The IFUSP microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, J.; Martins, M.N.; Cruz, M.T.F. da; Pascholati, P.R.; Gouffon, P.

1996-01-01

This work describes the 31 MeV recirculated cw electron accelerator under construction at IFUSP. The project is a two-stage racetrack microtron, fed by a 1.93 MeV injector linac. The first stage (booster) delivers a 5.1 MeV beam to the main accelerator. The main characteristics of the project are presented, as well as brief description of the six sub-systems that compose the machine. (author)

Numerical simulation of electrons dynamics in a microtron on 6 - 10 MeV

Science.gov (United States)

Bashmakov, Y. A.; Dyubkov, V. S.; Lozeev, Y. Y.

2017-12-01

Electron dynamics in 6.5 MeV classic microtron of the Lebedev Physics Institute (LPI) is investigated by means of numerical methods. Particular emphasis is placed on the formation mechanism of electron bunches at the first circular orbits. An effect of microtron main parameters such as accelerating RF field amplitude, DC magnetic field, as well as a geometry and a position of a thermal emitter on characteristics of electron beam extracted from the microtron are studied. In the space of mentioned parameters a region corresponding an optimal microtron operation mode is found. It is noted that the unique geometric and energy characteristics of accelerated beam makes use of microtron attractive not only as injector into a synchrotron, but also as a driver in experiments on generation of coherent terahertz electromagnetic radiation.

Double-sided microtron at Nihon University

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, T.; Hayakawa, K.; Yatoh, H.; Yoshida, K.; Takeda, O.; Sato, K.; Torizuka, Y.

1990-01-01

Construction of a 35 MeV cw double-sided microtron (DSM) at Nihon University was started in 1984 and completed in the spring of 1989. This machine was constructed as a proto-type of an 1 GeV cw double sided microtron for a medical pion facility and test accelerator for FEL and other applications. The 4.55 MeV electron beam from 5 MeV injector linac is injected to the DSM. The energy gain is 6 MeV at each turn acceleration. After recirculated 5 times, the electron beam with 34.5 MeV is extracted at the final short straight section. The DAW structure is used for all the accelerating tubes including the injector linac. Total rf power of 200 kW is provided by four 50 kW klystrons of 2450 MHz. (author)

Tuning the operational parameters of the first microtron stage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jahnke, Cristiane; Silva, Tiago F.; Martins, Marcos N.

2013-01-01

The Laboratório do Acelerador Linear is building a racetrack microtron electron accelerator. It has two acceleration stages: the booster and the main microtron. The aim of this work is to optimize the operation parameters of the booster stage by means of simulation tools. The accelerator admittances were determined successfuly and the results are presented. The injection beam has been characterized previously, and the available data were used to match the transverse beam emittances of the injector to the transverse beam admittances of the booster. Preliminary results showed that the simulations have a good agreement with the working parameters.

National CW GeV Electron Microtron laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-12-01

Rising interest in the nuclear physics community in a CW GeV electron accelerator reflects the growing importance of high-resolution short-range nuclear physics to future advances in the field. To meet this need, Argonne National Laboratory proposes to build a CW GeV Electron Microtron (GEM) laboratory as a national user facility. The microtron accelerator has been chosen as the technology to generate the electron beams required for the research discussed because of the advantages of superior beam quality, low capital and operating costs and capability of furnishing beams of several energies and intensities simultaneously. A complete technical description of the conceptual design for a six-sided CW microtron (hexatron) is presented. The hexatron and three experimental areas will be housed in a well-shielded complex of existing buildings that provide all utilities and services required for an advanced accelerator and an active research program at a savings of $30 to 40 million. Beam lines have been designed to accommodate the transport of polarized beams to each area. The total capital cost of the facility will be $78.6 million and the annual budget for accelerator operations will be $12.1 million. Design and construction of the facility will require four and one half years. Staged construction with a 2 GeV phase costing $65.9 million is also discussed

GeV C.W. electron microtron design report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-05-01

Rising interest in the nuclear physics community in a GeV C.W. electron accelerator reflects the growing importance of high-resolution short-range nuclear physics to future advances in the field. In this report major current problems are reviewed and the details of prospective measurements which could be made with a GeV C.W. electron facility are discussed, together with their impact on an understanding of nuclear forces and the structure of nuclear matter. The microtron accelerator has been chosen as the technology to generate the electron beams required for the research discussed because of the advantages of superior beam quality, low capital and operating cost and capability of furnishing beams of several energies and intensities simultaneously. A complete technical description of the conceptual design for a 2 GeV double-sided C.W. electron microtron is presented. The accelerator can furnish three beams with independently controlled energy and intensity. The maximum current per beam is 100 μamps. Although the precise objective for maximum beam energy is still a subject of debate, the design developed in this study provides the base technology for microtron accelerators at higher energies (2 to 6 GeV) using multi-sided geometries

GeV C. W. electron microtron design report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1982-05-01

Rising interest in the nuclear physics community in a GeV C.W. electron accelerator reflects the growing importance of high-resolution short-range nuclear physics to future advances in the field. In this report major current problems are reviewed and the details of prospective measurements which could be made with a GeV C.W. electron facility are discussed, together with their impact on an understanding of nuclear forces and the structure of nuclear matter. The microtron accelerator has been chosen as the technology to generate the electron beams required for the research discussed because of the advantages of superior beam quality, low capital and operating cost and capability of furnishing beams of several energies and intensities simultaneously. A complete technical description of the conceptual design for a 2 GeV double-sided C.W. electron microtron is presented. The accelerator can furnish three beams with independently controlled energy and intensity. The maximum current per beam is 100 ..mu..amps. Although the precise objective for maximum beam energy is still a subject of debate, the design developed in this study provides the base technology for microtron accelerators at higher energies (2 to 6 GeV) using multi-sided geometries.

Longitudinal phase-space matching between microtrons at 185 MeV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeda, H.

1983-01-01

Electrons are accelerated to 185 MeV by a microtron. Then, they are injected into another microtron to boost the net energy up to a few GeV. Between the two microtrons both longitudinal and transverse phase-space matching are required. In this paper, we consider a longitudinal phase-ellipse matching which utilizes triple left-right-left sector dipoles to induce a negative phase-angle shear. This is accomplished because a high-energy particle travels a shorter distance through the dipole system than a low-energy particle

A design study of a 100 MeV race-track microtron/pulse-stretcher accelerator system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvinsson, R.; Eriksson, M.

1976-04-01

A proposed design of an accelerator system with large duty-factor is described. The system is composed of a race-track microtron and a pulse-stretcher. The maximum particle energy is 100 MeV and the beam current is estimated to be up to 10 μA within +- 100 keV. The intended use is mainly for nuclear physics experiments with high precision, where the combination of large mean current and limited pulse intensity is essential. (Auth.)

Racetrack microtron radio-frequency system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tallerico, P.J.; Mitra, A.K.

1981-01-01

The design and construction progress of a prototype rf system to drive the Los Alamos-NBS racetrack microtron (RTM) electron accelerator is described. The rf system requires 450-kW cw at 2380 MHz from a single klystron. The output from the klystron is split three ways to drive a capture section, a preaccelerator section, and the main accelerator section. The fields in each section are phase- and amplitude-controlled to tight tolerances. Temperature control of the accelerator sections also is linked to the amplitude-control system, because the system's average power is so high

The 17-orbit microtron from the Institute of Atomic Physics - Bucharest. Research work performed from 1977 up to present

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Catana, D.; Axinescu, S.; Minea, R.

1992-01-01

The 17-orbit microtron from the Institute of Atomic Physics, Bucharest, Romania, is described. It is a machine with a 11 MeV energy (first regime of acceleration) and 16 MeV energy (second regime of acceleration). The pulse beam power is about 400 kw with a duty ratio of 10 -3 . The parameters of the microtron are presented. The microtron was used in many fields such as: non-destructive testing, activation analysis, semiconductor irradiation. Research an photonuclear reactions, study of uranium and thorium photo-fission were also performed using this microtron. (Author)

Control of a classical microtron and application of fuzzy logic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krist, Pavel; Bila, Jiri

2011-01-01

Control problems of the classical microtron with a Kapitza type accelerating cavity were addressed. A fuzzy controller was used, which enabled the system to be controlled even though the accelerating voltage, whose setting is vital for maintaining the accelerator in the stable state, cannot not be measured

A technique for determining electron losses for a 20 MeV microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harisha, P.; Nayak, A.R.; Mehta, S.K.; Soni, H.C.; Siddappa, K.

1999-01-01

A 22 orbit, 20 MeV electron microtron is used as a preaccelerator for the 700 MeV booster synchrotron at INDUS-1, CAT, Indore. Estimation of electron losses at the RF cavity from each orbit is important in obtaining the radiation doses from the body of the microtron. Radiation mapping of the microtron can be used to estimate these loss terms as an alternate to actual measurement by using a measuring probe. (author)

Applications of microtron facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanjeev, Ganesh

2013-01-01

An 8 MeV Microtron accelerator installed and commissioned in Mangalore University to strengthen research activities in the area of Radiation Physics and allied sciences is also being used extensively for coordinated research programs in basic and applied areas of science and technology involving researchers from national laboratories and sister universities of the region. The electron accelerator with its versatile features extends energetic electrons, intense photons and neutrons of moderate flux to cater to the needs of the users of the facility. A brief view of this 'first of its kind' facility in the country and the R and D programs with some sample results is presented. (author)

Project and implementation of the control system for the microtron accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malafronte, Alexandre Almeida

2008-01-01

The racetrack microtron under construction at the Instituto de Fisica da Universidade de Sao Paulo, is a recirculated electron accelerator that has a few hundred parameters to be monitored and controlled. These parameters belong to several subsystems like transport, vacuum, RF, and diagnostics. To decrease the cognitive burden of the operator and help him to control the machine a computerized control system was built, pervading all subsystems. This system allows the operator to measure and change the parameters of interest, or alerts him when some of these parameters exceed a pre-defined value. The system was built using the three-layer model methodology: input and output device layer; device server layer; and the user interface layer. In the input and output device layer, several instruments with different communication interfaces were used, either commercial or in-house built. In the device server layer industrial PCs were used. The user interface layer uses a conventional PC running a human-computer interface built with assistance of the Lab Windows/CVI software (National Instruments). The control system must satisfy requirements of flexibility, upgradability and cost, must stand during the accelerator lifetime and allow maintenance by the Lab's technical support. (author)

NBS-LASL racetrack microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penner, S.; Debenham, P.H.; Green, D.C.

1980-01-01

The NBS-LASL racetrack microtron (RTM) is a joint project of the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) and the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL). This is a new accelerator research project whose goal is to determine the feasibility of building a high-energy, high-current, cw electron accelerator using beam recirculation and room-temperature rf acceleration structures. The NBS-LASL RTM is being designed and built to develop the required technology for a large national 1 to 2 GeV cw accelerator for nuclear physics research and to prove experimentally that high currents can be accelerated successfully in an RTM. Some of the parameters of the NBS-LASL RTM are 185 MeV final energy, 550 μA maximum current, 15 passes, 12 MeV one-pass energy gain, and 2380 MHz frequency. One 450 kW cw klystron will supply rf power to both the 5 MeV injector and the 12 MeV linac in the RTM

Faraday cup for electron flux measurements on the microtron MT 25

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vognar, M.; Simane, C.; Chvatil, D.

2001-01-01

The basic design criteria for construction of an evacuated Faraday cup for precise measurement of 5-25 MeV electron beam currents in air from a microtron are characterized. The homemade Faraday cup is described along with the electronic chain and its incorporation into the measuring beam line. The provisions applied to reduce backward electron escape are outlined. The current range was 10 -5 to 10 -10 A. The diameter of the Al entrance window of the Faraday cup was 1.8 cm, its area was 2.54 cm 2 and thickness 0.1 mm

The FIAN racetrack microtron based irradiation complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belovintsev, K.A.; Bukin, A.I.; Gaskevich, E.B.; Karev, A.I.; Kuznetsov, V.A.; Kurakin, V.G.

1993-01-01

The paper presents the results of development, assembling and tests of a distant IR-range free electron laser (FEL) based on a racetrack microtron. The power of FEL will constitute tens of kilowatts, duration of bunches -maximum 30 ks. Possibility of smooth recombination of radiation within 80-160 μm range is available. 250 mA current and 30 MeV energy electron beam was produced in the racetrack microtron. Undulator represents a bi-phase spiral made of 2.2 mm thickness copper. Length of optical resonator - 166 cm, the resonator covers metallic mirrors with apertures. Characteristics of free electron laser and of its main systems are presented. 4 refs.; 1 fig.; 4 tabs

Electron injection in microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Axinescu, S.

1977-01-01

A review of the methods of injecting electrons in the microtron is presented. A special attention is paid to efficient injection systems developed by Wernholm and Kapitza. A comparison of advantages and disadvantages of both systems is made in relation to the purpose of the microtron. (author)

Annular-cathode electron gun for in-line injection in a racetrack microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manca, J.J.; Edmonds, D.S. Jr.; Froelich, H.R.

1976-01-01

A compact annular-cathode electron gun which allows direct, efficient injection into the accelerating structure of a racetrack microtron was designed, built, and tested. The gun operates under pulsed conditions with applied high voltages of 40 kV or more and delivers an output current in excess of 1 A. Design and construction details are presented for both a basic gun and a gun with built-in output current monitor. Gun performance in a test chamber and in the multicavity racetrack microtron at the University of Western Ontario is described

Beam breakup in a microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yung, B.C.; Merminga, L.

1997-01-01

In a microtron, the path length change from pass to pass is a fixed multiple of the RF wavelength, and the accelerating system can be reasonably well approximated as a single cavity. Under such circumstances it is possible to derive an analytical formula for the multipass beam breakup threshold current. The threshold current determined by numerical simulations agrees very well with the formula for a machine with a small number of passes. The analytic formula can serve as a useful guide in examining optics designs to improve the BBU threshold

Moscow University race-track microtron control system: ideas and development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chepurnov, A.S.; Gribov, I.V.; Morozov, S.Yu.; Shumakov, A.V.; Zinoviev, S.V.

1992-01-01

Moscow University race-track microtron (RTM) control system is a star-shape network of LSI-11 compatible microcomputers. Each of them is connected with RTM systems via CAMAC; optical fiber coupling is also used. Control system software is designed on Pascal-1, supplemented with real time modules and Macro. A unified real time technique and reenterable data acquisition drivers allow to simplify development of control drivers and algorithms. Among the latter three main types are used: DDC methods, those, based on optimization technique and algorithms, applying models of microtron's systems. Man-machine interface is based on concept of the 'world of accelerator'. It supports means to design, within hardware possibilities, various computer images of the RTM. (author)

Sustained performance of 8 MeV Microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanjeev, Ganesh

2012-01-01

Energetic electrons and intense bremsstrahlung radiation from 8 MeV Microtron are being utilized in variety of collaborative research programs in radiation physics and allied sciences involving premier institutions of the country and sister universities of the region. The first of its kind electron accelerator in the country, set up at Mangalore University in collaboration with RRCAT Indore and BARC Mumbai, has been facilitating researchers since its inception with its inherent simplicity, ease of construction, low cost and excellent beam quality. A bird's eye view on the reliable aspects of the machine, efforts behind the continuous operation of the accelerator and important applications of the accelerator in physical and biological sciences are presented in this paper.

Prototype sector magnets for the GeV electron microtron (GEM)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wehrle, R.B.; Norem, J.H.; Praeg, W.F.; Swanstrom, R.H.; Thompson, K.M.

1983-01-01

Three prototypes of the sector magnets for GeV Electon Microtron accelerators have been designed. One has been built and two are being constructed. The first is a full scale, 168 ton prototype for one-half of a 2 GeV Double Sided Microtron (DSM) sector magnet. The successful fabrication and testing of the pole pieces for this prototype has demonstrated that their required close tolerances for flatness and parallelism can be met. The second magnet is an approximate two-thirds scale model of one step at the low energy end of the hexatron sector magnet designed for the 4 GeV Electron Microtron (GEM). The measured fields demonstrate that the field falls off faster than an Enge-short-tail and error fields are at low levels and are controllable. A third prototype magnet exactly duplicates the full scale geometry of the first three full orbits of the GEM sector magnet from entrance to exit points. It will permit high precision measurements and corrections of field errors and verify the 3-D computer program, TOSCA

Irradiation by microtron- a new concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soni, H.C.; Bhawalkar, D.D.

1998-01-01

The Centre for Advanced Technology has developed and fabricated three microtrons for various purposes. Based on the experience gained during the design, fabrication, operation and maintenance of these microtrons; a compact 10 MeV, 1.0 kW microtron based industrial unit has been designed for sterilization of medical products and irradiation of food items with a throughput of 1.8 kGy - ton/h. The unit is simple, cheap and has local shielding making it semi-portable. The paper discusses the new concept of irradiation by using microtron and describes the salient features of the irradiation unit. An economic analysis of radioactive processing of medical products and food items with this unit is presented. (author)

Gamma activation analysis with microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fiderkiewicz, A.; Kierzek, J.; Parus, J.; Swiderska-Kowalczyk, M.; Wolski, W.; Zoltowski, T.

1989-01-01

The physical principles of gamma activation analysis, its capabilities as well as its application to analyse polymetallic ores with use of mean power microtron are presented. Limits of detection and determination for above twenty elements occurring in those ores with use of short- and longlived radioisotopes are specified. The work contains conception of construction of race-track microtron with electrons energy adjusted in 10-30 MeV range and with current not less than 20 μA. Besides the development of microtrons, the reason for choosing the race-track construction for gamma activation analysis is given. 69 refs., 35 figs., 5 tabs. (author)

The hexatron, a six-sided 4-GeV 300-μA CW microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colton, E.P.; Crosbie, E.A.; Foss, M.

1984-01-01

The use of microtron accelerators to provide intense CW beams of electrons with energies in the 1-5 GeV range is discussed. Principles of operation are reviewed and a design is presented for a six-sided hexagonal microtron, a Hexatron, which is capable of furnishing 300 μA of electrons in 3 extracted beams whose energies can be varied individually from injection energy to 4.0 GeV. Results of prototype studies of the hexatron sector magnets are discussed. Two configurations of beam optics, are shown to provide good beam containment. Options for operating the Hexatron at energies above 4 GeV are also discussed. (author)

A switching magnet for the IFUSP microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopes, M.L.; Martins, M.N.; Takahashi, J.

2001-01-01

The Laboratorio do Acelerador Linear (AL) of the Instituto de Fisica da Universidade de Sao Paulo is building a continuous wave (cw) electron race-track microtron (RTM). The IFUSP RTM is a two-stage microtron that includes a 1.93 MeV injector linac feeding a five-turn microtron booster that increases the energy to 5.1 MeV. The main microtron delivers a 31 MeV cw electron beam after 28 turns. The maximum current of the beam is 50 μA. The Lab will have two main beam lines, one serving the photon tagger (bremsstrahlung monochromator), and the other dedicated to the production of X-rays by coherent bremsstrahlung. This work describes the characteristics and design of the magnet that was built to perform the switching between the two lines

Design and fabrication of a continuous wave electron accelerating structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Jiro

1997-01-01

The Physics Institute of Sao Paulo University, SP, Brazil is fabricating a 31 MeV cw racetrack microtron (RTM) designed for nuclear physics research. This is a two-stage microtron that includes a 1.93 MeV injector linac feeding a five-turn microtron booster. After 28 turns, the main microtron delivers a 31 MeV continuous electron beam. The objective of this work is the development and fabrication of an advanced, beta=l, cw accelerating structure for the main microtron. The accelerating structure will be a side-coupled structure (SCS). We have chosen this kind of cavity, because it presents good vacuum properties, allows operation at higher accelerating electric fields and has a shunt impedance better than 81 MQ/m, with a high coupling factor ( 3 - 5%). The engineering design is the Los Alamos one. There will be two tuning plungers placed at both ends of the accelerating structure. They automatically and quickly compensate for the variation in the resonance frequency caused by changes in the structure temperature. Our design represents an advanced accelerating structure with the optimum SCS properties coexisting with the plunger's good tuning properties. (author)

MAINZ: MAMI microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1991-01-01

Officially inaugurated at the end of January was the new Mainz Microtron - MAMI - which became fully operational last summer after a final three-year construction phase at Johannes Gutenberg University

About the possibility to manufacture a 200 MeV Microtron, with a 50 μA average intensity and operating in quasi-steady regime; Sur la possibilite de realiser un Microtron de 200 MeV, de 50 μA d'intensite moyenne et fonctionnant en regime quasi-stationnaire

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bruck, H.; Leleux, G.; Proy, J.; Thirion, J.

1958-12-15

The authors report a preliminary study aimed at performing a rough assessment of the development and manufacturing of an electron accelerator (a 200 MeV Microtron with a 50 μA average intensity), and of the theoretical and technological difficulties, of the general characteristics and cost of such a development. After some generalities about the Microtron (principle, trajectory stability, operation on a sub-resonance, practical experiment, use of straight sections, ultimate limit of energy), the report addresses the issue of synchronism and phase stability. It proposes a description and an analysis of the accelerator device (required HF power, HF wavelength, shunt resistance, guide structure, efficiency optimum conditions, guide with recirculation, power of UHF tubes), discusses the choice of the main characteristics of the Microtron (injection energy and guide length, potential increase per lap), addresses the issues of beam focusing and guiding (Betatron oscillation). It finally reports an economic study which assesses the installation cost.

Racetrack microtron rf system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tallerico, P.J.; Keffeler, D.R.

1985-01-01

The rf system for the National Bureau of Standards (NBS)/Los Alamos cw racetrack microtron is described. The low-power portion consists of five 75-W amplifers that drive two input ports in each of two chopper deflection cavities and one port in the prebuncher cavity. A single 500-kW klystron drives four separate 2380-MHz cavity sections: the two main accelerator sections, a capture section, and a preaccelerator section. The phases and amplitudes in all cavities are controlled by electronic or electromechanical controls. The 1-MW klystron power supply and crowbar system were purchased as a unit; several modifications are described that improve power-supply performance. The entire rf system has been tested and shipped to the NBS, and the chopper-buncher system has been operated with beam at the NBS. 5 refs., 2 figs

NBS-LASL cw microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penner, S.; Cutler, R.I.; Debenham, D.H.

1980-01-01

The NBS-LASL racetrack microtron (RIM) is a joint research project of the National Bureau of Standards and the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. The project goals are to determine the feasibility of, and develop the necessary technology for building high-energy, high-current, continuous-beam (cw) electron accelerators using beam recirculation and room-temperature rf accelerating structures. To achieve these goals, a demonstration accelerator will be designed, constructed, and tested. Parameters of the demonstration RIM are: injection energy - 5 MEV; energy gain per pass -12 MeV; number of passes - 15; final beam energy - 185 MeV; maximum current 550 μA. One 450 kW cw klystron operating at 2380 MHz will supply rf power to both the injector linac and the main accelerating section of the RTM. The disk and washer standing wave rf structure being developed at LASL will be used. SUPERFISH calculations indicate that an effective shunt impedance (ZT) of about 100 MΩ/m can be obtained. Thus, rf power dissipation of 25 kW/m results in an energy gain of more than 1.5 MeV/m. Accelerators of this type should be attractive for many applications. At beam energies above about 50 MeV, an RTM should be considerably cheaper to build and operate than a conventional pulsed rf linac of the same maximum energy and time-average beam power. In addition, the RTM provides superior beam quality and a continuous beam which is essential for nuclear physics experiments requiring time-coincidence measurements between emitted particles

NIST--Los Alamos racetrack microtron status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, M.A.; Ayres, R.L.; Cutler, R.I.; Debenham, P.H.; Lindstrom, E.R.; Mohr, D.L.; Penner, S.; Rose, J.E.; Young, L.M.

1988-01-01

The NIST-Los Alamos Racetrack Microtron (RTM) is designed to deliver a low-emittance electron beam of up to 0.5 mA cw over an energy range of 17 MeV to 185 MeV. Fed by a 5 MeV injector, the RTM contains two 180 degree end magnets that recirculate the beam up to 15 times through a 12 MeV RF linac. The linac, which operates in a standing-wave mode at 2380 MHz, has been tested to nearly full RF power. At present, the injector has undergone beam tests, and the beam transport system is complete through the 12 MeV linac. A temporary beam line has been installed at the exit of one end magnet to measure the beam energy, energy spread, and emittance after one pass through the accelerator. Preliminary results indicate that the accelerated beam energy spread and emittance are within design goals. 4 refs., 7 figs

The 16 MeV - microtron at the Institute for Physics and Technology of Radiation Devices and its application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Catana, D.; Panaitescu, I.; Axinescu, S.; Minea, R.

1992-01-01

The 17-orbit microtron at the Institute for Physics and Technology of Radiation Devices, Bucharest is described. The energy of electrons is 11 MeV in the first accelerating mode and 16 MeV in the second accelerating mode with a pulse beam power of about 400 Kw and a duty ratio of 10 -3 . (Author)

Cell inactivation studies on yeast cells under euoxic and hypoxic condition using electron beam from microtron accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Praveen Joseph; Santhosh Acharya; Ganesh Sanjeev; Narayana, Y.; Bhat, N.N.

2011-01-01

In the case of sparsely ionizing radiation such as electron, the dose rate and the pattern of energy deposition of the radiation are the important physical factors which can affect the amount of damage in living cells. In the present study, the differences in the cell survival efficiency and dose rate effect in diploid yeast strains Saccharomyces cerevisiae X2180 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae D7 under euoxic and hypoxic condition have been quantified. Irradiation was carried out using 8 MeV pulsed electron beam from Microtron accelerator. The dose per pulse and pulse width of the beam used was 0.6 Gy and 2.3 μs, respectively, which correspond to an instantaneous dose rate of 2.6 x 10 5 Gy s -1 . For survival studies doses were delivered at a rate of 50 pulses per second (an average dose rate of 1,800 Gy s -1 ). Fricke and alanine dosimeters were used to measure the dose delivered to the sample. A significant difference in the dose response has been observed under euoxic and hypoxic condition. Dose rate effect has been studied by changing the pulse repetition rate of the Microtron and the dose rate used was from 180 to 1800 Gy min -1 . A significant dose rate effect was observed under euoxic condition for Saccharomyces cerevisiae X2180 but the same was absent under hypoxic condition. The dose rate effect was absent for Saccharomyces cerevisiae D7 under both irradiation condition. The survival curves are found to be sigmoidal in shape under both condition but with a wider shoulder under hypoxic condition. The D 0 value and the Oxygen Enhancement Ratio (OER) at that point have been derived. (author)

Data acquisition with the personal computer to the microwaves generator of the microtron MT-25

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rivero Ramirez, D.; Benavides Benitez, J. I.; Quiles Latorre, F. J.; Pahor, J.; Ponikvar, D.; Lago, G.

2000-01-01

The following paper includes the description of the design, construction and completion of a data acquisition system. The system is destined to the sampling of the work parameters of the generator of microwaves of the Microtron-25 that will settle in the High Institute of Nuclear Sciences and Technology, Havana, Cuba. In order to guarantee the suitable operation of the system a monitor program in assembler language has been developed. This program allows the communication of the system with one personal computer through the interface RS-232, as well as executes the commands received through it. Also the development of a program of attention to the system from one personal computer using the methods of the virtual instrumentation is included in this paper

Proposal for a race-track microtron with high peak current

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ernst, G.J.; Haselhoff, E.H.; Witteman, W.J.; Botman, J.I.M.; van Genderen, W.; Hagedoorn, H.L.; van der Heide, J.A.; Kleeven, W.J.G.M.

1989-01-01

In order to obtain high gain in a free electron laser a high-quality electron beam with high peak current is required. It is well-known that a microtron is able to produce a high-quality beam having low emittance and small energy spread (1%). Because a circular microtron has a limited high-current

Brazing techniques for side-coupled electron accelerator structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansborough, L.D.; Clark, W.L.; DePaula, R.A.; Martinez, F.A.; Roybal, P.L.; Wilkerson, L.C.; Young, L.M.

1986-01-01

The collaboration between the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the National Bureau of Standards (NBS), started in 1979, has led to the development of an advanced c-w microtron accelerator design. The four 2380-MHz NBS accelerating structures, containing a total of 184 accelerating cavities, have been fabricated and delivered. New fabrication methods, coupled with refinements of hydrogen-furnace brazing techniques described in this paper, allow efficient production of side-coupled structures. Success with the NBS RTM led to Los Alamos efforts on similar 2450-MHz accelerators for the microtron accelerator operated by the Nuclear Physics Department of the University of Illinois. Two accelerators (each with 17 cavities) have been fabricated; in 1986, a 45-cavity accelerator is being fabricated by private industry with some assistance from Los Alamos. Further private industry experience and refinement of the described fabrication techniques may allow future accelerators of this type to be completely fabricated by private industry

Overview of accelerators in medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lennox, A.J.

1993-06-01

Accelerators used for medicine include synchrotrons, cyclotrons, betatrons, microtrons, and electron, proton, and light ion linacs. Some accelerators which were formerly found only at physics laboratories are now being considered for use in hospital-based treatment and diagnostic facilities. This paper presents typical operating parameters for medical accelerators and gives specific examples of clinical applications for each type of accelerator, with emphasis on recent developments in the field

A mathematical model of the MT 25 microtron

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Krist, Pavel; Bila, J.

2011-01-01

Roč. 6, - (2011), T10005/1-T10005/13 ISSN 1748-0221 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10480505 Keywords : Accelerator modelling and simulations * multi- particle dynamics * single- particle dynamics * Ion sources Subject RIV: BG - Nuclear, Atomic and Molecular Physics, Colliders Impact factor: 1.869, year: 2011

DAW structure for the NBS/Los Alamos racetrack microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, L.M.; Potter, J.M.

1981-01-01

The results of a testing program on the disk-and-washer (DAW) structure with tee supports are presented. These results have led to the design of a 2.4-m DAW linac for use as the preaccelerator section of the National Bureau of Standards (NBS)/Los Alamos racetrack microtron (RTM). This structure uses two tee supports for each pair of washers, instead of four, and the structure has a larger diameter than earlier test structures. Two properties of this structure, which make it appear to be ideal for the RTM application, are a high shunt impedance and a high cell-to-cell coupling factor. This coupling factor eases construction tolerances and reduces sensitivity to thermal effects from the high rf heating load that will be imposed upon it. The structure is designed to operate at a 100% duty factor with a 1.5-MV/m accelerating gradient at 2380 MHz. This load would detune most accelerating structures. The tuning procedures, the transverse modes, and their effect on the structures design also are presented

Particle accelerators in the Czech lands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janovsky, I.

2007-01-01

The paper is structured as follows: A short look into history of accelerators; Particle accelerators in the Czech lands (Accelerators at the Institute of Nuclear Physics; Accelerators at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University; Czechoslovak betatron, accelerators for non-destructive testing and radiotherapy; Czechoslovak high-frequency linear electron accelerator; Czechoslovak-Soviet microtron; Accelerators at the State Research Institute of Textiles; Accelerators at the Kablo Vrchlabi plant; and Cyclotrons in the medical sector. (P.A.)

Activation analysis of coal with the help of a microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sodnom, N.; Gehrbish, Sh.

1989-01-01

Activation analysis techniques using microtron bremsstrahlung and photoneutrons have been developed for the multielemental analysis of coal. Analysis data for coals from 17 mines of Mongolia are presented. The chlorine content of coal and the distribution of elements in coal burning products are determined. Control experiments were performed at the reactors IBR-2 and ARGUS. The results of the gamma activation analysis are compared with neutron activation and X-ray fluorescence analyses data. It is shown that the microtron irradiation techniques employed provide a satisfactory multielemental basis for the analysis of coal. (author)

Accelerator Technology Program: Status report, October 1985--March 1986: Volume 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jameson, R.A.; Schriber, S.O.

1988-07-01

This report presents highlights of the major projects in the Accelerator Technology (AT) Division of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The first section details progress associated with the accelerator test stand. Following sections cover achievements in accelerator theory and simulation, LAMPF II accomplishments, and updates on BEAR, beam dynamics, the rf laboratory, p-bar gravity experiment, University of Illinois racetrack microtron, and NBS microtron. Also included are results from the Proton Storage Ring commissioning, developments in very high microwave systems, and advances in the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test rf technology. In addition, the Phoenix Project and the Krypton Fluoride Project are discussed. The report concludes with a listing of papers published by AT-Division personnel during this reporting period. 42 figs., 5 tabs

High energy gain electron beam acceleration by 100TW laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kotaki, Hideyuki; Kando, Masaki; Kondo, Shuji; Hosokai, Tomonao; Kanazawa, Shuhei; Yokoyama, Takashi; Matoba, Toru; Nakajima, Kazuhisa

2001-01-01

A laser wakefield acceleration experiment using a 100TW laser is planed at JAERI-Kansai. High quality and short pulse electron beams are necessary to accelerate the electron beam by the laser. Electron beam - laser synchronization is also necessary. A microtron with a photocathode rf-gun was prepared as a high quality electron injector. The quantum efficiency (QE) of the photocathode of 2x10 -5 was obtained. A charge of 100pC from the microtron was measured. The emittance and pulse width of the electron beam was 6π mm-mrad and 10ps, respectively. In order to produce a short pulse electron beam, and to synchronize between the electron beam and the laser pulse, an inverse free electron laser (IFEL) is planned. One of problems of LWFA is the short acceleration length. In order to overcome the problem, a Z-pinch plasma waveguide will be prepared as a laser wakefield acceleration tube for 1 GeV acceleration. (author)

High-power RF controls for the NBS-Los Alamos racetrack microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, L.M.; Biddl, R.S.

1985-01-01

The high-power rf system for the National Bureau of Standards (NBS)-Los Alamos racetrack microtron (RTM) uses waveguide power splitters and waveguide phase shifters to distribute rf power from a single 500-kw cw klystron to four side-coupled accelerating structures. The amplitude and phase of each structure is controlled by a feedback system that uses the waveguide variable power splitters, waveguide phase shifters, and klystron drive as the active control elements. The feedback controls on the capture section use low-level rf amplitude and phase controls on the rf drive to the klystron. These controls are very fast with an open loop gain bandwidth of approximately 40 kHz. The feedback loop is identical to the feedback loop used in the chopper/buncher system described in another paper at this conference

I. Final Report for DOE SBIR Phase I Project DE-SC0013795 Final Report for DOE SBIR Phase I Project DE-SC0013795 Microtron-based Compact, Portable Gamma-Ray Source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abrams, Robert J. [Muons Inc., Batavia, IL (United States)

2017-01-09

Microtron-based Compact, Portable Gamma-Ray Source. The objective of Phase I of this project was to produce a conceptual design of a prototype compact microtron electron accelerator, which could be designed, built, and demonstrated in Phase II of the project. The conceptual design study included an analysis of the parameters of the microtron and its components, and the expected performance of the prototype microtron as a source of x-rays and/or RF neutrons in the MeV energy range. The major components of the microtron are the magnet, the accelerating system, the power system, the vacuum system, the control system, the beam extraction system and the targets to produce x-rays (and/or neutrons). Our objectives for the design of the prototype were for it to be compact, cost-effective, capable of producing high intensity x-ray (an/or neutron) fluxes. In addition, the prototype was to be easily assembled and disassembled so that components could be easily replaced. The main parameters for the prototype are the following: the range of electron kinetic energies, the output power, the RF frequency band (X-band, C-band, or S-Band), the type of injection (Type I or Type II), the magnet type, i.e. permanent magnet, electromagnet, or a hybrid combination of permanent and electromagnet. The results of the Phase I study and analysis for a prototype microtron are the following: The electron energy range can be varied from below 6 MeV to 9 MeV, the optimal frequency range is S-Band (2-4 GHz) RF frequency, Type II injection (described below), and the magnet type is the hybrid version. The prototype version will be capable of producing gamma ray doses of ~1800 R/min-m and neutron fluxes of up to ~6 x 10¹⁰ n/s with appropriate targets. The results of the Phase I study and analysis are provided below. The proposed Phase II plan was to demonstrate the prototype at low beam power. In the subsequent Phase III, high power tests would be performed, and the design of commercial

Some trends in the develpment of electron accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrov, I.I.

1976-01-01

Trends of further development of electron linear accelerators, betatrons and microtrons based upon the first stage of theoretic-information forecasting technique as well as upon the first stage of regressive analysis have been considered. An analysis of dynamics of scientific and technical publications and patenting dynamics has shown that electron linear accelerators are the most promising whereas further elaboration of betatrons is considered fruitless

The gun control system of the IFUSP microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malafronte, A.A.; Takahashi, J.; Bonini, A.L.; Martins, M.N.

1997-01-01

A thermionic gun control system has been developed for the IFUSP microtron. The control system, which is composed of a dedicated microcomputer, A/D converter, grid pulser, filament and grid power supplies, is kept at a high voltage potential. The gun parameters are handled through a PC computer at ground potential via fiber-optic link. (orig.)

Application of nuclear methods in the microtron laboratory at the Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vognar, M.; Simane, C.; Chvatil, D.

1998-01-01

The microtron is described. Electrons can be extracted from the accelerating compartment from the 12th or 24th track with variable energies from 6 to 24 MeV with a step of 0.5 or 1 MeV. The electrons extracted are monoenergetic electrons with energy dispersion in the order of tens of keV. The microtron incorporates electron guides with electron optics elements which enable the electron beam to be extracted with the desired aperture and divergence to 3 workplaces where they are led into air through vacuum-tight aluminium windows. The first workplace is employed to test the production of 123 I by a photonuclear reaction with 124 Xe in bremsstrahlung beams on electron accelerators, to the optimization of this production, and to the development of instrumentation for the irradiation of high-pressure xenon gas targets. The second workplace includes a facility making it possible to create very homogeneous high-energy gamma and electron fields with a precisely determined dose rate (gamma field: up to 5 Gy/min, electron field: up to hundreds of Gy/min; size of the standard field: 10 x 10 cm 2 ). The facility was adapted to enable the properties of PbWO 4 scintillation single crystals to be investigated. The homogeneous bremsstrahlung field size was increased to 17 x 17 cm 2 , and a special thermostat with Peltier cells was constructed. The third workplace is equipped with a source of photoneutrons obtained by (γ,n) and (γ,f) photonuclear reactions on suitable converters. This source gives intense mixed gamma and neutron fields for the study of radiative damage and radiation resistance of semiconductor materials, components and circuits

High-power rf controls for the NBS-Los Alamos racetrack microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, L.M.; Biddle, R.S.

1985-01-01

The high-power rf system for the National Bureau of Standards (NBS)-Los Alamos racetrack microtron (RTM) uses waveguide power splitters and waveguide phase shifters to distribute rf power from a single 500-kW cw klystron to four side-coupled accelerating structures. The amplitude and phase of each structure is controlled by a feedback system that uses the waveguide variable power splitters, waveguide phase shifters, and klystron drive as the active control elements. A block diagram of this system is shown, as is a subset of the complete system on which the measurements reported in this paper were performed. The feedback controls on the capture section use low-level rf amplitude and phase controls on the rf drive to the klystron. These controls are very fast with an open loop gain bandwidth of approximately 40 kHz. The feedback loop is identical to the feedback loop used in the chopper/buncher system described in another paper at this conference. 4 refs., 8 figs

Genetic algorithm-based optimal fuzzy control system for the MT 25 microtron

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Krist, Pavel; Bíla, J.; Chvátil, David

2013-01-01

Roč. 8, MAY (2013), T05003 ISSN 1748-0221 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-27885S Institutional support: RVO:61389005 Keywords : hardware and accelerator control systems * accelerator modelling and simulations * multi- particle dynamics * single- particle dynamics Subject RIV: BG - Nuclear, Atomic and Molecular Physics, Colliders Impact factor: 1.526, year: 2013 http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-0221/8/05/T05003/pdf/1748-0221_8_05_T05003.pdf

High-quality beam generation using an RF gun and a 150 MeV microtron

Science.gov (United States)

Kuroda, R.; Washio, M.; Kashiwagi, S.; Kobuki, T.; Ben-Zvi, I.; Wang, X. J.; Hori, T.; Sakai, F.; Tsunemi, A.; Urakawa, J.; Hirose, T.

2000-11-01

Low-emittance sub-picosecond electron pulses are expected to be used in a wide field, such as free electron laser, laser acceleration, femtosecond X-ray generation by Inverse Compton scattering, pulse radiolysis, etc. In order to produce the low-emittance sub-picosecond electron pulse, we are developing a compact Racetrack Microtron (RTM) with a new 5 MeV injection system adopting a laser photo cathode RF gun (Washio et al., Seventh China-Japan Bilateral Symposium on Radiation Chemistry, October 28, Cengdu, China, 1996). The operation of RTM has been kept under a steady state of beam loading for long pulse mode so far (Washio et al., J. Surf. Sci. Soc. Jpn. 19 (2) (1998) 23). In earlier work (Washio et al., PAC99, March 31, New York, USA, 1999), we have succeeded in the numerical simulation for the case of single short pulse acceleration. Finally, the modified RTM was demonstrated as a useful accelerator for a picosecond electron pulse generation under a transient state of beam loading. In the simulation, a picosecond electron pulse was accelerated to 149.6 MeV in RTM for the injection of 5 MeV electron bunch with a pulse length of 10 ps (FWHM), a charge of 1 nC per pulse, and an emittance of 3 πmm mrad.

Effect of synchrotron radiation in the proposed 4 GeV Argonne microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crosbie, E.A.

1983-01-01

Synchrotron radiation in the sector magnets of the 4-GeV microtron designed at the Argonne National Laboratory produces a small but noticeable distortion of the closed orbits of the system and a very-significant growth of the horizontal and longitudinal phase-space emittances. Because of the small apertures in the three 25-meter linacs, it is important that the expected growth of the beam be calculated as accurately as possible. For this reason, a computer program has been written which follows the motions of individual electrons in the four dimensional horizontal and longitudinal phase space as they are accelerated in the system. As the electrons go through the sector magnets, they emit quanta at random with randomly chosen energies. The final results show 63% emittance (area π) values of 0.15 mm mrad and 630 keV degrees for the horizontal and longitudinal phase spaces, respectively. The 99% values are about 4.6 times larger

Beam transfer line for food irradiation microtron at CAT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kant, Pradeep; Singh, Gurnam

2003-01-01

A 10 MeV microtron is being developed at CAT for irradiation of food products. A beam transfer line comprising a 90 deg bending magnet, a quadrupole doublet and a rectangular scanning magnet has been designed to irradiate food products from the upper side. The bending magnet has an edge angle of 22.5 deg. The length of the beam transfer line has been minimized to keep the whole unit as compact as possible. The beam optics has been optimized keeping in view the requirement of a small beam pipe aperture (25mm radius) and a large range of circular as well as elliptical beam sizes on the food product. The speed of the conveyor belt has been assumed to be very small. The results of the beam optics chosen and the variation of the linear charge density on a food product during the scanning are presented in this paper. The effects of path length variation within the scanning magnet and beam size variation during a scanning are also discussed

RF cavity for the Novosibirsk race-track microtron-recuperator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gavrilov, N.; Kuptsov, I.; Kurkin, G.; Mironenko, L.; Petrov, V.; Sedlyarov, I.; Veshcherevich, V.

1994-01-01

Geometry, engineering design and characteristics of a 181 MHz RF cavity are described. The cavity has copper clad stainless steel walls and has a Q of 42,000 and a shunt impedance of 8.5 MOhm. The cavities of that type are parts of an RF system of a CW race-track microtron-recuperator (RTMR). 10 refs.; 16 figs.; 1 tab

Correcting coils in end magnets of accelerators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. R. P. Kassab

1998-05-01

Full Text Available We present an empirical investigation of the correcting coils behavior used to homogenize the field distribution of the race-track microtron accelerator end magnets. These end magnets belong to the second stage of the 30.0 MeV cw electron accelerator under construction at IFUSP, the race-track microtron booster, in which the beam energy is raised from 1.97 to 5.1 MeV. The correcting coils are attached to the pole faces and are based on the inhomogeneities of the magnetic field measured. The performance of these coils, when operating the end magnets with currents that differ by ±10% from the one used in the mappings that originated the coils copper leads, is presented. For one of the magnets, adjusting conveniently the current of the correcting coils makes it possible to homogenize field distributions of different intensities, once their shapes are practically identical to those that originated the coils. For the other one, the shapes are changed and the coils are less efficient. This is related to intrinsic factors that determine the inhomogeneities. However, we obtained uniformity of 0.001% in both cases.

Accelerator technology program. Status report, October 1984-March 1985

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jameson, R.A.; Schriber, S.O.

1986-04-01

Activities of the racetrack-microtron development programs are highlighted, one of which is being done in collaboration with the National Bureau of Standards and the other with the University of Illinois; the BEAR (Beam Experiment Aboard Rocket) project; work in beam dynamics; the proposed LAMPF II accelerator; and the Proton Storage Ring. Discussed next is radio-frequency and microwave technology, followed by activities in accelerator theory and simulation, and free-electron laser technology. The report concludes with a listing of papers published during this reporting period

Searches for dark photons at the Mainz Microtron

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Merkel, H.; Achenbach, P.; Gayoso, C. Ayerbe; Beranek, T.; Bernauer, J. C.; Böhm, R.; Correa, L.; Denig, A.; Distler, M. O.; Esser, A.; Gómez, M.; Kegel, S.; Kohl, Y.; Mihovilovič, M.; Middleton, D. G.; Müller, U.; Nungesser, L.; Pochodzalla, J.; Rohrbeck, M.; Majos, S. Sánchez [Institut für Kernphysik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, D-55099 Mainz (Germany); and others

2013-11-07

The A1 Collaboration at the Mainz Microtron (MAMI) operates high resolution spectrometers at very high luminosities for fixed target electron scattering experiments. The setup is well suited for the search for dark photons in the mass range between 50 MeV and 300 MeV. In these experiments, a possible dark photon would appear as a sharp peak in the mass spectrum of di-lepton electro-production. In this presentation the potential of the setup is presented and the possibilities for future experiments for dark photon searches at MAMI are discussed.

Accelerator Technology Program. Status report, October 1983-March 1984

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jameson, R.A.

1985-01-01

This report covers major projects in the Accelerator Technology (AT) Division of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The first sections highlight activities related to beam dynamics, inertial fusion, structure development, the racetrack microtron, and the CERN high-energy physics experiment NA-12. Discussed next is the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test Facility, followed by a summary of progress on the Proton Storage Ring and activities of the Theory and Simulation Group. The report concludes with a discussion of the H- accelerator program and a listing of papers published by AT-Division personnel during this reporting period

Studies on the beam dynamics at the harmonic double-side microtron of MAMI-C; Untersuchungen zur Strahldynamik am Harmonischen Doppelseitigen Mikrotron von MAMI-C

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dehn, Marco

2013-10-28

The Institut fuer Kernphysik at Mainz University operates a worldwide unique accelerator for experiments in nuclear and particle physics since 1990. The Mainzer Mikrotron (MAMI-B) uses three cascaded racetrack microtrons (RTM) with RF linacs operating at 2.45 GHz to accelerate a continuous electron beam of up to 100 μA to 855 MeV. In 1999 the realisation of the fourth stage - the Harmonic Double Sided Microtron (HDSM, MAMI-C) - reaching a maximum beam energy of 1.5 GeV was started. During the development some courageous decisions were necessary. For example the bending magnets with their field gradient and corresponding beam optical properties have large influence on the longitudinal beam dynamics. That in turn requires harmonic operation with two RF linacs operating at 4.9 GHz and 2.45 GHz. Many parameters of the machine settings (like RF voltage or phase) have great impact on the acceleration process but not always they are easily to quantify in physical units. Concerning the RTMs with their comparatively simple and well defined beam dynamics that is rather unproblematic. However, in the HDSM the larger number of parameters requires a more precise knowledge of these quantities. Therefore it is necessary to develop dedicated methods of beam diagnostics to check the important machine parameters against their design values. All these methods are not free of systematic errors or insufficiencies and thus fitting a model of the machine to measured data does not always yield unambiguous results. To overcome this problem a special kind of tomography is used to scan the longitudinal phase space resulting in acceptance measurements. The large amount of data with systematic variations now yields a better significance of the fitted parameters. The results of these investigations demonstrate that the accelerator as an entity acts as predicted and shows that many different configurations can be used to operate the HDSM. However, for most situations one single configuration is

CAS CERN accelerator school: 5. general accelerator physics course. Vol. 2. Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, S.

1994-01-01

The fifth CERN Accelerator School (CAS) basic course on General Accelerator Physics was given at the University of Jyvaeskylae, Finland, from 7 to 18 September 1992. Its syllabus was based on the previous similar courses held at Gif-sur-Yvette in 1984, Aarhus 1986, Salamanca 1988 and Juelich 1990, and whose proceedings were published as CERN Reports 85-19, 87-10, 89-05 and 91-04, respectively. However, certain topics were treated in a different way, improved or extended, while new subjects were introduced. As far as the proceedings of this school are concerned the opportunity was taken not only to include the lectures presented but also to select and revise the most appropriate chapters from the previous similar schools. In this way the present volumes constitute a rather complete introduction to all aspects of the design and construction of particle accelerators, including optics, emittance, luminosity, longitudinal and transverse beam dynamics, insertions, chromaticity, transfer lines, resonances, accelerating structures, tune shifts, coasting beams, lifetime, synchrotron radiation, radiation damping, beam-beam effects, diagnostics, cooling, ion and positron sources, RF and vacuum systems, injection and extraction, conventional, permanent and superconducting magnets, cyclotrons, RF linear accelerators, microtrons, as well as applications of particle accelerators (including therapy) and the history of accelerators. See hints under the relevant topics. (orig.)

Mining Pribram in Science and technology. Proceedings of Session N - Analysis of mineral raw materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pavlikova, E.; Petak, P.

1987-01-01

The participants in conference session N heard 16 papers of which 4 were incorporated in INIS. The incorporated papers deal with the design of analyzers for the determination of uranium, free acids and nitrates, the use of Czechoslovak microtron MT 22 in gamma activation analysis of gold, X-ray fluorescence analysis of trace elements in minerals and the use of X-ray spectral analysis in the determination of copper, zinc, lead and sulfur. (E.S.)

Design of a control card for remote operation of the magnet power supply of microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, A.M.; Hanumaiah, B.; Ganesh; Siddappa, K.

2003-01-01

Full text: In this paper we report on a control card developed for remote operation of the magnet power supply of the Microtron. We have used a microcontroller, an ADC, a DAC and some circuit components to make the microcontroller perform the control operations according to the in built program. The value of the parameter to be controlled (i.e. the magnetic field) is given by the main program in the PC kept away from the system. When the user wants to use the magnet power supply system operate the microtron, he will switch ON the system and feed a particular value of the parameter (i.e. magnetic field in Gauss). This value is passed on to the control program in the microcontroller. With this value and the read back value obtained from the sensor the control card activates its control circuitary to maintain the system at the defined parameter value

Accelerator technology program. Status report, July-December 1982

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jameson, R.A.

1984-05-01

Major projects of the Los Alamos National Laboratory's Accelerator Technology Division are discussed, covering activities that occurred during the last six months of calendar 1982. The first sections report highlights in beam dynamics, accelerator inertial fusion, radio-frequency structure development, the racetrack microtron, CERN high-energy physics experiment NA-12, and high-flux radiographic linac study. Next we report on selected proton Storage Ring activities that have made significant progress during this reporting period, followed by an update on the free electron laser. The Fusion Materials Irradiation Test Facility work is discussed next, then progress on the klystron development project and on the gyrocon project. The activities of the newly formed Theory and Simulation Group are outlined. The last section covers activities concerning the accelerator test stand for the neutral particle beam program

Status and prospects of a compact FIR FEL driven by a magnetron-based microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Young Uk; Kazakevitch, Grigori M.; Lee, Byung Cheol; Kim, Sun Kook; Cho, Sung Oh; Gavrilov, Nicolai G.; Lee, Jongmin

2002-01-01

A magnetron-based microtron as a driver of FIR FEL has several prominent advantages in cost, size, beam quality and operation convenience. However, it has some disadvantages due to the instability of the RF frequency and a low current. In order to overcome these disadvantages, the frequency stability of the magnetron was improved, and the interaction between the electron beam and the FIR radiation was enhanced by using a high-performance undulator and a low-loss waveguide-mode optical resonator. The FEL is now under upgrade in order to extend the wavelength range to cover 90-300 μm, which can be done by increasing the energy range of electron beam to 4.3-7 MeV. In this paper, we report the results of investigations on output characteristics of the FEL depending on cavity detuning, electron beam matching, and RF instability. Based on the results, we discuss the prospects of wide-band FIR FELs driven by magnetron-based microtrons as potent sources of radiation for scientific applications

CEERI-CAT joint venture for development of accelerator magnetrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prasad, Sharda; Kaushik, S.C.; Mahesh Kumar; Chaudhary, P.; Shrivastava, Purushottam; Wanmode, Y.; Hannurkar, P.R.

2003-01-01

LINAC and Microtron systems for electron acceleration up to few tens of MeV, requires pulsed RF sources such as magnetron and klystron in S-Band frequency range with peak power in the range of few MW. The major emphasis under this program was to develop critical technologies involved in the development of 2 MW magnetron. This paper discusses the development of 2 MW magnetron along with critical technologies involved and test facilities developed by CAT for testing of this magnetron

The injector linac for the Mainz microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Euteneuer, H.; Braun, H.; Herminghaus, H.; Scholer, H.; Weis, T.

1988-01-01

The design and setup of a 3.5 MeV, 100μA injector for a cascade of race track microtrons is presented. It replaces a 2.1 MeV Van De Graaff for getting higher reliability, improved beam dynamics in the first RTM by increased and more stable input energy, as well as an easier access and a better vacuum to launch a beam of polarized electrons. In this paper, the considerations which led under given boundary conditions to the final design concept are discussed and its realization with PARMELA is described. Details of the linac setup are given. First operation showed a good longitudinal performance (energy stability ≤ ±2 star 10 -4 , spectrum ≤ 1 star 10 -3 FWHM, bunch length ≤ ± 1.5 degrees) and an excellent reproducibility of machine operation

Accelerator programme at CAT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramamurthi, S.S.

1991-01-01

The Accelerator Programme at the Centre for Advanced Technology (CAT), Indore, has very broad based concept under which all types of accelerators are to be taken up for design and fabrication. This centre will be housing a wide variety of accelerators to serve as a common facility for the universities, national laboratories in addition to laboratories under the Department of Atomic Energy. In the first phase of the programme, a series of electron accelerators are designed and fabricated. They are synchrotron radiation sources of 450 MeV (INDUS-I) and of 2 GeV (INDUS-II), microtron upto energy of 20 MeV, linear accelerator upto 20 MeV, and DC Accelerator for industrial irradiation upto 750 KeV and 20 KW. A proton accelerator of 300 MeV with 20 MeV linac injector is also designed. CAT is also developing a strong base for support technologies like ultra high vacuum, radio frequency and microwaves, DC pulsed and superconducting magnets, power supplies and controls etc. These technologies are very useful for other industrial applications also. To develop user groups to utilise INDUS-II synchrotron radiation source, a batch production of rotating Anode X-ray generators with power supplies has been initiated. So also, the sputter ion pumps, electron guns, turbo molecular pumps are brought into batch production. (author)

Effect of quantum fluctuations of synchrotron radiation on the dynamics of particles in high-energy microtrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bessonov, E.G.

1987-01-01

Crosbie has demonstrated numerically that the effect of quantum fluctuation of synchrotron radiation on the beam emittance becomes significant in microtrons for an energy of more than 1 GeV. In this paper the authors give analytic expressions that describe this phenomenon and analyze these expressions

SCADA for microtron and beam transport line radio therapy machine subsystem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deshpande, Praveen; Palod, Shradha; Bhujle, Ashok

2003-01-01

Centre for Advanced Technology is developing a Radio Therapy Machine (RTM) to be used for cancer treatment. The radiotherapy machine has a Microtron consisting of a RF system, main and auxiliary magnets. It has a Beam transport line (BTL) consisting of fourteen magnets. This paper describes a PC based supervisory control and data acquisition system (SCADA) developed for controlling mainly the power supplies for the above sub systems from a remote location. It offers a graphic user interface (GUI) at the control room PC for RTM operation in engineering mode

Electron accelerators for research at the frontiers of nuclear physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grunder, H.A.; Hartline, B.K.; Corneliussen, S.T.

1986-01-01

Electron accelerators for the frontiers of nuclear physics must provide high duty factor (>80%) for coincidence measurements; few-hundred-MeV through few-GeV energy for work in the nucleonic, hadronic, and confinement regimes; energy resolution of ∼10 -4 ; and high current (≥ 100 μA). To fulfill these requirements new machines and upgrades of existing ones are being planned or constructed. Representative microtron-based facilities are the upgrade of MAMI at the University of Mainz (West Germany), the proposed two-stage cascaded microtron at the University of Illinois (USA), and the three-stage Troitsk ''polytron'' (USSR). Representative projects to add pulse stretcher rings to existing linacs are the upgrades at MIT-Bates (USA) and at NIKHEF-K (Netherlands). Recent advances in superconducting rf technology, especially in cavity design and fabrication, have made large superconducting cw linacs become feasible. Recirculating superconducting cw linacs are under construction at the University of Darmstadt (West Germany) and at CEBAF (USA), and a proposal is being developed at Saclay (France). 31 refs

Accelerator developments since the ZGS by ZGS people

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Y.

1994-01-01

The ZGS was a facility, as well as an organization, where people got together to pursue a common goal of doing exciting science of the day. In this note, the authors describe notable events related to accelerators and accelerator people since the closing of the ZGS program some 15 years ago. Many of the same ZGS people have been carrying out the state-of-the art accelerator work around the Laboratory with the same dedication that characterized their work in the earlier days. First the authors describe how the activities were re-organized after the closing of the ZGS, the migration of people, and the organizational evolution since that time. Doing this shows the similarity between the birth of the ZGS and the birth of the Advanced Photon Source (APS). Then, some of the accelerator work by the former ZGS people are described. These include: (1) Intense Pulsed Neutron Source (IPNS), (2) GeV Electron Microtron (GEM), (3) Wake Field Accelerator Test Facility, (4) Advanced Photon Source, and (5) IPNS Upgrade

Accelerator Technology Program. Progress report, January-June 1980

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knapp, E.A.; Jameson, R.A.

1980-03-01

The activities of Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory's (LASL) Accelerator Technology (AT) Division during the first six months of calendar 1980 are discussed. This report is organized around major projects of the Division, reflecting a wide variety of applications and sponsors. The first section summarizes progress on the Proton Storage Ring to be located between LAMPF and the LASL Pulsed Neutron Research facility, followed by a section on the gyrocon, a new type of high-power, high-efficiency radio-frequency (rf) amplifier. The third section discusses the racetrack microtron being developed jointly by AT Division and the National Bureau of Standards; the fourth section concerns the free-electron studies. The fifth section covers the radio-frequency quadrupole linear accelerator, a new concept for the acceleration of low-velocity particles; this section is followed by a section discussing heavy ion fusion accelerator development. The next section reports activities in the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test program, a collaborative effort with the Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory. The final section deals first with development of H - ion sources and injectors, then with accelerator instrumentation and beam dynamics

The activity on linear accelerators at the ENEA Frascati center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Picardi, L.; Messina, G.; Ronsivalle, C.; Vignati, A.

1992-01-01

In the last ten years four small linear accelerators have been built at the ENEA Frascati Center, used for a 100 MeV racetrack microtron and for electron beam processing tests of materials. ENEA is also involved in infrared free electron laser (FEL) research. After good results from a 2 mm wavelength FEL driven by a 2.5 MeV linac, design has been started on a linac for a far infrared FEL facility devoted to an experiment in muonic hydrogen spectroscopy. 3 figs., 3 tabs., ref

Neutron and photon dose assessment in Indus accelerator complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verma, Dimple; Haridas Nair, G.; Bandopadhyay, Tapas; Tripathy, R.M.; Pal, Rupali; Bakshi, A.K.; Palani Selvam, T.; Datta, D.

2016-02-01

Indus Accelerator Complex (IAC) consists of 20 MeV Microtron, 450/550 MeV Booster, 450 MeV Indus-1 and 2.5 GeV Indus-2 storage rings. The radiation environment in Indus Accelerator Complex comprises of bremsstrahlung photons, electrons, positrons, photo neutrons and muons, out of which, bremsstrahlung photons are the major constituent of the prompt radiation. Major problem faced for on-line detection of neutrons is their severely pulsed nature. In the present study, measurement of neutron and photon dose rates in Indus Accelerator Complex was carried out using passive dosimeters such as CR-39 solid state nuclear track detector (SSNTD) and CaSO 4 :Dy Teflon disc, 6 LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD 600) and 7 LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD 700) based thermo luminescent (TL) detectors. The report describes the details of the measurement and discusses the results. (author)

NBS/LANL racetrack microtron control system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ayres, R.L.; Martin, E.R.; Trout, R.E.; Wilson, B.L.; Yoder, N.R.

1985-01-01

The distributed intelligence control system for the NBS/LANL racetrack microtron (RTM) is now nearing completion, with all major subsystems implemented and tested, thus providing some operating experience with most of the control system innovations. These include a triple hierarchy of microprocessor-based control elements, consisting of a primary control station and multiple secondary and tertiary control stations; light-link coupling to a tertiary station which operates at a 100 kV potential; a common database shared by separate microprocessors for handling hardware control and operator interactions; and joy stick control of the entire system. A unique secondary station interpreter program was used to great advantage for testing and checkout of various control and monitoring subsystems. The hardware design of the control system is based on Multibus I crates containing commercial Multibus I boards and a few custom designed boards. The primary-secondary data link is a high speed, bidirectional, full-duplex, 8-bit, ''byte'' parallel link designed for this application. This link permits very fast updating of the monitored data (> 5 per second) and timely response to operator control inputs at the primary station

Accelerator Technology Program. Status report, January-September 1983

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jameson, R.A.

1984-07-01

This report presents highlights of major projects in the Accelerator Technology Division of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The first section deals with the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test Facility's 2-MeV accelerator on which tests began in May, as scheduled. Then, activities are reported on beam dynamics, inertial fusion, structure development, the racetrack microtron, the CERN high-energy physics experiment NA-12, and LAMPF II. The Proton Storage Ring is discussed next, with emphasis on the computer control system, diagnostics interfacing, and theoretical support. Other sections summarize progress on a portable radiographic linac, developments on the klystron code, and on permanent magnets. Activities of the Theory and Simulation Group are outlined next, followed by discussion of the oscillator experiment and the energy-recovery experiment in the free electron laser project. The last section reports on the accelerator test stand. An unusual and very satisfying activity for the Division was the hosting of the 1983 Particle Accelerator Conference in Santa Fe, March 21-23, 1983. The conference had the largest attendance ever, with 895 registrants, 61 invited papers, and 521 contributed papers

Nondestructive assay of fluorine in geological and other materials by instrumental photon activation analysis with a microtron

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krausová, Ivana [Nuclear Physics Institute, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Řež 130, 25068 Řež (Czech Republic); Mizera, Jiří, E-mail: mizera@ujf.cas.cz [Nuclear Physics Institute, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Řež 130, 25068 Řež (Czech Republic); Institute of Rock Structure and Mechanics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, V Holešovičkách 41, 182 09 Praha 8 (Czech Republic); Řanda, Zdeněk; Chvátil, David; Krist, Pavel [Nuclear Physics Institute, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Řež 130, 25068 Řež (Czech Republic)

2015-01-01

Reliable determination of low concentrations of fluorine in geological and coal samples is difficult. It usually requires tedious decomposition and dissolution of the sample followed by chemical conversion of fluorine into its anionic form. The present paper examines possibilities of non-destructive determination of fluorine, mainly in minerals, rocks and coal, by instrumental photon activation analysis (IPAA) using the MT-25 microtron. The fluorine assay consists of counting the positron–electron annihilation line of {sup 18}F at 511 keV, which is a product of the photonuclear reaction {sup 19}F(γ, n){sup 18}F and a pure positron emitter. The assay is complicated by the simultaneous formation of other positron emitters. The main contributors to interference in geological samples are from {sup 45}Ti and {sup 34m}Cl, whereas those from {sup 44}Sc and {sup 89}Zr are minor. Optimizing beam energy and irradiation-decay-counting times, together with using interfering element calibration standards, allowed reliable IPAA determination of fluorine in selected USGS and CRPG geochemical reference materials, NIST coal reference materials, and NIST RM 8414 Bovine Muscle. In agreement with the published data obtained by PIGE, the results of the F assay by IPAA have revealed erroneous reference values provided for the NIST reference materials SRM 1632 Bituminous Coal and RM 8414 Bovine Muscle. The detection limits in rock and coal samples are in the range of 10–100 μg g{sup −1}.

