Development of novel antibacterial active, HaCaT biocompatible and biodegradable CA-g-P(3HB-EC biocomposites with caffeic acid as a functional entity

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H. M. N. Iqbal

2015-09-01

Full Text Available We have developed novel composites by grafting caffeic acid (CA onto the P(3HB-EC based material and laccase from Trametes versicolor was used for grafting purposes. The resulting composites were designated as CA-g-P(3HB-EC i.e., P(3HB-EC (control, 5CA-g-P(3HB-EC, 10CA-g-P(3HB-EC, 15CA-g-P(3HB-EC and 20CA-g-P(3HB-EC. FT-IR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was used to examine the functional and elemental groups of the control and laccase-assisted graft composites. Evidently, 15CA-g-P(3HB-EC composite exhibited resilient antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. Moreover, a significant level of biocompatibility and biodegradability of the CA-g-P(3HB-EC composites was also achieved with the human keratinocytes-like HaCaT cells and soil burial evaluation, respectively. In conclusion, the newly developed novel composites with multi characteristics could well represent the new wave of biomaterials for medical applications, and more specifically have promising future in the infection free would dressings, burn and/or skin regeneration field due to their sophisticated characteristics.

Acute toxicity of heavy metals to acetate-utilizing mixed cultures of sulfate-reducing bacteria: EC100 and EC50.

Science.gov (United States)

Utgikar, V P; Chen, B Y; Chaudhary, N; Tabak, H H; Haines, J R; Govind, R

2001-12-01

Acid mine drainage from abandoned mines and acid mine pit lakes is an important environmental concern and usually contains appreciable concentrations of heavy metals. Because sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are involved in the treatment of acid mine drainage, knowledge of acute metal toxicity levels for SRB is essential for the proper functioning of the treatment system for acid mine drainage. Quantification of heavy metal toxicity to mixed cultures of SRB is complicated by the confounding effects of metal hydroxide and sulfide precipitation, biosorption, and complexation with the constituents of the reaction matrix. The objective of this paper was to demonstrate that measurements of dissolved metal concentrations could be used to determine the toxicity parameters for mixed cultures of sulfate-reducing bacteria. The effective concentration, 100% (EC100), the lowest initial dissolved metal concentrations at which no sulfate reduction is observed, and the effective concentration, 50% (EC50), the initial dissolved metal concentrations resulting in a 50% decrease in sulfate reduction, for copper and zinc were determined in the present study by means of nondestructive, rapid physical and chemical analytical techniques. The reaction medium used in the experiments was designed specifically (in terms of pH and chemical composition) to provide the nutrients necessary for the sulfidogenic activity of the SRB and to preclude chemical precipitation of the metals under investigation. The toxicity-mitigating effects of biosorption of dissolved metals were also quantified. Anaerobic Hungate tubes were set up (at least in triplicate) and monitored for sulfate-reduction activity. The onset of SRB activity was detected by the blackening of the reaction mixture because of formation of insoluble ferrous sulfide. The EC100 values were found to be 12 mg/L for copper and 20 mg/L for zinc. The dissolved metal concentration measurements were effective as the indicators of the effect of the

Genetic analysis of the pelA-pelE cluster encoding the acidic and basic pectate lyases in Erwinia chrysanthemi EC16.

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Barras, F; Chatterjee, A K

1987-10-01

In Erwinia chrysanthemi (EC16) the clustered pelA and pelE genes encode an acidic (pI 4.2) and a basic (pI 10.0) pectate lyase (Pel), respectively. The pelA gene has been isolated on a 1.2 kb restriction fragment and the direction of transcription determined. DNA hybridization analysis showed that the pelE sequence shares DNA homology with pelA but not with pelB or pelC, two genes encoding other Pel species in EC16. Since Pel A and Pel E enzymes showed little similarity in terms of catalytic properties, it is proposed that pelA and pelE are duplicates which have highly diverged.

Unexpected High Digestion Rate of Cooked Starch by the Ct-Maltase-Glucoamylase Small Intestine Mucosal α-Glucosidase Subunit

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Amy Hui-Mei; Nichols, Buford L.; Quezada-Calvillo, Roberto; Avery, Stephen E.; Sim, Lyann; Rose, David R.; Naim, Hassan Y.; Hamaker, Bruce R.

2012-01-01

For starch digestion to glucose, two luminal α-amylases and four gut mucosal α-glucosidase subunits are employed. The aim of this research was to investigate, for the first time, direct digestion capability of individual mucosal α-glucosidases on cooked (gelatinized) starch. Gelatinized normal maize starch was digested with N- and C-terminal subunits of recombinant mammalian maltase-glucoamylase (MGAM) and sucrase-isomaltase (SI) of varying amounts and digestion periods. Without the aid of α-amylase, Ct-MGAM demonstrated an unexpected rapid and high digestion degree near 80%, while other subunits showed 20 to 30% digestion. These findings suggest that Ct-MGAM assists α-amylase in digesting starch molecules and potentially may compensate for developmental or pathological amylase deficiencies. PMID:22563462

Genes and proteins of Escherichia coli K-12 (GenProtEC).

Science.gov (United States)

Riley, M

1997-01-01

GenProtEC is a database of Escherichia coli genes and their gene products, classified by type of function and physiological role and with citations to the literature for each. Also present are data on sequence similarities amongE.coliproteins with PAM values, percent identity of amino acids, length of alignment and percent aligned. GenProtEC can also be accessed through the World Wide Web at URL http://mbl.edu/html/ecoli.html .

Genes and proteins of Escherichia coli (GenProtEc).

Science.gov (United States)

Riley, M; Space, D B

1996-01-01

GenProtEc is a database of Escherichia coli genes and their gene products, classified by type of function and physiological role and with citations to the literature for each. Also present are data on sequence similarities among E.coli proteins with PAM values, percent identity of amino acids, length of alignment and percent aligned. The database is available as a PKZip file by ftp from mbl.edu/pub/ecoli.exe. The program runs under MS-DOS on IMB-compatible machines. GenProtEc can also be accessed through the World Wide Web at URL http://mbl.edu/html/ecoli.html.

EC-fans and fan control systems; EC-ventilatoren en ventilatorregelsystemen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Havenaar, D.

2011-07-15

Saving of energy can be achieved by the design and application of energy efficient components such as EC-fans (EC stands for Electronically Commutated technology), which are used in different types of cooling-refrigeration and air conditioning systems. In this article attention is paid to two products of Ziehl-Abigg: the Icontrol and the Fcontrol frequency converters. [Dutch] Het beperken van het energiegebruik en het verminderen van de uitstoot van het broeikasgas CO2 is voor de sector een belangrijke opgave. Door het ontwerpen en toepassen van energie-efficiente componenten zoals EC-ventilatoren (EC staat voor Electronically Commutated technologie) in allerlei koel-, vries- en luchtbehandelingsinstallaties kan veel bespaard worden in het energiegebruik. In dit artikel wordt aandacht besteed aan 2 producten van Ziehl-Abigg: de Icontrol en de Fcontrol frequentie omvormers.

A randomized placebo-controlled trial of an omega-3 fatty acid and vitamins E+C in schizophrenia.

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Bentsen, H; Osnes, K; Refsum, H; Solberg, D K; Bøhmer, T

2013-12-17

Membrane lipid metabolism and redox regulation may be disturbed in schizophrenia. We examined the clinical effect of adding an omega-3 fatty acid and/or vitamins E+C to antipsychotics. It was hypothesized that lower baseline levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) would predict more benefit from the add-on treatment. The trial had a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 2 × 2 factorial design. Patients aged 18-39 years with schizophrenia or related psychoses were consecutively included at admission to psychiatric departments in Norway. They received active or placebo ethyl-eicosapentaenoate (EPA) 2 g day⁻¹ and active or placebo vitamin E 364 mg day⁻¹+vitamin C 1000 mg day⁻¹ (vitamins) for 16 weeks. The main outcome measures were Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total and subscales scores, analyzed by linear mixed models. Ninety-nine patients were included. At baseline, erythrocyte PUFA were measured in 97 subjects. Given separately, EPA and vitamins increased drop-out rates, whereas when combined they did not differ from placebo. In low PUFA patients, EPA alone impaired the course of total PANSS (Cohen's d=0.29; P=0.03) and psychotic symptoms (d=0.40; P=0.003), especially persecutory delusions (d=0.48; P=0.0004). Vitamins alone impaired the course of psychotic symptoms (d= 0.37; P=0.005), especially persecutory delusions (d=0.47; P=0.0005). Adding vitamins to EPA neutralized the detrimental effect on psychosis (interaction d=0.31; P=0.02). In high PUFA patients, there were no significant effects of trial drugs on PANSS scales. In conclusion, given separately during an acute episode, EPA and vitamins E+C induce psychotic symptoms in patients with low levels of PUFA. Combined, these agents seem safe.

Rapid procedure to calibrate EC-10 and EC-20 capacitance sensors ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A rapid calibration procedure for EC-10 and EC-20 sensors is introduced to promote the commercial use of these sensors for hydroponic irrigation management in coir. The method is comprised of taking one sensor reading, by a sensor installed under hydroponic crop production conditions, and one gravimetric sample, ...

Determination of primary combustion source organic carbon-to-elemental carbon (OC / EC ratio using ambient OC and EC measurements: secondary OC-EC correlation minimization method

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C. Wu

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Elemental carbon (EC has been widely used as a tracer to track the portion of co-emitted primary organic carbon (OC and, by extension, to estimate secondary OC (SOC from ambient observations of EC and OC. Key to this EC tracer method is to determine an appropriate OC / EC ratio that represents primary combustion emission sources (i.e., (OC / ECpri at the observation site. The conventional approaches include regressing OC against EC within a fixed percentile of the lowest (OC / EC ratio data (usually 5–20 % or relying on a subset of sampling days with low photochemical activity and dominated by local emissions. The drawback of these approaches is rooted in its empirical nature, i.e., a lack of clear quantitative criteria in the selection of data subsets for the (OC / ECpri determination. We examine here a method that derives (OC / ECpri through calculating a hypothetical set of (OC / ECpri and SOC followed by seeking the minimum of the coefficient of correlation (R2 between SOC and EC. The hypothetical (OC / ECpri that generates the minimum R2(SOC,EC then represents the actual (OC / ECpri ratio if variations of EC and SOC are independent and (OC / ECpri is relatively constant in the study period. This Minimum R Squared (MRS method has a clear quantitative criterion for the (OC / ECpri calculation. This work uses numerically simulated data to evaluate the accuracy of SOC estimation by the MRS method and to compare with two commonly used methods: minimum OC / EC (OC / ECmin and OC / EC percentile (OC / EC10 %. Log-normally distributed EC and OC concentrations with known proportion of SOC are numerically produced through a pseudorandom number generator. Three scenarios are considered, including a single primary source, two independent primary sources, and two correlated primary sources. The MRS method consistently yields the most accurate SOC estimation. Unbiased SOC estimation by OC�

Triterpenes as uncompetitive inhibitors of α-glucosidase from flowers of Punica granatum L.

Science.gov (United States)

Salah El Dine, Riham; Ma, Qiong; Kandil, Zeinab A; El-Halawany, Ali M

2014-01-01

The α-glucosidase and maltase inhibitory effects of Punica granatum L. flowers (PGF) were investigated. The methanol extract (PGFMe), n-hexane extract (PGFH), chloroform extract (PGFC) and the remaining water fraction (PGFW) were assayed for their α-glucosidase and maltase inhibitory effects. PGFW showed potent α-glucosidase inhibition with IC₅₀ of 0.8 μg/mL followed by PGFMe (IC₅₀ of 4.0 μg/mL) then PGFC (IC₅₀ of 5.21 μg/mL) in comparison to acarbose (0.9 μM). Due to its selectivity towards α-glucosidase, PGFC was subjected to bioactivity-guided isolation of its main active constituents. Five known compounds (1-5) were identified as β-sitosterol (1), oleanolic acid (2), ursolic acid (3), p-coumaric acid (4) and apigenin (5). Ursolic and oleanolic acids showed potent α-glucosidase inhibition (IC₅₀ of 39.0 and 35.0 μM, respectively), while they did not show significant maltase inhibition. Kinetic study using the double Lineweaver-Burk plot revealed that ursolic acid uncompetitively inhibited α-glucosidase in comparison with acarbose as a competitive inhibitor.

Antioxidant poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid nanoparticles made with α-tocopherol-ascorbic acid surfactant.

Science.gov (United States)

Astete, Carlos E; Dolliver, Debra; Whaley, Meocha; Khachatryan, Lavrent; Sabliov, Cristina M

2011-12-27

The goal of the study was to synthesize a surfactant made of α-tocopherol (vitamin E) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) of antioxidant properties dubbed as EC, and to use this surfactant to make poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanoparticles. Self-assembled EC nanostructures and PLGA-EC nanoparticles were made by nanoprecipitation, and their physical properties (size, size distribution, morphology) were studied at different salt concentrations, surfactant concentrations, and polymer/surfactant ratios. EC surfactant was shown to form self-assembled nanostructures in water with a size of 22 to 138 nm in the presence of sodium chloride, or 12 to 31 nm when synthesis was carried out in sodium bicarbonate. Polymeric PLGA-EC nanoparticles presented a size of 90 to 126 nm for 40% to 120% mass ratio PLGA to surfactant. For the same mass ratios, the PLGA-Span80 formed particles measured 155 to 216 nm. Span80 formed bilayers, whereas EC formed monolayers at the interfaces. PLGA-EC nanoparticles and EC showed antioxidant activity based on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay measurements using UV and EPR techniques, antioxidant activity which is not characteristic to commercially available Span80. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay for lipid peroxidation showed that PLGA nanoparticles with EC performed better as antioxidants than the EC nanoassembly or the free vitamin C. Nanoparticles were readily internalized by HepG2 cells and were localized in the cytoplasm. The newly synthesized EC surfactant was therefore found successful in forming uniform, small size polymeric nanoparticles of intrinsic antioxidant properties.

Cancer cells cause vascular endothelial cell (vEC) retraction via 12(S)HETE secretion; the possible role of cancer cell derived microparticle.

Science.gov (United States)

Uchide, Keiji; Sakon, Masato; Ariyoshi, Hideo; Nakamori, Syouji; Tokunaga, Masaru; Monden, Morito

2007-02-01

Cancer cell mediated vascular endothelial cell (vEC) retraction plays a pivotal role in cancer metastasis. The aim of this study is to clarify the biochemical character of vEC retraction factor derived from human breast cancer cell line, MCF-7. In order to estimate vEC retracting activity, transwell chamber assay system was employed. We first tested the effects of trypsin digestion as well as lipid extraction of culture medium (CM). Trypsin digestion of CM resulted in approximately 40% loss of vEC retracting activity and lipid extraction of CM by Brigh and Dyer methods recovered approximately 60% of vEC retracting activity, suggesting that approximately 60% of vEC retracting activity in MCF-7 derived CM is due to lipid. Although Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), the specific lipoxygenase inhibitor, suppressed vEC retracting activity in CM, Acetyl salicylic acid (ASA), a specific cyclooxygenase inhibitor, did not affect the activity, suggesting that lipid exerting vEC retracting activity in CM belongs to lipoxygenase mediated arachidonate metabolites. Thin layer chromatography clearly demonstrated that Rf value of lipid vEC retracting factor in CM is identical to 12HETE. Authentic 12(S)HETE, but not 12(R)HETE, showed vEC retracting activity. After the ultracentrifugation of CM, most lipid vEC retracting activity was recovered from the pellet fraction, and flow cytometric analysis using specific antibody against 12(S)HETE clearly showed the association of 12(S)HETE with small particle in CM. These findings suggested the principal involvement of 12(S)HETE in cancer cell derived microparticles in cancer cell mediated vEC retraction.

Seasonal variation in Hibiscus sabdariffa (Roselle) calyx phytochemical profile, soluble solids and α-glucosidase inhibition.

Science.gov (United States)

Ifie, Idolo; Ifie, Beatrice E; Ibitoye, Dorcas O; Marshall, Lisa J; Williamson, Gary

2018-09-30

Seasonal variations in crops can alter the profile and amount of constituent compounds and consequentially any biological activity. Differences in phytochemical profile, total phenolic content and inhibitory activity on α-glucosidase (maltase) of Hibiscus sabdariffa calyces grown in South Western Nigeria were determined over wet and dry seasons. The phenolic profile, organic acids and sugars were analysed using HPLC, while inhibition of rat intestinal maltase was measured enzymically. There was a significant increase (1.4-fold; p ≤ 0.05) in total anthocyanin content in the dry compared to wet planting seasons, and maltase inhibition from the dry season was slightly more potent (1.15-fold, p ≤ 0.05). Fructose (1.8-fold), glucose (1.8-fold) and malic acid (3.7-fold) were significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) but citric acid was lower (62-fold, p ≤ 0.008) in the dry season. Environmental conditions provoke metabolic responses in Hibiscus sabdariffa affecting constituent phytochemicals and nutritional value. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Specific fluorogenic substrates for neprilysin (neutral endopeptidase, EC 3.4.24.11 which are highly resistant to serine- and metalloproteases

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M.A.S. Medeiros

1997-10-01

Full Text Available Two intramolecularly quenched fluorogenic peptides containing o-aminobenzoyl (Abz and ethylenediamine 2,4-dinitrophenyl (EDDnp groups at amino- and carboxyl-terminal amino acid residues, Abz-DArg-Arg-Leu-EDDnp (Abz-DRRL-EDDnp and Abz-DArg-Arg-Phe-EDDnp (Abz-DRRF-EDDnp, were selectively hydrolyzed by neutral endopeptidase (NEP, enkephalinase, neprilysin, EC 3.4.24.11 at the Arg-Leu and Arg-Phe bonds, respectively. The kinetic parameters for the NEP-catalyzed hydrolysis of Abz-DRRL-EDDnp and Abz-DRRF-EDDnp were Km = 2.8 µM, kcat = 5.3 min-1, kcat/Km = 2 min-1 µM-1 and Km = 5.0 µM, kcat = 7.0 min-1, kcat/Km = 1.4 min-1 µM-1, respectively. The high specificity of these substrates was demonstrated by their resistance to hydrolysis by metalloproteases [thermolysin (EC 3.4.24.2, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE; EC 3.4.24.15], serineproteases [trypsin (EC 3.4.21.4, a-chymotrypsin (EC 3.4.21.1] and proteases present in tissue homogenates from kidney, lung, brain and testis. The blocked amino- and carboxyl-terminal amino acids protected these substrates against the action of aminopeptidases, carboxypeptidases and ACE. Furthermore, DR amino acids ensured total protection of Abz-DRRL-EDDnp and Abz-DRRF-EDDnp against the action of thermolysin and trypsin. Leu-EDDnp and Phe-EDDnp were resistant to hydrolysis by a-chymotrypsin. The high specifity of these substrates suggests their use for specific NEP assays in crude enzyme preparations

PRODUCTION OF BACTERIOCIN EC2 AND ITS INTERFERENCE IN THE GROWTH OF SALMONELLA TYPHI IN A MILK MATRIX

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Yuri de Jesus Lopes de Abreu

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Bacterial interference can occur through various mechanisms, including the production of peroxides, acids, ammonia, bacteriolytic enzymes or bacteriocins. The strain Escherichia coli EC2 produces the antimicrobial substance (AMS EC2, able to inhibit different strains of Gram-negative bacteria isolated from food, as E. coli and Salmonella sp. The activity of AMS EC2 was lost after treatment with proteolytic enzymes, indicating the presence of an active proteinaceous compound, suggesting that it is a bacteriocin. The substance, renamed bacteriocin EC2, has its better production when the producer strain is grown on Casoy medium, at 37ºC and pH 6.0, without NaCl addition, but it is also able to be produced in milk. When co-cultivated in UHT milk with the producer strain E. coli EC2, the growth of the indicator strain Salmonella Typhi is totally inhibited within the first 4 hours of incubation, suggesting a potential application of bacteriocin EC2 in the control of Salmonella sp. e.g. in foods.

Developmental regulation of ecdysone receptor (EcR and EcR-controlled gene expression during pharate-adult development of honeybees (Apis mellifera.

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Tathyana Rachel Palo Mello

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Major developmental transitions in multicellular organisms are driven by steroid hormones. In insects, these, together with juvenile hormone (JH, control development, metamorphosis, reproduction and aging, and are also suggested to play an important role in caste differentiation of social insects. Here, we aimed to determine how EcR transcription and ecdysteroid titers are related during honeybee postembryonic development and what may actually be the role of EcR in caste development of this social insect. In addition, we expected that knocking-down EcR gene expression would give us information on the participation of the respective protein in regulating downstream targets of EcR. We found that in Apis mellifera females, EcR-A is the predominantly expressed variant in postembryonic development, while EcR-B transcript levels are higher in embryos, indicating an early developmental switch in EcR function. During larval and pupal stages, EcR-B expression levels are very low, while EcR-A transcripts are more variable and abundant in workers compared to queens. Strikingly, these transcript levels are opposite to the ecdysteroid titer profile. 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E application experiments revealed that low 20E levels induce EcR expression during development, whereas high ecdysteroid titers seem to be repressive. By means of RNAi-mediated knockdown (KD of both EcR transcript variants we detected the differential expression of 234 poly-A+ transcripts encoding genes such as CYPs, MRJPs and certain hormone response genes (Kr-h1 and ftz-f1. EcR-KD also promoted the differential expression of 70 miRNAs, including highly conserved ones (e.g. miR-133 and miR-375, as well honeybee-specific ones (e.g. miR-3745 and miR-3761. Our results put in evidence a broad spectrum of EcR-controlled gene expression during postembryonic development of honeybees, revealing new facets of EcR biology in this social insect.

The characteristics changes of pH and EC of atmospheric precipitation and analysis on the source of acid rain in the source area of the Yangtze River from 2010 to 2015

Science.gov (United States)

Zong-Jie, Li; Song, Ling-Ling; Jing-zhu, Ma; Li, Yong-ge

2017-05-01

Through the analysis of pH value, EC, precipitation and wind speed of 402 precipitation samples in the source region of the Yangtze River from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2015, especially for the analysis of the 14 acid rain events. The results showed that: the acid rain in the source region of the Yangtze River was mainly affected by the southwest monsoon and the westerly circulation. The occurrence of acid rain mainly controlled by industrial pollution and other pollutants coming from India and other surrounding areas. And the other cause was that because of the Qinghai Tibet highway and the Qinghai Tibet railway, there were a lot of cars coming and going. And there were people in the summer to plateau tourism increased year by year, and more for self-driving travelling. This added additional pollutants (automobile exhaust) for the source of the Yangtze River. During the period of sampling, the variation range of pH value was from 4.0 to 8.57, with the mean was 6.37. And the range of EC was from 5.2 to 124.4 μs/cm, the average was 27.59 μs/cm. The order of conductivity in the four seasons was Spring > Winter > Summer > Autumn. And the order of pH in four seasons was Summer > Spring = Winter > Autumn. The results are also helpful for further understanding the acid rain in the Tibetan Plateau and providing scientific basis for the effective prevention and control of acid rain.

[Degradation of urea and ethyl carbamate in Chinese Rice wine by recombinant acid urease].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Jianli; Kang, Zhen; Liu, Qingtao; Du, Guocheng; Chen, Jian

2016-01-01

Ethyl carbamate (EC) as a potential carcinogen commonly exists in traditional fermented foods. It is important eliminate urea that is the precursors of EC in many fermented foods, including Chinese Rice wine. On the basis of achieving high-level overexpression of food-grade ethanol-resistant acid urease, we studied the hydrolysis of urea and EC with the recombinant acid urease. Recombinant acid urease showed degraded urea in both the simulated system with ethanol and Chinese Rice wine (60 mg/L of urea was completely degraded within 25 h), indicating that the recombinant enzyme is suitable for the elimination of urea in Chinese Rice wine. Although recombinant acid urease also has degradation catalytic activity on EC, no obvious degradation of EC was observed. Further investigation results showed that the Km value for urea and EC of the recombinant acid urease was 0.7147 mmol/L and 41.32 mmol/L, respectively. The results provided theoretical foundation for realizing simultaneous degradation of urea and EC.

EC6 safety design improvements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, S.; Lee, A.G.; Soulard, M. [Candu Energy Inc., Mississauga, ON (Canada)

2014-07-01

The Enhanced CANDU 6 (EC6) builds on the proven high performance design such as the Qinshan CANDU 6 reactor, and has made improvements to safety, operational performance, and has incorporated extensive operational feedback. Completion of all three phases of the pre-licensing design review by the Canadian Regulator - the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has provided a higher level of assurance that the EC6 reference design has taken modern regulatory requirements and expectations into account and further confirmed that there are no fundamental barriers to licensing the EC6 design in Canada. The EC6 design is based on the defence-in-depth principles in INSAG-10 and provides further safety features that address the lessons learned from Fukushima. With these safety features, the EC6 design has strengthened accident prevention as the first priority in the defence-in-depth strategy, as outlined in INSAG-10. As well, the EC6 design has incorporated further mitigation measures to provide additional protection of the public and the environment if the preventive measures fail. The EC6 design has an appropriate combination of inherent, passive safety characteristics, engineered features and administrative safety measures to effectively prevent and mitigate severe accident progressions. A strong contributor to the robustness and redundancy of CANDU design is the two-group separation philosophy. This ensures a high degree of independence between safety systems as well as physical separation and functional independence in how fundamental safety functions are provided. This paper will describe the following safety features based on the application of defence-in-depth and design approach to prevent beyond design basis events progressing to severe accidents and to mitigate the consequences if it occurs: Improved steam generator heat sink via a more reliable emergency heat removal system; Increased time before manual field actions are required via enhanced capacity of

The EC-ASEAN COGEN programme

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pennington, M.; Lacrosse, L. [Asian Institute of Technology (Thailand); Schenkel, Y. [Centre de Recherches Agronomiques (Belgium)

1996-12-31

The EC-ASEAN COGEN Programme is a co-operation programme between the European Commission (EC) and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) co-ordinated by the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok, Thailand. Its aim is to accelerate the implementation of proven technologies generating heat and/or power from wood and agroindustrial residues through partnerships between European and ASEAN companies. (orig.)

The EC-ASEAN COGEN programme

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pennington, M; Lacrosse, L [Asian Institute of Technology (Thailand); Schenkel, Y [Centre de Recherches Agronomiques (Belgium)

1997-12-31

The EC-ASEAN COGEN Programme is a co-operation programme between the European Commission (EC) and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) co-ordinated by the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok, Thailand. Its aim is to accelerate the implementation of proven technologies generating heat and/or power from wood and agroindustrial residues through partnerships between European and ASEAN companies. (orig.)

Evaluation of the size segregation of elemental carbon (EC emission in Europe: influence on the simulation of EC long-range transportation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Chen

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Elemental Carbon (EC has a significant impact on human health and climate change. In order to evaluate the size segregation of EC emission in the EUCAARI inventory and investigate its influence on the simulation of EC long-range transportation in Europe, we used the fully coupled online Weather Research and Forecasting/Chemistry model (WRF-Chem at a resolution of 2 km focusing on a region in Germany, in conjunction with a high-resolution EC emission inventory. The ground meteorology conditions, vertical structure and wind pattern were well reproduced by the model. The simulations of particle number and/or mass size distributions were evaluated with observations at the central European background site Melpitz. The fine mode particle concentration was reasonably well simulated, but the coarse mode was substantially overestimated by the model mainly due to the plume with high EC concentration in coarse mode emitted by a nearby point source. The comparisons between simulated EC and Multi-angle Absorption Photometers (MAAP measurements at Melpitz, Leipzig-TROPOS and Bösel indicated that the coarse mode EC (ECc emitted from the nearby point sources might be overestimated by a factor of 2–10. The fraction of ECc was overestimated in the emission inventory by about 10–30 % for Russia and 5–10 % for Eastern Europe (e.g., Poland and Belarus. This incorrect size-dependent EC emission results in a shorter atmospheric life time of EC particles and inhibits the long-range transport of EC. A case study showed that this effect caused an underestimation of 20–40 % in the EC mass concentration in Germany under eastern wind pattern.

Roles of major organizations in EC for decision making. EC no ishi kettei ni okeru shuyo kikan no yakuwari

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kodama, M.

1992-12-01

This paper considers authorization powers held by the major organizations in the EC, with the Maastricht Treaty kept in mind. One of the objectives of establishing the EC is to harmonize and develop the economic activities in the community on the whole, and promote making closer the relations among the member nations. The EC's supernationality has two aspects: finances (using financial sources from externally common tariffs as the EC's independent financial resources) and legislations (member nations delegating their own powers to the international organization). Organizations involving in the EC legislations are the European Assembly, the board of ministers, and the EC Committee. The Assembly has deciding powers at high levels on the EC budget decision, as well as vetoing power on the budget. The board of ministers is provided with deciding powers to assure achievement of the objectives defined in the official requirements. The Committee has a supernational character that each committee member can act independently free from being subjected to orders from his or her native country. Practically, however, the authorization relationship among the organizations has confrontations over the interests of the organizations and member nations. There have been such movements in this situation as the Luxemburg compromises, actions at the agricultural ministers meeting, and preparation of the unified European protocol. 2 figs., 4 tabs.

Public Availability to ECS Collected Datasets

Science.gov (United States)

Henderson, J. F.; Warnken, R.; McLean, S. J.; Lim, E.; Varner, J. D.

2013-12-01

Coastal nations have spent considerable resources exploring the limits of their extended continental shelf (ECS) beyond 200 nm. Although these studies are funded to fulfill requirements of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the investments are producing new data sets in frontier areas of Earth's oceans that will be used to understand, explore, and manage the seafloor and sub-seafloor for decades to come. Although many of these datasets are considered proprietary until a nation's potential ECS has become 'final and binding' an increasing amount of data are being released and utilized by the public. Data sets include multibeam, seismic reflection/refraction, bottom sampling, and geophysical data. The U.S. ECS Project, a multi-agency collaboration whose mission is to establish the full extent of the continental shelf of the United States consistent with international law, relies heavily on data and accurate, standard metadata. The United States has made it a priority to make available to the public all data collected with ECS-funding as quickly as possible. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) supports this objective by partnering with academia and other federal government mapping agencies to archive, inventory, and deliver marine mapping data in a coordinated, consistent manner. This includes ensuring quality, standard metadata and developing and maintaining data delivery capabilities built on modern digital data archives. Other countries, such as Ireland, have submitted their ECS data for public availability and many others have made pledges to participate in the future. The data services provided by NGDC support the U.S. ECS effort as well as many developing nation's ECS effort through the U.N. Environmental Program. Modern discovery, visualization, and delivery of scientific data and derived products that span national and international sources of data ensure the greatest re-use of data and

Dual EC : a standardized back door

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bernstein, D.J.; Lange, T.; Niederhagen, R.F.

2015-01-01

Dual EC is an algorithm to compute pseudorandom numbers starting from some random input. Dual EC was standardized by NIST, ANSI, and ISO among other algorithms to generate pseudorandom numbers. For a long time this algorithm was considered suspicious -- the entity designing the algorithm could have

LiPF{sub 6}. Synthesis and stability in EC/DMC and PC/DMC mixtures; LiPF{sub 6}. Synthese et stabilite dans les melanges EC/DMC et PC/DMC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naejus, R.; Coudert, R.; Lemordant, D. [Laboratoire P.I.M.I.R. EA, Sciences et Techniques, 37 - Tours (France); Willmann, P. [CNES, 31 - Toulouse (France)

1996-12-31

Lithium hexa-fluoro-phosphate LiPF{sub 6} is recommended for the replacement of the toxic LiAsF{sub 6} and the explosive perchlorates (like LiClO{sub 4}) in rechargeable lithium electrochemical generators. The aim of this work is to develop a new method of synthesis of this salt and to check its stability with respect to carbonated solvents: ethylene carbonate (EC), propylene carbonate (PC) and dimethyl-carbonate (DMC) in already optimized EC/DMC and PC/DMC binary mixtures. Two methods using HPF{sub 6} are proposed: the first one uses the direct neutralization of this commercial acid by LiOH in aqueous, alcoholic or acetonitrile environment, while in the second one LiPF{sub 6} is obtained from pyridinium hexa-fluoro-phosphate synthesized from HPF{sub 6} using a new and simple protocol. (J.S.) 24 refs.

LiPF{sub 6}. Synthesis and stability in EC/DMC and PC/DMC mixtures; LiPF{sub 6}. Synthese et stabilite dans les melanges EC/DMC et PC/DMC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naejus, R; Coudert, R; Lemordant, D [Laboratoire P.I.M.I.R. EA, Sciences et Techniques, 37 - Tours (France); Willmann, P [CNES, 31 - Toulouse (France)

1997-12-31

Lithium hexa-fluoro-phosphate LiPF{sub 6} is recommended for the replacement of the toxic LiAsF{sub 6} and the explosive perchlorates (like LiClO{sub 4}) in rechargeable lithium electrochemical generators. The aim of this work is to develop a new method of synthesis of this salt and to check its stability with respect to carbonated solvents: ethylene carbonate (EC), propylene carbonate (PC) and dimethyl-carbonate (DMC) in already optimized EC/DMC and PC/DMC binary mixtures. Two methods using HPF{sub 6} are proposed: the first one uses the direct neutralization of this commercial acid by LiOH in aqueous, alcoholic or acetonitrile environment, while in the second one LiPF{sub 6} is obtained from pyridinium hexa-fluoro-phosphate synthesized from HPF{sub 6} using a new and simple protocol. (J.S.) 24 refs.

Expression of a finger millet transcription factor, EcNAC1, in tobacco confers abiotic stress-tolerance.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Venkategowda Ramegowda

Full Text Available NAC (NAM, ATAF1-2, and CUC2 proteins constitute one of the largest families of plant-specific transcription factors and have been shown to be involved in diverse plant processes including plant growth, development, and stress-tolerance. In this study, a stress-responsive NAC gene, EcNAC1, was isolated from the subtracted stress cDNA library generated from a drought adapted crop, finger millet, and characterized for its role in stress-tolerance. The expression analysis showed that EcNAC1 was highly induced during water-deficit and salt stress. EcNAC1 shares high amino acid similarity with rice genes that have been phylogenetically classified into stress-related NAC genes. Our results demonstrated that tobacco transgenic plants expressing EcNAC1 exhibit tolerance to various abiotic stresses like simulated osmotic stress, by polyethylene glycol (PEG and mannitol, and salinity stress. The transgenic plants also showed enhanced tolerance to methyl-viologen (MV induced oxidative stress. Reduced levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS and ROS-induced damage were noticed in pot grown transgenic lines under water-deficit and natural high light conditions. Root growth under stress and recovery growth after stress alleviation was more in transgenic plants. Many stress-responsive genes were found to be up-regulated in transgenic lines expressing EcNAC1. Our results suggest that EcNAC1 overexpression confers tolerance against abiotic stress in susceptible species, tobacco.

Normal human serum (HS) prevents oxidant-induced lysis of cultured endothelial cells (ECs)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Callahan, K.S.; Harlan, J.M.

1986-01-01

Most studies demonstrating oxidant lysis of cultured ECs are performed in serum-free media or media containing low concentrations of bovine serum. The authors found that HS protects human and bovine ECs from lysis caused by reagent H 2 O 2 or glucose/glucose oxidase (GO)-generated H 2 O 2 . EC injury was assessed by 51 Cr release, cell detachment, or trypan blue dye exclusion. Protective HS activity was dose-dependent with concentrations greater than or equal to 25% preventing lethal injury. Cytotoxicity at 24 hrs, induced by 20 mU/ml GO, was 90.1 +/- 5.2% without HS vs 1.7 +/- 4.6% with 25% HS present (20 exp). Similar protection was observed with heparinized plasma. Of note, comparable concentrations of bovine serum were devoid of protective activity. Addition of fatty acid-free albumin to the media was also without protective effect. Preliminary characterization showed HS activity was stable to 60 0 C for 30 min, non-dialyzable at 25,000 MW cutoff, and retained in delipidated serum. The HS protection was not merely due to scavenging of exogenous H 2 O 2 as A23187-induced EC lysis was also prevented by HS. Protective activity was not reproduced by purified cerruloplasmin or transferrin. In conclusion, unidentified factor(s) present in HS protect cultured ECs from oxidant-induced lysis. Since endothelium is normally exposed to 100% plasma, the authors suggest that in vitro studies of oxidant-mediated injury be performed in the presence of HS. Factor(s) in HS may play an important role in modulating oxidant-induced vascular injury in vivo

Programming Amazon EC2

CERN Document Server

Vliet, Jurg

2011-01-01

If you plan to use Amazon Web Services to run applications in the cloud, the end-to-end approach in this book will save you needless trial and error. You'll find practical guidelines for designing and building applications with Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) and a host of supporting AWS tools, with a focus on critical issues such as load balancing, monitoring, and automation. How do you move an existing application to AWS, or design your application so that it scales effectively? How much storage will you require? Programming Amazon EC2 not only helps you get started, it will also keep y

Evaluation of the size segregation of elemental carbon (EC) emission in Europe: Influence on the simulation of EC long-range transportation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chen, Y.; Cheng, Y.F.; Nordmann, S.; Birmili, W.; Denier Van Der Gon, H.A.C.; Ma, N.; Wolke, R.; Wehner, B.; Sun, J.; Spindler, G.; Mu, Q.; Pöschl, U.; Su, H.; Wiedensohler, A.

2016-01-01

Elemental Carbon (EC) has a significant impact on human health and climate change. In order to evaluate the size segregation of EC emission in the EUCAARI inventory and investigate its influence on the simulation of EC long-range transportation in Europe, we used the fully coupled online Weather

Lysosomal storage disease 2 - Pompe's disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Ploeg, Ans T.; Reuser, Arnold J. J.

2008-01-01

Pompe's disease, glycogen-storage disease type II, and acid maltase deficiency are alternative names for the same metabolic disorder. It is a pan-ethnic autosomal recessive trait characterised by acid alpha-glucosidase deficiency leading to lysosomal glycogen storage. Pompe's disease is also

Ecotoxicology of bromoacetic acid on estuarine phytoplankton

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gordon, Ana R.; Richardson, Tammi L.; Pinckney, James L.

2015-01-01

Bromoacetic acid is formed when effluent containing chlorine residuals react with humics in natural waters containing bromide. The objective of this research was to quantify the effects of bromoacetic acid on estuarine phytoplankton as a proxy for ecosystem productivity. Bioassays were used to measure the EC 50 for growth in cultured species and natural marine communities. Growth inhibition was estimated by changes in chlorophyll a concentrations measured by fluorometry and HPLC. The EC 50 s for cultured Thalassiosira pseudonana were 194 mg L −1 , 240 mg L −1 for Dunaliella tertiolecta and 209 mg L −1 for Rhodomonas salina. Natural phytoplankton communities were more sensitive to contamination with an EC 50 of 80 mg L −1 . Discriminant analysis suggested that bromoacetic acid additions cause an alteration of phytoplankton community structure with implications for higher trophic levels. A two-fold EC 50 decrease in mixed natural phytoplankton populations affirms the importance of field confirmation for establishing water quality criteria. - Highlights: • Bromoacetic acid exposure resulted in lethal impacts to estuarine phytoplankton. • Cultured phytoplankton were less sensitive to bromoacetic acid than natural communities. • Lab results should be confirmed with field experiments whenever possible. - The toxicology of haloacetic acids has been studied in freshwater ecosystems, and urbanization of the coastal zone is making effects in marine ecosystems equally relevant.

The EC discourse on vocational training

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cort, Pia

2009-01-01

This article traces the EC vocational training policy historically and describes the discursive alignments which brought the policy from a ‘common vocational training policy' as laid down in Article 128, in the Treaty of Rome to the Lisbon Lifelong Learning strategy. The argument is that vocational...... EC vocational training policy (Ball, What is policy? Texts, trajectories and toolboxes. Discourse, 13(2), 1993)....

Online monitoring of electrocatalytic reactions of alcohols at platinum and gold electrodes in acidic, neutral and alkaline media by capillary electrophoresis with contactless conductivity detection (EC-CE-C4 D).

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira Santos, Mauro Sérgio; Silva Lopes, Fernando; Gutz, Ivano Gebhardt Rolf

2017-11-01

An EC-CE-C 4 D flow system was applied to the investigation of electrocatalytic processes by monitoring carboxylic acids formed during the electro-oxidation at various potentials of primary alcohols (mixture of 1 mmol/L of ethanol, n-propanol, n-butanol and n-pentanol) in acidic, neutral and alkaline media. The electro-oxidation was carried out on gold and platinum disk electrodes (3 mm of diameter) in a thin-layer electrochemical flow cell. Products were sampled 50 μm apart from the electrode directly into the capillary. All the generated carboxylates were determined in near real time (less than 2 min) by CE-C 4 D in counter-flow mode, with Tris/HCl buffer solution (pH 8.6) as BGE. Long sequences of 5-min experiments were run automatically, exploring the applied potential, electrolysis time and solution composition. Electro-oxidation at 1.5 V (versus Ag/AgCl quasi-reference) during 50 s in acidic medium was found appropriate for both Pt and Au electrodes when the determination of alcohols after derivatization is intended. A noteworthy selectivity effect was observed on the Au electrode. The signal corresponding to pentanoate is similar on both electrodes while the signal of ethanoate (acetate) is four times larger on gold than on platinum. The carboxylate signals were lower in alkaline medium (below the determination limit on Pt) than in acidic and neutral media. On gold, the formation of carboxylates was anticipated (0.85 V in alkaline medium versus 1.40 V in neutral medium). The automatic online monitoring of electrochemical processes by EC-CE-C 4 D holds great potential to investigate ionic/ionizable intermediates/products of new electrocatalysts and/or alternative fuels. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Finite impulse testing (FIT) system for Emergency Cooling System (ECS) in Dhruva

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Punekar, Parag; Ramkumar, N.; Kulkarni, U.S.; Darbhea, M.D.; Bharadhwaj, G; Jangra, L.R.; Geetha, Patil; Das, Shantanu; Sonnis, S.T.; Trevedi, P.; Patil, M.B.; Biswas, B.B.

2006-01-01

Finite Impulse Testing (FIT) system for Emergency Cooling System (ECS) is used to check healthiness of ECS logic circuits in an online mode. The ECS is an important safety system that ensures the cooling of reactor core during shutdown state of Main Coolant Pumps (MCPs), and hence FIT-ECS that monitors the health of ECS logic circuits in an online (real time) mode is an important part of it. Based on a Safety Related Unusual Occurrence in ECS system due to the malfunction of its earlier single channel FIT system, the new FIT-ECS system has been designed with new features and is commissioned. The FIT-ECS system feeds the simulated input signals (fine impulses of nominal width 575 μS) to the ECS logic circuits and read the outputs. These output (predicted) signals from ECS logic circuit are processed in the FIT-ECS system and in event of any discrepancy, the FIT-ECS system displays fault signature on local panel, detailed information of the fault on Operator Console (OC), and generates an alarm 'ECS logic Fail' in the control room. FIT-ECS also monitors the inputs and outputs of ECS logic circuit. All the information required is stored as a database that can be subsequently displayed in various formats. ECS system is designated as Category I-A system and is a hardwired system and FIT-ECS monitors the healthiness of the logics of the ECS System is a computerized system. As per IEC 1226, FIT-ECS is categorized as Category I-B system. This paper provides technical information on FIT-ECS system design, its important features, the testing carried on the FIT-ECS system, interconnections of FIT-ECS and ECS and the commissioning experience of FIT-ECS system. (author)

Effect of gallic and protocatechuic acids on the metabolism of ethyl carbamate in Chinese yellow rice wine brewing.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Wanyi; Fang, Ruosi; Chen, Qihe

2017-10-15

It was studied that gallic and protocatechuic acids played important roles in ethyl carbamate (EC) forming. Gallic and protocatechuic acids can reduce the arginine consumption through inhibiting the arginine deiminase enzyme. Therefore, they are generally added to regulate EC catabolism in the course of yellow rice wine leavening at the third day. In this work, gallic and protocatechuic acids made little influence on the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Besides, the addition of 200mg/L gallic or protocatechuic acid could prevent the transformation from urea/citrulline to EC. Gallic acid showed better inhibiting effect that the content of EC could be reduced by 91.9% at most. Furthermore, the production of amino acids and volatile flavor compounds are not markedly affected by phenolic compounds. The discoveries reveal that EC can be reduced by supplying gallic acid or protocatechuic acid while yellow rice wine leavening. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Everyone talk about EC technology - What's about this technology? AC versus AC technology; Alle reden von EC-Technologie - was bringt sie wirklich? AC- versus EC-Motorentechnik

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

2010-12-15

Meanwhile, the EC motor technology is the state of the art in fans. In the consciousness of a possible energy conservation, the EC motor technology is demanded to a large extent with the new installations of the customers. But how high are the possible savings actually? A comparative measurement at a condenser of Guentner AG (Fuerstenfeldbruck, Federal Republic of Germany) supports information.

Neurocognitive effects of an omega-3 fatty acid and vitamins E+C in schizophrenia: A randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Bentsen, H; Landrø, N I

2017-10-16

There is need for more efficient treatment of neurocognitive deficits in schizophrenia. In this 16 weeks randomised, placebo-controlled trial, we examined neurocognitive effects of adding ethyl-eicosapentaenoate 2g/day and/or vitamins E 364mg/day + C 1000mg/day to antipsychotics in 53 patients aged 18-39 years with acute schizophrenia. For the sake of validating neurocognitive tests, healthy subjects, not taking trial drugs, were also included in the study. Ethyl-EPA given alone to patients with low baseline RBC polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and Vitamins E+C given alone to high PUFA patients, impaired sustained attention (Continuous Performance Test, CPT-IP d prime score), standardised effect sizes d = 0.78 and d = 0.69, respectively. These adverse effects were paralleled by excessive increases in long-chain PUFA and serum alpha-tocopherol, respectively. They were counteracted by combining ethyl-EPA and vitamins, d = 0.80 and d = 0.74 in low and high PUFA patients, respectively. No other neurocognitive tests yielded significant results. Plausible mechanisms of harmful effects are oxidative stress and lipid raft disruption. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Ecotoxicology of bromoacetic acid on estuarine phytoplankton.

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon, Ana R; Richardson, Tammi L; Pinckney, James L

2015-11-01

Bromoacetic acid is formed when effluent containing chlorine residuals react with humics in natural waters containing bromide. The objective of this research was to quantify the effects of bromoacetic acid on estuarine phytoplankton as a proxy for ecosystem productivity. Bioassays were used to measure the EC50 for growth in cultured species and natural marine communities. Growth inhibition was estimated by changes in chlorophyll a concentrations measured by fluorometry and HPLC. The EC50s for cultured Thalassiosira pseudonana were 194 mg L(-1), 240 mg L(-1) for Dunaliella tertiolecta and 209 mg L(-1) for Rhodomonas salina. Natural phytoplankton communities were more sensitive to contamination with an EC50 of 80 mg L(-1). Discriminant analysis suggested that bromoacetic acid additions cause an alteration of phytoplankton community structure with implications for higher trophic levels. A two-fold EC50 decrease in mixed natural phytoplankton populations affirms the importance of field confirmation for establishing water quality criteria. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electrochemically Pretreated Carbon Microfiber Electrodes as Sensitive HPLC-EC Detectors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zdenka Bartosova

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The paper focuses on the analysis and detection of electroactive compounds using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC combined with electrochemical detection (EC. The fabrication and utilization of electrochemically treated carbon fiber microelectrodes (CFMs as highly sensitive amperometric detectors in HPLC are described. The applied pretreatment procedure is beneficial for analytical characteristics of the sensor as demonstrated by analysis of the model set of phenolic acids. The combination of CFM with separation power of HPLC technique allows for improved detection limits due to unique electrochemical properties of carbon fibers. The CFM proved to be a promising tool for amperometric detection in liquid chromatography.

Genetics Home Reference: Pompe disease

Science.gov (United States)

... as acid maltase). This enzyme is active in lysosomes , which are structures that serve as recycling centers ... sugar to build up to toxic levels in lysosomes. This buildup damages organs and tissues throughout the ...

Molecular characterization of EcCIPK24 gene of finger millet (Eleusine coracana) for investigating its regulatory role in calcium transport.

Science.gov (United States)

Chinchole, Mahadev; Pathak, Rajesh Kumar; Singh, Uma M; Kumar, Anil

2017-08-01

Finger millet grains contain exceptionally high levels of calcium which is much higher compared to other cereals and millets. Since calcium is an important macronutrient in human diet, it is necessary to explore the molecular basis of calcium accumulation in the seeds of finger millet. CIPK is a calcium sensor gene, having role in activating Ca 2+ exchanger protein by interaction with CBL proteins. To know the role of EcCIPK24 gene in seed Ca 2+ accumulation, sequence is retrieved from the transcriptome data of two finger millet genotypes GP1 (low Ca 2+ ) and GP45 (high Ca 2+ ), and the expression was determined through qRT-PCR. The higher expression was found in root, shoot, leaf and developing spike tissue of GP45 compared to GP1; structural analysis showed difference of nine SNPs and one extra beta sheet domain as well as differences in vacuolar localization was predicted; besides, the variation in amino acid composition among both the genotypes was also investigated. Molecular modeling and docking studies revealed that both EcCBL4 and EcCBL10 showed strong binding affinity with EcCIPK24 (GP1) compared to EcCIPK24 (GP45). It indicates a genotypic structural variation, which not only affects the affinity but also calcium transport efficiency after interaction of CIPK-CBL with calcium exchanger ( Ec CAX1b) to pull calcium in the vacuole. Based on the expression and in silico study, it can be suggested that by activating EcCAX1b protein, EcCIPK24 plays an important role in high seed Ca 2+ accumulation.

On the isolation of elemental carbon (EC) for micro-molar 14C accelerator mass spectrometry: development of a hybrid reference material for 14C-EC accuracy assurance, and a critical evaluation of the thermal optical kinetic (TOK) EC isolation procedure

Science.gov (United States)

Currie, L. A.; Kessler, J. D.

2005-10-01

The primary objective of the research reported here has been the development of a hybrid reference material (RM) to serve as a test of accuracy for elemental carbon (EC) isotopic (14C) speciation measurements. Such measurements are vital for the quantitative apportionment of fossil and biomass sources of "soot" (EC), the tracer of fire that has profound effects on health, atmospheric visibility, and climate. Previous studies of 14C-EC measurement quality, carried out with NIST SRM 1649a (Urban Dust), showed a range of results, but since the "truth" was not known for this natural matrix RM, one had to rely on isotopic-chemical consistency evidence (14C in PAH, EC) of measurement validity (Currie et al., 2002). Components of the new Hybrid RM (DiesApple), however, have known 14C and EC composition, and they are nearly orthogonal (isotopically and chemically). NIST SRM 2975 (Forklift Diesel Soot) has little or no 14C, and its major compositional component is EC; SRM 1515 (Apple Leaves) has the 14C content of biomass-C, and it has little or no EC. Thus, the Hybrid RM can serve as an absolute isotopic test for the absence of EC-mimicking pyrolysis-C (char) from SRM 1515 in the EC isolate of the Hybrid RM, as well as a test for conservation of its dominant soot fraction throughout the isolation procedure. The secondary objective was to employ the Hybrid RM for the comparative evaluation of the thermal optical kinetic (TOK) and thermal optical transmission (TOT) methods for the isolation of EC for micro-molar carbon accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). As part of this process, the relatively new TOK method was subjected to a critical evaluation and significant development. Key findings of our study are: (1) both methods exhibited biomass-C "leakage"; for TOT, the EC fraction isolated for AMS contained about 8% of the original biomass-C; for TOK, the refractory carbon (RC) isolated contained about 3% of the original biomass-C.; (2) the initial isothermal oxidation stage of

On the isolation of elemental carbon (EC for micro-molar 14C accelerator mass spectrometry: development of a hybrid reference material for 14C-EC accuracy assurance, and a critical evaluation of the thermal optical kinetic (TOK EC isolation procedure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. A. Currie

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The primary objective of the research reported here has been the development of a hybrid reference material (RM to serve as a test of accuracy for elemental carbon (EC isotopic (14C speciation measurements. Such measurements are vital for the quantitative apportionment of fossil and biomass sources of 'soot' (EC, the tracer of fire that has profound effects on health, atmospheric visibility, and climate. Previous studies of 14C-EC measurement quality, carried out with NIST SRM 1649a (Urban Dust, showed a range of results, but since the 'truth' was not known for this natural matrix RM, one had to rely on isotopic-chemical consistency evidence (14C in PAH, EC of measurement validity (Currie et al., 2002. Components of the new Hybrid RM (DiesApple, however, have known 14C and EC composition, and they are nearly orthogonal (isotopically and chemically. NIST SRM 2975 (Forklift Diesel Soot has little or no 14C, and its major compositional component is EC; SRM 1515 (Apple Leaves has the 14C content of biomass-C, and it has little or no EC. Thus, the Hybrid RM can serve as an absolute isotopic test for the absence of EC-mimicking pyrolysis-C (char from SRM 1515 in the EC isolate of the Hybrid RM, as well as a test for conservation of its dominant soot fraction throughout the isolation procedure. The secondary objective was to employ the Hybrid RM for the comparative evaluation of the thermal optical kinetic (TOK and thermal optical transmission (TOT methods for the isolation of EC for micro-molar carbon accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS. As part of this process, the relatively new TOK method was subjected to a critical evaluation and significant development. Key findings of our study are: (1 both methods exhibited biomass-C 'leakage'; for TOT, the EC fraction isolated for AMS contained about 8% of the original biomass-C; for TOK, the refractory carbon (RC isolated contained about 3% of the original biomass-C.; (2 the initial isothermal oxidation stage

Genotype, production system and sex effects on fatty acid composition of meat from goat kids.

