We introduced a probability of traffic light, PL, at an intersection when approaching cars in two roads are in same conditions. As a application, we proposed a modified Nagel-Schreckenberg cellularautomata model for describing a conflicting vehicular traffic flow at the intersection. The results show that the plateau region in the fundamental diagrams, caused by the effect of interaction, is dependent not only on the probability PL, but also on the adaptive schemes.
With a modelling approach based on cellularautomata, five observed types of plant development can be simulated. In addition, the proposed model shows a strong tendency towards the formation of patches and a high degree of dynamical and structural instability leading to limits of predictability for the asymptotic solution chosen by the system among several possible metastable patterns (multistability). Further, external fluctuations can be shown to have advantages for certain plant types. The presented model unifies the fundamental dichotomy in vegetation dynamics between determinism (understood as predictability) and disorder (chance effects) by showing the outcome of both classical theories as special cases. (author) 2 figs., 4 refs.
There are several approaches to describe flows with particles e.g. Lattice-GasAutomata (LGA), Lattice-Boltzmann method (LBM) or smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH). These approaches do not use fixed grids on which the Navier-Stokes equations are solved via e.g. finite volume method. The flow is simulated using a multitude of particles or particle density distributions, which interacts and due to statistical laws and an even more fundamental approach than the Navier-Stokes equation, the averaged flow variables can be derived. After a short summary of the most popular particle methods the new DMPC (Dissipative Multiple Particles Collision) approach will be presented. The DMPC-model eliminates some of the weak points of the established particle methods and shows high potential for more accurate CFD solution especially in areas where standard CFD tools still have problems (e.g. aero-acoustics). The DMPC-model deals with discrete circular ...
A model for combined mass and heat transfer during nonisothermal gas absorption in a two-phase gas- liquid bubbly medium with a high gas content and/or large times of gas-liquid contact is suggested. Diffusion and thermal interactions between bubbles is taken into account in the approximation of a cellular model of a bubbly medium whereby a bubbly medium is viewed as a periodic structure consisting of identical spherical cells with periodic boundary conditions at a cell boundary. Distribution of concentration of dissolved gas, temperature distribution in liquid and coefficients of mass and heat transfer during nonisothermal absorption of a soluble pure gas from a bubble by liquid are determined. In the limiting case of absorption without heat release the derived formulas recover the expressions for isothermal absorption. (orig.). With 1 ...
Three inclined tubular digesters of 13- to 15-litre volume were operated at temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees C with hydraulic retention times of 10-15 days on pig slurry of 10%, 5% and 2.5% Total Solids content. Tube inclination of 16-20 degrees gave no scumming problems. Solids were retained, giving improved gas yields when compared with literature values for conventional stirred digesters. Solids retention is affected by the size of the digester exit and appears to be greater with slurry of low solids content. There is a link between the movement of solids and gas along, and out of, the digester which can lead to unstable oscillating gas production. Tracer studies showed soluble components of the slurry mixed throughout the whole volume of the digester in 25% of the hydraulic retention time or less. Solids moved in well dispersed plug flow. Gas production (both intrinsic and after the addition ...
We present the formulation and testing of a mathematical model for the kinetics of homotypic cellular aggregation. The model considers cellular aggregation under no-flow conditions as a two-step process....Full Text Available
Cellular senescence is an important mechanism for preventing the proliferation of potential cancer cells. Recently, however, it has become apparent that this process entails more than a simple cessation...Full Text Available
Emerging evidence indicates that impaired cellular energy metabolism is the defining characteristic of nearly all cancers regardless of cellular or tissue origin. In contrast to normal cells, which...Full Text Available
Cellular polarity is a fundamental property of every cell. Due to their extremely fast growth rate (≥1 μm/s) and their highly elongated form, filamentous fungi represent a prime example...Full Text Available
BackgroundSilica nanoparticles (SiNPs) are being formulated for cellular imaging and for nonviral gene delivery in the central nervous system (CNS), but it is unclear what potential...Full Text Available
The extensive membrane network of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is physically juxtaposed to and functionally entwined with essentially all other cellular compartments. Therefore, the ER must sense...Full Text Available
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA integration has been shown to occur frequently in human hepatocellular carcinomas. We have investigated whether common cellular DNA domains might be rearranged, possibly...Full Text Available
Oxidative stress occurs when the level of prooxidants exceeds the level of antioxidants in cells resulting in oxidation of cellular components and consequent loss of cellular function. Oxidative...Full Text Available
The influence of an immobilization stressor on lung cellular immune responses was studied. Delayed-type hypersensitivity to sheep erythrocytes was used to evaluate in vivo lung cellular immunity. Mice...Full Text Available
Optical coherence microscopy (OCM) is a promising technique or high resolution cellular imaging in human tissues. An OCM system for high-speed en face cellular resolution imaging...Full Text Available
BackgroundBlue nevi that arise from the Müllerian tract are rare melanocytic lesions. Several histopathologic variants of cellular blue nevi have been described. The angiomatoid...Full Text Available
Pestiviruses are positive-strand RNA viruses closely related to human hepatitis C virus. Gene expression of these viruses occurs via translation of a polyprotein, which is further processed by cellular...Full Text Available
The R and D activities of the institute focused on two major projects, ``Molecular and cellular environmental toxicology``, and ``Biophysics of multi-cellular systems``. For assessment of health risks emanating from the uptake of heavy metal compounds, work performed under the first mentioned project studies the formation of allergy-inducing metabolic products from membrane lipids, and the effects of related cellular signaling processes. These studies are accompanied by an approach to quantify and classify the toxicity of environmental organometallic compounds. Another major task is research into the pathogenesis of lung disease induced by dusts, gases, and gas-dust mixtures and the liberation of inflammatory agents by immunological cell reactions (alveolar macrophages). Atomic force microscopy is the tool used to visualize the related dynamic changes in bronchial cells. Studies for detection of the ...
In this paper, we extend the diversity and multiplexing tradeoff (DMT) analysis from point-to-point channels to cellular systems to evaluate the impact of inter-cell interference on the system reliability and efficiency. Fundamental tradeoff among diversity order, multiplexing gain and inter-cell interference intensity is characterized to reveal the capability of multiple antennas in cellular systems. And the detrimental effects of the inter-cell interference on the system performance of diversity and multiplexing is presented and analyzed.
Two cellular DNA regions representing common domains for proviral DNA integration ( Mlvi -1 and Mlvi -2) have been identified in Moloney murine leukemia virus-induced rat thymic lymphomas. Cellular...Full Text Available
To understand dynamic developmental processes, living tissues must be imaged frequently and for extended periods of time. Root development is extensively studied at cellular resolution to understand basic mechanisms underlying pattern formation and maintenance in plants. Unfortunately, ensuring continuous specimen access, while preserving physiological conditions and preventing photo-damage, poses major barriers to measurements of cellular dynamics in indeterminately growing organs such as plant roots. We present a system that integrates optical sectioning through light sheet fluorescence microscopy with hydroponic culture that enables us to image at cellular resolution a vertically growing Arabidopsis root every few minutes and for several consecutive days. We describe novel automated routines to track the root tip as it grows, track cellular nuclei and identify cell divisions. We demonstrate the ...
This paper investigates the effects of the electric current pulse (ECP) on the interface stability of Al-4.5% Cu alloy during the directional solidification. Experimental results show both the cellular spacing and the mushy zone depth decrease with increasing current density, moreover, the solid-liquid interface morphology transforms from dendritic to cellular or even planar interface. The secondary dendrites are suppressed due to the homogeneous distribution of the solute and the increase of temperature gradient originated from ECP. The decrease of the cellular spacing results from branching of the cellular tip caused by Joule heat of the current exerting on cellular tip.
In vitro cytocompatibility and cellular interactions of lauric acid and dextran-coated magnetite nanoparticles were evaluated with two different cell lines (mouse fibroblast and human cervical carcinoma). Lauric acid-coated magnetite nanoparticles were less cytocompatible than dextran-coated magnetite nanoparticles and cellular uptake of lauric acid-coated magnetic nanoparticles was more than that of dextran-coated magnetite nanoparticles. Lesser cytocompatibility and higher uptake of lauric acid-coated magnetite nanoparticles as compared to dextran-coated magnetic nanoparticles may be due to different cellular interactions by coating material. Thus, coating plays an important role in modulation of biocompatibility and cellular interaction of magnetic nanoparticles.
In vitro cytocompatibility and cellular interactions of lauric acid and dextran-coated magnetite nanoparticles were evaluated with two different cell lines (mouse fibroblast and human cervical carcinoma). Lauric acid-coated magnetite nanoparticles were less cytocompatible than dextran-coated magnetite nanoparticles and cellular uptake of lauric acid-coated magnetic nanoparticles was more than that of dextran-coated magnetite nanoparticles. Lesser cytocompatibility and higher uptake of lauric acid-coated magnetite nanoparticles as compared to dextran-coated magnetic nanoparticles may be due to different cellular interactions by coating material. Thus, coating plays an important role in modulation of biocompatibility and cellular interaction of magnetic nanoparticles.
Despite a complex cascade of cellular events to reconstruct the damaged extracellular matrix, ligament healing results in a mechanically inferior scarred ligament. During normal healing, granulation...Full Text Available
Telomere maintenance is essential for cellular immortality, and most cancer cells maintain their telomeres through the enzyme telomerase. Telomeres and telomerase represent promising anticancer...Full Text Available
In an effort to develop octahedral metal complexes as chemotherapeutic and diagnostic agents targeted to DNA, it is critical to optimize the properties of their cellular uptake. Appending d-octaarginine...Full Text Available
Prokaryotic genomes can be annotated based on their structural, operational, and functional properties. These annotations provide the pivotal scaffold for understanding cellular functions on a genome-scale,...Full Text Available
BackgroundTacrolimus (FK-506) is an immunosuppressant that binds to a specific immunophilin, resulting in the suppression of the cellular immune response during transplant rejection....Full Text Available
Age-related alterations in the cellular composition of the B lineage are a major cause of the poor antibody response to vaccination and to infectious agents among the elderly population. The mechanisms...Full Text Available
The steroidal regulation of vertebrate neuroanatomy and neurophysiology includes a seemingly unending list of brain areas, cellular structures and behaviors modulated by these hormones. Estrogens,...Full Text Available
Cellular actions of thyroid hormone may be initiated within the cell nucleus, at the plasma membrane, in cytoplasm, and at the mitochondrion. Thyroid hormone nuclear receptors (TRs) mediate the biological...Full Text Available
Although the initiating factor(s) is unknown, it is now accepted that pulmonary sarcoidosis develops as a result of an over-stimulated local cellular immune response. Starting as a lymphocytic alveolitis,...Full Text Available
Advances in modern neuroscience require the identification of principles that connect different levels of experimental analysis, from molecular mechanisms to explanations of cellular functions,...Full Text Available
Aggregatibacter (Actinobacillus) actinomycetemcomitans is a facultative anaerobic gram-negative bacterium associated with severe forms of periodontitis. A leukotoxin, which belongs...Full Text Available
Physiological bone remodeling is a highly coordinated process responsible for bone resorption and formation and is necessary to repair damaged bone and to maintain mineral homeostasis. In addition to...Full Text Available
AbstractWe propose a mechanism for the formation of membrane oscillations and traveling waves, which arise due to the coupling between the actin cytoskeleton and the calcium flux through...Full Text Available
CAAX proteins are widely involved in global cellular functions such as proliferation, differentiation, and carcinogenesis. As an important modulator of biological activity, signal transduction via protein...Full Text Available
For joining type 316LN austenitic stainless steel to modified 9Cr-1Mo steel for power plant application, a trimetallic configuration using an insert piece (such as alloy 800) of intermediate thermal coefficient of expansion (CTE) has been sometimes suggested for bridging the wide gap in CTE between the two steels. Two joints are thus involved and this paper is concerned with the weld between 316LN and alloy 800. These welds were produced using three types of filler materials: austenitic stainless steels corresponding to 316,16Cr-8Ni-2Mo, and the nickel-base Inconel 182{sup 1}. The weld fusion zones and the interfaces with the base materials were characterised in detail using light and transmission electron microscopy. The 316 and Inconel 182 weld metals solidified dendritically, while the 16-8-2(16%Cr-8%Ni-2%Mo) weld metal showed a predominantly cellular substructure. The Inconel weld metal contained a large number of inclusions when deposited from flux-coated ...
A novel class of pyrrolidinyl-acetyleneic thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidines has been identified which potently inhibit the EGFR and ErbB-2 receptor tyrosine kinases. Synthetic modifications of the pyrrolidine carbamate moiety result in a range of effects on enzyme and cellular potency. In addition, the impact of the absolute stereochemical configuration on cellular potency and oral mouse pharmacokinetics is described.
...) Abstract: Fluorescence microscopic imaging is widely used in biomedical research to study molecular and cellular processes in cell culture or tissue samples. This is motivated by the high inherent sensitivity of fluorescence techniques, the spatial resolution that compares favorably with cellular dimensions, the stability of the fluorescent labels used and the sophisticated strategies that have been developed for selectively labeling target molecules. More recently, two and ...
Microfluidic systems and methods are disclosed which are adapted to transport and lyse cellular components of a test sample for analysis. The disclosed microfluidic systems and methods, which employ an electric field to rupture the cell membrane, cause unusually rapid lysis, thereby minimizing continued cellular activity and resulting in greater accuracy of analysis of cell processes.
Fifty-six tuberculosis patients and twenty-eight control subjects were evaluated in a comprehensive investigation of cellular and humoral immune function in pulmonary TB. The patient group showed significantly...Full Text Available
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA integration has been shown to occur frequently in human hepatocellular carcinomas. The authors have investigated whether common cellular DNA domains might be rearranged, possibly by HBV integration, in human primary liver tumors. Unique cellular DNA sequences adjacent to an HBV integration site were isolated from a patient with hepatitis B surface antigen-positive hepatocellular carcinoma. These probes detected rearrangement of this cellular region of chromosomal DNA in 3 of 50 additional primary liver tumors studied. Of these three tumor samples, two contained HBV DNA, without an apparent link between the viral DNA and the rearranged allele; HBV DNA sequences were not detected in the third tumor sample. By use of a panel of somatic cell hybrids, these unique cellular DNA sequences were shown to be located on chromosome 4. Therefore, this region of chromosomal DNA might be ...
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA integration has been shown to occur frequently in human hepatocellular carcinomas. The authors have investigated whether common cellular DNA domains might be rearranged, possibly by HBV integration, in human primary liver tumors. Unique cellular DNA sequences adjacent to an HBV integration site were isolated from a patient with hepatitis B surface antigen-positive hepatocellular carcinoma. These probes detected rearrangement of this cellular region of chromosomal DNA in 3 of 50 additional primary liver tumors studied. Of these three tumor samples, two contained HBV DNA, without an apparent link between the viral DNA and the rearranged allele; HBV DNA sequences were not detected in the third tumor sample. By use of a panel of somatic cell hybrids, these unique cellular DNA sequences were shown to be located on chromosome 4. Therefore, this region of chromosomal DNA might be ...
Electrospinning has gained much attention in the past decade as an effective means of generating nano- to micro-scale polymer fibers that resemble native extracellular matrix. High porosity, pore interconnectivity, and large surface area to volume ratio of electrospun scaffolds make them highly conducive to cellular adhesion and growth. However, inherently small pores of electrospun scaffolds do not promote adequate cellular infiltration and tissue ingrowth. Cellular infiltration into the scaffold is essential for a range of tissue engineering applications and is particularly important in skin and musculoskeletal engineering. Pore size, porosity, and pore interconnectivity dictate the extent of cellular infiltration and tissue ingrowth into the scaffold; influence a range of cellular processes; and are crucial for diffusion of nutrients, metabolites, and waste products. A number of ...
The infection of cultured human cells with baboon endogenous virus (BEV) frequently leads to an association of viral DNA with a specific genetic locus (termed BEVI, for baboon endogenous virus infection) on chromosome 6. Restriction endonuclease digestion of DNA from BEV-infected human cells and their derived somatic cell clones frequently revealed a common cellular DNA sequence in the proximity of one of the junctions between cellular DNA and the integrated virus. We propose that a short cellular DNA sequence, repeated on chromosome 6 and separated by unique DNA sequences, presents a high-affinity target for the integration of BEV in human cells. PMID:6401843
Over the decades, basic research in life sciences has profited greatly from the study of the small unicellular fungal species Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This yeast turned out to be key for the identification and understanding of molecular mechanisms that underlay the basic functions of all eukaryotic cells. These include, but are not limited to, the regulatory mechanisms behind cellular reproduction (cell cycle control), cellular morphogenesis (cell polarity, cytoskeleton and membrane trafficking) and the management of cellular information (chromosome biology, transcription and translation). Rapid access to genomic information of many yeast species, combined with bioinformatics analyses, provide information on the evolutionary history of yeasts and the molecular ancestry of their constituen...
The clinical use of "1"8F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography in monitoring anticancer treatment is expanding. At the same time a number of radiotracers aiming to image different aspects of tumour biology such as proliferation and apoptosis are being developed. However, the factors determining changes of radiotracer uptake parameters in response to treatment are not well understood. In many cases, cellularity may be the primary determinant of changes of FDG uptake and may confound the interpretation of metabolic changes. Early imaging assessments have in some cases showed transient increases of uptake parameters, commonly termed 'flares', which are likely to be unaffected by cellularity and directly reflect pharmacodynamics at a cellular level. In this review a number of settings where molecular imaging 'flares' have been described are discussed. Such changes may often be clinically informative and warrant ...
The invention relates to a method for purifying a gas mixture containing at least one undesirable gas compound utilizing certain sulfonamide or sulfamide solvents.
The phosphatidylinositol pathway is implicated in the regulation of numerous cellular functions and responses to extracellular signals. An important branching point in the pathway is the phosphorylation...Full Text Available
Global acetylation of histone H4 is a mark of gene transcriptional activation. The c-Myc transcription factor binds to specific DNA sites in cellular chromatin and induces the acetylation of...Full Text Available
Synthetic gene networks can be used to control gene expression and cellular phenotypes in a variety of applications. In many instances, however, such networks can behave unreliably due to gene expression...Full Text Available
During germination and early growth of castor bean (Ricinus communis), all cellular constituents of the endosperm are eventually transferred to the growing embryo. The present results...Full Text Available
The interactions between biochemical processes and mechanical signaling play important roles during various cellular processes such as wound healing, embryogenesis, metastasis, and cell migration. While...Full Text Available
p53 is one of the most mutated tumor suppressors in human cancers and as such has been intensively studied for a long time. p53 is a major orchestrator of the cellular response to a broad array...Full Text Available
Altered structure, and hence function, of cellular macromolecules caused by oxidation can contribute to loss of physiological function with age. Here, we tested whether the lifespan of bats, which generally...Full Text Available
The target of rapamycin (TOR) pathway regulates cell growth and aging in various organisms. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, silent information regulator 2 (Sir2) modulates cellular senescence. Moreover,...Full Text Available
Post-transcriptional nucleoside modifications fine-tune the biophysical and biochemical properties of transfer RNA (tRNA) so that it is optimized for participation in cellular processes. Here we report...Full Text Available
The RNA-binding protein Hfq is recognized as an important regulatory factor in a variety of cellular processes, including stress resistance and pathogenesis. Hfq has been shown in several bacteria to...Full Text Available
ATP-binding cassette transporters (ABC transporters) utilize the energy of ATP hydrolysis to translocate an unusually diverse set of substrates across cellular membranes. ABCA4, also known as...Full Text Available
Interactions between presynaptic and postsynaptic cellular adhesion molecules (CAMs) drive synapse maturation during development. These trans-synaptic interactions are regulated by alternative splicing...Full Text Available
We have identified the nonreceptor tyrosine kinase syk as a marker of differentiation/tumor suppressor in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Syk expression is lost in poorly differentiated PDAC...Full Text Available
Somatic embryogenesis (SE) is the developmental restructuring of somatic cells towards the embryogenic pathway and forms the basis of cellular totipotency in angiosperms. With the availability of full-length...Full Text Available
Cilia are important cellular structures that have been implicated in a variety of signaling cascades. In this review, we discuss the current evidence for and against a link between cilia and both the...Full Text Available
In this work, we explore the potential of the metalloendopeptidase Lys-N for MALDI-MS/MS proteomics applications. Initially we digested a HEK293 cellular lysate with Lys-N and, for comparison, in parallel...Full Text Available
Cellular calcium transient alternans are beat-to-beat alternations in the peak cytosolic calcium concentration exhibited by cardiac cells during rapid electrical stimulation or under pathological conditions....Full Text Available
Taste cells use multiple signaling mechanisms to generate appropriate cellular responses to discrete taste stimuli. Some taste stimuli activate G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) that cause calcium...Full Text Available
It has become increasing clear that alterations in cellular metabolism have a key role in the generation and maintenance of cancer. Some of the metabolic changes can be attributed to the activation...Full Text Available
AbstractStudies performed to identify early events of ovarian cancer and to establish molecular markers to support early detection and development of chemopreventive regimens have been...Full Text Available
By pretreating simian virus 40-infected BSC-1 cells with glucosamine, [3H]uridine labeling of both cellular and viral RNA can be halted instantaneously by addition of cold uridine. We have...Full Text Available
A number of studies have indicated that plasma membrane calcium ATPases (PMCAs) are expressed in the brain and spinal cord and could play important roles not only in the maintenance of cellular calcium...Full Text Available
MicroRNAs (miRs) can regulate many cellular functions, but their roles in regulating responses of vascular endothelial cells (ECs) to mechanical stimuli remain unexplored. We hypothesize that the physiological...Full Text Available
Although cellular immunity has a crucial role during cryptococcosis, several in vitro studies have pointed out the importance of IgG anti-Cryptococcus neoformans antibodies and complement components...Full Text Available
PurposeNocturnal rhythms of gene expression in the retina are known to be both darkness- and circadian clock-dependent, but their role and cellular location are not well defined....Full Text Available
Totipotent stem cells have the potential to differentiate into every cell type. Renewal of totipotent stem cells in the germline and cellular differentiation during early embryogenesis rely upon posttranscriptional...Full Text Available
Effective small interfering RNA (siRNA)–mediated therapeutics require the siRNA to be delivered into the cellular RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). Quantitative information of this essential...Full Text Available
The ubiquitin–proteasome pathway is the principal system for extralysosomal protein degradation in eukaryotic cells, and is essential for the regulation and maintenance of basic cellular processes,...Full Text Available
Abstracts of research projects are presented in the following areas: measurements and special facilities; cellular and subcellular studies; physiology; behavior; environmental effects; modeling, scaling and dosimetry; and high voltage direct current. (ACR)
OBJECTIVENicotinamide adenine dinucleotides (NAD+ and NADH) play a crucial role in cellular energy metabolism, and a dysregulated NAD+-to-NADH ratio is implicated...Full Text Available
Allergic asthma is characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammation, and a cellular infiltrate dominated by eosinophils. Numerous epidemiological studies have related the exacerbation of allergic...Full Text Available
BackgroundStem cell characteristics are an important feature of human cancer cells and play a major role in the therapy resistance of tumours. Strategies to target cancer stem cells...Full Text Available
Microglia provide immune surveillance for the brain through both the removal of cellular debris and protection against infection by microorganisms and “foreign” molecules. Upon...Full Text Available
The integration sites for viral DNA in cells infected with Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MuLV) were studied by restriction endonuclease cleavage of cellular DNA followed by electrophoresis in agarose...Full Text Available
Cardiovascular modelling has been a major research subject for the last decades. Different cardiac models have been developed at a cellular level as well as at the whole organ level. Most of...Full Text Available
Cancer immunotherapies can be guided by cellular imaging techniques, which can identify the presence or absence of immune-cell accumulation in the tumor tissue in-vivo and in real time. This...Full Text Available
Mitochondrial heat shock protein 70 (mtHSP70) is found to play a primary role in cellular defense against physiological stress like exposure to environmental contaminants and helpful in the maintenance...Full Text Available
Choline (Cho)-containing phospholipids are the most abundant phospholipids in cellular membranes and play fundamental structural as well as regulatory roles in cell metabolism and signaling. Although...Full Text Available
Friends and colleagues remember John N. Brady, Ph.D., Chief of the Virus Tumor Biology Section of the Laboratory of Cellular Oncology, who died much too young at the age of 57 on April 27, 2009 of colon...Full Text Available
Using the photopigment melanopsin, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) respond directly to light to drive circadian clock resetting and pupillary constriction. We now...Full Text Available
The authors calculated the stress-strain relation for elastomeric foam from an ab initio theory, which shows that the plateau and densification regions should be described by a hyperbola. The theory seems to agree reasonably well with experiment.