Evolution of the racetrack microtron control system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, E.R.; Schneider, C.M.; Martinez, V.A.; Trout, R.E.; Gritzo, R.E.

1982-01-01

Ultimately, the true measure of a control system lies in how well initial decisions allow for exigencies, as the overall machine evolves and requirements solidify. Recognizing that advances in electronic technology virtually guarantee that any system will be technologically out of date by the time it is operational, the criteria really do not involve the state of the technological advancement, but instead legitimately ask whether the control-system design can adjust to the inevitable machine-design changes, whether the operators can use it to control the machine in a reasonable manner, whether it was built within budget constraints, or, in short, whether it works. On these bases, our initial decisions on the racetrack microtron (RTM) control system have been increasingly vindicated as the system has evolved, and we feel that our experiences have shed some light on just which criteria are of real importance, and which are merely a part of the lore of popular misinformation. Unless the basic requirements are met, technical elegance is no virtue, and when they are met, design simplicity is no vice

Performance of an rf beam monitor on the NBS-Los Alamos racetrack microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, L.M.; Cutler, R.I.

1985-01-01

A prototype rf beam-position, current, and phase monitor has been used on the 100-keV injector beamline of the racetrack microtron (RTM) where performance was measured with the chopped and bunched beam. This monitor works with both a pulsed beam and a cw beam. The pulsed beam consists of beam pulses with a FWHM of 40 ns. The rf beam monitor was tested with beam currents from approx. 50 to 600 μA. The rf beam monitor will be described and its performance will be reported. 6 refs., 5 figs

A PLL based automated magnetron tuning mechanism for electron accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, A M; Mahfooz, Mohammed; Sanjeev, Ganesh

2008-01-01

In this paper we report on a control system developed to tune the magnetron frequency to get the maximum beam pulse in a Microtron (an electron accelerator facility at Mangalore University). The control system so designed consists of a Microcontroller Unit (MCU), a Phase Locked Loop (PLL) and a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) to track and tune the magnetron frequency. A PLL is used to track the deviation of the magnetron output frequency, and by monitoring the reflected wave voltage level, the microcontroller unit tunes the magnetron with the help of a tuner mechanism connected through a stepper motor.

A PLL based automated magnetron tuning mechanism for electron accelerators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khan, A M; Mahfooz, Mohammed [Dept. of Electronics, Mangalore University, Mangalagangotri, Karnataka State, India - 574 199 (India); Sanjeev, Ganesh [Microtron Centre, Mangalore University, Mangalagangotri, Karnataka State, India - 574 199 (India)], E-mail: mahfooz_81@yahoo.com

2008-09-15

In this paper we report on a control system developed to tune the magnetron frequency to get the maximum beam pulse in a Microtron (an electron accelerator facility at Mangalore University). The control system so designed consists of a Microcontroller Unit (MCU), a Phase Locked Loop (PLL) and a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) to track and tune the magnetron frequency. A PLL is used to track the deviation of the magnetron output frequency, and by monitoring the reflected wave voltage level, the microcontroller unit tunes the magnetron with the help of a tuner mechanism connected through a stepper motor.

Synthesis of microparticles with complex compositions in a xenon high-pressure chamber (550 bar) under irradiation by braking radiation with a maximum energy of 10 MeV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Didyk, A.Yu.; Gul'bekyan, G.G.; Myshinskiy, G.V.; Sabel'nikov, A.V.

2016-01-01

Natural xenon at a pressure of 550 bar in a high pressure chamber (XeHPC) was irradiated during 2,59 · 10 5 s by bremsstrahlung with a maximum energy of 10 MeV at the electron accelerator MT-25 microtron with an electron beam intensity of 20–22μA. The final electron fluence was 4.74 · 10 19 electrons. The growth of pressure versus temperature during the stationary exposure mode grew at first up to 620 bar and then dropped to 550 bar. After opening of the XeHPC both of the internal chambers with all the structures, but without gas, were measured using a γ-germanium detector (Canberra) during 15 h each for measurement of the background and short-lived isotopes. During a visual inspection of the interior surfaces of the XeHPC inner assembly, a visible coating of substantial thickness and greenish-yellowish color was observed. The research carried out by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray micro-probe analysis (XMPA) allowed us to determine the elemental composition of synthesized particles. [ru

Accelerator technology program. Progress report, January-June 1981

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knapp, E.A.; Jameson, R.A.

1982-05-01

This report covers the activities of Los Alamos National Laboratory's Accelerator Technology Division during the first 6 months of calendar 1981. We discuss the Division's major projects, which reflect a variety of applications and sponsors. The varied technologies concerned with the Proton Storage ring are concerned with the Proton Storage Ring are continuing and are discussed in detail. For the racetrack microtron (RTM) project, the major effort has been the design and construction of the demonstration RTM. Our development of the radio-frequency quadrupole (RFQ) linear accelerator continues to stimulate interest for many possible applications. Frequent contacts from other laboratories have revealed a wide acceptance of the RFQ principle in solving low-velocity acceleration problems. In recent work on heavy ion fusion we have developed ideas for funneling beams from RFQ linacs; the funneling process is explained. To test as many aspects as possible of a fully integrated low-energy portion of a Pion generator for Medical Irradiation (PIGMI) Accelerator, a prototype accelerator was designed to take advantage of several pieces of existing accelerator hardware. The important principles to be tested in this prototype accelerator are detailed. Our prototype gyrocon has been extensively tested and modified; we discuss results from our investigations. Our work with the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test Facility is reviewed in this report

Design and status of the 250 T - bending magnets for the 15 GeV Harmonic Double Sided Microtron for MAMI

CERN Document Server

Thomas, A; Kaiser, K H; Kreidel, H J; Ludwig-Mertin, U; Seidel, M

2002-01-01

The recirculating system of the Harmonic Double Sided Microtron (HDSM) for MAMI (Mainz Microtron) consists of four large bending magnets, which act like 90 degrees - mirrors for all beams. For the compensation of the strong vertical defocusing resulting from the -45deg. pole face rotation a special pole profile was chosen, leading to the appropriate field decay normal to the straight front edge. The machining procedure for a high quality and precise surface of the partly concave poles was worked out in collaboration with the manufacturer. 3D-codes (TOSCA and IDEAS) were used to optimise both magnetic and mechanical properties of the magnets. As a result, it was decided to build the iron core essentially only from two 125t-pieces made of high permeable cast iron. The coils were designed for a minimum temperature increase at a given power consumption and for high reliability by avoiding internal tube brazing. The first of the four magnets has been delivered end of 2001 and was transported through narrow buildin...

Accelerator technology program. Progress report, January-December 1979

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Knapp, E.A.; Jameson, R.A. (comps.)

1980-11-01

The activities of Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory's (LASL) Accelerator Technology (AT) Division during the calendar year 1979 are highlighted, with references to more detailed reports. This report is organized around the major projects of the Division, reflecting a wide variety of applications and sponsors. The first section covers the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test program, a collaborative effort with the Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory; the second section summarizes progress on the Proton Storage Ring to be built between LAMPF and the LASL Pulsed Neutron Research facility. A new project that achieved considerable momentum during the year is described next - the free-electron laser studies; the following section discusses the status of the Pion Generator for Medical Irradiation program. Next, two more new programs, the racetrack microtron being developed jointly by AT-Division and the National Bureau of Standards and the radio-frequency (rf) accelerator development for heavy ion fusion, are outlined. Development activities on a new type of high-power, high-efficiency rf amplifier called the gyrocon are then reported, and the final sections cover development of H/sup -/ ion sources and injectors, and linear accelerator instrumentation and beam dynamics.

Beam position measurement in transport line-1 of Indus accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ojha, Avanish; Yadav, Surendra; Holikatti, Anil C.; Puntambekar, T.A.; Pithawa, C.K.

2011-01-01

In Indus Accelerator Complex at RRCAT Indore, 20 MeV electron beam is transported from injector Microtron to Booster Synchrotron through Transport Line-1 (TL-1). This beam has nominal pulse width of 500 ns with repetition rate of 1 Hz. A split electrode type beam position Indicator (BPI) is planned to be used to detect position of beam in TL-1, for which a four-channel processing electronics has been designed and developed. The circuit consists of microcontroller based four-channel peak detector circuit followed by multiplexer and ADC. The microcontroller is triggered from the timing system of microtron, which enables microcontroller to control and synchronize various parts of electronics. Microcontroller also sends the digitized data to a PC on serial link. During development, a problem of overcharging of capacitor was faced, which was resulting in false peak detection. Circuit was simulated and necessary modifications were incorporated in the circuit to solve this problem. A test setup with provision to simulate the beam signal using an antenna was used for testing the circuit in lab and a suitable Graphical User Interface (GUI) program was developed in LabVIEW. This GUI can also be used to calibrate the BPI. The prototype BPI was tested under simulated beam condition, which gave positional accuracy of ± 200 microns. (author)

Research on cw electron accelerators using room-temperature rf structures. Annual report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-01-01

Highlights reported include: measurement of the 100 keV chopped beam emittance, completion of installation of the entire 5 MeV injector linac system with all rf power and drive, extensive field mapping of one end magnet, completion of construction of the 12 MeV linac for the racetrack microtron (RTM), installation of most of the control system, and first acceleration of beam to 5 MeV. Plans for completion of the project are discussed. When the RTM is operating, it is expected to have many unique performance characteristics, including the cw nature of the beam, high current, easily variable energy over a wide range, excellent emittance, and small energy spread. Plans for future uses in the areas of nuclear physics, dosimetry research and standards, accelerator development, and free electron laser research are discussed. 19 refs

Patterns in Seismicity at Mt St Helens and Mt Unzen

Science.gov (United States)

Lamb, Oliver; De Angelis, Silvio; Lavallee, Yan

2014-05-01

Cyclic behaviour on a range of timescales is a well-documented feature of many dome-forming volcanoes. Previous work on Soufrière Hills volcano (Montserrat) and Volcán de Colima (Mexico) revealed broad-scale similarities in behaviour implying the potential to develop general physical models of sub-surface processes [1]. Using volcano-seismic data from Mt St Helens (USA) and Mt Unzen (Japan) this study explores parallels in long-term behaviour of seismicity at two dome-forming systems. Within the last twenty years both systems underwent extended dome-forming episodes accompanied by large Vulcanian explosions or dome collapses. This study uses a suite of quantitative and analytical techniques which can highlight differences or similarities in volcano seismic behaviour, and compare the behaviour to changes in activity during the eruptive episodes. Seismic events were automatically detected and characterized on a single short-period seismometer station located 1.5km from the 2004-2008 vent at Mt St Helens. A total of 714 826 individual events were identified from continuous recording of seismic data from 22 October 2004 to 28 February 2006 (average 60.2 events per hour) using a short-term/long-term average algorithm. An equivalent count will be produced from seismometer recordings over the later stages of the 1991-1995 eruption at MT Unzen. The event count time-series from Mt St Helens is then analysed using Multi-taper Method and the Short-Term Fourier Transform to explore temporal variations in activity. Preliminary analysis of seismicity from Mt St Helens suggests cyclic behaviour of subannual timescale, similar to that described at Volcán de Colima and Soufrière Hills volcano [1]. Frequency Index and waveform correlation tools will be implemented to analyse changes in the frequency content of the seismicity and to explore their relations to different phases of activity at the volcano. A single station approach is used to gain a fine-scale view of variations in

Applications of the photo-nuclear reaction data for activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Odsuren, M.; Khuukhenkhuu, G.; Turbold, A.; Davaa, S.; Baatarkhuu, D.

2015-01-01

In the relative method of activation analysis by continuum wide spectrum gamma-rays the same isotope is usually used for standard reference element and sample material in connection with different dependence of the reaction cross sections on the irradiation beam energy. But, in practice suitable isotopes for reference element are not always available. So, in this paper, we suggest a new method for photo-activation analysis in which is used the correction factor. This factor takes into account the difference in the photo-nuclear reaction cross section dependence on the gamma-ray energy for standard reference isotope and sample elements. The correction factor is determined by three methods of experimental, theoretical and TALYS evaluation. Pure metal foils of Au, Cu and Mo were irradiated by bremsstrahlung gamma-rays on the electron cyclic accelerator Microtron MT-22 at the Nuclear Research Center, National University of Mongolia. Gamma spectra of the activated metal foils were measured by HP-Ge detector to obtain element contents in the samples. It was shown that experimental results with correction factors are satisfactorily in agreement with real values of the element contents in the samples

Processing of food and agricultural commodities with electron beam from microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Arun; Behere, Arun; Jadhav, S.S.; Bongirwar, D.R.; Kaul, Ahinsa; Soni, H.C.; Ganesh, S.

2001-01-01

A microtron machine source installed by the Centre for Advanced Technology (CAT), Indore, at Mangalore University, was used to study effects of irradiation on onion, potato, rava, and spices. The microbial load in spice samples was determined immediately after the experiment, as well as after six months of storage at the ambient temperature (26±2 deg C). Onion and potato samples were stored for a six months period both at ambient temperature and 15 deg C for observing the effect of electron beam irradiation on sprouting in these commodities. Rawa samples were stored at ambient temperature for observing the effect of electron beam irradiation on insect disinfestation. The results are discussed in detail in this paper. These lab-scale studies showed that electron beam could in principle be used for processing of various food products after standardizing the machine parameters and ensuring uniform dose distribution in the product. (author)

LANL Activities Supporting Electron Accelerator Production of 99Mo for NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dale, Gregory E.; Kelsey, Charles T. IV; Woloshun, Keith A.; Holloway, Michael A.; Olivas, Eric R.; Dalmas, Dale A.; Romero, Frank P.; Hurtle, Kenneth P.

2012-01-01

Summary of LANL FY12 Activities are: (1) Preparation, performance, and data analysis for the FY12 accelerator tests at ANL - (a) LANL designed and installed a closed-loop helium target cooling system at ANL for the FY12 accelerator tests, (b) Thermal test was performed on March 27, (c) 24 h production test to follow the accelerator upgrade at ANL; (2) Local target shielding design and OTR/IR recommendations - (a) Target dose rate and activation products were calculated with MCNPX, (b) 206 Pb(γ,2n) 204m Pb vs 204g Pb branching ratio unpublished, will measure using the LANL microtron, (c) OTR system nearing final configuration, (d) IR prototype system demonstrated during the recent thermal test at ANL; (3) Target housing lifetime estimation - Target housing material specifications and design to be finalized following the thermal test, lifetime not believed to be an issue; and (4) Target cooling system reliability - Long duration system characterizations will begin following the thermal test.

Radiological safety aspects of the operation of electron linear accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swanson, W.P.

1979-01-01

This manual is intended as a guide for the planning and implementation of radiation protection programmes for all types of electron linear accelerators. Material is provided for guidance in the planning and installation stages, as well as for the implementation of radiation protection for continuing operations. Because of their rapidly growing importance, the problems of installation and radiation safety of standard medical and industrial accelerators are discussed in separate sections. Special discussions are devoted to the radiation protection problems unique to electron accelerators: thick-target bremsstrahlung, the electromagnetic cascade, the estimation of secondary-radiation yields from thick targets, and instrumental corrections for accelerator duty factor. In addition, an extensive review of neutron production is given which includes new calculations of neutron production in various materials. A recalculation of activation in a variety of materials has been done for this manual, and specific gamma-ray constants have been recalculated for a number of nuclides to take into account the contribution of K X-rays. The subjects of air and water activation, as well as toxic gas production in air have been specially reviewed. Betatrons and electron microtrons operating at the same energy produce essentially the same kind of secondary radiation as electron linacs and the material given in this manual is directly applicable to them

Metallothionein (MT)-III

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carrasco, J; Giralt, M; Molinero, A

1999-01-01

Metallothionein-III is a low molecular weight, heavy-metal binding protein expressed mainly in the central nervous system. First identified as a growth inhibitory factor (GIF) of rat cortical neurons in vitro, it has subsequently been shown to be a member of the metallothionein (MT) gene family...... injected rats. The specificity of the antibody was also demonstrated in immunocytochemical studies by the elimination of the immunostaining by preincubation of the antibody with brain (but not liver) extracts, and by the results obtained in MT-III null mice. The antibody was used to characterize...... the putative differences between the rat brain MT isoforms, namely MT-I+II and MT-III, in the freeze lesion model of brain damage, and for developing an ELISA for MT-III suitable for brain samples. In the normal rat brain, MT-III was mostly present primarily in astrocytes. However, lectin staining indicated...

Accelerator technology program. Progress report, July-December 1980

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knapp, E.A.; Jameson, R.A.

1982-01-01

The activities of Los Alamos National Laboratory's Accelerator Technology Division are discussed. This report covers the last six months of calendar 1980 and is organized around the Division's major projects. These projects reflect a wide variety of applications and sponsors. The major technological innovations promoted by the Pion Generator for Medical Irradiation (PIGMI) program have been developed; accelerator technologies relevant to the design of a medically practical PIGMI have been identified. A new group in AT Division deals with microwave and magnet studies; we describe the status of some of their projects. We discuss the prototype gyrocon, which has been completed, and the development of the radio-frequency quadrupole linear accelerator, which continues to stimulate interest for many possible applications. One section of this report briefly describes the results of a design study for an electron beam ion source that is ideally suited as an injector for a heavy ion linac; another section reports on a turbine engine test facility that will expose operating turbine engines to simulated maneuver forces. In other sections we discuss various activities: the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test program, the free-electron laser program, the racetrack microtron project, the Proton Storage ring, and H - ion sources and injectors

S-band 300 W pulsed solid state microwave amplifier development for driving high power klystrons for electron accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohania, Praveen; Shrivastava, Purushottam; Hannurkar, P.R.

2005-01-01

S-Band Microwave electron accelerators like microtrons and linear accelerators need pulsed microwaves from few megawatts to tens of megawatts to accelerator the electrons to desired energy and intensity. Klystron tube based driver amplifiers were used to drive the high power klystrons, which need microwave power from few tens of watts to 1 kW depending on tube output power and gain. A endeavour was initiated at Centre for Advanced Technology to develop state of art solid state S-band microwave amplifiers indigenously to drive the klystron tubes. A modular design approach was used and individual modules up to 160 W power levels were developed and tested. Finally combining 160 W modules will give up to 300 W output power. Several more modules can be combined to achieve even high power levels. Present paper describes the developmental efforts of 300 W S-band solid-state amplifiers and related microwave technologies. (author)

Ancient mtDNA genetic variants modulate mtDNA transcription and replication.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarit Suissa

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Although the functional consequences of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA genetic backgrounds (haplotypes, haplogroups have been demonstrated by both disease association studies and cell culture experiments, it is not clear which of the mutations within the haplogroup carry functional implications and which are "evolutionary silent hitchhikers". We set forth to study the functionality of haplogroup-defining mutations within the mtDNA transcription/replication regulatory region by in vitro transcription, hypothesizing that haplogroup-defining mutations occurring within regulatory motifs of mtDNA could affect these processes. We thus screened >2500 complete human mtDNAs representing all major populations worldwide for natural variation in experimentally established protein binding sites and regulatory regions comprising a total of 241 bp in each mtDNA. Our screen revealed 77/241 sites showing point mutations that could be divided into non-fixed (57/77, 74% and haplogroup/sub-haplogroup-defining changes (i.e., population fixed changes, 20/77, 26%. The variant defining Caucasian haplogroup J (C295T increased the binding of TFAM (Electro Mobility Shift Assay and the capacity of in vitro L-strand transcription, especially of a shorter transcript that maps immediately upstream of conserved sequence block 1 (CSB1, a region associated with RNA priming of mtDNA replication. Consistent with this finding, cybrids (i.e., cells sharing the same nuclear genetic background but differing in their mtDNA backgrounds harboring haplogroup J mtDNA had a >2 fold increase in mtDNA copy number, as compared to cybrids containing haplogroup H, with no apparent differences in steady state levels of mtDNA-encoded transcripts. Hence, a haplogroup J regulatory region mutation affects mtDNA replication or stability, which may partially account for the phenotypic impact of this haplogroup. Our analysis thus demonstrates, for the first time, the functional impact of particular mt

High-statistics measurement of the η →3 π0 decay at the Mainz Microtron

Science.gov (United States)

Prakhov, S.; Abt, S.; Achenbach, P.; Adlarson, P.; Afzal, F.; Aguar-Bartolomé, P.; Ahmed, Z.; Ahrens, J.; Annand, J. R. M.; Arends, H. J.; Bantawa, K.; Bashkanov, M.; Beck, R.; Biroth, M.; Borisov, N. S.; Braghieri, A.; Briscoe, W. J.; Cherepnya, S.; Cividini, F.; Collicott, C.; Costanza, S.; Denig, A.; Dieterle, M.; Downie, E. J.; Drexler, P.; Ferretti Bondy, M. I.; Fil'kov, L. V.; Fix, A.; Gardner, S.; Garni, S.; Glazier, D. I.; Gorodnov, I.; Gradl, W.; Gurevich, G. M.; Hamill, C. B.; Heijkenskjöld, L.; Hornidge, D.; Huber, G. M.; Käser, A.; Kashevarov, V. L.; Kay, S.; Keshelashvili, I.; Kondratiev, R.; Korolija, M.; Krusche, B.; Lazarev, A.; Lisin, V.; Livingston, K.; Lutterer, S.; MacGregor, I. J. D.; Manley, D. M.; Martel, P. P.; McGeorge, J. C.; Middleton, D. G.; Miskimen, R.; Mornacchi, E.; Mushkarenkov, A.; Neganov, A.; Neiser, A.; Oberle, M.; Ostrick, M.; Otte, P. B.; Paudyal, D.; Pedroni, P.; Polonski, A.; Ron, G.; Rostomyan, T.; Sarty, A.; Sfienti, C.; Sokhoyan, V.; Spieker, K.; Steffen, O.; Strakovsky, I. I.; Strandberg, B.; Strub, Th.; Supek, I.; Thiel, A.; Thiel, M.; Thomas, A.; Unverzagt, M.; Usov, Yu. A.; Wagner, S.; Walford, N. K.; Watts, D. P.; Werthmüller, D.; Wettig, J.; Witthauer, L.; Wolfes, M.; Zana, L. A.; A2 Collaboration at MAMI

2018-06-01

The largest, at the moment, statistics of 7 ×106η →3 π0 decays, based on 6.2 ×107η mesons produced in the γ p →η p reaction, has been accumulated by the A2 Collaboration at the Mainz Microtron, MAMI. It allowed a detailed study of the η →3 π0 dynamics beyond its conventional parametrization with just the quadratic slope parameter α and enabled, for the first time, a measurement of the second-order term and a better understanding of the cusp structure in the neutral decay. The present data are also compared to recent theoretical calculations that predict a nonlinear dependence along the quadratic distance from the Dalitz-plot center.

Accelerator technology program. Progress report, July-December 1981

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knapp, E.A.; Jameson, R.A.

1982-08-01

We report on the major projects of the Los Alamos National Laboratory's Accelerator Technology Division during the last 6 months of calendar year 1981. We have continued work on the radio-frequency quadrupole linear accelerator; we are doing studies of octupole focusing. We have completed the design study on an unusual electron-linear radiographic machine that could obtain x rays of turbine engines operating under simulated flight-maneuver conditions on a centrifuge. In September we completed the 5-y PIon Generator for Medical Irradiation (PIGMI) program to develop the concept and technology for an accelerator-based facility to treat cancer in a hospital environment. The design and construction package for the site, building, and utilities for the Fusion Materials Irradiation Test (FMIT) facility has been completed, and we have begun to concentrate on tests of the rf power equipment and on the design, procurement, and installation of the 2-MeV proto-type accelerator. The Proton Storage Ring project has continued to mature. The main effort on the racetrack microtron (RTM) has been on the design and construction of various components for the demonstration RTM. On the gyrocon radio-frequency generator project, the gyrocon was rebuilt with a new electron gun and new water-cooled gun-focus coil; these new components have performed well. We have initiated a project to produce a klystron analysis code that will be useful in reducing the electrical-energy demand for accelerators. A free-electron laser amplifier experiment to test the performance of a tapered wiggler at high optical power has been successfully completed

Oxidants and not alkylating agents induce rapid mtDNA loss and mitochondrial dysfunction

Science.gov (United States)

Furda, Amy M.; Marrangoni, Adele M.; Lokshin, Anna; Van Houten, Bennett

2013-01-01

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is essential for proper mitochondrial function and encodes 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs and 13 polypeptides that make up subunits of complex I, III, IV, in the electron transport chain and complex V, the ATP synthase. Although mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in processes such as premature aging, neurodegeneration, and cancer, it has not been shown whether persistent mtDNA damage causes a loss of oxidative phosphorylation. We addressed this question by treating mouse embryonic fibroblasts with either hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or the alkylating agent methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) and measuring several endpoints, including mtDNA damage and repair rates using QPCR, levels of mitochondrial- and nuclear-encoded proteins using antibody analysis, and a pharmacologic profile of mitochondria using the Seahorse Extracellular Flux Analyzer. We show that a 60 min treatment with H2O2 causes persistent mtDNA lesions, mtDNA loss, decreased levels of a nuclear-encoded mitochondrial subunit, a loss of ATP-linked oxidative phosphorylation and a loss of total reserve capacity. Conversely, a 60 min treatment with 2 mM MMS causes persistent mtDNA lesions but no mtDNA loss, no decrease in levels of a nuclear-encoded mitochondrial subunit, and no mitochondrial dysfunction. These results suggest that persistent mtDNA damage is not sufficient to cause mitochondrial dysfunction. PMID:22766155

NCBI nr-aa BLAST: CBRC-TNIG-22-0318 [SEVENS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CBRC-TNIG-22-0318 ref|NP_334701.1| hypothetical protein MT0291.4 [Mycobacterium tuberculosis... CDC1551] gb|AAK44515.1| hypothetical protein MT0291.4 [Mycobacterium tuberculosis CDC1551] NP_334701.1 4e-12 38% ...

Accelerator-driven system design concept for disposing of spent nuclear fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gohar, Y.; Cao, Y.; Kellogg, R.; Merzari, E.

2015-01-01

At present, the US SNF (Spent Nuclear Fuel) inventory is growing by about 2,000 metric tonnes (MT) per year from the current operating nuclear power plants to reach about 70,000 MT by 2015. This SNF inventory contains about 1% transuranics (700 MT), which has about 115 MT of minor actinides. Accelerator-driven systems utilising proton accelerators with neutron spallation targets and subcritical blankets can be utilised for transmuting these transuranics, simultaneously generating carbon free energy, and significantly reducing the capacity of the required geological repository storage facility for the spent nuclear fuels. A fraction of the SNF plutonium can be used as a MOX fuel in the current/future thermal power reactors and as a starting fuel for future fast power reactors. The uranium of the spent nuclear fuel can be recycled for use in future nuclear power plants. This paper shows that only four to five accelerator-driven systems operating for less than 33 full power years can dispose of the US SNF inventory expected by 2015. In addition, a significant fraction of the long-lived fission products will be transmuted at the same time. Each system consists of a proton accelerator with a neutron spallation target and a subcritical assembly. The accelerator beam parameters are 1 GeV protons and 25 MW beam power, which produce 3 GWt in the subcritical assembly. A liquid metal (lead or lead-bismuth eutectic) spallation target is selected because of design advantages. This target is located at the centre of the subcritical assembly to maximise the utilisation of spallation neutrons. Because of the high power density in the target material, the target has its own coolant loop, which is independent of the subcritical assembly coolant loop. Mobile fuel forms with transuranic materials without uranium are considered in this work with liquid lead or lead-bismuth eutectic as fuel carrier

Experimental plant for investigation of the possibility of production of medicine intended isotopes on the basis of linear accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avagyan, R.H.; Avetisyan, A.E.; Kerobyan, I.A.; Taroyan, S.P.; Mirzoyan, R.M.; Sargsyan, R.Ts.; Galumyan, S.A.; Yeganov, V.S.; Oganesyan, A.A.; Vartanyan, H.S.; Gavalyan, V.B.; Nikogosyan, V.Ts.; Ayrapetyan, V.S.; Babayan, A.Z.; Matosyan, A.A.; Jamkochyan, S.V.; Dallakyan, R.K.; Danagulyan, A.S.; Bunyatov, K.S.

2012-01-01

A method of 99 mT c production by irradiation of molybdenum using high-intensity Bremsstrahlung photons from the electron beam of linear electron accelerator LUE50 of the A.I.Alikhanian National Science Laboratory (former Yerevan Physics Institute) is described. The experimental layout for 99 mT c production technology development has been designed and constructed. An upgrade of the linear electron accelerator was carried out to increase the electron beam intensity and spatial density. A system of computer-based remote control of the accelerator and experimental layout has been built up. Preliminary experimental investigations of 99 mT c production methods have been preformed and the qualitative and quantitative results of these studies are presented

The isomeric ratios in photonuclear reactions of natural barium induced by bremsstrahlungs with endpoint energies in the giant dipole resonance region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tran Duc Thiep; Truong Thi An; Phan Viet Cuong; Nguyen The Vinh

2012-01-01

We have determined the isomeric ratios in 130 Ba(γ, n) 129m,g Ba, 132 Ba(γ, n) 131m,g Ba and 134 Ba(γ, n) 133m,g Ba photonuclear reactions of natural barium induced by bremsstrahlungs with end-point energies in the giant dipole resonance region. The investigated samples were irradiated at electron accelerator Microtron MT-25 of the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reaction, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna, Russia. The gamma spectra of the samples irradiated were measured with spectroscopic system consisting of 8192 channel analyzer and high-energy resolution (180 keV at gamma ray 1332 keV of 60 Co) HP(Ge) semiconductor detector Canberra. The GENIE2000 (Canberra) computer program was used for data processing. The results were discussed and compared with those of other authors. (author)

75 FR 43556 - TA-W-73,381, MT Rail Link, Inc., Missoula, MT; TA-W-73,381A, Billings, MT; TA-W-73,381B, Laurel...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-26

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration TA-W-73,381, MT Rail Link, Inc., Missoula, MT; TA-W-73,381A, Billings, MT; TA-W-73,381B, Laurel, MT; TA-W-73,381C, Livingston, MT; TA-W-73... Helena, Montana. The amended notice applicable to TA-W-73,381 is hereby issued as follows: All workers of...

Short-wave radiation in a free-electron laser based on the racetrack microtron RM-100 of MSU NIIYaF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grishin, V.K.; Darenskaya, L.V.

1991-01-01

Possibility of producing electromagnetic radiation in a free-electron laser (FEL), using beam of the racetrack microtron RM-100 of MSU NIIYaF, is evaluated. Two modes of FEL operation are considered. Single-particle mode with minimal amplification factor is possible at assigned electron beam parameters and maximal energy up to 20-50 MeV. Device specifications are presented. Collective radiation mode becomes possible due to the affect of electromagnetic wave channeling. Channeling occurs under auxillary transverse compression of 10A electron beam, permitted by RM-100 parameters. Possible parameters of FEL in UV range are presented. 20 refs.; 4 figs.; 5 tabs

Land use and nutrient inputs affect priming in Andosols of Mt. Kilimanjaro

Science.gov (United States)

Mganga, Kevin; Kuzyakov, Yakov

2015-04-01

Organic C and nutrients additions in soil can accelerate mineralisation of soil organic matter i.e. priming effects. However, only very few studies have been conducted to investigate the priming effects phenomenon in tropical Andosols. Nutrients (N, P, N+P) and 14C labelled glucose were added to Andosols from six natural and intensively used ecosystems at Mt. Kilimanjaro i.e. (1) savannah, (2) maize fields, (3) lower montane forest, (4) coffee plantation, (5) grasslands and (6) Chagga homegardens. Carbon-dioxide emissions were monitored over a 60 days incubation period. Mineralisation of glucose to 14CO2 was highest in coffee plantation and lowest in Chagga homegarden soils. Maximal and minimal mineralisation rates immediately after glucose additions were observed in lower montane forest with N+P fertilisation (9.1% ± 0.83 d -1) and in savannah with N fertilisation (0.9% ± 0.17 d -1), respectively. Glucose and nutrient additions accelerated native soil organic matter mineralisation i.e. positive priming. Chagga homegarden soils had the lowest 14CO2 emissions and incorporated the highest percent of glucose into microbial biomass. 50-60% of the 14C input was retained in soil. We attribute this mainly to the high surface area of non-crystalline constituents i.e. allophanes, present in Andosols and having very high sorption capacity for organic C. The allophanic nature of Andosols of Mt. Kilimanjaro especially under traditional Chagga homegarden agroforestry system shows great potential for providing essential environmental services, notably C sequestration. Key words: Priming Effects, Andosols, Land Use Changes, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Allophanes, Tropical Agroforestry

Modular system for the control of complex accelerators using portable software

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

von der Schmitt, H.; Aufhaus, H.

1982-01-01

When designing the Mainz Microtron control system, care was taken to achieve an expandable system with long-lived application software. A multi-processor system was built from the beginning. The software is split into modules, according to function and position in hierarchy, which are distributed over the computers. The decoupling which results from modularity eases software development and maintainance. RATFOR was chosen as implementation language. With a message system for communication between the modules, several aims were reached at once: (1) symbolic addressing of the accelerator components throughout the software layers, (2) transparent access to I/O devices (CAMAC) at remote computers, (3) multitasking in FORTRAN (and RATFOR) programs, (4) a separating layer for adaptation to different operating systems - essential points for software portability. The system is in operation since April 1979 for the control of MAMI stage I

Metabolism of 64Cu and transfer of 125I-MT in the bearing liver ascites tumor (H22) mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huai Qing; Fang Xingwang; Wang Wenqing

1998-01-01

The metabolism of 64 Cu in some tissues of the bearing liver ascites tumor mice has been studied. The liver in normal and tumor bearing mice preferentially accumulates intravenous injection copper, however, the liver in the later mice accumulates much less copper than that of the former. It suggests that in the bearing ascites tumor mice, ascites tumor influences the metabolism of copper. It is found that the content of 64 Cu in the tumor cell is more than 85% in ascites tumor. Gel filtration profile of mice liver homogenate on Sephadex G-75 shows that injected 64 Cu is mainly bound with metallothionein. The tissues uptake of 125 I-labelled (Cd, Zn)-MT which is given in abdominal cavity are also reported. Of the tissues studied, the ascites tumor and kidney accumulate the highest concentration of given 125 I-MT, since over 20% of entire dose accumulated in them. After 125 I-MT is given, it soon goes into ascites tumor, and reaches the maximum in ascites as well as in tumor cell. Therefore, 125 I-MT can go through the membrane of tumor cell and reaches in the tumor cell

Endurance exercise rescues progeroid aging and induces systemic mitochondrial rejuvenation in mtDNA mutator mice

Science.gov (United States)

Safdar, Adeel; Bourgeois, Jacqueline M.; Ogborn, Daniel I.; Little, Jonathan P.; Hettinga, Bart P.; Akhtar, Mahmood; Thompson, James E.; Melov, Simon; Mocellin, Nicholas J.; Kujoth, Gregory C.; Prolla, Tomas A.; Tarnopolsky, Mark A.

2011-01-01

A causal role for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutagenesis in mammalian aging is supported by recent studies demonstrating that the mtDNA mutator mouse, harboring a defect in the proofreading-exonuclease activity of mitochondrial polymerase gamma, exhibits accelerated aging phenotypes characteristic of human aging, systemic mitochondrial dysfunction, multisystem pathology, and reduced lifespan. Epidemiologic studies in humans have demonstrated that endurance training reduces the risk of chronic diseases and extends life expectancy. Whether endurance exercise can attenuate the cumulative systemic decline observed in aging remains elusive. Here we show that 5 mo of endurance exercise induced systemic mitochondrial biogenesis, prevented mtDNA depletion and mutations, increased mitochondrial oxidative capacity and respiratory chain assembly, restored mitochondrial morphology, and blunted pathological levels of apoptosis in multiple tissues of mtDNA mutator mice. These adaptations conferred complete phenotypic protection, reduced multisystem pathology, and prevented premature mortality in these mice. The systemic mitochondrial rejuvenation through endurance exercise promises to be an effective therapeutic approach to mitigating mitochondrial dysfunction in aging and related comorbidities. PMID:21368114

Contrasting expression of membrane metalloproteinases, MT1-MMP and MT3-MMP, suggests distinct functions in skeletal development.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Maozhou; Zhang, Bingbing; Zhang, Liang; Gibson, Gary

2008-07-01

Membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) is the most ubiquitous and widely studied of the membrane-type metalloproteinases (MT-MMPs). It was thus surprising to find no published data on chicken MT1-MMP. We report here the characterization of the chicken gene. Its low sequence identity with the MT1-MMP genes of other species, high GC content, and divergent catalytic domain explains the absence of data and our difficulties in characterizing the gene. The absence of structural features in the chicken gene that have been suggested to be critical for the activation of MMP-2 by MT1-MMP; for the effect of MT1-MMP on cell migration and for the recycling of MT1-MMP suggest these features are either not essential or that MT1-MMP does not perform these functions in chickens. Comparison of the expression of chicken MT1-MMP with MT3-MMP and with MMP-2 and MMP-13 has confirmed the previously recognized co-expression of MT1-MMP with MMP-2 and MMP-13 in fibrous and vascular tissues, particularly those surrounding the developing long bones in other species. By contrast, MT3-MMP expression differs markedly from that of MT1-MMP and of both MMP-2 and MMP-13. MT3-MMP is expressed by chondrocytes of the developing articular surface. Similar expression patterns of this group of MT-MMPs and MMPs have been observed in mouse embryos and suggest distinct and specific functions for MT1-MMP and MT3-MMP in skeletal development.

A reduced number of mtSNPs saturates mitochondrial DNA haplotype diversity of worldwide population groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Salas, Antonio; Amigo, Jorge

2010-05-03

The high levels of variation characterising the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) molecule are due ultimately to its high average mutation rate; moreover, mtDNA variation is deeply structured in different populations and ethnic groups. There is growing interest in selecting a reduced number of mtDNA single nucleotide polymorphisms (mtSNPs) that account for the maximum level of discrimination power in a given population. Applications of the selected mtSNP panel range from anthropologic and medical studies to forensic genetic casework. This study proposes a new simulation-based method that explores the ability of different mtSNP panels to yield the maximum levels of discrimination power. The method explores subsets of mtSNPs of different sizes randomly chosen from a preselected panel of mtSNPs based on frequency. More than 2,000 complete genomes representing three main continental human population groups (Africa, Europe, and Asia) and two admixed populations ("African-Americans" and "Hispanics") were collected from GenBank and the literature, and were used as training sets. Haplotype diversity was measured for each combination of mtSNP and compared with existing mtSNP panels available in the literature. The data indicates that only a reduced number of mtSNPs ranging from six to 22 are needed to account for 95% of the maximum haplotype diversity of a given population sample. However, only a small proportion of the best mtSNPs are shared between populations, indicating that there is not a perfect set of "universal" mtSNPs suitable for all population contexts. The discrimination power provided by these mtSNPs is much higher than the power of the mtSNP panels proposed in the literature to date. Some mtSNP combinations also yield high diversity values in admixed populations. The proposed computational approach for exploring combinations of mtSNPs that optimise the discrimination power of a given set of mtSNPs is more efficient than previous empirical approaches. In contrast to

Special report: Mt. St. Helens

Science.gov (United States)

Mt. St Helens Volcano, Cascade Range, Southern Washington, USA (46.20°N, 122.18°W.) All times are local (GMT - 7 h through October 24, GMT - 8 h thereafter. Lava extrusion that probably began October 30 added a new lobe to the composite dome in the crater of Mt. St. Helens. After lava extrusion ended September 10 (see September 22 Eos), rates of deformation in the crater remained low for several weeks, as they had after earlier extrusion episodes. Sulfur dioxide emission ranged from 70 to 190 tons per day between October 9 and 24, but showed no particular trends. Inflation of the dome has caused small thrust faults to form in the surrounding crater floor. In early October the most active thrust, south of the dome, was moving at about 1.5 cm/d, and stations on the north crater rampart showed outward movement of about 0.5 cm/d. By October 24 these rates had increased to 14.5 and 3.5-4 cm/d, respectively, and leveling profiles perpendicular to the dome showed that crater floor tilt rates had reached 400-500 μrad/d, prompting the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to issue an advisory prediction of renewed lava extrusion within the next two weeks.

Gamma radiation and magnetic field mediated delay in effect of accelerated ageing of soybean

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahesh Kumar; Anand, Anjali; Singh, Bhupinder; Ahuja, Sumedha; Dahuja, Anil

2015-01-01

Soybean seeds were exposed to gamma radiation (0.5, 1, 3 and 5 kGy), static magnetic field (50, 100 and 200 mT) and a combination of gamma radiation and magnetic energy (0.5 kGy+200 mT and 5 kGy+50 mT) and stored at room temperature for six months. These seeds were later subjected to accelerated ageing treatment at 42°C temperature and 95-100 % relative humidity and were compared for various physical and biochemical characteristics between the untreated and the energized treatments. Energy treatment protected the quality of stored seeds in terms of its protein and oil content. Accelerated aging conditions, however, affected the oil and protein quantity and quality of seed negatively. Antioxidant enzymes exhibited a decline in their activity during aging while the LOX activity, which reflects the rate of lipid peroxidation, in general, increased during the aging. Gamma irradiated (3 and 5 kGy) and magnetic field treated seeds (100 and 200 mT) maintained a higher catalase and ascorbate peroxidase activity which may help in efficient scavenging of deleterious free radical produced during the aging. Aging caused peroxidative changes to lipids, which could be contributed to the loss of oil quality. Among the electromagnetic energy treatments, a dose of 1-5 kGy of gamma and 100 mT, 200 mT magnetic field effectively slowed the rate of biochemical degradation and loss of cellular integrity in seeds stored under conditions of accelerated aging and thus, protected the deterioration of seed quality. Energy combination treatments did not yield any additional protection advantage. (author)

Measurement of angular distribution of neutron flux for the 6 MeV race-track microtron based pulsed neutron source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patil, B.J., E-mail: bjp@physics.unipune.ernet.i [Department of Physics, University of Pune, Pune 411 007 (India); Chavan, S.T.; Pethe, S.N.; Krishnan, R. [SAMEER, IIT Powai Campus, Mumbai 400 076 (India); Dhole, S.D., E-mail: sanjay@physics.unipune.ernet.i [Department of Physics, University of Pune, Pune 411 007 (India)

2010-09-15

The 6 MeV race track microtron based pulsed neutron source has been designed specifically for the elemental analysis of short lived activation products, where the low neutron flux requirement is desirable. Electrons impinges on a e-{gamma} target to generate bremsstrahlung radiations, which further produces neutrons by photonuclear reaction in {gamma}-n target. The optimisation of these targets along with their spectra were estimated using FLUKA code. The measurement of neutron flux was carried out by activation of vanadium at different scattering angles. Angular distribution of neutron flux indicates that the flux decreases with increase in the angle and are in good agreement with the FLUKA simulation.

Production of iodine-123 radiobiological specimen on 25 MeV electron beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oganesyan, Yu.Ts.; Starodub, G.Ya.; Buklanov, G.V.; Korotkin, Yu.S.; Belov, A.G.

1988-01-01

The technique is described and experimental results are presented for production of radioactive specimen-iodine-123 for medical biological investigations. It is shown that in ten hour irradiation of 124 Xe enriched target of 10 g weight by the 25 MeV electron beam at MT-25 microtron short lived 123 I with activity of about 200 mCl can be accumulated. The procedure was developed for extraction of radioactive atoms and preparing the solution that permits to obtain during 1-1.5 h after the end of irradiation the specimen which satisfies all pharmacopeia requirements. It follows from the results that using small-size electron accelerators with the beam energy up to 25 MeV permits to organize economical and large-scale production of high quality radioactive specimen of 123 I for servicing a large region of this country. 14 refs.; 4 figs.; 1 tab

Earthworm Lumbricus rubellus MT-2: Metal Binding and Protein Folding of a True Cadmium-MT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gregory R. Kowald

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Earthworms express, as most animals, metallothioneins (MTs—small, cysteine-rich proteins that bind d10 metal ions (Zn(II, Cd(II, or Cu(I in clusters. Three MT homologues are known for Lumbricus rubellus, the common red earthworm, one of which, wMT-2, is strongly induced by exposure of worms to cadmium. This study concerns composition, metal binding affinity and metal-dependent protein folding of wMT-2 expressed recombinantly and purified in the presence of Cd(II and Zn(II. Crucially, whilst a single Cd7wMT-2 species was isolated from wMT-2-expressing E. coli cultures supplemented with Cd(II, expressions in the presence of Zn(II yielded mixtures. The average affinities of wMT-2 determined for either Cd(II or Zn(II are both within normal ranges for MTs; hence, differential behaviour cannot be explained on the basis of overall affinity. Therefore, the protein folding properties of Cd- and Zn-wMT-2 were compared by 1H NMR spectroscopy. This comparison revealed that the protein fold is better defined in the presence of cadmium than in the presence of zinc. These differences in folding and dynamics may be at the root of the differential behaviour of the cadmium- and zinc-bound protein in vitro, and may ultimately also help in distinguishing zinc and cadmium in the earthworm in vivo.

Analysis of free electron laser performance utilizing the National Bureau of Standards' CW microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang, C.M.; Sprangle, P.; Penner, S.; Maruyama, X.K.

1987-01-01

The National Bureau of Standards' (NBS) CW racetrack microtron (RTM) will be utilized as a driver for a free electron laser (FEL) oscillator. The NBS RTM possesses many exceptional properties of value for the FEL: i) CW operation, ii) energy from 20-185 MeV, iii) small energy spread and emittance, iv) excellent energy stability, and v) high average power. The 1-D FEL gain formula predicts that the FEL would oscillate at the fundamental approximately from 0.25 μm to 10 μm when up-grading the peak current to ≥ 2 A. In this paper, the authors present 3-D self-consistent numerical results including several realistic effects, such as emittance, betatron oscillations, diffraction and refraction. The results indicate that the design value of the transverse emittance is small enough that it does not degrade the FEL performance for intermediate to long wavelengths, and only slightly degrades the performance at the shortest wavelength under consideration. Due to the good emittance, the current density is high enough that focusing, or guiding, begins to manifest itself for wavelengths > 2.0 μm

The role of MT2-MMP in cancer progression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, Emiko; Yana, Ikuo; Fujita, Chisato; Irifune, Aiko; Takeda, Maki; Madachi, Ayako; Mori, Seiji; Hamada, Yoshinosuke; Kawaguchi, Naomasa; Matsuura, Nariaki

2010-01-01

The role of MT2-MMP in cancer progression remains to be elucidated in spite of many reports on MT1-MMP. Using a human fibrosarcoma cell, HT1080 and a human gastric cancer cell, TMK-1, endogenous expression of MT1-MMP or MT2-MMP was suppressed by siRNA induction to examine the influence of cancer progression in vitro and in vivo. In HT1080 cells, positive both in MT1-MMP and MT2-MMP, the migration as well as the invasion was impaired by MT1-MMP or MT2-MMP suppression. Also cell proliferation in three dimensional (3D) condition was inhibited by MT1-MMP or MT2-MMP suppression and tumor growth in the nude mice transplanted with tumor cells were reduced either MT1-MMP or MT2-MMP suppression with a prolongation of survival time in vivo. MT2-MMP suppression induces more inhibitory effects on 3D proliferation and in vivo tumor growth than MT1-MMP. On the other hand, TMK-1 cells, negative in MT1-MMP and MMP-2 but positive in MT2-MMP, all the migratory, invasive, and 3D proliferative activities in TMK-1 are decreased only by MT2-MMP suppression. These results indicate MT2-MMP might be involved in the cancer progression more than or equal to MT1-MMP independently of MMP-2 and MT1-MMP.

Evaluation of a 50-MV photon therapy beam from a racetrack microtron using MCNP4B Monte Carlo code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gudowska, I.; Svensson, R.

2001-01-01

High energy photon therapy beam from the 50 MV racetrack microtron has been evaluated using the Monte Carlo code MCNP4B. The spatial and energy distribution of photons, radial and depth dose distributions in the phantom are calculated for the stationary and scanned photon beams from different targets. The calculated dose distributions are compared to the experimental data using a silicon diode detector. Measured and calculated depth-dose distributions are in fairly good agreement, within 2-3% for the positions in the range 2-30 cm in the phantom, whereas the larger discrepancies up to 10% are observed in the dose build-up region. For the stationary beams the differences in the calculated and measured radial dose distributions are about 2-10%. (orig.)

Overexpression of mtDNA-associated AtWhy2 compromises mitochondrial function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abou-Rached Charbel

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background StWhy1, a member of the plant-specific Whirly single-stranded DNA-binding protein family, was first characterized as a transcription factor involved in the activation of the nuclear PR-10a gene following defense-related stress in potato. In Arabidopsis thaliana, Whirlies have recently been shown to be primarily localized in organelles. Two representatives of the family, AtWhy1 and AtWhy3 are imported into plastids while AtWhy2 localizes to mitochondria. Their function in organelles is currently unknown. Results To understand the role of mitochondrial Whirlies in higher plants, we produced A. thaliana lines with altered expression of the atwhy2 gene. Organellar DNA immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that AtWhy2 binds to mitochondrial DNA. Overexpression of atwhy2 in plants perturbs mitochondrial function by causing a diminution in transcript levels and mtDNA content which translates into a low activity level of respiratory chain complexes containing mtDNA-encoded subunits. This lowered activity of mitochondria yielded plants that were reduced in size and had distorted leaves that exhibited accelerated senescence. Overexpression of atwhy2 also led to early accumulation of senescence marker transcripts in mature leaves. Inactivation of the atwhy2 gene did not affect plant development and had no detectable effect on mitochondrial morphology, activity of respiratory chain complexes, transcription or the amount of mtDNA present. This lack of phenotype upon abrogation of atwhy2 expression suggests the presence of functional homologues of the Whirlies or the activation of compensating mechanisms in mitochondria. Conclusion AtWhy2 is associated with mtDNA and its overexpression results in the production of dysfunctional mitochondria. This report constitutes the first evidence of a function for the Whirlies in organelles. We propose that they could play a role in the regulation of the gene expression machinery of organelles.

Keeping mtDNA in shape between generations.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James B Stewart

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Since the unexpected discovery that mitochondria contain their own distinct DNA molecules, studies of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA have yielded many surprises. In animals, transmission of the mtDNA genome is explicitly non-Mendelian, with a very high number of genome copies being inherited from the mother after a drastic bottleneck. Recent work has begun to uncover the molecular details of this unusual mode of transmission. Many surprising variations in animal mitochondrial biology are known; however, a series of recent studies have identified a core of evolutionarily conserved mechanisms relating to mtDNA inheritance, e.g., mtDNA bottlenecks during germ cell development, selection against specific mtDNA mutation types during maternal transmission, and targeted destruction of sperm mitochondria. In this review, we outline recent literature on the transmission of mtDNA in animals and highlight the implications for human health and ageing.

Rare mtDNA haplogroups and genetic differences in rich and poor Danish Iron-Age villages

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Melchior, L; Gilbert, M T P; Kivisild, T

2008-01-01

The Roman Iron-Age (0-400 AD) in Southern Scandinavia was a formative period, where the society changed from archaic chiefdoms to a true state formation, and the population composition has likely changed in this period due to immigrants from Middle Scandinavia. We have analyzed mtDNA from 22 indi...

44 CFR 15.3 - Access to Mt. Weather.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Access to Mt. Weather. 15.3... HOMELAND SECURITY GENERAL CONDUCT AT THE MT. WEATHER EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE CENTER AND AT THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY TRAINING CENTER § 15.3 Access to Mt. Weather. Mt. Weather contains classified material and areas...

Effect of feature-selective attention on neuronal responses in macaque area MT

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, X.; Hoffmann, K.-P.; Albright, T. D.

2012-01-01

Attention influences visual processing in striate and extrastriate cortex, which has been extensively studied for spatial-, object-, and feature-based attention. Most studies exploring neural signatures of feature-based attention have trained animals to attend to an object identified by a certain feature and ignore objects/displays identified by a different feature. Little is known about the effects of feature-selective attention, where subjects attend to one stimulus feature domain (e.g., color) of an object while features from different domains (e.g., direction of motion) of the same object are ignored. To study this type of feature-selective attention in area MT in the middle temporal sulcus, we trained macaque monkeys to either attend to and report the direction of motion of a moving sine wave grating (a feature for which MT neurons display strong selectivity) or attend to and report its color (a feature for which MT neurons have very limited selectivity). We hypothesized that neurons would upregulate their firing rate during attend-direction conditions compared with attend-color conditions. We found that feature-selective attention significantly affected 22% of MT neurons. Contrary to our hypothesis, these neurons did not necessarily increase firing rate when animals attended to direction of motion but fell into one of two classes. In one class, attention to color increased the gain of stimulus-induced responses compared with attend-direction conditions. The other class displayed the opposite effects. Feature-selective activity modulations occurred earlier in neurons modulated by attention to color compared with neurons modulated by attention to motion direction. Thus feature-selective attention influences neuronal processing in macaque area MT but often exhibited a mismatch between the preferred stimulus dimension (direction of motion) and the preferred attention dimension (attention to color). PMID:22170961

The "TEU-FEL" project

OpenAIRE

Ernst, G.J.; Witteman, W.J.; Verschuur, Jeroen W.J.; Mols, R.F.X.A.M.; Mols, R.F.X.A.M.; van Oerle, B.M.; van Oerle, B.M.; Bouman, A.F.M.; Botman, J.I.M.; Hagedoorn, H.L.; Delhez, J.L.; Kleeven, W.J.G.M.

1995-01-01

The free-electron laser of the TEU-FEL project will be based on a 6 MeV photo-cathode linac as injector, a 25 MeV race-track microtron as main accelerator and a hybrid, 25 mm period undulator. The project will be carried out in two phases. In phase one only the 6 MeV linac will be used, The FEL will then produce tunable radiation around 200 µm. In phase two the linac will be used as an injector for the microtron. The FEL will then produce tunable radiation around 10 µm. Technical information ...

MT3DMS: Model use, calibration, and validation

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, C.; Hill, Mary C.; Cao, G.; Ma, R.

2012-01-01

MT3DMS is a three-dimensional multi-species solute transport model for solving advection, dispersion, and chemical reactions of contaminants in saturated groundwater flow systems. MT3DMS interfaces directly with the U.S. Geological Survey finite-difference groundwater flow model MODFLOW for the flow solution and supports the hydrologic and discretization features of MODFLOW. MT3DMS contains multiple transport solution techniques in one code, which can often be important, including in model calibration. Since its first release in 1990 as MT3D for single-species mass transport modeling, MT3DMS has been widely used in research projects and practical field applications. This article provides a brief introduction to MT3DMS and presents recommendations about calibration and validation procedures for field applications of MT3DMS. The examples presented suggest the need to consider alternative processes as models are calibrated and suggest opportunities and difficulties associated with using groundwater age in transport model calibration.

An Effect of Cadmium and Lead Ions on Escherichia coli with the Cloned Gene for Metallothionein (MT-3) Revealed by Electrochemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adam, Vojtech; Chudobova, Dagmar; Tmejova, Katerina; Cihalova, Kristyna; Krizkova, Sona; Guran, Roman; Kominkova, Marketa; Zurek, Michal; Kremplova, Monika; Jimenez, Ana Maria Jimenez; Konecna, Marie

2014-01-01

This study was focused on the application of electrochemical methods for studying of bacterial strains Escherichia coli and Escherichia coli expressing human metallothionein gene (MT-3) before and after the application of cadmium and/or lead ions in four concentrations (25, 50, 75 and 150 μM). Bacterial strains Escherichia coli and Escherichia coli expressing human metallothionein gene (MT-3) were used like model organisms for studying of metals influence to metallothionein expression. Metallothionein was isolated using fast protein liquid chromatography and quantified by electrochemical methods. The occurrence of metallothionein in E.coli was confirmed by gel electrophoresis by the presence of the bands at 15 (MT dimer) and 22 kDa (MT trimer). The changes in electrochemical records due to the interactions of metallothioneins (MT-3 and MT-2A) with cadmium and lead ions showed decline of Cat2 signal of MT with the increasing interaction time because of metal ions binding to cysteines. Electrochemical determination also revealed that Cd(II) remains in E. coli cells in the higher amount than Pb (II). Opposite situation was found at E. coli–MT-3 strain. The antimicrobial effect of cadmium ions was determined by IC 50 and was statistically calculated as 39.2 and 95.5 μM for E. coli without cloned MT-3 and E. coli carrying MT-3 gene, respectively. High provided concentration IC 50 in strains after lead ions application (352.5 μM for E. coli without cloning and 207.0 μM for E. coli carrying cloned MT-3 gene) indicates lower toxicity of lead ions on bacterial strains compared to the cadmium ions

New Radioligands for Describing the Molecular Pharmacology of MT1 and MT2 Melatonin Receptors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olivier Nosjean

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Melatonin receptors have been studied for several decades. The low expression of the receptors in tissues led the scientific community to find a substitute for the natural hormone melatonin, the agonist 2-[125I]-iodomelatonin. Using the agonist, several hundreds of studies were conducted, including the discovery of agonists and antagonists for the receptors and minute details about their molecular behavior. Recently, we attempted to expand the panel of radioligands available for studying the melatonin receptors by using the newly discovered compounds SD6, DIV880, and S70254. These compounds were characterized for their affinities to the hMT1 and hMT2 recombinant receptors and their functionality in the classical GTPS system. SD6 is a full agonist, equilibrated between the receptor isoforms, whereas S70254 and DIV880 are only partial MT2 agonists, with Ki in the low nanomolar range while they have no affinity to MT1 receptors. These new tools will hopefully allow for additions to the current body of information on the native localization of the receptor isoforms in tissues.

Screening of respiration deficiency mutants of yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) induced by ion irradiation and the mtDNA restriction analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mao Shuhong; Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing; Jin Genming; Wei Zengquan; Xie Hongmei; Ma Qiufeng; Gu Ying

2005-01-01

Screening of the respiration deficiency mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae induced by 5.19 MeV/u 22 Ne 5+ ion irradiation is reported in this paper. Some respiration deficiency mutants of white colony phenotype, in a condition of selective culture of TTC medium, were obtained. A new and simplified method based on mtDNA restriction analysis is described. The authors found that there are many obvious differences in mtDNAs between wild yeasts and the respiration deficiency mutants. The mechanism of obtaining the respiration deficiency mutants induced by heavy ion irradiation is briefly discussed. (authors)

mtDNA, Metastasis, and the Mitochondrial Unfolded Protein Response (UPRmt).

Science.gov (United States)

Kenny, Timothy C; Germain, Doris

2017-01-01

While several studies have confirmed a link between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations and cancer cell metastasis, much debate remains regarding the nature of the alternations in mtDNA leading to this effect. Meanwhile, the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR mt ) has gained much attention in recent years, with most studies of this pathway focusing on its role in aging. However, the UPR mt has also been studied in the context of cancer. More recent work suggests that rather than a single mutation or alternation, specific combinatorial mtDNA landscapes able to activate the UPR mt may be those that are selected by metastatic cells, while mtDNA landscapes unable to activate the UPR mt do not. This review aims at offering an overview of the confusing literature on mtDNA mutations and metastasis and the more recent work on the UPR mt in this setting.

The Secretion of IL-22 from Mucosal NKp44+ NK Cells Is Associated with Microbial Translocation and Virus Infection in SIV/SHIV-Infected Chinese Macaques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Wang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Microbial translocation (MT causes systemic immune activation in chronic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV infection. The role of a novel subtype of innate lymphoid cells, the NKp44+ NK cells, in HIV/simian immunodeficiency virus- (SIV- induced MT remains unknown. In this study, 12 simian-human immunodeficiency virus- (SHIV- infected macaques were chosen and split into two groups based on the MT level. Blood and Peripheral lymphoid tissue were sampled for flow cytometric analysis, viral load detection, and interleukin testing. Then, six naive Chinese macaques were used to determine the dynamics of cytokine secretion from mucosal NKp44+ NK cells in different phases of SIV infection. As a result, the degranulation capacity and IL-22 production of mucosal NKp44+ NK cells were associated with the MT level in the SHIV-infected macaques. And the number of mucosal NKp44+ NK cells and IL-22 secretion by these cells were lower in the chronic phase than in the early acute phase of SIV infection. The number of mucosal NKp44+ NK cells and interleukin-22 (IL-22 secretion by these cells increased before MT occurred. Therefore, we conclude that a decline in IL-22 production from mucosal NKp44+ NK cells induced by virus infection may be one of the causes of microbial translocation in HIV/SIV infection.

Expression of the MT1 Melatonin Receptor in Ovarian Cancer Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karolina Jablonska

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Ovarian cancer (OC is the leading cause of death among women with genital tract disorders. Melatonin exhibits oncostatic properties which it may effect through binding to its membrane receptor, MT1. The aim of this study was to determine the expression of MT1 in OC cells and to correlate this with clinical and pathological data. Immunohistochemistry was performed on 84 cases of OC. Normal ovarian epithelial (IOSE 364 and OC (SK-OV-3, OVCAR-3 cell lines were used to examine the MT1 expression at protein level using the western blot and immunofluorescence technique. The expression of MT1 was observed as cytoplasmic-membrane (MT1CM and membrane (MT1M reactions. A positive correlation between MT1CM and MT1M was found in all the studied cases. There were no significant differences between the expression of MT1CM, MT1M, and histological type, staging, grading, presence of residual disease, or overall survival time. Immunofluorescence showed both MT1M and MT1CM expression in all the tested cell lines. Western blot illustrated the highest protein level of MT1 in IOSE 364 and the lowest in the OVCAR-3. The results indicate the limited prognostic significance of MT1 in OC cells.

Application of magnetotelluric method to hydrocarbon exploration. Case study of MT survey in Yurihara oil and gas field, Akita prefecture; MT ho no kokunai sekiyu tanko eno tekiyo. Akitaken Yurihara chiiki ni okeru jikken chosa kekka

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mitsuhata, Y; Matsuo, K; Ishikawa, H; Tanaka, H; Nakagami, K [Japan National Oil Corp., Tokyo (Japan). Technology Research Center

1996-10-01

The experiment and survey were carried out to verify the effectiveness and limitation of MT method. The previous seismic reflection method is unsuitable for steep terrain and over-folded complicated geological structure. In such difficult areas, application of MT method is increasing as complement or substitution for the reflection method. However, the evaluation of resistivity structure interpretation for every area is slightly difficult because of lack of data, poor quality of data, and no verification data at boreholes. Consequently, the survey was again carried out in well-known Yurihara oil and gas field, Akita prefecture whose geological structure has been surveyed in detail at boreholes, by adding new 32 sites, 22 sites on the south side and 10 sites on the north side of the measuring line extending from east to west. As a result, it was clarified that the lower high-resistivity layer found by MT method is equal to the Nishikurosawa basaltic layer, and basalt extends to the west in the north area. This result can`t be simply compared with the previous geological profile. 8 refs., 8 figs.

Construction of 35 MeV DSM at Nihon University

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayakawa, K.; Sato, K.; Tanaka, T.; Takeda, O.