Science.gov (United States)

Özcan, Mustafa; Demirel, Gulcan; Yakan, Akın; Ekiz, Bülent; Tölü, Cemil; Savaş, Türker

2015-02-01

Two trials were performed to assess the meat fatty acid profile of goat kids from different genotypes, production systems and sex. In the first trial, genotype effect was determined in 24 suckling male kids from Turkish Saanen, Maltese and Gokceada breeds. In the second trial, male and female Gokceada Goat kids were used to compare the effect of extensive and semi-intensive production systems on fatty acid composition of meat. Significant genotype effect was observed in the percentages of myristic acid (C14:0), palmitic acid (C16:0), oleic acid (C18:1 n-9), linolenic acid (C18:3 n-3), arachidonic acid (C20:4 n-6) and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6 n-3), despite no differences on the ratios of polyunsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids (PUFA/SFA) and n-6/n-3 (P > 0.05). The effect of production system had also significant effects on fatty acids, but sex only influenced significantly stearic acid (C18:0), C18:1 n-9 and C18:3 n-3 fatty acids and total PUFA level and PUFA/SFA ratio. This study confirms that dairy breeds are prone to produce higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids in their muscle. Meanwhile, meat from Gokceada goat kids, which is one of the indigenous breeds in Turkey, had similar PUFA/SFA and n-6/n-3 ratios to Turkish Saanen and Maltase. © 2014 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

EC-construction product guideline 89/106/EEC and EC-pressure equipement guideline 97/23/EC; EG-Bauproduktenrichtlinie 89/106/EWG und EG-Druckgeraeterichtlinie 97/23/EG

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dupin, F. [DVGW Deutscher Verein des Gas- und Wasserfaches e.V., Bonn (Germany)

1998-08-01

For now nearly ten years the EC-directive 90/396/EEC is well established in the gas field. In the meantime other EC-directives are playing a role which cannot be left out of consideration. Particularly the EC-Construction Product Directive (89/106/EEC) and the Pressure Equipment Directive (97/23/EG) constitute a focal point as many key-issues (e.g. scope) are still open, causing thus hotly debated discussions. The present contribution reflects the current consultations at the national and European level, pointing out then the gas-specific features. (orig.) [Deutsch] Seit nahezu zehn Jahren hat sich die EG-Richtlinie 90/396/EWG fuer Gasverbrauchseinrichtungen im europaeischen Gasfach fest etabliert. Inzwischen sind andere EG-Richtlinien ins Spiel gekommen, deren Einfluss nicht ausser Acht gelassen werden kann. Besonders die EG-Bauproduktenrichtlinie (89/106/EWG) und die EG-Druckgeraeterichtlinie (97/23/EG) stehen z.Z. im Mittelpunkt, da viele Schluesselfragen (z.B. Geltungsbereich) noch offen sind und heftige Debatten mit sich bringen. Der vorliegende Beitrag gibt den Stand der auf nationaler und europaeischer Ebene gefuehrten Beratungen wieder und stellt dabei die gasspezifischen Gegebenheiten heraus. (orig.)

Amelioration of cadmium- and mercury-induced liver and kidney damage in rats by genetically engineered probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 producing pyrroloquinoline quinone with oral supplementation of citric acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Raghuvanshi, Ruma; Chaudhari, Archana; Kumar, G Naresh

2016-01-01

Antioxidants, chelating agents, and probiotics are used to manage the toxic effects of cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg). The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effects of antioxidants, chelating agents, and probiotics against heavy metal toxicity. Genetically modified probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN-20) producing a potent water soluble antioxidant pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) was supplemented with oral citric acid and compared with another genetically modified probiotic EcN-21 producing PQQ and citric acid against oxidative stress induced by Cd and Hg. Rats were independently given 100 ppm Cd and 80 ppm Hg in drinking water for 4 wk. EcN-20 was found to be more effective than EcN-2 (EcN strain with genomic integration of vgb and gfp genes) with orally given PQQ against oxidative stress induced by Cd and Hg. EcN-20 supplemented with oral citric acid was more effective against Cd and Hg toxicity compared with EcN-2+citric acid (oral), EcN-2+PQQ (oral), EcN-2+PQQ (oral)+citric acid (oral), EcN-20, and EcN-21. However, protection shown by EcN-21 was similar to EcN-20. The combination therapy involving probiotic EcN-20 producing PQQ with citric acid given orally was found to be a moderately effective strategy against toxicity induced by Cd and Hg, whereas the protective effect of EcN-21 was the same as EcN-20. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pharmacology of (S)-homoquisqualic acid and (S)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid [(S)-AP5] at cloned metabotropic glutamate receptors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bräuner-Osborne, Hans; Krogsgaard-Larsen, P

1998-01-01

1 In this study we have determined the pharmacological profile of (S)-quisqualic acid, (S)-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid ((S)-AP4) and their higher homologues (S)-homoquisqualic acid, (S)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid ((S)-AP5), respectively, and (R)-AP5 at subtypes of metabotropic (S)-glutamic...... demonstrate that incorporation of an additional carbon atom into the backbone of (S)-glutamic acid and its analogues, to give the corresponding homologues, and replacement of the terminal carboxyl groups by isosteric acidic groups have profound effects on the pharmacological profiles at mGlu receptor subtypes...... acid (mGlu) receptors expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. 2 (S)-Quisqualic acid was a potent mGlu1/mGlu5 agonist (EC50 values of 1.1 microM and 0.055 microM, respectively) showing no activity at mGlu2 and weak agonism at mGlu4 (EC50 approximately 1000 microM). 3 (S)-Homoquisqualic acid displayed...

Special Issue: Selected papers from ECS'97

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

1999-01-01

This Special Issue of Analog Integrated Circuits and Signal Processing presents extended versions of selected papers from the First Electronic Circuits and Systems Conference (ECS'97) which was held on September 4-5, 1997, in Bratislava, Slovakia.......This Special Issue of Analog Integrated Circuits and Signal Processing presents extended versions of selected papers from the First Electronic Circuits and Systems Conference (ECS'97) which was held on September 4-5, 1997, in Bratislava, Slovakia....

E1A FUNCTIONS AS A COACTIVATOR OF RETINOIC ACID-DEPENDENT RETINOIC ACID RECEPTOR-BETA-2 PROMOTER ACTIVATION

NARCIS (Netherlands)

KRUYT, FAE; FOLKERS, GE; WALHOUT, AJM; VANDERLEEDE, BM; VANDERSAAG, PT; Kruyt, Frank

The retinoic acid (RA) receptor (RAR) beta2 promoter is strongly activated by RA in embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells. We examined this activation in the P19 EC-derived END-2 cell line and in E1A-expressing counterparts and found strong RA-dependent RARbeta2 promoter activation in the E1A-expressing

RNA of Enterococcus faecalis Strain EC-12 Is a Major Component Inducing Interleukin-12 Production from Human Monocytic Cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ryoichiro Nishibayashi

Full Text Available Interleukin-12 (IL-12 is an important cytokine for the immunomodulatory effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB. Using murine immune cells, we previously reported that the RNA of Enterococcus faecalis EC-12, a LAB strain exerting probiotic-like beneficial effects, is the major IL-12-inducing immunogenic component. However, it was recently revealed that bacterial RNA can be a ligand for Toll-like receptor (TLR 13, which is only expressed in mice. Because TLR13 is not expressed in humans, the immuno-stimulatory and -modulatory effects of LAB RNA in human cells should be augmented excluding TLR13 contribution. In experiment 1 of this study, the role of LAB RNA in IL-12 induction in human immune cells was studied using three LAB strains, E.faecalis EC-12, Lactobacillus gasseri JCM5344, and Bifidobacterium breve JCM1192. RNase A treatment of heat-killed LAB significantly decreased the IL-12 production of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells on stimulation, while RNase III treatment revealed virtually no effects. Further, IL-12 production against heat-killed E. faecalis EC-12 was abolished by depleting monocytes. These results demonstrated that single stranded RNA (ssRNA of LAB is a strong inducer of IL-12 production from human monocytes. In experiment 2, major receptor for ssRNA of E. faecalis EC-12 was identified using THP-1 cells, a human monocytic cell line. The type of RNA molecules of E. faecalis EC-12 responsible for IL-12 induction was also identified. IL-12 production induced by the total RNA of E. faecalis EC-12 was significantly reduced by the treatment of siRNA for TLR8 but not for TLR7. Furthermore, both 23S and 16S rRNA, but not mRNA, of E. faecalis EC-12 markedly induced IL-12 production from THP-1 cells. These results suggested that the recognition of ssRNA of E. faecalis EC-12 was mediated by TLR8 and that rRNA was the RNA molecule that exhibited IL-12-inducing ability in human cells.

EC6 design features and pre-project licensing review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, S.; Lee, A.G.; Dinh, N.B.; Soulard, M. [CANDU Energy Inc., Mississauga, Ontario, (Canada)

2013-07-01

The Enhanced CANDU 6 (EC6) is the new Generation III CANDU reactor design that meets the most up to date Canadian regulatory requirements and customer expectations. Candu Energy Inc. is finalizing development of the EC6 which incorporates the CANDU 6's well-proven features, and adds enhancements that strengthened reactor safety margin and improved operability. The EC6 builds on the proven high performance design and the defence-in-depth features of CANDU 6 units, and has incorporated extensive operational feedback including lessons learned from Fukushima. This paper will provide status of the engineering program including progress on the pre-licensing review of the EC6 design by the Canadian Regulator, CNSC, and will also highlight the design and safety enhancements incorporated in the EC6 product. Safety enhancements to meet safety goals and to improve robustness of systems to respond to design basis accidents and beyond design basis accidents include: new severe accident recovery and heat removal system; improved emergency heat removal system; faster shutoff rods with improved safety margins; mechanical guaranteed shutdown rods; daily load cycling capability; robust containment with containment filter venting system; and improved backed-up electrical supply and cooling services. (author)

Do Decision 2003/54/EC and Decision no. 1229/2003/EC result in a European market for electricity?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wenting, F.

2004-01-01

In the summer of 2003 the European Parliament and the European Council issued a new Directive with respect to the internal market for electricity (Directive 2003/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2003 concerning common rules for the internal market in electricity) and Guidelines for trans-European networks in the energy sector (Decision no. 1229/2003/EC). The question is whether these decisions will lead to a European and free market for electricity. It is concluded that this is not yet the case [nl

Investigation of the direct and indirect electrochemical oxidation of hydrazine in nitric acid medium on platinum; Etude de l`oxydation electrochimique directe et indirecte de l`hydrazine en milieu acide nitrique sur platine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cames, B

1997-12-31

In nuclear fuel processing by the PUREX process, the purification of plutonium in nitric acid medium requires the oxidation of Pu(III) to Pu(IV), and of hydrazinium nitrate to nitrogen. The study helped to characterize the electrochemical behavior of the oxidation of hydrazinium nitrate and the reduction of nitric acid to nitrous acid, a compound which can chemically oxidize hydrazinium nitrate and Pu(III). Electro-analytical studies on polycrystalline platinum showed that hydrazine is oxidized in two potential zones, which depend on the surface texture of the platinum anode. Electrolysis in separate compartments, carried out in medium-acid media (2 and 4 mo/l) in the potential zone where these processes take place, showed that, at 0.9 V/ECS, the hydrazine oxidation reactions involved are: a four-electron process (75 %) with nitrogen formation and a one-electron process (25 %) with formation of nitrogen and ammonium ion. By contrast, electrolysis carried out at 0.65 V/ECS (with reactivation of the electrode at - 0.2 V/ECS to remove the poison from the platinum) allowed the selective oxidation of hydrazine to nitrogen by the four-electron reaction. Nitric acid can only be reduced to nitrous acid in the absence of hydrazine. For medium-acid media ({<=} 6 mol/l), this reaction takes place at potentials below - 0.2 V/ECS. However, the production rate of nitrous acid (partial order 0 with respect to nitric acid) is very low compared with the values obtained for strongly-acid media (6 to 10 mol/l) at the potential of - 0.1 V/ECS. Note that, in concentrated nitric medium, the selectivity of the reduction reaction is 47 to 85 % for nitrous acid, depending on the nitric acid concentration (6 to 10 mol/l) and the potential imposed (- 0.1 {<=} E {<=} 0.6 V/ECS). A kinetic study helped to determine the hydrazine oxidation rates as a function of the operating conditions. In all cases, the reaction rate is of partial order 0 with respect to hydrazine. These studies accordingly

Transient changes of enzyme activity of five acid hydrolases in the supernatants of homogenates of hearts of mice due to ultraviolet irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Droba, B.; Jagiellonian Univ., Krakow

1977-01-01

Enzymatic activity of five lysosomal hydrolases: acid p-nitrophenyl phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.2), acid β-glycerophosphatase (EC 3.1.3.2), arylsulphatase (EC 3.1.6.1), β-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.23) and β-N-acetylhexoaminidase (EC 3.2.1.30) was studied in the supernatants of homogenates of hearts of unirradiated mice, serving as controls, and a group of UV-irradiated mice. In the control group, determinations made at 6-hr intervals showed rhythmic diurnal changes in activities of three acid hydrolases. These changes were statistically significant in the case of acid p-nitrophenyl phosphatase, acid β-glycerophosphatase, and β-N-acetylhexosaminidase. The effect of UV-irradiation was manifested mainly by depression of enzyme activities of the acid hydrolases during the first few hours after exposure. Depression of activities of arylsulphatase and β-N-acetylhexosaminidase by UV light was statistically significant. Presumably, the fall in enzyme activities of the acid hydrolases was due to chemical mediators formed in the skin under the influence of UV-radiation and adrenal corticoids secreted into the blood

Scientific Opinion on the safety of synthetic N-acetyl-D-neuraminic acid as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 258/97

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Morten

2017-01-01

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on synthetic N-acetyl-d-neuraminic acid (NANA) as a novel food (NF) submitted pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 258/97. The information...... on the composition, the specifications, the batch-to-batch variability, stability and production process of the NF is sufficient and does not raise concerns about the safety of the NF. The NF is intended to be marketed as an ingredient in formulae and foods for infants and young children as well as an ingredient...... in a variety of foods and in food supplements for the general population. NANA is naturally present in human milk, in a bound and free form. The Margin of Exposure, which was based on the no-observed-adverse effect level (NOAEL) of 493 mg/kg body weight (bw) per day from a subchronic study and the anticipated...

Seizure threshold to lidocaine is decreased following repeated ECS (electroconvulsive shock)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kragh, J; Seidelin, J; Bolwig, T G

1993-01-01

Seizure susceptibility to lidocaine was investigated in rats which had received repeated ECS (electroconvulsive shock). In the first experiment three groups of rats received an ECS daily for 18 days, an ECS weekly for 18 weeks, and 18 sham treatments, respectively. Twelve weeks after the last ECS...... all rats received a lidocaine challenge (LC) in the form of an intraperitoneal (IP) injection of lidocaine (65 mg/kg). After the injection the animals were observed for occurrence of motor seizures. A total of 67% (10/15), 47% (7/15), and 0% (0/18) of the daily, weekly, and sham groups, respectively......, had motor seizures in response to the LC. In the second experiment five groups of rats received an ECS daily for 0, 1, 6, 18, and 36 days, respectively. Eighteen weeks after the last ECS all rats received an LC and 0% (0/15), 13% (2/15), 20% (3/15), 53% (8/15), and 58% (7/12), respectively, developed...

Ketone EC50 values in the Microtox test.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, H F; Hee, S S

1995-03-01

The Microtox EC50 values for the following ketones are reported in the following homologous series: straight chain methyl ketones (acetone, 2-butanone, 2-pentanone, 2-hepatonone, 2-octanone, 2-decanone, and 2-tridecanone); methyl ketones substituted at one alpha carbon (3-methyl-2-butanone; 3,3-dimethyl-2-butanone); methyl substituted at two alpha carbons (2,4-dimethyl-3-pentanone; 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-3-pentanone); phenyl groups replacing methyl in acetone (acetophenone; benzophenone); methyl groups substituted at the alpha carbons of cyclohexanone; and 2,3- 2,4-, and 2,5-hexanediones, most for the first time. While there were linear relationships between log EC50 and MW for the straight chain methyl ketones, and for methyl substitution at the alpha carbon for methyl ketones, there were no other linear relationships. As molecular weight increased, the EC50 values of soluble ketones decreased; as distance between two carbonyl groups decreased so too did EC50 values. Thus, for the ketones the geometry around the carbonyl group is an important determinant of toxicity as well as MW, water solubility, and octanol/water coefficient.

Haloacetic acids in the aquatic environment. Part I: macrophyte toxicity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanson, Mark L.; Solomon, Keith R.

2004-01-01

Haloacetic acids (HAAs) are contaminants of aquatic ecosystems with numerous sources, both anthropogenic and natural. The toxicity of HAAs to aquatic plants is generally uncharacterized. Laboratory tests were conducted with three macrophytes (Lemna gibba, Myriophyllum sibiricum and Myriophyllum spicatum) to assess the toxicity of five HAAs. Myriophyllum spp. has been proposed as required test species for pesticide registration in North America, but few studies have been conducted under standard test conditions. The HAAs in the present experiments were monochloroacetic acid (MCA), dichloroacetic acid (DCA), trichloroacetic acid (TCA), trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and chlorodifluoroacetic acid (CDFA). MCA was the most toxic to Myriophyllum spp. with EC 50 values ranging from 8 to 12.4 mg/l depending on the endpoint, followed by DCA (EC 50 range 62-722.5 mg/l), TCA (EC 50 range 49.5-1702.6 mg/l), CDFA (EC 50 range 105.3 to >10,000 mg/l) and with TFA (EC 50 range 222.1 to 10,000 mg/l) the least toxic. Generally, L. gibba was less sensitive to HAA toxicity than Myriophyllum spp., with the difference in toxicity between them approximately threefold. The range of toxicity within Myriophyllum spp. was normally less than twofold. Statistically, plant length and node number were the most sensitive endpoints as they had the lowest observed coefficients of variation, but they were not the most sensitive to HAA toxicity. Toxicological sensitivity of endpoints varied depending on the measure of effect chosen and the HAA, with morphological endpoints usually an order of magnitude more sensitive than pigments for all plant species. Overall, mass and root measures tended to be the most sensitive indicators of HAA toxicity. The data from this paper were subsequently used in an ecological risk assessment for HAAs and aquatic plants. The assessment found HAAs to be of low risk to aquatic macrophytes and the results are described in the second manuscript of this series

Nuclear power plant performance in the EC in 1978

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1979-01-01

According to the report presented by the Statistical Office of the Ec, nuclear electricity generation in the nine EC countries has been increased in 1978 by 11% to a net value of 115 TWh as compared to the year before. Installed capacity went up by 18.6% to a net value of 24. 000 MWe at the end of the year. The mean availability period has been close to the hitherto best value of 6000 h/a. The share of nuclear energy in total electricity generation in the EC rose by 0.5% to 10.5%. (orig.) [de

and alanine (EC. 2.6.1.2) transaminases, and alkaline phosphatase

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The activities of aspartate (E.C. 2.6.1.1) and alanine (E.C. 2.6.1.2) transaminases (AST and ALT, respectively), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (E.C. 3.1.3.1) were determined in erythrocytes obtained from 20 HbAA, 15 HbAS and 12 HbSS human subjects. The results showed that the three enzymes had different levels of ...

Investigation of the direct and indirect electrochemical oxidation of hydrazine in nitric acid medium on platinum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cames, B.

1997-01-01

In nuclear fuel processing by the PUREX process, the purification of plutonium in nitric acid medium requires the oxidation of Pu(III) to Pu(IV), and of hydrazinium nitrate to nitrogen. The study helped to characterize the electrochemical behavior of the oxidation of hydrazinium nitrate and the reduction of nitric acid to nitrous acid, a compound which can chemically oxidize hydrazinium nitrate and Pu(III). Electro-analytical studies on polycrystalline platinum showed that hydrazine is oxidized in two potential zones, which depend on the surface texture of the platinum anode. Electrolysis in separate compartments, carried out in medium-acid media (2 and 4 mo/l) in the potential zone where these processes take place, showed that, at 0.9 V/ECS, the hydrazine oxidation reactions involved are: a four-electron process (75 %) with nitrogen formation and a one-electron process (25 %) with formation of nitrogen and ammonium ion. By contrast, electrolysis carried out at 0.65 V/ECS (with reactivation of the electrode at - 0.2 V/ECS to remove the poison from the platinum) allowed the selective oxidation of hydrazine to nitrogen by the four-electron reaction. Nitric acid can only be reduced to nitrous acid in the absence of hydrazine. For medium-acid media (≤ 6 mol/l), this reaction takes place at potentials below - 0.2 V/ECS. However, the production rate of nitrous acid (partial order 0 with respect to nitric acid) is very low compared with the values obtained for strongly-acid media (6 to 10 mol/l) at the potential of - 0.1 V/ECS. Note that, in concentrated nitric medium, the selectivity of the reduction reaction is 47 to 85 % for nitrous acid, depending on the nitric acid concentration (6 to 10 mol/l) and the potential imposed (- 0.1 ≤ E ≤ 0.6 V/ECS). A kinetic study helped to determine the hydrazine oxidation rates as a function of the operating conditions. In all cases, the reaction rate is of partial order 0 with respect to hydrazine. These studies accordingly

Energy conservation in the EC glass industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Waal, H. de [TNO Institute of Applied Physics, Delft (Netherlands)

1994-12-31

The data presented in this survey are based mainly on a recent study, performed by the Energy Technology Support Unit ETSU. Harwell Laboratory, United Kingdom, in the context of the EC-Thermie programme. Also, use has been made of a paper `Glass Manufacture, energy and CO{sub 2}-emissions`, presented by G.J. Copley of the British Glass Manufacturers Confederation, Sheffield, United Kingdom, presented at the Thermie Seminar in Wiesbaden, 1992. A third source of information has been the data collected by the CPIV, the European Glass Manufacturers Federation on the present and future economic situation of the EC Glass Industry. (orig.)

Canada files WTO complaint against EC.

Science.gov (United States)

2000-01-01

In December 1998, Canada filed a complaint alleging that the European Communities (EC) had adopted regulations that amounted to a scheme to extend patent terms, limited to pharmaceutical and agricultural chemical products.

NASA FACTS: E. coli AntiMicrobial Satellite (EcAMSat)

Science.gov (United States)

Spremo, Stevan; Cappuccio, Gelsomina; Tomko, David

2013-01-01

The E. coli AntiMicrobial Satellite(EcAMSat) mission will investigate space microgravity affects on the antibiotic resistance of E. coli, a bacterial pathogen responsible for urinary tract infection in humans and animals. EcAMSat is being developed through a partnership between NASAs Ames Research Center and the Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. A.C. Matin is the Stanford University Principal Investigator. EcAMSat will investigate spaceflight effects on bacterial antibiotic resistance and its genetic basis. Bacterial antibiotic resistance may pose a danger to astronauts in microgravity, where the immune response is weakened. Scientists believe that the results of this experiment could help design effective countermeasures to protect astronauts health during long duration human space missions.

Accelerator-Driven Systems - the iThEC strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Revol, Jean-Pierre

2015-01-01

The International Thorium Energy Committee (iThEC) created in Geneva in 2012 is concerned about the energetic future of our society, which is totally organized on the basis of a fossil fuel economy. This has to change because of obvious geopolitical reasons, because of the impact this economy has on the environment, and because of the rather short time on the human time scale, it will take for fossil fuels to run out. One of the main goals of iThEC is to work on reversing the current negative perception of nuclear energy in Europe, which is the main hurdle to a more serious R and D effort in this field. iThEC provides better information to the public on thorium possibilities, supports thorium ADS technology developments, any R and D regarding thorium, and actively engages the scientific, political and business leadership on the subject

Effect of Dursban 480 EC (chlorpyrifos) and Talstar 10 EC (bifenthrin) on the physiological and genetic diversity of microorganisms in soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Medo, Juraj; Maková, Jana; Kovácsová, Silvia; Majerčíková, Kamila; Javoreková, Soňa

2015-01-01

This investigation was undertaken to determine the impact of the insecticides Dursban 480 EC (with organophosphate compound chlorpyrifos as the active ingredient) and Talstar 10 EC (with pyrethroid bifenthrin as the active ingredient) on the respiration activity and microbial diversity in a sandy loam luvisol soil. The insecticides were applied in two doses: the maximum recommended dose for field application (15 mg kg(-1) for Dursban 480 EC and 6 mg kg(-1) for Talstar 10 EC) and a 100-fold higher dose for extrapolation of their effect. Bacterial and fungal genetic diversity was analysed in soil samples using PCR DGGE and the functional diversity (catabolic potential) was studied using BIOLOG EcoPlates at 1, 3, 7, 14, 28, 56 and 112 days after insecticide application. Five bacterial groups (α, β, γ proteobacteria, firmibacteria and actinomycetes) and five groups of fungi or fungus-like microorganisms (Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Chytridiomycota, Oomycota and Zygomycota) were analysed using specific primer sets. This approach provides high resolution of the analysis covering majority of microorganisms in the soil. Only the high-dose Dursban 480 EC significantly changed the community of microorganisms. We observed its negative effect on α- and γ-proteobacteria, as the number of OTUs (operational taxonomic units) decreased until the end of incubation. In the β-proteobacteria group, initial increase of OTUs was followed by strong decrease. Diversity in the firmibacteria, actinomycetes and Zygomycota groups was minimally disturbed by the insecticide application. Dursban 480 EC, however, both positively and negatively affected certain species. Among negatively affected species Sphingomonas, Flavobacterium or Penicillium were detected, but Achromobacter, Luteibacter or Aspergillus were supported by applied insecticide. The analysis of BIOLOG plates using AWCD values indicated a significant increase in metabolic potential of microorganisms in the soil after the high

Manipulation of Glutathione and Amino Acid Biosynthesis in the Chloroplast1

Science.gov (United States)

Noctor, Graham; Arisi, Ana-Carolina M.; Jouanin, Lise; Foyer, Christine H.

1998-01-01

Poplars (Populus tremula × Populus alba) were transformed to overexpress Escherichia coli γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-ECS) or glutathione synthetase in the chloroplast. Five independent lines of each transformant strongly expressed the introduced gene and possessed markedly enhanced activity of the gene product. Glutathione (GSH) contents were unaffected by high chloroplastic glutathione synthetase activity. Enhanced chloroplastic γ-ECS activity markedly increased γ-glutamylcysteine and GSH levels. These effects are similar to those previously observed in poplars overexpressing these enzymes in the cytosol. Similar to cytosolic γ-ECS overexpression, chloroplastic overexpression did not deplete foliar cysteine or methionine pools and did not lead to morphological changes. Light was required for maximal accumulation of GSH in poplars overexpressing γ-ECS in the chloroplast. High chloroplastic, but not cytosolic, γ-ECS activities were accompanied by increases in amino acids synthesized in the chloroplast. We conclude that (a) GSH synthesis can occur in the chloroplast and the cytosol and may be up-regulated in both compartments by increased γ-ECS activity, (b) interactions between GSH synthesis and the pathways supplying the necessary substrates are similar in both compartments, and (c) chloroplastic up-regulation of GSH synthesis is associated with an activating effect on the synthesis of specific amino acids formed in the chloroplast. PMID:9765532

Nuclear power in the EC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charrault, J.C.

1991-01-01

Nuclear power accounts for some 35% of electricity production in the European Community (EC). Using a mathematical analysis, based on different scenarios, i.e. low/high electricity demand and nuclear moratorium/revival, various demand forecasts are made. A pragmatic approach, considering conventional power generation pollution problems, forecasts a revival of nuclear power

Mathematical modeling improves EC50 estimations from classical dose-response curves.

Science.gov (United States)

Nyman, Elin; Lindgren, Isa; Lövfors, William; Lundengård, Karin; Cervin, Ida; Sjöström, Theresia Arbring; Altimiras, Jordi; Cedersund, Gunnar

2015-03-01

The β-adrenergic response is impaired in failing hearts. When studying β-adrenergic function in vitro, the half-maximal effective concentration (EC50 ) is an important measure of ligand response. We previously measured the in vitro contraction force response of chicken heart tissue to increasing concentrations of adrenaline, and observed a decreasing response at high concentrations. The classical interpretation of such data is to assume a maximal response before the decrease, and to fit a sigmoid curve to the remaining data to determine EC50 . Instead, we have applied a mathematical modeling approach to interpret the full dose-response curve in a new way. The developed model predicts a non-steady-state caused by a short resting time between increased concentrations of agonist, which affect the dose-response characterization. Therefore, an improved estimate of EC50 may be calculated using steady-state simulations of the model. The model-based estimation of EC50 is further refined using additional time-resolved data to decrease the uncertainty of the prediction. The resulting model-based EC50 (180-525 nm) is higher than the classically interpreted EC50 (46-191 nm). Mathematical modeling thus makes it possible to re-interpret previously obtained datasets, and to make accurate estimates of EC50 even when steady-state measurements are not experimentally feasible. The mathematical models described here have been submitted to the JWS Online Cellular Systems Modelling Database, and may be accessed at http://jjj.bio.vu.nl/database/nyman. © 2015 FEBS.

ST ECS error handling and detector safety

CERN Document Server

Esperante Pereira, D

2010-01-01

This note describes the automatic operation sequences that the ECS implements in order to operate the ST detector in a safe and reliable way. First, the start-up sequences to set the detector in a well known state are described. In addition the possible ST detector states based on the status of the different detector elements will be defined. The states are of crucial interest for the safe operation of the detector when the LHC beam is ready. Besides, the ECS automatic actions taken in case of abnormal status of any of the detector elements are reported. Next, the operational alarm ranges and the error recovery mechanisms are mentioned.

EC Transmission Line Risk Identification and Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bigelow, Tim S [ORNL

2012-04-01

The purpose of this document is to assist in evaluating and planning for the cost, schedule, and technical project risks associated with the delivery and operation of the EC (Electron cyclotron) transmission line system. In general, the major risks that are anticipated to be encountered during the project delivery phase associated with the implementation of the Procurement Arrangement for the EC transmission line system are associated with: (1) Undefined or changing requirements (e.g., functional or regulatory requirements) (2) Underperformance of prototype, first unit, or production components during testing (3) Unavailability of qualified vendors for critical components Technical risks associated with the design and operation of the system are also identified.

EcPV2 DNA in equine genital squamous cell carcinomas and normal genital mucosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Bogaert, Lies; Willemsen, Anouk; Vanderstraeten, Eva; Bracho, Maria A; De Baere, Cindy; Bravo, Ignacio G; Martens, Ann

2012-07-06

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) represents the most common genital malignant tumor in horses. Similar to humans, papillomaviruses (PVs) have been proposed as etiological agents and recently Equine papillomavirus type 2 (EcPV2) has been identified in a subset of genital SCCs. The goals of this study were (1) to determine the prevalence of EcPV2 DNA in tissue samples from equine genital SCCs, penile intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and penile papillomas, using EcPV2-specific PCR, (2) to examine the prevalence of latent EcPV2 infection in healthy genital mucosa and (3) to determine genetic variability within EcPV2 and to disentangle phylogenetic relationships of EcPV2 among PVs. EcPV2 DNA was detected in all but one penile SCC (15/16), in all PIN lesions (8/8) and penile papillomas (4/4). Additionally, EcPV2 DNA was demonstrated in one of two metastasized lymph nodes, one contact metastasis in the mouth, two vaginal and one anal lesion. In healthy horses, EcPV2 DNA was detected in 10% (4/39) of penile swabs but in none of vulvovaginal swabs (0/20). This study confirms the presence of EcPV2 DNA in equine genital SCCs and shows its involvement in anal lesions, a lymph node and contact metastases. Latent EcPV2 presence was also shown in normal male genital mucosa. We found that different EcPV2 variants cocirculate among horses and that EcPV2 is related to the Delta+Zeta PVs and is only a very distant relative of high-risk human PVs causing genital cancer. Thus, similar viral tropism and similar malignant outcome of the infection do not imply close evolutionary relationship. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The EC6 - an enhanced mid-sized reactor with fuel cycle applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soulard, M.; Yu, S.; Hopwood, J.; Hastings, I.J.

2011-01-01

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) has two CANDU reactor products matched to markets: the Enhanced CANDU 6 (EC6), a modern 700 MWe-class design, and the Advanced CANDU Reactor (ACR-1000), a 1200 MWe-class Gen III+ design. Both reactor types are designed to meet both market-, and customer-driven needs; the ACR-1000 design is 90% complete and market-ready. The EC6 incorporates the CANDU 6's well-proven features, and adds enhancements that make the reactor even safer and easier to operate. The EC6 is the only mid-sized reactor with a proven pedigree that meets modern reactor expectations and regulatory standards. It is sized for smaller grids and also has outstanding fuel-cycle capability. The EC6 has domestic and offshore market pull and is the current focus of AECL's development program; market interest in the ACR-1000 is anticipated in the longer term. Some of the key features incorporated into the EC6 include upgrading containment and seismic capability to meet modern standards, shortening the overall project schedule, addressing obsolescence issues, optimizing maintenance outages and incorporating lessons learnt through feedback obtained from the operating plants. The EC6 utilizes modern computers and a distributed control system housed in an advanced control room which, along with automated testing and on-line diagnostics, make the plant easier and safer to operate, with minimal operator intervention. The first deployment of the EC6 is anticipated in Canada; off-shore markets are also being pursued. The EC6 burns natural uranium as standard. But, high neutron economy, on-power refuelling, a simple fuel bundle, and the fundamental CANDU fuel channel design provide the EC6 with the flexibility to accommodate a range of advanced fuels. (author)

ICECAP: an integrated, general-purpose, automation-assisted IC50/EC50 assay platform.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ming; Chou, Judy; King, Kristopher W; Jing, Jing; Wei, Dong; Yang, Liyu

2015-02-01

IC50 and EC50 values are commonly used to evaluate drug potency. Mass spectrometry (MS)-centric bioanalytical and biomarker labs are now conducting IC50/EC50 assays, which, if done manually, are tedious and error-prone. Existing bioanalytical sample preparation automation systems cannot meet IC50/EC50 assay throughput demand. A general-purpose, automation-assisted IC50/EC50 assay platform was developed to automate the calculations of spiking solutions and the matrix solutions preparation scheme, the actual spiking and matrix solutions preparations, as well as the flexible sample extraction procedures after incubation. In addition, the platform also automates the data extraction, nonlinear regression curve fitting, computation of IC50/EC50 values, graphing, and reporting. The automation-assisted IC50/EC50 assay platform can process the whole class of assays of varying assay conditions. In each run, the system can handle up to 32 compounds and up to 10 concentration levels per compound, and it greatly improves IC50/EC50 assay experimental productivity and data processing efficiency. © 2014 Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening.

Determination of vegetable tannins in tannery wastewater using RP-HPLC-technique with UV- and EC-detection; Bestimmung vegetabiler Gerbstoffe in Gerbereiabwasser unter Einsatz der RP-HPLC-Technik mit UV- und EC-Detektion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zywicki, B.; Reemtsma, T.; Jekel, M. [Technische Univ. Berlin (Germany). Fachgebiet Wasserreinhaltung

2001-07-01

Numerous types of inorganic and organic environmental pollutants are encountered in leather tannery effluents. For reduction of the environmental impact of leather tanneries the substitution of chromium tanning agents by natural organic tanning agents (vegetable tannins) is discussed. The use of vegetable tannins leads to an elevated dissolved organic carbon content (DOC) in tannery effluent, even after biological treatment. Vegetable tannins may also be used as retanning agents, but they may, then interfere with precipitation of chromium. Therefore, an analytical method had to be established to estimate the total amount of vegetable tanning agents in the complex matrix of tannery wastewater. The analytical strategy for the determination of vegetable tannins in tannery effluents is to degrade the polyphenolic compounds by acid hydrolysis and to detect the resulting specific monomeric subunit gallic acid by RP-HPLC-technique with UV- and electrochemical detection (EC-detection). (orig.)

Lymphocyte adhesion to endothelial cell (EC) is stimulated by phorbol esters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haskard, D.; Cavender, D.; Ziff, M.

1986-01-01

The effect of phorbol esters on T cell adhesion to EC has been studied. The phorbol esters 12-0-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate and 4-beta-phorbol-12-13-dibutyrate, but not the biologically inert 4-0-methyl-phorbol-12-13-didecanoate strongly increased the binding of 51 Cr-labeled T cells to human umbilical vein EC monolayers in microtiter wells. Increase in binding was observed at 0.3 ng/ml with maximal enhancement at 50 ng/ml. Both unstimulated and phorbol ester activated T cells displayed a substantially greater binding affinity for EC than for fibroblasts or plastic. Binding enhancement occurred within one minute, with maximal increase after 15 min. Preincubation studies showed that binding enhancement was entirely attributable to an effect on T cells, with no action on EC. Additive binding enhancement was seen when phorbol esters and reagents that increase adhesion by actions on EC (LPS, IL-1 and IFN-γ) were used together. Increase in adhesion of activated T lymphocytes to EC may explain the greater emigration of activated T cells than small resting T cells into inflammatory foci in vivo. The rapid onset of the phorbol effect suggests that this may be an important mechanism for immediate localization of circulating T cells in the cellular immune response, activated, perhaps, at the endothelial blood-tissue interface

On the practical exploitability of dual EC in TLS implementations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Checkoway, S.; Fredrikson, M.; Niederhagen, R.F.; Everspaugh, A.; Green, M.; Lange, T.; Ristenpart, T.; Bernstein, D.J.; Maskiewicz, J,; Shacham, H.

2014-01-01

This paper analyzes the actual cost of attacking TLS implementations that use NIST’s Dual EC pseudorandom number generator, assuming that the attacker generated the constants used in Dual EC. It has been known for several years that an attacker generating these constants and seeing a long enough

EC6 safety enhancement - including impact of Fukushima lessons learned

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, S.; Zemdegs, R.; Boyle, S.; Soulard, M., E-mail: stephen.yu@candu.com [Candu Energy Inc., Mississauga, Ontario (Canada)

2012-09-15

The Enhanced CANDU 6 (EC6) is the new Generation III CANDU reactor design that meets the most up to date regulatory requirements and customer expectations. EC6 builds on the proven high performance design inch as the Qinshan CANDU 6 units and has made improvements to safety and operational performance, and has incorporated extensive operational feedback including Fukushima. The Fukushima Dai-ichi March 11, 2011 event has demonstrated the importance of defence-in-depth considerations for beyond-design basis events, including severe accidents. The EC6 design is based on the defence-in-depth principles and provides further design features that address the lessons learned from Fukushima. (author)

Identification of the IGF-1 processing product human Ec/rodent Eb peptide in various tissues: Evidence for its differential regulation after exercise-induced muscle damage in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Vassilakos, George; Philippou, Anastassios; Koutsilieris, Michael

2017-02-01

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a pleiotropic factor expressed in various tissues and plays a critical role in skeletal muscle physiology. Alternative splicing of the IGF-1 gene gives rise to different precursor polypeptides (isoforms) which could undergo post-translational cleavage, generating the common mature IGF-1 peptide and different carboxyl terminal extension (E-) peptides, with the fate of the latter being, so far, unknown. The objective if this study was to identify the IGF-1Ec forms or processing product(s), other than mature IGF-1, generated in different human and rodent tissues and particularly in human skeletal muscle after exercise-induced damage. Protein lysates from a wide range of human and rodent tissues were immunoblotted with a rabbit anti-human Ec polyclonal antibody raised against the last 24 amino acids of the C-terminal of the Ec peptide. This antibody can recognize the Ec peptide, both as part of IGF-1Ec and alone, and also the corresponding rodent forms, due to the high homology that the human Ec shares with the rodent Eb. We were able to confirm, for the first time, that the human Ec peptide and its rodent homologous Eb peptide are produced simultaneously with their precursor protein (pro-IGF-1Ec/Eb) in vivo, in a wide range of tissues (e.g. muscle, liver, heart). Proprotein convertase furin digestion of human muscle and liver protein lysates confirmed that the higher molecular form, pro-IGF-1Ec, can be cleaved to produce the free Ec peptide. Furthermore, initial evidence is provided that Ec peptide is differentially regulated during the process of muscle regeneration after exercise-induced damage in humans. The findings of this study possibly imply that the post-translational modification of the IGF-1Ec pro-peptide may regulate the bioavailability and activity of the processing product(s). Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A spectroscopic survey of EC4, an extended cluster in Andromeda's halo

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, M. L. M.; Chapman, S. C.; Irwin, M.; Ibata, R.; Martin, N. F.; Ferguson, A. M. N.; Huxor, A.; Lewis, G. F.; Mackey, A. D.; McConnachie, A. W.; Tanvir, N.

2009-07-01

We present a spectroscopic survey of candidate red giant branch stars in the extended star cluster, EC4, discovered in the halo of M31 from our Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope/MegaCam survey, overlapping the tidal streams, Streams`Cp' and `Cr'. These observations used the DEep Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph mounted on the Keck II telescope to obtain spectra around the CaII triplet region with ~1.3 Å resolution. Six stars lying on the red giant branch within two core radii of the centre of EC4 are found to have an average vr = -287.9+1.9-2.4kms-1 and σv,corr = 2.7+4.2-2.7kms-1, taking instrumental errors into account. The resulting mass-to-light ratio for EC4 is M/L = 6.7+15-6.7Msolar/Lsolar, a value that is consistent with a globular cluster within the 1σ errors we derive. From the summed spectra of our member stars, we find EC4 to be metal-poor, with [Fe/H] = -1.6 +/- 0.15. We discuss several formation and evolution scenarios which could account for our kinematic and metallicity constraints on EC4, and conclude that EC4 is most comparable with an extended globular cluster. We also compare the kinematics and metallicity of EC4 with Streams `Cp' and`Cr', and find that EC4 bears a striking resemblance to Stream`Cp' in terms of velocity, and that the two structures are identical in terms of both their spectroscopic and photometric metallicities. From this, we conclude that EC4 is likely related to Stream`Cp'. The data presented herein were obtained at the W.M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W.M. Keck Foundation. E-mail: mlmc2@ast.cam.ac.uk

HPLC PROFILING OF PHENOLIC ACIDS AND FLAVONOIDS AND EVALUATION OF ANTI-LIPOXYGENASE AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF AQUATIC VEGETABLE LIMNOCHARIS FLAVA.

Science.gov (United States)

Ooh, Keng-fei; Ong, Hean-Chooi; Wong, Fai-Chu; Chai, Tsun-Thai

2015-01-01

Limnocharis flava is an edible wetland plant, whose phenolic acid and flavonoid compositions as well as bioactivities were underexplored. This study analyzed the profiles of selected hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonoids in the aqueous extracts of L. flava leaf, rhizome and root by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Anti-lipoxygenase and antioxidant (iron chelating, 2,2-diphenyl-l-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, and nitric oxide (NO) scavenging) activities of the extracts were also evaluated. Leaf extract had the highest phenolic contents, being most abundant in p-hydroxybenzoic acid (3861.2 nmol/g dry matter), ferulic acid (648.8 nmol/g dry matter), and rutin (4110.7 nmol/g dry matter). Leaf extract exhibited the strongest anti-lipoxygenase (EC50 6.47 mg/mL), iron chelating (EC50 6.65 mg/mL), DPPH scavenging (EC50 15.82 mg/mL) and NO scavenging (EC50 3.80 mg/mL) activities. Leaf extract also had the highest ferric reducing ability. This is the most extensive HPLC profiling of phenolic acids and flavonoids in L.flava to date. In conclusion, L. flava leaf is a source of health-promoting phenolics, anti-lipoxygenase agents and antioxidants.

EC environmental legislation and the European oil industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luding, W.G.

1993-01-01

EUROPIA has 32 ordinary member companies which own and operate more than 95% of EC refining capacity, plus three associate member companies from EFTA countries. A large part of EUROPIA's efforts is devoted to environmental issues. Among its initial actions, EUROPIA developed Guiding Principles for environmental management which have been adopted by all member companies. This article can only highlight some of the key areas of EC environmental policy of interest to the oil industry. Most of the comments will refer to air pollution issues but, of course, water and ground pollution and waste are equally important subjects. (orig./HS)

Kinetic study on ligand exchange reaction between EC and 99mTc-GH

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Chunying; Luo Shineng; Fang Ping; Huang Heyun; Xie Minhao; Meng Hong

1995-01-01

The ligand exchange reaction between EC and 99m Tc-GH and its influence factors such as concentrations of EC and pH were described. The concentration of EC has no influence on the exchange reaction rate constant, while pH is the most important influence factor. The rate constants of ligand exchange reaction at different pH values were determined. The results showed that in order to make the labelling yield of 99m Tc-EC higher than 90%, pH of the reaction must be higher than 8

Deposition of HgTe by electrochemical atomic layer epitaxy (EC-ALE)

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Venkatasamy, V

2006-04-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the first instance of HgTe growth by electrochemical atomic layer epitaxy (EC-ALE). EC-ALE is the electrochemical analog of atomic layer epitaxy (ALE) and atomic layer deposition (ALD), all of which are based on the growth...

Analysis of ATLAS FLB-EC6 Experiment using SPACE Code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Donghyuk; Kim, Yohan; Kim, Seyun

2013-01-01

The new code is named SPACE(Safety and Performance Analysis Code for Nuclear Power Plant). As a part of code validation effort, simulation of ATLAS FLB(Feedwater Line Break) experiment using SPACE code has been performed. The FLB-EC6 experiment is economizer break of a main feedwater line. The calculated results using the SPACE code are compared with those from the experiment. The ATLAS FLB-EC6 experiment, which is economizer feedwater line break, was simulated using the SPACE code. The calculated results were compared with those from the experiment. The comparisons of break flow rate and steam generator water level show good agreement with the experiment. The SPACE code is capable of predicting physical phenomena occurring during ATLAS FLB-EC6 experiment

DOD Electronic Commerce (EC)/Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) in contracting report

Science.gov (United States)

1993-12-01

Use of Electronic Commerce (EC)/Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) to support Department of Defense (DoD) procurement processes has been under consideration for some time. A 1988 Deputy Secretary of Defense memo calls for maximum use of EDI, based on 10 years of DoD EDI investigation and experiments. In 1990, Defense Management Review Decision 941 stated, 'The strategic goal of DoD's current efforts is to provide the department with the capability to initiate, conduct, and maintain its external business related transactions and internal logistics, contracting, and financial activities without requiring the use of hard copy media.' The EC in Contracting PAT membership reflected a broad cross section of Military Services and Defense Agencies working on a full-time basis for 60 days. The diversity of the EC in Contracting PAT ensured that the needs and concerns of all DoD components were addressed during the creation of the report. The resultant plan, therefore, represents a comprehensive approach for implementing EC throughout the DoD.

ECS: Efficient Communication Scheduling for Underwater Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lu Hong

2011-03-01

Full Text Available TDMA protocols have attracted a lot of attention for underwater acoustic sensor networks (UWSNs, because of the unique characteristics of acoustic signal propagation such as great energy consumption in transmission, long propagation delay and long communication range. Previous TDMA protocols all allocated transmission time to nodes based on discrete time slots. This paper proposes an efficient continuous time scheduling TDMA protocol (ECS for UWSNs, including the continuous time based and sender oriented conflict analysis model, the transmission moment allocation algorithm and the distributed topology maintenance algorithm. Simulation results confirm that ECS improves network throughput by 20% on average, compared to existing MAC protocols.

A global inventory of aircraft NO{sub x} emissions (ANCAT/EC 2). A revised inventory (1996) by the ECAC/ANCAT and EC working group

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gardner, R M [Great Minister House, London (United Kingdom). Dept. of Transfert London

1998-12-31

Results of the ANCAT/EC 2 inventory produced by the European ANCAT/EC emissions inventory group is reported. The base year inventory has been completed and is currently being written up for report publication. The ANCAT/EC 2 inventory in the base year, 1991/92, has accounted for a total fuel burn of 132.5 Tg/yr and a NO{sub x} mass of 1.82 Tg/yr. The civil subsonic fleet average emissions index is EI NO{sub x} 13.9. The inventory has accounted for 80% of the IEA refined jet fuel total for 1992. The forecast 2015 inventory accounts for 289.4 Tg/yr fuel and 3.48 Tg/yr NO{sub x}, increases of 118% and 91% respectively. Both datasets will be reported fully in the next few months. (author) 5 refs.

A global inventory of aircraft NO{sub x} emissions (ANCAT/EC 2). A revised inventory (1996) by the ECAC/ANCAT and EC working group

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gardner, R.M. [Great Minister House, London (United Kingdom). Dept. of Transfert London

1997-12-31

Results of the ANCAT/EC 2 inventory produced by the European ANCAT/EC emissions inventory group is reported. The base year inventory has been completed and is currently being written up for report publication. The ANCAT/EC 2 inventory in the base year, 1991/92, has accounted for a total fuel burn of 132.5 Tg/yr and a NO{sub x} mass of 1.82 Tg/yr. The civil subsonic fleet average emissions index is EI NO{sub x} 13.9. The inventory has accounted for 80% of the IEA refined jet fuel total for 1992. The forecast 2015 inventory accounts for 289.4 Tg/yr fuel and 3.48 Tg/yr NO{sub x}, increases of 118% and 91% respectively. Both datasets will be reported fully in the next few months. (author) 5 refs.

[Raman spectra study on radiation damage in EC9706 cells by 60Cogamma-rays].

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Jian; Guo, Zheng-Yuan; Zhang, Guang-Shui; Wu, Dian-Yong; Tang, Wei-Yue

2009-07-01

Raman spectrum was used to study the structure and content of protein, nucleic acid and fat, while EC9706 cells irradiated by 60Co gamma-ray were cultivated for 24 h. The results showed that for spectrum intensity and frequency deviation, there were big differences between each exposure group and control group. For the 1 244 cm(-1) peak of amide III, beta folder changed to disordered conformations in the middle dose (4, 5Gy) groups. The 1 341 cm(-1) peak of v (the indole ring of Trp) was red-shifted in every dose group. There was a 2-3 cm(-1) red shift at the 782 cm(-1) peak in the big dose groups (7, 8Gy). It was showed that the non-hydrogenation of v(s)(PO2-) was strengthened due to big dose gamma-rays radiation. There was a 4 cm(-1) blue shift at the 1 446 cm(-1) peak of delta (CH2, CH3). It maybe resulted from 60Co gamma-rays' damage to the film of EC9706 cells. The preferable dose of 60Co gamma-rays may be found by analyzing the variety of the above-mentioned peaks in some dose groups.

EC6 for Darlington - a managed-enhancements replication project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soulard, M.R.

2011-01-01

CANDU 6 design has a well-deserved reputation for lifetime performance and on-time, on-schedule construction. Candu Energy is finalizing development of an upgraded reactor product, the Enhanced CANDU 6 (EC6), which incorporates the CANDU 6's well-proven features, and adds enhancements that make the reactor even more safe and easier to operate. The EC6 is the only mid-sized reactor (700 MWe class) with a proven pedigree that meets modern reactor expectations and regulatory standards. It is sized for smaller grids and also has outstanding fuel-cycle capability. Some of the key features incorporated into the EC6 include increasing the plant's power output, shortening the overall project schedule, addressing obsolescence issues, optimizing maintenance outages and incorporating lessons learnt through feedback obtained from the operating plants. The EC6 utilizes modern computers and a distributed control system housed in an advanced control room which, along with automated testing and on-line diagnostics, make the plant easier and safer to operate, with minimal operator intervention. An array of health monitoring equipment are also installed to foretell impending equipment problems, which can be acted upon, avoiding complications that could result in forced shutdowns. Improvements to the fire protection system and enhanced security features will further protect the assets. Containment and seismic capability are upgraded to meet modern standards. The first deployment of the EC6 is anticipated in Canada; other markets are also being pursued. The EC6 reactor is designed for a target lifetime capacity factor of 92% including 94% year-to-year and a 1% Forced Loss Rate. Since the number and duration of maintenance outages impact plant capacity factors, periodic short duration maintenance outages of less than a month once every 36 months is a key target of the EC6 reactor. This objective is achieved by automating a number of tasks such as shutdown systems testing. The majority

Translation and validation of the Dutch version of the Effective Consumer Scale (EC-17)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ten Klooster, Peter M.; Taal, Erik; Tjin-Kam-Jet-Siemons, Liseth; Oostveen, J.C.M.; Oostveen, Johanna C.M.; Harmsen, Etelka J.; Tugwell, Peter S.; Rader, Tamara; Lyddiatt, Anne; van de Laar, Mart A F J

2013-01-01

PURPOSE: The Effective Consumer Scale (EC-17) measures the skills of musculoskeletal patients in managing their own healthcare. The objectives of this study were to translate the EC-17 into Dutch and to further evaluate its psychometric properties. METHODS: The EC-17 was translated and cognitively

The representation of tropical upper tropospheric water in EC Earth V2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnston, M.S. [Chalmers University of Technology, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Goeteburg (Sweden); Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), Norrkoeping (Sweden); Eriksson, P.; Murtagh, D.P. [Chalmers University of Technology, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Goeteburg (Sweden); Eliasson, S. [Luleaa University of Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Kiruna (Sweden); Jones, C.G. [Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), Norrkoeping (Sweden); Forbes, R.M. [ECMWF, Reading, Berkshire (United Kingdom)

2012-12-15

Tropical upper tropospheric humidity, clouds, and ice water content, as well as outgoing longwave radiation (OLR), are evaluated in the climate model EC Earth with the aid of satellite retrievals. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder and Microwave Limb Sounder together provide good coverage of relative humidity. EC Earth's relative humidity is in fair agreement with these observations. CloudSat and CALIPSO data are combined to provide cloud fractions estimates throughout the altitude region considered (500-100 hPa). EC Earth is found to overestimate the degree of cloud cover above 200 hPa and underestimate it below. Precipitating and non-precipitating EC Earth ice definitions are combined to form a complete ice water content. EC Earth's ice water content is below the uncertainty range of CloudSat above 250 hPa, but can be twice as high as CloudSat's estimate in the melting layer. CERES data show that the model underestimates the impact of clouds on OLR, on average with about 9 W m{sup -2}. Regionally, EC Earth's outgoing longwave radiation can be {proportional_to}20 W m{sup -2} higher than the observation. A comparison to ERA-Interim provides further perspectives on the model's performance. Limitations of the satellite observations are emphasised and their uncertainties are, throughout, considered in the analysis. Evaluating multiple model variables in parallel is a more ambitious approach than is customary. (orig.)

