viable health products. Barriers in moving along the road towards making a new drug available include insufficient manufacturing capacity; knowledge sharing between scientists and medical healers; regulatory hurdles; quality control issues; pricing and distribution; and lack of financing. The case study method was used to illustrate efforts to overcome these barriers during the development in Nigeria of Niprisan – a novel drug for the treatment of sickle cell anemia, a chronic blood disorder with few effective therapies. Discussion Building on the knowledge of a traditional medicine practitioner, Nigeria’s National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD developed the traditional herbal medicine Niprisan. The commercialization of Niprisan reached a number of commercial milestones, including regulatory approval in Nigeria; securing US-based commercial partner XeChem; demonstrating clinical efficacy and safety; being awarded orphan drug status by the US Food and Drug Administration; and striking important relationships with domestic and international groups. Despite these successes, however, XeChem did not achieve mainstream success for Niprisan in Nigeria or in the United States. A number of reasons, including inconsistent funding and manufacturing and management challenges, have been put forth to explain Niprisan’s commercial demise. As of this writing, NIPRD is considering options for another commercial partner to take the drug forward. Summary Evidence from the Niprisan experience suggests that establishing benefit-sharing agreements, fostering partnerships with established research institutions, improving standardization and quality control, ensuring financial and managerial due

New developments in nickel-hydrogen cell and battery design for commercial applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Caldwell, D.B.; Fox, C.L.; Miller, L.E. [Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc., Joplin, MO (United States)

1997-12-31

Nickel-hydrogen (NiH{sub 2}) battery systems were first developed for space applications more than 20 years ago. Currently, they are being manufactured for commercial, terrestrial applications. The battery is ideal for commercial terrestrial energy storage applications because it offers a better potential cycle life than any other battery system and is maintenance free. A selection of low-cost components, electrodes, cell designs and battery designs are being tested to determine their feasibility for commercial applications. The dependent pressure vessel (DPV) design, developed by Eagle-Picher Industries, is the newest step in the continued development and evolution of the NiH{sub 2} system. The unique feature of the DPV cell design is the prismatic electrode stack which is more efficient than the cylindrical electrode stack. The electrode stack is the electrochemically active part of the cell. It contains nickel and hydrogen electrodes interspersed with an absorbent separator. DPV cells of two sizes, 40 and 60 Ah cells, have been developed. The DPV cell offers high specific energy at a reduced cost. The advanced DPV design also offers an efficient mechanical, electrical and thermal configuration and a reduced parts count. The design promotes compact, minimum volume packaging and weight efficiency. 8 refs., 7 figs.

PV Status Report 2008. Research, Solar Cell Production and Market Implementation of Photovoltaics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaeger-Waldau, A.

2008-09-01

Photovoltaics is a solar power technology to generate electricity using semiconductor devices, known as solar cells. A number of solar cells form a solar 'Module' or 'Panel', which can then be combined to solar systems, ranging from a few Watts of electricity output to multi Megawatt power stations. The unique format of the Photovoltaic Status Report is to combine international up-to-date information about Research Activities with Manufacturing and Market Implementation data of Photovoltaics. These data are collected on a regular basis from public and commercial studies and cross-checked with personal communications. Regular fact-finding missions with company visits, as well as meetings with officials from funding organisations and policy makers, complete the picture. Growth in the solar Photovoltaic sector has been robust. Yearly growth rates over the last five years were on average more than 40%, thus making Photovoltaics one of the fastest growing industries at present. Business analysts predict that the market volume will increase to 40 billion euros in 2010 and expect rising profit margins and lower prices for consumers at the same time. The PV Status Report provides comprehensive and relevant information on this dynamic sector for the public interested, as well as decision-makers in policy and industry.

An assessment of the energetic flows in a commercial PEM fuel-cell system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jovan, Vladimir; Perne, Matija; Petrovcic, Janko

2010-01-01

Some primary issues have not yet been fully investigated on the way towards the commercialization of fuel-cell-based systems (FCS), e.g., their actual efficiency, reliability, safety, degradation, maintainability, etc. This article deals with an estimation of the real energetic flows and the corresponding electrical efficiency of a commercial proton-exchange-membrane fuel-cell hydrogen-fed generator set (PEMFCS). The fuel-cell power system considered here is planned to be the source of both electrical and thermal energy in a mobile dwelling container unit with in-built fuel-cell-based cogeneration system, and for the design of a cogeneration unit the actual amount of disposable energy from the PEMFC unit should be estimated. The assessment of the actual energetic flows, the disposable energy and the consequent electrical efficiency of the case-study PEMFCS is carried out using commercial technical data for the PEMFCS.

Gas explosions and thermal runaways during external heating abuse of commercial lithium-ion graphite-LiCoO2 cells at different levels of ageing

Science.gov (United States)

Larsson, Fredrik; Bertilsson, Simon; Furlani, Maurizio; Albinsson, Ingvar; Mellander, Bengt-Erik

2018-01-01

Commercial 6.8 Ah lithium-ion cells with different ageing/status have been abused by external heating in an oven. Prior to the abuse test, selected cells were aged either by C/2 cycling up to 300 cycles or stored at 60 °C. Gas emissions were measured by FTIR and three separate vents were identified, two well before the thermal runaway while the third occurred simultaneously with the thermal runaway releasing heavy smoke and gas. Emissions of toxic carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen fluoride (HF) and phosphorous oxyfluoride (POF3) were detected in the third vent, regardless if there was a fire or not. All abused cells went into thermal runaway and emitted smoke and gas, the working cells also released flames as well as sparks. The dead cells were however less reactive but still underwent thermal runaway. For about half of the working cells, for all levels of cycle ageing, ignition of the accumulated battery released gases occurred about 15 s after the thermal runaway resulting in a gas explosion. The thermal runaway temperature, about 190 °C, varied somewhat for the different cell ageing/status where a weak local minimum was found for cells cycled between 100 and 200 times.

MicroRNA expression profiling identifies activated B cell status in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuqiang Li

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL is thought to be a disease of resting lymphocytes. However, recent data suggest that CLL cells may more closely resemble activated B cells. Using microRNA (miRNA expression profiling of highly-enriched CLL cells from 38 patients and 9 untransformed B cells from normal donors before acute CpG activation and 5 matched B cells after acute CpG activation, we demonstrate an activated B cell status for CLL. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA identified statistically-significant similarities in miRNA expression between activated B cells and CLL cells including upregulation of miR-34a, miR-155, and miR-342-3p and downregulation of miR-103, miR-181a and miR-181b. Additionally, decreased levels of two CLL signature miRNAs miR-29c and miR-223 are associated with ZAP70(+ and IgV(H unmutated status and with shorter time to first therapy. These data indicate an activated B cell status for CLL cells and suggest that the direction of change of individual miRNAs may predict clinical course in CLL.

Li plating as unwanted side reaction in commercial Li-ion cells - A review

Science.gov (United States)

Waldmann, Thomas; Hogg, Björn-Ingo; Wohlfahrt-Mehrens, Margret

2018-04-01

Deposition of Lithium metal on anodes contributes significantly to ageing of Li-ion cells. Lithium deposition is connected not only to a drastic limitation of life-time, but also to fast-charging capability and safety issues. Lithium deposition in commercial Li-ion cells is not limited to operation conditions at low temperatures. In recent publications various types of commercial cells were investigated using complimentary analysis methods. Five cell types studied in literature (18650, 26650, pouch) serve as a basis for comparison when and why Li deposition happens in commercial Li-ion cells. In the present paper, we reviewed literature on (i) causes, (ii) hints and evidences for Li deposition, (iii) macroscopic morphology of Li deposition/plating, (iv) ageing mechanisms and shapes of capacity fade curves involving Li deposition, and (v) influences of Li deposition on safety. Although often discussed, safety issues regarding Li deposition are not only limited to dendrite growth and internal short circuits, but also to exothermic reactions in the presence of Lithium metal. Furthermore, we tried to connect knowledge from different length scales including the macroscopic level (Li-ion cells, operating conditions, gradients in cells, electrochemical tests, safety tests), the microscopic level (electrodes, particles, microstructure), and the atomic level (atoms, ions, molecules, energy barriers).

Direct fuel cell power plants: the final steps to commercialization

Science.gov (United States)

Glenn, Donald R.

Since the last paper presented at the Second Grove Fuel Cell Symposium, the Energy Research Corporation (ERC) has established two commercial subsidiaries, become a publically-held firm, expanded its facilities and has moved the direct fuel cell (DFC) technology and systems significantly closer to commercial readiness. The subsidiaries, the Fuel Cell Engineering Corporation (FCE) and Fuel Cell Manufacturing Corporation (FCMC) are perfecting their respective roles in the company's strategy to commercialize its DFC technology. FCE is the prime contractor for the Santa Clara Demonstration and is establishing the needed marketing, sales, engineering, and servicing functions. FCMC in addition to producing the stacks and stack modules for the Santa Clara demonstration plant is now upgrading its production capability and product yields, and retooling for the final stack scale-up for the commercial unit. ERC has built and operated the tallest and largest capacities-to-date carbonate fuel cell stacks as well as numerous short stacks. While most of these units were tested at ERC's Danbury, Connecticut (USA) R&D Center, others have been evaluated at other domestic and overseas facilities using a variety of fuels. ERC has supplied stacks to Elkraft and MTU for tests with natural gas, and RWE in Germany where coal-derived gas were used. Additional stack test activities have been performed by MELCO and Sanyo in Japan. Information from some of these activities is protected by ERC's license arrangements with these firms. However, permission for limited data releases will be requested to provide the Grove Conference with up-to-date results. Arguably the most dramatic demonstration of carbonate fuel cells in the utility-scale, 2 MW power plant demonstration unit, located in the City of Santa Clara, California. Construction of the unit's balance-of-plant (BOP) has been completed and the installed equipment has been operationally checked. Two of the four DFC stack sub-modules, each

Technology status: Batteries and fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Fordyce, J. S.

1978-01-01

The current status of research and development programs on batteries and fuel cells and the technology goals being pursued are discussed. Emphasis is placed upon those technologies relevant to earth orbital electric energy storage applications.

Commercial refrigeration - An overview of current status

OpenAIRE

Mota Babiloni, Adrián; Navarro Esbri, Joaquin; BARRAGÁN CERVERA, ÁNGEL; Moles, Francisco; Peris, Bernardo; Verdú Martín, Gumersindo Jesús

2015-01-01

Commercial Refrigeration comprises food freezing and conservation in retail stores and supermarkets, so, it is one of the most relevant energy consumption sectors, and its relevance is increasing. This paper reviews the most recent developments in commercial refrigeration available in literature and presents a good amount of results provided these systems, covering some advantages and disadvantages in systems and working fluids. Latest researches are focused on energy savings to reduce CO2 in...

Astaxanthin-producing green microalga Haematococcus pluvialis: from single cell to high value commercial products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Md. Mahfuzur Rahman Shah

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Many species of microalgae have been used as source of nutrient rich food, feed and health promoting compounds. Among the commercially important microalgae, Haematococcus pluvialis is the richest source of natural astaxanthin which is considered as super anti-oxidant. Natural astaxanthin produced by H. pluvialis has significantly greater antioxidant capacity than the synthetic one. Astaxanthin has important applications in the nutraceuticals, cosmetics, food, and aquaculture industries. Thanks to many researches it is now evident, that astaxanthin can significantly reduce free radicals and oxidative stress and help human body maintain a healthy state. With extraordinary potency and increase in demand, astaxanthin is one of the high-value microalgal products of the future. Thus, this comprehensive review summarizes the most important aspects of the biology, biochemical composition, biosynthesis and astaxanthin accumulation in the cells of H. pluvialis and its wide range of applications for humans and animals. In this paper, important and recent developments ranging from cultivation, harvest and postharvest bio-processing technologies to metabolic control and genetic engineering are reviewed in detail, focusing on biomass and astaxanthin production from this biotechnologically important microalga. Simultaneously, critical bottlenecks and major challenges in commercial scale production; current and prospective global market of H. pluvialis derived astaxanthin are also presented in a critical manner. A new biorefinery concept for H. pluvialis has been also suggested to guide towards economically sustainable approach for microalgae cultivation and processing. This report could serve as a useful guide to present current status of knowledge in the field and highlight key areas for future development of H. pluvialis astaxanthin technology and its large scale commercial implementation.

Pathways to Commercial Success: Technologies and Products Supported by the Fuel Cell Technologies Office - 2015

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None, None

2016-01-08

This FY 2015 report updates the results of an effort to identify and document the commercial and emerging (projected to be commercialized within the next 3 to 5 years) hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and products that resulted from U.S. Department of Energy support through the Fuel Cell Technologies Office in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Characterization of a Commercial Silicon Beta Cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foxe, Michael P.; Hayes, James C.; Mayer, Michael F.; McIntyre, Justin I.; Sivels, Ciara B.; Suarez, Rey

2016-01-01

Silicon detectors are of interest for the verification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) due to their enhanced energy resolution compared to plastic scintillators beta cells. Previous work developing a figure-of-merit (FOM) for comparison of beta cells suggests that the minimum detectable activity (MDA) could be reduced by a factor of two to three with the use of silicon detectors. Silicon beta cells have been developed by CEA (France) and Lares Ltd. (Russia), with the PIPSBox developed by CEA being commercially available from Canberra for approximately $35k, but there is still uncertainty about the reproducibility of the capabilities in the field. PNNL is developing a high-resolution beta-gamma detector system in the shallow underground laboratory, which will utilize and characterize the operation of the PIPSBox detector. Throughout this report, we examine the capabilities of the PIPSBox as developed by CEA. The lessons learned through the testing and use of the PIPSBox will allow PNNL to strategically develop a silicon detector optimized to better suit the communities needs in the future.

Nutritional status, lifestyle, socioeconomic profile and food consumption of commercial workers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Wesley dos Santos Alves

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: Characterize the nutritional status, lifestyle, socioeconomic profile and food consumption of commercial workers customers of a social restaurant in Fortaleza-CE, Brazil. Methods: The convenience sample consisted of 156 individuals, 71 (45.5% men and 85 (54.5% women, aged between 19 and 59 years. The variables analyzed were: weight, height, body mass index, waist circumference, history of chronic diseases, alcoholism, smoking and physical activity, family income, education and food intake of a subsample. Theadequacy of consumption was assessed by observing the recommendations of the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI and nutritional requirements of the Workers’ Food Program.Results: We observed high prevalence of overweight 49 (31.4% and obesity 18 (11.5%, high rate of physical inactivity 109 (69.9%. Alcohol is often consumed weekly by 27(17.4%. 111 (71.2% of individuals studied until high school; and 104 (66.7% belonged to socioeconomic class C. 136 (87,2% showed no personal history of chronic diseases, or practice of smoking. Dietary intake adequacy revealed adequacy for macronutrients, fiber, saturated fats and micronutrients, with excessive sodium intake. Conclusion: Nutritional status was characterized as high prevalence of overweight and obesity, associated with a high abdominal adiposity, sedentary lifestyle, alcohol consumption and socioeconomicprofile predominantly C1 and C2. Although the present study shows an adequate intake of micronutrients and macronutrients, there are excessive caloric intake, based on profile of physical inactivity and overweight.

Potential role of centrioles in determining the morphogenetic status of animal somatic cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Tkemaladze, J; Chichinadze, K

2005-05-01

Irreversible differentiation (change of morphogenetic status) and programmed death (apoptosis) are observed only in somatic cells. Cell division is the only way by which the morphogenetic status of the offspring cells may be modified. It is known that there is a fixed limit to the number of possible cell divisions, the so-called 'Hayflick limit'. Existing links between cell division, differentiation and apoptosis make it possible to conclude that all these processes could be controlled by a single self-reproducing structure. Potential candidates for this replicable structure in a somatic cell are chromosomes, mitochondria (both contain DNA), and centrioles. Centrioles (diplosome) are the most likely unit that can fully regulate the processes of irreversible differentiation, determination and modification of the morphogenetic status. It may contain differently encoded RNA molecules stacked in a definite order. During mitosis, these RNA molecules are released one by one into the cytoplasm. In the presence of reverse transcriptase and endonuclease, RNA can be embedded in nuclear DNA. This process presumably changes the status of repressed and potentially active genes and, subsequently, the morphogenetic status of a cell.

Land remote sensing commercialization: A status report

Science.gov (United States)

Bishop, W. P.; Heacock, E. L.

1984-01-01

The current offer by the United States Department of Commerce to transfer the U.S. land remote sensing program to the private sector is described. A Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued, soliciting offers from U.S. firms to provide a commercial land remote sensing satellite system. Proposals must address a complete system including satellite, communications, and ground data processing systems. Offerors are encouraged to propose to take over the Government LANDSAT system which consists of LANDSAT 4 and LANDSAT D'. Also required in proposals are the market development procedures and plans to ensure that commercialization is feasible and the business will become self-supporting at the earliest possible time. As a matter of Federal Policy, the solicitation is designed to protect both national security and foreign policy considerations. In keeping with these concerns, an offeror must be a U.S. Firm. Requirements for data quality, quantity, distribution and delivery are met by current operational procedures. It is the Government's desire that the Offeror be prepared to develop and operate follow-on systems without Government subsidies. However, to facilitate rapid commercialization, an offeror may elect to include in his proposal mechanisms for short term government financial assistance.

Next-generation batteries and fuel cells for commercial, military, and space applications

CERN Document Server

Jha, A R

2012-01-01

Distilling complex theoretical physical concepts into an understandable technical framework, Next-Generation Batteries and Fuel Cells for Commercial, Military, and Space Applications describes primary and secondary (rechargeable) batteries for various commercial, military, spacecraft, and satellite applications for covert communications, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. It emphasizes the cost, reliability, longevity, and safety of the next generation of high-capacity batteries for applications where high energy density, minimum weight and size, and reliability in harsh conditions are

Pathways to Commercial Success. Technologies and Products Supported by the Fuel Cell Technologies Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2011-09-01

This FY 2011 report updates the results of an effort to identify and characterize commercial and near-commercial (emerging) technologies and products that benefited from the support of the Fuel Cell Technologies Program and its predecessor programs within DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Fuel cells are a commercially viable alternative for the production of "clean" energy.

Science.gov (United States)

Niakolas, Dimitris K; Daletou, Maria; Neophytides, Stylianos G; Vayenas, Constantinos G

2016-01-01

Fuel cells present a highly efficient and environmentally friendly alternative technology for decentralized energy production. The scope of the present study is to provide an overview of the technological and commercialization readiness level of fuel cells. Specifically, there is a brief description of their general advantages and weaknesses in correlation with various technological actions and political strategies, which are adopted towards their proper positioning in the global market. Some of the most important key performance indicators are also discussed, alongside with a few examples of broad commercialization. It is concluded that the increasing number of companies which utilize and invest on this technology, in combination with the supply chain improvements and the concomitant technological maturity and recognition, reinforce the fuel cell industry so as to become well-aligned for global success.

Commercial, environmental and legislative factors that influence the implementation of fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Serfass, Jeffrey A.; Bergman, Michael K.; Rodenhiser, Wendy

1994-04-01

Fuel cells and other advanced electric-generation technologies have not experienced a record of successful commercialization efforts. To lower costs for these technologies, it requires substantial production volumes with a significant investment in manufacturing facilities, all dependent on developer confidence in the ultimate market. Yet, market acceptance by buyers requires an adequate demonstration of technical performance and an assurance that these lower costs can be reached. In addition to this fundamental commercialization challenge, there are significant external factors that are greatly influencing the market's (utility's) future implementation of new alternative energy-generating technologies. The factor that has possibly the greatest impact today is the public demand for environmentally benign and renewable resource technologies. There is a growing trend of involvement by consumers, regulators and intervenors in the business and utility industry that is shifting the economic playing field by which industries make resource decisions. Concerns over air pollution, global warming, acid precipitation, depletion of the ozone layer and the hazards of electromagnetic fields (EMF) from power lines, have all led to more stringent regulations and environmental mandates. The utility business environment itself is rapidly changing. Higher public expectations from energy providers and increasing competition are leading to major changes in the American utility sector. Competitive requirements to reduce the cost of utility service is leading to business decisions that provide both opportunities and problems for increased use of alternative energy-generating technologies, like fuel cells, and/or renewables, such as wind and solar photovoltaics. Bringing new energy technologies to market is very expensive and this financial burden cannot be shouldered by the market, manufacturers or federal government alone. Further, for the market to assume a key position in early

Activities dedicated to FCPP commercialization at Toshiba

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ikeda, Shin-ichi; Ozono, Jiro; Sato, Nobuaki [Toshiba Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

1996-12-31

The present line-up of fuel cell power plants (FCPPs) at Toshiba consists of 11MW FCPP for pressurized operation, 1000kW on-site FCPP and 200kW on-site FCPP. In these, an 11MW FCPP installed at Goi Power Station of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) is providing valuable experience through more than 20,000 cumulative hours of operation. Also, a 1000kW on-site FCPP, which Toshiba manufactured under the joint program of NEDO and PAFC Technology Research Association, has cumulative operation of 7,500 hours. Toshiba, however, believes that the 200kW on-site FCPP is the leader in the commercialization of phosphoric acid FCPP. This paper therefore presents the development status of 200kW power plants and our strategic considerations for full commercialization of PC25 type 200kW FCPP.

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells for electrical power generation on-board commercial airplanes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pratt, Joseph W.; Klebanoff, Leonard E.; Munoz-Ramos, Karina; Akhil, Abbas A.; Curgus, Dita B.; Schenkman, Benjamin L.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► We examine proton exchange membrane fuel cells on-board commercial airplanes. ► We model the added fuel cell system’s effect on overall airplane performance. ► It is feasible to implement an on-board fuel cell system with current technology. ► Systems that maximize waste heat recovery are the best performing. ► Current PEM and H 2 storage technology results in an airplane performance penalty. -- Abstract: Deployed on a commercial airplane, proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells may offer emissions reductions, thermal efficiency gains, and enable locating the power near the point of use. This work seeks to understand whether on-board fuel cell systems are technically feasible, and, if so, if they could offer a performance advantage for the airplane when using today’s off-the-shelf technology. We also examine the effects of the fuel cell system on airplane performance with (1) different electrical loads, (2) different locations on the airplane, and (3) expected advances in fuel cell and hydrogen storage technologies. Through hardware analysis and thermodynamic simulation, we found that an additional fuel cell system on a commercial airplane is technically feasible using current technology. Although applied to a Boeing 787-type airplane, the method presented is applicable to other airframes as well. Recovery and on-board use of the heat and water that is generated by the fuel cell is an important method to increase the benefit of such a system. The best performance is achieved when the fuel cell is coupled to a load that utilizes the full output of the fuel cell for the entire flight. The effects of location are small and location may be better determined by other considerations such as safety and modularity. Although the PEM fuel cell generates power more efficiently than the gas turbine generators currently used, when considering the effect of the fuel cell system on the airplane’s overall performance we found that an overall

Fuel Cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smith, Anders; Pedersen, Allan Schrøder

2014-01-01

Fuel cells have been the subject of intense research and development efforts for the past decades. Even so, the technology has not had its commercial breakthrough yet. This entry gives an overview of the technological challenges and status of fuel cells and discusses the most promising applications...... of the different types of fuel cells. Finally, their role in a future energy supply with a large share of fluctuating sustainable power sources, e.g., solar or wind, is surveyed....

Pathways to Commercial Success: Technologies and Products Supported by the Fuel Cell Technologies Office - 2013

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2014-04-30

This FY 2013 report updates the results of an effort to identify and characterize commercial and near-commercial (emerging) technologies and products that benefited from the support of the Fuel Cell Technologies Office and its predecessor programs within DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Pathways to Commercial Success: Technologies and Products Supported by the Fuel Cell Technologies Office - 2014

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None, None

2015-02-01

This FY 2014 report updates the results of an effort to identify and characterize commercial and near-commercial (emerging) technologies and products that benefited from the support of the Fuel Cell Technologies Office and its predecessor programs within DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Pathways to Commercial Success. Technologies and Products Supported by the Fuel Cell Technologies Program - 2012

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2012-09-01

This FY 2012 report updates the results of an effort to identify and characterize commercial and near-commercial (emerging) technologies and products that benefited from the support of the Fuel Cell Technologies Program and its predecessor programs within DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Fuel cell report to congress

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None, None

2003-02-28

This report describes the status of fuel cells for Congressional committees. It focuses on the technical and economic barriers to the use of fuel cells in transportation, portable power, stationary, and distributed power generation applications, and describes the need for public-private cooperative programs to demonstrate the use of fuel cells in commercial-scale applications by 2012. (Department of Energy, February 2003).

The denigration of women in Malawian radio commercials.

Science.gov (United States)

Chilimampunga, C

1999-07-01

This article investigates the denigration of women in Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) commercials. A random sample of 100 commercials was tape-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a content-analysis method. Results showed that 36 of the 100 commercials portrayed females negatively. 41 commercials were judged to denigrate females; of these, 24 portrayed them as having little authority, 4 as dependent, 8 as home-oriented, 5 as noncompetitive, and 4 as sex objects. The large number of commercials featuring both female and male voices reflects the widespread and internalized acceptance of gender stereotypes, which favor men in wider Malawian society. In order to improve images of women, three actions must be taken: commercials must be conceived in a balanced manner, there must be an increase in the female-male ratio among MBC employees, and training on gender issues and on nonsexist advertising techniques should be introduced. While radio commercials are not the fundamental cause of the subordinate status of women, and women's status will not be transformed by the commercials alone, radio advertising can stimulate change.

Status epilepticus increases mature granule cells in the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus in rats★

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Zhaoliang; Gao, Fei; Wang, Fajun; Wang, Xiaochen; Song, Xinyu; Liu, Kejing; Zhan, Ren-Zhi

2013-01-01

Enhanced neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus following seizure activity, especially status epilepticus, is associated with ectopic residence and aberrant integration of newborn granule cells. Hilar ectopic granule cells may be detrimental to the stability of dentate circuitry by means of their electrophysiological properties and synaptic connectivity. We hypothesized that status epilepticus also increases ectopic granule cells in the molecular layer. Status epilepticus was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by intraperitoneal injection of pilocarpine. Immunostaining showed that many doublecortin-positive cells were present in the molecular layer and the hilus 7 days after the induction of status epilepticus. At least 10 weeks after status epilepticus, the estimated number of cells positive for both prospero homeobox protein 1 and neuron-specific nuclear protein in the hilus was significantly increased. A similar trend was also found in the molecular layer. These findings indicate that status epilepticus can increase the numbers of mature and ectopic newborn granule cells in the molecular layer. PMID:25206705

Fuel Cell Buses in U.S. Transit Fleets: Current Status 2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eudy, L.; Chandler, K.; Gikakis, C.

2011-11-01

This status report, fifth in a series of annual status reports from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), discusses the achievements and challenges of fuel cell propulsion for transit and summarizes the introduction of fuel cell transit buses in the United States. Progress this year includes an increase in the number of fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs), from 15 to 25, operating at eight transit agencies, as well as increased diversity of the fuel cell design options for transit buses. The report also provides an analysis of the combined results from fuel cell transit bus demonstrations evaluated by NREL with a focus on the most recent data through July 2011 including fuel cell power system reliability and durability; fuel economy; roadcall; and hydrogen fueling results. These evaluations cover 22 of the 25 FCEBs currently operating.

Routes to a commercially viable PEM fuel cell stack

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Newton, J.; Foster, S.E.; Hodgson, D.; Marrett, A.

2002-07-01

This report describes the results of a project to design and build a 10 kW{sub e} proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack, including membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs), bipolar plates and stack hardware. The aim was to prove the design concept and to demonstrate functionality by operating the stack at >1 kW{sub e}/L and 500 W/kg for 200 hours operation. The project was extended to include the assembly and testing of two additional 1 kW{sub e} PEMFC stacks based on coated metal components. Low equivalent weight perfluorinated ionomer ion exchange membranes were prepared and were found to give a superior electrochemical performance to commercial materials. A technique to etch various stainless steel grades and control processes was successfully developed and optimised. Coatings for stainless steel and titanium were successfully developed and met the required performance criteria. All PEMFC stack components were selected and designed to enable subsequent commercial manufacture.

Bioreactors for plant cells: hardware configuration and internal environment optimization as tools for wider commercialization.

Science.gov (United States)

Georgiev, Milen I; Weber, Jost

2014-07-01

Mass production of value-added molecules (including native and heterologous therapeutic proteins and enzymes) by plant cell culture has been demonstrated as an efficient alternative to classical technologies [i.e. natural harvest and chemical (semi)synthesis]. Numerous proof-of-concept studies have demonstrated the feasibility of scaling up plant cell culture-based processes (most notably to produce paclitaxel) and several commercial processes have been established so far. The choice of a suitable bioreactor design (or modification of an existing commercially available reactor) and the optimization of its internal environment have been proven as powerful tools toward successful mass production of desired molecules. This review highlights recent progress (mostly in the last 5 years) in hardware configuration and optimization of bioreactor culture conditions for suspended plant cells.

Growth and nutritional status of children with homozygous sickle cell disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Al-Saqladi, A.-W. M.; Cipolotti, R.; Fijnvandraat, K.; Brabin, B. J.

2008-01-01

Background: Poor growth and under-nutrition are common in children with sickle cell disease (SCD). This review summarises evidence of nutritional status in children with SCD in relation to anthropometric status, disease severity, body composition, energy metabolism, micronutrient deficiency and

ISO 50001 for US Commercial Buildings - Current Status and Opportunities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Jingjing; Sheaffer, Paul

2017-12-01

''ISO 50001: 2011 Energy management systems – Requirements with guidance for use'' is a voluntary International Standard which provides organizations a proven framework to manage energy and continuously improve their energy performance. Implementing ISO 50001 in the commercial building sector has its unique opportunities and challenges in comparison with the industrial sector. The energy footprint of a portfolio of commercial buildings can be just as significant as a large industrial facility in comparison. There are many energy-saving opportunities in commercial buildings that can be addressed without capital investments, and the perceived risks for making energy improvements can be lower than in the industrial sector. In addition, the energy-consuming systems in commercial buildings are limited in types and have many similarities across buildings, which makes it much easier to standardize many ISO 50001 required processes, 5 procedures and documents to simplify implementation. There are also some sector-unique challenges, such as less familiar with ISO systems and the certification process. Another challenge arises from the complexity in some buildings’ ownership, tenancy, and O&M responsibilities. This whitepaper discusses these opportunities and issues in detail. The paper also recommends the characteristics of organizations in the commercial building sector that can benefit the most from adopting the ISO 50001 standard – namely the “suitable market”. Eight segments (education, food sales, retail, inpatient health care, hospitality, office buildings, laboratories and data centers) within the commercial building sector are highlighted.

Human iPS Cell-Derived Germ Cells: Current Status and Clinical Potential

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tetsuya Ishii

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Recently, fertile spermatozoa and oocytes were generated from mouse induced pluripotent (iPS cells using a combined in vitro and in vivo induction system. With regard to germ cell induction from human iPS cells, progress has been made particularly in the male germline, demonstrating in vitro generation of haploid, round spermatids. Although iPS-derived germ cells are expected to be developed to yield a form of assisted reproductive technology (ART that can address unmet reproductive needs, genetic and/or epigenetic instabilities abound in iPS cell generation and germ cell induction. In addition, there is still room to improve the induction protocol in the female germline. However, rapid advances in stem cell research are likely to make such obstacles surmountable, potentially translating induced germ cells into the clinical setting in the immediate future. This review examines the current status of the induction of germ cells from human iPS cells and discusses the clinical potential, as well as future directions.

Packaging related properties of commercially available biopolymers – An overview of the status quo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Jost

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Several commercially available thermoplastic biopolymers were processed in a continuous extrusion line. The molecular weight, crystallinity, and mechanical and permeation properties of the cast films were determined in order to evaluate the status quo of biopolymers currently commercially available. The biopolymers that were evaluated were polylactic acid (PLA, several polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs (Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate (PHBHB, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV, thermoplastic starch (TPS, polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT, polybutylene succinate (PBS, polycaprolactone (PCL and biobased polyethylene (BioPE. Due to its potential for biobased production, thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPU was also analysed. Mechanical analysis showed the PLA and PHA films had high strength and extremely low elongation at break. These were also the materials with the highest molecular weights. Films made of TPU, PCL, TPS, PBAT and BioPE had a significantly lower Young’s modulus and significantly higher elongation at break; these films had comparatively low molecular weights. Permeation measurements showed that PHA films, and particularly PHBV, had the lowest oxygen and water vapour permeability of the biopolymers that were analysed. The biopolymers BioPE, TPS, PCL, TPU and PBAT were highly permeable to oxygen, and had comparatively low molecular weight. The biopolymers TPU, PBS, PBAT, PCL and TPS were highly permeable to water vapour.

Fuel Cell Buses in U.S. Transit Fleets: Current Status 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eudy, L.; Chandler, K.; Gigakis, C.

2010-11-01

This status report, fourth in a series of annual status reports from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, summarizes progress and accomplishments from demonstrations of fuel cell transit buses in the United States. This year's assessment report provides the results from the fifth year of operation of five Van Hool, ISE, and UTC Power fuel cell buses operating at AC Transit, SunLine, and CTTRANSIT. The achievements and challenges of this bus design, implementation, and operating are presented, with a focus on the next steps for implementing larger numbers and new and different designs of fuel cell buses. The major positive result from nearly five years of operation is the dramatic increase in reliability experienced for the fuel cell power system.

Nutritional status, quality of life and CD4 cell count of adults living ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Keywords: CD4 cell count; Quality of Life; adults; nutritional status; nutritional intake. Nutritional status .... used to calculate the Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI was ... fat consumption as a percentage of the total food energy intake, and component ..... except when the CD4 counts fall very low.5,27 The CD4 cell count may offer a ...

Molecular status of human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus among transgender commercial sex workers in Surakarta, Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Prasetyo, Afiono Agung; Sari, Yulia; Dharmawan, Ruben; Marwoto

2017-02-01

Sexual contact and other risk behavior among transgender working as commercial sex workers are important factors for sexual and blood-borne virus (BBV) infections. However, there no data concerning the molecular status of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) circulated among transgender working as commercial sex workers. Blood samples obtained from transgender working as commercial sex workers in Surakarta were examined for HIV antibodies, HBsAg and HCV antibodies, respectively, by immunological assays. All blood samples were also subjected for viral nucleic acid extraction and molecular detection of HIV, HBV and HCV by nested RT-PCR. The PCR products were purified from agarose gels, and the nucleotide sequences were retrieved and molecular analyzed. HIV, HBV and HCV was detected in 26.9% (7/26), 19.2% (5/26) and 46.2% (12/26), respectively. HIV CRF01_AE and B were found to be circulating in the community. HBV genotype B3 predominated, followed by C1. HCV genotype 1a predominated among HCV-infected transgender working as commercial sex workers, followed by 1c, 3a, and 4a. HIV, HBV, and HCV were found circulating in the transgender working as commercial sex workers in Surakarta, Indonesia.

Status of molten carbonate fuel cell technology development

Science.gov (United States)

Parsons, E. L., Jr.; Williams, M. C.; George, T. J.

The MCFC technology has been identified by the DOE as a promising product for commercialization. Development of the MCFC technology supports the National Energy Strategy. Review of the status of the MCFC technology indicates that the MCFC technology developers are making rapid and significant progress. Manufacturing facility development and extensive testing is occurring. Improvements in performance (power density), lower costs, improved packaging, and scale up to full height are planned. MCFC developers need to continue to be responsive to end-users in potential markets. It will be market demands for the correct product definition which will ultimately determine the character of MCFC power plants. There is a need for continued MCFC product improvement and multiple product development tests.

Global Trends and Current Status of Commercial Urban Rooftop Farming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Devi Buehler

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to analyze current practices in commercial urban rooftop farming (URF. In recent years, URF has been experiencing increasing popularity. It is a practice that is well-suited to enhancing food security in cities and reducing the environmental impact that results from long transportation distances that are common in conventional agriculture. To date, most URF initiatives have been motivated by social and educational factors rather than the aim of creating large sustainable food production systems in cities. The commercial operation of urban rooftop farms, should they become profitable, is likely to attract notable private investment, allowing a significant level of high quality urban food production to be achieved. There is a reasonable amount of literature available on urban farming that deals with its potential, and its limitations. However, it does not focus on commercial operations. In contrast to other surveys and theoretical papers, this study of URF focuses on large and commercial operations. The analysis showed that commercial URFs can be grouped into two main types: Firstly, hydroponic systems in greenhouses where mostly leafy greens, tomatoes, and herbs are grown; secondly, soil-based open-air farms that grow a large variety of vegetables. Hydroponics is frequently seen as the key technology for commercial urban food production. While the technology is not in and of itself sustainable, hydroponic farms often make an effort to implement environmentally friendly technologies and methods. However, there is still untapped potential to systemically integrate farms into buildings. The findings of this study identified where future research is needed in order to make URF a widespread sustainable solution.

Commercial Development Of Ovonic Thin Film Solar Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Ovshinsky, Stanford R.

1983-09-01

One square foot Ovonic amorphous photovoltaic devices are already in commercial production and are manufactured through a continuous web process. The next levels of commercialization required to achieve a large-volume power market will be discussed, and the device specifications correlated with the chemical and electronic properties of the materials that we are developing to achieve even higher efficiencies. It has been long considered a utopian dream to harness the energy of the sun to create electricity that would be competitive in cost to that produced from the conventional sources of energy such as oil, gas, and uranium. The impact on our society of stand-alone power generators without moving parts using the continually available, ubiquitous energy of the sun could certainly lead to a new age with consequences comparable to the first introduction of electricity which greatly accelerated the Industrial Revolution. Low cost, nonpolluting energy not dependent upon or limited by transmission costs could again make DC electricity a realistic option. The relatively young field of photovoltaics suffers from certain dogmas that are just now being questioned. For example, it is thought by many that solar cells utilizing crys-talline materials have inherently higher efficiencies than those using amorphous materials, and that somehow crystalline solar cells, whether fabricated from single crystals or polycrystalline material, in round or rectangular geometries, grown from the melt or by a rib-bon process, can be reduced in cost sufficiently that the economics become attractive enough for large-scale terrestrial generation of power. In this paper, we shall show that amorphous materials can have much higher efficiencies than do crystalline and that the answer to our power generation needs lies not in crystalline but in amorphous technology. At Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD), we have designed and built a production machine (described by my colleague, Dr. Izu, in a

Commercialization of residential fuel cell systems at Tokyo Gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watanabe, Hisao; Kameyama, Hiromichi; Okamura, Kiyoshi; Nishizaki, Kunihiro

2007-07-01

Increased affluence at homes may inevitably bring about increased energy consumption with it and hence increased CO2 emission from the residential sector, which accounts for a substantial share in the overall CO2 emission. Technologies that can reduce CO2 emission without sacrificing comfort of living at home will be critically important to achieve economic prosperity and preservation of the global environment at the same time. The residential fuel cell system is one of those technologies. Tokyo Gas has been engaging in its development cooperating with the manufacturers and has been playing an important role in the design, development and promotion of fuel cell systems with its vast knowledge and experience of end users' energy consumption. The development, demonstration and promotion of fuel cell systems have been strongly supported by the Japanese Government. In 'the Large Scale Demonstration Project', more than 1000 units of polymer electrolyte fuel cells have been installed to existing homes and have demonstrated their energy saving and CO2 emission reduction potential. This paper reports the status of the development of residential fuel cell systems in Japan and the role Tokyo Gas plays in it.

Energy analysis of fuel cell system for commercial greenhouse application – A feasibility study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vadiee, Amir; Yaghoubi, Mahmoud; Sardella, Marco; Farjam, Pardis

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Feasibility study of integrating a PEMFC with a commercial greenhouse. • An energy analysis has been performed in order to evaluate the energetic performance of the system. • A sensitivity analysis on the main influencing operating parameters for optimization. - Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the feasibility of integrating a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) system with a commercial greenhouse and assess the mutual benefits of such integration. The main objective is to recover the low quality waste heat of the PEMFC system in order to meet the thermal energy demand of a commercial greenhouse. In addition the PEMFC covers the some part of the greenhouse electrical demand. In this study an energy analysis has been performed in order to evaluate the energetic performance of the system. To achieve these aims, first, a system model has been developed using TRNSYS. Afterwards, a sensitivity analysis has been carried out varying the main influencing operating parameters in order to evaluate an optimal configuration of the system. In particular the influences of temperature and air stoichiometry have been investigated. The results show that a 3 kW fuel cell system is capable to cover approximately the 25% and 10% of the usual electricity and heat demands of a 1000 m 2 commercial greenhouse during a year, respectively

Lifetime limiting effects in pre-commercial solid oxide cell devices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skafte, Theis Løye

The solidoxide electrochemical cell technology is promising for efficient energy storage,especially when the share of intermittent renewable electricity production ishigh. The technology is being commercialized in niche markets, but large-scale employmentis still hindered by limited durability...... costs and facilitate entry into larger markets. Here, weexamine electrochemical reduction of CO2 to CO and one of the main failuremechanisms related to it. Carbon formation on the nickel electrocatalyst can bedetrimental to the microstructural integrity of the cell. It is found that thepossible...... outlet CO concentration is limited by up to 50% below thethermodynamic carbon deposition threshold based on the inlet temperature,depending on design and operating strategy. Replacement of the Ni electrocatalyst would increase the stabilitytowards this issue and may improve the robustness in other ways...

A balanced review of the status T cell-based therapy against cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marincola Francesco M

2005-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract A recent commentary stirred intense controversy over the status of anti-cancer immunotherapy. The commentary suggested moving beyond current anti-cancer vaccines since active-specific immunization failed to match expectations toward a more aggressive approach involving the adoptive transfer of in vitro expanded tumor antigen-specific T cells. Although the same authors clarified their position in response to others' rebuttal more discussion needs to be devoted to the current status of T cell-based anti-cancer therapy. The accompanying publications review the status of adoptive transfer of cancer vaccines on one hand and active-specific immunization on the other. Hopefully, reading these articles will offer a balanced view of the current status of antigen-specific ant-cancer therapies and suggest future strategies to foster unified efforts to complement either approach with the other according to specific biological principles.

Pathways to Commercial Success: Technologies and Innovations Enabled by the U.S. Department of Energy Fuel Cell Technologies Office

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None, None

2017-10-11

This report published in October 2017 updates the results of an effort to identify and document the commercial and emerging (projected to be commercialized within the next 3 to 5 years) hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and products that resulted from U.S. Department of Energy support through the Fuel Cell Technologies Office in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Optical imaging the redox status change during cell apoptosis

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Ting; Zhang, Zhihong; Lin, Juqiang; Luo, Qingming

2007-02-01

Many cellular events involve the alteration in redox equilibrium, globally or locally. In many cases, excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production is the underlying cause. Several green fluoresecence protein based indicators are constructed to measure redox status in cells, e.g, rxYFP and roGFPs, which allow real time detection. reduction and oxidization-sensitive GFP (RoGFPs) are more useful due to ratiometric variation by excitation, making the measurement more accurate. Utilizing one of those roGFPs called roGFP1, we establish a mitochondrial redox state probing platform in HeLa cells with laser scan confocal microscopy (LSCM) as detection system. Control experiments confirmed that our platform could produce stable ratiometric values, which made the data more accurately reflect the real environmental changes of redox status that roGFP1 probed. Using exogenous H IIO II and DTT, we evaluated the reactivity and reversibility of roGFP1. The minimal hydrogen peroxide concentration that roGFP1 could show detectable ratiometric changes in our system was about 200μM. Preliminarily applying our platform to exploring the redox status during apoptosis, we observed an increase in ratiometric, suggesting an excessive ROS production.

Progress commercializing solar-electric power systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dracker, R.; De Laquil, P. III

1996-01-01

The commercial status of the principal solar electric technologies -- photovoltaic and solar thermal -- is reviewed. Current and near-term market niches are identified, and projected longer-term markets are explored along with the key strategies for achieving them, including technological breakthroughs, manufacturing developments, economies of scale and mass production, and market creation. Market barriers and public policy impacts on commercialization are discussed

Pathways to Commercial Success: Technologies and Products Supported by the Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2009-08-01

This report documents the results of an effort to identify and characterize commercial and near-commercial (emerging) technologies and products that benefited from the support of the Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies Program and its predecessor programs within DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

A comparison of solar photovoltaics and molten carbonate fuel cells as commercial power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wee, Jung-Ho; Roh, Jae Hyung; Kim, Jeongin

2011-01-01

In line with the worldwide trend, Korea has recognized the importance of renewable energy and extensively supported its exploitation. As of August 2009, the largest incentives for renewable energy are offered to solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, which have vastly increased the installations of this system. On the basis of total paid incentives, the second largest beneficiary is the fuel cell (FC) system. This support has contributed to the successful commercialization of the molten carbonate FC (MCFC) as a distributed generation system (DG). Considering the status of energy systems in Korea, solar PV and MCFC systems are likely to be further developed in the country. The present paper analyzes the exploitation of these two energy systems by conducting a feasibility study and a technology assessment in the Korea environment based on many assumptions, conditions and data involved. The feasibility study demonstrates the positive economic gains of the solar PV and MCFC power plants. The unit electricity generation cost of solar PV is twice that of an MCFC system. In addition, the study reveals the slightly greater profitability of the MCFC. Exact estimation of their future economies is impossible because of uncertainties in many future conditions and environments. Nevertheless, the development of solar cells with higher efficiency is undoubtedly the most critical factor in increasing future profits. On the other hand, reductions in the operation and maintenance (O and M) costs and the natural gas (NG) price are the most important issues in raising the viability of the MCFC system. (author)

Fuel Cell Buses in U.S. Transit Fleets: Current Status 2011

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-11

his report is the fifth in a series of annual status reports that summarize the progress resulting from fuel cell transit bus demonstrations in the United States and provide a discussion of the achievements and challenges of fuel cell propulsion in t...

Experimental study of commercial size proton exchange membrane fuel cell performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Wei-Mon; Wang, Xiao-Dong; Lee, Duu-Jong; Zhang, Xin-Xin; Guo, Yi-Fan; Su, Ay

2011-01-01

Commercial sized (16 x 16 cm 2 active surface area) proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells with serpentine flow chambers are fabricated. The GORE-TEX (registered) PRIMEA 5621 was used with a 35-μm-thick PEM with an anode catalyst layer with 0.45 mg cm -2 Pt and cathode catalyst layer with 0.6 mg cm -2 Pt and Ru or GORE-TEX (registered) PRIMEA 57 was used with an 18-μm-thick PEM with an anode catalyst layer at 0.2 mg cm -2 Pt and cathode catalyst layer at 0.4 mg cm -2 of Pt and Ru. At the specified cell and humidification temperatures, the thin PRIMEA 57 membrane yields better cell performance than the thick PRIMEA 5621 membrane, since hydration of the former is more easily maintained with the limited amount of produced water. Sufficient humidification at both the cathode and anode sides is essential to achieve high cell performance with a thick membrane, like the PRIMEA 5621. The optimal cell temperature to produce the best cell performance with PRIMEA 5621 is close to the humidification temperature. For PRIMEA 57, however, optimal cell temperature exceeds the humidification temperature.

Axin gene methylation status correlates with radiosensitivity of lung cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Lian-He; Stoecker, Maggie; Wang, Endi; Xu, Ke; Wang, En-Hua; Han, Yang; Li, Guang; Xu, Hong-Tao; Jiang, Gui-Yang; Miao, Yuan; Zhang, Xiu-Peng; Zhao, Huan-Yu; Xu, Zheng-Fan

2013-01-01

We previously reported that Axin1 (Axin) is down-regulated in many cases of lung cancer, and X-ray irradiation increased Axin expression and inhibited lung cancer cells. The mechanisms, however, were not clear. Four lung cancer cell lines were used to detect the methylation status of Axin with or without X-ray treatment. Real-time PCR was used to quantify the expression of Axin, and western blot analysis was applied to measure protein levels of Axin, β-catenin, Cyclin D1, MMP-7, DNMTS, MeCP2 and acetylated histones. Flow cytometric analysis, colony formation assay, transwell assay and xenograft growth experiment were used to study the biological behavior of the cells with hypermethylated or unmethylated Axin gene after X-ray treatment. Hypermethylated Axin gene was detected in 2 of 4 cell lines, and it correlated inversely with Axin expression. X-ray treatment significantly up-regulated Axin expression in H446 and H157 cells, which possess intrinsic hypermethylation of the Axin gene (P<0.01), but did not show up-regulation in LTE and H460 cells, which have unmethylated Axin gene. 2Gy X-ray significantly reduced colony formation (from 71% to 10.5%) in H157 cells, while the reduction was lower in LTE cells (from 71% to 20%). After X-ray irradiation, xenograft growth was significantly decreased in H157 cells (from 1.15 g to 0.28 g) in comparison with LTE cells (from 1.06 g to 0.65 g). Significantly decreased cell invasiveness and increased apoptosis were also observed in H157 cells treated with X-ray irradiation (P<0.01). Down-regulation of DNMTs and MeCP2 and up-regulation of acetylated histones could be detected in lung cancer cells. X-ray-induced inhibition of lung cancer cells may be mediated by enhanced expression of Axin via genomic DNA demethylation and histone acetylation. Lung cancer cells with a different methylation status of the Axin gene showed different radiosensitivity, suggesting that the methylation status of the Axin gene may be one important factor

In vitro preparation of radionuclides labeled blood cells: Status and requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Couret, I.; Desruet, M.D.; Bolot, C.; Chassel, M.L.; Pellegrin, M.

2010-01-01

Labelled blood cells permit nuclear medicine imaging using their physiological behaviours. The radiolabeling must be performed in vitro because of the lack of specific markers and requires several highly technical stages of preparation. Labelled blood cells have not the medication drug status, so that the nuclear physician conducting the nuclear test is fully liable. In most cases, the physician delegates the technical responsibility to radio-pharmacists. Although the status of radiolabelled autologous cells is not legally defined and in the absence of a specific repository, it is essential that their preparation is subject to the requirements of the rules of French Good Manufacturing Practice published by Agence francaise de securite sanitaire des produits de sante (Afssaps). It would be desirable to harmonize the practices of radiolabeling cellular blood components by editing a repository. (authors)

On the performance limiting behavior of defect clusters in commercial silicon solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sopori, B.L.; Chen, W.; Jones, K. [National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States); Gee, J. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

1998-09-01

The authors report the observation of defect clusters in high-quality, commercial silicon solar cell substrates. The nature of the defect clusters, their mechanism of formation, and precipitation of metallic impurities at the defect clusters are discussed. This defect configuration influences the device performance in a unique way--by primarily degrading the voltage-related parameters. Network modeling is used to show that, in an N/P junction device, these regions act as shunts that dissipate power generated within the cell.