IntroductionNormal and neoplastic breast tissues are comprised of heterogeneous populations of epithelial cells exhibiting various degrees of maturation and differentiation. While...Full Text Available
An optical flow gradient algorithm was applied to spontaneously forming networks of neurons and glia in culture imaged by fluorescence optical microscopy in order to map functional calcium signaling...Full Text Available
BackgroundLipocalin 2 (Lcn2) is a bacteriostatic factor that may also modulate cellular function, however, little is known concerning the expression or role of Lcn2 in CNS inflammation....Full Text Available
AMP-activated-protein-kinase (AMPK) is a key sensor and regulator of cellular and whole-body energy metabolism and plays a key role in regulation of lipid metabolism. Since lipid metabolism...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe Gene Ontology (GO) is a well known controlled vocabulary describing the biological process, molecular function and cellular...Full Text Available
The phenomenon of antibiotic resistance has created a need for the development of novel antibiotic classes with non-classical cellular targets. Unfortunately, target-based drug discovery against...Full Text Available
The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) packages its genomic RNA as a dimer of homologous RNA molecules that has to be selected among a multitude of cellular and viral RNAs. Interestingly, spliced...Full Text Available
In this report we define the parameters of the human immune response after immunization with hepatitis B vaccine. 2 wk after booster immunization, there is significant spontaneous secretion of antibody...Full Text Available
The intramembrane aspartyl protease γ-secretase plays a fundamental role in several signaling pathways involved in cellular differentiation and has been linked with a variety of human diseases,...Full Text Available
The use of dendritic cells (DCs) as a cellular adjuvant is a promising approach to the immunotherapy of cancer. It has previously been demonstrated that DCs pulsed ex vivo with Toxoplasma gondii...Full Text Available
In addition to regulating acid secretion, the gastric antral hormone gastrin regulates several important cellular processes in the gastric epithelium including proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion,...Full Text Available
BackgroundGene regulation is a key mechanism in higher eukaryotic cellular processes. One of the major challenges in gene regulation studies is to identify regulators affecting the...Full Text Available
Telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein enzyme that maintains telomere length, is crucial for cellular immortalization and cancer progression. Telomerase activity is attributed primarily to the expression of...Full Text Available
The Moloney murine leukemia virus (MMLV) belongs to the Retroviridae family of enveloped viruses, which is known to acquire minute amounts of host cellular proteins both on the surface...Full Text Available
Cellular hypertrophy is regulated by coordinated pro- and antigrowth machineries. Foxo transcription factors initiate an atrophy-related gene program to counter hypertrophic growth. This study was designed...Full Text Available
Deficient wound healing in diabetic patients is very frequent, but the cellular and molecular causes are poorly defined. In this study, we evaluate the hypothesis that high glucose concentrations inhibit...Full Text Available
Accumulation of molecular damage and increased molecular heterogeneity are hallmarks of cellular aging. Mild stress-induced hormesis can be an effective way for reducing the accumulation of molecular...Full Text Available
BackgroundHuman Papillomavirus (HPV) E2 plays several important roles in the viral cycle, including the transcriptional regulation of the oncogenes E6 and E7, the regulation of the...Full Text Available
Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) results from mutations in the NF1 tumor suppressor gene, which encodes the protein neurofibromin. NF1 patients display diverse clinical manifestations,...Full Text Available
Human blinding disorders are often initiated by hereditary mutations that insult rod and/or cone photoreceptors and cause subsequent cellular death. Generally, the disease phenotype can be predicted...Full Text Available
Heterogeneous base stations (e.g. picocells, microcells, femtocells and distributed antennas) will become increasingly essential for cellular network capacity and coverage. Up until now, little basic research has been done on the fundamentals of managing so much infrastructure -- much of it unplanned -- together with the carefully planned macro-cellular network. Inter-cell coordination is in principle an effective way of ensuring different infrastructure components behave in a way that increases, rather than decreases, the key quality of service (QoS) metrics. The success of such coordination depends heavily on how the overhead is shared, and the rate and delay of the overhead sharing. We develop a novel framework to quantify overhead signaling for inter-cell coordination, which is usually ignored in traditional 1-tier networks, and assumes even more importance in multi-tier heterogeneous cellular networks (HCNs). We derive ...
Background:Stem cells can differentiate into multiple cell types, and therefore can be used for cellular therapies, including tissue repair. However, the participation of stem cells...Full Text Available
AIM: To identify a method for efficient large-scale purification of functional hepatitis B virus polymerase (HBV-Pol) without addition of cellular factors.METHODS: Full-length HBV-Pol (843 amino...Full Text Available
... were given daily i.p. injections of either sesame oil (2.5 ml/kg, vehicle control) or VCD dissolved in sesame oil (80 mg/kg, 0.57 mmol/kg) for ... ...
Lumbricus terrestris (Annelid, Oligocheta) is capable of cellular- and humoral-specific reactions against natural antigens. Is this earthworm able to elaborate a response of antibody type against a...Full Text Available
13C metabolic flux analysis (MFA) is the most comprehensive means of characterizing cellular metabolic states. Uniquely labeled isotopic tracers enable more focused analyses to probe...Full Text Available
Zygotes of fucoid algae have long been studied as a paradigm for cell polarity. Polarity is established early in the first cell cycle and is then expressed as localized growth and invariant cell division....Full Text Available
Objective: To evaluate effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on the viability, membrane properties, and zinc distribution, with and without the presence of Zn2+, in human prostate...Full Text Available
The programming of cellular networks to achieve new biological functions depends on the development of genetic tools that link the presence of a molecular signal to gene-regulatory activity. Recently,...Full Text Available
Bistability plays a central role in the gene regulatory networks (GRNs) controlling many essential biological functions, including cellular differentiation and cell cycle control. However, establishing...Full Text Available
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinases (MAPKs) are a class of serine/threonine kinases that regulate a number of different cellular activities including cell proliferation, differentiation, survival and...Full Text Available
Drugs used for the inhibition of DNA viruses, such as iododeoxyuridine, adenine arabinoside, or trifluorothymidine, are not biochemically selective in their action and also interfere with normal cellular...Full Text Available
One of the most pervasive ideas regarding the causes of aging is that longevity is constrained in large measure by damage to macromolecules. An increasing body of cellular and molecular data, generated...Full Text Available
IntroductionTyrosine phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (pStat3) is expressed in numerous cancers and is required for mediating tumorigenesis. Autocrine...Full Text Available
The p21-activated kinases (PAKs), immediate downstream effectors of the small G-proteins of the Rac/cdc42 family, are critical mediators of signaling pathways regulating cellular behaviors and...Full Text Available
The dielectrophoretic (DEP) crossover method has been applied to the detection of cell responses to toxicants. Time and dose responses of the human cultured leukemia (HL-60) line were measured...Full Text Available
Reversible protein glutathionylation plays a key role in cellular regulation and cell signaling and protects protein thiols from hyperoxidation. Sulfiredoxin (Srx), an enzyme that catalyzes the reduction...Full Text Available
mRNA is sequestered and turned over in cytoplasmic processing bodies (PBs), which are induced by various cellular stresses. Unexpectedly, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mutants of the...Full Text Available
Background. It is currently recommended that diet of pregnant mothers contain 200–300 mg DHA/day. Aim. To determine whether DHA supplementation...Full Text Available
Activation of beta-adrenergic or muscarinic acetylcholine receptors expressed in transfected cells or epidermal growth factor receptors in human keratinocytes produces 15% to 200% changes in cellular...Full Text Available
The ability to adapt and respond to nutrients is an ancient cellular function, conserved from unicellular to the most complex multicellular organisms, including mammals. Mammals adapt to changes...Full Text Available
BackgroundPrimary hepatocytes are the best resource for in vitro studies directed at understanding hepatic processes at the cellular and molecular levels, necessary...Full Text Available
Phosphorus is an essential mineral that maintains cellular energy and mineralizes the skeleton. Because complex actions of ion transporters and regulatory hormones regulate serum phosphorus concentrations,...Full Text Available
The cellular properties of long-term potentiation (LTP) following pairing of pre- and postsynaptic activity were examined at a known glutamatergic synapse in the leech, specifically between the pressure...Full Text Available
The cellular receptor for murine coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV)-A59 is a member of the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) family of glycoproteins in the immunoglobulin superfamily. We isolated...Full Text Available
Cellular cholesterol homeostasis is controlled by sterol-regulated proteolysis of membrane-bound transcription factors called sterol-regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs). CPP32, a cysteine protease,...Full Text Available
A compensatory response, viz. in vivo recovery from radiation damage to mitochondria, occurs in preclimacteric pear fruits (Pyrus communis L.) treated with ionizing...Full Text Available
The cell types involved in the cellular immune response were studied with the GVH in vitro as a test system. Comparison of the activities of cells of different lymphoid organs in the...Full Text Available
Species differences in lifespan have been attributed to cellular survival during various stressors, designated here as ‘cell resilience’. In primary fibroblast cultures, cell...Full Text Available
Store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) is a ubiquitous Ca2+ influx pathway involved in control of multiple cellular and physiological processes including cell proliferation. Recent evidence...Full Text Available
SummarySpatial control of gene expression, at the level of both transcription and translation, is critical for cellular differentiation [1-Full Text Available
E-cadherins belong to a family of membrane-bound, cellular adhesion proteins. Their adhesive properties mainly involve the two N-terminal extracellular domains (EC1 and EC2). The junctions between these...Full Text Available
Motor function requires that motor axons extend from the spinal cord at regular intervals and that they are myelinated by Schwann cells. Little attention has been given to another cellular structure,...Full Text Available
Carbon dioxide is a waste product of aerobic cellular respiration in all aerobic life forms. PaCO2 represents the balance between the carbon dioxide produced and that eliminated. Hypocapnia...Full Text Available
CSV consists of a very complex of molecules and demonstrates significant cellular activities capable of stimulating immune functions in vivo. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of...Full Text Available
The free radical theory of ageing posits that accrual of oxidative damage underlies the increased cellular, tissue and organ dysfunction and failure associated with advanced age. In support of this...Full Text Available
Polyclonal antibodies were raised in rabbits by immunization with free peptides corresponding to positions 197-222 of the human beta 1-adrenergic receptor (beta 1 peptide) and the corresponding sequence...Full Text Available
In the cellular immune response, recognition by CTL-TCRs of viral antigens presented as peptides by HLA class I molecules, triggers destruction of the virally infected cell (Townsend, A.R.M., J. Rothbard,...Full Text Available
Transgenic mouse models have contributed considerably to our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which androgens control spermatogenesis. Cell-selective ablation of the androgen...Full Text Available
Several efforts have been made to completely automate cephalometric analysis by automatic landmark search. However, accuracy obtained was worse than manual identification in every study. The analogue-to-digital...Full Text Available
Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory process leading to enhanced cellular proliferation, apoptosis, and vasa vasorum (VV) neovascularization. While both diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypercholesterolemia...Full Text Available
Calcium ions represent universal second messengers within neuronal cells integrating multiple cellular functions, such as release of neurotransmitters, gene expression, proliferation, excitability,...Full Text Available
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an essential cellular compartment responsible for Ca2+ sequestration, signaling, protein translation, folding as well as transport. Several acute...Full Text Available
BackgroundA fundamental requirement for the exploitation of embryonic stem (ES) cells in regenerative medicine is the ability to reproducibly derive sufficient numbers of cells of...Full Text Available
Abs facilitate humoral immunity via the classical mechanisms of opsonization, complement activation, Ab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, and toxin/viral neutralization. There is also evidence that some...Full Text Available
The interaction of long-chain fatty acids with cells is important for their uptake and metabolism, as well as their involvement in signalling processes. The majority of long-chain fatty acids circulating...Full Text Available
Gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and the cellular responses induced by it are essential for controlling mycobacterial infections. Most patients bearing an IFN-γ receptor ligand-binding chain...Full Text Available
The effect of high-energy-density laser surface melting on the morphology and properties of a cast Ni-based superalloy containing 33 wt percent Mo and 17 wt percent W is investigated experimentally. Significant improvements in the hardness and the wear resistance in both dry and acid environments are atttributed to the elimination of segregation in the laser-treated zone, where solid solubility increases, crystalline structure becomes finer, and the fine dendritic, cellular dendritic, cellular, and plane-front solidification structures are evenly distributed.
The importance of cellular dosimetry in both diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine is becoming increasingly recognized. Experimental range-energy relations for electrons and alpha particles, along with derived geometric reduction factors, are used to calculate cellular absorbed fractions for these radiations. The resulting absorbed fractions are employed to calculate cellular S-values for several radionuclides. Cellular absorbed fractions for monoenergetic electron sources with energies ranging from 0.1 keV to 1 MeV, distributed uniformly in the source region, are calculated for several target {l_arrow} source combinations including cell{l_arrow}cell, cell{l_arrow}cell surface, nucleus{l_arrow}nucleus, nucleus {l_arrow}cytoplasm and nucleus {l_arrow}cell surface. Similar data are also provided for monoenergetic alpha particle sources with energies ranging from 3 to 10 MeV. S-values are also ...
A publication on Norwegian gas and gas export. The content is wide spread from use of gas in daily life via sub sea pipeline repair systems to an overview over tomorrows gas fields. (AG)
A gas diffusion semiconductor electrode and solar cell and a process for gaseous fixation, such as nitrogen photoreduction, CO/sub 2/ photoreduction and fuel gas photo-oxidation are described. The gas diffusion photosensitive electrode has a central electrolyte porous matrix with an activated semiconductor material on one side adapted to be in contact with an electrolyte and a hydrophobic gas diffusion region on the opposite side adapted to be in contact with a supply of molecular gas.
The book tries about the International and national aspects, natural gas situation, production, consumption, prices, demand projection, energetic plans, norms and laws of the natural gas in Colombia
This document provides information on the supply and disposition of natural gas to a wide audience. The 1996 data are presented in a sequence that follows natural gas from it`s production to it`s end use.
The origin of natural gas in the Japanese oil and gas fields are geochemically studied. Samples are taken from structural natural gas, surface gas seepage, water-dissolved natural gas and coal-field gas of the Japan Sea coast area. The origins of primary hydrocarbons are classified into bacteria gas and thermogenic gas, the latter being subclassified into gas in oil production zone with the per million deviation of the carbon isotope (/sup 13/C/sup 1/) of methane less than -35 and those gases with maturity higher than this. Surface gas seepage is subjected to migration and bacterial oxidation. Coal gas is similar to oil gas. The CO/sub 2/ concentration is 0 - 2% and /sup 13/CO/sub 2/ deviations from -30 - +30. The origin can be barely ...
Two-tier networks, comprising a conventional cellular network overlaid with shorter range hotspots (e.g. femtocells, distributed antennas, or wired relays), offer an economically viable way to improve cellular system capacity. The capacity-limiting factor in such networks is interference. The cross-tier interference between macrocells and femtocells can suffocate the capacity due to the near-far problem, so in practice hotspots should use a different frequency channel than the potentially nearby high-power macrocell users. Centralized or coordinated frequency planning, which is difficult and inefficient even in conventional cellular networks, is all but impossible in a two-tier network. This paper proposes and analyzes an optimum decentralized spectrum allocation policy for two-tier networks that employ frequency division multiple access (including OFDMA). The proposed allocation is optimal in terms of Area Spectral ...
Femtocells are assuming an increasingly important role in the coverage and capacity of cellular networks. In contrast to existing cellular systems, femtocells are end-user deployed and controlled, randomly located, and rely on third party backhaul (e.g. DSL or cable modem). Femtocells can be configured to be either open access or closed access. Open access allows an arbitrary nearby cellular user to use the femtocell, whereas closed access restricts the use of the femtocell to users explicitly approved by the owner. Seemingly, the network operator would prefer an open access deployment since this provides an inexpensive way to expand their network capabilities, whereas the femtocell owner would prefer closed access, in order to keep the femtocell's capacity and backhaul to himself. We show mathematically and through simulations that the reality is more complicated for both parties, and that the best approach depends heavily ...
Cellular networks are in a major transition from a carefully planned set of large tower-mounted base-stations (BSs) to an irregular deployment of heterogeneous infrastructure elements that often additionally includes micro, pico, and femtocells, as well as distributed antennas. In this paper, we develop a tractable, flexible, and accurate model for a downlink heterogeneous cellular network (HCN) consisting of K tiers of randomly located BSs, where each tier may differ in terms of average transmit power, supported data rate and BS density. Assuming a mobile user connects to the strongest candidate BS, the resulting Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise-Ratio (SINR) is greater than 1 when in coverage, Rayleigh fading, we derive an expression for the probability of coverage (equivalently outage) over the entire network under both open and closed access, which assumes a strikingly simple closed-form in the high SINR regime and is accurate down to -4 dB ...
A cellular membrane exchanges substances into and from the cell and protects the cell interior by maintaining semi-fluidity rather than be being solid. It is known that microorganisms maintain the fluidity in correspondence with varying environmental temperatures by changing and adjusting the composition of fatty acids which constitute the cellular membrane lipids. As part of the studies to elucidate the pressure withstanding mechanism in deep-sea bacteria, this paper investigates what variations the fatty acid composition, which constitutes cellular membranes of the DSS12 strain, a pressure withstanding bacterium growing well under either normal pressure or high pressures, will show under different culturing temperatures and pressures. Culture under low temperatures and culture under high pressures increase content of unsaturated fatty acids including icosapentanoic acid. Culture under high temperatures or normal pressure ...
The GTPases comprise a protein superfamily of highly conserved molecular switches adapted to many diverse functions. These proteins are found in all domains of life and often perform essential roles in fundamental cellular processes. Analysis of data from genome sequencing projects demonstrates that bacteria possess a core of 11 universally conserved GTPases (elongation factor G and Tu, initiation factor 2, LepA, Era, Obg, ThdF/TrmE, Ffh, FtsY, EngA and YchF). Investigations aimed at understanding the function of GTPases indicate that a second conserved feature of these proteins is that they elicit their function through interaction with RNA and/or ribosomes. An emerging concept suggests that the 11 universal GTPases are either necessary for ribosome function or transmitting information from the ribosome to downstream targets for the purpose of generating specific cellular responses. Furthermore, it is suggested that progenitor GTPases were ...
All organisms, from bacteria and yeast to humans, respond to physical and chemical stressors by increasing the synthesis of a small group of cellular stress proteins.'' The authors have developed a simple in vitro system for quickly screening environmentally relevant stressors to detect stress-induced proteins that are good candidates for biomarkers. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to detect stressor-induced, concentration-dependent changes in cellular stress protein levels in two fish cell culture systems, whereas simultaneous in vitro neutral red uptake cytotoxicity assays measured the stressors effect on cellular physiology. There was a direct concentration-dependent relationship between sublethal cytotoxic effects and the increases in stress protein levels. Increases of 50 to 200% were detected in stress proteins from desert topminnow, Poeciliopsis lucida, hepatoma-derived cell cultures ...
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are useful tools for the delivery of hydrophilic bioactive molecules, such as peptides, proteins, and oligonucleotides, across the cell membrane. To realize the delivery of therapeutic macromolecules by CPPs, the CPPs are required to show resistance to protease and no cytotoxicity. In order to produce potent non-toxic and protease-resistant CPPs with high cellular uptake, we designed an amphipathic helix peptide using ?-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib, U) and named it MAP(Aib). In the MAP(Aib) molecule, five Aib residues are aligned on the hydrophobic face of the helix and five lysine (K) residues are aligned on the hydrophilic face. MAP(Aib) showed potent resistance to trypsin and pronase compared with MAP, an amphipathic helix peptide formed by usual amino acids. Fluorescein-labeled MAP(Aib) efficiently traversed the A549 cell membrane, diffusing into the cytoplasm and slightly into the nucleus without exerting any cytotoxicity. In ...