Egg cell-secreted EC1 triggers sperm cell activation during double fertilization.

Science.gov (United States)

Sprunck, Stefanie; Rademacher, Svenja; Vogler, Frank; Gheyselinck, Jacqueline; Grossniklaus, Ueli; Dresselhaus, Thomas

2012-11-23

Double fertilization is the defining characteristic of flowering plants. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating the fusion of one sperm with the egg and the second sperm with the central cell are largely unknown. We show that gamete interactions in Arabidopsis depend on small cysteine-rich EC1 (EGG CELL 1) proteins accumulating in storage vesicles of the egg cell. Upon sperm arrival, EC1-containing vesicles are exocytosed. The sperm endomembrane system responds to exogenously applied EC1 peptides by redistributing the potential gamete fusogen HAP2/GCS1 (HAPLESS 2/GENERATIVE CELL SPECIFIC 1) to the cell surface. Furthermore, fertilization studies with ec1 quintuple mutants show that successful male-female gamete interactions are necessary to prevent multiple-sperm cell delivery. Our findings provide evidence that mutual gamete activation, regulated exocytosis, and sperm plasma membrane modifications govern flowering plant gamete interactions.

EC4IT - A Guide to European Commission Projects for CERN/IT department

CERN Document Server

Jones, R

2012-01-01

European Commission (EC) projects represent an important source of external funding for a number of activities in which IT department is involved. The EC has a set of procedures and formalities for the preparation, negotiation, execution and completion of projects that are different to those normally used at CERN. This document gives an overview of the administrative, financial, reporting and managerial steps involved in participating in an EC project.

Present status of developing petroleum-substituting energy (EC)

Science.gov (United States)

1993-03-01

The EC has had approximately 50% of its total energy demand supplied by imports from the exterior of the Community. Hence, it is getting important to develop oil-substituting renewable energy as well as to curtail the emission of carbon dioxide. In consideration of these situations, the results of investigation on the energy policy of the European Community are described. The policy comprises three courses: European Energy Charter, formation of an open European Community energy market, and environmental conservation. Particularly, concerning the reduction of carbon dioxide emission, the EC Council has decided to introduce carbon dioxide taxation so as to suppress the carbon dioxide emission in the year 2000 to the 1990 level. The arrangement for its introduction, however, encountered with difficulties because of the opposition of various countries other than the European Community and the industrial world of the European Community. Legislation of the investment promotion law for energy saving and the construction of infrastructure footing and an information network are ineffective due to the sluggish fuel price and economic recession. A plurality of EC member countries are advancing a comprehensive activity within the framework of the joint programs of research, development, and demonstration set for the renewable energy policy ensuring energy supply and environmental harmonization.

Acid phosphomonoesterase (E.C. 3.1.3.2) location in soil

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Rejšek, K.; Vránová, V.; Pavelka, Marian; Formánek, P.

2012-01-01

Roč. 175, č. 5 (2012), s. 196-211 ISSN 1436-8730 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0073; GA MŠk(CZ) LM2010007 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60870520 Keywords : acid phosphomonoesterase * soil * roots * mycorrhizal fungi * location * extraction Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 1.380, year: 2012

Cooperative Fuzzy Games Approach to Setting Target Levels of ECs in Quality Function Deployment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhihui Yang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Quality function deployment (QFD can provide a means of translating customer requirements (CRs into engineering characteristics (ECs for each stage of product development and production. The main objective of QFD-based product planning is to determine the target levels of ECs for a new product or service. QFD is a breakthrough tool which can effectively reduce the gap between CRs and a new product/service. Even though there are conflicts among some ECs, the objective of developing new product is to maximize the overall customer satisfaction. Therefore, there may be room for cooperation among ECs. A cooperative game framework combined with fuzzy set theory is developed to determine the target levels of the ECs in QFD. The key to develop the model is the formulation of the bargaining function. In the proposed methodology, the players are viewed as the membership functions of ECs to formulate the bargaining function. The solution for the proposed model is Pareto-optimal. An illustrated example is cited to demonstrate the application and performance of the proposed approach.

Cooperative fuzzy games approach to setting target levels of ECs in quality function deployment.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Zhihui; Chen, Yizeng; Yin, Yunqiang

2014-01-01

Quality function deployment (QFD) can provide a means of translating customer requirements (CRs) into engineering characteristics (ECs) for each stage of product development and production. The main objective of QFD-based product planning is to determine the target levels of ECs for a new product or service. QFD is a breakthrough tool which can effectively reduce the gap between CRs and a new product/service. Even though there are conflicts among some ECs, the objective of developing new product is to maximize the overall customer satisfaction. Therefore, there may be room for cooperation among ECs. A cooperative game framework combined with fuzzy set theory is developed to determine the target levels of the ECs in QFD. The key to develop the model is the formulation of the bargaining function. In the proposed methodology, the players are viewed as the membership functions of ECs to formulate the bargaining function. The solution for the proposed model is Pareto-optimal. An illustrated example is cited to demonstrate the application and performance of the proposed approach.

Eddy covariance captures four-phase crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) gas exchange signature in Agave.

Science.gov (United States)

Owen, Nick A; Choncubhair, Órlaith Ní; Males, Jamie; Del Real Laborde, José Ignacio; Rubio-Cortés, Ramón; Griffiths, Howard; Lanigan, Gary

2016-02-01

Mass and energy fluxes were measured over a field of Agave tequilana in Mexico using eddy covariance (EC) methodology. Data were gathered over 252 d, including the transition from wet to dry periods. Net ecosystem exchanges (FN,EC ) displayed a crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) rhythm that alternated from CO2 sink at night to CO2 source during the day, and partitioned canopy fluxes (FA,EC ) showed a characteristic four-phase CO2 exchange pattern. Results were cross-validated against diel changes in titratable acidity, leaf-unfurling rates, energy exchange fluxes and reported biomass yields. Projected carbon balance (g C m(-2)  year(-1) , mean ± 95% confidence interval) indicated the site was a net sink of -333 ± 24, of which contributions from soil respiration were +692 ± 7, and FA,EC was -1025 ± 25. EC estimated biomass yield was 20.1 Mg (dry) ha(-1)  year(-1) . Average integrated daily FA,EC was -234 ± 5 mmol CO2  m(-2)  d(-1) and persisted almost unchanged after 70 d of drought conditions. Regression analyses were performed on the EC data to identify the best environmental predictors of FA . Results suggest that the carbon acquisition strategy of Agave offers productivity and drought resilience advantages over conventional semi-arid C3 and C4 bioenergy candidates. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ariadne merione ecdysone receptor (AmEcR protein: An in silico approach for comparison of agonist and antagonist compounds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chandran Sundaravadivelan

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Ecdysteroid signal transduction plays a major role in insect metamorphosis, 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E binds to the nuclear receptor composed of the ecdysone receptor ligand binding domine (EcR-LBD and triggers the developmental transitions. Ariadne merione ecdysone receptor (AmEcR cDNA was amplified and partially sequenced of about 553 bp, which encodes a polypeptide of 184 amino acids (aa. The theoretical molecular weight (MW, isoelectric point (pI and aliphatic index of the deduced AmEcR protein were predicted using BIOEDIT (v7.2.5 to be 21.192 kDa, 9.31 and 101.739 respectively. Identified ecdysone receptor gene of A. merione showed maximum similarity with Precis coenia gene. In this research, we have employed ligand-receptor engineering technique to screen a specific compound which plays antagonist role and assist to formulate an insect specific pesticide. The EcR protein 3D structure of AmEcR modeled using Schrödinger maestro and virtual screening was performed using 5554 molecules from Zinc database, where ZINC20031812 showed highest glide score of −6.257 and Etoxazole chosen on literature basis and showed best glide score −6.671. We have compared the antagonist with agonist (20E by molecular dynamics (MD simulation. Root Mean Square Deviation (RMSD value of agonist and antagonist indicates the binding were stable in water with a range of distance from 2.3 to 2.6 Å, 1.8 to 2.3 Å and 1.9 to 2.3 Å with a variation over the time scale of 1 ps. Since Etoxazole and ZINC20031812 are antagonists, computationally they were more stable than 20E. Keywords: Ariadne merione, 20 Hydroxyecdysone (20E, Etoxazole, Schrödinger

EC-LEDS Mexico: Advancing Clean Energy Goals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2016-07-01

EC-LEDS works with the government of Mexico to help meet its goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector. The program targets specific, highly technical areas where Mexico has indicated the program can add value and make an impact.

EC-LEDS Supports the Low-Carbon Transition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2016-09-01

EC-LEDS is a flagship U.S. government-led effort that assists countries to create and implement low emission development strategies, or LEDS -- development frameworks that promote sustainable social and economic development while reducing greenhouse gas emissions over the medium to long term.

Overview of the ITER EC H and CD system and its capabilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Omori, T., E-mail: toshimichi.omori@iter.org [ITER Organization, CS 90 046, 13067 St Paul Lez Durance Cedex (France); Henderson, M.A. [ITER Organization, CS 90 046, 13067 St Paul Lez Durance Cedex (France); Albajar, F. [Fusion for Energy, C/Josep Pla 2, Torres Diagonal Litoral-B3, E-08019 Barcelona (Spain); Alberti, S. [CRPP-Association EURATOM-Confederation Suisse, EPFL Ecublens, CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland); Baruah, U. [Institute for Plasma Research, Near Indira Bridge, Bhat, Gandhinagar 382428 (India); Bigelow, T.S. [US ITER Project Office, ORNL, 055 Commerce Park, PO Box 2008, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Beckett, B. [ITER Organization, CS 90 046, 13067 St Paul Lez Durance Cedex (France); Bertizzolo, R. [CRPP-Association EURATOM-Confederation Suisse, EPFL Ecublens, CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland); Bonicelli, T. [Fusion for Energy, C/Josep Pla 2, Torres Diagonal Litoral-B3, E-08019 Barcelona (Spain); Bruschi, A. [Istituto di Fisica del Plasma, Association EURATOM-ENEA-CNR, Milano (Italy); Caughman, J.B. [US ITER Project Office, ORNL, 055 Commerce Park, PO Box 2008, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Chavan, R. [CRPP-Association EURATOM-Confederation Suisse, EPFL Ecublens, CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland); Cirant, S. [Istituto di Fisica del Plasma, Association EURATOM-ENEA-CNR, Milano (Italy); Collazos, A. [CRPP-Association EURATOM-Confederation Suisse, EPFL Ecublens, CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland); Cox, D.; Darbos, C. [ITER Organization, CS 90 046, 13067 St Paul Lez Durance Cedex (France); Baar, M.R. de [Association EURATOM-FOM, 3430 BE Nieuwegein (Netherlands); Denisov, G. [Institute of Applied Physics, 46 Ulyanov Street, Nizhny Novgorod 603950 (Russian Federation); Farina, D. [Istituto di Fisica del Plasma, Association EURATOM-ENEA-CNR, Milano (Italy); Gandini, F. [ITER Organization, CS 90 046, 13067 St Paul Lez Durance Cedex (France)

2011-10-15

The Electron Cyclotron (EC) system for the ITER tokamak is designed to inject {>=}20 MW RF power into the plasma for Heating and Current Drive (H and CD) applications. The EC system consists of up to 26 gyrotrons (between 1 and 2 MW each), the associated power supplies, 24 transmission lines and 5 launchers. The EC system has a diverse range of applications including central heating and current drive, current profile tailoring and control of plasma magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities such as the sawtooth and neoclassical tearing modes (NTMs). This diverse range of applications requires the launchers to be capable of depositing the EC power across nearly the entire plasma cross section. This is achieved by two types of antennas: an equatorial port launcher (capable of injecting up to 20 MW from the plasma axis to mid-radius) and four upper port launchers providing access from inside of mid radius to near the plasma edge. The equatorial launcher design is optimized for central heating, current drive and profile tailoring, while the upper launcher should provide a very focused and peaked current density profile to control the plasma instabilities. The overall EC system has been modified during the past 3 years taking into account the issues identified in the ITER design review from 2007 and 2008 as well as integrating new technologies. This paper will review the principal objectives of the EC system, modifications made during the past 2 years and how the design is compliant with the principal objectives.

Overview of the ITER EC H and CD system and its capabilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Omori, T.; Henderson, M.A.; Albajar, F.; Alberti, S.; Baruah, U.; Bigelow, T.S.; Beckett, B.; Bertizzolo, R.; Bonicelli, T.; Bruschi, A.; Caughman, J.B.; Chavan, R.; Cirant, S.; Collazos, A.; Cox, D.; Darbos, C.; Baar, M.R. de; Denisov, G.; Farina, D.; Gandini, F.

2011-01-01

The Electron Cyclotron (EC) system for the ITER tokamak is designed to inject ≥20 MW RF power into the plasma for Heating and Current Drive (H and CD) applications. The EC system consists of up to 26 gyrotrons (between 1 and 2 MW each), the associated power supplies, 24 transmission lines and 5 launchers. The EC system has a diverse range of applications including central heating and current drive, current profile tailoring and control of plasma magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities such as the sawtooth and neoclassical tearing modes (NTMs). This diverse range of applications requires the launchers to be capable of depositing the EC power across nearly the entire plasma cross section. This is achieved by two types of antennas: an equatorial port launcher (capable of injecting up to 20 MW from the plasma axis to mid-radius) and four upper port launchers providing access from inside of mid radius to near the plasma edge. The equatorial launcher design is optimized for central heating, current drive and profile tailoring, while the upper launcher should provide a very focused and peaked current density profile to control the plasma instabilities. The overall EC system has been modified during the past 3 years taking into account the issues identified in the ITER design review from 2007 and 2008 as well as integrating new technologies. This paper will review the principal objectives of the EC system, modifications made during the past 2 years and how the design is compliant with the principal objectives.

Belle monte-carlo production on the Amazon EC2 cloud

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sevior, Martin; Fifield, Tom; Katayama, Nobuhiko

2010-01-01

The Belle II experiment which aims to increase the Luminosity of the KEKB collider by a factor of 50 will search for physics beyond the Standard Model through precision measurements and the investigation of rare processes in Flavour physics. The expected data rate is comparable to a current era LHC experiment with commensurate computing needs. Incorporating commercial cloud computing, such as that provided by the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) into the Belle II computing model may provide a lower Total Cost of Ownership for the Belle II computing solution. To investigate this possibility, we have created a system to conduct the complete Belle Monte Carlo simulation chain on EC2 to benchmark the cost and performance of the service. This paper will describe how this was achieved in addition to the drawbacks and costs of large-scale Monte Carlo production on EC2.

Belle monte-carlo production on the Amazon EC2 cloud

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sevior, Martin; Fifield, Tom [University of Melbourne, School of Physics, Victoria 3010 Australia (Australia); Katayama, Nobuhiko, E-mail: msevior@gmail.co, E-mail: fifieldt@unimelb.edu.a, E-mail: nobu.katayama@kek.j [High Energy Accelerator Research Organisation (KEK), Tsukuba (Japan)

2010-04-01

The Belle II experiment which aims to increase the Luminosity of the KEKB collider by a factor of 50 will search for physics beyond the Standard Model through precision measurements and the investigation of rare processes in Flavour physics. The expected data rate is comparable to a current era LHC experiment with commensurate computing needs. Incorporating commercial cloud computing, such as that provided by the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) into the Belle II computing model may provide a lower Total Cost of Ownership for the Belle II computing solution. To investigate this possibility, we have created a system to conduct the complete Belle Monte Carlo simulation chain on EC2 to benchmark the cost and performance of the service. This paper will describe how this was achieved in addition to the drawbacks and costs of large-scale Monte Carlo production on EC2.

Permeation of Telone EC through protective gloves.

Science.gov (United States)

Zainal, Hanaa; Que Hee, Shane S

2005-09-30

Telone is a potent fumigant that is based on the chlorinated unsaturated hydrocarbon, 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-DCP). It is often applied without dilution and so poses severe inhalation and air pollution threats. Urinary metabolites of 1,3-DCP have been detected after Telone skin exposure, so that preventing dermal exposure is also important. The objective of the study was to assess if nitrile and multi-layer ("laminated") gloves provide adequate protection against Telone EC formulation. To accomplish this, disposable (Safeskin) and chemically resistant (Sol-Vex) nitrile and laminated (Barrier mark and Silver Shield) glove materials were challenged by Telone EC with hexane liquid collection in an ASTM-type I-PTC-600 permeation cell. Analyses of cis- and trans-1,3-DCP in the collection fluid at specified times were performed on a moderately polar capillary column by gas chromatography-electron capture detection. Telone EC caused microholes in both nitrile materials, though the chemically protective material was degraded slower than the disposable nitrile. The laminated gloves offered limited protection. Silver Shield protected best because 1.5-2.3 mg 1,3-DCP permeated by 8 h relative to 2.5-7.6 mg for Barrier, implying about 2.5 times more protection for 8 h. Even for Silver Shield, the extent of protection was inadequate as illustrated by a risk assessment of the skin exposure situation. The normalized breakthrough times for both types of laminated gloves varied between 27 and 60 min. It is recommended that Viton gloves still be worn for protection.

Links between river water acidity, land use and hydrology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saarinen, T.; Celebi, A.; Kloeve, B. [Oulu Univ. (Finland). Water Resources and Environmental Eng. Lab.], Email: tuomas.saarinen@oulu.fi

2013-11-01

In western Finland, acid leaching to watercourses is mainly due to drainage of acid sulphate (As) soils. This study examined how different land-use and land-cover types affect water acidity in the northwestern coastal region of Finland, which has abundant drained AS soils and peatlands. Sampling conducted in different hydrological conditions in studied river basins revealed two different catchment types: catchments dominated by drained forested peatlands and catchments used by agriculture. Low pH and high electric conductivity (EC) were typical in rivers affected by agriculture. In rivers dominated by forested peatlands and wetlands, EC was considerably lower. During spring and autumn high runoff events, water quality was poor and showed large spatial variation. Thus it is important to ensure that in river basin status assessment, sampling is carried out in different hydrological situations and in also water from some tributaries is sampled. (orig.)

Ecdysone receptor (EcR) and ultraspiracle (USP) genes from the cyclopoid copepod Paracyclopina nana: Identification and expression in response to water accommodated fractions (WAFs).

Science.gov (United States)

Puthumana, Jayesh; Lee, Min-Chul; Han, Jeonghoon; Kim, Hui-Su; Hwang, Dae-Sik; Lee, Jae-Seong

2017-02-01

Ecdysteroid hormones are pivotal in the development, growth, and molting of arthropods, and the hormone pathway is triggered by binding ecdysteroid to a heterodimer of the two nuclear receptors; ecdysone receptors (EcR) and ultraspiracle (USP). We have characterized EcR and USP genes, and their 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) from the copepod Paracyclopina nana, and studied mRNA transcription levels in post-embryonic stages and in response to water accommodated fractions (WAFs) of crude oil. The open reading frames (ORF) of EcR and USP were 1470 and 1287bp that encoded 490 and 429 amino acids with molecular weight of 121.18 and 105.03kDa, respectively. Also, a well conserved DNA-binding domain (DBD) and ligand-binding domain (LBD) were identified which confirmed by phylogenetic analysis. Messenger RNA transcriptional levels of EcR and USP were developmental stage-specific in early post-embryonic stages (N3-4). However, an evoked expression of USP was observed throughout copepodid stage and in adult females. WAFs (40 and 80%) were acted as an ecdysone agonist in P. nana, and elicited the mRNA transcription levels in adults. Developmental stage-specific transcriptional activation of EcR and USP in response to WAFs was observed. USP gene was down-regulated in the nauplius in response to WAF, whereas up-regulation of USP was observed in the adults. This study represents the first data of molecular elucidation of EcR and USP genes and their regulatory elements from P. nana and the developmental stage specific expression in response to WAFs, which can be used as potential biomarkers for environmental stressors with ecotoxicological evaluations in copepods. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Regulatory competences of the EC in the energy sector; Regelungszustaendigkeiten der EG im Bereich Energie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baur, J.F.; Blask, H. [Koeln Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer das Recht der Europaeischen Gemeinschaften und Inst. fuer Energierecht

2002-09-01

In the light of necessary amendments of the Internal Electricity Market Directive and the Internal Gas Market Directive, a debate has evolved within the European Community about lawmaking powers for the energy sector. Whereas the Member States refer to the EC Treaty and deny any lawmaking powers of the EC for the energy sector, the EC defends its position that the EC should have and can derive lawmaking competence for energy policy decisions from the EC Treaty. The author reviews the situation from the legal point of view based on existing provisions and gives an outlook on a possible outcome of the ''constitutional convention'' of the EC which is to meet for discussing a revision of the EC Treaty. (orig./CB) [German] In Bezug auf die geplanten Aenderungen der Binnenmarktrichtlinien fuer Elektrizitaet und Gas werden moegliche Kompetenzen der EG im Bereich der Energiepolitik und ihre Grenzen eroertert. In einer Schlussbetrachtung werden die Ergebnisse zusammengefasst und ein kurzer Ausblick auf die Arbeit des 'Verfassungskonvents' der EU und die anstehende Vertragsrevision geworfen, in deren Rahmen die Implikation einer eigenstaendigen Spezialkompetenz im Bereich Energie erneut thematisiert werden koennte. (orig./CB)

The shift of energy regulatory powers under the framework of Directive 2009/72/EC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grimm, N. S.

2011-01-01

The paper examines the powers of Member States' national regulatory authorities under the framework of Directive 2009/72/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 concerning common rules for the internal market in electricity and repealing Directive 2003/54/EC (OJEU L 176/37) and analyses the implications of framework of Directive 2009/72/EC on the national laws of the Member States, in particular on the Austrian and German constitutional, administrative and energy laws. The Introductory Part gives a historical overview of the development of national energy regulators under European energy legislation. This Part shows that the national regulatory authorities attract increased attention and that their regulatory powers are on a constant rise. In order to understand the huge impact of the framework of Directive 2009/72/EC on the regulatory regimes of the Member States, this Part briefly examines the former and current powers of the national energy regulators under Austrian and German law. Part Two analyses whether the powers conferred upon national energy regulators under the framework of Directive 2009/72/EC have been enhanced in comparison to those established under the framework of Directive 2003/54/EC. The main focus lies thereby on the propositions made by the European Commission in its Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2003/54/EC concerning common rules for the internal market in electricity (COM (2007) 528 final, 2.1) and laid down in Directive 2009/72/EC. Part Two comes to the conclusion that the powers of the national energy regulators under the framework of Directive 2009/72/EC have indeed been enhanced in comparison to former regime of Directive 2003/54/EC. Part Three demonstrates that the enhancement of national energy regulators' powers does not benefit the Member States. On the contrary, they lose considerable powers of control over their own national energy regulators. While

Pengaruh Tingkat EC (Electrical Conductivity terhadap Pertumbuhan Tanaman Sawi (Brassica juncea L. pada Sistem Instalasi Aeroponik Vertikal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pusdima Rahma Pratiwi

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Kebutuhan akan tanaman sawi semakin meningkat, sehingga diperlukan teknologi yang dapat memaksimalkan hasil serta memperbaiki teknik budidaya, salah satunya teknik budidaya aeroponik vertikal. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui respon pertumbuhan tanaman sawi yang terbaik terhadap pengaruh tingkat EC pada larutan nutrisi. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan di daerah Bekasi Timur dengan ketinggian 25 m di atas permukaan laut, dimulai pada bulan April 2014 sampai Juli 2014. Rancangan yang digunakan adalah Rancangan Acak Kelompok dengan 4 perlakuan yaitu A (Tingkat EC 1 mS cm-1, B (Tingkat EC 1,5 mS cm-1, C (Tingkat EC 2 mS cm-1, dan D (Tingkat EC 2,5 mS cm-1 dengan diulang sebanyak 4 kali. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa tingkat EC berpengaruh terhadap tinggi tanaman sawi pada umur 14 dan 18 hst, luas daun pada umur 26 dan 30 hst, panjang akar pada umur 30 hst, dan bobot basah pada umur 30 hst. Tingkat EC 2,5 mS cm-1 memberikan pengaruh baik terhadap bobot basah. The increasing need of mustard require technologies that can maximize result and improve cultivation, one of them is aeroponic vertical cultivation technique. This research aimed to know the best response of mustard growth on influence of nutrient EC level. This research was carried out in Bekasi Timur with altitude of 25 m above sea level, form April 2014 to July 2014. The design used was Randomized Block Design with 4 treatments that A (EC level 1 mS cm-1, B (EC level 1,5 mS cm-1, C (EC level 2 mS cm-1, and D (EC level  2,5 mS cm-1 with 4 replications. The results showed that EC level affected on plant height at 14 and 18 dap, leaf area at 26 and 30 dap, root length at 30 dap, and wet weight at the age of 30 dap. The EC level 2,5 mS cm-1had better effect on wet weight.

Modeled dosage-response relationship on the net photosynthetic rate for the sensitivity to acid rain of 21 plant species.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Shihuai; Gou, Shuzhen; Sun, Baiye; Lv, Wenlin; Li, Yuanwei; Peng, Hong; Xiao, Hong; Yang, Gang; Wang, Yingjun

2012-08-01

This study investigated the sensitivity of plant species to acid rain based on the modeled dosage-response relationship on the net photosynthetic rate (P (N)) of 21 types of plant species, subjected to the exposure of simulated acid rain (SAR) for 5 times during a period of 50 days. Variable responses of P (N) to SAR occurred depending on the type of plant. A majority (13 species) of the dosage-response relationship could be described by an S-shaped curve and be fitted with the Boltzmann model. Model fitting allowed quantitative evaluation of the dosage-response relationship and an accurate estimation of the EC(10), termed as the pH of the acid rain resulting in a P (N) 10 % lower than the reference value. The top 9 species (Camellia sasanqua, Cinnamomum camphora, etc. EC(10) ≤ 3.0) are highly endurable to very acid rain. The rare, relict plant Metasequoia glyptostroboides was the most sensitive species (EC(10) = 5.1) recommended for protection.

Electrosynthesis of Clozapine Drug Derivative via an EC Electrochemical Mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esmail Tammari

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The fact that oxidation, as one of the main routes of phase I metabolism of drugs, follows by conjugation reactions, and also formation of nitrenium ion as one of the clozapine oxidation products, directed us to investigate the oxidation of clozapine (CLZ in the presence of nucleophile. The oxidation of clozapine (CLZ has been studied on a glassy carbon electrode in the absence and presence of 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA as nucleophile in aqueous medium by means of cyclic voltammetry and on the graphite rods in controlled-potential coulometry. Cyclic voltammetry studies were realized for CLZ in the pHs 1.0 to 8.0. Results indicate that the electrochemical behavior of CLZ depends on the pH. Based on the obtained electrochemical results, an ECE mechanism was proposed to explain the electrochemical oxidation of CLZ. The results revealed that oxidized CLZ participates in Michael type addition reaction with TBA and via an EC mechanism converts to the corresponding new dibenzodiazepin derivatives. The product has been characterized by IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and MS.

Adaptation of the Emotional Contagion Scale (ECS and gender differences within the Greek cultural context

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Damigos Dimitris

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Emotional Contagion Scale (ECS is a self-report scale used to measure individual differences in susceptibility to converge towards the emotions expressed by others. The main aim of the present paper was to examine the psychometric properties of the Greek translation of the scale. Methods The Greek ECS was completed by 691 undergraduate students (312 males and 379 females. To investigate the factor structure of the ECS, principal components analysis (PCA was used. Results The results showed that a four-factor model was tenable. Regarding homogeneity, the Greek ECS version showed acceptable results for the full scale (α = 0.74 but not for all subscales. Gender differences were also identified concerning the susceptibility to emotional contagion between men and women. Women score significantly higher than men for all the different emotions described by the ECS (love, happiness, sadness except the anger emotion, where there was no significant difference. Conclusion The Greek version of the ECS showed good psychometric properties. It can be used to assess susceptibility to emotional contagion in correlation with psychopathological processes, mood and anxiety disorders primarily. The usefulness of the ECS in the fields of group psychotherapy and health psychology is also under consideration. Further investigation is needed in all these areas.

The upgrade of the DIII-D EC system using 120 GHz ITER gyrotrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Callis, R.W.; Lohr, J.; Gorelov, I.A.; Ponce, D.; Kajiwara, K.; Tooker, J.F.

2005-01-01

The planned growth in the EC system on DIII-D over the next few years requires the installation of two depressed collector gyrotrons, a high voltage power supply, two low loss transmission lines, and the required support equipment. This new DIII-D EC equipment could be made identical to the ITER EC system requirements. By building the DIII-D hardware to the ITER specifications, it will allow ITER to gain beneficial prototyping experience on a working tokamak, prior to committing to building the hardware for delivery to ITER

Revisiting the EC/CMB model for extragalactic large scale jets

Science.gov (United States)

Lucchini, M.; Tavecchio, F.; Ghisellini, G.

2017-04-01

One of the most outstanding results of the Chandra X-ray Observatory was the discovery that AGN jets are bright X-ray emitters on very large scales, up to hundreds of kpc. Of these, the powerful and beamed jets of flat-spectrum radio quasars are particularly interesting, as the X-ray emission cannot be explained by an extrapolation of the lower frequency synchrotron spectrum. Instead, the most common model invokes inverse Compton scattering of photons of the cosmic microwave background (EC/CMB) as the mechanism responsible for the high-energy emission. The EC/CMB model has recently come under criticism, particularly because it should predict a significant steady flux in the MeV-GeV band which has not been detected by the Fermi/LAT telescope for two of the best studied jets (PKS 0637-752 and 3C273). In this work, we revisit some aspects of the EC/CMB model and show that electron cooling plays an important part in shaping the spectrum. This can solve the overproduction of γ-rays by suppressing the high-energy end of the emitting particle population. Furthermore, we show that cooling in the EC/CMB model predicts a new class of extended jets that are bright in X-rays but silent in the radio and optical bands. These jets are more likely to lie at intermediate redshifts and would have been missed in all previous X-ray surveys due to selection effects.

Late-onset Pompe disease with complicated intracranial aneurysm: a Chinese case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang B

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Bin Zhang,1,2,* Yuying Zhao,1,3,* Junling Liu,1,4 Ling Li,1 Jingli Shan,1 Dandan Zhao,1 Chuanzhu Yan1,3 1Laboratory of Neuromuscular Disorders and Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 2Department of Neurology, Liaocheng People’s Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong, 3Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of the Ministry of Education, Brain Science Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 4Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Pompe disease is a rare autosomal recessive hereditary disease caused by genetic defects of acid maltase. This disease could be divided into two forms: infantile and late-onset, which mainly affect cardiac, respiratory, and skeletal muscle systems. Late-onset patients mainly show symptoms of skeletal muscle involvement, but recent reports have found that the central nervous system was also affected in some patients. Herein, we report a case of a female, adolescent-onset Pompe patient, who was diagnosed with complicated intracranial aneurysm in adulthood. Keywords: Pompe disease, glycogen storage disease II, acid maltase, acid alpha-glucosidase, cerebrovascular disorders

Austria's environmental law in comparison with the environmental law of the EC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jantscher, S.H.

1991-11-01

The thesis describes and compares the environmental legislation in Austria and the EC. A short introduction into structure and organization of EC-institutions and EC-legislation in followed by an examination of the constitutional foundations of environmental policy in Austria and the EC respectively. After the adoption for the Single European Act, the EEC-Treaty provides for objectives, orientation criteria and instruments regarding environmental protection. These provisions constitute a valid basis for environmental action. The adoption of a constitutional law does equally declare environmental protection as an objective of the state in Austria, however, its significance is regarded as rather controversial. Some provinces ('Laender') have shown a higher degree of sensitivity in their constitutions . The distribution of powers between the EC and its member stated in the field of environmental protection is of particular interests. It is shown, that the principle of subsidiarity and the safeguard-clauses leave discretion to the member states. Much will be determined by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) . Main emphasis has been placed on the description and comparison of Austria's and the EEC-environmental legislation. Environmental legislation of Austria as well as the EC is outlined sector by sector (i.e. water, air, chemicals, waste, soil, fauna and flora) and subsequently the object of a detailed comparison. Criteria, such as - preventiveness -stringency - focus, depth and comprehensiveness - clearness and legal force of the regulations have been applied. For most of the mentioned sectors it is correct to state, that Austria's legislation is more preventive, advanced, comprehensive and stringent (especially regulations related to water, waste, chemicals, also air) . However, there are particular areas (e.g. air quality objectives, noise limits for construction plants) where Austria' s legislation may well get a fresh impetus

Demonstration of sawtooth period control with EC waves in KSTAR plasma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeong J. H.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The sawtooth period control in tokamak is important issue in recent years because the sawtooth crash can trigger TM/NTM instabilities and drive plasmas unstable. The control of sawtooth period by the modification of local current profile near the q=1 surface using ECCD has been demonstrated in a number of tokamaks [1, 2] including KSTAR. As a result, developing techniques to control the sawtooth period as a way of controlling the onset of NTM has been an important area of research in recent years [3]. In 2012 KSTAR plasma campaign, the sawtooth period control is carried out by the different deposition position of EC waves across the q=1 surface. The sawtooth period is shortened by on-axis co-ECCD (destabilization, and the stabilization of the sawtooth is also observed by off-axis co-ECCD at outside q=1 surface. In 2013 KSTAR plasma campaign, the sawtooth locking experiment with periodic forcing of 170 GHz EC wave is carried out to control the sawtooth period. The optimal target position which lengthens the sawtooth period is investigated by performing a scan of EC beam deposition position nearby q=1 surface at the toroidal magnetic field of 2.9 T and plasma current of 0.7 MA. The sawtooth locking by the modulated EC beam is successfully demonstrated as in [3-5] with the scan of modulation-frequency and duty-ratio at the low beta (βN~0.5 plasma. In this paper, the sawteeth behavior by the location of EC beam and the preliminary result of the sawtooth locking experiments in KSTAR will be presented.

Process-engineering control valves under the EC codes; Steuerventile fuer die Prozesstechnik im Geltungsbereich der EG-Richtlinien

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gohlke, B. [IMI Norgren Herion Fluidtronic GmbH und Co. KG, Fellbach (Germany)

2003-09-01

The European Parliament and European Council have enacted special codes in order to implement uniform conditions in all countries of the European Community. The manufacturers of technical and commercial products are obliged to adhere to these codes. Harmonized standards, which are to be used as a tool for the implementation of the codes, are embedded at another level of the overall 'European reference literature'. Two EC codes, in particular, are definitive for fluids engineering: On the one hand, the EC Machinery Code, 98/37/EC and, on the other hand, the EC Pressurized Equipment Code, 97/23/EC. These EC codes cover, inter alia, machinery and chemical process-engineering plants, and conventional power generating plants. Norgren-Herion, a manufacturer of fluid engineering components, perceived a necessity for positioning its control valves in the scope of applicability of the EC codes. This article describes experience with the EC codes from the control valve manufacturer's point of view and examines the various qualification procedures for control valves. (orig.)

EC Competition law and environmental protection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rantala, M.

1996-12-31

Due to the increasing attention paid on environmental protection, by the European Community, the Member States and the consumers, undertakings are forced to adjust their policies to meet the new demands posed by public authorities and the market. This has an inevitable impact on competition. No matter how acceptable the goals were, the means are to be assessed also from the competition law point of view. The objective of this study is to analyze the situations where conflicts may take place, the main sources of research being the principles of law relating to the Treaty ,the judgements of the European Court of Justice, the Commission Decisions and other official documents of the Community as well as legal literature. This study classifies the Community and Member State instruments which are used for environmental protection into four categories. These are legislative, market-based, horizontal and financial supporting instruments. Undertakings` environmental practices, which are capable of affecting competition, are examined under Articles 85 and 86 EC, some attention being paid also to Article 90 EC. The touching points of competition policy and environmental protection in such cases are scrutinized under three headings. These are the two, in this case, most relevant public instruments, ie. legislative and market-based measures, and the voluntary actions of undertakings. (42 refs.)

Enhanced CANDU 6 (EC6): a proven mid-sized reactor with fuel cycle capability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hopwood, J.; Soulard, M.; Hastings, I.J.

2011-01-01

Atomic Energy of Canada (AECL) is finalizing development of the Enhanced CANDU 6 (EC6), which incorporates the CANDU 6's well-proven features, and adds enhancements that make the reactor even more safe and easier to operate. The EC6 is the only mid-sized reactor (700 MWe class) with a proven pedigree that meets modern reactor expectations and regulatory standards. It is sized for smaller grids and also has outstanding fuel-cycle capability. Changes are incremental and consistent with the CANDU 6 project approach. The EC6 utilizes modern computers and a distributed control system housed in an advanced control room which, along with automated testing and on-line diagnostics, make the plant easier and safer to operate, with minimal operator intervention. Containment and seismic capability are upgraded to meet modern standards. The first deployment of the EC6 is anticipated in Canada; international markets are also being pursued. AECL is performing a comprehensive review of the EC6 design in the wake of the Fukushima accident, will review lessons learned, and incorporate any necessary improvements into new build design. (author)

Enhanced CANDU 6 (EC6): a proven mid-sized reactor with fuel cycle capability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hopwood, J.; Soulard, M.; Hastings, I.J.

2011-01-01

Atomic Energy of Canada (AECL) is finalizing development of the Enhanced CANDU 6 (EC6), which incorporates the CANDU 6's well-proven features, and enhancements that make the reactor even more safe and easier to operate. The EC6 is the only mid-sized reactor (700 MWe class) with a proven pedigree that meets modern reactor expectations and regulatory standards. It is sized for smaller grids and also has outstanding fuel-cycle capability. Changes are incremental and consistent with the CANDU 6 project approach. The EC6 utilizes modern computers and a distributed control system housed in an advanced control room which, along with automated testing and on-line diagnostics, make the plant easier and safer to operate, with minimal operator intervention. Containment and seismic capability are upgraded to meet modern standards. The first deployment of the EC6 is anticipated in Canada; international markets are also being pursued. AECL is performing a comprehensive review of the EC6 design in the wake of the Fukushima accident, will review lessons learned, and incorporate any necessary improvements into new build design. (author)

A Study on Partnering Mechanism in B to B EC Server for Global Supply Chain Management

Science.gov (United States)

Kaihara, Toshiya

B to B Electronic Commerce (EC) technology is now in progress and regarded as an information infrastructure for global business. As the number and diversity of EC participants grows at the agile environment, the complexity of purchasing from a vast and dynamic array of goods and services needs to be hidden from the end user. Putting the complexity into the EC system instead means providing flexible auction server for enabling commerce within different business units. Market mechanism could solve the product distribution problem in the auction server by allocating the scheduled resources according to market prices. In this paper, we propose a partnering mechanism for B to B EC with market-oriented programming that mediates amongst unspecified various companies in the trade, and demonstrate the applicability of the economic analysis to this framework after constructing a primitive EC server. The proposed mechanism facilitates sophisticated B to B EC, which conducts a Pareto optimal solution for all the participating business units in the coming agile era.

Expression of Finger Millet EcDehydrin7 in Transgenic Tobacco Confers Tolerance to Drought Stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Rajiv Kumar; Singh, Vivek Kumar; Raghavendrarao, Sanagala; Phanindra, Mullapudi Lakshmi Venkata; Venkat Raman, K; Solanke, Amolkumar U; Kumar, Polumetla Ananda; Sharma, Tilak Raj

2015-09-01

One of the critical alarming constraints for agriculture is water scarcity. In the current scenario, global warming due to climate change and unpredictable rainfall, drought is going to be a master player and possess a big threat to stagnating gene pool of staple food crops. So it is necessary to understand the mechanisms that enable the plants to cope with drought stress. In this study, effort was made to prospect the role of EcDehydrin7 protein from normalized cDNA library of drought tolerance finger millet in transgenic tobacco. Biochemical and molecular analyses of T0 transgenic plants were done for stress tolerance. Leaf disc assay, seed germination test, dehydration assay, and chlorophyll estimation showed EcDehydrin7 protein directly link to drought tolerance. Northern and qRT PCR analyses shows relatively high expression of EcDehydrin7 protein compare to wild type. T0 transgenic lines EcDehydrin7(11) and EcDehydrin7(15) shows superior expression among all lines under study. In summary, all results suggest that EcDehydrin7 protein has a remarkable role in drought tolerance and may be used for sustainable crop breeding program in other food crops.

Corrosion Measurements by Titration, (CMT). Alone or Combined With Electrochemical Measurements(EC). Examples: Corrosion of Zinc, Nickel, Aluminium and Iron

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bech-Nielsen, Gregers

1998-01-01

rate (EC) can be made, at intervals, during a recording of CMT measurements, and by comparison of the two kinds of measurements possible differences can be interpreted in terms of such phenomena as metal disintegration during corrosion (chunk effects), effects of dissolution of low valence metal...... measurements should be recognized: Non-buffer solutions at pH values between 3 and 9 are preferable, an atmosphere free of acid or alkaline components is required, and deposition of corrosion products as hydroxides or carbonates should be excluded....

Ecological audits under EC regulations: background and impact in practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walther, T.

1995-01-01

There are publications discussing the practical aspects of the implementation of the EC Directive on ecological audits, but little has been published yet on the theoretical background of the directive. The contribution in hand is intended to elucidate the theoretical basis of this instrument in the context of the system of law, explains the term of ''sustainable development'' as a key term, and reveals problems encountered in the evaluation of environmental performance. This information will contribute to a better understanding of the meaning and purposes of the EC Directive, and will thus point out ways and means for direct implementation. (orig.) [de

Studies on absorption of EC waves in assisted startup experiment on FTU

Science.gov (United States)

Granucci, G.; Ricci, D.; Farina, D.; Figini, L.; Iraji, D.; Tudisco, O.; Ramponi, G.; Bin, W.

2012-09-01

Assistance of EC wave for plasma breakdown and current ramp up is the proposed scenario for the ITER case, characterized by low toroidal electric field. The experimental results on many tokamaks clearly indicate the capabilities of the proposed scheme to have a robust breakdown in ITER. The key aspect of this technique is the EC power required, strongly related to the absorption of the wave in the initial stage of plasma formation. This aspect is generally neglected due to the diagnostics difficulties in the plasma formation phase. As a consequence a multi-pass absorption scheme is usually considered reasonable, leading to a strong absorption after many reflections on the walls. The present study exploits the high temporal and spatial resolution of the fast scanning interferometer of FTU together with the measure of residual power obtained by a sniffer probe. The absorbed EC power is calculated considering also the polarization rotation and the subsequent mode conversion after incidence on the internal wall and compared with that derived from experimental data. The resulting EC power distribution can explain differences observed between perpendicular and oblique injection results, indicating future investigations to define ITER power requirements.

Studies on absorption of EC waves in assisted startup experiment on FTU

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramponi G.

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Assistance of EC wave for plasma breakdown and current ramp up is the proposed scenario for the ITER case, characterized by low toroidal electric field. The experimental results on many tokamaks clearly indicate the capabilities of the proposed scheme to have a robust breakdown in ITER. The key aspect of this technique is the EC power required, strongly related to the absorption of the wave in the initial stage of plasma formation. This aspect is generally neglected due to the diagnostics difficulties in the plasma formation phase. As a consequence a multi-pass absorption scheme is usually considered reasonable, leading to a strong absorption after many reflections on the walls. The present study exploits the high temporal and spatial resolution of the fast scanning interferometer of FTU together with the measure of residual power obtained by a sniffer probe. The absorbed EC power is calculated considering also the polarization rotation and the subsequent mode conversion after incidence on the internal wall and compared with that derived from experimental data. The resulting EC power distribution can explain differences observed between perpendicular and oblique injection results, indicating future investigations to define ITER power requirements.

Upgrading from the Dicon Wiring Management system to IntEC at the Gentilly 2 station

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theoret, P.A.

1995-01-01

The General Electric DICON Wiring Management system supplied to HQ during the construction of G2 is currently being replaced by the stand-alone version of the IntEC software developed by AECL. The reasons for replacing DICON and choosing lntEC are discussed. The different aspects of the two year DICON data conversion project are presented with the problems encountered and the means that were taken to resolve the problems. lntEC has shown our DICON data to be considerably more deficient than we had thought. This has increased the cost and the duration of the conversion process. However, correcting the errors during the conversion process provides us with much more accurate data. This should be viewed as an investment in configuration management. Many potential causes of future errors and potentially critical path delays have been removed. We have chosen to document the detailed procedures for the use of lntEC in our plant using a Windows Help File compiler. This also has been found to be extremely useful as a training tool as well as providing on-line help. The DICON data conversion into lntEC will not be completed until 1996. lntEC is not perfect. However, from what we have up to now, we are satisfied with the conviviality and efficiency of lntEC and with AECL's diligence in constantly aspiring in making it a better product. (author)

MoisturEC: a new R program for moisture content estimation from electrical conductivity data

Science.gov (United States)

Terry, Neil; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.; Werkema, Dale D.; Lane, John W.

2018-01-01

Noninvasive geophysical estimation of soil moisture has potential to improve understanding of flow in the unsaturated zone for problems involving agricultural management, aquifer recharge, and optimization of landfill design and operations. In principle, several geophysical techniques (e.g., electrical resistivity, electromagnetic induction, and nuclear magnetic resonance) offer insight into soil moisture, but data‐analysis tools are needed to “translate” geophysical results into estimates of soil moisture, consistent with (1) the uncertainty of this translation and (2) direct measurements of moisture. Although geostatistical frameworks exist for this purpose, straightforward and user‐friendly tools are required to fully capitalize on the potential of geophysical information for soil‐moisture estimation. Here, we present MoisturEC, a simple R program with a graphical user interface to convert measurements or images of electrical conductivity (EC) to soil moisture. Input includes EC values, point moisture estimates, and definition of either Archie parameters (based on experimental or literature values) or empirical data of moisture vs. EC. The program produces two‐ and three‐dimensional images of moisture based on available EC and direct measurements of moisture, interpolating between measurement locations using a Tikhonov regularization approach.

Preparation of 131I-asialo-α1-acid glycoprotein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rijk, P.P. van

1975-01-01

α 1 -Acid glycoprotein (orosomucoid) was prepared from a byproduct of the ethanol plasma fractionation by means of ion-exchange procedures. Immunoelectrophoresis suggested a high degree of purity; the purified protein contained 13.5% sialic acid and 17.8% hexose. The α 1 -acid glycoprotein was modified by removal of sialic acid with neurominidase (E.C. 3.2.1.18) followed by iodination with 131 I. The purpose of the preparation, its potential use as a pharmacon for liver-function studies in nuclear medicine, is the subject of further study

Application of the EC eco-audit regulation in the energy industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schulz, J.

1994-01-01

The eco-audit regulation isolates the precision of goals to improve operational environmental protection for observation, particularly with a view to the industrial energy economy. It is not wise without an investigation into the possible repercussions with other EU and national regulatory laws. Keywords here are: design of a heat application regulation according to the BImSchG, discussion over the introduction of an EC CO 2 Energy tax as well as the EC guidelines on reducing CO 2 emissions (SAVE). (orig./HP) [de

Inactivation of the Ecs ABC transporter of Staphylococcus aureus attenuates virulence by altering composition and function of bacterial wall.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ing-Marie Jonsson

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Ecs is an ATP-binding cassette (ABC transporter present in aerobic and facultative anaerobic gram-positive Firmicutes. Inactivation of Bacillus subtilis Ecs causes pleiotropic changes in the bacterial phenotype including inhibition of intramembrane proteolysis. The molecule(s transported by Ecs is (are still unknown.In this study we mutated the ecsAB operon in two Staphylococcus aureus strains, Newman and LS-1. Phenotypic and functional characterization of these Ecs deficient mutants revealed a defect in growth, increased autolysis and lysostaphin sensitivity, altered composition of cell wall proteins including the precursor form of staphylokinase and an altered bacterial surface texture. DNA microarray analysis indicated that the Ecs deficiency changed expression of the virulence factor regulator protein Rot accompanied by differential expression of membrane transport proteins, particularly ABC transporters and phosphate-specific transport systems, protein A, adhesins and capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis proteins. Virulence of the ecs mutants was studied in a mouse model of hematogenous S. aureus infection. Mice inoculated with the ecs mutant strains developed markedly milder infections than those inoculated with the wild-type strains and had consequently lower mortality, less weight loss, milder arthritis and decreased persistence of staphylococci in the kidneys. The ecs mutants had higher susceptibility to ribosomal antibiotics and plant alkaloids chelerythrine and sanguinarine.Our results show that Ecs is essential for staphylococcal virulence and antimicrobial resistance probably since the transport function of Ecs is essential for the normal structure and function of the cell wall. Thus targeting Ecs may be a new approach in combating staphylococcal infection.

Inactivation of the Ecs ABC transporter of Staphylococcus aureus attenuates virulence by altering composition and function of bacterial wall.

Science.gov (United States)

Jonsson, Ing-Marie; Juuti, Jarmo T; François, Patrice; AlMajidi, Rana; Pietiäinen, Milla; Girard, Myriam; Lindholm, Catharina; Saller, Manfred J; Driessen, Arnold J M; Kuusela, Pentti; Bokarewa, Maria; Schrenzel, Jacques; Kontinen, Vesa P

2010-12-02

Ecs is an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter present in aerobic and facultative anaerobic gram-positive Firmicutes. Inactivation of Bacillus subtilis Ecs causes pleiotropic changes in the bacterial phenotype including inhibition of intramembrane proteolysis. The molecule(s) transported by Ecs is (are) still unknown. In this study we mutated the ecsAB operon in two Staphylococcus aureus strains, Newman and LS-1. Phenotypic and functional characterization of these Ecs deficient mutants revealed a defect in growth, increased autolysis and lysostaphin sensitivity, altered composition of cell wall proteins including the precursor form of staphylokinase and an altered bacterial surface texture. DNA microarray analysis indicated that the Ecs deficiency changed expression of the virulence factor regulator protein Rot accompanied by differential expression of membrane transport proteins, particularly ABC transporters and phosphate-specific transport systems, protein A, adhesins and capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis proteins. Virulence of the ecs mutants was studied in a mouse model of hematogenous S. aureus infection. Mice inoculated with the ecs mutant strains developed markedly milder infections than those inoculated with the wild-type strains and had consequently lower mortality, less weight loss, milder arthritis and decreased persistence of staphylococci in the kidneys. The ecs mutants had higher susceptibility to ribosomal antibiotics and plant alkaloids chelerythrine and sanguinarine. Our results show that Ecs is essential for staphylococcal virulence and antimicrobial resistance probably since the transport function of Ecs is essential for the normal structure and function of the cell wall. Thus targeting Ecs may be a new approach in combating staphylococcal infection.

Usefulness of L,L-ethylenedicysteine - 99mTc complex (EC-99mTc) for the kidney investigations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Surma, M.J.; Wiewiora, J.; Kapuscinksi, J.; Liniecki, J.

1992-01-01

To assess the usefulness of own EC- 99m Tc complex for the kidney function examination, the renoscintigraphy with EC- 99m Tc and clearance determinations were performed. During renoscintigraphy the kidney images were of superb quality, with overlaying organs (liver, spleen) not visualized. Renograms showed typical shapes, their TMAX and T1/2 values being insignificantly different from the obtained with other radiopharmaceuticals, used in renoscintigraphy (MAG 3 , hippuran). Very strict correlations were found between values of EC- 99m Tc and OIH- 131 I clearances (r=0.91) and excretion rate constants (r=0.92) of both radiopharmaceuticals. The correlation enabled formulation of an equation by which ERPF could be established from EC- 99m Tc clearance: ERPF OIH =1.245 x Cl EC +51.52. On the basis of this equation a lower boundary of the normal EC- 99m Tc clearance was established; it amounts to 300 ml/min/1.73 m 2 . (author). 17 refs, 5 figs, 1 tab

Spatial and Temporal Variations of EC and OC Aerosol Combustion Sources in a Polluted Metropolitan Area

Science.gov (United States)

Mouteva, G.; Randerson, J. T.; Fahrni, S.; Santos, G.; Bush, S. E.; Ehleringer, J. R.; Czimczik, C. I.

2015-12-01

Anthropogenic emissions of carbonaceous aerosols are a major component of fine air particulate matter (PM2.5) in polluted metropolitan areas and in the global atmosphere. Elemental (EC) and organic carbon (OC) aerosols influence Earth's energy balance by means of direct and indirect pathways and EC has been suggested as a better indicator of public health impacts from combustion-related sources than PM mass. Quantifying the contribution of fossil fuel and biomass combustion to the EC and OC emissions and their temporal and spatial variations is critical for developing efficient legislative air pollution control measures and successful climate mitigation strategies. In this study, we used radiocarbon (14C) to separate and quantify fossil and biomass contributions to a time series of EC and OC collected at 3 locations in Salt Lake City (SLC). Aerosol samples were collected on quartz fiber filters and a modified OC/EC analyzer was used with the Swiss_4S protocol to isolate and trap the EC fraction. Together with the total carbon (TC) content of the samples, the EC was analyzed for its 14C content with accelerator mass spectrometry. The 14C of OC was derived as a mass balance difference between TC and EC. EC had an annual average fraction modern of 0.13±0.06 and did not vary significantly across seasons. OC had an annual average FM of 0.49±0.13, with the winter mean (0.43±0.11) lower than the summer mean (0.64±0.13) at the 5% significance level. While the 3 stations were chosen to represent a variety of environmental conditions within SLC, no major differences in this source partitioning were observed between stations. During winter, the major sources of air pollutants in SLC are motor vehicles and wood stove combustion and determining their relative contributions has been the subject of debate. Our results indicated that fossil fuels were the dominant source of carbonaceous aerosols during winter, contributing 87% or more of the total EC mass and 40-75% of the OC

MoisturEC: A New R Program for Moisture Content Estimation from Electrical Conductivity Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Terry, Neil; Day-Lewis, Frederick D; Werkema, Dale; Lane, John W

2018-03-06

Noninvasive geophysical estimation of soil moisture has potential to improve understanding of flow in the unsaturated zone for problems involving agricultural management, aquifer recharge, and optimization of landfill design and operations. In principle, several geophysical techniques (e.g., electrical resistivity, electromagnetic induction, and nuclear magnetic resonance) offer insight into soil moisture, but data-analysis tools are needed to "translate" geophysical results into estimates of soil moisture, consistent with (1) the uncertainty of this translation and (2) direct measurements of moisture. Although geostatistical frameworks exist for this purpose, straightforward and user-friendly tools are required to fully capitalize on the potential of geophysical information for soil-moisture estimation. Here, we present MoisturEC, a simple R program with a graphical user interface to convert measurements or images of electrical conductivity (EC) to soil moisture. Input includes EC values, point moisture estimates, and definition of either Archie parameters (based on experimental or literature values) or empirical data of moisture vs. EC. The program produces two- and three-dimensional images of moisture based on available EC and direct measurements of moisture, interpolating between measurement locations using a Tikhonov regularization approach. Published 2018. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

[Synthesis and biological activity of 2,3-secotriterpene acid mono- and diamides].