1988-01-01

High quality electron beam is needed for the excitation of the free electron laser(FEL). Construction of the 35 MeV double-sided microtron for the FEL has been started at 1984. This accelerator will feed a electron beam which has narrow energy width and low emittance. A first one turn beam line has been completed. Beam accelerating experiments and high power microwave tests are performed. (author)

Characterization of pancreatic lesions from MT-tgf alpha, Ela-myc and MT-tgf alpha/Ela-myc single and double transgenic mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Dezhong Joshua; Wang, Yong; Wu, Jiusheng; Adsay, Nazmi Volkan; Grignon, David; Khanani, Fayyaz; Sarkar, Fazlul H

2006-07-05

In order to identify good animal models for investigating therapeutic and preventive strategies for pancreatic cancer, we analyzed pancreatic lesions from several transgenic models and made a series of novel findings. Female MT-tgf alpha mice of the MT100 line developed pancreatic proliferation, acinar-ductal metaplasia, multilocular cystic neoplasms, ductal adenocarcinomas and prominent fibrosis, while the lesions in males were less severe. MT-tgf alpha-ES transgenic lines of both sexes developed slowly progressing lesions that were similar to what was seen in MT100 males. In both MT100 and MT-tgf alpha-ES lines, TGF alpha transgene was expressed mainly in proliferating ductal cells. Ela-myc transgenic mice with a mixed C57BL/6, SJL and FVB genetic background developed pancreatic tumors at 2-7 months of age, and half of the tumors were ductal adenocarcinomas, similar to what was reported originally by Sandgren et al 1. However, in 20% of the mice, the tumors metastasized to the liver. MT100/Ela-myc and MT-tgf alpha-ES/Ela-myc double transgenic mice developed not only acinar carcinomas and mixed carcinomas as previously reported but also various ductal-originated lesions, including multilocular cystic neoplasms and ductal adenocarcinomas. The double transgenic tumors were more malignant and metastasized to the liver at a higher frequency (33%) compared with the Ela-myc tumors. Sequencing of the coding region of p16ink4, k-ras and Rb cDNA in small numbers of pancreatic tumors did not identify mutations. The short latency for tumor development, the variety of tumor morphology and the liver metastases seen in Ela-myc and MT-tgf alpha/Ela-myc mice make these animals good models for investigating new therapeutic and preventive strategies for pancreatic cancer.

Patent documentation - comparison of two MT strategies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Offersgaard, Lene; Povlsen, Claus

2007-01-01

This paper focuses on two matters: A comparison of how two different MT strategies manage translating the text type of patent documentation and a survey of what is needed to transform a MT research prototype system to a translation application for patent texts. The two MT strategies is represented....... The distinctive text type of patents pose special demands for machine translation and these aspects are discussed based on linguistic observations with focus on the users point of view. Two main demands are automatic pre processing of the documents and implementation of a module which in a flexible and user......-friendly manner offers the opportunity to extend the lexical coverage of the system. These demands and the comparison of the two MT strategies are discussed on the basis of proofread patents....

A Medicago truncatula H+-pyrophosphatase gene, MtVP1, improves sucrose accumulation and anthocyanin biosynthesis in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, J W; Wang, H Q; Xiang, W W; Chai, T Y

2014-05-09

We recently cloned MtVP1, a type I vacuolar-type H(+)-translocating inorganic pyrophosphatase from Medicago truncatula. In the present study, we investigated the cellular location and the function of this H(+)-PPase in Arabidopsis and potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). An MtVP1::enhanced green fluorescent protein fusion was constructed, which localized to the plasma membrane of onion epidermal cells. Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana overexpressing MtVP1 had more robust root systems and redder shoots than wild-type (WT) plants under conditions of cold stress. Furthermore, overexpression of MtVP1 in potato accelerated the formation and growth of vegetative organs. The tuber buds and stem base of transgenic potatoes became redder than those of WT plants, but flowering was delayed by approximately half a month. Interestingly, anthocyanin biosynthesis was promoted in transgenic Arabidopsis seedlings and potato tuber buds. The sucrose concentration of transgenic potato tubers and tuber buds was enhanced compared with that of WT plants. Furthermore, sucrose concentration in tubers was higher than that in tuber buds. Although there was no direct evidence to support Fuglsang's hypothetical model regarding the effects of H(+)-PPase on sucrose phloem loading, we speculated that sucrose concentration was increased in tuber buds owing to the increased concentration in tubers. Therefore, overexpressed MtVP1 enhanced sucrose accumulation of source organs, which might enhance sucrose transport to sink organs, thus affecting anthocyanin biosynthesis.

Advanced low-beta cavity development for proton and ion accelerators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conway, Z.A., E-mail: zconway@anl.gov; Kelly, M.P.; Ostroumov, P.N.

2015-05-01

Recent developments in designing and processing low-beta superconducting cavities at Argonne National Laboratory are very encouraging for future applications requiring compact proton and ion accelerators. One of the major benefits of these accelerating structures is achieving real-estate accelerating gradients greater than 3 MV/m very efficiently either continuously or for long-duty cycle operation (>1%). The technology has been implemented in low-beta accelerator cryomodules for the Argonne ATLAS heavy-ion linac where the cryomodules are required to have real-estate gradients of more than 3 MV/m. In offline testing low-beta cavities with even higher gradients have already been achieved. This paper will review this work where we have achieved surface fields greater than 166 mT magnetic and 117 MV/m electric in a 72 MHz quarter-wave resonator optimized for β = 0.077 ions.

Advanced low-beta cavity development for proton and ion accelerators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conway, Z. A.; Kelly, M. P.; Ostroumov, P. N.

2015-05-01

Recent developments in designing and processing low-beta superconducting cavities at Argonne National Laboratory are very encouraging for future applications requiring compact proton and ion accelerators. One of the major benefits of these accelerating structures is achieving real-estate accelerating gradients greater than 3 MV/m very efficiently either continuously or for long-duty cycle operation (>1%). The technology has been implemented in low-beta accelerator cryomodules for the Argonne ATLAS heavy-ion linac where the cryomodules are required to have real-estate gradients of more than 3 MV/m. In offline testing low-beta cavities with even higher gradients have already been achieved. This paper will review this work where we have achieved surface fields greater than 166 mT magnetic and 117 MV/m electric in a 72 MHz quarter-wave resonator optimized for beta = 0.077 ions.

Advanced low-beta cavity development for proton and ion accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conway, Z.A.; Kelly, M.P.; Ostroumov, P.N.

2015-01-01

Recent developments in designing and processing low-beta superconducting cavities at Argonne National Laboratory are very encouraging for future applications requiring compact proton and ion accelerators. One of the major benefits of these accelerating structures is achieving real-estate accelerating gradients greater than 3 MV/m very efficiently either continuously or for long-duty cycle operation (>1%). The technology has been implemented in low-beta accelerator cryomodules for the Argonne ATLAS heavy-ion linac where the cryomodules are required to have real-estate gradients of more than 3 MV/m. In offline testing low-beta cavities with even higher gradients have already been achieved. This paper will review this work where we have achieved surface fields greater than 166 mT magnetic and 117 MV/m electric in a 72 MHz quarter-wave resonator optimized for β = 0.077 ions

Processing of food and agricultural commodities with electron beam from microtron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Arun; Behere, Arun; Jadhav, S.S.; Bongirwar, D.R.; Kaul, Ahinsa; Soni, H.C.; Ganesh, S.

2001-01-01

A microtron machine source installed by the Centre for Advanced Technology (CAT), Indore, at Mangalore University, was used in the study. The machine was operated at a beam power of 1.8 W, beam energy of 8.6 MeV, and a beam current of 20 mA. After initial standardization, the irradiation of commodities was carried out. The doses employed were 0.06 kGy for onion, 0.10 kGy for potato, 0.25 kGy for rawa, and 8 kGy for spices. The desired dose was delivered by exposing the samples from the two opposite sides of the box. The microbial load in spice samples was determined immediately after the experiment, as well as after six months of storage at the ambient temperature (26±2 degC). Onion and potato samples were stored for a six months period both at ambient temperature and 15 degC for observing the effect of electron beam irradiation on sprouting in these commodities. Rawa samples were stored at ambient temperature for observing the effect of electron beam irradiation on insect disinfestation. The electron beam irradiation at the recommended doses was found to be as effective as gamma radiation in bringing down the microbial load of the tested spices to the desired level, disinfestations of rawa, and inhibition of sprouting in onion. In the case of potato even four-side irradiation of the product box did not inhibit the sprouting completely. This indicated the necessity of standardization of machine parameters for uniform dose distribution in the product box for each commodity. These lab-scale studies showed that electron beam could in principle be used for processing of various food products after standardizing the machine parameters and ensuring uniform dose distribution in the product. Use of this technology on commercial scale would need standardization on larger machines

Bacterial effect of accelerated electrons on several pathogens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butaev, M.K.; Bulkhanov, R.U.; Ryasnyanskii, I.V.; Mirzaev, B.Sh.; Safarov, A.N.; Suleymanov, R.D.

2006-01-01

colibacterillesis and salmonellosis of calves' were developed in RIVU. By widening the application field of developed radiation biotechnology the 'Polyvalent vaccine against pasteurellesis, salmonellosis and colibacterillesis of farm animals' was created in recent years. The mentioned radio vaccines were successfully tested in laboratory and working environment and are widely used in veterinary practice in the farms of the Republic of Uzbekistan [3].For further broadening of the possibility to use the radiation biotechnology and to enrich the native arsenal of veterinary bio medication, it is presently planned to conduct large-scale research on the use of accelerated electrons (AE) to obtain in perspective new preventive materials. Several results of the beginning stage of this research are given in the present report.The suspensions of pathogenic strains of pasteurellesis, salmonellosis and Escherichia Coli strains were exposed to irradiation by accelerated electrons of microtron MT-22C. Taking into account the slightly higher resistance of bacteria against irradiation by accelerated electrons as compared to gamma-irradiation, the doses from 400 to 1100 kRad were used. At this, the special attention was paid to control the distribution of linear density of the current in scanning of AE beam, the distribution of linear density of the current in perpendicular scanning of AE beam and the value of absorbed dose. The studies showed that at AE irradiation by 400 kRad dose the bacterial survival rate is about 10 %, at 500 kRad-2-3 %, 600 kRad- less than 1 %. At the dose of 800 kRad only isolated colonies of bacteria survived. At AE irradiation by 900 kRad- 1.1 MRad dose, there was no increase the growth of bacteria's number. Since these data were obtained at the multiple repetition of results, it can be supposed that the minimal absolute devitalizing AE irradiation dose of bacteria lies in the region 0.9-1.0 MRad. At this, some inter-species and even intra species peculiarities in the

MT-CYB mutations in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hagen, Christian M; Aidt, Frederik H; Havndrup, Ole

2013-01-01

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a characteristic of heart failure. Mutations in mitochondrial DNA, particularly in MT-CYB coding for cytochrome B in complex III (CIII), have been associated with isolated hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). We hypothesized that MT-CYB mutations might play an important...... and m.15482T>C; p.S246P were identified. Modeling showed that the p.C93Y mutation leads to disruption of the tertiary structure of Cytb by helix displacement, interfering with protein-heme interaction. The p.S246P mutation induces a diproline structure, which alters local secondary structure and induces...... of HCM patients. We propose that further patients with HCM should be examined for mutations in MT-CYB in order to clarify the role of these variants....

Decreased Circulating mtDNA Levels in Professional Male Volleyball Players.

Science.gov (United States)

Nasi, Milena; Cristani, Alessandro; Pinti, Marcello; Lamberti, Igor; Gibellini, Lara; De Biasi, Sara; Guazzaloca, Alessandro; Trenti, Tommaso; Cossarizza, Andrea

2016-01-01

Exercise exerts various effects on the immune system, and evidence is emerging on its anti-inflammatory effects; the mechanisms on the basis of these modifications are poorly understood. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) released from damaged cells acts as a molecule containing the so-called damage-associated molecular patterns and can trigger sterile inflammation. Indeed, high plasma levels of mtDNA are associated to several inflammatory conditions and physiological aging and longevity. The authors evaluated plasma mtDNA in professional male volleyball players during seasonal training and the possible correlation between mtDNA levels and clinical parameters, body composition, and physical performance. Plasma mtDNA was quantified by real-time PCR every 2 mo in 12 professional volleyball players (PVPs) during 2 consecutive seasons. As comparison, 20 healthy nonathlete male volunteers (NAs) were analyzed. The authors found lower levels of mtDNA in plasma of PVPs than in NAs. However, PVPs showed a decrease of circulating mtDNA only in the first season, while no appreciable variations were observed during the second season. No correlation was observed among mtDNA, hematochemical, and anthropometric parameters. Regular physical activity appeared associated with lower levels of circulating mtDNA, further confirming the protective, anti-inflammatory effect of exercise.

Accelerated adjustment in the German hardcoal industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Semrau, G.

1994-01-01

The worsening overall economic situation and the steel crisis necessitate an accelerated adjustment of the production capacity and the output. In 1993 hardcoal production was reduced by almost 8 Mtce or 12% to some 59 Mtce. The coke production of the colliery-owned coke oven plants was even reduced by 27%. Following the strong decline of deliveries in 1992 (-6 Mt), the sale of hardcoal and coke fell by another 4 Mt to about 60 Mtce in 1993. The high sales losses resulted in a further increase in stock. At the end of 1993 23 Mt coal had been stockpiled and burdened the results and liquidity of the hardcoal mining companies. The loss of jobs is aggravating. At the end of 1993 the hardcoal industry employed a workforce of 113500, of those 106300 own employees and 7300 workers form contractors. In the course of the year 10600 jobs were lost totaling up to about 55000 since the 1987 coal round. With an underground OMS of 5267 kg the hardcoal industry has reached the highest productivity level so far. In 1994 the hardcoal industry will continue to contract. The hardcoal output is to be reduced to less than 53 Mtce to achieve a reduction of stock in the mining companies. (orig.)

MARS--a project of the diffraction-limited fourth generation X-ray source based on supermicrotron

CERN Document Server

Kulipanov, G N; Vinokurov, N A

2001-01-01

The new approach for the fourth generation X-ray source - Multiturn Accelerator-Recuperator Source (MARS) - was proposed recently. The installation consists of the radiofrequency (RF) multiturn accelerator (similar to the race-track microtron) and long undulator(s). After passing through the undulator(s) the electron beam is decelerated in the same RF accelerating structure. Such energy recovery reduces dramatically the radiation hazard and decreases the required RF power. In this paper we present a more detail explanation of this scheme, and specify further the parameter limitations and requirements for the accelerator.

Crystallographic characterization of the radixin FERM domain bound to the cytoplasmic tail of membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terawaki, Shin-ichi; Kitano, Ken; Aoyama, Miki; Hakoshima, Toshio

2008-01-01

The radixin FERM domain was shown to bind the MT1-MMP cytoplasmic peptide and crystals of the complex were obtained. ERM proteins play a role in the cross-linking found between plasma membranes and actin filaments. The N-terminal FERM domains of ERM proteins are responsible for membrane association through direct interaction with the cytoplasmic tails of integral membrane proteins. During cell migration and movement, membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) on plasma membranes sheds adhesion molecule CD44 in addition to degrading the extracellular matrix. Here, the interaction between the radixin FERM domain and the MT1-MMP cytoplasmic tail is reported and preliminary crystallographic characterization of crystals of the radixin FERM domain bound to the cytoplasmic tail of MT1-MMP is presented. The crystals belong to space group P6 1 22, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 122.7, c = 128.3 Å, and contain one complex in the crystallographic asymmetric unit. The diffraction data were collected to a resolution of 2.4 Å

MtCAS31 Aids Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation by Protecting the Leghemoglobin MtLb120-1 Under Drought Stress in Medicago truncatula

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin Li

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF in legume root nodules injects millions of tons of nitrogen into agricultural lands and provides ammonia to non-legume crops under N-deficient conditions. During plant growth and development, environmental stresses, such as drought, salt, cold, and heat stress are unavoidable. This raises an interesting question as to how the legumes cope with the environmental stress along with SNF. Under drought stress, dehydrin proteins are accumulated, which function as protein protector and osmotic substances. In this study, we found that the dehydrin MtCAS31 (cold-acclimation-specific 31 functions in SNF in Medicago truncatula during drought stress. We found that MtCAS31 is expressed in nodules and interacts with leghemoglobin MtLb120-1. The interaction between the two proteins protects MtLb120-1 from denaturation under thermal stress in vivo. Compared to wild type, cas31 mutants display a lower nitrogenase activity, a lower ATP/ADP ratio, higher expression of nodule senescence genes and higher accumulation of amyloplasts under dehydration conditions. The results suggested that MtCAS31 protects MtLb120-1 from the damage of drought stress. We identified a new function for dehydrins in SNF under drought stress, which enriches the understanding of the molecular mechanism of dehydrins.

Dynamics and transport of laser-accelerated particle beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker, Stefan

2010-01-01

The subject of this thesis is the investigation and optimization of beam transport elements in the context of the steadily growing field of laser-driven particle acceleration. The first topic is the examination of the free vacuum expansion of an electron beam at high current density. It could be shown that particle tracking codes which are commonly used for the calculation of space charge effects will generate substantial artifacts in the regime considered here. The artifacts occurring hitherto predominantly involve insufficient prerequisites for the Lorentz transformation, the application of inadequate initial conditions and non negligible retardation artifacts. A part of this thesis is dedicated to the development of a calculation approach which uses a more adequate ansatz calculating space charge effects for laser-accelerated electron beams. It can also be used to validate further approaches for the calculation of space charge effects. The next elements considered are miniature magnetic quadrupole devices for the focusing of charged particle beams. General problems involved with their miniaturization concern distorting higher order field components. If these distorting components cannot be controlled, the field of applications is very limited. In this thesis a new method for the characterization and compensation of the distorting components was developed, which might become a standard method when assembling these permanent magnet multipole devices. The newly developed characterization method has been validated at the Mainz Microtron (MAMI) electron accelerator. Now that we can ensure optimum performance, the first application of permanent magnet quadrupole devices in conjunction with laser-accelerated ion beams is presented. The experiment was carried out at the Z-Petawatt laser system at Sandia National Laboratories. A promising application for laser-accelerated electron beams is the FEL in a university-scale size. The first discussion of all relevant aspects

Dynamics and transport of laser-accelerated particle beams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Becker, Stefan

2010-04-19

The subject of this thesis is the investigation and optimization of beam transport elements in the context of the steadily growing field of laser-driven particle acceleration. The first topic is the examination of the free vacuum expansion of an electron beam at high current density. It could be shown that particle tracking codes which are commonly used for the calculation of space charge effects will generate substantial artifacts in the regime considered here. The artifacts occurring hitherto predominantly involve insufficient prerequisites for the Lorentz transformation, the application of inadequate initial conditions and non negligible retardation artifacts. A part of this thesis is dedicated to the development of a calculation approach which uses a more adequate ansatz calculating space charge effects for laser-accelerated electron beams. It can also be used to validate further approaches for the calculation of space charge effects. The next elements considered are miniature magnetic quadrupole devices for the focusing of charged particle beams. General problems involved with their miniaturization concern distorting higher order field components. If these distorting components cannot be controlled, the field of applications is very limited. In this thesis a new method for the characterization and compensation of the distorting components was developed, which might become a standard method when assembling these permanent magnet multipole devices. The newly developed characterization method has been validated at the Mainz Microtron (MAMI) electron accelerator. Now that we can ensure optimum performance, the first application of permanent magnet quadrupole devices in conjunction with laser-accelerated ion beams is presented. The experiment was carried out at the Z-Petawatt laser system at Sandia National Laboratories. A promising application for laser-accelerated electron beams is the FEL in a university-scale size. The first discussion of all relevant aspects

α -decay chains of superheavy Mt-279265 isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

Santhosh, K. P.; Nithya, C.

2017-10-01

The α -decay chains of the isotopes Mt-279265 are predicted by comparing the α half-lives calculated within the Coulomb and proximity potential model for deformed nuclei of Santhosh et al. [Nucl. Phys. A 850, 34 (2011)], 10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2010.12.002 with the spontaneous fission half-lives using the shell-effect-dependent formula of Santhosh and Nithya [Phys. Rev. C 94, 054621 (2016)], 10.1103/PhysRevC.94.054621. α half-lives also are calculated using different theoretical formalisms for comparison. The predicted half-lives and decay modes match well with the experimental results. The use of four different mass tables for calculating the α - decay energies indicates that the mass table of Wang et al. [Chin. Phys. C 41, 030003 (2017)], 10.1088/1674-1137/41/3/030003, which is based on the AME2016 atomic mass evaluation, is in better agreement with experimental results. The paper predicts long α chains from 265,267-269,271-273MT with half-lives within experimental limits. The isotopes 274-276,278Mt exhibit 2α chains followed by spontaneous fission. The 2α chain of 266Mt and the 4α chain of 270Mt end with electron capture. The isotopes Mt,279277 decay via spontaneous fission. We hope that the paper will open up new areas in this field.

Metabolic rescue in pluripotent cells from patients with mtDNA disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Hong; Folmes, Clifford D L; Wu, Jun; Morey, Robert; Mora-Castilla, Sergio; Ocampo, Alejandro; Ma, Li; Poulton, Joanna; Wang, Xinjian; Ahmed, Riffat; Kang, Eunju; Lee, Yeonmi; Hayama, Tomonari; Li, Ying; Van Dyken, Crystal; Gutierrez, Nuria Marti; Tippner-Hedges, Rebecca; Koski, Amy; Mitalipov, Nargiz; Amato, Paula; Wolf, Don P; Huang, Taosheng; Terzic, Andre; Laurent, Louise C; Izpisua Belmonte, Juan Carlos; Mitalipov, Shoukhrat

2015-08-13

Mitochondria have a major role in energy production via oxidative phosphorylation, which is dependent on the expression of critical genes encoded by mitochondrial (mt)DNA. Mutations in mtDNA can cause fatal or severely debilitating disorders with limited treatment options. Clinical manifestations vary based on mutation type and heteroplasmy (that is, the relative levels of mutant and wild-type mtDNA within each cell). Here we generated genetically corrected pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) from patients with mtDNA disease. Multiple induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines were derived from patients with common heteroplasmic mutations including 3243A>G, causing mitochondrial encephalomyopathy and stroke-like episodes (MELAS), and 8993T>G and 13513G>A, implicated in Leigh syndrome. Isogenic MELAS and Leigh syndrome iPS cell lines were generated containing exclusively wild-type or mutant mtDNA through spontaneous segregation of heteroplasmic mtDNA in proliferating fibroblasts. Furthermore, somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) enabled replacement of mutant mtDNA from homoplasmic 8993T>G fibroblasts to generate corrected Leigh-NT1 PSCs. Although Leigh-NT1 PSCs contained donor oocyte wild-type mtDNA (human haplotype D4a) that differed from Leigh syndrome patient haplotype (F1a) at a total of 47 nucleotide sites, Leigh-NT1 cells displayed transcriptomic profiles similar to those in embryo-derived PSCs carrying wild-type mtDNA, indicative of normal nuclear-to-mitochondrial interactions. Moreover, genetically rescued patient PSCs displayed normal metabolic function compared to impaired oxygen consumption and ATP production observed in mutant cells. We conclude that both reprogramming approaches offer complementary strategies for derivation of PSCs containing exclusively wild-type mtDNA, through spontaneous segregation of heteroplasmic mtDNA in individual iPS cell lines or mitochondrial replacement by SCNT in homoplasmic mtDNA-based disease.

The Mt Logan Holocene-late Wisconsinan isotope record

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dahl-Jensen, Dorthe; Fisher, David; Osterberg, Erich

2008-01-01

Mt Logan • stable isotopes • Holocene • ENSO • peat • N Pacific • sudden change Udgivelsesdato: August......Mt Logan • stable isotopes • Holocene • ENSO • peat • N Pacific • sudden change Udgivelsesdato: August...

IFPE/MT4-MT6A-LOCA, Large-break LOCA in-reactor fuel bundle materials tests at NRU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cunningham, Mitchel E.; Turnbull, J.A.

2003-01-01

Description - Objectives - Results: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) conducted a series of thermal-hydraulic and cladding mechanical deformation tests in the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor at the Chalk River National Laboratory in Canada. The objective of these tests was to perform simulated loss-of-coolant-accident (LOCA) experiments using full-length light-water reactor fuel rods to study mechanical deformation, flow blockage, and coolability. Three phases of a LOCA (i.e., heat-up, reflood, and quench) were performed in situ using nuclear fissioning to simulate the low-level decay power during a LOCA after shutdown. All tests used PWR-type, non-irradiated fuel rods. Provided here is information on two materials tests, MT-6A and MT-4, which PNNL considers the better characterized for the purposes of setting up computer cases. The NRU reactor is a heterogeneous, thermal, tank-type research reactor. It has a power level of 135 MWth and is heavy-water moderated and cooled. The coolant has an inlet temperature of 310 K at a pressure of 0.65 MPa. The MT tests were conducted in a specially designed test train to supply the specified coolant conditions of flowing steam, stagnant steam, and then reflood. Typical instrumentation for the MT tests included fuel centerline thermocouples, cladding inner surface thermocouples, cladding outer surface thermocouples, rod internal gas pressure transducers or pressure switches, coolant channel steam probes, and self-powered neutron detectors. This instrumentation allowed for determining rupture times and cladding temperature. The test rods for the LOCA cases in the NRU reactor were irradiated in flowing steam prior to the transient, stagnant steam during the transient and prior to reflood, and then reflood conditions to complete the transient. Both cladding inner surface and outer surface temperatures were measured, in addition to coolant temperatures. However, only cladding inner surface temperatures were

N-V related fluorescence of the monoenergetic high energy electron irradiated diamond nanoparticles

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Remeš, Zdeněk; Mičová, Júlia; Krist, Pavel; Chvátil, David; Effenberg, R.; Nesladek, M.

2015-01-01

Roč. 212, č. 11 (2015), s. 2519-2524 ISSN 1862-6300 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA14-05053S Institutional support: RVO:68378271 ; RVO:61389005 Keywords : nanodiamonds * photoluminescence * microtron * electron accelerator * color center Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.648, year: 2015

76 FR 18040 - Amendment of Class E Airspace; West Yellowstone, MT

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-01

... airspace at Yellowstone Airport, West Yellowstone, MT, to accommodate aircraft using Instrument Landing... the earth. * * * * * ANM MT E5 West Yellowstone, MT [Amended] West Yellowstone, Yellowstone Airport...

Nuclear DNA but not mtDNA controls tumor phenotypes in mouse cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akimoto, Miho; Niikura, Mamoru; Ichikawa, Masami; Yonekawa, Hiromichi; Nakada, Kazuto; Honma, Yoshio; Hayashi, Jun-Ichi

2005-01-01

Recent studies showed high frequencies of homoplasmic mtDNA mutations in various human tumor types, suggesting that the mutated mtDNA haplotypes somehow contribute to expression of tumor phenotypes. We directly addressed this issue by isolating mouse mtDNA-less (ρ 0 ) cells for complete mtDNA replacement between normal cells and their carcinogen-induced transformants, and examined the effect of the mtDNA replacement on expression of tumorigenicity, a phenotype forming tumors in nude mice. The results showed that genome chimera cells carrying nuclear DNA from tumor cells and mtDNA from normal cells expressed tumorigenicity, whereas those carrying nuclear DNA from normal cells and mtDNA from tumor cells did not. These observations provided direct evidence that nuclear DNA, but not mtDNA, is responsible for carcinogen-induced malignant transformation, although it remains possible that mtDNA mutations and resultant respiration defects may influence the degree of malignancy, such as invasive or metastatic properties

Food-induced reinforcement is abrogated by the genetic deletion of the MT1 or MT2 melatonin receptor in C3H/HeN mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Clough, Shannon J; Hudson, Randall L; Dubocovich, Margarita L

2018-05-02

Palatable food is known for its ability to enhance reinforcing responses. Studies have suggested a circadian variation in both drug and natural reinforcement, with each following its own time course. The goal of this study was to determine the role of the MT 1 and MT 2 melatonin receptors in palatable snack food-induced reinforcement, as measured by the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm during the light and dark phases. C3H/HeN wild-type mice were trained for snack food-induced CPP at either ZT 6 - 8 (ZT: Zeitgeber time; ZT 0 = lights on), when endogenous melatonin levels are low, or ZT 19 - 21, when melatonin levels are high. These time points also correspond to the high and low points for expression of the circadian gene Period1, respectively. The amount of snack food (chow, Cheetos®, Froot Loops® and Oreos®) consumed was of similar magnitude at both times, however only C3H/HeN mice conditioned to snack food at ZT 6 - 8 developed a place preference. C3H/HeN mice with a genetic deletion of either the MT 1 (MT 1 KO) or MT 2 (MT 2 KO) receptor tested at ZT 6 - 8 did not develop a place preference for snack food. Although the MT 2 KO mice showed a similar amount of snack food consumed when compared to wild-type mice, the MT 1 KO mice consumed significantly less than either genotype. We conclude that in our mouse model snack food-induced CPP is dependent on time of day and the presence of the MT 1 or MT 2 receptors, suggesting a role for melatonin and its receptors in snack food-induced reinforcement. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mitochondrial DNA copy number threshold in mtDNA depletion myopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Durham, S E; Bonilla, E; Samuels, D C; DiMauro, S; Chinnery, P F

2005-08-09

The authors measured the absolute amount of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) within single muscle fibers from two patients with thymidine kinase 2 (TK2) deficiency and two healthy controls. TK2 deficient fibers containing more than 0.01 mtDNA/microm3 had residual cytochrome c oxidase (COX) activity. This defines the minimum amount of wild-type mtDNA molecules required to maintain COX activity in skeletal muscle and provides an explanation for the mosaic histochemical pattern seen in patients with mtDNA depletion syndrome.

ADAM12 produced by tumor cells rather than stromal cells accelerates breast tumor progression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frohlich, Camilla; Nehammer, Camilla; Albrechtsen, Reidar

2011-01-01

that ADAM12 deficiency reduces breast tumor progression in the PyMT model. However, the catalytic activity of ADAM12 appears to be dispensable for its tumor-promoting effect. Interestingly, we demonstrate that ADAM12 endogenously expressed in tumor-associated stroma in the PyMT model does not influence......Expression of ADAM12 is low in most normal tissues, but is markedly increased in numerous human cancers, including breast carcinomas. We have previously shown that overexpression of ADAM12 accelerates tumor progression in a mouse model of breast cancer (PyMT). In the present study, we found...... hypothesized, however, that the tumor-associated stroma may stimulate ADAM12 expression in tumor cells, based on the fact that TGF-ß1 stimulates ADAM12 expression and is a well-known growth factor released from tumor-associated stroma. TGF-ß1 stimulation of ADAM12-negative Lewis lung tumor cells induced ADAM12...

A new measurement of the rare decay eta -> pi^0 gamma gamma with the Crystal Ball/TAPS detectors at the Mainz Microtron

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nefkens, B M; Prakhov, S; Aguar-Bartolom��, P; Annand, J R; Arends, H J; Bantawa, K; Beck, R; Bekrenev, V; Bergh��user, H; Braghieri, A; Briscoe, W J; Brudvik, J; Cherepnya, S; Codling, R F; Collicott, C; Costanza, S; Danilkin, I V; Denig, A; Demissie, B; Dieterle, M; Downie, E J; Drexler, P; Fil' kov, L V; Fix, A; Garni, S; Glazier, D I; Gregor, R; Hamilton, D; Heid, E; Hornidge, D; Howdle, D; Jahn, O; Jude, T C; Kashevarov, V L; K��ser, A; Keshelashvili, I; Kondratiev, R; Korolija, M; Kotulla, M; Koulbardis, A; Kruglov, S; Krusche, B; Lisin, V; Livingston, K; MacGregor, I J; Maghrbi, Y; Mancel, J; Manley, D M; McNicoll, E F; Mekterovic, D; Metag, V; Mushkarenkov, A; Nikolaev, A; Novotny, R; Oberle, M; Ortega, H; Ostrick, M; Ott, P; Otte, P B; Oussena, B; Pedroni, P; Polonski, A; Robinson, J; Rosner, G; Rostomyan, T; Schumann, S; Sikora, M H; Starostin, A; Strakovsky, I I; Strub, T; Suarez, I M; Supek, I; Tarbert, C M; Thiel, M; Thomas, A; Unverzagt, M; Watts, D P; Werthmueller, D; Witthauer, L

2014-08-01

A new measurement of the rare, doubly radiative decay eta->pi^0 gamma gamma was conducted with the Crystal Ball and TAPS multiphoton spectrometers together with the photon tagging facility at the Mainz Microtron MAMI. New data on the dependence of the partial decay width, Gamma(eta->pi^0 gamma gamma), on the two-photon invariant mass squared, m^2(gamma gamma), as well as a new, more precise value for the decay width, Gamma(eta->pi^0 gamma gamma) = (0.33+/-0.03_tot) eV, are based on analysis of 1.2 x 10^3 eta->pi^0 gamma gamma decays from a total of 6 x 10^7 eta mesons produced in the gamma p -> eta p reaction. The present results for dGamma(eta->pi^0 gamma gamma)/dm^2(gamma gamma) are in good agreement with previous measurements and recent theoretical calculations for this dependence.

Domain specific MT in use

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Offersgaard, Lene; Povlsen, Claus; Almsten, Lisbeth Kjeldgaard

2008-01-01

point scale evaluate the sentence from the point of view of the post-editor. The post-editor profile defined by the LSP is based on the experiences of introducing MT in the LSP workflow. The relation between the Translation Edit Rate (TER) scores and “Usability” scores is tested. We find TER a candidate......The paper focuses on domain specific use of MT with a special focus on SMT in the workflow of a Language Service Provider (LSP). We report on the feedback of post-editors using fluency/adequacy evaluation and the evaluation metric ’Usability’, understood in this context as where users on a three...

Organization of lasers with particle accelerators to create new tools for frontier sciences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakajima, Kazuhisa; Kando, Masaki; Kotaki, Hideyuki; Kondo, Shuji; Kanazawa, Shuhei; Masuda, Shinichi; Honma, Takayuki

2003-01-01

Recently great advances of ultraintense ultrashort pulse lasers have brought about tremendous experimental and theoretical progress in maturity of laser-driven particle accelerator concepts. In near future creation of new tools for frontier sciences is forseen, which will be combined and organized from ultraintense lasers and particle accelerators. Here we report research activities on the laser acceleration at JAERI - APR as well as the outlook for developments of laser-driven particle injectors, accelerators and radiation sources. Recent world-wide experiments have successfully demonstrated that the self-modulated LWFA mechanism is capable of generating ultrahigh accelerating gradient of the order of 100 GeV/m, while the maximum energy gain is limited at most to 200 MeV with energy spread of 100% because of dephasing and wavebreaking effects in plasmas. The first high energy gain acceleration 300 MeV has been opened with the injection of an electron beam at an energy matched to a wakefield phase velocity in a fairly underdense plasma by our group. Our activities on laser acceleration research have focused on the laser wakefield accelerator developments for high energy electron acceleration achieving more than 1 GeV with channel-guided scheme, and on high quality beam generation with both conventional and advanced technologies. The main task has been devoted to completion of the Laser Acceleration Test Facility (LATF) consisting of the photocathode RF gun, the 150 MeV microtron accelerator and the test beam line as well as the estimation of radiation doses produced by LATF for the radiation safety clearance. With the use of LATF, we plan to demonstrate the channel-guided LWFA in which both the driving laser pulses and particle beams can be guided through the capillary discharge plasmas with a cm-scale length. The development of the plasma waveguide is underway after the first demonstration of propagating a 2 TW, 90 fs laser pulse through a stable 2 cm plasma

The expression characteristics of mt-ND2 gene in chicken.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wenwen; Hou, Lingling; Wang, Ting; Lu, Weiwei; Tao, Yafei; Chen, Wen; Du, Xiaohui; Huang, Yanqun

2016-09-01

Subunit 2 of NADH dehydrogenase (ND2) is encoded by the mt-ND2 gene and plays a critical role in controlling the production of the mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. Our study focused on exploring the mt-ND2 tissue expression patterns and the effects of energy restriction and dietary fat (linseed oil, corn oil, sesame oil or lard) level (2.5% and 5%) on its expression in chicken. The results showed that mt-ND2 gene was expressed in the 15 tissues of hybrid chickens with the highest level in heart and lowest level in pancreas tissue; 30% energy restriction did not significantly affect mt-ND2 mRNA level in chicken liver tissue. Both the mt-ND2 mRNA levels in chicken pectoralis (p chicken age (p chicken age (p chicken age.

The Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)-Associated Protein SWIB5 Influences mtDNA Architecture and Homologous Recombination

KAUST Repository

Blomme, Jonas

2017-04-19

In addition to the nucleus, mitochondria and chloroplasts in plant cells also contain genomes. Efficient DNA repair pathways are crucial in these organelles to fix damage resulting from endogenous and exogenous factors. Plant organellar genomes are complex compared with their animal counterparts, and although several plant-specific mediators of organelle DNA repair have been reported, many regulators remain to be identified. Here, we show that a mitochondrial SWI/SNF (nucleosome remodeling) complex B protein, SWIB5, is capable of associating with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in Arabidopsis thaliana. Gainand loss-of-function mutants provided evidence for a role of SWIB5 in influencing mtDNA architecture and homologous recombination at specific intermediate-sized repeats both under normal and genotoxic conditions. SWIB5 interacts with other mitochondrial SWIB proteins. Gene expression and mutant phenotypic analysis of SWIB5 and SWIB family members suggests a link between organellar genome maintenance and cell proliferation. Taken together, our work presents a protein family that influences mtDNA architecture and homologous recombination in plants and suggests a link between organelle functioning and plant development.

MT1-MMP-mediated basement membrane remodeling modulates renal development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riggins, Karen S.; Mernaugh, Glenda; Su, Yan; Quaranta, Vito; Koshikawa, Naohiko; Seiki, Motoharu; Pozzi, Ambra; Zent, Roy

2010-01-01

Extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling regulates multiple cellular functions required for normal development and tissue repair. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are key mediators of this process and membrane targeted MMPs (MT-MMPs) in particular have been shown to be important in normal development of specific organs. In this study we investigated the role of MT1-MMP in kidney development. We demonstrate that loss of MT1-MMP leads to a renal phenotype characterized by a moderate decrease in ureteric bud branching morphogenesis and a severe proliferation defect. The kidneys of MT1-MMP-null mice have increased deposition of collagen IV, laminins, perlecan, and nidogen and the phenotype is independent of the MT-1MMP target, MMP-2. Utilizing in vitro systems we demonstrated that MTI-MMP proteolytic activity is required for renal tubule cells to proliferate in three dimensional matrices and to migrate on collagen IV and laminins. Together these data suggest an important role for MT1-MMP in kidney development, which is mediated by its ability to regulate cell proliferation and migration by proteolytically cleaving kidney basement membrane components.

MT2D Inversion to Image the Gorda Plate Subduction Zone

Science.gov (United States)

Lubis, Y. K.; Niasari, S. W.; Hartantyo, E.

2018-04-01

The magnetotelluric method is applicable for studying complicated geological structures because the subsurface electrical properties are strongly influenced by the electric and magnetic fields. This research located in the Gorda subduction zone beneath the North American continental plate. Magnetotelluric 2D inversion was used to image the variation of subsurface resistivity although the phase tensor analysis shows that the majority of dimensionality data is 3D. 19 MT sites were acquired from EarthScope/USArray Project. Wepresent the image of MT 2D inversion to exhibit conductivity distribution from the middle crust to uppermost asthenosphere at a depth of 120 kilometers. Based on the inversion, the overall data misfit value is 3.89. The Gorda plate subduction appears as a high resistive zone beneath the California. Local conductive features are found in the middle crust downward Klamath Mountain, Bonneville Lake, and below the eastern of Utah. Furthermore, mid-crustal is characterized by moderately resistive. Below the extensional Basin and Range province was related to highly resistive. The middle crust to the uppermost asthenosphere becomes moderately resistive. We conclude that the electrical parameters and the dimensionality of datain the shallow depth(about 22.319 km) beneath the North American platein accordance with surface geological features.

Machine translation (MT): qualità, produttività, customer satisfaction

OpenAIRE

Fellet, Anna

2010-01-01

The aim of the present research is to examine the impact of recent technological developments in machine translation (MT) in the language industry. The objectives are: 1. To define the value of MT in terms of suitability and convenience in meeting expressed requirements in those cases where MT is demanded; 2. To examine the potential increase in productivity through a conscious use of the tool; 3. To analyse those activities aimed at satisfying the customer’s explicit and impli...

Human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) types in Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lian, L.H.; Koh, C.L.; Lim, M.E.

2000-01-01

Each human cell contains hundreds of mitochondria and thousands of double-stranded circular mtDNA. The delineation of human mtDNA variation and genetics over the past decade has provided unique and often startling insights into human evolution, degenerative diseases, and aging. Each mtDNA of 16,569 base pairs, encodes 13 polypeptides essential to the enzymes of the mitochondrial energy generating pathway, plus the necessary tRNAs and rRNAs. The highly polymorphic noncoding D-(displacement) loop region, also called the control region, is approximately 1.2 kb long. It contains two well-characterized hypervariable (HV-) regions, HV1 and HV2. MtDNA identification is usually based on these sequence differences. According to the TWTGDAM (Technical Working Group for DNA Analysis Methods), the minimum requirement for a mtDNA database for HV1 is from positions 16024 to 16365 and for HV2, from positions 00073 to 00340. The targeted Malaysian population subgroups for this study were mainly the Malays, Chinese, Indians, and indigenous Ibans, Bidayuhs, Kadazan-Dusuns, and Bajaus. Research methodologies undertaken included DNA extraction of samples from unrelated individuals, amplification of the specific regions via the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and preparation of template DNA for sequencing by using an automated DNA sequencer. Sufficient nucleotide sequence data were generated from the mtDNA analysis. When the sequences were analyzed, sequence variations were found to be caused by nucleotide substitutions, insertions, and deletions. Of the three causes of the sequence variations, nucleotide substitutions (86.1%) accounted for the vast majority of polymorphism. It is noted that transitions (83.5%) were predominant when compared to the significantly lower frequencies of transversions (2.6%). Insertions (0.9%) and deletions (13.0%) were rather rare and found only in HV2. The data generated will also form the basis of a Malaysian DNA sequence database of mtDNA D

Electric and VLF-MT survey of Tegatayama tunnel; Tegatayama tunnel no denki tansa oyobi VLF tansa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nishitani, T [Akita University, Akita (Japan). Mining College

1997-05-27

To survey the structure at the depth between 20 and 30 m, field tests were conducted by means of vertical electric and VFL-MT (magnetotelluric) survey. Tegatayama tunnel has a total length of 276 m, width of 7.5 m, and height of 4.7 m, and the depth from the surface is about 28 m near the top of mountain. Near the tunnel, the thickness of surface soil is about 60 cm, which consists of clay soil including soft mudstone gravel. It was found that terrace deposit is distributed up to the depth of 8 m, and that mudstone is distributed below the depth of 8 m. Weighted four-electrode method was adopted for the vertical electrical survey. Measurements were conducted at the immediately above the tunnel, 10 m apart from the center of tunnel in the right and left, and 20 m apart from the center in the east. For the VLF-MT method, component of frequency 22.2 kHz was used. As a result of the tests, it was difficult to illustrate the existence of tunnel from the vertical electrical survey only at one point. Feature of the tunnel could be well illustrated by means of the VLF-MT method. 3 refs., 9 figs.

Channeling experiments at planar diamond and silicon single crystals with electrons from the Mainz Microtron MAMI

Science.gov (United States)

Backe, H.; Lauth, W.; Tran Thi, T. N.

2018-04-01

Line structures were observed for (110) planar channeling of electrons in a diamond single crystal even at a beam energy of 180 MeV . This observation motivated us to initiate dechanneling length measurements as function of the beam energy since the occupation of quantum states in the channeling potential is expected to enhance the dechanneling length. High energy loss signals, generated as a result of emission of a bremsstrahlung photon with about half the beam energy at channeling of 450 and 855 MeV electrons, were measured as function of the crystal thickness. The analysis required additional assumptions which were extracted from the numerical solution of the Fokker-Planck equation. Preliminary results for diamond are presented. In addition, we reanalyzed dechanneling length measurements at silicon single crystals performed previously at the Mainz Microtron MAMI at beam energies between 195 and 855 MeV from which we conclude that the quality of our experimental data set is not sufficient to derive definite conclusions on the dechanneling length. Our experimental results are below the predictions of the Fokker-Planck equation and somewhat above the results of simulation calculations of A. V. Korol and A. V. Solov'yov et al. on the basis of the MBN Explorer simulation package. We somehow conservatively conclude that the prediction of the asymptotic dechanneling length on the basis of the Fokker-Planck equation represents an upper limit.

Analysis of carbon monoxide (CO) with Delhi Finite Line Source (DFLS) in MT Haryono Street, Medan City

Science.gov (United States)

Turmuzi, M.; Suryati, I.; Mashaly, E. T.; Batubara, F.

2018-02-01

One source to decrease urban air ambient quality is transportation sector. Important pollutants are released by gas emissions from vehicles are carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter and others. The presence of CO pollutants in the ambient air can be predicted by modeling air quality. This study aims to estimate CO concentration resulting from transportation activities using Delhi Finite Line Source (DFLS) model, comparing CO prediction using a DFLS model with CO observation in the field, and determine the suitability of the DFLS model application on the MT Haryono street in Medan City. Research was conducted for 3 days at two sample points with frequency twice daily. Based on research results, the range of CO concentration from observation between 22.903 μg/m3 - 27.484 μg/m3. CO observation is still below the ambient air quality standard. According to the DFLS calculations, the range of CO concentration between 1.499 μg/m3- 2.051 μg/m3. The calculation index of agreement (IOA) validation test obtained value of d = 0.22. The DFLS model is not suitable to be applied on MT Haryono street because many factors affected such as wind direction and wind velocity, ambient air temperature and humidity

Optimized mtDNA Control Region Primer Extension Capture Analysis for Forensically Relevant Samples and Highly Compromised mtDNA of Different Age and Origin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mayra Eduardoff

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA has proven useful in forensic genetics and ancient DNA (aDNA studies, where specimens are often highly compromised and DNA quality and quantity are low. In forensic genetics, the mtDNA control region (CR is commonly sequenced using established Sanger-type Sequencing (STS protocols involving fragment sizes down to approximately 150 base pairs (bp. Recent developments include Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS of (multiplex PCR-generated libraries using the same amplicon sizes. Molecular genetic studies on archaeological remains that harbor more degraded aDNA have pioneered alternative approaches to target mtDNA, such as capture hybridization and primer extension capture (PEC methods followed by MPS. These assays target smaller mtDNA fragment sizes (down to 50 bp or less, and have proven to be substantially more successful in obtaining useful mtDNA sequences from these samples compared to electrophoretic methods. Here, we present the modification and optimization of a PEC method, earlier developed for sequencing the Neanderthal mitochondrial genome, with forensic applications in mind. Our approach was designed for a more sensitive enrichment of the mtDNA CR in a single tube assay and short laboratory turnaround times, thus complying with forensic practices. We characterized the method using sheared, high quantity mtDNA (six samples, and tested challenging forensic samples (n = 2 as well as compromised solid tissue samples (n = 15 up to 8 kyrs of age. The PEC MPS method produced reliable and plausible mtDNA haplotypes that were useful in the forensic context. It yielded plausible data in samples that did not provide results with STS and other MPS techniques. We addressed the issue of contamination by including four generations of negative controls, and discuss the results in the forensic context. We finally offer perspectives for future research to enable the validation and accreditation of the PEC MPS

Melanesian mtDNA complexity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan S Friedlaender

Full Text Available Melanesian populations are known for their diversity, but it has been hard to grasp the pattern of the variation or its underlying dynamic. Using 1,223 mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA sequences from hypervariable regions 1 and 2 (HVR1 and HVR2 from 32 populations, we found the among-group variation is structured by island, island size, and also by language affiliation. The more isolated inland Papuan-speaking groups on the largest islands have the greatest distinctions, while shore dwelling populations are considerably less diverse (at the same time, within-group haplotype diversity is less in the most isolated groups. Persistent differences between shore and inland groups in effective population sizes and marital migration rates probably cause these differences. We also add 16 whole sequences to the Melanesian mtDNA phylogenies. We identify the likely origins of a number of the haplogroups and ancient branches in specific islands, point to some ancient mtDNA connections between Near Oceania and Australia, and show additional Holocene connections between Island Southeast Asia/Taiwan and Island Melanesia with branches of haplogroup E. Coalescence estimates based on synonymous transitions in the coding region suggest an initial settlement and expansion in the region at approximately 30-50,000 years before present (YBP, and a second important expansion from Island Southeast Asia/Taiwan during the interval approximately 3,500-8,000 YBP. However, there are some important variance components in molecular dating that have been overlooked, and the specific nature of ancestral (maternal Austronesian influence in this region remains unresolved.

A compact SR light source for x-ray lithography 'AURORA'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toba, Y.

1990-01-01

A compact synchrotron radiation (SR) light source called AURORA has been developed for industrial use. It is specially designed for X-ray lithography. AURORA consists of a storage ring, injector microtron and SR light beam lines. The storage ring is a superconducting single magnet machine, designed to accelerate a 150 MeV electron beam to 650 MeV and to store as high as 300 mA current. The injector is a racetrack microtron (RTM) producing a pulsed 150 MeV beam. As many as 16 SR light beam channels are available for AURORA. Prototypes of the storage ring and RTM are constructed, and beam commissioning is performed. A hundred and fifty MeV electron beam of a pulsed current 10 μA from the RTM is successfully injected to the ring and accelerated to 600 MeV and 10 mA current stored with a lifetime of more than 20 hours. The half-integer method investigated is shown to work well with the injection efficiency being found to be very high. Improvement of the design is now under way. (N.K.)

Dosimetric response evaluation of tooth enamel for accelerator-based neutron radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, R.F.H.; Rink, W.J.; Boreham, D.R.

2003-01-01

To study the neutron response of human tooth enamel, a number of experiments with an accelerator-based neutron source have been designed. The neutron beam was produced with the low gamma yield, 7 Li(p,n) 7 Be type thick target, using the 3 MV McMaster K.N. Van de Graaff accelerator. The dosimetry was done using a pre-calibrated snoopy type neutron dosimeter. Neutron irradiation induces a dosimetric signal in the tooth enamel at the same defect site as gamma produced damage with the same g-values (g parallel =1.9973, width 0.4 mT g perpendicular =2.002, width 0.3 mT). The dosimetric signal grows linearly with neutron dose from 6-35 Gy tissue dose. Dosimetric response in two different grain sizes (300-500 μm, and grains <4 mm) has shown increased dosimetric amplitude in the larger grains. Dose build up effect on tooth inside the mouth due to cheek was simulated by placing a 4 mm thick paraffin wax layer between the beam and tooth, but had little effect. These results show that for mean neutron energy of 280 keV, the relative neutron response of the human tooth enamel ranges from 8% to 12% of the equivalent gamma ray response

Nuclear researches using unique installations and vacuum stands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oprea, C.; Oprea, A.; Curuia, M.; Mateescu, G.; Kappel, W.

2007-01-01

Full text: In this paper the development and application of nuclear methods using critical technologies for the analysis of nuclear and magnetic nanostructure of different systems are presented. The work consists of 3 parts: - 1.The modernization and use of the thermostat TS-3000K aimed for inelastic and quasi-elastic slow neutron scattering and neutron diffraction experiments in vacuum in condensed matter field, over a very large temperature range (up to 3000 K); - 2. The analysis of the nanostructure of Fe-Cu alloy performing measurements in vacuum by RBS and PIXE methods at the EG-5 Van der Graaf electrostatic accelerator of FLNP, JINR; - 3. Environmental researches conducted on different ecological objects by NAA and IGAA methods at the microtron MT-25. The present report presents the researches within the frame of the three international priority directions: - i. Industry of nanomaterials and nanosystems; - ii. Vacuum technology; - iii. Rational use of natural resources. The results proved that various traditional and new properties of materials which pose a structure at nano level have a good perspective to be further investigated by applying the nuclear methods. (authors)

Magnetotelluric (MT) surveying in the Kakkonda geothermal area; Kakkonda chinetsu chiiki deno MT ho tansa jikken

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ogawa, Y; Takakura, S [Geological Survey of Japan, Tsukuba (Japan); Uchida, T [New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, Tokyo, (Japan)

1997-05-27

This paper describes the MT surveying conducted at the vicinity of a deep well (WD-1) in the Kakkonda geothermal area. For the MT surveying, the interval between measuring points was 300 m. Electric field dipole with a length of 300 m was given in the direction of traverse line, and that with a length of 50 m was given in the direction perpendicular to the line. Three components of magnetic field were measured using induction coil. Frequency band of the data was between 0.0005 Hz and 300 Hz. Characteristics of specific resistance model obtained from the MT surveying were illustrated. Low specific resistance zone less than 30 ohm-m was observed in the shallow zone below the altitude 0 m. This zone was comparable to the distribution of montmorillonite. High specific resistance anomaly was analyzed at the western half of the traverse line in the altitude between 0 m and -2000 m, which corresponded to the collective part of focuses. The bottom surface of the anomaly agreed well with the upper surface of neo-granite, i.e., the lower limits of earthquakes. Low specific resistance was observed in the altitude below -2000 m. 17 refs., 5 figs.

Joint 1D inversion of TEM and MT data and 3D inversion of MT data in the Hengill area, SW Iceland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arnason, Knutur; Eysteinsson, Hjalmar; Hersir, Gylfi Pall [ISOR-Iceland GeoSurvey, Grensasvegi 9, 108 Reykjavik (Iceland)

2010-03-15

An extensive study of the resistivity structure of the Hengill area in SW Iceland was carried out by the combined use of TEM and MT soundings. Joint inversion of the collected data can correct for static shifts in the MT data, which can be severe due to large near-surface resistivity contrasts. Joint 1D inversion of 148 TEM/MT sounding pairs and a 3D inversion of a 60 sounding subset of the MT data were performed. The 3D inversion was based on full MT impedance tensors previously corrected for static shift. Both inversion approaches gave qualitatively similar results, and revealed a shallow resistivity layer reflecting conductive alteration minerals at temperatures of 100-240 C. They also delineated a deep conductor at 3-10 km depth. The reason for this deep-seated high conductivity is not fully understood. The distribution of the deep conductors correlates with a positive residual Bouguer gravity anomaly, and with transform tectonics inferred from seismicity. One model of the Hengill that is consistent with the well temperature data and the deep conductor that does not attenuate S-waves, is a group of hot, solidified, but still ductile magmatic intrusions that are closely associated with the heat source for the geothermal system. (author)

Operational experience with compressed geometry acceleration tubes in the Oak Ridge 25URC tandem accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, C.M.; Haynes, D.L.; Juras, R.C.; Meigs, M.J.; Ziegler, N.F.

1989-01-01

Installation of compressed geometry acceleration tubes and other associated modifications have increased the effective voltage capability of the Oak Ridge 25URC tandem accelerator by about 3 MV. Since mid-September 1988, the accelerator has been operated routinely at terminal potentials up to 24 MV and occasionally near 25 MV. In 3500 hours of full-column operation, including 1100 hours at potentials about 22 MV, no significant spark-included damage was observed. Some considerations related to further improvements in voltage performance are discussed. 7 refs., 5 figs

Lahar flow simulation using Laharz_py program: Application for the Mt. Halla volcano, Jeju, Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, C.; Yun, S. H.; Yi, W.

2017-12-01

Lahar, one of catastrophic events, has the potential to cause the loss of life and damage to infrastructure over inhabited areas. This study using Laharz_py, was performed schematic prediction on the impact area of lahar hazards at the Mt. Halla volcano, Jeju island. In order to comprehensively address the impact of lahar for the Mt. Halla, two distinct parameters, H/L ratio and lahar volume, were selected to influence variable for Laharz_py simulation. It was carried out on the basis of numerical simulation by estimating a possible lahar volumes of 30,000, 50,000, 70,000, 100,000, 300,000, 500,000 m3 according to H/L ratios (0.20, 0.22 and 0.25) was applied. Based on the numerical simulations, the area of the proximal hazard zone boundary is gradually decreased with increasing H/L ratio. The number of streams which affected by lahar, tended to decrease with increasing H/L ratio. In the case of H/L ratio 0.20, three streams (Gwangryeong stream, Dogeun stream, Han stream) in the Jeju-si area and six streams (Gungsan stream, Hogeun stream, Seohong stream, Donghong stream, Bomok stream, Yeong stream-Hyodon stream) in the Seogwipo-si area are affected. In the case of H/L ratio 0.22, two streams (Gwangryeong stream and Han stream) in the Jeju-si area and five streams (Gungsan stream, Seohong stream, Donghong stream, Bomok stream, Yeong stream-Hyodon stream) in the Seogwipo-si area are affected. And in the case of H/L ratio 0.25, two streams (Gwangryeong stream and Han stream) in the Jeju-si area and one stream (Yeong stream-Hyodon stream) in the Seogwipo-si area are affected. The results of this study will be used as basic data to create a risk map for the direct damage that can be caused due to volcanic hazards arising from Mt. Halla. This research was supported by a grant [MPSS-NH-2015-81] through the Disaster and Safety Management Institute funded by Ministry of Public Safety and Security of Korean government.

Measurement of the top quark mass in the dileptonic ttbar decay channel using the mass observables Mbl, MT2, and Mblv in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sirunyan, Albert M; et al.

2017-04-20

A measurement of the top quark mass (M[t]) in the dileptonic ttbar decay channel is performed using data from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV. The data was recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 +/- 0.5 inverse femtobarns. Events are selected with two oppositely charged leptons (l = e, mu) and two jets identified as originating from b quarks. The analysis is based on three kinematic observables whose distributions are sensitive to the value of M[t]. An invariant mass observable, M[b l], and a `stransverse mass' observable, M[T2], are employed in a simultaneous fit to determine the value of M[t] and an overall jet energy scale factor (JSF). A complementary approach is used to construct an invariant mass observable, M[b l nu], that is combined with M[T2] to measure M[t]. The shapes of the observables, along with their evolutions in M[t] and JSF, are modeled by a nonparametric Gaussian process regression technique. The sensitivity of the observables to the value of M[t] is investigated using a Fisher information density method. The top quark mass is measured to be 172.22 +/- 0.18 (stat) +0.89/-0.93 (syst) GeV.

Genetic dysfunction of MT-ATP6 causes axonal Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Pitceathly, Robert D S

2012-09-11

Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is the most common inherited neuromuscular disorder, affecting 1 in 2,500 individuals. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations are not generally considered within the differential diagnosis of patients with uncomplicated inherited neuropathy, despite the essential requirement of ATP for axonal function. We identified the mtDNA mutation m.9185T>C in MT-ATP6, encoding the ATP6 subunit of the mitochondrial ATP synthase (OXPHOS complex V), at homoplasmic levels in a family with mitochondrial disease in whom a severe motor axonal neuropathy was a striking feature. This led us to hypothesize that mutations in the 2 mtDNA complex V subunit encoding genes, MT-ATP6 and MT-ATP8, might be an unrecognized cause of isolated axonal CMT and distal hereditary motor neuropathy (dHMN).

Two-dimensional inversion of MT (magnetotelluric) data; MT ho no nijigen inversion kaiseki

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ito, S; Okuno, M; Ushijima, K; Mizunaga, H [Kyushu University, Fukuoka (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

1997-05-27

A program has been developed to conduct inversion analysis of two-dimensional model using MT data, accurately. For the developed program, finite element method (FEM) was applied to the section of sequential analysis. A method in which Jacobian matrix is calculated only one first time and is inversely analyzed by fixing this during the repetition, and a method in which Jacobian matrix is corrected at each repetition of inversion analysis, were compared mutually. As a result of the numerical simulation, it was revealed that the Jacobian correction method provided more stable convergence for the simple 2D model, and that the calculation time is almost same as that of the Jacobian fixation method. To confirm the applicability of this program to actually measured data, results obtained from this program were compared with those from the Schlumberger method analysis by using MT data obtained in the Hatchobara geothermal area. Consequently, it was demonstrated that the both are well coincided mutually. 17 refs., 7 figs.

Development of a sub-MeV X-ray source via Compton backscattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawase, K.; Kando, M.; Hayakawa, T.; Daito, I.; Kondo, S.; Homma, T.; Kameshima, T.; Kotaki, H.; Chen, L.-M.; Fukuda, Y.; Faenov, A.; Shizuma, T.; Shimomura, T.; Yoshida, H.; Hajima, R.; Fujiwara, M.; Bulanov, S.V.; Kimura, T.; Tajima, T.

2011-01-01

At the Kansai Photon Science Institute of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, we have developed a Compton backscattered X-ray source in the energy region of a few hundred keV. The X-ray source consists of a 150-MeV electron beam, with a pulse duration of 10 ps (rms), accelerated by a Microtron accelerator and an Nd:YAG laser, with a pulse duration of 10 ns (FWHM). In the first trial experiment, the X-ray flux is estimated to be (2.2±1.0)x10 2 photons/pulse. For the actual application of an X-ray source, it is important to increase the generated X-ray flux as much as possible. Thus, for the purpose of increasing the X-ray flux, we have developed the pulse compression system for the Nd:YAG laser via stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS). The SBS pulse compression has the great advantages of a high conversion efficiency and a simple structure. In this article, we review the present status of the Compton backscattered X-ray source and describe the SBS pulse compression system.

Neutron activation of building materials used in the reactor shield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hernandez, A.T.; Perez, G.; D'Alessandro, K.

1993-01-01

Cuban concretes and their main components (mineral aggregates and cement) were investigated through long-lived activation products induced by neutrons from a reactor. The multielemental content in the materials studied was obtained by neutron activation analysis in an IBR-2 reactor and gamma activation analysis in an MT-25 microtron from Join Institute of Nuclear Research of Dubna. After irradiation of building materials for 30 years by a neutron flow of unitary density, induced radioactivity was calculated according to experimental data. The comparative evaluation of different concretes aggregates and two types of cement related to the activation properties is discussed

[MT-45--a dangerous and potentially ototoxic internet drug].

Science.gov (United States)

Lindeman, Erik; Bäckberg, Matilda; Personne, Mark; Helander, Anders

2014-09-11

During the last years several synthetic opioids have been introduced on Internet sites selling new psychoactive substances (NPS). One of these, called MT-45, a piperazine derivative originally synthesized as a therapeutic drug candidate in the 1970s, has recently been detected in 21 deaths, according to unpublished data from the Swedish National Board of Forensic Medicine. We present clinical data from 12 analytically confirmed hospital cases of MT-45 poisoning. The cases demonstrate that MT-45, like other opioids, can induce potentially life threatening respiratory depression and loss of consciousness in users and that symptoms are usually reversed by standard doses of the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone. Significant auditory symptoms with transient tinnitus and hearing loss occurred in two cases and a pronounced sensorineural hearing loss still present at two weeks follow-up in one case. This indicates that MT-45 may be an ototoxic substance, illustrating the ubiquitous risk of unintended adverse effects NPSs pose to users.