Elevated homocysteine levels indicate suboptimal folate status in pediatric sickle cell patients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Dijs, FPL; Schnog, JJB; Brouwer, DAJ; Velvis, HJR; van den Berg, GA; Bakker, AJ; Duits, AJ; Muskiet, FD

1998-01-01

We investigated whether pediatric patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) (9 +/- 4 years; 27 homozygous SCD [HbSS]; 19 sickle-C disease [HbSC]) have different folate status compared with age-, sex-, and race-matched normal hemoglobin (HbAA) controls (n = 20), and whether their folate status can be

Preliminary temperature Accelerated Life Test (ALT) on III-V commercial concentrator triple-junction solar cells

OpenAIRE

Espinet González, Pilar; Algora del Valle, Carlos; Orlando Carrillo, Vincenzo; Nuñez Mendoza, Neftali; Vázquez López, Manuel; Bautista Villares, Jesus; Xiugang, He; Barrutia Poncela, Laura; Rey-Stolle Prado, Ignacio; Araki, Kenji

2012-01-01

A quantitative temperature accelerated life test on sixty GaInP/GaInAs/Ge triple-junction commercial concentrator solar cells is being carried out. The final objective of this experiment is to evaluate the reliability, warranty period, and failure mechanism of high concentration solar cells in a moderate period of time. The acceleration of the degradation is realized by subjecting the solar cells at temperatures markedly higher than the nominal working temperature under a concentrator Three e...

Commercial Supersonics Technology Project - Status of Airport Noise

Science.gov (United States)

Bridges, James

2016-01-01

The Commercial Supersonic Technology Project has been developing databases, computational tools, and system models to prepare for a level 1 milestone, the Low Noise Propulsion Tech Challenge, to be delivered Sept 2016. Steps taken to prepare for the final validation test are given, including system analysis, code validation, and risk reduction testing.

Commercialization scenarios of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell applications for stationary power generation in the United States by the year 2015

Science.gov (United States)

Millett, Stephen; Mahadevan, Kathya

Battelle is identifying the most likely markets and economic impacts of stationary polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells in the range of 1-250 kW in the U.S. by the year 2015. For this task, Battelle is using the Interactive Future Simulations (IFS™), an analytical modeling and forecasting tool that uses expert judgment, trend analysis, and cross-impact analysis methods to generate most likely future conditions for PEM fuel cell applications, market acceptance, commercial viability, and economic impacts. The cross-impact model contains 28 descriptors including commercial and technological advances in both polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells and fossil fuel technologies, sources of hydrogen, investments, public policy, environmental regulation, value to consumers, commercialization leadership, modes of generation, and the reliability and prices of grid electricity. One likely scenario to the year 2015 is that the PEM fuel cells will be limited to commercial and industrial customers in the range of 50-200 kW with a market size less than US$ 5 billion a year.

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells for electrical power generation on-board commercial airplanes.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Curgus, Dita Brigitte; Munoz-Ramos, Karina (Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM); Pratt, Joseph William; Akhil, Abbas Ali (Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM); Klebanoff, Leonard E.; Schenkman, Benjamin L. (Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM)

2011-05-01

Deployed on a commercial airplane, proton exchange membrane fuel cells may offer emissions reductions, thermal efficiency gains, and enable locating the power near the point of use. This work seeks to understand whether on-board fuel cell systems are technically feasible, and, if so, if they offer a performance advantage for the airplane as a whole. Through hardware analysis and thermodynamic and electrical simulation, we found that while adding a fuel cell system using today's technology for the PEM fuel cell and hydrogen storage is technically feasible, it will not likely give the airplane a performance benefit. However, when we re-did the analysis using DOE-target technology for the PEM fuel cell and hydrogen storage, we found that the fuel cell system would provide a performance benefit to the airplane (i.e., it can save the airplane some fuel), depending on the way it is configured.

Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells for Electrical Power Generation On-Board Commercial Airplanes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pratt, Joesph W. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Klebanoff, Leonard E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Munoz-Ramos, Karina [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Akhil, Abbas A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Curgus, Dita B. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Schenkman, Benjamin L. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2011-05-01

Deployed on a commercial airplane, proton exchange membrane fuel cells may offer emissions reductions, thermal efficiency gains, and enable locating the power near the point of use. This work seeks to understand whether on-board fuel cell systems are technically feasible, and, if so, if they offer a performance advantage for the airplane as a whole. Through hardware analysis and thermodynamic and electrical simulation, we found that while adding a fuel cell system using today’s technology for the PEM fuel cell and hydrogen storage is technically feasible, it will not likely give the airplane a performance benefit. However, when we re-did the analysis using DOE-target technology for the PEM fuel cell and hydrogen storage, we found that the fuel cell system would provide a performance benefit to the airplane (i.e., it can save the airplane some fuel), depending on the way it is configured.

History and current status of commercial pulsed laser deposition equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greer, James A

2014-01-01

This paper will review the history of the scale-up of the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) process from small areas ∼1 cm 2 up to 10 m 2 starting in about 1987. It also documents the history of commercialization of PLD as various companies become involved in selling fully integrated laser deposition tools starting in 1989. The paper will highlight the current state of the art of commercial PLD equipment for R and D that is available on the market today from mainstream vendors as well as production-oriented applications directed at piezo-electric materials for microelectromechanical systems and high-temperature superconductors for coated-conductor applications. The paper clearly demonstrates that considerable improvements have been made to scaling this unique physical vapour deposition process to useful substrate sizes, and that commercial deposition equipment is readily available from a variety of vendors to address a wide variety of technologically important thin-film applications. (paper)

The commercial evolution of the Titan program

Science.gov (United States)

Isakowitz, Steven

1988-07-01

The present status evaluation of proprietary efforts to turn the once exclusively government-requirements-oriented Titan launch vehicle into a successful commercial competitor is divided into three phases. The first phase notes recent changes in U.S. space transportation policy and the Titan configurations evaluated for commercial feasibility. The second phase is a development history for the current vehicle's marketing organization and the right-to-use agreement for a launch site. Phase three projects the prospective marketing climate for a commercial Titan vehicle and its planned improvements.

Indium Tin Oxide-Free Polymer Solar Cells: Toward Commercial Reality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Angmo, Dechan; Espinosa Martinez, Nieves; Krebs, Frederik C

2014-01-01

Polymer solar cell (PSC) is the latest of all photovoltaic technologies which currently lies at the brink of commercialization. The impetus for its rapid progress in the last decade has come from low-cost high throughput production possibility which in turn relies on the use of low-cost materials...... and vacuum-free manufacture. Indium tin oxide (ITO), the commonly used transparent conductor, imposes the majority of the cost of production of PSCs, limits flexibility, and is feared to create bottleneck in the dawning industry due to indium scarcity and the resulting large price fluctuations. As such...

Determination of the behavior and performance of commercial Li-Ion pouch cells by means of isothermal calorimeter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khan, Mohammad Rezwan; Swierczynski, Maciej Jozef; Kær, Søren Knudsen

2016-01-01

In this experiment-based research, there is an attempt to determine the evolution of surface temperature distribution, thermal behaviour and performance of a battery cell at the same time. The pouch type commercial test cell has a 13Ah capacity and Lithium Titanate Oxide (LTO) based anode...

Stem cell research funding policies and dynamic innovation: a survey of open access and commercialization requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

Lévesque, Maroussia; Kim, Jihyun Rosel; Isasi, Rosario; Knoppers, Bartha Maria; Plomer, Aurora; Joly, Yann

2014-08-01

This article compares and contrasts the pressures of both open access data sharing and commercialization policies in the context of publicly funded embryonic stem cell research (SCR). First, normative guidelines of international SCR organizations were examined. We then examined SCR funding guidelines and the project evaluation criteria of major funding organizations in the EU, the United Kingdom (UK), Spain, Canada and the United States. Our survey of policies revealed subtle pressures to commercialize research that include: increased funding availability for commercialization opportunities, assistance for obtaining intellectual property rights (IPRs) and legislation mandating commercialization. In lieu of open access models, funders are increasingly opting for limited sharing models or "protected commons" models that make the research available to researchers within the same region or those receiving the same funding. Meanwhile, there still is need for funding agencies to clarify and standardize terms such as "non-profit organizations" and "for-profit research," as more universities are pursuing for-profit or commercial opportunities.

Molecular status of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis B virus, and Hepatitis C virus among injecting drug male commercial sex workers in Surakarta, Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Agung Prasetyo, Afiono; Marwoto; Arifin Adnan, Zainal; Hartono

2018-05-01

Male commercial sex workers are one of the high-risk community for blood-borne viruses. However, there are no data concerning the molecular status of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) circulated among male commercial sex workers with injecting drug habits in Surakarta, Indonesia. Blood samples obtained from injecting drug male commercial sex workers in Surakarta were examined for HIV antibodies, HBsAg, and HCV antibodies, respectively, by immunological assays. Blood samples were also subjected to viral nucleic acid extraction and molecular detection of HIV, HBV, and HCV by nested (RT) PCRs. The PCR products were purified from agarose gels, and the nucleotide sequences were retrieved and molecular analyzed. HIV, HBV, and HCV were detected in 29.4% (10/34), 17.6% (6/34), and 52.9% (18/34), respectively. HIV CRF01_AE and B were found to be circulating in the community. HBV genotype B3 was predominated, followed by C1. HCV genotype 1a was predominated, followed by 1c, 3a, 1b, and 4a. HIV, HBV, and HCV were found circulating in the male commercial sex workers with injecting drug habits in Surakarta, Indonesia.

Review of status developments of high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jingjing; Yao, Yao; Xiao, Shaoqing; Gu, Xiaofeng

2018-03-01

In order to further improve cell efficiency and reduce cost in achieving grid parity, a large number of PV manufacturing companies, universities and research institutes have been devoted to a variety of low-cost and high-efficiency crystalline Si solar cells. In this article, the cell structures, characteristics and efficiency progresses of several types of high-efficiency crystalline Si solar cells that have been in small scale production or are promising in mass production are presented, including passivated emitter rear cell, tunnel oxide passivated contact solar cell, interdigitated back contact cell, heterojunction with intrinsic thin-layer cell, and heterojunction solar cells with interdigitated back contacts. Both the industrialization status and future development trend of high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells are also pinpointed.

High-Efficiency Polycrystalline CdS/CdTe Solar Cells on Buffered Commercial TCO-Coated Glass

Science.gov (United States)

Colegrove, E.; Banai, R.; Blissett, C.; Buurma, C.; Ellsworth, J.; Morley, M.; Barnes, S.; Gilmore, C.; Bergeson, J. D.; Dhere, R.; Scott, M.; Gessert, T.; Sivananthan, Siva

2012-10-01

Multiple polycrystalline CdS/CdTe solar cells with efficiencies greater than 15% were produced on buffered, commercially available Pilkington TEC Glass at EPIR Technologies, Inc. (EPIR, Bolingbrook, IL) and verified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). n-CdS and p-CdTe were grown by chemical bath deposition (CBD) and close space sublimation, respectively. Samples with sputter-deposited CdS were also investigated. Initial results indicate that this is a viable dry-process alternative to CBD for production-scale processing. Published results for polycrystalline CdS/CdTe solar cells with high efficiencies are typically based on cells using research-grade transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) requiring high-temperature processing inconducive to low-cost manufacturing. EPIR's results for cells on commercial glass were obtained by implementing a high-resistivity SnO2 buffer layer and by optimizing the CdS window layer thickness. The high-resistivity buffer layer prevents the formation of CdTe-TCO junctions, thereby maintaining a high open-circuit voltage and fill factor, whereas using a thin CdS layer reduces absorption losses and improves the short-circuit current density. EPIR's best device demonstrated an NREL-verified efficiency of 15.3%. The mean efficiency of hundreds of cells produced with a buffer layer between December 2010 and June 2011 is 14.4%. Quantum efficiency results are presented to demonstrate EPIR's progress toward NREL's best-published results.

Present status of intermediate band solar cell research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuadra, L.; Marti, A.; Luque, A.

2004-01-01

The intermediate band solar cell is a theoretical concept with the potential for exceeding the performance of conventional single-gap solar cells. This novel photovoltaic converter bases its superior theoretical efficiency over single-gap solar cells by enhancing its photogenerated current, via the two-step absorption of sub-band gap photons, without reducing its output voltage. This is achieved through a material with an electrically isolated and partially filled intermediate band located within a higher forbidden gap. This material is commonly named intermediate band material. This paper centres on summarising the present status of intermediate band solar cell research. A number of attempts, which aim to implement the intermediate band concept, are being followed: the direct engineering of the intermediate band material, its implementation by means of quantum dots and the highly porous material approach. Among other sub-band gap absorbing proposals, there is a renewed interest on the impurity photovoltaic effect, the quantum well solar cells and the particularly promising proposal for the use of up- and down-converters

Radiation-Induced Dedifferentiation of Head and Neck Cancer Cells Into Cancer Stem Cells Depends on Human Papillomavirus Status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vlashi, Erina; Chen, Allen M.; Boyrie, Sabrina; Yu, Garrett; Nguyen, Andrea; Brower, Philip A.; Hess, Clayton B.; Pajonk, Frank

2016-01-01

Purpose: To test the hypothesis that the radiation response of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive and HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) differs and is not reflected in the radiation response of the bulk tumor populations, that radiation therapy (RT) can dedifferentiate non-stem HNSCC cells into CSCs, and that radiation-induced dedifferentiation depends on the HPV status. Methods and Materials: Records of a cohort of 162 HNSCC patients were reviewed, and their outcomes were correlated with their HPV status. Using a panel of HPV-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC cell lines expressing a reporter for CSCs, we characterized HPV-positive and HPV-negative lines via flow cytometry, sphere-forming capacity assays in vitro, and limiting dilution assays in vivo. Non-CSCs were treated with different doses of radiation, and the dedifferentiation of non-CSCs into CSCs was investigated via flow cytometry and quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction for re-expression of reprogramming factors. Results: Patients with HPV-positive tumors have superior overall survival and local–regional control. Human papillomavirus–positive HNSCC cell lines have lower numbers of CSCs, which inversely correlates with radiosensitivity. Human papillomavirus–negative HNSCC cell lines lack hierarchy owing to enhanced spontaneous dedifferentiation. Non-CSCs from HPV-negative lines show enhanced radiation-induced dedifferentiation compared with HPV-positive lines, and RT induced re-expression of Yamanaka reprogramming factors. Conclusions: Supporting the favorable prognosis of HPV-positive HNSCCs, we show that (1) HPV-positive HNSCCs have a lower frequency of CSCs; (2) RT can dedifferentiate HNSCC cells into CSCs; and (3) radiation-induced dedifferentiation depends on the HPV status of the tumor.

Radiation-Induced Dedifferentiation of Head and Neck Cancer Cells Into Cancer Stem Cells Depends on Human Papillomavirus Status

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vlashi, Erina, E-mail: evlashi@mednet.ucla.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California (United States); Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA, Los Angeles, California (United States); Chen, Allen M.; Boyrie, Sabrina; Yu, Garrett; Nguyen, Andrea; Brower, Philip A. [Department of Radiation Oncology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California (United States); Hess, Clayton B. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California (United States); Pajonk, Frank [Department of Radiation Oncology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California (United States); Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA, Los Angeles, California (United States)

2016-04-01

Purpose: To test the hypothesis that the radiation response of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive and HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) differs and is not reflected in the radiation response of the bulk tumor populations, that radiation therapy (RT) can dedifferentiate non-stem HNSCC cells into CSCs, and that radiation-induced dedifferentiation depends on the HPV status. Methods and Materials: Records of a cohort of 162 HNSCC patients were reviewed, and their outcomes were correlated with their HPV status. Using a panel of HPV-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC cell lines expressing a reporter for CSCs, we characterized HPV-positive and HPV-negative lines via flow cytometry, sphere-forming capacity assays in vitro, and limiting dilution assays in vivo. Non-CSCs were treated with different doses of radiation, and the dedifferentiation of non-CSCs into CSCs was investigated via flow cytometry and quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction for re-expression of reprogramming factors. Results: Patients with HPV-positive tumors have superior overall survival and local–regional control. Human papillomavirus–positive HNSCC cell lines have lower numbers of CSCs, which inversely correlates with radiosensitivity. Human papillomavirus–negative HNSCC cell lines lack hierarchy owing to enhanced spontaneous dedifferentiation. Non-CSCs from HPV-negative lines show enhanced radiation-induced dedifferentiation compared with HPV-positive lines, and RT induced re-expression of Yamanaka reprogramming factors. Conclusions: Supporting the favorable prognosis of HPV-positive HNSCCs, we show that (1) HPV-positive HNSCCs have a lower frequency of CSCs; (2) RT can dedifferentiate HNSCC cells into CSCs; and (3) radiation-induced dedifferentiation depends on the HPV status of the tumor.

SENIEUR status of the originating cell donor negates certain 'anti-immunosenescence' effects of ebselen and N-acetyl cysteine in human T cell clone cultures.

Science.gov (United States)

Marthandan, Shiva; Freeburn, Robin; Steinbrecht, Susanne; Pawelec, Graham; Barnett, Yvonne

2014-01-01

Damage to T cells of the immune system by reactive oxygen species may result in altered cell function or cell death and thereby potentially impact upon the efficacy of a subsequent immune response. Here, we assess the impact of the antioxidants Ebselen and N-acetyl cysteine on a range of biological markers in human T cells derived from a SENIEUR status donor. In addition, the impact of these antioxidants on different MAP kinase pathways in T cells from donors of different ages was also examined. T cell clones were derived from healthy 26, 45 and SENIEUR status 80 year old people and the impact of titrated concentrations of Ebselen or N-acetyl cysteine on their proliferation and in vitro lifespan, GSH:GSSG ratio as well as levels of oxidative DNA damage and on MAP kinase signaling pathways was examined. In this investigation neither Ebselen nor N-acetyl cysteine supplementation had any impact on the biological endpoints examined in the T cells derived from the SENIEUR status 80 year old donor. This is in contrast to the anti-immunosenescent effects of these antioxidants on T cells from donors of 26 or 45 years of age. The analysis of MAP kinases showed that pro-apoptotic pathways become activated in T cells with increasing in vitro age and that Ebselen or N-acetyl cysteine could decrease activation (phosphorylation) in T cells from 26 or 45 year old donors, but not from the SENIEUR status 80 year old donor. The results of this investigation demonstrate that the biological phenotype of SENIEUR status derived human T cells negates the anti-immunosenescence effects of Ebselen and also N-acetyl cysteine. The results highlight the importance of pre-antioxidant intervention evaluation to determine risk-benefit.

The current status of fuel cell technology for mobile and stationary applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bruijn, de F.A.

2005-01-01

This review of fuel cell technology gives an overview on the status of low and high temperature fuel cells, both on materials as well as on a system level. Their application in transport and the combined generation of heat and power is discussed in relation to their environmental benefits

Cell-to-cell communication and cellular environment alter the somatostatin status of delta cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kelly, Catriona, E-mail: catriona.kelly@qub.ac.uk [SAAD Centre for Pharmacy and Diabetes, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine (United Kingdom); Flatt, Peter R.; McClenaghan, Neville H. [SAAD Centre for Pharmacy and Diabetes, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine (United Kingdom)

2010-08-20

Research highlights: {yields} TGP52 cells display enhanced functionality in pseudoislet form. {yields} Somatostatin content was reduced, but secretion increased in high glucose conditions. {yields} Cellular interactions and environment alter the somatostatin status of TGP52 cells. -- Abstract: Introduction: Somatostatin, released from pancreatic delta cells, is a potent paracrine inhibitor of insulin and glucagon secretion. Islet cellular interactions and glucose homeostasis are essential to maintain normal patterns of insulin secretion. However, the importance of cell-to-cell communication and cellular environment in the regulation of somatostatin release remains unclear. Methods: This study employed the somatostatin-secreting TGP52 cell line maintained in DMEM:F12 (17.5 mM glucose) or DMEM (25 mM glucose) culture media. The effect of pseudoislet formation and culture medium on somatostatin content and release in response to a variety of stimuli was measured by somatostatin EIA. In addition, the effect of pseudoislet formation on cellular viability (MTT and LDH assays) and proliferation (BrdU ELISA) was determined. Results: TGP52 cells readily formed pseudoislets and showed enhanced functionality in three-dimensional form with increased E-cadherin expression irrespective of the culture environment used. However, culture in DMEM decreased cellular somatostatin content (P < 0.01) and increased somatostatin secretion in response to a variety of stimuli including arginine, calcium and PMA (P < 0.001) when compared with cells grown in DMEM:F12. Configuration of TGP52 cells as pseudoislets reduced the proliferative rate and increased cellular cytotoxicity irrespective of culture medium used. Conclusions: Somatostatin secretion is greatly facilitated by cell-to-cell interactions and E-cadherin expression. Cellular environment and extracellular glucose also significantly influence the function of delta cells.

Cell-to-cell communication and cellular environment alter the somatostatin status of delta cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelly, Catriona; Flatt, Peter R.; McClenaghan, Neville H.

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → TGP52 cells display enhanced functionality in pseudoislet form. → Somatostatin content was reduced, but secretion increased in high glucose conditions. → Cellular interactions and environment alter the somatostatin status of TGP52 cells. -- Abstract: Introduction: Somatostatin, released from pancreatic delta cells, is a potent paracrine inhibitor of insulin and glucagon secretion. Islet cellular interactions and glucose homeostasis are essential to maintain normal patterns of insulin secretion. However, the importance of cell-to-cell communication and cellular environment in the regulation of somatostatin release remains unclear. Methods: This study employed the somatostatin-secreting TGP52 cell line maintained in DMEM:F12 (17.5 mM glucose) or DMEM (25 mM glucose) culture media. The effect of pseudoislet formation and culture medium on somatostatin content and release in response to a variety of stimuli was measured by somatostatin EIA. In addition, the effect of pseudoislet formation on cellular viability (MTT and LDH assays) and proliferation (BrdU ELISA) was determined. Results: TGP52 cells readily formed pseudoislets and showed enhanced functionality in three-dimensional form with increased E-cadherin expression irrespective of the culture environment used. However, culture in DMEM decreased cellular somatostatin content (P < 0.01) and increased somatostatin secretion in response to a variety of stimuli including arginine, calcium and PMA (P < 0.001) when compared with cells grown in DMEM:F12. Configuration of TGP52 cells as pseudoislets reduced the proliferative rate and increased cellular cytotoxicity irrespective of culture medium used. Conclusions: Somatostatin secretion is greatly facilitated by cell-to-cell interactions and E-cadherin expression. Cellular environment and extracellular glucose also significantly influence the function of delta cells.

Gas-cooled reactor commercialization study. Interim report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-01-01

This report of the gas-cooled reactor commercialization study completes the technical and cost evaluation portions of this study contract. A final report in December will update the status of the incentive analyses and the issues of commercialization. This study was designed to bring together potential industry participants (utilities and suppliers) to evaluate the commercial potential of the HTGR-SC and to build channels of communication among the participating organizations at the same time that technical, economic and institutional issues were being evaluated. RAMCO, Inc., in suggesting and using this study approach, believes its application extends to any commercialization problem involving multi-party involvement in high capital, intensive, high risk energy technologies

The mast cell stabilizer sodium cromoglycate reduces histamine release and status epilepticus-induced neuronal damage in the rat hippocampus.

Science.gov (United States)

Valle-Dorado, María Guadalupe; Santana-Gómez, César Emmanuel; Orozco-Suárez, Sandra Adela; Rocha, Luisa

2015-05-01

Experiments were designed to evaluate changes in the histamine release, mast cell number and neuronal damage in hippocampus induced by status epilepticus. We also evaluated if sodium cromoglycate, a stabilizer of mast cells with a possible stabilizing effect on the membrane of neurons, was able to prevent the release of histamine, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate during the status epilepticus. During microdialysis experiments, rats were treated with saline (SS-SE) or sodium cromoglycate (CG-SE) and 30 min later received the administration of pilocarpine to induce status epilepticus. Twenty-four hours after the status epilepticus, the brains were used to determine the neuronal damage and the number of mast cells in hippocampus. During the status epilepticus, SS-SE group showed an enhanced release of histamine (138.5%, p = 0.005), GABA (331 ± 91%, p ≤ 0.001) and glutamate (467%, p ≤ 0.001), even after diazepam administration. One day after the status epilepticus, SS-SE group demonstrated increased number of mast cells in Stratum pyramidale of CA1 (88%, p status epilepticus (p = 0.048), absence of wet-dog shakes, reduced histamine (but not GABA and glutamate) release, lower number of mast cells (p = 0.008) and reduced neuronal damage in hippocampus. Our data revealed that histamine, possibly from mast cells, is released in hippocampus during the status epilepticus. This effect may be involved in the subsequent neuronal damage and is diminished with sodium cromoglycate pretreatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Redox status evaluation in dogs affected by mast cell tumour.

Science.gov (United States)

Finotello, R; Pasquini, A; Meucci, V; Lippi, I; Rota, A; Guidi, G; Marchetti, V

2014-06-01

Oxidative stress status has been evaluated in depth in human medicine and its role in carcinogenesis has been clearly established. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate antioxidant concentrations and oxidative stress in dogs with mast cell tumours (MCTs) that had received no previous treatments, and to compare them to healthy controls. In 23 dogs with mast cell tumour and 10 healthy controls, oxidative status was assessed using the Reactive Oxygen Metabolites-derived compounds (d-ROMs) test, antioxidant activity was measured by the Biological Antioxidant Potential (BAP) test, and α-tocopherol levels were evaluated using high-performance liquid chromatography and ultraviolet analysis. At baseline, dogs with MCT had significantly higher d-ROMs (P defence barrier are altered in dogs with newly diagnosed MCT compared with control dogs. Future studies are needed in order to assess the prognostic role of oxidative stress and to evaluate the impact of different therapeutic approaches. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Strategies for the commercial introduction of modular low power fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miranda, H.V.; Laufer, A. [EnergiaH, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Miranda, P.E.V. [Coppe-Federal Univ., Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Hydrogen Lab.

2010-07-01

The reality of the infrastructure in emerging economies brings the opportunity to build up a hydrogen compatible economy. For the Brazilian case, the fast development in many fields coexists with a considerable amount of potential renewable fuels available. Costs of energy distribution and of power grid maintenance throughout a continental size country may lead to a distributed generation system based in a diversified fuels matrix. This pathway drives attention to simpler low power fuel cell devices, with easier maintenance procedures, friendly integration with small power demands, and the capability of being applied separately or integrated to deliver higher power demands. Big cities and small distant agriculture based locations, such as Rio de Janeiro or rain forest extractive communities, could be able to produce fuel and energy in their own infrastructure projects. This article presents a market roadmap for the commercial introduction of direct oxidation type solid oxide fuel cells in Brazil, specifying fuel cell technological features and the specificities for each type of application, either in grid connected or in stand alone low power electric energy generation. (orig.)

STARFIRE: a commercial tokamak reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-12-01

The purpose of this document is to provide an interim status report on the STARFIRE project for the period of May to September 1979. The basic objective of the STARFIRE project is to develop a design concept for a commercial tokamak fusion electric power plant based on the deuterium/tritium/lithium fuel cycle. The key technical objective is to develop the best embodiment of the tokamak as a power reactor consistent with credible engineering solutions to design problems. Another key goal of the project is to give careful attention to the safety and environmental features of a commercial fusion reactor

LEGAL STATUS OF WARSHIP WRECKS FROM WORLD WAR II IN INDONESIAN TERRITORIAL WATERS (INCIDENT OF H.M.A.S. PERTH COMMERCIAL SALVAGING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Senada Meskin

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Second World War was one of the most devastating experiences that World as a whole had to endure. The war left so many issues unhandled, one such issue is the theme of this thesis, and that is to analyze legal regime that is governing sunken warships. Status of warship still in service is protected by international law and national law of flag State, stipulating that warships are entitled on sovereign immunity. The question rises whether or not such sovereign immunity status follows warship wreck? Contemporary international law regulates very little considering ‘sovereign wrecks’, but customary international law, municipal court decisions and State practices are addressing issue quite profoundly, stating that even the warship is no longer in service it is still entitled on sovereign immunity status. HMAS Perth is Australian owned warship whose wreck current location is within Indonesian Territorial Sea. Recent reports show that commercial salvaging has been done, provoking outrage amongst surviving HMAS Perth’s naval personnel and Australian historians. In order to acquire clear stand point on issue of Sovereign Wrecks legal status, especially of HMAS Perth’s wreck, an in-depth analysis of legal material is necessary. Keywords: Territorial Waters, Warship, Warship Wreck, Salvage

Drug resistance in colorectal cancer cell lines is partially associated with aneuploidy status in light of profiling gene expression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guo, Jiao; Xu, Shaohang; Huang, Xuanlin

2016-01-01

A priority in solving the problem of drug resistance is to understand the molecular mechanism of how a drug induces the resistance response within cells. Because many cancer cells exhibit chromosome aneuploidy, we explored whether changes of aneuploidy status result in drug resistance. Two typical...... colorectal cancer cells, HCT116 and LoVo, were cultured with the chemotherapeutic drugs irinotecan (SN38) or oxaliplatin (QxPt), and the non- and drug-resistant cell lines were selected. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was employed to evaluate the aneuploidy status of these cells, and RNAseq and LC-MS/MS were...... the aneuploidy status in cancer cells, which was partially associated with the acquired drug resistance....

The Relationship Between Human Papillomavirus Status and Other Molecular Prognostic Markers in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kong, Christina S.; Narasimhan, Balasubramanian; Cao Hongbin; Kwok, Shirley; Erickson, Julianna P.; Koong, Albert; Pourmand, Nader; Le, Quynh-Thu

2009-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the relationship between human papillomavirus (HPV) status and known prognostic makers for head and neck cancers including tumor hypoxia, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression and intratumoral T-cell levels and to determine the prognostic impact of these markers by HPV status. Methods and Materials: HPV status in 82 evaluable head and neck squamous cell carcinomas patients was determined by pyrosequencing and related to p16 INK4a staining and treatment outcomes. It was correlated with tumor hypoxia (tumor pO 2 and carbonic anhydrase [CAIX] staining), EGFR status, and intratumoral lymphocyte expression (CD3 staining). Results: Forty-four percent of evaluable tumors had strong HPV signal by pyrosequencing. There was a significant relationship between strong HPV signal and p16 INK4a staining as well as oropharynx location. The strong HPV signal group fared significantly better than others, both in time to progression (TTP, p = 0.008) and overall survival (OS, p = 0.004) for all patients and for the oropharyngeal subset. Positive p16 INK4a staining was associated with better TTP (p = 0.014) and OS (p = 0.00002). There was no relationship between HPV status and tumor pO 2 or CAIX staining. However, HPV status correlated inversely with EGFR reactivity (p = 0.0006) and directly with CD3(+) T-lymphocyte level (p = 0.03). Whereas CAIX and EGFR overexpression were negative prognostic factors regardless of HPV status, CD3(+) T-cell levels was prognostic only in HPV(-) tumors. Conclusion: HPV status was a prognostic factor for progression and survival. It correlated inversely with EGFR expression and directly with T-cell infiltration. The prognostic effect of CAIX and EGFR expression was not influenced by HPV status, whereas intratumoral T-cell levels was significant only for HPV(-) tumors.

Eye Health Issues Among Commercial Motorcyclists In Ilorin, Nigeria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The use of motorcycles by a large number of individuals as a means of commercial transportation in both urban and the rural settings and the attendant risky riding habits of the riders in Nigeria is well documented. The purpose of this study is to determine eye health practices and ocular status of commercial motorcyclist in ...

Breaking down the barriers to commercialization of fuel cells in transportation through Government - industry R&D programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chalk, S.G. [Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC (United States); Venkateswaran, S.R. [Energetics, Inc., Columbia, MD (United States)

1996-12-31

PEM fuel cell technology is rapidly emerging as a viable propulsion alternative to the internal combustion engine. Fuel cells offer the advantages of low emissions, high efficiency, fuel flexibility, quiet and continuous operation, and modularity. Over the last decade, dramatic advances have been achieved in the performance and cost of PEM fuel cell technologies for automotive applications. However, significant technical barriers remain to making fuel cell propulsion systems viable alternatives to the internal combustion engine. This paper focuses on the progress achieved and remaining technical barriers while highlighting Government-industry R&D efforts that are accelerating fuel cell technology toward commercialization.

Imaging- and Flow Cytometry-based Analysis of Cell Position and the Cell Cycle in 3D Melanoma Spheroids

Science.gov (United States)

Beaumont, Kimberley A.; Anfosso, Andrea; Ahmed, Farzana

2015-01-01

Three-dimensional (3D) tumor spheroids are utilized in cancer research as a more accurate model of the in vivo tumor microenvironment, compared to traditional two-dimensional (2D) cell culture. The spheroid model is able to mimic the effects of cell-cell interaction, hypoxia and nutrient deprivation, and drug penetration. One characteristic of this model is the development of a necrotic core, surrounded by a ring of G1 arrested cells, with proliferating cells on the outer layers of the spheroid. Of interest in the cancer field is how different regions of the spheroid respond to drug therapies as well as genetic or environmental manipulation. We describe here the use of the fluorescence ubiquitination cell cycle indicator (FUCCI) system along with cytometry and image analysis using commercial software to characterize the cell cycle status of cells with respect to their position inside melanoma spheroids. These methods may be used to track changes in cell cycle status, gene/protein expression or cell viability in different sub-regions of tumor spheroids over time and under different conditions. PMID:26779761

A consortium approach to commercialized Westinghouse solid oxide fuel cell technology

Science.gov (United States)

Casanova, Allan

Westinghouse is developing its tubular solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) for a variety of applications in stationary power generation markets. By pressurizing a SOFC and integrating it with a gas turbine (GT), power systems with efficiencies as high as 70-75% can be obtained. The first such system will be tested in 1998. Because of their extraordinarily high efficiency (60-70%) even in small sizes the first SOFC products to be offered are expected to be integrated SOFC/GT power systems in the 1-7 MW range, for use in the emerging distributed generation (DG) market segment. Expansion into larger sizes will follow later. Because of their modularity, environmental friendliness and expected cost effectiveness, and because of a worldwide thrust towards utility deregulation, a ready market is forecasted for baseload distributed generation. Assuming Westinghouse can complete its technology development and reach its cost targets, the integrated SOFC/GT power system is seen as a product with tremendous potential in the emerging distributed generation market. While Westinghouse has been a leader in the development of power generation technology for over a century, it does not plan to manufacture small gas turbines. However, GTs small enough to integrate with SOFCs and address the 1-7 MW market are generally available from various manufacturers. Westinghouse will need access to a new set of customers as it brings baseload plants to the present small market mix of emergency and peaking power applications. Small cogeneration applications, already strong in some parts of the world, are also gaining ground everywhere. Small GT manufacturers already serve this market, and alliances and partnerships can enhance SOFC commercialization. Utilities also serve the DG market, especially those that have set up energy service companies and seek to grow beyond the legal and geographical confines of their current regulated business. Because fuel cells in general are a new product, because small

Extensive EIS characterization of commercially available lithium polymer battery cell for performance modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stanciu, Tiberiu; Stroe, Daniel Loan; Teodorescu, Remus

2015-01-01

or degradation of an electrochemical system. Used for Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, this method allows for a fast and accurate assessment of the battery's impedance at any working point, without modifying the state of the battery. The influence of the operating conditions, state of charge (SOC) and temperature...... on the performance of a commercially available 53 Ah Lithium polymer battery cell, manufactured by Kokam Co. Ltd., is investigated in laboratory experiments, at its beginning of life, by means of EIS. A data fitting algorithm was used to obtain the parameter values for the proposed equivalent electrical circuit......, which was further selected for the development of an accurate EIS based performance model for the chosen Li-ion battery cell....

Intrinsic pro-angiogenic status of cystic fibrosis airway epithelial cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verhaeghe, Catherine; Tabruyn, Sebastien P.; Oury, Cecile; Bours, Vincent; Griffioen, Arjan W.

2007-01-01

Cystic fibrosis is a common genetic disorder characterized by a severe lung inflammation and fibrosis leading to the patient's death. Enhanced angiogenesis in cystic fibrosis (CF) tissue has been suggested, probably caused by the process of inflammation, as similarly described in asthma and chronic bronchitis. The present study demonstrates an intrinsic pro-angiogenic status of cystic fibrosis airway epithelial cells. Microarray experiments showed that CF airway epithelial cells expressed several angiogenic factors such as VEGF-A, VEGF-C, bFGF, and PLGF at higher levels than control cells. These data were confirmed by real-time quantitative PCR and, at the protein level, by ELISA. Conditioned media of these cystic fibrosis cells were able to induce proliferation, migration and sprouting of cultured primary endothelial cells. This report describes for the first time that cystic fibrosis epithelial cells have an intrinsic angiogenic activity. Since excess of angiogenesis is correlated with more severe pulmonary disease, our results could lead to the development of new therapeutic applications

Status of dye solar cell technology as a guideline for further research.

Science.gov (United States)

Hinsch, Andreas; Veurman, Welmoed; Brandt, Henning; Jensen, Katrine Flarup; Mastroianni, Simone

2014-04-14

Recently, the first commercial dye solar cell (DSC) products based on the mesoscopic principle were successfully launched. Introduction to the market has been accompanied by a strong increase in patent applications in the field during the last four years, which is a good indication of further commercialization activity. Materials and cell concepts have been developed to such extent that easy uptake by industrial manufacturers is possible. The critical phase for broad market acceptance has therefore been reached, which implies focusing on standardization-related research topics. In parallel the number of scientific publications on DSC is growing further (>3500 since 2012), and the range of new or renewed fundamental topics is broadening. A recent example is the introduction of the perovskite mesoscopic cell, for which an efficiency of 14.1% has been certified. Thus, a growing divergence between market introduction and research could be the consequence. Herein, an attempt is made to show that such an unwanted divergence can be prevented, for example, by developing suitable reference-type cell and module concepts as well as manufacturing routes. An in situ cell manufacturing concept that can be applied to mesoscopic-based solar cells in a broader sense is proposed. As a guideline for future module concepts, recent results for large-area, glass-frit-sealed DSC modules from efficiency studies (6.6% active-area efficiency) and outdoor analysis are discussed. Electroluminescence measurements are introduced as a quality tool. Another important point that is addressed is sustainability, which affects both market introduction and the direction of fundamental research. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

In-depth evaluation of commercially available human vascular smooth muscle cells phenotype: Implications for vascular tissue engineering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Timraz, Sara B.H., E-mail: sara.timraz@kustar.ac.ae [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Khalifa University, PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates); Farhat, Ilyas A.H., E-mail: ilyas.farhat@outlook.com [Department of Applied Mathematics and Sciences, Khalifa University, PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates); Alhussein, Ghada, E-mail: ghada.alhussein@kustar.ac.ae [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Khalifa University, PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates); Christoforou, Nicolas, E-mail: nicolas.christoforou@kustar.ac.ae [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Khalifa University, PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates); Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 (United States); Teo, Jeremy C.M., E-mail: jeremy.teo@kustar.ac.ae [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Khalifa University, PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates)

2016-05-01

In vitro research on vascular tissue engineering has extensively used isolated primary human or animal smooth muscle cells (SMC). Research programs that lack such facilities tend towards commercially available primary cells sources. Here, we aim to evaluate the capacity of commercially available human SMC to maintain their contractile phenotype, and determine if dedifferentiation towards the synthetic phenotype occurs in response to conventional cell culture and passaging without any external biochemical or mechanical stimuli. Lower passage SMC adopted a contractile phenotype marked by a relatively slower proliferation rate, higher expression of proteins of the contractile apparatus and smoothelin, elongated morphology, and reduced deposition of collagen types I and III. As the passage number increased, migratory capacity was enhanced, average cell speed, total distance and net distance travelled increased up to passage 8. Through the various assays, corroborative evidence pinpoints SMC at passage 7 as the transition point between the contractile and synthetic phenotypes, while passage 8 distinctly and consistently exhibited characteristics of synthetic phenotype. This knowledge is particularly useful in selecting SMC of appropriate passage number for the target vascular tissue engineering application, for example, a homeostatic vascular graft for blood vessel replacement versus recreating atherosclerotic blood vessel model in vitro. - Highlights: • Ability of human smooth muscle cells to alter phenotype in culture is evaluated. • Examined the effect of passaging human smooth muscle cells on phenotype. • Phenotype is assessed based on morphology, proliferation, markers, and migration. • Multi-resolution assessment methodology, single-cell and cell-population. • Lower and higher passages than P7 adopted a contractile and synthetic phenotype respectively.

In-depth evaluation of commercially available human vascular smooth muscle cells phenotype: Implications for vascular tissue engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Timraz, Sara B.H.; Farhat, Ilyas A.H.; Alhussein, Ghada; Christoforou, Nicolas; Teo, Jeremy C.M.

2016-01-01

In vitro research on vascular tissue engineering has extensively used isolated primary human or animal smooth muscle cells (SMC). Research programs that lack such facilities tend towards commercially available primary cells sources. Here, we aim to evaluate the capacity of commercially available human SMC to maintain their contractile phenotype, and determine if dedifferentiation towards the synthetic phenotype occurs in response to conventional cell culture and passaging without any external biochemical or mechanical stimuli. Lower passage SMC adopted a contractile phenotype marked by a relatively slower proliferation rate, higher expression of proteins of the contractile apparatus and smoothelin, elongated morphology, and reduced deposition of collagen types I and III. As the passage number increased, migratory capacity was enhanced, average cell speed, total distance and net distance travelled increased up to passage 8. Through the various assays, corroborative evidence pinpoints SMC at passage 7 as the transition point between the contractile and synthetic phenotypes, while passage 8 distinctly and consistently exhibited characteristics of synthetic phenotype. This knowledge is particularly useful in selecting SMC of appropriate passage number for the target vascular tissue engineering application, for example, a homeostatic vascular graft for blood vessel replacement versus recreating atherosclerotic blood vessel model in vitro. - Highlights: • Ability of human smooth muscle cells to alter phenotype in culture is evaluated. • Examined the effect of passaging human smooth muscle cells on phenotype. • Phenotype is assessed based on morphology, proliferation, markers, and migration. • Multi-resolution assessment methodology, single-cell and cell-population. • Lower and higher passages than P7 adopted a contractile and synthetic phenotype respectively.

Recent operating experience and improvement of commercial IGCC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-09-01

IGCC has today reached a status where experience is available from first and second generation plants, built in the 1970s/1980s and in the 1990s respectively, as commercial-scale demonstration plants for coal-based applications. These plants feature variations on gasification technology and subsequent environmental controls and in operating them a number of technical and commercial lessons have been learned that will help to improve the next generation of IGCC projects. The report reviews and summarises the state-of-the-art and operating experience of several commercial IGCC plants worldwide, setting out the lessons learned and plans for future development embracing such issues as the changes or modifications to plant made to overcome the operational problems and to improve the reliability and availability of the plant. Since IGCC is considered a 'capture ready' technology for CO2 abatement, the current status with regard to the incorporation of carbon capture and storage systems (CCS) has been reviewed. Finally, the report outlines the issues associated with assessing the risks in commercialising IGCC plant.

Population Status of Commercially Important Medicinal Plants in Dehradun Forest Division, Uttarakhand (India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ninad B. RAUT

2013-05-01

Full Text Available The objective of forest management in the tropics, in recent decades, has shifted from timber production to biodiversity conservation and maintenance of life support system. However, past forestry practices have greatly influenced the structure of plant communities, preponderance of foreign invasive species, populations of high value medicinal plants as well as other non-wood forest products. We assessed the abundance and distribution of medicinal plants in managed and undisturbed forests of Dehradun Forest Division (DFD, Uttarakhand (India. A total of 80 transects (each 1 km long were laid in various categories of forest types in DFD. This paper deals with distribution, availability and regeneration status of five commercially important species viz., Justicia adhatoda, Aegle marmelos, Phyllanthus emblica, Terminalia bellirica and Terminalia chebula, across different forest types. The study reveals that open canopy forest patches, Lantana infested patches and Acacia catechu-Dalbergia sissoo (Khair -Shisam woodlands in the eastern part of the DFD have excellent potential for the production and sustainable harvest of Justicia adhatoda. Areas those are less suitable for timber production viz., open hill forests, have greater potential for conservation and development of Aegle marmelos, Phyllanthus emblica and Terminalia bellirica. For the production and management of high value medicinal plants in the DFD these ecological considerations need to be kept in mind.

Enhancement of radiosensitivity of recombinant Ad-p53 gene on human lung adenocarcinoma cell with different p53 status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pang Dequan; Wang Peiguo; Wang Ping; Zhang Weiming

2008-01-01

Objective: To investigate the enhancement of radiosensitivity of recombinant Ad-p53 gene on human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines(A549 and GLC-82) with different p53 status in vitro. Methods: Two human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines of A549 and GLC-82 were examined on their difference in p53 status with immunohistochemistry stain and PCR-SSCP technique. Expand Ad-wtp53 was transfected into tumor cells. Clonogenic assays were performed to evaluate the inhibition effect on cell growth and the degree of sensitization to irradiation. Apoptosis and cell cycle changes were determined using the flow cytometry assay. Results: The A549 cell line presented positive P53 expression while GLC-82 negative. GLC-82 bore mutant p53 on the exon 7. The wtp53 gene could be efficiently expressed in the two cell lines and greatly inhibit the cell growth. Its efficiency didn't depend on the intrinsic p53 genetic status. After irradiation, its function of inducing G 1 arrest and apoptosis on GLC-82 cell line was much stronger than the A549 cell line. In both the A549 and GLC-82 cell lines, the combination of Ad-p53 plus radiation resulted in more apoptosis than the others. There was no significant difference between two groups. Conclusions: Ad-p53 can depress the tumor growth and enhance the radiosensitivity of human lung adenocarcinoma cells. And this effect is independent of endogenous p53 status. (authors)

Current status of feasibility studies on commercialized fuel cycle system for Fast Breeder Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ojima, Hisao; Nagaoki, Yoshihiro

2000-01-01

A 'Feasibility Studies on Commercialized Fast Breeder Reactor Cycle System' is underway at the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC). The study will select the promising concepts with their R and D tasks in order to commercialize the fast breeder reactor (FBR) cycle system. The feasibility studies (F/S) have to present surveyed and screened various relevant technologies, and defined the design requirement of the commercialized fuel cycle system for FBR. The promising technical options are being evaluated and conceptual designs are being examined. At the end of JFY2000, several candidate concepts of the commercialized FBR cycle system will be proposed. (author)

Quantifying changes in the cellular thiol-disulfide status during differentiation of B cells into antibody-secreting plasma cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Rosa Rebecca Erritzøe; Otsu, Mieko; Braakman, Ineke

2013-01-01

by the differentiation, steady-state levels of glutathionylated protein thiols are less than 0.3% of the total protein cysteines, even in fully differentiated cells, and the overall protein redox state is not affected until late in differentiation, when large-scale IgM production is ongoing. A general expansion......Plasma cells produce and secrete massive amounts of disulfide-containing antibodies. To accommodate this load on the secretory machinery, the differentiation of resting B cells into antibody-secreting plasma cells is accompanied by a preferential expansion of the secretory compartments of the cells...... of the ER does not affect global protein redox status until an extensive production of cargo proteins has started....

A temperature-controlled cell for X-ray study of liquid systems using a commercial DRON-UM1 diffractometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrun'kin, S.P.; Garavina, E.V.; Trostin, V.N.

1995-01-01

A container (cell) and a temperature-control system have been designed enabling one to carry out x-ray diffraction study of liquid samples both at a fixed temperature and within a certain temperature range using a commercial DRON-UMl x-ray diffractometer. Special features of the cell and the materials used for it allow one to study both chemically inert and corrosive liquids

In vitro ochratoxin A adsorption by commercial yeast cell walls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carina Maricel Pereyra

2015-03-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT. Pereyra C.M., Cavaglieri L.R., Keller K.M., Chiacchiera, S.M., Rosa C.A.R. & Dalcero A.M. In vitro ochratoxin A adsorption by commercial yeast cell walls. [Adsorção in vitro de ocratoxina A por paredes celulares de levedura comercial.] Revista Brasileira de Medicina Veterinária, 37(1:25-28, 2015. Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Ruta 36 Km 601, (5800 Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina. E-mail: lcavaglieri@exa.unrc.edu.ar The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ochratoxin A (OTA adsorption capacity by two kinds of commercial yeast cell walls (YCW1 and YCW2 used as dietary supplements. An in vitro test was designed to mimic the temperature (37ºC, pH (2 and passage time (30 min through the stomach of a monogastric animal. The test was performed using different concentrations of YWC (100 and 200 µg/mL and OTA (10; 80; 160 and 1000 ng/mL and extracts were quantified by HPLC. For each OTA concentration, two independent trials varying the concentration of each YCW were performed. The two YCW assayed containing different percentages of polysaccharides, were able to adsorb similar amounts of OTA. Furthermore, the relationship mannans/β-glucans does not influence the rate of adsorption of OTA. In general, it was observed that the adsorption capacity increased with decreasing OTA concentration. Results from this work related to adsorption capacity of OTA with YCW allow predicting that other factor than 3D-structure and β-glucans and mannans could be involved. Future studies could be conducted to test the in vivo binding ability to alleviate the toxic effects of OTA under field conditions. Both YCW are a promising mycotoxin adsorbent to be used in animal feed to prevent mycotoxicoses.

Comparative analysis of signature genes in PRRSV-infected porcine monocyte-derived cells at differential activation statuses

Science.gov (United States)

Activation statuses of monocytic cells are critically important for antiviral immunity. Devastating viruses like porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) are capable of directly infecting these cells, subverting host immunity. Monocyte-derived DCs (mDCs) are major target cells in ...

THE THIOREDOXIN SYSTEM IN REGULATING MCF-7 CELL PROLIFERATION UNDER REDOX STATUS MODULATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. A. Stepovaya

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Despite the available data on tumor cell functioning under the conditions of free radical-mediated oxidation, the mechanisms of redox regulation, cell proliferation management and apoptosis avoidance remain understudied.The objective of the study was to identify the role of the thioredoxin system in regulating MCF-7 breast cancer cell proliferation under redox status modulation with 1.4-dithioerythritol.Material and methods. The studies were conducted on the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line, grown in adherent cell culture. Cell redox status was modulated with5 mM N-ethylmaleimide – an SH group and peptide inhibitor and5 mM 1.4-dithioerythritol – a thiol group protector. The cell cycle was evaluated by flow cytometry, the same technique was used to measure the reactive oxygen species concentration. The levels of reduced and oxidized glutathione and the activity of thioredoxin reductase were identified by spectrophotometry. The intracellular concentrations of thioredoxin, cyclin E and cyclin-dependent kinase 2 were determined by Western blot analysis.Results and discussion. The essential role of the thioredoxin system in regulating MCF-7 breast cancer cell proliferation was exhibited. S-phase arrest under the effect of N-ethylmaleimide and G0/G1-phase arrest under the effect of 1.4-dithioerythritol are associated with the changes in the activity of redox-sensitive protein complexes (cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases that regulate cell proliferation.Conclusion. Redoxdependent modulation of proliferation regulating intracellular protein activity occurs due to the thioredoxin system. This is a promising research area for seeking molecular targets of breast cell malignization. 