Tungsten, in the form of tungstate, polymerizes with phosphate, and as extensive polymerization occurs, cellular phosphorylation and dephosphorylation reactions may be disrupted, resulting in negative effects on cellular functions. A series of studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of tungsten on several phosphate-dependent intracellular functions, including energy cycling (ATP), regulation of enzyme activity (cytosolic protein tyrosine kinase [cytPTK] and tyrosine phosphatase), and intracellular secondary messengers (cyclic adenosine monophosphate [cAMP]). Rat noncancerous hepatocyte (Clone-9), rat cancerous hepatocyte (H4IIE), and human cancerous hepatocyte (HepG2) cells were exposed to 1-1000 mg/l tungsten (in the form of sodium tungstate) for 24 h, lysed, and analyzed for the ab...
In Aldous and Shields (1988), a model for a rooted, growing random binary tree was presented. For some c>0, an external vertex splits at rate c^(-i) (and becomes internal) if its distance from the root (depth) is i. For c>1, we reanalyse the tree profile, i.e. the numbers of external vertices in depth i=1,2,.... Our main result are concrete formulas for the expectation and covariance-structure of the profile. In addition, we present the application of the model to cellular ageing. Here, we assume that nodes in depth h+1 are senescent, i.e. do not split. We obtain a limit result for the proportion of non-senescent vertices for large h.
Abstract Septins are highly conserved cytoskeletal GTP-binding proteins implicated in numerous cellular processes from apoptosis to vesicle trafficking. Septins have been associated with leukemia and solid tumor malignancies, including breast, ovarian, and prostate. We previously reported that high SEPT9_i1 expression in human mammary epithelial cell lines (HMECs) led to malignant cellular phenotypes such as increased cell proliferation, invasiveness, motility, and genomic instability. Our goal here was to better understand how SEPT9_i1 expression might contribute to genomic instability and malignant progression. First, we confirmed that even transient expression of SEPT9_i1 was sufficient to increase aneuploidy in HMECs. We then analyzed SEPT9_i1 by immunoprecipitation and immunofluoresce...
Cellular telephones emit a radiofrequency electromagnetic field, part of which is absorbed in the user's head. Many studies have been conducted to look for their possible health hazard to human, at the experimental, epidemiological or clinical level. After a short recall on dosimetry, the author describes the state-of-the art about harmful and irreversible effects, up to now not confirmed, and about some benign symptoms which look absolutely actual. A causal relationship of the electromagnetic field on these benign symptoms is however not proven; other, studies are running to evaluate their possible long-term consequences. Interferences with cardiac pacemakers can easily be avoided by holding the telephone handset farther than 10 cm. (author)
A wide variety of phytochemicals present in our diet, including fruits, vegetables, and spices, have been shown to possess a broad range of health-beneficial properties. The cytoprotective and restorative effects of dietary phytochemicals are likely to result from the modulation of several distinct cellular signal transduction pathways. Many dietary phytochemicals that are synthesized as secondary metabolites function as toxins, that is, -phytoalexins,- and hence protect plants against insects and other damaging organisms and stresses. However, at the relatively low doses consumed by humans and other mammals, these same toxic plant-derived chemicals, as mild stressors, activate adaptive cellular response signaling, conferring stress resistance and other health benefits. This phenomenon has...
To gain in efficiency, lightness and volume, the hybrid and electric-powered cars will certainly follow the cellular phone path. The key of success of todays hybrid cars is the Ni-MH battery developed by Matsushita (87.5% of the market in 2004). The lithium-ion batteries will be the next step and would allow to supply 80 to 100% of the energy of the vehicle, the thermal engine becoming just an auxiliary system for additional power, autonomy and air-conditioning. Prototypes can reach today 200 to 450 km of autonomy and 130 km/h speeds with batteries of about 200 kg. If most of the safety problems linked with the Li technology have been solved, the main drawback remains the cost of the Li-ion technology. Short paper. (J.S.)
The chemopreventive efficacy of turmeric has been established in experimental systems. However, its mechanism(s) of action are not fully elucidated in vivo. The present study investigates the mechanism of turmeric-mediated chemoprevention in 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced hamster buccal pouch (HBP) carcinogenesis at 2, 4, 6, 10 and 12?weeks. Dietary turmeric (1%) led to decrease in DMBA-induced tumor burden and multiplicity, and enhanced the latency period in parallel, to its modulatory effects on oncogene products and various cellular responses during HBP tumorigenesis. DMBA-induced expression of ras oncogene product, p21 and downstream target, the mitogen-activated protein kinases were significantly decreased by turmeric during HBP carcinogenesis. Turmeric also diminished ...
Transparency is essential for normal corneal function. Recent studies suggest that corneal cells express high levels of so-called corneal crystallins, such as aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) and transketolase (TKT) that contribute to maintaining cellular transparency. Stromal injury leads to the appearance of repair phenotype keratocytes, the corneal fibroblast and myofibroblast. Previous studies on keratocytes from species such as bovine and rabbit indicate that the transformation from the normal to repair phenotype is accompanied by a loss of corneal crystallin expression, which may be associated with loss of cellular transparency. Here we investigated if a similar loss occurs with human keratocyte repair phenotypes. Human corneal epithelial cells were collected by scraping and keratocytes...
Viral infections are still common causes of morbidity and mortality in immunosuppressed patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Infections caused by virus such as cytomegalovirus, adenovirus and Epstein-Barr virus are well-known. In addition, several other viruses such as polyomavirus and human herpesvirus 6 have been recently reported to be causes of significant complications. As the delay in recovery of virus-specific cellular immune response after transplant is associated with viral reactivation and viral disease, adoptive immunotherapy to restore virus-specific cellular immunity is an attractive option. Recent clinical trials showed the safety and effectiveness of adoptive immunotherapy against viral diseases. In this review, we summarize the current status o...
Many older homes are equipped with mercury-containing gas regulators that reduce the pressure of natural gas in the mains to the low pressure used in home gas piping. Removal of these regulators can...Full Text Available
Sewage gas or biogas as a product of anaerobic digestion contains methane and carbon dioxide as its main components. Biogas is scrubbed off carbon dioxide in absorption columns and purified to natural-gas quality. The purified gas then is piped to the gas pressure control station and fed into the public network. Description of process and plant is given.
We report the performance of a micro gas turbine on biomass producer gas and mixtures of biomass producer gas with natural gas. The micro gas turbine delivers full power on gas mixtures with a heating value of at least 15 MJ/Nm{sup 3}. For gas of lower heating value, the maximum fuel gas flow limits the attainable power. The lower limit for stable operation is about 8 MJ/Nm{sup 3}. The gross efficiency of the micro gas turbine depends on output power but not on the gas heating value, within our measurement accuracy. Above 70% of full power, emissions of CO and NO are 40 and 10 times lower than those of a gas engine of similar size. At part load below 70% of full power, the micro gas turbine burner switches to a different operating mode ...
The most effective way to generate electricity out of biomass is the gasification and the use of the gas in a gas engine. The conversion of the organic carbon with the gasification of biomass is higher than 95 %. Depending on the gasification concept, the efficiency of gasifiers is found between 70 and 90 %. If the pyrolysis gas is used in a gas engine, an electric efficiency of about 26 % referring to the primary amount of energy can be obtained. With efficient gas cleaning (cleaning for tar and dust), pyrolysis gas is well qualified for engine combustion. Through modern state of engine controlling there are ways to have complete control of the fluctuations in the gas composition. Furthermore, the minor calorific value of offered wood gas poses no problem for turbo charged lean-burn gas engines. ...
This patent describes an electrodeless lamp. It comprises: a microwave cavity; a source of microwaves in communication with the cavity; a lamp envelope containing a plasma-forming medium mounted within the microwave cavity; a gas manifold for feeding gas to at least one gas passageway for directing a stream of gas to the outer surface of the envelope; a gas leak passageway leading from the gas manifold; a conductive mesh assembly for retaining microwaves within the cavity and permitting light to be emitted from the cavity. The assembly including gas flow blocking means for preventing the flow of gas through the gas leak passageway when the screen is in place in the lamp; and means for shutting off the source of microwaves when the gas pressure in the manifold drops below a ...
Although caloric restriction (CR) has been shown to increase lifespan in various animal models, the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon have not yet been revealed. We developed an in vitro...Full Text Available
γ-Hexachlorocyclohexane (γ-HCH) is one of several highly chlorinated insecticides that cause serious environmental problems. The cellular proteins of a γ-HCH-degrading bacterium,...Full Text Available
Half a century is fast approaching since Hayflick and colleagues formally described the limited ability of normal human cells to proliferate in culture (Hayflick and Moorhead, 1961). This finding--that normal somatic cells, in contrast to cancer cells, cannot divide indefinitely--challenged the prevailing idea that cells from mortal multicellular organisms were intrinsically ''immortal'' (Carrell, 1912). It also spawned two hypotheses, essential elements of which persist today. The first held that the restricted proliferation of normal cells, now termed cellular senescence, suppresses cancer (Hayflick, 1965; Sager, 1991; Campisi, 2001). The second hypothesis, as explained in the article by Lorenzini et al., suggested that the limited proliferation of cells in culture recapitulated aspects of organismal aging (Hayflick, 1965; Martin, 1993). How well have these hypotheses weathered the ensuing decades? Before answering this ...
The Sin3-histone deacetylase (HDAC) corepressor complex is conserved from yeast to humans. Mammals possess two highly related Sin3 proteins, mSin3A and mSin3B, which serve as scaffolds tethering HDAC...Full Text Available
The Epstein-Barr virus protein, LMP1, is a functional mimic of the cellular receptor CD40, but signals to B lymphocytes in an amplified and sustained manner compared to CD40. LMP1 contributes...Full Text Available
The movement of cells and cell fragments in an electric field provided a means for determining the nature of cellular surface charges. We found that changes in ionic strength and particularly changes...Full Text Available
Conceptual and factual advances in understanding neuronal migration in the past two decades have provided new insight into the pathogenesis of brain malformations at the cellular, molecular, and functional levels. Some of these results may have direct implications in understanding the consequences of ionizing radiation on the fetal central nervous system in utero. (orig.).
To study the role in AIDS pathogenesis of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Tat protein, a transactivator of viral and cellular genes, we generated transgenic mice with a recombinant DNA...Full Text Available
Epidemiological studies will not solve the shape of the dose effect curve for stochastic effects in the low dose range. Unicellular processes are necessary for the primary processes so that no threshold dose exists. This is evident for somatic and genetic mutations. Not clearly solved is this question for the complex carcinogenesis. These processes develop with manifold interacting molecular and cellular steps. (orig.).
Human parechovirus (HPEV) infections are very common in early childhood and can be severe in neonates. It has been shown that integrins are important for cellular infectivity of HPEV1 through experiments...Full Text Available
PtdIns4P is the major precursor for the synthesis of the multifunctional plasma membrane lipid, PtdIns(4,5)P2. Yet PtdIns4P also functions...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe Ras and Notch signaling pathways are frequently activated during development to control many diverse cellular processes and are often dysregulated during tumorigenesis....Full Text Available
The NSP5 protein is required for viroplasm formation during rotavirus infection and is hyperphosphorylated into 32- to 35-kDa isoforms. Earlier studies reported that NSP5 is not hyperphosphorylated...Full Text Available
Glossitis, known clinically as "redtongue," was studied in tissues from 34 military working dogs (MWD) in the Republic of Vietnam. This condition was manifested grossly by loss of lingual papillae on the dorsal margins of the rostral third of the tongue. Microscopically, the principal lesions consisted of loss of filiform papillae, hemorrhage and edema in the lamina propria, acanthosis, and cellular infiltration. The cause of glossitis remains unknown at this time. PMID:1137213
APP is a transmembrane precursor of beta-amyloid. In dominantly inherited familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD), point mutations V6421, V642F and V642G have been discovered in APP695. Here we show that...Full Text Available
Differential host-pathogen interactions direct viral replication in infected cells. In HIV-1 infected cells, nuclear export of viral RNA transcripts into cellular cytoplasm is governed by interaction...Full Text Available
Synthesis of the Streptococcus pneumoniae type 3 capsule requires the pathway glucose-6-phosphate (Glc-6-P) → Glc-1-P → UDP-Glc → UDP-glucuronic acid (UDP-GlcUA)...Full Text Available
AIM: To evaluate the biological and clinical characteristics of miR-622 in gastric cancer.METHODS: We analyzed the expression of miR-622 in 57 pair matched gastric neoplastic and adjacent non-neoplastic...Full Text Available
The three mammalian transforming growth factor (TGF)-β isoforms (TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3) differ in their putative roles in radiation-induced fibrosis in intestine...Full Text Available
A three-dimensional numerical simulation of mammatus-like clouds is presented. A portion of a cirrus outflow anvil cloud is simulated including cloud ice and snow microphysical representations. The simulated mammatus clouds appear in a cellular pattern and are compared with the few available previously published physical observations of mammatus. Copyright Copyright 2006 Royal Meteorological Society
To understand how DEXD/H-box proteins recognize and interact with their cellular substrates, we have been studying Prp28p, a DEXD/H-box splicing factor required for switching the U1 snRNP with the U6...Full Text Available
Appendices to this summary consist of twelve individual status reports that will be available through the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) in the United States and of course limited copies will be available through NATO. The twelve report titles which are appendices to the summary are: (A) Status Report on the Limestone/Sludge Flue Gas Desulfurization Process; (B) Status Report on the Lime/Sludge Flue Gas Desulfurization Process; (C) Status Report on the Double Alkali/Sludge Flue Gas Desulfurization Process; (D) Status Report on the Sea Water Scrubbing Flue Gas Desulfurization Process; (E) Status Report on the Limestone/Gypsum Flue Gas Desulfurization Process; (F) Status Report on the Lime/Gypsum Flue Gas Desulfurization Process; (G) Status Report on the Double Alkali/Gypsum Flue Gas Desulfurization Process; (H) Status Report on ...
The purpose was to identify human in vitro cell lines with a high relative cellular sensitivity to fast neutrons as compared to photons and to examine their relationship to intrinsic photon radiosensitivity and cellular proliferation kinetics. The clonogenic cell survival following exposure to low LET, 4 MeV photons or, high LET, 62.5 MeV (p #-># Be"+) fast neutrons and the cell survival following exposure to low LET, 4 MeV photons or, high LET, 62.5 MeV (p #-># Be"+) fast neutrons and the cell kinetic parameters of 30 human in vitro cell lines, covering a wide range of histologies, were analyzed alone and with previously published data of Fertil and Malaise. The relative survival at 1.6 Gy of neutrons (SF_1_._6) compared to 2 Gy of photons (SF_2) and the cell kinetic parameters of the 30 cell lines were also compared. The relative lethality of 62.5 MeV fast neutrons was assessed by comparing the ratio #alpha# neutrons/#alpha# photons or ...
Gas hydrates have impacted the oil and gas industry since 1934, when they were first found to plug pipelines. Today we know that in deep oceans and in permafrost, very substantial gas reserves are present in hydrated form. Concerns are being raised about in situ dissociation for both energy and greenhouse implications upon methane release. In Japan work is underway to consider the storage of carbon dioxide, concentrated in clathrates. This talk will deal with some basic questions. Why should we be interested in gas hydrates? What are gas hydrates? How do gas hydrates form? How might hydrates impact on the energy/environmental picture?
This book discusses the progress and problems of current interest in gaseous dielectrics and their use, with special emphasis on insulation in high-voltage transmission lines and substations. Topics covered include: basic physics of gaseous dielectrics; basic mechanisms; gas decomposition, reactions and toxicity; diagnostics and field probes; gases and mixtures for GIS transformers and circuit breakers; gaseous media for discharge chemistry and etching/corona; gas engineering for pulsed power and switching; gas breakdown under steep-fronted voltages; new developments in gas-insulated equipment and gas handling; gas/insulator interface/flashover; and quality control in testing gas-insulated equipment. Contains approximately 85 papers.
Gas hydrates are crystalline substances composed of water and gas, in which a solid-water-lattice accommodates gas molecules in a cage-like structure. Gas hydrates are globally widespread in permafrost regions and beneath the sea in sediment of outer continental margins. While methane, propane, and other gases can be included in the clathrate structure, methane hydrates appear to be the most common in nature. The amount of methane sequestered in gas hydrates is probably enormous, but estimates are speculative and range over three orders of magnitude from about 100,000 to 270,000,000 trillion cubic feet. The amount of gas in the hydrate reservoirs of the world greedy exceeds the volume of known conventional gas reserves. Gas hydrates also represent a significant drilling and production hazard. A fundamental question ...
Gas hydrates are crystalline substances composed of water and gas, in which a solid-water-lattice accommodates gas molecules in a cage-like structure. Gas hydrates are globally widespread in permafrost regions and beneath the sea in sediment of outer continental margins. While methane, propane, and other gases can be included in the clathrate structure, methane hydrates appear to be the most common in nature. The amount of methane sequestered in gas hydrates is probably enormous, but estimates are speculative and range over three orders of magnitude from about 100,000 to 270,000,000 trillion cubic feet. The amount of gas in the hydrate reservoirs of the world greedy exceeds the volume of known conventional gas reserves. Gas hydrates also represent a significant drilling and production hazard. A fundamental question ...
We report the performance of a commercial recuperated micro gas turbine on biomass producer gas and mixtures of biomass producer gas with natural gas. The biomass producer gas, obtained by gasification at 850{sup o}C with air at atmospheric pressure, contains about 7% H2, 17% CO, 15% CO2, 4% CH4, 2% other hydrocarbons, 2% H2O, and a balance of N2 and Ar from air. It has a net heating value of about 6 MJ/(Nm{sup 3}). The micro gas turbine delivers full power (30 kW{sub e}) on gas mixtures with a net heating value of at least 15 MJ/(Nm{sup 3}). For gas of lower heating value, the maximum fuel gas flow allowed by the fuel control unit limits the attainable power. At reduced power, the lower limit for stable operation is a net heating value of about 8 MJ/(Nm{sup 3}). The gross efficiency of the micro ...
The situation of natural gas in the Federal Republic of Germany is described, with particular emphasis on the advantages and consequences of natural gas supply. The brochure discusses the role of natural gas on the energy market, the reliability of natural gas supply, the environmental impacts, the energy-saving effect of natural gas, natural gas prices, the competitive strength of the German gas industry, and the long-term reliability of natural gas supply. (orig.) [German] Die Situation des Erdgases in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland wird beschrieben, wobei die wichtigsten Vorteile und Auswirkungen der Erdgasversorgung besonders hervorgehoben werden. Es geht um die Stellung des Erdgases im Energiemarkt, die Sicherheit der Energieversorgung, Umweltschutz, Energieeinsparung durch Erdgaseinsatz, Erdgaspreise, ...
Effects of combustion conditions on the critical calorific value of flame blowout were reported for low calorific gas on the assumption of using coal derived gaseous fuel. Further, calculations of adiabatic flame temperature by using chemical equilibrium calculation were conducted in order to get a possibility of increasing exit gas temperature of gas turbine combustor to 1,300 C for low calorific value gas fuel. As a result, effects of (1) fuel composition, (2) preheating fuel temperature, (3) calorific value, and (4) combustion air velocity and fuel nozzle diameter, on the critical calorific values of flame blowout were clarified. In increasing exit gas temperature of gas turbine combustor to 1,300 C when using low calorific value gas fuel, it is essential to get an advanced cooling technology for the gas turbine ...
The genetic type, source and charging history of natural gas in the Yulin gas field in the Ordos Basin have been studied by combining the carbon isotopic composition of natural gas and geochemical characteristics of light hydrocarbons with carbon isotope fractionation model results and fluid inclusion analysis. The carbon isotopic composition of methane and ethane in the Yulin gas field is relatively enriched in {sup 13}C with {delta}{sup 13}C{sub 1} values ranging from - 35.3 permille to - 29.8 permille (average value = - 32.4 permille) and {delta}{sup 13}C{sub 2} ranging from - 26.3 permille to - 23.5 permille (average value = - 24.8 permille). The C{sub 7} light hydrocarbons are predominated by methylcyclohexane, accounting for 65.8% to 80.9% (average value = 71.6%), which is characteristic of coal-derived gas. Furthermore, the gas geochemistry indicates ...
The production, principal applications, characteristics and properties, advantages of the gas natural is showed. A sectorial overview of the ceramic industry and the utilization of the natural gas in the ceramic industry is presented. The expectations are systematized and the impact of the natural gas utilization in the ceramic industry is evaluated. Some conclusions are withdrawn and recommendations suggested.
A combined gas/steam turbine process includes a high-pressure furnace and a high pressure gasification unit with a mounted upstream of a combustion chamber there is a gas turbine with a waste heat system. Combustion heat which is not needed to heat the flue gas to combustion temperature is released from the furnace and transferred to ths combustion air going into the combustion chamber.
Nomographs have been developed to simplify site performance estimates for various types of gas turbine engines used for industrial applications. The nomographs can provide valuable data for engineers to use for an initial appraisal of projects where gas turbines are to be considered. General guidelines for the selection of gas turbines are also discussed. In particular, site conditions that influence the performance of gas turbines are described.
The budding natural gas markets in East Europe attract a great deal of interest from natural gas industries in the Western countries. Dutch companies, institutions and the government, too, are active in this market. So far the results have not been spectacular. An analysis is made of the present situation and the Dutch approach
This article puts the case for coal fired combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plants. The need to gasify the coal for the CCGT, use of fluidised bed combustors or gasification systems, the difference in prices of coal and natural gas, and coal and natural gas reserves are discussed. (UK)
Natural gas is essential to the world economy. Gas now accounts for almost a quarter of OECD primary energy requirements and is expected to become the second most important fuel in the world in the next decade. Industrial and residential consumers increasingly rely on natural gas to keep their houses warm, their lights on and their factories running. Meanwhile the gas industry itself has entered a new phase. Where gas used to be restricted to regional markets, it is now increasingly traded on a global scale. While gas production and transport requires long-term investment, now it is optimised on a short-term basis. Demand continues to grow, but local gas production has become much more expensive. How should we react? How will demand be satisfied? What changes are required to promote flexibility and trade? What are the implications for ...