Regulation of anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin biosynthesis by Medicago truncatula bHLH transcription factor MtTT8.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Penghui; Chen, Beibei; Zhang, Gaoyang; Chen, Longxiang; Dong, Qiang; Wen, Jiangqi; Mysore, Kirankumar S; Zhao, Jian

2016-05-01

The MYB- basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH)-WD40 complexes regulating anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin (PA) biosynthesis in plants are not fully understood. Here Medicago truncatula bHLH MtTT8 was characterized as a central component of these ternary complexes that control anthocyanin and PA biosynthesis. Mttt8 mutant seeds have a transparent testa phenotype with reduced PAs and anthocyanins. MtTT8 restores PA and anthocyanin productions in Arabidopsis tt8 mutant. Ectopic expression of MtTT8 restores anthocyanins and PAs in mttt8 plant and hairy roots and further enhances both productions in wild-type hairy roots. Transcriptomic analyses and metabolite profiling of mttt8 mutant seeds and M. truncatula hairy roots (mttt8 mutant, mttt8 mutant complemented with MtTT8, or MtTT8 overexpression lines) indicate that MtTT8 regulates a subset of genes involved in PA and anthocyanin biosynthesis. MtTT8 is genetically regulated by MtLAP1, MtPAR and MtWD40-1. Combinations of MtPAR, MtLAP1, MtTT8 and MtWD40-1 activate MtTT8 promoter in yeast assay. MtTT8 interacts with these transcription factors to form regulatory complexes. MtTT8, MtWD40-1 and an MYB factor, MtPAR or MtLAP1, interacted and activated promoters of anthocyanidin reductase and anthocyanidin synthase to regulate PA and anthocyanin biosynthesis, respectively. Our results provide new insights into the complex regulation of PA and anthocyanin biosynthesis in M. truncatula. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

Full-wave Ambient Noise Tomography of Mt Rainier volcano, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Flinders, Ashton; Shen, Yang

2015-04-01

Mount Rainier towers over the landscape of western Washington (USA), ranking with Fuji-yama in Japan, Mt Pinatubo in the Philippines, and Mt Vesuvius in Italy, as one of the great stratovolcanoes of the world. Notwithstanding its picturesque stature, Mt Rainier is potentially the most devastating stratovolcano in North America, with more than 3.5 million people living beneath is shadow in the Seattle-Tacoma area. The primary hazard posed by the volcano is in the form of highly destructive debris flows (lahars). These lahars form when water and/or melted ice erode away and entrain preexisting volcanic sediment. At Mt Rainier these flows are often initiated by sector collapse of the volcano's hydrothermally rotten flanks and compounded by Mt Rainier's extensive snow and glacial ice coverage. It is therefore imperative to ascertain the extent of the volcano's summit hydrothermal alteration, and determine areas prone to collapse. Despite being one of the sixteen volcanoes globally designated by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior as warranting detailed and focused study, Mt Rainier remains enigmatic both in terms of the shallow internal structure and the degree of summit hydrothermal alteration. We image this shallow internal structure and areas of possible summit alteration using ambient noise tomography. Our full waveform forward modeling includes high-resolution topography allowing us to accuratly account for the effects of topography on the propagation of short-period Rayleigh waves. Empirical Green's functions were extracted from 80 stations within 200 km of Mt Rainier, and compared with synthetic greens functions over multiple frequency bands from 2-28 seconds.

Myopathic mtDNA Depletion Syndrome Due to Mutation in TK2 Gene.

Science.gov (United States)

Martín-Hernández, Elena; García-Silva, María Teresa; Quijada-Fraile, Pilar; Rodríguez-García, María Elena; Rivera, Henry; Hernández-Laín, Aurelio; Coca-Robinot, David; Fernández-Toral, Joaquín; Arenas, Joaquín; Martín, Miguel A; Martínez-Azorín, Francisco

2017-01-01

Whole-exome sequencing was used to identify the disease gene(s) in a Spanish girl with failure to thrive, muscle weakness, mild facial weakness, elevated creatine kinase, deficiency of mitochondrial complex III and depletion of mtDNA. With whole-exome sequencing data, it was possible to get the whole mtDNA sequencing and discard any pathogenic variant in this genome. The analysis of whole exome uncovered a homozygous pathogenic mutation in thymidine kinase 2 gene ( TK2; NM_004614.4:c.323 C>T, p.T108M). TK2 mutations have been identified mainly in patients with the myopathic form of mtDNA depletion syndromes. This patient presents an atypical TK2-related myopathic form of mtDNA depletion syndromes, because despite having a very low content of mtDNA (TK2 gene in mtDNA depletion syndromes and expanded the phenotypic spectrum.

Parkinson's disease brain mitochondria have impaired respirasome assembly, age-related increases in distribution of oxidative damage to mtDNA and no differences in heteroplasmic mtDNA mutation abundance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keeney Paula M

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Sporadic Parkinson's disease (sPD is a nervous system-wide disease that presents with a bradykinetic movement disorder and is frequently complicated by depression and cognitive impairment. sPD likely has multiple interacting causes that include increased oxidative stress damage to mitochondrial components and reduced mitochondrial bioenergetic capacity. We analyzed mitochondria from postmortem sPD and CTL brains for evidence of oxidative damage to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA, heteroplasmic mtDNA point mutations and levels of electron transport chain proteins. We sought to determine if sPD brains possess any mtDNA genotype-respiratory phenotype relationships. Results Treatment of sPD brain mtDNA with the mitochondrial base-excision repair enzyme 8-oxyguanosine glycosylase-1 (hOGG1 inhibited, in an age-dependent manner, qPCR amplification of overlapping ~2 kbase products; amplification of CTL brain mtDNA showed moderate sensitivity to hOGG1 not dependent on donor age. hOGG1 mRNA expression was not different between sPD and CTL brains. Heteroplasmy analysis of brain mtDNA using Surveyor nuclease® showed asymmetric distributions and levels of heteroplasmic mutations across mtDNA but no patterns that statistically distinguished sPD from CTL. sPD brain mitochondria displayed reductions of nine respirasome proteins (respiratory complexes I-V. Reduced levels of sPD brain mitochondrial complex II, III and V, but not complex I or IV proteins, correlated closely with rates of NADH-driven electron flow. mtDNA levels and PGC-1α expression did not differ between sPD and CTL brains. Conclusion PD brain mitochondria have reduced mitochondrial respiratory protein levels in complexes I-V, implying a generalized defect in respirasome assembly. These deficiencies do not appear to arise from altered point mutational burden in mtDNA or reduction of nuclear signaling for mitochondrial biogenesis, implying downstream etiologies. The origin of age

Expression of melatonin receptor MT1 in cells of human invasive ductal breast carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Jablonska, Karolina; Pula, Bartosz; Zemla, Agata; Owczarek, Tomasz; Wojnar, Andrzej; Rys, Janusz; Ambicka, Aleksandra; Podhorska-Okolow, Marzena; Ugorski, Maciej; Dziegiel, Piotr

2013-04-01

In humans, two main types of membrane melatonin receptors have been identified, MT1 and MT2. Expression of MT1 in neoplastic cells seems to increase the efficacy of melatonin's oncostatic activity. The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution and the intensity of MT1 expression in breast cancer cells and to correlate it with clinicopathological factors. Immunohistochemical studies (IHC) were conducted on 190 cases of invasive ductal breast carcinomas (IDC) and molecular studies were performed on 29 cases of frozen tumor fragments and selected breast cancer cell lines. Most of the studied tumors manifested a membranous/cytoplasmic IHC expression of MT1. In IDC, the MT1 expression was higher than in fibrocystic breast disease. MT1 expression was higher in estrogen receptor positive (ER+) and HER2 positive (HER2+) tumors. Triple negative tumors (TN) manifested the lowest MT1 expression level. The lowest MT1 protein expression level was noted in the TN breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 compared with ER+ cell lines MCF-7 and SK-BR-3. MT1 mRNA expression was negatively correlated with the malignancy grade of the studied IDC cases. Moreover, higher MT1 expression was associated with patients' longer overall survival (OS) in the group of ER+ breast cancers and treated with tamoxifen. Multivariate analysis indicated that MT1 was an independent prognostic factor in the ER+ tumors for OS and event-free survival in the ER+ tumors. The results of this study may point to a potential prognostic and therapeutic significance of MT1 in IDC. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

New sources of high-power coherent radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sprehngl, F.

1985-01-01

New sources of high-power coherent radiation in the wavelength range from millimeter to ultraviolet are reviewed. Physical mechanisms underlying concepts of free electrons laser, cyclotron resonance laser and other new radiation sources are described. Free electron lasers and cyclotron resonance lasers are shown to suggest excellent possibilities for solving problems of spectroscopy, plasma heating radar and accelerator technology. Results of experiments with free electron laser in the Compton mode using linear accelerators microtrons and storage rings are given. Trends in further investigations are shown

Proceedings of the 22nd Particle Accelerator Conference (PAC'07)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

The twenty-second Particle Accelerator Conference, PAC'07, took place at the Albuquerque Convention Centre in Albuquerque, the largest city in New Mexico, from Monday to Friday, 2007 June 25 to 29. It was attended by over 1350 delegates from 25 different countries (63% North America, 24% Europe, 11% Asia and 2% Other), and was held under the auspices of the two professional societies that oversee and make holding this series of conferences possible, the Division of Physics of Beams within APS, and the Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society within IEEE. As host of the conference, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is especially thanked for their many contributions and assistance both prior to and during the conference. The Convention Center was an ideal location for information sharing and discussions between the interdisciplinary aspects of the accelerator community, as well as for related meetings and ad-hoc 'rump' sessions.

Administration of melatonin in drinking water promotes the phase advance of light-dark cycle in senescence-accelerated mice, SAMR1 but not SAMP8.

Science.gov (United States)

Asai, M; Ikeda, M; Akiyama, M; Oshima, I; Shibata, S

2000-09-08

We analyzed effects of aging on behavioral rhythms in the mouse showing senescence acceleration, SAMP8 strains. The free-running rhythms had longer free-running periods (tau) in SAMP8 than in the control strain (SAMR1). Drinking of melatonin promoted the adaptation to advanced LD in SAMR1 but not in SAMP8, although both strains exhibited melatonin MT1 and MT2 receptors. The present results suggest that melatonin promotes the adaptation to advanced LD cycles in normal aging mice.

77 FR 41939 - Proposed Establishment of Class E Airspace; Deer Lodge, MT

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-17

...-0379; Airspace Docket No. 12-ANM-7 Proposed Establishment of Class E Airspace; Deer Lodge, MT AGENCY... action proposes to establish Class E airspace at Deer Lodge-City-County Airport, Deer Lodge, MT... System (GPS) standard instrument approach procedures at Deer Lodge-City-County Airport, Deer Lodge, MT...

Regulation of bone mass through pineal-derived melatonin-MT2 receptor pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharan, Kunal; Lewis, Kirsty; Furukawa, Takahisa; Yadav, Vijay K

2017-09-01

Tryptophan, an essential amino acid through a series of enzymatic reactions gives rise to various metabolites, viz. serotonin and melatonin, that regulate distinct biological functions. We show here that tryptophan metabolism in the pineal gland favors bone mass accrual through production of melatonin, a pineal-derived neurohormone. Pineal gland-specific deletion of Tph1, the enzyme that catalyzes the first step in the melatonin biosynthesis lead to a decrease in melatonin levels and a low bone mass due to an isolated decrease in bone formation while bone resorption parameters remained unaffected. Skeletal analysis of the mice deficient in MT1 or MT2 melatonin receptors showed a low bone mass in MT2-/- mice while MT1-/- mice had a normal bone mass compared to the WT mice. This low bone mass in the MT2-/- mice was due to an isolated decrease in osteoblast numbers and bone formation. In vitro assays of the osteoblast cultures derived from the MT1-/- and MT2-/- mice showed a cell intrinsic defect in the proliferation, differentiation and mineralization abilities of MT2-/- osteoblasts compared to WT counterparts, and the mutant cells did not respond to melatonin addition. Finally, we demonstrate that daily oral administration of melatonin can increase bone accrual during growth and can cure ovariectomy-induced structural and functional degeneration of bone by specifically increasing bone formation. By identifying pineal-derived melatonin as a regulator of bone mass through MT2 receptors, this study expands the role played by tryptophan derivatives in the regulation of bone mass and underscores its therapeutic relevance in postmenopausal osteoporosis. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Pineal Research Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Geant4-MT: bringing multi-threading into Geant4 production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, S.; Apostolakis, J.; Cosmo, G.; Nowak, A.; Asai, M.; Brandt, D.; Dotti, A.; Coopermann, G.; Dong, X.; Jun, Soon Yung

2013-01-01

Geant4-MT is the multi-threaded version of the Geant4 particle transport code. The key goals for the design of Geant4-MT have been a) the need to reduce the memory footprint of the multi-threaded application compared to the use of separate jobs and processes; b) to create an easy migration of the existing applications; and c) to use efficiently many threads or cores, by scaling up to tens and potentially hundreds of workers. The first public release of a Geant4- MT prototype was made in 2011. We report on the revision of Geant4-MT for inclusion in the production-level release scheduled for end of 2013. This has involved significant re-engineering of the prototype in order to incorporate it into the main Geant4 development line, and the porting of Geant4-MT threading code to additional platforms. In order to make the porting of applications as simple as possible, refinements addressed the needs of standalone applications. Further adaptations were created to improve the fit with the frameworks of High Energy Physics experiments. We report on performances measurements on Intel Xeon TM , AMD Opteron TM the first trials of Geant4-MT on the Intel Many Integrated Cores (MIC) architecture, in the form of the Xeon Phi TM co-processor. These indicate near-linear scaling through about 200 threads on 60 cores, when holding fixed the number of events per thread. (authors)

Strengthening MT6D Defenses with LXC-Based Honeypot Capabilities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dileep Basam

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Moving Target IPv6 Defense (MT6D imparts radio-frequency hopping behavior to IPv6 networks by having participating nodes periodically hop onto new addresses while giving up old addresses. Our previous research efforts implemented a solution to identify and acquire these old addresses that are being discarded by MT6D hosts on a local network besides being able to monitor and visualize the incoming traffic on these addresses. This was essentially equivalent to forming a darknet out of the discarded MT6D addresses, but the solution presented in the previous research effort did not include database integration for it to scale and be extended. This paper presents a solution with a new architecture that not only extends the previous solution in terms of automation and database integration but also demonstrates the ability to deploy a honeypot on a virtual LXC (Linux Container on-demand based on any interesting traffic pattern observed on a discarded address. The proposed architecture also allows an MT6D host to query the solution database for network activity on its relinquished addresses as a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON object. This allows an MT6D host to identify suspicious activity on its discarded addresses and strengthen the MT6D scheme parameters accordingly. We have built a proof-of-concept for the proposed solution and analyzed the solution’s feasibility and scalability.

mtDNA mutation C1494T, haplogroup A, and hearing loss in Chinese

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Chengye; Kong Qingpeng; Yao Yonggang; Zhang Yaping

2006-01-01

Mutation C1494T in mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene was recently reported in two large Chinese families with aminoglycoside-induced and nonsyndromic hearing loss (AINHL) and was claimed to be pathogenic. This mutation, however, was first reported in a sample from central China in our previous study that was aimed to reconstruct East Asian mtDNA phylogeny. All these three mtDNAs formed a subclade defined by mutation C1494T in mtDNA haplogroup A. It thus seems that mutation C1494T is a haplogroup A-associated mutation and this matrilineal background may contribute a high risk for the penetrance of mutation C1494T in Chinese with AINHL. To test this hypothesis, we first genotyped mutation C1494T in 553 unrelated individuals from three regional Chinese populations and performed an extensive search for published complete or near-complete mtDNA data sets (>3000 mtDNAs), we then screened the C1494T mutation in 111 mtDNAs with haplogroup A status that were identified from 1823 subjects across China. The search for published mtDNA data sets revealed no other mtDNA besides the above-mentioned three carrying mutation C1494T. None of the 553 randomly selected individuals and the 111 haplogroup A mtDNAs was found to bear this mutation. Therefore, our results suggest that C1494T is a very rare event. The mtDNA haplogroup A background in general is unlikely to play an active role in the penetrance of mutation C1494T in AINHL

Dielectric properties of electron irradiated PbZrO 3 thin films

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The present paper deals with the study of the effects of electron (8 MeV) irradiation on the dielectric and ferroelectric properties of PbZrO3 thin films grown by sol–gel technique. The films were (0.62 m thick) subjected to electron irradiation using Microtron accelerator (delivered dose 80, 100, 120 kGy). The films were well ...

The "TEU-FEL" project

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ernst, G.J.; Witteman, W.J.; Verschuur, Jeroen W.J.; Mols, R.F.X.A.M.; Mols, R.F.X.A.M.; van Oerle, B.M.; van Oerle, B.M.; Bouman, A.F.M.; Botman, J.I.M.; Hagedoorn, H.L.; Delhez, J.L.; Kleeven, W.J.G.M.

1995-01-01

The free-electron laser of the TEU-FEL project will be based on a 6 MeV photo-cathode linac as injector, a 25 MeV race-track microtron as main accelerator and a hybrid, 25 mm period undulator. The project will be carried out in two phases. In phase one only the 6 MeV linac will be used, The FEL will

Hypervariable region polymorphism of mtDNA of recurrent oral ulceration in Chinese.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mao Sun

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: MtDNA haplogroups could have important implication for understanding of the relationship between the mutations of the mitochondrial genome and diseases. Distribution of a variety of diseases among these haplogroups showed that some of the mitochondrial haplogroups are predisposed to disease. To examine the susceptibility of mtDNA haplogroups to ROU, we sequenced the mtDNA HV1, HV2 and HV3 in Chinese ROU. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: MtDNA haplogroups were analyzed in the 249 cases of ROU patients and the 237 cases of healthy controls respectively by means of primer extension analysis and DNA sequencing. Haplogroups G1 and H were found significantly more abundant in ROU patients than in healthy persons, while haplogroups D5 and R showed a trend toward a higher frequency in control as compared to those in patients. The distribution of C-stretch sequences polymorphism in mtDNA HV1, HV2 and HV3 regions was found in diversity. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: For the first time, the relationship of mtDNA haplogroups and ROU in Chinese was investigated. Our results indicated that mtDNA haplogroups G1 and H might constitute a risk factor for ROU, which possibly increasing the susceptibility of ROU. Meanwhile, haplogroups D5 and R were indicated as protective factors for ROU. The polymorphisms of C-stretch sequences might being unstable and influence the mtDNA replication fidelity.

Nuclear collapse observed during the eruption of Mt. Usu

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, Taka-aki

2002-01-01

Mt. Usu which was located about 70 km southwest from Sapporo in Hokkaido (the north island of Japan) began to erupt on March 31 in 2000. A nuclear emulsion was placed on a foot of Mt. Usu to catch small atomic clusters which were expected to be emitted during the eruption. Curious atomic clusters and their reaction products were successfully observed on surfaces of the nuclear emulsion. By comparing them with similar products which were obtained in previous experiments of discharge and electrolysis, it was concluded that micro Ball Lightning was really emitted during the eruption of Mt. Usu and that explosive reactions by nuclear collapse could have been involved to contribute to energy of the eruption. (author)

No evidence of Neandertal mtDNA contribution to early modern humans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Serre

2004-03-01

Full Text Available The retrieval of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA sequences from four Neandertal fossils from Germany, Russia, and Croatia has demonstrated that these individuals carried closely related mtDNAs that are not found among current humans. However, these results do not definitively resolve the question of a possible Neandertal contribution to the gene pool of modern humans since such a contribution might have been erased by genetic drift or by the continuous influx of modern human DNA into the Neandertal gene pool. A further concern is that if some Neandertals carried mtDNA sequences similar to contemporaneous humans, such sequences may be erroneously regarded as modern contaminations when retrieved from fossils. Here we address these issues by the analysis of 24 Neandertal and 40 early modern human remains. The biomolecular preservation of four Neandertals and of five early modern humans was good enough to suggest the preservation of DNA. All four Neandertals yielded mtDNA sequences similar to those previously determined from Neandertal individuals, whereas none of the five early modern humans contained such mtDNA sequences. In combination with current mtDNA data, this excludes any large genetic contribution by Neandertals to early modern humans, but does not rule out the possibility of a smaller contribution.

Remote reference processing in MT survey using GPS clock; MT ho ni okeru GPS wo mochiita jikoku doki system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamane, K; Inoue, J; Takasugi, S [Geothermal Energy Research and Development Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); Kosuge, S [DRICO Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

1996-05-01

A report is given about the application of a synchronizing system using clock signals from GPS satellites to a remote reference method which is a technique to reject noise from the MT method. This system uses the C/A code out of the L1 band waves from NAVSTAR/GPS satellites. The new system was operated in MT method-using investigations conducted at China Peninsula, Aichi Prefecture, and Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka Prefecture, with the reference points placed several 100km away in Iwate Prefecture on both occasions. It was found as the result that it is basically possible to catch signals from the GPS at any place, that the signals are accurate enough to be applied to time synchronization for the MT method, and that the signals assure a far remote reference method with a separation of several 100km between the sites involved. The referencing process at high frequencies whose feasibility had been doubted proved a success when highly correlated signals were exchanged between two stations over a distance of several 100km. 5 refs., 9 figs.

Accumulation of pathogenic ΔmtDNA induced deafness but not diabetic phenotypes in mito-mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakada, Kazuto; Sato, Akitsugu; Sone, Hideyuki; Kasahara, Atsuko; Ikeda, Katsuhisa; Kagawa, Yasuo; Yonekawa, Hiromichi; Hayashi, Jun-Ichi

2004-01-01

Mito-mice carrying various proportions of deletion mutant mtDNA (ΔmtDNA) were generated by introduction of the ΔmtDNA from cultured cells into fertilized eggs of C57BL/6J (B6) strain mice. Great advantages of mito-mice are that they share exactly the same nuclear-genome background, and that their genetic variations are restricted to proportions of pathogenic ΔmtDNA. Since accumulation of ΔmtDNA to more than 75% induced respiration defects, the disease phenotypes observed exclusively in mito-mice carrying more than 75% ΔmtDNA should be due to accumulated ΔmtDNA. In this study, we focused on the expressions of hearing loss and diabetic phenotypes, since these common age-associated abnormalities have sometimes been reported to be inherited maternally and to be associated with pathogenic mutant mtDNAs. The results showed that accumulation of exogenously introduced ΔmtDNA was responsible for hearing loss, but not for expression of diabetic phenotypes in mito-mice

Porous aerosol in degassing plumes of Mt. Etna and Mt. Stromboli

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V. Shcherbakov

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Aerosols of the volcanic degassing plumes from Mt. Etna and Mt. Stromboli were probed with in situ instruments on board the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt research aircraft Falcon during the contrail, volcano, and cirrus experiment CONCERT in September 2011. Aerosol properties were analyzed using angular-scattering intensities and particle size distributions measured simultaneously with the Polar Nephelometer and the Forward Scattering Spectrometer probes (FSSP series 100 and 300, respectively. Aerosols of degassing plumes are characterized by low values of the asymmetry parameter (between 0.6 and 0.75; the effective diameter was within the range of 1.5–2.8 µm and the maximal diameter was lower than 20 µm. A principal component analysis applied to the Polar Nephelometer data indicates that scattering features of volcanic aerosols of different crater origins are clearly distinctive from angular-scattering intensities of cirrus and contrails. Retrievals of aerosol properties revealed that the particles were "optically spherical" and the estimated values of the real part of the refractive index are within the interval from 1.35 to 1.38. The interpretation of these results leads to the conclusion that the degassing plume aerosols were porous with air voids. Our estimates suggest that aerosol particles contained about 18 to 35 % of air voids in terms of the total volume.

Estimates of Continental Ancestry Vary Widely among Individuals with the Same mtDNA Haplogroup

Science.gov (United States)

Emery, Leslie S.; Magnaye, Kevin M.; Bigham, Abigail W.; Akey, Joshua M.; Bamshad, Michael J.

2015-01-01

The association between a geographical region and an mtDNA haplogroup(s) has provided the basis for using mtDNA haplogroups to infer an individual’s place of origin and genetic ancestry. Although it is well known that ancestry inferences using mtDNA haplogroups and those using genome-wide markers are frequently discrepant, little empirical information exists on the magnitude and scope of such discrepancies between multiple mtDNA haplogroups and worldwide populations. We compared genetic-ancestry inferences made by mtDNA-haplogroup membership to those made by autosomal SNPs in ∼940 samples of the Human Genome Diversity Panel and recently admixed populations from the 1000 Genomes Project. Continental-ancestry proportions often varied widely among individuals sharing the same mtDNA haplogroup. For only half of mtDNA haplogroups did the highest average continental-ancestry proportion match the highest continental-ancestry proportion of a majority of individuals with that haplogroup. Prediction of an individual’s mtDNA haplogroup from his or her continental-ancestry proportions was often incorrect. Collectively, these results indicate that for most individuals in the worldwide populations sampled, mtDNA-haplogroup membership provides limited information about either continental ancestry or continental region of origin. PMID:25620206

The C60(FeCp22-Based Cell Proliferation Accelerator

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Andrei Soldatov

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We studied structural and magnetic proprieties of the fulleride C60(FeCp22. The influence of fulleride particles on the cell proliferative activity was also investigated. We found that the proliferative activity of the RINmF5 cells increases (53% versus control in presence of the C60(FeCp22 nanosized particles. Moreover, it was registered that the cell culture became multilayered and secreted basophile matrix.

mtDNA sequence diversity of Hazara ethnic group from Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Rakha, Allah; Fatima; Peng, Min-Sheng; Adan, Atif; Bi, Rui; Yasmin, Memona; Yao, Yong-Gang

2017-09-01

The present study was undertaken to investigate mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences of Hazaras from Pakistan, so as to generate mtDNA reference database for forensic casework in Pakistan and to analyze phylogenetic relationship of this particular ethnic group with geographically proximal populations. Complete mtDNA control region (nt 16024-576) sequences were generated through Sanger Sequencing for 319 Hazara individuals from Quetta, Baluchistan. The population sample set showed a total of 189 distinct haplotypes, belonging mainly to West Eurasian (51.72%), East & Southeast Asian (29.78%) and South Asian (18.50%) haplogroups. Compared with other populations from Pakistan, the Hazara population had a relatively high haplotype diversity (0.9945) and a lower random match probability (0.0085). The dataset has been incorporated into EMPOP database under accession number EMP00680. The data herein comprises the largest, and likely most thoroughly examined, control region mtDNA dataset from Hazaras of Pakistan. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

76 FR 19281 - Proposed Amendment of Class E Airspace; Bozeman, MT

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-07

... Instrument Landing System (ILS) Localizer (LOC) standard instrument approach procedures at the airport. The... extending upward from 700 feet or more above the surface of the earth. * * * * * ANM MT E5 Bozeman, MT...

Mt. Kilimanjaro expedition in earth science education

Science.gov (United States)

Sparrow, Elena; Yoshikawa, Kenji; Narita, Kenji; Brettenny, Mark; Yule, Sheila; O'Toole, Michael; Brettenny, Rogeline

2010-05-01

Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain is 5,895 meters above sea level and is located 330 km south of the equator in Tanzania. In 1976 glaciers covered most of Mt. Kilimanjaro's summit; however in 2000, an estimated eighty percent of the ice cap has disappeared since the last thorough survey done in 1912. There is increased scientific interest in Mt. Kilimanjaro with the increase in global and African average temperatures. A team of college and pre-college school students from Tanzania, South Africa and Kenya, teachers from South Africa and the United States, and scientists from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in the United States and Akita University in Japan, climbed to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro in October 2009. They were accompanied by guides, porters, two expedition guests, and a videographer. This expedition was part of the GLOBE Seasons and Biomes Earth System Science Project and the GLOBE Africa science education initiative, exploring and contributing to climate change studies. Students learned about earth science experientially by observing their physical and biological surroundings, making soil and air temperature measurements, participating in discussions, journaling their experience, and posing research questions. The international trekkers noted the change in the biomes as the altitude, temperature and conditions changed, from cultivated lands, to rain forest, heath zone, moorland, alpine desert, and summit. They also discovered permafrost, but not at the summit as expected. Rather, it was where the mountain was not covered by a glacier and thus more exposed to low extreme temperatures. This was the first report of permafrost on Mt. Kilimanjaro. Classrooms from all over the world participated in the expedition virtually. They followed the trek through the expedition website (http://www.xpeditiononline.com/) where pictures and journals were posted, and posed their own questions which were answered by the expedition and base camp team members

Palaeoenvironment and human impact in modifying vegetation at Mt St John, Auckland Isthmus, New Zealand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horrocks, M.; Nichol, S.L.; D'Costa, D.M.; Shane, P.; Prior, C.

2005-01-01

A 2.34 m sediment profile from the base of the crater of Mt St John volcano (a small basaltic cone on Auckland Isthmus) provides a partial environmental record of the Late Quaternary. The record highlights potential age control problems with sediment cores taken directly from archaeological sites. Two distal tephras were recorded: 9.5 ka Rotoma and 7 ka Tuhua. A date of 16 309 ± 90 14 C yr BP from the basal scoria of the profile provides a minimum date for the eruption of Mt St John. Pollen was present only in the upper 0.33 m of the profile, in a layer of peat and soil which caps highly weathered silts and clays eroded from the crater walls. In early Polynesian times (most likely after c. 800 14 C yr BP), vegetation of the crater swamp was dominated by Cyperaceae sedges and Paesia ground fern. Dacrycarpus trees were also present. Podocarp-hardwood forest, dominated by Metrosideros, grew on the rim and inner slopes of the crater. Elaeocarpus, Griselinia, and Cyathea were also present. A decline in Dacrycarpus pollen and an accelerated erosion rate mark Polynesian forest clearance within the crater. Typha became a major component of the swamp vegetation during the Late Polynesian-European era. (author). 30 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs

Low-β acceleration with a MEQALAC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

van Amersfoort, P.W.; Siebenlist, F.; Thomae, R.W.; Woljke, R.; Schonewille, F.G.; Ivanov, S.T.; Klein, H.; Schempp, A.; Weis, T.

1986-01-01

In a Multiple Electrostatic Quadrupole Array Linear Accelerator (MEQALAC) a number of parallel beams is accelerated simultaneously. This devise is useful for exit energies up to 1 MeV per nucleon. Radial stability is provided by electrostatic quadrupole lenses placed between successive acceleration gaps. The proof-of-principle MEQALAC presently available at FOM features four He + ion beams which are accelerated to an energy of 120 keV. The resonator cavity has a modified Interdigital-H-structure and contains 20 acceleration gaps. Its resonance frequency is 40 MHz. Transmission measurements on injected beams with currents ranging from 1 to 15 mA are presented. The transverse phase advance per cell of the quadrupole channels is varied between 43 0 and 114 0 . A maximum current of 2.2 mA per channel has been accelerated. A design for a MEQALAC which will be used for acceleration of N + ions to 1 MeV is presented. This accelerator will be operated at various frequencies to allow for a variation of the exit energy

Joint International Accelerator School

CERN Multimedia

CERN Accelerator School

2014-01-01

The CERN and US Particle Accelerator Schools recently organised a Joint International Accelerator School on Beam Loss and Accelerator Protection, held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Newport Beach, California, USA from 5-14 November 2014. This Joint School was the 13th in a series of such schools, which started in 1985 and also involves the accelerator communities in Japan and Russia.   Photo courtesy of Alfonse Pham, Michigan State University.   The school attracted 58 participants representing 22 different nationalities, with around half from Europe and the other half from Asia and the Americas. The programme comprised 26 lectures, each of 90 minutes, and 13 hours of case study. The students were given homework each day and had an opportunity to sit a final exam, which counted towards university credit. Feedback from the participants was extremely positive, praising the expertise and enthusiasm of the lecturers, as well as the high standard and quality of their lectures. Initial dis...

Construct Validity of the MMPI-2 College Maladjustment (Mt) Scale

Science.gov (United States)

Barthlow, Deanna L.; Graham, John R.; Ben-Porath, Yossef S.; McNulty, John L

2004-01-01

The construct validity of the MMPI-2 (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2) College Maladjustment (Mt) Scale was examined using 376 student clients at a university psychological clinic. A principal components analysis and correlations of Mt scale scores with clients' and therapists' ratings of symptoms and functioning showed that the Mt…

[Whole Genome Sequencing of Human mtDNA Based on Ion Torrent PGM™ Platform].

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Y; Zou, K N; Huang, J P; Ma, K; Ping, Y

2017-08-01

To analyze and detect the whole genome sequence of human mitochondrial DNA （mtDNA） by Ion Torrent PGM™ platform and to study the differences of mtDNA sequence in different tissues. Samples were collected from 6 unrelated individuals by forensic postmortem examination, including chest blood, hair, costicartilage, nail, skeletal muscle and oral epithelium. Amplification of whole genome sequence of mtDNA was performed by 4 pairs of primer. Libraries were constructed with Ion Shear™ Plus Reagents kit and Ion Plus Fragment Library kit. Whole genome sequencing of mtDNA was performed using Ion Torrent PGM™ platform. Sanger sequencing was used to determine the heteroplasmy positions and the mutation positions on HVⅠ region. The whole genome sequence of mtDNA from all samples were amplified successfully. Six unrelated individuals belonged to 6 different haplotypes. Different tissues in one individual had heteroplasmy difference. The heteroplasmy positions and the mutation positions on HVⅠ region were verified by Sanger sequencing. After a consistency check by the Kappa method, it was found that the results of mtDNA sequence had a high consistency in different tissues. The testing method used in present study for sequencing the whole genome sequence of human mtDNA can detect the heteroplasmy difference in different tissues, which have good consistency. The results provide guidance for the further applications of mtDNA in forensic science. Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Forensic Medicine

Re-interpreting the Oxbridge stransverse mass variable MT2 in general cases

CERN Document Server

Mahbubani, Rakhi; Park, Myeonghun

2013-01-01

We extend the range of possible applications of MT2 type analyses to decay chains with multiple invisible particles, as well as to asymmetric event topologies with different parent and/or different children particles. We advocate two possible approaches. In the first, we introduce suitably defined 3+1-dimensional analogues of the MT2 variable, which take into account all relevant on-shell kinematic constraints in a given event topology. The second approach utilizes the conventional MT2 variable, but its kinematic endpoint is suitably reinterpreted on a case by case basis, depending on the specific event topology at hand. We provide the general prescription for this reinterpretation, including the formulas relating the measured MT2 endpoint (as a function of the test masses of all the invisible particles) to the underlying physical mass spectrum. We also provide analytical formulas for the shape of the differential distribution of the doubly projected MT2(perp) variable for the ten possible event topologies wi...

Random mtDNA mutations modulate proliferation capacity in mouse embryonic fibroblasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kukat, Alexandra; Edgar, Daniel; Bratic, Ivana; Maiti, Priyanka; Trifunovic, Aleksandra

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Increased mtDNA mutations in MEFs lead to high level of spontaneous immortalization. → This process is independent of endogenous ROS production. → Aerobic glycolysis significantly contributes to spontaneous immortalization of MEFs. -- Abstract: An increase in mtDNA mutation load leads to a loss of critical cells in different tissues thereby contributing to the physiological process of organismal ageing. Additionally, the accumulation of senescent cells that display changes in metabolic function might act in an active way to further disrupt the normal tissue function. We believe that this could be the important link missing in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of premature ageing in the mtDNA mutator mice. We tested proliferation capacity of mtDNA mutator cells in vitro. When cultured in physiological levels of oxygen (3%) their proliferation capacity is somewhat lower than wild-type cells. Surprisingly, in conditions of increased oxidative stress (20% O 2 ) mtDNA mutator mouse embryonic fibroblasts exhibit continuous proliferation due to spontaneous immortalization, whereas the same conditions promote senescence in wild-type cells. We believe that an increase in aerobic glycolysis observed in mtDNA mutator mice is a major mechanism behind this process. We propose that glycolysis promotes proliferation and allows a fast turnover of metabolites, but also leads to energy crisis due to lower ATP production rate. This could lead to compromised replication and/or repair and therefore, in rare cases, might lead to mutations in tumor suppressor genes and spontaneous immortalization.

Three-dimensional interpretation of MT data in volcanic environments (computer simulation)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spichak, V. [Geoelectromagnetic Research Institute RAS, Troitsk, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2001-04-01

The research is aimed, first, to find components of MT-fields and their transforms, which facilitate the imaging of the internal structure of volcanoes and, second, to study the detectability of conductivity variations in a magma chamber due to alterations of other physical parameters. The resolving power of MT data with respect to the electric structure of volcanic zones is studied using software developed by the author for three-dimensional (3D) numerical modeling, analysis and imaging. A set of 3D volcano models are constructed and synthetic MT data on the relief Earth's surface are analysed. It is found that impedance phases as well as in-phase and quadrature parts of the electric field type transforms enable the best imaging of the volcanic interior. The determinant impedance is, however, the most suitable for adequate interpretation of measurements carried out for the purpose of monitoring conductivity variations in a magma chamber. The way of removing the geological noise from the MT data by means of its upward analytical continuation to the artificial reference plane is discussed. Interpretation methodologies are suggested aimed at 3D imaging and monitoring volcanic interiors by MT data.

Viscosity controlled magma-carbonate interaction: a comparison of Mt. Vesuvius (Italy) and Mt. Merapi (Indonesia).

Science.gov (United States)

Blythe, L. S.; Misiti, V.; Masotta, M.; Taddeucci, J.; Freda, C.; Troll, V. R.; Deegan, F. M.; Jolis, E. M.

2012-04-01

Magma-carbonate interaction is increasingly seen as a viable and extremely important cause of magma contamination, and the generation of a crustally sourced CO2 phase (Goff et al., 2001; Freda et al., 2010). Even though the process is well recognized at certain volcanoes e.g. Popocatépetl, (Mexico); Merapi, (Indonesia); and Colli Albani, (Italy) (Goff et al., 2001; Deegan et al., 2010; Freda et al., 2010), neither the kinetics of carbonate assimilation nor its consequences for controlling the explosivity of eruptions have been constrained. Here we show the results of magma-carbonate interaction experiments conducted at 1200 °C and 0.5 GPa for varying durations (0 s, 60 s, 90 s and 300 s) for the Mt. Merapi (Indonesia) and Mt. Vesuvius (Italy) volcanic systems. We performed experiments using glassy starting materials specific to each volcano (shoshonite for Mt. Vesuvius, basaltic-andesite for Mt. Merapi) with different degrees of hydration (anhydrous vs hydration with ~ 2 wt % water) and using carbonate fragments of local origin; see Deegan et al., (2010) and Jolis et al., (2011). Experimental products include a gas phase (CO2-rich) and two melt phases, one pristine (Ca-normal) and one contaminated (Ca-rich) separated by a 'contamination front' which propagates outwards from the carbonate clast. Vesicles appear to nucleate in the contaminated glass and then migrate into the pristine one. Both contamination front propagation and bubble migration away from the carbonate are slower in anhydrous basaltic-andesite (Merapi anhydrous series) than in hydrated basaltic-andesite and shoshonite (Merapi and Vesuvius hydrated series), suggesting that assimilation speed is strongly controlled by the degree of hydration and the SiO2 content, both of which influence melt viscosity and hence diffusivity. As the carbonate dissolution proceeds in our experiments, initially dissolved and eventually exsolved CO2 builds up in the contaminated Ca-rich melt phase. Once melt volatile

Thermodynamics of Pb(ii) and Zn(ii) binding to MT-3, a neurologically important metallothionein.

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, M C; Shami Shah, A; DeSilva, S; Gleaton, A; Su, A; Goundie, B; Croteau, M L; Stevenson, M J; Wilcox, D E; Austin, R N

2016-06-01

Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) was used to quantify the thermodynamics of Pb(2+) and Zn(2+) binding to metallothionein-3 (MT-3). Pb(2+) binds to zinc-replete Zn7MT-3 displacing each zinc ion with a similar change in free energy (ΔG) and enthalpy (ΔH). EDTA chelation measurements of Zn7MT-3 and Pb7MT-3 reveal that both metal ions are extracted in a tri-phasic process, indicating that they bind to the protein in three populations with different binding thermodynamics. Metal binding is entropically favoured, with an enthalpic penalty that reflects the enthalpic cost of cysteine deprotonation accompanying thiolate ligation of the metal ions. These data indicate that Pb(2+) binding to both apo MT-3 and Zn7MT-3 is thermodynamically favourable, and implicate MT-3 in neuronal lead biochemistry.

Mitochondrial depolarization in yeast zygotes inhibits clonal expansion of selfish mtDNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Karavaeva, Iuliia E; Golyshev, Sergey A; Smirnova, Ekaterina A; Sokolov, Svyatoslav S; Severin, Fedor F; Knorre, Dmitry A

2017-04-01

Non-identical copies of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) compete with each other within a cell and the ultimate variant of mtDNA present depends on their relative replication rates. Using yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells as a model, we studied the effects of mitochondrial inhibitors on the competition between wild-type mtDNA and mutant selfish mtDNA in heteroplasmic zygotes. We found that decreasing mitochondrial transmembrane potential by adding uncouplers or valinomycin changes the competition outcomes in favor of the wild-type mtDNA. This effect was significantly lower in cells with disrupted mitochondria fission or repression of the autophagy-related genes ATG8 , ATG32 or ATG33 , implying that heteroplasmic zygotes activate mitochondrial degradation in response to the depolarization. Moreover, the rate of mitochondrially targeted GFP turnover was higher in zygotes treated with uncoupler than in haploid cells or untreated zygotes. Finally, we showed that vacuoles of zygotes with uncoupler-activated autophagy contained DNA. Taken together, our data demonstrate that mitochondrial depolarization inhibits clonal expansion of selfish mtDNA and this effect depends on mitochondrial fission and autophagy. These observations suggest an activation of mitochondria quality control mechanisms in heteroplasmic yeast zygotes. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Palmitoylation at Cys574 is essential for MT1-MMP to promote cell migration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Anilkumar, Narayanapanicker; Uekita, Takamasa; Couchman, John R

2005-01-01

of the palmitoylated cysteine relative to LLY573, a motif that interacts with mu2 subunit of adaptor protein 2, is critical for the cell motility-promoting activity of MT1-MMP and its clathrin-mediated internalization. Taken together, palmitoylation of MT1-MMP is one of the key posttranslational modifications......MT1-MMP is a type I transmembrane proteinase that promotes cell migration and invasion. Here, we report that MT1-MMP is palmitoylated at Cys574 in the cytoplasmic domain, and this lipid modification is critical for its promotion of cell migration and clathrin-mediated internalization...... that determines MT1-MMP-dependent cell migration....

Individual Variations in Inorganic Arsenic Metabolism Associated with AS3MT Genetic Polymorphisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haruo Takeshita

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Individual variations in inorganic arsenic metabolism may influence the toxic effects. Arsenic (+3 oxidation state methyltransferase (AS3MT that can catalyze the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet to trivalent arsenical, may play a role in arsenic metabolism in humans. Since the genetic polymorphisms of AS3MT gene may be associated with the susceptibility to inorganic arsenic toxicity, relationships of several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in AS3MT with inorganic arsenic metabolism have been investigated. Here, we summarize our recent findings and other previous studies on the inorganic arsenic metabolism and AS3MT genetic polymorphisms in humans. Results of genotype dependent differences in arsenic metabolism for most of SNPs in AS3MT were Inconsistent throughout the studies. Nevertheless, two SNPs, AS3MT 12390 (rs3740393 and 14458 (rs11191439 were consistently related to arsenic methylation regardless of the populations examined for the analysis. Thus, these SNPs may be useful indicators to predict the arsenic metabolism via methylation pathways.

Social-emotional characteristics of gifted accelerated and non-accelerated students in the Netherlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoogeveen, Lianne; van Hell, Janet G; Verhoeven, Ludo

2012-12-01

In the studies of acceleration conducted so far a multidimensional perspective has largely been neglected. No attempt has been made to relate social-emotional characteristics of accelerated versus non-accelerated students in perspective of environmental factors. In this study, social-emotional characteristics of accelerated gifted students in the Netherlands were examined in relation to personal and environmental factors. Self-concept and social contacts of accelerated (n = 148) and non-accelerated (n = 55) gifted students, aged 4 to 27 (M = 11.22, SD = 4.27) were measured. Self-concept and social contacts of accelerated and non-accelerated gifted students were measured using a questionnaire and a diary, and parents of these students evaluated their behavioural characteristics. Gender and birth order were studied as personal factors and grade, classroom, teachers' gender, teaching experience, and the quality of parent-school contact as environmental factors. The results showed minimal differences in the social-emotional characteristics of accelerated and non-accelerated gifted students. The few differences we found favoured the accelerated students. We also found that multiple grade skipping does not have negative effects on social-emotional characteristics, and that long-term effects of acceleration tend to be positive. As regards the possible modulation of personal and environmental factors, we merely found an impact of such factors in the non-accelerated group. The results of this study strongly suggest that social-emotional characteristics of accelerated gifted students and non-accelerated gifted students are largely similar. These results thus do not support worries expressed by teachers about the acceleration of gifted students. Our findings parallel the outcomes of earlier studies in the United States and Germany in that we observed that acceleration does not harm gifted students, not even in the case of multiple grade skipping. On the contrary, there is a

Optimizing accelerator technology

CERN Multimedia

Katarina Anthony

2012-01-01

A new EU-funded research and training network, oPAC, is bringing together 22 universities, research centres and industry partners to optimize particle accelerator technology. CERN is one of the network’s main partners and will host 5 early-stage researchers in the BE department.   A diamond detector that will be used for novel beam diagnostics applications in the oPAC project based at CIVIDEC. (Image courtesy of CIVIDEC.) As one of the largest Marie Curie Initial Training Networks ever funded by the EU – to the tune of €6 million – oPAC extends well beyond the particle physics community. “Accelerator physics has become integral to research in almost every scientific discipline – be it biology and life science, medicine, geology and material science, or fundamental physics,” explains Carsten P. Welsch, oPAC co-ordinator based at the University of Liverpool. “By optimizing the operation of accelerators, all of these...

Metallothionein (MT) response after chronic palladium exposure in the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frank, Sabrina N.; Singer, Christoph; Sures, Bernd

2008-01-01

The effects of different exposure concentrations of palladium (Pd) on relative metallothionein (MT) response and bioaccumulation were investigated in zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha). The mussels were exposed to 0.05, 5, 50, and 500 μg/L Pd 2+ for 10 weeks under controlled temperature and fasting conditions. Relative MT contents were assessed by a modified Ag-saturation method, which allows to discriminate between MT bound to Pd (Pd-MT) and MT bound to unidentified metals (Ag-MT). Determination of metal contents resulted from atomic absorption spectrometry following a microwave digestion. For unexposed mussels and mussels exposed to 0.05 μg/L Pd no metal accumulation could be detected. All other exposure concentrations resulted in detectable Pd accumulation in mussels with final tissue concentrations of 96 μg/g (500 μg/L), 45 μg/g (50 μg/L), and 9 μg/g (5 μg/L). Compared with initial levels Pd-MT concentrations at the end of the exposure period were 600 (500 μg/L), 160 (50 μg/L), and 27 (5 μg/L) times higher. These results show that an increase in MTs in D. polymorpha already occurs at relatively low aqueous Pd concentrations indicating that there is the need for detoxification of Pd in the mussel. Furthermore, correlations between Ag-MT and Pd accumulation indicate that higher exposure concentrations are associated with adverse effects on the mussels. Thus, harmful effects of chronic Pd exposure of organisms even in lowest concentrations cannot be excluded in the environment

Mt. Graham: optical turbulence vertical distribution with standard and high resolution

Science.gov (United States)

Masciadri, Elena; Stoesz, Jeff; Hagelin, Susanna; Lascaux, Franck

2010-07-01

A characterization of the optical turbulence vertical distribution and all the main integrated astroclimatic parameters derived from the C2N and the wind speed profiles above Mt. Graham is presented. The statistic includes measurements related to 43 nights done with a Generalized Scidar (GS) used in standard configuration with a vertical resolution of ~1 km on the whole 20-22 km and with the new technique (HVR-GS) in the first kilometer. The latter achieves a resolution of ~ 20-30 m in this region of the atmosphere. Measurements done in different periods of the year permit us to provide a seasonal variation analysis of the C2N. A discretized distribution of the typical C2N profiles useful for the Ground Layer Adaptive Optics (GLAO) simulations is provided and a specific analysis for the LBT Laser Guide Star system ARGOS case is done including the calculation of the 'gray zones' for J, H and K bands. Mt. Graham confirms to be an excellent site with median values of the seeing without dome contribution equal to 0.72", the isoplanatic angle equal to 2.5" and the wavefront coherence time equal to 4.8 msec. We provide a cumulative distribution of the percentage of turbulence developed below H* where H* is included in the (0,1 km) range. We find that 50% of the whole turbulence develops in the first 80 m from the ground. The turbulence decreasing rate is very similar to what has been observed above Mauna Kea.

SM22α-induced activation of p16INK4a/retinoblastoma pathway promotes cellular senescence caused by a subclinical dose of γ-radiation and doxorubicin in HepG2 cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Tae Rim; Lee, Hee Min; Lee, So Yong; Kim, Eun Jin; Kim, Kug Chan; Paik, Sang Gi; Cho, Eun Wie; Kim, In Gyu

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → SM22α overexpression in HepG2 cells leads cells to a growth arrest state, and the treatment of a subclinical dose of γ-radiation or doxorubicin promotes cellular senescence. → SM22α overexpression elevates p16 INK4a followed by pRB activation, but there are no effects on p53/p21 WAF1/Cip1 pathway. → SM22α-induced MT-1G activates p16 INK4a /pRB pathway, which promotes cellular senescence by damaging agents. -- Abstract: Smooth muscle protein 22-alpha (SM22α) is known as a transformation- and shape change-sensitive actin cross-linking protein found in smooth muscle tissue and fibroblasts; however, its functional role remains uncertain. We reported previously that SM22α overexpression confers resistance against anti-cancer drugs or radiation via induction of metallothionein (MT) isozymes in HepG2 cells. In this study, we demonstrate that SM22α overexpression leads cells to a growth arrest state and promotes cellular senescence caused by treatment with a subclinical dose of γ-radiation (0.05 and 0.1 Gy) or doxorubicin (0.01 and 0.05 μg/ml), compared to control cells. Senescence growth arrest is known to be controlled by p53 phosphorylation/p21 WAF1/Cip1 induction or p16 INK4a /retinoblastoma protein (pRB) activation. SM22α overexpression in HepG2 cells elevated p16 INK4a followed by pRB activation, but did not activate the p53/p21 WAF1/Cip1 pathway. Moreover, MT-1G, which is induced by SM22α overexpression, was involved in the activation of the p16 INK4a /pRB pathway, which led to a growth arrest state and promoted cellular senescence caused by damaging agents. Our findings provide the first demonstration that SM22α modulates cellular senescence caused by damaging agents via regulation of the p16 INK4a /pRB pathway in HepG2 cells and that these effects of SM22α are partially mediated by MT-1G.

Exercise Intolerance and Myoglobinuria Associated with a Novel Maternally Inherited MT-ND1 Mutation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rafiq, Jabin; Duno, Morten; Østergaard, Elsebet

2016-01-01

The most common clinical phenotype caused by a mtDNA mutation in complex I of the mitochondrial respiratory chain is Leber hereditary optic neuropathy. We report a family with a novel maternally inherited homoplasmic mtDNA m.4087A>G mutation in the ND1 gene (MT-ND1) associated with isolated...... myopathy, recurrent episodes of myoglobinuria, and rhabdomyolysis. DNA from blood in seven family members and muscle from four family members were PCR amplified and sequenced directly and assessed for the m.4087A>G variation in MT-ND1. Mitochondrial enzyme activity in all muscle biopsies was measured. PCR...... myoglobinuria is a rare phenotype of mitochondrial myopathies. We report this phenotype in a family affected by a novel homoplasmic mutation in MT-ND1. It is the first time such a phenotype has been associated with complex I gene mutations and a homoplasmic mutation of mtDNA....

Proceedings of the 22nd Particle Accelerator Conference (PAC'07)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

N/A

2007-08-01

The twenty-second Particle Accelerator Conference, PAC'07, took place at the Albuquerque Convention Centre in Albuquerque, the largest city in New Mexico, from Monday to Friday, 2007 June 25 to 29. It was attended by over 1350 delegates from 25 different countries (63% North America, 24% Europe, 11% Asia and 2% Other), and was held under the auspices of the two professional societies that oversee and make holding this series of conferences possible, the Division of Physics of Beams within APS, and the Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society within IEEE. As host of the conference, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is especially thanked for their many contributions and assistance both prior to and during the conference. The Convention Center was an ideal location for information sharing and discussions between the interdisciplinary aspects of the accelerator community, as well as for related meetings and ad-hoc 'rump' sessions.

Type of featural attention differentially modulates hMT+ responses to illusory motion aftereffects.

Science.gov (United States)

Castelo-Branco, Miguel; Kozak, Lajos R; Formisano, Elia; Teixeira, João; Xavier, João; Goebel, Rainer

2009-11-01

Activity in the human motion complex (hMT(+)/V5) is related to the perception of motion, be it either real surface motion or an illusion of motion such as apparent motion (AM) or motion aftereffect (MAE). It is a long-lasting debate whether illusory motion-related activations in hMT(+) represent the motion itself or attention to it. We have asked whether hMT(+) responses to MAEs are present when shifts in arousal are suppressed and attention is focused on concurrent motion versus nonmotion features. Significant enhancement of hMT(+) activity was observed during MAEs when attention was focused either on concurrent spatial angle or color features. This observation was confirmed by direct comparison of adapting (MAE inducing) versus nonadapting conditions. In contrast, this effect was diminished when subjects had to report on concomitant speed changes of superimposed AM. The same finding was observed for concomitant orthogonal real motion (RM), suggesting that selective attention to concurrent illusory or real motion was interfering with the saliency of MAE signals in hMT(+). We conclude that MAE-related changes in the global activity of hMT(+) are present provided selective attention is not focused on an interfering feature such as concurrent motion. Accordingly, there is a genuine MAE-related motion signal in hMT(+) that is neither explained by shifts in arousal nor by selective attention.

MAGNUS-3D: Accelerator magnet calculations in 3-dimensions

Science.gov (United States)

Pissanetzky, S.

1988-12-01

MAGNUS-3D is a professional finite element code for nonlinear magnetic engineering. MAGNUS-3D can solve numerically any general problem of linear or nonlinear magnetostatics in three dimensions. The problem is formulated in a domain with Dirichlet, Neumann or periodic boundary conditions, that can contain any combination of conductors of any shape in space, nonlinear magnetic materials with magnetic properties specified by magnetization tables, and nonlinear permanent magnets with any given demagnetization curve. MAGNUS-3D uses the two-scalar-potentials formulation of Magnetostatics and the finite element method, has an automatic 3D mesh generator, and advanced post-processing features that include graphics on a variety of supported devices, tabulation, and calculation of design quantities required in Magnetic Engineering. MAGNUS-3D is a general purpose 3D code, but it has been extensively used for accelerator work and many special features required for accelerator engineering have been incorporated into the code. One of such features is the calculation of field harmonic coefficients averaged in the direction of the beam, so important for the design of magnet ends. Another feature is its ability to calculate line integrals of any field component along the direction of the beam, or plot the field as a function of the z coordinate. MAGNUS-3D has found applications to the design of accelerator magnets and spectrometers, steering magnets, wigglers and undulators for free electron lasers, microtrons and magnets for synchrotron light sources, as well as magnets for NMR and medical applications, recording heads and various magnetic devices. There are three more programs closely associated with MAGNUS-3D. MAGNUS-GKS is the graphical postprocessor for the package; it supports a numer of output devices, including color vector or bit map devices. WIRE is an independent program that can calculate the field produced by any configuration of electric conductors in space, at any

People and things. CERN Courier, October 1982, v. 22(8)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1982-01-01

The article reports on achievements of various people, staff changes and position opportunities within the CERN organization and contains news updates on upcoming or past events. Some two hundred delegates from several different countries met for the History of Particle Physics Colloquium held in Paris in the old Ecole Polytechnique building from 21-23 July 1982. The fourth meeting of the USA/ Japan Committee on High Energy Physics was held on 24-25 May in the Fuji Institute of Education and Training in the foothills of Mt. Fuji. Earlier this year, a seminar entitled Trends in Particle Acceleration Techniques' was held in Capri, Italy.The 1983 Particle Accelerator Conference on Accelerator Engineering and Technology will be held from 21-23 March at Santa Fe, New Mexico, organized by Los Alamos National Laboratory. A Workshop on SPS Fixed Target Physics for the years 1984-89 will be held at CERN from 6-10 December. Data from recent deuterium fills of the BEBC bubble chamber at CERN and the Fermilab 15 foot chamber, exposed to wideband neutrino beams, has provided information on the coupling of the weak neutral current to neutrons. The results are in tune with electroweak predictions

Evidence of animal mtDNA recombination between divergent populations of the potato cyst nematode Globodera pallida.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoolahan, Angelique H; Blok, Vivian C; Gibson, Tracey; Dowton, Mark

2012-03-01

Recombination is typically assumed to be absent in animal mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA). However, the maternal mode of inheritance means that recombinant products are indistinguishable from their progenitor molecules. The majority of studies of mtDNA recombination assess past recombination events, where patterns of recombination are inferred by comparing the mtDNA of different individuals. Few studies assess contemporary mtDNA recombination, where recombinant molecules are observed as direct mosaics of known progenitor molecules. Here we use the potato cyst nematode, Globodera pallida, to investigate past and contemporary recombination. Past recombination was assessed within and between populations of G. pallida, and contemporary recombination was assessed in the progeny of experimental crosses of these populations. Breeding of genetically divergent organisms may cause paternal mtDNA leakage, resulting in heteroplasmy and facilitating the detection of recombination. To assess contemporary recombination we looked for evidence of recombination between the mtDNA of the parental populations within the mtDNA of progeny. Past recombination was detected between a South American population and several UK populations of G. pallida, as well as between two South American populations. This suggests that these populations may have interbred, paternal mtDNA leakage occurred, and the mtDNA of these populations subsequently recombined. This evidence challenges two dogmas of animal mtDNA evolution; no recombination and maternal inheritance. No contemporary recombination between the parental populations was detected in the progeny of the experimental crosses. This supports current arguments that mtDNA recombination events are rare. More sensitive detection methods may be required to adequately assess contemporary mtDNA recombination in animals.

The mitochondrial outer membrane protein MDI promotes local protein synthesis and mtDNA replication.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yi; Chen, Yong; Gucek, Marjan; Xu, Hong

2016-05-17

Early embryonic development features rapid nuclear DNA replication cycles, but lacks mtDNA replication. To meet the high-energy demands of embryogenesis, mature oocytes are furnished with vast amounts of mitochondria and mtDNA However, the cellular machinery driving massive mtDNA replication in ovaries remains unknown. Here, we describe a Drosophila AKAP protein, MDI that recruits a translation stimulator, La-related protein (Larp), to the mitochondrial outer membrane in ovaries. The MDI-Larp complex promotes the synthesis of a subset of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins by cytosolic ribosomes on the mitochondrial surface. MDI-Larp's targets include mtDNA replication factors, mitochondrial ribosomal proteins, and electron-transport chain subunits. Lack of MDI abolishes mtDNA replication in ovaries, which leads to mtDNA deficiency in mature eggs. Targeting Larp to the mitochondrial outer membrane independently of MDI restores local protein synthesis and rescues the phenotypes of mdi mutant flies. Our work suggests that a selective translational boost by the MDI-Larp complex on the outer mitochondrial membrane might be essential for mtDNA replication and mitochondrial biogenesis during oogenesis. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

The amount and integrity of mtDNA in maize decline with development.

Science.gov (United States)

Oldenburg, Delene J; Kumar, Rachana A; Bendich, Arnold J

2013-02-01

In maize and other grasses there is a developmental gradient from the meristematic cells at the base of the stalk to the differentiated cells at the leaf tip. This gradient presents an opportunity to investigate changes in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that accompany growth under light and dark conditions, as done previously for plastid DNA. Maize mtDNA was analyzed by DAPI-DNA staining of individual mitochondria, gel electrophoresis/blot hybridization, and real-time qPCR. Both the amount and integrity of the mtDNA were found to decline with development. There was a 20-fold decline in mtDNA copy number per cell from the embryo to the light-grown leaf blade. The amount of DNA per mitochondrial particle was greater in dark-grown leaf blade (24 copies, on average) than in the light (2 copies), with some mitochondria lacking any detectable DNA. Three factors that influence the demise of mtDNA during development are considered: (1) the decision to either repair or degrade mtDNA molecules that are damaged by the reactive oxygen species produced as byproducts of respiration; (2) the generation of ATP by photophosphorylation in chloroplasts, reducing the need for respiratory-competent mitochondria; and (3) the shift in mitochondrial function from energy-generating respiration to photorespiration during the transition from non-green to green tissue.

The Regulatory Mechanism of MLT/MT1 Signaling on the Growth of Antler Mesenchymal Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feifei Yang

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Melatonin (MLT plays an important role in regulating the physiological cycle of seasonal breeding animals. Melatonin receptor I (MT1 is effectively expressed in the cambium layer of deer antler. However, the function and metabolic mechanism of MLT/MT1 signaling in the mesenchymal cells of sika deer remain to be further elucidated. In this work, we detected the effects of MLT/MT1 signaling on mesenchymal cells proliferation and the interaction between MLT/MT1 and IGF1/IGF1-R signaling. The results show that (1 deer antler mesenchymal cells actually express MT1; (2 exogenous melatonin significantly promotes mesenchymal cells proliferation, while MT1 knock-down significantly impairs the positive effects of melatonin; and (3 melatonin significantly enhanced IGF1/IGF1-R signaling, as both the expression of IGF1 and IGF-1R increased, while MT1 knock-down significantly decreased IGF1-R expression and IGF1 synthesis. In summary, these data verified that MLT/MT1 signaling plays a crucial role in antler mesenchymal proliferation, which may be mediated by IGF1/IGF1-R.

Targeting MT1-MMP as an ImmunoPET-Based Strategy for Imaging Gliomas.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A G de Lucas

Full Text Available A critical challenge in the management of Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM tumors is the accurate diagnosis and assessment of tumor progression in a noninvasive manner. We have identified Membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP as an attractive biomarker for GBM imaging since this protein is actively involved in tumor growth and progression, correlates with tumor grade and is closely associated with poor prognosis in GBM patients. Here, we report the development of an immunoPET tracer for effective detection of MT1-MMP in GBM models.An anti-human MT1-MMP monoclonal antibody (mAb, LEM2/15, was conjugated to p-isothiocyanatobenzyl-desferrioxamine (DFO-NCS for 89Zr labeling. Biodistribution and PET imaging studies were performed in xenograft mice bearing human GBM cells (U251 expressing MT1-MMP and non-expressing breast carcinoma cells (MCF-7 as negative control. Two orthotopic brain GBM models, patient-derived neurospheres (TS543 and U251 cells, with different degrees of blood-brain barrier (BBB disruption were also used for PET imaging experiments.89Zr labeling of DFO-LEM2/15 was achieved with high yield (>90% and specific activity (78.5 MBq/mg. Biodistribution experiments indicated that 89Zr-DFO-LEM2/15 showed excellent potential as a radiotracer for detection of MT1-MMP positive GBM tumors. PET imaging also indicated a specific and prominent 89Zr-DFO-LEM2/15 uptake in MT1-MMP+ U251 GBM tumors compared to MT1-MMP- MCF-7 breast tumors. Results obtained in orthotopic brain GBM models revealed a high dependence of a disrupted BBB for tracer penetrance into tumors. 89Zr-DFO-LEM2/15 showed much higher accumulation in TS543 tumors with a highly disrupted BBB than in U251 orthotopic model in which the BBB permeability was only partially increased. Histological analysis confirmed the specificity of the immunoconjugate in all GBM models.A new anti MT1-MMP-mAb tracer, 89Zr-DFO-LEM2/15, was synthesized efficiently. In vivo validation showed high

SM22{alpha}-induced activation of p16{sup INK4a}/retinoblastoma pathway promotes cellular senescence caused by a subclinical dose of {gamma}-radiation and doxorubicin in HepG2 cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Tae Rim; Lee, Hee Min; Lee, So Yong; Kim, Eun Jin; Kim, Kug Chan [Department of Radiation Biology, Environmental Radiation Research Group, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Paik, Sang Gi [Department of Biology, School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Eun Wie, E-mail: ewcho@kribb.re.kr [Daejeon-KRIBB-FHCRC Cooperation Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, In Gyu, E-mail: igkim@kaeri.re.kr [Department of Radiation Biology, Environmental Radiation Research Group, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2010-09-10

Research highlights: {yields} SM22{alpha} overexpression in HepG2 cells leads cells to a growth arrest state, and the treatment of a subclinical dose of {gamma}-radiation or doxorubicin promotes cellular senescence. {yields} SM22{alpha} overexpression elevates p16{sup INK4a} followed by pRB activation, but there are no effects on p53/p21{sup WAF1/Cip1} pathway. {yields} SM22{alpha}-induced MT-1G activates p16{sup INK4a}/pRB pathway, which promotes cellular senescence by damaging agents. -- Abstract: Smooth muscle protein 22-alpha (SM22{alpha}) is known as a transformation- and shape change-sensitive actin cross-linking protein found in smooth muscle tissue and fibroblasts; however, its functional role remains uncertain. We reported previously that SM22{alpha} overexpression confers resistance against anti-cancer drugs or radiation via induction of metallothionein (MT) isozymes in HepG2 cells. In this study, we demonstrate that SM22{alpha} overexpression leads cells to a growth arrest state and promotes cellular senescence caused by treatment with a subclinical dose of {gamma}-radiation (0.05 and 0.1 Gy) or doxorubicin (0.01 and 0.05 {mu}g/ml), compared to control cells. Senescence growth arrest is known to be controlled by p53 phosphorylation/p21{sup WAF1/Cip1} induction or p16{sup INK4a}/retinoblastoma protein (pRB) activation. SM22{alpha} overexpression in HepG2 cells elevated p16{sup INK4a} followed by pRB activation, but did not activate the p53/p21{sup WAF1/Cip1} pathway. Moreover, MT-1G, which is induced by SM22{alpha} overexpression, was involved in the activation of the p16{sup INK4a}/pRB pathway, which led to a growth arrest state and promoted cellular senescence caused by damaging agents. Our findings provide the first demonstration that SM22{alpha} modulates cellular senescence caused by damaging agents via regulation of the p16{sup INK4a}/pRB pathway in HepG2 cells and that these effects of SM22{alpha} are partially mediated by MT-1G.