Effects of commercial pectolytic and cellulolytic enzyme preparations on the apple cell wall.

Science.gov (United States)

Dongowski, G; Sembries, S

2001-09-01

The action of three different commercial enzyme combinations on apple cell wall material has been examined in a model system under conditions of mash and pomace treatment by using an alcohol-insoluble substance prepared from apples. A part of the total dietary fiber, for example, galacturonan (pectin), appeared in the soluble fraction after enzymatic mash treatment. The soluble fraction increased intensely during pomace treatment. Furthermore, enzyme actions caused a change in the water-binding capacity of residues as well as changes in the monosaccharide composition and in the molecular weight distribution of saccharides in filtrates (soluble parts). The extent of decomposition of cell wall material and the increase of soluble oligomeric and/or polymeric dietary fiber components are caused by both the composition (pectinases, cellulases, and hemicellulases) and the activities of the enzyme preparations. The model experiments allow an insight into the reactions occurring during enzyme action on the plant cell wall, for example, during apple juice production using pectolytic and cellulolytic enzyme preparations.

Benchmarking of commercially available CHO cell culture media for antibody production.

Science.gov (United States)

Reinhart, David; Damjanovic, Lukas; Kaisermayer, Christian; Kunert, Renate

2015-06-01

In this study, eight commercially available, chemically defined Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell culture media from different vendors were evaluated in batch culture using an IgG-producing CHO DG44 cell line as a model. Medium adaptation revealed that the occurrence of even small aggregates might be a good indicator of cell growth performance in subsequent high cell density cultures. Batch experiments confirmed that the culture medium has a significant impact on bioprocess performance, but high amino acid concentrations alone were not sufficient to ensure superior cell growth and high antibody production. However, some key amino acids that were limiting in most media could be identified. Unbalanced glucose and amino acids led to high cell-specific lactate and ammonium production rates. In some media, persistently high glucose concentrations probably induced the suppression of respiration and oxidative phosphorylation, known as Crabtree effect, which resulted in high cell-specific glycolysis rates along with a continuous and high lactate production. In additional experiments, two of the eight basal media were supplemented with feeds from two different manufacturers in six combinations, in order to understand the combined impact of media and feeds on cell metabolism in a CHO fed-batch process. Cell growth, nutrient consumption and metabolite production rates, antibody production, and IgG quality were evaluated in detail. Concentrated feed supplements boosted cell concentrations almost threefold and antibody titers up to sevenfold. Depending on the fed-batch strategy, fourfold higher peak cell concentrations and eightfold increased IgG titers (up to 5.8 g/L) were achieved. The glycolytic flux was remarkably similar among the fed-batches; however, substantially different specific lactate production rates were observed in the different media and feed combinations. Further analysis revealed that in addition to the feed additives, the basal medium can make a considerable

Curcumin protects neuronal cells against status-epilepticus-induced hippocampal damage through induction of autophagy and inhibition of necroptosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jin; Liu, Yuan; Li, Xiao-Hui; Zeng, Xiang-Chang; Li, Jian; Zhou, Jun; Xiao, Bo; Hu, Kai

2017-05-01

Status epilepticus, the most severe form of epilepsy, is characterized by progressive functional and structural damage in the hippocampus, ultimately leading to the development and clinical appearance of spontaneous, recurrent seizures. Although the pathogenesis underlying epileptogenesis processes remains unclear, a substantial body of evidence has shown that status epilepticus acts as an important initial factor in triggering epileptogenesis. Notably, besides classical cell death mechanisms such as apoptosis and necrosis, 2 novel regulators of cell fate known as necroptosis and autophagy, are demonstrated to be involved in neuronal damage in various neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. However, whether necroptosis and autophagy play a role in post-status-epilepticus rat hippocampus and other epilepsy mechanisms deserves further research effort. In addition, research is needed to determine whether compounds from traditional Chinese herbs possess antiepileptic effects through the modulation of necroptosis and autophagy. In this study, we found that curcumin, a polyphenolic phytochemical extracted from the Curcuma longa plant, protects neuronal cells against status-epilepticus-induced hippocampal neuronal damage in the lithium-pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus rat model through induction of autophagy and inhibition of necroptosis.

A FISH-based method for assessment of HER-2 amplification status in breast cancer circulating tumor cells following CellSearch isolation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frithiof H

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Henrik Frithiof,1 Kristina Aaltonen,1 Lisa Rydén2,3 1Division of Oncology and Pathology, 2Division of Surgery, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, 3Department of Surgery, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden Introduction: Amplification of the HER-2/neu (HER-2 proto-oncogene occurs in 10%–15% of primary breast cancer, leading to an activated HER-2 receptor, augmenting growth of cancer cells. Tumor classification is determined in primary tumor tissue and metastatic biopsies. However, malignant cells tend to alter their phenotype during disease progression. Circulating tumor cell (CTC analysis may serve as an alternative to repeated biopsies. The Food and Drug Administration-approved CellSearch system allows determination of the HER-2 protein, but not of the HER-2 gene. The aim of this study was to optimize a fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH-based method to quantitatively determine HER-2 amplification in breast cancer CTCs following CellSearch-based isolation and verify the method in patient samples. Methods: Using healthy donor blood spiked with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2-positive breast cancer cell lines, SKBr-3 and BT-474, and a corresponding negative control (the HER-2-negative MCF-7 cell line, an in vitro CTC model system was designed. Following isolation in the CellSearch system, CTC samples were further enriched and fixed on microscope slides. Immunocytochemical staining with cytokeratin and 4',6-diamidino-2'-phenylindole dihydrochloride identified CTCs under a fluorescence microscope. A FISH-based procedure was optimized by applying the HER2 IQFISH pharmDx assay for assessment of HER-2 amplification status in breast cancer CTCs. Results: A method for defining the presence of HER-2 amplification in single breast cancer CTCs after CellSearch isolation was established using cell lines as positive and negative controls. The method was validated in blood from breast cancer patients

Genetic Influence on the Peripheral Blood CD4+ T-cell Differentiation Status in CMV Infection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Goldeck, David; Larsen, Lisbeth Aagaard; Christiansen, Lene

2016-01-01

from the Danish Twin Registry for their T-cell differentiation status, assessed by surface expression of CD27, CD28, CD57, and KLRG-1. We observed a significant intraclass correlation between cotwins of MZ, but not DZ pairs for the differentiation status of CD4(+) and CD8(+) subsets. Classical......A latent infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV), a ubiquitous beta herpesvirus, is associated with an accumulation of late-differentiated memory T-cells, often accompanied by a reciprocal reduced frequency of early-differentiated cells (commonly also referred to as "naïve"). However, this impact...... of CMV on T-cell phenotypes is variable between individuals. Our previous findings in a subgroup of participants in the Leiden familial Longevity Study indicated an important role of genetics. For further testing, we have analyzed middle-aged monozygotic (MZ, n = 42) and dizygotic (DZ, n = 39) twin pairs...

Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration Commercialization Action Plans second quarter, FY-94

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaupanger, R.M.

1994-06-01

The Federal Government is extremely good at creating knowledge and developing new technology. However, our declining market share in many industries points to a weakness in our ability to successfully commercialize new discoveries. BWID assembled a team of qualified experts with expertise in technology transfer and broad-based technology knowledge to assist with this effort. Five new technologies were chosen to develop commercialization action plans. They include Dig-Face Characterization, Imaging Infrared Interferometer for Waste Characterization, Tensor Magnetic Gradiometer, Very Early Time Electromagnetic System, and Virtual Environment Generation of Buried Waste. Each plan includes a short description of the technology, a market overview, a list of potential customers, a description of competitors and the technology's competitive advantage, the status of intellectual property, the status of technology transfer, a table of action items, commercialization contacts, and program contacts

Fuel cells for commercial energy

Science.gov (United States)

Huppmann, Gerhard; Weisse, Eckart; Bischoff, Manfred

1990-04-01

The development of various types of fuel cells is described. Advantges and drawbacks are considered for alkaline fuel cells, phosphoric acid fuel cells, and molten carbonate fuel cells. It is shown that their modular construction is particularly adapted to power heat systems. A comparison which is largely in favor of fuel cells, is made between coal, oil, natural gas power stations, and fuel cells. Safety risks in operation are also compared with those of conventional power stations. Fuel cells are particularly suited for dwellings, shopping centers, swimming pools, other sporting installations, and research facilities, whose high current and heat requirements can be covered by power heat coupling.

Short Term Culture of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells with Commercial Osteoconductive Carriers Provides Unique Insights into Biocompatibility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew B. Murphy

2013-08-01

Full Text Available For spinal fusions and the treatment of non-union fractures, biological substrates, scaffolds, or carriers often are applied as a graft to support regeneration of bone. The selection of an appropriate material critically influences cellular function and, ultimately, patient outcomes. Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs are regarded as a critical component of bone healing. However, the interactions of BMSCs and commercial bone matrices are poorly reported. BMSCs were cultured with several commercially available bone substrates (allograft, demineralized bone matrix (DBM, collagen, and various forms of calcium phosphates for 48 h to understand their response to graft materials during surgical preparation and the first days following implantation (cell retention, gene expression, pH. At 30 and 60 min, bone chips and inorganic substrates supported significantly more cell retention than other materials, while collagen-containing materials became soluble and lost their structure. At 48 h, cells bound to β-tricalcium phosphate-hydroxyapatite (βTCP-HA and porous hydroxyapatite (HA granules exhibited osteogenic gene expression statistically similar to bone chips. Through 24 h, the DBM strip and βTCP-collagen became mildly acidic (pH 7.1–7.3, while the DBM poloxamer-putties demonstrated acidity (pH 10. The dissolution of DBM and collagen led to a loss of cells, while excessive pH changes potentially diminish cell viability and metabolism. Extracts from DBM-poloxamers induced osteogenic gene expression at 48 h. This study highlights the role that biochemical and structural properties of biomaterials play in cellular function, potentially enhancing or diminishing the efficacy of the overall therapy.

Technology transfer and commercialization of in situ vitrification technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, L.D.; Hansen, J.E.

1992-01-01

In situ vitrification (ISV) technology was conceived and an initial proof-of-principle test was conducted in 1980 by Battelle Memorial Institute for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) at Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL). The technology was rapidly developed through bench, engineering pilot, and large scales in the following years. In 1986, DOE granted rights to the basic ISV patent to Battelle in exchange for a commitment to commercialize the technology. Geosafe Corporation was established as the operating entity to accomplish the commercialization objective. This paper describes and provides status information on the technology transfer and commercialization effort

Commercial radioimmunoassay for beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin: falsely positive determinations due to elevated serum luteinizing hormone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fowler, J.E. Jr.; Platoff, G.E.; Kubrock, C.A.; Stuzman, R.E.

1982-01-01

Among 17 men who had received seemingly curative treatment for unilateral non-seminomatous germ cell tumors for the testis and who had consistently normal serum human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) levels at a reference laboratory, 7 (41%) had at least one falsely positive commercial serum HCG determination. To investigate the cause of these falsely positive determinations the authors measured the cross reactivity of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) standards in the commercial HCG assay, and studied the relationships between commercial HCG levels and serum LH levels, serum FSH levels and gonadal status in men with and without normal gonadal function. The falsely positive HCG determinations appeared to be due to elevated serum LH levels and cross reactivity of LH in the commercial HCG assay because: 1) there was substantial cross reactivity of the LH standards in the commercial assay, 2) the serum LH was elevated in four of six men with solitary testes, 3) there was a striking correlation between elevated serum LH levels and falsely elevated commercial HCG levels in ten men with solitary or absent testes, and 4) there were no falsely positive HCG determinations in 13 normal men but there were falsely positive HCG determinations in seven of ten anorchid men

A Study on the Use of Commercial Satellite Imagery for Monitoring of Yongbyon Nuclear Activities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jung Hyun; Kim, Min Soo [Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-10-15

It is particularly useful for the areas that are hard to access, such as the DPRK. On April 2009, North Korea expelled IAEA inspectors and USA disabling team at Yongbyon. Since then, there is not much left except for satellite imagery analysis. In this paper, we focused on the growing role and importance of commercial satellite imagery analysis for detecting and identifying nuclear activities at Yongbyon. For this, we examined monitoring capability of commercial satellite imagery status of commercial satellite imagery analysis to monitor the Yongbyon nuclear site. And we suggested several recommendations for enhancing the monitoring and analyzing capability. Current commercial satellite imagery has proven effective in monitoring for Yongbyon nuclear activities, especially change detection including the new construction activities. But identification and technical analysis of the operation status is still limited. In case of North Korea, operation status of 5 MWe reactor should be clearly identified to assess its plutonium production capability and to set up the negotiation strategy. To enhance the monitoring capability, we need much more thermal infrared imagery and radar imagery.

Proinflammatory T Cell Status Associated with Early Life Adversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Elwenspoek, Martha M C; Hengesch, Xenia; Leenen, Fleur A D; Schritz, Anna; Sias, Krystel; Schaan, Violetta K; Mériaux, Sophie B; Schmitz, Stephanie; Bonnemberger, Fanny; Schächinger, Hartmut; Vögele, Claus; Turner, Jonathan D; Muller, Claude P

2017-12-15

Early life adversity (ELA) has been associated with an increased risk for diseases in which the immune system plays a critical role. The ELA immune phenotype is characterized by inflammation, impaired cellular immunity, and immunosenescence. However, data on cell-specific immune effects are largely absent. Additionally, stress systems and health behaviors are altered in ELA, which may contribute to the generation of the ELA immune phenotype. The present investigation tested cell-specific immune differences in relationship to the ELA immune phenotype, altered stress parameters, and health behaviors in individuals with ELA ( n = 42) and those without a history of ELA (control, n = 73). Relative number and activation status (CD25, CD69, HLA-DR, CD11a, CD11b) of monocytes, NK cells, B cells, T cells, and their main subsets were assessed by flow cytometry. ELA was associated with significantly reduced numbers of CD69 + CD8 + T cells ( p = 0.022), increased numbers of HLA-DR + CD4 and HLA-DR + CD8 T cells ( p ELA also showed a trend toward higher numbers of CCR4 + CXCR3 - CCR6 + CD4 T cells. Taken together, our data suggest an elevated state of immune activation in ELA, in which particularly T cells are affected. Although several aspects of the ELA immune phenotype were related to increased activation markers, neither stress nor health-risk behaviors explained the observed group differences. Thus, the state of immune activation in ELA does not seem to be secondary to alterations in the stress system or health-risk behaviors, but rather a primary effect of early life programming on immune cells. Copyright © 2017 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

Impact of the p53 status of tumor cells on extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Wachter, Franziska; Grunert, Michaela; Blaj, Cristina; Weinstock, David M; Jeremias, Irmela; Ehrhardt, Harald

2013-04-17

The p53 protein is the best studied target in human cancer. For decades, p53 has been believed to act mainly as a tumor suppressor and by transcriptional regulation. Only recently, the complex and diverse function of p53 has attracted more attention. Using several molecular approaches, we studied the impact of different p53 variants on extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis signaling. We reproduced the previously published results within intrinsic apoptosis induction: while wild-type p53 promoted cell death, different p53 mutations reduced apoptosis sensitivity. The prediction of the impact of the p53 status on the extrinsic cell death induction was much more complex. The presence of p53 in tumor cell lines and primary xenograft tumor cells resulted in either augmented, unchanged or reduced cell death. The substitution of wild-type p53 by mutant p53 did not affect the extrinsic apoptosis inducing capacity. In summary, we have identified a non-expected impact of p53 on extrinsic cell death induction. We suggest that the impact of the p53 status of tumor cells on extrinsic apoptosis signaling should be studied in detail especially in the context of therapeutic approaches that aim to restore p53 function to facilitate cell death via the extrinsic apoptosis pathway.

Technology commercialization: From generating ideas to creating economic value

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tayeb Dehghani

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Frequent changes in competitors' status, technology, and customer interests make it unwise and impossible for companies to rely on their products. Customers always seek to find new products. Consequently, companies should continuously produce and offer superior products to meet customer needs, tastes, and expectations. In fact, every company needs a development plan for its new products. Research has demonstrated that one of the major reasons for rapid development of technology in industrial countries is commercialization of research results. The basis of such commercialization is research-industry collaboration in converting research output into innovation. Today, technology commercialization and its outcomes can provide financial resources required for organizational longevity. The main objective of this article is to propose a model for commercializing research findings from idea generation to initial market entry. We believe that this article can, hopefully, contribute to commercialization literature by acting as a guide to local authorities involved in commercialization cycle.

Periodontal status of HIV infected patients with special reference to CD4 cell count in West Bengal, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shallu Rozra

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the periodontal status of HIV seropositive patients and to find out if any correlation exists between the severity of periodontal disease and the CD4 cell count in HIV patients. Methods: One hundred and thirty patients attending the Viral Diseases OPD, Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata were examined. They were grouped according to the CD4 cell count as Group A - Subjects with CD4 Cell count < 200/ 毺 L and Group B - Subjects with CD4 Cell count 曒 200/ 毺 L. Their community periodontal index of treatment needs (CPITN score were recorded. Results: It was found that most of the patients in each group were having score ‘2’ (i.e. presence of supra or subgingival calculus, as their highest score. A statistically significant association was found between immune status as depicted by CD4 cell count and periodontal status as shown by highest CPITN score in the present study. Conclusions: The present study confirms the effect of immunosuppression on periodontal diseases in HIV infected patients.

Quantum cryptography: Theoretical protocols for quantum key distribution and tests of selected commercial QKD systems in commercial fiber networks

Science.gov (United States)

Jacak, Monika; Jacak, Janusz; Jóźwiak, Piotr; Jóźwiak, Ireneusz

2016-06-01

The overview of the current status of quantum cryptography is given in regard to quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols, implemented both on nonentangled and entangled flying qubits. Two commercial R&D platforms of QKD systems are described (the Clavis II platform by idQuantique implemented on nonentangled photons and the EPR S405 Quelle platform by AIT based on entangled photons) and tested for feasibility of their usage in commercial TELECOM fiber metropolitan networks. The comparison of systems efficiency, stability and resistivity against noise and hacker attacks is given with some suggestion toward system improvement, along with assessment of two models of QKD.

The Legitimation of Commercial Surrogacy in Russia

Science.gov (United States)

Dushina, A. D.; Kersha, Yu. D.; Larkina, T. Yu.; Provorova, D. D.

2016-01-01

Commodification is becoming an increasingly common phenomenon in the modern world. A vivid example of the commodification of unique objects is commercial surrogacy services, which transform the status of motherhood from being a "woman's social vocation" into a service whose end product is a human life that is valued in monetary terms.…

16 CFR Appendix D to Part 436 - Sample Item 20(3) Table-Status of Franchise Outlets

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Sample Item 20(3) Table-Status of Franchise Outlets D Appendix D to Part 436 Commercial Practices FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION TRADE REGULATION RULES... Item 20(3) Table—Status of Franchise Outlets Status of Franchise Outlets For years 2004 to 2006 Column...

Serial Assessment of Immune Status by Circulating CD8+ Effector T Cell Frequencies for Posttransplant Infectious Complications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shinji Uemoto

2008-01-01

Full Text Available To clarify the role of CD8+ effector T cells for infectious complications, 92 recipients were classified according to the hierarchical clustering of preoperative CD8+CD45 isoforms: Group I was naive, Group II was effector memory, and Group III was effector (E T cell-dominant. The posttransplant infection rates progressively increased from 29% in Group I to 64.3% in Group III recipients. The posttransplant immune status was compared with the pretransplant status, based on the measure (% difference and its graphical form (scatter plot. In Groups I and II, both approaches showed a strong upward deviation from pretransplant status upon posttransplant infection, indicating an enhanced clearance of pathogens. In Group III, in contrast, both approaches showed a clear downward deviation from preoperative status, indicating deficient cytotoxicity. The % E difference and scatter plot can be used as a useful indicator of a posttransplant infectious complication.

Implementing high-temperature short-time media treatment in commercial-scale cell culture manufacturing processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Pohlscheidt, Michael; Charaniya, Salim; Kulenovic, Fikret; Corrales, Mahalia; Shiratori, Masaru; Bourret, Justin; Meier, Steven; Fallon, Eric; Kiss, Robert

2014-04-01

The production of therapeutic proteins by mammalian cell culture is complex and sets high requirements for process, facility, and equipment design, as well as rigorous regulatory and quality standards. One particular point of concern and significant risk to supply chain is the susceptibility to contamination such as bacteria, fungi, mycoplasma, and viruses. Several technologies have been developed to create barriers for these agents to enter the process, e.g. filtration, UV inactivation, and temperature inactivation. However, if not implemented during development of the manufacturing process, these types of process changes can have significant impact on process performance if not managed appropriately. This article describes the implementation of the high-temperature short-time (HTST) treatment of cell culture media as an additional safety barrier against adventitious agents during the transfer of a large-scale commercial cell culture manufacturing process. The necessary steps and experiments, as well as subsequent results during qualification runs and routine manufacturing, are shown.

The Impact of Graphene on the Fabrication of Thin Film Solar Cells: Current Status and Future Prospects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhengqi Shi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Commercial solar cells have a power conversion efficiency (PCE in the range of 10–22% with different light absorbers. Graphene, with demonstrated unique structural, physical, and electrical properties, is expected to bring the positive effects on the development of thin film solar cells. Investigations have been carried out to understand whether graphene can be used as a front and back contacts and active interfacial layer in solar cell fabrication. In this review, the current progress of this research is analyzed, starting from the graphene and graphene-based Schottky diode. Also, the discussion was focused on the progress of graphene-incorporated thin film solar cells that were fabricated with different light absorbers, in particular, the synthesis, fabrication, and characterization of devices. The effect of doping and layer thickness of graphene on PCE was also included. Currently, the PCE of graphene-incorporated bulk-heterojunction devices have enhanced in the range of 0.5–3%. However, device durability and cost-effectiveness are also the challenging factors for commercial production of graphene-incorporated solar cells. In addition to the application of graphene, graphene oxides have been also used in perovskite solar cells. The current needs and likely future investigations for graphene-incorporated solar cells are also discussed.

Energy Factors in Commercial Mortgages: Gaps and Opportunities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mathew, Paul [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Coleman, Philip [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Wallace, Nancy [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Issler, Paulo [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Kolstad, Lenny [Inst. for Market Transformation, Washington, DC (United States); Sahadi, Robert [Inst. for Market Transformation, Washington, DC (United States)

2016-09-01

The commercial real estate mortgage market is enormous, with almost half a trillion dollars in deals originated in 2015. Relative to other energy efficiency financing mechanisms, very little attention has been paid to the potential of commercial mortgages as a channel for promoting energy efficiency investments. The valuation and underwriting elements of the business are largely driven by the “net operating income” (NOI) metric – essentially, rents minus expenses. While NOI ostensibly includes all expenses, energy factors are in several ways given short shrift in the underwriting process. This is particularly interesting when juxtaposed upon a not insignificant body of research revealing that there are in fact tangible benefits (such as higher valuations and lower vacancy and default rates) for energy-efficient and “green” commercial buildings. This scoping report characterizes the current status and potential interventions to promote greater inclusion of energy factors in the commercial mortgage process.

Status of commercial food irradiation in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Welt, M.A.

1983-01-01

It may be difficult for some to realize, but the United States is now starting its fourth decade in food irradiation research. This vast storehouse of research data now makes the ultimate task of bringing the technology to the consumer marketplace that much easier. Radiation Technology, Inc. of Rockaway, New Jersey has pioneered the use of radiation processing for the commercial preservation of food and has established the first food irradiation facility in the United States in West Memphis, Arkansas. The facility, designed by Radiation Technology, Inc., provides the necessary versatility to meet the needs of the food industry. (author)

Status of commercial food irradiation in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Welt, Martin A.

It may be difficult for some to realize, but the United States is now starting its fourth decade in food irradiation research. This vast storehouse of research data now makes the ultimate task of bringing the technology to the consumer marketplace that much easier. Radiation Technology, Inc. of Rockaway, New Jersey has pioneered the use of radiation processing for the commercial preservation of food and has established the first food irradiation facility in the United States in West Memphis, Arkansas. The facility, designed by Radiation Technology, Inc., provides the necessary versatility to meet the needs of the food industry.

FGF8 signaling sustains progenitor status and multipotency of cranial neural crest-derived mesenchymal cells in vivo and in vitro

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Meiying; Liu, Chao; Song, Yingnan; Ye, Wenduo; He, Wei; Yuan, Guohua; Gu, Shuping; Lin, Congxin; Ma, Liang; Zhang, Yanding; Tian, Weidong; Hu, Tao; Chen, YiPing

2015-01-01

The cranial neural crest (CNC) cells play a vital role in craniofacial development and regeneration. They are multi-potent progenitors, being able to differentiate into various types of tissues. Both pre-migratory and post-migratory CNC cells are plastic, taking on diverse fates by responding to different inductive signals. However, what sustains the multipotency of CNC cells and derivatives remains largely unknown. In this study, we present evidence that FGF8 signaling is able to sustain progenitor status and multipotency of CNC-derived mesenchymal cells both in vivo and in vitro. We show that augmented FGF8 signaling in pre-migratory CNC cells prevents cell differentiation and organogenesis in the craniofacial region by maintaining their progenitor status. CNC-derived mesenchymal cells with Fgf8 overexpression or control cells in the presence of exogenous FGF8 exhibit prolonged survival, proliferation, and multi-potent differentiation capability in cell cultures. Remarkably, exogenous FGF8 also sustains the capability of CNC-derived mesenchymal cells to participate in organogenesis such as odontogenesis. Furthermore, FGF8-mediated signaling strongly promotes adipogenesis but inhibits osteogenesis of CNC-derived mesenchymal cells in vitro. Our results reveal a specific role for FGF8 in the maintenance of progenitor status and in fate determination of CNC cells, implicating a potential application in expansion and fate manipulation of CNC-derived cells in stem cell-based craniofacial regeneration. PMID:26243590

The Effect Of Agricultural Commercialization On The Nutritional ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of agricultural commercialization on nutritional status of children in cocoa growing households in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State. A total of 120 cocoa growing households were randomly selected for the study. Anthropometric measures of 169 children were ...

Distribution of commercial Mobydick ( Gomphocarpus spp ) grown in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

However, there is no precise data on the available commercial varieties of ... The species has recently been domesticated in Kenya but characterization has not been done. ... farms and analyzed in JKUAT laboratory using the hydrometer method. ... The variety also dominates all agro-ecological zones at the current status.

Chromatin status of apoptosis genes correlates with sensitivity to chemo-, immune- and radiation therapy in colorectal cancer cell lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Benard, Anne; Janssen, Connie M; van den Elsen, Peter J; van Eggermond, Marja C J A; Hoon, Dave S B; van de Velde, Cornelis J H; Kuppen, Peter J K

2014-12-01

The apoptosis pathway of programmed cell death is frequently deregulated in cancer. An intact apoptosis pathway is required for proper response to anti-cancer treatment. We investigated the chromatin status of key apoptosis genes in the apoptosis pathway in colorectal cancer cell lines in relation to apoptosis induced by chemo-, immune- or radiation therapy. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), we measured the presence of transcription-activating histone modifications H3Ac and H3K4me3 and silencing modifications H3K9me3 and H3K27me3 at the gene promoter regions of key apoptosis genes Bax, Bcl2, Caspase-9, Fas (CD95) and p53. Cell lines DLD1, SW620, Colo320, Caco2, Lovo and HT29 were treated with cisplatin, anti-Fas or radiation. The apoptotic response was measured by flow cytometry using propidium iodide and annexin V-FITC. The chromatin status of the apoptosis genes reflected the activation status of the intrinsic (Bax, Bcl2, Caspase-9 and p53) and extrinsic (Fas) pathways. An active intrinsic apoptotic pathway corresponded to sensitivity to cisplatin and radiation treatment of cell lines DLD1, SW620 and Colo320. An active Fas promoter corresponded to an active extrinsic apoptotic pathway in cell line DLD1. mRNA expression data correlated with the chromatin status of the apoptosis genes as measured by ChIP. In conclusion, the results presented in this study indicate that the balance between activating and silencing histone modifications, reflecting the chromatin status of apoptosis genes, can be used to predict the response of tumor cells to different anti-cancer therapies and could provide a novel target to sensitize tumors to obtain adequate treatment responses.

The status of lightweight photovoltaic space array technology based on amorphous silicon solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Hanak, Joseph J.; Kaschmitter, Jim

1991-01-01

Ultralight, flexible photovoltaic (PV) array of amorphous silicon (a-Si) was identified as a potential low cost power source for small satellites. A survey was conducted of the status of the a-Si PV array technology with respect to present and future performance, availability, cost, and risks. For existing, experimental array blankets made of commercial cell material, utilizing metal foil substrates, the Beginning of Life (BOL) performance at Air Mass Zero (AM0) and 35 C includes total power up to 200 W, power per area of 64 W/sq m and power per weight of 258 W/kg. Doubling of power per weight occurs when polyimide substrates are used. Estimated End of Life (EOL) power output after 10 years in a nominal low earth orbit would be 80 pct. of BOL, the degradation being due to largely light induced effects (-10 to -15 pct.) and in part (-5 pct.) to space radiation. Predictions for the year 1995 for flexible PV arrays, made on the basis of published results for rigid a-Si modules, indicate EOL power output per area and per weight of 105 W/sq m and 400 W/kg, respectively, while predictions for the late 1990s based on existing U.S. national PV program goals indicate EOL values of 157 W/sq m and 600 W/kg. Cost estimates by vendors for 200 W ultralight arrays in volume of over 1000 units range from $100/watt to $125/watt. Identified risks include the lack of flexible, space compatible encapsulant, the lack of space qualification effort, recent partial or full acquisitions of US manufacturers of a-Si cells by foreign firms, and the absence of a national commitment for a long range development program toward developing of this important power source for space.

Laboratory evaluation of commercial interferon preparations

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The antiviral, antiproliferative and natural killer-cell. (NKC) stimulatory activities of four commercial the- ... activity; (ii) inhibition ofcell proliferation; and (iii) stimulation of natural killer-cells (NKCs). ..... on serial dilution and then dropped substantially when a specific dilution was reached. It was thus possible to define a 'titre' as.

Global Trends and Current Status of Commercial Urban Rooftop Farming

OpenAIRE

Devi Buehler; Ranka Junge

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to analyze current practices in commercial urban rooftop farming (URF). In recent years, URF has been experiencing increasing popularity. It is a practice that is well-suited to enhancing food security in cities and reducing the environmental impact that results from long transportation distances that are common in conventional agriculture. To date, most URF initiatives have been motivated by social and educational factors rather than the aim of creating large sustai...

Status of the INL high-temperature electrolysis research program –experimental and modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

J. E. O' Brien; C. M. Stoots; M. G. McKellar; E. A. Harvego; K. G. Condie; G. K. Housley; J. S. Herring; J. J. Hartvigsen

2009-04-01

This paper provides a status update on the high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) research and development program at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), with an overview of recent large-scale system modeling results and the status of the experimental program. System analysis results have been obtained using the commercial code UniSim, augmented with a custom high-temperature electrolyzer module. The process flow diagrams for the system simulations include an advanced nuclear reactor as a source of high-temperature process heat, a power cycle and a coupled steam electrolysis loop. Several reactor types and power cycles have been considered, over a range of reactor coolant outlet temperatures. In terms of experimental research, the INL has recently completed an Integrated Laboratory Scale (ILS) HTE test at the 15 kW level. The initial hydrogen production rate for the ILS test was in excess of 5000 liters per hour. Details of the ILS design and operation will be presented. Current small-scale experimental research is focused on improving the degradation characteristics of the electrolysis cells and stacks. Small-scale testing ranges from single cells to multiple-cell stacks. The INL is currently in the process of testing several state-of-the-art anode-supported cells and is working to broaden its relationship with industry in order to improve the long-term performance of the cells.

75 FR 8921 - Grant of Authority for Subzone Status; Brightpoint North America L.P. (Cell Phone Kitting and...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-26

... Status; Brightpoint North America L.P. (Cell Phone Kitting and Distribution) Indianapolis, IN Pursuant to... the cell phone kitting and distribution facilities of Brightpoint North America L.P., located in... cell phones at the facilities of Brightpoint North America L.P., located in Plainfield, Indiana...

Researches and commercialization of food irradiation technology in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Meixu; Ha Yiming; Chen Hao; Liu Chunquan; Chen Xiulan

2007-01-01

The status of food irradiation on research, standard and commercialization is described in the paper. The main research fields now include degradation of chloramphenicol residue by irradiation, promoting safety of meat products, frozen seafood and ready-to-eat products by irradiation, lower activity of allergic protein by irradiation, identification of irradiated food and irradiation as a phytosanitary treatment. The existed standards need to be revised, and new standard need to be established. The commercialization stages of food irradiation and quality assurance system of irradiation company are also analyzed. (authors)

Building a CAR Garage: Preparing for the Delivery of Commercial CAR T Cell Products at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Science.gov (United States)

Perica, Karlo; Curran, Kevin J; Brentjens, Renier J; Giralt, Sergio A

2018-03-01

Two commercial chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies for CD19-expressing B cell malignancies, Kymriah and Yescarta, have recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The administration of CAR T cells is a complex endeavor involving cell manufacture, tracking and shipping of apheresis products, and management of novel and severe toxicities. At Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, we have identified 8 essential tasks that define the CAR T cell workflow. In this review, we discuss practical aspects of CAR T cell program development, including clinical, administrative, and regulatory challenges for successful implementation. Copyright © 2018 The American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The status of commercial and developmental HTS wires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Masur, L.J.; Buczek, D.; Harley, E.; Kodenkandath, T.; Li, X.; Lynch, J.; Nguyen, N.; Rupich, M.; Schoop, U.; Scudiere, J.; Siegal, E.; Thieme, C.; Verebelyi, D.; Zhang, W.; Kellers, J

2003-10-15

This paper provides an update on the development, performance and application of first and second generation high temperature superconductor (HTS) wires fabricated at American Superconductor (AMSC). First generation, multifilamentary composite wire is available commercially today in different viable product forms. This conductor carries 140 x the current of copper of the same cross-section, and is robust enough to stand tough industrial requirements. Second generation HTS wires, having a coated conductor composite architecture, are under development today and achieved substantial progress recently. AMSC's first generation wire will continue as the workhorse of the industry for the next 3-4 years while AMSC's second generation coated conductor wire is on track to be reproducible, uniform, scalable, and low cost. This paper provides a product differentiation with a view on the application of HTS wire in the electric power sector. Basic engineering data is reviewed that shall aid the engineer in the selection of the HTS wire product.

G2-block after irradiation of cells with different p53 status

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zoelzer, Friedo [University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Department of Radiology, Toxicology and Civil Protection, Faculty of Health and Social Studies, Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic); University Duisburg-Essen, Institute of Medical Radiobiology, Medical Faculty, Essen (Germany); Jagetia, Ganesh [University Duisburg-Essen, Institute of Medical Radiobiology, Medical Faculty, Essen (Germany); Mizoram University, Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Aizawl (India); Streffer, Christian [University Duisburg-Essen, Institute of Medical Radiobiology, Medical Faculty, Essen (Germany)

2014-11-15

Although it is clear that functional p53 is not required for radiation-induced G{sub 2} block, certain experimental findings suggest a role for p53 in this context. For instance, as we also confirm here, the maximum accumulation in the G{sub 2} compartment after X-ray exposure occurs much later in p53 mutants than in wild types. It remains to be seen, however, whether this difference is due to a longer block in the G{sub 2} phase itself. We observed the movement of BrdU-labeled cells through G{sub 2} and M into G{sub 1}. From an analysis of the fraction of labeled cells that entered the second posttreatment cell cycle, we were able to determine the absolute duration of the G{sub 2} and M phases in unirradiated and irradiated cells. Our experiments with four cell lines, two melanomas and two squamous carcinomas, showed that the radiation-induced delay of transition through the G{sub 2} and M phases did not correlate with p53 status. We conclude that looking at the accumulation of cells in the G{sub 2} compartment alone is misleading when differences in the G{sub 2} block are investigated and that the G{sub 2} block itself is indeed independent of functional p53. (orig.) [German] Obwohl klar ist, dass ein funktionelles p53-Protein fuer die Ausbildung des strahleninduzierten G{sub 2}-Blocks nicht zwingend erforderlich ist, gibt es experimentelle Befunde, die nahe legen, dass p53 in diesem Zusammenhang doch eine gewisse Rolle spielt. Zum Beispiel bestaetigen wir hier fruehere Berichte, dass die Akkumulation von Zellen im G{sub 2}-Kompartiment bei p53-Mutanten deutlich spaeter nach Bestrahlung ihr Maximum erreicht als bei p53-Wildtypen. Es bleibt jedoch zu klaeren, ob dieser Unterschied seinen Grund in einem laengeren Block der G{sub 2}-Phase selbst hat. Beobachtet wurde die Bewegung von BrdU-markierten Zellen durch G{sub 2} und M nach G{sub 1}. Aus der zeitlichen Veraenderung des Anteils markierter Zellen im G{sub 1}-Kompartiment des naechsten Zellzyklus konnte die

Aflatoxin status of some commercial dry dog foods in Ibadan, Nigeria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The occurrence of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 in commercial dry dog foods in the city of Ibadan, Southwest Nigeria, was investigated. Dry dog food samples from 6 producers were purchased on five different occasions from retail outlets in Ibadan, Nigeria. High performance liquid chromatography was used for separation ...

Commercial nuclear power 1990

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

This report presents the status at the end of 1989 and the outlook for commercial nuclear capacity and generation for all countries in the world with free market economies (FME). The report provides documentation of the US nuclear capacity and generation projections through 2030. The long-term projections of US nuclear capacity and generation are provided to the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) for use in estimating nuclear waste fund revenues and to aid in planning the disposal of nuclear waste. These projections also support the Energy Information Administration's annual report, Domestic Uranium Mining and Milling Industry: Viability Assessment, and are provided to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The foreign nuclear capacity projections are used by the DOE uranium enrichment program in assessing potential markets for future enrichment contracts. The two major sections of this report discuss US and foreign commercial nuclear power. The US section (Chapters 2 and 3) deals with (1) the status of nuclear power as of the end of 1989; (2) projections of nuclear capacity and generation at 5-year intervals from 1990 through 2030; and (3) a discussion of institutional and technical issues that affect nuclear power. The nuclear capacity projections are discussed in terms of two projection periods: the intermediate term through 2010 and the long term through 2030. A No New Orders case is presented for each of the projection periods, as well as Lower Reference and Upper Reference cases. 5 figs., 30 tabs

Commercial nuclear power 1990

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1990-09-28

This report presents the status at the end of 1989 and the outlook for commercial nuclear capacity and generation for all countries in the world with free market economies (FME). The report provides documentation of the US nuclear capacity and generation projections through 2030. The long-term projections of US nuclear capacity and generation are provided to the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) for use in estimating nuclear waste fund revenues and to aid in planning the disposal of nuclear waste. These projections also support the Energy Information Administration's annual report, Domestic Uranium Mining and Milling Industry: Viability Assessment, and are provided to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The foreign nuclear capacity projections are used by the DOE uranium enrichment program in assessing potential markets for future enrichment contracts. The two major sections of this report discuss US and foreign commercial nuclear power. The US section (Chapters 2 and 3) deals with (1) the status of nuclear power as of the end of 1989; (2) projections of nuclear capacity and generation at 5-year intervals from 1990 through 2030; and (3) a discussion of institutional and technical issues that affect nuclear power. The nuclear capacity projections are discussed in terms of two projection periods: the intermediate term through 2010 and the long term through 2030. A No New Orders case is presented for each of the projection periods, as well as Lower Reference and Upper Reference cases. 5 figs., 30 tabs.

Commercial integration and partnering at Savannah River Site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steele, J.R. [Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States); Babione, R.A.; Shikashio, L.A.; Wacaster, A.J.; Paterson, A.D. [SCIENTECH, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

1994-06-01

Savannah River Site (SRS), particularly the Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) with the experience from the first successful Integrated Technology Demonstration, can provide an excellent foundation for meeting DOE-EM`s objectives with the new DOE-EM five focus area approach. With this in mind, SRTC established an activity to pursue full commercialization of environmental technologies. This report is an assessment of the status of commercialization at SRS and provides recommendations for enhancement as well as some tools critical to implementation. A review was made of the current situation at SRS with regards to taking technology development to commercial fruition. This was done from the perspective of comparing it to known commercialization models and processes. It was found that SRTC already works through many of the steps in these processes. With integration and action-oriented efforts of the inclusion of business and market factors, SRTC could become an aggressive, successful developer of commercialized technologies. Commercial success criteria tools were developed with regards to integrating them with SRTC selection criteria to ensure that all critical factors are covered in technology commercialization project evaluations. Private investors are very clear that their interest lies in funding commercial enterprises, not merely technologies. Mobilizing private capital is critical to real job growth and long-term economic development. Also, potential industry partners were identified that are willing to be involved with SRS` technology applications and regional development efforts. As another important component to success, regional support organizations were reviewed and evaluated.

Research and Development of Zinc Air Fuel Cell To Achieve Commercialization Final Report CRADA No. TC-1544-98

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cooper, J. F. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Haley, H. D. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2017-09-28

The specific goal of this project was to advance the development of the zinc air fuel cell (ZAFC) towards commercial readiness in different mobile applications, including motor bikes, passenger cars, vans, buses and off-road vehicles (golf carts, factory equipment), and different stationary applications including generator sets, uninterruptible power systems and electric utility loading leveling and distributive power.

AlliedSignal solid oxide fuel cell technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minh, N.; Barr, K.; Kelly, P.; Montgomery, K. [AlliedSignal Aerospace Equipment Systems, Torrance, CA (United States)

1996-12-31

AlliedSignal has been developing high-performance, lightweight solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology for a broad spectrum of electric power generation applications. This technology is well suited for use in a variety of power systems, ranging from commercial cogeneration to military mobile power sources. The AlliedSignal SOFC is based on stacking high-performance thin-electrolyte cells with lightweight metallic interconnect assemblies to form a compact structure. The fuel cell can be operated at reduced temperatures (600{degrees} to 800{degrees}C). SOFC stacks based on this design has the potential of producing 1 kW/kg and 1 ML. This paper summarizes the technical status of the design, manufacture, and operation of AlliedSignal SOFCs.

IL-8 expression and its possible relationship with estrogen-receptor-negative status of breast cancer cells

Science.gov (United States)

Freund, Ariane; Chauveau, Corine; Brouillet, Jean-Paul; Lucas, Annick; Lacroix, Matthieu; Licznar, Anne; Vignon, Françoise; Lazennec, Gwendal

2003-01-01

Estrogen receptor (ER) status is an important parameter in breast cancer management as ER-positive breast cancers have a better prognosis than ER-negative tumors. This difference comes essentially from the lower aggressiveness and invasiveness of ER-positive tumors. Here, we demonstrate, that IL-8 was clearly overexpressed in most ER-negative breast, ovary cell lines and breast tumor samples tested, whereas no significant IL-8 level could be detected in ER-positive breast or ovarian cell lines. We have also cloned human IL-8 from ER-negative MDA-MB-231 cells and we show that IL-8 produced by breast cancer cells is identical to monocyte-derived IL-8. Interestingly, the invasion potential of ER-negative breast cancer cells is associated at least in part with expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8), but not with IL-8 receptors levels. Moreover, IL-8 increases the invasiveness of ER-positive breast cancer cells by 2 fold, thus confirming the invasion-promoting role of IL-8. On the other hand, exogenous expression of estrogen receptors in ER-negative cells led to a decrease of IL-8 levels. In summary, our data show that IL-8 expression is negatively linked to ER-status of breast and ovarian cancer cells. We also support the idea that IL-8 expression is associated with a higher invasiveness potential of cancer cells in vitro, which suggests that IL-8 could be a novel marker of tumor aggressiveness. PMID:12527894

An in vitro inhibition of human malignant cell growth of crude water extract of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz and commercial linamarin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nashiru Billa

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Epidemiological studies had shown a link between low incidences of cancer in communities where cassava intake is the main staple. The prophylactic action of cassava intake and its deleterious effect on humans are attributed mainly to the expressed toxicity of the aglycone moiety of the cyanogenic glucoside linamarin, when the latter breaks down. The effect of crude water extract of cassava leaf and that of commercial linamarin was investigated on two human tumor cell lines Caov-3 (ovarian, and HeLa (cervical adenocarcinoma in vitro, using the MTT- assay for cell growth inhibition/cytotoxicity. The effect of the enzyme linamarase (EC 3.2.1.21, a β-glucosidase also tapped from the cassava plant and treated appropriately was tested on one of the cell lines. Crude water extract or commercial linamarin was added in a final concentration of 300 µg/ml with or without the partially purified enzyme (10% added of total cell volume and culture medium to the seeded cells. The water extract was more efficacious, eliciting an IC50 value of 38 µg/ ml and 57 µg/ml, respectively, for the ovarian and cervical cell lines, while the commercial linamarin shows a growth inhibition of 150 and 210 µg/ml, respectively, for the two cell lines. Inclusion of the enzyme on a linamarin treated cervical cell line improved the growth inhibition to 40 µg/ml. The antineoplastic effect exhibited by the two samples containing the cyanogenic glucoside is explained in terms of the activity of endogenous/exogenous linamarase, presence of dietary factors in the crude extract, and a possibly induced bystander effect. Tumors are unlikely to develop any resistance against hydrocyanic acid, due to its inhibitory role in oxidative phosphorylation. Additionally, an inbuilt mechanism in vivo ensures detoxification of excess cyanide that may seep to the surrounding normal tissues. Thus properly administered by increasing the prodrug concentration at the tumor site and decreasing its

Correlation between HPV status at T and N sites of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Josiassen, Michael Vallop; Charabi, Birgitte; Lajer, Christel Braemer

2017-01-01

Objectives: Human papilloma virus (HPV) is known to be associated with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCC) and may potentially play a vital role in tumor metastasis. The purpose of this study was to correlate HPV status of cervical lymph node metastases with their respective primary...

Status of commercial nuclear high-level waste disposal. Special report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dau, G.J.; Williams, R.F.

1976-09-01

The results of this review, presented in the form of a functional description of high level waste management system, shows that technology is available to dispose of nuclear waste safely by several different processes. The most attractive alternative in terms of available technology and shortness of time to demonstrate it at commercial scale is a system that converts the waste to a solid by immobilizing the radioactive elements in a glass matrix. Brief comments are also given on international efforts in high level waste management and advanced disposal concepts

Presence of nanosilica (E551) in commercial food products: TNF-mediated oxidative stress and altered cell cycle progression in human lung fibroblast cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Athinarayanan, Jegan; Periasamy, Vaiyapuri Subbarayan; Alsaif, Mohammed A; Al-Warthan, Abdulrahman A; Alshatwi, Ali A

2014-04-01

Silica (E551) is commonly used as an anti-caking agent in food products. The morphology and the dimension of the added silica particles are not, however, usually stated on the food product label. The food industry has adapted nanotechnology using engineered nanoparticles to improve the quality of their products. However, there has been increased debate regarding the health and safety concerns related to the use of engineered nanoparticles in consumer products. In this study, we investigated the morphology and dimensions of silica (E551) particles in food. The silica content of commercial food products was determined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The result indicates that 2.74-14. 45 μg/g silica was found in commercial food products; however, the daily dietary intake in increase causes adverse effects on human health. E551 was isolated from food products and the morphology, particle size, crystalline nature, and purity of the silica particles were analyzed using XRD, FTIR, TEM, EDX and DLS. The results of these analyses confirmed the presence of spherical silica nanoparticles (of amorphous nature) in food, approximately 10-50 nm in size. The effects of E551 on human lung fibroblast cell viability, intracellular ROS levels, cell cycle phase, and the expression levels of metabolic stress-responsive genes (CAT, GSTA4, TNF, CYP1A, POR, SOD1, GSTM3, GPX1, and GSR1) were studied. The results suggest that E551 induces a dose-dependent cytotoxicity and changes in ROS levels and alters the gene expression and cell cycle. Treatment with a high concentration of E551 caused significant cytotoxic effects on WI-38 cells. These findings have implications for the use of these nanoparticles in the food industry.

Commercial nuclear reactors and waste: the current status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Platt, A.M.; Robinson, J.V.

1980-04-01

During the last five years, the declared size of the commercial light water reactor (LWR) nuclear power industry in the US has steadily decreased. As of January 1980, the total number of power plants had dropped to 191 from the 226 in December 31, 1974. At least another nine were cancelled in the last few months. This report was developed as the first of a series to track implications to waste management due to such changes in the declared size of the industry. For the presently declared size, key conclusions are: the declared reactors will peak at a capacity of 162 GWe and consume about 10 6 MTU as enrichment feed. As few as two repositories of about 100,000 MTHM capacity each would hold the waste. Predisposal storage (reactor basins and AFRs) would peak at less than 100,000 MTHM (in the year 2020) with one repository opening in the year 1997 and the other in the year 2020. Most of the 100,000 MTHM would have to be in AFR storage unless current practice regarding reactor basin size was radically changed

Understanding Hematopoietic Stem Cell Development through Functional Correlation of Their Proliferative Status with the Intra-aortic Cluster Architecture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antoniana Batsivari

2017-06-01

Full Text Available During development, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs emerge in the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM region through a process of multi-step maturation and expansion. While proliferation of adult HSCs is implicated in the balance between self-renewal and differentiation, very little is known about the proliferation status of nascent HSCs in the AGM region. Using Fucci reporter mice that enable in vivo visualization of cell-cycle status, we detect increased proliferation during pre-HSC expansion followed by a slowing down of cycling once cells start to acquire a definitive HSC state, similar to fetal liver HSCs. We observe time-specific changes in intra-aortic hematopoietic clusters corresponding to HSC maturation stages. The proliferative architecture of the clusters is maintained in an orderly anatomical manner with slowly cycling cells at the base and more actively proliferating cells at the more apical part of the cluster, which correlates with c-KIT expression levels, thus providing an anatomical basis for the role of SCF in HSC maturation.