Mist eliminators for flue gas desulphurisation units remove liquid droplets entrained in the flue gas leaving the SO/sub 2/-absorber vessels. The commercial designs currently available are described.
The purpose of this project was to build a long-range, parallel hybrid gas/electric vehicle capable of driving beyond the communter capabilities of series hybrid vehicles. It was envisioned that since the gas engine would be able to independently propel t...
Radon-222 has been measured in natural gas produced from experimental geopressured-geothermal test wells. Comparison with published data suggests that while radon activity of this unconventional natural gas resource is higher than conventional gas produced in the gulf coast, it is within the range found for conventional gas produced throughout the US. A method of predicting the likely radon activity of this unconventional gas is described on the basis of the data presented, methane solubility, and known or assumed reservoir conditions of temperature, fluid pressure, and formation water salinity.
BackgroundEmphysematous cholecystitis is a variant of acute cholecystitis which is generally caused by gas-forming organisms. Emphysematous cholecystitis may cause gas spreading...Full Text Available
... Accession Number : ADD135818. Title : Performance of Titanium in Flue Gas Desulfurization Scrubber Systems,. Descriptive Note : Journal Article,. ...
The properties of the ideal gas of classical (nonquantum) tachyons are considered. Starting from the definition of thermodynamic functions for this system, it may be found that tachyons and bradyons gases are similar. (AA).
A new surveillance system for Oil-Filled cable, which can provide continuous monitoring, using a newly developed optical gas sensor that can detect the concentration of the gas dissolved in the oil with extremely high sensitivity has been developed. It was proved that the degree of deterioration of the insulating oil can be detected by measuring C{sub 2}H{sub 2} and CH{sub 4} by investigating the relation between the degree of deterioration and amount of combustible gas generated. In order to detect extremely small amounts of gas, a new gas detecting method using absorption line of the gas using a frequency modulated technique has been developed. The gas detection ability was also confirmed by examination using a 66 kV of cable and the possibility of detection at an early stage is expected.
Rapid technology improvements, resulting in high efficiency, emissions reduction and low generation cost, are making gas turbines the generation technology of choice despite some recent reliability problems. The basic reason for the dominance is high efficiency. The rapid pace of gas-turbine technology improvement in the 1990s drove combined-cycle thermal efficiency to nearly 60 percent with natural gas as the fuel. It will probably go even higher after the year 2000. In addition, the gas-fired combined cycle is a bargain. With natural gas prices where they are right now, it is the least-cost generation operation for power producers with access to gas. Many will replace older, high-cost power plants with new gas-fired combined cycle power plants.
The oxygen production of a photosynthetic gas exchanger containing Chlorella pyrenoidosa (1% packed cell volume) was measured when various concentrations of carbon dioxide were present...Full Text Available
The purpose of this publication is to provide a better understanding of flue gas desulfurization. It provides brief answers to questions concerning its applicability, cost, effectiveness, and operation.
This bibliography contains 3920 references including abstracts, to information on the technology of flue gas desulfurization and denitrification. These references and others are included in the Department of Energy's Energy Data Base (EDB) through Decembe...
Tests to measure the maximum horsepower of commercial vehicles converted for use with natural gas fuel indicate a reduction of approximately 20% in horsepower compared with gasoline-driven vehicles. This reduction in horsepower resulting from the use of gas is due basically to the lower thermal efficiency of the cycle of natural gas compared with that of gasoline and to its lower volumetric efficiency, since natural gas is injected into the combustion chamber in gaseous form, unlike gasoline, in which part of the fuel entering the cylinder is in the liquid phase. Natural gas used as a fuel generates lower quantities of air pollutants, particularly unburned hydrocarbons (HCs) and carbon monoxide (CO). Despite the downside of reduced horsepower, the use of natural gas as a fuel for automotive vehicles equipped with Otto-cycle engines is economically viable owing ...
Iron is an essential micronutrient. As an integral part of hemoglobin, it is essential for the transport of oxygen in blood to the tissues. It is an important component of cytochromes and other tissue enzymes that are critical for cellular respiration and of myoglobin that helps maintain oxygen reserve in the muscle. It is also involved in the normal functioning of the immune function, and in the synthesis of steroid hormones and bile acids. There are serious functional consequences to iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in the human body. The deleterious effects include increased morbidity, preterm delivery, low birth weight, delayed cognitive development, lowered cellular immunity and reduced physical work capacity. However, iron deficiency and IDA remain the world's most common deficiency disease in the 21st century. Recent estimates of people affected with iron deficiency and IDA are 3.5 billion. Iron deficiency anemia is most ...
In this paper, we consider the downlink of large-scale multi-cellular OFDMA-based networks and study performance bounds of the system as a function of the number of users $K$, the number of base-stations $B$, and the number of resource-blocks $N$. Here, a resource block is a collection of subcarriers such that all such collections, that are disjoint have associated independently fading channels. We derive novel upper and lower bounds on the sum-utility for a general spatial geometry of base stations, a truncated path loss model, and a variety of fading models (Rayleigh, Nakagami-$m$, Weibull, and LogNormal). We also establish the associated scaling laws and show that, in the special case of fixed number of resource blocks, a grid-based network of base stations, and Rayleigh-fading channels, the sum information capacity of the system scales as $\\Theta(B \\log\\log K/B)$ for extended networks, and as $O(B \\log\\log K)$ and $\\Omega(\\log \\log K)$ for dense ...
Physiological functions are carried out by differentiated cells, with finite lifespans, which age and need to be replaced. In young individuals, tissue functions are sustained at optimal levels because cellular dysfunction and cell loss are balanced by the emergence of newly differentiated cells as stem cells and their partially differentiated descendants replicate. However, with the passage of time the mitotic rates of these cells diminish. Eventually, replications occur too infrequently to offset the loss. It is at this point that the tissue begins to show structural changes and declining function which, as they become pervasive, are identified as ageing. In this paper the theory is set forth that: (1) Diminishing mitotic activity in older tissues results from limited stem cell replicative capacity. (2) All stem cells, regardless of tissue, exhibit similar replicative patterns over time, progressing from the actively proliferating to the nonproliferating state. ...
We examined whether proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) could provide accurate information on histological grade and cell proliferation in astrocytomas. We studied 23 patients with astrocytomas: five grade II, 10 grade III and eight with grade IV (glioblastoma multiforme). We performed proton MRS and determined the Ki-67 labeling index (LI), a tumour proliferation marker, in the same areas of the astrocytomas, and examined the statistical relationship between proton MRS and Ki-67 LI. The N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/creatine-phosphocreatine (Cr) and NAA/choline (Cho)-containing compound ratios were always significantly lower and the Cho/Cr ratios significantly higher than those for normal brain. The Cho/Cr ratio correlated positively and the NAA/Cho ratio inversely with Ki-67 LI. These findings suggest that the Cho signal in proton MRS reflects cellular proliferation. In Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, there was no significant difference between high (> 2.0, ...
Site-specific recombination is an important cellular process that yields a variety of knotted and catenated DNA products on supercoiled circular DNA. Twist knots are some of the most common conformations of these products. They are also one of the simplest families of knots and catenanes. Yet, our systematic understanding of their implication in DNA and important cellular processes like site-specific recombination is very limited. Here we present a topological model of site-specific recombination characterising all possible products of site-specific recombination on twist knot substrates, extending previous work of Buck and Flapan. We illustrate how to use our model to examine previously uncharacterized experimental data. We show how our model can help determine the sequence of products in multiple rounds of processive recombination and distinguish between products of processive and distributive recombination. Companion paper (arXiv:1007.2115v1 ...
Although the mechanism is unknown, Calculus Bovis and its active components, cholic acid analogs (CAAs), have been used in China to treat a wide range of diseases. Based on the previous finding that the potency of CAA is strongly dependent on the intrinsic surface activity, this paper aimed to investigate the role of the plasma membrane in the pharmacological activity of CAAs. First, CAAs (0.1 mM) caused a surface activity-dependent depression on ATPase activity in the cell membrane extract, but it had no effects on other cellular extracts, suggesting an indispensable role of the membrane environment for pharmacological activity. Second, CAAs lowered the membrane fluidity of cultured Caco-2 cells with the same rank-order of potency sequence. Third, the hypothesis that any functional protein located on the membrane is influenced by changes in cellular membrane fluidity was supported by: ileal contraction that was induced by acetylcholine and ...
Many assays for oncogenic transformation have been developed ranging from those in established rodent cell lines where morphological alteration is scored, to those in human cells growing in nude mice where tumor invasiveness is scored. In general, systems that are most quantitaive are also the least relevant in terms of human carcinogenesis and human risk estimation. The development of cell culture systems has made it possible to assess at the cellular level the oncogenic potential of a variety of chemical, physical and viral agents. Cell culture systems afford the opportunity to identify factors and conditions that may prevent or enhance cellular transformation by radiation and chemicals. Permissive and protective factors in radiation-induced transformation include thyroid hormone and the tumor promoter TPA that increase the transformation incidence for a given dose of radiation, and retinoids, selenium, vitamin E, and 5-aminobenzamide that ...
Many assays for oncogenic transformation have been developed ranging from those in established rodent cell lines where morphological alteration is scored, to those in human cells growing in nude mice where tumor invasiveness is scored. In general, systems that are most quantitaive are also the least relevant in terms of human carcinogenesis and human risk estimation. The development of cell culture systems has made it possible to assess at the cellular level the oncogenic potential of a variety of chemical, physical and viral agents. Cell culture systems afford the opportunity to identify factors and conditions that may prevent or enhance cellular transformation by radiation and chemicals. Permissive and protective factors in radiation-induced transformation include thyroid hormone and the tumor promoter TPA that increase the transformation incidence for a given dose of radiation, and retinoids, selenium, vitamin E, and 5-aminobenzamide that ...
We consider relay selection technique in a cooperative cellular network where user terminals act as mobile relays to help the communications between base station (BS) and mobile station (MS). A novel relay selection scheme, called Joint Uplink and Downlink Relay Selection (JUDRS), is proposed in this paper. Specifically, we generalize JUDRS in two key aspects: (i) relay is selected jointly for uplink and downlink, so that the relay selection overhead can be reduced, and (ii) we consider to minimize the weighted total energy consumption of MS, relay and BS by taking into account channel quality and traffic load condition of uplink and downlink. Information theoretic analysis of the diversity-multiplexing tradeoff demonstrates that the proposed scheme achieves full spatial diversity in the quantity of cooperating terminals in this network. And numerical results are provided to further confirm a significant energy efficiency gain of the proposed algorithm comparing to ...
Motivated by recent experiments on KIF1A, a representative member of single-headed kinesin motor proteins family, we develop a theoretical model of intra-cellular transport by mutually interacting molecular motors. The model explicitly accounts not only for the hydrolysis of ATP, but also for the ratchet mechanism which is believed to drive each individual KIF1A motor. We study the model by a combination of analytical and numerical techniques. A remarkable feature of this model is that all the parameters in it can be completely evaluated from experimental data. Our results in the dilute limit are in excellent quantitative agreement with the empirical data from single molecule experiments. In the high density regime the predictions of the model also agree qualitatively with the corresponding experimental observations. We derive a phase diagram that shows the influence of hydrolysis and Langmuir kinetics on the collective spatio-temporal organization of the motors. ...
Glycosaminoglycan synthesis by two subpopulations of a mouse mammary tumor cell line was compared. The two sublines express distinctly different growth characteristics in vitro and in vivo which indicate differences in growth regulation. Newly made glycosaminoglycans were recovered from the culture media, the cell surfaces, and residual cellular material. The cell population which grows more aggressively in vivo (+SA subline, a subline that grows in soft agarose) incorporated about 8 times more (/sup 14/C)glucosamine per cell into total glycosaminoglycans than did the slower-growing population (-SA subline, which does not grow in soft agarose). Appropriate control experiments indicated that the apparent difference in rates of synthesis was not due to discrepancies in glucosamine uptake. The main residual cellular molecule labeled was heparan sulfate, but the predominant molecule at the cell surface and in the culture fluid was hyaluronic acid. ...
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have remained at the forefront of stem cell research for the past 50 years, since the therapeutic potential of bone marrow transplantation was realized. Uniquely, among stem and progenitor cells, research progress has been made in parallel between the laboratory benchtop and hospital bedside during this period. Integral to this work has been the role of the transfusion medicine services in the collection, storage, and processing of HSCs. The next decade promises to bring further developments: with new fields of cellular therapies, stem cell vaccination, and stem cell drug testing opening up. This article summarizes exciting areas of research concerning the behavior and potential clinical applications of HSCs. For the purposes of clarity, we describe in turn the trafficking and transfer of HSCs; ex vivo expansion of HSC units from different sources; and finally, applications of specifically selected subsets of hematopoietic cells and ...
Acetylcholine and other neurotransmitters play unique trophic roles in brain development. Accordingly, drugs and environmental toxicants that promote or interfere with neurotransmitter function evoke neurodevelopmental abnormalities by disrupting the timing or intensity of neurotrophic actions. The current review discusses three exposure scenarios involving acetylcholine systems: nicotine from maternal smoking during pregnancy, exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), and exposure to the organophosphate insecticide, chlorpyrifos (CPF). All three have long-term, adverse effects on specific processes involved in brain cell replication and differentiation, synaptic development and function, and ultimately behavioral performance. Many of these effects can be traced to the sequence of cellular events surrounding the trophic role of acetylcholine acting on its specific cellular receptors and associated signaling cascades. However, for ...
Evolutionary theory holds that aging is a consequence of the declining force of natural selection with age. We discuss here the evidence that among the causes of aging in complex multicellular organisms, such as mammals, is the antagonistically pleiotropic effects of the cellular responses that protect the organism from cancer. Cancer is relatively rare in young mammals, owing in large measure to the activity of tumor suppressor mechanisms. These mechanisms either protect the genome from damage and/or mutations, or they elicit cellular responses--apoptosis or senescence--that eliminate or prevent the proliferation of somatic cells at risk for neoplastic transformation.We focus here on the senescence response, reviewing its causes, regulation and effects. In addition, we describe recent data that support the idea that both senescence and apoptosis may indeed be the double-edged swords predicted by the evolutionary hypothesis of antagonistic ...
The natural gas industry has proposed an increase in the DOE gas R&D budget from about $100 million to about $250 million per year for each of the next 10 years. The proposal includes four programs: natural gas supplies, fuel cells, natural gas vehicles and stationary combustion systems. This paper is a qualitative assessment of the gas industry proposal and recommends a natural gas R&D strategy for the DOE. The methodology is a conceptual framework based on an analysis of market failures and the energy policy objectives of the DOE`s (1991) National Energy Strategy. This framework would assist the DOE in constructing an R&D portfolio that achieves energy policy objectives. The natural gas supply program is recommended to the extent that it contributes to energy price stability. Stationary combustion programs are supported on ...
Prepared to make housing project managers, maintenance engineering staff, and designers and architects of HUD - assisted and HUD - insured housing projects and mobile home parks aware of their responsibilities under the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act, this handbook provides technical guidance for the reduction of gas leaks and the handling of gas leak incidents in residential areas. The hazards of natural gas, concern over gas safety in residential areas, applicable codes and standards, and sources of information and help are reviewed, along with maintenance and engineering considerations relating to gas pipe failures, the detection of gas leaks, appliance servicing, and pipe installation, repair, and replacement. Housing management considerations are also examined, with attention to recordkeeping and reporting, emergency contingency ...
Gas Supplies of Interstate Natural Gas Pipeline Companies 1987 was prepared by the Reserves and Natural Gas Division, Office of Oil and Gas, Energy Information Administration (EIA). The publication provides information on the total reserves, production, and deliverability capabilities of the 87 interstate pipeline companies required to file the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Form 15, ''Interstate Pipeline's Annual Report of Gas Supply.'' This publication is the 25th in a series of annual reports on the total gas supplies of interstate pipeline companies since the inception of individual company reports to the Federal Power Commission (FPC) in 1964 for report year 1963. This publication provides information on the interstate pipeline companies' supply of natural gas during ...
The corrosion behavior of 304 stainless steel was characterized with cyclic voltammetry in a eutectic Li/K and Li/Na carbonate melt under anode and cathode gas of the molten-carbonate fuel cell (MCFC). The corrosion rate of 304 steel was determined in four different environments of the MCFC with electrochemical methods and from cross-sectional analysis of corrosion layers. These four environments were open-circuit and MCFC-load conditions both under anode and cathode gas. At open-circuit conditions corrosion was more severe under the oxidizing cathode gas then under the reducing anode gas. On the contrary, at load conditions corrosion was more severe under anode than under cathode gas. The anodic polarization under anode gas enhances corrosion, whereas the high anodic polarization under cathode gas leads to anodic protection. Corrosion ...
Hyperphosphorylated and aggregated human protein tau constitutes a hallmark of a multitude of neurodegenerative diseases called tauopathies, exemplified by Alzheimer's disease. In spite of an enormous amount of research performed on tau biology, several crucial questions concerning the mechanisms of tau toxicity remain unanswered. In this paper we will highlight some of the processes involved in tau biology and pathology, focusing on tau phosphorylation and the interplay with oxidative stress. In addition, we will introduce the development of a human tau-expressing yeast model, and discuss some crucial results obtained in this model, highlighting its potential in the elucidation of cellular processes leading to tau toxicity.
Traffic jams have become very serious at multiforked road intersections, and conventional pre-timed controls are less effective in such situations. In this article, a new traffic signal control system for multi-forked roads is proposed. First, the cellular automaton (CA) model is used to develop a traffic simulator for multi-forked roads. Next, a stochastic model of a traffic jam is built up. In addition, a new traffic signal control algorithm is designed using the optimization technique and a genetic algorithm (GA). Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is shown using actual traffic data with a traffic simulator.
The effect of UV radiation in the wavelength region 230 nm to 302 nm on the ability of an irradiated mammalian cell to reactivate UV-irradiated mammalian virus was tested. An action spectrum for radiation enhanced reactivation (RER) is presented. The shape of the action spectrum points to a combined nucleic acid-protein target for UV radiation effects on this cellular parameter. An analysis of the results of others involving the biochemical and photobiological events involved in RER does not allow us to distinguish which macromolecule is the major contributor to this effect. Studies involving an analogous phenomenon in bacteris (Weigle reactivation) imply that RER and WR amy involve similar mechanisms. (author).
The assumed linear relationship between exposure to radiation and cancer incidence is questioned in this article. The current research data on radiation effects at the cellular level is reviewed, as are epidemiological studies of background radiation effects and health effects of populations exposed to low levels of radiation exposure via employment or medical treatments. Statistics reveal that threshold levels currently in force need to be reviewed. Some evidence of beneficial effects of low level radiation exposure effects of low level radiation exposure is also presented, and so regulations should be reviewed at an international level. (UK).
The long-term survival of certain patients after treatment with radiation or chemotherapeutic agents has allowed the realization that agents that effectively control cancer in the human subject may also possess an oncogenic potential, resulting in secondary malignancies in a significant proportion of surviving patients. A quantitative assessment of the oncogenic effects of these agents at a cellular level is important, as is information on conditions and agents that may effectively alter the development of the neoplastic state. Cell culture systems where the neoplastic transformation of cells can be scored after exposure to carcinogens offer powerful tools for evaluating the oncogenic potential of radiation and chemotherapeutic agents.
Nano-materials in which a large fraction of atoms resides within a few atomic layers near the surface can be designed to have novel properties by manipulating their surface parameters. We show that the effective elastic constants of nano-porous/cellular materials can be made to exceed those of the parent materials provided the pore surface elastic parameters satisfy certain conditions. These stiff nano-porous materials herald a radical breakthrough in sandwich-type construction.
Nano-materials in which a large fraction of atoms resides within a few atomic layers near the surface can be designed to have novel properties by manipulating their surface parameters. We show that the effective elastic constants of nano-porous/cellular materials can be made to exceed those of the parent materials provided the pore surface elastic parameters satisfy certain conditions. These stiff nano-porous materials herald a radical breakthrough in sandwich-type construction.
The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing in developed countries and the general status of HCC patients is now by far better than a few years ago, allowing physicians to propose some different treatments of these patients. Among these treatments, intra-arterial injection of 131-iodine-labelled Lipiodol could be used in palliative, curative or adjuvant settings. After a brief summary of the modalities of this treatment, requiring the collaboration of Gastro-enterologists, Oncologists, Radiologists and Nuclear Medicine physicians, the different possibilities of therapeutic uses of this new approach are described and an outlook of these developments is proposed. (author)
Establishing germplasm of woody plants in microculture as shoot cultures has proved to be an effective method of overcoming many of the obstacles in working with these crops. Shoot cultures eliminate the changes associated with seasonal growth cycles and phase change and put large plants into a more manageable form. Well-established shoot cultures are central to successful clonal propagation systems for forest trees as well as to genetic improvement based on the use of cellular techniques such as protoplast manipulation. The physiological basis as to why tissues from shoot cultures are so readily manipulated is not well understood.
The paper reports extensive analyses of the fractal geometry of cellular dislocation structures observed in Cu deformed in multiple-slip orientation. Several methods presented for the determination of fractal dimensions are shown to give consistent results. Criteria are formulated which allow the distinguishing of fractal from non-fractal patterns, and implications of fractal dislocation patterning for quantitative metallography are discussed in detail. For an interpretation of the findings a theoretical model is outlined according to which dislocation cell formation is associated to a noise-induced structural transition far from equilibrium. This allows relating the observed fractal dimensions to the stochastic properties of deformation by collective dislocation glide.
Injection of pregnant rats with monomeric "2"3"9Pu after 9 days of gestation decreased their leukocyte and reticulocyte counts at 5 and 10 days postexposure. Most of the fetal hematologic enumerative values were unaffected by injection of monomeric "2"3"9Pu. There was, however, a major change in the maturation of the cells of the erythroid series, as indicated by a difference in the distribution between cell types. The weight of the yolk sac and fetal liver, and the cellularity of the fetal spleen were decreased.
The compressive and bending strengths of a local tropical wood (Kapur-Dryobalanop sp.) were improved significantly by suitable impregnation of polymeric monomers (methylmethacrylate, methylmethacrylate - 5% dioxane and vinyl acetate) into the wood cellular structure and subsequent irradiation to form a wood-polymer composite. Statistical analysis revealed a linear relationship between increase in the strengths and the percentage of polymer impregnated. Fractographic analysis of the impact fractured surfaces under the scanning electron microscope showed the nature of the wood-polymer interface, which could account for the increase in the compressive and bending strengths. (author).