Ezra Pound and Du Fu: Gazing at Mt. Tai

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kent Su

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Confined to a six-by-six-foot outdoor steel cage, Ezra Pound saw a series of mountain hills from a few miles to the east of Pisa. The poet compared one of these small 800-metre hills to the sacred Chinese Mt. Tai, which becomes the most common geographical name in The Pisan Cantos. Pound’s poetic summoning of this particular mountain is related to the fact that Mt. Tai is historically and culturally connected to the philosophy of Confucius, who personally ascended the mountain several times. Pound, as a devout Confucian disciple, closely follows the philosophical doctrines and attempts to mentally trace the footsteps of Confucius. This paper will argue how Pound’s poetic evocation of the mountain shares a striking similarity to an eighth-century Chinese poem called “Gazing at Mt. Tai,” which was written by the famous literatus - Du Fu 杜甫(712 – 770 . In spite of living in two completely different eras and countries, Pound’s and Du Fu’s reference to Mt. Tai demonstrates the confluence of their poetic spirits. Neither of them ascended mountain personally. They instead made use of their poetic imagination to follow the paths of Confucius and perceived the mountain as an earthly paradise, one which represents tranquillity and serenity away from the moral and physical corruption of the external world.

78 FR 33047 - Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Carson Ranger District Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe-Atoma Area...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-03

... Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe--Atoma Area Environmental Impact Statement AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION... the effects of a proposal from Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe (Mt. Rose) to expand its lift and terrain network. The project is located approximately 12 miles west of the intersection of Mt. Rose Highway (Nevada...

AFR report for 1974

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Westermark, T.

1975-01-01

The research of the radiation chemistry group at the Department of Nuclear Chemistry concerns the development of detection systems for pulse radiolysis and the radiation induced chemistry of hydrocarbons, sulphur and phosphorus compounds. The pulse radiolysis instrument consists of a 7 MeV microtron-accelerator equipped with optical and ac/dc conductivity detection systems. A mini computer PDP 11/40 is coupled on line to the detection systems. (Auth.)

X-ray phase contrast imaging at the Mainz Microtron MAMI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghazaly, M. el

2005-10-01

Experiments have been performed to explore the potential of the low emittance 855 MeV electron beam of the Mainz Microtron MAMI for imaging with coherent X-rays. Transition radiation from a micro-focused electron beam traversing a foil stack served as X-ray source with good transverse coherence. In a first series of experiments a polychromatic transition radiation X-ray source with typical photon energies in the range of 8-30 keV and a spot size of standard deviation σ h =(8.6±0.1) μm in horizontal and σ v =(7.5±0.1) μm in vertical direction was used to record refraction contrast radiographs of low absorbing materials, in particular polymer strings with diameters between 30 and 450 μm. As detectors X-ray films were used. The source-to-detector distance amounted to 13 m. The edge enhancement contrast C ref = (I max -I min )/(I max +I min ) was investigated as a function of the distance between the object and the X-ray film which was varied between 0.5 and 5.5 m. In a second series of experiments holograms of strings were taken with a beam spot size σ v =(0.50±0.05) μm and a monochromatic X-ray beam of 6 keV energy. The good longitudinal coherence has been obtained by the (111) reflection of a flat silicon single crystal in Bragg geometry. It has been demonstrated that a direct exposure CCD chip with a pixel size of 13 x 13 μm 2 provides a highly efficient on-line detector. The on-line capability allows a minimization of the beam spot size by observing the smallest visible interference fringe spacings or the number of visible fringes. In a third series of experiments it was demonstrated that X-ray films are very useful detectors for the micro-focused and monochromized transition radiation X-ray source at MAMI. The main advantage in comparison with the direct exposure CCD chip is the resolution. For the X-ray film Structurix D3 (Agfa) the standard deviation of the resolution was measured to be σ f =(1.1±0.4) μm, which is about a factor of 6 better as for

Membrane-type-3 matrix metalloproteinase (MT3-MMP functions as a matrix composition-dependent effector of melanoma cell invasion.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga Tatti

Full Text Available In primary human melanoma, the membrane-type matrix metalloproteinase, MT3-MMP, is overexpressed in the most aggressive nodular-type tumors. Unlike MT1-MMP and MT2-MMP, which promote cell invasion through basement membranes and collagen type I-rich tissues, the function of MT3-MMP in tumor progression remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that MT3-MMP inhibits MT1-MMP-driven melanoma cell invasion in three-dimensional collagen, while yielding an altered, yet MT1-MMP-dependent, form of expansive growth behavior that phenocopies the formation of nodular cell colonies. In melanoma cell lines originating from advanced primary or metastatic lesions, endogenous MT3-MMP expression was associated with limited collagen-invasive potential. In the cell lines with highest MT3-MMP expression relative to MT1-MMP, collagen-invasive activity was increased following stable MT3-MMP gene silencing. Consistently, MT3-MMP overexpression in cells derived from less advanced superficially spreading melanoma lesions, or in the MT3-MMP knockdown cells, reduced MT1-MMP-dependent collagen invasion. Rather than altering MT1-MMP transcription, MT3-MMP interacted with MT1-MMP in membrane complexes and reduced its cell surface expression. By contrast, as a potent fibrinolytic enzyme, MT3-MMP induced efficient invasion of the cells in fibrin, a provisional matrix component frequently found at tumor-host tissue interfaces and perivascular spaces of melanoma. Since MT3-MMP was significantly upregulated in biopsies of human melanoma metastases, these results identify MT3-MMP as a matrix-dependent modifier of the invasive tumor cell functions during melanoma progression.

Do mtDNA Deletions Play a Role in the Development of Nasal Polyposis?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arzu Tatar

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Objective:Nasal polyposis (NP is an inflammatory disease of the nasal mucosa and paranasal sinuses. Mitochondria are the cellular organelles which produce cellular energy by Oxidative Phosphorylation (OXPHOS, and they have own inheritance material, mtDNA. mtDNA is affected by reactive oxygen samples (ROS which are produced by both OXPHOS and the inflammatory process. The aim of this study was to investigate the 4977 bp and 7400 bp deletions of mtDNA in nasal polyposis tissue, and to indicate the possible association of mtDNA deletions with NP. Methods:Thirty-three patients, aged 15 to 65 years, with nasal polyposis were selected to be assessed for mitochondrial DNA deletions. The patients with possible mtDNA mutations due to mitochondrial disease, being treated with radiotherapy, of advanced age, with a familiar history, aspirin hypersensitivity, or a history of asthma, were excluded. Polyp excision surgery was applied to the treatment of the NP, and after histopathological diagnosis 1x1 cm of polyp tissue samples were used to isolate mtDNA. The 4977 bp and 7400 bp deletion regions, and two control regions of mtDNA were assessed by using four pairs of primers. DNA extractions from the NP tissues and peripheral blood samples of the patients were made, and then Polymerase Chain Reactions (PCR were made. PCR products were separated in 2% agarose gel.Results:No patient had either the 4977 bp deletion or the 7400 bp deletion in their NP tissue, and neither were these deletions evident in their peripheral blood. Two control sequences, one of them from a non-deleted region, and the other from a possible deletion region, were detected in the NP tissues and peripheral blood of all the patients.Conclusions:We had anticipated that some mtDNA deletion might have occurred in NP tissue due to the increased ROS levels caused by chronic inflammation, but we did not detect any deletion. Probably, the duration of inflammation in NP is insufficient to form mt

77 FR 61248 - Establishment of Class E Airspace; Deer Lodge, MT

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-09

...-0379; Airspace Docket No. 12-ANM-7 Establishment of Class E Airspace; Deer Lodge, MT AGENCY: Federal... at Deer Lodge-City- County Airport, Deer Lodge, MT. Controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate... procedures at Deer Lodge-City-County Airport. This improves the safety and management of Instrument Flight...

A Signal, from Human mtDNA, of Postglacial Recolonization in Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Torroni, Antonio; Bandelt, Hans-Jürgen; Macaulay, Vincent; Richards, Martin; Cruciani, Fulvio; Rengo, Chiara; Martinez-Cabrera, Vicente; Villems, Richard; Kivisild, Toomas; Metspalu, Ene; Parik, Jüri; Tolk, Helle-Viivi; Tambets, Kristiina; Forster, Peter; Karger, Bernd; Francalacci, Paolo; Rudan, Pavao; Janicijevic, Branka; Rickards, Olga; Savontaus, Marja-Liisa; Huoponen, Kirsi; Laitinen, Virpi; Koivumäki, Satu; Sykes, Bryan; Hickey, Eileen; Novelletto, Andrea; Moral, Pedro; Sellitto, Daniele; Coppa, Alfredo; Al-Zaheri, Nadia; Santachiara-Benerecetti, A. Silvana; Semino, Ornella; Scozzari, Rosaria

2001-01-01

Mitochondrial HVS-I sequences from 10,365 subjects belonging to 56 populations/geographical regions of western Eurasia and northern Africa were first surveyed for the presence of the T→C transition at nucleotide position 16298, a mutation which has previously been shown to characterize haplogroup V mtDNAs. All mtDNAs with this mutation were then screened for a number of diagnostic RFLP sites, revealing two major subsets of mtDNAs. One is haplogroup V proper, and the other has been termed “pre*V,” since it predates V phylogenetically. The rather uncommon pre*V tends to be scattered throughout Europe (and northwestern Africa), whereas V attains two peaks of frequency: one situated in southwestern Europe and one in the Saami of northern Scandinavia. Geographical distributions and ages support the scenario that pre*V originated in Europe before the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), whereas the more recently derived haplogroup V arose in a southwestern European refugium soon after the LGM. The arrival of V in eastern/central Europe, however, occurred much later, possibly with (post-)Neolithic contacts. The distribution of haplogroup V mtDNAs in modern European populations would thus, at least in part, reflect the pattern of postglacial human recolonization from that refugium, affecting even the Saami. Overall, the present study shows that the dissection of mtDNA variation into small and well-defined evolutionary units is an essential step in the identification of spatial frequency patterns. Mass screening of a few markers identified using complete mtDNA sequences promises to be an efficient strategy for inferring features of human prehistory. PMID:11517423

Nuclear-like Seq in mt Genome - RMG | LSDB Archive [Life Science Database Archive metadata

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available ar-like Seq in mt Genome Data detail Data name Nuclear-like Seq in mt Genome DOI 10...e Site Policy | Contact Us Nuclear-like Seq in mt Genome - RMG | LSDB Archive ... ...switchLanguage; BLAST Search Image Search Home About Archive Update History Data List Contact us RMG Nucle

R-22 vapor explosions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, R.P.; Armstrong, D.R.

1977-01-01

Previous experimental and theoretical studies of R-22 vapor explosions are reviewed. Results from two experimental investigations of vapor explosions in a medium scale R-22/water system are reported. Measurements following the drop of an unrestrained mass of R-22 into a water tank demonstrated the existence of two types of interaction behavior. Release of a constrained mass of R-22 beneath the surface of a water tank improved the visual resolution of the system thus allowing identification of two interaction mechansims: at low water temperatures, R-22/water contact would produce immediate violent boiling; at high water temperatures a vapor film formed around its R-22 as it was released, explosions were generated by a surface wave which initiated at a single location and propagated along the vapor film as a shock wave. A new vapor explosion model is proposed, it suggests explosions are the result of a sequence of three independent steps: an initial mixing phase, a trigger and growth phase, and a mature phase where a propagating shock wave accelerates the two liquids into a collapsing vapor layer causing a high velocity impact which finely fragments and intermixes the two liquids

The Current State and Historico-geographical Background of Mt. Chirisan Region Immigrants

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Sungho Kang

2016-08-01

Full Text Available This paper examined the historico-geographical background and current state of immigrants in the area designated as the “Mt. Chirisan Region,” their characteristics, and related integration issues. This article defines the Mt. Chirisan Region as the 7 cities/kuns of Namwŏn-si, Changsu-kun, Koksŏng-kun, Kurye-kun, Hadong-kun, Sanchŏng-kun, and Hamyang-kun. As the Mt. Chirisan Region mainly consists of mountainous and agricultural areas, the immigrant induction effect socio-economically was low relative to urban and industrial areas. It was also noted that, as the percentage of marriage immigration in Mt. Chirisan was high relative to urban or industrial areas, the female foreigner ratio was higher than that of male foreigners. In regard to the home countries of immigrants, women from South-East Asia and North-East Asia accounted for the majority. Also, this article examines the current situation of support programs of 7 local Multicultural Family Support Centers in the Mt. Chirisan Region, their problems, and probably solutions. Based on the historical development of the region and recent social changes, our society and government need to actively develop a higher level of social integration and employment education support programs, and carry out policies that will protect the diverse cultural identities of immigrants. In addition, differentiated multicultural family support programs appropriate for Mt. Chirisan, an inland mountain region, need to be developed.

Synthetic Modeling of A Geothermal System Using Audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) and Magnetotelluric (MT)

Science.gov (United States)

Mega Saputra, Rifki; Widodo

2017-04-01

Indonesia has 40% of the world’s potential geothermal resources with estimated capacity of 28,910 MW. Generally, the characteristic of the geothermal system in Indonesia is liquid-dominated systems, which driven by volcanic activities. In geothermal exploration, electromagnetic methods are used to map structures that could host potential reservoirs and source rocks. We want to know the responses of a geothermal system using synthetic data of Audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) and Magnetotelluric (MT). Due to frequency range, AMT and MT data can resolve the shallow and deeper structure, respectively. 1-D models have been performed using AMT and MT data. The results indicate that AMT and MT data give detailed conductivity distribution of geothermal structure.

Simulation of e-{gamma}-n targets by FLUKA and measurement of neutron flux at various angles for accelerator based neutron source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patil, B.J., E-mail: bjp@physics.unipune.ernet.i [Department of Physics, University of Pune, Pune 411 007 (India); Chavan, S.T.; Pethe, S.N.; Krishnan, R. [SAMEER, IIT Powai Campus, Mumbai 400 076 (India); Bhoraskar, V.N. [Department of Physics, University of Pune, Pune 411 007 (India); Dhole, S.D., E-mail: sanjay@physics.unipune.ernet.i [Department of Physics, University of Pune, Pune 411 007 (India)

2010-10-15

A 6 MeV Race track Microtron (an electron accelerator) based pulsed neutron source has been designed specifically for the elemental analysis of short lived activation products where the low neutron flux requirement is desirable. The bremsstrahlung radiation emitted by impinging 6 MeV electron on the e-{gamma} primary target, was made to fall on the {gamma}-n secondary target to produce neutrons. The optimisation of bremsstrahlung and neutron producing target along with their spectra were estimated using FLUKA code. The measurement of neutron flux was carried out by activation of vanadium and the measured fluxes were 1.1878 x 10{sup 5}, 0.9403 x 10{sup 5}, 0.7428 x 10{sup 5}, 0.6274 x 10{sup 5}, 0.5659 x 10{sup 5}, 0.5210 x 10{sup 5} n/cm{sup 2}/s at 0{sup o}, 30{sup o}, 60{sup o}, 90{sup o}, 115{sup o}, 140{sup o} respectively. The results indicate that the neutron flux was found to be decreased as increase in the angle and in good agreement with the FLUKA simulation.

Episodic weakness due to mitochondrial DNA MT-ATP6/8 mutations.

Science.gov (United States)

Auré, Karine; Dubourg, Odile; Jardel, Claude; Clarysse, Lucie; Sternberg, Damien; Fournier, Emmanuel; Laforêt, Pascal; Streichenberger, Nathalie; Petiot, Philippe; Gervais-Bernard, Hélène; Vial, Christophe; Bedat-Millet, Anne-Laure; Drouin-Garraud, Valérie; Bouillaud, Frédéric; Vandier, Christophe; Fontaine, Bertrand; Lombès, Anne

2013-11-19

To report that homoplasmic deleterious mutations in the mitochondrial DNA MT-ATP6/8 genes may be responsible for acute episodes of limb weakness mimicking periodic paralysis due to channelopathies and dramatically responding to acetazolamide. Mitochondrial DNA sequencing and restriction PCR, oxidative phosphorylation functional assays, reactive oxygen species metabolism, and patch-clamp technique in cultured skin fibroblasts. Occurrence of a typical MELAS (mitochondrial encephalopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes) syndrome in a single member of a large pedigree with episodic weakness associated with a later-onset distal motor neuropathy led to the disclosure of 2 deleterious mitochondrial DNA mutations. The MT-ATP6 m.9185T>C p.Leu220Pro mutation, previously associated with Leigh syndrome, was present in all family members, while the MT-TL1 m.3271T>C mutation, a known cause of MELAS syndrome, was observed in the sole patient with MELAS presentation. Significant defect of complexes V and I as well as oxidative stress were observed in both primary fibroblasts and cybrid cells with 100% m.9185T>C mutation. Permanent plasma membrane depolarization and altered permeability to K(+) in fibroblasts provided a link with the paralysis episodes. Screening of 9 patients, based on their clinical phenotype, identified 4 patients with similar deleterious MT-ATP6 mutations (twice m.9185T>C and once m.9176T>C or m.8893T>C). A fifth patient presented with an original potentially deleterious MT-ATP8 mutation (m.8403T>C). All mutations were associated with almost-normal complex V activity but significant oxidative stress and permanent plasma membrane depolarization. Homoplasmic mutations in the MT-ATP6/8 genes may cause episodic weakness responding to acetazolamide treatment.

No variation and low synonymous substitution rates in coral mtDNA despite high nuclear variation

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Hellberg Michael E

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA of most animals evolves more rapidly than nuclear DNA, and often shows higher levels of intraspecific polymorphism and population subdivision. The mtDNA of anthozoans (corals, sea fans, and their kin, by contrast, appears to evolve slowly. Slow mtDNA evolution has been reported for several anthozoans, however this slow pace has been difficult to put in phylogenetic context without parallel surveys of nuclear variation or calibrated rates of synonymous substitution that could permit quantitative rate comparisons across taxa. Here, I survey variation in the coding region of a mitochondrial gene from a coral species (Balanophyllia elegans known to possess high levels of nuclear gene variation, and estimate synonymous rates of mtDNA substitution by comparison to another coral (Tubastrea coccinea. Results The mtDNA surveyed (630 bp of cytochrome oxidase subunit I was invariant among individuals sampled from 18 populations spanning 3000 km of the range of B. elegans, despite high levels of variation and population subdivision for allozymes over these same populations. The synonymous substitution rate between B. elegans and T. coccinea (0.05%/site/106 years is similar to that in most plants, but 50–100 times lower than rates typical for most animals. In addition, while substitutions to mtDNA in most animals exhibit a strong bias toward transitions, mtDNA from these corals does not. Conclusion Slow rates of mitochondrial nucleotide substitution result in low levels of intraspecific mtDNA variation in corals, even when nuclear loci vary. Slow mtDNA evolution appears to be the basal condition among eukaryotes. mtDNA substitution rates switch from slow to fast abruptly and unidirectionally. This switch may stem from the loss of just one or a few mitochondrion-specific DNA repair or replication genes.

Economic efficiency analysis of electron accelerator for irradiation processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Huidong; Chen Ronghui

2003-01-01

The fixed assets, running cost and economic efficiency were discussed in this paper. For building electron accelerator of 10 MeV and 3 kW, the running cost is one time higher than building cobalt source at 2.22 x 10 15 Bq, but economic efficiency of building a electron accelerator is much higher than building a cobalt source

Workshop on the accelerator for particle therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inoue, M.; Ujeno, Y.

1991-02-01

A two-day workshop on the accelerator for particle therapy was held on August 22-23, 1990, with the aim of mutual understanding of medical accelerators among investigators. The state-of-the-art facilities in Japan and medical proton accelerators in Japan and other countries were introduced. This is a compilation of papers presented at the workshop: (1) particle radiotherapy at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS); (2) proton therapy; (3) treatment planning, especially for photon and electron therapies; (4) heavy ion synchrotron project at the NIRS; (5) medical proton accelerator project of Tsukuba University and recent status of Loma Linda University Medical Center Proton Beam Facility; (6) inspection report on the Loma Linda University Medical Center Proton Beam Facility; (7) accelerator project of Kyoto University; (8) actual conditions of the 7 MeV proton linear accelerator; (9) design study of superconducting compact cyclotron prototype model; (10) medical superconducting prototype cyclotron; (11) RCNP cyclotron cascade project; (12) beam extraction from synchrotron; (13) radiation safety design in high energy particle accelerator facilities. (N.K.)

MT-ComparEval: Graphical evaluation interface for Machine Translation development

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Klejch Ondřej

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The tool described in this article has been designed to help MT developers by implementing a web-based graphical user interface that allows to systematically compare and evaluate various MT engines/experiments using comparative analysis via automatic measures and statistics. The evaluation panel provides graphs, tests for statistical significance and n-gram statistics. We also present a demo server http://wmt.ufal.cz with WMT14 and WMT15 translations.

Automatic Grader of MT Outputs in Colloquial Style by Using Multiple Edit Distances

Science.gov (United States)

Akiba, Yasuhiro; Imamura, Kenji; Sumita, Eiichiro; Nakaiwa, Hiromi; Yamamoto, Seiichi; Okuno, Hiroshi G.

This paper addresses the challenging problem of automating the human's intelligent ability to evaluate output from machine translation (MT) systems, which are subsystems of Speech-to-Speech MT (SSMT) systems. Conventional automatic MT evaluation methods include BLEU, which MT researchers have frequently used. BLEU is unsuitable for SSMT evaluation for two reasons. First, BLEU assesses errors lightly at the beginning or ending of translations and heavily in the middle, although the assessments should be independent from the positions. Second, BLEU lacks tolerance in accepting colloquial sentences with small errors, although such errors do not prevent us from continuing conversation. In this paper, the authors report a new evaluation method called RED that automatically grades each MT output by using a decision tree (DT). The DT is learned from training examples that are encoded by using multiple edit distances and their grades. The multiple edit distances are normal edit dista nce (ED) defined by insertion, deletion, and replacement, as well as extensions of ED. The use of multiple edit distances allows more tolerance than either ED or BLEU. Each evaluated MT output is assigned a grade by using the DT. RED and BLEU were compared for the task of evaluating SSMT systems, which have various performances, on a spoken language corpus, ATR's Basic Travel Expression Corpus (BTEC). Experimental results showed that RED significantly outperformed BLEU.

Berkeley Proton Linear Accelerator

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez, L. W.; Bradner, H.; Franck, J.; Gordon, H.; Gow, J. D.; Marshall, L. C.; Oppenheimer, F. F.; Panofsky, W. K. H.; Richman, C.; Woodyard, J. R.

1953-10-13

A linear accelerator, which increases the energy of protons from a 4 Mev Van de Graaff injector, to a final energy of 31.5 Mev, has been constructed. The accelerator consists of a cavity 40 feet long and 39 inches in diameter, excited at resonance in a longitudinal electric mode with a radio-frequency power of about 2.2 x 10{sup 6} watts peak at 202.5 mc. Acceleration is made possible by the introduction of 46 axial "drift tubes" into the cavity, which is designed such that the particles traverse the distance between the centers of successive tubes in one cycle of the r.f. power. The protons are longitudinally stable as in the synchrotron, and are stabilized transversely by the action of converging fields produced by focusing grids. The electrical cavity is constructed like an inverted airplane fuselage and is supported in a vacuum tank. Power is supplied by 9 high powered oscillators fed from a pulse generator of the artificial transmission line type.

Photon activation analysis on building materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schulze, D.; Heller, W.; Kupsch, H.

1988-01-01

With regard to the planned construction of a new microtron, first investigations on raw materials for the aerated concrete production have been done to clear up the possibilities of photon activation analysis (PAA). Irradiations have been partly carried out on linear accelerators with a self-developed moveable activation equipment. PAA results of qualitative and quantitative elemental analysis are described. The detection of chlorine is important for studying the oversalting processes in buildings. (author)

Quantification of the magnetization-transfer contrast effect: can it yield additional information in differentiation of musculoskeletal lesions particularly in separation of benign from malignant lesions; Quantifizierung des Magnetization Transfer Contrast (MTC) Effektes durch Berechnung von MT-Quotienten: Ergeben sich Zusatzinformationen fuer die Differenzierung benigner und maligner Erkrankungen des Bewegungsapparates?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vahlensieck, M.; Traeber, F.; Schild, H. [Radiologische Universitaetsklinik Bonn (Germany); Gieseke, J. [Philips Medizinsysteme (Germany)

1999-12-01

Purpose: To investigate the potential information of the amount of magnetization-transfer effect in musculoskeletal lesions and to compare MT ratios from benign and malignant musculoskeletal lesions. Material and Method: 49 patients with malignant tumors (3 osteosarcoma, 3 malignant fibrous histiocytoma, 4 chondrosarcoma, 2 Ewing sarcomas) and benign lesions (8 chondroma, 2 fibrous dysplasia, 3 osteoid-osteoma, 6 ganglion cyst, 3 cyst, 3 osteomyelitis, 4 tendinitis, 3 rotator cuff tear, 5 scar tissue) were scanned using routine MRI protocols including T{sub 1}- and T{sub 2}-weighted spin echo as well as T{sub 2}*-weighted gradient echo (FFE) sequences at 1.5 Tesla (ACS II, Philips Medical). Additionally MTC images were generated by combining the FFE sequence and the off-resonance MT technique (-1500 Hz off-resonance frequency, 1770 flip angle and 50 ms pulse duration). MT ratios were calculated as SI{sub o}-SI{sub m}/SI{sub o}. Results: The MT ratio of benign lesions was 26{+-}15%, that of malignant lesions was 22{+-}6%. The difference was statistically not significant. As expected muscle showed a high MT ratio of 50{+-}8%. Scar tissue demonstrated an MT ratio of 39{+-}16% which was significantly higher than the tumor MT ratios. Conclusion: MTC (MT ratios) failed to show significant differences between benign and malignant lesions as was expected due to basic differences in cellularity, rate of mitosis and chromatin content. MTC might however gain more importance in separating scar tissue from recurrent tumor in the future. (orig.) [German] Zielsetzung: Durch die Quantifizierung des Magnetization Transfer Contrastes sollte untersucht werden, ob sich Zusatzinformationen in der Magnetresonanztomographie des Stuetz- und Bewegungsapparates ergeben. Insbesondere sollte ermittelt werden, ob gut- und boesartige Laesionen unterschiedliche MT-Quotienten aufweisen. Material und Methode: 49 Patienten mit boesartigen Tumoren (3 Osteosarkom, 4 Chondrosarkom, 3 Malignes

MT survey in the Minaminoshiro oil field; Minaminoshiro chiiki ni okeru MT ho ni yoru sekiyu tanko (sanjigen MT ho chosa no kento). 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsuo, K; Minegishi, M [Japan National Oil Corp., Tokyo (Japan). Technology Research Center

1997-10-22

Preliminary experiment, investigation, and study are conducted prior to an experimental 3-D MT (magnetotelluric) survey planned to be carried out in the Minaminoshiro district, Akita Prefecture. In the preliminary investigation, MT measurements were performed at nine locations. It was anticipated that national highways, waste treatment plants, high-voltage power lines, and railways in presence in the district would act as noise sources. Although the impact of such noise was detected in the single site treatment result, yet it was found that it would be mostly eliminated by use of the remote reference treatment. It was learned that the resistivity structure in this district was quite low in contrast or 1 ohm/m against 30 ohm/m, but the result of 3-D model calculation indicated that a sufficient analysis would be possible even in such a low contrast case. Furthermore, as the result of the study of the density of observation stations in the magnetic field, it was found that changes in the response of magnetic field to the resistivity structure would be approximately 2% at the maximum and that the ill effect on the result of measurement would be of the negligible magnitude even when a single magnetic field observation station is deployed against plural electric field observation stations. 6 refs., 7 figs.

X-ray phase contrast imaging at the Mainz Microtron MAMI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghazaly, M. el

2005-10-15

Experiments have been performed to explore the potential of the low emittance 855 MeV electron beam of the Mainz Microtron MAMI for imaging with coherent X-rays. Transition radiation from a micro-focused electron beam traversing a foil stack served as X-ray source with good transverse coherence. In a first series of experiments a polychromatic transition radiation X-ray source with typical photon energies in the range of 8-30 keV and a spot size of standard deviation {sigma}{sub h}=(8.6{+-}0.1) {mu}m in horizontal and {sigma}{sub v}=(7.5{+-}0.1) {mu}m in vertical direction was used to record refraction contrast radiographs of low absorbing materials, in particular polymer strings with diameters between 30 and 450 {mu}m. As detectors X-ray films were used. The source-to-detector distance amounted to 13 m. The edge enhancement contrast C{sub ref} = (I{sub max}-I{sub min})/(I{sub max}+I{sub min}) was investigated as a function of the distance between the object and the X-ray film which was varied between 0.5 and 5.5 m. In a second series of experiments holograms of strings were taken with a beam spot size {sigma}{sub v}=(0.50{+-}0.05) {mu}m and a monochromatic X-ray beam of 6 keV energy. The good longitudinal coherence has been obtained by the (111) reflection of a flat silicon single crystal in Bragg geometry. It has been demonstrated that a direct exposure CCD chip with a pixel size of 13 x 13 {mu}m{sup 2} provides a highly efficient on-line detector. The on-line capability allows a minimization of the beam spot size by observing the smallest visible interference fringe spacings or the number of visible fringes. In a third series of experiments it was demonstrated that X-ray films are very useful detectors for the micro-focused and monochromized transition radiation X-ray source at MAMI. The main advantage in comparison with the direct exposure CCD chip is the resolution. For the X-ray film Structurix D3 (Agfa) the standard deviation of the resolution was measured

Electrostatic analysis of 750 keV DC accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Abhay; Dwivedi, Jishnu; Jana, Arup Ratan

2011-01-01

The indigenously developed 750 keV DC accelerator working at RRCAT for the last 5 years uses SF 6 at 6 bar pressure as the insulating gas. The green house potential of this gas is about 22,000 times more than that of CO 2 gas. An electrostatic analysis of this accelerator was performed in order to probe the necessity of using this gas with a very elaborate gas handling system. The DC accelerator is approximated by a 2-D axisymmetric model in ANSYS and voltages were defined at the individual stages of the accelerating tube. The result of the study shows that the present design needs SF 6 gas and the pressure vessel dimensions need to be modified to operate the DC accelerator with environmentally friendly N 2 -CO 2 mixture. This paper presents the methodology of the analysis, discusses the DC accelerator finite element model and presents the results of the analysis. The paper also proposes changes in the DC accelerator design to run the accelerator with N 2 -CO 2 mixture. (author)

Concentrations of tritium in atmospheric moisture and precipitation of Mt. Hakkoda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimura, Hideki; Kon, Takezumi; Sasaki, Mamoru

2000-01-01

A large-scale spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Japan is now under construction in Rokkasho Village, Aomori Prefecture. The 3 H will be one of the major radionuclides released from the plant. To grasp the behavior of 3 H in the environment in Aomori Prefecture, we surveyed 3 H concentrations in the atmospheric moisture and the precipitation samples at Mt. Hakkoda. Additional atmospheric moisture samples were collected at Rokkasho Village and Aomori City. The relatively high 3 H concentration in the atmospheric moisture and the precipitation samples at Mt. Hakkoda were observed from spring to summer. The 3 H concentrations in the precipitation were similar to those in the atmospheric moisture. The temporal variation patterns of 3 H concentrations in the atmospheric moisture were similar in relatively wide region that covers from Mt. Hakkoda to Aomori City and Rokkasho Village. The 3 H concentration in atmospheric moisture at the top of Mt. Hakkoda positively correlated with the ozone concentration. It suggested that 3 H originated from the stratosphere, and showed that ozone might be used as an indictor of background 3 H. (author)

Characterization of a Dairy Gyr herd with respect to its mitochondrial DNA (mt DNA origin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anibal Eugênio Vercesi Filho

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The Zebu breeds were introduced in Brazil mainly in the last century by imports from the Indian subcontinent. When the Zebu cattle arrived, the national herd suffered a significative change by backcrossing the national cows of taurine origin with Zebu sires. These processes created a polymorphism in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA in the Zebu animals with are in a major part derived from backcrossing and sharing mtDNA of taurine origin. To verify the maternal origin of cows belonging to the Dairy Gyr herd of APTA, Mococa 60 females were analyzed and 33 presented mtDNA from Bos taurus origin and 27 presented mtDNA from Bos indicus origin. None of these animals presented patterns of both mtDNA origins, indicating absence of heteroplasmy for these mitochondrial genotypes.

Characterization of mtDNA haplogroups in 14 Mexican indigenous populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Peñaloza-Espinosa, Rosenda I; Arenas-Aranda, Diego; Cerda-Flores, Ricardo M; Buentello-Malo, Leonor; González-Valencia, Gerardo; Torres, Javier; Alvarez, Berenice; Mendoza, Irma; Flores, Mario; Sandoval, Lucila; Loeza, Francisco; Ramos, Irma; Muñoz, Leopoldo; Salamanca, Fabio

2007-06-01

In this descriptive study we investigated the genetic structure of 513 Mexican indigenous subjects grouped in 14 populations (Mixteca-Alta, Mixteca-Baja, Otomi, Purépecha, Tzeltal, Tarahumara, Huichol, Nahua-Atocpan, Nahua-Xochimilco, Nahua-Zitlala, Nahua-Chilacachapa, Nahua-Ixhuatlancillo, Nahua-Necoxtla, and Nahua-Coyolillo) based on mtDNA haplogroups. These communities are geographically and culturally isolated; parents and grandparents were born in the community. Our data show that 98.6% of the mtDNA was distributed in haplogroups A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2, D1, and D2. Haplotype X6 was present in the Tarahumara (1/53) and Huichol (3/15), and haplotype L was present in the Nahua-Coyolillo (3/38). The first two principal components accounted for 95.9% of the total variation in the sample. The mtDNA haplogroup frequencies in the Purépecha and Zitlala were intermediate to cluster 1 (Otomi, Nahua-Ixhuatlancillo, Nahua-Xochimilco, Mixteca-Baja, and Tzeltal) and cluster 2 (Nahua-Necoxtla, Nahua-Atocpan, and Nahua-Chilacachapa). The Huichol, Tarahumara, Mixteca-Alta, and Nahua-Coyolillo were separated from the rest of the populations. According to these findings, the distribution of mtDNA haplogroups found in Mexican indigenous groups is similar to other Amerindian haplogroups, except for the African haplogroup found in one population.

Somatic mtDNA mutation spectra in the aging human putamen.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siôn L Williams

Full Text Available The accumulation of heteroplasmic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA deletions and single nucleotide variants (SNVs is a well-accepted facet of the biology of aging, yet comprehensive mutation spectra have not been described. To address this, we have used next generation sequencing of mtDNA-enriched libraries (Mito-Seq to investigate mtDNA mutation spectra of putamen from young and aged donors. Frequencies of the "common" deletion and other "major arc" deletions were significantly increased in the aged cohort with the fold increase in the frequency of the common deletion exceeding that of major arc deletions. SNVs also increased with age with the highest rate of accumulation in the non-coding control region which contains elements necessary for translation and replication. Examination of predicted amino acid changes revealed a skew towards pathogenic SNVs in the coding region driven by mutation bias. Levels of the pathogenic m.3243A>G tRNA mutation were also found to increase with age. Novel multimeric tandem duplications that resemble murine control region multimers and yeast ρ(- mtDNAs, were identified in both young and aged specimens. Clonal ∼50 bp deletions in the control region were found at high frequencies in aged specimens. Our results reveal the complex manner in which the mitochondrial genome alters with age and provides a foundation for studies of other tissues and disease states.

Green turtles (Chelonia mydas foraging at Arvoredo Island in Southern Brazil: genetic characterization and mixed stock analysis through mtDNA control region haplotypes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maíra Carneiro Proietti

2009-01-01

Full Text Available We analyzed mtDNA control region sequences of green turtles (Chelonia mydas from Arvoredo Island, a foraging ground in southern Brazil, and identified eight haplotypes. Of these, CM-A8 (64% and CM-A5 (22% were dominant, the remainder presenting low frequencies ( 0.05. Mixed Stock Analysis, incorporating eleven Atlantic and one Mediterranean rookery as possible sources of individuals, indicated Ascension and Aves islands as the main contributing stocks to the Arvoredo aggregation (68.01% and 22.96%, respectively. These results demonstrate the extensive relationships between Arvoredo Island and other Atlantic foraging and breeding areas. Such an understanding provides a framework for establishing adequate management and conservation strategies for this endangered species.

Perceptual learning of motion direction discrimination with suppressed and unsuppressed MT in humans: an fMRI study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin Thompson

Full Text Available The middle temporal area of the extrastriate visual cortex (area MT is integral to motion perception and is thought to play a key role in the perceptual learning of motion tasks. We have previously found, however, that perceptual learning of a motion discrimination task is possible even when the training stimulus contains locally balanced, motion opponent signals that putatively suppress the response of MT. Assuming at least partial suppression of MT, possible explanations for this learning are that 1 training made MT more responsive by reducing motion opponency, 2 MT remained suppressed and alternative visual areas such as V1 enabled learning and/or 3 suppression of MT increased with training, possibly to reduce noise. Here we used fMRI to test these possibilities. We first confirmed that the motion opponent stimulus did indeed suppress the BOLD response within hMT+ compared to an almost identical stimulus without locally balanced motion signals. We then trained participants on motion opponent or non-opponent stimuli. Training with the motion opponent stimulus reduced the BOLD response within hMT+ and greater reductions in BOLD response were correlated with greater amounts of learning. The opposite relationship between BOLD and behaviour was found at V1 for the group trained on the motion-opponent stimulus and at both V1 and hMT+ for the group trained on the non-opponent motion stimulus. As the average response of many cells within MT to motion opponent stimuli is the same as their response to non-directional flickering noise, the reduced activation of hMT+ after training may reflect noise reduction.

Impact of Sleeping Altitude on Symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness on Mt. Fuji.

Science.gov (United States)

Horiuchi, Masahiro; Uno, Tadashi; Endo, Junko; Handa, Yoko; Hasegawa, Tatsuya

2018-05-09

Horiuchi, Masahiro, Tadashi Uno, Junko Endo, Yoko Handa, and Tatsuya Hasegawa. Impact of sleeping altitude on symptoms of acute mountain sickness on Mt. Fuji. High Alt Med Biol. 00:000-000, 2018. We sought to investigate the factors influencing acute mountain sickness (AMS) on Mt. Fuji in Japan, in particular, to assess the effects of sleeping altitude, by means of a questionnaire survey. This study involved 1932 participants who climbed Mt. Fuji, and obtained information regarding sex, age, and whether participants stayed at the mountain lodges. The AMS survey excluded the perceived sleep difficulties assessed with the Lake Louise Scoring (LLS) system for all climbers. The overall prevalence of AMS was 31.6% for all participants (LLS score ≥3 with headache, excluding sleep difficulties). A univariate analysis revealed that overnight stay at Mt. Fuji was associated with an increased prevalence of AMS, but that sex and age were not. For overnight lodgers, the mean sleeping altitude in participants with AMS was slightly higher than that in participants without AMS (p lodge, especially one above 2870 m, may be associated with an increased prevalence of AMS on Mt. Fuji.

DNA methyltransferase 1 mutations and mitochondrial pathology: is mtDNA methylated?

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Alessandra eMaresca

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia, deafness and narcolepsy (ADCA-DN and Hereditary sensory neuropathy with dementia and hearing loss (HSN1E are two rare, overlapping neurodegenerative syndromes that have been recently linked to allelic dominant pathogenic mutations in the DNMT1 gene, coding for DNA (cytosine-5-methyltransferase 1. DNMT1 is the enzyme responsible for maintaining the nuclear genome methylation patterns during the DNA replication and repair, thus regulating gene expression. The mutations responsible for ADCA-DN and HSN1E affect the replication foci targeting sequence domain, which regulates DNMT1 binding to chromatin. DNMT1 dysfunction is anticipated to lead to a global alteration of the DNA methylation pattern with predictable downstream consequences on gene expression. Interestingly, ADCA-DN and HSN1E phenotypes share some clinical features typical of mitochondrial diseases, such as optic atrophy, peripheral neuropathy and deafness, and some biochemical evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction. The recent discovery of a mitochondrial isoform of DNMT1 and its proposed role in methylating mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA suggests that DNMT1 mutations may directly affect mtDNA and mitochondrial physiology. On the basis of this latter finding the link between DNMT1 abnormal activity and mitochondrial dysfunction in ADCA-DN and HSN1E appears intuitive, however mtDNA methylation remains highly debated. In the last years several groups demonstrated the presence of 5-methylcytosine in mtDNA by different approaches, but, on the other end, the opposite evidence that mtDNA is not methylated has also been published. Since over 1500 mitochondrial proteins are encoded by the nuclear genome, the altered methylation of these genes may well have a critical role in leading to the mitochondrial impairment observed in ADCA-DN and HSN1E. Thus, many open questions still remain unanswered, such as why mtDNA should be methylated, and how this process is

Mitochondrial nucleoid clusters protect newly synthesized mtDNA during Doxorubicin- and Ethidium Bromide-induced mitochondrial stress

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alán, Lukáš, E-mail: lukas.alan@fgu.cas.cz; Špaček, Tomáš; Pajuelo Reguera, David; Jabůrek, Martin; Ježek, Petr

2016-07-01

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is compacted in ribonucleoprotein complexes called nucleoids, which can divide or move within the mitochondrial network. Mitochondrial nucleoids are able to aggregate into clusters upon reaction with intercalators such as the mtDNA depletion agent Ethidium Bromide (EB) or anticancer drug Doxorobicin (DXR). However, the exact mechanism of nucleoid clusters formation remains unknown. Resolving these processes may help to elucidate the mechanisms of DXR-induced cardiotoxicity. Therefore, we addressed the role of two key nucleoid proteins; mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) and mitochondrial single-stranded binding protein (mtSSB); in the formation of mitochondrial nucleoid clusters during the action of intercalators. We found that both intercalators cause numerous aberrations due to perturbing their native status. By blocking mtDNA replication, both agents also prevented mtDNA association with TFAM, consequently causing nucleoid aggregation into large nucleoid clusters enriched with TFAM, co-existing with the normal nucleoid population. In the later stages of intercalation (> 48 h), TFAM levels were reduced to 25%. In contrast, mtSSB was released from mtDNA and freely distributed within the mitochondrial network. Nucleoid clusters mostly contained nucleoids with newly replicated mtDNA, however the nucleoid population which was not in replication mode remained outside the clusters. Moreover, the nucleoid clusters were enriched with p53, an anti-oncogenic gatekeeper. We suggest that mitochondrial nucleoid clustering is a mechanism for protecting nucleoids with newly replicated DNA against intercalators mediating genotoxic stress. These results provide new insight into the common mitochondrial response to mtDNA stress and can be implied also on DXR-induced mitochondrial cytotoxicity. - Highlights: • The mechanism for mitochondrial nucleoid clustering is proposed. • DNA intercalators (Doxorubicin or Ethidium Bromide) prevent TFAM

MT-ADRES: Multithreading on Coarse-Grained Reconfigurable Architecture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Kehuai; Kanstein, Andreas; Madsen, Jan

2007-01-01

The coarse-grained reconfigurable architecture ADRES (Architecture for Dynamically Reconfigurable Embedded Systems) and its compiler offer high instruction-level parallelism (ILP) to applications by means of a sparsely interconnected array of functional units and register files. As high-ILP archi......The coarse-grained reconfigurable architecture ADRES (Architecture for Dynamically Reconfigurable Embedded Systems) and its compiler offer high instruction-level parallelism (ILP) to applications by means of a sparsely interconnected array of functional units and register files. As high......-ILP architectures achieve only low parallelism when executing partially sequential code segments, which is also known as Amdahl’s law, this paper proposes to extend ADRES to MT-ADRES (Multi-Threaded ADRES) to also exploit thread-level parallelism. On MT-ADRES architectures, the array can be partitioned in multiple...

Accelerating Climate Simulations Through Hybrid Computing

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Shujia; Sinno, Scott; Cruz, Carlos; Purcell, Mark

2009-01-01

Unconventional multi-core processors (e.g., IBM Cell B/E and NYIDIDA GPU) have emerged as accelerators in climate simulation. However, climate models typically run on parallel computers with conventional processors (e.g., Intel and AMD) using MPI. Connecting accelerators to this architecture efficiently and easily becomes a critical issue. When using MPI for connection, we identified two challenges: (1) identical MPI implementation is required in both systems, and; (2) existing MPI code must be modified to accommodate the accelerators. In response, we have extended and deployed IBM Dynamic Application Virtualization (DAV) in a hybrid computing prototype system (one blade with two Intel quad-core processors, two IBM QS22 Cell blades, connected with Infiniband), allowing for seamlessly offloading compute-intensive functions to remote, heterogeneous accelerators in a scalable, load-balanced manner. Currently, a climate solar radiation model running with multiple MPI processes has been offloaded to multiple Cell blades with approx.10% network overhead.

The use of different type of electron beam radiation equipment for biotechnological materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferdes, O.; Minea, R.; Oproiu, C.; Ferdes, M.

1998-01-01

The potential of using electron beam radiation and bremsstrahlung for some biotechnological materials treatment is presented based on the results of the R and D programme established in 1993 at the Institute of Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics Bucharest, Electron Accelerator Laboratory. The main parameters of different electron accelerator types used to process biotechnological materials are presented as these machines were designed, developed and improved. In order to fulfil the radiation processing requirements for biotechnology and environmental protection, betatron, linear and microtron-type electron accelerators are considered and there is an interest to develop a dedicated one as well. The results of irradiation of different biotechnological items as cell cultures, microbial strains, enzymes and biopreparates and cellulose-based wastes are presented

A Phenotype-Driven Approach to Generate Mouse Models with Pathogenic mtDNA Mutations Causing Mitochondrial Disease

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Johanna H.K. Kauppila

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Mutations of mtDNA are an important cause of human disease, but few animal models exist. Because mammalian mitochondria cannot be transfected, the development of mice with pathogenic mtDNA mutations has been challenging, and the main strategy has therefore been to introduce mutations found in cell lines into mouse embryos. Here, we describe a phenotype-driven strategy that is based on detecting clonal expansion of pathogenic mtDNA mutations in colonic crypts of founder mice derived from heterozygous mtDNA mutator mice. As proof of concept, we report the generation of a mouse line transmitting a heteroplasmic pathogenic mutation in the alanine tRNA gene of mtDNA displaying typical characteristics of classic mitochondrial disease. In summary, we describe a straightforward and technically simple strategy based on mouse breeding and histology to generate animal models of mtDNA-mutation disease, which will be of great importance for studies of disease pathophysiology and preclinical treatment trials.

Alterations in mtDNA, gastric carcinogenesis and early diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues-Antunes, S; Borges, B N

2018-05-26

Gastric cancer remains one of the most prevalent cancers in the world. Due to this, efforts are being made to improve the diagnosis of this neoplasm and the search for molecular markers that may be involved in its genesis. Within this perspective, the mitochondrial DNA is considered as a potential candidate, since it has several well documented changes and is readily accessible. However, numerous alterations have been reported in mtDNA, not facilitating the visualization of which alterations and molecular markers are truly involved with gastric carcinogenesis. This review presents a compilation of the main known changes relating mtDNA to gastric cancer and their clinical significance.

Radiation accident in Viet Nam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wheatley, J.

1998-01-01

In November 1992 a Vietnamese research physicist was working with a microtron accelerator when he received a radiation overexposure that required the subsequent amputation of his right hand. A team from the International Atomic Energy Agency visited Hanoi in March 1993 to carry out an investigation. It was concluded that the accident occurred primarily due to a lack of safety systems although the lack of both written procedures and training in basic radiation safety were also major contributors. (author)

Radiation accident in Vietnam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wheatley, J.

1994-01-01

In November 1992 a Vietnamese research physicist was working with a microtron accelerator when he received a radiation overexposure that required the subsequent amputation of his right hand. A team from the International Atomic Energy Agency visited Hanoi in March 1993 to carry out an investigation. It was concluded that the accident occurred primarily because of a lack of safety systems, although the lack of both written procedures and training in basic radiation safety were also major contributors. (author)

Proceedings of the 5th symposium on accelerator science and technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-01-01

This proceedings are included 157 papers to submitting 5th Symposium on Accelerator Science and Technology. The papers are presented under the following main topics: a) invited talk (3 papers), b) status of accelerator construction and operation (12 papers), c) ion source and DC accelerator(7 papers), d) linac (16 papers), e) RF acceleration system (15 papers), f) beam monitor and beam handling (20 papers), g) magnet and power supply (13 papers), h) vacuum (12 papers), i) beam dynamics (20 papers), j) accelerator operation and control (22 papers), k) radiation and safety (8 papers), 1) future project (8 papers) and so on. (J.P.N.)

Mt. Elgon, Africa, Shaded Relief and Colored Height

Science.gov (United States)

2004-01-01

The striking contrast of geologic structures in Africa is shown in this shaded relief image of Mt. Elgon on the left and a section of the Great Rift Valley on the right. Mt. Elgon is a solitary extinct volcano straddling the border between Uganda and Kenya, and at 4,321 meters (14,178 feet) tall is the eighth highest mountain in Africa. It is positioned on the Pre-Cambriam bedrock of the Trans Nzoia Plateau, and is similar to other such volcanoes in East Africa in that it is associated with the formation of the Rift Valley. However one thing that sets Mt. Elgon apart is its age. Although there is no verifiable evidence of its earliest volcanic activity, Mt. Elgon is estimated to be at least 24 million years old, making it the oldest extinct volcano in East Africa. This presents a striking comparison to Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa at 5,895 meters (19,341 feet), which is just over one million years old. Judging by the diameter of its base, it is a common belief among geological experts that Mt. Elgon was once the highest mountains in Africa, however erosion has played a significant role in reducing the height to its present value. Juxtaposed with this impressive mountain is a section of the Great Rift Valley, a geological fault system that extends for about 4,830 kilometers (2,995 miles) from Syria to central Mozambique. Erosion has concealed some sections, but in some sections like that shown here, there are sheer cliffs several thousand feet high. The present configuration of the valley, which dates from the mid-Pleistocene epoch, results from a rifting process associated with thermal currents in the Earth's mantle. Two visualization methods were combined to produce the image: shading and color coding of topographic height. The shade image was derived by computing topographic slope in the northwest-southeast direction, so that northwest slopes appear bright and southeast slopes appear dark. Color coding is directly related to topographic height

Halogen speciation in volcanic plumes - Development of compact denuder sampling techniques with in-situ derivatization followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and their application at Mt. Etna, Mt. Nyiragongo and Mt. Nyamulagira in 2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Rüdiger, Julian; Bobrowski, Nicole; Hoffmann, Thorsten

2016-04-01

products. The diffusion denuder technique allows sampling of gaseous compounds exclusively without collecting particulate matter. Solvent elution of the derivatized analytes and subsequent analysis with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry gives a limit of detection below 1 ng of bromine. The method was applied in 2015 on volcanic gas plumes at Mt. Etna (Italy), Mt. Nyiragongo and Mt. Nyamulagira (DR Congo) giving reactive bromine mixing ratios from 0.3 ppb (Nyiragongo) up to 22 ppb (Etna, NEC). Compared with total halogen data derived by alkaline trap sampling (Raschig-tube) and ion-chromatography analysis the reactive bromine mixing ratios allow the investigation of the conversion of HBr into reactive species due to plume chemistry with progressing plume age. The new method will be described in detail and the first results on the reactive halogen to total halogen output will be discussed (for bromine and chlorine) and compared to earlier volcanic plume chemistry model studies. References Bobrowski, N. and G. Giuffrida: Bromine monoxide / sulphur dioxide ratios in relation to volcanological observations at Mt. Etna 2006-2009. Solid Earth, 3, 433-445, 2012 Bobrowski, N., R. von Glasow, A. Aiuppa, S. Inguaggiato, I. Louban, O. W. Ibrahim and U. Platt: Reactive halogen chemistry in volcanic plumes. J. Geophys. Res., 112, 2007 Donovan A., V. Tsanev, C. Oppenheimer and M. Edmonds: Reactive halogens (BrO and OClO) detected in the plume of Soufrière Hills Volcano during an eruption hiatus. Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 15, 3346-3363, 2014 Rüdiger, J., N. Bobrowski, T. Hoffmann (2015), Development and application of compact denuder sampling techniques with in situ derivatization followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for halogen speciation in volcanic plumes (EGU2015-2392-2), EGU General Assembly 2015

MT Lajpatrai blow-out studies at Bombay harbour

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Fondekar, S.P.

The area around the tanker MT Lajpatrai was monitored for oil pollution studies. Measurements were carried out on the concentration of petroleum hydrocarbons in water and sediment samples along with visual observations on oil slicks...

DNA Barcoding the Medusozoa using mtCOI

Science.gov (United States)

Ortman, Brian D.; Bucklin, Ann; Pagès, Francesc; Youngbluth, Marsh

2010-12-01

The Medusozoa are a clade within the Cnidaria comprising the classes Hydrozoa, Scyphozoa, and Cubozoa. Identification of medusozoan species is challenging, even for taxonomic experts, due to their fragile forms and complex, morphologically-distinct life history stages. In this study 231 sequences for a portion of the mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I (mtCOI) gene were obtained from 95 species of Medusozoans including; 84 hydrozoans (61 siphonophores, eight anthomedusae, four leptomedusae, seven trachymedusae, and four narcomedusae), 10 scyphozoans (three coronatae, four semaeostomae, two rhizostomae, and one stauromedusae), and one cubozoan. This region of mtCOI has been used as a DNA barcode (i.e., a molecular character for species recognition and discrimination) for a diverse array of taxa, including some Cnidaria. Kimura 2-parameter (K2P) genetic distances between sequence variants within species ranged from 0 to 0.057 (mean 0.013). Within the 13 genera for which multiple species were available, K2P distance between congeneric species ranged from 0.056 to 0.381. A cluster diagram generated by Neighbor Joining (NJ) using K2P distances reliably clustered all barcodes of the same species with ≥99% bootstrap support, ensuring accurate identification of species. Intra- and inter-specific variation of the mtCOI gene for the Medusozoa are appropriate for this gene to be used as a DNA barcode for species-level identification, but not for phylogenetic analysis or taxonomic classification of unknown sequences at higher taxonomic levels. This study provides a set of molecular tools that can be used to address questions of speciation, biodiversity, life-history, and population boundaries in the Medusozoa.

Static shift correction of MT data in Tohoku district using TEM soundings; TEM ho data wo mochiita Tohoku chiho MT ho data no statistic shift hosei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kawakami, N; Kumekawa, Y; Miura, Y; Takasugi, S [GERD Geothermal Energy Research and Development Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); Fujinawa, Y [National Research Institute for Disaster Prevention, Tsukuba (Japan)

1997-05-27

There is a possibility that the wide-band MT observation data obtained in the central part of Tohoku district include the static shift effect. To grasp the static shift effect in the MT data, the TEM soundings were conducted at all the site where the MT data were measured. The TEM sounding system was developed for the shallow survey depth ranging from 5 m to 150 m. When showing the measured results on the histogram, it was found that the static shifts were concentrated in the vicinity of zero. About 70% of the data was below 0.2 decade. Only a slight static shift effect was observed. This means that the results obtained by the two-dimensional analysis are plausible. Especially, the static shift around plain was small. Therefore, the current results around the plain were trustful. On the other hand, the static shift in the mountainous area was rather large. Accordingly, the results around the mountainous area should be carefully treated. 7 refs., 10 figs.

Modeling variably saturated subsurface solute transport with MODFLOW-UZF and MT3DMS

Science.gov (United States)

Morway, Eric D.; Niswonger, Richard G.; Langevin, Christian D.; Bailey, Ryan T.; Healy, Richard W.

2013-01-01

The MT3DMS groundwater solute transport model was modified to simulate solute transport in the unsaturated zone by incorporating the unsaturated-zone flow (UZF1) package developed for MODFLOW. The modified MT3DMS code uses a volume-averaged approach in which Lagrangian-based UZF1 fluid fluxes and storage changes are mapped onto a fixed grid. Referred to as UZF-MT3DMS, the linked model was tested against published benchmarks solved analytically as well as against other published codes, most frequently the U.S. Geological Survey's Variably-Saturated Two-Dimensional Flow and Transport Model. Results from a suite of test cases demonstrate that the modified code accurately simulates solute advection, dispersion, and reaction in the unsaturated zone. Two- and three-dimensional simulations also were investigated to ensure unsaturated-saturated zone interaction was simulated correctly. Because the UZF1 solution is analytical, large-scale flow and transport investigations can be performed free from the computational and data burdens required by numerical solutions to Richards' equation. Results demonstrate that significant simulation runtime savings can be achieved with UZF-MT3DMS, an important development when hundreds or thousands of model runs are required during parameter estimation and uncertainty analysis. Three-dimensional variably saturated flow and transport simulations revealed UZF-MT3DMS to have runtimes that are less than one tenth of the time required by models that rely on Richards' equation. Given its accuracy and efficiency, and the wide-spread use of both MODFLOW and MT3DMS, the added capability of unsaturated-zone transport in this familiar modeling framework stands to benefit a broad user-ship.

Antineoplastic Activities of MT81 and Its Structural Analogue in Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma-Bearing Swiss Albino Mice

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Sujata Maiti Choudhury

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Many fungal toxins exhibit in vitro and in vivo antineoplastic effects on various cancer cell types. Luteoskyrin, a hydroxyanthraquinone has been proved to be a potent inhibitor against Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. The comparative antitumor activity and antioxidant status of MT81 and its structural analogue [Acetic acid-MT81 (Aa-MT81] having polyhydroxyanthraquinone structure were assessed against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC tumor in mice. The in vitro cytotoxicity was measured by the viability of EAC cells after direct treatment of the said compounds. In in vivo study, MT81 and its structural analogue were administered (i.p. at the two different doses (5, 7 mg MT81; 8.93, 11.48 mg Aa-MT81/kg body weight for 7 days after 24 hrs. of tumor inoculation. The activities were assessed using mean survival time (MST, increased life span (ILS, tumor volume, viable tumor cell count, peritoneal cell count, protein percentage and hematological parameters. Antioxidant status was determined by malondialdehyde (MDA and reduced glutathione (GSH content, and by the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD and catalase (CA T. MT81 and its structural analogues increased the mean survival time, normal peritoneal cell count. They decreased the tumor volume, viable tumor cell count, hemoglobin percentage and packed cell volume. Differential counts of WBC, total counts of RBC & WBC that altered by EAC inoculation, were restored in a dose-dependent manner. Increased MDA and decreased GSH content and reduced activity of SOD, and catalase in EAC bearing mice were returned towards normal after the treatment of MT81 and its structural analogue. Being less toxic than parent toxin MT81, the structural analogue showed more prominent antineoplastic activities against EAC cells compared to MT81. At the same time, both compounds exhibit to some extent antioxidant potential for the EAC-bearing mice.

Isolation and characterization of a novel cold-adapted esterase, MtEst45, from Microbulbifer thermotolerans DAU221

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Yong-Suk eLee

2016-03-01

Full Text Available A novel esterase, MtEst45, was isolated from a fosmid genomic library of Microbulbifer thermotolerans DAU221. The encoding gene is predicted to have a mass of 45,564 Da and encodes 495 amino acids, excluding a 21 amino acid signal peptide. MtEst45 showed a low amino acid identity (approximately 23–24% compared with other lipolytic enzymes belonging to Family III, a closely related bacterial lipolytic enzyme family. MtEst45 also showed a conserved GXSXG motif, G131IS133YG135, which was reported as active site of known lipolytic enzymes, and the putative catalytic triad composed of D237 and H265. Because these mutants of MtEst45, which was S133A, D237N, and H265L, had no activity, these catalytic triad essential for the enzyme catalysis. MtEst45 was overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3 and purified via His-tag affinity chromatography. The optimal pH and temperature of MtEst45 were estimated to be 8.17 and 46.27°C by response surface methodology, respectively. Additionally, MtEst45 was also active between 1–15°C. The optimal hydrolysis substrate for MtEst45 among p-nitrophenyl esters (C2–C18 was p-nitrophenyl butyrate, and the Km and Vmax values were 0.0998 mM and 550 μmol/min/mg of protein, respectively. MtEst45 was strongly inhibited by Hg2+, Zn2+, and Cu2+ ions; by phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride; and by β-mercaptoethanol. Ca2+ did not affect the enzyme’s activity. These biochemical properties, sequence identity, and phylogenetic analysis suggest that MtEst45 represents a novel and valuable bacterial lipolytic enzyme family and is useful for biotechnological applications.

Analysis of mtDNT 4977bp deletion induced by ionizing radiation in human peripheral blood nucleated cells using real-time PCR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan Tianli; Wang Ping; Han Lin; Liu Yulong; Liu Yumin

2010-01-01

To detect mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA) 4977bp deletion(triangle open mtDNA 4977 ) in human peripheral blood nucleated cells exposed to ionizing radiation in vitro by using real-time PCR, and explore possibility of the index as biodosimetry for estimating biological dose in radiation accident,six healthy individuals' peripheral blood was collected,and the blood samples were irradiated with 0,1,2,3,4 and 5 Gy 60 Co gamma-ray. The triangle open mtDNA 4977 and total mtDNA copy number(mtDNA total ) in the mtDNA samples were detected, and then the deletion rates were calculated. The results showed that the mtDNA total and triangle open mtDNA 4977 copy number, and the deletion rates of mtDNA 4977bp in the mtDNA samples from 6 healthy individuals' blood exposed to 1-5 Gy radiation were higher than that with the samples exposed to 0 Gy radiation(p 0.05). The results indicated that ionizing radiation can induce accumulation of the triangle open mtDNA 4977 and increase of mtDNA total copy number in human peripheral blood nucleated cells,but both the mtDNA 4977bp deletion and exposure dose(0-5 Gy) were not obviously correlated. (authors)

MT71x: Multi-Temperature Library Based on ENDF/B-VII.1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conlin, Jeremy Lloyd [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Parsons, Donald Kent [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Gray, Mark Girard [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Lee, Mary Beth [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); White, Morgan Curtis [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2015-12-16

The Nuclear Data Team has released a multitemperature transport library, MT71x, based upon ENDF/B-VII.1 with a few modifications as well as additional evaluations for a total of 427 isotope tables. The library was processed using NJOY2012.39 into 23 temperatures. MT71x consists of two sub-libraries; MT71xMG for multigroup energy representation data and MT71xCE for continuous energy representation data. These sub-libraries are suitable for deterministic transport and Monte Carlo transport applications, respectively. The SZAs used are the same for the two sub-libraries; that is, the same SZA can be used for both libraries. This makes comparisons between the two libraries and between deterministic and Monte Carlo codes straightforward. Both the multigroup energy and continuous energy libraries were verified and validated with our checking codes checkmg and checkace (multigroup and continuous energy, respectively) Then an expanded suite of tests was used for additional verification and, finally, verified using an extensive suite of critical benchmark models. We feel that this library is suitable for all calculations and is particularly useful for calculations sensitive to temperature effects.