Science.gov (United States)

Tolmacheva, I A; Igosheva, E V; Vikharev, Iu B; Grishko, V V; Savinova, O V; Boreko, E I; Eremin, V F

2013-01-01

Four types of amide (C3; C28; C3-C28) conjugates based on 2,3-seco-18alphaH-oleanane and 2,3-secolupane mono- and dicarboxylic acids were synthesized. The range of diamide derivatives was supplemented with C3-C3' and C28-C28' dicondensed amides with two A-secotriterpene backbones educed by reacting monocarboxylic A-secoacids with biogenic amino acid lysine. Compounds with inhibitory action against herpes virus reproduction (EC50 8.7 and 4.1 McM) were found among the synthesized mono- and diamide derivatives containing an ethyl-beta-alaninate fragment. It has been ascertained that diamide with ethyl-beta-alaninate fragment combines anti-herpes virus properties and anti-HIV activity (EC50 5.1 McM). For active compounds, the maximum non-toxic concentration (MNTC)/EC50 ratios ranges from 9.7 to 40.8. The synthesized amide conjugates do not exhibit any marked cytotoxic effects against human tumor cell lines rabdomiosarcoma RD TE32, A549 lung carcinoma and melanoma MS.

The effect of the Falcon 460 EC fungicide on soil microbial communities, enzyme activities and plant growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Baćmaga, Małgorzata; Wyszkowska, Jadwiga; Kucharski, Jan

2016-10-01

Fungicides are considered to be effective crop protection chemicals in modern agriculture. However, they can also exert toxic effects on non-target organisms, including soil-dwelling microbes. Therefore, the environmental fate of fungicides has to be closely monitored. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the Falcon 460 EC fungicide on microbial diversity, enzyme activity and resistance, and plant growth. Samples of sandy loam with pH KCl 7.0 were collected for laboratory analyses on experimental days 30, 60 and 90. Falcon 460 EC was applied to soil in the following doses: control (soil without the fungicide), dose recommended by the manufacturer, 30-fold higher than the recommended dose, 150-fold higher than the recommended dose and 300-fold higher than the recommended dose. The observed differences in the values of the colony development index and the eco-physiological index indicate that the mixture of spiroxamine, tebuconazole and triadimenol modified the biological diversity of the analyzed groups of soil microorganisms. Bacteria of the genus Bacillus and fungi of the genera Penicillium and Rhizopus were isolated from fungicide-contaminated soil. The tested fungicide inhibited the activity of dehydrogenases, catalase, urease, acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase. The greatest changes were induced by the highest fungicide dose 300-fold higher than the recommended dose. Dehydrogenases were most resistant to soil contamination. The Phytotoxkit test revealed that the analyzed fungicide inhibits seed germination capacity and root elongation. The results of this study indicate that excessive doses of the Falcon 460 EC fungicide 30-fold higher than the recommended dose to 300-fold higher than the recommended dose) can induce changes in the biological activity of soil. The analyzed microbiological and biochemical parameters are reliable indicators of the fungicide's toxic effects on soil quality.

Effects of Sludge Compost on EC value of Saline Soil and Plant Height of Medicago

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Chongyang; Zhao, Ke; Chen, Xing; Wang, Xiaohui

2017-12-01

In this study, the effects of sludge composting on the EC value of saline soil and the response to Medicago plant height were studied by planting Medicago with pots for 45 days in different proportions as sludge composting with saline soil. The results showed that the EC value of saline soil did not change obviously with the increase of fertilization ratio,which indicated that the EC value of saline soil was close to that of the original soil. The EC decreased by 31.45% at fertilization ratio of 40%. The height of Medicago reached the highest at 40% fertilization ratio, and that was close to 60% fertilization ratio, and the difference was significant with other treatments. By comprehensive analyse and compare,the optimum application rate of sludge compost was 40% under this test condition.

Modulation of organic acids and sugar content in tomato fruits by an abscisic acid-regulated transcription factor.

Science.gov (United States)

Bastías, Adriana; López-Climent, María; Valcárcel, Mercedes; Rosello, Salvador; Gómez-Cadenas, Aurelio; Casaretto, José A

2011-03-01

Growing evidence suggests that the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays a role in fruit development. ABA signaling components of developmental programs and responses to stress conditions include the group of basic leucine zipper transcriptional activators known as ABA-response element binding factors (AREBs/ABFs). AREB transcription factors mediate ABA-regulated gene expression involved in desiccation tolerance and are expressed mainly in seeds and in vegetative tissues under stress; however, they are also expressed in some fruits such as tomato. In order to get an insight into the role of ABA signaling in fruit development, the expression of two AREB-like factors were investigated during different developmental stages. In addition, tomato transgenic lines that overexpress and downregulate one AREB-like transcription factor, SlAREB1, were used to determine its effect on the levels of some metabolites determining fruit quality. Higher levels of citric acid, malic acid, glutamic acid, glucose and fructose were observed in SlAREB1-overexpressing lines compared with those in antisense suppression lines in red mature fruit pericarp. The higher hexose concentration correlated with increased expression of genes encoding a vacuolar invertase (EC 3.2.1.26) and a sucrose synthase (EC 2.4.1.13). No significant changes were found in ethylene content which agrees with the normal ripening phenotype observed in transgenic fruits. These results suggest that an AREB-mediated ABA signal affects the metabolism of these compounds during the fruit developmental program. Copyright © Physiologia Plantarum 2010.

GPM GROUND VALIDATION ENVIRONMENT CANADA (EC) RADIOSONDE GCPEX V1

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The GPM Ground Validation Environment Canada (EC) Radiosonde GCPEx dataset provides measurements of pressure, temperature, humidity, and winds collected by Vaisala...

Fatty acids, phenols content, and antioxidant activity in Ibervillea sonorae callus cultures

OpenAIRE

Estrada-Zúñiga, M.E.; Arano-Varela, H.; Buendía-González, L.; Orozco-Villafuerte, J.

2012-01-01

Ibervillea sonorae callus cultures were established in order to produce fatty acids (lauric, myristic, pentadecanoic, palmitic and stearic acids) and phenolic compounds. Highest callus induction (100%) was obtained in treatments containing 2.32 or 4.65 μM Kinetin (KIN) with 2.26 or 6.80 μM 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Highest fatty acids (FA) production (48.57 mg g-1), highest total phenol content (TPC; 57.1 mg gallic acid equivalents [GAE] g-1) and highest antioxidant activity (EC...

On the robustness of EC-PC spike detection method for online neural recording.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yin; Wu, Tong; Rastegarnia, Amir; Guan, Cuntai; Keefer, Edward; Yang, Zhi

2014-09-30

Online spike detection is an important step to compress neural data and perform real-time neural information decoding. An unsupervised, automatic, yet robust signal processing is strongly desired, thus it can support a wide range of applications. We have developed a novel spike detection algorithm called "exponential component-polynomial component" (EC-PC) spike detection. We firstly evaluate the robustness of the EC-PC spike detector under different firing rates and SNRs. Secondly, we show that the detection Precision can be quantitatively derived without requiring additional user input parameters. We have realized the algorithm (including training) into a 0.13 μm CMOS chip, where an unsupervised, nonparametric operation has been demonstrated. Both simulated data and real data are used to evaluate the method under different firing rates (FRs), SNRs. The results show that the EC-PC spike detector is the most robust in comparison with some popular detectors. Moreover, the EC-PC detector can track changes in the background noise due to the ability to re-estimate the neural data distribution. Both real and synthesized data have been used for testing the proposed algorithm in comparison with other methods, including the absolute thresholding detector (AT), median absolute deviation detector (MAD), nonlinear energy operator detector (NEO), and continuous wavelet detector (CWD). Comparative testing results reveals that the EP-PC detection algorithm performs better than the other algorithms regardless of recording conditions. The EC-PC spike detector can be considered as an unsupervised and robust online spike detection. It is also suitable for hardware implementation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Damage Detection Response Characteristics of Open Circuit Resonant (SansEC) Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Dudley, Kenneth L.; Szatkowski, George N.; Smith, Laura J.; Koppen, Sandra V.; Ely, Jay J.; Nguyen, Truong X.; Wang, Chuantong; Ticatch, Larry A.; Mielnik, John J.

2013-01-01

The capability to assess the current or future state of the health of an aircraft to improve safety, availability, and reliability while reducing maintenance costs has been a continuous goal for decades. Many companies, commercial entities, and academic institutions have become interested in Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) and a growing effort of research into "smart" vehicle sensing systems has emerged. Methods to detect damage to aircraft materials and structures have historically relied on visual inspection during pre-flight or post-flight operations by flight and ground crews. More quantitative non-destructive investigations with various instruments and sensors have traditionally been performed when the aircraft is out of operational service during major scheduled maintenance. Through the use of reliable sensors coupled with data monitoring, data mining, and data analysis techniques, the health state of a vehicle can be detected in-situ. NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) is developing a composite aircraft skin damage detection method and system based on open circuit SansEC (Sans Electric Connection) sensor technology. Composite materials are increasingly used in modern aircraft for reducing weight, improving fuel efficiency, and enhancing the overall design, performance, and manufacturability of airborne vehicles. Materials such as fiberglass reinforced composites (FRC) and carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP) are being used to great advantage in airframes, wings, engine nacelles, turbine blades, fairings, fuselage structures, empennage structures, control surfaces and aircraft skins. SansEC sensor technology is a new technical framework for designing, powering, and interrogating sensors to detect various types of damage in composite materials. The source cause of the in-service damage (lightning strike, impact damage, material fatigue, etc.) to the aircraft composite is not relevant. The sensor will detect damage independent of the cause

Archive of Geosample Data and Information from the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) Project.

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Geological samples collected as part of the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) Project are curated by the U.S. Geological Survey, a partner in the ECS Project. To...

ESCAPE: an integrated climate model for the EC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rotmans, J.

1992-01-01

A framework has been developed for the evaluation of policy options for climate change, called ESCAPE (Evaluation of Strategies to address Climate change by Adapting to and Preventing Emissions). ESCAPE consists of a suite of linked models which enables scenarios of greenhouse gas emissions to be constructed and their impact on global and regional climate and sea level and sectors of the European economy to be assessed. Conclusions resulting from simulations with the ESCAPE 1.1 model include: the major problem of a climate change for the EC is a sea level rise; Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain will be faced with higher costs in the agricultural sector; worldwide implementation of an EC carbon tax leads to about 12% lower worldwide CO 2 emissions; to stabilize CO 2 emissions an Ecotax of 18 dollars per barrel would be required; and in all cases the rate of global temperature increase will be above the rate of 0.1 degree C per decade for the coming 40 years. 2 figs

Business-to-business electronic commerce systems and services. Smart EC solution; Kigyoka nrenkei system solution system. Smart EC solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Setoguchi, T.; Manchu, Y.; Katsumata, M. [Toshiba Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

2000-04-01

Toshiba provides a range of information technology (IT) solutions called SmartEC Solution, which includes business-to-business electronic commerce systems and services based on international standards and industrial know-how, especially our electronic data interchange (EDI) know-how as a manufacturer. These IT solutions are supplied as services covering strategy planning, system integration, and application service provider based on five types of business-to-business electronic commerce. (author)

Expression of an Acid Urease with Urethanase Activity in E. coli and Analysis of Urease Gene.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiaofeng; Zhang, Qian; Zhou, Nandi; Tian, Yaping

2017-03-01

Urea in alcoholic beverage is a precursor of ethyl carbamate (EC), which is carcinogenic. Enzymatic elimination of urea has attracted much research interest. Acid urease with good tolerance toward ethanol and acid is ideal enzyme for such applications. In the present work, the structural genes of urease from Providencia rettgeri JN-B815, ureABC were efficiently expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3) in an active form (apourease) exhibiting both urease and urethanase (hydrolyze EC) activities. The specific activities of the purified apourease were comparatively low, which were 2.1 U/mg for urease and 0.6 U/mg for urethanase, respectively. However, apourease exhibited good resistance toward ethanol and acidic conditions. The relative activities of urease and urethanase remained over 80% in the buffers within pH 4-7. And the recoveries of both urease and urethanase activities were more than 50% in 5-25% ethanol solution. Apourease was utilized to eliminate urea in wine, and the residual urea in model wine was less than 50% after treatment with apourease for 30 h. Then 3D structure of UreC was predicted, and it was docked with urea and EC, respectively. The docking result revealed that three hydrogen bonds were formed between urea and amino acid residues in the active site of urease, whereas only one hydrogen bond can be formed between EC and the active center. Moreover, EC exhibited greater steric hindrance than urea when combined with the active site. Due to the low specific activities of apourease, both structural genes and accessory genes of urease were co-expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3). The holoenzyme was expressed as inclusion body. After renaturation and purification, the specific activities of urease and urethanase reached 10.7 and 3.8 U/mg, which were 5.62-fold and 6.33-fold of those of apourease, respectively. Therefore, accessory subunits of urease play an important role in enhancing urease and urethanase activities.

Lunar Module ECS (Environmental Control System) - Design Considerations and Failure Modes. Part 1

Science.gov (United States)

Interbartolo, Michael

2009-01-01

Design considerations and failure modes for the Lunar Module (LM) Environmental Control System (ECS) are described. An overview of the the oxygen supply and cabin pressurization, atmosphere revitalization, water management and heat transport systems are provided. Design considerations including reliability, flight instrumentation, modularization and the change to the use of batteries instead of fuel cells are discussed. A summary is provided for the LM ECS general testing regime.

Synthesis and pharmacology of N-alkylated derivatives of the excitotoxin ibotenic acid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, U; Dumpis, M A; Bräuner-Osborne, Hans

1998-01-01

Three amino-alkylated derivatives of the naturally occurring excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptor agonist ibotenic acid (Ibo) have been synthesized and tested pharmacologically. N-Methyl-Ibo (1a) and N-ethyl-Ibo (1b) were shown to be agonists at NMDA receptors (EC50 = 140 and 320 micro......-c and the potent NMDA agonist 2-amino-2-(3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolyl)acetic acid (AMAA) in order to elucidate the observed structure-activity data....

Arsenate exposure affects amino acids, mineral nutrient status and antioxidants in rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Dwivedi, S; Tripathi, R D; Tripathi, P; Kumar, A; Dave, R; Mishra, S; Singh, R; Sharma, D; Rai, U N; Chakrabarty, D; Trivedi, P K; Adhikari, B; Bag, M K; Dhankher, O P; Tuli, R

2010-12-15

Simulated pot experiments were conducted on four rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes (Triguna, IR-36, PNR-519, and IET-4786) to examine the effects of As(V) on amino acids and mineral nutrient status in grain along with antioxidant response to arsenic exposure. Rice genotypes responded differentially to As(V) exposure in terms of amino acids and antioxidant profiles. Total amino acid content in grains of all rice genotypes was positively correlated with arsenic accumulation. While, most of the essential amino acids increased in all cultivars except IR-36, glutamic acid and glycine increased in IET-4786 and PNR-519. The level of nonprotein thiols (NPTs) and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD; EC 1.15.1.1), glutathione reductase (GR; EC 1.6.4.2) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX; EC 1.11.1.11) increased in all rice cultivars except IET-4786. A significant genotypic variation was also observed in specific arsenic uptake (SAU; mg kg(-1)dw), which was in the order of Triguna (134) > IR-36 (71) > PNR-519 (53) > IET-4786 (29). Further, application of As(V) at lower doses (4 and 8 mg L(-1) As) enhanced the accumulation of selenium (Se) and other nutrients (Fe, P, Zn, and S), however, higher dose (12 mg L(-1) As) limits the nutrient uptake in rice. In conclusion, low As accumulating genotype, IET-4786, which also had significantly induced level of essential amino acids, seems suitable for cultivation in moderately As contaminated soil and would be safe for human consumption.

Experimental Study on Performance of EC-120 Wet-mixing Modified Asphalt Cementing Materials%EC-120温拌改性沥青胶结料性能试验研究

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

周刚; 唐江; 谭昆华; 谭巍

2012-01-01

This paper carries out experimental study on rotational viscosity, normal performance indices and rheological properties, etc. of EC-120 organic viscosity reducing and wet-mixing modified asphalt, the experiment shows that EC-120 as an organic additive with the melting point at approximate 100 t is well compatible with asphalt and easy to prepare without problem of isolation. The experiment also shows EC-120 in wet-mixing modified asphalt can reduce high-temperature viscosity and increase medium and low-temperature viscosity of asphalt so as to decrease mixing and compacting temperature of asphalt mixtures; can reduce needle penetration and increase softening point and anti-rutting factor so as to improve high-temperature stability of asphalt remarkably; and will enable reduction of ductility, increase of fatigue factor, increase of creepage stiffness and reduction of deformation rate of wet-mixing modified asphalt, which slightly have negative influence on anti-fatigue and low-temperature cracking properties of asphalt.%对EC-120有机降粘温拌改性沥青进行旋转粘度、常规性能指标、流变特性等试验研究,试验表明,EC- 120作为一种熔点在100℃左右的有机添加剂,与沥青相容性好,制备容易,不存在离析问题.试验还表明在温拌改性沥青中,EC-120可降低沥青的高温粘度,提高中低温粘度,从而降低沥青混合料的拌和和压实温度;可降低沥青针入度,提高软化点和抗车辙因子,从而大幅改善沥青的高温稳定性;会使温拌改性沥青的延度降低,疲劳因子增大,蠕变劲度增大,变形速率减小,对沥青的抗疲劳和低温抗开裂性能略有消极影响.

40 CFR Appendix A to Part 434 - Alternate Storm Limitations for Acid or Ferruginous Mine Drainage

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Storm Limitations for Acid or Ferruginous Mine Drainage EC01MY92.113 ... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Alternate Storm Limitations for Acid or Ferruginous Mine Drainage A Appendix A to Part 434 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL...

Ursodeoxycholic Acid (UDCA) Exerts Anti-Atherogenic Effects by Inhibiting Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) Stress Induced by Disturbed Flow.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Jihwa; Kim, Kyoung Hwa; Lee, Seok Cheol; An, Shung Hyun; Kwon, Kihwan

2015-10-01

Disturbed blood flow with low-oscillatory shear stress (OSS) is a predominant atherogenic factor leading to dysfunctional endothelial cells (ECs). Recently, it was found that disturbed flow can directly induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in ECs, thereby playing a critical role in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), a naturally occurring bile acid, has long been used to treat chronic cholestatic liver disease and is known to alleviate endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress at the cellular level. However, its role in atherosclerosis remains unexplored. In this study, we demonstrated the anti-atherogenic activity of UDCA via inhibition of disturbed flow-induced ER stress in atherosclerosis. UDCA effectively reduced ER stress, resulting in a reduction in expression of X-box binding protein-1 (XBP-1) and CEBP-homologous protein (CHOP) in ECs. UDCA also inhibits the disturbed flow-induced inflammatory responses such as increases in adhesion molecules, monocyte adhesion to ECs, and apoptosis of ECs. In a mouse model of disturbed flow-induced atherosclerosis, UDCA inhibits atheromatous plaque formation through the alleviation of ER stress and a decrease in adhesion molecules. Taken together, our results revealed that UDCA exerts anti-atherogenic activity in disturbed flow-induced atherosclerosis by inhibiting ER stress and the inflammatory response. This study suggests that UDCA may be a therapeutic agent for prevention or treatment of atherosclerosis.

Complete amino acid sequence of human intestinal aminopeptidase N as deduced from cloned cDNA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cowell, G M; Kønigshøfer, E; Danielsen, E M

1988-01-01

The complete primary structure (967 amino acids) of an intestinal human aminopeptidase N (EC 3.4.11.2) was deduced from the sequence of a cDNA clone. Aminopeptidase N is anchored to the microvillar membrane via an uncleaved signal for membrane insertion. A domain constituting amino acid 250...

Development of EC technology in JAERI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakamoto, Keishi; Takahashi, Koji; Kasugai, Atsushi; Hayashi, Kenichi; Ikeda, Yoshitaka; Kajiwara, Ken; Fujii, Tsuneyuki; Imai, Tsuyoshi; Kariya, Tsuyoshi; Mitsunaka, Yoshika

2003-01-01

Recent progress of electron cyclotron (EC) heating and current drive technologies in JAERI is reported. In 170 GHz gyrotron development, 0.9 MW/9.2 sec (efficiency: 43%), 0.5 MW/30 sec (46%), etc, have been demonstrated. As for 110 GHz gyrotron, 1 MW/5 sec and 1.2 MW/4.1 sec were obtained. Using four 110 GHz gyrotrons, a 3 MW power injection into JT- 60U plasma was carried out. In parallel, a launcher design and its development that includes neutron irradiation of the launcher components and a remote steering launcher are underway for ITER application. (authors)

SerpinE2, a poor biomarker of endometrial cancer, promotes the proliferation and mobility of EC cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Yuan; Wang, Xiaoyu; Xu, Jianping; Lu, Lin

2017-07-04

The SerpinE2 pathway is evolutionarily conserved and plays an important role in tumorigenesis. SerpinE2 (a small ubiquitin-related modifier), like ubiquitin, conjugates SerpinE2 proteins onto lysine residues of target proteins. SerpinE2 over-expression has been found in several tumors. Here, we detected the level of SerpinE2 in 72 samples of EC tissue using immunohistochemistry to assess the role of SerpinE2 in EC prognosis. Meanwhile, we knocked down SerpinE2 by siRNA in the HTB-111 and Ishikawa EC cell lines and analyzed the viability and mobility change using an MTT assay, an annexin V/PI apoptosis assay, a wound scratch test and a transwell assay. A Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated a negative correlation between the level of SerpinE2 and the EC prognosis. Silencing SerpinE2 induced cell apoptosis and reduced the migration ability. Our data suggest SerpinE2 works as an oncogene in EC.

Milk glucosidase activity enables suckled pup starch digestion

Science.gov (United States)

Starch requires six enzymes for digestion to free glucose: two amylases (salivary and pancreatic) and four mucosal maltase activities; sucrase-isomaltase and maltase-glucoamylase. All are deficient in suckling rodents. The objective of this study is to test (13)C-starch digestion before weaning by m...

Clinical comparison of technetium-99m-EC, technetium-99-m-MAG3 and Iodine-131-OIH in renal disorders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kabasakal, L.; Turoglu, T.; Oensel, C.

1995-01-01

Technetium-99m-ethylenedicysteine has recently been developed for renal function studies. The pharmacokinetics of 99m Tc-EC were studied by constant infusion technique and compared with 99m Tc-MAG3 and 131 I-OIH in 11 patients with various renal disorders. After giving a 7.4 MBq 131 I-OIH and 90-110 MBq 99m Tc-EC or 99m Tc-MAG3 bolus, a constant infusion (MBq/ml) 99m Tc--agent and 0.07 MBq/m 131 I-OIH was started. Sixteen blood and five urine samples were obtained over three hr. The renal clearance of 99m Tc-EC was higher than than of 99m Tc-MAG3. The 99m Tc-EC/OIH and 99m Tc-MAG3/OIH ratios were 0.75 ± 0.05 and 0.55 ± 0.10 (p=0.00087), respectively. The distribution volume of 99m Tc-EC was also higher than that of 99m Tc-MAG3 (15722 ± 4644 and 9509 ± 2788 ml/1.73m 2 , respectively; p=0.072). The 99m Tc-EC/OIH and 99m Tc-MAG/OIH distribution volume ratios were 1.03 ± 0.14 and 0.55 ± 0.10, respectively (p = 0.0003). The 60-min excretion values of 99m Tc-EC and 99m Tc-MAG3 were compared to that of OIH. The 99m Tc-EC/OIH and 99m Tc-MAG3/OIH excretion ratios were 0.96 ± 0.06 and 1.07 ± 0.10, respectively (p=0.162). The protein binding of 99m -EC and OIH were found to be 34% ±4 and 66% ±5, respectively (p 99m Tc-EC was negligible (3% ±1.2) in comparison to OIH (27% ±3; p 99m Tc-EC. This agent has good potential for renal function evaluation. 32 refs., 5 tabs

Achievements and bottlenecks in humanitarian demining EU-funded research: final results from the EC DELVE project

Science.gov (United States)

Sahli, Hichem; Bruschini, Claudio; Van Kempen, Luc; Schleijpen, Ric; den Breejen, Eric

2008-04-01

The EC DELVE Support Action project has analyzed the bottlenecks in the transfer of Humanitarian Demining (HD) technology from technology development to the use in the field, and drawn some lessons learned, basing itself on the assessment of the European Humanitarian Demining Research and Technology Development (RTD) situation from early 1990 until 2006. The situation at the European level was analyzed with emphasis on activities sponsored by the European Commission (EC). This was also done for four European countries and Japan, with emphasis on national activities. The developments in HD during the last 10 years underline the fact that in a number of cases demining related developments have been terminated or at least put on hold. The study also showed that the funding provided by the EC under the Framework Program for RTD has led directly to the creation of an extensive portfolio of Humanitarian Demining technology development projects. The latter provided a range of research and supporting measures addressing the critical issues identified as a result of the regulatory policies developed in the field of Humanitarian Demining over the last ten years. However, the range of instruments available to the EC to finance the necessary research and development were limited, to pre-competitive research. The EC had no tools or programs to directly fund actual product development. As a first consequence, the EC funding program for development of technology for Humanitarian Demining unfortunately proved to be largely unsuitable for the small-scale development needed in a field where there is only a very limited market. As a second consequence, most of the research has been demonstrator-oriented. Moreover, the timeframe for RTD in Humanitarian Demining has not been sufficiently synchronized with the timeframe of the EC policies and regulations. The separation of the Mine Action and RTD funding streams in the EC did also negatively affect the take-up of new technologies. As a

The biodistribution and radiation dosimetry of 99Tcmm-EC-DG in normal volunteers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Jun; Yang Yi; Liu Zengli; Shi Yizhen

2010-01-01

The objective of this study is to evaluate the biodistribution of technetium-99m labeled ethylenedicysteine-deoxyglucose ( 99 Tc m -EC-DG) and to calculate its internal radiation absorbed dose in normal volunteers. 740 MBq 99 Tc m -EC-DG was injected into the antecubital vein. 2 ml blood were sampled from the contralateral antecubital vein at different time after the injection, and its radioactivity was measured. The bi-exponential curve of time-radioactivity of blood and the dynamic parameters were obtained by using ORIGIN 5.0. Urine was collected in 24 hours after the injection and the percentage of Radioactivity excreted by urine to the total injected radioactivity was calculated. The anterior and posterior whole body imaging were acquired at different time after the injection of 740 MBq 99 Tc m -EC-DG. The region of interest of these referring organs and tissues was drawn, their radioactivity at different time was calculated. The bi-exponential curve of time-radioactivity of every organ was obtained by using ORIGIN 5.0, and then cumulated radioactivity and retaining time of 99 Tcm-EC-DG were calculated and input into the software MIRDOSE 3.0 to obtain the radiation absorbed dose of every organ and tissue. The heart rate, blood pressure and breathing frequency is normal after the injection. The male volunteer's T1/2α is 39 seconds, T1/2β is 59 minutes and that of female volunteer is 21 seconds and 61 minutes. 99 Tc m -EC-DG imaging is safe, and its characteristic of biodistribution in normal volunteer makes it easy to accumulate in tumor. Brain is not imaged, the uptake of muscle is low. The absorbed dose of every organ is far lower than that of the public annual average limitation. (authors)

Modulation of biosynthesis and regulatory action of 24(S),25-epoxycholesterol (S-EC) in cultured cells by progesterone (PG)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panini, S.R.; Gupta, A.K.; Sexton, R.C.; Parish, E.J.; Rudney, H.

1987-01-01

Treatment of IEC-6 cells with PG caused a strong inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis at the level of desmosterol reductase. In addition, two new products were observed in PG-treated cells. The first compound was designated as cholesta-5,7,24-trien-3β-ol based on its HPLC chromatographic properties. The second compound was identified as S-EC based on (1) a comparison of its chromatographic properties with those of authentic EC and (2) by its conversion to 25-hydroxycholesterol (HC) upon reduction with LiAlH 4 . In spite of cellular accumulation of S-EC in the presence of PG, the activity of HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR) which is known to be sensitive to oxysterols, was elevated rather than suppressed. On the other hand, when PG-treated cells were refed fresh medium without PG, HMGR activity was suppressed. Exogenous S-EC was a potent suppressor of HMGR in untreated IEC-6 cells. Suppression of HMGR by S-EC but not by HC could be prevented by progesterone. Exogenous [ 3 H]S-EC was not metabolized by IEC-6 cells. These results support the hypothesis that S-EC plays a normal regulatory role in sterol biosynthesis and indicate that enhanced S-EC synthesis observed in the presence of PG may be due to interference with this regulatory action

Inter-comparison of NIOSH and IMPROVE protocols for OC and EC determination: implications for inter-protocol data conversion

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Cheng; Huang, X. H. Hilda; Ng, Wai Man; Griffith, Stephen M.; Zhen Yu, Jian

2016-09-01

Organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) are operationally defined by analytical methods. As a result, OC and EC measurements are protocol dependent, leading to uncertainties in their quantification. In this study, more than 1300 Hong Kong samples were analyzed using both National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) thermal optical transmittance (TOT) and Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environment (IMPROVE) thermal optical reflectance (TOR) protocols to explore the cause of EC disagreement between the two protocols. EC discrepancy mainly (83 %) arises from a difference in peak inert mode temperature, which determines the allocation of OC4NSH, while the rest (17 %) is attributed to a difference in the optical method (transmittance vs. reflectance) applied for the charring correction. Evidence shows that the magnitude of the EC discrepancy is positively correlated with the intensity of the biomass burning signal, whereby biomass burning increases the fraction of OC4NSH and widens the disagreement in the inter-protocol EC determination. It is also found that the EC discrepancy is positively correlated with the abundance of metal oxide in the samples. Two approaches (M1 and M2) that translate NIOSH TOT OC and EC data into IMPROVE TOR OC and EC data are proposed. M1 uses direct relationship between ECNSH_TOT and ECIMP_TOR for reconstruction: M1 : ECIMP_TOR = a × ECNSH_TOT + b; while M2 deconstructs ECIMP_TOR into several terms based on analysis principles and applies regression only on the unknown terms: M2 : ECIMP_TOR = AECNSH + OC4NSH - (a × PCNSH_TOR + b), where AECNSH, apparent EC by the NIOSH protocol, is the carbon that evolves in the He-O2 analysis stage, OC4NSH is the carbon that evolves at the fourth temperature step of the pure helium analysis stage of NIOSH, and PCNSH_TOR is the pyrolyzed carbon as determined by the NIOSH protocol. The implementation of M1 to all urban site data (without considering seasonal specificity

EC tells Bonn let in UK coal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1992-06-23

The European Commission has told the German federal government to open the door for coal imports from other EC member countries. As an initial step, the Commission is suggesting that some of the power station coal which was to be sourced from German stockpiles under the November 1991 agreement between Rurhkohle AG, the state mining company and the generators, be supplied by other member states such as the UK. The implications of this move for the German coal industry are discussed. 2 tabs.

Ethyl Carbamate Formation Regulated by Lactic Acid Bacteria and Nonconventional Yeasts in Solid-State Fermentation of Chinese Moutai-Flavor Liquor.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Hai; Song, Zhewei; Xu, Yan

2018-01-10

This study aimed to identify specific microorganisms related to the formation of precursors of EC (ethyl carbamate) in the solid-state fermentation of Chinese Moutai-flavor liquor. The EC content was significantly correlated with the urea content during the fermentation process (R 2 = 0.772, P solid-state fermentation can be controlled using lactic acid bacteria and nonconventional yeasts.

Synthesis and optical resolution of the neurotoxin 2-amino-3-([15N]-methylamino)propanoic acid (BMAA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yulin Hu; Ziffer, H.

1990-01-01

The synthesis of 2-amino-3-([ 15 N]-methylamino)propanoic acid (synonyms, BMAA, β-N-mehylamino-alanine) from α-acetamidoacrylic acid and [ 15 N]-methylamine is described. Enantioselective hydrolysis of the acetamide group, mediated by the enzyme Acylase 1 (EC 3.5.1.14), yielded (R)-BMAA and the (S)-α-acetamido derivative. Acid hydrolysis of the latter compound yielded (S)-BMAA. (author)

GPM GROUND VALIDATION ENVIRONMENT CANADA (EC) VAISALA CEILOMETER GCPEX V1

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The GPM Ground Validation Environment Canada (EC) VAISALA Ceilometer GCPEx dataset was collected during the GPM Cold-season Precipitation Experiment (GCPEx) in...

Technique charts for EC film: direct optical measurements to account for the effects of X-ray scatter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Munro, Peter; Jordan, Kevin; Lewis, Craig; Heerema, Tim

2001-01-01

Purpose: To develop a method of measuring technique charts for enhanced contrast (EC) film, to demonstrate how X-ray scatter changes the response of EC film, and to generate technique charts for general use. Methods and Materials: We have developed a 'digital cassette' - consisting of a metal plate/phosphor screen, a light guide, a photodiode sensor, and an electrometer - that can be used to measure the light generated in the phosphor screen of the film cassette. In turn, these measurements can be used to generate technique charts for EC film. The digital cassette has been used to measure technique charts for 4-MV and 6-MV X-ray beams for a variety of different phantom thicknesses, field sizes, and phantom-to-cassette air gaps. Results and Discussion: We have observed that the signals generated in an ionization chamber located 9.4 cm behind a 30-cm-thick water-equivalent phantom increase by a factor of 1.9 when the field size is increased from 4x4 cm 2 to 40x40 cm 2 when irradiated by a 6-MV X-ray beam. However, the change in EC film response is a factor of 3.5 under the same conditions. Irradiations to optimally expose the EC film predicted by the digital cassette differ by up to 82% compared to those predicted by ion chamber measurements. Nevertheless, the technique charts measured using the digital cassette predict the response of the EC film to ±0.2 optical density. The overresponse of the EC film is most likely due to low-energy scattered photons, which interact with the high atomic number (Z=64) phosphor screen of the enhanced contrast localization cassette. Therefore, simple solutions, such as placing a high atomic number material above the enhanced contrast localization cassette, can reduce this contribution by scattered photons to the signal generated in the cassettes. Conclusions: We have developed a digital cassette that can make more accurate measurements of the technique charts for EC films. Our measurements show that under some conditions, X

IL-10 is an effector molecule mediating urocanic acid-induced immunosuppression

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Krulová, Magdalena; Kuffová, Lucia; Zajícová, Alena; Filipec, M.; Holáň, Vladimír

1999-01-01

Roč. 31, - (1999), s. 1218-1219 ISSN 0041-1345 R&D Projects: GA MZd IZ3964; GA ČR GA310/97/1261; GA MŠk VS97099 Keywords : immunosuppression, urocanic acid Subject RIV: EC - Immunology Impact factor: 0.590, year: 1999

Uncertainty in CH4 and N2O emission estimates from a managed fen meadow using EC measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kroon, P.S.; Hensen, A.; Van 't Veen, W.H.; Vermeulen, A.T.; Jonker, H.

2009-02-01

The overall uncertainty in annual flux estimates derived from chamber measurements may be as high as 50% due to the temporal and spatial variability in the fluxes. As even a large number of chamber plots still cover typically less than 1% of the total field area, the field-scale integrated emission necessarily remains a matter of speculation. High frequency micrometeorological methods are a good option for obtaining integrated estimates on a hectare scale with a continuous coverage in time. Instrumentation is now becoming available that meets the requirements for CH4 and N2O eddy covariance (EC) measurements. A system consisting of a quantum cascade laser (QCL) spectrometer and a sonic anemometer has recently been proven to be suitable for performing EC measurements. This study analyses the EC flux measurements of CH4 and N2O and its corrections, like calibration, Webb-correction, and corrections for high and low frequency losses, and assesses the magnitude of the uncertainties associated with the precision of the measurement instruments, measurement set-up and the methodology. The uncertainty of one single EC flux measurement, a daily, monthly and 3-monthly average EC flux is estimated. In addition, the cumulative emission of C-CH4 and N-N2O and their uncertainties are determined over several fertilizing events at a dairy farm site in the Netherlands. These fertilizing events are selected from the continuously EC flux measurements from August 2006 to September 2008. The EC flux uncertainties are compared by the overall uncertainty in annual flux estimates derived from chamber measurements. It will be shown that EC flux measurements can decrease the overall uncertainty in annual flux estimates

Uncertainty in CH4 and N2O emission estimates from a managed fen meadow using EC measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kroon, P.S.; Hensen, A.; Van ' t Veen, W.H.; Vermeulen, A.T. [ECN Biomass, Coal and Environment, Petten (Netherlands); Jonker, H. [Delft University of Technology, Delft (Netherlands)

2009-02-15

The overall uncertainty in annual flux estimates derived from chamber measurements may be as high as 50% due to the temporal and spatial variability in the fluxes. As even a large number of chamber plots still cover typically less than 1% of the total field area, the field-scale integrated emission necessarily remains a matter of speculation. High frequency micrometeorological methods are a good option for obtaining integrated estimates on a hectare scale with a continuous coverage in time. Instrumentation is now becoming available that meets the requirements for CH4 and N2O eddy covariance (EC) measurements. A system consisting of a quantum cascade laser (QCL) spectrometer and a sonic anemometer has recently been proven to be suitable for performing EC measurements. This study analyses the EC flux measurements of CH4 and N2O and its corrections, like calibration, Webb-correction, and corrections for high and low frequency losses, and assesses the magnitude of the uncertainties associated with the precision of the measurement instruments, measurement set-up and the methodology. The uncertainty of one single EC flux measurement, a daily, monthly and 3-monthly average EC flux is estimated. In addition, the cumulative emission of C-CH4 and N-N2O and their uncertainties are determined over several fertilizing events at a dairy farm site in the Netherlands. These fertilizing events are selected from the continuously EC flux measurements from August 2006 to September 2008. The EC flux uncertainties are compared by the overall uncertainty in annual flux estimates derived from chamber measurements. It will be shown that EC flux measurements can decrease the overall uncertainty in annual flux estimates.

(S)-homo-AMPA, a specific agonist at the mGlu6 subtype of metabotropic glutamic acid receptors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahmadian, H; Nielsen, B; Bräuner-Osborne, Hans

1997-01-01

of the spectroscopic configurational assignments. The activities of 6 and 7 at ionotropic EAA (iGlu) receptors and at mGlu1-7 were studied. (S)-Homo-AMPA (6) was shown to be a specific agonist at mGlu6 (EC50 = 58 +/- 11 microM) comparable in potency with the endogenous mGlu agonist (S)-glutamic acid (EC50 = 20 +/- 3......Our previous publication (J. Med. Chem. 1996, 39, 3188-3194) described (RS)-2-amino-4-(3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl)butyric acid (Homo-AMPA) as a highly selective agonist at the mGlu6 subtype of metabotropic excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptors. Homo-AMPA has already become a standard agonist...... microM). Although Homo-AMPA did not show significant effects at iGlu receptors, (R)-Homo-AMPA (7), which was inactive at mGlu1-7, turned out to be a weak N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor antagonist (IC50 = 131 +/- 18 microM)....

The role of the IGF-1 Ec in myoskeletal system and osteosarcoma pathophysiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Armakolas, Nikolaos; Armakolas, Athanasios; Antonopoulos, Athanasios; Dimakakos, Andreas; Stathaki, Martha; Koutsilieris, Michael

2016-12-01

Growth hormone (GH) regulated mainly liver-produced insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is a key molecule in embryonic & post embryonic development that is also involved in cancer biology. Herein we review new insights of the role of igf-1 gene products and of the IGF-1Ec isoform in muscle and bone development/repair and its role in osteosarcoma pathophysiology, underlying the possible role of the Ec peptide as a future therapeutic target. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

socio-ec(h)o: Ambient Intelligence and Gameplay

OpenAIRE

Wakkary, Ron

2005-01-01

The socio-ec(h)o project aims to research a generalized ambient intelligent software platform and design models for responsive environments based on the concept of ambient intelligent "ecologies" and group gameplay. The benefits of the research include a software-architecture, ambient intelligence inference engine, and interaction design models for gameplay and responsive environments. The paper will discuss the results of our prototypes for games in responsive environments. These prototypes ...

Synthesis and pharmacology of 3-isoxazolol amino acids as selective antagonists at group I metabotropic glutamic acid receptors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, U; Bräuner-Osborne, H; Frydenvang, Karla Andrea

2001-01-01

Using ibotenic acid (2) as a lead, two series of 3-isoxazolol amino acid ligands for (S)-glutamic acid (Glu, 1) receptors have been developed. Whereas analogues of (RS)-2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolyl)propionic acid [AMPA, (RS)-3] interact selectively with ionotropic Glu receptors (i......GluRs), the few analogues of (RS)-2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-isoxazolyl)propionic acid [HIBO, (RS)-4] so far known typically interact with iGluRs as well as metabotropic Glu receptors (mGluRs). We here report the synthesis and pharmacology of a series of 4-substituted analogues of HIBO. The hexyl analogue 9 was shown...... to originate in (S)-11 (EC(50) = 395 microM, K(b) = 86 and 90 microM, respectively). Compound 9, administered icv, but not sc, was shown to protect mice against convulsions induced by N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA). Compounds 9 and 11 were resolved using chiral HPLC, and the configurational assignments...

Adult onset glycogen storage disease type II (adult onset Pompe disease): report and magnetic resonance images of two cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Del Gaizo, Andrew; Banerjee, Sima; Terk, Michael

2009-01-01

Glycogen storage disease type II (GSDII), also referred to as Pompe disease or acid maltase deficiency, is a rare inherited condition caused by a deficiency in acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA) enzyme activity. The condition is often classified by age of presentation, with infantile and late onset variants (Laforet et al. J Neurology 55:1122-8, 2000). Late onset tends to present with progressive proximal muscle weakness and respiratory insufficiency (Winkel et al. J Neurology 252:875-84, 2005). We report two cases of biopsy confirmed adult onset GSDII, along with key Magnetic Resonance (MR) images. (orig.)

[Characteristics and sources apportionment of OC and EC in PM1.1 from Nanjing].

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Wen-juan; Guo, Zhao-bing; Liu, Feng-ling; Rui, Mao-ling; Shi, Lei; Zeng, Gang; Guo, Zi-yan

2015-03-01

The concentrations of OC and EC in PM1.1 collected from Nanshi (NS) and Nanhua (NH) in 2011 were analyzed using DRI Model 2001A Thermal Optical Carbon Analyzer. In addition, source apportionment was simultaneously evaluated. The results showed that the annual average concentrations of OC and EC in PM1.1 were 10. 10 μg x m(-3) and 2.52 μg x m(-3) in NS area, and 11.22 μg x m(-3) and 3.12 μg x m(-3) in NH area, respectively. This result indicated that OC and EC pollution in NH was more serious than that in NS area. Meanwhile, the concentrations of OC and EC in winter and spring were obviously higher compared to those in summer in these two sampling sites, which was mainly ascribed to the increased coal combustion and the unfavorable emission condition of air pollutants in summer and spring. We noted that the SOC/TOC value was the highest in summer and the lowest in winter. In addition, the SOC concentration was observed to show a positive correlation with ozone concentrations, which indicated that the photochemical reaction was a main way of SOC formation in autumn.

Monitoring of fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase by formation of pyrenedecanoic acid from pyrenedecanal

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Keller, Markus A.; Watschinger, Katrin; Golderer, Georg; Maglione, Manuel; Sarg, Bettina; Lindner, Herbert H.; Werner-Felmayer, Gabriele; Terrinoni, Alessandro; Wanders, Ronald J. A.; Werner, Ernst R.

2010-01-01

Fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.48) converts long-chain fatty aldehydes to the corresponding acids. Deficiency in this enzyme causes the Sjogren Larsson Syndrome, a rare inherited disorder characterized by ichthyosis, spasticity, and mental retardation. Using a fluorescent aldehyde,

Rapid analysis of phenolic acids in beverages by UPLC–MS/MS

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Grúz, Jiří; Novák, Ondřej; Strnad, Miroslav

2008-01-01

Roč. 111, č. 3 (2008), s. 789-794 ISSN 0308-8146 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KAN200380801 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50380511 Keywords : Phenolic acids * Beverages * Wine Subject RIV: EC - Immunology Impact factor: 2.696, year: 2008

Development of an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous determination of salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and abscisic acid in rose leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Bosco, Renato; Daeseleire, Els; Van Pamel, Els; Scariot, Valentina; Leus, Leen

2014-07-09

This paper describes a method to detect and quantitate the endogenous plant hormones (±)-2-cis-4-trans-abscisic acid, (-)-jasmonic acid, and salicylic acid by means of ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) in hybrid rose leaf matrices. Deuterium-labeled [(2)H6] (+)-2-cis-4-trans-abscisic acid, [(2)H6] (±)-jasmonic acid, and [(2)H4]-salicylic acid were used as internal standards. Rose samples (10 mg) were extracted with methanol/water/acetic acid (10:89:1) and subsequently purified on an Oasis MCX 1 cm(3) Vac SPE cartridge. Performance characteristics were validated according to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. Recovery, repeatability, and within-laboratory reproducibility were acceptable for all phytohormones tested at three different concentrations. The decision limit and detection capability for (±)-2-cis-4-trans-abscisic acid, (-)-jasmonic acid, and salicylic acid were 0.0075 and 0.015 μg/g, 0.00015 and 0.00030 μg/g, and 0.0089 and 0.018 μg/g, respectively. Matrix effects (signal suppression or enhancement) appeared to be high for all substances considered, implying the need for quantitation based on matrix-matched calibration curves.

Acute and repeated ECS treatment increases CRF, POMC and PENK gene expression in selected regions of the rat hypothalamus.

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia-Garcia, L; Llewellyn-Jones, V; Fernandez Fernandez, I; Fuentes, J A; Manzanares, J

1998-01-05

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of acute and repeated electroconvulsive shock (ECS) on corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and proenkephalin (PENK) gene expression in selected regions of the brain and pituitary of the rat. Acute ECS increased CRF gene expression in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) by 20%, an effect that was further enhanced to 38% when rats received repeated ECS treatment. Acute and repeated ECS increased POMC gene expression in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) by 49-59% but failed to alter these mRNA levels in the anterior lobe (AL) of the pituitary gland. PENK gene expression was increased by 35% in the nucleus accumbens (NA) and by 180% the ventromedial nucleus (VMN) after acute or repeated ECS treatment but no significant changes were found in the PVN or striatum (ST). Taken together, these results indicate a differential CRF and opioid gene expression regulation after acute or repeated ECS treatment that may be relevant to their therapeutic or side effects in depression.

An in vitro model to study interactions between Escherichia coli and lactic acid bacterial inoculants for silage in rumen fluid.

Science.gov (United States)

Weinberg, Z G; Chen, Y; Volchinski, V; Sela, S; Ogunade, I M; Adesogan, A

2016-07-01

Previous studies have shown that silages treated with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculants enhance ruminants' performance. The objective of the current experiments was to develop an in vitro model to study interactions between LAB silage inoculants and inoculated silages and Escherichia coli (EC) in rumen fluid (RF). Our hypothesis was that some inoculants inhibit EC in RF. For that purpose buffered RF was incubated under anaerobic conditions at 39°C with commercial strains of LAB silage inoculants or with laboratory corn and wheat silages treated with these LAB, an EC strain and with various ruminant feed ingredients. The EC strain was originally isolated from cattle manure and tagged with a plasmid expressing the green fluorescence protein and kanamycin and streptomycin resistance. Results indicate that the LAB or the treated silages did not suppress EC numbers in the RF. When the pH of the RF decreased below 5·0 the EC disappeared. We conclude that both LAB inoculants for silage and EC survived in RF for several days; however, the inoculants and silages treated with such inoculants did not inhibit EC in RF in vitro. Forage crops, silage and hay are initial stages of the food chain for humans. Cattle harbours and sheds enterobacteria regularly, some strains of which are pathogens. These can contaminate forage crops through field fertilization with cattle manure. The objective of this study was to develop an in vitro model to test whether lactic acid bacteria, which are used in silage inoculants, alone or in treated silages can inhibit Escherichia coli in rumen fluid. This study presents safety aspects and it is also part of a broad research effort aimed at finding out how LAB silage inoculants and inoculated silages enhance ruminant performance or exert probiotic effects in ruminants. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Highly efficient removal of perfluorooctanoic acid from aqueous solution by H2O2-enhanced electrocoagulation-electroflotation technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bo Yang

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Electrocoagulation (EC technique was used to investigate the removal performance of aqueous perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA with relatively high concentration as simulating the wastewater from organic fluorine industry. A comparison was done with the similar amount of coagulant between EC and chemical coagulation process. PFOA removal obtained was higher with EC process, especially for Fe anode. Several factors were studied to optimize the EC process. At the optimal operating parameters including 37.5 mA/cm2 of current density, initial pH 3.77, and 180 rpm of mixing speed, 93% of PFOA could be removed with 100 mg/L of initial concentration after 90-min electrolysis. Furthermore, the remove efficiency could be obviously improved by H2O2 intermittent addition, which removed more than 99% of PFOA within 40-min EC. It could be attributed to that H2O2 facilitated the oxidative transformation from ferrous to ferric ion. In addition, the adsorptive removal of aqueous PFOA on Fe flocs during EC was also verified by fourier transform infrared spectra.

The History of Maltose-active Disaccharidases.

Science.gov (United States)

Lentze, Michael J

2018-06-01

The history of maltose-active disaccharidases is closely related to the history of the sugar and starch industry. It began in the 19th century, when a shortage of cane sugar occurred in continental Europe, because Napoleon Bonaparte decreed that no goods could be imported from England to the countries he occupied. Other sugar sources had to be found, and it led to the identification of sugar beets as alternative source of sugar by Marggraf in 1774, to the detection of starch hydrolysis by diluted sulfuric acid by Kirchhoff in 1812, and to the starch digestion enzyme, α-amylase, by Payen in 1833. In the 20th century, Borkström's group in Sweden investigated the absorption of nutrients in human adults by transintubation techniques and found that the luminal concentration of invertase was small compared to that of α-amylase. They speculated that the major locus of this enzyme activity must be in the intestinal cells. Borkström's coworker, Dahlqvist, investigated the maltose-active enzymes in pig intestine, and a second group around Semenza studied the maltase-active enzymes in rabbit intestine. After the first descriptions of congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency in 1960 and 1961, the research on disaccharidases increased. Dahlqvist published the first quantitative method to measure these enzymes. Consecutive research led to the discovery of 4 maltases, which were later identified as 2 complex enzymes: the sucrase-isomaltase complex and the maltase-glucoamylase complex. The homology of the 2 enzyme complexes was later determined when the cDNA sequences of the 2 complexes in human intestine were identified.

Functionalization of yogurts with Agaricus bisporus extracts encapsulated in spray-dried maltodextrin crosslinked with citric acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Francisco, Cristhian R L; Heleno, Sandrina A; Fernandes, Isabel P M; Barreira, João C M; Calhelha, Ricardo C; Barros, Lillian; Gonçalves, Odinei Hess; Ferreira, Isabel C F R; Barreiro, Maria Filomena

2018-04-15

Mushroom extracts contain bioactive compounds potentially useful to functionalize foodstuffs. Herein, alcoholic extracts of Agaricus bisporus were studied for their bioactivity and viability as functional ingredients in a food product with high water content (yogurt). Extracts were microencapsulated (to improve their stability and hydrophilicity) by spray-drying, using maltodextrin crosslinked with citric acid as encapsulating material. The effect of thermal treatment (after atomization) on crosslinking and bioactivity of microspheres was tested. The incorporation of free and thermally untreated forms resulted in yogurts with higher initial antioxidant activity (EC 50 values: 214 and 272 mg.mL -1 ) that decreased after 7 days (EC 50 values: 248 and 314 mg.mL -1 ). Contrarily, thermally treated microencapsulated extracts showed higher antioxidant activity after the same period (EC 50 values, 0 days: 106 mg.mL -1 ; 7 days: 48.7 mg.mL -1 ), in result of an effective protection provided by microencapsulation with crosslinked maltodextrin and citric acid. Functionalized yogurts showed an overall maintenance of nutritional properties. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

哈氏弧菌EcGY020401优化培养%Optimization Culture of Vibrio harveyi EcGY020401

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

陶家发; 赖迎迢; 潘厚军; 石存斌; 吴淑勤

2010-01-01

目的:为规模化制备弧菌疫苗提供相关数据.方法:利用摇瓶和小型发酵罐培养,通过平板计数测定培养菌液的活菌数.结果:哈氏弧菌(Vibrio harveyi)EcGY020401株最适盐度为20～25g/L,合适的pH为7.5～7.7,葡萄糖浓度最适浓度为2～5g/L,用TSB优化培养基:胰蛋白胨5g/L、蛋白胨15g/L、大豆蛋白胨3g/L、酵母膏1g/L、葡萄糖4g/L、磷酸氢二钾5g/L、氯化钠15g/L、pH 7.5,培养EcGY020401菌株,可达2.95×1010 cfu/mL;小型发酵罐培养,10h可达到生长最大值,菌液浓度为3.46×1010cfu/mL 结论:用优化TSB培养基,采用发酵罐培养弧菌,可降低成本,提搞培养效率.