An apparatus was designed and built for the purpose of exposing samples of solid polymers to varying temperatures, atmospheres and stress levels while quantitatively recording the resulting chemiluminescence. Preliminary data were acquired with this apparatus that show a correlation between an enhanced chemiluminescence signal at a low level of applied stress and a decrease in tensile strength for the most commonly used epoxy resin in high performance fiber composites, TGMDA DDS. The studies with cellular silicone cushions (which are used to accommodate thermal expansion and contraction) have defined the temperature regimes in which accelerated aging tests are valid for extrapolation to ambient temperature. Preliminary data on Kevlar fibers is also discussed.
Background: We consider cells as biological systems that process information by means of molecular codes. Many studies analyze cellular information processing exclusively in syntactic terms (e.g., by measuring Shannon entropy of sets of macromolecules), and abstract completely from semantic aspects that are related to the meaning of molecular information. Methods: This mini-review focusses on semantic aspects of molecular information, particularly on codes that organize the semantic dimension of molecular information. First, a general conceptual framework for describing molecular information is proposed. Second, some examples of molecular codes are presented. Third, a mathematical approach that makes the identification of molecular codes in reaction networks possible, is developed. Results...
A central feature of the endocrine pathophysiology of septic shock is thought to be the existence of adrenal dysfunction. Based on changes in glucocorticoid secretion and responsiveness, protein binding, and activity. These changes have been described by the terms "Relative Adrenal Insufficiency" (RAI), or "Critical Illness Related Corticosteroid Insufficiency" (CIRCI), and form part of the rationale for trials of glucocorticoid treatment in septic shock. Diagnostic criteria for these conditions have been based on plasma cortisol profiles and have proven notoriously difficult to establish. The uncertainty in this area arises from the inability of current tests to clearly identify who is truly glucocorticoid "deficient" at a cellular level, and hence who requires supplemental glucocorticoid...
Full text: It is known that the ion implantation of germanium single crystals at room temperature results in drastic alteration of the germanium surface and the formation of cellular relief. Voids were found into the near-surface damage layer. The intersection of these voids with the germanium surface, as result of sputter etching, forms cellular relief. However, exact mechanism responsible for formation of the voids is not known. A 10 and 30 keV Ga"+ irradiation of Ge #left brace#100#right brace# crystal at room temperature was carried out using a focused ion beam (FIB) system with a dose in the range 0.5x10"1"2 to 1.5x10"1"4 ion/cm"2. The topology of the modified germanium surface and the structure of the radiation damage was studied using imaging facilities of the FIB systems and transmission electron microscopy. The strong cellular structure of Ge was observed after an ion dose of 3x10"1"3 ion/cm"2. High-resolution TEM ...
Wood Plastic Composites (WPCs) have experienced a healthy growth during the last decade. However, improvement in properties is necessary to increase their utility for structural applications. The toughness of WPCs can be improved by creating a fine cellular structure while reducing the density. Extrusion processing is one of the most economical methods for profile formation. For our study, rectangular profiles were extruded using a twin-screw extrusion system with different grades of HDPE and with varying wood fibre and lubricant contents together with maleated polyethylene (MAPE) coupling agent to investigate their effects on WPC processing and mechanical properties. Work has been done to redesign the extrusion system setup to achieve smoother and stronger profiles. A guiding shaper, submerged in the water, has been designed to guide the material directly through water immediately after exiting the die; instead of passing it through a water cooled vacuum ...
A non-invasive diagnostic tool that could identify malignancy in situ and in real time would have a major impact on the detection and treatment of cancer. We have developed and are testing early prototypes of an optical biopsy system (OBS) for detection of cancer and other tissue pathologies. The OBS invokes a unique approach to optical diagnosis of tissue pathologies based on the elastic scattering properties, over a wide range of wavelengths, of the microscopic structure of the tissue. The use of elastic scattering as the key to optical tissue diagnostics in the OBS is based on the fact that many tissue pathologies, including a majority of cancer forms, manifest significant architectural changes at the cellular and sub-cellular level. Since the cellular components that cause elastic scattering have dimensions typically on the order of visible to near-IR wavelengths, the elastic (Mie) scattering properties will be strongly ...
Full text: Chemical-technology approaches allowing to intensification the prevention processes of gas hydrates formation at motion of gas-liquid stream of natural gas in system natural gas well - gas wire have been worked up. Technological regimes of treatment of gas stream have been determined. Linear correlation dependences inhibitor electrolytes contained hydrated ions with different ion radii and charges of subgroups of alkali elements with one - type electron configuration were obtained. Important physico-chemical parameters of electrolytes have been determined: activity; coefficients of activity, viscosity, diffusion; density; heat capacity; heat conductivity; surface tension and freezing-point. The features of continuous influence of inhibitory factors on process of gas flow at low temperatures and relatively high pressure differences ...
The passive continental margin in the northern South China Sea is a weakly active area. It has been found to be favorable for large gas field development and also to be profitable for gas hydrate. The active faults, diapir structure, slump deposits, faults break of slopes, gas chimneys and sandstone of submarine fan, control the concentration of gas hydrate. Gas chimneys are widely distributed in the northern South China Sea. They supply the pathway for migration of deeper gas to gas hydrate stability zones especially in the basin of tectonic inactive zone. This paper discussed the geological structures of gas hydrate occurrence in gas fields and presented a detailed analysis of gas chimneys within the northern slope of the South China Sea. The paper described the geological ...
The paper deals with a model in which the motion of a gas in plasma accerators and high-curent discharges in the present of a skin effect is treated as expulsion by a 'magnetic piston' under the action of surface current flow. Specifically examined is the situation where the initial gas pressure is negligible in comparison with the magnetic pressure, and the motion of the gas may be treated as a self-simulating one. A system of hydrodynamic equations of the problem is derived and integrated by Adam's method. Results are plotted and discussed.
Gas contaminated with at least one noxious component, such as SO/sub 2/, HF or NOx, is scrubbed with a clear, calcium-containing, initially-basic washing liquid which also comprises the anion of a strong inorganic acid, that of a polybasic carboxylic acid and, optionally, that of a monobasic carboxylic acid. Apparatus is provided for scrubbing the gas, oxidizing produced calcium bisulfite to calcium sulfate, separating out and removing solids, and recirculating clarified liquid for scrubbing contaminated gas.
The Rayleigh scattering length has been calculated for rare-gas liquids in the ultraviolet for the frequencies at which they luminesce. The calculations are based on the measured dielectric constants in the gas phase, except in the case of xenon for which measurements are available in the liquid. The scattering length mayplace constraints on the design of some large-scale detectors, using uv luminescence, being proposed to observe solar neutrinos and dark matter. Rayleigh scattering in mixtures of rare-gas mixtures is also discussed.
The fission gas xenon bonded in bubbles, in pore, and in the lattice of mixed carbide fuels is measured by electron-probe microanalysis. Radial xenon distribution and release curves are determined and are calibrated by gas chromatography of the bonded fission gas and by burnup analysis in the respective pin sections of the irradiation experiments FR2 6A and 6C, Mol 11/K 2, and DFR 330/1. The results are correlated to the microstructure of the fuel, bonding medium, temperature, and burnup. (Auth.).
Analysis of the coke gas combustion porcess is presented. Standard kinetic relationships were utilized. Calculations were performed for coke gas with high and low content of H/sub 2/ and for blasting air 20 and 100/sup 0/C. Temperature relationships, composition of gas combustion products and release of nitrogen oxides were determined. Results are analyzed which will make it possible to control the composition of combustion products.
This thesis dealt with the metal-organic gas phase epitaxy with nitrogen as carrier gas. For this first by means of three-dimensional modelings of the epitaxy process the influence of the carrier gas on the processes was explained. The optimization of the growth parameter for the whole light-emitting-diode structure in double-hetero arrangement resulted that an a temperature of 770 C and a V/ III-ratio of 150 layers with a high crystal quality could be reached.
Plasma with a gas temperature below room temperature is not yet fully understood although it is expected to be an attractive tool for applications to material processing. In the present work, gas-temperature-dependent generation of a cryoplasma jet was studied. So far, we have generated a helium cryoplasma jet (296-5 K) under atmospheric pressure. At gas temperatures below 20 K, the helium excimer, He2, was observed clearly from by optical emission spectroscopy.
The gas composition of recent thermal waters is in perfect conformity with their geologic-tectonic positions. The composition of gas-liquid inclusions in the basic-hyperbasic xenoliths of basaltoid lavas depends on the depth from which xenoliths are supplied. (The depth is determined by using the methods of geological thermobarometers). By comparing available data the conclusion was drawn that the gas compositions of thermal waters reflect the depth of generation of deep fluid which heats them and depends on the penetration depth of the fluid-conducting fissure zones.
Spark ignition internal combustion engines perform satisfactorily when the fueled with biomass producer gas from a fluidized bed gasifier. Although power output is reduced compared to natural gas levels, full power recovery can be achieved with a relatively low level of supercharging. Important considerations are an adequate fuel delivery system and adquate gas cleaning. ref.
... harassment, incidental to construction and operation of an offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility. Under the Marine Mammal Protection ... ...
The primary objective of this study is to assess the oil and gas potential of the West Siberian Basin of Russia. The study does not analyze the costs or technology necessary to achieve the estimates of the ultimate recoverable oil and gas. This study uses reservoir data to estimate recoverable oil and gas quantities which were aggregated to the field level. Field totals were summed to a basin total for discovered fields. An estimate of undiscovered oil and gas, from work of the US Geological Survey (USGS), was added to give a total basin resource volume. Recent production decline points out Russia`s need to continue development of its discovered recoverable oil and gas. Continued exploration is required to discover additional oil and gas that remains undiscovered in the basin.
Details of a 1 day conference designed to create more efficient interactions between the gas supply and electricity systems in Ontario and new models for gas supply and the electricity system were presented. Market efficiency, generators' perspectives on critical gas issues, an overview of the North American gas and an outline of issues concerning Ontario were discussed. A natural gas industry forecast and issues concerning marketers and producers were presented. The terms on which gas is bought and sold were discussed. Regulatory tools, cost allocation and issues relating to unbundling were also presented. Infrastructure needs were reviewed, as well as basic market structures. It was suggested that appropriate commercial service options need to be developed and approved, including cross-utility services.
The Department of Energy has proposed a rulemaking process to set minimum standards for the efficiency of gas ranges under the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act (NAECA). The Gas Research Institute is compiling information on annual household range gas usage in order to prepare a response to the proposed rulemaking. The data base from the Northern Illinois Gas residential load study provides recent information (data taken from 1990 through 1992) over a comprehensive study of household types and appliance and user characteristics (150 variables noted for each household). The stated Objective is to study the Northern Illinois Gas residential load study data base and to evaluate its effectiveness in predicting annual household gas usage.
Research was performed to assess the feasibility of barrier membrane substances, for use within mining or associated high risk environments, in restricting the diffusion transport of radon gas quantities. Specific tests were conducted to determine permeability parameters of a variety of membrane materials with reference to radon flow capabilities. Tests were conducted both within laboratory and in-situ emanation environments where concentrations and diffusion flows of radon gas were known to exist. Equilibrium radon gas concentrations were monitored in initially radon-free chambers adjacent to gas sources, but separated by specified membrane substances. Membrane barrier effectiveness was demonstrated to result in reduced emanation concentrations of radon gas within the sampling chamber atmosphere. Minimum gas concentrations were evidenced where the barrier ...
The light gain due to S/sub 2/ molecules in a supersonically cooled gas mixture is calculated. The S/sub 2/ molecules formed due to the recombination of the sulfur atoms, and the combustion gas mixture was preheated in a precombustion chamber. Optimal gas flow and nozzle parameters are found which correspond to the highest possible light gain using Cs/sub 2/-Ar and S/sub 2/-Ar gas mixtures. The steady state gas flow in the nozzle was calculated, taking into account the chemical reactions in the one-dimensional approximation. It is shown that the maximum gain values vary in the 0.0001-0.002 range for gas pressures in the precombustion chamber in the range 10-100 atm. The optimal initial relative concentration of Cs/sub 2/ molecules and S/sub 2/ molecules are given. 32 references.
The use of natural gas in China is still relatively immature, as gas production only supplies a low percentage of the domestic energy system. In contrast, Chinese economy mainly relies on coal with a 67% share of the total primary energy supply. The environmental impact from this high coal dependence is significant and planners have sought for cleaner energy sources. Natural gas is both cleaner and generally more efficient than coal and gas consumption is rising quickly due to these facts. The growth tendency indicates that natural gas will become an important substitution for coal in some parts of the Chinese primary energy consumption. To quantify this tendency, this paper uses a system dynamics model to create a possible outlook. The results show that the gas consumption in China will c...
Biomass gasification provides the potential to efficiently and economically produce a renewable source of a clean gaseous fuel suitable for power generation or synthesis gas (syngas) applications. An important side benefit of the use of biomass is the effective minimization of the primary greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}), by providing a means to close-loop the CO{sub 2} cycle. However, high molecular weight hydrocarbon constituents (tar) in the product gas from gasification can complicate the downstream uses of the gas. This paper discusses both the development of a low cost, disposable catalyst system that can eliminate these heavy hydrocarbons from the gas and the use of the catalyst in conjunction with the Battelle high-throughput gasification process for power generation and synthesis applications. (author)
The presence of an extraneous light gas must be taken into account in consideration of centrifugal separation of uranium isotopes, when there is inevitable leakage of such a gas through the gas sealant and/or leaking in from the atmosphere. Consideration is first given to the influence of the presence of the light gas on the maximum separative power. Then the basic equation for isotope separation containing a light gas is derived from Hirschfelder's diffusion equations. This equation is solved and the separative performance is expressed in terms of the shape factor and reflux parameter. The formulas for expressing the flow configurations of the gases are obtained for a simple model in which inflow and outflow prevail throughout the centrifuge. The corresponding equation for a model in which the gases flow in two concentric thin streams is also derived. It is concluded that the ...
A patent is claimed for a process by which a low-hydrogen gas containing at least 90 percent by volume of methane which is suited for natural gas substitution is produced by transformation of vaporizable hydrocarbons with the aid of steam in the presence of a catalyst containing nickel, at temperatures of 350 to 600/sup 0/C and at increased pressure. Hydrocarbons and steam are supplied to the reaction in mixed form with recycle product gas. Per kilogramme of hydrocarbons to be converted in the high btu gas reactor, less than 1 kilogramme of fresh steam is needed. High btu gas is fed back from the high btu gas reactor to the input end of the same via a gas cycle comprising a cooler, a carbon dioxide absorption device, and a saturator. Between the carbon dioxide absorption device and the saturator a product gas is branched ...
The performance of the gas-jet transport system coupled to the RIKEN gas-filled recoil ion separator GARIS was investigated using 255No produced in the 238U(22Ne, 5n)255No reaction. Alpha particles of 255No separated with GARIS and transported by the gas-jet system were measured with a rotating wheel apparatus for ? spectrometry under low background condition. The high gas-jet efficiencies of about 75% were independent of the recoil ranges of 255No in the gas-jet chamber. The present results suggest that the GARIS/gas-jet system is a promising tool for the next-generation superheavy element chemistry: (1) the background radioactivities of unwanted reaction products are strongly suppressed, (2) the intense beam is absent in the gas-jet chamber and hence the high gas-jet efficiency is achieved, and (3) the beam-free ...
The purpose of this study is to identify the radiative heat transfer augmentation by a coaxial cylinder introduced in the infinite cylindrical pipe enclosing a participating gas. The gas is either a mixture of water vapor and carbon dioxide or gray. The gas is assumed to be homogeneous at a constant temperature, and has a refractive index of unity. All of the surfaces are opaque and gray, diffusely emitting and reflecting at a constant temperature. The effect of system diameter, diameter ratio, wall emittances, gas and surface temperatures, mixture component on heat transfer augmentation are studied by using the zone method with participating gas radiative properties evaluated from the weighted sum of gray gases model. From the radiative equilibrium condition, the installed wall temperature is formulated and calculated by the iteration method. If the medium is a gray ...
Visible smoke of exhaust gas from iron ore sintering plants spoil the scenery around the works. In this paper, the mechanism of formation of visible smoke is discussed by detailed analysis of the exhaust gas components and dust in the Oita No. 1 sintering plant. The main substance of visible smoke was mist condensing in the air during the cooling of exhaust gas that contained 0.1 ppm of sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid is considered to raise the dew point and so facilitate mist condensation, and to lower the vaporization of visible mist containing sulfuric acid solution. Dust in the exhaust gas is also considered to act as nucleation sites for mist condensation. This proposed mechanism was confirmed by the test remixing SOx-rich gas with desulfurization gas in the Nagoya No. 3 sintering plant. Long trails of visible smoke were observed by remixing SOx-rich ...
Pressurized fluidized bed combustion (PFBC) is an emerging coal-fired, combined-cycle power generation technology nearing commercial status through several operating and planned demonstration plants throughout the world. Current-generation PFBC plants use ``ruggedized`` gas turbines that can tolerate dust loading common with conventional cyclone gas cleaning. The next generation of PFBC will apply advanced hot gas cleaning systems that will reuse the dust loading to low levels acceptable to high performance, industrial gas turbines. These advances should result in performance and cost advantages. This article examines the demonstration of PFBC technology at Tidd power station.
Sigma 1) examines ways to reduce the number of breakdowns of pressure-regulating stations and to minimize the energy consumed in warming the gas, 2) determines the optimal gas temperatures upstream from the pressure reduction, and 3) shows the dependence of energy consumption upon the water dewpoint. The method of calculating the optimal input temperature relies on Mollier's diagram. Tables and nomographs for natural gas and water dewpoint at 19/sup 0/F and 580 psi (-7/sup 0/C and 4 MPa) are useful in achieving the desired gas temperatures. Heating the regulators' control valves is important.
A study was conducted to examine the energy consumption in existing and new hog farming facilities and to analyse the potential for increased natural gas use in the Saskatchewan hog industry. Existing heating/cooling, ventilation and feed mill equipment choices offer possibilities for running on electricity, natural gas or propane. Energy costs are lowest when natural gas is used. To put the study in context, an overview of the Saskatchewan hog industry was provided. The potential increase in natural gas use in hog production by year 2005 was estimated. 10 refs., 6 tabs., 8 figs.
Increased use of natural gas has positive effects for the environment and the climate, because it primarily replaces petroleum products. Moreover, the natural gas does not pose a threat to bio fuel in Norway. But introducing CO2 taxes on natural gas will significantly increase the emission of greenhouse gases, concludes a report conducted by Norsk Energi (Norwegian Energy) on behalf of Norsk Naturgassforening (Norwegian Natural Gas Association) and Norsk Gassforum (Norwegian Gasforum). A brief presentation of the main conclusions in the report (ml)
National Power is building its first gas turbine combined cycle power station at Killingholme, situated to the south of the River Humber in the East of England. NEI ABB Gas Turbines Limited was awarded the turnkey contract in July 1990 to build a nominal 650 MW combined cycle power station based around three Asea Brown Boveri GT13E gas turbines. The project is outlined in this article. The plant is due for completion in July 1993. (author)
This article outlines the use of gasifiers during World War II and how, with soaring fuel prices, producer gas may provide an alternate energy path for agribusiness and farms today. In the last few years, the University of California has become a focus of producer gas research in the US. Biomass fuels used include crushed walnut shells, fruit pits, cereal straw and corn cobs. Particle size, moisture content and slagging create problems and the right kind of gas producer must be used to obtain reliable conversion to producer gas.
The objective of this contract is to research, develop and demonstrate a novel ceramic membrane reactor system for the low-cost conversion of natural gas to synthesis gas and hydrogen for liquid transportation fuels: the ITM Syngas process. Through an eight-year, three-phase program, the technology will be developed and scaled up to obtain the technical, engineering, operating and economic data necessary for the final step to full commercialization of the Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) conversion technology. This report is a summary of activities through February 1999.
The objective of this contract is to research, develop and demonstrate a novel ceramic membrane reactor system for the low-cost conversion of natural gas to synthesis gas and hydrogen for liquid transportation fuels: the ITM Syngas process. Through an eight-year, three-phase program, the technology will be developed and scaled up to obtain the technical, engineering, operating and economic data necessary for the final step to full commercialization of the Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) conversion technology. This report is a summary of activities through September 1999.
The waste tail gas fuel emitted from refinery plant in Taiwan e.g. catalytic reforming unit, catalytic cracking unit and residue desulfurization unit, was recovered and reused as a replacement fuel. In this study, it was slowly added to the fuel stream of a heater furnace to replace natural gas for powering a full-scale distillation process. The waste tail gas fuel contained on average 60 mol% of hydrogen. On-site experimental results show that both the flame length and orange-yellowish brightness decrease with increasing proportion of waste gas fuel in the original natural gas fuel. Moreover, the adiabatic flame temperature increases as the content of waste gas fuel is increased in the fuel mixture since waste gas fuel has a higher adiabatic flame temperature than that of natural gas. The complete replacement of natural ...
This paper provided an outline of the Canadian natural gas commodity market and a forecast for Canadian natural gas supply and prices for the 2007 winter heating season. Since 2001, steady demand growth and slow supply growth have contributed to higher North American natural gas commodity prices. The loss of natural gas supply due to hurricanes pushed North American natural gas commodity prices to record levels in 2005. Canadian natural gas production levels currently exceed domestic gas consumption. In 2005, Canada produced 16.5 billion cubic feet per day of marketable natural gas. Approximately 45 per cent was consumed domestically, and the remainder was exported to the United States. Despite high levels of drilling activity, production of natural gas from western Canada has flattened out since ...
The State of the Espirito Santo will become until the end of 2008, one of the main producers and natural gas exporters of Brazil, where, according to PETROBRAS, the State will produce about 20 million /day m{sup 3}, what it will go to contribute significantly for reduction of the dependence of the Bolivian gas, and still to give support to the natural gas sector in Brazil. The Intention of this work, is to identify proposals so that it has left of the gas produced in the State of the Espirito Santo, has a differentiated price. It does not make sensible the State to pay for the gas that is removed in its proper territory the same price that paid Sao Paulo for the gas that consumes imported of national Bolivia. With the markdown of the gas the State will be able to attract investments of great transport, to generate job and income and to ...