Status and prospects of fuel cell technology in Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Dijkum

1998-01-01

Fuel Cells attract a lot of press attention today and an some example of a recent press heading is: ''Orders for Onsi's fuel cells hit $111 million''. The principle of fuel cell technology is explained and examples of realized applications given. In short: fuel cells can be used everywhere where power (and heat) is needed. Regarding the status of fuel cells, Europe is way behind Japan and the US. The 15 PAFC-200 kWe units in operation in Europe (worldwide > 90 units) produced 46,796 MWhe during 296,704 cumulative operating hours with an availability % over 70.00. The world record on continuous operation is held by Japan with 9,478 hours reached at 14th September 1996 and two PAFC-units passed their 40,000 hours of cumulative operation (US and Japan). In Japan, market enabling support is continued with subsidies of one third of the costs for 7 PAFC-units. In the Netherlands, Energy Distribution Companies test their tubular 100 kWe SOFC-unit. During 1,335 hours of continuous operation, the unit produced 165 MWhe in total at 3rd March. EnergieNed, CLC/Ansaldo and Gastec evaluated changes for co-generation and small power production with packaged fuel cell power plants in EU and EFTA countries. In general the authors concluded that implementation of fuel cell power plants in all EU and EFTA countries will be probably possible with today' s technical regulations. On might wonder: What has fuel cell technology to offer in one of the most efficient and low-priced gas economies in Europe, the Netherlands. An example of efficient energy use are greenhouses with artificial lighting and CO 2 -fertilization and energy (heat) storage device. Applying relatively favorable depreciation periods and (utility) interest rate, a PAFC 200 kWe generates just a positive return (IRR = 1.7 % after taxes and subsidies) when part of a gas-engine capacity is replaced

Technical summaries of Scotian Shelf - significant and commercial discoveries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickey, J.E.; Bigelow, S.F.; Edens, J.A.; Brown, D.E.; Smith, B.; Makrides, C.; Mader, R.

1997-03-01

An independent assessment of the recoverable hydrocarbon resource currently held under' Significant and Commercial Discovery' status offshore Nova Scotia was presented. A generalized description of the regulatory issues regarding the discovered resources within the Scotian Basin was included. Twenty discoveries have been declared significant and two have been declared commercial, pursuant to the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Acts. Salient facts about each discovery were documented. The information included the wells drilled within the structure, significant flow tests, geological and geophysical attributes, structural cross-section and areal extent, petrophysical parameters, hydrocarbons in place and anticipated hydrocarbon recoverable resource. tabs., figs

Employing Hot Wire Anemometry to Directly Measure the Water Balance of a Commercial Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Stack

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shakhshir, Saher Al; Berning, Torsten

2016-01-01

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC’s) are currently being commercialized for various applications ranging from automotive (e.g. the Toyota Mirai) to stationary such as powering telecom backup units. In PEMFC’s, oxygen from air is internally combined with hydrogen to form water and produce...... and increased degradation rates. Clearly, a fundamental understanding of all aspects of water management in PEMFC is imperative. This includes the fuel cell water balance, i.e. which fraction of the product water leaves the fuel cell via the anode channels versus the cathode channel. Our research group...... signal received gives valuable insight into heat and mass transfer phenomena in a PEMFC....

Tracking the Oxygen Status in the Cell Nucleus with a Hoechst-Tagged Phosphorescent Ruthenium Complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Hara, Daiki; Umehara, Yui; Son, Aoi; Asahi, Wataru; Misu, Sotaro; Kurihara, Ryohsuke; Kondo, Teruyuki; Tanabe, Kazuhito

2018-05-04

Molecular oxygen in living cells is distributed and consumed inhomogeneously, depending on the activity of each organelle. Therefore, tractable methods that can be used to monitor the oxygen status in each organelle are needed to understand cellular function. Here we report the design of a new oxygen-sensing probe for use in the cell nucleus. We prepared "Ru-Hoechsts", each consisting of a phosphorescent ruthenium complex linked to a Hoechst 33258 moiety, and characterized their properties as oxygen sensors. The Hoechst unit shows strong DNA-binding properties in the nucleus, and the ruthenium complex shows oxygen-dependent phosphorescence. Thus, Ru-Hoechsts accumulated in the cell nucleus and showed oxygen-dependent signals that could be monitored. Of the Ru-Hoechsts prepared in this study, Ru-Hoechst b, in which the ruthenium complex and the Hoechst unit were linked through a hexyl chain, showed the most suitable properties for monitoring the oxygen status. Ru-Hoechsts are probes with high potential for visualizing oxygen fluctuations in the nucleus. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The current status and future of commercial embryo transfer in cattle.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasler, John F

2003-12-15

A commercially viable cattle embryo transfer (ET) industry was established in North America during the early 1970s, approximately 80 years after the first successful embryo transfer was reported in a mammal. Initially, techniques for recovering and transferring cattle embryos were exclusively surgical. However, by the late 1970s, most embryos were recovered and transferred nonsurgically. Successful cryopreservation of embryos was widespread by the early 1980s, followed by the introduction of embryo splitting, in vitro procedures, direct transfer of frozen embryos and sexing of embryos. The wide spread adoption of ethylene glycol as a cryoprotectant has simplified the thaw-transfer procedures for frozen embryos. The number of embryos recovered annually has not grown appreciably over the last 10 years in North America and Europe; however, there has been significant growth of commercial ET in South America. Within North America, ET activity has been relatively constant in Holstein cattle, whereas there has been a large ET increase in the Angus breed and a concomitant ET decrease in some other beef breeds. Although a number of new technologies have been adopted within the ET industry in the last decade, the basic procedure of superovulation of donor cattle has undergone little improvement over the last 20 years. The export-import of frozen cattle embryos has become a well-established industry, governed by specific health regulations. The international movement of embryos is subject to sudden and dramatic disturbances, as exemplified by the 2001 outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Great Britain. It is probable that there will be an increased influence of animal rights issues on the ET industry in the future. Several companies in North America are currently commercially producing cloned cattle. The sexing of bovine semen with the use of flow cytometry is extremely accurate and moderate pregnancy rates in heifers have been achieved in field trials, but sexed semen

Dandruff: The most commercially exploited skin disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ranganathan S

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The article discuss in detail about the prevalence, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations of dandruff including the etio-pathology. The article also discusses in detail about various treatment methods available for dandruff. The status of dandruff being amphibious - a disease/disorder, and relatively less medical intervention is sought after for the treatment, dandruff is the most commercially exploited skin and scalp disorder/disease by personal care industries.

Program of scientific investigations and development of solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFC) in VIITF proposals on scientific and technical collaboration and SOFC commercialization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kleschev, Yu.N.; Chulharev, V.F.

1996-04-01

Investigations being performed at VNIITF covers the whole cycle of solid oxide fuel cell manufacturing. This report describes the main directions of investigations in materials, technologies, and commercialization.

Process modeling of a reversible solid oxide cell (r-SOC) energy storage system utilizing commercially available SOC reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mottaghizadeh, Pegah; Santhanam, Srikanth; Heddrich, Marc P.; Friedrich, K. Andreas; Rinaldi, Fabio

2017-01-01

Highlights: • An electric energy storage system was developed based on a commercially available SOC reactor. • Heat generated in SOFC mode of r-SOC is utilized in SOEC operation of r-SOC using latent heat storage. • A round trip efficiency of 54.3% was reached for the reference system at atmospheric pressure. • An improved process system design achieved a round-trip efficiency of 60.4% at 25 bar. - Abstract: The increase of intermittent renewable energy contribution in power grids has urged us to seek means for temporal decoupling of electricity production and consumption. A reversible solid oxide cell (r-SOC) enables storage of surplus electricity through electrochemical reactions when it is in electrolysis mode. The reserved energy in form of chemical compounds is then converted to electricity when the cell operates as a fuel cell. A process system model was implemented using Aspen Plus® V8.8 based on a commercially available r-SOC reactor experimentally characterized at DLR. In this study a complete self-sustaining system configuration is designed by optimal thermal integration and balance of plant. Under reference conditions a round trip efficiency of 54.3% was achieved. Generated heat in fuel cell mode is exploited by latent heat storage tanks to enable endothermic operation of reactor in its electrolysis mode. In total, out of 100 units of thermal energy stored in heat storage tanks during fuel cell mode, 90% was utilized to offset heat demand of system in its electrolysis mode. Parametric analysis revealed the significance of heat storage tanks in thermal management even when reactor entered its exothermic mode of electrolysis. An improved process system design demonstrates a system round-trip efficiency of 60.4% at 25 bar.

The Impact of Smoking Status on the Efficacy of Erlotinib in Patients with Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yilong WU

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Background and objective Erlotinib is a targeted treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Smoking status may be one of influencing factors of the efficacy of erlotinib. The aim of this study is to explore the impact of smoking status on the efficacy of erlotinib in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Methods Patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer who had been previously treated with at least one course of platinum based chemotherapy received 150 mg oral doses of erlotinib once daily until disease progression. Response rate, progression-free survival, overall survival were analyzed in the different smoking status groups. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the survival rate. Results Fortyeight patients were enrolled into the study from December 2005 to September 2006. We followed up these patients until 28th December, 2008. Median follow up time was 30 months. The compliance rate was 100%. The response rate was 32.1% in the smoking group and 35% in the never smoking group (P=0.836; The median progression-free survival was 3 months and 9 months, respectively (P=0.033. The median overall survival was 5 months and 17 months, respectively (P=0.162. Conclusion Erlotinib is an effective drug for advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients with different smoking status. Progressionfree survival is better in the never smoking patients than the smoking patients.

Third International Fuel Cell Conference. Proceedings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-11-30

The Third International Fuel Cell Conference was held on November 30 to December 3, 1999 in City of Nagoya. A total of 139 papers, including those for plenary, sectional and poster cessions, were presented. In the plenary session, US's DOE presented fuel cell power plant development in the United States, EC fuel cells in perspective and fifth European framework programme, and Japan overview of the New Sunshine Program. In the polymer electrolyte fuel cells sessions, 23 papers were presented, including current status of commercialization and PEMFC systems developed by Toshiba. In the phosphoric acid fuel cells session, 6 papers were presented, including field test results and market developments. In the molten carbonate fuel cells session, 24 papers were presented, including development of 1,000kW MCFC power plant. In the solid oxide fuel cells session, 20 papers were presented, including 100kW SOFC field test results. The other topics include market analysis and fuel processes. (NEDO)

Third International Fuel Cell Conference. Proceedings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-11-30

The Third International Fuel Cell Conference was held on November 30 to December 3, 1999 in City of Nagoya. A total of 139 papers, including those for plenary, sectional and poster cessions, were presented. In the plenary session, US's DOE presented fuel cell power plant development in the United States, EC fuel cells in perspective and fifth European framework programme, and Japan overview of the New Sunshine Program. In the polymer electrolyte fuel cells sessions, 23 papers were presented, including current status of commercialization and PEMFC systems developed by Toshiba. In the phosphoric acid fuel cells session, 6 papers were presented, including field test results and market developments. In the molten carbonate fuel cells session, 24 papers were presented, including development of 1,000kW MCFC power plant. In the solid oxide fuel cells session, 20 papers were presented, including 100kW SOFC field test results. The other topics include market analysis and fuel processes. (NEDO)

Marital status and survival of patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma: a population-based study

OpenAIRE

Shi, Xiao; Zhang, Ting-ting; Hu, Wei-ping; Ji, Qing-hai

2017-01-01

Background The relationship between marital status and oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) survival has not been explored. The objective of our study was to evaluate the impact of marital status on OCSCC survival and investigate the potential mechanisms. Results Married patients had better 5-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) (66.7% vs 54.9%) and 5-year overall survival (OS) (56.0% vs 41.1%). In multivariate Cox regression models, unmarried patients also showed higher mortality risk ...

Phage-resistance linked to cell heterogeneity in the commercial strain Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis Ab1.

Science.gov (United States)

Suárez, Viviana B; Maciel, Natalia; Guglielmotti, Daniela; Zago, Miriam; Giraffa, Giorgio; Reinheimer, Jorge

2008-12-10

The aim of this work was to study the relationship between the cell morphological heterogeneity and the phage-resistance in the commercial strain Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis Ab1. Two morphological variants (named C and T) were isolated from this strain. Phage-resistant derivatives were isolated from them and the percentage of occurrence of confirmed phage-resistant cells was 0.001% of the total cellular population. Within these phage-resistant cell derivatives there were T (3 out of 4 total isolates) and C (1 out of 4 total isolates) variants. The study of some technological properties (e.g. proteolytic and acidifying activities) demonstrated that most of phage-resistant derivatives were not as good as the parental strain. However, for one derivative (a T variant), the technological properties were better than those of the parental strain. On the other hand, it was possible to determinate that the system of phage-resistance in the T variants was interference in adsorption step, with adsorption rates M.

Sensitivity of mitochondrial DNA depleted ρ0 cells to H2O2 depends on the plasma membrane status.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomita, Kazuo; Kuwahara, Yoshikazu; Takashi, Yuko; Tsukahara, Takao; Kurimasa, Akihiro; Fukumoto, Manabu; Nishitani, Yoshihiro; Sato, Tomoaki

2017-08-19

To clarify the relationship between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)-depleted ρ0 cells and the cellular sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), we established HeLa and SAS ρ0 cell lines and investigated their survival rate in H 2 O 2 , radical scavenging enzymes, plasma membrane potential status, and chronological change in intracellular H 2 O 2 amount under the existence of extracellular hydrogen peroxide compared with the parental cells. The results revealed that ρ0 cells had higher sensitivity to H 2 O 2 than their parental cells, even though the catalase activity of ρ0 cells was up-regulated, and the membrane potential of the ρ0 cells was lower than their parental cells. Furthermore, the internal H 2 O 2 amount significantly increased only in ρ0 cells after 50 μM H 2 O 2 treatment for 1 h. These results suggest that plasma membrane status of ρ0 cells may cause degradation, and the change could lead to enhanced membrane permeability to H 2 O 2 . As a consequence, ρ0 cells have a higher H 2 O 2 sensitivity than the parental cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relationship between the depression status of patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer and their family members in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Xian-Ning; Su, Dan; Li, Hui-Ping; Wang, Wei-Li; Wu, Wei-Qin; Yang, Ya-Juan; Yu, Feng-Lei; Zhang, Jing-Ping

2013-10-01

Less work on depression status has been done with family members of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study investigated depression status of patients and their family members; and the relationship of the depression status between these two groups. This cross-sectional study enrolled 194 patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer as well as their family members. In this study, a self-administered General Information Questionnaire was used to collect general information and the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) to assess depression status. Linear correlation analysis was used to probe the relationship of the depression status between patients and their family members. Of the 194 patients, 148 (76.3%) showed symptoms of depression. 148 (76.3%) family members had depression symptoms. The severity of depression in patients was positively correlated with that of family members (r = 0.577, p family members suffered depression, and the two were correlated. A prospective study might prove helpful in determining the real relationship existing between the two groups' mental status and whether early detection and intervention might ameliorate this current situation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevailing vitamin D status influences mitochondrial and glycolytic bioenergetics in peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emily K. Calton

2016-12-01

Conclusions: Inadequate vitamin D status adversely influenced bioenergetic parameters of PBMCs obtained from adults, in a pattern consistent with increased oxidative metabolism and activation of these cells.

Succinic Acid: Technology Development and Commercialization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nhuan P. Nghiem

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Succinic acid is a precursor of many important, large-volume industrial chemicals and consumer products. It was once common knowledge that many ruminant microorganisms accumulated succinic acid under anaerobic conditions. However, it was not until the discovery of Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens at the Michigan Biotechnology Institute (MBI, which was capable of producing succinic acid up to about 50 g/L under optimum conditions, that the commercial feasibility of producing the compound by biological processes was realized. Other microbial strains capable of producing succinic acid to high final concentrations subsequently were isolated and engineered, followed by development of fermentation processes for their uses. Processes for recovery and purification of succinic acid from fermentation broths were simultaneously established along with new applications of succinic acid, e.g., production of biodegradable deicing compounds and solvents. Several technologies for the fermentation-based production of succinic acid and the subsequent conversion to useful products are currently commercialized. This review gives a summary of the development of microbial strains, their fermentation, and the importance of the down-stream recovery and purification efforts to suit various applications in the context of their current commercialization status for biologically derived succinic acid.

Rate-dependent, Li-ion insertion/deinsertion behavior of LiFePO4 cathodes in commercial 18650 LiFePO4 cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Qi; He, Hao; Li, Zhe-Fei; Liu, Yadong; Ren, Yang; Lu, Wenquan; Lu, Jun; Stach, Eric A; Xie, Jian

2014-03-12

We have performed operando synchrotron high-energy X-ray diffraction (XRD) to obtain nonintrusive, real-time monitoring of the dynamic chemical and structural changes in commercial 18650 LiFePO4/C cells under realistic cycling conditions. The results indicate a nonequilibrium lithium insertion and extraction in the LiFePO4 cathode, with neither the LiFePO4 phase nor the FePO4 phase maintaining a static composition during lithium insertion/extraction. On the basis of our observations, we propose that the LiFePO4 cathode simultaneously experiences both a two-phase reaction mechanism and a dual-phase solid-solution reaction mechanism over the entire range of the flat voltage plateau, with this dual-phase solid-solution behavior being strongly dependent on charge/discharge rates. The proposed dual-phase solid-solution mechanism may explain the remarkable rate capability of LiFePO4 in commercial cells.

Understanding Hematopoietic Stem Cell Development through Functional Correlation of Their Proliferative Status with the Intra-aortic Cluster Architecture.

Science.gov (United States)

Batsivari, Antoniana; Rybtsov, Stanislav; Souilhol, Celine; Binagui-Casas, Anahi; Hills, David; Zhao, Suling; Travers, Paul; Medvinsky, Alexander

2017-06-06

During development, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) emerge in the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) region through a process of multi-step maturation and expansion. While proliferation of adult HSCs is implicated in the balance between self-renewal and differentiation, very little is known about the proliferation status of nascent HSCs in the AGM region. Using Fucci reporter mice that enable in vivo visualization of cell-cycle status, we detect increased proliferation during pre-HSC expansion followed by a slowing down of cycling once cells start to acquire a definitive HSC state, similar to fetal liver HSCs. We observe time-specific changes in intra-aortic hematopoietic clusters corresponding to HSC maturation stages. The proliferative architecture of the clusters is maintained in an orderly anatomical manner with slowly cycling cells at the base and more actively proliferating cells at the more apical part of the cluster, which correlates with c-KIT expression levels, thus providing an anatomical basis for the role of SCF in HSC maturation. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Danish research and development in PEM fuel cell technology. Status for strategy follow up; Dansk forskning og udvikling inden for PEM-braendselscelleteknologi. Status for strategiopfoelgning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-11-15

PEM fuel cell technology shows promise as to efficient and environmental friendly production of power and heat. Furthermore, the technology can be used for production of hydrogen through electrolysis of water. In Denmark research and development focus on PEM fuel cells for low temperatures (up to c 80 deg. C) as well as for high temperatures (up to 200 deg. C). This note summarizes the present plane for research and development in PEM in Denmark, including status for development within specific areas i.e. basic research and development, process development, cell and stack development and tests, and system development. (BA)

Status report on the conceptual design of a commercial tokamak hybrid reactor (CTHR)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-09-01

A preliminary conceptual design is presented for an early twenty-first century fusion hybrid reactor called the Commercial Tokamak Hybrid Reactor (CTHR). This design was developed as a first generation commercial plant producing fissile fuel to support a significant number of client Light Water Reactor (LWR) plants. The study has been made in sufficient depth to indicate no insurmountable technical problems exist and has provided a basis for valid cost estimates of the hybrid plants as well as the hybrid/LWR system busbar electricity costs. This energy system can be optimized to have a net cost of busbar electricity that is equivalent to the conventional LWR plant, yet is not dependent on uranium ore prices or standard enrichment costs, since the fusion hybrid can be fueled by numerous fertile fuel resources

Bulk-Heterojunction Organic Solar Cells: Five Core Technologies for Their Commercialization.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Hongkyu; Kim, Geunjin; Kim, Junghwan; Kwon, Sooncheol; Kim, Heejoo; Lee, Kwanghee

2016-09-01

The past two decades of vigorous interdisciplinary approaches has seen tremendous breakthroughs in both scientific and technological developments of bulk-heterojunction organic solar cells (OSCs) based on nanocomposites of π-conjugated organic semiconductors. Because of their unique functionalities, the OSC field is expected to enable innovative photovoltaic applications that can be difficult to achieve using traditional inorganic solar cells: OSCs are printable, portable, wearable, disposable, biocompatible, and attachable to curved surfaces. The ultimate objective of this field is to develop cost-effective, stable, and high-performance photovoltaic modules fabricated on large-area flexible plastic substrates via high-volume/throughput roll-to-roll printing processing and thus achieve the practical implementation of OSCs. Recently, intensive research efforts into the development of organic materials, processing techniques, interface engineering, and device architectures have led to a remarkable improvement in power conversion efficiencies, exceeding 11%, which has finally brought OSCs close to commercialization. Current research interests are expanding from academic to industrial viewpoints to improve device stability and compatibility with large-scale printing processes, which must be addressed to realize viable applications. Here, both academic and industrial issues are reviewed by highlighting historically monumental research results and recent state-of-the-art progress in OSCs. Moreover, perspectives on five core technologies that affect the realization of the practical use of OSCs are presented, including device efficiency, device stability, flexible and transparent electrodes, module designs, and printing techniques. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Estimation of Membrane Hydration Status for Standby Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Systems by Impedance Measurement: First Results on Stack Characterization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bidoggia, Benoit; Kær, Søren Knudsen

Fuel cells have started replacing traditional lead-acid battery banks in backup systems. Although these systems are characterized by long periods of standby, they must be able to start at any instant in the shortest time. In the case of low temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell systems......, a precise estimation of hydration status of the fuel cell during standby is important for a fast and safe startup. In this article, the measurement of the complex impedance of the fuel cell is suggested as a method to estimate the membrane hydration status. A 56-cell fuel cell stack has been symmetrically...... fed with air whose temperature and relative humidity were controlled, and its complex impedance was measured at different frequencies and for different values of relative humidity. After showing that the experiment was repeatable, the fuel cell stack was characterized, a power regression model...

Nuclear Analytical Techniques for Commercial Applications in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chai, Z.; Zhang, Z.; Feng, S.; Yang, J.; Ouyang, H.; Feng, X.; Mao, X.

2013-01-01

Since the establishment of the first Chinese nuclear reactor and accelerator in 1958, the nuclear analytical techniques (NATs) in China have dramatically developed in past half century. Nowadays 10 research nuclear reactors and over 100 small accelerators are available in China. Roughly, about 50 % of the machine time is applied for commercial purpose at the moment. The versatile nuclear analytical methods, mainly NAA, PIXE, XRF, etc., in China have been and are being applied widely and extensively in the following three fields: scientific, training, and commercial. This paper will briefly describe the past experience and present status about NATs for commercial applications. Some practical examples to demonstrate the role of NATs in this aspect will be given as well. Basically, the NATs used for the commercial applications in China can be divided into two types, i.e. off-line and on-line. The former mainly includes instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) for compositional determination, particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) also for compositional analysis, accelerator-based mass-spectrometry (AMS) for analysis of C-14, Be-7, Cl-36 and other long-lived radioactive nuclides, solid state nuclear track detector

Energy storage options for fuel cell hybrid power-trains in road vehicles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davies, D; Mortimer, R; Moore, J

2000-07-01

The objective of this work was to identify and assess energy storage technologies that may be applicable for use in fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) in the time frame to 2010. The current and projected status of each technology was evaluated, based on recognised existing goals (such as USDoE and USABC) and performance requirements, so that potential commercial opportunities could be identified. (Author)

G2-block after irradiation of cells with different p53 status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zoelzer, Friedo; Jagetia, Ganesh; Streffer, Christian

2014-01-01

Although it is clear that functional p53 is not required for radiation-induced G 2 block, certain experimental findings suggest a role for p53 in this context. For instance, as we also confirm here, the maximum accumulation in the G 2 compartment after X-ray exposure occurs much later in p53 mutants than in wild types. It remains to be seen, however, whether this difference is due to a longer block in the G 2 phase itself. We observed the movement of BrdU-labeled cells through G 2 and M into G 1 . From an analysis of the fraction of labeled cells that entered the second posttreatment cell cycle, we were able to determine the absolute duration of the G 2 and M phases in unirradiated and irradiated cells. Our experiments with four cell lines, two melanomas and two squamous carcinomas, showed that the radiation-induced delay of transition through the G 2 and M phases did not correlate with p53 status. We conclude that looking at the accumulation of cells in the G 2 compartment alone is misleading when differences in the G 2 block are investigated and that the G 2 block itself is indeed independent of functional p53. (orig.) [de

Evaluation of commercial lithium-ion cells based on composite positive electrode for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle applications. Part I: Initial characterizations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dubarry, Matthieu; Truchot, Cyril; Cugnet, Mikael; Liaw, Bor Yann; Gering, Kevin; Sazhin, Sergiy; Jamison, David; Michelbacher, Christopher

2011-01-01

Evaluating commercial Li-ion batteries presents some unique benefits. One of them is to use cells made from established fabrication process and form factor, such as those offered by the 18650 cylindrical configuration, to provide a common platform to investigate and understand performance deficiency and aging mechanism of target chemistry. Such an approach shall afford us to derive relevant information without influence from processing or form factor variability that may skew our understanding on cell-level issues. A series of 1.9 Ah 18650 lithium ion cells developed by a commercial source using a composite positive electrode comprising (LiMn1/3Ni1/3Co1/3O2 + LiMn2O4) is being used as a platform for the investigation of certain key issues, particularly path-dependent aging and degradation in future plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) applications, under the US Department of Energy's Applied Battery Research (ABR) program. Here we report in Part I the initial characterizations of the cell performance and Part II some aspects of cell degradation in 2C cycle aging. The initial characterizations, including cell-to-cell variability, are essential for life cycle performance characterization in the second part of the report when cell-aging phenomena are discussed. Due to the composite nature of the positive electrode, the features (or signature) derived from the incremental capacity (IC) of the cell appear rather complex. In this work, the method to index the observed IC peaks is discussed. Being able to index the IC signature in details is critical for analyzing and identifying degradation mechanism later in the cycle aging study.

The status of silicon ribbon growth technology for high-efficiency silicon solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Ciszek, T. F.

1985-01-01

More than a dozen methods have been applied to the growth of silicon ribbons, beginning as early as 1963. The ribbon geometry has been particularly intriguing for photovoltaic applications, because it might provide large area, damage free, nearly continuous substrates without the material loss or cost of ingot wafering. In general, the efficiency of silicon ribbon solar cells has been lower than that of ingot cells. The status of some ribbon growth techniques that have achieved laboratory efficiencies greater than 13.5% are reviewed, i.e., edge-defined, film-fed growth (EFG), edge-supported pulling (ESP), ribbon against a drop (RAD), and dendritic web growth (web).

Tritium and plutonium production as a step toward ICF commercialization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pendergrass, J.H.; Dudziak, D.J.

1984-01-01

The feasibility of a combined special nuclear materials (SNM) production plant/engineering test facility (ETF) with reduced pellet and driver performance requirements as a step toward commercialization of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is examined. Blanket design and tritium production cost studies, the status of RandD programs, and the ETF role are emphasized

Arabidopsis phyllotaxis is controlled by the methyl-esterification status of cell-wall pectins.

Science.gov (United States)

Peaucelle, Alexis; Louvet, Romain; Johansen, Jorunn N; Höfte, Herman; Laufs, Patrick; Pelloux, Jérome; Mouille, Grégory

2008-12-23

Plant organs are produced from meristems in a characteristic pattern. This pattern, referred to as phyllotaxis, is thought to be generated by local gradients of an information molecule, auxin. Some studies propose a key role for the mechanical properties of the cell walls in the control of organ outgrowth. A major cell-wall component is the linear alpha-1-4-linked D-GalAp pectic polysaccharide homogalacturonan (HG), which plays a key role in cell-to-cell cohesion. HG is deposited in the cell wall in a highly (70%-80%) methyl-esterified form and is subsequently de-methyl-esterified by pectin methyl-esterases (PME, EC 3.1.1.11). PME activity is itself regulated by endogenous PME inhibitor (PMEI) proteins. PME action modulates cell-wall-matrix properties and plays a role in the control of cell growth. Here, we show that the formation of flower primordia in the Arabidopsis shoot apical meristem is accompanied by the de-methyl-esterification of pectic polysaccharides in the cell walls. In addition, experimental perturbation of the methyl-esterification status of pectins within the meristem dramatically alters the phyllotactic pattern. These results demonstrate that regulated de-methyl-esterification of pectins is a key event in the outgrowth of primordia and possibly also in phyllotactic patterning.

Commercialism in US elementary and secondary school nutrition environments: trends from 2007 to 2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Terry-McElrath, Yvonne M; Turner, Lindsey; Sandoval, Anna; Johnston, Lloyd D; Chaloupka, Frank J

2014-03-01

Schools present highly desirable marketing environments for food and beverage companies. However, most marketed items are nutritionally poor. To examine national trends in student exposure to selected school-based commercialism measures from 2007 through 2012. Annual nationally representative cross-sectional studies were evaluated in US public elementary, middle, and high schools with use of a survey of school administrators. School-based commercialism, including exclusive beverage contracts and associated incentives, profits, and advertising; corporate food vending and associated incentives and profits; posters/advertisements for soft drinks, fast food, or candy; use of food coupons as incentives; event sponsorships; and fast food available to students. Changes over time in school-based commercialism as well as differences by student body racial/ethnic distribution and socioeconomic status. Although some commercialism measures-especially those related to beverage vending-have shown significant decreases over time, most students at all academic levels continued to attend schools with one or more types of school-based commercialism in 2012. Overall, exposure to school-based commercialism increased significantly with grade level. For 63.7% of elementary school students, the most frequent type of commercialism was food coupons used as incentives. For secondary students, the type of commercialism most prevalent in schools was exclusive beverage contracts, which were in place in schools attended by 49.5% of middle school students and 69.8% of high school students. Exposure to elementary school coupons, as well as middle and high school exclusive beverage contracts, was significantly more likely for students attending schools with mid or low (vs high) student body socioeconomic status. Most US elementary, middle, and high school students attend schools where they are exposed to commercial efforts aimed at obtaining food or beverage sales or developing brand recognition

Identification of permit and waste acceptance criteria provisions requiring modification for acceptance of commercial mixed waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-03-01

In October 1990, representatives of States and compact regions requested that the US Department of Energy (DOE) explore an agreement with host States and compact regions under which DOE would accept commercial mixed low-level radioactive waste (LLW) at DOE's own treatment and disposal facilities. A program for DOE management of commercial mixed waste is made potentially more attractive in light of the low commercial mixed waste volumes, high regulatory burdens, public opposition to new disposal sites, and relatively high cost of constructing commercial disposal facilities. Several studies were identified as essential in determining the feasibility of DOE accepting commercial mixed waste for disposal. The purpose of this report is to identify any current or proposed waste acceptance criteria (WAC) or Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) provisions that would have to be modified for commercial mixed waste acceptance at specified DOE facilities. Following the introduction, Section 2 of this report (a) provides a background summary of existing and proposed mixed waste disposal facilities at each DOE site, and (b) summarizes the status of any RCRA Part B permit and WAC provisions relating to the disposal of mixed waste, including provisions relating to acceptance of offsite waste. Section 3 provides overall conclusions regarding the current status and permit modifications that must be implemented in order to grant DOE sites authority under their permits to accept commercial mixed waste for disposal. Section 4 contains a list of references

Tritium and plutonium production as a step toward ICF commercialization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pendergrass, J.H.; Dudziak, D.J.

1983-01-01

The feasibility of a combined special nuclear materials (SNM) production plant/engineering test facility (ETF) with reduced pellet and driver performance requirements as a step toward commercialization of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is examined. Blanket design and tritium production cost studies, the status of R and D programs, and the ETF role are emphasized

Present status of research and development on solar cells in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goto, S.; Kawakami, K.; Nishimura, T.; Uda, K.; Ishiyama, K.; Aratani, H.

2004-01-01

New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) has promoted a 5-year master plan (JFY2001-2005) for research and development of solar cells and modules in order to achieve the target of 4.82 GW, which is the target of Japanese cumulative photovoltaic installation in JFY2010, and worldwide PV deployment after 2010. Various technologies for reducing manufacturing cost are extensively developed in this project. We report recent status of three main themes in this project. Advanced manufacturing technology is designed as a short-term project which set itself the goal of manufacturing cost of 140 yen/W. Advanced solar cells technology based on a mid-term project and manufacturing cost of 100 yen/W as the object. Innovative PV technology is a long-term project and focused on novel technologies that enables further cost reduction in and beyond the year 2010. (authors)

Phosphoinositide Kinase-3 Status Associated With Presence or Absence of Human Papillomavirus in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yarbrough, Wendell G.; Whigham, Amy; Brown, Brandee; Roach, Michael; Slebos, Robbert

2007-01-01

Purpose: To investigate phosphoinositide kinase-3 (PI3K) activation in relation to human papillomavirus (HPV) status in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods and Materials: Gene expression microarray data were analyzed to determine differentially expressed genes between HPV(+) and HPV(-) HNSCC. PIK3CA gene expression was confirmed by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in seven HPV(+) and seven HPV(-) primary HNSCCs. PIK3CA mutation status in three HPV(+) and nine HPV(-) cell lines was determined by polymerase chain reaction amplification of hot spot exons (1, 9, 20) followed by direct sequencing. Results: PIK3CA was overexpressed in HPV(+)-associated HNSCC compared with the expression in HPV(-) HNSCC. Activation of PIK3CA by mutation was found in 1 of the 12 tested HNSCC cell lines. Conclusion: Activation of PI3K by mutation of PIK3CA is rare in HNSCC cell lines and was not found in three HPV(+) cell lines. One mechanism by which HPV-associated HNSCC might activate PI3K is increased expression of PIK3CA

Methylation Status of miR-182 Promoter in Lung Cancer Cell Lines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongwen LI

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Background and objective It has been proven that the abnormal expression of miR-182 was related to the occurrence and development of tumors. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between the methylation of miR-182 promoter and its expression in lung cancer cell lines. Methods Real-time quantitative PCR and methylation-specific PCR were used to detect the expression level of miR-182 and its promoter methylation status in five lung cancer cell lines (A549, L9981, NL9980, 95C and 95D. DNA sequencing was used to confirm the methylation results. Results The level of miR-182 expression significantly differs among these lung cancer cell lines. The highly metastatic human lung cancer cell lines, namely, A549 and L9981, demonstrate a relatively lower expression level of miR-182 compared with the lowly metastatic human lung cancer cell line 95C. Methylation-specific PCR and DNA sequencing assay results indicate that these lung cancer cell lines present different levels of miR-182 promoter methylation, and the highest methylation level is observed in A549 cells. Furthermore, the expression of miR-182 in these cell lines significantly increases when treated with 10 μM 5’-Aza-dC. Conclusion DNA methylation occurs in the miR-182 promoter region in lung cancer cell lines. This methylation can regulate the expression level of miR-182. Further study must be conducted to explore the function of miR-182 promoter methylation in lung cancer occurrence and development.

SEROLOGICAL STATUS OF EGG DROP SYNDROME IN BREEDERS AND COMMERCIAL LAYERS IN MANSEHRA DISTRICT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. T. BADAR1, M. SIDDIQUE, R. ALI1 AND M. H. RASOOL

2006-01-01

Full Text Available A serological survey was conducted to see the prevalence of antibodies to egg drop syndrome (EDS virus in breeders and commercial layers in Mansehra district. A total of 50 flocks including broiler breeder (30, layer breeder (10 and commercial layers (10 were surveyed from September, 2002 to March, 2003. Paired serum samples were collected at random from 20 birds in each flock at fortnight interval and screened through haemagglutination inhibition (HI test. In broiler breeders, out of 30 flocks, 12(40% were serologically positive for EDS. In layer breeders and commercial layers, 30 and 20% flocks were found to be seropositive, respectively. On the basis of age, maximum seroprevalence (42.85% was observed in birds between 21-40 weeks of age. The seroprevalence was 33.33% in 1-20 weeks, 26.66% in 41-60 weeks and 25.00 % in 61 weeks and above old birds. No specific clinical signs were observed in all three types of birds. A drop in egg production (22.555% was observed in seropositive flocks along with misshapen soft shelled, shell-less and non-pigmented eggs. Based on these findings, the farmers were advised to vaccinate their flocks against EDS between 14-16 weeks of age using killed adjuvanted vaccines.

Qualified Coatings in Nuclear Power Plants. Commercial products; Qualified Coatings in Nuclear Power Plants. Commercial products. Pinturas homologadas en centrales nucleares. Productos comerciales

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barcena, J.; Nunez, B.; Romero, M.; Baladiam, M.

2014-07-01

Recently, the supplier of paints that were qualified for use in nuclear applications as protective coatings have ceased to supply in Spain the paints that was used in areas or components with special requirements for nuclear power plants (NPPs). This lack of the common commercial products called for the search for and homologation of other products. A study was performed on the current status of the homologation of commercial products for NPPs and on the codes and standards governing them. The criteria to be met have been defined and the results of the tests performed on the selected paints have been compared against the established criteria so as to allow the homologation of the paints. (Author)

Chemistry and biology of reactive species with special reference to the antioxidative defence status in pancreatic β-cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Lenzen, Sigurd

2017-08-01

Diabetes mellitus is a serious metabolic disease. Dysfunction and subsequent loss of the β-cells in the islets of Langerhans through apoptosis ultimately cause a life-threatening insulin deficiency. The underlying reason for the particular vulnerability of the β-cells is an extraordinary sensitivity to the toxicity of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS) due to its low antioxidative defense status. This review considers the different aspects of the chemistry and biology of the biologically most important reactive species and their chemico-biological interactions in the β-cell toxicity of proinflammatory cytokines in type 1 diabetes and of lipotoxicity in type 2 diabetes development. The weak antioxidative defense equipment in the different subcellular organelles makes the β-cells particularly vulnerable and prone to mitochondrial, peroxisomal and ER stress. Looking upon the enzyme deficiencies which are responsible for the low antioxidative defense status of the pancreatic β-cells it is the lack of enzymatic capacity for H 2 O 2 inactivation at all major subcellular sites. Diabetes is the most prevalent metabolic disorder with a steadily increasing incidence of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes worldwide. The weak protection of the pancreatic β-cells against oxidative stress is a major reason for their particular vulnerability. Thus, careful protection of the β-cells is required for prevention of the disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electronic Safety Resource Tools -- Supporting Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Commercialization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barilo, Nick F.

2014-09-29

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Hydrogen Safety Program conducted a planning session in Los Angeles, CA on April 1, 2014 to consider what electronic safety tools would benefit the next phase of hydrogen and fuel cell commercialization. A diverse, 20-person team led by an experienced facilitator considered the question as it applied to the eight most relevant user groups. The results and subsequent evaluation activities revealed several possible resource tools that could greatly benefit users. The tool identified as having the greatest potential for impact is a hydrogen safety portal, which can be the central location for integrating and disseminating safety information (including most of the tools identified in this report). Such a tool can provide credible and reliable information from a trustworthy source. Other impactful tools identified include a codes and standards wizard to guide users through a series of questions relating to application and specific features of the requirements; a scenario-based virtual reality training for first responders; peer networking tools to bring users from focused groups together to discuss and collaborate on hydrogen safety issues; and a focused tool for training inspectors. Table ES.1 provides results of the planning session, including proposed new tools and changes to existing tools.

(Mis)regulation--the case of commercial surrogacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahajan, Tarang

2015-01-01

In the most recent attempt to regulate commercial surrogacy, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a notice altering the category of visa for foreign nationals entering into commercial surrogacy arrangements from "tourist" to "medical". Upon close scrutiny, it becomes clear that this measure is a far too hasty and unprincipled step. Given the varying laws across different countries, commercial surrogacy has been an area marked by a fair amount of legal ambiguity and conflict, for example, with respect to the citizenship status of the child and legally accepted parentage of commissioning parents. The MHA's step towards addressing some of the dilemmas is, however, grossly inadequate and discriminatory. In spite of its seeming advantages, of some administrative and legal oversight of the industry, the notice will impact the existing practices in questionable ways since its provisions remain to be vetted through the lens of medical ethics and social justice. The measures, which are supposed to ensure legality, disambiguation and some degree of security for the commercial surrogate, end up giving a clean chit to the industry for the time being. If the step taken by the MHA was meant to be urgent, one wonders at the lack of motivation to strengthen public debate and produce a piece of legislation that can address the various concerns and dilemmas generated by the assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). This is especially with reference to legislation that ensures the health and democratic rights of those who are at a disadvantage due to the power imbalance in commercial surrogacy arrangements.

Technology Status and Expected Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Battery, Plug-In Hybrid, and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Lipman, Timothy E.

2011-11-01

Electric vehicles (EVs) of various types are experiencing a commercial renaissance but of uncertain ultimate success. Many new electric-drive models are being introduced by different automakers with significant technical improvements from earlier models, particularly with regard to further refinement of drivetrain systems and important improvements in battery and fuel cell systems. The various types of hybrid and all-electric vehicles can offer significant greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions when compared to conventional vehicles on a full fuel-cycle basis. In fact, most EVs used under most condition are expected to significantly reduce lifecycle GHG emissions. This paper reviews the current technology status of EVs and compares various estimates of their potential to reduce GHGs on a fuel cycle basis. In general, various studies show that battery powered EVs reduce GHGs by a widely disparate amount depending on the type of powerplant used and the particular region involved, among other factors. Reductions typical of the United States would be on the order of 20-50%, depending on the relative level of coal versus natural gas and renewables in the powerplant feedstock mix. However, much deeper reductions of over 90% are possible for battery EVs running on renewable or nuclear power sources. Plug-in hybrid vehicles running on gasoline can reduce emissions by 20-60%, and fuel cell EV reduce GHGs by 30-50% when running on natural gas-derived hydrogen and up to 95% or more when the hydrogen is made (and potentially compressed) using renewable feedstocks. These are all in comparison to what is usually assumed to be a more advanced gasoline vehicle "baseline" of comparison, with some incremental improvements by 2020 or 2030. Thus, the emissions from all of these EV types are highly variable depending on the details of how the electric fuel or hydrogen is produced.

The status of coral reefs and associated fishes and invertebrates of commercial importance in Pedro Bank, Jamaica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew W. Bruckner

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The coral reefs located off the north coast of the Jamaican mainland are some of the best and most studied reefs in the world. Coral reefs of Pedro Bank, Jamaica were assessed in March, 2012 as part of the KSLOF Global Reef Expedition using a modified Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA protocol. The main objectives were to: 1 characterize the distribution, structure and health of coral reefs; and 2 evaluate the population status of commercially important reef fishes and invertebrates. This work was conducted to assist in characterizing coral reef habitats within and outside a proposed fishery reserve, and identify other possible conservation zones. Within 20 reefs, live coral cover ranged from 4.9% to 19.2%. Coral communities were dominated by small corals (esp. Agaricia, Porites and Siderastrea although many sites had high abundances of large colonies of Montastraea annularis and M. faveolata, and these were generally in good condition. A single area, within the proposed fishery reserve, had extensive Acropora cervicornis thickets, and several shallow locations had small, but recovering A. palmata stands. Macroalgal cover at all sites was relatively low, with only three sites having greater than 30% cover; crustose coralline algae (CCA was high, with eight sites exceeding 20% cover. Fish biomass at all sites near the Cays was low, with a dominance of herbivores (parrotfish and surgeonfish and a near absence of groupers, snappers and other commercially important species. While parrotfish were the most abundant fish, these were all extremely small (mean size= 12cm; <4% over 29cm, and they were dominated by red band parrotfish (Sparisoma aurofrenatum followed by striped parrotfish (Scarus iseri. While coral communities remain in better condition than most coastal reefs in Jamaica, intense fishing pressure using fish traps (main target species: surgeonfish and hookah/spear fishing (main target: parrotfish is of grave concern to the

Program of scientific investigations and development of solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFC) in VNIITF. Proposals on scientific and technical collaboration and SOFC commercialization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kleschev, Yu.N.; Chukharev, V.F.

1996-04-01

This paper describes proposals on scientific and technical collaborations pertaining to solid oxide fuel cell commercialization. Topics included for discussion are: materials research and manufacture; market estimation and cost; directions of collaboration; and project of proposals on joint enterprise creation.

CCR6+ Th cell distribution differentiates systemic lupus erythematosus patients based on anti-dsDNA antibody status.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Wei; Jiang, Zhenyu; Wu, Jiang; Jiang, Yanfang; Zhao, Ling

2018-01-01

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) disease has been shown to be associated with the generation of multiple auto-antibodies. Among these, anti-dsDNA antibodies (anti-DNAs) are specific and play a pathogenic role in SLE. Indeed, anti-DNA + SLE patients display a worse disease course. The generation of these pathogenic anti-DNAs has been attributed to the interaction between aberrant T helper (Th) cells and autoimmune B cells. Thus, in this study we have investigated whether CCR6 + Th cells have the ability to differentiate SLE patients based on anti-DNA status, and if their distribution has any correlation with disease activity. We recruited 25 anti-DNA + and 25 anti-DNA - treatment-naive onset SLE patients, matched for various clinical characteristics in our nested matched case-control study. CCR6 + Th cells and their additional subsets were analyzed in each patient by flow cytometry. Anti-DNA + SLE patients specifically had a higher percentage of Th cells expressing CCR6 and CXCR3. Further analysis of CCR6 + Th cell subsets showed that anti-DNA + SLE patients had elevated proportions of Th9, Th17, Th17.1 and CCR4/CXCR3 double-negative (DN) cells. However, the proportions of CCR6 - Th subsets, including Th1 and Th2 cells, did not show any association with anti-DNA status. Finally, we identified a correlation between CCR6 + Th subsets and clinical indicators, specifically in anti-DNA + SLE patients. Our data indicated that CCR6 + Th cells and their subsets were elevated and correlated with disease activity in anti-DNA + SLE patients. We speculated that CCR6 + Th cells may contribute to distinct disease severity in anti-DNA + SLE patients.

A solid oxide fuel cell system for buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zink, Florian; Lu, Yixin; Schaefer, Laura

2007-01-01

This paper examines an integrated solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) absorption heating and cooling system used for buildings. The integrated system can provide heating/cooling and/or hot water for buildings while consuming natural gas. The aim of this study is to give an overall description of the system. The possibility of such an integrated system is discussed and the configuration of the system is described. A system model is presented, and a specific case study of the system, which consists of a pre-commercial SOFC system and a commercial LiBr absorption system, is performed. In the case study, the detailed configuration of an integrated system is given, and the heat and mass balance and system performance are obtained through numerical calculation. Based on the case study, some considerations with respect to system component selection, system configuration and design are discussed. Additionally, the economic and environmental issues of this specific system are evaluated briefly. The results show that the combined system demonstrates great advantages in both technical and environmental aspects. With the present development trends in solid oxide fuel cells and the commercial status of absorption heating and cooling systems, it is very likely that such a combined system will become increasingly feasible within the following decade

RBC deformability and amino acid concentrations after hypo-osmotic challenge may reflect chronic cell hydration status in healthy young men

OpenAIRE

Stookey, Jodi D; Klein, Alexis; Hamer, Janice; Chi, Christine; Higa, Annie; Ng, Vivian; Arieff, Allen; Kuypers, Frans A; Larkin, Sandra; Perrier, Erica; Lang, Florian

2013-01-01

Biomarkers of chronic cell hydration status are needed to determine whether chronic hyperosmotic stress increases chronic disease risk in population-representative samples. In vitro, cells adapt to chronic hyperosmotic stress by upregulating protein breakdown to counter the osmotic gradient with higher intracellular amino acid concentrations. If cells are subsequently exposed to hypo-osmotic conditions, the adaptation results in excess cell swelling and/or efflux of free amino acids. This stu...

Commercial sex behaviours among involuntary male bachelors: findings from a survey of migrants in Xi'an, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xueyan; Li, Shuzhuo; Attané, Isabelle; Feldman, Marcus W

2015-06-01

The highly male-biased sex ratio at birth has produced a severe male 'marriage squeeze' in China. However, with an imbalanced sex ratio, the marriage-squeezed or involuntary bachelors can meet their sexual needs only through ways other than marriage. To investigate the commercial sex behaviours of involuntary bachelors, we conducted a survey on reproductive health and family living among male migrant bachelors in Xi'an City, the capital of Shaanxi Province, from December 2009 to January 2010. The prevalence of commercial sex use was 37.2% among unmarried men, 30.1% among married but separated men and 17.2% among married and cohabitating men (χ(2) = 31.33; P = 0.000; df = 2). Marital status, knowledge about acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), age and income were associated with the prevalence and frequency of commercial sex behaviours. Condom use was less frequent among involuntary bachelors and was significantly associated with knowledge about AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, the frequency of commercial sex behaviours, marital status and age. The higher prevalence of commercial sex behaviours and the lower frequency of condom use indicate a higher risk of disease from commercial sex among involuntary bachelors, implicating both individual and public health. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Relative abundance and size of coastal sharks derived from commercial shark longline catch and effort data.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, J K; Hale, L F; Morgan, A; Burgess, G

2012-04-01

In the north-west Atlantic Ocean, stock assessments conducted for some commercially harvested coastal sharks indicate declines from 64 to 80% with respect to virgin population levels. While the status of commercially important species is available, abundance trend information for other coastal shark species in the north-west Atlantic Ocean are unavailable. Using a generalized linear modelling (GLM) approach, a relative abundance index was derived from 1994 to 2009 using observer data collected in a commercial bottom longline fishery. Trends in abundance and average size were estimated for bull shark Carcharhinus leucas, spinner shark Carcharhinus brevipinna, tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier and lemon shark Negaprion brevirostris. Increases in relative abundance for all shark species ranged from 14% for C. brevipinna, 12% for C. leucas, 6% for N. brevirostris and 3% for G. cuvier. There was no significant change in the size at capture over the time period considered for all species. While the status of shark populations should not be based exclusively on abundance trend information, but ultimately on stock assessment models, results from this study provide some cause for optimism on the status of these coastal shark species. Published 2012. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Nanosecond pulsed laser ablated sub-10 nm silicon nanoparticles for improving photovoltaic conversion efficiency of commercial solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Rasouli, H. R.; Ghobadi, A.; Ulusoy Ghobadi, T. G.; Ates, H.; Topalli, K.; Okyay, A. K.