Biochemical signatures mimicking multiple carboxylase deficiency in children with mutations in MT-ATP6.

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Austin A; Balasubramaniam, Shanti; Christodoulou, John; Burrage, Lindsay C; Marom, Ronit; Graham, Brett H; Diaz, George A; Glamuzina, Emma; Hauser, Natalie; Heese, Bryce; Horvath, Gabriella; Mattman, Andre; van Karnebeek, Clara; Lane Rutledge, S; Williamson, Amy; Estrella, Lissette; Van Hove, Johan K L; Weisfeld-Adams, James D

2018-01-04

Elevations of specific acylcarnitines in blood reflect carboxylase deficiencies, and have utility in newborn screening for life-threatening organic acidemias and other inherited metabolic diseases. In this report, we describe a newly-identified association of biochemical features of multiple carboxylase deficiency in individuals harboring mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations in MT-ATP6 and in whom organic acidemias and multiple carboxylase deficiencies were excluded. Using retrospective chart review, we identified eleven individuals with abnormally elevated propionylcarnitine (C3) or hydroxyisovalerylcarnitine (C5OH) with mutations in MT-ATP6, most commonly m.8993T>G in high heteroplasmy or homoplasmy. Most patients were ascertained on newborn screening; most had normal enzymatic or molecular genetic testing to exclude biotinidase and holocarboxylase synthetase deficiencies. MT-ATP6 is associated with some cases of Leigh disease; clinical outcomes in our cohort ranged from death from neurodegenerative disease in early childhood to clinically and developmentally normal after several years of follow-up. These cases expand the biochemical phenotype associated with MT-ATP6 mutations, especially m.8993T>G, to include acylcarnitine abnormalities mimicking carboxylase deficiency states. Clinicians should be aware of this association and its implications for newborn screening, and consider mtDNA sequencing in patients exhibiting similar acylcarnitine abnormalities that are biotin-unresponsive and in whom other enzymatic deficiencies have been excluded. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. and Mitochondria Research Society. All rights reserved.

Comparison of minichromosome maintenance proteins (MCM-3, MCM-7) and metallothioneins (MT-I/II, MT-III) expression in relation to clinicopathological data in ovarian cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Kobierzycki, Christopher; Pula, Bartosz; Skiba, Mateusz; Jablonska, Karolina; Latkowski, Krzysztof; Zabel, Maciej; Nowak-Markwitz, Ewa; Spaczynski, Marek; Kedzia, Witold; Podhorska-Okolow, Marzena; Dziegiel, Piotr

2013-12-01

Despite great progress in the understanding of ovarian cancer biology, clinicopathological data (i.e. grade, stage, histological type and residual disease after surgery) seem to be the most important prognostic factors. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between expression of minichromosome maintenance proteins (MCM-3, MCM-7), metallothioneins (MT-I/II, MT-III), and Ki-67 in 103 ovarian cancer cases, mostly of the serous histological type. Statistical analysis revealed strong positive correlations in the expression of MCM-3 vs. Ki-67 (r=0.492), MCM-7 vs. Ki-67 (r=0.651), and MCM-3 vs. MCM-7 (r=0.515) (all pMCM-3 and Ki-67 with increasing grade of histological malignancy (p=0.0011, p=0.029, respectively). Regarding clinical progression, cytoplasmic MT-I/II expression was significantly higher in more advanced disease stages (III+IV vs. I+II; p=0.0247). Due to the correlations shown here, the determination of MCM proteins as proliferation markers of ovarian cancer, should be strongly considered.

Stimulatory Effects of Melatonin on Porcine In Vitro Maturation Are Mediated by MT2 Receptor

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Sanghoon Lee

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Melatonin is a multifunctional molecule with numerous biological activities. The fact that melatonin modulates the functions of porcine granulosa cells via the MT2 receptor suggests the possibility of MT2 receptor-mediation for melatonin to promote cumulus expansion of porcine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs. Therefore, we investigated the presence of MT2 in porcine COCs, and the effects of melatonin with or without selective MT2 antagonists (luzindole and 4-P-PDOT on this process; COCs underwent in vitro maturation culturing with six different conditions (control, melatonin, luzindole, 4-P-PDOT, melatonin + luzindole or melatonin + 4-P-PDOT. Cumulus expansion, oocyte nuclear maturation, and subsequent embryo development after parthenogenetic activation (PA were evaluated. In experiment 1, MT2 was expressed in both oocytes and cumulus cells. In experiment 2, melatonin significantly increased the proportion of complete cumulus expansion (degree 4, which was inhibited by simultaneous addition of either luzindole or 4-P-PDOT. A similar pattern was observed in the expression of genes related to cumulus expansion, apoptosis, and MT2. In experiment 3, no significant difference was observed in immature, degenerate, and MII oocyte rates among the groups. In experiment 4, melatonin significantly increased blastocyst formation rates and total blastocyst cell numbers after PA, but these effects were abolished when either luzindole or 4-P-PDOT was added concomitantly. In conclusion, our results indicate that the MT2 receptor mediated the stimulatory effects of melatonin on porcine cumulus expansion and subsequent embryo development.

76 FR 27914 - Television Broadcasting Services; Kalispell, MT

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-13

... FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 47 CFR Part 73 [MB Docket No. 11-20; RM-11619, DA 11-750] Television Broadcasting Services; Kalispell, MT AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission. ACTION: Final rule... U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A). [[Page 27915

The SPS as accelerator of Pb$^{82+}$ ions

CERN Document Server

Faugier, A; Bailey, R; Blanchard, R R; Bohl, T; Brouzet, E; Burkhardt, H; Collier, Paul; Cornelis, Karel; de Rijk, G; Ferioli, F; Hilaire, A; Lamont, M; Linnecar, Trevor Paul R; Jonker, M; Niquille, C; Roy, G; Schmickler, Hermann

1996-01-01

In 1994 the CERN SPS was used for the first time to accelerate fully stripped ions of the Pb208 isotope from the equivalent proton momentum of 13 GeV/c to 400 GeV/c. In the CERN PS, which was used as injector, the lead was accelerated as Pb53+ ions and then fully stripped in the transfer line from PS to SPS. The radio frequency swing which is needed in order to keep the synchronism during acceleration is too big to have the SPS cavities deliver enough voltage for all frequencies. For that reason a new technique of fixed frequency acceleration was used. With this technique up to 70% of the injected beam could be captured and accelerated up to the extraction energy, the equivalent of 2.2 1010 charges. The beam was extracted over a 5 sec. long spill and was then delivered to different experiments at the same time.

Efficient inhibition of heavy metal release from mine tailings against acid rain exposure by triethylenetetramine intercalated montmorillonite (TETA-Mt).

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Beini; Wu, Pingxiao; Huang, Zhujian; Li, Yuanyuan; Yang, Shanshan; Dang, Zhi; Ruan, Bo; Kang, Chunxi

2016-11-15

The potential application of triethylenetetramine intercalated montmorillonite (TETA-Mt) in mine tailings treatment and AMD (acid mine drainage) remediation was investigated with batch experiments. The structural and morphological characteristics of TETA-Mt were analyzed with XRD, FTIR, DTG-TG and SEM. The inhibition efficiencies of TETA-Mt against heavy metal release from mine tailings when exposed to acid rain leaching was examined and compared with that of triethylenetetramine (TETA) and Mt. Results showed that the overall inhibition by TETA-Mt surpassed that by TETA or Mt for various heavy metal ions over an acid rain pH range of 3-5.6 and a temperature range of 25-40°C. When mine tailings were exposed to acid rain of pH 4.8 (the average rain pH of the mining site where the mine tailings were from), TETA-Mt achieved an inhibition efficiency of over 90% for Cu(2+), Zn(2+), Cd(2+) and Mn(2+) release, and 70% for Pb(2+) at 25°C. It was shown that TETA-Mt has a strong buffering capacity. Moreover, TETA-Mt was able to adsorb heavy metal ions and the adsorption process was fast, suggesting that coordination was mainly responsible. These results showed the potential of TETA-Mt in AMD mitigation, especially in acid rain affected mining area. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Immobilization of metallothionein to carbon paste electrode surface via anti-MT antibodies and its use for biosensing of silver.

Science.gov (United States)

Trnkova, Libuse; Krizkova, Sona; Adam, Vojtech; Hubalek, Jaromir; Kizek, Rene

2011-01-15

In this paper, heavy metal biosensor based on immobilization of metallothionein (MT) to the surface of carbon paste electrode (CPE) via anti-MT-antibodies is reported. First, the evaluation of MT electroactivity was done. The attention was focused on the capturing of MT to the CPE surface. Antibodies incorporated and mixed into carbon paste were stable; even after two weeks the observed changes in signal height were lower than 5%. Further, the interaction of MT with polyclonal chicken antibodies incorporated in carbon paste electrode was determined by square-wave voltammetry. In the voltammogram, two signals--labelled as cys(MT) and W(a)--were observed. The cys(MT) corresponded to -SH moieties of MT and W(a) corresponded to tryptophan residues of chicken antibodies. Time of interaction (300 s) and MT concentration (125 μg/ml) were optimized to suggest a silver(I) ions biosensor. Biosensor (CPE modified with anti-MT antibody) prepared under the optimized conditions was then used for silver(I) ions detection. The detection limit (3 S/N) for silver(I) ions was estimated as 0.5 nM. The proposed biosensor was tested by detection spiking of silver(I) ions in various water samples (from very pure distilled water to rainwater). Recoveries varied from 74 to 104%. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

b-value distribution in and around Mt. Tarumae, Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Chiba, K.

2017-12-01

Mt. Tarumae is an active volcano located in southeastern Shikotsu caldera, Hokkaido, Japan. Recently, crustal expansion occurred in 1999-2000 and 2013 near the summit of Mt. Tarumae, with a M5.6 earthquake recorded west of the summit on 8 July 2014. In this study, I determined hypocenter distributions and then performed b-value analysis for the period between 1 August 2014 and 12 August 2016 to improve our understanding of the magma system geometry beneath the summit of Mt. Tarumae. Hypocenters are mainly distributed in two regions: 3 - 5 km west of Mt. Tarumae, and beneath the volcano. I then determined b-value distributions. Regions with relatively high b-values ( 1.3) are located at depths of -0.5 to 2.0 km beneath the summit and at depths greater than 6.0 km in the northwestern part at about 1.5 - 3.0 km from the summit, while a region with relatively low b-values ( 0.6) is located at depths of 2.0 - 6.0 km beneath the summit. Compared the b-value distributions with other geophysical observations, it was found that the high b-value region from -0.5 to 2.0 km depth corresponds to regions of lower resistivity, positive self-potential anomaly, and an inflation source observed in 1999-2000. It is thus inferred that this region is generated by crustal heterogeneity, a decrease in effective normal stress, and change of a frictional property due to the development of faults and fissures, and the circulation of hydrothermal fluids. On the other hand, the inflation source observed in 2013 was located near the boundary between the low b-value region beneath the summit and the deeper high b-value region in the northwestern part at about 1.5 - 3.0 km from the summit. Studies of other volcanoes suggest that such a high-b-value region likely corresponds to a magma chamber. From the deeper high b-value region estimated in this study, I am able to point out that the magma chamber is located to depths greater than 6.0 km in the northwestern part at about 1.5 - 3.0 km from the

Análise espaço-temporal da cobertura vegetal e uso da terra na Interbacia do Rio Paraguai Médio-MT, Brasil Spatio-temporal analysis of vegetation cover and land use in the middle Paraguay River Interbasin-MT, Brazil

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Seyla Poliana Miranda Pessoa

2013-02-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste estudo foi realizar uma análise espaço-temporal da cobertura vegetal e do uso da terra na Interbacia do Rio Paraguai Médio-MT, Brasil, pelo geoprocessamento de imagens Landsat TM, dos anos 1991, 2001 e 2011. As imagens foram georreferenciadas, classificadas e processadas no software Spring e as classes temáticas, quantificadas e editadas no software ArcGis. Foram mapeadas sete classes, sendo as mais expressivas a vegetação nativa, a pastagem e a cana-de-açúcar. Os resultados indicaram alterações em todas as classes durante os últimos 20 anos, com a diminuição de 22,89% da vegetação nativa, relacionada com o aumento de 58,42% da pastagem e 490,26% de monocultura de cana-de-açúcar. Foi verificado o conflito de uso da terra, principalmente em áreas de mata ciliar, fato que pode influenciar negativamente na conservação da interbacia e, consequentemente, do pantanal mato-grossense.This study analyzed spatial and temporal land use changes in the Middle Paraguay River Interbasin-MT, Brazil using Landsat images from 1991, 2001 and 2011. Images were geo-referenced, classified and processed using Spring software, and thematic classes were edited and quantified using ArcGis software. Seven map classes were identified, and native vegetation, pasture and sugarcane were the most significant ones. The results showed changes in all classes during the past 20 years, primarily a 22.89% decrease of native vegetation, a 58.42% increase in pasture and 490.26% increase of sugarcane monoculture. We verified land use conflicts, mostly in riparian areas, which may negatively influence Interbasin and, consequently, Pantanal conservation in the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil.

76 FR 9991 - Television Broadcasting Services; Kalispell, MT

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-23

... FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 47 CFR Part 73 [DA 11-224; MB Docket No. 11-20; RM-11619] Television Broadcasting Services; Kalispell, MT AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission. ACTION: Proposed... 73 Television, Television broadcasting. For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Federal...

Qualitative: Python Tool for MT Quality Estimation Supporting Server Mode and Hybrid MT

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Avramidis Eleftherios

2016-10-01

Full Text Available We are presenting the development contributions of the last two years to our Python opensource Quality Estimation tool, a tool that can function in both experiment-mode and online web-service mode. The latest version provides a new MT interface, which communicates with SMT and rule-based translation engines and supports on-the-fly sentence selection. Additionally, we present an improved Machine Learning interface allowing more efficient communication with several state-of-the-art toolkits. Additions also include a more informative training process, a Python re-implementation of QuEst baseline features, a new LM toolkit integration, an additional PCFG parser and alignments of syntactic nodes.

mtDNA point and length heteroplasmy in high- and low radiation areas of Kerala

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forster, L.; Forster, P.; Gurney, S.M.; Spencer, M.; Huang, C.; Röhl, A.; Brinkmann, B.

2010-01-01

A coastal peninsula in Kerala (India) contains the world's highest level of natural radioactivity in a densely populated area, offering an opportunity to characterize radiation-associated DNA mutations. Here, we focus on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations, which are passed exclusively from the mother to her children. To analyse point mutations, we sampled 248 pedigrees (988 individuals) in the high-radiation peninsula and in nearby low-radiation islands as a control population. Then, in an extended sample of 1,172 mtDNA sequences (containing some non-Indians for comparison), we also analysed length mutations, which in mtDNA can lead to the phenomenon of length heteroplasmy, i.e. the existence of different DNA types in the same cell. We wished to find out how fast mtDNA mutates between generations, and whether the mutation rate is increased in radioactive conditions compared to the low-irradiation sample

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA haplogroups in 1526 unrelated individuals from 11 Departments of Colombia

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Juan J. Yunis

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The frequencies of four mitochondrial Native American DNA haplogroups were determined in 1526 unrelated individuals from 11 Departments of Colombia and compared to the frequencies previously obtained for Amerindian and Afro-Colombian populations. Amerindian mtDNA haplogroups ranged from 74% to 97%. The lowest frequencies were found in Departments on the Caribbean coast and in the Pacific region, where the frequency of Afro-Colombians is higher, while the highest mtDNA Amerindian haplogroup frequencies were found in Departments that historically have a strong Amerindian heritage. Interestingly, all four mtDNA haplogroups were found in all Departments, in contrast to the complete absence of haplogroup D and high frequencies of haplogroup A in Amerindian populations in the Caribbean region of Colombia. Our results indicate that all four Native American mtDNA haplogroups were widely distributed in Colombia at the time of the Spanish conquest.

On the edge of Bantu expansions: mtDNA, Y chromosome and lactase persistence genetic variation in southwestern Angola

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Beleza Sandra

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Current information about the expansion of Bantu-speaking peoples is hampered by the scarcity of genetic data from well identified populations from southern Africa. Here, we fill an important gap in the analysis of the western edge of the Bantu migrations by studying for the first time the patterns of Y-chromosome, mtDNA and lactase persistence genetic variation in four representative groups living around the Namib Desert in southwestern Angola (Ovimbundu, Ganguela, Nyaneka-Nkumbi and Kuvale. We assessed the differentiation between these populations and their levels of admixture with Khoe-San groups, and examined their relationship with other sub-Saharan populations. We further combined our dataset with previously published data on Y-chromosome and mtDNA variation to explore a general isolation with migration model and infer the demographic parameters underlying current genetic diversity in Bantu populations. Results Correspondence analysis, lineage sharing patterns and admixture estimates indicate that the gene pool from southwestern Angola is predominantly derived from West-Central Africa. The pastoralist Herero-speaking Kuvale people were additionally characterized by relatively high frequencies of Y-chromosome (12% and mtDNA (22% Khoe-San lineages, as well as by the presence of the -14010C lactase persistence mutation (6%, which likely originated in non-Bantu pastoralists from East Africa. Inferred demographic parameters show that both male and female populations underwent significant size growth after the split between the western and eastern branches of Bantu expansions occurring 4000 years ago. However, males had lower population sizes and migration rates than females throughout the Bantu dispersals. Conclusion Genetic variation in southwestern Angola essentially results from the encounter of an offshoot of West-Central Africa with autochthonous Khoisan-speaking peoples from the south. Interactions between the Bantus

MT-ADRES: multi-threading on coarse-grained reconfigurable architecture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Kehuai; Kanstein, Andreas; Madsen, Jan

2008-01-01

The coarse-grained reconfigurable architecture ADRES (architecture for dynamically reconfigurable embedded systems) and its compiler offer high instruction-level parallelism (ILP) to applications by means of a sparsely interconnected array of functional units and register files. As high-ILP archi......The coarse-grained reconfigurable architecture ADRES (architecture for dynamically reconfigurable embedded systems) and its compiler offer high instruction-level parallelism (ILP) to applications by means of a sparsely interconnected array of functional units and register files. As high......-ILP architectures achieve only low parallelism when executing partially sequential code segments, which is also known as Amdahl's law, this article proposes to extend ADRES to MT-ADRES (multi-threaded ADRES) to also exploit thread-level parallelism. On MT-ADRES architectures, the array can be partitioned...

CERN: Accelerator school

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1993-01-01

Full text: Jyvaskyla, a university town in central Finland, was the setting for last year's General Accelerator School organized by the CERN Accelerator School. Well over a hundred students - more than for some time - followed two weeks of lectures on a broad spectrum of accelerator topics, the first step en route to becoming the designers, builders and operators of the surprisingly large number of, accelerators of all kinds either built or planned throughout Europe and further afield. This was the fifth such school organized by CAS in a biennial cycle which alternates this introductory level with more advanced tuition. The next, advanced, school will be from 20 October - 1 November, hosted by Athens University on the Greek Island of Rhodes. (Application details will become available in Spring but would-be participants should already reserve the dates.) After Finland, the CAS caravan moved to Benalmadena near Malaga in Spain where, together with Seville University, they organized one of the joint US-CERN schools held every two years and focusing on frontier accelerator topics. This time the subject was electron-positron factories - machines for high luminosity experiments in phi, tau-charm, beauty and Z physics. Experts from both sides of the Atlantic and from Japan shared their knowledge with an equally representative audience and probed the many intensity related phenomena which must be mastered to reach design performance. A number of these topics will receive extended coverage in the next specialist CAS School which is a repeat - by public demand - of the highly successful radiofrequency course held in Oxford in 1991. This school will be in Capri, Italy, with the support of the University of Naples from 29 April to 5 May. Details and application forms are now available by e-mail (CASRF@CERNVM.CERN.CH), by fax (+41 22 7824836) or from Suzanne von Wartburg, CERN Accelerator School, 1211 Geneva 23, Switzerland

Identification of West Eurasian mitochondrial haplogroups by mtDNA SNP screening: results of the 2006-2007 EDNAP collaborative exercise

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Parson, Walther; Fendt, Liane; Ballard, David

2008-01-01

no previous experience with the technology and/or mtDNA analysis. The results of this collaborative exercise stimulate the expansion of screening methods in forensic laboratories to increase efficiency and performance of mtDNA typing, and thus demonstrates that mtDNA SNP typing is a powerful tool for forensic......The European DNA Profiling (EDNAP) Group performed a collaborative exercise on a mitochondrial (mt) DNA screening assay that targeted 16 nucleotide positions in the coding region and allowed for the discrimination of major west Eurasian mtDNA haplogroups. The purpose of the exercise was to evaluate...

Propagation of dikes at Vesuvio (Italy) and the effect of Mt. Somma

Science.gov (United States)

Acocella, V.; Porreca, M.; Neri, M.; Massimi, E.; Mattei, M.

2006-04-01

Dikes provide crucial information on how magma propagates within volcanoes. Somma-Vesuvio (Italy) consists of the active Vesuvio cone, partly bordered by the older Mt. Somma edifice. Historical chronicles on the fissure eruptions in 1694-1944 are matched with an analytical solution to define the propagation path of the related dikes and to study any control of the Mt. Somma relief. The fissures always consisted of the downslope migration of vents from an open summit conduit, indicating lateral propagation as the predominant mechanism for shallow dike emplacement. No fissure emplaced beyond Mt. Somma, suggesting that its buttressing hinders the propagation of the radial dikes. An analytical solution is defined to describe the mechanism of formation of the laterally propagating dikes and to evaluate the effect of topography. The application to Somma-Vesuvio suggests that, under ordinary excess magmatic pressures, the dikes should not propagate laterally at depths >240-480 m below the surface, as the increased lithostatic pressure requires magmatic pressures higher than average. This implies that, when the conduit is open, the lateral emplacement of dikes is expectable on the S, W and E slopes. The lack of fissures N of Mt. Somma is explained by its buttressing, which hinders dike propagation.

Low-temperature thermochronology of the Mt Painter Province, South Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitchell, M.M.; Kohn, B.P.; O'Sullivan, P.B.; Hartley, M.J.; University of Florida, FL

2002-01-01

Apatite fission track results are reported for 26 outcrop samples from the Mt Painter Inlier, Mt Babbage Inlier and adjacent Neoproterozoic rocks of the northwestern Curnamona Craton of South Australia. Forward modelling of the data indicates that the province experienced variable regional cooling from temperatures >110deg C during the Late Palaeozoic (Late Carboniferous to Early Permian). The timing of this cooling is similar to that previously reported from elsewhere in the Adelaide Fold Belt and the Curnamona Craton, suggesting that the entire region underwent extensive Late Palaeozoic cooling most likely related to the waning stages of the Alice Springs or Kanimblan Orogenies. Results from the Paralana Fault Zone indicate that the eastern margin of the Mt Painter Inlier experienced a second episode of cooling (∼40-60deg C) during the Paleocene to Eocene. The entire region also experienced significant cooling (less than ∼40deg C) during the Late Cretaceous to Palaeogene in response to unroofing and/or a decrease in geothermal gradient. Regional cooling/erosion during this time is supported by: geomorphological and geophysical evidence indicating Tertiary exhumation of at least 1 km; Eocene sedimentation initiated in basins adjacent to the Flinders and Mt Lofty Ranges sections of the Adelaide Fold Belt; and Late Cretaceous - Early Tertiary cooling previously reported from apatite fission track studies in the Willyama Inliers and the southern Adelaide Fold Belt. Late Cretaceous to Palaeogene cooling is probably related to a change in stress field propagated throughout the Australian Plate, and driven by the initiation of sea-floor spreading in the Tasman Sea in the Late Cretaceous and the Eocene global plate reorganisation. Copyright (2002) Geological Society of Australia

Biological effects of accelerated boron, carbon, and neon ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grigoryev, Yu.G.; Ryzhov, N.I.; Popov, V.I.

1975-01-01

The biological effects of accelerated boron, carbon, and neon ions on various biological materials were determined. The accelerated ions included 10 B, 11 B, 12 C, 20 Ne, 22 Ne, and 40 Ar. Gamma radiation and x radiation were used as references in the experiments. Among the biological materials used were mammalian cells and tissues, yeasts, unicellular algae (chlorella), and hydrogen bacteria. The results of the investigation are given and the biophysical aspects of the problem are discussed

A novel mutation MT-COIII m.9267G>C and MT-COI m.5913G>A mutation in mitochondrial genes in a Tunisian family with maternally inherited diabetes and deafness (MIDD) associated with sever nephropathy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tabebi, Mouna; Mkaouar-Rebai, Emna; Mnif, Mouna; Kallabi, Fakhri; Ben Mahmoud, Afif; Ben Saad, Wafa; Charfi, Nadia; Keskes-Ammar, Leila; Kamoun, Hassen; Abid, Mohamed; Fakhfakh, Faiza

2015-01-01

Mitochondrial diabetes (MD) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by a chronic hyperglycemia, maternal transmission and its association with a bilateral hearing impairment. Several studies reported mutations in mitochondrial genes as potentially pathogenic for diabetes, since mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation plays an important role in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from beta cells. In the present report, we studied a Tunisian family with mitochondrial diabetes (MD) and deafness associated with nephropathy. The mutational analysis screening revealed the presence of a novel heteroplasmic mutation m.9276G>C in the mitochondrial COIII gene, detected in mtDNA extracted from leukocytes of a mother and her two daughters indicating that this mutation is maternally transmitted and suggest its implication in the observed phenotype. Bioinformatic tools showed that m.9267G>C mutation (p.A21P) is « deleterious » and it can modify the function and the stability of the MT-COIII protein by affecting the assembly of mitochondrial COX subunits and the translocation of protons then reducing the activity of the respective OXPHOS complexes of ATP synthesis. The nonsynonymous mutation (p.A21P) has not been reported before, it is the first mutation described in the COXIII gene which is related to insulin dependent mitochondrial diabetes and deafness and could be specific to the Tunisian population. The m.9267G>C mutation was present with a nonsynonymous inherited mitochondrial homoplasmic variation MT-COI m.5913 G>A (D4N) responsible of high blood pressure, a clinical feature detected in all explored patients. - Highlights: • MT-COX3 m.9267G>C (p.A21P), heteroplasmic substitution, is not reported in any database. • m.9267G>C can be responsible of the MIDD associated with nephropaty. • This substitution can modify the function and the stability of the MT-CO3 protein. • This substitution can modify MT-CO3 structure (2D and 3D). • MT-COX3 m.9267G>C is associated

A novel mutation MT-COIII m.9267G>C and MT-COI m.5913G>A mutation in mitochondrial genes in a Tunisian family with maternally inherited diabetes and deafness (MIDD) associated with sever nephropathy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tabebi, Mouna, E-mail: mouna.biologiste@yahoo.com [Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire Humaine, Faculté de Médecine de Sfax, Université de Sfax (Tunisia); Mkaouar-Rebai, Emna [Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire Humaine, Faculté de Médecine de Sfax, Université de Sfax (Tunisia); Mnif, Mouna [Service d' endocrinologie, C.H.U. Habib Bourguiba de Sfax (Tunisia); Kallabi, Fakhri; Ben Mahmoud, Afif [Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire Humaine, Faculté de Médecine de Sfax, Université de Sfax (Tunisia); Ben Saad, Wafa; Charfi, Nadia [Service d' endocrinologie, C.H.U. Habib Bourguiba de Sfax (Tunisia); Keskes-Ammar, Leila; Kamoun, Hassen [Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire Humaine, Faculté de Médecine de Sfax, Université de Sfax (Tunisia); Abid, Mohamed [Service d' endocrinologie, C.H.U. Habib Bourguiba de Sfax (Tunisia); Fakhfakh, Faiza, E-mail: faiza.fakhfakh@gmail.com [Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire Humaine, Faculté de Médecine de Sfax, Université de Sfax (Tunisia)

2015-04-10

Mitochondrial diabetes (MD) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by a chronic hyperglycemia, maternal transmission and its association with a bilateral hearing impairment. Several studies reported mutations in mitochondrial genes as potentially pathogenic for diabetes, since mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation plays an important role in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from beta cells. In the present report, we studied a Tunisian family with mitochondrial diabetes (MD) and deafness associated with nephropathy. The mutational analysis screening revealed the presence of a novel heteroplasmic mutation m.9276G>C in the mitochondrial COIII gene, detected in mtDNA extracted from leukocytes of a mother and her two daughters indicating that this mutation is maternally transmitted and suggest its implication in the observed phenotype. Bioinformatic tools showed that m.9267G>C mutation (p.A21P) is « deleterious » and it can modify the function and the stability of the MT-COIII protein by affecting the assembly of mitochondrial COX subunits and the translocation of protons then reducing the activity of the respective OXPHOS complexes of ATP synthesis. The nonsynonymous mutation (p.A21P) has not been reported before, it is the first mutation described in the COXIII gene which is related to insulin dependent mitochondrial diabetes and deafness and could be specific to the Tunisian population. The m.9267G>C mutation was present with a nonsynonymous inherited mitochondrial homoplasmic variation MT-COI m.5913 G>A (D4N) responsible of high blood pressure, a clinical feature detected in all explored patients. - Highlights: • MT-COX3 m.9267G>C (p.A21P), heteroplasmic substitution, is not reported in any database. • m.9267G>C can be responsible of the MIDD associated with nephropaty. • This substitution can modify the function and the stability of the MT-CO3 protein. • This substitution can modify MT-CO3 structure (2D and 3D). • MT-COX3 m.9267G>C is associated

A defect in the thymidine kinase 2 gene causing isolated mitochondrial myopathy without mtDNA depletion.

Science.gov (United States)

Leshinsky-Silver, E; Michelson, M; Cohen, S; Ginsberg, M; Sadeh, M; Barash, V; Lerman-Sagie, T; Lev, D

2008-07-01

Isolated mitochondrial myopathies (IMM) are either due to primary defects in mtDNA, in nuclear genes that control mtDNA abundance and structure such as thymidine kinase 2 (TK2), or due to CoQ deficiency. Defects in the TK2 gene have been found to be associated with mtDNA depletion attributed to a depleted mitochondrial dNTP pool in non-dividing cells. We report an unusual case of IMM, homozygous for the H90N mutation in the TK2 gene but unlike other cases with the same mutation, does not demonstrate mtDNA depletion. The patient's clinical course is relatively mild and a muscle biopsy showed ragged red muscle fibers with a mild decrease in complexes I and an increase in complexes IV and II activities. This report extends the phenotypic expression of TK2 defects and suggests that all patients who present with an IMM even with normal quantities of mtDNA should be screened for TK2 mutations.

Biodegradation of hydrocarbon remnants by biological activators in the presence of INIPOL EAP 22

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bergueiro, J. R.; Luengo, M. C.; Socias, S.; Perez, F.; Laseca, D. [Universidad de las Islas Baleares, Palma de Mallorca (Spain); Perez-Navarro, A.; Morales, N. [Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio, Madrid (Spain)

1997-10-01

Degradation of highly weathered hydrocarbon mixtures resulting from an accidental spill in an oil refinery was studied, using BIOLEN IG 30 as the degradation agent microorganism, and INIPOL EAP 22 as the biodegradation accelerator. Results show that BIOLEN IG 30 is able to degrade highly weathered hydrocarbons at 20 degrees C, in the presence of INIPOL EAP 22. BIOLEN IG 30 is also able to degrade the total ionic and anionic dispersants in FINASOL OSR 51 (a dispersant), even in the absence of a biodegradation accelerator. 10 refs., 7 tabs., 3 figs.

Biodegradation of hydrocarbon remnants by biological activators in the presence of INIPOL EAP 22

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergueiro, J. R.; Luengo, M. C.; Socias, S.; Perez, F.; Laseca, D.; Perez-Navarro, A.; Morales, N.

1997-01-01

Degradation of highly weathered hydrocarbon mixtures resulting from an accidental spill in an oil refinery was studied, using BIOLEN IG 30 as the degradation agent microorganism, and INIPOL EAP 22 as the biodegradation accelerator. Results show that BIOLEN IG 30 is able to degrade highly weathered hydrocarbons at 20 degrees C, in the presence of INIPOL EAP 22. BIOLEN IG 30 is also able to degrade the total ionic and anionic dispersants in FINASOL OSR 51 (a dispersant), even in the absence of a biodegradation accelerator. 10 refs., 7 tabs., 3 figs

Imaging with radiolabelled anti-membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) antibody: potentials for characterizing atherosclerotic plaques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuge, Yuji; Takai, Nozomi; Ogawa, Yuki; Temma, Takashi; Nishigori, Kantaro; Ishino, Seigo; Kamihashi, Junko; Saji, Hideo; Zhao, Yan; Kiyono, Yasushi; Shiomi, Masashi

2010-01-01

Membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) activates pro-MMP-2 and pro-MMP-13 to their active forms and plays important roles in the destabilization of atherosclerotic plaques. This study sought to determine the usefulness of 99m Tc-labelled monoclonal antibody (mAb), recognizing MT1-MMP, for imaging atherosclerosis in a rabbit model (WHHLMI rabbits). Anti-MT1-MMP monoclonal IgG 3 and negative control IgG 3 were radiolabelled with 99m Tc after derivatization with 6-hydrazinonicotinic acid (HYNIC) to yield 99m Tc-MT1-MMP mAb and 99m Tc-IgG 3 , respectively. WHHLMI and control rabbits were injected with these radio-probes. The aorta was removed and radioactivity was measured at 24 h after the injection. Autoradiography and histological studies were performed. 99m Tc-MT1-MMP mAb accumulation in WHHLMI rabbit aortas was 5.4-fold higher than that of control rabbits. Regional 99m Tc-MT1-MMP mAb accumulation was positively correlated with MT1-MMP expression (r = 0.59, p 99m Tc-IgG 3 accumulation was independent of MT1-MMP expression (r = 0.03, p = NS). The highest 99m Tc-MT1-MMP mAb accumulation was found in atheromatous lesions (4.8 ± 1.9, %ID x BW/mm 2 x 10 2 ), followed in decreasing order by fibroatheromatous (1.8 ± 1.3), collagen-rich (1.6 ± 1.0) and neointimal lesions (1.5 ± 1.5). In contrast, 99m Tc-IgG 3 accumulation was almost independent of the histological grade of lesions. Higher 99m Tc-MT1-MMP mAb accumulation in grade IV atheroma was shown in comparison with neointimal lesions or other more stable lesions. Nuclear imaging with 99m Tc-MT1-MMP mAb, in combination with CT and MRI, could provide new diagnostic imaging capabilities for detecting vulnerable plaques, although further investigations to improve target to blood ratios are strongly required. (orig.)

MT1-MMP promotes cell growth and ERK activation through c-Src and paxillin in three-dimensional collagen matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takino, Takahisa; Tsuge, Hisashi; Ozawa, Terumasa; Sato, Hiroshi

2010-01-01

Membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) is essential for tumor invasion and growth. We show here that MT1-MMP induces extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation in cancer cells cultured in collagen gel, which is indispensable for their proliferation. Inhibition of MT1-MMP by MMP inhibitor or small interfering RNA suppressed activation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and ERK in MT1-MMP-expressing cancer cells, which resulted in up-regulation of p21 WAF1 and suppression of cell growth in collagen gel. Cell proliferation was also abrogated by the inhibitor against ERK pathway without affecting FAK phosphorylation. MT1-MMP and integrin α v β 3 were shown to be involved in c-Src activation, which induced FAK and ERK activation in collagen gel. These MT1-MMP-mediated signal transductions were paxillin dependent, as knockdown of paxillin reduced cell growth and ERK activation, and co-expression of MT1-MMP with paxillin induced ERK activation. The results suggest that MT1-MMP contributes to proliferation of cancer cells in the extracellular matrix by activating ERK through c-Src and paxillin.

A comparison of cross-country mountain destination importance performance as perceived by international and domestic tourists: a cast study of Mt. Huang (China and Mt. Seorak (South Korea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renuka Newpaney

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, we examine visitor’s importance and destination performance with respect to tourist attractions such as the environment, adventure, social culture, accessibility and relaxation of participants at Mt. Huang and Mt. Seorak respectively. This study identified the demographic characteristics of visitors to both mountain destinations. The researchers used the Importance Performed Analysis (IPA method to identify the importance and satisfaction levels of various attributes of both Mt. Huang and Mt. Seorak. They identified that the most important attributes sought after related to the natural environment, mountaineering, knowledge and information sharing, value of money and escape from a mundane daily job routine, while the least important would relate to mountain sports and the localities' inviting ambience for both mountain destinations. Using a simple questionnaire sample procedure, 247 visitors were considered in order to determine what the visitor’s deemed to be important, and what was satisfying from a destination performance perspective. SPSS 17 was used to analyze the data in different stages and pilot testing was conducted. The finding of this study can be helpful for tourist decision-makers in the public and private sectors. It is also useful to improve tourism services and to develop strategies for greater tourism promotion to the two destinations. Furthermore, this study can be a powerful source of input for destination promotion and positioning activities.

MT2-D inversion analysis in Kakkonda geothermal field; Kakkonda chinetsu chiiki ni okeru MT ho nijigen kaiseki

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamane, K; Takasugi, S [Geothermal Energy Research and Development Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); Miyazaki, S [Japan Metals and Chemicals Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); Uchida, T [New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, Tokyo, (Japan)

1996-05-01

Data, collected from an MT method-assisted survey conducted in the Kakkonda geothermal region in 1987, was re-examined, and a new structure was found. The review was carried out by use of a 2D analysis in the TM mode. According to the 1D analysis of 1987 and the geological data gathered then, it is estimated that the resistivity structure of this region runs in the northwest-southeast direction. A northeast-southwest traverse line was set for this analysis, orthogonal to the strike, and the impedance at each observation spot was caused to rotate to this direction across the whole range of frequency. Furthermore, in 1994-95, surveys were conducted using arrayed CSMT/MT methods. All these sum up to indicate that a high-resistivity region extends northwest in the southwestern part of the Kakkonda river but that there exists a low-resistivity region of several 10 Ohm m centering about the B traverse line. The high-resistivity region deep in the ground being the target of excavation in the Kakkonda region, to collect knowledge about this high-resistivity is important, and here the effectiveness of the 2d analysis has been verified. 5 refs., 11 figs.

Melatonin acts through MT1/MT2 receptors to activate hypothalamic Akt and suppress hepatic gluconeogenesis in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Faria, Juliana A; Kinote, Andrezza; Ignacio-Souza, Letícia M; de Araújo, Thiago M; Razolli, Daniela S; Doneda, Diego L; Paschoal, Lívia B; Lellis-Santos, Camilo; Bertolini, Gisele L; Velloso, Lício A; Bordin, Silvana; Anhê, Gabriel F

2013-07-15

Melatonin can contribute to glucose homeostasis either by decreasing gluconeogenesis or by counteracting insulin resistance in distinct models of obesity. However, the precise mechanism through which melatonin controls glucose homeostasis is not completely understood. Male Wistar rats were administered an intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of melatonin and one of following: an icv injection of a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, an icv injection of a melatonin receptor (MT) antagonist, or an intraperitoneal (ip) injection of a muscarinic receptor antagonist. Anesthetized rats were subjected to pyruvate tolerance test to estimate in vivo glucose clearance after pyruvate load and in situ liver perfusion to assess hepatic gluconeogenesis. The hypothalamus was removed to determine Akt phosphorylation. Melatonin injections in the central nervous system suppressed hepatic gluconeogenesis and increased hypothalamic Akt phosphorylation. These effects of melatonin were suppressed either by icv injections of PI3K inhibitors and MT antagonists and by ip injection of a muscarinic receptor antagonist. We conclude that melatonin activates hypothalamus-liver communication that may contribute to circadian adjustments of gluconeogenesis. These data further suggest a physiopathological relationship between the circadian disruptions in metabolism and reduced levels of melatonin found in type 2 diabetes patients.

Abnormal Skeletal Growth in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Is Associated with Abnormal Quantitative Expression of Melatonin Receptor, MT2

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Alain Moreau

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The defect of the melatonin signaling pathway has been proposed to be one of the key etiopathogenic factors in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS. A previous report showed that melatonin receptor, MT2, was undetectable in some AIS girls. The present study aimed to investigate whether the abnormal MT2 expression in AIS is quantitative or qualitative. Cultured osteoblasts were obtained from 41 AIS girls and nine normal controls. Semi-quantification of protein expression by Western blot and mRNA expression by TaqMan real-time PCR for both MT1 and MT2 were performed. Anthropometric parameters were also compared and correlated with the protein expression and mRNA expression of the receptors. The results showed significantly lower protein and mRNA expression of MT2 in AIS girls compared with that in normal controls (p = 0.02 and p = 0.019, respectively. No differences were found in the expression of MT1. When dichotomizing the AIS girls according to their MT2 expression, the group with low expression was found to have a significantly longer arm span (p = 0.036. The results of this study showed for the first time a quantitative change of MT2 in AIS that was also correlated with abnormal arm span as part of abnormal systemic skeletal growth.

Global gene expression profiles of MT knockout and wild-type mice in the condition of doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Shuai, Yi; Guo, Jun; Dong, Yansheng; Zhong, Weijian; Xiao, Ping; Zhou, Tong; Zhang, Lishi; Peng, Shuangqing

2011-01-15

Increasing evidence from in vivo and in vitro studies has indicated that MT exerts protective effects against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity; however the underlying precise mechanisms still remain an enigma. Therefore, the present study was designed using MT knockout mice in concert with genomic approaches to explore the possible molecular and cellular mechanisms in terms of the genetic network changes. MT-I/II null (MT⁻/⁻) mice and corresponding wild-type mice (MT+/+) were administrated with a single dose of DOX (15 mg/kg, i.p.) or equal volume of saline. Animals were sacrificed on the 4th day after DOX administration and samples were collected for further analyses. Global gene expression profiles of cardiac mRNA from two genotype mice revealed that 381 characteristically MT-responsive genes were identified between MT+/+ mice and MT⁻/⁻ mice in response to DOX, including fos, ucp3, car3, atf3, map3k6, etc. Functional analysis implied MAPK signaling pathway, p53 signaling pathway, Jak-STAT signaling pathway, PPAR signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, etc. might be involved to mediate the protection of DOX cardiomyopathy by MT. Results from the present study not only validated the previously reported possible mechanisms of MT protection against DOX toxicity, but also provided new clues into the molecular mechanisms involved in this process. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Infantile presentation of the mtDNA A3243G tRNA(Leu (UUR)) mutation.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Okhuijsen-Kroes, E.J.; Trijbels, J.M.F.; Sengers, R.C.A.; Mariman, E.C.M.; Heuvel, L.P.W.J. van den; Wendel, U.A.H.; Koch, G.; Smeitink, J.A.M.

2001-01-01

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) disorders are clinically very heterogeneous, ranging from single organ involvement to severe multisystem disease. One of the most frequently observed mtDNA mutations is the A-to-G transition at position 3243 of the tRNA(Leu (UUR)) gene. This mutation is often related to

Special issue “The phreatic eruption of Mt. Ontake volcano in 2014”

Science.gov (United States)

Yamaoka, Koshun; Geshi, Nobuo; Hashimoto, Tasheki; Ingebritsen, Steven E.; Oikawa, Teruki

2016-01-01

Mt. Ontake volcano erupted at 11:52 on September 27, 2014, claiming the lives of at least 58 hikers. This eruption was the worst volcanic disaster in Japan since the 1926 phreatic eruption of Mt. Tokachidake claimed 144 lives (Table 1). The timing of the eruption contributed greatly to the heavy death toll: near midday, when many hikers were near the summit, and during a weekend of clear weather conditions following several rainy weekends. The importance of this timing is reflected by the fact that a somewhat larger eruption of Mt. Ontake in 1979 resulted in injuries but no deaths. In 2014, immediate precursors were detected with seismometers and tiltmeters about 10 min before the eruption, but the eruption started before a warning was issued.

Joint inversion of marine MT and CSEM data over Gemini prospect, Gulf of Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Constable, S.; Orange, A. S.; Key, K.

2013-12-01

In 2003 we tested a prototype marine controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) transmitter over the Gemini salt body in the Gulf of Mexico, collecting one line of data over 15 seafloor receiver instruments using the Cox waveform with a 0.25 Hz fundamental, yielding 3 usable frequencies. Transmission current was 95 amps on a 150 m antenna. We had previously collected 16 sites of marine magnetotelluric (MT) data along this line during the development of broadband marine MT as a tool for mapping salt geometry. Recently we commissioned a finite element code capable of joint CSEM and MT 2D inversion incorporating bathymetry and anisotropy, and this heritage data set provided an opportunity to explore such inversions with real data. We reprocessed the CSEM data to obtain objective error estimates and inverted single frequency CSEM, multi-frequency CSEM, MT, and joint MT and CSEM data sets for a variety of target misfits, using the Occam regularized inversion algorithm. As expected, MT-only inversions produce a smoothed image of the salt and a resistive basement at 9 km depth. The CSEM data image a conductive cap over the salt body and have little sensitivity to the salt or structure at depths beyond about 1500 m below seafloor. However, the joint inversion yields more than the sum of the parts - the outline of the salt body is much sharper and there is much more structural detail even at depths beyond the resolution of the CSEM data. As usual, model complexity greatly depends on target misfit, and even with well-estimated errors the choice of misfit becomes a somewhat subjective decision. Our conclusion is a familiar one; more data are always good.

Applicability of Daily Solar Radiation Estimated by Mountain Microclimate Simulation Model (MT-CLIM) in Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shim, K.M.; Kim, Y.S.; Lee, D.B.; Kang, K.K.; So, K.H.

2012-01-01

Accuracy of daily solar radiation estimated from a Mountain Microclimate Simulation Model (MT-CLIM) was assessed for seven observation sites with complex topography in Uiseong County. The coefficient of determination () between the observed and the estimated daily solar radiation was 0.52 for 7 sites for the study period from 1 August to 30 September 2009. Overall, the MT-CLIM overestimated the solar radiation with root mean square error (RMSE) of which is about 25% of the mean daily solar radiation () for the study period. Considering that the pyranometer's tolerance is of standard sensor, the RMSE of MT-CLIM was too large to accept for a direct application for agricultural sector. The reliability of solar radiation estimated by MT-CLIM must be improved by considering additional ways such as using a topography correction coefficient

Mitochondrial mosaics in the liver of 3 infants with mtDNA defects

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Scalais Emmanuel

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In muscle cytochrome oxidase (COX negative fibers (mitochondrial mosaics have often been visualized. Methods COX activity staining of liver for light and electron microscopy, muscle stains, blue native gel electrophoresis and activity assays of respiratory chain proteins, their immunolocalisation, mitochondrial and nuclear DNA analysis. Results Three unrelated infants showed a mitochondrial mosaic in the liver after staining for COX activity, i.e. hepatocytes with strongly reactive mitochondria were found adjacent to cells with many negative, or barely reactive, mitochondria. Deficiency was most severe in the patient diagnosed with Pearson syndrome. Ragged-red fibers were absent in muscle biopsies of all patients. Enzyme biochemistry was not diagnostic in muscle, fibroblasts and lymphocytes. Blue native gel electrophoresis of liver tissue, but not of muscle, demonstrated a decreased activity of complex IV; in both muscle and liver subcomplexes of complex V were seen. Immunocytochemistry of complex IV confirmed the mosaic pattern in two livers, but not in fibroblasts. MRI of the brain revealed severe white matter cavitation in the Pearson case, but only slight cortical atrophy in the Alpers-Huttenlocher patient, and a normal image in the 3rd. MtDNA in leucocytes showed a common deletion in 50% of the mtDNA molecules of the Pearson patient. In the patient diagnosed with Alpers-Huttenlocher syndrome, mtDNA was depleted for 60% in muscle. In the 3rd patient muscular and hepatic mtDNA was depleted for more than 70%. Mutations in the nuclear encoded gene of POLG were subsequently found in both the 2nd and 3rd patients. Conclusion Histoenzymatic COX staining of a liver biopsy is fast and yields crucial data about the pathogenesis; it indicates whether mtDNA should be assayed. Each time a mitochondrial disorder is suspected and muscle data are non-diagnostic, a liver biopsy should be recommended. Mosaics are probably more frequent

Thymidine kinase 2 deficiency-induced mtDNA depletion in mouse liver leads to defect β-oxidation.

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Xiaoshan Zhou

Full Text Available Thymidine kinase 2 (TK2 deficiency in humans causes mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA depletion syndrome. To study the molecular mechanisms underlying the disease and search for treatment options, we previously generated and described a TK2 deficient mouse strain (TK2(-/- that progressively loses its mtDNA. The TK2(-/- mouse model displays symptoms similar to humans harboring TK2 deficient infantile fatal encephalomyopathy. Here, we have studied the TK2(-/- mouse model to clarify the pathological role of progressive mtDNA depletion in liver for the severe outcome of TK2 deficiency. We observed that a gradual depletion of mtDNA in the liver of the TK2(-/- mice was accompanied by increasingly hypertrophic mitochondria and accumulation of fat vesicles in the liver cells. The levels of cholesterol and nonesterified fatty acids were elevated and there was accumulation of long chain acylcarnitines in plasma of the TK2(-/- mice. In mice with hepatic mtDNA levels below 20%, the blood sugar and the ketone levels dropped. These mice also exhibited reduced mitochondrial β-oxidation due to decreased transport of long chain acylcarnitines into the mitochondria. The gradual loss of mtDNA in the liver of the TK2(-/- mice causes impaired mitochondrial function that leads to defect β-oxidation and, as a result, insufficient production of ketone bodies and glucose. This study provides insight into the mechanism of encephalomyopathy caused by TK2 deficiency-induced mtDNA depletion that may be used to explore novel therapeutic strategies.

Thymidine kinase 2 deficiency-induced mtDNA depletion in mouse liver leads to defect β-oxidation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xiaoshan; Kannisto, Kristina; Curbo, Sophie; von Döbeln, Ulrika; Hultenby, Kjell; Isetun, Sindra; Gåfvels, Mats; Karlsson, Anna

2013-01-01

Thymidine kinase 2 (TK2) deficiency in humans causes mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion syndrome. To study the molecular mechanisms underlying the disease and search for treatment options, we previously generated and described a TK2 deficient mouse strain (TK2(-/-)) that progressively loses its mtDNA. The TK2(-/-) mouse model displays symptoms similar to humans harboring TK2 deficient infantile fatal encephalomyopathy. Here, we have studied the TK2(-/-) mouse model to clarify the pathological role of progressive mtDNA depletion in liver for the severe outcome of TK2 deficiency. We observed that a gradual depletion of mtDNA in the liver of the TK2(-/-) mice was accompanied by increasingly hypertrophic mitochondria and accumulation of fat vesicles in the liver cells. The levels of cholesterol and nonesterified fatty acids were elevated and there was accumulation of long chain acylcarnitines in plasma of the TK2(-/-) mice. In mice with hepatic mtDNA levels below 20%, the blood sugar and the ketone levels dropped. These mice also exhibited reduced mitochondrial β-oxidation due to decreased transport of long chain acylcarnitines into the mitochondria. The gradual loss of mtDNA in the liver of the TK2(-/-) mice causes impaired mitochondrial function that leads to defect β-oxidation and, as a result, insufficient production of ketone bodies and glucose. This study provides insight into the mechanism of encephalomyopathy caused by TK2 deficiency-induced mtDNA depletion that may be used to explore novel therapeutic strategies.

Targeting a single function of the multifunctional matrix metalloprotease MT1-MMP

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ingvarsen, Signe; Porse, Astrid; Erpicum, Charlotte

2013-01-01

and pathological events, has been complicated by the lack of specific inhibitors and the fact that some of the potent MMPs are multifunctional enzymes. These factors have also hampered the setup of therapeutic strategies targeting MMP activity. A tempting target is the membrane-associated MT1-MMP, which has well......-documented importance in matrix degradation but which takes part in more than one pathway in this regard. In this report, we describe the selective targeting of a single function of this enzyme by means of a specific monoclonal antibody against MT1-MMP, raised in an MT1-MMP knock-out mouse. The antibody blocks...... matrix in vitro, as well as in lymphatic vessel sprouting assayed ex vivo. This is the first example of the complete inactivation of a single function of a multifunctional MMP and the use of this strategy to pursue its role....

Identification of 2-aminothiazole-4-carboxylate derivatives active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and the beta-ketoacyl-ACP synthase mtFabH.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qosay Al-Balas

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB is a disease which kills two million people every year and infects approximately over one-third of the world's population. The difficulty in managing tuberculosis is the prolonged treatment duration, the emergence of drug resistance and co-infection with HIV/AIDS. Tuberculosis control requires new drugs that act at novel drug targets to help combat resistant forms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and reduce treatment duration. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Our approach was to modify the naturally occurring and synthetically challenging antibiotic thiolactomycin (TLM to the more tractable 2-aminothiazole-4-carboxylate scaffold to generate compounds that mimic TLM's novel mode of action. We report here the identification of a series of compounds possessing excellent activity against M. tuberculosis H(37R(v and, dissociatively, against the beta-ketoacyl synthase enzyme mtFabH which is targeted by TLM. Specifically, methyl 2-amino-5-benzylthiazole-4-carboxylate was found to inhibit M. tuberculosis H(37R(v with an MIC of 0.06 microg/ml (240 nM, but showed no activity against mtFabH, whereas methyl 2-(2-bromoacetamido-5-(3-chlorophenylthiazole-4-carboxylate inhibited mtFabH with an IC(50 of 0.95+/-0.05 microg/ml (2.43+/-0.13 microM but was not active against the whole cell organism. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings clearly identify the 2-aminothiazole-4-carboxylate scaffold as a promising new template towards the discovery of a new class of anti-tubercular agents.

Canis mtDNA HV1 database: a web-based tool for collecting and surveying Canis mtDNA HV1 haplotype in public database.

Science.gov (United States)

Thai, Quan Ke; Chung, Dung Anh; Tran, Hoang-Dung

2017-06-26

Canine and wolf mitochondrial DNA haplotypes, which can be used for forensic or phylogenetic analyses, have been defined in various schemes depending on the region analyzed. In recent studies, the 582 bp fragment of the HV1 region is most commonly used. 317 different canine HV1 haplotypes have been reported in the rapidly growing public database GenBank. These reported haplotypes contain several inconsistencies in their haplotype information. To overcome this issue, we have developed a Canis mtDNA HV1 database. This database collects data on the HV1 582 bp region in dog mitochondrial DNA from the GenBank to screen and correct the inconsistencies. It also supports users in detection of new novel mutation profiles and assignment of new haplotypes. The Canis mtDNA HV1 database (CHD) contains 5567 nucleotide entries originating from 15 subspecies in the species Canis lupus. Of these entries, 3646 were haplotypes and grouped into 804 distinct sequences. 319 sequences were recognized as previously assigned haplotypes, while the remaining 485 sequences had new mutation profiles and were marked as new haplotype candidates awaiting further analysis for haplotype assignment. Of the 3646 nucleotide entries, only 414 were annotated with correct haplotype information, while 3232 had insufficient or lacked haplotype information and were corrected or modified before storing in the CHD. The CHD can be accessed at http://chd.vnbiology.com . It provides sequences, haplotype information, and a web-based tool for mtDNA HV1 haplotyping. The CHD is updated monthly and supplies all data for download. The Canis mtDNA HV1 database contains information about canine mitochondrial DNA HV1 sequences with reconciled annotation. It serves as a tool for detection of inconsistencies in GenBank and helps identifying new HV1 haplotypes. Thus, it supports the scientific community in naming new HV1 haplotypes and to reconcile existing annotation of HV1 582 bp sequences.

Inspecting close maternal relatedness: Towards better mtDNA population samples in forensic databases.

Science.gov (United States)

Bodner, Martin; Irwin, Jodi A; Coble, Michael D; Parson, Walther

2011-03-01

Reliable data are crucial for all research fields applying mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) as a genetic marker. Quality control measures have been introduced to ensure the highest standards in sequence data generation, validation and a posteriori inspection. A phylogenetic alignment strategy has been widely accepted as a prerequisite for data comparability and database searches, for forensic applications, for reconstructions of human migrations and for correct interpretation of mtDNA mutations in medical genetics. There is continuing effort to enhance the number of worldwide population samples in order to contribute to a better understanding of human mtDNA variation. This has often lead to the analysis of convenience samples collected for other purposes, which might not meet the quality requirement of random sampling for mtDNA data sets. Here, we introduce an additional quality control means that deals with one aspect of this limitation: by combining autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) marker with mtDNA information, it helps to avoid the bias introduced by related individuals included in the same (small) sample. By STR analysis of individuals sharing their mitochondrial haplotype, pedigree construction and subsequent software-assisted calculation of likelihood ratios based on the allele frequencies found in the population, closely maternally related individuals can be identified and excluded. We also discuss scenarios that allow related individuals in the same set. An ideal population sample would be representative for its population: this new approach represents another contribution towards this goal. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Target shape effects on monoenergetic GeV proton acceleration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen Min; Yu Tongpu; Pukhov, Alexander [Institut fuer Theoretische Physik I, Heinrich-Heine-Universitaet Duesseldorf, 40225 Duesseldorf (Germany); Sheng Zhengming, E-mail: pukhov@tp1.uni-duesseldorf.d [Department of Physics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China)

2010-04-15

When a circularly polarized laser pulse interacts with a foil target, there are three stages: pre-hole-boring, hole-boring and light sail acceleration. We study the electron and ion dynamics in the first stage and find the minimum foil thickness requirement for a given laser intensity. Based on this analysis, we propose using a shaped foil for ion acceleration, whose thickness varies transversely to match the laser intensity. Then, the target evolves into three regions: the acceleration, transparency and deformation regions. In the acceleration region, the target can be uniformly accelerated producing a mono-energetic and spatially collimated ion beam. Detailed numerical simulations are performed to check the feasibility and robustness of this scheme, such as the influence of shape factors and surface roughness. A GeV mono-energetic proton beam is observed in three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations when a laser pulse with a focus intensity of 10{sup 22} W cm{sup -2} is used. The energy conversion efficiency of the laser pulse to the accelerated proton beam with the simulation parameters is more than 23%.

Target shape effects on monoenergetic GeV proton acceleration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Min; Yu Tongpu; Pukhov, Alexander; Sheng Zhengming

2010-01-01

When a circularly polarized laser pulse interacts with a foil target, there are three stages: pre-hole-boring, hole-boring and light sail acceleration. We study the electron and ion dynamics in the first stage and find the minimum foil thickness requirement for a given laser intensity. Based on this analysis, we propose using a shaped foil for ion acceleration, whose thickness varies transversely to match the laser intensity. Then, the target evolves into three regions: the acceleration, transparency and deformation regions. In the acceleration region, the target can be uniformly accelerated producing a mono-energetic and spatially collimated ion beam. Detailed numerical simulations are performed to check the feasibility and robustness of this scheme, such as the influence of shape factors and surface roughness. A GeV mono-energetic proton beam is observed in three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations when a laser pulse with a focus intensity of 10 22 W cm -2 is used. The energy conversion efficiency of the laser pulse to the accelerated proton beam with the simulation parameters is more than 23%.

A collaborative EDNAP exercise on SNaPshot™-based mtDNA control region typing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weiler, NEC; Baca, K; Ballard, D

2017-01-01

A collaborative European DNA Profiling (EDNAP) Group exercise was undertaken to assess the performance of an earlier described SNaPshot™-based screening assay (denoted mini-mtSNaPshot) (Weiler et al., 2016) [1] that targets 18 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) positions in the mitochondrial (m...... and derived from a subset of the participants, indicating a need for training and guidelines regarding mini-mtSNaPshot data interpretation....

Mt-rps3 is an ancient gene which provides insight into the evolution of fungal mitochondrial genomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Korovesi, Artemis G; Ntertilis, Maria; Kouvelis, Vassili N

2018-05-12

The nuclear ribosomal protein S3 (Rps3) is implicated in the assembly of the ribosomal small subunit. Fungi and plants present a gene copy in their mitochondrial (mt) genomes. An analysis of 303 complete fungal mt genomes showed that, when rps3 is found, it is either a free-standing gene or an anchored gene within the omega intron of the rnl gene. Early divergent fungi, Basidiomycota and all yeasts but the CTG group belong to the first case, and Pezizomycotina to the second. Its position, size and genetic code employed are conserved within species of the same Order. Size variability is attributed to different number of repeats. These repeats consist of AT-rich sequences. MtRps3 proteins lack the KH domain, necessary for binding to rRNA, in their N-terminal region. Their C-terminal region is conserved in all Domains of life. Phylogenetic analysis showed that nuclear and mt Rps3 proteins are descendants of archaeal and a-proteobacterial homologues, respectively. Thus, fungal mt-rps3 gene is an ancient gene which evolved within the endosymbiotic model and presents different evolutionary routes: (a) coming from a-proteobacteria, it was relocated to another region of the mt genome, (b) via its insertion to the omega intron, it was transferred to the nucleus and/or got lost, and (c) it was re-routed to the mt genome again. Today, Basidiomycota and Saccharomycetales seem to follow the first evolutionary route and almost all Pezizomycotina support the second scenario with their exceptions being the result of the third scenario, i.e., the gene's re-entry to the mt genome. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

75 FR 70691 - World Color Mt. Morris, IL LLC, Premedia Chicago Division, Currently Known as Quad/Graphics, Inc...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-18

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-74,142] World Color Mt. Morris... to Apply for Worker Adjustment Assistance on May 24, 2010, applicable to workers of World Color Mt... that on July 2, 2010, World Color Mt. Morris, IL LLC was purchased by Quad/Graphics, Inc. and is...

HMEC-1 adopt the mixed amoeboid-mesenchymal migration type during EndMT.

Science.gov (United States)

Kryczka, Jakub; Przygodzka, Patrycja; Bogusz, Helena; Boncela, Joanna

2017-06-01

The contribution of endothelial cells to scar and fibrotic tissue formation is undisputedly connected to their ability to undergo the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) towards fibroblast phenotype-resembling cells. The migration model of fibroblasts and fibroblast-resembling cells is still not fully understood. It may be either a Rho/ROCK-independent, an integrin- and MMP-correlated ECM degradation-dependent, a mesenchymal model or Rho/ROCK-dependent, integrin adhesion- and MMP activity-independent, an amoeboid model. Here, we hypothesized that microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) undergoing EndMT adopt an intermediate state of drifting migration model between the mesenchymal and amoeboid protrusive types in the early stages of fibrosis. We characterized the response of HMEC-1 to TGF-β2, a well-known mediator of EndMT within the microvasculature. We observed that TGF-β2 induces up to an intermediate mesenchymal phenotype in HMEC-1. In parallel, MMP-2 is upregulated and is responsible for most proteolytic activity. Interestingly, the migration of HMEC-1 undergoing EndMT is dependent on both ECM degradation and invadosome formation associated with MMP-2 proteolytic activity and Rho/ROCK cytoskeleton contraction. In conclusion, the transition from mesenchymal towards amoeboid movement highlights a molecular plasticity mechanism in endothelial cell migration in skin fibrosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Superpartner Mass Measurement Technique using 1D Orthogonal Decompositions of the Cambridge Transverse Mass Variable MT2

Science.gov (United States)

Konar, Partha; Kong, Kyoungchul; Matchev, Konstantin T.; Park, Myeonghun

2010-07-01

We propose a new model-independent technique for mass measurements in missing energy events at hadron colliders. We illustrate our method with the most challenging case of a single-step decay chain. We consider inclusive same-sign chargino pair production in supersymmetry, followed by leptonic decays to sneutrinos χ+χ+→ℓ+ℓ'+ν˜ℓν˜ℓ' and invisible decays ν˜ℓ→νℓχ˜10. We introduce two one-dimensional decompositions of the Cambridge MT2 variable: MT2∥ and MT2⊥, on the direction of the upstream transverse momentum P→T and the direction orthogonal to it, respectively. We show that the sneutrino mass Mc can be measured directly by minimizing the number of events N(M˜c) in which MT2 exceeds a certain threshold, conveniently measured from the end point MT2⊥max⁡(M˜c).