We have used the SINFONI integral field spectrograph to map the near-infrared K-band emission lines of molecular and ionised hydrogen in the central regions of two cool core galaxy clusters, Abell 2597 and Sersic 159-03. Gas is detected out to 20 kpc from the nuclei of the brightest cluster galaxies and found to be distributed in clumps and filaments around it. The ionised and molecular gas phases trace each other closely in extent and dynamical state. Both gas phases show signs of interaction with the active nucleus. Within the nuclear regions the kinetic luminosity of this gas is found to be somewhat smaller than the current radio luminosity. Outside the nuclear region the gas has a low velocity dispersion and shows smooth velocity gradients. There is no strong correlation between the intensity of the molecular and ionised gas emission and either the radio or ...
Nova Corporation and its related businesses are involved in natural gas production, gas pipelines, consulting services, and upgrading of natural gas into chemicals and plastics. Nova owns Alberta Gas Transmission Division, the primary gas transportation system in Alberta, with 11,400 miles of pipeline and total deliveries in 1992 of 3.4 trillion ft"3. Nova also owns 50% of Foothills Pipe Lines Ltd., one of Canada's largest carriers of exported gas, and 50% of TQM Pipeline Partnership, which transports natural gas in Quebec. Nova conducts its chemicals business through Novacor Chemicals Ltd., which has plants in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and the USA. Novacor's major petrochemicals are methanol, ethylene, propylene, and styrene and its major plastics are polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene. Nova's gas-producing ...
Gas transmission pipelines are susceptible to both internal (gas side) and external (soil side) corrosion attack. Internal corrosion is caused by the presence of salt laden moisture, CO{sub 2}, H{sub 2}S, and perhaps O{sub 2} in the natural gas. Internal corrosion usually manifests itself as general corrosion. However, the presence of chlorides in entrained water also can lead to pitting corrosion damage. The electrochemical noise technique can differentiate general from localized corrosion and provide estimates of corrosion rates without external perturbation of the corroding system. It is increasingly being applied to field and industrial installations for in situ corrosion monitoring. It has been used here to determine its suitability for monitoring internal and external corrosion damage on gas transmission pipelines. Corrosion measurements were made in three types of environments: (1) aqueous ...
Short-lived fission gas release from fuel pellets during irradiation was investigated based on the experimental results of the gas-flow rigs irradiated in the Halden Heavy Water Reactor (HBWR). The release-to-birth (R/B) rates of short-lived fission gas were measured by means of gas-flow measurement during the irradiation experiments. Surface-to-volume (S/V) ratios of fuel pellets and diffusion coefficients of short-lived fission gas release were evaluated from the obtained (R/B) values. The increase of (S/V) ratio agreed well with the point where the fuel temperature exceeded the threshold of 1% fission gas release. This indicates that the interlinkage of fission gas bubbles occurred there. The evaluated diffusion coefficients scattered in the range between 10"-"2"3 and 10"-"1"7 m"2/s, and the effects of fuel type (UO_2 or MOX) were not ...
The European gas market is continuing to expand due to increased industrial, domestic and power generation demand. As a result of this demand, and the trend toward liberalization of the market, the need for storage of gas is also increasing. One key segment of the large scale storage of gas is underground storage, either in partially depleted gas or oil fields, naturally occurring caverns, aquifers and salt cavities. In most cases the gas produced after storage requires conditioning to meet the water of hydrocarbon dew point specification of the gas transmission system. For that reason export gas from storage will require gas conditioning in order to meet pipeline specifications. Adsorption as a feasible and reliable process will be presented in detail and especially in regards to hydrocarbon dew-pointing compared with ...
Geologically estimated natural gas resources are 500 Tcm. With the advance in geological science increase of estimated resources is expected. Natural gas reserves in 2000 have been proved to be around 165 Tcm. As it is known the reserves are subject to two constraints, namely: capital invested in the exploration and drilling technologies used to discover new reserves. The natural gas scarcity factor, i.e. ratio between available reserves and natural gas consumption, is around 300 years for the last 50 years. The new discovery of natural gas reserves has given rise to a new energy strategy based on natural gas. Natural gas utilization is constantly increasing in the last 50 years. With new technologies for deep drilling, we have come to know that there are enormous gas resources available at relatively low price. These ...
Geologically estimated natural gas resources are 500 Tcm. With the advance in geological science increase of estimated resources is expected. Natural gas reserves in 2000 have been proved to be around 165 Tcm. As it is known the reserves are subject to two constraints, namely: capital invested in the exploration and drilling technologies used to discover new reserves. The natural gas scarcity factor, i.e. ratio between available reserves and natural gas consumption, is around 300 years for the last 50 years. The new discovery of natural gas reserves has given rise to a new energy strategy based on natural gas. Natural gas utilization is constantly increasing in the last 50 years. With new technologies for deep drilling, we have come to know that there are enormous gas resources available at relatively low price. These ...
Two-phase flow in horizontal parallel channels has been experimentally investigated under fuel cell related operating conditions. Pronounced hysteresis is observed in the pressure drop versus flow characteristic curve when starting from either flooded or dry conditions. When gas is introduced into channels initially filled with water (flooded initial condition), both gas and liquid tend to flow predominantly in one channel at low gas or liquid flow velocities. As the gas flow velocity increases, even distribution of gas and liquid flow in both channels is observed, accompanied with a sudden decrease in the pressure drop. On the other hand, even gas and liquid flow distribution between both channels is found at comparatively lower gas flow velocities when starting with dry-gas flow conditions with liquid introduced into ...
A report is given of a meeting of the Netherlands Association for Energy Legislation (NEVER), which was held in Amsterdam, Netherlands, April 2006. After the meeting a presentation was made about the report 'Government involvement in liberalised gas markets. A welfare-economic analysis of the Dutch gas-depletion policy' of the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB). This report analyses the welfare effects of two major components of the Dutch gas-depletion policy: the offtake guarantee for small-fields gas and the cap on production from the Groningen field. After the presentation a reaction was given to the report. Both presentations give an overview of the governmental policy and insight in the effects.
A high-density gas jet supersonic nozzle is reported in this paper. The jitter and actuation time of the nozzle is determined by the pin discharge and laser spark radiation respectively. The jitter time of the nozzle is within 10 ?s with the backing pressure as high as 25 bar. With a nanosecond laser pulse focused on the gas jet about 1 mm below the nozzle, the actuation time is calculated to be about 15 ms by detecting the laser produced spark radiation, which reveals the existence of the gas jet and the relative gas density evolving with time. Consequently the gas density is estimated to be well above 1019 cm-3, compared with theoretical simulations from the nozzle parameters.
Some aspects of the PSO scheme for natural gas are examined critically. Two central arguments used for justifying the PSO subsidy scheme of natural gas and its distribution are reviewed; these include the 'smallholder argument' and the 'environmental argument'. The 'smallholder argument' claims that since Norway has the natural gas resources, it should also make use of the natural gas in the country, and not simply send the raw material to other countries. The 'environmental argument' states that natural gas compared to other fossil fuels such as coal and fuel oil, is a far cleaner alternative, thus an environmental-friendly alternative entitled to financial support. The arguments are critically examined by the author (ml)
We report on the discovery of kinematic shock signatures associated with a localized radio jet interaction in the merging Seyfert galaxy NGC 5929. We explore the velocity-dependent ionization structure of the gas and find that low-ionization gas at the interaction site is significantly more disturbed than high-ionization gas, which we attribute to a local enhancement of shock ionization due to the influence of the jet. The characteristic width of the broad low-ionization emission is consistent with shock velocities predicted from the ionization conditions of the gas. We interpret the relative prominence of shocks to the high density of gas in the nuclear environment of the galaxy and place some constraints of their importance as feedback mechanisms in Seyferts.
Natural gas is a promising alternative fuel to meet strict engine emission regulations in many countries. Natural gas engines can operate at lean burn and stoichiometric conditions with different combustion and emission characteristics. In this paper, the operating envelope, fuel economy, emissions, cycle-to-cycle variations in indicated mean effective pressure and strategies to achieve stable combustion of lean burn natural gas engines are highlighted. Stoichiometric natural gas engines are briefly reviewed. To keep the output power and torque of natural gas engines comparable to those of their gasoline or Diesel counterparts, high boost pressure should be used. High activity catalyst for methane oxidation and lean deNOx system or three way catalyst with precise air-fuel ratio control str...
During the 1990's, natural gas was the energy source with the fastest rate of growth in the world energy balance. Nevertheless, recent evolutions of the energy context, in particular in terms of prices, have had a rather strong impact on the progress of the different energy sources penalizing gas a little. Beyond this competition between energies, which may increase, the medium-term perspectives of natural gas development is in keeping with an environment full of uncertainties. This article presents: the world supply and demand prospects for 2010-2015 (impact of high gas prices on other energy sources, occurrence of production constraints, political decisions of producing countries and world gas industry balance), trends on main markets (North America, Europe, Asia-Oceania), and international trade. (J.S.)
An increasing share of natural gas supplies distributed to residential appliances in the U.S. may come from liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports. The imported gas will be of a higher Wobbe number than domestic gas, and there is concern that it could produce more pollutant emissions at the point of use. This report will review recently undertaken studies, some of which have observed substantial effects on various appliances when operated on different mixtures of imported LNG. While we will summarize findings of major studies, we will not try to characterize broad effects of LNG, but describe how different components of the appliance itself will be affected by imported LNG. This paper considers how the operation of each major component of the gas appliances may be impacted by a switch to LNG, and how this local impact may affect overall safety, performance and pollutant emissions.
The 575-mile Statpipe gas transportation system entails 191 miles of wet-gas line running from the Statfjord field across the Norwegian trench to the Karsto, Norway, conditioning plant and 384 miles of dry-gas line from Karsto, again across the trench, to the Heindal and Sleipner fields for final connection at Ekofisk with the Norpipe system for transport to Emden, West Germany. Special construction considerations include the 1000-ft-deep trench crossings, the rocky shore approach and departure, and the subsea tie-ins required at depths of up to 500 ft. The system has an initial annual design capacity of 186 billion CF of wet gas and 260 billion CF through the dry-gas line to Emden.
The Sulige gas field and the Yulin gas field are located in the north of the Ordos Basin. Reservoir pressure in the Sulige area is subnormal, whereas reservoirs in the Yulin area have normal hydrostatic pressure. This paper provides an explanation of this difference. The characteristics of reservoir sediment and formation water chemistry in the gas reservoirs of these two areas were analyzed. The results showed that both reservoirs have good sealing ability. Data of numerical simulation showed that tectonic uplift resulted in a great reduction in formation pressure in the northern Ordos Basin during the late Cretaceous period, and the decrease was greater in the Yulin gas field than in the Sulige gas field. However, because the total hydrocarbon-generating intensity of the Sulige area (<24...
The Granger instantaneous-causality test is applied to explore the potential causal relationships between wholesale electricity and natural-gas prices in California. The test shows these relationships to be bi-directional, and reveals California's electricity and natural-gas markets to be as inextricably intertwined as casual observation and theoretical considerations would suggest they ought to be. This meshing of markets exacerbated the effects of California's natural-gas crisis on the contemporaneous electricity crisis, while concurrently the electricity crisis may have contributed to the dysfunction in the national-gas market and helped to precipitate the natural-gas crisis. The finding supports an integrated approach, as opposed to a piecemeal approach, for formulating energy policy recommendations, not just in California but in the world at large. (author)
The Granger instantaneous-causality test is applied to explore the potential causal relationships between wholesale electricity and natural-gas prices in California. The test shows these relationships to be bi-directional, and reveals California's electricity and natural-gas markets to be as inextricably intertwined as casual observation and theoretical considerations would suggest they ought to be. This meshing of markets exacerbated the effects of California's natural-gas crisis on the contemporaneous electricity crisis, while concurrently the electricity crisis may have contributed to the dysfunction in the national-gas market and helped to precipitate the natural-gas crisis. The finding supports an integrated approach, as opposed to a piecemeal approach, for formulating energy policy recommendations, not just in California but in the world at large.
Because every cell within the body has the same genetic information, a significant problem in biology is to understand how cells within a tissue express genes selectively. A sophisticated network of physical and biochemical signals converge in a highly orchestrated manner to bring about the exquisite regulation that governs gene expression in diverse tissues. Thus, the ultimate decision of a cell to proliferate, express tissue-specific genes, or apoptose must be a coordinated response to its adhesive, growth factor, and hormonal milieu. The unifying hypothesis examined in this overview is that the unit of function in higher organisms is neither the genome nor the cell alone but the complex, three-dimensional tissue. This is because there are bidirectional connections between the components of the cellular microenvironment (growth factors, hormones, and extracellular matrix) and the nucl2048 These connections are made via membrane-bound receptors and transmitted to ...
Low temperature Nonphotochemical Hole Burning (NPHB) Spectroscopy of the dye rhodamine 800 (MF680) was applied for the purpose of discerning differences between cultured normal and carcinoma ovarian surface epithelial (OSE) cells. Both the cell lines were developed and characterized at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), with the normal cell line having been transfected with a strain of temperature sensitive Simian Virus 40 Large T Antigen (SV40) for the purpose of extending the life of the cell culture without inducing permanent changes in the characteristics of the cell line. The cationic lipophilic fluorophore rhodamine 800 preferentially locates in in situ mitochondria due to the high lipid composition of mitochondria and the generation of a large negative membrane potential (relative to the cellular cytoplasm) for oxidative phosphorylation. Results presented for NPHB of MF680 located in the cells show significant differences between the two cell lines. The ...
Low temperature Nonphotochemical Hole Burning (NPHB) Spectroscopy of the dye rhodamine 800 (MF680) was applied for the purpose of discerning differences between cultured normal and carcinoma ovarian surface epithelial (OSE) cells. Both the cell lines were developed and characterized at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), with the normal cell line having been transfected with a strain of temperature sensitive Simian Virus 40 Large T Antigen (SV40) for the purpose of extending the life of the cell culture without inducing permanent changes in the characteristics of the cell line. The cationic lipophilic fluorophore rhodamine 800 preferentially locates in in situ mitochondria due to the high lipid composition of mitochondria and the generation of a large negative membrane potential (relative to the cellular cytoplasm) for oxidative phosphorylation. Results presented for NPHB of MF680 located in the cells show significant differences between the two cell lines. The ...
Objective: To compare the histopathology of nodular fasciitis (NF) with the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in order to evaluate the basis of the MR signal characteristics. Design and patients: Ten patients with NF, nine females and 1 male, with an age ranging from 13 to 58 years (mean 26.8 years) were studied. MRI findings, available in all 10 patients, were compared with the histopathology in nine patients, and an area-to-area comparative study of the whole specimen section histopathology and MRI was performed in two patients. Results: On the basis of an excisional biopsy or resection specimen, the nine lesions were classified into myxoid (n=4), cellular (n=3) and fibrous (n=2) subtypes. Four myxoid lesions with a subcutaneous location showed a homogeneous SI comparable with muscle on T1-weighted images, high SI on T2-weighted images, and had homogeneous enhancement. One cellular lesion presented with homogeneous, slightly higher SI ...
Background: The difficulty of directly measuring cellular dose is a significant obstacle to application of target tissue dosimetry for nanoparticle and microparticle toxicity assessment. As a consequence, the target tissue paradigm for dosimetry and hazard assessment of nanoparticles has largely been ignored in favor of using metrics of exposure (e.g. ?g particle/mL culture medium, particle surface area/mL, particle number/mL). We have developed a computational model of solution particokinetics (sedimentation, diffusion) and dosimetry for non-interacting spherical particles and their agglomerates in monolayer cell culture systems. Particle transport to cells is calculated by simultaneous solution of Stokes Law (sedimentation) and the Stokes-Einstein equation (diffusion). Results: The In vitro Sedimentation, Diffusion and Dosimetry model (ISDD) was tested against measured transport rates or cellular doses for multiple sizes of polystyrene ...
Thyroid cancer is the most frequently diagnosed endocrine cancer and causes more deaths than all other endocrine cancers combined. Research findings support the concept that a subpopulation of thyroid cancer cells displays properties characteristic of stem cells. These putative cancer-forming entities drive tumorigenesis as a result of their dual ability to undergo self-renewal and to differentiate into various types of cancer cells; they also mediate metastasis and are resistant to the effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This Review discusses the cellular origin of thyroid cancer and the properties of the thyroid cancer stem cell niche. The article critically evaluates the methods used to identify molecular markers expressed by thyroid-cancer-initiating cells and outlines prosp...
The design of solid breeder blankets is strongly affected by the low values of thermal conductivity and density of ceramic breeder pebble beds. A significant rise of both quantities would enhance the thermal performance and lead to an increased tritium breeding ratio. In order to improve these quantities pretreated lithium orthosilicate pebble material was dry pressed and subsequently sintered. The thermal conductivity of cylindrical pellets was determined by the heat pulse method using a laser flash device. A pebble bed characteristic sample was also investigated in order to check the measurement accuracy in comparison with previous results. Furthermore, two samples of low density cellular ceramics were also prepared by infiltration of polymer foams with a ceramic slurry. The thermal cond...
The type III secretion system among Gram-negative bacteria is known to deliver effectors into host cell to interfere with host cellular processes. The type III secretion system in Yersina, Pseudomonas and Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli have been well documented to be involved in the bacterial pathogenicity. The existence of type III secretion system has been demonstrated in neuropathogenic E. coli K1 strains. Here, it is observed that the deletion mutant of type III secretion system in E. coli strain EC10 exhibited defects in the invasion and intracellular survival in Acanthamoeba castellanii (a keratitis isolate) compared to its parent strain. Next, it was determined whether type III secretion system plays a role in E. coli K1 survival inside Acanthamoeba during the encystment process...
For the safety of astronauts and to ensure the stability and integrity of the genome of microorganisms and plants used in bioregenerative life support systems, it is important to improve our knowledge of the combined action of (space) radiation and microgravity. The SOS-LUX-TOXICITY test, as part of the TRIPLE-LUX project (accepted for flight at Biolab in Columbus on the International Space Station, (ISS)), will provide an estimation of the health risk resulting from exposure of astronauts to the radiation environment of space in microgravity. The project will: (i) increase our knowledge of biological/health threatening action of space radiation and enzymatic DNA repair; (ii) uncover cellular mechanisms of synergistic interaction of microgravity and space radiation; (iii) provide specified...
The age hardening behavior of Al-4.5%Cu alloy composite reinforced with zircon sand particulates and produced by stir casting route has been investigated in different quenching media viz, water, oil, and salt brine solution (7wt%). Optical microscopy of the as cast alloy composite indicates that the matrix of the composite has the cellular structure. Copper rich CuAl2 precipitates have been found near particle matrix interface. The results of ageing demonstrate that the microhardness of age hardenable Al-Cu based alloy composites depend on the quenching medium in which they are heat treated. Salt brine quenching is faster as compared to water and oil, even if higher strength is obtained but cannot be used for complex shapes and thin sections where oil quenching is the alternative due to mi...
Cu(II)-ATSM continues to be investigated, both in the laboratory and in the clinic, as a tumor hypoxia imaging agent. However, meaningful interpretation of these images requires a more complete understanding of the mechanism by which the tracer is trapped within the cell. Cu(II)-ATSM is a simple molecule and its biochemical interaction with cells is similarly simple, mainly based upon redox chemistry. Here we suggest that the trapping mechanism is biphasic. The first phase is a reduction/oxidation cycle involving thiols and molecular oxygen. This can be followed by interaction with proteins in the mitochondria leading to more permanent retention of the tracer. The uptake mechanism is complicated by this second step because of the changes in the cell resulting from hypoxia, such as an incre...
Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) content is increased in many types of tumor cells. We have investigated the mechanism by which resveratrol, a stilbene that is pro-apoptotic in many tumor cell lines, causes apoptosis in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma UMSCC-22B cells by a mechanism involving cellular COX-2. UMSCC-22B cells treated with resveratrol for 24 h, with or without selected inhibitors, were examined: (1) for the presence of nuclear activated ERK1/2, p53 and COX-2, (2) for evidence of apoptosis, and (3) by chromatin immunoprecipitation to demonstrate p53 binding to the p21 promoter. Stilbene-induced apoptosis was concentration-dependent, and associated with ERK1/2 activation, serine-15 p53 phosphorylation and nuclear accumulation of these proteins. These effects were blocked by ...
Abstract The treatment of advanced colorectal cancer with 5-fluorouracil has two major problems: development of tumor resistance and toxicity toward normal tissues. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible advantages of combining 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) with resveratrol (trans-3, 4prime, 5-trihydroxystilbene) for treating HT-29 and SW-620 colorectal carcinoma cell lines. Since combined treatment using 5-FU with resveratrol resulted in a significant decrease in long-term cell survival, we investigated the possible basis of this synergistic interaction at a molecular level, focusing on oxidative stress as a possible mediator of cell death. Resveratrol established interactions with the mitochondria of cancer cells and induced an imbalance in cellular antioxidant activities, leading...
Aberrant amyloid-b peptide (Ab) accumulation along with altered expression and function of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) stand prominently in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Since the discovery that Ab is bound to a7 nAChRs under many experimental settings, including post-mortem AD brain, much effort has been expended to understand the implications of this interaction in the disease milieu. This research update will review the current literature on the a7 nAChR-Ab interaction in vitro and in vivo, the functional consequences of this interaction from sub-cellular to cognitive levels, and discuss the implications these relationships might have for AD therapies.
The point at which the common final pathway for induction of cancer by chemical carcinogens and ionizing radiation has not been identified. Although common molecular targets are suggested by recent findings about the role of oncogenes, the mechanism by which the deposition of radiation energy and the formation of adducts or other DNA lesions induced by chemicals affects the changes in the relevant targets may be quite different. The damage to DNA that plays no part in the transformation events, but that influences the stability of the genome, and therefore, the probability of subsequent changes that influence tumorigenesis may be more readily induced by some agents than others. Similarly, the degree of cytotoxic effects that disrupt tissue integrity and increase the probability of expression of initiated cells may be dependent on the type of carcinogen. Also, evidence was presented that repair of the initial lesions could be demonstrated after exposure to low-LET radiation but not ...