2017-10-01

In this paper, we demonstrate the enhancement of photovoltaic (PV) solar cell efficiency using luminescent silicon nanoparticles (Si-NPs). Sub-10 nm Si-NPs are synthesized via pulsed laser ablation technique. These ultra-small Si nanoparticles exhibit photoluminescence (PL) character tics at 425 and 517 nm upon excitation by ultra-violet (UV) light. Therefore, they can act as secondary light sources that convert high energetic photons to ones at visible range. This down-shifting property can be a promising approach to enhance PV performance of the solar cell, regardless of its type. As proof-of-concept, polycrystalline commercial solar cells with an efficiency of ca 10% are coated with these luminescent Si-NPs. The nanoparticle-decorated solar cells exhibit up to 1.64% increase in the external quantum efficiency with respect to the uncoated reference cells. According to spectral photo-responsivity characterizations, the efficiency enhancement is stronger in wavelengths below 550 nm. As expected, this is attributed to down-shifting via Si-NPs, which is verified by their PL characteristics. The results presented here can serve as a beacon for future performance enhanced devices in a wide range of applications based on Si-NPs including PVs and LED applications.

Effect of resveratrol and zinc on intracellular zinc status in normal human prostate epithelial cells

Science.gov (United States)

To evaluate the influence of resveratrol on cellular zinc status, normal human prostate epithelial (NHPrE) cells were treated with 6 levels of resveratrol (0, 0.5, 1, 2.5, 5 and 10 microM) and 4 levels of zinc [0, 4, 16, and 32 microM for zinc-deficient (ZD), zinc-normal (ZN), zinc-adequate (ZA), an...

Physicochemical characteristics and bronchial epithelial cell cytotoxicity of Folpan 80 WG® and Myco 500®, two commercial forms of folpet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baldi Isabelle

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Pesticides, in particular folpet, have been found in rural and urban air in France in the past few years. Folpet is a contact fungicide and has been widely used for the past 50 years in vineyards in France. Slightly water-soluble and mostly present as particles in the environment, it has been measured at average concentration of 40.1 μg/m3 during its spraying, 0.16–1.2 μg/m3 in rural air and around 0.01 μg/m3 in urban air, potentially exposing both the workers and the general population. However, no study on its penetration by inhalation and on its respiratory toxicity has been published. The objective of this study was to determine the physicochemical characteristics of folpet particles (morphology, granulometry, stability in its commercial forms under their typical application conditions. Moreover, the cytotoxic effect of these particles and the generation of reactive oxygen species were assessed in vitro on respiratory cells. Results Granulometry of two commercial forms of folpet (Folpan 80WG® and Myco 500® under their typical application conditions showed that the majority of the particles (>75% had a size under 5 μm, and therefore could be inhaled by humans. These particles were relatively stable over time: more than 75% of folpet remained in the particle suspension after 30 days under the typical application conditions. The inhibitory concentration (IC50 on human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE14o- was found to be between 2.89 and 5.11 μg/cm2 for folpet commercial products after 24 h of exposure. Folpet degradation products and vehicles of Folpan 80 WG® did not show any cytotoxicity at tested concentrations. At non-cytotoxic and subtoxic concentrations, Folpan 80 WG® was found to increase DCFH-DA fluorescence. Conclusion These results show that the particles of commercial forms of folpet are relatively stable over time. Particles could be easily inhaled by humans, could reach the conducting airways and are

Economics of Direct Hydrogen Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahadevan, Kathyayani

2011-10-04

Battelle's Economic Analysis of PEM Fuel Cell Systems project was initiated in 2003 to evaluate the technology and markets that are near-term and potentially could support the transition to fuel cells in automotive markets. The objective of Battelle?s project was to assist the DOE in developing fuel cell systems for pre-automotive applications by analyzing the technical, economic, and market drivers of direct hydrogen PEM fuel cell adoption. The project was executed over a 6-year period (2003 to 2010) and a variety of analyses were completed in that period. The analyses presented in the final report include: Commercialization scenarios for stationary generation through 2015 (2004); Stakeholder feedback on technology status and performance status of fuel cell systems (2004); Development of manufacturing costs of stationary PEM fuel cell systems for backup power markets (2004); Identification of near-term and mid-term markets for PEM fuel cells (2006); Development of the value proposition and market opportunity of PEM fuel cells in near-term markets by assessing the lifecycle cost of PEM fuel cells as compared to conventional alternatives used in the marketplace and modeling market penetration (2006); Development of the value proposition of PEM fuel cells in government markets (2007); Development of the value proposition and opportunity for large fuel cell system application at data centers and wastewater treatment plants (2008); Update of the manufacturing costs of PEM fuel cells for backup power applications (2009).

A novel mechanistic modeling framework for analysis of electrode balancing and degradation modes in commercial lithium-ion cells

Science.gov (United States)

Schindler, Stefan; Danzer, Michael A.

2017-03-01

Aiming at a long-term stable and safe operation of rechargeable lithium-ion cells, elementary design aspects and degradation phenomena have to be considered depending on the specific application. Among the degrees of freedom in cell design, electrode balancing is of particular interest and has a distinct effect on useable capacity and voltage range. Concerning intrinsic degradation modes, understanding the underlying electrochemical processes and tracing the overall degradation history are the most crucial tasks. In this study, a model-based, minimal parameter framework for combined elucidation of electrode balancing and degradation pathways in commercial lithium-ion cells is introduced. The framework rests upon the simulation of full cell voltage profiles from the superposition of equivalent, artificially degraded half-cell profiles and allows to separate aging contributions from loss of available lithium and active materials in both electrodes. A physically meaningful coupling between thermodynamic and kinetic degradation modes based on the correlation between altered impedance features and loss of available lithium as well as loss of active material is proposed and validated by a low temperature degradation profile examined in one of our recent publications. The coupled framework is able to determine the electrode balancing within an error range of < 1% and the projected cell degradation is qualitatively and quantitatively in line with experimental observations.

Combined analysis of circulating epithelial cells and serum thyroglobulin for distinguishing disease status of the patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Hung-Chih; Liou, Miaw-Jene; Hsu, Hsung-Ling; Hsieh, Jason Chia-Hsun; Chen, Yi-An; Tseng, Ching-Ping; Lin, Jen Der

2016-03-29

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) accounts for about 80% of the cases in thyroid cancer. Routine surveillance by serum thyroglobulin (Tg) and medical imaging is the current practice to monitor disease progression of the patients. Whether enumeration of circulating epithelial cells (CECs) helps to define disease status of PTC patients was investigated. CECs were enriched from the peripheral blood of the healthy control subjects (G1, n = 17) and the patients at disease-free status (G2, n = 26) or with distant metastasis (G3, n = 22). The number of CECs expressing epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) or thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) was determined by immunofluorescence microscopy analyses. The medium number of EpCAM+-CECs was 6 (interquartile range 1-11), 12 (interquartile range 7-16) and 91 (interquartile range 31-206) cells/ml of blood for G1, G2 and G3, respectively. EpCAM+-CEC counts were significantly higher in G3 than in G1 (p interquartile range 3-13), 16 (interquartile range 10-24) and 100 (interquartile range 31-226) cells/ml of blood for G1, G2 and G3, respectively. The TSHR+-CEC counts also distinguished G3 from G1 (p < 0.05) and G2 (p < 0.05). With an appropriate cut off value of CEC count, the disease status for 97.9% (47/48) of the cases was clearly defined. Notably, the metastatic disease for all patients in G3 (22/22) was revealed by combined analysis of serum Tg and CEC. This study implicates that CEC testing can supplement the current standard methods for monitoring disease status of PTC.

Perovskite Solar Cells—Towards Commercialization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ono, Luis K.; Park, Nam-Gyu; Zhu, Kai; Huang, Wei; Qi, Yabing

2017-01-01

The Symposium ES1, Perovskite Solar Cells - Towards Commercialization, held at the 2017 Materials Research Society (MRS) Spring Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona (April 17-21, 2017) received ~200 abstracts. The 23 invited talks and 72 contributed oral presentations as well as 3 poster presentation sessions were organized into 13 principal themes according to the contents of the received abstracts. This Energy Focus article provides a concise summary of the opinions from the scientists and engineers who participated in this symposium regarding the recent progresses, challenges, and future directions for perovskite solar cells as well as other optoelectronic devices.

N-Acetyl Cysteine Protects against Methamphetamine-Induced Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration via Modulation of Redox Status and Autophagy in Dopaminergic Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prashanth Chandramani Shivalingappa

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Methamphetamine- (MA- induced neurotoxicity is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and enhanced oxidative stress. Our previous study demonstrated that MA induces autophagy in a dopaminergic neuronal cell model (N27 cells. The cellular mechanisms underlying MA-induced autophagy and apoptosis remain poorly characterized. In the present study we sought to investigate the importance of GSH redox status in MA-induced neurotoxicity using a thiol antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine (NAC. Morphological and biochemical analysis revealed that MA-induced autophagy in N27 dopaminergic cells was associated with pronounced depletion of GSH levels. Moreover, pretreatment with NAC reduced MA-induced GSH depletion and autophagy, while depletion of GSH using L-buthionine sulfoximine (L-BSO enhanced autophagy. Furthermore, treatment with NAC significantly attenuated MA-induced apoptotic cell death as well as oxidative stress markers, namely, 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE. Together, these results suggest that NAC exhibits significant protective effects against MA-induced dopaminergic cell death, presumably via modulation of the GSH level and autophagy. Collectively, our data provide mechanistic insights into the role of cellular GSH redox status in MA-induced autophagy and apoptotic cell death, and additional studies are needed to determine the therapeutic effectiveness of cellular redox modifiers in attenuating dopaminergic neurodegeneration in vivo.

Cell surface area and membrane folding in glioblastoma cell lines differing in PTEN and p53 status.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon Memmel

Full Text Available Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM is characterized by rapid growth, invasion and resistance to chemo-/radiotherapy. The complex cell surface morphology with abundant membrane folds, microvilli, filopodia and other membrane extensions is believed to contribute to the highly invasive behavior and therapy resistance of GBM cells. The present study addresses the mechanisms leading to the excessive cell membrane area in five GBM lines differing in mutational status for PTEN and p53. In addition to scanning electron microscopy (SEM, the membrane area and folding were quantified by dielectric measurements of membrane capacitance using the single-cell electrorotation (ROT technique. The osmotic stability and volume regulation of GBM cells were analyzed by video microscopy. The expression of PTEN, p53, mTOR and several other marker proteins involved in cell growth and membrane synthesis were examined by Western blotting. The combined SEM, ROT and osmotic data provided independent lines of evidence for a large variability in membrane area and folding among tested GBM lines. Thus, DK-MG cells (wild type p53 and wild type PTEN exhibited the lowest degree of membrane folding, probed by the area-specific capacitance C m = 1.9 µF/cm(2. In contrast, cell lines carrying mutations in both p53 and PTEN (U373-MG and SNB19 showed the highest C m values of 3.7-4.0 µF/cm(2, which corroborate well with their heavily villated cell surface revealed by SEM. Since PTEN and p53 are well-known inhibitors of mTOR, the increased membrane area/folding in mutant GBM lines may be related to the enhanced protein and lipid synthesis due to a deregulation of the mTOR-dependent downstream signaling pathway. Given that membrane folds and extensions are implicated in tumor cell motility and metastasis, the dielectric approach presented here provides a rapid and simple tool for screening the biophysical cell properties in studies on targeting chemo- or radiotherapeutically the

Comparative analysis of signature genes in porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV)-infected porcine monocyte-derived dendritic cells at differential activation statuses

Science.gov (United States)

Activation statuses of monocytic cells, e.g. monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs), are critically important for antiviral immunity. In particular, some devastating viruses, including porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), are capable of directly infecting these cell...

Commercial US nuclear reactors and waste: the current status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Platt, A.M.; Robinson, J.V.

1980-09-01

Between March 1 and June 15, 1980, the declared size of the commercial light waste reactor (LWR) nuclear power industry in the US has decreased another 9 GWe. For the presently declared size: the 165 declared reactors will peak at a capacity of 153 GWe in 2001 and will consume about 870,000 MTU as enrichment feed; the theoretical rate of enrichment requirements will peak at about 19,000,000 SWUs/y in the year 2014; as few as two repositories each with capacity equivalent to 100,000 MTU would hold the waste; and predisposal storage reactor basins and AFRs (away-from-reactor basins) would peak at <85,000 MTU in the year 2020 if the two respositories were commissioned in the years 1997 and 2020. It should be noted that the number of declared LWRs has dropped from 226 on December 31, 1974 to 165 as of this writing. The oil equivalent of the energy loss, assuming a 50% efficiency in use as in cars, is 17,000 million barrels. This is about 10 years of the current rate of US consumption of OPEC oil

Commercial US nuclear reactors and waste: the current status

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Platt, A.M.; Robinson, J.V.

1980-09-01

Between March 1 and June 15, 1980, the declared size of the commercial light waste reactor (LWR) nuclear power industry in the US has decreased another 9 GWe. For the presently declared size: the 165 declared reactors will peak at a capacity of 153 GWe in 2001 and will consume about 870,000 MTU as enrichment feed; the theoretical rate of enrichment requirements will peak at about 19,000,000 SWUs/y in the year 2014; as few as two repositories each with capacity equivalent to 100,000 MTU would hold the waste; and predisposal storage reactor basins and AFRs (away-from-reactor basins) would peak at <85,000 MTU in the year 2020 if the two respositories were commissioned in the years 1997 and 2020. It should be noted that the number of declared LWRs has dropped from 226 on December 31, 1974 to 165 as of this writing. The oil equivalent of the energy loss, assuming a 50% efficiency in use as in cars, is 17,000 million barrels. This is about 10 years of the current rate of US consumption of OPEC oil.

Genetic aspects of the commercially used sea urchin Tripneustes gratilla

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdul Hamid A. Toha

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Tripneustes gratilla is economically important, supports small-scale, commercially important, ecological values, a prospect as a biological control agent and also considered as the commercially traded sea urchin. We review genetic aspects of T. gratilla for understanding the status to the sustainable use in the future. In GenBank, there are 267 nucleotide sequences related with T. gratilla. Most of the sequences (189 sequences are COI gene of T. gratilla from Indo-Pacific Ocean. Study on molecular genetics mentioned that there is no genetic structure for T. gratilla distribution in Indo-Pacific Ocean including in Indonesia waters. Key words: T. gratilla, sea urchin, Indo-Pacific Ocean, genetic, COI gene.

Circulating immune cell subpopulations in pestivirus persistently infected calves and non-infected calves varying in immune status.

Science.gov (United States)

Circulating immune cell subpopulations in cattle representing varying stages of immune status categorized as; colostrum deprived (CD), receiving colostrum (COL), colostrum plus vaccination (VAC) and persistently infected with a pestivirus (PI) were compared. The PI calves were infected with a HoBi-...

Commercial experience with facility deactivation to safe storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sype, T.T. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Fischer, S.R. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States); Lee, J.H. Jr.; Sanchez, L.C.; Ottinger, C.A.; Pirtle, G.J. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

1995-09-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) has shutdown many production reactors; the Department has begun a major effort to also shutdown a wide variety of other nuclear facilities. Because so many facilities are being closed, it is necessary to place many of them into a safe- storage status, i.e., deactivation, before conducting decommissioning- for perhaps as long as 20 years. The challenge is to achieve this safe-storage condition in a cost-effective manner while remaining in compliance with applicable regulations. The DOE Office of Environmental Management, Office of Transition and Management, commissioned a lessons-learned study of commercial experience with safe storage and decommissioning. Although the majority of the commercial experience has been with reactors, many of the lessons learned presented in this document can provide insight into transitioning challenges that Will be faced by the DOE weapons complex.

Commercial experience with facility deactivation to safe storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sype, T.T.; Fischer, S.R.; Lee, J.H. Jr.; Sanchez, L.C.; Ottinger, C.A.; Pirtle, G.J.

1995-09-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) has shutdown many production reactors; the Department has begun a major effort to also shutdown a wide variety of other nuclear facilities. Because so many facilities are being closed, it is necessary to place many of them into a safe- storage status, i.e., deactivation, before conducting decommissioning- for perhaps as long as 20 years. The challenge is to achieve this safe-storage condition in a cost-effective manner while remaining in compliance with applicable regulations. The DOE Office of Environmental Management, Office of Transition and Management, commissioned a lessons-learned study of commercial experience with safe storage and decommissioning. Although the majority of the commercial experience has been with reactors, many of the lessons learned presented in this document can provide insight into transitioning challenges that Will be faced by the DOE weapons complex

Maintenance considerations of the STARFIRE commercial tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trachsel, C.A.; Zahn, H.S.; Field, R.E.; Stevens, H.C.

1979-01-01

This paper presents the maintenance approach, the commercial tokamak design features that enhance maintenance and preliminary repair time and required mean-time-between-failures for major subsystems. Reactor hall building and maintenance equipment requirements including hot cells, coil rewinding, and cranes are discussed

Low light illumination study on commercially available homojunction photovoltaic cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Russo, Johnny; Ray, William; Litz, Marc S.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • COTS PV cells are tested under indoor and narrow light spectra. • InGaP is the most efficient under low light conditions (0.5–100 μW_o_p_t/cm"2). • InGaP is selected for isotope battery. • Optimal incident wavelength (614 nm) for InGaP is identified in model. - Abstract: Low illumination (10"−"4 suns) and indoor light energy harvesting is needed to meet the demands of zero net energy (ZNE) building, Internet of Things (IoT), and beta-photovoltaic energy harvesting systems to power remote sensors. Photovoltaic (PV) solar cells under low intensity and narrow (±40 nm) light spectrum conditions are not well characterized nor developed, especially for commercially available devices and scalable systems. PV operating characteristics under 1 sun illumination decrease at lower light intensity and narrow spectrum conditions (efficiency drops from ∼25% at 100 mW_o_p_t/cm"2 to 2% at 1 μW_o_p_t/cm"2). By choosing a PV with a bandgap that matches the light source operating wavelength, the total system efficiency can be improved. By quantifying losses on homojunction photovoltaics (thermalization and leakage current), we have determined the theoretical optimized efficiency for a set of PV material and a selected set of light sources. We measure single-junction solar cells’ parameters under three different light sources (indoor light and narrow spectrum LED sources) with light intensities ranging from 0.5 to 100 μW_o_p_t/cm"2. Measurements show that indium gallium phosphide (InGaP) PV has the highest surface power density and conversion efficiency (29% under ≈1 μW_o_p_t/cm"2 from a 523 nm central peak LED). A beta-photovoltaic experimental study identifies InGaP to be optimized for use with the ZnS:Cu, Al and tritium at STP. The results have guided the selection of PV material for scalable isotope batteries and other low-light energy harvesting systems.

U.S. commercial nuclear power: a status report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cleark, R.G.; Reynolds, A.W.

1977-09-01

The current and forecasted status of the domestic nuclear power program is discussed in the context of the proposed National Energy Plan. Nuclear power is expected to increase its contribution to the Nation's electricity generation from 9.4 percent in 1976 to 13 percent in 1980 and 18 percent in 1985. Indigenous uranium reserves and resources appear adequate to allow a continued expansion of the national reactor system, but the annual production capacity of the domestic uranium industry must be significantly expanded to support this generating forecast. U.S. uranium enrichment capacity will also be adequate if ongoing expansion programs and the planned Portsmouth centrifuge addition are realized. However, domestic uranium demand and price, and the Administration's desire to accept new orders for enrichment services, are sensitive to Energy Research and Development Administration's enrichment contract stipulations and plant operating modes. Current U.S. policy has resulted in the deferral of the plutonium and uranium recycle option for the intermediate future, and a shift in post-reactor attention from reprocessing-recycle to unresolved programs for spent fuel storage and radioactive waste management. The comparative economics of nuclear-fueled and coal-fired generating systems vary among geographical regions, but generally, costs are so similar that modest changes in fuel or operating parameters could reverse the relative advantage of one option over the other

Evaluation of oxidative stress status and antioxidant capacity in patients with renal cell carcinoma

OpenAIRE

Aldemir, Mustafa; Karaguzel, Ersagun; Okulu, Emrah; Gudeloglu, Ahmet; Ener, Kemal; Ozayar, Asim; Erel, Ozcan

2015-01-01

Introduction We evaluated and compared the serum oxidative stress and antioxidant enzymes in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and the control group. Material and methods The prospective study consisted of 97 patients with RCC (Group 1) and 80 age and sex matched healthy volunteers (Group 2). Group 1 and 2 were compared concerning serum mean total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), paraoxonase-1 (PON-1), arylesterase, total thiol, catalase (CAT), myeloperoxidase (M...

A means to a cleaner environment: energy efficient platinum-containing fuel cells to be introduced commercially in the early 1990s

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon,

1991-01-01

The twelfth National Fuel Cell Seminar held in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A. from 26th to 28th November 1990, was attended by 450 delegates from 17 countries, representing both developers and potential users worldwide. ''Fuel Cells - An Answer to a Cleaner Environment'' was the key theme running throughout the conference. This was strongly linked to the firm belief that fuel cells would make an important contribution to the world's energy needs over the next ten years as economically viable fuel cell power plants become commercialised. The conference heard that platinum containing phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC) are soon to be produced on a commercial basis. Both Fuji and Toshiba announced that they had opened PAFC production facilities in Japan during 1990. The key progress regarding development of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) was the announcement of a U.S. Government sponsored programme, to be led to General Motors, to produce a PEMFC powered motor vehicle. The conference reflected the growing extent of the multi-national collaborations that are now underway to develop fuel cell technologies. (author).

Role of p53 status in radiation sensitivity and cell cycle progression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zellars, Richard C.; Loney, Tania; Schott, Ann F.; Davis, Mary A.; Maybaum, Jonathan; Clarke, Michael F.; Lawrence, Theodore S.

1995-01-01

Purpose: Although p53 function plays a major role in G1 arrest after radiation, the influence of p53 status on progress through other phases of the cell cycle and on radiation sensitivity of human tumors is less clear. We investigated these issues using cells with a conditional expression system for wild type p53. Methods: A temperature sensitive murine wild type p53 plasmid was used (Ginsberg D, et al: Mol. Cell.Biol . 11:582, 1991). At the permissive temperature (32 deg. C), this plasmid produces a protein which assumes a conformation that exhibits wild type p53 function. However, when cells are cultured at 38 deg. C, this protein assumes an inactive conformation. HT29 human colon cancer cells (which are p53 mutant) were transduced with this plasmid (designated PEP A and PEP G cells) or a control vector (designated CCH1 cells) using electroporation and Geneticin selection. The presence of murine p53 transcript in the PEP cells was confirmed by Northern analysis. Results: Cells were cultured under 3 conditions: 1) 38 deg. C at all times; 2) 32 deg. C for 24 hours prior to irradiation and 3) 32 deg. C for 24 hours after irradiation. We found that culturing under permissive temperatures produced a small decrease in surviving fraction in the PEP clones (0.61 ± 0.10 and 0.64 ± 0.07, for PEP A and G, respectively) but not the CCH1 controls (1.14 ± 0.15). PEP cells tended to be more radiosensitive than CCH1 cells (even under non-permissive conditions) and demonstrated a trend towards increased radiosensitivity under both Conditions 2 and 3. In addition, flow cytometry revealed that a 24 hour exposure to permissive conditions increased the fraction of cells in G1 slightly and in G2/M substantially. S phase was almost absent. Conclusion: Restoration of p53 function in HT29 human colon cancer cells using this temperature sensitive system produced increased cytotoxicity and radiation sensitivity as well as cell cycle redistribution. It will be important to assess the

Status populasi buaya Crocolylus porosus di daerah Kaimana dan Teluk Arguni Irian Jaya

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hellen Kurniyati

1999-06-01

Full Text Available The people of Indonesua have historically used crocodiles for a variety of non-commercial purposes. In the past ten years, a commercial collection from the wild almost threatened the population status. As pressure on the commercial hunting continuous, the successful conservation of Indonesian crocodiles will depend on the constant monitoring in the wild. Irian Jaya is one of several islands in Indonesia which historically accommodate unknown number of commercial crocodiles such as Crocolylus porosus. Althorough monitoring on the C. porosus status in Barusam Gasawi, Buruai Garawa, Kamabu rivers, and Suwiki lake located in Kaimana and Arguni Bay, Irian Jaya had been conducted since 1990 and continued in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, and 1998. The surveys techniques were conducted night count method and guided by a 1 : 100.000 map and GPS. A statistical analysis was performed on SAS using proc regression and proc mean. A significant result has only been noted in Suwiki Lake, where was the magnitude of the mean trend in density was 109%.

Bioethanol - Status report on bioethanol production from wood and other lignocellulosic feedstocks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scott-Kerr, Chris; Johnson, Tony; Johnson, Barbara; Kiviaho, Jukka

2010-09-15

Lignocellulosic biomass is seen as an attractive feedstock for future supplies of renewable fuels, reducing the dependence on imported petroleum. However, there are technical and economic impediments to the development of commercial processes that utilise biomass feedstocks for the production of liquid fuels such as ethanol. Significant investment into research, pilot and demonstration plants is on-going to develop commercially viable processes utilising the biochemical and thermochemical conversion technologies for ethanol. This paper reviews the current status of commercial lignocellulosic ethanol production and identifies global production facilities.

Fundamentals and Application of Magnetic Particles in Cell Isolation and Enrichment

Science.gov (United States)

Plouffe, Brian D.; Murthy, Shashi K.; Lewis, Laura H.

2014-01-01

Magnetic sorting using magnetic beads has become a routine methodology for the separation of key cell populations from biological suspensions. Due to the inherent ability of magnets to provide forces at a distance, magnetic cell manipulation is now a standardized process step in numerous processes in tissue engineering, medicine, and in fundamental biological research. Herein we review the current status of magnetic particles to enable isolation and separation of cells, with a strong focus on the fundamental governing physical phenomena, properties and syntheses of magnetic particles and on current applications of magnet-based cell separation in laboratory and clinical settings. We highlight the contribution of cell separation to biomedical research and medicine and detail modern cell separation methods (both magnetic and non-magnetic). In addition to a review of the current state-of-the-art in magnet-based cell sorting, we discuss current challenges and available opportunities for further research, development and commercialization of magnetic particle-based cell separation systems. PMID:25471081

TP53 mutation and human papilloma virus status of oral squamous cell carcinomas in young adult patients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Braakhuis, B.J.M.; Rietbergen, M.M.; Buijze, M.; Snijders, P.J.F.; Bloemena, E.; Brakenhoff, R.H.; Leemans, C.R.

2014-01-01

Objective Little is known about the molecular carcinogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in young adult patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the detailed TP53 mutation and human papilloma virus (HPV) status of OSCC in patients, younger than 45 years. Methods TP53 mutations

A Case Study of the Impediments to the Commercialization of Research at the University of Kentucky.

Science.gov (United States)

Vanderford, Nathan L; Marcinkowski, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

The commercialization of university-based research occurs to varying degrees between academic institutions. Previous studies have found that multiple barriers can impede the effectiveness and efficiency by which academic research is commercialized. This case study was designed to analyze the status of the commercialization activity at the University of Kentucky via a survey and interview with a successful academic entrepreneur in order to determine the impediments the individual perceived during the commercialization process. The study also garnered insight from the individual as to how the commercialization process could be improved. Issues with infrastructure were highlighted as the most significant barrier faced by the individual. The research subject also suggested that commercialization activity may generally increase if a number of factors were mitigated. Such insight can be communicated to the administrative leadership of the commercialization process at the University of Kentucky. Long term, improving university-based research commercialization will allow academic researchers to be more active and successful entrepreneurs such that intellectual property will progress more freely to the marketplace for the benefit of inventors, universities, and society.

Antifungal Activity of Commercial Essential Oils and Biocides against Candida Albicans.

Science.gov (United States)

Serra, Elisa; Hidalgo-Bastida, Lilia Araida; Verran, Joanna; Williams, David; Malic, Sladjana

2018-01-25

Management of oral candidosis, most frequently caused by Candida albicans , is limited due to the relatively low number of antifungal drugs and the emergence of antifungal tolerance. In this study, the antifungal activity of a range of commercial essential oils, two terpenes, chlorhexidine and triclosan was evaluated against C. albicans in planktonic and biofilm form. In addition, cytotoxicity of the most promising compounds was assessed using murine fibroblasts and expressed as half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50). Antifungal activity was determined using a broth microdilution assay. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was established against planktonic cells cultured in a range of concentrations of the test agents. The minimal biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) was determined by measuring re-growth of cells after pre-formed biofilm was treated for 24 h with the test agents. All tested commercial essential oils demonstrated anticandidal activity (MICs from 0.06% ( v / v ) to 0.4% ( v / v )) against planktonic cultures, with a noticeable increase in resistance exhibited by biofilms (MBECs > 1.5% ( v / v )). The IC50s of the commercial essential oils were lower than the MICs, while a one hour application of chlorhexidine was not cytotoxic at concentrations lower than the MIC. In conclusion, the tested commercial essential oils exhibit potential as therapeutic agents against C. albicans , although host cell cytotoxicity is a consideration when developing these new treatments.

Longitudinal follow-up of nutritional status and its influencing factors in adults undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Urbain, P; Birlinger, J; Lambert, C; Finke, J; Bertz, H; Biesalski, H-K

2013-03-01

There are few longitudinal data on nutritional status and body composition of patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT). We assessed nutritional status of 105 patients before alloHCT and its course during the early post-transplant period to day +30 and day +100 via weight history, body mass index (BMI) normalized for gender and age, Subjective Global Assessment, phase angle normalized for gender, age, and BMI, and fat-free and body fat masses. Furthermore, we present a multivariate regression model investigating the impact of factors on body weight. At admission, 23.8% reported significant weight losses (>5%) in the previous 6 months, and we noted 31.5% with abnormal age- and sex-adjusted BMI values (10th, 90th percentiles). BMI decreased significantly (Panorexia (parameter estimate 1.07; P=0.058) as independent factors influencing early weight loss. In conclusion, our results show a significant deterioration in nutritional status during the early post-transplant period. Predominant alloHCT-associated complications such as anorexia and acute GVHD became evident as significant factors influencing nutritional status.

Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and K-RAS status in two cohorts of squamous cell carcinomas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Van Laethem Jean-Luc

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background With the availability of effective anti-EGFR therapies for various solid malignancies, such as non-cell small lung cancer, colorectal cancer and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, the knowledge of EGFR and K-RAS status becomes clinically important. The aim of this study was to analyse EGFR expression, EGFR gene copy number and EGFR and K-RAS mutations in two cohorts of squamous cell carcinomas, specifically anal canal and tonsil carcinomas. Methods Formalin fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues from anal and tonsil carcinoma were used. EGFR protein expression and EGFR gene copy number were analysed by means of immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridisation. The somatic status of the EGFR gene was investigated by PCR using primers specific for exons 18 through 21. For the K-RAS gene, PCR was performed using exon 2 specific primers. Results EGFR immunoreactivity was present in 36/43 (83.7% of anal canal and in 20/24 (83.3% of tonsil squamous cell carcinomas. EGFR amplification was absent in anal canal tumours (0/23, but could be identified in 4 of 24 tonsil tumours. From 38 anal canal specimens, 26 specimens were successfully analysed for exon 18, 30 for exon 19, 34 for exon 20 and 30 for exon 21. No EGFR mutations were found in the investigated samples. Thirty samples were sequenced for K-RAS exon 2 and no mutation was identified. From 24 tonsil specimens, 22 were successfully analysed for exon 18 and all 24 specimens for exon 19, 20 and 21. No EGFR mutations were found. Twenty-two samples were sequenced for K-RAS exon 2 and one mutation c.53C > A was identified. Conclusion EGFR mutations were absent from squamous cell carcinoma of the anus and tonsils, but EGFR protein expression was detected in the majority of the cases. EGFR amplification was seen in tonsil but not in anal canal carcinomas. In our investigated panel, only one mutation in the K-RAS gene of a tonsil squamous cell carcinoma was identified

Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and K-RAS status in two cohorts of squamous cell carcinomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Damme, Nancy; Pauwels, Patrick; Peeters, Marc; Deron, Philippe; Van Roy, Nadine; Demetter, Pieter; Bols, Alain; Dorpe, Jo Van; Baert, Filip; Van Laethem, Jean-Luc; Speleman, Franki

2010-01-01

With the availability of effective anti-EGFR therapies for various solid malignancies, such as non-cell small lung cancer, colorectal cancer and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, the knowledge of EGFR and K-RAS status becomes clinically important. The aim of this study was to analyse EGFR expression, EGFR gene copy number and EGFR and K-RAS mutations in two cohorts of squamous cell carcinomas, specifically anal canal and tonsil carcinomas. Formalin fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues from anal and tonsil carcinoma were used. EGFR protein expression and EGFR gene copy number were analysed by means of immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridisation. The somatic status of the EGFR gene was investigated by PCR using primers specific for exons 18 through 21. For the K-RAS gene, PCR was performed using exon 2 specific primers. EGFR immunoreactivity was present in 36/43 (83.7%) of anal canal and in 20/24 (83.3%) of tonsil squamous cell carcinomas. EGFR amplification was absent in anal canal tumours (0/23), but could be identified in 4 of 24 tonsil tumours. From 38 anal canal specimens, 26 specimens were successfully analysed for exon 18, 30 for exon 19, 34 for exon 20 and 30 for exon 21. No EGFR mutations were found in the investigated samples. Thirty samples were sequenced for K-RAS exon 2 and no mutation was identified. From 24 tonsil specimens, 22 were successfully analysed for exon 18 and all 24 specimens for exon 19, 20 and 21. No EGFR mutations were found. Twenty-two samples were sequenced for K-RAS exon 2 and one mutation c.53C > A was identified. EGFR mutations were absent from squamous cell carcinoma of the anus and tonsils, but EGFR protein expression was detected in the majority of the cases. EGFR amplification was seen in tonsil but not in anal canal carcinomas. In our investigated panel, only one mutation in the K-RAS gene of a tonsil squamous cell carcinoma was identified. This indicates that EGFR and K-RAS mutation analysis is not

Demographic, Clinical, and Prognostic Factors of Ovarian Clear Cell Adenocarcinomas According to Endometriosis Status

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schnack, Tine H; Høgdall, Estrid; Thomsen, Lotte Nedergaard

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Women with endometriosis carry an increased risk for ovarian clear cell adenocarcinomas (CCCs). Clear cell adenocarcinoma may develop from endometriosis lesions. Few studies have compared clinical and prognostic factors and overall survival in patients diagnosed as having CCC according...... to endometriosis status. METHODS: Population-based prospectively collected data on CCC with coexisting pelvic (including ovarian; n = 80) and ovarian (n = 46) endometriosis or without endometriosis (n = 95) were obtained through the Danish Gynecological Cancer Database. χ Test, independent-samples t test, logistic...... regression, Kaplan-Meier test, and Cox regression were used. Statistical tests were 2 sided. P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Patients with CCC and pelvic or ovarian endometriosis were significantly younger than CCC patients without endometriosis, and a higher...

Circulating immune cell subpopulations in pestivirus persistently infected calves and non-infected calves varying in immune status [Abstract

Science.gov (United States)

The circulating immune cell subpopulations in cattle representing varying stages of immune status categorized as; colostrum deprived (CD), receiving colostrum (COL), colostrum plus vaccination (VAC) and persistently infected with a pestivirus (PI) were compared. The PI calves were infected with a H...

Energy Savings Potential and RD&D Opportunities for Commercial Building HVAC Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goetzler, William [Navigant Consulting, Burlington, MA (United States); Shandross, Richard [Navigant Consulting, Burlington, MA (United States); Young, Jim [Navigant Consulting, Burlington, MA (United States); Petritchenko, Oxana [Navigant Consulting, Burlington, MA (United States); Ringo, Decker [Navigant Consulting, Burlington, MA (United States); McClive, Sam [Navigant Consulting, Burlington, MA (United States)

2017-12-01

The Building Technologies Office (BTO) commissioned this characterization and technology assessment of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems for commercial buildings. The main objectives of this study: Identify a wide range of technology options in varying stages of development that could reduce commercial HVAC energy consumption; Characterize these technology options based on their technical energy-savings potential, development status, non-energy benefits, and other factors affecting end-user acceptance and the ability to compete with conventional HVAC technologies; Make specific recommendations to DOE and other stakeholders on potential research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) activities that would support further development of the most promising technology options.

Commercial lumber

Science.gov (United States)

Kent A. McDonald; David E. Kretschmann

1999-01-01

In a broad sense, commercial lumber is any lumber that is bought or sold in the normal channels of commerce. Commercial lumber may be found in a variety of forms, species, and types, and in various commercial establishments, both wholesale and retail. Most commercial lumber is graded by standardized rules that make purchasing more or less uniform throughout the country...

Actin cytoskeleton organization, cell surface modification and invasion rate of 5 glioblastoma cell lines differing in PTEN and p53 status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Djuzenova, Cholpon S.; Fiedler, Vanessa; Memmel, Simon; Katzer, Astrid; Hartmann, Susanne; Krohne, Georg; Zimmermann, Heiko; Scholz, Claus-Jürgen; Polat, Bülent; Flentje, Michael

2015-01-01

Glioblastoma cells exhibit highly invasive behavior whose mechanisms are not yet fully understood. The present study explores the relationship between the invasion capacity of 5 glioblastoma cell lines differing in p53 and PTEN status, expression of mTOR and several other marker proteins involved in cell invasion, actin cytoskeleton organization and cell morphology. We found that two glioblastoma lines mutated in both p53 and PTEN genes (U373-MG and SNB19) exhibited the highest invasion rates through the Matrigel or collagen matrix. In DK-MG (p53wt/PTENwt) and GaMG (p53mut/PTENwt) cells, F-actin mainly occurred in the numerous stress fibers spanning the cytoplasm, whereas U87-MG (p53wt/PTENmut), U373-MG and SNB19 (both p53mut/PTENmut) cells preferentially expressed F-actin in filopodia and lamellipodia. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed the abundant filopodia and lamellipodia in the PTEN mutated cell lines. Interestingly, the gene profiling analysis revealed two clusters of cell lines, corresponding to the most (U373-MG and SNB19, i.e. p53 and PTEN mutated cells) and less invasive phenotypes. The results of this study might shed new light on the mechanisms of glioblastoma invasion. - Highlights: • We examine 5 glioblastoma lines on the invasion capacity and actin cytoskeleton. • Glioblastoma cell lines mutated in both p53 and PTEN were the most invasive. • Less invasive cells showed much less lamellipodia, but more actin stress fibers. • A mechanism for the differences in tumor cell invasion is proposed

Actin cytoskeleton organization, cell surface modification and invasion rate of 5 glioblastoma cell lines differing in PTEN and p53 status

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Djuzenova, Cholpon S., E-mail: djuzenova_t@ukw.de [Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 11, D-97080 Würzburg (Germany); Fiedler, Vanessa [Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 11, D-97080 Würzburg (Germany); Memmel, Simon [Lehrstuhl für Biotechnologie und Biophysik, Universität Würzburg, Biozentrum Am Hubland, 97070 Würzburg (Germany); Katzer, Astrid; Hartmann, Susanne [Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 11, D-97080 Würzburg (Germany); Krohne, Georg [Elektronenmikroskopie, Biozentrum, Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97070 Würzburg (Germany); Zimmermann, Heiko [Hauptabteilung Biophysik and Kryotechnologie, Fraunhofer-Institut für Biomedizinische Technik, Lehrstuhl für Molekulare und Zelluläre Biotechnologie/Nanotechnologie, Universität des Saarlandes, Ensheimer Strasse 48, 66386 St. Ingbert (Germany); Scholz, Claus-Jürgen [Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research, University Hospital, Versbacher Strasse 7, 97078 Würzburg (Germany); Polat, Bülent; Flentje, Michael [Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 11, D-97080 Würzburg (Germany); and others

2015-01-15

Glioblastoma cells exhibit highly invasive behavior whose mechanisms are not yet fully understood. The present study explores the relationship between the invasion capacity of 5 glioblastoma cell lines differing in p53 and PTEN status, expression of mTOR and several other marker proteins involved in cell invasion, actin cytoskeleton organization and cell morphology. We found that two glioblastoma lines mutated in both p53 and PTEN genes (U373-MG and SNB19) exhibited the highest invasion rates through the Matrigel or collagen matrix. In DK-MG (p53wt/PTENwt) and GaMG (p53mut/PTENwt) cells, F-actin mainly occurred in the numerous stress fibers spanning the cytoplasm, whereas U87-MG (p53wt/PTENmut), U373-MG and SNB19 (both p53mut/PTENmut) cells preferentially expressed F-actin in filopodia and lamellipodia. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed the abundant filopodia and lamellipodia in the PTEN mutated cell lines. Interestingly, the gene profiling analysis revealed two clusters of cell lines, corresponding to the most (U373-MG and SNB19, i.e. p53 and PTEN mutated cells) and less invasive phenotypes. The results of this study might shed new light on the mechanisms of glioblastoma invasion. - Highlights: • We examine 5 glioblastoma lines on the invasion capacity and actin cytoskeleton. • Glioblastoma cell lines mutated in both p53 and PTEN were the most invasive. • Less invasive cells showed much less lamellipodia, but more actin stress fibers. • A mechanism for the differences in tumor cell invasion is proposed.

19 CFR 113.67 - Commercial gauger and commercial laboratory bond conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Commercial gauger and commercial laboratory bond... SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CUSTOMS BONDS Customs Bond Conditions § 113.67 Commercial gauger and commercial laboratory bond conditions. Commercial Gauger Bond Conditions (a) Commercial gauger bond...

Nutritional status and CD4 cell counts in patients with HIV/AIDS receiving antiretroviral therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Celia Oliveira dos Santos

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction Even with current highly active antiretroviral therapy, individuals with AIDS continue to exhibit important nutritional deficits and reduced levels of albumin and hemoglobin, which may be directly related to their cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4 cell counts. The aim of this study was to characterize the nutritional status of individuals with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS and relate the findings to the albumin level, hemoglobin level and CD4 cell count. Methods Patients over 20 years of age with AIDS who were hospitalized in a university hospital and were receiving antiretroviral therapy were studied with regard to clinical, anthropometric, biochemical and sociodemographic characteristics. Body mass index, percentage of weight loss, arm circumference, triceps skinfold and arm muscle circumference were analyzed. Data on albumin, hemoglobin, hematocrit and CD4 cell count were obtained from patient charts. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher's exact test, Student's t-test for independent variables and the Mann-Whitney U-test. The level of significance was set to 0.05 (α = 5%. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 17.0 software for Windows. Results Of the 50 patients evaluated, 70% were male. The prevalence of malnutrition was higher when the definition was based on arm circumference and triceps skinfold measurement. The concentrations of all biochemical variables were significantly lower among patients with a body mass index of less than 18.5kg/m2. The CD4 cell count, albumin, hemoglobin and hematocrit anthropometric measures were directly related to each other. Conclusions These findings underscore the importance of nutritional follow-up for underweight patients with AIDS, as nutritional status proved to be related to important biochemical alterations.

Modification of a commercial spectrophotometer for photoacoustic measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bandyopadhyay, S.; Harris, J.M.; Eyring, E.M.

1983-01-01

This note describes how a commercial UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometer may be adapted to function as a double beam photoacoustic spectrophotometer operating at visible wavelengths. Modification of a Varian Cary 17 spectrophotometer was carried out first by dismounting the photomultiplier tube detector module and the cell compartment of the spectrophotometer. The sample and the reference beams were focused through two externally mounted quartz lenses onto the sample and reference photoacoustic cells, respectively

DWPF liquid sample station: Status of equipment development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caplan, J.R.

1987-01-01

This report summarizes operating experience and equipment status of the DWPF liquid sample cell. Operation hours to date, results of equipment inspections and problems encountered and their solutions are discussed. An equipment and instrumentation status updating DPST-85-592, DWPF LIQUID SAMPLE CELL MOCK-UP, is presented. Remaining development items are also outlined

A review of reagents for fluorescence microscopy of cellular compartments and structures, Part III: reagents for actin, tubulin, cellular membranes, and whole cell and cytoplasm.

Science.gov (United States)

Kilgore, Jason A; Dolman, Nick J; Davidson, Michael W

2014-01-02

Non-antibody commercial fluorescent reagents for imaging of cytoskeletal structures have been limited primarily to tubulin and actin, with the main factor in choice based mainly on whether cells are live or fixed and permeabilized. A wider range of options exist for cell membrane dyes, and the choice of reagent primarily depends on the preferred localization in the cell (i.e., all membranes or only the plasma membrane) and usage (i.e., whether the protocol involves fixation and permeabilization). For whole-cell or cytoplasmic imaging, the choice of reagent is determined mostly by the length of time that the cells need to be visualized (hours or days) and by fixation status. Presented here is a discussion on choosing commercially available reagents for these cellular structures, with an emphasis on use for microscopic imaging, with a featured reagent for each structure, a recommended protocol, troubleshooting guide, and example image. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Combined analysis of circulating epithelial cells and serum thyroglobulin for distinguishing disease status of the patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma

OpenAIRE

Lin, Hung-Chih; Liou, Miaw-Jene; Hsu, Hsung-Ling; Hsieh, Jason Chia-Hsun; Chen, Yi-An; Tseng, Ching-Ping; Lin, Jen-Der

2015-01-01

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) accounts for about 80% of the cases in thyroid cancer. Routine surveillance by serum thyroglobulin (Tg) and medical imaging is the current practice to monitor disease progression of the patients. Whether enumeration of circulating epithelial cells (CECs) helps to define disease status of PTC patients was investigated. CECs were enriched from the peripheral blood of the healthy control subjects (G1, n = 17) and the patients at disease-free status (G2, n = 26) ...

Relation of obesity to neural activation in response to food commercials.

Science.gov (United States)

Gearhardt, Ashley N; Yokum, Sonja; Stice, Eric; Harris, Jennifer L; Brownell, Kelly D

2014-07-01

Adolescents view thousands of food commercials annually, but the neural response to food advertising and its association with obesity is largely unknown. This study is the first to examine how neural response to food commercials differs from other stimuli (e.g. non-food commercials and television show) and to explore how this response may differ by weight status. The blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging activation was measured in 30 adolescents ranging from lean to obese in response to food and non-food commercials imbedded in a television show. Adolescents exhibited greater activation in regions implicated in visual processing (e.g. occipital gyrus), attention (e.g. parietal lobes), cognition (e.g. temporal gyrus and posterior cerebellar lobe), movement (e.g. anterior cerebellar cortex), somatosensory response (e.g. postcentral gyrus) and reward [e.g. orbitofrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)] during food commercials. Obese participants exhibited less activation during food relative to non-food commercials in neural regions implicated in visual processing (e.g. cuneus), attention (e.g. posterior cerebellar lobe), reward (e.g. ventromedial prefrontal cortex and ACC) and salience detection (e.g. precuneus). Obese participants did exhibit greater activation in a region implicated in semantic control (e.g. medial temporal gyrus). These findings may inform current policy debates regarding the impact of food advertising to minors. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Infiltration of commercially available, anode supported SOFC’s via inkjet printing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mitchell-Williams, T.B.; Tomov, R.I.; Saadabadi, S.A.; Krauz, M.; Purushothaman Vellayani, A.; Glowacki, B.A.; Kumar, R.V.

2017-01-01

Commercially available anode supported solid oxide fuel cells (NiO-8YSZ/8YSZ/LSCF- 20 mm in diameter) were anode infiltrated with gadolinium doped ceria (CGO) using a scalable drop-on-demand inkjet printing process. Cells were infiltrated with two different precursor solutions—water based or

Towards 15% energy conversion efficiency: a systematic study of the solution-processed organic tandem solar cells based on commercially available materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Ning; Baran, Derya; Forberich, Karen

2013-01-01

in organic tandem solar cells. All the devices are processed under environmental conditions using doctor-blading, which is highly compatible with mass-production coating technologies. Power conversion efficiencies (PCE) of 6–7% are obtained for OPV devices based on different active layers. Optical...... simulations based on experimental data are performed for all realized tandem solar cells. An efficiency potential of ∼10% is estimated for these compounds in combination with phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as an acceptor. In addition, we assume a hypothetical, optimized acceptor to understand...... the limitation of donors. It is suggested that a PCE of >14% is realistic for tandem solar cells based on these commercially available donor materials. Along with the demonstration of novel intermediate layers we believe that this systematic study provides valuable insight for those attempting to realize...

Radiosensitivity of cancer cells against carbon-ion beams in an aspect of the p53 gene status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Akihisa; Ohnishi, Takeo; Matsumoto, Hideki

2004-01-01

We can easily understand that radiation sensitivities of cancer cells are dependent on the status of cancer-related genes. It is important to clarify which genes affect radiation sensitivity and reflect the effectiveness of radiation therapy for cancer cells. We have studied about the function of a tumor suppressor gene of p53, because p53 controls apoptosis, cell cycle and DNA repair from an aspect of important roles in cell fate. By analysis of function of p53 gene, therefore, we aim to predict the therapeutic effectiveness and to select the modalities of cancer therapies such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy and hyperthermia. As a final goal, we want to accept the most effective therapy, namely tailor-made cancer therapy, for each patient. Here, we introduce that carbon-beam therapy induced the expression of p53-independent apoptosis-related genes and NO radicals in mutated p53 cancer cells. (author)

Ways Out of the Patenting Prohibition? Human Parthenogenetic and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Schickl, Hannah; Braun, Matthias; Dabrock, Peter

2017-06-01

According to the judgement of the European Court of Justice in 2014, human parthenogenetic stem cells are excluded from the patenting prohibition of procedures based on hESC by the European Biopatent Directive, because human parthenotes are not human embryos. This article is based on the thesis that in light of the technological advances in the field of stem cell research, the attribution of the term 'human embryo' to certain entities on a descriptive level as well as the attribution of a normative protection status to certain entities based on the criterion of totipotency, are becoming increasingly unclear. The example of human parthenotes in particular demonstrates that totipotency is not at all a necessary condition for the attribution of the term 'human embryo'. Furthermore, the example of hiPSC and somatic cells particularly shows that totipotency is also not a sufficient condition for the attribution of a normative protection status to certain entities. Therefore, it is not a suitable criterion for distinguishing between human embryos worthy of protection and human non-embryos not worthy of protection. Consequently, this conclusion has repercussions for the patenting question. The strict delineation between an ethically problematic commercial use of human embryos and the concomitant patenting prohibition of hESC-based procedures and an ethically unproblematic commercial use of human non-embryos and the therefore either unrestrictedly permitted (cf. human parthenotes) or even unregulated (cf. hiPSC) patenting of procedures based on these alleged alternatives becomes increasingly blurred. © 2017 The Authors. Bioethics Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Quantifying intrinsic quality of commercial varieties of Basmati rice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sagar, M.A.; Salim, M.; Siddiqui, H.