Consumption of food in EC countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ven-Breken, T.J. van de; Brenot, J.; Bonnefous, S.; Noordijk, H.; Leenhouts, H.P.

1990-08-01

Annual consumption of 10 classes of food and drink is reported for the total population of each EC-country. National food consumption data are generalized by distinguishing groups of countries with similar diet. Group 1: UK and Ireland (low consumption of fruit, high consumption of potatoes and fresh dairy products). Group 2: Italy and Greece (high consumption of cereals, vegetables and fruit, low consumption of fresh dairy products). Group 3: France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, FRG and Spain (intermediate consumption of most foodstuffs). Portugal and Denmark could not be classified in any group. Changes in food consumption related to differences in age, sex, social class, regional habits and level of urbanisation are reported.In some cases, variation of annual food consumption over the different seasons on the relative contribution of food from local origin to the total diet, could be estimated. Differences of region, age and level of urbanisation appear to have the largest influence on consumed amounts. As for age, the values for the different age-groups range from 50 to 80 percent of the adult diet. Regional consumption may diverge from 70-130 percent of the average national consumption, with values of 200 percent for potatoes and fruit. Consumption in urban areas compared with the entire country diverges from 70-100 percent. In rural areas the values diverge from 100-140 percent. Self-support of vegetables and milk seems to be important for most countries. Of the other products, self-support of wheat and cheese is only of importance in the south of the EC. When combining the effects of the different factors, a range of consumed amounts for specific population groups of 50 to 200 percent of the average national consumption was determined. (author). 38 refs.; 13 figs.; 75 tabs

Influence of phenolic compounds on the growth and arginine deiminase system in a wine lactic acid bacterium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María R. Alberto

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The influence of seven phenolic compounds, normally present in wine, on the growth and arginine deiminase system (ADI of Lactobacillus hilgardii X1B, a wine lactic acid bacterium, was established. This system provides energy for bacterial growth and produces citrulline that reacts with ethanol forming the carcinogen ethyl carbamate (EC, found in some wines. The influence of phenolic compounds on bacterial growth was compound dependent. Growth and final pH values increased in presence of arginine. Arginine consumption decreased in presence of protocatechuic and gallic acids (31 and 17%, respectively and increased in presence of quercetin, rutin, catechin and the caffeic and vanillic phenolic acids (between 10 and 13%, respectively. ADI enzyme activities varied in presence of phenolic compounds. Rutin, quercetin and caffeic and vanillic acids stimulated the enzyme arginine deiminase about 37-40%. Amounts of 200 mg/L gallic and protocatechuic acids inhibited the arginine deiminase enzyme between 53 and 100%, respectively. Ornithine transcarbamylase activity was not modified at all concentrations of phenolic compounds. As gallic and protocatechuic acids inhibited the arginine deiminase enzyme that produces citrulline, precursor of EC, these results are important considering the formation of toxic compounds.

annot8r: GO, EC and KEGG annotation of EST datasets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schmid Ralf

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The expressed sequence tag (EST methodology is an attractive option for the generation of sequence data for species for which no completely sequenced genome is available. The annotation and comparative analysis of such datasets poses a formidable challenge for research groups that do not have the bioinformatics infrastructure of major genome sequencing centres. Therefore, there is a need for user-friendly tools to facilitate the annotation of non-model species EST datasets with well-defined ontologies that enable meaningful cross-species comparisons. To address this, we have developed annot8r, a platform for the rapid annotation of EST datasets with GO-terms, EC-numbers and KEGG-pathways. Results annot8r automatically downloads all files relevant for the annotation process and generates a reference database that stores UniProt entries, their associated Gene Ontology (GO, Enzyme Commission (EC and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG annotation and additional relevant data. For each of GO, EC and KEGG, annot8r extracts a specific sequence subset from the UniProt dataset based on the information stored in the reference database. These three subsets are then formatted for BLAST searches. The user provides the protein or nucleotide sequences to be annotated and annot8r runs BLAST searches against these three subsets. The BLAST results are parsed and the corresponding annotations retrieved from the reference database. The annotations are saved both as flat files and also in a relational postgreSQL results database to facilitate more advanced searches within the results. annot8r is integrated with the PartiGene suite of EST analysis tools. Conclusion annot8r is a tool that assigns GO, EC and KEGG annotations for data sets resulting from EST sequencing projects both rapidly and efficiently. The benefits of an underlying relational database, flexibility and the ease of use of the program make it ideally suited for non

Dielectric properties of solution-grown-undoped and acrylic-acid ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Dielectric capacities and losses were measured, in the temperature (50–170°C) and frequency (01–100 kHz range), for undoped and acrylic acid (AA) doped ethyl cellulose (EC) films (thickness about 20 m) with progressive increase in the concentration of dopant in the polymer matrix. The variation of capacity with ...

A new verification film system for routine quality control of radiation fields: Kodak EC-L.

Science.gov (United States)

Hermann, A; Bratengeier, K; Priske, A; Flentje, M

2000-06-01

The use of modern irradiation techniques requires better verification films for determining set-up deviations and patient movements during the course of radiation treatment. This is an investigation of the image quality and time requirement of a new verification film system compared to a conventional portal film system. For conventional verifications we used Agfa Curix HT 1000 films which were compared to the new Kodak EC-L film system. 344 Agfa Curix HT 1000 and 381 Kodak EC-L portal films of different tumor sites (prostate, rectum, head and neck) were visually judged on a light box by 2 experienced physicians. Subjective judgement of image quality, masking of films and time requirement were checked. In this investigation 68% of 175 Kodak EC-L ap/pa-films were judged "good", only 18% were classified "moderate" or "poor" 14%, but only 22% of 173 conventional ap/pa verification films (Agfa Curix HT 1000) were judged to be "good". The image quality, detail perception and time required for film inspection of the new Kodak EC-L film system was significantly improved when compared with standard portal films. They could be read more accurately and the detection of set-up deviation was facilitated.

Studies with the EC-Earth seamless Earth system prediction model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hazeleger, W.; Bintanja, R.

2012-01-01

EC-Earth is a new Earth System Model (ESM) based on the operational seasonal forecast system of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). Climate and weather forecasting applications share a common ancestry and are build on the same physical principles. The emerging concept of

Impurity analysis in EC-99mTC radiotracer using chromatographic techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almeida, E.V.; Fukumori, N.T.O.; Mengatti, J.; Silva, C.P.G.; Matsuda, M.M.N.

2008-01-01

The objective of this study was to develop two chromatographic methods of impurity analysis in radiotracer 99m Tc-EC: the Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and the High Performance Liquid Chromatography Reversed Phase (HPLC-RP)

Nature of elevated rat intestinal carbohydrase activities after high-carbohydrate diet feeding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuboi, K.K.; Kwong, L.K.; Yamada, K.; Sunshine, P.; Koldovsky, O.

1985-01-01

Adult rats that were maintained on a low-carbohydrate intake showed rapid increase in the activities of sucrase, maltase, and lactase along the length of the small intestine when they were fed a high-starch diet. In the present study, the authors have identified these activity increases, and showed that they reflect proportional accumulations in enzyme-protein of sucrase-isomaltase, maltase-glucoamylase, and neutral lactase. It was determined that each of these enzymes exists in adult rat intestine in single immunoreactive form and accounts as a group for all sucrase, cellobiase, and most maltase and lactase activities. Dietary change from low to high carbohydrate (starch) resulted in an increase in [ 3 H]leucine accumulation in each of the enzymes, without a change in the amount of label accumulation in total intestinal proteins. The increase in label accumulation in the brush-border carbohydrase pools was matched generally by proportional elevation in the pool concentrations of sucrase-isomaltase and lactase but not maltase. These studies suggest that the elevation of intestinal carbohydrase concentrations induced by high-carbohydrate feeding may involve selective stimulation of their synthesis

Serum antibodies and DNA indicate a high prevalence of equine papillomavirus 2 (EcPV2) among horses in Switzerland.

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Nina M; Favrot, Claude; Birkmann, Katharina; Jackson, Michele; Schwarzwald, Colin C; Müller, Martin; Tobler, Kurt; Geisseler, Marco; Lange, Christian E

2014-06-01

The DNA of equine papillomavirus type 2 (EcPV2) is consistently found in equine papillomas and squamous cell carcinomas, indicating a causal association of EcPV2 in the pathogenesis of these tumours; however, little is known about the prevalence of this virus. The aim of this study was to determine the geno- and seroprevalence of EcPV2 in clinically healthy horses in Switzerland. Fifty horses presented to the equine department of the university clinic, displaying no skin or mucous membrane lesions or severe signs of other diseases, were sampled. Cytobrush samples from the penis or vulva and serum samples were collected. To determine the genoprevalence of EcPV2, DNA was extracted from cytobrush samples and tested for viral DNA with a PCR assay amplifying a 338 bp fragment of the E7/E1 region of the viral genome. Seroprevalence was tested using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay aimed to detect antibodies against the major capsid protein (L1) of EcPV2. In five of 50 horses (10%), EcPV2-specific DNA was amplified but no antibodies could be detected, whereas in 14 of 50 horses (28%), antibodies against EcPV2 but no DNA were demonstrated. Both antibodies and viral DNA were detected in four of 50 horses (8%). Neither antibodies nor viral DNA were found in 27 of 50 horses (54%). The seroprevalence suggests that EcPV2 is prevalent in the Swiss equine population, while the genoprevalence indicates that currently ongoing infections are less common. The discrepancy between geno- and seroprevalence probably indicates different stages of infection in the tested cohort. © 2014 ESVD and ACVD.

Development of an Amperometric Biosensor Platform for the Combined Determination of L-Malic, Fumaric, and L-Aspartic Acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Röhlen, Désirée L; Pilas, Johanna; Schöning, Michael J; Selmer, Thorsten

2017-10-01

Three amperometric biosensors have been developed for the detection of L-malic acid, fumaric acid, and L -aspartic acid, all based on the combination of a malate-specific dehydrogenase (MDH, EC 1.1.1.37) and diaphorase (DIA, EC 1.8.1.4). The stepwise expansion of the malate platform with the enzymes fumarate hydratase (FH, EC 4.2.1.2) and aspartate ammonia-lyase (ASPA, EC 4.3.1.1) resulted in multi-enzyme reaction cascades and, thus, augmentation of the substrate spectrum of the sensors. Electrochemical measurements were carried out in presence of the cofactor β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD + ) and the redox mediator hexacyanoferrate (III) (HCFIII). The amperometric detection is mediated by oxidation of hexacyanoferrate (II) (HCFII) at an applied potential of + 0.3 V vs. Ag/AgCl. For each biosensor, optimum working conditions were defined by adjustment of cofactor concentrations, buffer pH, and immobilization procedure. Under these improved conditions, amperometric responses were linear up to 3.0 mM for L-malate and fumarate, respectively, with a corresponding sensitivity of 0.7 μA mM -1 (L-malate biosensor) and 0.4 μA mM -1 (fumarate biosensor). The L-aspartate detection system displayed a linear range of 1.0-10.0 mM with a sensitivity of 0.09 μA mM -1 . The sensor characteristics suggest that the developed platform provides a promising method for the detection and differentiation of the three substrates.

Mono-N-acyl-2,6-diaminopimelic acid derivatives: analysis by electromigration and spectroscopic methods and examination of enzyme inhibitory activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Hlaváček, Jan; Vítovcová, Miloslava; Sázelová, Petra; Pícha, Jan; Vaněk, Václav; Buděšínský, Miloš; Jiráček, Jiří; Gillner, Danuta M; Holz, Richard C; Mikšík, Ivan; Kašička, Václav

2014-12-15

Thirteen mono-N-acyl derivatives of 2,6-diaminopimelic acid (DAP)-new potential inhibitors of the dapE-encoded N-succinyl-l,l-diaminopimelic acid desuccinylase (DapE; EC 3.5.1.18)-were analyzed and characterized by infrared (IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies and two capillary electromigration methods: capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). Structural features of DAP derivatives were characterized by IR and NMR spectroscopies, whereas CZE and MEKC were applied to evaluate their purity and to investigate their electromigration properties. Effective electrophoretic mobilities of these compounds were determined by CZE in acidic and alkaline background electrolytes (BGEs) and by MEKC in acidic and alkaline BGEs containing a pseudostationary phase of anionic detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or cationic detergent cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The best separation of DAP derivatives, including diastereomers of some of them, was achieved by MEKC in an acidic BGE (500 mM acetic acid [pH 2.54] and 60mM SDS). All DAP derivatives were examined for their ability to inhibit catalytic activity of DapE from Haemophilus influenzae (HiDapE) and ArgE from Escherichia coli (EcArgE). None of these DAP derivatives worked as an effective inhibitor of HiDapE, but one derivative-N-fumaryl, Me-ester-DAP-was found to be a moderate inhibitor of EcArgE, thereby providing a promising lead structure for further studies on ArgE inhibitors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

GPM GROUND VALIDATION ENVIRONMENT CANADA (EC) MANUAL PRECIPITATION MEASUREMENTS GCPEX V1

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The GPM Ground Validation Environment Canada (EC) Manual Precipitation Measurements GCPEx dataset was collected during the GPM Cold-season Precipitation Experiment...

ECONOMIC AND LEGAL ASPECTS OF THE PLANNED DAMAGES ACTIONS FOR THE BREACHES OF EC ANTITRUST LAW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Isac

2010-09-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the planned damages actions for breaches of EC antitrust law in order to assess their impact on consumer welfare. It first examines the current legal situation and concurs that the European Union needs to regulate damages actions for breaches of EC antitrust law so that a higher number of consumers could be compensated for their losses. This paper then discusses the main legal provisions proposed by the Commission in the Green and in the White paper on damages actions for breaches of EC antitrust law. The analysis of these proposed legal provisions is done using arguments specific to the economic analysis of law. It is demonstrated that most of these proposed legal provisions will enhance consumer welfare but that there are also proposed legal provisions which will damage consumer welfare. The paper concludes that the planned damages actions for breaches of the EC law will be an improvement compared to the current situation. However, the Commission should amend some of the proposed legal provisions in order to help consumers further.

Q and A. Why the EC's PINC has failed Europe's nuclear industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kraev, Kamen [NucNet, Brussels (Belgium)

2016-12-15

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has called for a more comprehensive strategy to be incorporated in a revised version of the European Commission's (EC) Illustrative Programme for Nuclear Energy (PINC). EESC member Brian Curtis tells NucNet why the PINC has failed to address key issues for nuclear and why he believes the EC has become side-tracked by renewables. The EESC is a consultative body which represents the interests of civil society organisations and stakeholders at the EU. Its opinions are forwarded to the EC, the European Council, and the European Parliament and are considered in the EU's decision-making process. Brian Curtis was rapporteur on the committee's opinion paper.

Towards Coleoptera-specific high-throughput screening systems for compounds with ecdysone activity: development of EcR reporter assays using weevil (Anthonomus grandis)-derived cell lines and in silico analysis of ligand binding to A. grandis EcR ligand-binding pocket.

Science.gov (United States)

Soin, Thomas; Iga, Masatoshi; Swevers, Luc; Rougé, Pierre; Janssen, Colin R; Smagghe, Guy

2009-08-01

Molting in insects is regulated by ecdysteroids and juvenile hormones. Several synthetic non-steroidal ecdysone agonists are on the market as insecticides. These ecdysone agonists are dibenzoylhydrazine (DBH) analogue compounds that manifest their toxicity via interaction with the ecdysone receptor (EcR). Of the four commercial available ecdysone agonists, three (tebufenozide, methoxyfenozide and chromafenozide) are highly lepidopteran specific, one (halofenozide) is used to control coleopteran and lepidopteran insects in turf and ornamentals. However, compared to the very high binding affinity of these DBH analogues to lepidopteran EcRs, halofenozide has a low binding affinity for coleopteran EcRs. For the discovery of ecdysone agonists that target non-lepidopteran insect groups, efficient screening systems that are based on the activation of the EcR are needed. We report here the development and evaluation of two coleopteran-specific reporter-based screening systems to discover and evaluate ecdysone agonists. The screening systems are based on the cell lines BRL-AG-3A and BRL-AG-3C that are derived from the weevil Anthonomus grandis, which can be efficiently transduced with an EcR reporter cassette for evaluation of induction of reporter activity by ecdysone agonists. We also cloned the almost full length coding sequence of EcR expressed in the cell line BRL-AG-3C and used it to make an initial in silico 3D-model of its ligand-binding pocket docked with ponasterone A and tebufenozide.

Integration of IC/EC systems in ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gassmann, T.; Beaumont, B.; Baruah, U.K.; Bonicelli, T.; Chiocchio, S.; Cox, D.; Darbos, C.; Decamps, H.; Denisov, G.; Henderson, M.; Kazarian, F.; Lamalle, P.U.; Mukherjee, A.; Rasmussen, D.; Saibene, G.; Sartori, R.; Sakamoto, K.; Tanga, A.

2010-01-01

The RF heating and current drive (H and CD) systems that are to be installed in ITER during the construction phase, are the electron cyclotron (EC) and ion cyclotron (IC) systems. They are complex assemblies of high voltage power supplies (HVPS), RF generators, transmission lines and antennas. Their design and integration are constrained by many interfaces, both internal, between the subsystems, and external, with the other ITER systems. In addition, some components must be compatible with a nuclear environment and are classified as Safety Important Component. This paper describes the processes implemented in ITER to ensure proper integration.

Renewables in Transport: Directive 2009/28/EC - Devils in its Details

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilkin, S.

2009-01-01

As part of the 3*20 targets reached in December 2008, the EC decided that the EU should, by 2020, source 20% of its Final Energy Consumption (FEC) renewably. Working towards this aim should in general contribute to the primary objective of reducing emissions, but there are two major issues with the implementation of the target in the Transport sector which run the risk of being irrelevant or even counterproductive. Firstly, the constraining stipulation that all Member States should source 10% of their Transport sector FEC renewably will be a struggle for some Member States to achieve, forcing them to invest large amounts of money which would be better spent elsewhere. Secondly, the relevant legislation gives unrepresentative weight to the benefits of Electric Vehicles (EVs), meaning that Member States which invest in EVs may give the illusion of having reached their national renewable targets without actually having done so. This paper is based on EC Directive 2009/28/EC (henceforth referred to as 'the Directive') and the National Renewable Energy Action Plans of Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK which were submitted in response. Each EU Member State has an individual target for the proportion of its FEC which is to come from renewable sources in 2020. The targets are based on the countries? existing renewable shares (as shown in Table 1 below) and their supposed capacity for improvement. Together, they give an average EU-wide target of 20% across the 27 Member States. (author)

[Knockdown of NEDD9 inhibits the proliferation, invasion and migration of esophageal carcinoma EC109 cells].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wen; Li, Shaojun; Zhao, Yunlong; Guo, Nannan; Li, Yingjie

2016-12-01

Objective To observe the expression of the neural precursor cell expressed, developmentally down-regulated 9 (NEDD9) in esophageal cancer, to investigate the impact of decreased expression of NEDD9 on invasion and migration, and to explicit the function of NEDD9 in EC109 human esophageal cancer cell line. Methods Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of NEDD9 in human esophageal cancer tissues and paracancerous normal tissues. RNA interfering (RNAi) was used to knockdown NEDD9 in EC109 cells. The interference efficiency was detected by reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis. Cell proliferation was determined by MTT assay and the invasion and migration abilities of EC109 cells were monitored by Transwell TM assay. The protein levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Bax and Bcl-2 were tested by Western blotting. Results The positive expression rate of NEDD9 in esophageal carcinoma tissues was significantly higher compared with that in the paracancerous tissues. After NEDD9 expression was successfully downregulated in EC109 cells by siRNA, the proliferation, invasion and migration rates in transfection group were significantly lower than those in control group; meanwhile, the expression of Bcl-2 was reduced and Bax expression was enhanced. Conclusion The protein expression level of NEDD9 is higher in esophageal carcinoma tissues than that in adjacent normal tissues. Knockdown of NEDD9 expression can restrain the proliferation, invasion and migration of EC109 cells.

(EC+β+) decay of 130Ce

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Shuwei; Zhang Tianmei; Xie Yuanxiang; Ma Ruichang; Ge Yuanxiu; Guo Yingxiang; Wang Chunfang; Li Zhankui; Guo Bing; Xing Jianping; Guo Tianrui; Zhu Shaofei; Xu Wang; Du Jinzhou

1996-01-01

The nuclide 130 Ce was produced by a ( 16 O, 4n) reaction on an enriched 118 Sn target. Reaction products were transported to a shielded location by using a helium-jet tape transport system. A 22.9 min activity in chemically separated cerium sample was identified as 130 Ce. The (EC+β + ) decay scheme of 130 Ce was proposed for the first time. This scheme includes 108 γ-lines, 107 γ-lines among them being new. More than 13 1 + low-lying states of 130 La are populated in the decay of 130 Ce. Two new isomers with half-life of 77±10 ns and 17±5 ns were observed by means of delayed γ-γ coincidence measurements. (orig.). With 5 figs., 3 tabs

A new verification film system for routine quality control of radiation fields: Kodak EC-L

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hermann, A.; Bratengeier, K.; Priske, A.; Flentje, M.

2000-01-01

Background: The use of modern irradiation techniques requires better verification films for determining set-up deviations and patient movements during the course of radiation treatment. This is an investigation of the image quality and time requirement of a new verification film system compared to a conventional portal film system. Material and Methods: For conventional verifications we used Agfa Curix HT 1000 films which were compared to the new Kodak EC-L film system. 344 Agfa Curix HT 1000 and 381 Kodak EC-L portal films of different tumor sites (prostate, rectum, head and neck) were visually judged on a light box by 2 experienced physicians. Subjective judgement of image quality, masking of films and time requirement were checked. Results: In this investigation 68% of 175 Kodak EC-L ap/pa-films were judged 'good', only 18% were classified 'moderate' or 'poor' 14%, but only 22% of 173 conventional ap/pa verification films (Agfa Curix HT 1000) were judged to be 'good'. Conclusions: The image quality, detail perception and time required for film inspection of the new Kodak EC-L film system was significantly improved when compared with standard portal films. They could be read more accurately and the detection of set-up deviation was facilitated. (orig.) [de

Synthesis, Antifungal Activity and QSAR of Some Novel Carboxylic Acid Amides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shijie Du

2015-03-01

Full Text Available A series of novel aromatic carboxylic acid amides were synthesized and tested for their activities against six phytopathogenic fungi by an in vitro mycelia growth inhibition assay. Most of them displayed moderate to good activity. Among them N-(2-(1H-indazol-1-ylphenyl-2-(trifluoromethylbenzamide (3c exhibited the highest antifungal activity against Pythium aphanidermatum (EC50 = 16.75 µg/mL and Rhizoctonia solani (EC50 = 19.19 µg/mL, compared to the reference compound boscalid with EC50 values of 10.68 and 14.47 µg/mL, respectively. Comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA were employed to develop a three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship model for the activity of the compounds. In the molecular docking, a fluorine atom and the carbonyl oxygen atom of 3c formed hydrogen bonds toward the hydroxyl hydrogens of TYR58 and TRP173.

620 ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METALS, pH AND EC IN EFFLUENT ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Osondu

evaluated metals were Cu, Fe, Ni, Mn, Cr, Zn, Cd, Co, and Ag. The pH, EC, TDS, DO ... heavy metals, but the high heavy metal concentrations in the soil could seriously ... Key words: Heavy metals, AAS, contamination, floriculture and effluents.

Sustainable thermoplastic elastomers derived from cellulose, fatty acid and furfural via ATRP and click chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Juan; Lu, Chuanwei; Wang, Chunpeng; Wang, Jifu; Fan, Yimin; Chu, Fuxiang

2017-11-15

Cellulose-based thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) have attracted considerable attention because of their rigid backbone, good mechanical properties, renewable nature and abundance. In the present study, sustainable TPEs based on ethyl cellulose (EC), fatty acid and furfural were generated by the combination of ATRP and "click chemistry". To fabricate sustainable TPEs with higher toughness, a range of polymers, including mono random-copolymer poly(tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate-co-lauryl methacrylate) (P(THFMA-co-LMA), dual polymer side chains PTHFMA and PLMA, and mono-block copolymer PTHFMA-b-PLMA, were designed as side chains to fabricate EC brush copolymers with random, dual or block side chain architectures using the "grafting from" and "grafting onto" methods. The multi-armed structures, chemical compositions and phase separation of these EC brush copolymers were confirmed by FT-IR, 1 H NMR, GPC, DSC, TEM and SEM. Overall, three types of EC brush copolymers all exhibited the desired mechanical properties of TPEs. In addition, the EC brush copolymers with dual/block side chain architectures showed higher tensile strength than that of the random polymers with similar compositions. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Effects of acidity and alkalinity on the stability of amidohydrolases in freshwater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frankenberger, W.T. Jr.; Page, A.L.

1983-01-01

The influence of acidity and alkalinity on the enzymatic hydrolysis of amide-N in the aquatic system was investigated by determining the stability of L-asparaginase (EC (Enzyme Commission) 3.5.1.1), L-glutaminase (EC 3.5.1.2), and amidase (EC 3.5.1.4), and urease (EC 3.5.1.5) with respect to pH in three freshwater lakes. The water samples were first incubated at the indicated buffer pH (1-13) for 24 h; then each enzyme was assayed at its optimal pH (pH/sub opt/) under standardized conditions. L-Asparaginase retained essentially 100% of its activity within the pH range of 6-7 in Lake Evans and Lake Matthews, and 5-7 in Lake Perris. L-Glutaminase was active between pH 6 and 7 in the water samples surveyed. Amidase remained completely active at pH ranges of 4-8 in Lake Evans, 4-7 in Lake Matthews, and 5-8 in Lake Perris. Urease remained active over a broad pH range of 5-9 in Lake Evans, 5-8 in Lake Matthews, and 4-8 in Lake Perris. There was a progressive loss in enzyme activity below and above these pH ranges. The results suggest that the decline in aquatic amidohydrolase activities in relation to the pH-profile near their pH/sub opt/ was caused by a reversible reaction involving the ionization or deionization of functional groups of the active center of the protein, but under highly acidic or alkaline conditions (pH <4 to >9) the reduced activitiy appears to be due to irreversible inactivation of the enzyme.

Analysis of Well ER-EC-7 Testing, Western Pahute Mesa - Oasis Valley FY 2000 Testing Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2002-09-30

This report documents the analysis of the data collected for Well ER-EC-7 during the Western Pahute Mesa - Oasis Valley (WPM-OV) well development and testing program that was conducted during fiscal year (FY) 2000. The data collection for that program was documented in Appendix A, Western Pahute Mesa - Oasis Valley, Well ER-EC-7 Data Report for Development and Hydraulic Testing.

Analysis of Well ER-EC-8 testing, Western Pahute Mesa-Oasis Valley FY 2000 testing program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2002-09-30

This report documents the analysis of the data collected for Well ER-EC-8 during the Western Pahute Mesa - Oasis Valley (WPM-OV) well development and testing program that was conducted during fiscal year (FY) 2000. The data collection for that program is documented in Appendix A, Western Pahute Mesa-Oasis Valley, Well ER-EC-8 Data Report for development and Hydraulic Testing.

Analysis of Well ER-EC-4 Testing, Western Pahute Mesa-Oasis Valley FY 2000 Testing Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2002-09-30

This report documents the analysis of the data collected for Well ER-EC-4 during the Western Pahute Mesa-Oasis Valley (WPM-OV) well development and testing program that was conducted during fiscal year (FY) 2000. The data collection for that program is documented in Appendix A, Western Pahute Mesa - Oasis Valley, Well ER-EC-4 Data Report for Development and Hydraulic Testing.

Analysis of Well ER-EC-5 Testing, Western Pahute Mesa-Oasis Valley FY 2000 Testing Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2002-09-30

This report documents the analysis of the data collected for Well ER-EC-5 during the Western Pahute Mesa - Oasis Valley (WPM-OV) well development and testing program that was conducted during fiscal year (FY) 2000. The data collection for that program is documented in Appendix A, Western Pahute Mesa - Oasis Valley, Well ER-EC-5 Data Report for Development and Hydraulic Testing.

Analysis of Well ER-EC-6 Testing, Western Pahute Mesa - Oasis Valley FY 2000 Testing Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2002-09-30

This report documents the analysis of the data collected for Well ER-EC-6 during the Western Pahute Mesa-Oasis Valley (WPM-OV) well development and testing program that was conducted during fiscal year (FY) 2000. The data collection for that program is documented in Appendix A, Western Pahute Mesa-Oasis Valley, Well ER-EC-6 Data Report for Development and Hydraulic Testing.

Analysis of Well ER-EC-1 Testing, Western Pahute Mesa-Oasis Valley FY 2000 Testing Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2002-09-30

This report documents the analysis of the data collected for Well ER-EC-1 during the Western Pahute Mesa - Oasis Valley (WPM-OV) well development and testing program that was conducted during fiscal year (FY) 2000. The data collection for that program is documented in Appendix A, Western Pahute Mesa - Oasis Valley, Well ER-EC-1 Data Report for Development and Hydraulic Testing.

Capability and limits of EC policy and instruments for protection of the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jarass, H.D.; Neumann, L.F.; Pastowski, A.; Ruhr, H.J. von der; Schreiber, F.

1994-01-01

The authors who contributed to this compilation of studies start from different points of view in their approaches towards describing the existing (or desirable) balance between centralised and decentralised frameworks and instruments of the EC policy for protection of the environment: A total harmonisation of environmental protection standards would be inconsistent with the principles of competition and, in terms of environmental protection, would rather foster a climate tending to be hostile to innovation. The impetus given by the EC in support of free mobility in the transport sector of the internal market on the other hand ought to be flanked by mandatory ecological standards. Adhering to the economic theory of federalism would mean to decide for a high degree of decentralisation, which in turn does not seem to be altogether appropriate in view of the large scope of impact of environmental damage and the mutual ecological dependence of EC member states. A more centralised regulatory competence has to be accompanied by correspondingly strong, democratic institutions in order to fulfill the principles of constitutional law. The priority given to the principle of subsidiarity in the compromise laid down in the Treaty of Maastricht needs to be given concrete shape [de

Estrutura de comunidades em transições ambientais : lagartos no ecótono Cerrado-Amazônia

OpenAIRE

Dantas, Pedro Tourinho

2014-01-01

Os limites ecológicos desempenham um papel crucial no fluxo de espécies, de genes e 2 nutrientes entre áreas adjacentes. Os limites não apenas separam, mas também conectam 3 estas áreas, agindo como filtros de permeabilidade variável. A estrutura das comunidades 4 varia com a proximidade do ecótono e a riqueza de espécies no ecótono pode ser maior que, 5 menor que, ou intermediária entre as áreas adjacentes. Aqui, eu investigo como o ecótono 6 isola a Amazônia e o Cerrado, atuando como um fil...

Stability of the Gel Electrolyte PAN : EC : PC : LICF3SO3 towards Lithium

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Perera, Kumudu; Dissanayake, M.A.K.L.; Skaarup, Steen

2006-01-01

The stability of the gel electrolyte consisting of polyacrylonitrile (PAN), ethylene carbonate (EC), propylene carbonate (PC) and lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate (LiCF3SO3 – LiTF) towards metallic lithium was investigated using the time evolution of impedance plots. Symmetric cells of the form Li...... / PAN : EC : PC: LiTF / Li were assembled and impedance data were collected at room temperature for one week. A clear indication of growth of a resistive layer could be seen. The electrolyte resistance remained constant. The growth of the passivation layer became constant after first two days...

76 FR 30987 - Termination of Action and Further Monitoring in Connection With the EC-Beef Hormones Dispute

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-27

... Connection With the EC-Beef Hormones Dispute AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative. ACTION... Hormones dispute. In January 2009, the Trade Representative announced a determination to modify the list of...) in the EC-Beef Hormones dispute. The MOU provides for the EU to make phased increases in market...

Predictive mapping of the acidifying potential for acid sulfate soils

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boman, A; Beucher, Amélie; Mattbäck, S

Developing methods for the predictive mapping of the potential environmental impact from acid sulfate soils is important because recent studies (e.g. Mattbäck et al., under revision) have shown that the environmental hazards (e.g. leaching of acidity) related to acid sulfate soils vary depending...... on their texture (clay, silt, sand etc.). Moreover, acidity correlates, not only with the sulfur content, but also with the electrical conductivity (EC) measured after incubation. Electromagnetic induction (EMI) data collected from an EM38 proximal sensor also enabled the detailed mapping of acid sulfate soils...... over a field (Huang et al., 2014).This study aims at assessing the use of EMI data for the predictive mapping of the acidifying potential in an acid sulfate soil area in western Finland. Different supervised classification modelling techniques, such as Artificial Neural Networks (Beucher et al., 2015...

H2S and volatile fatty acids elimination by biofiltration: clean-up process for biogas potential use.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramírez-Sáenz, D; Zarate-Segura, P B; Guerrero-Barajas, C; García-Peña, E I

2009-04-30

In the present work, the main objective was to evaluate a biofiltration system for removing hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) contained in a gaseous stream from an anaerobic digestor (AD). The elimination of these compounds allowed the potential use of biogas while maintaining the methane (CH(4)) content throughout the process. The biodegradation of H(2)S was determined in the lava rock biofilter under two different empty bed residence times (EBRT). Inlet loadings lower than 200 g/m(3)h at an EBRT of 81 s yielded a complete removal, attaining an elimination capacity (EC) of 142 g/m(3)h, whereas at an EBRT of 31 s, a critical EC of 200 g/m(3)h was reached and the EC obtained exhibited a maximum value of 232 g/m(3)h. For 1500 ppmv of H(2)S, 99% removal was maintained during 90 days and complete biodegradation of VFAs was observed. A recovery of 60% as sulfate was obtained due to the constant excess of O(2) concentration in the system. Acetic and propionic acids as a sole source of carbon were also evaluated in the bioreactor at different inlet loadings (0-120 g/m(3)h) obtaining a complete removal (99%) for both. Microcosms biodegradation experiments conducted with VFAs demonstrated that acetic acid provided the highest biodegradation rate.

Effect of Graphene-EC on Ag NW-Based Transparent Film Heaters: Optimizing the Stability and Heat Dispersion of Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Minghui; Wang, Minqiang; Li, Le; Qiu, Hengwei; Yang, Zhi

2018-01-10

To optimize the performance of silver nanowire (Ag NW) film heaters and explore the effect of graphene on a film, we introduced poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and graphene modified with ethyl cellulose (graphene-EC) into the film. The high-quality and well-dispersed graphene-EC was synthesized from graphene obtained by electrochemical exfoliation as a precursor. The transparent film heaters were fabricated via spin-coating. With the assistance of graphene-EC, the stability of film heaters was greatly improved, and the conductivity was optimized by adjusting the Ag NW concentration. The film heaters exhibited a fast and accurate response to voltage, accompanied by excellent environmental endurance, and there was no significant performance degradation after being operated for a long period of time. These results indicate that graphene-EC plays a crucial role in optimizing film stability and heat dispersion in the film. The Ag NW/PEDOT:PSS-doped graphene-EC film heaters show a great potential in low-cost indium-tin-oxide-free flexible transparent electrodes, heating systems, and transparent film heaters.

Effect of condensed tannins in hulls of faba beans (Vivia faba L.) on the activities of trypsin (EC 2.4.21.4) and chymotrypsin (EC 2.4.21.1) in digesta collected from the small intestine of pigs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jansman, A.J.M.; Enting, H.; Verstegen, M.W.A.; Huisman, J.

1994-01-01

The effects of condensed tannins in hulls of faba beans (Vicia faba L.) on the activities of trypsin (EC 3.4.21.4) and chymotrypsin (EC 3.4.21.1) in digesta obtained from the small intestine of pigs were studied. Using four castrated male pigs (mean body weight 83 kg) fitted with both a simple

A look at the ocean in the EC-Earth climate model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sterl, Andreas; Bintanja, Richard; Severijns, Camiel [Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), P.O. Box 201, De Bilt (Netherlands); Brodeau, Laurent [Stockholm University, Department of Meteorology, Stockholm (Sweden); Gleeson, Emily; Semmler, Tido [Met Eireann, Dublin (Ireland); Koenigk, Torben; Wyser, Klaus [Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), Norrkoeping (Sweden); Schmith, Torben; Yang, Shuting [Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI), Copenhagen (Denmark)

2012-12-15

EC-Earth is a newly developed global climate system model. Its core components are the Integrated Forecast System (IFS) of the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) as the atmosphere component and the Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean (NEMO) developed by Institute Pierre Simon Laplace (IPSL) as the ocean component. Both components are used with a horizontal resolution of roughly one degree. In this paper we describe the performance of NEMO in the coupled system by comparing model output with ocean observations. We concentrate on the surface ocean and mass transports. It appears that in general the model has a cold and fresh bias, but a much too warm Southern Ocean. While sea ice concentration and extent have realistic values, the ice tends to be too thick along the Siberian coast. Transports through important straits have realistic values, but generally are at the lower end of the range of observational estimates. Exceptions are very narrow straits (Gibraltar, Bering) which are too wide due to the limited resolution. Consequently the modelled transports through them are too high. The strength of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation is also at the lower end of observational estimates. The interannual variability of key variables and correlations between them are realistic in size and pattern. This is especially true for the variability of surface temperature in the tropical Pacific (El Nino). Overall the ocean component of EC-Earth performs well and helps making EC-Earth a reliable climate model. (orig.)

A miniature integrated multimodal sensor for measuring pH, EC and temperature for precision agriculture.

Science.gov (United States)

Futagawa, Masato; Iwasaki, Taichi; Murata, Hiroaki; Ishida, Makoto; Sawada, Kazuaki

2012-01-01

Making several simultaneous measurements with different kinds of sensors at the same location in a solution is difficult because of crosstalk between the sensors. In addition, because the conditions at different locations in plant beds differ, in situ measurements in agriculture need to be done in small localized areas. We have fabricated a multimodal sensor on a small Si chip in which a pH sensor was integrated with electrical conductivity (EC) and temperature sensors. An ISFET with a Si(3)N(4) membrane was used for the pH sensor. For the EC sensor, the electrical conductivity between platinum electrodes was measured, and the temperature sensor was a p-n junction diode. These are some of the most important measurements required for controlling the conditions in plant beds. The multimodal sensor can be inserted into a plant bed for in situ monitoring. To confirm the absence of crosstalk between the sensors, we made simultaneous measurements of pH, EC, and temperature of a pH buffer solution in a plant bed. When the solution was diluted with hot or cold water, the real time measurements showed changes to the EC and temperature, but no change in pH. We also demonstrated that our sensor was capable of simultaneous in situ measurements in rock wool without being affected by crosstalk.

Research and development programme of the EC in the field of raw materials 1982 to 1985

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1982-01-01

Brussels: The EC Cabinet Council was presented a research and development programme in the field of raw materials for the years 1982 to 1985 which covers programmes already running and new actions as an overlapping raw material research programme of the EC. The new programme is divided up into 7 subprogrammes: I) metals and minerals (formerly: primary raw materials, II) uranium, III) ceramics, IV) wood as a renewable raw material, V) recycling of wastes (house and industry, VI) regaining of non-iron metals, VII) substitution. For the continuing of running actions and for beginning new projects in the 4 years plan, a total of 17 million ECU are to be allocated in the budget of the EC which will be used in cost sharing contracts or for coordinative projects. (orig./UA) [de

Biosynthesis of acid phosphatase of baker's yeast . Characterization of a protoplast-bound fraction containing precursors of the exo-enzyme

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boer, Pieter; Rijn, Herman J.M. van; Reinking, A.; Steyn-Parvé, Elizabeth P.

1975-01-01

1. 1.|Yest protoplasts, secreting acid phosphatase (orthophosphoric-monoester phosphohydrolase (acid optimum) EC 3.1.3.2) contain a small amount of firmly bound enzyme, even after lysis (Van Rijn, H.J.M.; Boer, P. and Steyn-Parvé, E.P. (1972) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 268, 431–441). The major part

Excitatory amino acid receptor ligands: resolution, absolute stereochemistry, and enantiopharmacology of 2-amino-3-(4-butyl-3-hydroxyisoxazol-5-yl)propionic acid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, T N; Ebert, B; Bräuner-Osborne, Hans

1998-01-01

(RS)-2-Amino-3-(4-butyl-3-hydroxyisoxazol-5-yl)propionic acid (Bu-HIBO, 6) has previously been shown to be an agonist at (RS)-2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl)propionic acid (AMPA) receptors and an inhibitor of CaCl2-dependent [3H]-(S)-glutamic acid binding (J. Med. Chem. 1992, 35, 3512......-3519). To elucidate the pharmacological significance of this latter binding affinity, which is also shown by quisqualic acid (3) but not by AMPA, we have now resolved Bu-HIBO via diastereomeric salt formation using the diprotected Bu-HIBO derivative 11 and the enantiomers of 1-phenylethylamine (PEA). The absolute...... equipotent as inhibitors of CaCl2-dependent [3H]-(S)-glutamic acid binding, neither enantiomer showed significant affinity for the synaptosomal (S)-glutamic acid uptake system(s). AMPA receptor affinity (IC50 = 0.48 microM) and agonism (EC50 = 17 microM) were shown to reside exclusively in the S...

Natural resistance to ascorbic acid induced oxidative stress is mainly mediated by catalase activity in human cancer cells and catalase-silencing sensitizes to oxidative stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Klingelhoeffer Christoph

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Ascorbic acid demonstrates a cytotoxic effect by generating hydrogen peroxide, a reactive oxygen species (ROS involved in oxidative cell stress. A panel of eleven human cancer cell lines, glioblastoma and carcinoma, were exposed to serial dilutions of ascorbic acid (5-100 mmol/L. The purpose of this study was to analyse the impact of catalase, an important hydrogen peroxide-detoxifying enzyme, on the resistance of cancer cells to ascorbic acid mediated oxidative stress. Methods Effective concentration (EC50 values, which indicate the concentration of ascorbic acid that reduced the number of viable cells by 50%, were detected with the crystal violet assay. The level of intracellular catalase protein and enzyme activity was determined. Expression of catalase was silenced by catalase-specific short hairpin RNA (sh-RNA in BT-20 breast carcinoma cells. Oxidative cell stress induced apoptosis was measured by a caspase luminescent assay. Results The tested human cancer cell lines demonstrated obvious differences in their resistance to ascorbic acid mediated oxidative cell stress. Forty-five percent of the cell lines had an EC50 > 20 mmol/L and fifty-five percent had an EC50 50 of 2.6–5.5 mmol/L, glioblastoma cells were the most susceptible cancer cell lines analysed in this study. A correlation between catalase activity and the susceptibility to ascorbic acid was observed. To study the possible protective role of catalase on the resistance of cancer cells to oxidative cell stress, the expression of catalase in the breast carcinoma cell line BT-20, which cells were highly resistant to the exposure to ascorbic acid (EC50: 94,9 mmol/L, was silenced with specific sh-RNA. The effect was that catalase-silenced BT-20 cells (BT-20 KD-CAT became more susceptible to high concentrations of ascorbic acid (50 and 100 mmol/L. Conclusions Fifty-five percent of the human cancer cell lines tested were unable to protect themselves

Purification, characterization, and bioinformatics studies of phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase from Lagenaria siceraria

Science.gov (United States)

Phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase (PAP), EC 3.1.3.4, is the penultimate step in the Kennedy pathway of triacyl glycerol (TAG) synthesis leading to the formation of diacyl glycerol (DAG), which is a key intermediate in TAG synthesis. We partially purified a soluble PAP from mid maturing seeds of bot...

The planned EC Directive on 'Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control' (IPC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sellner, D.; Schnutenhaus, J.

1993-01-01

This EC Directive is intended to incorporate integrated pollution control as a mandatory obligation in the legal provisions governing industrial installations licensing within the EC. The article in hand presents an assessment of the Directive and discusses some possible impacts on the German national law in the field of pollution control, which hitherto has been defined on the basis of a preferably medium-oriented approach. A serious point of deviation from the German approach is seen in the fact that the draft's provisions relating to the licensing of industrial installations defines certain pre-conditions allowing a plant in a low-polluted area to be licensed, although the pollution control systems of the plant do not them come up to the state-of-the-art in pollution abatement technology. This is seen as a fact jeopardizing the principle of precantionary measures which has been firmly established in German pollution control law. (orig./HP) [de

Involvement of the lysophosphatidic acid-generating enzyme autotaxin in lymphocyte-endothelial cell interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakasaki, Tae; Tanaka, Toshiyuki; Okudaira, Shinichi; Hirosawa, Michi; Umemoto, Eiji; Otani, Kazuhiro; Jin, Soojung; Bai, Zhongbin; Hayasaka, Haruko; Fukui, Yoshinori; Aozasa, Katsuyuki; Fujita, Naoya; Tsuruo, Takashi; Ozono, Keiichi; Aoki, Junken; Miyasaka, Masayuki

2008-11-01

Autotaxin (ATX) is a secreted protein with lysophospholipase D activity that generates lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) from lysophosphatidylcholine. Here we report that functional ATX is selectively expressed in high endothelial venules (HEVs) of both lymph nodes and Peyer's patches. ATX expression was developmentally regulated and coincided with lymphocyte recruitment to the lymph nodes. In adults, ATX expression was independent of HEV-expressed chemokines such as CCL21 and CXCL13, innate immunity signals including those via TLR4 or MyD88, and of the extent of lymphocyte trafficking across the HEVs. ATX expression was induced in venules at sites of chronic inflammation. Receptors for the ATX enzyme product LPA were constitutively expressed in HEV endothelial cells (ECs). In vitro, LPA induced strong morphological changes in HEV ECs. Forced ATX expression caused cultured ECs to respond to lysophosphatidylcholine, up-regulating lymphocyte binding to the ECs in a LPA receptor-dependent manner under both static and flow conditions. Although in vivo depletion of circulating ATX did not affect lymphocyte trafficking into the lymph nodes, we surmise, based on the above data, that ATX expressed by HEVs acts on HEVs in situ to facilitate lymphocyte binding to ECs and that ATX in the general circulation does not play a major role in this process. Tissue-specific inactivation of ATX will verify this hypothesis in future studies of its mechanism of action.

Inactivation of the Ecs ABC Transporter of Staphylococcus aureus Attenuates Virulence by Altering Composition and Function of Bacterial Wall

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jonsson, Ing-Marie; Juuti, Jarmo T.; Francois, Patrice; AlMajidi, Rana; Pietiainen, Milla; Girard, Myriam; Lindholm, Catharina; Saller, Manfred J.; Driessen, Arnold J. M.; Kuusela, Pentti; Bokarewa, Maria; Schrenzel, Jacques; Kontinen, Vesa P.

2010-01-01

Background: Ecs is an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter present in aerobic and facultative anaerobic Gram-positive Firmicutes. Inactivation of Bacillus subtilis Ecs causes pleiotropic changes in the bacterial phenotype including inhibition of intramembrane proteolysis. The molecule(s)

Completion Report for Well ER-EC-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Townsend, M.J.

2000-01-01

Well ER-EC-1 was drilled for the U.S. Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office in support of the Nevada Environmental Restoration Project at the Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada. This well was drilled in the spring of 1999 as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's hydrogeologic investigation well program in the Western Pahute Mesa - Oasis Valley region just west of the Test Site. A 44.5-centimeter surface hole was drilled and cased off to the depth 675.1 meters below the surface. The hole diameter was then decreased to 31.1 centimeters for drilling to a total depth of 1,524.0 meters. A preliminary composite, static, water level was measured at the depth of approximately 566.3 meters prior to installation of the completion string. One completion string with three isolated, slotted intervals was installed in the well. Detailed lithologic descriptions with preliminary stratigraphic assignments are included in the report. These are based on composite drill cuttings collected every 3 meters and 31 sidewall samples taken at various depths below 680 meters, supplemented by geophysical log data. Detailed chemical and mineralogical studies of rock samples are in progress. The well penetrated Tertiary-age lava and tuff of the Timber Mountain Group, the Paintbrush Group, the Calico Hills Formation, the Crater Flat Group, and the Volcanics of Quartz Mountain. The preliminary geologic interpretation of data from Well ER-EC-1 indicates the presence of a structural trough or bench filled with a thick section of post-Rainier Mesa lava. These data also suggest that this site is located on a buried structural ridge that may separate the Silent Canyon and Timber Mountain caldera complexes

Similarity of hydrolyzing activity of human and rat small intestinal disaccharidases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oku T

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Tsuneyuki Oku¹, Kenichi Tanabe¹, Shigeharu Ogawa², Naoki Sadamori¹, Sadako Nakamura¹¹Graduate School of Human Health Science, University of Nagasaki, Siebold, Nagayo, Japan; ²Juzenkai Hospital, Kagomachi, Nagasaki, JapanBackground: The purpose of this study was to clarify whether it is possible to extrapolate results from studies of the hydrolyzing activity of disaccharidases from rats to humans.Materials and methods: We measured disaccharidase activity in humans and rats using identical preparation and assay methods, and investigated the similarity in hydrolyzing activity. Small intestinal samples without malignancy were donated by five patients who had undergone bladder tumor surgery, and homogenates were prepared to measure disaccharidase activity. Adult rat homogenates were prepared using small intestine.Results: Maltase activity was the highest among the five disaccharidases, followed by sucrase and then palatinase in humans and rats. Trehalase activity was slightly lower than that of palatinase in humans and was similar to that of sucrase in rats. Lactase activity was the lowest in humans, but was similar to that of palatinase in rats. Thus, the hydrolyzing activity of five disaccharidases was generally similar in humans and rats. The relative activity of sucrose and palatinase versus maltase was generally similar between humans and rats. The ratio of rat to human hydrolyzing activity of maltase, sucrase, and palatinase was 1.9–3.1, but this was not a significant difference. Leaf extract from Morus alba strongly inhibited the activity of maltase, sucrase, and palatinase, but not trehalase and lactase, and the degree of inhibition was similar in humans and rats. L-arabinose mildly inhibited sucrase activity, but hardly inhibited the activity of maltase, palatinase, trehalase and lactase in humans and rats. The digestibility of 1-kestose, galactosylsucrose, and panose by small intestinal enzymes was very similar between humans and

Ferro-based derivatizing agents for LC/MS an LC/EC/MS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Seiwert, Bettina

2007-01-01

Within this thesis, the development and application of ferrocene-based derivatizing agents for LC/MS and LC/EC/MS is presented. The advantages of derivatization by ferrocenes are the similtaneous introduction of a mass tag and an electroactive group, which make them ideally suited for LC/MS and

A Miniature Integrated Multimodal Sensor for Measuring pH, EC and Temperature for Precision Agriculture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroaki Murata

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Making several simultaneous measurements with different kinds of sensors at the same location in a solution is difficult because of crosstalk between the sensors. In addition, because the conditions at different locations in plant beds differ, in situ measurements in agriculture need to be done in small localized areas. We have fabricated a multimodal sensor on a small Si chip in which a pH sensor was integrated with electrical conductivity (EC and temperature sensors. An ISFET with a Si₃N₄ membrane was used for the pH sensor. For the EC sensor, the electrical conductivity between platinum electrodes was measured, and the temperature sensor was a p-n junction diode. These are some of the most important measurements required for controlling the conditions in plant beds. The multimodal sensor can be inserted into a plant bed for in situ monitoring. To confirm the absence of crosstalk between the sensors, we made simultaneous measurements of pH, EC, and temperature of a pH buffer solution in a plant bed. When the solution was diluted with hot or cold water, the real time measurements showed changes to the EC and temperature, but no change in pH. We also demonstrated that our sensor was capable of simultaneous in situ measurements in rock wool without being affected by crosstalk.

First-pass uptake and oxidation of glucose by the splanchnic tissue in young goats fed soy protein-based milk diets with or without amino acid supplementation: glucose metabolism in goat kids after soy feeding.