Whilst unwashed preparations of biomass from a local brewery had an apparent maximum biosorption capacity for uranium of 360 mg/g (dry weight biomass) washing reduced this maximum to 150 mg/g. Homogenization of both biomass preparations and recovery of cellular debris had no significant effect on the maximum biosorption capacities although at lower equilibrium concentrations of uranium differences in the biosorption capacities were detected. When unwashed biomass was retained by a semi-permeable membrane 40% of uranium used in the experiments precipitated outside that membrane. Therefore a significant proportion of the uranium removed from solution, and previously attributed to biosorption by the yeast biomass, resulted from precipitation brought about by interaction with low molecular weight components loosely associated with the biomass. (Author).
Abstract Plant pathogenic bacteria of the genus Xanthomonas cause a variety of diseases in economically important monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous crop plants worldwide. Successful infection and bacterial multiplication in the host tissue often depend on the virulence factors secreted including adhesins, polysaccharides, LPS and degradative enzymes. One of the key pathogenicity factors is the type III secretion system, which injects effector proteins into the host cell cytosol to manipulate plant cellular processes such as basal defense to the benefit of the pathogen. The coordinated expression of bacterial virulence factors is orchestrated by quorum-sensing pathways, multiple two-component systems and transcriptional regulators such as Clp, Zur, FhrR, HrpX and HpaR. Furthermore, virule...
The authors summarize the significant dose-related effects on brain development which have emerged largely within the last six years of study of prenatally exposed A-bomb survivors. The results are described primarily in terms of the DS86 estimates and differences between these and the older T65DR dose estimates are discussed. The severe mental retardation sample was based on 1598 individuals taken from the PE-86 sample, and the intelligence test scores considered from the same sample involved 1673 children. The authors also discuss some of the recent neurobiological developments that appear relevant to an understanding of the biological bases of dose-related events observed, and suggest future research that may contribute either to further delineation of exposure consequences or to the explanation of the cellular and molecular origins of observed effects. (UK).
The biological effects of ionizing radiation exposure are the result of a complex sequence of physical, chemical, biochemical, and physiological interactions. One way to begin a search for an understanding of health effects of radiation is through the development of phenomenological models of the response. Many models have been presented and tested in the slowly evolving process of characterizing cellular response. A range of models covering different endpoints and phenomena has developed in parallel. Many of these models employ similar assumptions about some underlying processes while differing about the nature of others. An attempt is made to organize many of the models into groups with similar features and to compare the consequences of those features with the actual experimental observations. It is assumed that by showing that some assumptions are inconsistent with experimental observations, the job of devising and testing mechanistic models can be simplified. ...
Experiments were designed to elucidate whether or not the irradiated bone marrow cells receive any stimulation for the self-replication and differentiation from normal 'stromal' cell colonies in the bone marrow cell culture in vitro. When irradiated or unirradiated bone marrow cells were overlaid on the normal adherent cell colonies, the proliferation of haemopoietic stem cells was supported, the degree of the stimulation depending on the starting cellular concentration. There was, however, no significant changes in the concentration of either CFUs or CFUc regardless of the dose of irradiation on the bone marrow cells overlaid. This was a great contrast to the dose-dependent decrease of CFUs or CFUc within the culture in which both the stem cells and stromal cells were simultaneously irradiated. These results suggest that the balance of self-replication and differentiation of the haemopoietic stem cells is affected only when haemopoietic ...
Electric Fuel Ltd. is engaged in the design, development and commercialization of its proprietary zinc/air battery technology for electric vehicles, consumer electronic products and defence applications. To meet the challenging requirements for propelling an all-electric bus, the Vehicle Division sought a unique solution: an all electric battery-battery hybrid propulsion system. The high energy zinc/air battery is coupled with a high-power auxiliary battery. The combined system offers zero emission, high power and long range in an economically viable package. The consumer battery group has developed a high power primary zinc/air cell aimed at cellular phone users, offering extended use, convenience and low cost. (orig.)
Integrated femtocell/macrocell networks, comprising a conventional cellular network overlaid with femtocells, offer an economically appealing way to improve coverage, quality of service, and access network capacity. The key element to successful femtocells/macrocell integration lies in its self-organizing capability. Provisioning of quality of service is the main technical challenge of the femtocell/macrocell integrated networks, while the main administrative challenge is the choice of the proper evolutionary path from the existing macrocellular networks to the integrated network. In this article, we introduce three integrated network architectures which, while increasing the access capacity, they also reduce the deployment and operational costs. Then, we discuss a number of technical issues, which are key to making such integration a reality, and we offer possible approaches to their solution. These issues include efficient frequency and interference management, ...
Lebers hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), the most frequent mitochondrial disorder, is mostly due to three mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations in respiratory chain complex I subunit genes: 3460/ND1, 11778/ND4 and 14484/ND6. Despite considerable clinical evidences, a genetic modifying role of the mtDNA haplogroup background in the clinical expression of LHON remains experimentally unproven. We investigated the effect of mtDNA haplogroups on the assembly of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complexes in transmitochondrial hybrids (cybrids) harboring the three common LHON mutations. The steady-state levels of respiratory chain complexes appeared normal in mutant cybrids. However, an accumulation of low molecular weight subcomplexes suggested a complex I assembly/stability defect, which was ...
AISI 316L stainless steel was welded by the electron beam (EB) and laser techniques. Microstructural characteristics, hardness profile, creep rupture properties and creep damage of the welds were investigated. Fully austenitic microstructure was obtained in the two welds. The solidification structure of the welds consisted of the cellular and equiaxed dendrites. The creep rupture lives of the two welds were almost the same, and they were reduced by a factor of about two compared to the base metal. Moreover, the rupture elongation of the welds was lower than that of the base metal. Creep damage was observed in the ``parting`` region of the welds and in the heat-affected zone (HAZ), respectively. Final creep fracture occurred in the ``parting`` region of the welds. (orig.).
AISI 316L stainless steel was welded by the electron beam (EB) and laser techniques. Microstructural characteristics, hardness profile, creep rupture properties and creep damage of the welds were investigated. Fully austenitic microstructure was obtained in the two welds. The solidification structure of the welds consisted of the cellular and equiaxed dendrites. The creep rupture lives of the two welds were almost the same, and they were reduced by a factor of about two compared to the base metal. Moreover, the rupture elongation of the welds was lower than that of the base metal. Creep damage was observed in the ''parting'' region of the welds and in the heat-affected zone (HAZ), respectively. Final creep fracture occurred in the ''parting'' region of the welds. (orig.).
Abstract Metastases to the thyroid gland diagnosed by means of fine needle cytology or by excision have been reported in the literature. To our knowledge, metastatic neoplasms to the parathyroid gland have never been described up to now. In this article, we introduce a rare case of metastatic breast carcinoma to a parathyroid adenoma in a 56-year-old woman, which clinically simulated a left thyroid nodule. The patient had a history of left breast carcinoma; the recent discovery of a palpable mass in the left thyroid area had elicited fine needle cytology sampling for its diagnostic evaluation. The obtained cytopathological sample was cellular but limited to a single Diff-Quik-stained smear; hence, no ancillary studies could be entertained. A cytopathological diagnosis of positive for malig...
Nitric oxide (NO) and related molecules such as peroxynitrite, S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), and nitrotyrosine, among others, are involved in physiological processes as well in the mechanisms of response to stress conditions. In sunflower seedlings exposed to five different adverse environmental conditions (low temperature, mechanical wounding, high light intensity, continuous light, and continuous darkness), key components of the metabolism of reactive nitrogen species (RNS) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), including the enzyme activities L-arginine-dependent nitric oxide synthase (NOS), S-nitrosogluthathione reductase (GSNOR), nitrate reductase (NR), catalase, and superoxide dismutase, the content of lipid hydroperoxide, hydrogen peroxide, S-nitrosothiols (SNOs), the cellular level of N...
Summary Cell senescence is a permanent growth arrest following extended proliferation. Cultured cancer cells including metastatic melanoma cells often appear immortal (proliferate indefinitely), while uncultured benign nevi (moles) show senescence markers. Here, with new explantation methods, we investigated which classes of primary pigmented lesions are typically immortal. Nevi yielded a few proliferating cells, consistent with most nevus cells being senescent. No nevus culture (0/28) appeared immortal. Some thin and thick melanoma cultures proved immortal under these conditions, but surprisingly few (4/37). All arrested cultures displayed three senescence markers in some cells: -galactosidase, nuclear p16, and heterochromatic foci/aggregates. However, melanoma cultures also showed featur...
Strut lattice structures of reaction-bonded silicon infiltrated silicon carbide ceramics (RB-SiSiC) for air-fuel mixture formation and for nonstationary lean-burn under pressure applications were fabricated. The lattice design with a high porosity >80% was shaped by indirect three-dimensional printing. It was shown that pre-ignition processes in the porous reactor are much faster than in a free combustion, especially at lower temperatures. Interaction of high velocity diesel jets with cylindrical strut ligaments of the SiSiC lattice structure offers a new possibility for quick and efficient fuel distribution (multi-jet splitting) in space.
Iron, zinc, copper and manganese are essential metals for cellular enzyme functions while cadmium, mercury and the metalloid arsenic lack any biological function. Both, essential metals, at high concentrations, and non-essential metals and metalloids are extremely reactive and toxic. Therefore, plants have acquired specialized mechanisms to sense, transport and maintain essential metals within physiological concentrations and to detoxify non-essential metals and metalloids. This review focuses on the recent identification of transporters that sequester cadmium and arsenic in vacuoles and the mechanisms mediating the partitioning of these metal(loid)s between roots and shoots. We further discuss recent models of phloem-mediated long-distance transport, seed accumulation of Cd and As and rec...
The known biological functions of RNA have expanded in recent years and now include gene regulation, maintenance of sub-cellular structure, and catalysis, in addition to propagation of genetic information. As for proteins, RNA function is tightly correlated with structure. Unlike proteins, structural information for larger, biologically functional RNAs is relatively limited. NMR signal degeneracy, relaxation problems, and a paucity of long-range {sup 1}H-{sup 1}H dipolar contacts have limited the utility of traditional NMR approaches. Selective isotope labeling, including nucleotide-specific and segmental labeling strategies, may provide the best opportunities for obtaining structural information by NMR. Here we review methods that have been developed for preparing and purifying isotopically labeled RNAs, as well as NMR strategies that have been employed for signal assignment and structure determination.
Abstract The heterotetrameric K++-channel KCNQ1/KCNE1 is expressed in heart, skeletal muscle, liver and several epithelia including the renal proximal tubule. In the heart, it contributes to the repolarization of cardiomyocytes. The repolarization is impaired in ischemia. Ischemia stimulates the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a serine/threonine kinase, sensing energy depletion and stimulating several cellular mechanisms to enhance energy production and to limit energy utilization. AMPK has previously been shown to downregulate the epithelial Na++ channel ENaC, an effect mediated by the ubiquitin ligase Nedd4-2. The present study explored whether AMPK regulates KCNQ1/KCNE1. To this end, cRNA encoding KCNQ1/KCNE1 was injected into Xenopus oocytes with and without additional injection o...
Health risks associated with inhalation of mineral dusts have been identified to a great extent through epidemiology studies, but also have been assessed by conducting subchronic and chronic inhalation studies typically on rodents. However, in vivo studies are softly, time-consuming, requiring complex technologies, and may not yield information on cellular and molecular mechanisms of response. As a result, the use of in vitro cell culture systems has played an important role in studying the toxicology of mineral dusts and providing insight into action mechanisms. This article reviews selected in vitro approaches that are used to investigate the cytotoxic and inflammatory properties of mineral particles and fibers. In addition key findings as they relate to understanding the toxicology of mineral dusts are presented. 165 refs., 1 fig., 5 tab.
Abstract Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) may be used for therapeutic applications. Culture conditions such as the serum source may impact on cell quality and the onset of replicative senescence. We have examined the effect of culturing hMSCs in autologous serum (AS) versus fetal bovine serum (FBS) on factors involved in in vitro replicative senescence. hMSCs from four donors were cultured in 10% FBS or 10% AS until they reached senescence. Cells were harvested at early passage and near senescence to study factors known to be involved in cellular senescence. The number of population doublings till senescence was similar for cells cultured in FBS, but varied greatly for hMSCs cultured in AS. FBS cells accumulated in S phase of cell cycle. This could not be explained by increased express...
Mutations in sclerostin function or expression cause sclerosing bone dysplasias, involving decreased antagonism of Wnt/Lrp5 signaling. Conversely, deletion of the VHL tumor suppressor in osteoblasts, which stabilize HIF-a isoforms and thereby enables HIF-a/b-driven gene transcription, increases bone mineral content and cross-sectional area compared to wild-type controls. We examined the influence of cellular hypoxia (1% oxygen) upon sclerostin expression and canonical Wnt signaling. Osteoblasts and osteocytes cultured under hypoxia revealed decreased sclerostin transcript and protein, and increased expression and nuclear localization of activated b-catenin. Similarly, both hypoxia and the hypoxia mimetic DFO increased b-catenin gene reporter activity. Hypoxia and its mimetics increased exp...
The main objectives of research in the field of health effects at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK-CEN are: (1) to study cancer mortality and morbidity in nuclear workers in Belgium; (2) to document the feasibility of retrospective cohort studies in Belgium; (3) to participate in the IARC study; (4) to elucidate the mechanisms of the effects of ionizing radiation on the mammalian embryo during the early phases of its development; (5) to assess the genetic risks of material exposure to ionizing radiation; (6) to elucidate the cellular mechanisms leading to brain damage after prenatal irradiation; (7) to advise authorities and to provide the general population with adequate information concerning the health risk arising from radiation exposure. Progress and major achievements in these topical areas for 1997 are reported.
By using the continuation theorem of coincidence degree theory and constructing suitable Lyapunov functions, we study the existence and stability of periodic solution for shunting inhibitory cellular neural networks (SICNNs) with delays x-bar {sub ij}(t)=-a{sub ij}(t)x{sub ij}(t)--bar B{sup kl}-bar Nr(i,j)B{sub ij}{sup kl}(t)f{sub ij}(x{sub kl}(t))x{sub ij}(t)--bar C{sup kl}-bar Nr(i,j)C{sub ij}{sup kl}(t)g{sub ij}(x{sub kl}(t-{tau}{sub kl}))x{sub ij}(t)+L{sub ij}(t)
By using the continuation theorem of coincidence degree theory and constructing suitable Lyapunov functions, we study the existence and stability of periodic solution for shunting inhibitory cellular neural networks (SICNNs) with delays x-bar _i_j(t)=-a_i_j(t)x_i_j(t)--bar B"k"l-bar Nr(i,j)B_i_j"k"l(t)f_i_j(x_k_l(t))x_i_j(t)--bar C"k"l-bar Nr(i,j)C_i_j"k"l(t)g_i_j(x_k_l(t-#tau#_k_l))x_i_j(t)+L_i_j(t).
Certain fluorocarbons, such as difluorodichloromethane (FC 12), depress the cardiovascular system by diminution of all the transmembrane ionic conductances in cardiac tissues. Does FC 12 also inhibit active transport and thus enzymatic activity and cellular energy. We measured phosphocreatine (PC), adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMPc) in rat hearts. Rats were randomly divided into 4 groups; 2 control groups: one breathing a mixture of oxygen (21%) and nitrogen (79%) (group C) and the other breathing the same mixture but simultaneously perfused with 1 microgram/kg/min. epinephrine (groupe E-C); 2 trial groups T and E-T where nitrogen was replaced by FC 12. The maximal FC 12 concentration of 720 micrograms/ml in arterial blood produced no significant difference in the concentrations of these three metabolites compared with controls.
Basal stem rot of oil palm (OP) by Ganoderma boninense is of major economic concern and it is the predominant disease of OP in SE Asia. Also, other plantation crops are affected by Ganoderma. The early detection of symptoms is crucial for control, although effective methods remain elusive. Ergosterol is the principal sterol of fungi and plays an essential role in the cell membrane and other cellular constituents. The analysis of ergosterol is useful for fungal detection in solid plant substrates. The present report compares ergosterol concentration in sound and decayed OP seedlings and mature plants using HPLC with diode array detection. The disease of OP requires to be considered as a white rot process where fungal biomass will increase from a low to high level as the infection progresses...
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In spite of its widespread clinical application, there is little information on the cellular cardiac effects of the antidiabetic drug rosiglitazone in larger experimental animals. In the present study therefore concentration-dependent effects of rosiglitazone on action potential morphology and the underlying ion currents were studied in dog hearts. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Standard microelectrode techniques, conventional whole cell patch clamp and action potential voltage clamp techniques were applied in enzymatically dispersed ventricular cells from dog hearts. KEY RESULTS At concentrations -10-M rosiglitazone decreased the amplitude of phase-1 repolarization, reduced the maximum velocity of depolarization and caused depression of the plateau potential. These effects d...
Ozone has in recent years been increasingly investigated for its potential use in the control of insect pests of stored cereals. Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent that can react directly, or via production of reactive oxygen species, with proteins, DNA and double bonds of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The aim of the present study was to investigate the mode of action in ozone toxicity using the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), as a relevant model. Transcription of focal genes thought to be involved in protection against ozone, and repair of cellular damage caused by ozone exposure, was studied together with the composition of storage lipid fatty acids and membrane phospholipid fatty acids in order to detect lipid peroxidation. Contrary to expectations, transcription ...
The effects of dietary plant and yeast cerebroside (glucosylceramide), a major sphingolipid in plants and yeast, on atopic dermatitis (AD) like symptoms were investigated in a mouse model. After 7 wk of feeding with a diet containing maize glucosylceramide, plasma IgE levels became significantly lower and in contrast, the levels of interleukin (IL)-12, which induces cellular immunity, became significantly higher in the AD mice than in the controls. However, the sphingolipid constituents of the skin fraction in the maize glucosylceramide fed group did not contain sphingoid bases of plant origin, such as 8-unsaturated sphingoid bases. The results of the present study indicated that dietary plant glucosylceramide prevented AD-like symptoms in AD model mice via regulation of Th1/Th2 balance. P...
Quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR) is a widely used tool to study host responses against parasites. A crucial step in the gene quantification process is the normalization of the expression data against stable housekeeping genes (HKGs). However, in recent years, several reports have showed that the transcriptional levels of such HKGs can change dramatically, especially when cellular changes appear in the tissues investigated. The aim of the current study was to assess the variability of 11 putative HKGs in bovine abomasal tissue during an infection with the parasitic nematode Ostertagia ostertagi. Gene transcription levels of selected potential HKGs were measured by qRT-PCR and the expression stabilities evaluated using geNorm, NormFinder, and The Mann-Whitney-U test. The analysis showed ...
According to empirical observations, some pattern formation phenomena in driven many-particle systems are more pronounced in the presence of a certain noise level. We investigate this phenomenon of fluctuation-driven ordering with a cellular automaton model of interactive motion in space and find an optimal noise strength, while order breaks down at high(er) fluctuation levels. Additionally, we discuss the phenomenon of noise- and drift-induced self-organization in systems that would show disorder in the absence of fluctuations. In the future, related studies may have applications to the control of many-particle systems such as the efficient separation of particles. The rather general formulation of our model in the spirit of game theory may allow to shed some light on several different kinds of noise-induced ordering phenomena observed in physical, chemical, biological, and socio-economic systems (e.g., attractive and repulsive agglomeration, or segregation).
We determined the chromosomal localization and structure of the gene encoding human type II inosine 5{prime}-monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH, EC 1.1.1.205), an enzyme associated with cellular proliferation, malignant transformation, and differentiation. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers specific for type II IMPDH, we screened a panel of human-Chinese hamster cell somatic hybrids and a separate deletion panel of chromosome 3 hybrids and localized the gene to 3p21.1{yields}p24.2. Two overlapping yeast artificial chromosome clones containing the full gene for type II IMPDH were isolated and a physical map of 117 kb of human genomic DNA in this region of chromosome 3 was constructed. The gene for type II IMPDH was localized and oriented on this map and found to span no more than 12.5 kb.
Data are presented to support the hypothesis that the initial step in the morphologic transformation of irradiated rodent (BALB/3T3) cells is a frequent cellular event involving a large fraction of the irradiated population. This process appears to involve DNA damage, but not to represent a targeted mutation in specific structural gene(s). Morphologic transformation and immortalization appear to be distinct steps in the overall process of transformation. In contradistinction to rodent cells, immortalization is a very rare event in human diploid cells which is induced at extremely low frequencies. The hypothesis is presented that immortality develops among clones of cells bearing stable chromosomal rearrangements which emerge during the proliferation of a population of radiation damaged cells.
Many aspects of cellular motility and mechanics are cyclic in nature such as the extension and retraction of lamellipodia or filopodia. Inherent to the cycles of extension and retraction that test the environment is the production of mechano-chemical signals that can alter long-term cell behavior, transcription patterns, and cell fate. We are just starting to define such cycles in several aspects of cell motility, including periodic contractions, integrin cycles of binding and release as well as the normal oscillations in motile activity. Cycles of local cell contraction and release are directly coupled to cycles of stressing and releasing extracellular contacts (matrix or cells) as well as cytoplasmic mechanotransducers. Stretching can alter external physical properties or sites exposed b...
Abstract This study reports the effects of varying concentrations of copper sulfate on the metabolic and gene transcriptional profile of a recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line producing an immunoglobulin G (IgG)-fusion protein (B0). Addition of 50 M copper sulfate significantly decreased lactate accumulation in the cultures while increasing viable cell density and protein titer. These changes could be seen from day 6 and became increasingly evident with culture duration. Reducing the copper sulfate concentration to 5 M retained all the above beneficial effects, but with the added benefit of reduced levels of the aggregated form of the B0 protein. To profile the cellular changes due to copper sulfate addition at the transcriptional level, Affymetrix CHO microarrays were used to...