2003-01-01

Twelve quality-trait of five commercial varieties of Basmati rice viz: Basmati 370, Basmati 385, Basmati 198, Basmati 6129 and Super Basmati, were determined according to standard methods. Under existing conditions, it is very difficult to assess overall quality of Basmati rice-varieties, because if a variety is superior in one quality trait, it is inferior in another quality trait, to some other Basmati rice variety, which creates confusion. In order to determine the overall quality-status, we have made an effort to quantify the various quality-traits. Each quality-trait has been allotted a score, in terms of its importance, and the overall status of each variety is computed. Based on our estimation, Super Basmati is of highest quality (98.21%), followed by Basmati 6129 (96.46%), Basmati 370 (95.59%), Basmati 385 (95.26%) and Basmati 198 (92.95%). (author)

Fundamentals and application of magnetic particles in cell isolation and enrichment: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plouffe, Brian D; Murthy, Shashi K; Lewis, Laura H

2015-01-01

Magnetic sorting using magnetic beads has become a routine methodology for the separation of key cell populations from biological suspensions. Due to the inherent ability of magnets to provide forces at a distance, magnetic cell manipulation is now a standardized process step in numerous processes in tissue engineering, medicine, and in fundamental biological research. Herein we review the current status of magnetic particles to enable isolation and separation of cells, with a strong focus on the fundamental governing physical phenomena, properties and syntheses of magnetic particles and on current applications of magnet-based cell separation in laboratory and clinical settings. We highlight the contribution of cell separation to biomedical research and medicine and detail modern cell-separation methods (both magnetic and non-magnetic). In addition to a review of the current state-of-the-art in magnet-based cell sorting, we discuss current challenges and available opportunities for further research, development and commercialization of magnetic particle-based cell-separation systems. (review article)

Space Commercialization

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Gary L.

2011-01-01

A robust and competitive commercial space sector is vital to continued progress in space. The United States is committed to encouraging and facilitating the growth of a U.S. commercial space sector that supports U.S. needs, is globally competitive, and advances U.S. leadership in the generation of new markets and innovation-driven entrepreneurship. Energize competitive domestic industries to participate in global markets and advance the development of: satellite manufacturing; satellite-based services; space launch; terrestrial applications; and increased entrepreneurship. Purchase and use commercial space capabilities and services to the maximum practical extent Actively explore the use of inventive, nontraditional arrangements for acquiring commercial space goods and services to meet United States Government requirements, including measures such as public-private partnerships, . Refrain from conducting United States Government space activities that preclude, discourage, or compete with U.S. commercial space activities. Pursue potential opportunities for transferring routine, operational space functions to the commercial space sector where beneficial and cost-effective.

Analysis and evaluation of the possibility of introducing phosphoric acid fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

1991-03-01

Each step in the manufacture of fuel cells is reviewed. The possibility of cost reduction in the process is investigated. Additionally, the feasibility of providing financial assistance for fuel cell buyers is investigated. Also, the present status and the future outlook of fuel cell development are discussed. In Japan, phosphoric acid fuel cells are beginning demonstration testing. A 200 kW test plant, for commercial and remote island use, has finished its demonstration test favorably. The test run of an 11 mW plant, for the production of electric power, is being conducted by a private company. The manufacture of each of the fuel cell's subsystems is semi-automated at this time. The costs are estimated to be reduced to 60 - 80 percent of the present costs in a 10 mW/year plant and TO 50 - 60 percent of the present costs in a 100 mW/year plant.

Age, sex, and nutritional status modify the CD4+ T-cell recovery rate in HIV-tuberculosis co-infected patients on combination antiretroviral therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Ezeamama, Amara E; Mupere, Ezekiel; Oloya, James; Martinez, Leonardo; Kakaire, Robert; Yin, Xiaoping; Sekandi, Juliet N; Whalen, Christopher C

2015-06-01

Baseline age and combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) were examined as determinants of CD4+ T-cell recovery during 6 months of tuberculosis (TB) therapy with/without cART. It was determined whether this association was modified by patient sex and nutritional status. This longitudinal analysis included 208 immune-competent, non-pregnant, ART-naive HIV-positive patients from Uganda with a first episode of pulmonary TB. CD4+ T-cell counts were measured using flow cytometry. Age was defined as ≤24, 25-29, 30-34, and 35-39 vs. ≥40 years. Nutritional status was defined as normal (>18.5kg/m(2)) vs. underweight (≤18.5kg/m(2)) using the body mass index (BMI). Multivariate random effects linear mixed models were fitted to estimate differences in CD4+ T-cell recovery in relation to specified determinants. cART was associated with a monthly rise of 15.7 cells/μl (precovery during TB therapy (p = 0.655). However, among patients on cART, the age-associated CD4+ T-cell recovery rate varied by sex and nutritional status, such that age recovery among females (p=0.006) and among patients with a BMI ≥18.5kg/m(2) (p18.5kg/m(2) or they are female. These patients may benefit from increased monitoring and nutritional support during cART. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

[Ethical aspects of human embryonic stem cell use and commercial umbilical cord blood stem cell banking. Ethical reflections on the occasion of the regulation of the European Council and Parliament on advanced therapy medicinal products].

Science.gov (United States)

Virt, G

2010-01-01

The regulation of the European Council and Parliament on advanced therapy medicinal products also includes therapies with human embryonic stem cells. The use of these stem cells is controversially and heavily discussed. Contrary to the use of adult stem cells, medical and ethical problems concerning the use of human embryonic stem cells persists, because this use is based on the destruction of human life at the very beginning. The regulation foresees, therefore, subsidiarity within the European Member States. Although there are no ethical problems in principle with the use of stem cells from the umbilical cord blood, there are social ethical doubts with the banking of these stem cells for autologous use without any currently foreseeable medical advantage by commercial blood banks. Also in this case subsidiarity is valid.

Systemic inflammation, nutritional status and tumor immune microenvironment determine outcome of resected non-small cell lung cancer.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Alifano

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Hypothesizing that nutritional status, systemic inflammation and tumoral immune microenvironment play a role as determinants of lung cancer evolution, the purpose of this study was to assess their respective impact on long-term survival in resected non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Clinical, pathological and laboratory data of 303 patients surgically treated for NSCLC were retrospectively analyzed. C-reactive protein (CRP and prealbumin levels were recorded, and tumoral infiltration by CD8+ lymphocytes and mature dendritic cells was assessed. We observed that factors related to nutritional status, systemic inflammation and tumoral immune microenvironment were correlated; significant correlations were also found between these factors and other relevant clinical-pathological parameters. With respect to outcome, at univariate analysis we found statistically significant associations between survival and the following variables: Karnofsky index, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA class, CRP levels, prealbumin concentrations, extent of resection, pathologic stage, pT and pN parameters, presence of vascular emboli, and tumoral infiltration by either CD8+ lymphocytes or mature dendritic cells and, among adenocarcinoma type, tumor grade (all p285 mg/L prealbumin levels and high (>96/mm2 CD8+ cell count had a 5-year survival rate of 80% [60.9-91.1] as compared to 18% [7.9-35.6] in patients with an opposite pattern of values. When stages I-II were considered alone, the prognostic significance of these factors was even more pronounced. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that nutrition, systemic inflammation and tumoral immune contexture are prognostic determinants that, taken together, may predict outcome.

Analog front-end cell designed in a commercial 025 mu m process for the ATLAS pixel detector at LHC

CERN Document Server

Blanquart, L; Comes, G; Denes, P; Einsweiler, Kevin F; Fischer, P; Mandelli, E; Meddeler, G; Peric, I; Richardson, J

2002-01-01

A new analog pixel front-end cell has been developed for the ATLAS detector at the future Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN). This analog cell has been submitted in two commercial 0.25 mu m CMOS processes (in an analog test chip format), using special layout techniques for radiation hardness purposes. It is composed of two cascaded amplifiers followed by a fast discriminator featuring a detection threshold within the range of 1000 to 10000 electrons. The first preamplifier has the principal role of providing a large bandwidth, low input impedance, and fast rise time in order to enhance the time-walk and crosstalk performance, whereas the second fully differential amplifier is aimed at delivering a sufficiently high-voltage gain for optimum comparison. A new do feedback concept renders the cell tolerant of sensor leakage current up to 300 nA and provides monitoring of this current. Two 5-bit digital-to-analog converters tolerant to single- event upset have been i...

Cell-based therapeutics from an economic perspective: primed for a commercial success or a research sinkhole?

Science.gov (United States)

McAllister, Todd N; Dusserre, Nathalie; Maruszewski, Marcin; L'heureux, Nicolas

2008-11-01

Despite widespread hype and significant investment through the late 1980s and 1990s, cell-based therapeutics have largely failed from both a clinical and financial perspective. While the early pioneers were able to create clinically efficacious products, small margins coupled with small initial indications made it impossible to produce a reasonable return on the huge initial investments that had been made to support widespread research activities. Even as US FDA clearance opened up larger markets, investor interest waned, and the crown jewels of cell-based therapeutics went bankrupt or were rescued by corporate bailout. Despite the hard lessons learned from these pioneering companies, many of today's regenerative medicine companies are supporting nearly identical strategies. It remains to be seen whether or not our proposed tenets for investment and commercialization strategy yield an economic success or whether the original model can produce a return on investment sufficient to justify the large up-front investments. Irrespective of which approach yields a success, it is critically important that more of the second-generation products establish profitability if the field is to enjoy continued investment from both public and private sectors.

An updated assessment of the prospects for fuel cell-powered cars. An information paper

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanderson, T.K. [Future Energy Solutions, Harwell (United Kingdom)

2005-07-01

This report presents updated conclusions of the Department of Trade and Industry's research and development programme to assess the commercial prospects for advanced fuel cells in the car market. The programme has focussed on low temperature solid polymer fuel cells (SPFCs) for transport and combined heat and power (CHP)/distributed power and high temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) for CHP/distributed power. The report provides an assessment of the status of technology development for different types of fuel cells in terms of applications to cars and offers estimates of market potential. Some fuel-cell powered cars are now available for demonstration purposes but the report concludes that truly commercial sales are unlikely to start before 2010 and widespread deployment is expected to take a further ten years after that. The issue of fuel choice is considered largely resolved with most car manufacturers currently focussing on hydrogen as a fuel. A discussion of the prospects and barriers for fuel cell cars concludes that cost reduction is now the major barrier to the successful commercialisation of fuel cells in cars. More demonstration prototypes and field trials are required to provide information on energy, environmental and economic performance of fuel cell cars. Field trials could also provide information to assist the development of refuelling systems, fuel storage systems, stacks and other system components and to gain experience of building integrated fuel cell systems within the constraints imposed by cars.

High-Efficiency, Commercial Ready CdTe Solar Cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sites, James R. [Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States)

2015-11-19

Colorado State’s F-PACE project explored several ways to increase the efficiency of CdTe solar cells and to better understand the device physics of those cells under study. Increases in voltage, current, and fill factor resulted in efficiencies above 17%. The three project tasks and additional studies are described in detail in the final report. Most cells studied were fabricated at Colorado State using an industry-compatible single-vacuum closed-space-sublimation (CSS) chamber for deposition of the key semiconductor layers. Additionally, some cells were supplied by First Solar for comparison purposes, and a small number of modules were supplied by Abound Solar.

Commercialization of higher education: characteristics and trends

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. V. Klyov

2014-04-01

Much attention is given to the variety of approaches to the study of higher education. Today, sociological discourses used to analyze modern innovation in the education sphere, such as multiculturalism, diversification, confessionalization, regionalization, cosmopolitan atmosphere in the modern world, including the global information technology to the higher education. In the course of innovation and modernization of higher education, commercialization becomes significantly prevalent a phenomenon and a social process of educational institutions, which requires considerable research. The review of the US and European models of higher education makes it possible to understand the essence of appearance in the literature of such concepts as «academic capitalism», «university of market­type» and «entrepreneurial University», analyze relation to the appearance of private education and income and define the priority of commercialization. Indisputably, with both positive and negative, as a result of the reform of higher education appeared the peculiar environment of business education, which requires the existence of new rules of interaction, status­role relationships, values and norms . In some extent, commercialization is a transformation of knowledge into a commodity (speaking in the context of consumer society; however, it is the growing influence of market relations on the purpose and objectives of higher education, the growth of the importance of knowledge as a resource for economic development that focuses on  the concept of an economy based on knowledge.

ANTIOXIDANT STATUS AND EXPRESSION OF HEAT SHOCK PROTEIN OF COBALT-TREATED PORCINE OVARIAN GRANULOSA CELLS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcela Capcarová

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD, total antioxidant status (TAS and expression of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70 of porcine ovarian granulosa cells cultured in vitro after cobalt (Co administrations. Ovarian granulosa cells were incubated with cobalt sulphate administrations as follows: group E1 (0.09 mg.ml-1, group E2 (0.13 mg.ml-1, group E3 (0.17 mg.ml-1, group E4 (0.33 mg.ml-1, group E5 (0.5 mg.ml-1 and the control group without any additions for 18 h. Co administration developed stress reaction and promoted accumulation of Hsp70 what resulted in increasing activity of SOD. TAS of granulosa cells increased with higher doses of Co whereas low doses had no effect on this parameter. Trace elements can adversely affect animal female reproductive system and its functions, through either direct or indirect effects on oxidative stress induction.

Influence of the PDE5 inhibitor tadalafil on redox status and antioxidant defense system in C2C12 skeletal muscle cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Duranti, Guglielmo; Ceci, Roberta; Sgrò, Paolo; Sabatini, Stefania; Di Luigi, Luigi

2017-05-01

Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5Is), widely known for their beneficial effects onto male erectile dysfunction, seem to exert favorable effects onto metabolism as well. Tadalafil exposure increases oxidative metabolism of C2C12 skeletal muscle cells. A rise in fatty acid (FA) metabolism, requiring more oxygen, could induce a larger reactive oxygen species (ROS) release as a byproduct thus leading to a redox imbalance. The aim of this study was to determine how PDE5I tadalafil influences redox status in skeletal muscle cells to match the increasing oxidative metabolism. To this purpose, differentiated C2C12 skeletal muscle cells were treated with tadalafil and analyzed for total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and glutathione levels as marker of redox status; enzyme activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) engaged in antioxidant defense; and lipid peroxidation (TBARS) and protein carbonyls (PrCar) as markers of oxidative damage. Tadalafil increased total intracellular glutathione (tGSH), CAT, SOD, and GPx enzymatic activities while no changes were found in TAC. A perturbation of redox status, as showed by the decrease in the ratio between reduced/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG), was observed. Nevertheless, it did not cause any change in TBARS and PrCar levels probably due to the enhancement in the antioxidant enzymatic network. Taken together, these data indicate that tadalafil, besides improving oxidative metabolism, may be beneficial to skeletal muscle cells by enhancing the enzymatic antioxidant system capacity.

Status of advanced light water reactor designs 2004

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-05-01

The report is intended to be a source of reference information for interested organizations and individuals. Among them are decision makers of countries considering implementation of nuclear power programmes. Further, the report is addressed to government officials with an appropriate technical background and to research institutes of countries with existing nuclear programmes that wish to be informed on the global status in order to plan their nuclear power programmes including both research and development efforts and means for meeting future. The future utilization of nuclear power worldwide depends primarily on the ability of the nuclear community to further improve the economic competitiveness of nuclear power plants while meeting stringent safety requirements. The IAEA's activities in nuclear power technology development include the preparation of status reports on advanced reactor designs to provide all interested IAEA Member States with balanced and objective information on advances in nuclear plant technology. In the field of light water reactors, the last status report published by the IAEA was 'Status of Advanced Light Water Cooled Reactor Designs: 1996' (IAEA-TECDOC-968). Since its publication, quite a lot has happened: some designs have been taken into commercial operation, others have achieved significant steps toward becoming commercial products, including certification from regulatory authorities, some are in a design optimization phase to reduce capital costs, development for other designs began after 1996, and a few designs are no longer pursued by their promoters. With this general progress in mind, on the advice and with the support of the IAEA Department of Nuclear Energy's Technical Working Group on Advanced Technologies for Light Water Reactors (LWRs), the IAEA has prepared this new status report on advanced LWR designs that updates IAEA-TECDOC-968, presenting the various advanced LWR designs in a balanced way according to a common outline

An updated assessment of the prospects for fuel cells in stationary power and CHP. An information paper

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanderson, T.K. [Future Energy Solutions, Harwell (United Kingdom)

2005-07-01

This report presents updated conclusions of the Department of Trade and Industry's research and development programme to assess the commercial prospects for advanced fuel cells in stationary power and combined heat and power (CHP) systems. The programme has focussed on low temperature solid polymer fuel cells (SPFCs) for transport and combined heat and power (CHP)/distributed power and high temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) for CHP/distributed power. As well as assessing the prospects for SPFCs and SOFCs in stationary power and CHP applications, the report examines those for molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs) and phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFCs). The report provides an assessment of the status of technology development for these different types of fuel cells in terms of applications to stationary power and CHP, and offers estimates of market potential for SOFCs in CHP markets, SPFCs in CHP markets and SOFCs in distributed power generation markets. Both large SPFC and SOFC CHP systems require further development to deliver the necessary cost reductions in materials and manufacturing processes before pre-commercial sales can begin. The routes taken by different manufacturers and their choice of preferred technology are explained. A discussion of the prospects and barriers for fuel cell cars concludes that while cost reduction is a major barrier to the successful commercialisation of fuel cells, there are insufficient data available from operating fuel cells systems (other than PAFC) in stationary power and CHP applications to assess the economic attractiveness of fuel cells compared with existing systems. More field trials are required to confirm energy and environmental performance in such applications and to evaluate operational and economic performance under commercial operating conditions. Such field trials could also provide a focus for the required developments in fuel cells for stationary power/CHP systems.

Nonhost status of commercial Persea americana 'Hass' to Anastrepha ludens, Anastrepha obliqua, Anastrepha serpentina, and Anastrepha striata (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Aluja, Martín; Díaz-Fleischer, Francisco; Arredondo, José

2004-04-01

The objective of this study was to determine the host status in Mexico of commercially cultivated and marketed avocado, Persea americana (Mill.), 'Hass' to Anastrepha ludens (Loew), Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart), Anastrepha serpentina (Wiedemann), and Anastrepha striata (Schiner) (Diptera: Tephritidae). Experiments in Michoacán, Mexico, were carried out in six orchards located at three altitudes above sea level during two times (August-October 2001 and April-June 2002). They included choice ('Hass' avocado plus natural host) and no-choice foraging behavior tests on trees under field cages; no-choice, forced infestation trials on caged, fruit-bearing branches in the field, and with individual fruit under laboratory conditions; infestation trials using 'Hass' avocados left unprotected over 1 and 7 d on the ground of orchards; studies to ascertain depth of oviposition and determine egg hatchability; and experiments to determine susceptibility by using time elapsed since removal of fruit from tree as the experimental variable. We trapped adult Anastrepha (n = 7,936) in all orchards and dissected fruit (n = 7,695) from orchards and packing houses (n = 1,620) in search of eggs or larvae. Most (96.7%) A. ludens, A. obliqua, A. striata, and A. serpentina adults were captured in low-elevation orchards. No eggs or larvae were detected in any of the fruit from foraging behavior studies or dissected fruit from orchards or packing houses. Of 5,200 mature, intact fruit on trees in the field forcibly exposed to no-choice female oviposition activity (five females/fruit), we only found four fruit infested by A. ludens but no adults emerged. 'Hass' avocados only became marginally susceptible to attack by A. ludens (but not A. obliqua, A. serpentina, and A. striata) 24 h after being removed from the tree. Fruit placed on the ground in orchards (n = 3,600) were occasionally infested by Neosilba batesi (Curran) (Diptera: Lonchaeidae), a decomposer, but not Anastrepha spp. Based on our

8 CFR 216.3 - Termination of conditional resident status.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

..., whichever is applicable, are true, or it becomes known to the government that an alien entrepreneur who was... applicable, are true, or that an alien entrepreneur who was admitted pursuant to section 203(b)(5) of the Act... immigration laws or an alien entrepreneur obtained permanent resident status through a commercial enterprise...

77 FR 30919 - Commercial Driver's License Testing and Commercial Learner's Permit Standards

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-24

..., and 385 [Docket No. FMCSA-2007-27659] Commercial Driver's License Testing and Commercial Learner's... published a final rule titled ``Commercial Driver's License Testing and Commercial Learner's Permit... additional drivers, primarily those transporting certain tanks temporarily attached to the commercial motor...

Current status and applications of somatic cell nuclear transfer in dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Goo; Kim, Min Kyu; Lee, Byeong Chun

2010-11-01

Although somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) technology and applications are well developed in most domesticated and laboratory animals, their use in dogs has advanced only slowly. Many technical difficulties had to be overcome before preliminary experiments could be conducted. First, due to the very low efficiency of dog oocyte maturation in vitro, in vivo matured oocytes were generally used. The nucleus of an in vivo matured oocyte was removed and a donor cell (from fetal or adult fibroblasts) was injected into the oocyte. Secondly, fusion of the reconstructed oocytes was problematic, and it was found that a higher electrical voltage was necessary, in comparison to other mammalian species. By transferring the resulting fused oocytes into surrogate females, several cloned offspring were born. SCNT was also used for producing cloned wolves, validating reproductive technologies for aiding conservation of endangered or extinct breeds. Although examples of transgenesis in canine species are very sparse, SCNT studies are increasing, and together with the new field of gene targeting technology, they have been applied in many fields of veterinary or bio-medical science. This review summarizes the current status of SCNT in dogs and evaluates its potential future applications. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prognostic impact of body mass index stratified by smoking status in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sun P

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Peng Sun,1,2,* Fei Zhang,1,2,* Cui Chen,3,* Chao Ren,1,2 Xi-Wen Bi,1,2 Hang Yang,1,2 Xin An,1,2 Feng-Hua Wang,1,2 Wen-Qi Jiang1,2 1State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, 2Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 3Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: As smoking affects the body mass index (BMI and causes the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC, the prognostic impact of BMI in ESCC could be stratified by smoking status. We investigated the true prognostic effect of BMI and its potential modification by smoking status in ESCC. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 459 patients who underwent curative treatment at a single institution between January 2007 and December 2010. BMI was calculated using the measured height and weight before surgery. Chi-square test was used to evaluate the relationships between smoking status and other clinicopathological variables. The Cox proportional hazard models were used for univariate and multivariate analyses of variables related to overall survival. Results: BMI <18.5 kg/m2 was a significantly independent predictor of poor survival in the overall population and never smokers after adjusting for covariates, but not in ever smokers. Among never smokers, underweight patients (BMI <18.5 kg/m2 had a 2.218 times greater risk of mortality than non-underweight (BMI =18.5 kg/m2 patients (P=0.015. Among ever smokers, BMI <18 kg/m2 increased the risk of mortality to 1.656 (P=0.019, compared to those having BMI =18 kg/m2. Conclusion: Our study is likely the first to show that the prognostic effect of BMI was substantial in ESCC, even after stratifying by smoking status. Furthermore, the risk of death due to low BMI would be significantly increased in never smokers. We believe that

[Effect of total glucosides of peony on expression and DNA methylation status of ITGAL gene in CD4(+) T cells of systemic lupus erythematosus].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Ming; Liang, Gongping; Luo, Shuangyan; Lu, Qianjin

2012-05-01

To investigate the effect of total glucosides of peony (TGP) on expression and DNA methylation status of ITGAL gene (CD11a) in CD4(+) T cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). CD4(+) T cells were isolated by positive selection using CD4 beads. CD4(+) T cells were treated by TGP at 0, 62.5, 312.5 and 1562.5 mg/L for 48 h. The MTT method was used to assess cell viability; mRNA expression level was measured by realtime-PCR; protein level of CD11a was measured by flow cytometric analysis; DNA methylation status was assayed by bisulfite sequencing. No significant change in cell viability was found in CD4(+) T cells among the different concentration groups (P>0.05). Compared with control, the mRNA and protein levels of ITGAL were down-regulated significantly in SLE CD4(+) T cells treated with TGP (1562.5 mg/L) (PTGP (1562.5 mg/L) treated CD4(+) T cells compared with control group (PTGP can repress CD11a gene expression through enhancing DNA methylation of ITGAL promoter in CD4(+) T cells from patients with SLE. This observation represents a preliminary step in understanding the mechanism of TGP in SLE therapy.

Status of food irradiation worldwide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loaharanu, P.

1992-01-01

The past four decades have witnessed the steady development of food irradiation technology - from laboratory-scale research to full-scale commercial application. The present status of this technology, approval for processing food items in 37 countries and commerical use of irradiated food in 24 countries, will be discussed. The trend in the use of irradiation to overcome certain trade barriers such as quarantine and hygiene will be presented. Emphasis will be made on the use of irradiation as an alternative to chemical treatments of food. (orig.) [de

New Sunshine Program for fiscal 2000. Development of photovoltaic power system commercialization technology (Development of ultrahigh-efficiency crystalline compound solar cell manufacturing technology - Surveys and studies of peripheral key technologies/Surveys of environmentally-friendliness enhancement for next-generation solar cell development); 2000 nendo New sunshine keikaku seika hokokusho. Taiyoko hatsuden system jitsuyoka gijutsu kaihatsu - Chokokoritsu kessho kagobutsu taiyo denchi no seizo gijutsu kaihatsu (Shuhen yoso gijutsu ni kansuru kenkyu chosa, Jisedai taiyodenchi kaihatsu kankyo tekioka chosa)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-03-01

Though the trends of solar cell development are becoming increasingly diverse across the world, yet none has emerged to promise a stable solar cell supply in the future. Under the circumstances, studies were conducted to clarify strategies for solar cell technology development which would be well adapted to Japan's social environments, with the trends of development in the United States and European countries taken into consideration. The surveys covered the research and development and diffusion of photovoltaic power generation in the United States and European countries, and their solar cell research and development strategies and trends of development were put together. Surveys were also conducted into the research and development of unconventional types of solar cells, such as the dye-sensitized solar cell, organic solar cell, conjugate polymer solar cell, and the polymer/C{sub 60} based solar cell, and into the status of resources of materials for solar cells such as gallium, arsenic, cadmium, tellurium, indium, selenium, and germanium. Regarding the future of photovoltaic power generation research and development, it was concluded that commercialization technology development and basic research and development should continue. Also pointed out was the importance of the enlargement of the market for photovoltaic power generation systems. (NEDO)

New Sunshine Program for fiscal 2000. Development of photovoltaic power system commercialization technology (Development of ultrahigh-efficiency crystalline compound solar cell manufacturing technology - Surveys and studies of peripheral key technologies/Surveys of environmentally-friendliness enhancement for next-generation solar cell development); 2000 nendo New sunshine keikaku seika hokokusho. Taiyoko hatsuden system jitsuyoka gijutsu kaihatsu - Chokokoritsu kessho kagobutsu taiyo denchi no seizo gijutsu kaihatsu (Shuhen yoso gijutsu ni kansuru kenkyu chosa, Jisedai taiyodenchi kaihatsu kankyo tekioka chosa)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-03-01

Though the trends of solar cell development are becoming increasingly diverse across the world, yet none has emerged to promise a stable solar cell supply in the future. Under the circumstances, studies were conducted to clarify strategies for solar cell technology development which would be well adapted to Japan's social environments, with the trends of development in the United States and European countries taken into consideration. The surveys covered the research and development and diffusion of photovoltaic power generation in the United States and European countries, and their solar cell research and development strategies and trends of development were put together. Surveys were also conducted into the research and development of unconventional types of solar cells, such as the dye-sensitized solar cell, organic solar cell, conjugate polymer solar cell, and the polymer/C{sub 60} based solar cell, and into the status of resources of materials for solar cells such as gallium, arsenic, cadmium, tellurium, indium, selenium, and germanium. Regarding the future of photovoltaic power generation research and development, it was concluded that commercialization technology development and basic research and development should continue. Also pointed out was the importance of the enlargement of the market for photovoltaic power generation systems. (NEDO)

Laboratory evaluation of commercial interferon preparations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schoub, B.D.; Lyons, S.F.; Crespi, M.; Chiu, M.-N.; Lomnitzer, R.

1983-01-01

The antiviral, antiproliferative and natural killer-cell (NKC) stimulatory activities of four commercial therapeutic interferon preparations were assayed in a laboratory. The antiviral and antiproliferative activities of each preparation were relatively similar, but an unexpectedly high NKC stimulatory activity was found in one of them. In-house determination of antiviral activity and evaluation of the antiproliferative and NKC stimulation potential of interferon preparations are essential before rational clinical trials of this agent are carried out

Involvement of placental/umbilical cord blood acid-base status and gas values on the radiosensitivity of human fetal/neonatal hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamaguchi, Masaru; Ebina, Satoko; Kashiwakura, Ikuo

2013-01-01

Arterial cord blood (CB) acid-base status and gas values, such as pH, PCO 2 , PO 2 , HCO 3 - and base excess, provide useful information on the fetal and neonatal condition. However, it remains unknown whether these values affect the radiosensitivity of fetal/neonatal hematopoiesis. The present study evaluated the relationship between arterial CB acid-base status, gas values, and the radiosensitivity of CB hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs). A total of 25 CB units were collected. The arterial CB acid-base status and gas values were measured within 30 min of delivery. The CD34 + HSPCs obtained from CB were exposed to 2 Gy X-irradiation, and then assayed for colony-forming unit-granulocyte-macrophage, burst-forming unit-erythroid (BFU-E), and colony-forming unit-granulocyte erythroid, macrophage and megakaryocyte cells. Acid-base status and gas values for PCO 2 and HCO 3 - showed a statistically significant negative correlation with the surviving fraction of BFU-E. In addition, a significant positive correlation was observed between gestational age and PCO 2 . Moreover, the surviving fraction of BFU-E showed a significant negative correlation with gestational age. Thus, HSPCs obtained from CB with high PCO 2 /HCO 3 - levels were sensitive to X-irradiation, which suggests that the status of arterial PCO 2 /HCO 3 - influences the radiosensitivity of fetal/neonatal hematopoiesis, especially erythropoiesis. (author)

Development Status of Accident Tolerant Fuels for Light Water Reactors in Korea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Jae Ho; Kim, Hyun Gil; In, Wang Kee; Kim, Weon Ju; Koo, Yang Hyum [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Seung Jae [KEPCONF, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

Research on accident tolerant fuels (ATFs) is aimed at developing innovative fuels, which can mitigate or prevent the consequences of accidents. In Korea, innovative concepts are being developed to improve fuel safety and reliability of LWRs during accident events and normal operations. ATF technologies will be developed and commercialized through a sequence of long-lead and extensive activities. The interim milestone for new fuel program is that we would be ready for an irradiation test in commercial reactor by 2021. This presentation deals with the status of ATF development in KOREA and plan to implement new fuel technology successfully in commercial nuclear power plants.

Current status of superficial pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Rikitake, Ryoko; Ando, Mizuo; Saito, Yuki; Yoshimoto, Seiichi; Yamasoba, Tatsuya; Higashi, Takahiro

2017-10-01

To investigate the status and treatment of superficial pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma in Japan. We analyzed all cases diagnosed between 2011 and 2013, as recorded in the national database of hospital-based cancer registries. We extracted data on patient sex, age, tumor locations, histology, presentation routes, initial treatments, and TNM stages. Additionally, we compared the characteristics of pharyngeal carcinoma to those of esophageal cancer. A total of 16,521 oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers from 409 institutions were included. Diagnosis of Tis tumors was infrequent, and both cancers were likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage (n = 866, 5.3%). Tis diseases were the most commonly detected during follow-up examinations for other diseases (n = 608, 70%). While more oropharyngeal Tis patients were men compared to T1-4 patients (88 vs 82%, respectively), hypopharyngeal cancer patients comprised an equally high proportion of men (94 vs 92%, respectively). The most common location of oropharyngeal Tis tumors was the posterior wall (32%), whereas T1-4 tumors were most commonly found on the lateral wall (36%). In hypopharyngeal cancer, both Tis and T1-4 were most commonly located in the pyriform sinus (62%). The proportion of Tis tumors diagnosed at individual institutions showed a positive correlation with the number of endoscopic treatments (r = 0.32, P squamous cell carcinoma patients in Japan. Further improvements in early diagnosis and standardized treatments are warranted.

Short communication: Effect of commercial or depurinized milk diet on plasma advanced oxidation protein products, cardiovascular markers, and bone marrow CD34+ stem cell potential in rat experimental hyperuricemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kocic, Gordana; Sokolovic, Dusan; Jevtovic, Tatjana; Cvetkovic, Tatjana; Veljkovic, Andrej; Kocic, Hristina; Stojanovic, Svetlana; Jovanovic, Aneta; Jovanovic, Jelena; Zivkovic, Petar

2014-11-01

Cardiovascular repair and myocardial contractility may be improved by migration of bone marrow stem cells (BMSC) and their delivery to the site of injury, a process known as BMSC homing. The aim of our study was to examine the dietary effect of a newly patented depurinized milk (DP) that is almost free of uric acid and purine and pyrimidine compounds compared with a standard commercial 1.5% fat UHT milk diet or allopurinol therapy in rat experimental hyperuricemia. Bone marrow stem cell potential (BMCD34(+), CD34-postive bone marrow cells), plasma oxidative stress parameters [advanced oxidation protein products, AOPP) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)], myocardial damage markers [creatine phosphokinase (CPK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)], plasma cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were investigated. The DP milk diet significantly increased the number of BMCD34(+) stem cells compared with commercial UHT milk. Allopurinol given alone also increased the number of BMCD34(+). Hyperuricemia caused a significant increase in all plasma enzyme markers for myocardial damage (CPK, LDH, and AST). A cardioprotective effect was achieved with allopurinol but almost equally with DP milk and more than with commercial milk. Regarding plasma AOPP, TBARS, and cholesterol levels, the most effective treatment was DP milk. In conclusion, the protective role of a milk diet on cardiovascular function may be enhanced through the new depurinized milk diet, which may improve cardiovascular system function via increased bone marrow stem cell regenerative potential, decreased plasma oxidative stress parameters, and decreased levels of myocardial damage markers and cholesterol. New dairy technology strategies focused on eliminating harmful milk compounds should be completely nontoxic. Novel milk products should be tested for their ability to improve tissue repair and function. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science

The ATF [Advanced Toroidal Facility] Status and Control System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baylor, L.R.; Devan, W.R.; Sumner, J.N.; Alban, A.M.

1987-01-01

The Advanced Toroidal Facility (ATF) Status and Control System (SCS) is a programmable controller-based state monitoring and supervisory control system. This paper describes the SCS implementation and its use of a host computer to run a commercially available software package that provides color graphic interactive displays, alarm logging, and archiving of state data

Expression of cell cycle proteins according to HPV status in oral squamous cell carcinoma affecting young patients: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Miranda Galvis, Marisol; Freitas Jardim, Juscelino; Kaminagakura, Estela; Santos-Silva, Alan Roger; Paiva Fonseca, Felipe; Paes Almeida, Oslei; Ajudarte Lopes, Marcio; Lópes Pinto, Clóvis; Kowalski, Luiz Paulo

2018-04-01

Tobacco and alcohol consumption are considered the main risk factors for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC); however, the role of these factors in patients younger than 40 years is controversial, so it has been suggested that genomic instability and high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection may be contributing factors to oral carcinogenesis at a young age. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the immunoexpression of cell cycle proteins according HPV status in OSCC affecting young patients. A tissue microarray construction based on 34 OSCC samples from young patients (factor receptor, p53, and p16 antibodies. The clinicopathologic features and the immunoexpression of all tested proteins were similar in both groups. Patients with HPV-related OSSC tended to have better cancer-specific survival (CSS; 39% vs 60% 5-y CSS), and overall survival (OS; 29.2% vs 60% 5-year OS). However, this difference was not statistically significant. No significant difference exists in the expression of cell cycle proteins studied between HR-HPV DNA-positive and HR-HPV DNA-negative OSCC affecting young patients. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Landscape of current and emerging cell therapy clinical trials in the UK: current status, comparison to global trends and future perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Bisson, Isabelle; Green, Emma; Sharpe, Michaela; Herbert, Chris; Hyllner, Johan; Mount, Natalie

2015-01-01

Cell Therapy Clinical Trial and Preclinical Research databases have been established by the Cell Therapy Catapult to document current and future cell therapy clinical trials in the UK. We identified 41 ongoing trials in April 2014, an increase of seven trials from April 2013. In addition, we identified 45 late-stage preclinical research projects. The majority of the clinical trials are early phase, primarily led by academic groups. The leading therapeutic areas are cancer, cardiology and neurology. The trends in the UK are also seen globally. As the field matures, more later phase and commercial studies will emerge and the challenges will likely evolve into how to manufacture sufficient cell quantities, manage complex logistics for multi-center trials and control cost.

Bonneville Power Administration`s Commercial Sector Conservation Market.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gordan, Frederick M. [Pacific Energy Associates, Inc. (United States)

1992-11-10

Bonneville has, as part of its resource plan, accepted targets for commercial conservation which are quite ambitious. To meet these targets, Bonneville will need to acquire as much cost-effective conservation as possible over the next twelve years. With this in mind, this document explores the relative importance of different commercial market segments and the types of assistance each market needs to install as many cost-effective conservation measures in as many buildings as possible. This document reviews Bonneville`s marketing environment and position, and suggests goals for commercial sector conservation marketing at Bonneville. Then it presents a broad market segmentation and series of additional demographic analyses. These analyses assess what groups of consumers Bonneville must reach to achieve most of the commercial conservation potential and what is needed to reach them. A final section reviews the success of Bonneville programs at reaching various markets. The market segmentation identifies different types of consumers and opportunities which would require distinct program approaches. Four large market segments are identified that have distinct program needs. Then four ``building life-cycle events`` are identified which provide important conservation opportunities and also require distinct program services. This creates a matrix of 16 cells which delineate distinct needs for program marketing. Each of the four key market segments manages at least 20% of the Region`s commercial floorspace.

Microbiological Food Safety Status of Commercially Produced Tomatoes from Production to Marketing.

Science.gov (United States)

van Dyk, Brigitte N; de Bruin, Willeke; du Plessis, Erika M; Korsten, Lise

2016-03-01

Tomatoes have been implicated in various microbial disease outbreaks and are considered a potential vehicle for foodborne pathogens. Traceback studies mostly implicate contamination during production and/or processing. The microbiological quality of commercially produced tomatoes was thus investigated from the farm to market, focusing on the impact of contaminated irrigation and washing water, facility sanitation, and personal hygiene. A total of 905 samples were collected from three largescale commercial farms from 2012 through 2014. The farms differed in water sources used (surface versus well) and production methods (open field versus tunnel). Levels of total coliforms and Escherichia coli and prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium were determined. Dominant coliforms were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. No pathogens or E. coli were detected on any of the tomatoes tested throughout the study despite the high levels of coliforms (4.2 to 6.2 log CFU/g) present on the tomatoes at the market. The dominant species associated with tomatoes belonged to the genera Enterobacter, Klebsiella, and Citrobacter. Water used on the farm for irrigation considered not fit for purpose according to national agricultural irrigation standards, with high E. coli levels resulting from either a highly contaminated source water (river water at 3.19 log most probable number [MPN]/100 ml) or improper storage of source water (stored well water at 1.72 log MPN/100 ml). Salmonella Typhimurium was detected on two occasions on a contact surface in the processing facility of the first farm in 2012. Contact surface coliform counts were 2.9 to 4.8 log CFU/cm(2). Risk areas identified in this study were water used for irrigation and poor sanitation practices in the processing facility. Implementation of effective food safety management systems in the fresh produce industry is of the utmost importance to ensure product

The tritium monitoring requirements of fusion and the status of research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nickerson, S.B.; Gerdingh, R.F.; Penfold, K.

1982-10-01

This report is a summary of an investigation into the tritium monitoring requirements of tritium laboratories, D-T burning ignition experiments, and fusion reactors. There is also a summary of the status of research into tritium monitoring and a survey of commercially available tritium monitors

Effects of rest time after Li plating on safety behavior—ARC tests with commercial high-energy 18650 Li-ion cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waldmann, Thomas; Wohlfahrt-Mehrens, Margret

2017-01-01

During charging at low temperatures, metallic Lithium can be deposited on the surface of graphite anodes of Li-ion cells. This Li plating does not only lead to fast capacity fade, it can also impair the safety behavior. The present study observes the effect of rest periods between Li plating and subsequent accelerated rate calorimetry (ARC) tests. As an example, commercial 3.25 Ah 18650-type cells with graphite anodes and NCA cathodes are cycled at 0 °C to provoke Li plating. It is found that the rest period at 25 °C between Li plating and the ARC tests has a significant influence on the onset temperature of exothermic reactions (T SH ), the onset temperature of thermal runaway (T TR ), the maximum temperature, the self-heating rate, and on damage patterns of 18650 cells. The results are discussed in terms of chemical intercalation of Li plating into adjacent graphite particles during the rest period. The exponential increase of capacity recovery and T SH as a function of time suggests a reaction of 1st order for the relaxation process.

Keratin 8/18 regulation of glucose metabolism in normal versus cancerous hepatic cells through differential modulation of hexokinase status and insulin signaling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mathew, Jasmin; Loranger, Anne; Gilbert, Stéphane [Centre de recherche en cancérologie de l' Université Laval and Centre de recherche du CHUQ (L' Hôtel-Dieu de Québec), 9 McMahon, Québec, Qc, Canada G1R 2J6 (Canada); Faure, Robert [Département de Pédiatrie, Université Laval and Centre de recherche du CHUQ (Centre Mère-Enfant), Québec, Qc, Canada G1V 4G2 (Canada); Marceau, Normand, E-mail: normand.marceau@crhdq.ulaval.ca [Centre de recherche en cancérologie de l' Université Laval and Centre de recherche du CHUQ (L' Hôtel-Dieu de Québec), 9 McMahon, Québec, Qc, Canada G1R 2J6 (Canada)

2013-02-15

As differentiated cells, hepatocytes primarily metabolize glucose for ATP production through oxidative phosphorylation of glycolytic pyruvate, whereas proliferative hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells undergo a metabolic shift to aerobic glycolysis despite oxygen availability. Keratins, the intermediate filament (IF) proteins of epithelial cells, are expressed as pairs in a lineage/differentiation manner. Hepatocyte and HCC (hepatoma) cell IFs are made solely of keratins 8/18 (K8/K18), thus providing models of choice to address K8/K18 IF functions in normal and cancerous epithelial cells. Here, we demonstrate distinctive increases in glucose uptake, glucose-6-phosphate formation, lactate release, and glycogen formation in K8/K18 IF-lacking hepatocytes and/or hepatoma cells versus their respective IF-containing counterparts. We also show that the K8/K18-dependent glucose uptake/G6P formation is linked to alterations in hexokinase I/II/IV content and localization at mitochondria, with little effect on GLUT1 status. In addition, we find that the insulin-stimulated glycogen formation in normal hepatocytes involves the main PI-3 kinase-dependent signaling pathway and that the K8/K18 IF loss makes them more efficient glycogen producers. In comparison, the higher insulin-dependent glycogen formation in K8/K18 IF-lacking hepatoma cells is associated with a signaling occurring through a mTOR-dependent pathway, along with an augmentation in cell proliferative activity. Together, the results uncover a key K8/K18 regulation of glucose metabolism in normal and cancerous hepatic cells through differential modulations of mitochondrial HK status and insulin-mediated signaling.

Turning Regenerative Medicine Breakthrough Ideas and Innovations into Commercial Products.

Science.gov (United States)

Bayon, Yves; Vertès, Alain A; Ronfard, Vincent; Culme-Seymour, Emily; Mason, Chris; Stroemer, Paul; Najimi, Mustapha; Sokal, Etienne; Wilson, Clayton; Barone, Joe; Aras, Rahul; Chiesi, Andrea

2015-12-01

The TERMIS-Europe (EU) Industry committee intended to address the two main critical issues in the clinical/commercial translation of Advanced Therapeutic Medicine Products (ATMP): (1) entrepreneurial exploitation of breakthrough ideas and innovations, and (2) regulatory market approval. Since January 2012, more than 12,000 publications related to regenerative medicine and tissue engineering have been accepted for publications, reflecting the intense academic research activity in this field. The TERMIS-EU 2014 Industry Symposium provided a reflection on the management of innovation and technological breakthroughs in biotechnology first proposed to contextualize the key development milestones and constraints of allocation of financial resources, in the development life-cycle of radical innovation projects. This was illustrated with the biofuels story, sharing similarities with regenerative medicine. The transition was then ensured by an overview of the key identified challenges facing the commercialization of cell therapy products as ATMP examples. Real cases and testimonies were then provided by a palette of medical technologies and regenerative medicine companies from their commercial development of cell and gene therapy products. Although the commercial development of ATMP is still at the proof-of-concept stage due to technology risks, changing policies, changing markets, and management changes, the sector is highly dynamic with a number of explored therapeutic approaches, developed by using a large diversity of business models, both proposed by the experience, pitfalls, and successes of regenerative medicine pioneers, and adapted to the constraint resource allocation and environment in radical innovation projects.

Solar power satellites: Commercialization and socio-economic impacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Storelli, V.

1993-01-01

Commercialization prospects for solar power satellites are assessed with reference to their possible impacts on the viability of the fossil fuel market and on international energy and environmental policies. The technical aspects which are examined include: solar panel sizing in relation to solar cell efficiency; the development of point-contact solar cell technology; the feasibility of the use of lunar materials; microwave transmission from the moon; optimum satellite positioning; the use of robots for in-space satellite assembly; satellite transmitted power for hydrogen production and storage; marketable product estimated development time

Fuel cells for naval aviation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Satzberg, S.; Field, S.; Abu-Ali, M.

2003-01-01

Recent advances in fuel cell technology have occurred which make fuel cells increasingly attractive for electric power generation on future naval and commercial aircraft applications. These advances include significant increases in power density, the development of compact fuel reformers, and cost reductions due to commercialization efforts. The Navy's interest in aircraft fuel cells stems from their high energy efficiency (up to 40-60% for simple cycle; 60-70% for combined gas turbine/fuel cell hybrid cycles), and their negligible NOx and hydrocarbon emissions compared to conventional generators. While the U.S. Navy has been involved with fuel cell research and development as early as the 1960s, many of the early programs were for special warfare or undersea applications. In 1997, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) initiated a program to marinize commercial fuel cell technology for future Navy shipboard applications. The power density of fuel cell power systems is approaching the levels necessary for serious consideration for aircraft suitability. ONR and Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) are initiating a program to develop a fuel cell power system suitable for future Navy aircraft applications, utilizing as much commercially-available technology as possible. (author)

Androgen receptor status is highly conserved during tumor progression of breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Grogg, André; Trippel, Mafalda; Pfaltz, Katrin; Lädrach, Claudia; Droeser, Raoul A; Cihoric, Nikola; Salhia, Bodour; Zweifel, Martin; Tapia, Coya

2015-11-09

With the advent of new and more efficient anti-androgen drugs targeting androgen receptor (AR) in breast cancer (BC) is becoming an increasingly important area of investigation. This would potentially be most useful in triple negative BC (TNBC), where better therapies are still needed. The assessment of AR status is generally performed on the primary tumor even if the tumor has already metastasized. Very little is known regarding discrepancies of AR status during tumor progression. To determine the prevalence of AR positivity, with emphasis on TNBCs, and to investigate AR status during tumor progression, we evaluated a large series of primary BCs and matching metastases and recurrences. AR status was performed on 356 primary BCs, 135 matching metastases, and 12 recurrences using a next-generation Tissue Microarray (ngTMA). A commercially available AR antibody was used to determine AR-status by immunohistochemistry. AR positivity was defined as any nuclear staining in tumor cells ≥1 %. AR expression was correlated with pathological tumor features of the primary tumor. Additionally, the concordance rate of AR expression between the different tumor sites was determined. AR status was positive in: 87 % (307/353) of primary tumors, 86.1 % (105/122) of metastases, and in 66.7 % (8/12) of recurrences. TNBC tested positive in 11.4 %, (4/35) of BCs. A discrepant result was seen in 4.3 % (5/117) of primary BC and matching lymph node (LN) metastases. Three AR negative primary BCs were positive in the matching LN metastasis, representing 17.6 % of all negative BCs with lymph node metastases (3/17). Two AR positive primary BCs were negative in the matching LN metastasis, representing 2.0 % of all AR positive BCs with LN metastases (2/100). No discrepancies were seen between primary BC and distant metastases or recurrence (n = 17). Most primary (87 %) and metastasized (86.1 %) BCs are AR positive including a significant fraction of TNBCs (11.4 %). Further, AR status is

Androgen receptor status is highly conserved during tumor progression of breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grogg, André; Trippel, Mafalda; Pfaltz, Katrin; Lädrach, Claudia; Droeser, Raoul A.; Cihoric, Nikola; Salhia, Bodour; Zweifel, Martin; Tapia, Coya

2015-01-01

With the advent of new and more efficient anti-androgen drugs targeting androgen receptor (AR) in breast cancer (BC) is becoming an increasingly important area of investigation. This would potentially be most useful in triple negative BC (TNBC), where better therapies are still needed. The assessment of AR status is generally performed on the primary tumor even if the tumor has already metastasized. Very little is known regarding discrepancies of AR status during tumor progression. To determine the prevalence of AR positivity, with emphasis on TNBCs, and to investigate AR status during tumor progression, we evaluated a large series of primary BCs and matching metastases and recurrences. AR status was performed on 356 primary BCs, 135 matching metastases, and 12 recurrences using a next-generation Tissue Microarray (ngTMA). A commercially available AR antibody was used to determine AR-status by immunohistochemistry. AR positivity was defined as any nuclear staining in tumor cells ≥1 %. AR expression was correlated with pathological tumor features of the primary tumor. Additionally, the concordance rate of AR expression between the different tumor sites was determined. AR status was positive in: 87 % (307/353) of primary tumors, 86.1 % (105/122) of metastases, and in 66.7 % (8/12) of recurrences. TNBC tested positive in 11.4 %, (4/35) of BCs. A discrepant result was seen in 4.3 % (5/117) of primary BC and matching lymph node (LN) metastases. Three AR negative primary BCs were positive in the matching LN metastasis, representing 17.6 % of all negative BCs with lymph node metastases (3/17). Two AR positive primary BCs were negative in the matching LN metastasis, representing 2.0 % of all AR positive BCs with LN metastases (2/100). No discrepancies were seen between primary BC and distant metastases or recurrence (n = 17). Most primary (87 %) and metastasized (86.1 %) BCs are AR positive including a significant fraction of TNBCs (11.4 %). Further, AR status is highly

Space commerce in a global economy - Comparison of international approaches to commercial space

Science.gov (United States)

Stone, Barbara A.; Kleber, Peter

1992-01-01

A historical perspective, current status, and comparison of national government/commercial space industry relationships in the United States and Europe are presented. It is noted that space technology has been developed and used primarily to meet the needs of civil and military government initiatives. Two future trends of space technology development include new space enterprises, and the national drive to achieve a more competitive global economic position.