Imaging with radiolabelled anti-membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) antibody: potentials for characterizing atherosclerotic plaques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuge, Yuji [Kyoto University, Department of Patho-functional Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto (Japan); Hokkaido University, Department of Tracer Kinetics and Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo (Japan); Hokkaido University, Central Institute of Isotope Science, Sapporo (Japan); Takai, Nozomi; Ogawa, Yuki; Temma, Takashi; Nishigori, Kantaro; Ishino, Seigo; Kamihashi, Junko; Saji, Hideo [Kyoto University, Department of Patho-functional Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto (Japan); Zhao, Yan [Hokkaido University, Department of Tracer Kinetics and Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo (Japan); Kiyono, Yasushi [Kyoto University, Department of Patho-functional Bioanalysis, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto (Japan); University of Fukui, Biomedical Imaging Research Center, Fukui (Japan); Shiomi, Masashi [Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Institute for Experimental Animals, Kobe (Japan)

2010-11-15

Membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) activates pro-MMP-2 and pro-MMP-13 to their active forms and plays important roles in the destabilization of atherosclerotic plaques. This study sought to determine the usefulness of {sup 99m}Tc-labelled monoclonal antibody (mAb), recognizing MT1-MMP, for imaging atherosclerosis in a rabbit model (WHHLMI rabbits). Anti-MT1-MMP monoclonal IgG{sub 3} and negative control IgG{sub 3} were radiolabelled with {sup 99m}Tc after derivatization with 6-hydrazinonicotinic acid (HYNIC) to yield {sup 99m}Tc-MT1-MMP mAb and {sup 99m}Tc-IgG{sub 3}, respectively. WHHLMI and control rabbits were injected with these radio-probes. The aorta was removed and radioactivity was measured at 24 h after the injection. Autoradiography and histological studies were performed. {sup 99m}Tc-MT1-MMP mAb accumulation in WHHLMI rabbit aortas was 5.4-fold higher than that of control rabbits. Regional {sup 99m}Tc-MT1-MMP mAb accumulation was positively correlated with MT1-MMP expression (r = 0.59, p < 0.0001), while {sup 99m}Tc-IgG{sub 3} accumulation was independent of MT1-MMP expression (r = 0.03, p = NS). The highest {sup 99m}Tc-MT1-MMP mAb accumulation was found in atheromatous lesions (4.8 {+-} 1.9, %ID x BW/mm{sup 2} x 10{sup 2}), followed in decreasing order by fibroatheromatous (1.8 {+-} 1.3), collagen-rich (1.6 {+-} 1.0) and neointimal lesions (1.5 {+-} 1.5). In contrast, {sup 99m}Tc-IgG{sub 3} accumulation was almost independent of the histological grade of lesions. Higher {sup 99m}Tc-MT1-MMP mAb accumulation in grade IV atheroma was shown in comparison with neointimal lesions or other more stable lesions. Nuclear imaging with {sup 99m}Tc-MT1-MMP mAb, in combination with CT and MRI, could provide new diagnostic imaging capabilities for detecting vulnerable plaques, although further investigations to improve target to blood ratios are strongly required. (orig.)

Co-ordinated expression of MMP-2 and its putative activator, MT1-MMP, in human placentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bjørn, S F; Hastrup, N; Lund, L R; Danø, K; Larsen, J F; Pyke, C

1997-08-01

The spatial expression of mRNA for matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), its putative activator, the membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP), and the MMP-2 substrate type IV collagen was investigated in human placentas of both normal and tubal ectopic pregnancies and in cyclic endometrium using in-situ hybridization. Cytokeratin staining applied to adjacent sections was used to identify epithelial and trophoblast cells. In both normal and tubal pregnancies MT1-MMP, MMP-2 and type IV collagen mRNA were highly expressed and co-localized in the extravillous cytotrophoblasts of anchoring villi, in cytotrophoblasts that had penatrated into the placental bed and in cytotrophoblastic cell islands. In addition, the decidual cells of normal pregnancies in some areas co-expressed MT1-MMP and MMP-2 mRNA, with moderate signals for both components. Fibroblast-like stromal cells in tubal pregnancies were positive for MMP-2 mRNA but generally negative for MT1-MMP mRNA. The consistent co-localization of MT1-MMP with MMP-2 and type IV collagen in the same subset of cytotrophoblasts strongly suggests that all three components co-operate in the tightly regulated fetal invasion process. The co-expression of MT1-MMP and MMP-2 mRNA in some of the decidual cells indicates that these cells are also actively involved in the placentation process.

The seismic monitoring network of Mt. Vesuvius

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Massimo Orazi

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Mt. Vesuvius (southern Italy is one of the most hazardous volcanoes in the world. Its activity is currently characterized by moderate seismicity, with hypocenters located beneath the crater zone with depth rarely exceeding 5 km and magnitudes generally less than 3. The current configuration of the seismic monitoring network of Mt. Vesuvius consists of 18 seismic stations and 7 infrasound microphones. During the period 2006-2010 a seismic array with 48 channels was also operative. The station distribution provides appropriate coverage of the area around the volcanic edifice. The current development of the network and its geometry, under conditions of low seismic noise, allows locating seismic events with M<1. Remote instruments continuously transmit data to the main acquisition center in Naples. Data transmission is realized using different technological solutions based on UHF, Wi-Fi radio links, and TCP/IP client-server applications. Data are collected in the monitoring center of the Osservatorio Vesuviano (Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, Naples section, which is equipped with systems for displaying and analyzing signals, using both real-time automatic and manual procedures. 24-hour surveillance allows to immediately communicate any significant anomaly to the Civil Protection authorities.

Development of a dual ion beam system with single accelerator for materials studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Kazumichi; Nishimura, Eiichi; Hashimoto, Tsuneyuki

1986-01-01

The dual ion beam accelerator system has been developed for simulation studies of neutron radiation damage of structural materials for nuclear fusion and fission reactors. One accelerator is used to accelerate two different kinds of ions, which are generated in the ion source simultaneously. One of these ions is selected alternatively by switching the magnetic field of the analyzing magnet, and is then accelerated to the desired energy value. The system is controlled by a microcomputer. The accelerator used in the system is a conventional 400 kV Cockcroft-Walton accelerator. The performance test by the acceleration of He + and Ar + shows that the system is capable of accelerating two ions alternatively with a switching time of less than 22 s. The beam current obtained with the microcomputer control is more than 98% of the current obtained by manual operation. (orig.)

The mycorrhiza-dependent defensin MtDefMd1 of Medicago truncatula acts during the late restructuring stages of arbuscule-containing cells.

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Marian Uhe

Full Text Available Different symbiotic and pathogenic plant-microbe interactions involve the production of cysteine-rich antimicrobial defensins. In Medicago truncatula, the expression of four MtDefMd genes, encoding arbuscular mycorrhiza-dependent defensins containing an N-terminal signal peptide and exhibiting some differences to non-symbiotic defensins, raised over the time of fungal colonization. Whereas the MtDefMd1 and MtDefMd2 promoters were inactive in cells containing young arbuscules, cells with fully developed arbuscules displayed different levels of promoter activities, indicating an up-regulation towards later stages of arbuscule formation. MtDefMd1 and MtDefMd2 expression was absent or strongly down-regulated in mycorrhized ram1-1 and pt4-2 mutants, known for defects in arbuscule branching or premature arbuscule degeneration, respectively. A ~97% knock-down of MtDefMd1/MtDefMd2 expression did not significantly affect arbuscule size. Although overexpression of MtDefMd1 in arbuscule-containing cells led to an up-regulation of MtRam1, encoding a key transcriptional regulator of arbuscule formation, no morphological changes were evident. Co-localization of an MtDefMd1-mGFP6 fusion with additional, subcellular markers revealed that this defensin is associated with arbuscules in later stages of their life-cycle. MtDefMd1-mGFP6 was detected in cells with older arbuscules about to collapse, and ultimately in vacuolar compartments. Comparisons with mycorrhized roots expressing a tonoplast marker indicated that MtDefMd1 acts during late restructuring processes of arbuscule-containing cells, upon their transition into a post-symbiotic state.

Analysis of mtDNA sequence variants in colorectal adenomatous polyps

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Grizzle William

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Colorectal tumors mostly arise from sporadic adenomatous polyps. Polyps are defined as a mass of cells that protrudes into the lumen of the colon. Adenomatous polyps are benign neoplasms that, by definition display some characteristics of dysplasia. It has been shown that polyps were benign tumors which may undergo malignant transformation. Adenomatous polyps have been classified into three histologic types; tubular, tubulovillous, and villous with increasing malignant potential. The ability to differentially diagnose these colorectal adenomatous polyps is important for therapeutic intervention. To date, little efforts have been directed to identifying genetic changes involved in adenomatous polyps. This study was designed to examine the relevance of mitochondrial genome alterations in the three adenomatous polyps. Using high resolution restriction endonucleases and PCR-based sequencing, fifty-seven primary fresh frozen tissues of adenomatous polyps (37 tumors and 20 matched surrounding normal tissues obtained from the southern regional Cooperative Human Tissue Network (CHTN and Grady Memorial Hospital at Atlanta were screened with three mtDNA regional primer pairs that spanned 5.9 kbp. Results from our data analyses revealed the presence of forty-four variants in some of these mitochondrial genes that the primers spanned; COX I, II, III, ATP 6, 8, CYT b, ND 5, 6 and tRNAs. Based on the MITODAT database as a sequence reference, 25 of the 44 (57% variants observed were unreported. Notably, a heteroplasmic variant C8515G/T in the MT-ATP 8 gene and a germline variant 8327delA in the tRNAlys was observed in all the tissue samples of the three adenomatous polyps in comparison to the referenced database sequence. A germline variant G9055A in the MT-ATP 6 gene had a frequency of 100% (17/17 in tubular and 57% (13/23 in villous adenomas; no corresponding variant was in tubulovillous adenomas. Furthermore, A9006G variant at MT-ATP 6 gene was

MT Post-editing: A Text Repair Experience for the Foreign Language Class.

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Ana Niño

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Communication also means having to sort out the problems involved in learning a foreign language, especially with regards to production rather than reception. These learning strategies or skills can also be applied to translation teaching methodology, where students put in practice their risk taking, avoidance, reduction and/ or compensatory strategies in getting the message across. We acknowledge translation as a writing task constrained by the source text. In addition, the translation and the writing cycles have in common a generation stage and a revision stage where grammatical, lexical and stylistic correctness is assessed. Somewhere in the middle between translation and writing skills lies MT (Machine Translation post-editing that involves correcting the raw MT output with the aim of providing a quality text according to the intended purpose. Our research is intended to test the suitability of MT post-editing as an activity to promote error correction and, subsequently, to enhance written production in second and foreign language teaching.

Conflicting Values: Spirituality and Wilderness at Mt. Shasta

Science.gov (United States)

Maria Fernandez-Gimenez; Lynn Huntsinger; Catherine Phillips; Barbara Allen-Diaz

1992-01-01

Many people from a variety of backgrounds believe that Mt. Shasta is a major spiritual center. Although these "spiritual users" value the area's natural features, their spiritual and social activities, including construction of sweat lodges, medicine wheels, altars, meditation pads, trails, and campsites, are leading to rapid ecological degradation. This...

Human iPSC-Derived Neural Progenitors Are an Effective Drug Discovery Model for Neurological mtDNA Disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenz, Carmen; Lesimple, Pierre; Bukowiecki, Raul; Zink, Annika; Inak, Gizem; Mlody, Barbara; Singh, Manvendra; Semtner, Marcus; Mah, Nancy; Auré, Karine; Leong, Megan; Zabiegalov, Oleksandr; Lyras, Ekaterini-Maria; Pfiffer, Vanessa; Fauler, Beatrix; Eichhorst, Jenny; Wiesner, Burkhard; Huebner, Norbert; Priller, Josef; Mielke, Thorsten; Meierhofer, David; Izsvák, Zsuzsanna; Meier, Jochen C; Bouillaud, Frédéric; Adjaye, James; Schuelke, Markus; Wanker, Erich E; Lombès, Anne; Prigione, Alessandro

2017-05-04

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations frequently cause neurological diseases. Modeling of these defects has been difficult because of the challenges associated with engineering mtDNA. We show here that neural progenitor cells (NPCs) derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) retain the parental mtDNA profile and exhibit a metabolic switch toward oxidative phosphorylation. NPCs derived in this way from patients carrying a deleterious homoplasmic mutation in the mitochondrial gene MT-ATP6 (m.9185T>C) showed defective ATP production and abnormally high mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), plus altered calcium homeostasis, which represents a potential cause of neural impairment. High-content screening of FDA-approved drugs using the MMP phenotype highlighted avanafil, which we found was able to partially rescue the calcium defect in patient NPCs and differentiated neurons. Overall, our results show that iPSC-derived NPCs provide an effective model for drug screening to target mtDNA disorders that affect the nervous system. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Messenger RNA for membrane-type 2 matrix metalloproteinase, MT2-MMP, is expressed in human placenta of first trimester.

Science.gov (United States)

Bjørn, S F; Hastrup, N; Larsen, J F; Lund, L R; Pyke, C

2000-01-01

An intimately regulated cell surface activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) is believed to be of critical importance for the control of trophoblast invasion. A histological investigation of the expression and localization of three different MMPs, the membrane-type matrix metalloproteinases 1 and 2 (MT1-MMP, MT2-MMP) and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2/gelatinase A) was performed by in situ hybridization on consecutive sections from human placentae of first trimester pregnancies. Cytokeratin immunostaining identified trophoblast cells. Both normal and tubal implantation sites were studied. We observed a high degree of coexpression of MT2-MMP, MT1-MMP and MMP-2 mRNAs in single extravillous cytotrophoblasts that had invaded the endometrium and tubal wall. Furthermore, mRNAs for all three genes were also seen in cytotrophoblasts of cell islands. In contrast to this coexpression pattern, MT2-MMP expression was absent from cell columns and decidual cells, in which signals for MT1-MMP and MMP-2 mRNAs were seen. The present data on the cellular expression of MT2-MMP mRNA in placenta extend our knowledge of the proteolytic events that take place during early pregnancy. The data suggest that MT2-MMP, capable of activating MMP-2 in vitro, is involved in the invasion of extravillous cytotrophoblast, possibly related to the physiological activation of MMP-2. Copyright 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.

The past, present and future of mitochondrial genomics: have we sequenced enough mtDNAs?

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, David Roy

2016-01-01

The year 2014 saw more than a thousand new mitochondrial genome sequences deposited in GenBank-an almost 15% increase from the previous year. Hundreds of peer-reviewed articles accompanied these genomes, making mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) the most sequenced and reported type of eukaryotic chromosome. These mtDNA data have advanced a wide range of scientific fields, from forensics to anthropology to medicine to molecular evolution. But for many biological lineages, mtDNAs are so well sampled that newly published genomes are arguably no longer contributing significantly to the progression of science, and in some cases they are tying up valuable resources, particularly journal editors and referees. Is it time to acknowledge that as a research community we have published enough mitochondrial genome papers? Here, I address this question, exploring the history, milestones and impacts of mitochondrial genomics, the benefits and drawbacks of continuing to publish mtDNAs at a high rate and what the future may hold for such an important and popular genetic marker. I highlight groups for which mtDNAs are still poorly sampled, thus meriting further investigation, and recommend that more energy be spent characterizing aspects of mitochondrial genomes apart from the DNA sequence, such as their chromosomal and transcriptional architectures. Ultimately, one should be mindful before writing a mitochondrial genome paper. Consider perhaps sending the sequence directly to GenBank instead, and be sure to annotate it correctly before submission. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press.

Heavy-ion accelerator mass spectrometry with a 'small' accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steier, P.; Golser, R.; Priller, A.; Vockenhuber, C.; Irlweck, K.; Kutschera, W.; Lichtenstein, V.

2001-01-01

Full text: VERA, the Vienna environmental research accelerator, is based on a 3-MV pelletron tandem accelerator and is designed to allow the transport of ions of all elements, from the lightest to the heaviest. The VERA heavy ion program tries to establish measurement methods which work for the long-lived radionuclides where suppression of isobars is not required. Among these are 129 I, 210 Pb, 236 U and all heavier ions where no stable isobars exist. To suppress neighboring masses, the resolution of VERA was increased, both by improving the ion optics of existing elements and by installing a new electrostatic separator after the analyzing magnet. Interfering ions which pass all beam filters are identified with a high-resolution time-of-flight system, using a 0.5 μg/cm 2 DLC (diamond-like carbon) foil in the start detector, which substantially reduces beam straggling. Compared to heavy ion AMS at large tandem accelerators (TV ≥ 8 MV) and for cases where stable isobar interference is absent, it is possible to offset the disadvantage of lower ion energy. Moreover, the more compact facilities like VERA achieve higher stability and reliability and provide advanced computer control. This promises even higher precision and sensitivity for a larger number of samples, which is a prerequisite for research on natural-occurring heavy radioisotopes at environmental levels. First results on the measurement of 210 Pb (half-life 22 a) and 236 U (23 Ma) encourages us to push towards even heavier radionuclides (e.g. 224 Pu, 81 Ma). (author)

MT1 melatonin receptors and their role in the oncostatic action of melatonin

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Karolina Danielczyk

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Melatonin, the main hormone produced by the pineal gland, strongly inhibits the growth of cancer cells [i]in vitro[/i] and [i]in vivo[/i]. Some publications indicate that the addition of melatonin to culture medium slows the proliferation of some cancer cell lines. It is also suggested that melatonin used as an adjuvant benefits the effectiveness and tolerance of chemotherapy. The mechanisms of this are not fully understood, but melatonin receptors might be one of the most important elements. Two distinct types of membrane-bound melatonin receptors have been identified in humans: MT1 (Mel1a and MT2 (Mel1b receptors. These subtypes are 60�0homologous at the amino-acid level. MT1 receptors are G-protein-coupled receptors. Through the α subunit of G protein, melatonin receptors stimulate an adenylate cyclase and decrease the level of cAMP. This has a significant influence on cell proliferation and has been confirmed in many tests on different cell lines, such as S-19, B-16 murine melanoma cells, and breast cancer cells. It seems that expression of the MT1 melatonin receptors benefits the efficacy of melatonin treatment. Melatonin and its receptors may provide a promising way to establish new alternative therapeutic approaches in human cancer prevention.

The 2001 Mt. Etna eruption: new constraints on the intrusive mechanism from ground deformation data

Science.gov (United States)

Palano, Mimmo; González, Pablo J.

2013-04-01

The occurrence of seismic swarms beneath the SW flank of Mt. Etna, often observed just a few months before an eruption, has been considered as the fragile response to a magma intrusion (Bonanno et al., 2011 and reference therein). These intrusions and/or pressurization of deep magmatic bodies, have been able to significantly affect the seismic pattern within the volcano edifice, leading to a changes in the local stress field. For example, during the months preceding the 1991-1993 Mt. Etna eruption, shallow intense seismic swarms (4-6 km deep) occurring in the SW flank (e.g. Cocina et al., 1998), related to the magma intrusion before the eruption onset, were observed contemporaneously with a rotation of stress field of about 90°. A similar scenario was observed during January 1998, when a magma recharging phases induced a local rotation of stress tensor, forcing a buried fault zone located beneath the SW flank of Mt. Etna to slip as a right-lateral strike-slip fault (Bonanno et al., 2011). This fault system was forced to slip again, during late April 2001 (more than 200 events in less than 5 days; maximum Magnitude = 3.6) by the pressurization of the magmatic bodies feeding the July-August 2001 Mt. Etna eruption. Here we analyzed in detail the July-August 2001 Mt. Etna eruption as well as the dynamics preceding this event, by using a large dataset of geodetic data (GPS and synthetic aperture radar interferometry) collected between July 2000 and August 2001. References Cocina, O., Neri, G., Privitera, E. and Spampinato S., 1998. Seismogenic stress field beneath Mt. Etna South Italy and possible relationships with volcano-tectonic features. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 83, 335-348. Bonanno A., Palano M., Privitera E., Gresta S., Puglisi G., 2011. Magma intrusion mechanisms and redistribution of seismogenic stress at Mt. Etna volcano (1997-1998). Terra Nova, 23, 339-348, doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3121.2011.01019.x, 2011.

Stellar origin of the 22Ne excess in cosmic rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casse, M.; Paul, J.A.

1982-01-01

The 22 Ne excess at the cosmic-ray source is discussed in terms of a 22 Ne-rich component injected and accelerated by carbon-rich Wolf-Rayet stars. The overabundance of 22 Ne relative to 20 Ne predicted at the surface of these stars is estimated to a factor approx.120 with respect to solar system abundances. In order to give rise to a 22 Ne excess of about 3 at the cosmic-ray sources as inferred from observations, the carbon-rich Wolf-Rayet contribution to the primary cosmic-ray flux is to be at maximum 1/60. This component would be energized by strong stellar winds producing quasi-standing shocks around the Wolf-Rayet stars

Peptide aptamers as new tools to modulate clathrin-mediated internalisation--inhibition of MT1-MMP internalisation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wickramasinghe, Rochana D; Ko Ferrigno, Paul; Roghi, Christian

2010-07-23

Peptide aptamers are combinatorial protein reagents that bind to targets with a high specificity and a strong affinity thus providing a molecular tool kit for modulating the function of their targets in vivo. Here we report the isolation of a peptide aptamer named swiggle that interacts with the very short (21 amino acid long) intracellular domain of membrane type 1-metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP), a key cell surface protease involved in numerous and crucial physiological and pathological cellular events. Expression of swiggle in mammalian cells was found to increase the cell surface expression of MT1-MMP by impairing its internalisation. Swiggle interacts with the LLY573 internalisation motif of MT1-MMP intracellular domain, thus disrupting the interaction with the mu2 subunit of the AP-2 internalisation complex required for endocytosis of the protease. Interestingly, swiggle-mediated inhibition of MT1-MMP clathrin-mediated internalisation was also found to promote MT1-MMP-mediated cell migration. Taken together, our results provide further evidence that peptide aptamers can be used to dissect molecular events mediated by individual protein domains, in contrast to the pleiotropic effects of RNA interference techniques.

CERN Library | Ted Wilson presents "Engines of discovery: a century of particle accelerators" (revised and expanded edition) | 22 July

CERN Multimedia

2014-01-01

Particle accelerators exploit the cutting edge of every aspect of today's technology and have themselves contributed to many of these technologies. The largest accelerators have been constructed as research tools for nuclear and high energy physics and there is no doubt that it is this field that has sustained their development culminating in the Large Hadron Collider.   Engines of discovery: a century of particle accelerators (revised and expanded edition), by Andrew Sessler and Ted Wilson, World Scientific, 2014, ISBN 9789814417198. An earlier book by the same authors, Engines of Discovery: A Century of Particle Accelerators, chronicled the development of these large accelerators and colliders, emphasising the critical discoveries in applied physics and engineering that drove the field. Particular attention was given to the key individuals who contributed, the methods they used to arrive at their particular discoveries and inventions, often recalling how their human strengths and attit...

The size distribution of 210Po in the atmosphere around Mt. Sakurajima in Kagoshima prefecture, Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashikawa, N.; Matsuoka, N.; Takashima, Y.; Syojo, N.; Imamura, H.; Fujisaki, M.

1998-01-01

The concentration and size distribution of 210 Po in particulate matters in the atmosphere were measured around the active volcano, Mt. Sakurajima in Kagoshima prefecture, Japan. The samples were collected eight times at four sampling points for the period from June 1994 to January 1996. The highest concentration of 210 Po was 2940 μBq/m 3 at Akamizu located 2 km away from the crater of Mt. Sakurajima. The 210 Po concentrations decreased with the increase of distance form Mt. Sakurajima. The size distribution curves of 210 Po in the particulate matters showed that 210 Po is usually condensed to fine particles smaller than 2 μm in diameter. In addition, it was suggested that the 210 Po concentration in particulate matters collected at Akamizu was affected by the wind direction over Mt. Sakurajima. (author)

IL-22R Ligands IL-20, IL-22, and IL-24 Promote Wound Healing in Diabetic db/db Mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolumam, Ganesh; Wu, Xiumin; Lee, Wyne P; Hackney, Jason A; Zavala-Solorio, Jose; Gandham, Vineela; Danilenko, Dimitry M; Arora, Puneet; Wang, Xiaoting; Ouyang, Wenjun

2017-01-01

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) are one of the major complications in type II diabetes patients and can result in amputation and morbidity. Although multiple approaches are used clinically to help wound closure, many patients still lack adequate treatment. Here we show that IL-20 subfamily cytokines are upregulated during normal wound healing. While there is a redundant role for each individual cytokine in this subfamily in wound healing, mice deficient in IL-22R, the common receptor chain for IL-20, IL-22, and IL-24, display a significant delay in wound healing. Furthermore, IL-20, IL-22 and IL-24 are all able to promote wound healing in type II diabetic db/db mice. Mechanistically, when compared to other growth factors such as VEGF and PDGF that accelerate wound healing in this model, IL-22 uniquely induced genes involved in reepithelialization, tissue remodeling and innate host defense mechanisms from wounded skin. Interestingly, IL-22 treatment showed superior efficacy compared to PDGF or VEGF in an infectious diabetic wound model. Taken together, our data suggest that IL-20 subfamily cytokines, particularly IL-20, IL-22, and IL-24, might provide therapeutic benefit for patients with DFU.

76 FR 35967 - Amendment of Class E Airspace; Bozeman, MT

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-21

..., Gallatin Field Airport, Bozeman, MT, to accommodate aircraft using Instrument Landing System (ILS... 6005 Class E airspace areas extending upward from 700 feet or more above the surface of the earth...

Environmental change during the last glacial maximum (c. 25,000-16,500 years BP) at Mt Richmond, Auckland Isthmus, New Zealand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandiford, A.; Horrocks, M.; Newnham, R.; Ogden, J.; Alloway, B.V.

2002-01-01

A 2 m section at the base of Mt Richmond contains a palynological record of the last glacial maximum (LGM) (c. 25,000-c. 16,500 14 C years BP) vegetation of the Auckland Isthmus. Three silicic tephra layers derived from the Taupo Volcanic Centre (Okaia Tephra c. 23,500 14 C years BP, Kawakawa Tephra c. 22,500 14 C years BP) and the Okataina Volcanic Centre (Okareka Tephra c. 18,000 14 C years BP), both centres lying within the Taupo Volcanic Zone, provide the basis of the chronology supported by radiocarbon dates. The pollen diagram is divided into two pollen zones separated by the deposition of a locally derived basaltic ash. From c. 25,000-23,000 14 C years BP the site was initially a eutrophic lake fringed by Leptospermum and Typha, which altered to a Cyperaceae/Leptospermum-dominated swamp. The regional vegetation at the time was beech-dominated forest; canopy conifers were present but formed a minor part of the local forest. From c. 23,000-16,500 14 C years BP regional forest was further restricted to local patches in extensive shrubland/grassland. Temperatures may have been depressed by more than 4-5 degrees C. The eruption of a local volcano dammed the swamp outlet resulting in a return to lacustrine conditions. Local volcanism may have accelerated vegetation change already under way as a result of climate change to cooler conditions. This record provides a view of LGM vegetation of the Auckland Isthmus and a template for earlier cold stages of the Quaternary. (author). 39 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

Very high pulse-energy accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramirez, J.J.

1989-01-01

The dominant trend in the development of pulsed power accelerator technology over the last decade has been towards higher power and shorter pulse widths. Limitations in high voltage, high current switch performance, and in power flow through vacuum insulator housings led to the development of highly modular designs. This modular approach requires precise synchronization of the various modules and efficient methods of combining the power from these modules to drive a common load. The need to drive very low impedance loads led to effective ways to combine these modules in parallel. The Particle Beam Fusion Accelerator I (PBFA I) and Saturn are representative of these designs. Hermes III represent a new approach towards the efficient generation of higher voltages. It is designed to drive a 22-MV, 730-kA, 40-ns electron beam diode and combines conventional, modular pulsed power technology with linear induction accelerator concepts. High-power induction accelerator cavities are combined with voltage addition along a MITL to generate the desired output. This design differs from a conventional linac in that the voltages are added by the MITL flow rather than by a drifting beam that gains kinetic energy at each stage. This design is a major extrapolation of previous state-of-the-art technology represented by the injector module of the Advanced Test Accelerator and has proven to be efficient and reliable. The design and performance of Hermes III are presented together with a discussion of the application of this technology to the light ion beam inertial confinement fusion program. 18 refs., 9 figs

RESPONSIBLE OWNERSHIP OF DOGS AND CATS FROM SINOP-MT: DESCRIPTIVE STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. B. De Carli

2015-02-01

Full Text Available This research aimed to raise information on the relationship among owners from Sinop/MT and their pets, and also to diagnose the practice of responsible ownership. For this purpose, we developed a questionnaire, which was applied to 77 dog’s and cat’s owners, attended at the Veterinary Hospital of the Federal University of Mato Grosso – Sinop, MT. The obtained results showed the majority of the owners miss information and knowledge about how to take good care of their pets. Most of them foster animals for emotional reasons but, despite this, we can’t conclude they are able to practice responsible ownership.

CAS Accelerator Physics (High-Power Hadron Machines) in Spain

CERN Multimedia

CAS

2011-01-01

The CERN Accelerator School (CAS) and ESS-Bilbao jointly organised a specialised course on High-Power Hadron Machines, held at the Hotel Barceló Nervión in Bilbao, Spain, from 24 May to 2 June, 2011.   CERN Accelerator School students. After recapitulation lectures on the essentials of accelerator physics and review lectures on the different types of accelerators, the programme focussed on the challenges of designing and operating high-power facilities. The particular problems for RF systems, beam instrumentation, vacuum, cryogenics, collimators and beam dumps were examined. Activation of equipment, radioprotection and remote handling issues were also addressed. The school was very successful, with 69 participants of 22 nationalities. Feedback from the participants was extremely positive, praising the expertise and enthusiasm of the lecturers, as well as the high standard and excellent quality of their lectures. In addition to the academic programme, the participants w...

Induction of hepatic and renal metallothionein synthesis by ferric nitrilotriacetate in mice: the role of MT as an antioxidant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Min, Kyong-Son; Morishita, Fumio; Tetsuchikawahara, Noriko; Onosaka, Satomi

2005-01-01

Metallothionein (MT) demonstrates strong antioxidant properties, yet the physiological relevance of its antioxidant action is not clear. Injection of mice with ferric nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA) caused a dose-dependent increase in hepatic and renal MT. Fe-NTA caused a greater increase in hepatic and renal MT concentration (2.5- and 4-fold) compared with FeCl 3 at the same dose of ferric ion. MT mRNA levels were markedly elevated in both of tissues. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values in both tissues reached a maximum after 2-4 h. The MT concentrations were significantly increased after 2-4 h in liver and after 8-16 h in kidneys. Plasma concentrations of cytokines such as IL-6 and TNFα were elevated by 4 h; IL-6 levels were 24 times higher after Fe-NTA than that after injection of FeCl 3 . Pretreatment of mice with ZnSO 4 attenuated nephrotoxicity induced by Fe-NTA after 2 h, but was not effective 4 h after injection. After a Fe-NTA injection, a loss of Cd-binding properties of preinduced MT was observed only in kidneys of Zn-pretreated mice but not in liver. Treatment with BSO, glutathione (GSH) depletor, intensified a loss of its Cd-binding properties after a Fe-NTA injection. These results indicate that induction of MT synthesis may result from reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by Fe-NTA, and MT may act in vivo as a complementary antioxidant

The rapid detection of methyl tert-butyl ether (MtBE) in water using a prototype gas sensor system.

Science.gov (United States)

de Lacy Costello, B P J; Sivanand, P S; Ratcliffe, N M; Reynolds, D M

2005-01-01

The gasoline additive Methyl-tertiary-Butyl Ether (MtBE) is the second most common contaminant of groundwater in the USA and represents an important soil contaminant. This compound has been detected in the groundwater in at least 27 states as a result of leaking underground storage facilities (gasoline storage tanks and pipelines). Since the health effects of MtBE are unclear the potential threat to drinking water supplies is serious. Therefore, the ability to detect MtBE at low levels (ppb) and on-line at high-risk groundwater sites would be highly desirable. This paper reports the use of 'commercial' and metal oxide sensor arrays for the detection of MtBE in drinking and surface waters at low ppb level (microg.L(-1) range). The output responses from some of the sensors were found to correlate well with MtBE concentrations under laboratory conditions.

High-altitude adaptation of Tibetan chicken from MT-COI and ATP-6 perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xiaoling; Wu, Nan; Zhu, Qing; Gaur, Uma; Gu, Ting; Li, Diyan

2016-09-01

The problem of hypoxia adaptation in high altitudes is an unsolved brainteaser in the field of life sciences. As one of the best chicken breeds with adaptability to highland environment, the Tibetan chicken, is genetically different from lowland chicken breeds. In order to gain a better understanding of the mechanism of hypoxic adaptability in high altitude, in the present study, we focused on the MT-COI together with ATP-6 gene to explore the regulatory mechanisms for hypoxia adaptability in Tibet chicken. Here, we sequenced MT-COI of 29 Tibetan chickens and 30 Chinese domestic chickens and ATP-6 gene of 28 Tibetan chickens and 29 Chinese domestic chickens. In MT-COI gene, 9 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected though none of these was a missense mutation, confirming the fact that MT-COI gene is a largely conservative sequence. In ATP-6 gene, 6 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected and we found a missense mutation (m.9441G > A) in the ATP-6 gene of Tibetan chicken resulting in an amino acid substitution. Due to the critical role of ATP-6 gene in the proton translocation and energy metabolism, we speculated the possibility of this mutation playing an important role in easier energy conversion and metabolism in Tibetan chickens than Chinese domestic chickens so as to better adapt to the harsh environment of the high-altitude areas. The Median-joining profile also suggested that haplotype Ha2 has the ancestral position to the other haplotypes and has significant relationship with high-altitude adaptation in ATP-6 gene. Therefore, we considered that the polymorphism (m.9441G > A) in the ATP-6 gene may affect the specific functions of ATP-6 enzyme relating to high-altitude adaptation of Tibetan chicken and MT-COI gene is a largely conservative sequence.

Inactivation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis l,d-Transpeptidase LdtMt1 by Carbapenems and Cephalosporins

Science.gov (United States)

Dubée, Vincent; Triboulet, Sébastien; Mainardi, Jean-Luc; Ethève-Quelquejeu, Mélanie; Gutmann, Laurent; Marie, Arul; Dubost, Lionel

2012-01-01

The structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis peptidoglycan is atypical since it contains a majority of 3→3 cross-links synthesized by l,d-transpeptidases that replace 4→3 cross-links formed by the d,d-transpeptidase activity of classical penicillin-binding proteins. Carbapenems inactivate these l,d-transpeptidases, and meropenem combined with clavulanic acid is bactericidal against extensively drug-resistant M. tuberculosis. Here, we used mass spectrometry and stopped-flow fluorimetry to investigate the kinetics and mechanisms of inactivation of the prototypic M. tuberculosis l,d-transpeptidase LdtMt1 by carbapenems (meropenem, doripenem, imipenem, and ertapenem) and cephalosporins (cefotaxime, cephalothin, and ceftriaxone). Inactivation proceeded through noncovalent drug binding and acylation of the catalytic Cys of LdtMt1, which was eventually followed by hydrolysis of the resulting acylenzyme. Meropenem rapidly inhibited LdtMt1, with a binding rate constant of 0.08 μM−1 min−1. The enzyme was unable to recover from this initial binding step since the dissociation rate constant of the noncovalent complex was low (carbapenem side chains affected both the binding and acylation steps, ertapenem being the most efficient LdtMt1 inactivator. Cephalosporins also formed covalent adducts with LdtMt1, although the acylation reaction was 7- to 1,000-fold slower and led to elimination of one of the drug side chains. Comparison of kinetic constants for drug binding, acylation, and acylenzyme hydrolysis indicates that carbapenems and cephems can both be tailored to optimize peptidoglycan synthesis inhibition in M. tuberculosis. PMID:22615283

GIS-BASED ANALYSIS FOR ASSESSING LANDSLIDE AND DROUGHT HAZARD IN THE CORRIDOR OF MT. MERAPI AND MT. MERBABU NATIONAL PARK, INDONESIA

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Hero Marhaento

2016-04-01

Full Text Available A corridor is an area located between two or more protected areas that are important to support the sustainability of the protected areas. This study is aimed at assessing landslide and drought hazard in the corridor area between Mt. Merapi National Park (MMNP and Mt. Merbabu National Park (MMbNP as a part of the corridor management strategy. The corridor area of MMNP and MMbNP comprises four sub-districts in Central Java Province, namely, Sawangan, Selo, Ampel, and Cepogo. A spatial analysis of ArcGIS 10.1 software was used to assess landslide hazard map and the Thorntwaite-Matter Water Balance approach was used to assess drought hazard map. The results have shown that three villages in Cepogo Sub-district and all villages in Selo Sub-district are highly prone to landslide hazard. Furthermore, two villages in Cepogo Sub-district and four villages in Selo Sub-district are prone to drought hazard. This study suggests that these villages should initiate a program called conservation village model based on disaster mitigation for mitigating future landslide and drought disasters.

MtDNA T4216C variation in multiple sclerosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andalib, Sasan; Emamhadi, Mohammadreza; Yousefzadeh-Chabok, Shahrokh

2016-01-01

MtDNA T4216C variation has frequently been investigated in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients; nonetheless, controversy has existed about the evidence of association of this variation with susceptibility to MS. The present systematic review and meta-analysis converge the results of the preceding pu...

Compact synchrotron radiation source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, N.; Wang, T.; Tian, J.; Lin, Y.; Chen, S.; He, W.; Hu, Y.; Li, Q.

1985-01-01

A compact 800 MeV synchrotron radiation source is discussed. The storage ring has a circumference of 30.3 m, two 90 degree and four 45 degree bending magnet sections, two long straight sections and four short straight sections. The radius of the bending magnet is 2.224m. The critical wave length is 24A. The injector is a 15 Mev Microtron Electrons are accelerated from 15 Mev to 800 Mev by ramping the field of the ring. The expected stored current will be around 100 ma

Targeted transgenic overexpression of mitochondrial thymidine kinase (TK2) alters mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and mitochondrial polypeptide abundance: transgenic TK2, mtDNA, and antiretrovirals.

Science.gov (United States)

Hosseini, Seyed H; Kohler, James J; Haase, Chad P; Tioleco, Nina; Stuart, Tami; Keebaugh, Erin; Ludaway, Tomika; Russ, Rodney; Green, Elgin; Long, Robert; Wang, Liya; Eriksson, Staffan; Lewis, William

2007-03-01

Mitochondrial toxicity limits nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) for acquired immune deficiency syndrome. NRTI triphosphates, the active moieties, inhibit human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase and eukaryotic mitochondrial DNA polymerase pol-gamma. NRTI phosphorylation seems to correlate with mitochondrial toxicity, but experimental evidence is lacking. Transgenic mice (TGs) with cardiac overexpression of thymidine kinase isoforms (mitochondrial TK2 and cytoplasmic TK1) were used to study NRTI mitochondrial toxicity. Echocardiography and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging defined cardiac performance and structure. TK gene copy and enzyme activity, mitochondrial (mt) DNA and polypeptide abundance, succinate dehydrogenase and cytochrome oxidase histochemistry, and electron microscopy correlated with transgenesis, mitochondrial structure, and biogenesis. Antiretroviral combinations simulated therapy. Untreated hTK1 or TK2 TGs exhibited normal left ventricle mass. In TK2 TGs, cardiac TK2 gene copy doubled, activity increased 300-fold, and mtDNA abundance doubled. Abundance of the 17-kd subunit of complex I, succinate dehydrogenase histochemical activity, and cristae density increased. NRTIs increased left ventricle mass 20% in TK2 TGs. TK activity increased 3 logs in hTK1 TGs, but no cardiac phenotype resulted. NRTIs abrogated functional effects of transgenically increased TK2 activity but had no effect on TK2 mtDNA abundance. Thus, NRTI mitochondrial phosphorylation by TK2 is integral to clinical NRTI mitochondrial toxicity.

Therapeutic Targeting of the Mitochondria Initiates Excessive Superoxide Production and Mitochondrial Depolarization Causing Decreased mtDNA Integrity.

Science.gov (United States)

Pokrzywinski, Kaytee L; Biel, Thomas G; Kryndushkin, Dmitry; Rao, V Ashutosh

2016-01-01

Mitochondrial dysregulation is closely associated with excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Altered redox homeostasis has been implicated in the onset of several diseases including cancer. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and proteins are particularly sensitive to ROS as they are in close proximity to the respiratory chain (RC). Mitoquinone (MitoQ), a mitochondria-targeted redox agent, selectively damages breast cancer cells possibly through damage induced via enhanced ROS production. However, the effects of MitoQ and other triphenylphosphonium (TPP+) conjugated agents on cancer mitochondrial homeostasis remain unknown. The primary objective of this study was to determine the impact of mitochondria-targeted agent [(MTAs) conjugated to TPP+: mitoTEMPOL, mitoquinone and mitochromanol-acetate] on mitochondrial physiology and mtDNA integrity in breast (MDA-MB-231) and lung (H23) cancer cells. The integrity of the mtDNA was assessed by quantifying the degree of mtDNA fragmentation and copy number, as well as by measuring mitochondrial proteins essential to mtDNA stability and maintenance (TFAM, SSBP1, TWINKLE, POLG and POLRMT). Mitochondrial status was evaluated by measuring superoxide production, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, oxygen consumption, extracellular acidification and mRNA or protein levels of the RC complexes along with TCA cycle activity. In this study, we demonstrated that all investigated MTAs impair mitochondrial health and decrease mtDNA integrity in MDA-MB-231 and H23 cells. However, differences in the degree of mitochondrial damage and mtDNA degradation suggest unique properties among each MTA that may be cell line, dose and time dependent. Collectively, our study indicates the potential for TPP+ conjugated molecules to impair breast and lung cancer cells by targeting mitochondrial homeostasis.

Regulation of MT1-MMP/MMP-2/TIMP-2 axis in human placenta

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent ZL

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Zoë L Vincent,1,2 Murray D Mitchell,l,3 Anna P Ponnampalam1,2 1Liggins Institute, 2Gravida: National Centre for Growth and Development, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; 3University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Brisbane, QLD, Australia Abstract: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs and specific endogenous tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs mediate rupture of the fetal membranes in both physiological and pathological conditions. MMPs and TIMPs are subject to regulation by DNA methylation in human malignancies and pre-eclampsia. To determine if membrane type 1 MMP (MT1-MMP, MMP2, and TIMP2 are regulated by DNA methylation in human placentas, we employed an in vitro model where human placental tissues were collected at term gestation and cultured with methylation inhibiting agent 5-aza-2′deoxycytidine (AZA and lipopolysaccharide. The results suggest that DNA methylation is not directly involved in the regulation of MT1-MMP in placental tissue; however, remodeling of chromatin by a pharmacologic agent such as AZA potentiates an infection-related increase in MT1-MMP. MT1-MMP is a powerful activator of MMP2 and this action, coupled with either no change or a decrease in TIMP2 concentrations, favors a gelatinolytic state leading to extracellular matrix degradation, which could predispose fetal membranes to rupture prematurely during inflammation. Keywords: placenta, epigenetic regulation, DNA methylation, MMPs, labor

Overview of Accelerator Physics Studies and High Level Software for the Diamond Light Source

CERN Document Server

Bartolini, Riccardo; Belgroune, Mahdia; Christou, Chris; Holder, David J; Jones, James; Kempson, Vince; Martin, Ian; Rowland, James H; Singh, Beni; Smith, Susan L; Varley, Jennifer Anne; Wyles, Naomi

2005-01-01

DIAMOND is a 3 GeV synchrotron light source under construction at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire (UK). The accelerators complex consists of a 100 MeV LINAC, a full energy booster and a 3GeV storage ring with 22 straight sections available for IDs. Installation of all three accelerators has begun, and LINAC commissioning is due to start in Spring 2005. This paper will give an overview of the accelerator physics activity to produce final layouts and prepare for the commissioning of the accelerator complex. The DIAMOND facility is expected to be operational for users in 2007

Bug22 influences cilium morphology and the post-translational modification of ciliary microtubules

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Teresa Mendes Maia

2014-01-01

Cilia and flagella are organelles essential for motility and sensing of environmental stimuli. Depending on the cell type, cilia acquire a defined set of functions and, accordingly, are built with an appropriate length and molecular composition. Several ciliary proteins display a high degree of conservation throughout evolution and mutations in ciliary genes are associated with various diseases such as ciliopathies and infertility. Here, we describe the role of the highly conserved ciliary protein, Bug22, in Drosophila. Previous studies in unicellular organisms have shown that Bug22 is required for proper cilia function, but its exact role in ciliogenesis has not been investigated yet. Null Bug22 mutant flies display cilia-associated phenotypes and nervous system defects. Furthermore, sperm differentiation is blocked at the individualization stage, due to impaired migration of the individualization machinery. Tubulin post-translational modifications (PTMs such as polyglycylation, polyglutamylation or acetylation, are determinants of microtubule (MT functions and stability in centrioles, cilia and neurons. We found defects in the timely incorporation of polyglycylation in sperm axonemal MTs of Bug22 mutants. In addition, we found that depletion of human Bug22 in RPE1 cells resulted in the appearance of longer cilia and reduced axonemal polyglutamylation. Our work identifies Bug22 as a protein that plays a conserved role in the regulation of PTMs of the ciliary axoneme.

Experiment operations plan for the MT-4 experiment in the NRU reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Russcher, G.E.; Wilson, C.L.; Parchen, L.J.; Marshall, R.K.; Hesson, G.M.; Webb, B.J.; Freshley, M.D.

1983-06-01

A series of thermal-hydraulic and cladding materials deformation experiments were conducted using light-water reactor fuel bundles as part of the Pacific Northwest Laboratory Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA) Simulation Program. This report is the formal operations plan for MT-4 - the fourth materials deformation experiment conducted in the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor, Chalk River, Ontario, Canada. A major objective of MT-4 was to simulate a pressurized water reactor LOCA that could induce fuel rod cladding deformation and rupture due to a short-term adiabatic transient and a peak fuel cladding temperature of 1200K (1700 0 F)

Locating the depth of magma supply for volcanic eruptions, insights from Mt. Cameroon.

Science.gov (United States)

Geiger, Harri; Barker, Abigail K; Troll, Valentin R

2016-10-07

Mt. Cameroon is one of the most active volcanoes in Africa and poses a possible threat to about half a million people in the area, yet knowledge of the volcano's underlying magma supply system is sparse. To characterize Mt. Cameroon's magma plumbing system, we employed mineral-melt equilibrium thermobarometry on the products of the volcano's two most recent eruptions of 1999 and 2000. Our results suggest pre-eruptive magma storage between 20 and 39 km beneath Mt. Cameroon, which corresponds to the Moho level and below. Additionally, the 1999 eruption products reveal several shallow magma pockets between 3 and 12 km depth, which are not detected in the 2000 lavas. This implies that small-volume magma batches actively migrate through the plumbing system during repose intervals. Evolving and migrating magma parcels potentially cause temporary unrest and short-lived explosive outbursts, and may be remobilized during major eruptions that are fed from sub-Moho magma reservoirs.

Recombinant human melatonin receptor MT1 isolated in mixed detergents shows pharmacology similar to that in mammalian cell membranes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christel Logez

Full Text Available The human melatonin MT1 receptor-belonging to the large family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs-plays a key role in circadian rhythm regulation and is notably involved in sleep disorders and depression. Structural and functional information at the molecular level are highly desired for fine characterization of this receptor; however, adequate techniques for isolating soluble MT1 material suitable for biochemical and biophysical studies remain lacking. Here we describe the evaluation of a panel of constructs and host systems for the production of recombinant human MT1 receptors, and the screening of different conditions for their solubilization and purification. Our findings resulted in the establishment of an original strategy using a mixture of Fos14 and CHAPS detergents to extract and purify a recombinant human MT1 from Pichia pastoris membranes. This procedure enabled the recovery of relatively pure, monomeric and ligand-binding active MT1 receptor in the near-milligram range. A comparative study based on extensive ligand-binding characterization highlighted a very close correlation between the pharmacological profiles of MT1 purified from yeast and the same receptor present in mammalian cell membranes. The high quality of the purified MT1 was further confirmed by its ability to activate its cognate Gαi protein partner when reconstituted in lipid discs, thus opening novel paths to investigate this receptor by biochemical and biophysical approaches.

Recombinant human melatonin receptor MT1 isolated in mixed detergents shows pharmacology similar to that in mammalian cell membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Logez, Christel; Berger, Sylvie; Legros, Céline; Banères, Jean-Louis; Cohen, William; Delagrange, Philippe; Nosjean, Olivier; Boutin, Jean A; Ferry, Gilles; Simonin, Frédéric; Wagner, Renaud

2014-01-01

The human melatonin MT1 receptor-belonging to the large family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs)-plays a key role in circadian rhythm regulation and is notably involved in sleep disorders and depression. Structural and functional information at the molecular level are highly desired for fine characterization of this receptor; however, adequate techniques for isolating soluble MT1 material suitable for biochemical and biophysical studies remain lacking. Here we describe the evaluation of a panel of constructs and host systems for the production of recombinant human MT1 receptors, and the screening of different conditions for their solubilization and purification. Our findings resulted in the establishment of an original strategy using a mixture of Fos14 and CHAPS detergents to extract and purify a recombinant human MT1 from Pichia pastoris membranes. This procedure enabled the recovery of relatively pure, monomeric and ligand-binding active MT1 receptor in the near-milligram range. A comparative study based on extensive ligand-binding characterization highlighted a very close correlation between the pharmacological profiles of MT1 purified from yeast and the same receptor present in mammalian cell membranes. The high quality of the purified MT1 was further confirmed by its ability to activate its cognate Gαi protein partner when reconstituted in lipid discs, thus opening novel paths to investigate this receptor by biochemical and biophysical approaches.

Unprecedented quality factors at accelerating gradients up to 45 MVm-1 in niobium superconducting resonators via low temperature nitrogen infusion

Science.gov (United States)

Grassellino, A.; Romanenko, A.; Trenikhina, Y.; Checchin, M.; Martinello, M.; Melnychuk, O. S.; Chandrasekaran, S.; Sergatskov, D. A.; Posen, S.; Crawford, A. C.; Aderhold, S.; Bice, D.

2017-09-01

We report the finding of new surface treatments that permits one to manipulate the niobium resonator nitrogen content in the first few nanometers in a controlled way, and the resonator fundamental Mattis-Bardeen surface resistance and residual resistance accordingly. In particular, we find surface ‘infusion’ conditions that systematically (a) increase the quality factor of these 1.3 GHz superconducting radio frequency (SRF) bulk niobium resonators, up to very high gradients; (b) increase the achievable accelerating gradient of the cavity compared to its own baseline with state-of-the-art surface processing. Cavities subject to the new surface process have more than two times the state-of-the-art Q at 2 K for accelerating fields >35 MVm-1. Moreover, very high accelerating gradients ˜45 MVm-1 are repeatedly reached, which correspond to peak magnetic surface fields of 190 mT, among the highest measured for bulk niobium cavities. These findings open the opportunity to tailor the surface impurity content distribution to maximize performance in Q and gradients, and have therefore very important implications on future performance and cost of SRF based accelerators. They also help deepen the understanding of the physics of the RF niobium cavity surface.

A monoclonal antibody interferes with TIMP-2 binding and incapacitates the MMP-2-activating function of multifunctional, pro-tumorigenic MMP-14/MT1-MMP

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shiryaev, S A; Remacle, A G; Golubkov, V S

2013-01-01

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and, especially membrane type 1 (MT1)-MMP/MMP-14, are promising drug targets in malignancies. In contrast with multiple small-molecule and protein pan-inhibitors of MT1-MMP cleavage activity, the murine 9E8 monoclonal antibody targets the MMP-2-activating function...... of cellular MT1-MMP alone, rather than the general proteolytic activity and the pro-migratory function of MT1-MMP. Furthermore, the antibody does not interact in any detectable manner with other members of the membrane type (MT)-MMP family. The mechanism of this selectivity remained unknown. Using mutagenesis......, binding and activity assays, and modeling in silico, we have demonstrated that the 9E8 antibody recognizes the MT-loop structure, an eight residue insertion that is specific for MT-MMPs and that is distant from the MT1-MMP active site. The binding of the 9E8 antibody to the MT-loop, however, prevents...

Effects of a sex-ratio distorting endosymbiont on mtDNA variation in a global insect pest

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cook James M

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Patterns of mtDNA variation within a species reflect long-term population structure, but may also be influenced by maternally inherited endosymbionts, such as Wolbachia. These bacteria often alter host reproductive biology and can drive particular mtDNA haplotypes through populations. We investigated the impacts of Wolbachia infection and geography on mtDNA variation in the diamondback moth, a major global pest whose geographic distribution reflects both natural processes and transport via human agricultural activities. Results The mtDNA phylogeny of 95 individuals sampled from 10 countries on four continents revealed two major clades. One contained only Wolbachia-infected individuals from Malaysia and Kenya, while the other contained only uninfected individuals, from all countries including Malaysia and Kenya. Within the uninfected group was a further clade containing all individuals from Australasia and displaying very limited sequence variation. In contrast, a biparental nuclear gene phylogeny did not have infected and uninfected clades, supporting the notion that maternally-inherited Wolbachia are responsible for the mtDNA pattern. Only about 5% (15/306 of our global sample of individuals was infected with the plutWB1 isolate and even within infected local populations, many insects were uninfected. Comparisons of infected and uninfected isofemale lines revealed that plutWB1 is associated with sex ratio distortion. Uninfected lines have a 1:1 sex ratio, while infected ones show a 2:1 female bias. Conclusion The main correlate of mtDNA variation in P. xylostella is presence or absence of the plutWB1 infection. This is associated with substantial sex ratio distortion and the underlying mechanisms deserve further study. In contrast, geographic origin is a poor predictor of moth mtDNA sequences, reflecting human activity in moving the insects around the globe. The exception is a clade of Australasian individuals, which may

Matriptase/MT-SP1 is required for postnatal survival, epidermal barrier function, hair follicle development, and thymic homeostasis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

List, Karin; Haudenschild, Christian C; Szabo, Roman

2002-01-01

of Matriptase/MT-SP1 also seriously affected hair follicle development resulting in generalized follicular hypoplasia, absence of erupted vibrissae, lack of vibrissal hair canal formation, ingrown vibrissae, and wholesale abortion of vibrissal follicles. Furthermore, Matriptase/MT-SP1-deficiency resulted...... in dramatically increased thymocyte apoptosis, and depletion of thymocytes. This study demonstrates that Matriptase/MT-SP1 has pleiotropic functions in the development of the epidermis, hair follicles, and cellular immune system....

Cycle 22

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kappernman, J.G.; Albertson, V.D.

1991-01-01

This paper reports that for many electric utility systems, Solar Cycle 22 has been the first introduction to the phenomena of Geomagnetic Disturbances and the disrupting and damaging effects that they can have upon modern power systems. For all intents and purposes, Power Industry awareness of Cycle 22 started with a bang during the Great Geomagnetic Storm of March 13, 1989. This storm caused a blackout to the entire Province of Quebec, permanently damaged a large nuclear plant GSU transformer in New Jersey, and created enough havoc across the entire North American power grid to create the plausible threat of a massive power system blackout. The flurry of activity and investigation that followed has led many engineers to realize that their power systems are indeed vulnerable to this phenomena and if anything are becoming ever more vulnerable as the system grows to meet future requirements. As a result some organizations such as Hydro Quebec, PSE and G, and the PJM Pool now implement strategic measures as a remedial response to detection of geomagnetic storm conditions. Many more companies pay particularly close attention to storm forecasts and alerts, and the industry in general has accelerated research and monitoring activities through their own means of in concert with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)

The Music Therapy Session Assessment Scale (MT-SAS): Validation of a new tool for music therapy process evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Raglio, Alfredo; Gnesi, Marco; Monti, Maria Cristina; Oasi, Osmano; Gianotti, Marta; Attardo, Lapo; Gontero, Giulia; Morotti, Lara; Boffelli, Sara; Imbriani, Chiara; Montomoli, Cristina; Imbriani, Marcello

2017-11-01

Music therapy (MT) interventions are aimed at creating and developing a relationship between patient and therapist. However, there is a lack of validated observational instruments to consistently evaluate the MT process. The purpose of this study was the validation of Music Therapy Session Assessment Scale (MT-SAS), designed to assess the relationship between therapist and patient during active MT sessions. Videotapes of a single 30-min session per patient were considered. A pilot study on the videotapes of 10 patients was carried out to help refine the items, define the scoring system and improve inter-rater reliability among the five raters. Then, a validation study on 100 patients with different clinical conditions was carried out. The Italian MT-SAS was used throughout the process, although we also provide an English translation. The final scale consisted of 7 binary items accounting for eye contact, countenance, and nonverbal and sound-music communication. In the pilot study, raters were found to share an acceptable level of agreement in their assessments. Explorative factorial analysis disclosed a single homogeneous factor including 6 items (thus supporting an ordinal total score), with only the item about eye contact being unrelated to the others. Moreover, the existence of 2 different archetypal profiles of attuned and disattuned behaviours was highlighted through multiple correspondence analysis. As suggested by the consistent results of 2 different analyses, MT-SAS is a reliable tool that globally evaluates sonorous-musical and nonverbal behaviours related to emotional attunement and empathetic relationship between patient and therapist during active MT sessions. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Anaerobic degradation of a mixture of MtBE, EtBE, TBA, and benzene under different redox conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Waals, Marcelle J; Pijls, Charles; Sinke, Anja J C; Langenhoff, Alette A M; Smidt, Hauke; Gerritse, Jan

2018-04-01

The increasing use of biobased fuels and fuel additives can potentially change the typical fuel-related contamination in soil and groundwater. Anaerobic biotransformation of the biofuel additive ethyl tert-butyl ether (EtBE), as well as of methyl tert-butyl ether (MtBE), benzene, and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA, a possible oxygenate metabolite), was studied at an industrially contaminated site and in the laboratory. Analysis of groundwater samples indicated that in the field MtBE was degraded, yielding TBA as major product. In batch microcosms, MtBE was degraded under different conditions: unamended control, with medium without added electron acceptors, or with ferrihydrite or sulfate (with or without medium) as electron acceptor, respectively. Degradation of EtBE was not observed under any of these conditions tested. TBA was partially depleted in parallel with MtBE. Results of microcosm experiments with MtBE substrate analogues, i.e., syringate, vanillate, or ferulate, were in line with the hypothesis that the observed TBA degradation is a cometabolic process. Microcosms with ferulate, syringate, isopropanol, or diethyl ether showed EtBE depletion up to 86.5% of the initial concentration after 83 days. Benzene was degraded in the unamended controls, with medium without added electron acceptors and with ferrihydrite, sulfate, or chlorate as electron acceptor, respectively. In the presence of nitrate, benzene was only degraded after addition of an anaerobic benzene-degrading community. Nitrate and chlorate hindered MtBE, EtBE, and TBA degradation.

Peptide aptamers as new tools to modulate clathrin-mediated internalisation — inhibition of MT1-MMP internalisation

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Ferrigno Paul

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Peptide aptamers are combinatorial protein reagents that bind to targets with a high specificity and a strong affinity thus providing a molecular tool kit for modulating the function of their targets in vivo. Results Here we report the isolation of a peptide aptamer named swiggle that interacts with the very short (21 amino acid long intracellular domain of membrane type 1-metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP, a key cell surface protease involved in numerous and crucial physiological and pathological cellular events. Expression of swiggle in mammalian cells was found to increase the cell surface expression of MT1-MMP by impairing its internalisation. Swiggle interacts with the LLY573 internalisation motif of MT1-MMP intracellular domain, thus disrupting the interaction with the μ2 subunit of the AP-2 internalisation complex required for endocytosis of the protease. Interestingly, swiggle-mediated inhibition of MT1-MMP clathrin-mediated internalisation was also found to promote MT1-MMP-mediated cell migration. Conclusions Taken together, our results provide further evidence that peptide aptamers can be used to dissect molecular events mediated by individual protein domains, in contrast to the pleiotropic effects of RNA interference techniques.

Molecular characterization and expression profile of the melatonin receptor MT1 in the ovary of Tianzhu white yak (Bos grunniens).

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Jun Jie; Zhang, Xiao Yu; Zhang, Yong; Zhao, Xing Xu; Li, Fa Di; Tao, Jin Zhong

2017-02-01

Melatonin plays crucial roles in a wide range of ovarian physiological functions via the melatonin receptors (MRs). Structure and function of MRs have been well studied in sheep, cattle, and humans, but little information exists on the genetic characterization and function of these receptors in the ovary of the white yak. In the present study, the melatonin receptor MT1 was cloned by RT-PCR in the ovary of white yak; the MT1 cDNA fragment obtained (843bp) comprised an open reading frame (827bp) encoding a protein containing 275 residues, characterized by seven transmembrane regions and an NRY motif, two distinct amino acid replacements were found. The white yak MT1 had a 83.9-98.6% protein sequence identity with that of nine other mammals. Using RT-PCR, the expression levels of MT1, MT2, and LHR in the ovary of pregnant and non-pregnant white yaks were compared, revealing higher levels of all genes in pregnant yaks: 3.83-fold increase for MT1 (Pmelatonin and MT1 are associated with the corpus luteum function of pregnancy maintenance and follicular development during oocyte maturation in the white yak. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

mtDNA copy number in oocytes of different sizes from individual pre- and post-pubertal pigs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Hanne Skovsgaard; Løvendahl, Peter; Larsen, Knud Erik

2014-01-01

from ovaries of 10 pre- and 10 post-pubertal pigs. Cumulus cells were removed and the oocytes were measured (inside-ZP-diameter). Oocytes were transferred to DNAase-free tubes, snap-frozen, and stored at –80°C. The genes ND1 and COX1 were used to determine the mtDNA copy number. Plasmid preparations...... Reproduction 131, 233–245). However, the correlation between size and mtDNA copy number in single oocytes has not been determined. This study describes the relation between oocytes of defined diameters from individual pre- and postpubertal pigs and mtDNA copy number. Cumulus-oocyte complexes were aspirated...

DIAGNOSIS OF EGG MARKETING CONDITION IN SINOP - MT

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M. Ribeiro

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The eggs, when manipulated in inadequate sanitary conditions, are considered as ways for development and multiplication of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the microbiological quality of eggs marketed out at Sinop – MT, through the identification of Salmonella spp., count of aerobic mesophile bacteria and enterobacteria. We collected 12 eggs from each establishment, three supermarkets and three fairs. Were not identified Salmonella spp. in egg shells and internal content. Escherichia coli was isolated from the internal contents of eggs come from an street fair. In aerobic mesophilic counts were obtained from eggs supermarkets counts CFU/g/egg shell of 5,8 x 105, 1,21 x 105 e 4,7 x 103. In relation to the fairs, the counts were 7,2 x 104, 5,66 x 104 e 8,7 x 103. The absence of Salmonella spp. the evaluated eggs classifies them as fit for consumption for compliance with current legislation. However, the presence of E. coli and the values of aerobic mesophilic counts and Enterobacteriaceae highlight the need to establish measures to reduce bacterial contamination of shell eggs sold out at Sinop, MT.

MMS exposure promotes increased MtDNA mutagenesis in the presence of replication-defective disease-associated DNA polymerase γ variants.

Science.gov (United States)

Stumpf, Jeffrey D; Copeland, William C

2014-10-01

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encodes proteins essential for ATP production. Mutant variants of the mtDNA polymerase cause mutagenesis that contributes to aging, genetic diseases, and sensitivity to environmental agents. We interrogated mtDNA replication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains with disease-associated mutations affecting conserved regions of the mtDNA polymerase, Mip1, in the presence of the wild type Mip1. Mutant frequency arising from mtDNA base substitutions that confer erythromycin resistance and deletions between 21-nucleotide direct repeats was determined. Previously, increased mutagenesis was observed in strains encoding mutant variants that were insufficient to maintain mtDNA and that were not expected to reduce polymerase fidelity or exonuclease proofreading. Increased mutagenesis could be explained by mutant variants stalling the replication fork, thereby predisposing the template DNA to irreparable damage that is bypassed with poor fidelity. This hypothesis suggests that the exogenous base-alkylating agent, methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), would further increase mtDNA mutagenesis. Mitochondrial mutagenesis associated with MMS exposure was increased up to 30-fold in mip1 mutants containing disease-associated alterations that affect polymerase activity. Disrupting exonuclease activity of mutant variants was not associated with increased spontaneous mutagenesis compared with exonuclease-proficient alleles, suggesting that most or all of the mtDNA was replicated by wild type Mip1. A novel subset of C to G transversions was responsible for about half of the mutants arising after MMS exposure implicating error-prone bypass of methylated cytosines as the predominant mutational mechanism. Exposure to MMS does not disrupt exonuclease activity that suppresses deletions between 21-nucleotide direct repeats, suggesting the MMS-induce mutagenesis is not explained by inactivated exonuclease activity. Further, trace amounts of CdCl2 inhibit mtDNA replication but

Evolutionary analyses of entire genomes do not support the association of mtDNA mutations with Ras/MAPK pathway syndromes.