Science.gov (United States)

Schönhusen, U; Junghans, P; Flöter, A; Steinhoff-Wagner, J; Görs, S; Schneider, F; Metges, C C; Hammon, H M

2013-04-01

The study was designed to examine whether feeding soy protein isolate as partial replacement of casein (CN) affects glucose metabolism in young goats and whether effects may be ameliorated by supplementation of those AA known to be lower concentrated in soy than in CN. Goat kids (d 20 of age) were fed comparable milk protein diets, in which 50% of the crude protein was either CN (control, CON), soy protein isolate (SPI), or soy protein isolate supplemented with AA (SPIA) for 43 d (n=8 per group). On d 62 of age, a single bolus dose of d-[(13)C6]glucose (10mg/kg of BW) was given with the morning diet, and simultaneously, a single bolus dose of d-[6,6-(2)H2]glucose (5mg/kg of BW) was injected into a jugular vein. Blood samples were collected between -30 and +420 min relative to the tracer administration to measure the (13)C and (2)H enrichments of plasma glucose and the (13)C enrichment of blood CO2. Glucose first-pass uptake by the splanchnic tissues was calculated from the rate of appearance of differentially labeled glucose tracer in plasma. Glucose oxidation was calculated from (13)C enrichment in blood CO2. In addition, plasma concentrations of triglycerides, nonesterified fatty acids, glucose, insulin, and glucagon were measured. On d 63 of age, kids were killed and jejunal mucosa and liver samples were collected to measure lactase mRNA levels and lactase and maltase activities in the jejunum and activities of pyruvate carboxylase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) in the liver. Basal plasma glucose concentration tended to be higher in the CON than the SPIA group, whereas basal insulin was higher in the CON group than the SPI and SPIA groups, and glucagon was higher in the CON than the SPIA group. Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations increased during the first hour after feeding, whereas plasma glucagon increased immediately after feeding and after 1h of feeding. First-pass uptake and glucose oxidation were not affected by diet. Maltase

Evaluation of potential interactions between mycophenolic acid derivatives and proton pump inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Gabardi, Steven; Olyaei, Ali

2012-01-01

To evaluate the incidence of gastrointestinal (GI) complications in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients, impact of the complications on transplant outcomes, and the potential interactions between mycophenolic acid (MPA) derivatives and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). An unrestricted literature search (1980-January 2012) was performed with MEDLINE and EMBASE using the following key words: drug-drug interaction, enteric-coated mycophenolic acid, GI complications, mycophenolate mofetil, solid organ transplant, and proton pump inhibitor, including individual agents within the class. Abstracts from scientific meetings were also evaluated. Additionally, reference citations from identified publications were reviewed. Relevant English-language, original research articles and review articles were evaluated if they focused on any of the topics identified in the search or included substantial content addressing GI complications in SOT recipients or drug interactions. GI complications are frequent among SOT recipients, with some studies showing prevalence rates as high as 70%. Transplant outcomes among renal transplant recipients are significantly impacted by GI complications, especially in patients requiring immunosuppressant dosage reductions or premature discontinuation. To this end, PPI use among patients receiving transplants is common. Recent data demonstrate that PPIs significantly reduce the overall exposure to MPA after oral administration of mycophenolate mofetil. Similar studies show this interaction does not exist between PPIs and enteric-coated mycophenolic acid (EC-MPA). Unfortunately, most of the available data evaluating this interaction are pharmacokinetic analyses that do not investigate the clinical impact of this interaction. A significant interaction exists between PPIs and mycophenolate mofetil secondary to reduced dissolution of mycophenolate mofetil in higher pH environments. EC-MPA is not absorbed in the stomach; therefore, low intragastric acidity

GPM GROUND VALIDATION ENVIRONMENT CANADA (EC) MICRO RAIN RADAR (MRR) GCPEX V1

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Environment Canada (EC) collected data from the Micro Rain Radar (MRR) during the GPM Cold-season Precipitation Experiment (GCPEx) in Ontario, Canada during the...

Activities of the Sofia EC Energy Center in the framework of the THERMIE programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Latinski, K.

1993-01-01

The European Community Energy Center in Sofia is responsible for the EC implementation of the THERMIE programme. The programme's activities are promotion and dissemination of existing European technologies leading to better energy management and covering the fields of rational use of hydrocarbons, solid fuels and renewable energy sources. Application of these technologies would lead to substantial energy savings resulting in significant financial and environmental benefits. During its one-year operation the EC Energy Centre has organized and performed specific action as energy audits (food and beverage industrial units and buildings), demonstration projects (local heating control in buildings, diesel engine regulation of buses), training courses and seminars (in energy management and in space heating measuring and regulation), workshops (energy conservation in buildings, the bricks and clays sector and the food and beverage sector) and studies (wind energy potential, 'clean' coal technologies potential). Some of these actions have had very encouraging results showing potential energy savings of the order of 10-20% just by application of simple measures and with small additional investment. The activities of the EC Energy Centre in the coming year aimed at electricity savings along the entire line of electricity generation, transmission and consumption are outlined. (author)

Analysis of Well ER-EC-2a Testing, Western Pahute Mesa-Oasis Valley FY 2000 Testing Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2002-09-30

This report documents the analysis of the data collected for Well ER-EC-2a during the Western Pahute Mesa - Oasis Valley (WPM-OV) well development and testing program that was conducted during fiscal year (FY) 2000. The data collection for that program is documented in Appendix A, Western Pahute Mesa - Oasis Valley, Well ER-EC-2a Data Report for Development and Hydraulic Testing.

Fossil and non-fossil sources of organic carbon (OC and elemental carbon (EC in Göteborg, Sweden

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Szidat

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Particulate matter was collected at an urban site in Göteborg (Sweden in February/March 2005 and in June/July 2006. Additional samples were collected at a rural site for the winter period. Total carbon (TC concentrations were 2.1–3.6 μg m⁻³, 1.8–1.9 μg m⁻³, and 2.2–3.0 μg m⁻³ for urban/winter, rural/winter, and urban/summer conditions, respectively. Elemental carbon (EC, organic carbon (OC, water-insoluble OC (WINSOC, and water-soluble OC (WSOC were analyzed for ¹⁴C in order to distinguish fossil from non-fossil emissions. As wood burning is the single major source of non-fossil EC, its contribution can be quantified directly. For non-fossil OC, the wood-burning fraction was determined independently by levoglucosan and ¹⁴C analysis and combined using Latin-hypercube sampling (LHS. For the winter period, the relative contribution of EC from wood burning to the total EC was >3 times higher at the rural site compared to the urban site, whereas the absolute concentrations of EC from wood burning were elevated only moderately at the rural compared to the urban site. Thus, the urban site is substantially more influenced by fossil EC emissions. For summer, biogenic emissions dominated OC concentrations most likely due to secondary organic aerosol (SOA formation. During both seasons, a more pronounced fossil signal was observed for Göteborg than has previously been reported for Zurich, Switzerland. Analysis of air mass origin using back trajectories suggests that the fossil impact was larger when local sources dominated, whereas long-range transport caused an enhanced non-fossil signal. In comparison to other European locations, concentrations of levoglucosan and other monosaccharide anhydrides were low for the urban and the rural site in the area of Göteborg during winter.

Insulin response of the glucose and fatty acid metabolism in dry dairy cows across a range of body condition scores.

Science.gov (United States)

De Koster, J; Hostens, M; Van Eetvelde, M; Hermans, K; Moerman, S; Bogaert, H; Depreester, E; Van den Broeck, W; Opsomer, G

2015-07-01

The objective of the present research was to determine the insulin response of the glucose and fatty acid metabolism in dry dairy cows with a variable body condition score (BCS). Ten pregnant Holstein Friesian dairy cows (upcoming parity 2 to 5) were selected based on BCS at the beginning of the study (2mo before expected parturition date). During the study, animals were monitored weekly for BCS and backfat thickness and in the last 2wk, blood samples were taken for determination of serum nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentration. Animals underwent a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp test in the third week before the expected parturition date. The hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp test consisted of 4 consecutive insulin infusions with increasing insulin doses: 0.1, 0.5, 2, and 5mIU/kg per minute. For each insulin infusion period, a steady state was defined as a period of 30min where no or minor changes of the glucose infusion were necessary to keep the blood glucose concentration constant and near basal levels. During the steady state, the glucose infusion rate [steady state glucose infusion rate (SSGIR) in µmol/kg per minute] and NEFA concentration [steady state NEFA concentration (SSNEFA) in mmol/L] were determined and reflect the insulin response of the glucose and fatty acid metabolism. Dose response curves were created based on the insulin concentrations during the steady state and the SSGIR or SSNEFA. The shape of the dose response curves is determined by the concentration of insulin needed to elicit the half maximal effect (EC50) and the maximal SSGIR or the minimal SSNEFA for the glucose or fatty acid metabolism, respectively. The maximal SSGIR was negatively associated with variables reflecting adiposity of the cows (BCS, backfat thickness, NEFA concentration during the dry period, and absolute weight of the different adipose depots determined after euthanasia and dissection of the different depots), whereas the EC50 of the glucose metabolism was

THEODORE, a two-step heating system for the EC/OC determination of radiocarbon (14C) in the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szidat, S.; Jenk, T.M.; Gaeggeler, H.W.; Synal, H.-A.; Hajdas, I.; Bonani, G.; Saurer, M.

2004-01-01

Measurements of 14 C in the organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) fractions, respectively, of fine aerosol particles bear the potential to apportion anthropogenic and biogenic emission sources. For this purpose, the system THEODORE (two-step heating system for the EC/OC determination of radiocarbon in the environment) was developed. In this device, OC and EC are transformed into carbon dioxide in a stream of oxygen at 340 and 650 deg. C, respectively, and reduced to filamentous carbon. This is the target material for subsequent accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14 C measurements, which were performed on sub-milligram carbon samples at the PSI/ETH compact 500 kV AMS system. Quality assurance measurements of SRM 1649a, Urban Dust, yielded a fraction of modern f M in total carbon (TC) of 0.522 ± 0.018 (n=5, 95% confidence level) in agreement with reported values. The results for OC and EC are 0.70 ± 0.05 (n=3) and 0.066 ± 0.020 (n=4), respectively

Combgap Promotes Ovarian Niche Development and Chromatin Association of EcR-Binding Regions in BR-C.

Science.gov (United States)

Hitrik, Anna; Popliker, Malka; Gancz, Dana; Mukamel, Zohar; Lifshitz, Aviezer; Schwartzman, Omer; Tanay, Amos; Gilboa, Lilach

2016-11-01

The development of niches for tissue-specific stem cells is an important aspect of stem cell biology. Determination of niche size and niche numbers during organogenesis involves precise control of gene expression. How this is achieved in the context of a complex chromatin landscape is largely unknown. Here we show that the nuclear protein Combgap (Cg) supports correct ovarian niche formation in Drosophila by controlling ecdysone-Receptor (EcR)- mediated transcription and long-range chromatin contacts in the broad locus (BR-C). Both cg and BR-C promote ovarian growth and the development of niches for germ line stem cells. BR-C levels were lower when Combgap was either reduced or over-expressed, indicating an intricate regulation of the BR-C locus by Combgap. Polytene chromosome stains showed that Cg co-localizes with EcR, the major regulator of BR-C, at the BR-C locus and that EcR binding to chromatin was sensitive to changes in Cg levels. Proximity ligation assay indicated that the two proteins could reside in the same complex. Finally, chromatin conformation analysis revealed that EcR-bound regions within BR-C, which span ~30 KBs, contacted each other. Significantly, these contacts were stabilized in an ecdysone- and Combgap-dependent manner. Together, these results highlight Combgap as a novel regulator of chromatin structure that promotes transcription of ecdysone target genes and ovarian niche formation.

Energy policy and the scope of action of the EC; Die energiepolitischen Handlungsmoeglichkeiten der EG

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brand, E. [Universitaet Lueneburg, Lueneburg (Germany); Witthohn, A. [IHK Hannover (Germany)

2002-04-01

This contribution examines the legal basis of authorization and the scope of action of the European legislator with respect to legislation on the energy policy of the EC. The analysis starts with summarising the evolution of the primary law, looking inter alia at the constitutent treaties of the ECSC, EURATOM, and the EEC, and discusses further developments and treaties, as there is no specific, uniform basis of legislative power of the EC in the energy sector of EC. Subsequently, the basis for and secondary law making is discussed, the concluding part of the article giving an outlook on the future. (orig./CB) [German] Zentrale Frage des folgenden Beitrags ist, woraus der europaeische Gesetzgeber seine Kompetenz im Energiebereich ableitet und wie weit seine Regelungen in dem Bereich gehen duerfen. Um diese Fragen zu beantworten, wird zunaechst die Entwicklung des europaeischen Primaerrechts bzw. der Gruendungsvertraege im Energiebereich beleuchtet und werden die einschlaegigen Ermaechtigungsgrundlagen dargestellt. Im Anschluss daran stehen dann die wichtigsten sekundaerrechtlichen Regelungen im Mittelpunkt. Abschliessend wird ein Ausblick auf die weitere Entwicklung gegeben. (orig./CB)

Risk assesment in the context of EC directives on genetically modified organisms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meer, P.J. van der [Ministry for the Environment (Netherlands)

1992-07-01

The introduction of these new molecular technologies initiated an international discussion on the safety in biotechnology. In 1974 one of the pioneers of this new technology, Paul Berg, expressed his view on the potential risks of recombinant DNA applications in the famous 'Berg letter', leading to a self-imposed moratorium on certain experiments. Following the Berg letter and the Asilomar convention, much international attention has been given to the question of safety in biotechnology. This attention resulted in hundreds of documents, research programmes, guidelines and regulations. This resulted, among others, in two EC Directives on genetically modified organisms: the EC Directive 90/219/EEC on the contained use of genetically modified micro-organisms, and Directive 90/220/EEC on the release of genetically modified organisms. These directives lay down a system for harmonization of risk assessment and risk management with regard to the safety for human health and the environment.

Risk assesment in the context of EC directives on genetically modified organisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meer, P.J. van der

1992-01-01

The introduction of these new molecular technologies initiated an international discussion on the safety in biotechnology. In 1974 one of the pioneers of this new technology, Paul Berg, expressed his view on the potential risks of recombinant DNA applications in the famous 'Berg letter', leading to a self-imposed moratorium on certain experiments. Following the Berg letter and the Asilomar convention, much international attention has been given to the question of safety in biotechnology. This attention resulted in hundreds of documents, research programmes, guidelines and regulations. This resulted, among others, in two EC Directives on genetically modified organisms: the EC Directive 90/219/EEC on the contained use of genetically modified micro-organisms, and Directive 90/220/EEC on the release of genetically modified organisms. These directives lay down a system for harmonization of risk assessment and risk management with regard to the safety for human health and the environment

Agricultural price and income policy in the EC : alternative policies and their implications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meester, G.

1980-01-01

Alternative forms of income policy without direct supply control. Alternative forms of income policy with direct supply control: quota arrangements. The influence of EC policy on the world market prices of agricultural produce

MicroRNA-281 regulates the expression of ecdysone receptor (EcR) isoform B in the silkworm, Bombyx mori

Science.gov (United States)

Hundreds of Bombyx mori miRNAs had been identified in recent years, but their function in vivo remains poorly understood. The silkworm EcR gene (BmEcR) has three transcriptional isoforms, A, B1 and B2. Isoform sequences are different in the 3’UTR region of the gene, which is the case only in insects...

SIPSMetGen: It's Not Just For Aircraft Data and ECS Anymore.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwab, M.

2015-12-01

The SIPSMetGen utility, developed for the NASA EOSDIS project, under the EED contract, simplified the creation of file level metadata for the ECS System. The utility has been enhanced for ease of use, efficiency, speed and increased flexibility. The SIPSMetGen utility was originally created as a means of generating file level spatial metadata for Operation IceBridge. The first version created only ODL metadata, specific for ingest into ECS. The core strength of the utility was, and continues to be, its ability to take complex shapes and patterns of data collection point clouds from aircraft flights and simplify them to a relatively simple concave hull geo-polygon. It has been found to be a useful and easy to use tool for creating file level metadata for many other missions, both aircraft and satellite. While the original version was useful it had its limitations. In 2014 Raytheon was tasked to make enhancements to SIPSMetGen, this resulted a new version of SIPSMetGen which can create ISO Compliant XML metadata; provides optimization and streamlining of the algorithm for creating the spatial metadata; a quicker runtime with more consistent results; a utility that can be configured to run multi-threaded on systems with multiple processors. The utility comes with a java based graphical user interface to aid in configuration and running of the utility. The enhanced SIPSMetGen allows more diverse data sets to be archived with file level metadata. The advantage of archiving data with file level metadata is that it makes it easier for data users, and scientists to find relevant data. File level metadata unlocks the power of existing archives and metadata repositories such as ECS and CMR and search and discovery utilities like Reverb and Earth Data Search. Current missions now using SIPSMetGen include: Aquarius, Measures, ARISE, and Nimbus.

Analysis of the pelE promoter in Erwinia chrysanthemi EC16.

Science.gov (United States)

Gold, S; Nishio, S; Tsuyumu, S; Keen, N T

1992-01-01

The pelE gene of Erwinia chrysanthemi strain EC16 encodes an extracellular pectate lyase protein that is important in virulence on plants. Control of pelE expression is complex, because the gene is regulated by catabolite repression, substrate induction, and growth-phase inhibition. A Tn7-lux reporter gene system was employed to define DNA sequences comprising the pelE promoter. When EC16 cells were grown on medium containing sodium polypectate, pelE transcriptional start sites were observed only at 95 and 96 bases upstream of the translational start site. However, DNA sequences required for pelE expression were also shown by deletion analysis to reside between 196 and 215 base pairs upstream of the translational start site. In addition to these upstream elements, two putative operator sequences that interact with negative regulatory factors occurred downstream of the transcriptional start. Finally, deletion of three bases from a putative catabolite gene activator protein binding site in the pelE promoter eliminated activity. The data demonstrate that the pelE promoter is complex and suggest that it interacts with several regulatory proteins.

The complete sequence and comparative analysis of a multidrug- resistance and virulence multireplicon IncFII plasmid pEC302/04 from an extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli EC302/04 indicate extensive diversity of IncFII plasmids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wing Sze eHo

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC that causes extraintestinal infections often harbor plasmids encoding fitness traits such as resistance and virulence determinants that are of clinical importance. We determined the complete nucleotide sequence of plasmid pEC302/04 from a multidrug-resistant E. coli EC302/04 which was isolated from the tracheal aspirate of a patient in Malaysia. In addition, we also performed comparative sequence analyses of 18 related IncFIIA plasmids to determine the phylogenetic relationship and diversity of these plasmids. The 140,232 bp pEC302/04 is a multireplicon plasmid that bears three replication systems (FII, FIA and FIB with subtype of F2:A1:B1. The plasmid is self-transmissible with a complete transfer region. pEC302/04 also carries antibiotic resistance genes such as blaTEM-1 and a class I integron containing sul1, cml and aadA resistance genes, conferring multidrug resistance (MDR to its host, E. coli EC302/04. Besides, two iron acquisition systems (SitABCD and IutA-IucABCD which are the conserved virulence determinants of ExPEC-colicin V or B and M (ColV/ColBM-producing plasmids were identified in pEC302/04. Multiple toxin-antitoxin (TA-based addiction systems (i.e., PemI/PemK, VagC/VagD, CcdA/CcdB, and Hok/Sok and a plasmid partitioning system, ParAB and PsiAB, which are important for plasmid maintenance were also found.Comparative plasmid analysis revealed only one conserved gene, the repA1 as the core genome, showing that there is an extensive diversity among the IncFIIA plasmids. The phylogenetic relationship of 18 IncF plasmids based on the core regions revealed that ColV/ColBM-plasmids and non-ColV/ColBM plasmids were separated into two distinct groups. These plasmids, which carry highly diverse genetic contents, are also mosaic in nature. The atypical combination of genetic materials, i.e., the MDR- and ColV/ColBM-plasmid-virulence encoding regions in a single ExPEC plasmid is rare but of

The Complete Sequence and Comparative Analysis of a Multidrug-Resistance and Virulence Multireplicon IncFII Plasmid pEC302/04 from an Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli EC302/04 Indicate Extensive Diversity of IncFII Plasmids.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Wing Sze; Yap, Kien-Pong; Yeo, Chew Chieng; Rajasekaram, Ganeswrie; Thong, Kwai Lin

2015-01-01

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) that causes extraintestinal infections often harbor plasmids encoding fitness traits such as resistance and virulence determinants that are of clinical importance. We determined the complete nucleotide sequence of plasmid pEC302/04 from a multidrug-resistant E. coli EC302/04 which was isolated from the tracheal aspirate of a patient in Malaysia. In addition, we also performed comparative sequence analyses of 18 related IncFIIA plasmids to determine the phylogenetic relationship and diversity of these plasmids. The 140,232 bp pEC302/04 is a multireplicon plasmid that bears three replication systems (FII, FIA, and FIB) with subtype of F2:A1:B1. The plasmid is self-transmissible with a complete transfer region. pEC302/04 also carries antibiotic resistance genes such as bla TEM-1 and a class I integron containing sul1, cml and aadA resistance genes, conferring multidrug resistance (MDR) to its host, E. coli EC302/04. Besides, two iron acquisition systems (SitABCD and IutA-IucABCD) which are the conserved virulence determinants of ExPEC-colicin V or B and M (ColV/ColBM)-producing plasmids were identified in pEC302/04. Multiple toxin-antitoxin (TA)-based addiction systems (i.e., PemI/PemK, VagC/VagD, CcdA/CcdB, and Hok/Sok) and a plasmid partitioning system, ParAB, and PsiAB, which are important for plasmid maintenance were also found. Comparative plasmid analysis revealed only one conserved gene, the repA1 as the core genome, showing that there is an extensive diversity among the IncFIIA plasmids. The phylogenetic relationship of 18 IncF plasmids based on the core regions revealed that ColV/ColBM-plasmids and non-ColV/ColBM plasmids were separated into two distinct groups. These plasmids, which carry highly diverse genetic contents, are also mosaic in nature. The atypical combination of genetic materials, i.e., the MDR- and ColV/ColBM-plasmid-virulence encoding regions in a single ExPEC plasmid is rare but of clinical

Artificial intelligence in process control: Knowledge base for the shuttle ECS model

Science.gov (United States)

Stiffler, A. Kent

1989-01-01

The general operation of KATE, an artificial intelligence controller, is outlined. A shuttle environmental control system (ECS) demonstration system for KATE is explained. The knowledge base model for this system is derived. An experimental test procedure is given to verify parameters in the model.

EC + LH current drive efficiency in the presence of an internal transport barrier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosa, P.R. da S; Ziebell, L.F.

2002-01-01

In this paper we study the effects of the presence of an internal transport barrier (ITB) on the current drive efficiency and power deposition profiles in the case of electron cyclotron waves interacting with an extended tail generated by lower hybrid (LH) waves. We study the subject by numerically solving the Fokker-Planck equation, with temperature and density profiles corrected along the time evolution at each collision time, based on the actual time-evolving electron distribution function. The results obtained show that the LH and electron cyclotron (EC) power absorption profiles and the current driven by the combined action of both types of waves are weakly dependent on the depth of the ITB, slightly more dependent on the level of magnetic turbulence and much more dependent on the level of EC wave power. (author)

Integration of the market of the European Community and the change of the industrial structure; EC shijo togo to sangyo kozo no henka

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakamura, T; Uno, K; Tanimoto, T; Yamashita, T [Osaka Sangyo University, Osaka (Japan). Institute for Industrial Research

1994-11-22

This paper describes progress of the cooperation as to the integration of EC market and the change of industrial structure. For the structural change in the industry and economy accompanied by the integration of EC, effects of the Maastricht Treaty on the economic structure of EC are described. It is considered that the EC countries are affected by the political and economical restrictions due to the agreement of this treaty. For the change in the distribution structure accompanied by the integration of EC, obstruction factors of the deregulation of EC transportation market are especially investigated. Differences in the distribution capacity, various regulations and standards, and labor condition among individual countries are pointed out as the obstruction factors. For the unity of Germany and its economical and administrative influence, various problems are pointed out as to the economical confusion, progress in the de-nationalization of enterprises, management of real estate and land, etc. For the structural change in the road freight market in the member nations of EC, the structure of road freight market is made clear for the previous West Germany before the integration of European market. It is confirmed that the internationalization of the German domestic market is being promoted.

Use of the alr gene as a food-grade selection marker in lactic acid bacteria

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bron, P.A.; Benchimol, M.G.; Lambert, J.; Palumbo, E.; Deghorain, M.; Delcour, J.; Vos, de W.M.; Kleerebezem, M.; Hols, P.

2002-01-01

Both Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus plantarum contain a single alr gene, encoding an alanine racemase (EC 5.1.1.1), which catalyzes the interconversion of D-alanine and L-alanine. The alr genes of these lactic acid bacteria were investigated for their application as food-grade selection

Search for EC-decayed neutron-deficient actinide isotopes using gas-jet coupled JAERI-ISOL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsukada, Kazuaki [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

1997-07-01

To study the nuclear properties of unknown neutron deficient actinide isotopes which decay mainly via orbital electron capture (EC), we have developed a composite system consisting of a gas-jet transport apparatus and a thermal ion-source at the JAERI-ISOL. With this system, search for {sup 236}Am produced in the {sup 235}U({sup 6}Li, 5n) reaction has been performed. Pu KX-rays associated with the EC decay of {sup 236}Am are observed at the mass-236 fraction. The half-life of {sup 236}Am is evaluated to be 4.4min. The outline of the gas-jet coupled JAERI-ISOL system and typical performance are given. (author)

Monosaccharide anhydrides, monocarboxylic acids and OC/EC in PM1 aerosols in urban areas in the Czech Republic

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Křůmal, Kamil; Mikuška, Pavel; Večeřa, Zbyněk

2015-01-01

Roč. 6, č. 6 (2015), s. 917-927 ISSN 1309-1042 R&D Projects: GA MŽP SP/1A3/148/08; GA ČR(CZ) GBP503/12/G147; GA ČR GA13-01438S; GA ČR(CZ) GA14-25558S Institutional support: RVO:68081715 Keywords : Monosaccharide anhydrides * carboxylic acids * fatty acids * organic carbon * biomass burning Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation Impact factor: 1.401, year: 2015

(S)-2-Amino-3-(3-hydroxy-7,8-dihydro-6H-cyclohepta[d]isoxazol-4-yl)propionic acid, a potent and selective agonist at the GluR5 subtype of ionotropic glutamate receptors. Synthesis, modeling, and molecular pharmacology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brehm, Lotte; Greenwood, Jeremy R; Hansen, Kasper B

2003-01-01

)propionic acid (AMPA) but inactive at NMDA receptors. However, 4-AHCP was found to be much weaker than AMPA as an inhibitor of [(3)H]AMPA binding and to have limited effect in a [(3)H]kainic acid binding assay using rat cortical membranes. To shed light on the mechanism(s) underlying this quite enigmatic......, activated cloned AMPA receptor subunits GluR1o, GluR3o, and GluR4o with EC(50) values in the range 4.5-15 microM and the coexpressed kainate-preferring subunits GluR6 + KA2 (EC(50) = 6.4 microM). Compound 6, but not 7, proved to be a very potent agonist (EC(50) = 0.13 microM) at the kainate-preferring GluR5...... subunit, equipotent with (S)-2-amino-3-(5-tert-butyl-3-hydroxyisothiazol-4-yl)propionic acid [(S)-Thio-ATPA, 4] and almost 4 times more potent than (S)-2-amino-3-(5-tert-butyl-3-hydroxyisoxazol-4-yl)propionic acid [(S)-ATPA, 3]. Compound 6 thus represents a new structural class of GluR5 agonists...

40 CFR Table 3 to Subpart Ec of... - Operating Parameters To Be Monitored and Minimum Measurement and Recording Frequencies

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Which Construction is Commenced After June 20, 1996 Pt. 60, Subpt. Ec, Table 3 Table 3 to Subpart Ec of... Operating parameters to be monitored Minimum frequency Data measurement Data recording Control system Dry scrubber followed by fabric filter Wet scrubber Dry scrubber followed by fabric filter and wet scrubber...

Determination of Some Physicochemical Properties, Fatty Acid Composition and Antioxidant Capacity, of Organic and Conventional Milk in Turkey Produced

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bayram Ürkek

2018-04-01

Full Text Available In this study, determination of effect of production systems (conventional and organic and time of milk collection on some physicochemical properties, fatty acids and antioxidant capacity of conventional and organic raw milk in produced Turkey were aimed. In this research, the milk samples was collected from nine conventional farms and nine organic farms at bimonthly years for one year. Fatty acid composition, antioxidant capacity, total phenolic matter, dry matter, fat, protein, ash, titratable acidity (lactic acid % and pH values of organic and conventional milk were investigated. According to results of this research, the mean values of conventional and organic milk samples respectively for dry matter, fat, protein, ash, specific gravity, acidity and pH was determined as 12.06-11.97%, 3.67-3.50%, 3.33-3.34%, 0.67-0.66%, 1.0381-1.0381 g mL-1, 0.18-0.16% and 6.67-6.73, respectively. Conjugated linoliec acid proportions changed between 1.39% and 2.87% in organic milk, between 1.67% and 2.96% in conventional milk. Consequently, the farm production type did not have effects on the milk compassion (dry matter, fat, protein and ash, fatty acid composition, EC50 and total phenolic compounds. On the other hand, the significant variations in the fat, protein, fatty acid proportions, EC50, inhibition and total phenolic compound values were determined as regarding time of milk collection.

Diagnosis of Pompe disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vissing, John; Lukacs, Zoltan; Straub, Volker

2013-01-01

The diagnosis of Pompe disease (acid maltase deficiency, glycogen storage disease type II) in children and adults can be challenging because of the heterogeneous clinical presentation and considerable overlap of signs and symptoms found in other neuromuscular diseases. This review evaluates some...... to identify late-onset Pompe disease often leads to false-negative results and subsequent delays in identification and treatment of the disorder. Serum creatine kinase level can be normal or only mildly elevated in late-onset Pompe disease and is not very helpful alone to suggest the diagnosis...

Open Circuit Resonant (SansEC) Sensor Technology for Lightning Mitigation and Damage Detection and Diagnosis for Composite Aircraft Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Szatkowski, George N.; Dudley, Kenneth L.; Smith, Laura J.; Wang, Chuantong; Ticatch, Larry A.

2014-01-01

Traditional methods to protect composite aircraft from lightning strike damage rely on a conductive layer embedded on or within the surface of the aircraft composite skin. This method is effective at preventing major direct effect damage and minimizes indirect effects to aircraft systems from lightning strike attachment, but provides no additional benefit for the added parasitic weight from the conductive layer. When a known lightning strike occurs, the points of attachment and detachment on the aircraft surface are visually inspected and checked for damage by maintenance personnel to ensure continued safe flight operations. A new multi-functional lightning strike protection (LSP) method has been developed to provide aircraft lightning strike protection, damage detection and diagnosis for composite aircraft surfaces. The method incorporates a SansEC sensor array on the aircraft exterior surfaces forming a "Smart skin" surface for aircraft lightning zones certified to withstand strikes up to 100 kiloamperes peak current. SansEC sensors are open-circuit devices comprised of conductive trace spiral patterns sans (without) electrical connections. The SansEC sensor is an electromagnetic resonator having specific resonant parameters (frequency, amplitude, bandwidth & phase) which when electromagnetically coupled with a composite substrate will indicate the electrical impedance of the composite through a change in its resonant response. Any measureable shift in the resonant characteristics can be an indication of damage to the composite caused by a lightning strike or from other means. The SansEC sensor method is intended to diagnose damage for both in-situ health monitoring or ground inspections. In this paper, the theoretical mathematical framework is established for the use of open circuit sensors to perform damage detection and diagnosis on carbon fiber composites. Both computational and experimental analyses were conducted to validate this new method and system for

Two investigations concerning the release of tritium. I. Tritium leakage from 3H(Sc) EC-detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergman, C.; Wesslen, E.

1977-01-01

Recently the manufacturers of EC-detectors for gas chromatographs introduced a new type of 3 H EC-detector where the tritium is bound to scandium instead of to titanium and has an activity up to 1 Ci. It is expected that the scandium-based detector will take a great part of the Swedish EC-detector market. The Swedish National Institute of Radiation Protection is anxious to make sure that the introduction of the new detector, which will be used at higher temperature, will not give rise to any increased risk of tritium intake to the personnel handling the chromatographs. The leakage of tritium from commercially available 3 H(Sc) EC-detectors containing 1 Ci of tritium was measured as a function of the detector temperature. Tritium appears both in the form of tritium gas dissolved in the scandium and in the form of tritide. The gas evaporates rather easily with increasing temperature while the dissociation of the tritide is a slower process. The evaporation of tritium due to the dissociation of the tritide was found to be negligible, less than 0.2 μCi/h at temperatures less than 100 0 C, but rises rapidly with temperature. The study also showed that even when the detector is stored at room temperature, a re-distribution of the tritium occures, from the tritide to the dissolved tritium gas, which then easily evaporates even at moderately elevated temperatures

Technology Transfer Bottlenecks and Lessons Learned in Humanitarian Demining EU-funded Research: Analysis and Results from the EC DELVE Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruschini, C.; Sahli, H.; Van Kempen, L.; Schleijpen, R.; Breejen, E. den

2010-01-01

The EC DELVE Support Action (www.delve.vub.ac.be) has analyzed the bottlenecks in the transfer of Humanitarian Demining (HD) technology from technology development to the use in the field, basing itself on the assessment of the European HD Research and Technology Development (RTD) situation from early 1990 until 2006. The developments in HD during the last 10 years underline the fact that in a number of cases demining related developments have been terminated or at least put on hold. A number of lessons learned were drawn, bottlenecks identified and broadly classified as either Confidence, Cost, or Communication related. The study also showed that the funding provided by the European Commission (EC) has led directly to the creation of an extensive portfolio of HD technology development projects. However, the range of instruments available to the EC to finance the necessary R and D was limited to pre-competitive research. The EC had no tools or programs to fund actual product development. The corresponding consequences are detailed in the study. The separation of the Mine Action and RTD funding streams in the EC did also negatively affect the take-up of new technologies. As a main conclusion, creating coherence between: (1) the EC policy based on political decisions, (2) RTD, testing and industrialization of equipment, and (3) timely deployment, requires a new way of coordinated thinking: 'end-to-end planning' has to be supported by a well organized and coordinated organizational structure involving different DGs (Directorate General) and even extending beyond the EU. This was not the case for Mine Action. (author)

Judicial Protection in the Field of Public Procurement: The Transposition into Dutch Law of Directive 2007/66/EC Amending the Remedies Directives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wouter-Jan Berends

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Public procurement procedures in the EU are coordinated by Directives 2004/17/EC and 2004/18/EC. The acquis communautaire provides minimum requirements for review procedures against public procurement decisions in order to ensure access to effective remedies for economic operators. These minimum requirements are established in Directives 89/665/ EEC and 92/13/EEC and recently amended by Directive 2007/66/EC. The Helby report identified several substantive concerns over the Dutch proposal on the implementation the of the Remedies Directive; Wet implementatie rechtsbeschermingsrichtlijnen. Although the transposition target date has not been met, the Dutch legislature has succeeded to transpose Directive 2007/66/EC into Dutch law while addressing the concerns of the Helby report.

Swedish healthcare providers' perceptions of preconception expanded carrier screening (ECS)-a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Matar, A; Kihlbom, U; Höglund, A T

2016-07-01

Reproductive autonomy, medicalization, and discrimination against disabled and parental responsibility are the main ongoing ethical debates concerning reproductive genetic screening. To examine Swedish healthcare professionals' views on preconception expanded carrier screening (ECS), a qualitative study involving academic and clinical institutions in Sweden was conducted in September 2014 to February 2015. Eleven healthcare professionals including clinicians, geneticists, a midwife, and a genetic counselor were interviewed in depth using a semi-structured interview guide. The questionnaire was constructed after reviewing the main literature and meetings with relevant healthcare providers. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and content analyzed for categories and subcategories. Participants nurtured many ethical and non-ethical concerns regarding preconception ECS. Among the ethical concerns were the potential for discrimination, medicalization, concerns with prioritization of healthcare resources, and effects on reproductive freedom. The effects of implementation of preconception ECS, its stakeholders, regulations, and motivation are some of non-ethical concerns. These concerns, if not addressed, may affect the uptake and usage of carrier screening within Swedish healthcare system. As this is a qualitative study with a small non-random sample size, the findings cannot be generalized. The participants had little to no working experience with expanded screening panels. Moreover, the interviews were conducted in English, a second language for the participants, which might have limited the expression of their views. However, the authors claim that the findings may be pertinent to similar settings in other Scandinavian countries.

Environmental Quality Standards in the EC-Water Framework Directive

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jirka, Gerhard H.; Burrows, Richard; Larsen, Torben

2004-01-01

The "combined approach" in the new EC-Water Framework Directive(WFD) consisting of environmental quality standards in addition to emission limit values promises improvements in the quality characteristics of surface water. However, the specification of where in the water body the environmental...... quality standards apply is missing in the WFD. The omission will limit its administrative implementation. A clear mixing zone regulation is needed so that the quality objectives of the WFD are not jeopardized. This need is demonstrated using the examples of point source discharges into rivers and coastal...

The antioxidant capacity of erythrocyte concentrates is increased during the first week of storage and correlated with the uric acid level.

Science.gov (United States)

Bardyn, M; Maye, S; Lesch, A; Delobel, J; Tissot, J-D; Cortés-Salazar, F; Tacchini, P; Lion, N; Girault, H H; Prudent, M

2017-10-01

Red blood cells (RBCs) suffer from lesions during cold storage, depending in part on their ability to counterbalance oxidative stress by activating their antioxidant defence. The aim of this study was to monitor the antioxidant power (AOP) in erythrocyte concentrates (ECs) during cold storage. Six ECs were prepared in saline-adenine-glucose-mannitol (SAGM) additive solution and followed during 43 days. The AOP was quantified electrochemically using disposable electrode strips and compared with results obtained from a colorimetric assay. Haematological data, data on haemolysis and the extracellular concentration of uric acid were also recorded. Additionally, a kinetic model was developed to extract quantitative kinetic data on the AOP behaviour. The AOP of total ECs and their extracellular samples attained a maximum after 1 week of storage prior to decaying and reaching a plateau, as shown by the electrochemical measurements. The observed trend was confirmed with a colorimetric assay. Uric acid had a major contribution to the extracellular AOP. Interestingly, the AOP and uric acid levels were linked to the sex of the donors. The marked increase in AOP during the first week of storage suggests that RBCs are impacted early by the modification of their environment. The AOP behaviour reflects the changes in metabolism activity following the adjustment of the extracellular uric acid level. Knowing the origin, interdonor variability and the effects of the AOP on the RBCs could be beneficial for the storage quality, which will have to be further studied. © 2017 International Society of Blood Transfusion.

Translation, data quality, reliability, validity and responsiveness of the Norwegian version of the Effective Musculoskeletal Consumer Scale (EC-17

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristjansson Elizabeth

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Effective Musculoskeletal Consumer Scale (EC-17 is a self-administered questionnaire for evaluating self-management interventions that empower and educate people with rheumatic conditions. The aim of the study was to translate and evaluate the Norwegian version of EC-17 against the necessary criteria for a patient-reported outcome measure, including responsiveness to change. Methods Data quality, reliability, validity and responsiveness were assessed in two groups. One group comprising 103 patients received a questionnaire before and at the end of a self-management programme. The second group comprising 96 patients' received the questionnaire two weeks before and on arrival of the program. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were assessed. Construct validity was assessed through comparisons with the Brief Approach/Avoidance Coping Questionnaire, (BACQ, the Emotional Approach Coping Scale (EAC and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-20. Responsiveness was assessed with the Standardised Response Mean (SRM. Results Respondents included 66 (64% and 52 (54% patients from the first and second groups respectively. Levels of missing data were low for all items. There was good evidence for unidimensionality, item-total correlations ranged from 0.59 to 0.82 and Cronbach's Alpha and test-retest correlations were over 0.90. As hypothesised EC-17 scores had statistically significant low to moderate correlations with the BACQ, EAC and GHQ-20 in the range 0.26 to 0.42. Following the self-management program, EC-17 scores showed a significant improvement with an SRM of 0.48. Conclusion The Norwegian version of the EC-17 has evidence for data quality, internal consistency and test-retest reliability, construct validity and responsiveness to change. The EC-17 seems promising as an outcome measure for evaluating self-management interventions for people with rheumatic conditions, but further studies are needed.

Translation, data quality, reliability, validity and responsiveness of the Norwegian version of the Effective Musculoskeletal Consumer Scale (EC-17).

Science.gov (United States)

Hamnes, Bente; Garratt, Andrew; Kjeken, Ingvild; Kristjansson, Elizabeth; Hagen, Kåre B

2010-01-29

The Effective Musculoskeletal Consumer Scale (EC-17) is a self-administered questionnaire for evaluating self-management interventions that empower and educate people with rheumatic conditions. The aim of the study was to translate and evaluate the Norwegian version of EC-17 against the necessary criteria for a patient-reported outcome measure, including responsiveness to change. Data quality, reliability, validity and responsiveness were assessed in two groups. One group comprising 103 patients received a questionnaire before and at the end of a self-management programme. The second group comprising 96 patients' received the questionnaire two weeks before and on arrival of the program. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were assessed. Construct validity was assessed through comparisons with the Brief Approach/Avoidance Coping Questionnaire, (BACQ), the Emotional Approach Coping Scale (EAC) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-20). Responsiveness was assessed with the Standardised Response Mean (SRM). Respondents included 66 (64%) and 52 (54%) patients from the first and second groups respectively. Levels of missing data were low for all items. There was good evidence for unidimensionality, item-total correlations ranged from 0.59 to 0.82 and Cronbach's Alpha and test-retest correlations were over 0.90. As hypothesised EC-17 scores had statistically significant low to moderate correlations with the BACQ, EAC and GHQ-20 in the range 0.26 to 0.42. Following the self-management program, EC-17 scores showed a significant improvement with an SRM of 0.48. The Norwegian version of the EC-17 has evidence for data quality, internal consistency and test-retest reliability, construct validity and responsiveness to change. The EC-17 seems promising as an outcome measure for evaluating self-management interventions for people with rheumatic conditions, but further studies are needed.

The Advanced Petroleum-Based Fuels Program Evaluation of EC-Diesel and Diesel Particulate Filters in Southern California Vehicle Fleets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

None

2000-01-01

The EC-Diesel and particulate filter combination greatly reduced the particulate matter, hydrocarbon, and carbon monoxide emissions of all vehicles tested in the program to date. Particulate matter reductions greater than 98% were achieved. For several vehicles tested, the PM and HC emissions were less than background levels. Based on preliminary statistical analysis, there is 95%+ confidence that EC-D and particulate filters reduced emissions from three different types of vehicles. A fuel consumption penalty was not detectable using the current test procedures and chassis dynamometer laboratory. Test vehicles equipped with the CRT and DPX particulate filters and fueled with EC-Diesel fuel have operated reliably during the program start-up period

Drum rotor blowers in EC technology. Energy conservation, comfortable control, low noise; Trommellaeufer-Ventilatoren in EC-Technik. Energieersparnis, komfortable Regelung und geringe Geraeuschentwicklung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sigloch, U. [ebm-papst Mulfingen GmbH und Co. KG (Germany). Projektmanagement Vertrieb Europa; Reiff, E.C. [Redaktionsbuero Stutensee (Germany)

2008-07-01

Compact drum rotor blowers with forward-curved blades are quite common in air conditioning and ventilation because of their high efficiency and compact dimensions. They are found in air conditioner boxes, in air current systems in department stores, or in fan coils in hotel rooms, wherever other types of blowers would be too big. Until recently, EC technology was not available for the blower motors so the users had do accept low efficiency and the poor control options of conventional AC drives. This has changed by now. (orig.)

Effect of different concentration of actellic 25ec on the storage quality ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The experiment was conducted at the Pest Management Laboratory of Niger State College of Agriculture, Mokwa, during December, 2009 and June, 2010 to identify the most effective and economic dosage of Actellic 25EC for successful preservation of quality of cowpea for about six month after harvesting. The treatments ...

Rosmarinic acid and antioxidant enzyme activities in Lavandula vera MM cell suspension culture: a comparative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Georgiev, Milen; Abrashev, Radoslav; Krumova, Ekaterina; Demirevska, Klimentina; Ilieva, Mladenka; Angelova, Maria

2009-11-01

The growth and intracellular protein content of lavender (Lavandula vera MM) cell suspension culture was followed along with some antioxidant defense system members-non-enzymatic (rosmarinic acid) and enzymatic [superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1) and catalase (EC 1.11.1.6)]. It was found that the media content and the cultivation mode strongly influenced the production of plant defense compounds as well as the ratio between non-enzymatic and enzymatic ones. The bioreactor culture contains about two times more rosmarinic acid, superoxide dismutase, and catalase compared to the shake-flask cultivation. These findings are discussed with respect to the relative stress levels and plant antioxidant orchestra system. It was concluded that investigated defense system components (enzymatic and non-enzymatic) were closely associated in a complex balance. The three isoenzyme forms of SOD (Cu/ZnSOD, FeSOD, and MnSOD) in the cells of Lavandula vera were revealed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis, and the FeSOD isoform exhibited highest activity.

Physicochemical and functional properties of coconut (Cocos nucifera L) cake dietary fibres: Effects of cellulase hydrolysis, acid treatment and particle size distribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Yajun; Li, Yan

2018-08-15

Effects of cellulase hydrolysis, acid treatment and particle size distribution on the structure, physicochemical and functional properties of coconut cake dietary fiber (DCCDF) were studied. Results showed that both the cellulase hydrolysis and acid treatment contributed to the structural modification of DCCDF as evident from XRD, FT-IR and SEM analysis. Moreover, the cellulase hydrolysis enhanced soluble carbohydrate content, water holding capacity (WHC) and swelling capacity (WSC), α-amylase inhibition activity (α-AAIR), glucose dialysis retardation index (GDRI) and cation-exchange capacity (CEC) of DCCDF; but it had undesirable effects on colour, oil holding capacity (OHC) and emulsifying capacity (EC). On other hand, acid treatment decreased the WHC, WSC and GDRI, but improved the colour, CEC, OHC and emulsion stability of DCCDF. Furthermore, the WHC, WSC and EC of DCCDF increased as the particle size reduced from 250 to 167 μm, while the GDRI, OHC, α-AAIR and emulsion stability decreased with decreasing particle size. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Safety controls according to the non-proliferation treaty in EC countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pander, J. von.

1978-01-01

Above all, content and extent of the duty conferred upon the IAEA according to article III, paragraph 1 of the NP treaty which implies the conducting of safety controls and the consequences resulting here from are examined. Including the peaceful use of nuclear energy developing under international law the agreement on safety control signed on 5th April 1973 between IAEA and EURATOM as well as its seven non-nuclear-weapon member states is discussed, along with its technical and its implicit legal problems. In detail the manifold technical and judicial problems of IAEA safety controls are shown, their realization requiring a well-working cooperation between IAEA and the European Communities. As only the non-nuclear-weapon member states of the EC are subject to the IAEA safety control system within the frame of this agreement the following questions are discussed: 1. effects on the member status after the signing of the EURATOM contract and 2. granting the principle of equal treatment for all member states as against the nuclear-weapon member states of the EC, France and the United Kingdom. (orig./HP) [de

The environmental policy of the EC. An analysis exemplified by air pollution abatement policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caspari, S.

1995-01-01

Since the early seventies the European Community has reacted to increasing ecological damage with complex and comprehensive common environmental policies. In this study, the author analyzes and evaluates the theoretical conception and the instrumental application of the EC Environmental Policy using four criteria: (1) Ecological effectiveness, (2) economic efficiency, (3) conformity with a market order - viewpoint of 'Ordnungspolitik', (4) 'sustainability'. The study shows that there is a large discrepancy between the demands and the reality of the EC Environmental Policy. In addition to grave ecological deficiencies it reveals an increse in rent-seeking activities and an interventionist trend which have resulted in the erosion of the competitive incentive system of the market order in the Community. In view of various deficits the author perceives a basic 'regulation paradox' and a 'policy failure'. Based on a diagnosis of the causes of these deficiencies, he outlines some proposals for a reform of the EC Environmental Policy, indicating that a central prerequisite for a more effective and efficient environmental protection is a reorientation in the system ('Ordnungspolitik') which determines the common Environmental Policy. In addition, he maintains that in view of the clear asymmetry in the representation of interests in favour of particularist interests it is necessary to strengthen public interest in order to enable a more effective protection of the options future generations will have regarding their lives and their behaviour. (orig.) [de

Mid-infrared spectroscopic characterisation of an ultra-broadband tunable EC-QCL system intended for biomedical applications

Science.gov (United States)

Vahlsing, T.; Moser, H.; Grafen, M.; Nalpantidis, K.; Brandstetter, M.; Heise, H. M.; Lendl, B.; Leonhardt, S.; Ihrig, D.; Ostendorf, A.

2015-07-01

Mid-infrared spectroscopy has been successfully applied for reagent-free clinical chemistry applications. Our aim is to design a portable bed-side system for ICU patient monitoring, based on mid-infrared absorption spectra of continuously sampled body-fluids. Robust and miniature bed-side systems can be achieved with tunable external cavity quantum cascade lasers (EC-QCL). Previously, single EC-QCL modules covering a wavenumber interval up to 250 cm-1 have been utilized. However, for broader applicability in biomedical research an extended interval around the mid-infrared fingerprint region should be accessible, which is possible with at least three or four EC-QCL modules. For such purpose, a tunable ultra-broadband system (1920 - 780 cm-1, Block Engineering) has been studied with regard to its transient emission characteristics in ns time resolution during different laser pulse widths using a VERTEX 80v FTIR spectrometer with step-scan option. Furthermore, laser emission line profiles of all four incorporated EC-QCL modules have been analysed at high spectral resolution (0.08 cm-1) and beam profiles with few deviations from the TEM 00 spatial mode have been manifested. Emission line reproducibility has been tested for various wavenumbers in step tune mode. The overall accuracy of manufacturer default wavenumber setting has been found between ± 3 cm-1 compared to the FTIR spectrometer scale. With regard to an application in clinical chemistry, theoretically achievable concentration accuracies for different blood substrates based on blood plasma and dialysate spectra previously recorded by FTIRspectrometers have been estimated taking into account the now accessible extended wavenumber interval.

Should there be an EC carbon/energy tax?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Helm, D.

1993-01-01

The European Commission has suggested that an EC-wide carbon/energy tax should be introduced to meet the Community's commitment to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, and to bear down on criticisms of sulphur dioxide and other harmful energy externalities. The UK government to data has pursued at best an agnostic position. Although the White Paper, This Common Inheritance, (DOE, 1990) gave prominence to the use of market-based instruments in advancing environmental objectives, their use in air pollution has been limited to the tax differential on unleaded petrol, the commitment to increase petrol tax in real terms in successive budgets and the imposition of VAT on domestic fuel in a phased series of stages. (Author)

Should there be an EC carbon/energy tax

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Helm, D. (New College, Oxford (United Kingdom))

1993-12-01

The European Commission has suggested that an EC-wide carbon/energy tax should be introduced to meet the Community's commitment to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, and to bear down on criticisms of sulphur dioxide and other harmful energy externalities. The UK government to data has pursued at best an agnostic position. Although the White Paper, This Common Inheritance, (DOE, 1990) gave prominence to the use of market-based instruments in advancing environmental objectives, their use in air pollution has been limited to the tax differential on unleaded petrol, the commitment to increase petrol tax in real terms in successive budgets and the imposition of VAT on domestic fuel in a phased series of stages. (Author)

Economic and legal problems arising in connection with an EC tax on carbon dioxide emissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ressing, W.

1993-01-01

Having regard to maintaining the competitiveness of the German industry, the German Federal Government decided not to start a solo attempt with introducing in Germany a tax on CO 2 emissions, but instead is backing a proposed directive of the EC Commission, suggesting such tax to be established in the EC member states. There are various concepts on the table open for debate, intended to safeguard competitiveness of the industries by a mix of principles including e.g.: conditionality, the tax to be neutral in its effect on revenue, conditions for tax relieves for energy-intensive business, and tax relieves for investment into technologies and equipment for CO 2 abatement. (orig.) [de

Acidity in DMSO from the embedded cluster integral equation quantum solvation model.

Science.gov (United States)

Heil, Jochen; Tomazic, Daniel; Egbers, Simon; Kast, Stefan M

2014-04-01

The embedded cluster reference interaction site model (EC-RISM) is applied to the prediction of acidity constants of organic molecules in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution. EC-RISM is based on a self-consistent treatment of the solute's electronic structure and the solvent's structure by coupling quantum-chemical calculations with three-dimensional (3D) RISM integral equation theory. We compare available DMSO force fields with reference calculations obtained using the polarizable continuum model (PCM). The results are evaluated statistically using two different approaches to eliminating the proton contribution: a linear regression model and an analysis of pK(a) shifts for compound pairs. Suitable levels of theory for the integral equation methodology are benchmarked. The results are further analyzed and illustrated by visualizing solvent site distribution functions and comparing them with an aqueous environment.

Effect of organic acids on shrimp pathogen, Vibrio harveyi.

Science.gov (United States)

Mine, Saori; Boopathy, Raj

2011-07-01

Shrimp farming accounts for more than 40% of the world shrimp production. Luminous vibriosis is a shrimp disease that causes major economic losses in the shrimp industry as a result of massive shrimp kills due to infection. Some farms in the South Asia use antibiotics to control Vibrio harveyi, a responsible pathogen for luminous vibriosis. However, the antibiotic-resistant strain was found recently in many shrimp farms, which makes it necessary to develop alternative pathogen control methods. Short-chain fatty acids are metabolic products of organisms, and they have been used as food preservatives for a long time. Organic acids are also commonly added in feeds in animal husbandry, but not in aquaculture. In this study, growth inhibitory effects of short-chain fatty acids, namely formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid, on V. harveyi were investigated. Among four acids, formic acid showed the strongest inhibitory effect followed by acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.035% formic acid suppressed growth of V. harveyi. The major inhibitory mechanism seems to be the pH effect of organic acids. The effective concentration 50 (EC50) values at 96 h inoculation for all organic acids were determined to be 0.023, 0.041, 0.03, and 0.066% for formic, acetic, propionic, and butyric acid, respectively. The laboratory study results are encouraging to formulate shrimp feeds with organic acids to control vibrio infection in shrimp aquaculture farms.

Real time control of the sawtooth period using EC launchers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paley, J I; Felici, F; Coda, S; Goodman, T P; Piras, F

2009-01-01

Tokamak plasmas operating at high performance are limited by several MHD instabilities. The sawtooth instability limits the core plasma pressure and can drive the neoclassical tearing mode unstable, but also prevents accumulation of impurities in the core. Electron cyclotron heating and current drive systems can be used to modify the local current profile and therefore tailor the sawtooth period. This paper reports on demonstrations of continuous real time feedback control of the sawtooth period by varying the EC injection angle.