Hybrid micro/nano-topography of a TiO2 nanotube-coated commercial zirconia femoral knee implant promotes bone cell adhesion in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Frandsen, Christine J; Noh, Kunbae; Brammer, Karla S; Johnston, Gary; Jin, Sungho

2013-07-01

Various approaches have been studied to engineer the implant surface to enhance bone in-growth properties, particularly using micro- and nano-topography. In this study, the behavior of osteoblast (bone) cells was analyzed in response to a titanium oxide (TiO2) nanotube-coated commercial zirconia femoral knee implant consisting of a combined surface structure of a micro-roughened surface with the nanotube coating. The osteoblast cells demonstrated high degrees of adhesion and integration into the surface of the nanotube-coated implant material, indicating preferential cell behavior on this surface when compared to the bare implant. The results of this brief study provide sufficient evidence to encourage future studies. The development of such hierarchical micro- and nano-topographical features, as demonstrated in this work, can provide insightful designs for advanced bone-inducing material coatings on ceramic orthopedic implant surfaces. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Wave energy for the 21st century: status and prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thorpe, Tom

2000-01-01

This article reviews the current technical and commercial status of wave energy, and discusses the design of near shore devices such as the 2MW OSPREY, and offshore devices including the McCabe wave pump, the Ocean Power Technology Wave Energy Converter, the Archimedes Wave Swing, the Pelamis, and wave energy schemes under development by other commercial firms. The predicted generating costs, the potential market, environmental impacts, and institution factors such as planning and consent, grid connection,and safety in design and operation are considered. The operating principles of an oscillating water column, and some promising offshore devices are illustrated

Commercial Buildings Characteristics, 1992

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-04-29

Commercial Buildings Characteristics 1992 presents statistics about the number, type, and size of commercial buildings in the United States as well as their energy-related characteristics. These data are collected in the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS), a national survey of buildings in the commercial sector. The 1992 CBECS is the fifth in a series conducted since 1979 by the Energy Information Administration. Approximately 6,600 commercial buildings were surveyed, representing the characteristics and energy consumption of 4.8 million commercial buildings and 67.9 billion square feet of commercial floorspace nationwide. Overall, the amount of commercial floorspace in the United States increased an average of 2.4 percent annually between 1989 and 1992, while the number of commercial buildings increased an average of 2.0 percent annually.

Commercial production of thin-film CdTe photovoltaic modules. 1995 annual report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brog, T.K. [Golden Photon, Inc., CO (United States)

1997-02-01

This report presents a general overview of progress made in Golden Photon Inc.`s commercial production of thin-film CdTe photovoltaic modules. It describes the improvement in the number of batch runs processed through substrate deposition, all inter-connection, and encapsulation process steps; a progressive increase in the total number of panels processed each month; an improvement in cumulative process yields; and the continual attention given to modifying operating parameters of each major process step. The report also describes manpower status and staffing issues. The description of the status of subcontract progress includes engineering design; process improvement and development; cost improvement and raw materials; environment, safety, and health; and manufacturing cost and productivity optimization. Milestones and deliverables are also described.

Commercial Truck Driver Health and Safety: Exploring Distracted Driving Performance and Self-Reported Driving Skill.

Science.gov (United States)

Stavrinos, Despina; Heaton, Karen; Welburn, Sharon C; McManus, Benjamin; Griffin, Russell; Fine, Philip R

2016-08-01

Reducing distracters detrimental to commercial truck driving is a critical component of improving the safety performance of commercial drivers, and makes the highways safer for all drivers. This study used a driving simulator to examine effects of cell phone, texting, and email distractions as well as self-reported driver optimism bias on the driving performance of commercial truck drivers. Results revealed that more visually demanding tasks were related to poorer driving performance. However, the cell phone task resulted in less off-the-road eye glances. Drivers reporting being "very skilled" displayed poorer driving performance than those reporting being "skilled." Onboard communication devices provide a practical, yet visually and manually demanding, solution for connecting drivers and dispatchers. Trucking company policies should minimize interaction between dispatchers and drivers when the truck is in motion. Training facilities should integrate driving simulators into the instruction of commercial drivers, targeting over-confident drivers. © 2016 The Author(s).

The socioeconomic status of the non-timber forest product subsector ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A wide spectrum of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) generally has a remarkable contribution to the household economy in rural areas. Most communities make a living either through their domestic or commercial use. The objective of this study was to review the current status of the NTFP sector and further compile an ...

Elevated CO2 can modify the response to a water status gradient in a steppe grass: from cell organelles to photosynthetic capacity to plant growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Yanling; Xu, Zhenzhu; Zhou, Guangsheng; Liu, Tao

2016-07-12

The atmospheric CO2 concentration is rising continuously, and abnormal precipitation may occur more frequently in the future. Although the effects of elevated CO2 and drought on plants have been well reported individually, little is known about their interaction, particularly over a water status gradient. Here, we aimed to characterize the effects of elevated CO2 and a water status gradient on the growth, photosynthetic capacity, and mesophyll cell ultrastructure of a dominant grass from a degraded grassland. Elevated CO2 stimulated plant biomass to a greater extent under moderate changes in water status than under either extreme drought or over-watering conditions. Photosynthetic capacity and stomatal conductance were also enhanced by elevated CO2 under moderate drought, but inhibited with over-watering. Severe drought distorted mesophyll cell organelles, but CO2 enrichment partly alleviated this effect. Intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi) and total biomass water use efficiency (WUEt) were increased by elevated CO2, regardless of water status. Plant structural traits were also found to be tightly associated with photosynthetic potentials. The results indicated that CO2 enrichment alleviated severe and moderate drought stress, and highlighted that CO2 fertilization's dependency on water status should be considered when projecting key species' responses to climate change in dry ecosystems.

78 FR 17875 - Commercial Driver's License Testing and Commercial Learner's Permit Standards

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-25

... [Docket No. FMCSA-2007-27659] RIN 2126-AB59 Commercial Driver's License Testing and Commercial Learner's.... The 2011 final rule amended the commercial driver's license (CDL) knowledge and skills testing standards and established new minimum Federal standards for States to issue the commercial learner's permit...

Comparison of egg and high yielding MDCK cell-derived live attenuated influenza virus for commercial production of trivalent influenza vaccine: in vitro cell susceptibility and influenza virus replication kinetics in permissive and semi-permissive cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Hussain, Althaf I; Cordeiro, Melissa; Sevilla, Elizabeth; Liu, Jonathan

2010-05-14

Currently MedImmune manufactures cold-adapted (ca) live, attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) from specific-pathogen free (SPF) chicken eggs. Difficulties in production scale-up and potential exposure of chicken flocks to avian influenza viruses especially in the event of a pandemic influenza outbreak have prompted evaluation and development of alternative non-egg based influenza vaccine manufacturing technologies. As part of MedImmune's effort to develop the live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) using cell culture production technologies we have investigated the use of high yielding, cloned MDCK cells as a substrate for vaccine production by assessing host range and virus replication of influenza virus produced from both SPF egg and MDCK cell production technologies. In addition to cloned MDCK cells the indicator cell lines used to evaluate the impact of producing LAIV in cells on host range and replication included two human cell lines: human lung carcinoma (A549) cells and human muco-epidermoid bronchiolar carcinoma (NCI H292) cells. The influenza viruses used to infect the indicators cell lines represented both the egg and cell culture manufacturing processes and included virus strains that composed the 2006-2007 influenza seasonal trivalent vaccine (A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1), A/Wisconsin/67/05 (H3N2) and B/Malaysia/2506/04). Results from this study demonstrate remarkable similarity between influenza viruses representing the current commercial egg produced and developmental MDCK cell produced vaccine production platforms. MedImmune's high yielding cloned MDCK cells used for the cell culture based vaccine production were highly permissive to both egg and cell produced ca attenuated influenza viruses. Both the A549 and NCI H292 cells regardless of production system were less permissive to influenza A and B viruses than the MDCK cells. Irrespective of the indicator cell line used the replication properties were similar between egg and the cell produced

Measuring Torque and Temperature in a Rotating Shaft Using Commercial SAW Sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Diogo; Mendes, Joana C; Pereira, António B; Gégot, François; Alves, Luís N

2017-07-02

Real-time monitoring of torque in a rotating shaft is not easy to implement with technologies such as optic fiber sensors or strain gages. Surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors are wireless and passive and can be used to monitor strain in moving parts. Commercial solutions (sensors, antennas and interrogation unit) can easily be purchased from some companies; however, they are not customized and may not meet the specificity of the measurements. In order to evaluate the adequacy of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions, temperature and strain sensors fabricated by SENSeOR (Besançon, France) were mounted on a load cell. The sensors were calibrated using a thermal chamber and a universal testing machine. The load cell was then assembled together with a steel shaft that rotated at different speeds inside an oven. The commercial antennas were replaced with an RF (radio frequency) coupler and the sensors were interrogated with the commercial interrogation unit. The influence of rotation in the accuracy on the measurements, as well as the adequacy of the sensors structure, was evaluated. It can be concluded that SAW sensors can be used to measure temperature or torque in a rotating environment; however, some customization of the components is required in order to overcome the limitations posed by COTS sensing solutions.

In vitro preparation of radionuclides labeled blood cells: Status and requirements; Preparation in vitro des cellules du sang marquees par des radionucleides: statut et recommandations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Couret, I. [Service de medecine nucleaire et radiopharmacie, hopital Lapeyronie, CHU de Montpellier, 34 - Montpellier (France); Desruet, M.D. [Service de medecine nucleaire et radiopharmacie, CHU de Grenoble, 38 - Grenoble (France); Bolot, C. [Service de pharmacie, hospices civils de Lyon, groupement hospitalier Est, 69 - Bron (France); Chassel, M.L. [Service de pharmacie et radiopharmacie, centre hospitalier de Chambery, 73 - Chambery (France); Pellegrin, M. [Inserm U896, CRLC Val-d' Aurelle-Paul-Lamarque, IRCM, universite Montpellier 1, 34 - Montpellier (France)

2010-11-15

Labelled blood cells permit nuclear medicine imaging using their physiological behaviours. The radiolabeling must be performed in vitro because of the lack of specific markers and requires several highly technical stages of preparation. Labelled blood cells have not the medication drug status, so that the nuclear physician conducting the nuclear test is fully liable. In most cases, the physician delegates the technical responsibility to radio-pharmacists. Although the status of radiolabelled autologous cells is not legally defined and in the absence of a specific repository, it is essential that their preparation is subject to the requirements of the rules of French Good Manufacturing Practice published by Agence francaise de securite sanitaire des produits de sante (Afssaps). It would be desirable to harmonize the practices of radiolabeling cellular blood components by editing a repository. (authors)

High temperature PEM fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Jianlu; Xie, Zhong; Zhang, Jiujun; Tang, Yanghua; Song, Chaojie; Navessin, Titichai; Shi, Zhiqing; Song, Datong; Wang, Haijiang; Wilkinson, David P.; Liu, Zhong-Sheng; Holdcroft, Steven [Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation, National Research Council Canada, Vancouver, BC (Canada V6T 1W5)

2006-10-06

There are several compelling technological and commercial reasons for operating H{sub 2}/air PEM fuel cells at temperatures above 100{sup o}C. Rates of electrochemical kinetics are enhanced, water management and cooling is simplified, useful waste heat can be recovered, and lower quality reformed hydrogen may be used as the fuel. This review paper provides a concise review of high temperature PEM fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs) from the perspective of HT-specific materials, designs, and testing/diagnostics. The review describes the motivation for HT-PEMFC development, the technology gaps, and recent advances. HT-membrane development accounts for {approx}90% of the published research in the field of HT-PEMFCs. Despite this, the status of membrane development for high temperature/low humidity operation is less than satisfactory. A weakness in the development of HT-PEMFC technology is the deficiency in HT-specific fuel cell architectures, test station designs, and testing protocols, and an understanding of the underlying fundamental principles behind these areas. The development of HT-specific PEMFC designs is of key importance that may help mitigate issues of membrane dehydration and MEA degradation. (author)

77 FR 26989 - Commercial Driver's License Testing and Commercial Learner's Permit Standards

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-08

... [Docket No. FMCSA-2007-27659] RIN 2126-AB02 Commercial Driver's License Testing and Commercial Learner's... effective on July 8, 2011. That final rule amended the commercial driver's license (CDL) knowledge and skills testing standards and established new minimum Federal standards for States to issue the commercial...

Space Heaters, Computers, Cell Phone Chargers: How Plugged In AreCommercial Buildings?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanchez, Marla; Webber, Carrie; Brown, Richard; Busch, John; Pinckard, Margaret; Roberson, Judy

2007-02-28

Evidenceof electric plug loads in commercial buildings isvisible everyday: space heaters, portable fans, and the IT technician'stwo monitors connected to one PC. The Energy Information Administrationestimates that office and miscellaneous equipment together will consume2.18 quads in 2006, nearly 50 percent of U.S. commercial electricity use.Although the importance of commercial plug loads is documented, its verynature (diverse product types, products not installed when buildinginitially constructed, and products often hidden in closets) makes itdifficult to accurately count and categorize the end use.We auditedsixteen buildings in three cities (San Francisco, Atlanta, Pittsburgh)including office, medical and education building types. We inventoriedthe number and types of office and miscellaneous electric equipment aswell as estimated total energy consumption due to these product types. Intotal, we audited approximately 4,000 units of office equipment and 6,000units of miscellaneous equipment and covered a diverse range of productsranging from electric pencil sharpeners with a unit energy consumption(UEC) of 1 kWh/yr to a kiln with a UEC of 7,000 kWh/yr. Our paperpresents a summary of the density and type of plug load equipment foundas well as the estimated total energy consumption of the equipment.Additionally, we present equipment trends observed and provide insightsto how policy makers can target energy efficiency for this growing enduse.

Role of glutathione metabolism status in the definition of some cellular parameters and oxidative stress tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells growing as biofilms.

Science.gov (United States)

Gales, Grégoire; Penninckx, Michel; Block, Jean-Claude; Leroy, Pierre

2008-08-01

The resistance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to oxidative stress (H(2)O(2) and Cd(2+)) was compared in biofilms and planktonic cells, with the help of yeast mutants deleted of genes related to glutathione metabolism and oxidative stress. Biofilm-forming cells were found predominantly in the G1 stage of the cell cycle. This might explain their higher tolerance to oxidative stress and the young replicative age of these cells in an old culture. The reduced glutathione status of S. cerevisiae was affected by the growth phase and apparently plays an important role in oxidative stress tolerance in cells growing as a biofilm.

Determination of the Physical Status (Episomal/Integral of HPV by qPCR in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fariborz Soheili

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Background: In cervical cancer, the carcinogenic mechanism of human papillomavirus (HPV occurs through the integration of viral DNA into the host genome. This process initiates with a disruption in the E2 open reading frame (ORF of the viral genome. Disruption of E2 ORF results in an increased expression of the viral oncoproteins, E6 and E7, by removal of E2 suppression effect on their promoters. E6 and E7 interfere with the normal cell cycle by degrading the p53 and pRb tumor suppressor proteins, respectively. Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the physical status (episomal/integral of HPV genome in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC. Materials and Methods: The rate of copy numbers of E2 and E6 genes in HPV-18 and HPV-16 positive samples were analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR in order to assess the physical status (episomal/integral of HPV. DNA extracts from HeLa cell line were used as the positive control. Results: The E2 gene was detected in 1 sample, co-infected with HPV-16 and HPV-18. While, E6 gene was detected in all 11 HPV positive samples. The qPCR analysis showed the presence of integrated form of viral DNA in all HPV positive samples and only 1 mixed episomal-integrated form was detected. Conclusion: The presence of integrated forms of high risk HPV-16 and HPV-18 genomes might reflect a crucial process towards malignant transformation of ESCC.

Comparison of Performance, Meat Lipids and Oxidative Status of Pigs from Commercial Breed and Organic Crossbreed

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giuseppe Martino

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research was to determine the effect of rearing systems for pig production, as concerns performance, meat lipid content, the fatty acid profile, histidinic antioxidants, coenzyme Q10, and TBARs. One hundred pigs were assigned to one of three treatments: intensively reared commercial hybrid pig (I, free range commercial hybrid pig (FR or organically reared crossbred pig (O, according to organic EU Regulations. I pigs showed the best productive performance, but FR and O increased: C20:1n9, Δ9-desaturase (C18 and thioesterase indices in meat. Lipid, dipeptides and CoQ10 appeared correlated to glycolytic and oxidative metabolic pathways. We can conclude that all studied parameters were influenced by the rearing system used, and that differences were particularly evident in the O system, which produced leaner meat with higher oxidative stability. In this respect, the organic pig rearing system promotes and enhances biodiversity, environmental sustainability and food quality.

Current status of production and research of radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals in Indonesia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soenarjo, Sunarhadijoso; Tamat, Swasono R.

2000-01-01

The use of radioactive preparation in Indonesia has sharply increased during the past years, indicated by increase of the number of companies utilizing radioisotopes during 1985 to 1999. It has been clearly stressed in the BATAN's Strategic Plan for 1994-2014 that the production of radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals is one of five main industrial fields within the platform of the Indonesian nuclear industry. Research programs supporting the production of radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals as well as development of production technology are undertaken by the Research Center for Nuclear Techniques (RCNT) in Bandung and by the Radioisotope Production Center (RPC) in Serpong, involving cooperation with other research center within BATAN, universities and hospitals as well as overseas nuclear research institution. The presented paper describes production and research status of radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals in Indonesia after the establishment of P.T. Batan Teknologi in 1996, a government company assigned for activities related to the commercial application of nuclear technology. The reviewed status is divided into two short periods, i.e. before and after the Chairman Decree No. 73/KA/IV/1999 declaring new BATAN organizational structure. Subsequent to the Decree, all commercial requests for radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals are fulfilled by P.T. Batan Teknologi, while demands on novel radioactive preparations or new processing technology, as well as research and development activities should be fulfilled by the Center for the Development of Radioisotopes and Radiopharmaceuticals (CDRR) through non-commercial arrangement. The near-future strategic research programs to response to dynamic public demand are also discussed. The status of research cooperation with JAERI (Japan) is also reported. (author)

Correlation of human papillomavirus status with apparent diffusion coefficient of diffusion-weighted MRI in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas.

Science.gov (United States)

Driessen, Juliette P; van Bemmel, Alexander J M; van Kempen, Pauline M W; Janssen, Luuk M; Terhaard, Chris H J; Pameijer, Frank A; Willems, Stefan M; Stegeman, Inge; Grolman, Wilko; Philippens, Marielle E P

2016-04-01

Identification of prognostic patient characteristics in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is of great importance. Human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive HNSCCs have favorable response to (chemo)radiotherapy. Apparent diffusion coefficient, derived from diffusion-weighted MRI, has also shown to predict treatment response. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between HPV status and apparent diffusion coefficient. Seventy-three patients with histologically proven HNSCC were retrospectively analyzed. Mean pretreatment apparent diffusion coefficient was calculated by delineation of total tumor volume on diffusion-weighted MRI. HPV status was analyzed and correlated to apparent diffusion coefficient. Six HNSCCs were HPV-positive. HPV-positive HNSCC showed significantly lower apparent diffusion coefficient compared to HPV-negative. This correlation was independent of other patient characteristics. In HNSCC, positive HPV status correlates with low mean apparent diffusion coefficient. The favorable prognostic value of low pretreatment apparent diffusion coefficient might be partially attributed to patients with a positive HPV status. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E613-E618, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Connexin43 hemichannels contributes to the disassembly of cell junctions through modulation of intracellular oxidative status

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuan Chi

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Connexin (Cx hemichannels regulate many cellular processes with little information available regarding their mechanisms. Given that many pathological factors that activate hemichannels also disrupts the integrity of cellular junctions, we speculated a potential participation of hemichannels in the regulation of cell junctions. Here we tested this hypothesis. Exposure of renal tubular epithelial cells to Ca2+-free medium led to disassembly of tight and adherens junctions, as indicated by the reduced level of ZO-1 and cadherin, disorganization of F-actin, and severe drop in transepithelial electric resistance. These changes were preceded by an activation of Cx43 hemichannels, as revealed by extracellular efflux of ATP and intracellular influx of Lucifer Yellow. Inhibition of hemichannels with chemical inhibitors or Cx43 siRNA greatly attenuated the disassembly of cell junctions. Further analysis using fetal fibroblasts derived from Cx43 wide-type (Cx43+/+, heterozygous (Cx43+/- and knockout (Cx43-/- littermates showed that Cx43-positive cells (Cx43+/+ exhibited more dramatic changes in cell shape, F-actin, and cadherin in response to Ca2+ depletion, as compared to Cx43-null cells (Cx43-/-. Consistently, these cells had higher level of protein carbonyl modification and phosphorylation, and much stronger activation of P38 and JNK. Hemichannel opening led to extracellular loss of the major antioxidant glutathione (GSH. Supplement of cells with exogenous GSH or inhibition of oxidative sensitive kinases largely prevented the above-mentioned changes. Taken together, our study indicates that Cx43 hemichannels promote the disassembly of cell junctions through regulation of intracellular oxidative status.

Phenotypic and metabolic traits of commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeasts.

Science.gov (United States)

Barbosa, Catarina; Lage, Patrícia; Vilela, Alice; Mendes-Faia, Arlete; Mendes-Ferreira, Ana

2014-01-01

Currently, pursuing yeast strains that display both a high potential fitness for alcoholic fermentation and a favorable impact on quality is a major goal in the alcoholic beverage industry. This considerable industrial interest has led to many studies characterizing the phenotypic and metabolic traits of commercial yeast populations. In this study, 20 Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains from different geographical origins exhibited high phenotypic diversity when their response to nine biotechnologically relevant conditions was examined. Next, the fermentation fitness and metabolic traits of eight selected strains with a unique phenotypic profile were evaluated in a high-sugar synthetic medium under two nitrogen regimes. Although the strains exhibited significant differences in nitrogen requirements and utilization rates, a direct relationship between nitrogen consumption, specific growth rate, cell biomass, cell viability, acetic acid and glycerol formation was only observed under high-nitrogen conditions. In contrast, the strains produced more succinic acid under the low-nitrogen regime, and a direct relationship with the final cell biomass was established. Glucose and fructose utilization patterns depended on both yeast strain and nitrogen availability. For low-nitrogen fermentation, three strains did not fully degrade the fructose. This study validates phenotypic and metabolic diversity among commercial wine yeasts and contributes new findings on the relationship between nitrogen availability, yeast cell growth and sugar utilization. We suggest that measuring nitrogen during the stationary growth phase is important because yeast cells fermentative activity is not exclusively related to population size, as previously assumed, but it is also related to the quantity of nitrogen consumed during this growth phase.

Podosomes, But Not the Maturation Status, Determine the Protease-Dependent 3D Migration in Human Dendritic Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Cougoule, Céline; Lastrucci, Claire; Guiet, Romain; Mascarau, Rémi; Meunier, Etienne; Lugo-Villarino, Geanncarlo; Neyrolles, Olivier; Poincloux, Renaud; Maridonneau-Parini, Isabelle

2018-01-01

Dendritic cells (DC) are professional Antigen-Presenting Cells scattered throughout antigen-exposed tissues and draining lymph nodes, and survey the body for pathogens. Their ability to migrate through tissues, a 3D environment, is essential for an effective immune response. Upon infection, recognition of Pathogen-Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMP) by Toll-like receptors (TLR) triggers DC maturation. Mature DC (mDC) essentially use the protease-independent, ROCK-dependent amoeboid mode in vivo , or in collagen matrices in vitro . However, the mechanisms of 3D migration used by human immature DC (iDC) are still poorly characterized. Here, we reveal that human monocyte-derived DC are able to use two migration modes in 3D. In porous matrices of fibrillar collagen I, iDC adopted the amoeboid migration mode. In dense matrices of gelled collagen I or Matrigel, iDC used the protease-dependent, ROCK-independent mesenchymal migration mode. Upon TLR4 activation by LPS, mDC-LPS lose the capacity to form podosomes and degrade the matrix along with impaired mesenchymal migration. TLR2 activation by Pam 3 CSK 4 resulted in DC maturation, podosome maintenance, and efficient mesenchymal migration. Under all these conditions, when DC used the mesenchymal mode in dense matrices, they formed 3D podosomes at the tip of cell protrusions. Using PGE 2 , known to disrupt podosomes in DC, we observed that the cells remained in an immature status and the mesenchymal migration mode was abolished. We also observed that, while CCL5 (attractant of iDC) enhanced both amoeboid and mesenchymal migration of iDC, CCL19 and CCL21 (attractants of mDC) only enhanced mDC-LPS amoeboid migration without triggering mesenchymal migration. Finally, we examined the migration of iDC in tumor cell spheroids, a tissue-like 3D environment. We observed that iDC infiltrated spheroids of tumor cells using both migration modes. Altogether, these results demonstrate that human DC adopt the mesenchymal mode to

An updated assessment of the prospects for fuel cell-powered buses. An information paper

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanderson, T.K. [Future Energy Solutions, Harwell (United Kingdom)

2005-07-01

This report presents updated conclusions of the Department of Trade and Industry's research and development programme to assess the commercial prospects for advanced fuel cells in buses. The programme has focussed on low temperature solid polymer fuel cells (SPFCs) for transport and combined heat and power (CHP)/distributed power and high temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) for CHP/distributed power. As well as assessing the prospects for SPFCs in buses, the report examines those for alkaline fuel cells (AFCs) and phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFCs) in buses. The report provides an assessment of the status of technology development for different types of fuel cells in terms of applications to buses and offers estimates of market potential. Some fuel-cell powered buses are now available for demonstration purposes but the report concludes that truly commercial sales are unlikely to start before 2010 and widespread deployment is expected to take a further ten years after that. Buses have now slipped behind cars in terms of worldwide deployment. The issue of fuel choice is considered largely resolved with most fleet vehicle/bus manufacturers currently focussing on hydrogen as a fuel. A discussion of the prospects and barriers for fuel cell buses concludes that cost reduction is now the major barrier to the successful commercialisation of fuel cells in buses. More demonstration prototypes and field trials are required to provide information on energy, environmental and economic performance of fuel cell buses. Field trials could also provide information to assist the development of refuelling systems, fuel storage systems, stacks and other system components and to gain experience of building integrated fuel cell systems.

Astroglial role in the pathophysiology of status epilepticus: an overview.

Science.gov (United States)

Vargas-Sánchez, Karina; Mogilevskaya, Maria; Rodríguez-Pérez, John; Rubiano, María G; Javela, José J; González-Reyes, Rodrigo E

2018-06-01

Status epilepticus is a medical emergency with elevated morbidity and mortality rates, and represents a leading cause of epilepsy-related deaths. Though status epilepticus can occur at any age, it manifests more likely in children and elderly people. Despite the common prevalence of epileptic disorders, a complete explanation for the mechanisms leading to development of self-limited or long lasting seizures (as in status epilepticus) are still lacking. Apart from neurons, research evidence suggests the involvement of immune and glial cells in epileptogenesis. Among glial cells, astrocytes represent an ideal target for the study of the pathophysiology of status epilepticus, due to their key role in homeostatic balance of the central nervous system. During status epilepticus, astroglial cells are activated by the presence of cytokines, damage associated molecular patterns and reactive oxygen species. The persistent activation of astrocytes leads to a decrease in glutamate clearance with a corresponding accumulation in the synaptic extracellular space, increasing the chance of neuronal excitotoxicity. Moreover, major alterations in astrocytic gap junction coupling, inflammation and receptor expression, facilitate the generation of seizures. Astrocytes are also involved in dysregulation of inhibitory transmission in the central nervous system and directly participate in ionic homeostatic alterations during status epilepticus. In the present review, we focus on the functional and structural changes in astrocytic activity that participate in the development and maintenance of status epilepticus, with special attention on concurrent inflammatory alterations. We also include potential astrocytic treatment targets for status epilepticus.

Update on status of fluidized-bed combustion technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stallings, J.; Boyd, T.; Brown, R.

1992-01-01

During the 1980s, fluidized-bed combustion technology has become the dominant technology for solid-fuel-fired power generation systems in the United States. Atmospheric fluidized beds as large as 160 MWe in capacity are now in operation, while pressurized systems reaching 80 MWe have started up in the last year. The commercial status, boiler performance, emissions, and future developments for both atmospheric and pressurized fluidized-bed combustion systems are discussed

Cytotoxic, antimigratory, pro-and antioxidative activities of extracts from medicinal mushrooms on colon cancer cell lines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Šeklić Dragana S.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Methanol extracts of five commercially available mushroom species (Phellinus linteus (Berk. et Curt Teng, Cordyceps sinensis (Berk. Sacc., Lentinus edodes (Berk. Pegler, Coprinus comatus (O. F. Müll. Pers. and Ganoderma lucidum (Curtis P. Karst, traditionally used as anticancer agents, were evaluated in vitro for their total phenol and flavonoid contents, cytotoxic and antimigratory activities and antioxidant/prooxidant effects on colon cancer cell lines (HCT-116 and SW-480. Spectrophotometric methods were used for the determination of total phenol content, flavonoid concentrations and DPPH activity of the extracts. Cytotoxic activity was measured by the MTT assay. The antimigratory activity of extracts was determined using the Transwell assay and immunofluorescence staining of β-catenin. The prooxidant/antioxidant status was followed by measuring the superoxide anion radical (O2•-, nitrite and reduced glutathione (GSH concentrations. Our results show that the highest phenolic and flavonoid content was found in P. linteus, and its DPPH-scavenging capacity was significantly higher than in other samples. The P. linteus extract significantly decreased cell viability of both tested cancer cell lines. All other extracts selectively inhibited SW-480 cell viability, but did not show significant cytotoxic activity. The mushroom extracts caused changes in the prooxidant/antioxidant status of cells, inducing oxidative stress. All extracts tested on HCT-116 cells demonstrated significant antimigratory effects, which correlated with increased production of O2•- and a reduced level of β-catenin protein expression, while only P. linteus showed the same effect on SW-480 cells. The results of the present research indicate that the mushroom extracts causes oxidative stress which has a pronounced impact on the migratory status of colon cancer cell lines. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III41010

HYDROGEN COMMERCIALIZATION: TRANSPORTATION FUEL FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

APOLONIO DEL TORO

2008-05-27

Since 1999, SunLine Transit Agency has worked with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to develop and test hydrogen infrastructure, fuel cell buses, a heavy-duty fuel cell truck, a fuel cell neighborhood electric vehicle, fuel cell golf carts and internal combustion engine buses operating on a mixture of hydrogen and compressed natural gas (CNG). SunLine has cultivated a rich history of testing and demonstrating equipment for leading industry manufacturers in a pre-commercial environment. Visitors to SunLine's "Clean Fuels Mall" from around the world have included government delegations and agencies, international journalists and media, industry leaders and experts and environmental and educational groups.

Suppressor cells in transplantation tolerance. I. Analysis of the suppressor status of neonatally and adoptively tolerized rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dorsch, S.; Roser, B.

1982-01-01

The lymphocytes from neonatally tolerant rats which adoptively transfer tolerance to sublethally irradiated recipients do so by specifically suppressing the regeneration of alloreactivity which normally occurs after irradiation. Although tolerant cells will only partially suppress normal alloreactive cells when the two are mixed in near equivalent numbers, experiments in which the interval between injection of tolerant and normal cells into irradiated recipients was gradually extended, indicated that total suppression of normally alloreactive cells was achieved after 8 weeks of prior residence of tolerant cells in the adoptive host. Further evidence that tolerant cells would only suppress if present in excess of normal cells was obtained by reducing the tolerant cell population in tolerant donor rats by whole body irradiation. These animals then lost their ability to suppress normal alloreactive cells administered to them. The immune status of adoptively tolerized animals did not mimic that of the donors of the tolerant cells. Even where full tolerance, as measured by skin graft survival, failure to synthesize alloantibodies, and capacity to further transfer skin graft tolerance to secondary recipients, was evident the lymphocytes of these animals showed considerable graft-versus-host (GVH) reactivity. The persistence of tolerance through repeated adoptive transfers was correlated with the persistence of donor (chimeric) cells and the indicator skin graft on adoptive recipients only amplified tolerance expression where the inocula of tolerant cells given was weakly suppressive. Finally, removal of the minor population of chimeric cells from tolerant inocula using cytotoxic alloantisera abolished the capacity to transfer tolerance. These results imply an active role for chimeric cells which is best understood as an immune response involving proliferation driven by the idiotypes of the alloreceptors on host cells

Health status and productive performance of somatic cell cloned cattle and their offspring produced in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Shinya; Nagai, Takashi

2008-02-01

Since the first somatic cell cloned calves were born in Japan in 1998, more than 500 cloned cattle have been produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer and many studies concerning cloned cattle and their offspring have been conducted in this country. However, most of the results have been published in Japanese; thus, the data produced in this country is not well utilized by researchers throughout the world. This article reviews the 65 reports produced by Japanese researchers (62 written in Japanese and 3 written in English), which employed 171 clones and 32 offspring, and categorizes them according to the following 7 categories: (1) genetic similarities and muzzle prints, (2) hematology and clinical chemistry findings, (3) pathology, (4) growth performance, (5) reproductive performance, (6) meat production performance and (7) milk production performance. No remarkable differences in health status or reproductive performance were found among conventionally bred cattle, somatic cell cloned cattle surviving to adulthood and offspring of somatic cell cloned cattle. Similarities in growth performance and meat quality were observed between nuclear donor cattle and their clones. The growth curves of the offspring resembled those of their full siblings.

'It means everyone should know their status': exploring lay conceptions of sickle cell trait and sickle cell trait screening among African Americans within middle reproductive age.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayo-Gamble, Tilicia L; Barnes, Priscilla A; Cunningham Erves, Jennifer; Middlestadt, Susan E; Lin, Hsien-Chang

2017-02-21

This study examined the meaning of sickle cell trait and sickle cell trait screening from the lay perspective of African Americans. African Americans (N = 300), ages 18-35 and unaware of their sickle cell trait status, completed two open-ended questions from a larger survey. One question asked for their understanding of sickle cell trait; the other asked for their understanding of sickle cell trait screening. Content analysis occurred in two phases: (1) In vivo and holistic coding; and (2) focused coding. Four categories emerged illustrating lay conceptions of sickle cell trait; (1) Perceived as an illness; (2) Perceived recognition of the inheritance pattern of sickle cell trait; (3) Perceived lack of knowledge of sickle cell trait; and (4) Perceived importance of sickle cell trait. Five categories emerged illustrating lay conceptions for sickle cell trait screening: (1) Perceived recognition that screening means getting tested for sickle cell trait; (2) Perceived lack of knowledge of sickle cell trait screening; (3) Perceived health benefit of sickle cell trait screening; (4) Perceived importance of sickle cell trait screening; and (5) Perceived barriers to sickle cell trait screening. Sickle cell trait and sickle cell trait screening are concepts that are both regarded as important among this high-risk population. However, there is still misunderstanding concerning the hereditary nature and reproductive implications of sickle cell trait. Interventions seeking to improve communication on the need for sickle cell trait screening should begin by identifying what the population at large understands, knows and/or believes to improve their ability to make informed health decisions.

Investigation of a redox-sensitive predictive model of mouse embryonic stem cells differentiation using quantitative nuclease protection assays and glutathione redox status

Science.gov (United States)

Investigation of a redox-sensitive predictive model of mouse embryonic stem cell differentiation via quantitative nuclease protection assays and glutathione redox status Chandler KJ,Hansen JM, Knudsen T,and Hunter ES 1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangl...

Compressed-air energy storage: Commercialization potential and EPRI roles in the commercialization process

Science.gov (United States)

Boyd, D. W.; Buckley, O. E.; Clark, C. E.

1982-12-01

This report describes an assessment of potential roles that EPRI might take to facilitate the commercial acceptance of compressed air energy storage (CAES) systems. The assessment is based on (1) detailed analyses of the market potential of utility storage technologies, (2) interviews with representatives of key participants in the CAES market, and (3) a decision analysis synthesizing much of the information about market and technology status. The results indicate a large potential market for CAES systems if the overall business environment for utilities improves. In addition, it appears that EPRI can have a valuable incremental impact in ensuring that utilities realize the potential of CAES by (1) continuing an aggressive information dissemination and technology transfer program, (2) working to ensure the success of the first United States CAES installation at Soyland Power Cooperative, (3) developing planning methods to allow utilities to evaluate CAES and other storage options more effectively and more realistically, and (4) supporting R and D to resolve residual uncertainties in first-generation CAES cost and performance characteristics.

Dynamic simulation of a direct carbonate fuel cell power plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ernest, J.B. [Fluor Daniel, Inc., Irvine, CA (United States); Ghezel-Ayagh, H.; Kush, A.K. [Fuel Cell Engineering, Danbury, CT (United States)

1996-12-31

Fuel Cell Engineering Corporation (FCE) is commercializing a 2.85 MW Direct carbonate Fuel Cell (DFC) power plant. The commercialization sequence has already progressed through construction and operation of the first commercial-scale DFC power plant on a U.S. electric utility, the 2 MW Santa Clara Demonstration Project (SCDP), and the completion of the early phases of a Commercial Plant design. A 400 kW fuel cell stack Test Facility is being built at Energy Research Corporation (ERC), FCE`s parent company, which will be capable of testing commercial-sized fuel cell stacks in an integrated plant configuration. Fluor Daniel, Inc. provided engineering, procurement, and construction services for SCDP and has jointly developed the Commercial Plant design with FCE, focusing on the balance-of-plant (BOP) equipment outside of the fuel cell modules. This paper provides a brief orientation to the dynamic simulation of a fuel cell power plant and the benefits offered.

Tissue engineered bone versus alloplastic commercial biomaterials in craniofacial reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Lucaciu, Ondine; Băciuţ, Mihaela; Băciuţ, G; Câmpian, R; Soriţău, Olga; Bran, S; Crişan, B; Crişan, Liana

2010-01-01

This research was developed in order to demonstrate the tissue engineering method as an alternative to conventional methods for bone reconstruction, in order to overcome the frequent failures of alloplastic commercial biomaterials, allografts and autografts. Tissue engineering is an in vitro method used to obtain cell based osteoinductive bone grafts. This study evaluated the feasibility of creating tissue-engineered bone using mesenchymal cells seeded on a scaffold obtained from the deciduous red deer antler. We have chosen mesenchymal stem cells because they are easy to obtain, capable to differentiate into cells of mesenchymal origin (osteoblasts) and to produce tissue such as bone. As scaffold, we have chosen the red deer antler because it has a high level of porosity. We conducted a case control study, on three groups of mice type CD1--two study groups (n=20) and a control group (n=20). For the study groups, we obtained bone grafts through tissue engineering, using mesenchymal stem cells seeded on the scaffold made of deciduous red deer antler. Bone defects were surgically induced on the left parietal bone of all subjects. In the control group, we grafted the bone defects with commercial biomaterials (OsteoSet, Wright Medical Technology, Inc., Arlington, Federal USA). Subjects were sacrificed at two and four months, the healing process was morphologically and histologically evaluated using descriptive histology and the golden standard - histological scoring. The grafts obtained in vivo through tissue engineering using adult stem cell, seeded on the scaffold obtained from the red deer antler using osteogenic medium have proven their osteogenic properties.

Preliminary safety evaluation of a commercial-scale krypton-85 encapsulation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christensen, A.B.; Tanner, J.E.; Knecht, D.A.

1980-09-01

This report demonstrates that a commercial-scale facility for encapsulating krypton-85 in zeolite-5A or glass at a 2000 MTHM per year nuclear fuel reprocessing plant can be designed to contain fragments and the 340 to 850 kCi krypton-85 inventory from an assumed catastrophic failure of the high pressure vessel. The vessel failure was assumed as a worst case and was not based on a detailed design evaluation or operating experience. The process design is based on existing commercial hot isostatic pressing technology operated at up to 40 times the scale required for krypton encapsulation. From the calculated process gas inventory in the pressure vessel and vessel design, the explosive energy of 8.4 kg TNT and vessel plug and fragment velocities were calculated. The facility Containment Cell housing the high pressure vessel was designed to contain the gases, fragments, and the shock wave energy calculated for vessel failure. The Access Cell located directly above the Containment Cell was designed to be a tertiary confinement of krypton-85, should the access hatch be breached

Exploratory Study on the Stability Characteristics of Commercial Human Keratinocytes

Science.gov (United States)

1990-04-01

Invest. Dermatol. 75:176- 182; 1980. 16. Hayflick , L. The limited in vitro lifetime of huiran diploid strains. Exp. Cell Res. 37:614-636; 1965. 17...culture keratinocytes were considered by some investigators to have limited proliferative potential, so they used third and fourth passage commercial

The effect of folate status on the uptake of physiologically relevant compounds by Caco-2 cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Tavares, Sandra; Sousa, Joana; Gonçalves, Pedro; Araújo, João R; Martel, Fátima

2010-08-25

The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of folate status on the uptake of several physiologically relevant substances by Caco-2 cells. For this, Caco-2 cells cultured in high-folate conditions (HF) and low-folate conditions (LF) were compared. Growth rates of HF and LF Caco-2 cells were similar. However, proliferation rate of LF cells was greater than that of HF cells during the first 2days of culture and slightly smaller thereafter, viability of LF cells was greater than that of HF cells, and apoptosis index was similar in both cell cultures. We verified that in LF cells, comparatively to HF cells: (1) uptake of [3H]folic acid is upregulated, via an increase in the Vmax of uptake; (2) uptake of [3H]deoxy-glucose, [3H]O-methyl-glucose and [3H]1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) is downregulated, via a decrease in the Vmax of uptake; additionally, a reduction in Km was observed for [3H]O-methyl-glucose; (3) uptake of [3H]5-hydroxytryptamine and [14C]butyrate is not changed; and (4) the steady-state mRNA levels of the folic acid transporters RFC (reduced folate carrier), PCFT (proton-coupled folate transporter) and FRalpha (folate receptor alpha), of the organic cation transporter OCT1 (organic cation transporter type 1), of the glucose transporter GLUT2 (facilitative glucose transporter type 2) and of the butyrate transporter MCT1 (monocarboxylate transporter type 1) were decreased. In conclusion, folate deficiency produces substrate-specific changes in the uptake of bioactive compounds by Caco-2 cells. Moreover, these changes are associated with alterations in the mRNA levels of specific transporters for these compounds. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of an agricultural biotechnology crop product: testing from discovery to commercialization.

Science.gov (United States)

Privalle, Laura S; Chen, Jingwen; Clapper, Gina; Hunst, Penny; Spiegelhalter, Frank; Zhong, Cathy X

2012-10-17

"Genetically modified" (GM) or "biotech" crops have been the most rapidly adopted agricultural technology in recent years. The development of a GM crop encompasses trait identification, gene isolation, plant cell transformation, plant regeneration, efficacy evaluation, commercial event identification, safety evaluation, and finally commercial authorization. This is a lengthy, complex, and resource-intensive process. Crops produced through biotechnology are the most highly studied food or food component consumed. Before commercialization, these products are shown to be as safe as conventional crops with respect to feed, food, and the environment. This paper describes this global process and the various analytical tests that must accompany the product during the course of development, throughout its market life, and beyond.

The changes in redox status of ascorbate in stem tissue cells during Scots pine tree growth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. F. Antonova

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The contents of ascorbate (AsA and dehydroascorbate (DHA and their ratio, showing cellular redox state of AsA, were studied in the cells of the separate tissues at different levels of Pinus sylvestris L. stem during early- and latewood formation. Morphological status of the cells in the tissues and the content of soluble carbohydrates were also estimated. The cellular redox potential of AsA has been found to depend on the type of tissue, cell development degree, the level of stem and the type of forming wood. The content of AsA and AsA/DHA ratio in the cells of non-conducting phloem along the stem were higher than in mature xylem and less during earlywood than latewood formation. The cells of conducting phloem and forming xylem, as the principal tissues taking part in annual ring wood formation, differed in the content of acids in the course of early and late xylem formation. Along the stem, the content of AsA decreased in conducting phloem cells and increased in the cells of forming xylem during both early- and latewood formation. The AsA/DHA of conducting phloem during earlywood formation was greatest below the stem and diminished to the top of the tree, while in the course of latewood development it was similar at all levels. In forming xylem AsA/DHA increased to the top of tree during the early xylem formation and decreased in late xylem that indicates the differences in oxidation-reduction reactions into the cells of two type of forming wood. The data are discussed according to morphological development of cells and the content of carbohydrates.

Prallethrin Poisoning Presenting as Status Epilepticus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D Vijayaraju

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Mosquito repellents contain pyrethroid derivatives, as the active ingredient. Data regarding human toxicity following oral intake is limited. This is a case report of an individual who presented with neurotoxicity following oral ingestion of prallethrin (2.4% w/w of a higher concentration present in formulations commercially available than previously. A 22 year old male presented to the emergency Room (ER in status epilepticus. He was managed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU. No cause for his status could be determined after all laboratory investigations. A review of history with the patient revealed that he had ingested a bottle of liquid mosquito repellent (45 ml. The patient has had no further symptoms on follow up and has been off anti epileptics. Pyrethroid containing mosquito repellents act on neuronal sodium channels causing hyperexcitiability. With no known specific antidotes, symptomatic treatment is the main stay of management.

76 FR 39018 - Commercial Driver's License Testing and Commercial Learner's Permit Standards; Corrections

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-05

... [Docket No. FMCSA-2007-27659] RIN 2126-AB02 Commercial Driver's License Testing and Commercial Learner's..., 2011, that will be effective on July 8, 2011. This final rule amends the commercial driver's license... to issue the commercial learner's permit (CLP). Since the final rule was published, FMCSA identified...

The influence of circumferential resection margin status on loco-regional recurrence in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hae Jin; Kim, Hak Jae; Chie, Eui Kyu; Kang, Chang Hyun; Kim, Young Tae

2013-06-01

To analyze treatment outcomes and patterns of recurrence, and to examine the impact of adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) after esophagectomy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) regarding the status of circumferential resection margin (CRM). We performed a retrospective review of esophageal cancer patients operated in Seoul National University Hospital between 2003 and 2010. Pathologically proven T3 SqCC patients with written reports mentioning the status of CRM were selected. Fifty-nine out of 71 patients (83.1%) had CRM+. Twenty-eight patients had radiotherapy in CRM+ and CRM-, respectively. The median follow-up period was 17.1 months (range: 5.2-63.1). Median survival and 2-year overall survival were 13.8 months and 41.9% in CRM+, and 27.3 months and 74.1% in CRM-, respectively. Loco-regional relapse-free survival (LRRFS) rate at 2 years was 33.6% and 74.1% in each groups (P = 0.029). Loco-regional recurrence was the major pattern of failure in CRM+. PORT did not improve LRRFS. The esophageal SqCC patients with CRM+ after resection showed worse LRRFS. This finding validated the prognostic value of CRM status. Nevertheless, we failed to demonstrate the benefits of adjuvant PORT in CRM+. This might suggest the necessity of neoadjuvant therapy to decrease the CRM+ rate after esophagectomy. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Radiation processing in India. Current status and future program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mittal, Jai Pal

2003-01-01

Radiation processing is an alternative to conventional methods such as thermal and chemical processing in many industrial applications. In India, this technology has found extensive applications in area of healthcare, agriculture, food preservation, industry and environment. Both gamma radiation and electron beam accelerators are being utilized for this purpose. Presently, 6 commercial gamma irradiators housing about 1.5 million curie Co-60 and an annual turnover of over US$ 2 million and 3 commercial electron beam (EB) accelerators with installed capacity of 185 kW are commercially operating in India. Five demonstration plants housing a total of 0.5 million curie Co-60 have been set up to assess the techno-commercial viability of the processes such as radiation vulcanization of natural rubber latex, decontamination of spices, hygienization of sewage sludge, shelf-life extension of onions. The new areas being explored include use of electron beam treated pulp for viscose-rayon process, radiation processed 'hydrogel' burn/wound dressings and radiation processing of natural polymers. In the present paper, the current status of this program, especially the recent developments and future direction of radiation processing technology in India is reviewed. (author)

Preparation status for continuous operation of Kori unit 1 NPP in Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, C.H. . E-mail : chechee@khnp.co.kr

2005-01-01

Kori unit 1 Nuclear Power Plant is the first commercial operation plant in Korea. In Korea, the life extension of NPP beyond design lifetime reached practically application stage. Preparations status for continuous operation of Kori unit 1, Many researches have demonstrated that life extension beyond design lifetime is possible in terms of technology. This paper is to introduce and to share the continuous operation preparations status and schedule for Kori unit 1 License Renewal Process an additional every 10 years beyond the design life 30 years term. (author)

An assessment of commercial motor vehicle driver distraction using naturalistic driving data.

Science.gov (United States)

Hickman, Jeffrey S; Hanowski, Richard J

2012-01-01

This study analyzed naturalistic driving data from commercial trucks (3-axle and tractor-trailer/tanker) and buses (transit and motorcoach) during a 3-month period. The data set contained 183 commercial truck and bus fleets comprising 13,306 vehicles and included 1085 crashes, 8375 near crashes, 30,661 crash-relevant conflicts, and 211,171 baseline events. Study results documented the prevalence of tertiary tasks and the risks associated with performing these tasks while driving. Results indicated the odds of involvement in a safety-critical event differed as a function of performing different cell phone-related subtasks while driving. Although the odds ratio for talking/listening on a cell phone while driving was found to not significantly increase the likelihood of involvement in a safety-critical event, other cell phone subtasks (e.g., texting, dialing, reaching) were found to significantly increase the odds of involvement in a safety-critical event. The results suggest that cell phone use while driving should not be considered a simple dichotomous task (yes/no). Consideration should instead be made for a set of discrete cell phone subtasks that are each associated with varying levels of risk. Several hypotheses are presented to explain why cell phone use while driving was found to not increase the likelihood of involvement in a safety-critical event.