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Alberto Gómez-Carballa

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: There are several known autosomal genes responsible for Ras/MAPK pathway syndromes, including Noonan syndrome (NS and related disorders (such as LEOPARD, neurofibromatosis type 1, although mutations of these genes do not explain all cases. Due to the important role played by the mitochondrion in the energetic metabolism of cardiac muscle, it was recently proposed that variation in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA genome could be a risk factor in the Noonan phenotype and in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM, which is a common clinical feature in Ras/MAPK pathway syndromes. In order to test these hypotheses, we sequenced entire mtDNA genomes in the largest series of patients suffering from Ras/MAPK pathway syndromes analyzed to date (n = 45, most of them classified as NS patients (n = 42. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The results indicate that the observed mtDNA lineages were mostly of European ancestry, reproducing in a nutshell the expected haplogroup (hg patterns of a typical Iberian dataset (including hgs H, T, J, and U. Three new branches of the mtDNA phylogeny (H1j1, U5b1e, and L2a5 are described for the first time, but none of these are likely to be related to NS or Ras/MAPK pathway syndromes when observed under an evolutionary perspective. Patterns of variation in tRNA and protein genes, as well as redundant, private and heteroplasmic variants, in the mtDNA genomes of patients were as expected when compared with the patterns inferred from a worldwide mtDNA phylogeny based on more than 8700 entire genomes. Moreover, most of the mtDNA variants found in patients had already been reported in healthy individuals and constitute common polymorphisms in human population groups. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: As a whole, the observed mtDNA genome variation in the NS patients was difficult to reconcile with previous findings that indicated a pathogenic role of mtDNA variants in NS.

Controls on Magmatic and Hydrothermal Processes at Yellowstone Supervolcano: The Wideband Magnetotelluric Component of an Integrated MT/Seismic Investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Schultz, A.; Bennington, N. L.; Bowles-martinez, E.; Imamura, N.; Cronin, R. A.; Miller, D. J.; Hart, L.; Gurrola, R. M.; Neal, B. A.; Scholz, K.; Fry, B.; Carbonari, R.

2017-12-01

Previous seismic and magnetotelluric (MT) studies beneath Yellowstone (YS) have provided insight into the origin and migration of magmatic fluids within the volcanic system. However, important questions remain concerning the generation of magmatism at YS, the migration and storage of these magmatic fluids, as well as their relationships to hydrothermal expressions. Analysis of regional-scale EarthScope MT data collected previously suggests a relative absence of continuity in crustal partial melt accumulations directly beneath YS. This is in contrast to some seismic interpretations, although such long-period MT data have limited resolving power in the upper-to-mid crustal section. A wideband MT experiment was designed as a component of an integrated MT/seismic project to examine: the origin and location of magmatic fluids at upper mantle/lower crustal depths, the preferred path of migration for these magmatic fluids into the mid- to upper-crust, the resulting distribution of the magma reservoir, the composition of the magma reservoir, and implications for future volcanism at YS. A high-resolution wideband MT survey was carried out in the YS region in the summer of 2017, with more than forty-five wideband stations installed within and immediately surrounding the YS National Park boundary. These data provided nearly six decades of bandwidth ( 10-3 Hz -to- 103 Hz). Extraordinary permitting restrictions prevented us from using conventional installation methods at many of our sites, and an innovative "no-dig" subaerial method of wideband MT was developed and used successfully. Using these new data along with existing MT datasets, we are inverting for the 3D resistivity structure at upper crustal through upper mantle scales at YS. Complementary to this MT work, a joint inversion for the 3D crustal velocity structure is being carried out using both ambient noise and earthquake travel time data. Taken together, these data should better constrain the crustal velocity

Evolutionary Analyses of Entire Genomes Do Not Support the Association of mtDNA Mutations with Ras/MAPK Pathway Syndromes

Science.gov (United States)

Cerezo, María; Balboa, Emilia; Heredia, Claudia; Castro-Feijóo, Lidia; Rica, Itxaso; Barreiro, Jesús; Eirís, Jesús; Cabanas, Paloma; Martínez-Soto, Isabel; Fernández-Toral, Joaquín; Castro-Gago, Manuel; Pombo, Manuel; Carracedo, Ángel; Barros, Francisco

2011-01-01

Background There are several known autosomal genes responsible for Ras/MAPK pathway syndromes, including Noonan syndrome (NS) and related disorders (such as LEOPARD, neurofibromatosis type 1), although mutations of these genes do not explain all cases. Due to the important role played by the mitochondrion in the energetic metabolism of cardiac muscle, it was recently proposed that variation in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genome could be a risk factor in the Noonan phenotype and in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), which is a common clinical feature in Ras/MAPK pathway syndromes. In order to test these hypotheses, we sequenced entire mtDNA genomes in the largest series of patients suffering from Ras/MAPK pathway syndromes analyzed to date (n = 45), most of them classified as NS patients (n = 42). Methods/Principal Findings The results indicate that the observed mtDNA lineages were mostly of European ancestry, reproducing in a nutshell the expected haplogroup (hg) patterns of a typical Iberian dataset (including hgs H, T, J, and U). Three new branches of the mtDNA phylogeny (H1j1, U5b1e, and L2a5) are described for the first time, but none of these are likely to be related to NS or Ras/MAPK pathway syndromes when observed under an evolutionary perspective. Patterns of variation in tRNA and protein genes, as well as redundant, private and heteroplasmic variants, in the mtDNA genomes of patients were as expected when compared with the patterns inferred from a worldwide mtDNA phylogeny based on more than 8700 entire genomes. Moreover, most of the mtDNA variants found in patients had already been reported in healthy individuals and constitute common polymorphisms in human population groups. Conclusions/Significance As a whole, the observed mtDNA genome variation in the NS patients was difficult to reconcile with previous findings that indicated a pathogenic role of mtDNA variants in NS. PMID:21526175

Radon measurements in the SE and NE flank of Mt. Etna (Italy)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

La Delfa, S.; Imme, G.; Lo Nigro, S.; Morelli, D.; Patane, G.; Vizzini, F.

2007-01-01

Soil Radon has been monitored at two fixed sites located in the northeastern and southeastern flank of Mt. Etna. In this study we report the comparison between in-soil Radon concentration trend recorded in the SE flank and that one recorded in the NE one, where an in-soil Radon detection system is operating since 2001. The aim of this work was to implement the investigation area finding a suitable radon detection site, in the south-east flank of Mt. Etna, in order to better understand possible links between Radon anomalies and volcano dynamic. Radon data collected in NE and SE sites were compared with the volcanic tremor, frequency of occurrence of earthquakes and seismic strain-release recorded at a fixed 3D digital seismic station placed in the NE site. Same general in-soil Radon trends and anomalies were found in both sites. These results have confirmed the suitability of the chosen southeastern site for the in-soil Radon monitoring at Mt. Etna. The comparison of the recorded Radon concentration anomalies with seismicity and volcanic tremor trends, has also verified a possible link with the volcanic activity, as observed in our previous published studies

Six years of atmospheric CO2 observations at Mt. Fuji recorded with a battery-powered measurement system

Science.gov (United States)

Nomura, Shohei; Mukai, Hitoshi; Terao, Yukio; Machida, Toshinobu; Nojiri, Yukihiro

2017-03-01

We developed a battery-powered carbon dioxide (CO2) measurement system for monitoring at the summit of Mt. Fuji (3776 m a.s.l.), which experiences very low temperatures (below -20 °C) and severe environmental conditions without access to gridded electricity for 10 months (from September to June). Our measurement system used 100 batteries to run the measurement unit during these months. These batteries were charged during the 2-month summer season when gridded electricity was available, using a specially designed automatic battery-charging system. We installed this system in summer 2009 at the Mt. Fuji weather station; observations of atmospheric CO2 concentration were taken through December 2015. Measurements were never interrupted by a lack of battery power except for two cases in which lightning damaged a control board. Thus we obtained CO2 data during about 94 % of the 6-year period. Analytical performances (stability and accuracy) were better than 0.1 ppm, as tested by checking working standards and comparisons with flask sampling.Observational results showed that CO2 mole fractions at Mt. Fuji demonstrated clear seasonal variation. The trend and the variability of the CO2 growth rate observed at Mt. Fuji were very similar to those of the Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO). Seasonally, the concentration at Mt. Fuji was 2-10 ppm lower in summer and 2-12 ppm higher in winter than those at MLO. The lower concentrations at Mt. Fuji in summer are mainly attributed to episodes of air mass transport from Siberia or China, where CO2 is taken up by the terrestrial biosphere. On the other hand, the relatively higher concentrations in winter seem to reflect the high percentage of air masses originating from China or Southeast Asia during this period, which carry increased anthropogenic carbon dioxide. These results show that Mt. Fuji is not very influenced by local sources but rather by the sources and sinks over a very large region.Thus we conclude that, as this system could

Accelerated Fractional Ventilation Imaging with Hyperpolarized Gas MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Emami, Kiarash; Xu, Yinan; Hamedani, Hooman; Profka, Harrilla; Kadlecek, Stephen; Xin, Yi; Ishii, Masaru; Rizi, Rahim R.

2013-01-01

PURPOSE To investigate the utility of accelerated imaging to enhance multi-breath fractional ventilation (r) measurement accuracy using HP gas MRI. Undersampling shortens the breath-hold time, thereby reducing the O2-induced signal decay and allows subjects to maintain a more physiologically relevant breathing pattern. Additionally it may improve r estimation accuracy by reducing RF destruction of HP gas. METHODS Image acceleration was achieved by using an 8-channel phased array coil. Undersampled image acquisition was simulated in a series of ventilation images and images were reconstructed for various matrix sizes (48–128) using GRAPPA. Parallel accelerated r imaging was also performed on five mechanically ventilated pigs. RESULTS Optimal acceleration factor was fairly invariable (2.0–2.2×) over the range of simulated resolutions. Estimation accuracy progressively improved with higher resolutions (39–51% error reduction). In vivo r values were not significantly different between the two methods: 0.27±0.09, 0.35±0.06, 0.40±0.04 (standard) versus 0.23±0.05, 0.34±0.03, 0.37±0.02 (accelerated); for anterior, medial and posterior slices, respectively, whereas the corresponding vertical r gradients were significant (P fractional ventilation measurement with HP gas MRI. PMID:23400938

Restoring ecosystem functions and services by overcoming soil threats - The case of Mt. Hekla area in Iceland

Science.gov (United States)

Thorsson, Johann; Petursdottir, Thorunn

2015-04-01

Soils are one of the main fundamental bodies of terrestrial ecosystems. Soil functions contribute substantially to the ecosystem services humans and all other living beings depend on. Current soil threats are in most cases related to anthropogenic impacts and derived environmental pressures. For instance, overexploitation has in many cases damaged ecosystem resilience, affected current equilibrium and caused severe soil degradation. The resulting dysfunctional ecosystems are incapable of providing necessary ecosystem services. In such cases ecosystem restoration is necessary to restore ecosystem functions and ecological succession. The Mt. Hekla area in Iceland is an example of land suffering from accelerated erosion amplified by anthropogenic impacts. The area is 900 km2 located in South Iceland in the vicinity of the volcano Mt. Hekla. Today over 40% of the area is classified as eroded but historical documents indicate that vast part of the area were fertile and vegetated at the time of settlement, 1100 years ago; hence was able to withstand the geological disturbances occurring prior to the arrival of man as is obvious from the pristine woody patches still remaining. Severe soil degradation followed the large-scale deforestation and overgrazing that took place within the area. The initial land degradation event is considered to have occurred in the 11th century, but has been ongoing since then in several episodes. The Þjórsá glacial river flows through the area and carries enormous amounts of sediments every year. After the deforestation, the ecosystem resilience was damaged and the land left exposed to the elements. Eventually large scale wind erosion started, followed with water erosion and increased impact of freeze-thaw processes. The Soil Conservation Service of Iceland started working in the area in the early 20th century and land reclamation operations have been ongoing until this day. Considerable successes have been made as is manifested in the fact

Reservoir characterization of the Mt. Simon Sandstone, Illinois Basin, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Frailey, S.M.; Damico, J.; Leetaru, H.E.

2011-01-01

The integration of open hole well log analyses, core analyses and pressure transient analyses was used for reservoir characterization of the Mt. Simon sandstone. Characterization of the injection interval provides the basis for a geologic model to support the baseline MVA model, specify pressure design requirements of surface equipment, develop completion strategies, estimate injection rates, and project the CO2 plume distribution.The Cambrian-age Mt. Simon Sandstone overlies the Precambrian granite basement of the Illinois Basin. The Mt. Simon is relatively thick formation exceeding 800 meters in some areas of the Illinois Basin. In the deeper part of the basin where sequestration is likely to occur at depths exceeding 1000 m, horizontal core permeability ranges from less than 1 ?? 10-12 cm 2 to greater than 1 ?? 10-8 cm2. Well log and core porosity can be up to 30% in the basal Mt. Simon reservoir. For modeling purposes, reservoir characterization includes absolute horizontal and vertical permeability, effective porosity, net and gross thickness, and depth. For horizontal permeability, log porosity was correlated with core. The core porosity-permeability correlation was improved by using grain size as an indication of pore throat size. After numerous attempts to identify an appropriate log signature, the calculated cementation exponent from Archie's porosity and resistivity relationships was used to identify which porosity-permeability correlation to apply and a permeability log was made. Due to the relatively large thickness of the Mt. Simon, vertical permeability is an important attribute to understand the distribution of CO2 when the injection interval is in the lower part of the unit. Only core analyses and specifically designed pressure transient tests can yield vertical permeability. Many reservoir flow models show that 500-800 m from the injection well most of the CO2 migrates upward depending on the magnitude of the vertical permeability and CO2 injection

Inelastic collisions of neon 22 nuclei with photoemulsion at 4.1 A GeV/c

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tolstov, K.D.

1987-01-01

Inelastic collisions of neon-22 nuclei accelerated at the JINR synchrophasotron with BR-2 photoemulsion nuclei are investigated. Colliding nuclei fragmentation including their total disintegration, pion production, correlation ratios are studied. There are particular cases of 22 Ne-emulsion collisions, i.e. manifestation of collective effects in inelastic collisions of relativistic nuclei

Screening Approach to the Activation of Soil and Contamination of Groundwater at Linear Proton Accelerator Sites

CERN Document Server

Otto, Thomas

The activation of soil and the contamination of groundwater at proton accelerator sites with the radionuclides 3H and 22Na are estimated with a Monte-Carlo calculation and a conservative soil- and ground water model. The obtained radionuclide concentrations show that the underground environment of future accelerators must be adequately protected against a migration of activation products. This study is of particular importance for the proton driver accelerator in the planned EURISOL facility.

Clustering of Caucasian Leber hereditary optic neuropathy patients containing the 11778 or 14484 mutations on an mtDNA lineage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, M.D.; Sun, F.; Wallace, D.C. [Emory Univ. School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA (United States)

1997-02-01

Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a type of blindness caused by mtDNA mutations. Three LHON mtDNA mutations at nucleotide positions 3460, 11778, and 14484 are specific for LHON and account for 90% of worldwide cases and are thus designated as {open_quotes}primary{close_quotes} LHON mutations. Fifteen other {open_quotes}secondary{close_quotes} LHON mtDNA mutations have been identified, but their pathogenicity is unclear. mtDNA haplotype and phylogenetic analysis of the primary LHON mutations in North American Caucasian patients and controls has shown that, unlike the 3460 and 11778 mutations, which are distributed throughout the European-derived (Caucasian) mtDNA phylogeny, patients containing the 14484 mutation tended to be associated with European mtDNA haplotype J. To investigate this apparent clustering, we performed {chi}{sup 2}-based statistical analyses to compare the distribution of LHON patients on the Caucasian phylogenetic tree. Our results indicate that, unlike the 3460 and 11778 mutations, the 14484 mutation was not distributed on the phylogeny in proportion to the frequencies of the major Caucasian mtDNA haplogroups found in North America. The 14484 mutation was next shown to occur on the haplogroup J background more frequently that expected, consistent with the observation that {approximately}75% of worldwide 14484-positive LHON patients occur in association with haplogroup J. The 11778 mutation also exhibited a moderate clustering on haplogroup J. These observations were supported by statistical analysis using all available mutation frequencies reported in the literature. This paper thus illustrates the potential importance of genetic background in certain mtDNA-based diseases, speculates on a pathogenic role for a subset of LHON secondary mutations and their interaction with primary mutations, and provides support for a polygenic model for LHON expression in some cases. 18 refs., 3 tabs.

Mitochondrial Dysfunctions Contribute to Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Patient iPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes with MT-RNR2 Mutation

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Shishi Li

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Summary: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in young individuals. A potential role of mtDNA mutations in HCM is known. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms linking mtDNA mutations to HCM remain poorly understood due to lack of cell and animal models. Here, we generated induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (HCM-iPSC-CMs from human patients in a maternally inherited HCM family who carry the m.2336T>C mutation in the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene (MT-RNR2. The results showed that the m.2336T>C mutation resulted in mitochondrial dysfunctions and ultrastructure defects by decreasing the stability of 16S rRNA, which led to reduced levels of mitochondrial proteins. The ATP/ADP ratio and mitochondrial membrane potential were also reduced, thereby elevating the intracellular Ca2+ concentration, which was associated with numerous HCM-specific electrophysiological abnormalities. Our findings therefore provide an innovative insight into the pathogenesis of maternally inherited HCM. : In this article, Yan Q, Liu Z, Huang W, and colleagues show that patient-specific iPSCs as well as their derived cardiomyocytes carrying the m.2336T>C mutation in MT-RNR2 were generated to understand the pathogenic mechanism of maternally inherited HCM. MT-RNR2 mutation resulted in mitochondrial dysfunctions and ultrastructure defects, which induced abnormal Ca2+ homeostasis, then HCM-specific cellular and electrophysiological characteristics in iPSC-CMs. Keywords: mitochondrion, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, induced pluripotent stem cells, MT-RNR2, maternal inheritance

Pivotal role of hMT+ in long-range disambiguation of interhemispheric bistable surface motion.

Science.gov (United States)

Duarte, João Valente; Costa, Gabriel Nascimento; Martins, Ricardo; Castelo-Branco, Miguel

2017-10-01

It remains an open question whether long-range disambiguation of ambiguous surface motion can be achieved in early visual cortex or instead in higher level regions, which concerns object/surface segmentation/integration mechanisms. We used a bistable moving stimulus that can be perceived as a pattern comprehending both visual hemi-fields moving coherently downward or as two widely segregated nonoverlapping component objects (in each visual hemi-field) moving separately inward. This paradigm requires long-range integration across the vertical meridian leading to interhemispheric binding. Our fMRI study (n = 30) revealed a close relation between activity in hMT+ and perceptual switches involving interhemispheric segregation/integration of motion signals, crucially under nonlocal conditions where components do not overlap and belong to distinct hemispheres. Higher signal changes were found in hMT+ in response to spatially segregated component (incoherent) percepts than to pattern (coherent) percepts. This did not occur in early visual cortex, unlike apparent motion, which does not entail surface segmentation. We also identified a role for top-down mechanisms in state transitions. Deconvolution analysis of switch-related changes revealed prefrontal, insula, and cingulate areas, with the right superior parietal lobule (SPL) being particularly involved. We observed that directed influences could emerge either from left or right hMT+ during bistable motion integration/segregation. SPL also exhibited significant directed functional connectivity with hMT+, during perceptual state maintenance (Granger causality analysis). Our results suggest that long-range interhemispheric binding of ambiguous motion representations mainly reflect bottom-up processes from hMT+ during perceptual state maintenance. In contrast, state transitions maybe influenced by high-level regions such as the SPL. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4882-4897, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley

Association of AS3MT polymorphisms and the risk of premalignant arsenic skin lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valenzuela, Olga L.; Drobna, Zuzana; Hernandez-Castellanos, Erika; Sanchez-Pena, Luz C.; Garcia-Vargas, Gonzalo G.; Borja-Aburto, Victor H.; Styblo, Miroslav; Del Razo, Luz M.

2009-01-01

Exposure to naturally occurring inorganic arsenic (iAs), primarily from contaminated drinking water, is considered one of the top environmental health threats worldwide. Arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase (AS3MT) is the key enzyme in the biotransformation pathway of iAs. AS3MT catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosyl-L-methionine to trivalent arsenicals, resulting in the production of methylated (MAs) and dimethylated arsenicals (DMAs). MAs is a susceptibility factor for iAs-induced toxicity. In this study, we evaluated the association of the polymorphism in AS3MT gene with iAs metabolism and with the presence of arsenic (As) premalignant skin lesions. This is a case-control study of 71 cases with skin lesions and 51 controls without skin lesions recruited from a iAs endemic area in Mexico. We measured urinary As metabolites, differentiating the trivalent and pentavalent arsenical species, using the hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry. In addition, the study subjects were genotyped to analyze three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), A-477G, T14458C (nonsynonymus SNP; Met287Thr), and T35587C, in the AS3MT gene. We compared the frequencies of the AS3MT alleles, genotypes, and haplotypes in individuals with and without skin lesions. Marginal differences in the frequencies of the Met287Thr genotype were identified between individuals with and without premalignant skin lesions (p = 0.055): individuals carrying the C (TC+CC) allele (Thr) were at risk [odds ratio = 4.28; 95% confidence interval (1.0-18.5)]. Also, individuals with C allele of Met287Thr displayed greater percentage of MAs in urine and decrease in the percentage of DMAs. These findings indicate that Met287Thr influences the susceptibility to premalignant As skin lesions and might be at increased risk for other adverse health effects of iAs exposure.

Swimming, swarming, twitching, and chemotactic responses of Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34 and Pseudomonas putida mt2 in the presence of cadmium.

Science.gov (United States)

Shamim, Saba; Rehman, Abdul; Qazi, Mahmood Hussain

2014-04-01

To use of microorganisms for bioremediation purposes, the study of their motility behavior toward metals is essential. In the present study, Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34 and Pseudomonas putida mt2 were used as cadmium (Cd)-resistant and -sensitive bacteria, respectively, to evaluate the effects of Cd on their motility behaviors. Potassium morpholinopropane sulfonate (MOPS) buffer was used to observe the motility behavior of both isolates. Movement of mt2 was less in MOPS buffer compared with CH34, likely reflecting the mono-flagellated nature of mt2 and the peritrichous nature of CH34. The swimming, swarming, twitching, and chemotaxis behaviors of mt2 were greater in the presence of glucose than that of Cd. mt2 exhibited negative motility behaviors when exposed to Cd, but the opposite effect was seen in CH34. Cd was found to be a chemorepellent for mt2 but a chemoattractant for CH34, suggesting that CH34 is a potential candidate for metal (Cd) bioremediation.

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by sabaots of Mt ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... medicinal plant species used to manage human ailments at Kopsiro Division Mt. ... The whole plant (1.8%), seed (1.2%), fruit (1.2%), sap (1.2%), flower (0.6%) ... as to maximize the sustainable use of these vital resources in the study area.

77 FR 55690 - Amendment of Class E Airspace; Dillon, MT

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-11

... aircraft using new Area Navigation (RNAV) Global positioning System (GPS) standard instrument approach... Airport, Dillon, MT, to accommodate IFR aircraft executing new RNAV (GPS) standard instrument approach.... Steven L. Vale, Acting Manager, Operations Support Group, Western Service Center. [FR Doc. 2012-22269...

Metallogeny, exploitation and environmental impact of the Mt. Amiata mercury ore district (Southern Tuscany, Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Rimondi, V.; Chiarantini, L.; Lattanzi, P.; Benvenuti, M.; Beutel, M.; Colica, A.; Costagliola, P.; Di Benedetto, F.; Gabbani, G.; Gray, John E.; Pandeli, E.; Pattelli, G.; Paolieri, M.; Ruggieri, G.

2015-01-01

The Mt. Amiata mining district (Southern Tuscany, Italy) is a world class Hg district, with a cumulate production of more than 100,000 tonnes of Hg, mostly occurring between 1870 and 1980. The Hg mineralization at Mt. Amiata is younger than 0.3 Ma, and is directly related to shallow hydrothermal systems similar to present-day geothermal fields of the region. There is likely a continuum of Hg deposition to present day, because Hg emission from geothermal power plants is on-going. In this sense, the Mt. Amiata deposits present some analogies with “hot-spring type” deposits of western USA, although an ore deposit model for the district has not been established. Specifically, the source of Hg remains highly speculative. The mineralizing hydrothermal fluids are of low temperature, and of essentially meteoric origin.

High gradient accelerators for linear light sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barletta, W.A.

1988-01-01

Ultra-high gradient radio frequency linacs powered by relativistic klystrons appear to be able to provide compact sources of radiation at XUV and soft x-ray wavelengths with a duration of 1 picosecond or less. This paper provides a tutorial review of the physics applicable to scaling the present experience of the accelerator community to the regime applicable to compact linear light sources. 22 refs., 11 figs., 21 tabs

Medicago truncatula copper transporter 1 (MtCOPT1) delivers copper for symbiotic nitrogen fixation.

Science.gov (United States)

Senovilla, Marta; Castro-Rodríguez, Rosario; Abreu, Isidro; Escudero, Viviana; Kryvoruchko, Igor; Udvardi, Michael K; Imperial, Juan; González-Guerrero, Manuel

2018-04-01

Copper is an essential nutrient for symbiotic nitrogen fixation. This element is delivered by the host plant to the nodule, where membrane copper (Cu) transporter would introduce it into the cell to synthesize cupro-proteins. COPT family members in the model legume Medicago truncatula were identified and their expression determined. Yeast complementation assays, confocal microscopy and phenotypical characterization of a Tnt1 insertional mutant line were carried out in the nodule-specific M. truncatula COPT family member. Medicago truncatula genome encodes eight COPT transporters. MtCOPT1 (Medtr4g019870) is the only nodule-specific COPT gene. It is located in the plasma membrane of the differentiation, interzone and early fixation zones. Loss of MtCOPT1 function results in a Cu-mitigated reduction of biomass production when the plant obtains its nitrogen exclusively from symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Mutation of MtCOPT1 results in diminished nitrogenase activity in nodules, likely an indirect effect from the loss of a Cu-dependent function, such as cytochrome oxidase activity in copt1-1 bacteroids. These data are consistent with a model in which MtCOPT1 transports Cu from the apoplast into nodule cells to provide Cu for essential metabolic processes associated with symbiotic nitrogen fixation. © 2018 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2018 New Phytologist Trust.

Natural radioactivity in volcanic ash from Mt. Pinatubo eruption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duran, E.B.; De Vera, C.M.; Garcia, T.Y.; Dela Cruz, F.M.; Esguerra, L.V.; Castaneda, S.S.

1992-01-01

Last June 15, 1991, a major pyroclastic eruption occurred from Mt. Pinatubo volcano located in Zambales, Central Luzon. The radiological impact of this eruption was assessed based on the concentrations of the principal naturally occurring radionuclides observed in volcanic ash. The volcanic ash samples were collected from locations which are within 50-km radius of Mt. Pinatubo at various times after the eruption. The mean activity concentrations in Bq/kg wet weight of the natural radionuclides in volcanic ash were as follows: 12.6 for 238 U, 14.0 for 232 Th and 330 for 40 K. These values are significantly higher than the mean activity concentrations of these radionuclides observed in topsoil in the same provinces before the eruption. This suggests that with the deposition of large quantities of volcanic ash and lahar in Central Luzon and concomitant topographic changes, the distribution and quantities of radionuclides which gave rise to terrestrial radiation may have also changed. Outdoor radon concentrations measured three days and later after the eruption were within normal background values. (auth.). 4 refs.; 5 tabs.; 1 fig

Bayesian resolution of TEM, CSEM and MT soundings: a comparative study

Science.gov (United States)

Blatter, D. B.; Ray, A.; Key, K.

2017-12-01

We examine the resolution of three electromagnetic exploration methods commonly used to map the electrical conductivity of the shallow crust - the magnetotelluric (MT) method, the controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) method and the transient electromagnetic (TEM) method. TEM and CSEM utilize an artificial source of EM energy, while MT makes use of natural variations in the Earth's electromagnetic field. For a given geological setting and acquisition parameters, each of these methods will have a different resolution due to differences in the source field polarization and the frequency range of the measurements. For example, the MT and TEM methods primarily rely on induced horizontal currents and are most sensitive to conductive layers while the CSEM method generates vertical loops of current and is more sensitive to resistive features. Our study seeks to provide a robust resolution comparison that can help inform exploration geophysicists about which technique is best suited for a particular target. While it is possible to understand and describe a difference in resolution qualitatively, it remains challenging to fully describe it quantitatively using optimization based approaches. Part of the difficulty here stems from the standard electromagnetic inversion toolkit, which makes heavy use of regularization (often in the form of smoothing) to constrain the non-uniqueness inherent in the inverse problem. This regularization makes it difficult to accurately estimate the uncertainty in estimated model parameters - and therefore obscures their true resolution. To overcome this difficulty, we compare the resolution of CSEM, airborne TEM, and MT data quantitatively using a Bayesian trans-dimensional Markov chain Monte Carlo (McMC) inversion scheme. Noisy synthetic data for this study are computed from various representative 1D test models: a conductive anomaly under a conductive/resistive overburden; and a resistive anomaly under a conductive/resistive overburden. In

MT6415CA: a 640×512-15µm CTIA ROIC for SWIR InGaAs detector arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Eminoglu, Selim; Isikhan, Murat; Bayhan, Nusret; Gulden, M. Ali; Incedere, O. Samet; Soyer, S. Tuncer; Kocak, Serhat; Yilmaz, Gokhan S.; Akin, Tayfun

2013-06-01

This paper reports the development of a new low-noise CTIA ROIC (MT6415CA) suitable for SWIR InGaAs detector arrays for low-light imaging applications. MT6415CA is the second product in the MT6400 series ROICs from Mikro-Tasarim Ltd., which is a fabless IC design house specialized in the development of monolithic imaging sensors and ROICs for hybrid imaging sensors. MT6415CA is a low-noise snapshot CTIA ROIC, has a format of 640 × 512 and pixel pitch of 15 µm, and has been developed with the system-on-chip architecture in mind, where all the timing and biasing for this ROIC are generated on-chip without requiring any external inputs. MT6415CA is a highly configurable ROIC, where many of its features can be programmed through a 3-wire serial interface allowing on-the-fly configuration of many ROIC features. It performs snapshot operation both using Integrate-Then-Read (ITR) and Integrate-While-Read (IWR) modes. The CTIA type pixel input circuitry has three gain modes with programmable full-well-capacity (FWC) values of 10.000 e-, 20.000 e-, and 350.000 e- in the very high gain (VHG), high-gain (HG), and low-gain (LG) modes, respectively. MT6415CA has an input referred noise level of less than 5 e- in the very high gain (VHG) mode, suitable for very low-noise SWIR imaging applications. MT6415CA has 8 analog video outputs that can be programmed in 8, 4, or 2-output modes with a selectable analog reference for pseudo-differential operation. The ROIC runs at 10 MHz and supports frame rate values up to 200 fps in the 8-output mode. The integration time can be programmed up to 1s in steps of 0.1 µs. The ROIC uses 3.3 V and 1.8V supply voltages and dissipates less than 150 mW in the 4-output mode. MT6415CA is fabricated using a modern mixed-signal CMOS process on 200 mm CMOS wafers, and tested parts are available at wafer or die levels with test reports and wafer maps. A compact USB 3.0 camera and imaging software have been developed to demonstrate the imaging

Focusing studies of an applied Br extraction diode on the LION accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Struckman, C.K.; Kusse, B.R.; Rondeau, G.

1990-01-01

The LION Accelerator, 1.5 MV, 4 Ω, is being used to study the characteristics of an applied B r extraction diode. The diode utilizes both an inner and outer cathode and has been observed to operate at high ion current efficiencies compared to previous extraction diodes. Typical efficiencies were measured to be ∼80% which compares very favorably with the efficiencies seen in applied B z diodes. In this paper, the authors report the results of a series of experiments examining the role of the inner cathode in electron loss and ion emission. In addition, operation with an argon gas cell is reported. The ion beam appears to be space-charge neutralized by the gas cell foil alone, and current neutralized when the gas cell pressure is above 100 mT

Differences in the epigenetic regulation of MT-3 gene expression between parental and Cd+2 or As+3 transformed human urothelial cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ajjimaporn Amornpan

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Studies have shown that metallothionein 3 (MT-3 is not expressed in normal urothelium or in the UROtsa cell line, but is expressed in urothelial cancer and in tumors generated from the UROtsa cells that have been transformed by cadmium (Cd+2 or arsenite (As+3.The present study had two major goals. One, to determine if epigenetic modifications control urothelial MT-3 gene expression and if regulation is altered by malignant transformation by Cd+2 or As+3. Two, to determine if MT-3 expression might translate clinically as a biomarker for malignant urothelial cells released into the urine. Results The histone deacetylase inhibitor MS-275 induced MT-3 mRNA expression in both parental UROtsa cells and their transformed counterparts. The demethylating agent, 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-AZC had no effect on MT-3 mRNA expression. ChIP analysis showed that metal-responsive transformation factor-1 (MTF-1 binding to metal response elements (MRE elements of the MT-3 promoter was restricted in parental UROtsa cells, but MTF-1 binding to the MREs was unrestricted in the transformed cell lines. Histone modifications at acetyl H4, trimethyl H3K4, trimethyl H3K27, and trimethyl H3K9 were compared between the parental and transformed cell lines in the presence and absence of MS-275. The pattern of histone modifications suggested that the MT-3 promoter in the Cd+2 and As+3 transformed cells has gained bivalent chromatin structure, having elements of being "transcriptionally repressed" and "transcription ready", when compared to parental cells. An analysis of MT-3 staining in urinary cytologies showed that a subset of both active and non-active patients with urothelial cancer shed positive cells in their urine, but that control patients only rarely shed MT-3 positive cells. Conclusion The MT-3 gene is silenced in non-transformed urothelial cells by a mechanism involving histone modification of the MT-3 promoter. In contrast, transformation of the

Joint TEM and MT aquifer study in the Atacama Desert, North Chile

Science.gov (United States)

Ruthsatz, Alexander D.; Sarmiento Flores, Alvaro; Diaz, Daniel; Reinoso, Pablo Salazar; Herrera, Cristian; Brasse, Heinrich

2018-06-01

The Atacama Desert represents one of the driest regions on earth, and despite the absence of sustainable clean water reserves the demand has increased drastically since 1970 as a result of growing population and expanding mining activities. Magnetotelluric (MT) and Transient Electromagnetic (TEM) measurements were carried out for groundwater exploration in late 2015 in the area of the Profeta Basin at the western margin of the Chilean Precordillera. Both methods complement each other: While MT in general attains larger penetration depths, TEM allows better resolution of near surface layers; furthermore TEM is free from galvanic distortion. Data were collected along three profiles, enabling a continuous resistivity image from the surface to at least several hundred meters depth. TEM data were inverted in a 1-D manner, consistently yielding a poorly conductive near-surface layer with a thickness of approximately 30 m and below a well-conducting layer which we interpret as the aquifer with resistivities around 10 Ωm. At marginal sites of the main SW-NE-profile the resistive basement was found in 150 m. These depths are confirmed by interpretation of the MT soundings. Those were firstly inverted with a 2-D approach and then by 3-D inversion as clear indications of three-dimensionality exist. Several modeling runs were performed with different combinations of transfer functions and smoothing parameters. Generally, MT and TEM results agree reasonably well and an overall image of the resistivity structures in the Profeta Basin could be achieved. The aquifer reaches depths of more than 500 m in parts and, by applying Archie's law, resistivities of 1 Ωm can be assumed, indicating highly saline fluids from the source region of the surrounding high Andes under persisting arid conditions.

The use of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA-investigations in Forensic Sciences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Dawson

1996-07-01

Full Text Available A variety of methods was developed to characterize mtDNA. The initial aim of these techniques was to try and link diseases with specific mitochondrial defects. As a result of the maternal inheritance trait of mtDNA these techniques facilitate studies of the phylogenetic history and population structure of the human population. It has been shown that mitochondrial DNA typing can be of great value for human identification in forensic cases. The identification of victims of mass-disasters or mass-murders, where human remains can be recovered only after many years have passed, is one of the most challenging fields of forensic identification. By using automated DNA sequencing with fluorescent labels, mitochondrial DNA sequences can be generated rapidly and accurately. Computer software facilitates the rapid comparison of individual and reference sequences.

Internucleotide correlations and nucleotide periodicity in Drosophila mtDNA: New evidence for panselective evolution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Y Valenzuela

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Analysis for the homogeneity of the distribution of the second base of dinucleotides in relation to the first, whose bases are separated by 0, 1, 2,... 21 nucleotide sites, was performed with the VIH-1 genome (cDNA, the Drosophila mtDNA, the Drosophila Torso gene and the human p-globin gene. These four DNA segments showed highly significant heterogeneities of base distributions that cannot be accounted for by neutral or nearly neutral evolution or by the "neighbor influence" of nucleotides on mutation rates. High correlations are found in the bases of dinucleotides separated by 0, 1 and more number of sites. A periodicity of three consecutive significance values (measured by the x²9 was found only in Drosophila mtDNA. This periodicity may be due to an unknown structure or organization of mtDNA. This non-random distribution of the two bases of dinucleotides widespread throughout these DNA segments is rather compatible with panselective evolution and generalized internucleotide co-adaptation.

Deep underground multiple muons at the Mt. Blanc station

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bergamasco, L; Bilokon, H; D' Ettorre Piazzoli, B; Mannocchi, G [Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Turin (Italy). Lab. di Cosmo-Geofisica; Castagnoli, C; Picchi, P [Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Turin (Italy). Lab. di Cosmo-Geofisica; Turin Univ. (Italy). Ist. di Fisica Generale)

1979-12-29

Results on multiple events recorded at the Mt. Blanc station in the last 3 years are presented. The integral energy spectrum of muons is obtained for Esub(..mu..)>1 TeV in the size range 10/sup 6/ - 10/sup 7/ which favours a multiplicity law for hadronic interactions of the form eta approximately Esup(1/4).

Unprecedented quality factors at accelerating gradients up to 45 MVm ^-1 in niobium superconducting resonators via low temperature nitrogen infusion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grassellino, A.; Romanenko, A.; Trenikhina, Y.; Checchin, M.; Martinello, M.; Melnychuk, O. S.; Chandrasekaran, S.; Sergatskov, D. A.; Posen, S.; Crawford, A. C.; Aderhold, S.; Bice, D.

2017-08-14

We report the finding of new surface treatments that permit to manipulate the niobium resonator nitrogen content in the first few nanometers in a controlled way, and the resonator fundamental Mattis-Bardeen surface resistance and residual resistance accordingly. In particular, we find surface infusion conditions that systematically a) increase the quality factor of these 1.3 GHz superconducting radio frequency (SRF) bulk niobium resonators, up to very high gradients; b) increase the achievable accelerating gradient of the cavity compared to its own baseline with state-of-the-art surface processing. Cavities subject to the new surface process have larger than two times the state of the art Q at 2K for accelerating fields > 35 MV/m. Moreover, very high accelerating gradients ~ 45 MV/m are repeatedly reached, which correspond to peak magnetic surface fields of 190 mT, among the highest measured for bulk niobium cavities. These findings open the opportunity to tailor the surface impurity content distribution to maximize performance in Q and gradients, and have therefore very important implications on future performance and cost of SRF based accelerators. They also help deepen the understanding of the physics of the RF niobium cavity surface.

Human area MT+ shows load-dependent activation during working memory maintenance with continuously morphing stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Galashan, Daniela; Fehr, Thorsten; Kreiter, Andreas K; Herrmann, Manfred

2014-07-11

Initially, human area MT+ was considered a visual area solely processing motion information but further research has shown that it is also involved in various different cognitive operations, such as working memory tasks requiring motion-related information to be maintained or cognitive tasks with implied or expected motion.In the present fMRI study in humans, we focused on MT+ modulation during working memory maintenance using a dynamic shape-tracking working memory task with no motion-related working memory content. Working memory load was systematically varied using complex and simple stimulus material and parametrically increasing retention periods. Activation patterns for the difference between retention of complex and simple memorized stimuli were examined in order to preclude that the reported effects are caused by differences in retrieval. Conjunction analysis over all delay durations for the maintenance of complex versus simple stimuli demonstrated a wide-spread activation pattern. Percent signal change (PSC) in area MT+ revealed a pattern with higher values for the maintenance of complex shapes compared to the retention of a simple circle and with higher values for increasing delay durations. The present data extend previous knowledge by demonstrating that visual area MT+ presents a brain activity pattern usually found in brain regions that are actively involved in working memory maintenance.

78 FR 67024 - Establishment of Class E Airspace; Glasgow, MT

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-08

... aid, Glasgow, MT. A favorable comment from the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) was.... SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: History The FAA published a final rule in the Federal Register establishing Class E..., pursuant to the authority delegated to me, the description under the History heading, as published in the...

Allozyme and mtDNA variation of white seabream Diplodus sargus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

These results can be explained by the chaotic genetic patchiness hypothesis. In contrast, the mtDNA data indicated genetic homogeneity among localities showing the absence of structure in white seabream populations across the Siculo-Tunisian Strait. Historical demography of this species suggests that it has undergone ...

77 FR 44120 - Establishment of Class E Airspace; Roundup, MT

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-27

... Association (NBAA). The NBAA comments recommended that the FAA lower some of the adjacent Class E airspace...-0274; Airspace Docket No. 12-ANM-4] Establishment of Class E Airspace; Roundup, MT AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: This action establishes Class E airspace...

76 FR 40322 - Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort Parking Improvements

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-08

... fleet. Also, the location of the current maintenance shop impedes traffic flow and removes potential... new Sunrise Vehicle Maintenance Shop on the north side of the Sunrise parking lot. DATES: Comments... increasing parking capacity and improving traffic flow in at Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort. Parking capacity...

Cytoplasmic transfer of heritable elements other than mtDNA from SAMP1 mice into mouse tumor cells suppresses their ability to form tumors in C57BL6 mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimizu, Akinori; Tani, Haruna; Takibuchi, Gaku; Ishikawa, Kaori; Sakurazawa, Ryota; Inoue, Takafumi; Hashimoto, Tetsuo; Nakada, Kazuto; Takenaga, Keizo; Hayashi, Jun-Ichi

2017-11-04

In a previous study, we generated transmitochondrial P29mtSAMP1 cybrids, which had nuclear DNA from the C57BL6 (referred to as B6) mouse strain-derived P29 tumor cells and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) exogenously-transferred from the allogeneic strain SAMP1. Because P29mtSAMP1 cybrids did not form tumors in syngeneic B6 mice, we proposed that allogeneic SAMP1 mtDNA suppressed tumor formation of P29mtSAMP1 cybrids. To test this hypothesis, current study generated P29mt(sp)B6 cybrids carrying all genomes (nuclear DNA and mtDNA) from syngeneic B6 mice by eliminating SAMP1 mtDNA from P29mtSAMP1 cybrids and reintroducing B6 mtDNA. However, the P29mt(sp)B6 cybrids did not form tumors in B6 mice, even though they had no SAMP1 mtDNA, suggesting that SAMP1 mtDNA is not involved in tumor suppression. Then, we examined another possibility of whether SAMP1 mtDNA fragments potentially integrated into the nuclear DNA of P29mtSAMP1 cybrids are responsible for tumor suppression. We generated P29 H (sp)B6 cybrids by eliminating nuclear DNA from P29mt(sp)B6 cybrids and reintroducing nuclear DNA with no integrated SAMP1 mtDNA fragment from mtDNA-less P29 cells resistant to hygromycin in selection medium containing hygromycin. However, the P29 H (sp)B6 cybrids did not form tumors in B6 mice, even though they carried neither SAMP1 mtDNA nor nuclear DNA with integrated SAMP1 mtDNA fragments. Moreover, overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and bacterial infection were not involved in tumor suppression. These observations suggest that tumor suppression was caused not by mtDNA with polymorphic mutations or infection of cytozoic bacteria but by hypothetical heritable cytoplasmic elements other than mtDNA from SAMP1 mice. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Linking hydrology of traditional irrigation canals and socio-economic aspects of agricultural water use around Mt. Kilimanjaro

Science.gov (United States)

Kimaro, Jerome; Scharsich, Valeska; Huwe, Bernd; Bogner, Christina

2017-04-01

Traditional irrigation network around Mt. Kilimanjaro has been an important resource for both ecosystem functioning and agricultural production. However, a number of irrigation furrows can no longer maintain their discharge throughout the year and their future sustainability is uncertain. The actual efforts to improve the water supply were unsuccessful. We attribute this failure to a lack of information about the actual causes and extent of the problem. We suppose that there is a strong link between the socio-economic aspects like institutional and community management of the furrows and conflicts about water use. Therefore, we conducted a study to determine the relationship between current hydrological patterns and socio-economic aspects of agricultural water use. We measured discharge at 11 locations along an altitudinal gradient on the southern slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Additionally, we conducted focus group discussions with participants from 15 villages and key informants interviews (n = 15). We found that the mean discharge did not differ significantly between dry and rainy seasons (ANOVA, p = 0.17). The overall discharge pattern indicated that furrows located in lower altitude had higher mean monthly discharge rate of 65 l s-1 compared to 11.5 l s-1 at the source area of the canals. This is due to the convergence of canals downstream. 41% of furrows were seasonal, 22% dry and only 37% perennial. Despite of a seemingly better water resource availability downstream, water conflicts are a major challenge across the whole mountain communities. Key informants and group discussions reported poor management of water on the district level. The Rural Moshi and Hai District Councils operate on a top down approach that give less power to the local water management committees. However, the latter have been an important part of the traditional management system for decades. Since 1990, the district authorities are using 65% of springs from the catchment to abstract water

Digital compilation bedrock geologic map of the Mt. Ellen quadrangle, Vermont

Data.gov (United States)

Vermont Center for Geographic Information — Digital Data from VG95-6A Stanley, RS, Walsh, G, Tauvers, PR, DiPietro, JA, and DelloRusso, V, 1995,�Digital compilation bedrock geologic map of the Mt. Ellen...

Analysis of the Interaction of Dp44mT with Human Serum Albumin and Calf Thymus DNA Using Molecular Docking and Spectroscopic Techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhongjie Xu

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Di-2-pyridylketone-4,4,-dimethyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (Dp44mT exhibits significant antitumor activity. However, the mechanism of its pharmacological interaction with human serum albumin (HSA and DNA remains poorly understood. Here, we aimed to elucidate the interactions of Dp44mT with HSA and DNA using MTT assays, spectroscopic methods, and molecular docking analysis. Our results indicated that addition of HSA at a ratio of 1:1 did not alter the cytotoxicity of Dp44mT, but did affect the cytotoxicity of the Dp44mT-Cu complex. Data from fluorescence quenching and UV-VIS absorbance measurements demonstrated that Dp44mT could bind to HSA with a moderate affinity (Ka = approximately 104 M−1. CD spectra revealed that Dp44mT could slightly disrupt the secondary structure of HSA. Dp44mT could also interact with Ct-DNA, but had a moderate binding constant (KEB = approximately 104 M−1. Docking studies indicated that the IB site of HSA, but not the IIA and IIIA sites, could be favorable for Dp44mT and that binding of Dp44mT to HSA involved hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic force, consistent with thermodynamic results from spectral investigations. Thus, the moderate binding affinity of Dp44mT with HSA and DNA partially contributed to its antitumor activity and may be preferable in drug design approaches.

Mechanisms of mtDNA segregation and mitochondrial signalling in cells with the pathogenic A3243G mutation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jahangir Tafrechi, Roshan Sakineh

2008-01-01

Using newly developed single cell A3243G mutation load assays a novel mechanism of mtDNA segregation was identified in which the multi-copy mtDNA nucleoid takes a central position. Furthermore, likely due to low level changes in gene expression, no genes or gene sets could be identified with gene

Shallow to intermediate resistivity features of the Colfiorito Fault System inferred by DC and MT survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Siniscalchi

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Over the last decade electromagnetic (EM measurements have provided new constraints on the upper-crustal structure of the major fault zones in the world, both when they act as conduit and as a barrier, due to strong sensitivity of resistivity to fluids circulation and mineralization. On the track of a high impact magnetotelluric (MT study performed across the San Andreas Fault, high resolution EM data were collected in the Colfiorito epicentral area along profiles crossing some main fault lineaments. Being the study focussed both on shallow that on intermediate resistivity distribution in the brittle upper-crust, a MT profile was integrated by several electrical resistivity tomographies (ERT. The latter were successful in locating faults even where the structures are buried by a wide covering of Quaternary deposits and in the recognition of different electrical signatures of the faults. MT resistivity model crossing Mt. Prefoglio normal fault clearly imaged the typical thrust structures of the area and a high conductive zone spatially related to the fault. Seismicity seems to be located outside such conductive area, whose behaviour suggests a fluidised and altered zone incapable of supporting significant stress internally.

Comparison of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Tropism Profiles in Clinical Samples by the Trofile and MT-2 Assays▿

Science.gov (United States)

Coakley, Eoin; Reeves, Jacqueline D.; Huang, Wei; Mangas-Ruiz, Marga; Maurer, Irma; Harskamp, Agnes M.; Gupta, Soumi; Lie, Yolanda; Petropoulos, Christos J.; Schuitemaker, Hanneke; van 't Wout, Angélique B.

2009-01-01

The recent availability of CCR5 antagonists as anti-human immunodeficiency virus (anti-HIV) therapeutics has highlighted the need to accurately identify CXCR4-using variants in patient samples when use of this new drug class is considered. The Trofile assay (Monogram Biosciences) has become the method that is the most widely used to define tropism in the clinic prior to the use of a CCR5 antagonist. By comparison, the MT-2 assay has been used since early in the HIV epidemic to define tropism in clinical specimens. Given that there are few data from direct comparisons of these two assays, we evaluated the performance of the plasma-based Trofile assay and the peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC)-based MT-2 assay for the detection of CXCR4 use in defining the tropism of HIV isolates derived from clinical samples. The various samples used for this comparison were derived from participants of the Amsterdam Cohort Studies on HIV infection and AIDS who underwent consecutive MT-2 assay testing of their PBMCs at approximately 3-month intervals. This unique sample set was specifically selected because consecutive MT-2 assays had demonstrated a shift from negative to positive in PBMCs, reflecting the first emergence of CXCR4-using virus in PBMCs above the level of detection of the assay in these individuals. Trofile testing was performed with clonal HIV type 1 (HIV-1) variants (n = 21), MT-2 cell culture-derived cells (n = 20) and supernatants (n = 42), and plasma samples (n = 76). Among the clonal HIV-1 variants and MT-2 cell culture-derived samples, the results of the Trofile and MT-2 assays demonstrated a high degree of concordance (95% to 98%). Among consecutive plasma samples, detection of CXCR4-using virus was at or before the time of first detection by the MT-2 assay in 5/10 patients by the original Trofile assay and in 9/10 patients by the enhanced-sensitivity Trofile assay. Differences in the time to the first detection of CXCR4 use between the MT-2 assay (PBMCs

Comparison of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 tropism profiles in clinical samples by the Trofile and MT-2 assays.

Science.gov (United States)

Coakley, Eoin; Reeves, Jacqueline D; Huang, Wei; Mangas-Ruiz, Marga; Maurer, Irma; Harskamp, Agnes M; Gupta, Soumi; Lie, Yolanda; Petropoulos, Christos J; Schuitemaker, Hanneke; van 't Wout, Angélique B

2009-11-01

The recent availability of CCR5 antagonists as anti-human immunodeficiency virus (anti-HIV) therapeutics has highlighted the need to accurately identify CXCR4-using variants in patient samples when use of this new drug class is considered. The Trofile assay (Monogram Biosciences) has become the method that is the most widely used to define tropism in the clinic prior to the use of a CCR5 antagonist. By comparison, the MT-2 assay has been used since early in the HIV epidemic to define tropism in clinical specimens. Given that there are few data from direct comparisons of these two assays, we evaluated the performance of the plasma-based Trofile assay and the peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC)-based MT-2 assay for the detection of CXCR4 use in defining the tropism of HIV isolates derived from clinical samples. The various samples used for this comparison were derived from participants of the Amsterdam Cohort Studies on HIV infection and AIDS who underwent consecutive MT-2 assay testing of their PBMCs at approximately 3-month intervals. This unique sample set was specifically selected because consecutive MT-2 assays had demonstrated a shift from negative to positive in PBMCs, reflecting the first emergence of CXCR4-using virus in PBMCs above the level of detection of the assay in these individuals. Trofile testing was performed with clonal HIV type 1 (HIV-1) variants (n = 21), MT-2 cell culture-derived cells (n = 20) and supernatants (n = 42), and plasma samples (n = 76). Among the clonal HIV-1 variants and MT-2 cell culture-derived samples, the results of the Trofile and MT-2 assays demonstrated a high degree of concordance (95% to 98%). Among consecutive plasma samples, detection of CXCR4-using virus was at or before the time of first detection by the MT-2 assay in 5/10 patients by the original Trofile assay and in 9/10 patients by the enhanced-sensitivity Trofile assay. Differences in the time to the first detection of CXCR4 use between the MT-2 assay (PBMCs

Proteomic data show an increase in autoantibodies and alpha-fetoprotein and a decrease in apolipoprotein A-II with time in sera from senescence-accelerated mice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guo, S.J. [Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing (China); Shanghai Key Laboratory of Hypertension, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai (China); Qi, C.H.; Zhou, W.X.; Zhang, Y.X. [Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing (China); Zhang, X.M.; Wang, J.; Wang, H.X. [National Center of Biomedical Analysis, Beijing (China)

2013-04-12

We evaluated changes in levels by comparing serum proteins in senescence-accelerated mouse-prone 8 (SAMP8) mice at 2, 6, 12, and 15 months of age (SAMP8-2 m, -6 m, -12 m, -15 m) to age-matched SAM-resistant 1 (SAMR1) mice. Mice were sacrificed, and blood was analyzed by 2-dimensional electrophoresis combined with mass spectrometry. Five protein spots were present in all SAMP8 serum samples, but only appeared in SAMR1 samples at 15 months of age except for spot 3, which also showed a slight expression in SAMR1-12 m sera. Two proteins decreased in the sera from SAMP8-2 m, -6 m, and -12 m mice, and divided into 2 spots each in SAMP8-15 m sera. Thus, the total number of altered spots in SAMP8 sera was 7; of these, 4 were identified as Ig kappa chain V region (M-T413), chain A of an activity suppressing Fab fragment to cytochrome P450 aromatase (32C2-A), alpha-fetoprotein, and apolipoprotein A-II. M-T413 is a monoclonal CD4 antibody, which inhibits T cell proliferation. We found that M-T413 RNA level was significantly enhanced in splenocytes from SAMP8-2 m mice. This agreed with serum M-T413 protein alterations and a strikingly lower blood CD4{sup +} T cell count in SAMP8 mice when compared to the age-matched SAMR1 mice, with the latter negatively correlating with serum M-T413 protein volume. Age-related changes in serum proteins favored an increase in autoantibodies and alpha-fetoprotein and a decrease of apolipoprotein A-II, which occurred in SAMP8 mice at 2 months of age and onwards. These proteins may serve as candidate biomarkers for early aging.

Proteomic data show an increase in autoantibodies and alpha-fetoprotein and a decrease in apolipoprotein A-II with time in sera from senescence-accelerated mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, S.J.; Qi, C.H.; Zhou, W.X.; Zhang, Y.X.; Zhang, X.M.; Wang, J.; Wang, H.X.

2013-01-01

We evaluated changes in levels by comparing serum proteins in senescence-accelerated mouse-prone 8 (SAMP8) mice at 2, 6, 12, and 15 months of age (SAMP8-2 m, -6 m, -12 m, -15 m) to age-matched SAM-resistant 1 (SAMR1) mice. Mice were sacrificed, and blood was analyzed by 2-dimensional electrophoresis combined with mass spectrometry. Five protein spots were present in all SAMP8 serum samples, but only appeared in SAMR1 samples at 15 months of age except for spot 3, which also showed a slight expression in SAMR1-12 m sera. Two proteins decreased in the sera from SAMP8-2 m, -6 m, and -12 m mice, and divided into 2 spots each in SAMP8-15 m sera. Thus, the total number of altered spots in SAMP8 sera was 7; of these, 4 were identified as Ig kappa chain V region (M-T413), chain A of an activity suppressing Fab fragment to cytochrome P450 aromatase (32C2-A), alpha-fetoprotein, and apolipoprotein A-II. M-T413 is a monoclonal CD4 antibody, which inhibits T cell proliferation. We found that M-T413 RNA level was significantly enhanced in splenocytes from SAMP8-2 m mice. This agreed with serum M-T413 protein alterations and a strikingly lower blood CD4 + T cell count in SAMP8 mice when compared to the age-matched SAMR1 mice, with the latter negatively correlating with serum M-T413 protein volume. Age-related changes in serum proteins favored an increase in autoantibodies and alpha-fetoprotein and a decrease of apolipoprotein A-II, which occurred in SAMP8 mice at 2 months of age and onwards. These proteins may serve as candidate biomarkers for early aging

The mitochondrial DNA makeup of Romanians: A forensic mtDNA control region database and phylogenetic characterization.

Science.gov (United States)

Turchi, Chiara; Stanciu, Florin; Paselli, Giorgia; Buscemi, Loredana; Parson, Walther; Tagliabracci, Adriano

2016-09-01

To evaluate the pattern of Romanian population from a mitochondrial perspective and to establish an appropriate mtDNA forensic database, we generated a high-quality mtDNA control region dataset from 407 Romanian subjects belonging to four major historical regions: Moldavia, Transylvania, Wallachia and Dobruja. The entire control region (CR) was analyzed by Sanger-type sequencing assays and the resulting 306 different haplotypes were classified into haplogroups according to the most updated mtDNA phylogeny. The Romanian gene pool is mainly composed of West Eurasian lineages H (31.7%), U (12.8%), J (10.8%), R (10.1%), T (9.1%), N (8.1%), HV (5.4%),K (3.7%), HV0 (4.2%), with exceptions of East Asian haplogroup M (3.4%) and African haplogroup L (0.7%). The pattern of mtDNA variation observed in this study indicates that the mitochondrial DNA pool is geographically homogeneous across Romania and that the haplogroup composition reveals signals of admixture of populations of different origin. The PCA scatterplot supported this scenario, with Romania located in southeastern Europe area, close to Bulgaria and Hungary, and as a borderland with respect to east Mediterranean and other eastern European countries. High haplotype diversity (0.993) and nucleotide diversity indices (0.00838±0.00426), together with low random match probability (0.0087) suggest the usefulness of this control region dataset as a forensic database in routine forensic mtDNA analysis and in the investigation of maternal genetic lineages in the Romanian population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Practical Examples of an Integrated Field Study Program at Mt. Fuji: Geosciences and the Arts

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, T.; Kamikuri, S. I.; Otsuji, H.; Kataguchi, N.; Maruyama, H.; Hashiura, H.

2017-12-01

Mt. Fuji is a symbol of existence for the Japanese and it also has been a religiously revered subject. In addition, as represented by the ukiyo-e of Hokusai and Hiroshige, it is a subject of paintings, as well as of various types of literary expression such as waka, haiku and novels. Historically, there was a time when Mt. Fuji was used as a symbol of the integration of the country; and it has long reflected the culture, life and thoughts of the Japanese. On another level, from the Earth scientific point of view, Mt. Fuji is one of the most active volcanoes in Japan. Teacher training colleges in Japan have created educational programs for all subjects taught at school. However, as there is no effective linkage among these subjects, students may have different opinions on them according to their curriculum. In this study, we adopted a multifaceted learning approach toward that most symbolic icon of our country. In FY2014 and FY2016, a course created by the College of Education at Ibaraki University, called "Fieldwork on Geology," was conducted at and around Mt. Fuji. In addition to conducting fieldwork from the viewpoint of earth science, it also had abundant artistic content. Academics in the fields of earth science, art and pedagogy worked closely together from the planning stage and participated in a field study with 25 university students. Specifically, we focused on how the experience of sketching a landscape affects field observations by broadening the viewpoint and deepening the understanding of students. To ascertain the bidirectional educational effects between earth sciences and art, students were asked: 1) to express an image of Mt. Fuji, and 2) to appreciate paintings of Mt. Fuji and express the information they garnered from the paintings, before and after the fieldwork. These two exercises are considered as providing insights into how the students' understanding had changed. In addition, reports and impressions submitted by the students were used as

mtDNA variation in caste populations of Andhra Pradesh, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Bamshad, M; Fraley, A E; Crawford, M H; Cann, R L; Busi, B R; Naidu, J M; Jorde, L B

1996-02-01

Various anthropological analyses have documented extensive regional variation among populations on the subcontinent of India using morphological, protein, blood group, and nuclear DNA polymorphisms. These patterns are the product of complex population structure (genetic drift, gene flow) and a population history noted for numerous branching events. As a result, the interpretation of relationships among caste populations of South India and between Indians and continental populations remains controversial. The Hindu caste system is a general model of genetic differentiation among endogamous populations stratified by social forces (e.g., religion and occupation). The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) molecule has unique properties that facilitate the exploration of population structure. We analyzed 36 Hindu men born in Andhra Pradesh who were unrelated matrilineally through at least 3 generations and who represent 4 caste populations: Brahmin (9), Yadava (10), Kapu (7), and Relli (10). Individuals from Africa (36), Asia (36), and Europe (36) were sampled for comparison. A 200-base-pair segment of hypervariable segment 2 (HVS2) of the mtDNA control region was sequenced in all individuals. In the Indian castes 25 distinct haplotypes are identified. Aside from the Cambridge reference sequence, only two haplotypes are shared between caste populations. Middle castes form a highly supported cluster in a neighbor-joining network. Mean nucleotide diversity within each caste is 0.015, 0.012, 0.011, and 0.012 for the Brahmin, Yadava, Kapu, and Relli, respectively. mtDNA variation is highly structured between castes (GST = 0.17; p caste populations of Andhra Pradesh cluster more often with Africans than with Asians or Europeans. This is suggestive of admixture with African populations.

Oxygenation of the traditional and thin-walled MT-YBCO in flowing oxygen and under high evaluated oxygen pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prikhna, Tatiana; Chaud, Xavier; Gawalek, Wolfgang; Rabier, Jaques; Savchuk, Yaroslav; Joulain, Anne; Vlasenko, Andrey; Moshchil, Viktor; Sergienko, Nina; Dub, Sergey; Melnikov, Vladimir; Litzkendorf, Doris; Habisreuther, Tobias; Sverdun, Vladimir

2007-01-01

The high pressure-high temperature oxygenation of thin-walled MT-YBCO (with artificially produced holes) allows decreasing the amount of macrocracks and increasing j c of the material. The MT-YBCO produced from Y123 and Y211 in the fields higher than 2 T showed higher j c in the ab-planes and lower j c in the c-direction than the MT-YBCO manufactured from Y123 and Y 2 O 3 and can be explained by the difference in twin and microcrack density that in turn can be affected by the difference in Y211 phase distribution

Developmental expression of membrane type 4-matrix metalloproteinase (Mt4-mmp/Mmp17) in the mouse embryo

Science.gov (United States)

Clemente, Cristina; Montalvo, María Gregoria; Seiki, Motoharu; Arroyo, Alicia G.