Integrated pretreatment and desalination by electrocoagulation (EC)-ion concentration polarization (ICP) hybrid.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Siwon; Kim, Bumjoo; Han, Jongyoon

2017-06-13

Conventional water treatment process is composed of multiple stages, including desalination (salt removal) and pre/post-treatment of desalination to remove particles, chemicals, and other potential foulants for desalination. In this work, we developed a microfluidic proof-of-concept for a single device water treatment system, which removes both salt ions and non-salt contaminants. Our system combines electrocoagulation (EC), a versatile contaminant removal process, and ion concentration polarization (ICP) desalination, which is an electromembrane desalination process. We demonstrated a continuous EC-ICP operation that removed >95% of suspended solids and reduced the salinity from brackish range (20 mM NaCl) to a potable level (<8.6 mM NaCl). We also demonstrated that our system is flexible in terms of the type and concentration of contaminants it can handle. Combining two different electrochemical processes into a single system, we can reduce unnecessary voltage drop by having a shared anode, and achieve both seamless integration and energy efficient operation. Our system will find applications as a small-scale water treatment system, if properly scaled up in the future.

Progress on the ITER H&CD EC upper launcher steering-mirror control system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Collazos, A.; Bertizzolo, R.; Chavan, R.; Dolizy, F.; Felici, F.; Goodman, T.P.; Henderson, M.A.; Landis, J.-D.; Sanchez, F.

2010-01-01

The ITER Heating and Current Drive Upper Launcher (H&CD EC UL) uses a pneumomechanical steering-mirror assembly (SMA) to steer the RF beams for their deposition in the appropriate location in the plasma to control magnetohydrodynamic activity (neoclassical tearing modes (NTMs) and sawtooth

Inhibition of hydrolytic enzymes by gold compounds. I. beta-Glucuronidase and acid phosphatase by sodium tetrachloroaurate (III) and potassium tetrabromoaurate (III).

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, M T; Ahmed, T; Friedman, M E

1989-01-01

Purified bovine liver beta-glucuronidase (beta-D-glucuronide glucuronohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.32) and wheat germ acid phosphatase (orthophosphoric monoesterphosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.3.2) were inhibited with freshly dissolved and 24 h aquated tetrahaloaurate (III) compounds. Rate and equilibrium inhibition constants were measured. From this data two acid phosphatases species were observed. Equilibrium inhibition constants ranged from 1 to 12.5 microM for the various gold compounds toward both enzymes. The first order rate constants ranged between 0.005 and 0.04 min.-1 for most reactions with the exception of the fast reacting acid phosphatase which had values as high as 2.6 and 2.8 min.-1. It is observed that the beta-glucuronidase is rapidly inhibited during the equilibrium phase before the more slower reaction covalent bond formation takes place. The acid phosphatases form the covalent bonds more rapidly, especially the faster reacting species suggesting a unique difference in the active site geometry to that of the more slowly reacting species. The tightly bonded gold (III)-enzyme complex is probably the reason for its toxicity and non-anti-inflammatory use as a drug.

Production of a new D-amino acid oxidase from the fungus Fusarium oxysporum.

Science.gov (United States)

Gabler, M; Fischer, L

1999-08-01

The fungus Fusarium oxysporum produced a D-amino acid oxidase (EC 1. 4.3.3) in a medium containing glucose as the carbon and energy source and ammonium sulfate as the nitrogen source. The specific D-amino acid oxidase activity was increased up to 12.5-fold with various D-amino acids or their corresponding derivatives as inducers. The best inducers were D-alanine (2.7 microkat/g of dry biomass) and D-3-aminobutyric acid (2.6 microkat/g of dry biomass). The addition of zinc ions was necessary to permit the induction of peroxisomal D-amino acid oxidase. Bioreactor cultivations were performed on a 50-liter scale, yielding a volumetric D-amino acid oxidase activity of 17 microkat liter(-1) with D-alanine as an inducer. Under oxygen limitation, the volumetric activity was increased threefold to 54 microkat liter(-1) (3,240 U liter(-1)).

HPLC confirmatory method development for the determination of seven quinolones in salmon tissue (Salmo salar L.) validated according to the European Union Decision 2002/657/EC.

Science.gov (United States)

Evaggelopoulou, Evaggelia N; Samanidou, Victoria F

2013-01-15

A confirmatory high pressure liquid chromatographic method for the determination of seven quinolone antibiotics in tissue of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) was developed. Ciprofloxacin (CIP), danofloxacin (DAN), enrofloxacin (ENR), sarafloxacin (SAR), oxolinic acid (OXO), nalidixic acid (NAL) and flumequine (FLU) were separated on a Perfectsil ODS-2 120 (250 mm × 4 mm, 5 μm) column by gradient elution with a mobile phase consisting of 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (pH=1), acetonitrile and methanol at 25°C within 22 min. Analytes were monitored at 255 nm (for the determination of OXO, NAL and FLU) and 275 nm (for CIP, DAN, ENR and SAR) by means of photodiode array detector. Examined quinolones were isolated from salmon tissue by extraction with citrate buffer solution (pH=4.7) and purified by solid phase extraction using Oasis HLB (200mg/6 mL) cartridges. The developed method was fully validated in terms of selectivity, linearity, accuracy, precision, stability and sensitivity according to the European Union Decision 2002/657/EC. The accuracy of the method was additionally proved by its application to certified reference material of salmon tissue (BCR® 725). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Explosion-proof actuators according to EU directive 94/9/EC (ATEX)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herbstritt, M. [AUMA Riester GmbH und Co. KG. Muellheim (Germany)

2004-07-01

Since July, 1, 2003 only explosion-proof devices which conform to the new EU Directive 94/9/EC, better known as the ATEX Directive, are introduced to the market. Especially the explosion protection of non-electrical equipment is a completely new task for many manufacturers. AUMA has qualified its electric actuators for the automation of industrial valves in accordance with the new regulations. In addition the design has been improved. (orig.)

A predictive model for e-commerce consumer expenditure in EC countries

OpenAIRE

Kovačić, Zlatko

2004-01-01

Describing and predicting consumer expenditure on a country or cross-national level has a long tradition in theoretical and applied economics and econometrics. This paper is a first attempt in describing aggregate eCommerce consumer expenditure among European Commission (EC) countries. After brief introduction of possible theoretical models which explain the variation in eCommerce consumer expenditure among observed countries, a list of important predictors has been discussed. The results gen...

Acid phosphatase turnover during repressed and derepressed cultivation of Aspergillus niger

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komano, Teruya

1975-01-01

Enhancement of the activity of acid phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.2) by phosphate starvation in growing Aspergillus niger mycelia was prevented by cycloheximide. This indicates that the enhancement was due to de novo protein synthesis caused by derepression. Radioactive acid phosphatase extracted from mycelia labeled with 14 C-amino acid was separated into at least four fractions. Experiments on pulse labeling and the chasing of the four acid phosphatases revealed the synthesis and degradation of each fraction occurred at different rates; showing a different rate of turnover of the enzyme molecules. The results of similar experiments performed during culture in the presence of phosphate (partially repressed condition) suggested that the marked change in the activity ratios of the four acid phosphatases during cultivation was the result of the active turnover of enzyme molecules. In contrast, the slight changes in the ratios observed during derepressed cultivation seemed to be the result of similar of synthesis and degradation of each phosphatase fraction. (auth.)

Application of electrochemical optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy for studying the effect of different stress factors on lactic acid bacteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adanyi, Nora [Central Food Research Institute, H-1537 Budapest, P.O. Box 393 (Hungary)]. E-mail: n.adanyi@cfri.hu; Nemeth, Edina [Central Food Research Institute, H-1537 Budapest, P.O. Box 393 (Hungary); Halasz, Anna [Central Food Research Institute, H-1537 Budapest, P.O. Box 393 (Hungary); Szendro, Istvan [MicroVacuum Ltd., H-1147 Budapest, Kerekgyarto u. 10 (Hungary); Varadi, Maria [Central Food Research Institute, H-1537 Budapest, P.O. Box 393 (Hungary)

2006-07-28

Electrochemical optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy (EC-OWLS) has been developed to combine evanescent-field optical sensing with electrochemical control of surface adsorption processes. For bioanalytical sensing, a layer of indium tin oxide (ITO) served as both a high-refractive index waveguide and a conductive electrode. In addition, an electrochemical flow-through fluid cuvette was applied, which incorporated working, reference, and counter electrodes, and was compatible with the constraints of optical sensing. The subject of our study was to monitor how the different stress factors (lactic acid, acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide) influence the survival of lactic acid bacteria. The advantage of EC-OWLS technique is that we could carry out kinetic studies on the behaviour of bacteria under stress conditions, and after exposure of lactobacilli to acid and oxidative stress we get faster results about the status of bacteria compared to the traditional quantitative methods. After optimization of the polarization potential used, calibration curve was determined and the sensor response of different rate of living and damaged cells was studied. The bacterial cells were adsorbed in native form on the surface of the sensor by ensuring polarizing potential (1 V) and were exposed to different concentration of acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide solution to 1 h, respectively and the behaviour of bacteria was monitored. Results were compared to traditional micro-assay method.

Application of electrochemical optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy for studying the effect of different stress factors on lactic acid bacteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adanyi, Nora; Nemeth, Edina; Halasz, Anna; Szendro, Istvan; Varadi, Maria

2006-01-01

Electrochemical optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy (EC-OWLS) has been developed to combine evanescent-field optical sensing with electrochemical control of surface adsorption processes. For bioanalytical sensing, a layer of indium tin oxide (ITO) served as both a high-refractive index waveguide and a conductive electrode. In addition, an electrochemical flow-through fluid cuvette was applied, which incorporated working, reference, and counter electrodes, and was compatible with the constraints of optical sensing. The subject of our study was to monitor how the different stress factors (lactic acid, acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide) influence the survival of lactic acid bacteria. The advantage of EC-OWLS technique is that we could carry out kinetic studies on the behaviour of bacteria under stress conditions, and after exposure of lactobacilli to acid and oxidative stress we get faster results about the status of bacteria compared to the traditional quantitative methods. After optimization of the polarization potential used, calibration curve was determined and the sensor response of different rate of living and damaged cells was studied. The bacterial cells were adsorbed in native form on the surface of the sensor by ensuring polarizing potential (1 V) and were exposed to different concentration of acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide solution to 1 h, respectively and the behaviour of bacteria was monitored. Results were compared to traditional micro-assay method

Ultrastructural autoradiographic localization of exogenous arachidonic acid in cultured endothelial and smooth muscle cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tasca, S.I.; Galis, Z.

1988-01-01

The uptake and intracellular localization of exogenous arachidonic acid (AA) were investigated in cultured endothelial (EC) and smooth muscle cells (SMC) isolated from bovine aorta. The [ 14 C]AA uptake was assessed biochemically and by light and electron microscopic autoradiography. The highest values of silver grain surface density were associated with the mitochondria, lysosomes, and the Golgi apparatus of the EC. The grain linear density was greater on the nuclear envelope than on plasmalemma. On SMC, the grain density was highest on lipid droplets whereas the linear densities of the nuclear envelope and plasmalemma were similar. The share of each subcellular compartment in the AA distribution was estimated as the percentage of the individual silver grain count out of the total cell-associated radioactivity. The results showed that cytoplasm (including endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes, and small vesicles) made the main contribution followed by the nucleus and at lower values by other organelles. These subcompartments may represent the intracellular sites from which AA could be mobilized for prostanoid synthesis by EC and SMC. (author)

Balancing economic freedom against social policy principles: EC competition law and national health systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Mossialos, Elias; Lear, Julia

2012-07-01

EU Health policy exemplifies the philosophical tension between EC economic freedoms and social policy. EC competition law, like other internal market rules, could restrict national health policy options despite the subsidiarity principle. In particular, European health system reforms that incorporate elements of market competition may trigger the application of competition rules if non-economic gains in consumer welfare are not adequately accounted for. This article defines the policy and legal parameters of the debate between competition law and health policy. Using a sample of cases it analyses how the ECJ, national courts, and National Competition Authorities have applied competition laws to the health services sector in different circumstances and in different ways. It concludes by considering the implications of the convergence of recent trends in competition law enforcement and health system market reforms. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bifidobacterium breve with α-linolenic acid alters the composition, distribution and transcription factor activity associated with metabolism and absorption of fat.

Science.gov (United States)

Patterson, Elaine; Wall, Rebecca; Lisai, Sara; Ross, R Paul; Dinan, Timothy G; Cryan, John F; Fitzgerald, Gerald F; Banni, Sebastiano; Quigley, Eamonn M; Shanahan, Fergus; Stanton, Catherine

2017-03-07

This study focused on the mechanisms that fatty acid conjugating strains - Bifidobacterium breve NCIMB 702258 and Bifidobacterium breve DPC 6330 - influence lipid metabolism when ingested with α-linolenic acid (ALA) enriched diet. Four groups of BALB/c mice received ALA enriched diet (3% (w/w)) either alone or in combination with B. breve NCIMB 702258 or B. breve DPC 6330 (10 9 CFU/day) or unsupplemented control diet for six weeks. The overall n-3 PUFA score was increased in all groups receiving the ALA enriched diet. Hepatic peroxisomal beta oxidation increased following supplementation of the ALA enriched diet with B. breve (P breve NCIMB 702258 was found on the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Liver triglycerides (TAG) were reduced following ALA supplementation, compared with unsupplemented controls (P breve further reduced liver TAG (P < 0.01), compared with the ALA enriched control. These data indicate that the interactions of the gut microbiota with fatty acid metabolism directly affect host health by modulating n-3 PUFA score and the ECS.

Bifidobacterium breve with α-linolenic acid alters the composition, distribution and transcription factor activity associated with metabolism and absorption of fat

Science.gov (United States)

Patterson, Elaine; Wall, Rebecca; Lisai, Sara; Ross, R. Paul; Dinan, Timothy G.; Cryan, John F.; Fitzgerald, Gerald F.; Banni, Sebastiano; Quigley, Eamonn M.; Shanahan, Fergus; Stanton, Catherine

2017-01-01

This study focused on the mechanisms that fatty acid conjugating strains - Bifidobacterium breve NCIMB 702258 and Bifidobacterium breve DPC 6330 - influence lipid metabolism when ingested with α-linolenic acid (ALA) enriched diet. Four groups of BALB/c mice received ALA enriched diet (3% (w/w)) either alone or in combination with B. breve NCIMB 702258 or B. breve DPC 6330 (109 CFU/day) or unsupplemented control diet for six weeks. The overall n-3 PUFA score was increased in all groups receiving the ALA enriched diet. Hepatic peroxisomal beta oxidation increased following supplementation of the ALA enriched diet with B. breve (P breve NCIMB 702258 was found on the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Liver triglycerides (TAG) were reduced following ALA supplementation, compared with unsupplemented controls (P breve further reduced liver TAG (P < 0.01), compared with the ALA enriched control. These data indicate that the interactions of the gut microbiota with fatty acid metabolism directly affect host health by modulating n-3 PUFA score and the ECS. PMID:28265110

Structural and Functional Insights from the Metagenome of an Acidic Hot Spring Microbial Planktonic Community in the Colombian Andes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jiménez Avella, Diego; Dini Andreote, Fernando; Chaves, Diego; Montaña, José Salvador; Osorio-Forero, Cesar; Junca, Howard; Zambrano, María Mercedes; Baena, Sandra

2012-01-01

A taxonomic and annotated functional description of microbial life was deduced from 53 Mb of metagenomic sequence retrieved from a planktonic fraction of the Neotropical high Andean (3,973 meters above sea level) acidic hot spring El Coquito (EC). A classification of unassembled metagenomic reads

Isocyanides Derived from α,α-Disubstituted Amino Acids: Synthesis and Antifouling Activity Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Inoue, Yuki; Takashima, Shuhei; Nogata, Yasuyuki; Yoshimura, Erina; Chiba, Kazuhiro; Kitano, Yoshikazu

2018-03-01

Herein, we contribute to the development of environmentally friendly antifoulants by synthesizing eighteen isocyanides derived from α,α-disubstituted amino acids and evaluating their antifouling activity/toxicity against the cypris larvae of the Balanus amphitrite barnacle. Almost all isocyanides showed good antifouling activity without significant toxicity and exhibited EC 50 values of 0.07 - 7.30 μg/mL after 120-h exposure. The lowest EC 50 values were observed for valine-, methionine-, and phenylalanine-derived isocyanides, which achieved > 95% cypris larvae settlement inhibition at concentrations of less than 30 μg/mL without exhibiting significant toxicity. Thus, the prepared isocyanides should be useful for further research focused on the development of environmentally friendly antifouling agents. © 2018 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.

Regulation (EC No 1901/2006 on medicinal products for paediatric use & clinical research in vulnerable populations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lehmann Birka

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Before any medicinal product is authorised for use in adults, it must undergo extensive pharmaceutical consistency and stability tests, toxicological tests and clinical trials to ensure that it is of high quality, safe and effective. The same approach may not always be applied to medicinal products used to treat children. Studies showed that over 50% of the medicinal products used in children may not have been tested for use in this age group. The absence of suitable authorised medicinal products to treat conditions in children results from the fact that pharmaceutical companies do not adapt medicinal products to the needs of the paediatric population. This leaves health care professionals with no alternative other than to use medicinal products "off-label" and to use unauthorised products with the associated risks of inefficacy and/or adverse reactions. The Regulation (EC No 1901/2006 sets up a system of requirements, rewards and incentives, together with horizontal measures, to ensure that medicinal products are researched, developed and authorised to meet the therapeutic needs of children. The Regulation is addressed to: 1. The pharmaceutical industry by setting out the legal framework for receiving rewards and incentives by conducting clinical trials in the paediatric population. 2. The Member States to set out to support research into, and the development and availability of, medicinal products for paediatric use. 3. The Community as funds for research into medicinal products for the paediatric population shall be provided for in the Community budget in order to support studies relating to medicinal products or active substances not covered by a patent or a supplementary protection certificate. The legal framework for conducting clinical trials, including children/minors, is set up in Directive 2001/20/EC, the Clinical Trials Directive (CTD, for the European Union (EU. The CTD establishes specific provisions regarding conduct of

Integrating Amazon EC2 with the CMS Production Framework

CERN Document Server

Melo, Andrew Malone

2011-01-01

As cloud middleware and cloud providers have become more robust, various experiments with experience in Grid submission have begun to investigate the possibility of taking previously Grid-Enabled applications and making them compatible with Cloud Computing. Successful implementation will allow for dynamic scaling of the available hardware resources, providing access to peak-load handling capabilities and possibly resulting in lower costs to the experiment. Here we discuss current work within the CMS collaboration at the LHC to both perform computation on EC2, both for production and analysis use-cases. We also discuss break-even points between dedicated and cloud resources using real-world costs derived from a CMS site.

Integrating Amazon EC2 with the CMS production framework

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melo, Andrew; Sheldon, Paul

2012-01-01

As cloud middleware and cloud providers have become more robust, various experiments with experience in Grid submission have begun to investigate the possibility of taking previously Grid-Enabled applications and making them compatible with Cloud Computing. Successful implementation will allow for dynamic scaling of the available hardware resources, providing access to peak-load handling capabilities and possibly resulting in lower costs to the experiment. Here we discuss current work within the CMS collaboration at the LHC to both perform computation on EC2, both for production and analysis use-cases. We also discuss break-even points between dedicated and cloud resources using real-world costs derived from a CMS site.

Disulfide-stabilized Helical Hairpin Structure and Activity of a Novel Antifungal Peptide EcAMP1 from Seeds of Barnyard Grass (Echinochloa crus-galli)*

Science.gov (United States)

Nolde, Svetlana B.; Vassilevski, Alexander A.; Rogozhin, Eugene A.; Barinov, Nikolay A.; Balashova, Tamara A.; Samsonova, Olga V.; Baranov, Yuri V.; Feofanov, Alexey V.; Egorov, Tsezi A.; Arseniev, Alexander S.; Grishin, Eugene V.

2011-01-01

This study presents purification, activity characterization, and 1H NMR study of the novel antifungal peptide EcAMP1 from kernels of barnyard grass Echinochloa crus-galli. The peptide adopts a disulfide-stabilized α-helical hairpin structure in aqueous solution and thus represents a novel fold among naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides. Micromolar concentrations of EcAMP1 were shown to inhibit growth of several fungal phytopathogens. Confocal microscopy revealed intensive EcAMP1 binding to the surface of fungal conidia followed by internalization and accumulation in the cytoplasm without disturbance of membrane integrity. Close spatial structure similarity between EcAMP1, the trypsin inhibitor VhTI from seeds of Veronica hederifolia, and some scorpion and cone snail toxins suggests natural elaboration of different functions on a common fold. PMID:21561864

Disulfide-stabilized helical hairpin structure and activity of a novel antifungal peptide EcAMP1 from seeds of barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli).

Science.gov (United States)

Nolde, Svetlana B; Vassilevski, Alexander A; Rogozhin, Eugene A; Barinov, Nikolay A; Balashova, Tamara A; Samsonova, Olga V; Baranov, Yuri V; Feofanov, Alexey V; Egorov, Tsezi A; Arseniev, Alexander S; Grishin, Eugene V

2011-07-15

This study presents purification, activity characterization, and (1)H NMR study of the novel antifungal peptide EcAMP1 from kernels of barnyard grass Echinochloa crus-galli. The peptide adopts a disulfide-stabilized α-helical hairpin structure in aqueous solution and thus represents a novel fold among naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides. Micromolar concentrations of EcAMP1 were shown to inhibit growth of several fungal phytopathogens. Confocal microscopy revealed intensive EcAMP1 binding to the surface of fungal conidia followed by internalization and accumulation in the cytoplasm without disturbance of membrane integrity. Close spatial structure similarity between EcAMP1, the trypsin inhibitor VhTI from seeds of Veronica hederifolia, and some scorpion and cone snail toxins suggests natural elaboration of different functions on a common fold.

Changes of serum contents of LPO, SOD after treatment with vita. E-C complex in patients with liver spot

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Qing; Feng Zheng

2005-01-01

Objective: To investigate the changes of serum contents of LPO, SOD and therapeutic efficacy after treatment with Vita. E-C complex in patients with liver spot. Methods: Serum LPO and SOD contents were measured both before and after treatment with Vita E-C complex (Vita. E l00mg, Vita. C 200mg x 3/d for 3 months) in 30 patients with liver spot as well as in 10 controls. Results: Before treatment, the serum LPO contents in the patients were significantly higher than those in controls. After treatment, the LPO contents dropped markedly, being significantly lower than the values before treatment. However, the SOD contents were about the same as those in controls and changes little after treatment. Conclusion: Vita. E-C complex was of definite therapeutic value for the treatment of liver spot. (authors)

Multiresidue confirmatory method for determination of quinolones in milk by HPLC: method development and validation according to the criteria of Commission Decision 2002/657/EC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Federica Ostorero

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Veterinary drugs have become an integral part of the livestock production and play an important role in maintaining animal welfare. The use of veterinary medicines may be cause of the presence of drug residues in animal food products if appropriate withdrawal periods are not respected or if contaminated feeds are used. This work presents the development of an high performance liquid chromatography with postcolumn fluorescence derivatization (HPLC-FLD method for the quantitative detection of eight quinolones – norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, danofloxacin, enrofloxacin, difloxacin, oxolinic acid, nalidixic acid, and flumequine – in bovine milk. After deproteination and extraction with a metaphosphoric acid 1% w/v/methanol/acetonitrile (60/20/20 v/v/v solution, the sample is partially evaporated and cleaned up on a reversed phase solid phase extraction (SPE cartridge. The extract is analyzed using an HPLC-FLD. Mean recovery ranged between 65-88%. The method is validated as a confirmatory method according to Decision 2002/657/EC. All the verified parameters (linearity, selectivity/specificity, trueness, precision, CC, ruggedness and stability were satisfactory and the method is able to quantify all the analytes in milk in the concentration range 15-60 μg/Kg for danofloxacin and 25-150 μg/Kg for the other quinolones.

Involvement of the G-protein-coupled dopamine/ecdysteroid receptor DopEcR in the behavioral response to sex pheromone in an insect.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antoine Abrieux

Full Text Available Most animals including insects rely on olfaction to find their mating partners. In moths, males are attracted by female-produced sex pheromones inducing stereotyped sexual behavior. The behaviorally relevant olfactory information is processed in the primary olfactory centre, the antennal lobe (AL. Evidence is now accumulating that modulation of sex-linked behavioral output occurs through neuronal plasticity via the action of hormones and/or catecholamines. A G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR binding to 20-hydroxyecdysone, the main insect steroid hormone, and dopamine, has been identified in Drosophila (DmDopEcR, and was suggested to modulate neuronal signaling. In the male moth Agrotis ipsilon, the behavioral and central nervous responses to pheromone are age-dependent. To further unveil the mechanisms of this olfactory plasticity, we searched for DopEcR and tested its potential role in the behavioral response to sex pheromone in A. ipsilon males. Our results show that A. ipsilon DopEcR (named AipsDopEcR is predominantly expressed in the nervous system. The corresponding protein was detected immunohistochemically in the ALs and higher brain centers including the mushroom bodies. Moreover, AipsDopEcR expression increased with age. Using a strategy of RNA interference, we also show that silencing of AipsDopEcR inhibited the behavioral response to sex pheromone in wind tunnel experiments. Altogether our results indicate that this GPCR is involved in the expression of sexual behavior in the male moth, probably by modulating the central nervous processing of sex pheromone through the action of one or both of its ligands.

Electronic Payments and Consumer Protection : Should Recommendation 97/489/EC Be Replaced with a Directive?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schudelaro, A.A.P.

2001-01-01

This article examines the question whether the EC Regulation concerning transactions carried out by electronic payment instruments should be replaced by a Directive that is binding on all member states of the EU.

Milk fat globules: fatty acid composition, size and in vivo regulation of fat liquidity.

Science.gov (United States)

Timmen, H; Patton, S

1988-07-01

Populations of large and small milk fat globules were isolated and analyzed to determine differences in fatty acid composition. Globule samples were obtained by centrifugation from milks of a herd and of individual animals produced under both pasture and barn feeding. Triacylglycerols of total globule lipids were prepared by thin layer chromatography and analyzed for fatty acid composition by gas chromatography. Using content of the acids in large globules as 100%, small globules contained fewer short-chain acids, -5.9%, less stearic acid, -22.7%, and more oleic acids, +4.6%, mean values for five trials. These differences are consistent with alternative use of short-chain acids or oleic acid converted from stearic acid to maintain liquidity at body temperature of milk fat globules and their precursors, intracellular lipid droplets. Stearyl-CoA desaturase (EC 1.14.99.5), which maintains fluidity of cellular endoplasmic reticulum membrane, is suggested to play a key role in regulating globule fat liquidity. Possible origins of differences between individual globules in fatty acid composition of their triacylglycerols are discussed.

The Arabidopsis aldehyde oxidase 3 (AA03) gene product catalyzes the final step in abscisic acid biosynthesis in leaves

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Seo, M.; Peeters, A.J.M.; Koiwai, H.; Oritani, T.; Marion-Poll, A.; Zeevaart, J.A.D.; Koornneef, M.; Kamiya, Y.; Koshiba, T.

2000-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a plant hormone involved in seed development and germination and in responses to various environmental stresses. The last step of ABA biosynthesis involves oxidation of abscisic aldehyde, and aldehyde oxidase (EC 1.2.3.1) is thought to catalyze this reaction. An aldehyde

A prebiotic role of Ecklonia cava improves the mortality of Edwardsiella tarda-infected zebrafish models via regulating the growth of lactic acid bacteria and pathogen bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, WonWoo; Oh, Jae Young; Kim, Eun-A; Kang, Nalae; Kim, Kil-Nam; Ahn, Ginnae; Jeon, You-Jin

2016-07-01

In this study, the beneficial prebiotic roles of Ecklonia cava (E. cava, EC) were evaluated on the growth of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and pathogen bacteria and the mortality of pathogen-bacteria infected zebrafish model. The result showed that the original E. cava (EC) led to the highest growth effects on three LABs (Lactobacillus brevis, L. brevis; Lactobacillus pentosus, L. pentosus; Lactobacillus plantarum; L. plantarum) and it was dose-dependent manners. Also, EC, its Celluclast enzymatic (ECC) and 100% ethanol extracts (ECE) showed the anti-bacterial activities on the fish pathogenic bacteria such as (Edwardsiella tarda; E. tarda, Streptococcus iniae; S. iniae, and Vibrio harveyi; V. harveyi). Interestingly, EC induced the higher production of the secondary metabolites from L. plantarum in MRS medium. The secondary metabolites produced by EC significantly inhibited the growth of pathogen bacteria. In further in vivo study, the co-treatment of EC and L. plantarum improved the growth and mortality of E. tarda-infected zebrafish as regulating the expression of inflammatory molecules such as iNOS and COX2. Taken together, our present study suggests that the EC plays an important role as a potential prebiotic and has a protective effect against the infection caused by E. tarda injection in zebrafish. Also, our conclusion from this evidence is that EC can be used and applied as a useful prebiotic. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Georeferenced measurement of soil EC as a tool to detect susceptible areas to water erosion.

Science.gov (United States)

Fabian Sallesses, Leonardo; Aparicio, Virginia Carolina; Costa, Jose Luis

2017-04-01

The Southeast region of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, is one of the main region for the cultivation of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) in that country. The implementation of complementary irrigation for potato cultivation meant an increase in yield of up to 60%. Therefore, all potato production in the region is under irrigation. In this way, the area under central pivot irrigation has increased to 150% in the last two decades. The water used for irrigation in that region is underground with a high concentration of sodium bicarbonate. The combination of irrigation and rain increases the sodium absorption ratio of soil (SARs), consequently raising the clay dispersion and reducing infiltration. A reduction in infiltration means greater partitioning of precipitation into runoff. The degree of slope of the terrain, added to its length, increases the erosive potential of runoff water. The content of dissolved salts, in combination with the water content, affect the apparent Electrical Conductivity of the soil (EC), which is directly related to the concentration of Na + 2 in the soil solution. In August 2016, severe rill erosion was detected in a productive plot of 300 ha. The predecessor crop was a potato under irrigation campaign. However the history of the lot consists of various winter and summer crops, always made in dry land and no till. Cumulative rainfall from harvest to erosion detection (four months) was 250 mm. A georeferenced EC measurement was performed using the Verys 3100® contact sensor. With the data obtained, a geostatistical analysis was performed using Kriging spatial interpolation. The maps obtained were processed, dividing them into 4 EC ranges. The values and amplitude of the CEa ranges for each lot were determined according to the distribution observed in the generated histograms. It was observed a distribution of elevated EC ranges and consequently of a higher concentration of Na+ 2 coincident with the irrigation areas of the pivots. These

Practices and rules applied for the design of large dry PWR-containments within EC countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karwat, H.

1989-01-01

The containment system is an essential component of nuclear power plants and its behaviour plays an important role in the evaluation of accident consequences of pressurized water reactors. The present report illuminates the analytical methods for the simulation of the thermohydraulic loads and the experimental background to support these methods. The national rules and practices applied within the EC member countries to determine the local and global design loads were compared. For thermohydraulic load prediction only small differences have been found, particularly in the required safety addition factors covering the uncertainties of the predictive analytical simulation procedures. Comparison of design loads shows in general that analytical methods are comparable throughout the EC member countries and, with regard to their determination, warrant to a large extent an equal degree of conservatism

User illusion: ideological construction of ‘user-generated content’ in the EC consultation on copyright

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristofer Erickson

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Recent policy consultations by the UK Intellectual Property Office, the US Patent and Trademark Office and the European Commission (EC have highlighted the importance of user-generated content in debates to reform copyright. User-generated content (UGC – often combining existing copyright material with transformative creativity – remains a contested terrain, with no clear or widely accepted definition. This paper examines how various stakeholders in the 2014 EC consultation on copyright attempted to shape the definition of UGC in order to suit their interests, sometimes aligning or conflicting with other stakeholder groups. Data from 203 written responses by registered stakeholders (authors, platform intermediaries and users were subjected to a discourse analysis methodology. Key arguments and policy preferences from each stakeholder group are identified and discussed.

Limited sampling strategies drawn within 3 hours postdose poorly predict mycophenolic acid area-under-the-curve after enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Winter, B.C. de; Gelder, T. van; Mathôt, R.A.A.; Glander, P.; Tedesco-Silva, H.; Hilbrands, L.B.; Budde, K.; Hest, R.M. van

2009-01-01

Previous studies predicted that limited sampling strategies (LSS) for estimation of mycophenolic acid (MPA) area-under-the-curve (AUC(0-12)) after ingestion of enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (EC-MPS) using a clinically feasible sampling scheme may have poor predictive performance. Failure of

Study of Synergetic Effect of X2 and X3 EC Wave in KSTAR

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Bae Y.S.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available An experimental study of the X-mode absorption at the second and the third harmonic frequencies has been performed in KSTAR tokamak. The X2 EC frequency is 110 GHz and the X3 EC frequency is 170 GHz at the nominal KSTAR operating toroidal magnetic field. From the 1-D model of the synergetic effect, the X3 cold resonance should lie at low field side with the X2 cold resonance at the high field side to meet the condition which both X2 and X3 EC waves interact with the same resonant electron at the same radial position. However, 170 GHz X3 cold resonance lies at the high field side with distance of 54 mm from the X2 cold resonance position in KSTAR. This paper presents the study of the synergetic effect of X3 absorption by the X2 ECCD with a scheme of two beam target positions at the same flux surface by scanning the poloidal and toroidal beam injection angles to enhance X3 absorption even in the low temperature plasma in KSTAR. For this study, the3D relativistic ray/tracing and Fokker-Planck codes C3PO/LUKE is used for the quantitative prediction of its synergetic effect. The C3PO/LUKE codes are appropriate for X2 and X3 synergy calculations as the distribution function can be calculated with either one or both waves affecting the absorption rate of each other. This paper also introduces the future ECH system upgrade plan.

Rate-limiting reaction in papain action as derived from the reaction of the enzyme with chloroacetic acid

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sluyterman, L.A.A.E.

1968-01-01

Chloroacetic acid reacts with the essential thiol group of papain (EC 3.4.4.10) and inactivates the enzyme. The rate of inactivation, k, at pH 6.0, 25°, was determined in the absence and presence of the substrates benzoylarginine ethyl ester (BAEE) and benzoylglycine ethyl ester (BGEE). The rate was

Assessing the Influence of Seasonal and Spatial Variations on the Estimation of Secondary Organic Carbon in Urban Particulate Matter by Applying the EC-Tracer Method

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Sandra Wagener

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The elemental carbon (EC-tracer method was applied to PM10 and PM1 data of three sampling sites in the City of Berlin from February to October 2010. The sites were characterized by differing exposure to traffic and vegetation. The aim was to determine the secondary organic carbon (SOC concentration and to describe the parameters influencing the application of the EC-tracer method. The evaluation was based on comparisons with results obtained from positive matrix factorization (PMF applied to the same samples. To obtain site- and seasonal representative primary OC/EC-ratios ([OC/EC]p, the EC-tracer method was performed separately for each station, and additionally discrete for samples with high and low contribution of biomass burning. Estimated SOC-concentrations for all stations were between 11% and 33% of total OC. SOC-concentrations obtained with PMF exceeded EC-tracer results more than 100% at the park in the period with low biomass burning emissions in PM10. The deviations were besides others attributed to the high ratio of biogenic to combustion emissions and to direct exposure to vegetation. The occurrences of biomass burning emissions in contrast lead to increased SOC-concentrations compared to PMF in PM10. The obtained results distinguish that the EC-tracer-method provides well comparable results with PMF if sites are strongly influenced by one characteristic primary combustion source, but was found to be adversely influenced by direct and relatively high biogenic emissions.

Algal toxicity of the alternative disinfectants performic acid (PFA), peracetic acid (PAA), chlorine dioxide (ClO2) and their by-products hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and chlorite (ClO2-)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chhetri, Ravi Kumar; Baun, Anders; Andersen, Henrik Rasmus

2017-01-01

Environmental effect evaluation of disinfection of combined sewer overflow events with alternative chemical disinfectants requires that the environmental toxicity of the disinfectants and the main by-products of their use are known. Many disinfectants degrade quickly in water which should......: performic acid (PFA), peracetic acid (PAA) and chlorine dioxide (ClO2) as well as two by-products of their use: hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and chlorite. All of the five chemicals investigated showed clear toxicity to the algae with well-defined dose response curves. The EC50 values ranged from 0.16 to 2.9 mg...

Factors influencing arsenic and nitrate removal from drinking water in a continuous flow electrocoagulation (EC) process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, N. Sanjeev; Goel, Sudha

2010-01-01

An experimental study was conducted under continuous flow conditions to evaluate some of the factors influencing contaminant removal by electrocoagulation (EC). A bench-scale simulation of drinking water treatment was done by adding a filtration column after a rectangular EC reactor. Contaminant removal efficiency was determined for voltages ranging from 10 to 25 V and a comparative study was done with distilled water and tap water for two contaminants: nitrate and arsenic(V). Maximum removal efficiency was 84% for nitrate at 25 V and 75% for arsenic(V) at 20 V. No significant difference in contaminant removal was observed in tap water versus distilled water. Increase in initial As(V) concentration from 1 ppm to 2 ppm resulted in a 10% increase in removal efficiency. Turbidity in the EC reactor effluent was 52 NTU and had to be filtered to achieve acceptable levels of final turbidity (5 NTU) at steady-state. The flow regime in the continuous flow reactor was also evaluated in a tracer study to determine whether it is a plug flow reactor (PFR) or constantly stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and the results show that this reactor was close to an ideal CSTR, i.e., it was fairly well-mixed.

Factors influencing arsenic and nitrate removal from drinking water in a continuous flow electrocoagulation (EC) process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, N. Sanjeev [Civil Engineering Department, IIT Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302 (India); Goel, Sudha, E-mail: sudhagoel@civil.iitkgp.ernet.in [Civil Engineering Department, IIT Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302 (India)

2010-01-15

An experimental study was conducted under continuous flow conditions to evaluate some of the factors influencing contaminant removal by electrocoagulation (EC). A bench-scale simulation of drinking water treatment was done by adding a filtration column after a rectangular EC reactor. Contaminant removal efficiency was determined for voltages ranging from 10 to 25 V and a comparative study was done with distilled water and tap water for two contaminants: nitrate and arsenic(V). Maximum removal efficiency was 84% for nitrate at 25 V and 75% for arsenic(V) at 20 V. No significant difference in contaminant removal was observed in tap water versus distilled water. Increase in initial As(V) concentration from 1 ppm to 2 ppm resulted in a 10% increase in removal efficiency. Turbidity in the EC reactor effluent was 52 NTU and had to be filtered to achieve acceptable levels of final turbidity (5 NTU) at steady-state. The flow regime in the continuous flow reactor was also evaluated in a tracer study to determine whether it is a plug flow reactor (PFR) or constantly stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and the results show that this reactor was close to an ideal CSTR, i.e., it was fairly well-mixed.

Current status of ITER EC design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bosia, G.

2003-01-01

The ITER-FEAT Electron Cyclotron System employs one equatorial launcher and three upper port launchers to inject 20 + 20 MW of mm-wave power at 170 GHz through slots in the plasma-facing neutron and radiation shield. The equatorial launcher includes 3 sets of toroidally steer-able mirrors, each collecting 8 RF beams from 24 circular cross-section corrugated wave-guides. In the upper-port launcher, eight beams, reflected in pairs by four toroidally angled (∼30 angle) and poloidally steer-able (∼ 10 angle) mirrors focus of the RF power on the plasma m = 2 and m = 3/2 plasma flux rational surfaces, for neo-classical tearing mode(s) (NTM) control. Conceptual studies of remote steering that would possibly allow removing the beam- steering equipment from the vacuum vessel and locating them in more protected positions have been carried out. All EC wave transmission is based on low losses circular cross section corrugated and evacuated wave guides each connected to a 170 GHz, 1 MW CW Gyrotron tube oscillator featuring an overall efficiency of ∼ 50%, obtained by depressed-collector energy recovery. In the paper, requirements, issues and the current status of the design is reviewed. (authors)

Human acid β-glucosidase: isolation and amino acid sequence of a peptide containing the catalytic site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dinur, T.; Osiecki, K.M.; Legler, G.; Gatt, S.; Desnick, R.J.; Grabowski, G.A.

1986-01-01

Human acid β-glucosidase (D-glucosyl-N-acylsphingosine glucohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.45) cleaves the glucosidic bonds of glucosylceramide and synthetic β-glucosides. The deficient activity of this hydrolase is the enzymatic defect in the subtypes and variants of Gaucher disease, the most prevalent lysosomal storage disease. To isolate and characterize the catalytic site of the normal enzyme, brominated 3 H-labeled conduritol B epoxide ( 3 H-Br-CBE), which inhibits the enzyme by binding covalently to this site, was used as an affinity label. Under optimal conditions 1 mol of 3 H-Br-CBE bound to 1 mol of pure enzyme protein, indicating the presence of a single catalytic site per enzyme subunit. After V 8 protease digestion of the 3 H-Br-CBE-labeled homogeneous enzyme, three radiolabeled peptides, designated peptide A, B, or C, were resolved by reverse-phase HPLC. The partial amino acid sequence (37 residues) of peptide A (M/sub r/, 5000) was determined. The sequence of this peptide, which contained the catalytic site, had exact homology to the sequence near the carboxyl terminus of the protein, as predicted from the nucleotide sequence of the full-length cDNA encoding acid β-glucosidase

Electrocoagulation (EC and Electrocoagulation/Flotation(ECF Processes for Removing High Turbidity from Surface Water Using Al and Fe Electrodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghorban Asgari

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Electrocoagulation (EC and Electrocoagulation/flotation (ECF processes are simple and efficient in water and wastewater treatment. In recent years, many investigations have focused on the use of these processes for treating of polluted water. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficiency of EC and ECF processes in removal of high turbidity water using different electrodes in different circumstances. In present study an electrocoagulation and electrocoagulation/ flotation reactor in a lab scale to an approximate volume of 6 liters which is equipped with four Al-AL and Fe-Fe electrodes (200 * 20 * 2 mm was used  for removing of high turbidity water. The effects of operating parameters such as type of electrodes, initial water turbidity, applied voltage (10 to 30 v, initial pH of the solution (3 to 12 and reaction times (5 to 30 minutes were evaluated. The batch experimental results showed that initial turbidity water, initial pH of the solution, different applied voltages up to %88 turbidity as initial turbidity of 1200 NTU have been removed when using Al-Al and Fe-Fe electrodes and reaction times highly effective on the turbidity removal efficiency in these processes. In ECF process, 84% in optimum condition. However, in EC  process the maximum removal was found  up to 68% of initial turbidity when using Al-Al and Fe-Fe electrodes in same operation. Based on the result obtained in this study, the type of electrodes in EC and ECF processes  significantly affect the removal rate of high turbid water. Also, it was found that much higher turbidity removal could be achieved by ECF process than that by EC process in the same condition.

Efficiency of sulfuric acid, mined gypsum, and two gypsum by-products in soil crusting prevention and sodic soil reclamation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amezketa, E.; Aragues, R.; Gazol, R. [Gobierno Navarra, Pamplona (Spain). Agricultural Resources Evaluation Center

2005-06-01

We evaluated the efficiency of four amendments (sulfuric acid, mined-gypsum, and the by-products coal-gypsum and lacto-gypsum) in crusting prevention of two calcareous nonsodic and sodic soils and in sodic soil reclamation. Treatments for crust prevention consisted of surface-applied amendments at equivalent rates of 5 Mg pure-gypsum ha{sup -1}. Treatments for sodic soil reclamation consisted of surface-applied acid and soil-incorporated gypsums at rates of 1 pure-gypsum requirement. The efficiency of these amendments was evaluated by comparing the final infiltration rates (FIR) of the amended vs. the nonamended soils measured in disturbed-soil columns pounded with low-salinity irrigation water. Electrical conductivity (EC) and Na in the leachates of the sodic soil were measured. In the crusting prevention experiment, FIRs (mm h{sup -1) of the nonsodic soil were 21 (nonamended), 33 to 35 (gypsum materials), and 53 (sulfuric acid), whereas those for the sodic soil were 0 (nonamended), 9 (lacto-gypsum), 15 to 17 (coal- and mined-gypsum), and 21 (sulfuric acid). In the sodic-soil reclamation experiment, FIRs were 0 (nonamended), 8 to 9 (gypsum-materials), and 17 (sulfuric acid) mm h{sup -1}. All amendments were effective in crusting prevention and soil reclamation, but sulfuric acid was the most efficient due to the fastest EC and Na reductions in the leachates. The three gypsum-materials were equally effective in the reclamation process and in the nonsodic soil crusting-prevention, whereas lacto-gypsum was less efficient in the sodic-soil crusting-prevention.

Purification and properties of protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase from Chaetomium piluliferum induced with p-hydroxybenzoic acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Wojtaś-Wasilewska, M; Trojanowski, J

1980-01-01

1. Protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase (protocatechuate : oxygen 3,4-oxidoreductase, EC 1.13.11.3) was isolated from mycelium of Chaetomium piluliferum induced with p-hydroxybenzoic acid. The enzyme was purified about 80-fold by ammonium sulphate fractionation and DEAE-cellulose and Sephadex G-200 chromatography, and was homogeneous on polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. 2. The enzyme showed high substrate specificity; its pH optimum was 7.5-8.0, and molecula weight about 76 000 as determined by filtration on Sephadex G-200. The Michaelis constant for protocatechuic acid was 11.1 microM.

The Dynamics of Plasma Membrane, Metabolism and Respiration (PM-M-R in Penicillium ochrochloron CBS 123824 in Response to Different Nutrient Limitations—A Multi-level Approach to Study Organic Acid Excretion in Filamentous Fungi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pamela Vrabl

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Filamentous fungi are important cell factories. In contrast, we do not understand well even basic physiological behavior in these organisms. This includes the widespread phenomenon of organic acid excretion. One strong hurdle to fully exploit the metabolic capacity of these organisms is the enormous, highly environment sensitive phenotypic plasticity. In this work we explored organic acid excretion in Penicillium ochrochloron from a new point of view by simultaneously investigating three essential metabolic levels: the plasma membrane H+-ATPase (PM; energy metabolism, in particular adenine and pyridine nucleotides (M; and respiration, in particular the alternative oxidase (R. This was done in strictly standardized chemostat culture with different nutrient limitations (glucose, ammonium, nitrate, and phosphate. These different nutrient limitations led to various quantitative phenotypes (as represented by organic acid excretion, oxygen consumption, glucose consumption, and biomass formation. Glucose-limited grown mycelia were used as the reference point (very low organic acid excretion. Both ammonium and phosphate grown mycelia showed increased organic acid excretion, although the patterns of excreted acids were different. In ammonium-limited grown mycelia amount and activity of the plasma membrane H+-ATPase was increased, nucleotide concentrations were decreased, energy charge (EC and catabolic reduction charge (CRC were unchanged and alternative respiration was present but not quantifiable. In phosphate-limited grown mycelia (no data on the H+-ATPase nucleotide concentrations were still lower, EC was slightly decreased, CRC was distinctly decreased and alternative respiration was present and quantifiable. Main conclusions are: (i the phenotypic plasticity of filamentous fungi demands adaptation of sample preparation and analytical methods at the phenotype level; (ii each nutrient condition is unique and its metabolic situation must be considered

Safety of hydroxytyrosol as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 258/97

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sjödin, Anders Mikael

2017-01-01

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion on hydroxytyrosol, which is chemically synthesised, as a novel food (NF) pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 258/97. The information provided on the comp......Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion on hydroxytyrosol, which is chemically synthesised, as a novel food (NF) pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 258/97. The information provided...... of hydroxytyrosol from the consumption of olive oils and olives, which has not been associated with adverse effects, and considering the similar kinetics of hydroxytyrosol in rats and humans, the Panel considers that the MoE for the NF at the intended uses and use levels is sufficient for the target population....... The Panel concludes that the novel food, hydroxytyrosol, is safe under the proposed uses and use levels....

Effects of Organic Load, pH, and EC Variations of Raw Wastewater and Weather Condition on the Efficiency of Yazd Stabilization Ponds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seyed Alireza Mozaheb

2009-06-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the effects of organic load, pH, and EC variations of raw wastewater as well as the effect of weather condition on organic removal in Yazd wastewater Stabilization Ponds (2007. During the course of this study, composite samples were collected from the inlet and outlet of the anaerobic pond and the final effluent to measure such quality parameters as BOD5, COD, TSS, EC, and pH.  BOD5, COD, TSS, and Fecal coliform removal efficiencies in the final effluent were found to be 64.9%, 44.9 %, 62.6 %, and 99.96%, respectively. No intestinal nematode egg was observed. Comparison of BOD5 and COD concentrations in the filtered and non-filtered samples showed that 52% of the BOD5 and 57% of the COD in the final effluent, respectively, were due to the presence of algal mass and organic suspended solids in the non-filtered samples. The results showed that variations in organic load, pH, EC as well as seasonal weather variations had no effects on organic removal and that the removal of BOD5 was almost constant. Effluent EC was higher than influent EC. This phenomenon can be related to the evaporation rate in wastewater stabilization ponds. The survey of algae in the final effluent showed that the major species of algae were Phytoconis, Chlorella, and Anabaena.

Nuclear Structure of 124Xe Studied with β+/EC-Decay

Science.gov (United States)

Radich, A. J.; Garrett, P. E.; Allmond, J. M.; Andreoiu, C.; Ball, G. C.; Bianco, L.; Bildstein, V.; Chagnon-Lessard, S.; Cross, D. S.; Diaz Varela, A.; Dunlop, R.; Finlay, P.; Garnsworthy, A. B.; Hackman, G.; Hadinia, B.; Jigmeddorj, B.; Laffoley, A. T.; Leach, K. G.; Michetti-Wilson, J.; Orce, J. N.; Rajabali, M. M.; Rand, E.; Starosta, K.; Sumithrarachchi, C. S.; Svensson, C. E.; Triambak, S.; Wang, Z. M.; Wood, J. L.; Wong, J.; Williams, S. J.; Yates, S. W.

The nuclear structure of 124Xe was investigated using γ-ray spectroscopy following the β+/EC-decay of 124Cs. A very high-statistics data set was collected and γγ coincidence data was analyzed, greatly adding to the 124Xe level scheme. A new decay branch from the high-spin isomer of 124Cs was observed as well as weak E2 transitions into excited 0+ states in 124Xe. B(E2) transition strengths of such low-spin transitions are very important in determining collective properties, which are currently poorly characterized in the region of neutron-deficient xenon isotopes.

Grain Refinement of Commercial EC Grade 1070 Aluminium Alloy for Electrical Application

OpenAIRE

Hassanabadi, Massoud

2015-01-01

The aluminium alloys for electrical conductivity applications are generally not grain refinedsince the addition of grain refiners drops the electrical conductivity by introducing impuritiesinto the melt. Non-grain refined aluminium may lead to bar fracture and cracks during themetalworking process. The present study focuses to find an optimum balance between the grain refiner addition andthe electrical conductivity of commercial EC grade 1070 aluminium alloy for electricalapplication. In orde...

Special report: EC oil market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

A European Commission report on the EC's oil market has conceded that the Community will not meet its official objective of reducing oil's share of energy consumption to 40% by 1995. The paper, a 'Communication' to the European Council entitled ''The Oil Market and the Refining Industry in the Community: Recent Developments and Prospects'' says oil will ''continue to account for a major share - of the order of 45% -of the Community's energy consumption'' up to the year 2000. Nonetheless, the report's authors insist the Commission has proposed ''a number of measures'' which could reduce the potential consumption of fossil fuels and help limit CO2 emissions. The report confirms that though lower in 1990 than 1980 at 530mt, oil demand picked up in the second half of the 1980s, reflecting world trends. Little impression has been made on the proportion of the Community's crude supply that is imported. However, one area where the report did find energy objectives successes was that of diversifying sources of crude oil supply. A major source of concern for the Commission at one stage in the second half of the 1980s was the possibility of massive imports of finished oil products from refineries in the oil producing countries. However, the fact that this threat did not materialise is taken as a vindication of the Commission's assessment in previous analyses that ''an open Community market should be maintained''. (author)

Europol’s Cybercrime Centre (EC3), its Agreements with Third Parties and the Growing Role of Law Enforcement on the European Security Scene

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vendius, Trine Thygesen

2015-01-01

The European Cyber Crime Centre, EC3, established under the umbrella of Europol, started operations on January 1 2013. It is to act as the focal point in the fight against cybercrime in the European Union. Using a “shared, cross-community approach” the EC3 is concluding partnerships with member...... states, European agencies, international partners and the private sector. This article describes the coming about of EC3 and its efforts to address cybercrime. Furthermore, the article is an attempt to assess the growing role of the European law enforcement community on the European security scene...

Biogeochemistry of Dimethylsulfide, Dimethylsulfoniopropionate, and Acrylic Acid in the Changjiang Estuary and the East China Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Xi; Li, Pei-Feng; Liu, Chun-Ying; Zhang, Hong-Hai; Yang, Gui-Peng; Zhang, Sheng-Hui; Zhu, Mao-Xu

2017-12-01

The distributions of dimethylsulfide (DMS), dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), and acrylic acid (AA) were investigated in the Changjiang Estuary during winter (dry season) and summer (wet season) 2014 and in the East China Sea (ECS) during summer 2015. The rates of dissolved DMSP (DMSPd) degradation with DMS and AA production, DMS degradation, and AA degradation in the ECS were also studied. Significant seasonal variations in DMS(P) and AA concentrations were observed in the Changjiang Estuary with higher values during the wet season than during the dry season. The maximum ratio of AA/chlorophyll a (Chl a) occurred at the mouth of the Changjiang Estuary due to the combined effects of production from DMSP and terrestrial inputs from the Changjiang Estuary. The distributions of DMS(P) and AA in the ECS were dramatically influenced by the Kuroshio Current and the upwelling caused by the Taiwan Warm Current. The ratios of DMS(P)/Chl a and AA/Chl a exhibited similar patterns in the surface seawater of the ECS, which indicated that phytoplankton species and biomass might play important roles in controlling the distributions of DMS(P) and AA. In vertical profiles, high values of AA emerged in the upper water column and bottom seawater of the Changjiang Estuary. Meanwhile, the maxima of DMS(P) and AA generally appeared in the surface or euphotic layer, whereas their minima arose in the bottom seawater of the ECS. The degradation rates of DMSPd, DMS, and AA in the inshore waters were higher than those in the open sea.