Current status of production and research of radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals in Indonesia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soenarjo, Sunarhadijoso; Tamat, Swasono R. [Center for Development of Radioisotopes and Radiopharmaceuticals, National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN), Kawasan Puspiptek, Serpong, Tangerang (Indonesia)

2000-10-01

The use of radioactive preparation in Indonesia has sharply increased during the past years, indicated by increase of the number of companies utilizing radioisotopes during 1985 to 1999. It has been clearly stressed in the BATAN's Strategic Plan for 1994-2014 that the production of radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals is one of five main industrial fields within the platform of the Indonesian nuclear industry. Research programs supporting the production of radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals as well as development of production technology are undertaken by the Research Center for Nuclear Techniques (RCNT) in Bandung and by the Radioisotope Production Center (RPC) in Serpong, involving cooperation with other research center within BATAN, universities and hospitals as well as overseas nuclear research institution. The presented paper describes production and research status of radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals in Indonesia after the establishment of P.T. Batan Teknologi in 1996, a government company assigned for activities related to the commercial application of nuclear technology. The reviewed status is divided into two short periods, i.e. before and after the Chairman Decree No. 73/KA/IV/1999 declaring new BATAN organizational structure. Subsequent to the Decree, all commercial requests for radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals are fulfilled by P.T. Batan Teknologi, while demands on novel radioactive preparations or new processing technology, as well as research and development activities should be fulfilled by the Center for the Development of Radioisotopes and Radiopharmaceuticals (CDRR) through non-commercial arrangement. The near-future strategic research programs to response to dynamic public demand are also discussed. The status of research cooperation with JAERI (Japan) is also reported. (author)

Oxidant-antioxidant status in Egyptian children with sickle cell anemia: a single center based study.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Ghamrawy, Mona Kamal; Hanna, Wagdi Maurice; Abdel-Salam, Amina; El-Sonbaty, Marwa M; Youness, Eman R; Adel, Ahmed

2014-01-01

the present study was conducted to investigate the oxidant-antioxidant status in Egyptian children with sickle cell anemia. the serum levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAO), paraoxonase (PON), vitamin E, nitrite, and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured in 40 steady state children with homozygous sickle cell anemia (24 males and 16 females) and 20 apparently healthy age- and gender-matched controls. mean serum TAO, PON, vitamin E, and nitrite levels were significantly lower in the group with sickle cell anemia, whereas mean serum MDA was significantly higher in these children compared to controls. No significant differences in mean levels of TAO, PON, nitrite, vitamin E, and MDA were found in sickle cell anemia patients receiving hydroxyurea when compared with those not receiving hydroxyurea. A significant negative correlation between serum nitrite and the occurrence of vaso-occlusive crises (VOC) was observed (r=-0.3, p=0.04). PON level was found to be positively correlated with patients' weight and BMI (r=-0.4, p=0.01; r=-0.7, panemia have chronic oxidative stress that may result in increased VOC, and decreased serum nitrite may be associated with increases in VOC frequency. A novel finding in this study is the decrease in PON level in these patients, which is an interesting subject for further research. Copyright © 2014 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Total reflection x-ray fluorescence spectrometers for multielemental analysis: status of commercial equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ayala Jimenez, R.E.

2000-01-01

Multi-elemental analysis by total reflection x-ray fluorescence spectrometry has evolved during two decades. At the present there are commercial equipment available for the chemical analysis in all kind of biological and mineral samples. The electronic industry has also been benefited from the scientific and technological developments in the field of TXRF. The basic components of the spectrometers can be summarized as follow: a) excitation source; b) geometric arrangement (optics) for collimation and monochromatization of the primary radiation; c) x-ray detector; d) hardware and software for operation of the instrument, data acquisition and spectral deconvolution to determine the concentrations of the element present in the sample (quantitative analysis). As optional there are manufacturers offering the conventional 45 degrees geometry for direct excitation of bulky liquid or solid samples. Personal communications of the author and the commercial brochures available at the moment of writing this presentation have allowed to list the following type of components used in the TXRF spectrometers for multi-elemental analysis (the devices used in the electronic industry to analyze silicon wafers are excluded). Excitation: high power x-ray tube, output from 1300 to 2000 watts; metal ceramic low power-ray tube, output up to 50 watts. Different anodes are used but molybdenum, tungsten and copper are frequent. The excitation systems can be customized according to the requirements of the laboratory. Detector: Si-Li semi-conductor liquid nitrogen cooled; silicon solid state thermoelectrically cooled (silicon drift detector SDD and Si-PIN diode). Optics: multilayer monochromator of Si-W or Ni-C; double multilayer monochromator. Electronics: spectroscopy amplifier, analog to digital converter adapted to a PC compatible computer with software in Windows environment for the whole operation of the spectrometer and for qualy/quantitative analysis of samples are standards in the

Relationship Between Preoperative Sarcopenia Status and Immuno-nutritional Parameters in Patients with Early-stage Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Shoji, Fumihiro; Matsubara, Taichi; Kozuma, Yuka; Haratake, Naoki; Akamine, Takaki; Takamori, Shinkichi; Katsura, Masakazu; Toyokawa, Gouji; Okamoto, Tatsuro; Maehara, Yoshihiko

2017-12-01

Although the skeletal muscle in the region of the third lumbar vertebra (L3) is generally assessed in order to judge sarcopenia, not every patient with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoes computed tomography including the L3 region. We hypothesized that immuno-nutritional parameters could predict the existence of sarcopenia in patients with NSCLC. The aim of this study was to retrospectively investigate the correlation between preoperative sarcopenia and immuno-nutritional parameters in patients with early-stage NSCLC. We selected 147 of patients with pathological stage I NSCLC who underwent preoperative measurement of immuno-nutritional parameters and CT including the L3 region. Preoperative sarcopenia was significantly associated with female gender (p=0.0003) and poor prognosis (p=0.0322). In Kaplan-Meier analysis of overall survival (OS) by preoperative sarcopenia status, the sarcopenic group had significantly shorter OS than the non-sarcopenic group (5-year OS: 87.27% vs. 77.37%, p=0.0131, log-rank test). In multivariate analysis, the preoperative sarcopenia status (hazard ratio=5.138; 95% confidence interval=2.305-11.676; psarcopenia status was significantly related to controlling nutritional status score (p=0.0071) and Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) (psarcopenia status and GNRI (r=0.348, psarcopenia which was associated with poor outcome in patients with early-stage NSCLC. Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

DNA damage in blood cells in relation to chemotherapy and nutritional status in colorectal cancer patients-A pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kværner, Ane Sørlie; Minaguchi, Jun; Yamani, Naouale El; Henriksen, Christine; Ræder, Hanna; Paur, Ingvild; Henriksen, Hege Berg; Wiedswang, Gro; Smeland, Sigbjørn; Blomhoff, Rune; Collins, Andrew Richard; Bøhn, Siv Kjølsrud

2018-03-01

DNA damage can be considered as a biomarker for toxicity and response to chemotherapy. It is not known whether the chemotherapy-induced genotoxicity is associated with malnutrition. In this pilot study, we assess genotoxicity by means of DNA damage in patients with lymph-node positive colorectal cancer (CRC) and explore associations with chemotherapy treatment and nutritional status. DNA damage was compared between patients receiving chemotherapy (n = 24) and those not receiving chemotherapy (n = 20). DNA damage was measured in frozen whole blood by the comet assay. Associations between DNA damage and various indicators of malnutrition were also explored, including Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA), bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and anthropometric measurements, using multiple linear regression models. Patients on chemotherapy have higher levels of DNA damage in blood cells than patients not receiving chemotherapy (median of 16.9 and 7.9% tail DNA respectively, p = 0.001). The moderately malnourished patients (PG-SGA category B), representing 41% of the patients, have higher levels of cellular DNA damage than patients with good nutritional status (mean difference of 7.5% tail DNA, p = 0.033). In conclusion, adjuvant chemotherapy and malnutrition are both associated with increased levels of DNA damage in blood cells of CRC patients. Carefully controlled longitudinal studies or randomized controlled trials should be performed to determine whether good nutritional status may protect against chemotherapy-induced genotoxicity and enhance compliance to therapy in CRC patients. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Differential effects of genistein on prostate cancer cells depend on mutational status of the androgen receptor.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abeer M Mahmoud

Full Text Available Blocking the androgen receptor (AR activity is the main goal of therapies for advanced prostate cancer (PCa. However, relapse with a more aggressive, hormone refractory PCa arises, which harbors restored AR activity. One mechanism of such reactivation occurs through acquisition of AR mutations that enable its activation by various steroidal and non-steroidal structures. Thus, natural and chemical compounds that contribute to inappropriate (androgen-independent activation of the AR become an area of intensive research. Here, we demonstrate that genistein, a soy phytoestrogen binds to both the wild and the Thr877Ala (T877A mutant types of AR competitively with androgen, nevertheless, it exerts a pleiotropic effect on PCa cell proliferation and AR activity depending on the mutational status of the AR. Genistein inhibited, in a dose-dependent way, cell proliferation and AR nuclear localization and expression in LAPC-4 cells that have wild AR. However, in LNCaP cells that express the T877A mutant AR, genistein induced a biphasic effect where physiological doses (0.5-5 µmol/L stimulated cell growth and increased AR expression and transcriptional activity, and higher doses induced inhibitory effects. Similar biphasic results were achieved in PC-3 cells transfected with AR mutants; T877A, W741C and H874Y. These findings suggest that genistein, at physiological concentrations, potentially act as an agonist and activate the mutant AR that can be present in advanced PCa after androgen ablation therapy.

Measurement for commercial exposives with SC-DSC test. Sangyoyo bakuhayaku no SC-DSC sokutei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yabashi, H.; Wada, Y.; Hwang, D.; Akutsu, Y.; Tamura, M.; Yoshida, T. (The University of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan). Faculty of Engineering); Matsuzawa, T. (Nippon Kayaku Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan))

1991-08-30

The sealed cell differential scanning calorimetry (SC-DSC) was sintroduced of commercial blasting explosives. As a series of testing the commercial blasting explosives in performance, an SC-DSC test was made to compare the critical detonability line with that resulting therefrom. From the result of SC-DSC measurement, the critical dilution rate was estimated of commercial blasting explosives to become without detonating propagation. As a result, all the explosives with exception of ANFO one were assumed to have a possibility of detonating propagation so that the ANFO explosive was known to be material, unable to exactly evaluate the detonability by the SC-DSC test. The explosion heat, then calculated by the REITP2 in order to assume how the reaction proceeded in the DSC cell, was compared with the reaction heat measured by the SC-DSC test. As a result, the calculated value was known to be almost equal to or slightly larger than the measured one. 15 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.

Adipose-Derived Stem Cells in Aesthetic Surgery: A Mixed Methods Evaluation of the Current Clinical Trial, Intellectual Property, and Regulatory Landscape.

Science.gov (United States)

Arshad, Zeeshaan; Halioua-Haubold, Celine-Lea; Roberts, Mackenna; Urso-Baiarda, Fulvio; Branford, Oliver A; Brindley, David A; Davies, Benjamin M; Pettitt, David

2018-02-17

Adipose tissue, which can be readily harvested via a number of liposuction techniques, offers an easily accessible and abundant source of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs). Consequently, ASCs have become an increasingly popular reconstructive option and a novel means of aesthetic soft tissue augmentation. This paper examines recent advances in the aesthetic surgery field, extending beyond traditional review formats to incorporate a comprehensive analysis of current clinical trials, adoption status, and the commercialization pathway. Keyword searches were carried out on clinical trial databases to search for trials using ASCs for aesthetic indications. An intellectual property landscape was created using commercial software (Thomson Reuters Thomson Innovation, New York, NY). Analysis of who is claiming what in respect of ASC use in aesthetic surgery for commercial purposes was analyzed by reviewing the patent landscape in relation to these techniques. Key international regulatory guidelines were also summarized. Completed clinical trials lacked robust controls, employed small sample sizes, and lacked long-term follow-up data. Ongoing clinical trials still do not address such issues. In recent years, claims to intellectual property ownership have increased in the "aesthetic stem cell" domain, reflecting commercial interest in the area. However, significant translational barriers remain including regulatory challenges and ethical considerations. Further rigorous randomized controlled trials are required to delineate long-term clinical efficacy and safety. Providers should consider the introduction of patient reported outcome metrics to facilitate clinical adoption. Robust regulatory and ethical policies concerning stem cells and aesthetic surgery should be devised to discourage further growth of "stem cell tourism." © 2017 The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc. Reprints and permission: journals.permissions@oup.com

Evaluation of fuel cell hybrid electric light commercial vehicle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thomas, G.M.

2002-07-01

This report summarised the results of tests both in the laboratory and in operation on the roads in London carried out to determine the performance of the Zetek Fuel Cell Vehicle operated by Westminster County Council. Details are given of the vehicle's data logging system, and measurement of its acceleration and power, driveability, vehicle range, and the energy efficiency of the fuel cell, and its environmental performance. The frequent shutdowns of the fuel cell system and the problems with the DC/DC converter are discussed.

Virale commercials: de consument als marketeer. Onderzoek naar de redenen waarom consumenten virale commercials doorsturen: hun motieven, de inhoudskenmerken van viral commercials en de mediumcontext waarin virale commercials verschijnen

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ketelaar, P.E.; Lucassen, P.; Kregting, G.H.J.

2010-01-01

Research into the reasons why consumers pass along viral commercials: their motives, the content characteristics of viral commercials and the medium context in which viral commercials appear. Based on the uses and gratifications perspective this study has determined which motives of consumers,

Cytotoxicity of ophthalmic solutions with and without preservatives to human corneal endothelial cells, epithelial cells and conjunctival epithelial cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayaki, Masahiko; Yaguchi, Shigeo; Iwasawa, Atsuo; Koide, Ryohei

2008-08-01

The cytotoxicity of a range of commercial ophthalmic solutions in the presence and absence of preservatives was assessed in human corneal endothelial cells (HCECs), corneal epithelia and conjunctival epithelia using in vitro techniques. Cell survival was measured using the WST-1 assay for endothelial cells and the MTT assay for epithelial cells. Commercially available timolol, carteolol, cromoglicate, diclofenac, bromfenac and hyaluronic acid ophthalmic solutions were assessed for cytotoxicity in the presence and absence of preservatives. The preservatives benzalkonium, chlorobutanol and polysorbate were also tested. The survival of cells exposed to test ophthalmic solutions was expressed as a percentage of cell survival in the control solution (distilled water added to media) after 48 h exposure. HCEC survival was 20-30% in ophthalmic solutions diluted 10-fold. The survival of HCEC was significantly greater in all solutions in the absence of preservative than in the presence of preservative. The survival of corneal and conjunctival epithelia was consistent with that of HCECs for all test ophthalmic solutions. The preservatives polysorbate and benzalkonium were highly cytotoxic with cell survival decreasing to 20% at the concentration estimated in commercial ophthalmic solutions. By comparison, the survival of cells exposed to chlorobutanol was 80% or greater. The cytotoxicity of ophthalmic solutions to HCEC, corneal epithelia and conjunctival epithelia decreased in the absence of preservative.

The differentiation status of primary gonadal germ cell tumors correlates inversely with telomerase activity and the expression level of the gene encoding the catalytic subunit of telomerase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schrader, Mark; Burger, Angelika M; Müller, Markus; Krause, Hans; Straub, Bernd; Schostak, Martin; Schulze, Wolfgang; Lauke, Heidrun; Miller, Kurt

2002-01-01

The activity of the ribonucleoprotein enzyme telomerase is detectable in germ, stem and tumor cells. One major component of telomerase is human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), which encodes the catalytic subunit of telomerase. Here we investigate the correlation of telomerase activity and hTERT gene expression and the differentiation status of primary testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT). Telomerase activity (TA) was detected by a quantitative telomerase PCR ELISA, and hTERT mRNA expression was quantified by online RT-PCR in 42 primary testicular germ cell tumors. The control group consisted of benign testicular biopsies from infertile patients. High levels of telomerase activity and hTERT expression were detected in all examined undifferentiated TGCTs and in the benign testicular tissue specimens with germ cell content. In contrast, differentiated teratomas and testicular control tissue without germ cells (Sertoli-cell-only syndrome) showed no telomerase activity and only minimal hTERT expression. These findings demonstrate an inverse relationship between the level of telomerase activity and hTERT mRNA expression and the differentiation state of germ cell tumors. Quantification of telomerase activity and hTERT mRNA expression enables a new molecular-diagnostic subclassification of germ cell tumors that describes their proliferation potential and differentiation status

The differentiation status of primary gonadal germ cell tumors correlates inversely with telomerase activity and the expression level of the gene encoding the catalytic subunit of telomerase

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schulze Wolfgang

2002-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The activity of the ribonucleoprotein enzyme telomerase is detectable in germ, stem and tumor cells. One major component of telomerase is human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT, which encodes the catalytic subunit of telomerase. Here we investigate the correlation of telomerase activity and hTERT gene expression and the differentiation status of primary testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT. Methods Telomerase activity (TA was detected by a quantitative telomerase PCR ELISA, and hTERT mRNA expression was quantified by online RT-PCR in 42 primary testicular germ cell tumors. The control group consisted of benign testicular biopsies from infertile patients. Results High levels of telomerase activity and hTERT expression were detected in all examined undifferentiated TGCTs and in the benign testicular tissue specimens with germ cell content. In contrast, differentiated teratomas and testicular control tissue without germ cells (Sertoli-cell-only syndrome showed no telomerase activity and only minimal hTERT expression. Conclusions These findings demonstrate an inverse relationship between the level of telomerase activity and hTERT mRNA expression and the differentiation state of germ cell tumors. Quantification of telomerase activity and hTERT mRNA expression enables a new molecular-diagnostic subclassification of germ cell tumors that describes their proliferation potential and differentiation status.

Construction of a dead-end type micro- to R.O. membrane test cell and performance test with the laboratory- made and commercial membranes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Darunee Bhongsuwan

2002-11-01

Full Text Available A dead-end type membrane stirred cell for an RO filtration test has been designed and constructed. Magnetic stirring system is applied to overcome a pressure-induced concentration polarization occurred over a membrane surface in the test cell. A high pressure N2 tank is used as a pressure source.Feed container is designed for 2.5 l feed solution and a stirred cell volume is 0.5 l . The test cell holds a magnetic stirrer freely moved over the membrane surface. All units are made of stainless steel. A porous SS316L disc is used as a membrane support. The dead-end stirred cell is tested to work properly in an operating pressure ranged 0 - 400 psi. It means that the dead-end cell can be used to test a membrane of different filtration modes, from micro- to Reverse Osmosis filtration. Tests performed at 400 psi for 3 hours are safe but tests at a 500 psi increase leakage possibility. The cell is used to test the performance of both commercial and laboratory-made membranes. It shows that the salt rejection efficiency of the nano- and RO membranes, NTR759HR and LES90, determined by using the new test cell, is closely similar to those reported from the manufacture. Result of the tests for our own laboratory-made membrane shows a similar performance to the nanofiltration membrane LES90.

Lessons learned from commercial experience with nuclear plant decontamination to safe storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, S.R.; Partain, W.L.; Sype, T.

1995-01-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) has successfully performed decontamination and decommissioning (D ampersand D) on many production reactors it. DOE now has the challenge of performing D ampersand D on a wide variety of other nuclear facilities. Because so many facilities are being closed, it is necessary to place many of them into a safe-storage status before conducting D ampersand D-for perhaps as much as 20 yr. The challenge is to achieve this safe-storage condition in a cost-effective manner while remaining in compliance with applicable regulations. The DOE Office of Environmental Management, Office of Transition and Management, commissioned a lessons learned study of commercial experience with safe storage and transition to D ampersand D. Although the majority of the commercial experience has been with reactors, many of the lessons learned presented in this paper are directly applicable to transitioning the DOE Weapons Complex

REX-1 expression and p38 MAPK activation status can determine proliferation/differentiation fates in human mesenchymal stem cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dilli Ram Bhandari

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: REX1/ZFP42 is a well-known embryonic stem cell (ESC marker. However, the role of REX1, itself, is relatively unknown because the function of REX1 has only been reported in the differentiation of ESCs via STAT signaling pathways. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs isolated from young tissues and cancer cells express REX1. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDING: Human umbilical cord blood-derived MSCs (hUCB-MSCs and adipose tissue-derived MSCs (hAD-MSCs strongly express REX1 and have a lower activation status of p38 MAPK, but bone marrow-derived MSCs (hBM-MSCs have weak REX1 expression and higher activation of p38 MAPK. These results indicated that REX1 expression in hMSCs was positively correlated with proliferation rates but inversely correlated with the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK. In hUCB-MSCs, the roles of REX1 and p38 MAPK were investigated, and a knockdown study was performed using a lentiviral vector-based small hairpin RNA (shRNA. After REX1 knockdown, decreased cell proliferation was observed. In REX1 knocked-down hUCB-MSCs, the osteogenic differentiation ability deteriorated, but the adipogenic potential increased or was similar to that observed in the controls. The phosphorylation of p38 MAPK in hUCB-MSCs significantly increased after REX1 knockdown. After p38 MAPK inhibitor treatment, the cell growth in REX1 knocked-down hUCB-MSCs almost recovered, and the suppressed expression levels of CDK2 and CCND1 were also restored. The expression of MKK3, an upstream regulator of p38 MAPK, significantly increased in REX1 knocked-down hUCB-MSCs. The direct binding of REX1 to the MKK3 gene was confirmed by a chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP assay. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings showed that REX1 regulates the proliferation/differentiation of hMSCs through the suppression of p38 MAPK signaling via the direct suppression of MKK3. Therefore, p38 MAPK and REX-1 status can determine the cell fate of adult stem cells (ASCs. These

Yeast Acid Phosphatases and Phytases: Production, Characterization and Commercial Prospects

Science.gov (United States)

Kaur, Parvinder; Satyanarayana, T.

The element phosphorus is critical to all life forms as it forms the basic component of nucleic acids and ATP and has a number of indispensable biochemical roles. Unlike C or N, the biogeochemical cycling of phosphorus is very slow, and thus making it the growth-limiting element in most soils and aquatic systems. Phosphohydrolases (e.g. acid phosphatases and phytases) are enzymes that break the C-O-P ester bonds and provide available inorganic phosphorus from various inassimilable organic forms of phosphorus like phytates. These enzymes are of significant value in effectively combating phosphorus pollution. Although phytases and acid phosphatases are produced by various plants, animals and micro organisms, microbial sources are more promising for the production on a commercial scale. Yeasts being the simplest eukaryotes are ideal candidates for phytase and phos-phatase research due to their mostly non-pathogenic and GRAS status. They have not, however, been utilized to their full potential. This chapter focuses attention on the present state of knowledge on the production, characterization and potential commercial prospects of yeast phytases and acid phosphatases.

Judicial Reform and Commercial Justice : The Experience of Tanzania's Commercial Court

OpenAIRE

Finnegan, David Louis

2004-01-01

Policymakers in developing and transition economies recognize the important role played by judiciaries in creating an institutional environment conducive to robust private sector activity. In the case of Tanzania, the government, with the support of local business groups, international investors, and the donor community, created a specialized court dedicated to considering and resolving commercial and financial cases. The Commercial Division of the High Court of Tanzania (the "Commercial Cour...

Sponsored Schools and Commercialized Classrooms: Schoolhouse Commercializing Trends in the 1990's.

Science.gov (United States)

Molnar, Alex

This report analyzes commercializing trends in America's schools and classrooms, using data from database searches in seven categories of schoolhouse commercialism in the period 1990-97. The number of citations relating to commercializing activities can provide only a rough approximation of the scope and development of the phenomenon. The number…

Epithelial mesenchymal transition status is associated with anti-cancer responses towards receptor tyrosine-kinase inhibition by dovitinib in human bladder cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hänze, Jörg; Henrici, Marcus; Hegele, Axel; Hofmann, Rainer; Olbert, Peter J

2013-01-01

Dovitinib (TKI-258) is a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitor targeting fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) and further related RTKs. TKI-258 is under investigation as anticancer drug for the treatment of various cancers including bladder cancer with aberrant RTK signaling. Here, we analyzed the responses of ten human bladder cancer cell lines towards TKI-258 treatment in relation to the epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) status of the cells. Expression of epithelial marker E-cadherin as well as mesenchymal markers N-cadherin and vimentin was determined by quantitative RT-PCR and Western-blot in RNA and protein extracts from the cultured cell lines. The cell responses were analyzed upon addition of TKI-258 by viability/proliferation (XTT assay) and colony formation assay for measurement of cell contact independent growth. The investigated bladder cancer cell lines turned out to display quite different EMT patterns as indicated by the abundance of E-cadherin or N-cadherin and vimentin. Protein and mRNA levels of the respective components strongly correlated. Based on E-cadherin and N-cadherin mRNA levels that were expressed approximately mutual exclusively, an EMT-score was calculated for each cell line. A high EMT-score indicated mesenchymal-like cells and a low EMT-score epithelial-like cells. Then, we determined the IC 50 values for TKI-258 by dose response curves (0-12 μM TKI-258) in XTT assays for each cell line. Also, we measured the clonogenic survival fraction after adding TKI-258 (1 μM) by colony formation assay. We observed significant correlations between EMT-score and IC 50 values (r = 0.637, p = 0.0474) and between EMT-score and clonogenic survival fraction (r = 0.635, p = 0.0483) as analyzed by linear regression analyses. In sum, we demonstrated that the EMT status based on E-cadherin and N-cadherin mRNA levels may be useful to predict responses towards TKI-258 treatment in bladder cancer

Preliminary safety evaluation of a commercial-scale krypton-85 encapsulation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christensen, A.B.; Tanner, J.E.; Knecht, D.A.

1980-01-01

This paper demonstrates that a commercial-scale facility for encapsulating krypton-85 in zeolite-5A or glass at a 2000 MTHM per year nuclear fuel reprocessing plant can be designed to contain fragments and the 340 to 850 kCi krypton-85 inventory from an assumed catastrophic failure of the high pressure vessel. The vessel failure was assumed as a worst case and was not based on a detailed design evaluation or operating experience. The process design is based on existing commercial hot isostatic pressing technology operated at up to 40 times the scale required for krypton encapsulation. From the calculated process gas inventory in the pressure vessel and vessel design, the maximum explosive energy of 8.4 kg TNT and resulting vessel plug and fragment velocities were calculated. The facility Containment Cell housing the high pressure vessel was designed to contain the gases, fragments, and the shock wave energy calculated for a hypothetical vessel failure. The Access Cell located directly above the Containment Cell was designed to be a tertiary confinement of krypton-85, should the access hatch be breached. 3 figures, 2 tables

NASA commercial programs

Science.gov (United States)

1990-01-01

Highlights of NASA-sponsored and assisted commercial space activities of 1989 are presented. Industrial R and D in space, centers for the commercial development of space, and new cooperative agreements are addressed in the U.S. private sector in space section. In the building U.S. competitiveness through technology section, the following topics are presented: (1) technology utilization as a national priority; (2) an exploration of benefits; and (3) honoring Apollo-Era spinoffs. International and domestic R and D trends, and the space sector are discussed in the section on selected economic indicators. Other subjects included in this report are: (1) small business innovation; (2) budget highlights and trends; (3) commercial programs management; and (4) the commercial programs advisory committee.

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Evaluations | Hydrogen and Fuel Cells | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

Electric Vehicle Evaluations Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Evaluations NREL's technology validation team analyzes hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) operating in a real-world setting to include commercial FCEVs for the first time. Current fuel cell electric vehicle evaluations build on the

Quantifying the global cellular thiol-disulfide status

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Rosa E; Roth, Doris; Winther, Jakob R

2009-01-01

It is widely accepted that the redox status of protein thiols is of central importance to protein structure and folding and that glutathione is an important low-molecular-mass redox regulator. However, the total cellular pools of thiols and disulfides and their relative abundance have never been...... determined. In this study, we have assembled a global picture of the cellular thiol-disulfide status in cultured mammalian cells. We have quantified the absolute levels of protein thiols, protein disulfides, and glutathionylated protein (PSSG) in all cellular protein, including membrane proteins. These data...... cell types. However, when cells are exposed to a sublethal dose of the thiol-specific oxidant diamide, PSSG levels increase to >15% of all protein cysteine. Glutathione is typically characterized as the "cellular redox buffer"; nevertheless, our data show that protein thiols represent a larger active...

Techno-commercial aspects of food irradiation in India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Arun; Madhusoodanan, P.

2012-01-01

Research and development work has been carried out at Food Technology Division of Bhabha Atomic Research Center for more than past fifty years. After establishing potential commercial applications, a lot of time and efforts were spent on proving the wholesomeness and nutritional adequacy of irradiated foods. The first approval from health authorities came in 1994 for processing potato, onion and spices. Additional commodities were approved in 1998 and 2001, bringing the list of commodities to more than 20. Two technology demonstration plants were set up by the government, one for high dose applications like microbial decontamination of spices and dry vegetables in 2000, and another for low dose applications, like sprout inhibition and insect disinfestation, in 2003. In 2004, irradiation was approved as a quarantine measure. This enabled export of mango to USA after a gap of 18 years in 2007. More than a dozen plants have now been set up by private entrepreneurs in the country. - Highlights: ► The paper reports historical developments and current status of food irradiation in India. ► Some R and D and techno-commercial aspects are highlighted. ► The paper is based on an invited talk delivered during IMRP-2011 in Food Irradiation-Phytosan II Session.

Geothermal energy in Idaho: site data base and development status

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McClain, D.V.

1979-07-01

A summary of known information about the nature of the resource, its potential for development, and the infrastructure of government which will guide future development is presented. Detailed site specific data regarding the commercialization potential of the proven, potential, and inferred geothermal resource areas in Idaho are included. Leasing and development status, institutional parameters, and a legal overview of geothermal resources in Idaho are given. (MHR)

[Effect of Sijunzi Decoction and enteral nutrition on T-cell subsets and nutritional status in patients with gastric cancer after operation: a randomized controlled trial].

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Jun; Wang, Hua; Zhou, Sheng; Wu, Bin; Song, Hua-Rong; Xuan, Zheng-Rong

2008-01-01

To observe the effect of perioperative application of Sijunzi Decoction and enteral nutrition on T-cell subsets and nutritional status in patients with gastric cancer after operation. In this prospective, single-blinded, controlled clinical trial, fifty-nine patients with gastric cancer were randomly divided into three groups: control group (n=20) and two study groups (group A, n=21; group B, n=18). Sjunzi Decoction (100 ml) was administered via nasogastric tube to the patients in the study group B from the second postoperation day to the 9th postoperation day. Patients in the two study groups were given an isocaloric and isonitrogonous enteral diet, which was started on the second day after operation, and continued for eight days. Patients in the control group were given an isocaloric and isonitrogonous parenteral diet for 9 days. All variables of nutritional status such as serum albumin (ALB), prealbumin (PA), transferrin (TRF) and T-cell subsets were measured one day before operation, and one day and 10 days after operation. All the nutritional variables and the levels of CD3(+), CD4(+), CD4(+)/CD8(+) were decreased significantly after operation. Ten days after operation, T-cell subsets and nutritional variables in the two study groups were increased as compare with the control group. The levels of ALB, TRF and T-cell subsets in the study group B were increased significantly as compared with the study group A (Pnutrition assisted with Sijunzi Decoction can positively improve and optimize cellular immune function and nutritional status in the patients with gastric cancer after operation.

Assessing functional status and the survival benefit of chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer using administrative claims data.

Science.gov (United States)

Feliciano, Josephine; Gardner, Lisa; Hendrick, Franklin; Edelman, Martin J; Davidoff, Amy

2015-01-01

Borderline or poor performance status (PS) patients comprise a significant proportion of those diagnosed with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (AdvNSCLC), but are often excluded from clinical trials. It is difficult to draw conclusions about the benefit of therapy in borderline PS patients due to lack of reliable PS assessments, and small clinical trial samples. Retrospective population-based secondary analyses may allow investigators to study under-represented populations in clinical trials. We hypothesized that patients with poor functional status derive benefit from chemotherapy compared good functional status, but that the magnitude of the benefit is lower compared to patients with good functional status. By utilizing a "disability status" (DS) measure as a proxy for PS, we offer a reliable mechanism for patient stratification that can be implemented in administrative claims data. Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with AdvNSCLC between 2001 and 2005 were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database linked to Medicare claims. Disability status, a previously developed and validated claims-based proxy for baseline PS, was implemented. Patients were assigned to good versus poor DS. Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the differential effects of chemotherapy for the two DS groups on all-cause mortality, controlling for tumor and patient characteristics. Most patients in the cohort (n=21,019) were ≥75 years of age (59%), and non-Hispanic white (85%); 91% were assigned to good DS; 38% received chemotherapy. Chemotherapy had a strong protective effect among good DS patients (hazard ratio, 0.43; CI 0.42-0.45; pChemotherapy improves survival for advanced NSCLC patients with poor DS but to a lower magnitude than for good DS patients. The DS measure opens the door to assess outcomes for cancer patients with poor functional status using insurance claims data. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bioreactors in tissue engineering - principles, applications and commercial constraints.

Science.gov (United States)

Hansmann, Jan; Groeber, Florian; Kahlig, Alexander; Kleinhans, Claudia; Walles, Heike

2013-03-01

Bioreactor technology is vital for tissue engineering. Usually, bioreactors are used to provide a tissue-specific physiological in vitro environment during tissue maturation. In addition to this most obvious application, bioreactors have the potential to improve the efficiency of the overall tissue-engineering concept. To date, a variety of bioreactor systems for tissue-specific applications have been developed. Of these, some systems are already commercially available. With bioreactor technology, various functional tissues of different types were generated and cultured in vitro. Nevertheless, these efforts and achievements alone have not yet led to many clinically successful tissue-engineered implants. We review possible applications for bioreactor systems within a tissue-engineering process and present basic principles and requirements for bioreactor development. Moreover, the use of bioreactor systems for the expansion of clinically relevant cell types is addressed. In contrast to cell expansion, for the generation of functional three-dimensional tissue equivalents, additional physical cues must be provided. Therefore, bioreactors for musculoskeletal tissue engineering are discussed. Finally, bioreactor technology is reviewed in the context of commercial constraints. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Public Good or Commercial Opportunity: Case Studies in Remote Sensing Commercialization

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Shaida; Cordes, Joseph

2002-01-01

The U.S. Government is once again attempting to commercialize the Landsat program and is asking the private sector to develop a next generation mid-resolution remote sensing system that will provide continuity with the thirty-year data archive of Landsat data. Much of the case for commercializing the Landsat program rests on the apparently successful commercialization of high-resolution remote sensing activities coupled with the belief that conditions have changed since the failed attempt to commercialize Landsat in the 1980s. This paper analyzes the economic, political and technical conditions that prevailed in the 1980s as well as conditions that might account for the apparent success of the emerging high-resolution remote sensing industry today. Lessons are gleaned for the future of the Landsat program.

Adding of ascorbic acid to the culture medium influences the antioxidant status and some biochemical parameters in the hen granulosa cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Capcarova, M; Kolesarova, A; Kalafova, A; Bulla, J; Sirotkin, A V

2015-07-01

The aim of the present study was to determine the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant status (TAS) of the hen granulosa cells, and selected biochemical parameters, including calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, glucose, cholesterol, proteins, in the culture medium of granulosa cells after exposing them to ascorbic acid in vitro conditions. Ovarian granulosa cells of hens were incubated with various doses of ascorbic acid (E1 0.09 mg/ml, E2 0.13 mg/ml, E3 0.17 mg/ml, E4 0.33 mg/ml, E5 0.5 mg/ml). Ascorbic acid did not manifest antioxidant potential and higher doses of ascorbic acid (0.17; 0.33 and 0.5 mg/ml) decreased the activity of SOD in granulosa cells. Vitamin application resulted in a significantly (pascorbic acid might be involved in the regulation of selected biochemical and physiological processes in ovarian granulosa cells.

Influence of udder infection status on milk enzyme activities and somatic cell count throughout early lactation in goats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stuhr, T; Aulrich, K; Barth, K

2013-01-01

At present the analysis of somatic cell count (SCC) used for the detection of intramammary infections (IMI) in bovine milk is also recommended for goat milk, but due to the various factors influencing SCC it allows only limited conclusions on the udder health of goats. The research on enzyme...... activity in milk appears to show promise in finding an approach with more suitable indicators of the early detection of IMI in goats. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the influence of goat udder infection status on different milk enzyme activities and SCC throughout early lactation....... A total of 60 dairy goats were sampled at weekly intervals over a period of 6 weeks after kidding and the bacteriological status, milk SCC and the activity of N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (NAGase), β-glucuronidase and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) of udder halves were analysed. Infections with minor...

Characterization of the Methylation Status of Pax7 and Myogenic Regulator Factors in Cell Myogenic Differentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Zhe; Zheng, Xin-Li; Sun, Rui-Ping; Liu, Hai-Long; Huang, Li-Li; Cao, Zong-Xi; Deng, Chang-Yan; Wang, Feng

2016-07-01

Epigenetic processes in the development of skeletal muscle have been appreciated for over a decade. DNA methylation is a major epigenetic modification important for regulating gene expression and suppressing spurious transcription. Up to now, the importance of epigenetic marks in the regulation of Pax7 and myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) expression is far less explored. In the present study, semi-quantitative the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses showed MyoD and Myf5 were expressed in activated and quiescent C2C12 cells. MyoG was expressed in a later stage of myogenesis. Pax7 was weakly expressed in differentiated C2C12 cells. To further understand the regulation of expression of these genes, the DNA methylation status of Pax7, MyoD, and Myf5 was determined by bisulfite sequencing PCR. During the C2C12 myoblasts fusion process, the changes of promoter and exon 1 methylation of Pax7, MyoD, and Myf5 genes were observed. In addition, an inverse relationship of low methylation and high expression was found. These results suggest that DNA methylation may be an important mechanism regulating Pax7 and MRFs transcription in cell myogenic differentiation.

Autoimmun encefalitis debuterende med behandlingsrefraktær status epilepticus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nissen, Mette; Blaabjerg, Morten

2017-01-01

with status epilepticus. GABAB encephalitis is associated with small-cell lung cancer or neuroendocrine lung tumour. This is a case report of a patient having status epilepticus due to GABAB encephalitis. In cases which are presumed to be autoimmune it is important that treatment starts immediately instead...

Comparison of histologic margin status in low-grade cutaneous and subcutaneous canine mast cell tumours examined by radial and tangential sections.

Science.gov (United States)

Dores, C B; Milovancev, M; Russell, D S

2018-03-01

Radial sections are widely used to estimate adequacy of excision in canine cutaneous mast cell tumours (MCTs); however, this sectioning technique estimates only a small fraction of total margin circumference. This study aimed to compare histologic margin status in grade II/low grade MCTs sectioned using both radial and tangential sectioning techniques. A total of 43 circumferential margins were evaluated from 21 different tumours. Margins were first sectioned radially, followed by tangential sections. Tissues were examined by routine histopathology. Tangential margin status differed in 10 of 43 (23.3%) margins compared with their initial status on radial section. Of 39 margins, 9 (23.1%) categorized as histologic tumour-free margin (HTFM) >0 mm were positive on tangential sectioning. Tangential sections detected a significantly higher proportion of positive margins relative to radial sections (exact 2-tailed P-value = .0215). The HTFM was significantly longer in negative tangential margins than positive tangential margins (mean 10.1 vs 3.2 mm; P = .0008). A receiver operating characteristic curve comparing HTFM and tangentially negative margins found an area under the curve of 0.83 (95% confidence interval: 0.71-0.96). Although correct classification peaked at the sixth cut-point of HTFM ≥1 mm, radial sections still incorrectly classified 50% of margins as lacking tumour cells. Radial sections had 100% specificity for predicting negative tangential margins at a cut-point of 10.9 mm. These data indicate that for low grade MCTs, HTFMs >0 mm should not be considered completely excised, particularly when HTFM is <10.9 mm. This will inform future studies that use HTFM and overall excisional status as dependent variables in multivariable prognostic models. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Commercial Radio as Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Rothenbuhler, Eric W.

1996-01-01

Compares the day-to-day work routines of commercial radio with the principles of a theoretical communication model. Illuminates peculiarities of the conduct of communication by commercial radio. Discusses the application of theoretical models to the evaluation of practicing institutions. Offers assessments of commercial radio deriving from…

A multi-fluid model to simulate heat and mass transfer in a PEM fuel cell

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berning, Torsten; Odgaard, Madeleine; Kær, Søren Knudsen

2011-01-01

This article summarizes a multi-phase model of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell based on the formerly commercial CFD code CFX-4. It is three-dimensional in nature and includes multiphase heat and mass transfer in porous media. An overview is given and some numerical issues are discussed...... heat and mass transfer properties are superior. Another important aspect of this study is the wetting status of the electrolyte menbrane and the effective drag of water through the menbrane, which indicates what fraction of the product water created at the cathode side diffuses through the membrane...

Analysis of legal arrangements concerning the control and monitoring of the contamination of soils, food products and commercial products in Belarus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bataille, C.; Crouail, P.

2005-01-01

After having recalled the management of emergency from April to May 1986, this report describes some aspects of the post-accident management in Soviet Union from June 1986 to 1991: dose limits and zoning, farming practices, consumption standards, commercialization standards. It describes the legal context implemented in Belarus from 1991 (two laws addressed the legal status of contaminated areas and the protection of people affected by the Chernobyl accident), and the evolutions since 1991 in terms of soil contamination and zoning, consumption and commercialization standards

Wave energy : from demonstration to commercialization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2007-07-01

The Wave Energy Centre is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development and marketing of ocean wave energy devices through technical and strategic support to companies and research and development institutions. WEC provides access to researchers to associated test infrastructures for testing and demonstration of wave energy structures. This presentation described the current status of wave energy. Public policies that support wave energy were also highlighted. Wave energy technology is currently in the demonstration phase, with several pilot plants and prototypes in service around the world. The first 2 offshore shoreline ocean wave current pilot plants were constructed in 2000. This presentation identified the 12 near or offshore pilot plants that were in operation by 2007. The pilot plants represent 5 basic different concepts with many different designs. The world's first commercial park was launched in 2007 in Portugal. The Pelamis wave farm uses three Pelamis P-750 machines with a capacity of 2.25 megawatts. figs.

"This One's for VIP Users!": Participation and Commercial Strategies in Children's Virtual Worlds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carolina Martinez

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Through the integrated framework of participation theory and political economy, this article analyzes participatory opportunities in the virtual world Habbo Hotel, and how participation is constrained and framed by the producer's commercial strategies, which are based on advertising and sales of virtual goods. The study also looks into the ways in which the producer Sulake Corporation discursively represents the virtual world, and how the users with various forms of tactics try to bypass the commercial constraints. The methods used include observations of the English and Swedish language versions of Habbo Hotel, document analysis, and an interview with one designer employed by Sulake. The results show how participation in this virtual world takes minimalist forms, and that it is foremost an arena for interaction and consumption. Users' participation in the virtual world is constrained by the commercial strategies in numerous ways, and the producer strategically takes advantage of children's need to gain status in their peer group, in order to get them to purchase on the site. Habbo Hotel is represented by the producer as a safe and creative environment with learning opportunities for the children. Observations of the virtual world instead reveal Habbo as a panopticon-like shopping mall where users, through the practice of begging and other tactics, try to resist the commercial strategies. Virtual worlds could be potential spaces for children's participation and contribute to a democratization of the social; however, this study shows how participation in this virtual world is clearly structured and limited for commercial purposes.

The effect of milk source on body weight and immune status of lambs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hernandez Castellano, Lorenzo E; Moreno-Indias, I.; Morales-delaNuez, A.

2015-01-01

Milk source is one of the several factors that can affect lamb body weight (BW) and immune status before weaning. The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of milk source (natural rearing method, named NR group, vs. artificial rearing method using a commercial milk replacer, named MR ...

Morphological alterations in newly born dentate gyrus granule cells that emerge after status epilepticus contribute to make them less excitable.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julián Tejada

Full Text Available Computer simulations of external current stimulations of dentate gyrus granule cells of rats with Status Epilepticus induced by pilocarpine and control rats were used to evaluate whether morphological differences alone between these cells have an impact on their electrophysiological behavior. The cell models were constructed using morphological information from tridimensional reconstructions with Neurolucida software. To evaluate the effect of morphology differences alone, ion channel conductances, densities and distributions over the dendritic trees of dentate gyrus granule cells were the same for all models. External simulated currents were injected in randomly chosen dendrites belonging to one of three different areas of dentate gyrus granule cell molecular layer: inner molecular layer, medial molecular layer and outer molecular layer. Somatic membrane potentials were recorded to determine firing frequencies and inter-spike intervals. The results show that morphologically altered granule cells from pilocarpine-induced epileptic rats are less excitable than control cells, especially when they are stimulated in the inner molecular layer, which is the target area for mossy fibers that sprout after pilocarpine-induced cell degeneration. This suggests that morphological alterations may act as a protective mechanism to allow dentate gyrus granule cells to cope with the increase of stimulation caused by mossy fiber sprouting.

PENGARUH EKSTRAK JAMU TERHADAP AKTIVITAS SEL NATURAL KILLER DALAM MELISIS ALUR SEL LEUKIMIA (K-562 SECARA IN VITRO [The Effects of Commercial “Jamu” Extracts on Natural Killer Cell Activity in Lysing Leukemic Cell Line (K-562 in vitro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisa Veronica D.C. 2

2002-04-01

Full Text Available Natural killer (NK cell consitutes white blood cells which specifically functions in lysing tumor and virus invected cells. In this research, a commercial “Jamu” was tested to observe its effect on NK cells activity against leukemic cell lines (K562 in vitro. Jamu was extracted with hot water, diluted and added into cell cultures consisted of a mixture of human peripheric limphocyte cells, as the source of the effector NK cells, and K562 cell line i.e., the target cells which were cell line derived from human leukemia and had been labelled with H3-thymidine. The mixture of the cells were made by culturing the two cells at the ratio of 50:1 and 100 : 1, respectively. The results showed that lysing activity of NK cells in the presence of “Jamu” water extract measured as lysing percentage and lysing index increased only slightly, which were not statiscally significant. It should be considered that the test used in this research represents only a part of the lysing mechanism by NK cells against the target cells. An in vivo test for a period of time will be recessary to elucidate ffurther this NK cell activity.

Commercialization of DOE isotope production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laflin, S.

1997-01-01

This paper describes the business structure and operations of MAC Isotopes (MACI) L.L.C., a newly created business resulting from the commercialization of a former U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) mission at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). MACI began its commercial operations on October 1, 1996, and is the first U.S. commercial isotope production business to result from the commercialization of DOE facilities or programs. The commercialization was the culmination of an -2-yr competitive procurement process by the DOE and Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies Company (LMITCO). MACI was selected from this competitive process as the commercial business of choice on the basis of providing the best value to the DOE/LMITCO and having the greatest potential for commercial success

The driver workstation in commercial vehicles; Ergonomie und Design von Fahrerarbeitsplaetzen in Nutzfahrzeugen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kraus, W. [HAW-Hamburg (Germany)

2003-07-01

Nowadays, ergonomics and design are quality factors and indispensable elements of commercial vehicle design and development. Whereas a vehicle's appearance, i.e. its outside design, produces fascination and image, the design of its passenger cell focuses entirely on drivers and their tasks. Today, passenger-cell design and the ergonomics of driver workstations in commercial vehicles are clearly becoming more and more important. This article concentrates above all on defining commercial vehicle drivers, which, within the scope of research projects on coach-driver workstations, has provided new insight into the design of driver workstations. In light of the deficits determined, the research project mainly focused on designing driver workstations which were in line with the latest findings in ergonomics and human engineering. References to the methodology of driver-workstation optimization seems important in this context. The afore-mentioned innovations in the passenger cells of commercial vehicles will be explained and described by means of topical and practical examples. (orig.) [German] Ergonomie und Design sind heute Qualitaetsfaktoren und unverzichtbarer Bestandteil bei der Entwicklung von Nutzfahrzeugen. Erzeugt das Erscheinungsbild, die Aussengestaltung des Fahrzeugs, die Faszination und das Image, so ist die Innengestaltung weitgehend ganz auf die Bedienpersonen und ihre Arbeitsaufgaben bezogen. Die Innenraumgestaltung und die Ergonomie von Fahrerarbeitsplaetzen in Nutzfahrzeugen sind heute in einer Phase der deutlichen Aufwertung zu sehen. Im Beitrag wird besonders auf die Definition der Bedienpersonen fuer Nutzfahrzeuge eingegangen, die im Rahmen des Forschungsprojekts Fahrerarbeitsplatz im Reisebus zu neuen Erkenntnissen bei der Auslegung von Arbeitsplaetzen fuehrte. Gemaess der ermittelten Defizite konzentriert sich die Studie im Kern auf das Gestaltungskonzept des Fahrerarbeitsplatzes nach ergonomischen und arbeitswissenschaftlichen Erkenntnissen

Commercial Banking Industry Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Bright Horizons Children's Centers, Cambridge, MA.

Work and family programs are becoming increasingly important in the commercial banking industry. The objective of this survey was to collect information and prepare a commercial banking industry profile on work and family programs. Fifty-nine top American commercial banks from the Fortune 500 list were invited to participate. Twenty-two…

Assessment of oral health status among endosulfan victims in endosulfan relief and remediation cell - A cross-sectional survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mundoor Manjunath Dayakar

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Endosulfan is a highly toxic agrichemical used in the cashew plantations. The Stockholm Convention held in April 2011 recommended a global ban on the manufacture and use of endosulfan because of its adverse effects on human health and the environment. Its impact on the quality of food, water, and beverages; and its ability to cause neurobehavioral disorders, congenital malformations in female subjects, and abnormalities related to the male reproductive system are studied, but however information regarding the oral health of endosulfan victims is scant. Objectives: To assess the oral health status of the endosulfan victim in rehabilitation center. Method and Methodology: A cross sectional study on 18 subjects of 4-50 years of age were interviewed and examined using modified WHO oral health assessment proforma (1997 in Endosulfan Relief and Remediation Cell in Kokkada, Belthangady Taluk, Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka, India. Results: Among the subjects, 10 (>50% were found to be in age group <20 years. The overall oral health status of the endosulfan victim's in rehabilitation center considered to be poor, as many of the subjects suffered from major medical problems like mental retardation, physical disabilities etc. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the need for special attention from government and voluntary organization to improve overall health status of the victims.

76 FR 126 - Requirement for Commercial Users To Use Commercial Public Key Information (PKI) Certificate

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-03

... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Army Requirement for Commercial Users To Use Commercial..., SDDC will require all commercial accounts accessing transportation systems and applications to use a commercial PKI certificate or Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC). This requirement will...

Impact of commercial cigarette smoke condensate on brain tissue co-cultured with astrocytes and blood-brain barrier endothelial cells.