Circadian rhythms affect several processes in the body physiology. This commentary revisits the topic of `metabolic basis of diseases' with a view to shed light on how cellular energy requirements feed-forward to a sequential signaling of hormonal response, blood glucose metabolism, antioxidant activities, and pathophysiology. Attempt is made to explain how diseases that may not appear to be closely related, such as bone metabolism and vasculopathy, have an increase in oxidative damage as a common underlying biochemistry. Importantly, this article identifies oxidative damage as an outcome of sleep disturbance and hypothesize that sleep complaint is not merely one of many resulting symptoms of PTSD, but a core feature that arise from trauma and gives rise to the stress biochemistry, which i...
Several challenges currently exist for rational design of functional tissue engineering constructs within the host, which include appropriate cellular integration, avoidance of bacterial infections, and low inflammatory stimulation. This work describes a novel class of biodegradable, amphiphilic polyanhydrides with many desirable protein-material and cell-material attributes capable of confronting these challenges. The biocompatible amphiphilic polymer films were shown to release laminin in a stable and controlled manner, promote neural cell adhesion and differentiation, and evade inflammatory responses of the immune system. Using high-throughput approaches, it was shown that polymer chemistry plays an integral role in controlling cell?film interactions, which suggests that these polyanhyd...
Ionizing radiations that differ in number, size, and distribution of energy deposition events might be expected to cause different effects for the same absorbed dose. Furthermore, microdosimetry calculations suggest that large variations in biological effectiveness might be expected for internally deposited alpha-emitting radionuclides for the same absorbed dose, depending upon the specific activity and spatial distribution of the sources in tissue. The study described in this article was designed to demonstrate these phenomena in vitro. Cultured Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1 BH4) cells were exposed in vitro to inert, insoluble ceramic microspheres in zirconium dioxide labeled with "2"3"9Pu. The average exit energy of the 5.15 MeV alpha particle was calculated to be 4.3 MeV. Exposure times varied from four to seven hours to achieve the desired dose level.
Synchronized cultures of the green alga Scenedesmus quadricauda were grown in the absence (untreated cultures) or in the presence (FdUrd-treated cultures) of 5-fluorodeoxyuridine, the specific inhibitor of nuclear DNA replication. The attainment of commitment points, at which the cells become committed to nuclear DNA replication, mitosis and cellular division, and the course of committed processes themselves were determined for cell cycle characterization. FdUrd-treated cultures showed nearly unaffected growth and attainment of the commitment points, while DNA replication(s), nuclear division(s) and protoplast fission(s) were blocked. Interestingly, the FdUrd-treated cells possessed a very high mitotic histone H1 kinase activity in the absence of any nuclear division(s). Compared with the ...
Culturing human prostate PC-3 cells for 4, 24, or 72 h in the presence of 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid (ETYA), an inhibitor of arachidonic acid metabolism and cholesterol biosynthesis, markedly altered the morphology and reduced the number of mitochondria in the treated cells. Using quantitative electron microscopic morphometry, we documented changes in the number, form, area, matrix density, and integrity of the cristae and limiting membranes of mitochondria in cells cultured with ETYA. The inhibition of cholesterol synthesis or the substitution of ETYA for polyunsaturated fatty acids in the inner membrane may participate in the disruption of the mitochondria, which resembles the morphologic sequelae of oxidative stress. If sufficiently extensive, these changes could contribute to the inhibition of cellular proliferation by ETYA.
In this study the technical and economical possibilities of burning carbon monoxide (CO) of the flue gas and utilizing of the released heat in hot air cupola furnace used for melting have been studied. As basis for examining was burning of cleaned furnace...
The paper is an overview of utility flue gas desulfurization (FGD) technology and costs. The two commercially offered throwaway and salable product systems that are considered to be the most important for near-term (through 1990) SO2 control are: throwawa...
This patent describes a method of improving the S0{sub 2} scrubbing efficiency of flue gas desulfurization scrubbers. It comprises conducting the scrubbing operation in such scrubbers in the presence of an oil-soluble surfactant.
Gas turbine component protection remains essential but environmental regulations emphasize the gas-turbine efficiency. Heating and cooling are features often integrated into the GI air intake packages to provide the optimum operating conditions. This paper describes modern inlet air treatment systems and discusses their effectiveness. (author)
The structure of the skin in the epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus wahlbergi) wing and body trunk was studied with a view to understanding possible adaptations for gas metabolism and...Full Text Available
The genetic type, source and charging history of natural gas in the Yulin gas field in the Ordos Basin have been studied by combining the carbon isotopic composition of natural gas and geochemical characteristics of light hydrocarbons with carbon isotope fractionation model results and fluid inclusion analysis. The carbon isotopic composition of methane and ethane in the Yulin gas field is relatively enriched in ^1^3C with d^1^3C1 values ranging from -35.3%% to -29.8%% (average value=-32.4%%) and d^1^3C2 ranging from -26.3%% to -23.5%% (average value=-24.8%%). The C7 light hydrocarbons are predominated by methylcyclohexane, accounting for 65.8% to 80.9% (average value=71.6%), which is characteristic of coal-derived gas. Furthermore, the gas geochemistry indicates that, although marine lime...
The Bureau of Mines performed chemical research to elaborate details of sulfur chemistry pertaining to the citrate flue gas desulfurization process in which sulfur dioxide (SO2), absorbed (as bisulfite ion) in a buffered sodium citrate solution, is reduce...
This report gives the results of a survey of operational flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems on coal-fired utility boilers in the United States. The FGD systems installed on Units 1 and 2 at the Bruce Mansfield Station of the Pennsylvania Power Company...
A catalytic process for the oxidation of sulfur-containing gases , E.G., sulfur dioxide and simultaneous production of sulfuric acid wherein a sulfur-containing gas is reacted with an oxygencontaining gas in the presence of a catalyst comprising an iron group metal on a solid support comprising a zeolite in a silicaalumina matrix.
Gas exchange between the plant and the environment is severely hampered when plants are submerged, leading to oxygen and energy deficits. A straightforward way to reduce these shortages of oxygen and...Full Text Available
TSS (thermal swing sublimation) method was studied which uses vaporization heat and sensible heat of LNG for solidification and separation of CO2 gas in waste gases of LNG-fired combined cycle power generation system. In experiment, the mixed gas composed of CO2, H2O and N2 was used for simulating waste gas of LNG-fired combined cycle power generation systems, and the growth behavior of ice and dry ice was studied for developing dry ice making technology under low-temperature condition. As the experimental result, the following were clarified: various crystal structures depending on cooling temperature, the effect of gas flow rate on peeling of surface precipitated solids, and solidification characteristics of H2O/CO2 mixed gas. The growth rate of precipitated solid film thickness decreased with an increase in gas flow rate, while increased with CO2 ...
Limestone slurry needs to move efficiently through a complex process, meaning that selecting the right pumps and valves is critical. The article discusses factors to consider in selecting pumps and values for flue gas desulfurization process in coal-fired power plants. 2 photos.
The possibility has been explored of using a laser scattering technique to detect the imminent onset of rock activity associated with gas outbursts. The instrument described in this paper provides a sensitive, remote and rapid means of passively monitoring micro-seismic activity at the exposed face.
Petroleum is the unchallenged energy market leader in West Germany,having a share of 42%; natural gas accounts for 16-17%. West Germany imports 29% of its natural gas from the Soviet Union, 28% from the Netherlands, 14% from Norway, and 1% from Denmark. In West Germany many-branched natural gas distribution system is operated, equipped with a.o. 21 installations for underground storage which results in a great flexibility of the system. Because of the preferential treatment given to the use of coal as fuel for power plants the share of natural gas has decreased to the present 6% in the last ten years. In the indutrial sector the share is 18%. Strict air pollution abatement measures ('TA-Luft') favour the use of natural gas. However, duty has been levied on the use of natural gas per January 1st, 1989. For space heating of houses and commercial ...
The Monthly Energy Review provides an overview of the production, distribution, and consumption of energy derived from petroleum natural gas, coal, electricity, and nuclear energy. It also discusses oil and gas resource development, energy prices, and issues relevant to international energy markets.
This report presented some quick facts about oil and gas pipelines in Turkey and presented opportunities for trade. The key players and customers in the oil and gas sector were described along with an export check list. Turkey is looking into becoming an energy bridge between oil and gas producing countries in the Middle East, Central Asia and Europe. The oil and gas sectors are dominated by the Turkish Petroleum Corporation, a public enterprise dealing with exploration and production, and the State Pipeline Corporation which deals with energy transmission. They are also the key buyers of oil and gas equipment in Turkey. There are several pipelines connecting countries bordering the Caspian Sea. Opportunities exist in the areas of engineering consulting as well as contracting services for oil and gas pipeline transmission and distribution. Other opportunities ...
The report gives results of the measurement of dissolution rates of reagent CaCO3 and commercial limestones (9 types/19 grinds) at constant pH and solution composition by batch titration with HC1. Conditions were selected to simulate flue gas desulfurizat...
The influence of geometry and operating conditions of the centrifugal compressor stage on the radial gas force is determined on the basis of the theoretical method and calculation program using experimental boundary conditions.
... Radon gas concentrations are measured using instruments with calibrations traceable to the UK National Physical Laboratory and PTB, Germany. The primary facility is a 43 m3 walk-in chamber accessed by an airlock. Radon gas is maintained at a level in this chamber that is ...
The various steps of gas treatment in the Sasol II coal liquefaction plant are discussed: CO/sub 2/ removal, separation of the hydrocarbon fractions and the recirculated hydrogen by low-temperature decomposition, production of pure hydrogen by alternating pressure absorption.
Jeltes, R., Burghardt, E., and Breman, J. (1971). Brit. J. industr. Med., 28, 96-99. Gas chromatographic determination of phosgene and dichloroacetylene in air. Phosgene and dichloroacetylene...Full Text Available
An experimental investigation of heat transfer characteristics for various configurations of air jets impinging on the leading edge inner surface of a gas turbine blade wall is presented. Three configurations were investigated, namely a slot jet, a round ...
The goal of GRI's Gas Appliance Technology Center is to encourage the introduction of highly efficient, cost-effective, convenient gas appliances for residential and commercial gas users. The report covers activity at Battelle from February 1989 to April 1990 in broad support tasks, residential and commercial appliances, and residential space conditioning. Broad support tasks included the G/A/S Newsletter; the GATC InfoBase; and technology transfer, workshops, and GATC coordination. Residential appliance tasks included burner technology research, gas appliance venting, gas lighting, and plastics durability. Commercial appliance tasks included development of a commercial cooktop fuel/air mixing valve. Residential space conditioning tasks included a corrosion test method for gas appliances and vents, generic technology for condensing ...
This paper summarizes the current scientific and technological knowledge about greenhouse gas emissions from various agricultural practices and the manufacturing of food. The study also provides estimates that compare agriculture-related alternatives for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Legal aspects of using natural gas as boiler fuel for electric utilities are reviewed through one utility's challenges to the Power Plant and Industrial Fuel Use implementation. ASARCO vs. FPC, 1973, and City of Willcox vs. FPC are discussed. (PSB)
The report, generated by a computerized data base system, presents a survey of operational and planned domestic utility flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems, operational domestic particle scrubbers, and Japanese coal-fired utility FGD installations. It ...
The report presents detailed technical information concerning application of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems to industrial boilers. The information was obtained by a survey of plant personnel, control system vendors, regulatory agencies, and consulting engineering firms. T...
The report discusses the capabilities of equipment vendors to supply and install the quantity of flue gas desulfurization systems required to meet alternative standards for coal-fired steam generators. It analyzes limiting factors affecting supply capabilities (such as the availa...
The effects of freeze-thaw cycling on the strength and durability of samples of compacted, stabilized, wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) by-products are reported. The results of laboratory tests show a clear relationship between higher water contents and...
NO[sub x] emission legislation requirements for large-bore internal combustion engines have required engine manufacturers to continue to develop and improve techniques for exhaust emission reduction. This paper describes the development of the Cooper-Bessemer Clean Burn gas-diesel (dual-fuel) engine that results in NO[sub x] reductions of up to 92 percent as compared with an uncontrolled gas-diesel engine. Historically, the gas-diesel and diesel engine combustion systems have not responded to similar techniques of NO[sub x] reduction that have been successful on straight spark-ignited natural gas burning engines. NO[sub x] levels of a nominal 1.0 g/BHP-h, equal to the spark-ignited natural gas fueled engine, have been achieved for the gas-diesel and are described. In addition, the higher opacity exhaust plume characteristic of gas-diesel ...
Concentration of an amine solution for removal of hydrogen sulfides and carbon dioxide from natural gas, is tested by carbon dioxide absorption measurement in an apparatus allowing complete reaction to give reliable results.
The increasing price differential between natural gas and coal will create a demand for technology that can allow the displacement of natural gas with coal in power plants. Coal gasification is the standard approach suggested to allow coal to displace natural gas. However, the relatively high capital investment required for coal gasification will require fuel cost differentials higher than those anticipated in the near term before coal gasification replaces natural gas. One way of achieving shorter term displacement of natural gas by coal would be to develop technology that would allow coal to be used as the heat source for the endothermic reforming of natural gas. In a natural gas-fired combined cycle power plant, the endothermic heat of reforming, which would be provided by coal combustion, is recovered in the combined-cycle. Therefore, ...
At the St. Joe Minerals Corp.'s zinc smelter powerplant, an SO2 emission control program evolved into a cooperative program with the Bureau of Mines for installation and initial operation of a citrate process flue gas desulfurization demonstration plant. ...
The report describes a computer model developed by TVA to simulate the performance and determine the economics of coal cleaning, or coal cleaning combined with flue gas desulfurization (FGD), for power plant emission control processes over a wide range of user-specified condition...
The manual describes a combined coal-cleaning and flue gas desulfurization (FGD) computerized design and cost-estimate model and gives detailed procedures for using it. All inputs and outputs are described, as well as the various options available. Design and economic premises ar...
This project addresses the problem of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) sludge disposal to land. Specifically, the chemical species of FGD sludge constituents are thermodynamically modeled using the equilibrium constant approach, in an attempt to predict the constituent concentratio...
The report gives an initial assessment of the feasibility of disposing of flue gas desulfurization wastes in mines and in the ocean. The purpose of the assessment was to evaluate environmental, technical, regulatory, and economic aspects of the use of such disposal sites. Availab...
Crockford, G. W., Crowder, M., and Prestidge, S. P. (1972).Brit. J. industr. Med.,29, 378-386. A trace gas technique for measuring clothing microclimate...Full Text Available
In this paper we have proposed a novel gas turbine cycle with hydrogen-fueled chemical-looping combustion, and the system study on two hydrogen-fueled power plants, the new gas turbine cycle and an advanced gas turbine cycle with H{sub 2}/O{sub 2} combustion, has been investigated with the aid of exergy principle (EUD methodology). The hydrogen fueled chemical-looping combustion in the new gas turbine cycle consists of two successive reactions: hydrogen fuel is reacted with metal oxide (reduction of metal oxide), and then instead of air or pure oxygen, the reduced metal is successively oxidized by the saturated air. As a result, the new hydrogen-fueled gas turbine cycle has a breakthrough performance, with at least about 12 percentage-point higher efficiency compared to the gas turbine cycle with H{sub 2}/O{sub 2} combustion, and will be environmentally superior ...
Gas-fired combined cycle plant may be the norm when it comes to new plant but it comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Samarinda uses aero-derivatives with the famous Rolls-Royce RB211 gas generator. (author)
The feasibility of producing a pocket-sized air contaminant monitor based upon a miniature gas chromatograph and an integrated microcomputer has been demonstrated and a practical design for the instrument is presented. This pocket-sized instrument is intended to be used as a pers...
Apparatus and method for selective measurement of tritium oxide in an environment which may include other radioactive components and gamma radiation, the measurement including the selective separation of tritium oxide from a sample gas through a membrane into a counting gas, the generation of electrical pulses individually representative by rise times of tritium oxide and other radioactivity in the counting gas, separation of the pulses by rise times, and counting of those pulses representative of tritium oxide. The invention further includes the separate measurement of any tritium in the sample gas by oxidizing the tritium to tritium oxide and carrying out a second separation and analysis procedure as described above.
A high-voltage cathode initiates an electron emission, resulting in a reduction in the carbon dioxide concentration in exhaust gas from the burning of hydrocarbon fuel. Assuming that the observed carbon dioxide reduction is originated from the molecular decomposition, the energy needed for the endothermic reaction of this carbon dioxide reduction may stem primarily from the internal energy reduction in the exhaust gas in accordance of the first law of the thermodynamics. An oxygen increase due to the reduction in carbon dioxide in a discharge gas was observed in real time.
This report consists of three sections. The first section is a brief general overview of all the issues that impact the competition between natural gas and electricity in industrial applications. The second section of this report focus on the all the marketing issues and provides detail analysis of the status of these issues in Europe, Japan and United States. The third section of this report is a detail review of the current status of the competition between gas technologies and electro-technologies, it also make recommendation for developing new gas technologies. The fourth section is a contribution from M. Pettersson and S. Stenstroem, Sweden, on infrared dryers. (authors)
Makeup water is distilled internally in an amine gas treating unit by adding it to the reclaimer used to process a slipstream of lean amine from the stripper.
Experimental data on the gas holdup and the mean bubble size in a bubble column with a single nozzle was obtained for gas-molten salt systems of a eutectic mixture of LiCl (58 mol %)-KCl (42 mol %) and molten NaNO/sub 3/. The liquid-phase mass transfer coefficient K /SUB L/ was evaluated from the specific surface area a and the volumetric coefficient K /SUB L/ a data for oxygen and carbon dioxide absorption into molten NaNO/sub 3/. The dimensionless correlations of the performance of bubble columns for aqueous solutions can be extended to the gas-molten salt systems.
This dissertation deals with membrane gas absorption in the application of CO{sub 2} removal by aqueous alkanolamines, using microporous PTFE hollow fiber membranes. A new lab-scale apparatus was constructed and an extensive experimental study executed to determine the performance of the membrane gas absorber, with aqueous solutions of monoethanolamine (MEA) and methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) as absorbents. The important operation parameters CO{sub 2} partial pressure, gas velocity, liquid velocity, temperature and liquid CO{sub 2} loading were systematically varied within the range typically experienced in a process for exhaust gas CO{sub 2}-removal
This thesis dealt with the metal-organic gas phase epitaxy with nitrogen as carrier gas. For this first by means of three-dimensional modelings of the epitaxy process the influence of the carrier gas on the processes was explained. The optimization of the growth parameter for the whole light-emitting-diode structure in double-hetero arrangement resulted that an a temperature of 770 C and a V/ III-ratio of 150 layers with a high crystal quality could be reached.
Access for independents to retail gas markets was a central concern in European policy reform efforts in the 1990s. Upstream oil and gas companies reacted with strategic intentions of forward integration. By late 2004, forward integration was still weak, however. An important explanation of the gap between announced strategic re-orientation and actual strategy implementation lies in the political failure of EU member states to dismantle market barriers to entry for independents. Variations between companies in downstream strategy implementation are explained by variations in business opportunities and internal company factors.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. has developed a gas turbine combined cycle and cogeneration plant computer aided engineering (CAE) system, which creates cycle heat balance automatically on given configurations of gas turbines, heat recovery boilers, steam turbines and auxiliaries. The system can predict the performance of the plant as a function of control set points, loads, process steam requirements and ambient conditions, which enables accurate and fast design of gas turbine combined cycle and cogeneration plants. (author)
Dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), a chemical simulant of the nerve gas GB, was decontaminated with a nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasma. The decontamination efficiency was measured qualitatively by means of Fourier transform spectroscopy and quantitatively by means of gas chromatography. With helium gas only, 10g/m2 of DMMP on an aluminum surface was 99.9% decontaminated in 2min, furthermore, with the addition of 5% of oxygen gas, it was 99.99% decontaminated in 10min. Given the low input power (<100W) and temperature (<75degreeC), this plasma is eligible for nondestructive decontamination of almost all material surfaces.
The purpose of this work was to develop and evaluate a method of locating breached fuel within the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) reactor based on the relative response of the delayed neutron monitors (DNM) located on each of the three primary sodium cooling loops. The primary method of location is the use of tag gas containing unique ratios of the noble gases xenon and krypton. Although the tag gas system works quite well, it is relatively expensive because of the costs of preparing and loading the gas into each fuel pin. Triangulation of DNM signals could potentially decrease tag gas costs while maintaining overall location reliability.
Biogas supply to the public gas grid is a new option discussed in the most recent publication of Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe (FNR) e.V. The biogas is purified, upgraded to natural gas quality and fed into an existing gas grid. Once there, it can be transported across long distances and also used for electric power generation at the consumer side. The study investigates inhowfar and in what instances this method is feasible and promising. It discusses the technical background and the regional potential of biogas. Seven model biogas systems are presented as examples. (orig.)
This paper is a quarterly report describing the use of a new soil gas collection device which allows the collection of soil gas in the field for later analysis in the laboratory. It describes the installation of this sampling device and the procedure for setting the probe, extraction of soil gas beneath the surface, and sealing of the soil gas for transport. The sites used for initial testing was the top of Yucca Mountain and Crystal Spring in Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. The results from this initial test showed no volatile matter present in the soil at these locations.
The multicell proportional chambers at the backing calorimeter of the ZEUS experiment at the storage ring HERA are supplied with a gas mixture of Ar/CO[sub 2] by an open gas system. Flow proportional counters with the build-up [sup 55]Fe sources are used as gas system monitoring detectors. The ZEUS experiment is planned to collect data for about 10 years. Therefore, the lifetime of the Ar/CO[sub 2] mixture should be known. In this paper, the results of laboratory tests and preliminary measurements of the aging effects for monitoring counters are presented. ((orig.))
This project dealt with use of condensing heat exchangers to recover water vapor from flue gas at coal-fired power plants. Pilot-scale heat transfer tests were performed to determine the relationship between flue gas moisture concentration, heat exchanger design and operating conditions, and water vapor condensation rate. The tests also determined the extent to which the condensation processes for water and acid vapors in flue gas can be made to occur separately in different heat transfer sections. The results showed flue gas water vapor condensed in the low temperature region of the heat exchanger system, with water capture efficiencies depending strongly on flue gas moisture content, cooling water inlet temperature, heat exchanger design and flue gas and cooling water flow rates. Sulfuric acid vapor condensed in both the high temperature and low temperature ...