Optimization studies of HgSe thin film deposition by electrochemical atomic layer epitaxy (EC-ALE)

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Venkatasamy, V

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Studies of the optimization of HgSe thin film deposition using electrochemical atomic layer epitaxy (EC-ALE) are reported. Cyclic voltammetry was used to obtain approximate deposition potentials for each element. These potentials were then coupled...

Characterization of diverse soybean genotypes using 14 carbon for organic acid exudation under phosphorus stress and its relationship with phosphorus acquisition efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vengavasi, Krishnapriya; Pandey, Renu

2017-01-01

To characterise the physiological aspects influencing organic acid exudation under low phosphorus (P) stress, experiment was conducted to screen a diverse soybean panel (comprising 116 genotypes) for total carbon exudation employing shoot labelling with 14 CO 2 technique. Among the traits measured at seedling stage, total carbon ( 14 C) exudation, P uptake and total dry weight contributed to the maximum genotypic variability in soybean. The proportion of organic acids (including oxalate, citrate, succinate and fumarate) was the highest among root-exuded compounds induced by low P stress in soybean. Improved root length, surface area and volume coupled with higher activity of enzymes in TCA cycle contributed to enhanced organic acid exudation under low P. Efficient soybean genotypes (EC-232019 and G-2344) exhibited superior growth and P acquisition efficiency under low soil P availability attributed to its higher root exudation potential aiding in mining fixed soil P. To understand the molecular mechanism differentially regulating root exudation potential in contrasting genotypes (EC-232019 and EC-113396), root proteome analysis at low P stress was carried out. Among the total proteins visualised by 2D-gel electrophoresis, 105 genotypes (32%) were differentially expressed between sufficient and low P levels. A total of 44 (14%) proteins were down-regulated by more than two-fold while 61 (15%) proteins were up-regulated by more than two-fold at low P. The differential proteins were involved in a myriad of functions including organic acid accumulation, carbohydrate, protein and lipid metabolism under low P stress. Characterisation of 17 proteins with unknown function indicated the role of novel genes under low P stress. The identified genotypes have potential to be used as donors in crop improvement programs to develop high-yielding P-efficient cultivars which may be an asset to low-input sustainable agriculture. (author)

2-Alkynoic fatty acids inhibit topoisomerase IB from Leishmania donovani.

Science.gov (United States)

Carballeira, Néstor M; Cartagena, Michelle; Sanabria, David; Tasdemir, Deniz; Prada, Christopher F; Reguera, Rosa M; Balaña-Fouce, Rafael

2012-10-01

2-Alkynoic fatty acids display antimycobacterial, antifungal, and pesticidal activities but their antiprotozoal activity has received little attention. In this work we synthesized the 2-octadecynoic acid (2-ODA), 2-hexadecynoic acid (2-HDA), and 2-tetradecynoic acid (2-TDA) and show that 2-ODA is the best inhibitor of the Leishmania donovani DNA topoisomerase IB enzyme (LdTopIB) with an EC(50)=5.3±0.7μM. The potency of LdTopIB inhibition follows the trend 2-ODA>2-HDA>2-TDA, indicating that the effectiveness of inhibition depends on the fatty acid carbon chain length. All of the studied 2-alkynoic fatty acids were less potent inhibitors of the human topoisomerase IB enzyme (hTopIB) as compared to LdTopIB. 2-ODA also displayed in vitro activity against Leishmania donovani (IC(50)=11.0μM), but it was less effective against other protozoa, Trypanosoma cruzi (IC(50)=48.1μM) and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (IC(50)=64.5μM). The antiprotozoal activity of the 2-alkynoic fatty acids, in general, followed the trend 2-ODA>2-HDA>2-TDA. The experimental information gathered so far indicates that 2-ODA is a promising antileishmanial compound. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The EC Maritime Industries Forum 1992: Marine resources and research and development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jenisch, U.K.

1993-01-01

The Maritime Industries Forum (MIF) of the European Community has prepared a comprehensive report covering all the EC maritime industries. The report, published on October 29, 1992, addresses maritime activities such as shipbuilding, shipping, fishing, energy, marine resources and environmental protection. Focal points are research and development measures and strategies. A major objective is to strengthen the competitiveness of the maritime industries via a global and horizontal approach. This paper briefly analyses the M.I.F. Report and concentrates on the EC interests in the field of marine resources such as oil and gas, potable water, aquaculture and fishing, minerals, OTEC/DOWA as well as the environmentally sound technology that is required to allow for a future oriented and sustainable exploitation. Export opportunities for such new technologies and cooperation with third states are an important objective. The proposals of the M.I.F. Report are of a positive, future-oriented nature, appropriate to replace many of the hitherto defensive policies in the maritime area. The industries recognize the responsibility for the revitalization of their industrial sectors. The method of this broad sectoral approach for a new industrial policy in Europe is innovative and a model in itself. With the installation of three specialized new industrial panels in January 1993 the work continues

La ergonomía en el sector de la construcción: el método EC2

OpenAIRE

Cerda, Eduardo; Hernández Soto, Aquiles Carlos; Rodríguez Mondelo, Pedro Manuel; Álvarez Casado, Enrique; Rodríguez, Carolina

2009-01-01

Este artículo presenta el método EC2, el cual ha sido diseñado para evaluar el riesgo de trastornos lumbares durante tareas de manipulación manual de materiales realizada en el sector de la construcción. El método EC2 recurre a estándares existentes, métodos para evaluar riesgos de desórdenes lumbares y métodos para optimizar procesos productivos. Propone una ecuación para calcular el índice de riesgo basado en criterios fisiológicos, biomecánicos, psicofísicos y organizacionales. Elementos t...

AMENDING REGULATION (EC NO.1346/2000 ON INSOLVENCY PROCEEDINGS - SOLVING DEFICIENCIES OR ATTEMPT TO RESCUE COMPANIES IN DIFFICULTY?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

GABRIELA FIERBINŢEANU

2013-05-01

Full Text Available EC Insolvency Regulation claims, after more than 10 years, several changes imposed by some of the issues raised by the practice of its application but also by the need to promote economic recovery for enterprises in difficulty in the current economic crisis. This paper analyzes the major segments of change and aims to determine whether these segments provide a coherent answer for the practical difficulties faced by the EC Regulation and whether extending its scope by revising the definition of insolvency proceedings may offer better chances of recovery for the enterprises in difficulty.

eHealth services and Directive on Electronic Commerce 2000/31/EC.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Gyseghem, Jean-Marc

2008-01-01

We often restrict the analysis of eHealth services to a concept of privacy. In this article, we'll demonstrate that other legislation can apply to those services as Directive 2000/31/EC on Ecommerce. By creating telematic networks or infrastructure, eHealth services are offering information services. But what are the consequences with such concept? What are the duties and rights for the actors of the network(s)? We'll try to answer to some questions, even if it won't be exhaustive.

Aerobic desulfurization of biogas by acidic biotrickling filtration in a randomly packed reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montebello, Andrea M.; Mora, Mabel; López, Luis R.; Bezerra, Tercia; Gamisans, Xavier; Lafuente, Javier; Baeza, Mireia; Gabriel, David

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Desulfurization of high loads of H 2 S is feasible by acidic biotrickling filtration. • Robustness of the process is demonstrated in the long-term (550 d). • Biosulfur to sulfate oxidation under H 2 S starvation was successfully performed. • Lower sulfate production found at acidic pH compared to that at neutral pH. • Plastic material is recommended for long-term acidic biotrickling filtration. - Abstract: Biotrickling filters for biogas desulfurization still must prove their stability and robustness in the long run under extreme conditions. Long-term desulfurization of high loads of H 2 S under acidic pH was studied in a lab-scale aerobic biotrickling filter packed with metallic Pall rings. Reference operating conditions at steady-state corresponded to an empty bed residence time (EBRT) of 130 s, H 2 S loading rate of 52 g S–H 2 S m −3 h −1 and pH 2.50–2.75. The EBRT reduction showed that the critical EBRT was 75 s and the maximum EC 100 g S–H 2 S m −3 h −1 . Stepwise increases of the inlet H 2 S concentration up to 10,000 ppm v lead to a maximum EC of 220 g S–H 2 S m −3 h −1 . The H 2 S removal profile along the filter bed indicated that the first third of the filter bed was responsible for 70–80% of the total H 2 S removal. The oxidation rate of solid sulfur accumulated inside the bioreactor during periodical H 2 S starvation episodes was verified under acidic operating conditions. The performance under acidic pH was comparable to that under neutral pH in terms of H 2 S removal capacity. However, bioleaching of the metallic packing used as support and chemical precipitation of sulfide/sulfur salts occurred

Aerobic desulfurization of biogas by acidic biotrickling filtration in a randomly packed reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Montebello, Andrea M.; Mora, Mabel; López, Luis R.; Bezerra, Tercia [Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona (Spain); Gamisans, Xavier [Department of Mining Engineering and Natural Resources, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Bases de Manresa 61-73, 08240 Manresa (Spain); Lafuente, Javier [Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona (Spain); Baeza, Mireia [Department of Chemistry, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona (Spain); Gabriel, David, E-mail: david.gabriel@uab.cat [Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona (Spain)

2014-09-15

Highlights: • Desulfurization of high loads of H{sub 2}S is feasible by acidic biotrickling filtration. • Robustness of the process is demonstrated in the long-term (550 d). • Biosulfur to sulfate oxidation under H{sub 2}S starvation was successfully performed. • Lower sulfate production found at acidic pH compared to that at neutral pH. • Plastic material is recommended for long-term acidic biotrickling filtration. - Abstract: Biotrickling filters for biogas desulfurization still must prove their stability and robustness in the long run under extreme conditions. Long-term desulfurization of high loads of H{sub 2}S under acidic pH was studied in a lab-scale aerobic biotrickling filter packed with metallic Pall rings. Reference operating conditions at steady-state corresponded to an empty bed residence time (EBRT) of 130 s, H{sub 2}S loading rate of 52 g S–H{sub 2}S m{sup −3} h{sup −1} and pH 2.50–2.75. The EBRT reduction showed that the critical EBRT was 75 s and the maximum EC 100 g S–H{sub 2}S m{sup −3} h{sup −1}. Stepwise increases of the inlet H{sub 2}S concentration up to 10,000 ppm{sub v} lead to a maximum EC of 220 g S–H{sub 2}S m{sup −3} h{sup −1}. The H{sub 2}S removal profile along the filter bed indicated that the first third of the filter bed was responsible for 70–80% of the total H{sub 2}S removal. The oxidation rate of solid sulfur accumulated inside the bioreactor during periodical H{sub 2}S starvation episodes was verified under acidic operating conditions. The performance under acidic pH was comparable to that under neutral pH in terms of H{sub 2}S removal capacity. However, bioleaching of the metallic packing used as support and chemical precipitation of sulfide/sulfur salts occurred.

The stimulatory adenosine receptor ADORA2B regulates serotonin (5-HT synthesis and release in oxygen-depleted EC cells in inflammatory bowel disease.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rikard Dammen

Full Text Available We recently demonstrated that hypoxia, a key feature of IBD, increases enterochromaffin (EC cell 5-HT secretion, which is also physiologically regulated by the ADORA2B mechanoreceptor. Since hypoxia is associated with increased extracellular adenosine, we wanted to examine whether this nucleotide amplifies HIF-1α-mediated 5-HT secretion.The effects of hypoxia were studied on IBD mucosa, isolated IBD-EC cells, isolated normal EC cells and the EC cell tumor derived cell line KRJ-1. Hypoxia (0.5% O2 was compared to NECA (adenosine agonist, MRS1754 (ADORA2B receptor antagonist and SCH442146 (ADORA2A antagonist on HIF signaling and 5-HT secretion. Antisense approaches were used to mechanistically evaluate EC cells in vitro. PCR and western blot were used to analyze transcript and protein levels of HIF-1α signaling and neuroendocrine cell function. An animal model of colitis was evaluated to confirm hypoxia:adenosine signaling in vivo.HIF-1α is upregulated in IBD mucosa and IBD-EC cells, the majority (~90% of which express an activated phenotype in situ. Hypoxia stimulated 5-HT release maximally at 30 mins, an effect amplified by NECA and selectively inhibited by MRS1754, through phosphorylation of TPH-1 and activation of VMAT-1. Transient transfection with Renilla luciferase under hypoxia transcriptional response element (HRE control identified that ADORA2B activated HIF-1α signaling under hypoxic conditions. Additional signaling pathways associated with hypoxia:adenosine included MAP kinase and CREB. Antisense approaches mechanistically confirmed that ADORA2B signaling was linked to these pathways and 5-HT release under hypoxic conditions. Hypoxia:adenosine activation which could be reversed by 5'-ASA treatment was confirmed in a TNBS-model.Hypoxia induced 5-HT synthesis and secretion is amplified by ADORA2B signaling via MAPK/CREB and TPH-1 activation. Targeting ADORA2s may decrease EC cell 5-HT production and secretion in IBD.

Novel lansoprazole-loaded nanoparticles for the treatment of gastric acid secretion-related ulcers: in vitro and in vivo pharmacokinetic pharmacodynamic evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Alai, Milind; Lin, Wen Jen

2014-05-01

The objective of this study is to combine nanoparticle design and enteric coating technique to sustain the delivery of an acid-labile drug, lansoprazole (LPZ), in the treatment of acid reflux disorders. Lansoprazole-loaded Eudragit® RS100 nanoparticles (ERSNP-LPZ) as well as poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (PLGANP-LPZ) were prepared using a solvent evaporation/extraction method. The effects of nanoparticle charge and permeation enhancers on lansoprazole uptake was assessed in Caco-2 cells. The confocal microscopic images revealed the successful localization of nanoparticles in the cytoplasm of Caco-2 cells. The cellular uptake of positively charged Eudragit nanoparticles was significantly higher than that of negatively charged PLGA nanoparticles, which were enhanced by sodium caprate via the transcellular pathway. Both types of nanoparticles exhibited sustained drug release behavior in vitro. The oral administration of enteric-coated capsules filled with nanoparticles sustained and prolonged the LPZ concentration up to 24 h in ulcer-induced Wistar rats, and 92.4% and 89.2% of gastric ulcers healed after a 7-day treatment with either EC-ERSNP1010-Na caprate or EC-PLGANP1005-Na caprate, respectively.

Functional analysis of variant lysosomal acid glycosidases of Anderson-Fabry and Pompe disease in a human embryonic kidney epithelial cell line (HEK 293 T).

Science.gov (United States)

Ebrahim, Hatim Y; Baker, Robert J; Mehta, Atul B; Hughes, Derralynn A

2012-03-01

The functional significance of missense mutations in genes encoding acid glycosidases of lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) is not always clear. Here we describe a method of investigating functional properties of variant enzymes in vitro using a human embryonic kidney epithelial cell line. Site-directed mutagenesis was performed on the parental plasmids containing cDNA encoding for alpha-galactosidase A (α-Gal A) and acid maltase (α-Glu) to prepare plasmids encoding relevant point mutations. Mutant plasmids were transfected into HEK 293 T cells, and transient over-expression of variant enzymes was measured after 3 days. We have illustrated the method by examining enzymatic activities of four unknown α-Gal A and one α-Glu variants identified in our patients with Anderson-Fabry disease and Pompe diseases respectively. Comparison with control variants known to be either pathogenic or non-pathogenic together with over-expression of wild-type enzyme allowed determination of the pathogenicity of the mutation. One leader sequence novel variant of α-Gal A (p.A15T) was shown not to significantly reduce enzyme activity, whereas three other novel α-Gal A variants (p.D93Y, p.L372P and p.T410I) were shown to be pathogenic as they resulted in significant reduction of enzyme activity. A novel α-Glu variant (p.L72R) was shown to be pathogenic as this significantly reduced enzyme activity. Certain acid glycosidase variants that have been described in association with late-onset LSDs and which are known to have variable residual plasma and leukocyte enzyme activity in patients appear to show intermediate to low enzyme activity (p.N215S and p.Q279E α-Gal A respectively) in the over-expression system.

Phosphatase activity of Poa pratensis seeds. I. Preliminary studies on acid phosphatase II

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Lorenc-Kubis

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Acid phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.2 was extracted with 0.1 M sodium acetate buffer pH 5.1 from Poa pratensis seeds, and separated into three fractions by chromatography on DEAE cellulose. The highest activity was found in fraction Il-b (acid phosphatase II. The activity of the enzyme was optimal at pH 4.9. It hydrolyzed p-nitrophenyl phosphate most readily among the various phosphomonoesters examined. Acid phosphatase II showed also a high activity toward β-naphtyl phosphate and phenyl phosphate, very low activity towards β-glycero phosphate, 5'-GMP and no activity with glucose-1 phosphate. The enzyme was inhibited by Ca2+ and fluoride, but activated by Mg2+. EDTA had no influence on the activity of the enzyme.

Phosphatase activity of Poa pratensis seeds. l. Preliminary studies on acid phosphatase II

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lorenc-Kubis, I.; Morawiecka, B.

1973-01-01

Acid phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.2) was extracted from 0.1 M sodium acetate buffer, pH 5.1 from Poa pratensis seeds, and separated into three fractions by chromatography on DEAE cellulose. The highest activity was found in fraction II-b (acid phosphatase II). The activity of the enzyme was optimal at pH 4.9. It hydrolyzed p-nitrophenyl phosphate most readily among the various phosphomonoesters examined. Acid phosphatase II showed also a high activity toward ..beta..-naphtyl phosphate and phenyl phosphate, very low activity towards ..beta..-glycero phosphate, 5'-GMP and no activity with glucose-1 phosphate. The enzyme was inhibited by Ca/sup 2 +/ and fluoride, but activated by Mg/sup 2 +/. EDTA had no influence on the activity of the enzyme. 12 references, 3 figures, 4 tables.

The 'deep' independent system operator. A new sophisticated institutional design for system operators in the 3rd energy package of September 2007 in comparison to the Proposal of the 8 EC-Member States for a Directive of the EP and the Council amending Directive 2003/54/EC concerning common rules for the internal market in electricity and repealing Directive 96/92/EC. A German perspective on implementing an effective and efficient unbundling of Transmission System Operator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saecker, F.J.

2008-01-01

The ownership unbundling-model and the 'deep' ISO-model (ISO stands for Independent System Operator) are not compatible with the EC-Treaty, if they were realized against the interest of the shareholder's assembly. The proposal of the eight EC member states for an effective and efficient unbundling avoids the constitutional problems and strengthens the independence of transmission system operators

Assessment of vulnerability zones for ground water pollution using GIS-DRASTIC-EC model: A field-based approach

Science.gov (United States)

Anantha Rao, D.; Naik, Pradeep K.; Jain, Sunil K.; Vinod Kumar, K.; Dhanamjaya Rao, E. N.

2018-06-01

Assessment of groundwater vulnerability to pollution is an essential pre-requisite for better planning of an area. We present the groundwater vulnerability assessment in parts of the Yamuna Nagar District, Haryana State, India in an area of about 800 km2, considered to be a freshwater zone in the foothills of the Siwalik Hill Ranges. Such areas in the Lower Himalayas form good groundwater recharge zones, and should always be free from contamination. But, the administration has been trying to promote industrialization along these foothill zones without actually assessing the environmental consequences such activities may invite in the future. GIS-DRASTIC model has been used with field based data inputs for studying the vulnerability assessment. But, we find that inclusion electrical conductivity (EC) as a model parameter makes it more robust. Therefore, we rename it as GIS-DRASTIC-EC model. The model identifies three vulnerability zones such as low, moderate and high with an areal extent of 5%, 80% and 15%, respectively. On the basis of major chemical parameters alone, the groundwater in the foothill zones apparently looks safe, but analysis with the help of GIS-DRASTIC-EC model gives a better perspective of the groundwater quality in terms of identifying the vulnerable areas.

Influence of a {sup 99m}TcN core on the biological and physicochemical behavior of {sup 99m}Tc complexes of L,L-EC and L,L-ECD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mangera, Kennedy O; Vanbilloen, Hubert P.; Bellande, Emmanuel; Pasqualini, Roberto; Verbruggen, Alfons M

1996-11-01

{sup 99m}Tc-nitrido complexes of L,L-ethylene dicysteine ({sup 99m}TcN-L,L-EC) and {sup 99m}TcN-L,L-ethylene dicysteine diethylester ({sup 99m}TcN-L,L-ECD) were prepared and their characteristics compared to those of the respective {sup 99m}Tc-oxo complexes. {sup 99m}TcN-L,L-EC and {sup 99m}TcO-L,L-EC migrate to similar extents during electrophoresis at pH 12, but, at pH 6, {sup 99m}TcN-L,L-EC migrates further than {sup 99m}TcO-L,L-EC. Renal excretion of {sup 99m}TcN-L,L-EC is inferior to that of {sup 99m}TcO-L,L-EC, indicating that the TcN-glycine sequence has lower affinity for the renal tubular system. Both {sup 99m}TcO-L,L-ECD and {sup 99m}TcN-L,L-ECD are neutral, but {sup 99m}TcN-L,L-ECD is hydrophilic and shows minimal brain uptake in both mice and the baboon.

EC infuses Serbian nuclear relic cleanup with critical donation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

. In addition to the radiological legacy at Vinca, security had long been a source of concern. The reactor has been offline since 1984, and much of the dangerous material and facilities were inadequately protected. Thanks to funding and other support activities provided by the Serbian government and the USA for security upgrades and police support, overall site security has been substantially improved over the past two years. Yet more needs to be done, and time is running out. Along with the EC's recent donation, an additional $25 million must be raised by 2010 to meet a crucial deadline. The fuel needs to be shipped back to Russia by the end of 2010 or the job falls off the shipping schedule, and potential funding for VIND would also dry up should the 2010 target date be missed. VIND is the largest one-house programme within the IAEA, and the EC contribution is the largest single contribution ever received for a Technical Cooperation (TC) national project. 'The EC support was absolutely crucial to the life of the programme, but we have quite a way to go to find the remaining $25 million for the project,' said Kelly. 'The EC contribution serves as a great example and encourages other potential donors to invest in an important and successful project.' Background: Located on the outskirts of Belgrade, the 'Institute for Nuclear Sciences (Vinca)' was set up as a research centre in the former Yugoslavia in the 1950s. A civilian nuclear research reactor loaded with high-enriched uranium was housed at the site. The area was also a central radioactive waste collection and consolidation centre for the former Yugoslavia. The grounds at Vinca accumulated all the former country's dangerous radioactive waste and other radioactive sources for nearly 45 years, and though the reactor went offline in 1984, the radioactive waste and sources received from around the country continued to pile up. International concern about Vinca mushroomed in the 1990s after the break-up of the former

EC treatment for reuse of tissue paper wastewater: aspects that affect energy consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Terrazas, Eduardo; Vázquez, Armando; Briones, Roberto; Lázaro, Isabel; Rodríguez, Israel

2010-09-15

The need for more rational use of water also calls for more efficient usage. An example is the production of tissue paper, where large amounts of water are discharged into the drain because its turbidity does not allow for recirculation. While this is a serious problem, even worse is the fact that the quality of such wastewater makes it difficult not only to recirculate but also to discharge due to environmental law restrictions. In this paper, electrocoagulation is proposed as a suitable technology to meet standards of water discharge, and even better, as a treatment option for removal of turbidity. Since energy consumption has been a drawback for EC applications, relevant aspects that contribute to increase it such as cell voltage and current density have been reviewed. For this purpose a systematic micro-electrolysis study combined with macro-electrolysis experiments have provided evidence that shows it is possible to achieve a turbidity removal of 92% with an energy consumption of 0.68 kWh/m(3). Thus, the results presented in this paper support the use of EC to obtain water of acceptable quality for reuse in the tissue paper industry. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

"EC to go" takes off at Maryland sites.

Science.gov (United States)

2000-03-01

Baltimore-based Planned Parenthood of Maryland and the Baltimore City Health Department have joined forces in "EC to Go," which distributes free emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) through the seven affiliate sites of Planned Parenthood and the three family planning centers of the city. The distribution program was started in October 1999 and funds were provided by an undisclosed area foundation. Although the program is still in its infancy, it has recorded some 800 prescriptions of ECPs in the last fiscal year, and 600 prescriptions have been logged in just the first 6 months of the current fiscal year. To inform the public about the program, Planned Parenthood developed newspaper advertisements, a 60-second radio spot, and coupon distributions, all of which emphasize the fact that emergency contraception is a higher dose of birth control, which can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex.

Cyclic fatty acid monomers from dietary heated fats affect rat liver enzyme activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Lamboni, C; Sébédio, J L; Perkins, E G

1998-07-01

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary cyclic fatty acid monomers (CFAM), contained in heated fat from a commercial deep-fat frying operation, on rat liver enzyme activity. A partially hydrogenated soybean oil (PHSBO) used 7 d (7-DH) for frying foodstuffs, or 0.15% methylated CFAM diets was fed to male weanling rats in comparison to a control group fed a nonheated PHSBO (NH) diet in a 10-wk experiment. All diets were isocaloric with 15% fat. Animals fed either CFAM or 7-DH diets showed increased hepatic content of cytochrome (cyt.) b5 and P450 and increased activity of (E.C. 1.6.2.4) NADPH-cyt. P450 reductase in comparison to the control rats. In addition, the activities of (E.C. 2.3.1.21) carnitine palmitoyltransferase-I and (E.C. 1.1.1.42) isocitrate dehydrogenase were significantly decreased when compared to that of rats fed the NH diet. A significantly depressed activity of (E.C. 1.1.1.49) glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase was also observed for these animals compared to the control rats fed NH diet. Moreover, liver and microsomal proteins were significantly increased when CFAM or 7-DH diets were fed to animals in comparison to controls while liver glycogen was decreased significantly in experimental groups of rats. The results obtained in this study indicate that the CFAM in the diet from either synthetic sources or used fats increase the activity of liver enzyme systems that detoxify them.

Achievements & bottlenecks in humanitarian demining EU-funded research: Final results from the EC DELVE project

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sahli, H.; Bruschini, C.; Kempen, L. van; Schleijpen, H.M.A.; Breejen, E. den

2008-01-01

The EC DELVE Support Action project has analyzed the bottlenecks in the transfer of Humanitarian Demining (HD) technology from technology development to the use in the field, and drawn some lessons learned, basing itself on the assessment of the European Humanitarian Demining Research and Technology

The macro-sectoral effects of an EC-wide tax. Simulation experiments for 1993-2005

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Standaert, S. [Department of Quantitative Economics. Rijksuniversiteit Limburg, Maastricht (Netherlands)

1992-03-01

The results of simulations of the possible macro-sectoral effects of an EC-wide energy tax of 10$ per barrel of oil over the period 1993-2005 are presented. The level of the tax is held constant in real terms. Two alternative redistribution schemes ensure that the tax is budget-neutral country-wise: a reduction of personal income taxes (Direct Taxation scenario or DT), and a reduction of employers social security contributions (Social Security scenario or SS). The simulations were performed with linked multi-sectoral Hermes models maintained at the DG 12 of the Committee of the European Communities. The eventual goal is to shed some light on the implications of an EC-wide environmental policy relying on economic instruments. The tool used enables to present results which are original in certain respects. In particular, in contrast with most existing studies in this area, we use a disaggregated model over a fairly long period of time. The disaggregation has two dimensions, since we link national models, which are themselves disaggregated into industries. This should enable us to get a firmer grip on the implications of the policies followed on the structure of the European economies. In order to limit the costs of disaggregation we have included only four complete country models (France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom) in the simulations, which cover nevertheless a substantial proportion of EC value-added. Another noteworthy feature of the model is its fairly detailed treatment of energy. This and other characteristics of the model are reviewed in greater detail in Section 2, which provides general information on the model and on the way in which the various shocks have been calibrated. The sections 3 and 4 discuss respectively the DT and the SS scenarios. Additional variants are reviewed in section 5, before the conclusions.

Calculation of Savannah River K Reactor Mark-22 assembly LOCA/ECS power limits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, S.R.; Farman, R.F.; Birdsell, S.A.

1992-01-01

This paper summarizes the results of TRAC-PF1/MOD3 calculations of Mark-22 fuel assembly of loss-of-coolant accident/emergency cooling system (LOCA/ECS) power limits for the Savannah River Site (SRS) K Reactor. This effort was part of a larger effort undertaken by the Los Alamos National Laboratory for the US Department of Energy to perform confirmatory power limits calculations for the SRS K Reactor. A method using a detailed three-dimensional (3D) TRAC model of the Mark-22 fuel assembly was developed to compute LOCA/ECS power limits. Assembly power was limited to ensure that no point on the fuel assembly walls would exceed the local saturation temperature. The detailed TRAC model for the Mark-22 assembly consisted of three concentric 3D vessel components which simulated the two targets, two fuel tubes, and three main flow channels of the fuel assembly. The model included 100% eccentricity between the assembly annuli and a 20% power tilt. Eccentricity in the radial alignment of the assembly annuli arises because axial spacer ribs that run the length of the fuel and targets are used. Wall-shear, interfacial-shear, and wall heat-transfer correlations were developed and implemented in TRAC-PF1/MOD3 specifically for modeling flow and heat transfer in the narrow ribbed annuli encountered in the Mark-22 fuel assembly design. We established the validity of these new constitutive models using separate-effects benchmarks. TRAC system calculations of K Reactor indicated that the limiting ECS-phase accident is a double-ended guillonite break in a process water line at the pump discharge (i.e., a PDLOCA). The fuel assembly with the minimum cooling potential is identified from this system calculation. Detailed assembly calculations then were performed using appropriate boundary conditions obtained from this limiting system LOCA. Coolant flow rates and pressure boundary conditions were obtained from this system calculation and applied to the detailed assembly model

Preparation of crosslinked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs) of acid urease with urethanase activity and their application.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qian; Zha, Xiaohong; Zhou, Nandi; Tian, Yaping

2016-04-01

An acid urease from Providencia rettgeri JN-B815 was purified via ultrasonication, ethanol precipitation, and DEAE ion-exchange column chromatography. It was found that the enzyme exhibits not only urease activity, but also urethanase activity, which made it possible to reduce EC already existed or would produce and its precursor urea at the same time. Then, crosslinked enzyme aggregates of P. rettgeri urease (PRU-CLEAs) were prepared using genipin as crosslinking agent. The purification process of acid urease, the effects of genipin concentration, and crosslinking time on PRU-CLEAs activity were investigated. The crosslinking was performed at pH 4.5 for 2.5 h, using 0.3% genipin as crosslinking agent, and 0.3 g · L(-1) bovine serum albumin as protein feeder. Using the obtained PRU-CLEAs, the removal rate of urea was up to 9.31 mg · L(-1) · h(-1). The removal rate of urea was still up to 7.56 mg · L(-1) · h(-1) after PRU-CLEAs was re-used for 6 times. When PRU-CLEAs were applied in a batch stirred and membrane reactor, the removal rate of urea in rice wine reached 5.16 mg · L(-1) · h(-1) and the removal rate of EC was 9.21 μg · L(-1) · h(-1). Furthermore, the treatment with PRU-CLEAs revealed no significant change of volatile flavor substances in Chinese rice wine. Thus PRU-CLEAs have great potential in the elimination of EC in Chinese rice wine. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Photometry of the three eclipsing novalike variables EC 21178-5417, GS Pav and V345 Pav

Science.gov (United States)

Bruch, Albert

2017-10-01

As part of a project to better characterize comparatively bright, yet little studied cataclysmic variables time resolved photometry of the three eclipsing novalike variables EC 21178-5417, GS Pav und V345 Pav is presented. Previously known orbital periods are significantly improved and long-term ephemeris are derived. Variations of eclipse profiles, occurring on time scales of days to weeks, are analyzed. Out of eclipse the light curves are characterized by low scale flickering superposed on more gradual variations with amplitudes limited to a few tenths of a magnitude and profiles which at least in EC 21178-5417 and GS Pav roughly follow the same pattern in all observed cycles. Additionally, signs for variations on the time scale of some tens of minutes are seen in GS Pav, most clearly in two subsequent nights when in the first of these a signal with a period of 15.7 min was observed over several hours. In the second night variations with twice this period were seen. While no additional insight could be gained on quasi periodic oscillations (QPOs) and dwarf nova oscillations in EC 21178-5417, previously detected by Warner et al. (2003), and while such oscillations could not be found in V345 Pav, stacked power spectra of GS Pav clearly reveal the presence of QPOs over time intervals of several hours with periods varying between 200 s and 500 s in that system.

Antifungal Activity and Biochemical Response of Cuminic Acid against Phytophthora capsici Leonian.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yong; Sun, Yang; Zhang, Ying; Zhang, Xing; Feng, Juntao

2016-06-11

Phytophthora blight of pepper caused by Phytophthora capsici Leonian is a destructive disease throughout the world. Cuminic acid, extracted from the seed of Cuminum cyminum L., belongs to the benzoic acid chemical class. In this study, the sensitivity and biochemical response of P. capsici to cuminic acid was determined. The mean EC50 (50% effective concentration) values for cuminic acid in inhibiting mycelial growth and zoospore germination of the 54 studied P. capsici isolates were 14.54 ± 5.23 μg/mL and 6.97 ± 2.82 μg/mL, respectively. After treatment with cuminic acid, mycelial morphology, sporangium formation and mycelial respiration were significantly influenced; cell membrane permeability and DNA content increased markedly, but pyruvic acid content, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content, and ATPase activity decreased compared with the untreated control. In pot experiments, cuminic acid exhibited both protective and curative activity. Importantly, POD and PAL activity of the pepper leaves increased after being treated with cuminic acid. These indicated that cuminic acid not only showed antifungal activity, but also could improve the defense capacity of the plants. All the results suggested that cuminic acid exhibits the potential to be developed as a new phytochemical fungicide, and this information increases our understanding of the mechanism of action of cuminic acid against Phytophthora capsici.

RWMC support to member countries and relationship with the IAEA, EC and other organisations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

This documents provides information on how the work of the NEA/RWMC supports the needs of NEA member countries and how it differs from, and complements, the related work of the IAEA and EC. In particular, the document reviews the respective roles and specificities of these organisations and their modus operandi, including co-operation and co-ordination mechanisms. (authors)

Α-amino-β-fluorocyclopropanecarboxylic acids as a new tool for drug development: synthesis of glutamic acid analogs and agonist activity towards metabotropic glutamate receptor 4.

Science.gov (United States)

Lemonnier, Gérald; Lion, Cédric; Quirion, Jean-Charles; Pin, Jean-Philippe; Goudet, Cyril; Jubault, Philippe

2012-08-01

Herein we describe the diastereoselective synthesis of glutamic acid analogs and the evaluation of their agonist activity towards metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 4 (mGluR4). These analogs are based on a monofluorinated cyclopropane core substituted with an α-aminoacid function. The potential of this new building block as a tool for the development of a novel class of drugs is demonstrated with racemic analog 11a that displayed the best agonist activity with an EC50 of 340 nM. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA); Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of a health claim related to L-tyrosine and contribution to normal synthesis of dopamine pursuant to Article 13(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tetens, Inge

Following an application from Vitabiotics Ltd. pursuant to Article 13(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 via the Competent Authority of the United Kingdom, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies was asked to deliver an opinion on the scientific substantiation of a health claim...... relationship has been established between the consumption of L-tyrosine in a protein adequate diet and contribution to normal synthesis of dopamine. However, no evidence has been provided that the protein supply in the diet of the European population is not sufficient to fulfil this function of the amino acid....... The following wording reflects the scientific evidence: “L-tyrosine contributes to normal synthesis of dopamine”. In order to bear the claim a food should be at least a source of protein as per Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. Such amounts can be easily consumed as part of a balanced diet. The target...

The EC CAST project (carbon-14 source term)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, S. J.

2015-01-01

Carbon-14 is a key radionuclide in the assessment of the safety of underground geological disposal facilities for radioactive wastes. It is possible for carbon-14 to be released from waste packages in a variety of chemical forms, both organic and inorganic, and as dissolved or gaseous species The EC CAST (CArbon-14 Source Term) project aims to develop understanding of the generation and release of carbon-14 from radioactive waste materials under conditions relevant to packaging and disposal. It focuses on the release of carbon-14 from irradiated metals (steels and zirconium alloys), from irradiated graphite and from spent ion-exchange resins. The CAST consortium brings together 33 partners. CAST commenced in October 2013 and this paper describes progress to March 2015. The main activities during this period were reviews of the current status of knowledge, the identification and acquisition of suitable samples and the design of experiments and analytical procedures. (authors)

The selective conversion of glutamic acid in amino acid mixtures using glutamate decarboxylase--a means of separating amino acids for synthesizing biobased chemicals.

Science.gov (United States)

Teng, Yinglai; Scott, Elinor L; Sanders, Johan P M

2014-01-01

Amino acids (AAs) derived from hydrolysis of protein rest streams are interesting feedstocks for the chemical industry due to their functionality. However, separation of AAs is required before they can be used for further applications. Electrodialysis may be applied to separate AAs, but its efficiency is limited when separating AAs with similar isoelectric points. To aid the separation, specific conversion of an AA to a useful product with different charge behavior to the remaining compounds is desired. Here the separation of L-aspartic acid (Asp) and L-glutamic acid (Glu) was studied. L-Glutamate α-decarboxylase (GAD, Type I, EC 4.1.1.15) was applied to specifically convert Glu into γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA has a different charge behavior from Asp therefore allowing a potential separation by electrodialysis. Competitive inhibition and reduced operational stability caused by Asp could be eliminated by maintaining a sufficiently high concentration of Glu. Immobilization of GAD does not reduce the enzyme's initial activity. However, the operational stability was slightly reduced. An initial study on the reaction operating in a continuous mode was performed using a column reactor packed with immobilized GAD. As the reaction mixture was only passed once through the reactor, the conversion of Glu was lower than expected. To complete the conversion of Glu, the stream containing Asp and unreacted Glu might be recirculated back to the reactor after GABA has been removed. Overall, the reaction by GAD is specific to Glu and can be applied to aid the electrodialysis separation of Asp and Glu. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

The human vascular endothelial cell line HUV-EC-C harbors the integrated HHV-6B genome which remains stable in long term culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Shioda, Setsuko; Kasai, Fumio; Ozawa, Midori; Hirayama, Noriko; Satoh, Motonobu; Kameoka, Yousuke; Watanabe, Ken; Shimizu, Norio; Tang, Huamin; Mori, Yasuko; Kohara, Arihiro

2018-02-01

Human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6) is a common human pathogen that is most often detected in hematopoietic cells. Although human cells harboring chromosomally integrated HHV-6 can be generated in vitro, the availability of such cell lines originating from in vivo tissues is limited. In this study, chromosomally integrated HHV-6B has been identified in a human vascular endothelial cell line, HUV-EC-C (IFO50271), derived from normal umbilical cord tissue. Sequence analysis revealed that the viral genome was similar to the HHV-6B HST strain. FISH analysis using a HHV-6 DNA probe showed one signal in each cell, detected at the distal end of the long arm of chromosome 9. This was consistent with a digital PCR assay, validating one copy of the viral DNA. Because exposure of HUV-EC-C to chemicals did not cause viral reactivation, long term cell culture of HUV-EC-C was carried out to assess the stability of viral integration. The growth rate was altered depending on passage numbers, and morphology also changed during culture. SNP microarray profiles showed some differences between low and high passages, implying that the HUV-EC-C genome had changed during culture. However, no detectable change was observed in chromosome 9, where HHV-6B integration and the viral copy number remained unchanged. Our results suggest that integrated HHV-6B is stable in HUV-EC-C despite genome instability.

Mixing state of oxalic acid containing particles in the rural area of Pearl River Delta, China: implications for the formation mechanism of oxalic acid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Cheng

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The formation of oxalic acid and its mixing state in atmospheric particulate matter (PM were studied using a single-particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SPAMS in the summer and winter of 2014 in Heshan, a supersite in the rural area of the Pearl River Delta (PRD region in China. Oxalic-acid-containing particles accounted for 2.5 and 2.7 % in total detected ambient particles in summer and winter, respectively. Oxalic acid was measured in particles classified as elemental carbon (EC, organic carbon (OC, elemental and organic carbon (ECOC, biomass burning (BB, heavy metal (HM, secondary (Sec, sodium-potassium (NaK, and dust. Oxalic acid was found predominantly mixing with sulfate and nitrate during the whole sampling period, likely due to aqueous-phase reactions. In summer, oxalic-acid-containing particle number and ozone concentration followed a very similar trend, which may reflect the significant contribution of photochemical reactions to oxalic acid formation. The HM particles were the most abundant oxalic acid particles in summer and the diurnal variations in peak area of iron and oxalic acid show opposite trends, which suggests a possible loss of oxalic acid through the photolysis of iron oxalato-complexes during the strong photochemical activity period. In wintertime, carbonaceous particles contained a substantial amount of oxalic acid as well as abundant carbon clusters and BB markers. The general existence of nitric acid in oxalic-acid-containing particles indicates an acidic environment during the formation process of oxalic acid. The peak areas of nitrate, sulfate and oxalic had similar temporal change in the carbonaceous type oxalic acid particles, and the organosulfate-containing oxalic acid particles correlated well with total oxalic acid particles during the haze episode, which suggests that the formation of oxalic acid is closely associated with the oxidation of organic precursors in the aqueous phase.

Comparison of four techniques on facility of two-hand Bag-valve-mask (BVM ventilation: E-C, Thenar Eminence, Thenar Eminence (Dominant hand-E-C (non-dominant hand and Thenar Eminence (non-dominant hand – E-C (dominant hand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maryam Soleimanpour

2016-12-01

Conclusion: Novice participants did Thenar Eminence (non-dominant hand - E-C (dominant hand technique better than the others. Therefore, it is recommended that training of this technique was placed in educational program of medical students.

Supplementary light and higher fertigation EC in the cultivation of bromelia improve quality and accelerate growth

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Garcia Victoria, N.; Warmenhoven, M.G.

2012-01-01

Abstract: In order to provide Bromelia growers with lacking information about optimal levels of supplementary light and nutrient EC, two consecutive greenhouse experiments were conducted by Wageningen UR Glasshouse Horticulture in Bleiswijk (The Netherlands). In the first experiment a light

Expresión de efectores RXLR en el linaje clonal EC-1 de Phytophthora infestans en Perú

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Myriam Izarra

2016-12-01

Full Text Available La papa (Solanum tuberosum L. es en nuestros días uno de los cultivos alimenticios más importantes. Esta es propensa a la enfermedad de Tizón Tardío, causada por el oomiceto patógeno Phytophthora infestans, el cual secreta cientos de efectores que actúan como factores de virulencia. Poco se conoce sobre la diversidad de genes de virulencia de las cepas pertenecientes al linaje de reproducción clonal EC-1. En el presente estudio, mediante el secuenciamiento del transcriptoma de la interacción de la papa y P. infestans durante los primeros días después de la infección en las hojas de papa, se identificó la expresión diferencial de genes efectores tipo RXLR en dos cepas de P. infestans EC-1, siendo confirmados por qRT-PCR. Estas cepas, aisladas de papas cultivadas en el centro de los Andes peruanos, tienen diferentes patrones de virulencia. Los genes efectores, fueron silenciados en una cepa, para Avr-vnt1 en POX109 y para el homólogo Avh9.1 en POX067, pero expresados en la otra. Los resultados de transcriptoma fueron comparados con tres cepas adicionales del linaje EC-1. La información del repertorio de los efectores del patógeno y su expresión podrían ser informativos para el mejoramiento genético de la resistencia. El descubrimiento de efectores silenciados en las poblaciones del patógeno pueden guiar al uso de genes R específicos en los programas de mejoramiento genético. Por ejemplo, en el contexto de los Andes, donde el linaje clonal EC-1 predomina, el gen Rpi-vnt1 podría no ser recomendado.

The median effective concentration (EC50) of propofol with different doses of fentanyl during colonoscopy in elderly patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shiyang; Yu, Fang; Zhu, Huichen; Yang, Yuting; Yang, Liqun; Lian, Jianfeng

2016-04-21

Propofol and fentanyl are the most widely administered anesthesia maintaining drugs during colonoscopy. In this study, we determined the median effective concentration (EC50) of propofol required for colonoscopy in elderly patients, and the purpose of this study was to describe the pharmacodynamic interaction between fentanyl and propofol when used in combination for colonoscopy in elderly patients. Ninety elderly patients scheduled for colonoscopy were allocated into three groups in a randomized, double-blinded manner as below, F0.5 group (0.5 μg.kg(-1) fentanyl), F1.0 group (1.0 μg.kg(-1) fentanyl) and saline control group. Anaesthesia was achieved by target-controlled infusion of propofol (Marsh model, with an initial plasma concentration of 2.0 μg.ml(-1)) and fentanyl. Colonoscopy was started 3 min after the injection of fentanyl. The EC50 of propofol for colonoscopy with different doses of fentanyl was measured by using an up-and-down sequential method with an adjacent concentration gradient at 0.5 μg.ml(-1) to inhibit purposeful movements. Anaesthesia associated adverse events and recovery characters were also recorded. The EC50 of propofol for colonoscopy in elderly patients were 2.75 μg.ml(-1) (95% CI, 2.50-3.02 μg.ml(-1)) in F0.5 group, 2.05 μg.ml(-1) (95% CI, 1.98-2.13 μg.ml(-1)) in F1.0 group and 3.08 μg.ml(-1) (95% CI, 2.78-3.42 μg.ml(-1)) in control group respectively (P fentanyl up to 1.0 μg.kg(-1) reduces the propofol EC50 required for elderly patients undergoing colonoscopy, and there was no significant difference in anaesthesia associated adverse events but prolonged awake and discharge time. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR15006368. Date of registration: May 3, 2015.

In vitro oxidation of indoleacetic acid by soluble auxin-oxidases and peroxidases from maize roots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beffa, R.; Martin, H.V.; Pilet, P.E.

1990-01-01

Soluble auxin-oxidases were extracted from Zea mays L. cv LG11 apical root segments and partially separated from peroxidases (EC 1.11.1.7) by size-exclusion chromatography. Auxin-oxidases were resolved into one main peak corresponding to a molecular mass of 32.5 kilodaltons and a minor peak at 54.5 kilodaltons. Peroxidases were separated into at least four peaks, with molecular masses from 32.5 to 78 kilodaltons. In vitro activity of indoleacetic acid-oxidases was dependent on the presence of MnCl 2 and p-coumaric acid. Compound(s) present in the crude extract and several synthetic auxin transport inhibitors (including 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid and N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid) inhibited auxin-oxidase activity, but had no effect on peroxidases. The products resulting from the in vitro enzymatic oxidation of [ 3 H]indoleacetic acid were separated by HPLC and the major metabolite was found to cochromatograph with indol-3yl-methanol

BLT-EC (Breach, Leach and Transport-Equilibrium Chemistry) data input guide. A computer model for simulating release and coupled geochemical transport of contaminants from a subsurface disposal facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacKinnon, R.J.; Sullivan, T.M.; Kinsey, R.R.

1997-05-01

The BLT-EC computer code has been developed, implemented, and tested. BLT-EC is a two-dimensional finite element computer code capable of simulating the time-dependent release and reactive transport of aqueous phase species in a subsurface soil system. BLT-EC contains models to simulate the processes (container degradation, waste-form performance, transport, chemical reactions, and radioactive production and decay) most relevant to estimating the release and transport of contaminants from a subsurface disposal system. Water flow is provided through tabular input or auxiliary files. Container degradation considers localized failure due to pitting corrosion and general failure due to uniform surface degradation processes. Waste-form performance considers release to be limited by one of four mechanisms: rinse with partitioning, diffusion, uniform surface degradation, and solubility. Transport considers the processes of advection, dispersion, diffusion, chemical reaction, radioactive production and decay, and sources (waste form releases). Chemical reactions accounted for include complexation, sorption, dissolution-precipitation, oxidation-reduction, and ion exchange. Radioactive production and decay in the waste form is simulated. To improve the usefulness of BLT-EC, a pre-processor, ECIN, which assists in the creation of chemistry input files, and a post-processor, BLTPLOT, which provides a visual display of the data have been developed. BLT-EC also includes an extensive database of thermodynamic data that is also accessible to ECIN. This document reviews the models implemented in BLT-EC and serves as a guide to creating input files and applying BLT-EC

Hardware and software architecture for the integration of the new EC waves launcher in FTU control system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boncagni, L. [Associazione EURATOM-ENEA sulla Fusione – ENEA, Via Enrico Fermi, 45 00045 Frascati (RM) (Italy); Centioli, C., E-mail: cristina.centioli@enea.it [Associazione EURATOM-ENEA sulla Fusione – ENEA, Via Enrico Fermi, 45 00045 Frascati (RM) (Italy); Galperti, C.; Alessi, E.; Granucci, G. [Associazione EURATOM-ENEA-CNR sulla Fusione – IFP-CNR, Via Roberto Cozzi, 53 20125 Milano (Italy); Grosso, L.A. [Associazione EURATOM-ENEA sulla Fusione – ENEA, Via Enrico Fermi, 45 00045 Frascati (RM) (Italy); Marchetto, C. [Associazione EURATOM-ENEA-CNR sulla Fusione – IFP-CNR, Via Roberto Cozzi, 53 20125 Milano (Italy); Napolitano, M. [Associazione EURATOM-ENEA sulla Fusione – ENEA, Via Enrico Fermi, 45 00045 Frascati (RM) (Italy); Nowak, S. [Associazione EURATOM-ENEA-CNR sulla Fusione – IFP-CNR, Via Roberto Cozzi, 53 20125 Milano (Italy); Panella, M. [Associazione EURATOM-ENEA sulla Fusione – ENEA, Via Enrico Fermi, 45 00045 Frascati (RM) (Italy); Sozzi, C. [Associazione EURATOM-ENEA-CNR sulla Fusione – IFP-CNR, Via Roberto Cozzi, 53 20125 Milano (Italy); Tilia, B.; Vitale, V. [Associazione EURATOM-ENEA sulla Fusione – ENEA, Via Enrico Fermi, 45 00045 Frascati (RM) (Italy)

2013-10-15

Highlights: ► The integration of a new ECRH launcher to FTU legacy control system is reported. ► Fast control has been developed with a three-node RT cluster within MARTe framework. ► Slow control was implemented with a Simatic S7 PLC and an EPICS IOC-CA application. ► The first results have assessed the feasibility of the launcher control architecture. -- Abstract: The role of high power electron cyclotron (EC) waves in controlling magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities in tokamaks has been assessed in several experiments, exploiting the physical effects induced by resonant heating and current drive. Recently a new EC launcher, whose main goal is controlling tearing modes and possibly preventing their onset, is being implemented on FTU. So far most of the components of the launcher control strategy have been realized and successfully tested on plasma experiments. Nevertheless the operations of the new launcher must be completely integrated into the existing one, and to FTU control system. This work deals with this final step, proposing a hardware and software architecture implementing up to date technologies, to achieve a modular and effective control strategy well integrated into a legacy system. The slow control system of the new EC launcher is based on a Siemens S7 Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), integrated into FTU control system supervisor through an EPICS input output controller (IOC) and an in-house developed Channel Access client application creating an abstraction layer that decouples the IOC and the PLC from the FTU Supervisor software. This architecture could enable a smooth migration to an EPICS-only supervisory control system. The real time component of the control system is based on the open source MARTe framework relying on a Linux real time cluster, devoted to the detection of MHD instabilities and the calculation of the injection angles and the time reference for the radiofrequency power enable commands for the EC launcher.

Vegetation relevés and soil measurements in the Netherlands: the Ecological Conditions Database (EC)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wamelink, G.W.W.; Adrichem, van M.H.C.; Dobben, van H.F.; Frissel, J.Y.; Held, den M.E.; Joosten, V.; Malinowska, A.H.; Slim, P.A.; Wegman, R.M.A.

2012-01-01

Since its establishment around 1990, the Ecological Conditions Database (EC; GIVD ID EU-00-006) has been accumulating vegetation relevés from the Netherlands, each accompanied by at least one abiotic soil measurement (e.g. pH or nutrient availability). On 1-1-2010, the database contained 8,229

PRODUCT SAFETY AND COLOR CHARACTERISTICS OF GROUND BEEF PROCESSED FROM BEEF TRIMMINGS TREATED WITH PEROXYACETIC ACID ALONE OR FOLLOWED BY NOVEL ORGANIC ACIDS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fred Pohlman

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of antimicrobial interventions using peroxyacetic acetic acid (PAA followed by novel organic acids on beef trimmings prior to grinding with conventional spray (CS or electrostatic spray (ES on ground beef microbial populations and color. Beef trimmings (80/20; 25kg were inoculated with E. coli O157:H7, non- O157:H7 shiga toxin producing (STEC E. coli (EC and Salmonella spp. (SA at 105 CFU/g. Inoculated trimmings (1.5 kg /treatment/replicate, 2 replicates were treated with CS application of 0.02% PAA alone or followed by CS or ES application of 3% octanoic acid (PO, 3% pyruvic acid (PP, 3% malic acid (PM, saturated solution of fumaric acid (PF or deionized water (W. Findings from this study suggest that PA as a single or multiple chemical hurdle approach with malic, pyruvic, octanoic and fumaric acid on beef trimmings may be effective in reducing E. coli O157:H7 as well as non-STEC serotypes and Salmonella in ground beef up to day 2 of simulated retail display. Results of this study showed that instrumental color properties of ground beef treated with peroxyacetic acid followed by organic acids had little or no difference (P > 0.05 compared to the untreated un-inoculated control ground beef samples. The results also indicate that ES application of some organic acids may have similar or greater efficiency in controlling ground beef microbial populations compared to the CS application of the same acid providing a more economical and waste manageable decontamination approach.

The exposure of the EC (European Community) population from nuclear industry effluents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broomfield, M.

1983-01-01

The collective dose commitment to the EC population from routine effluents released from nuclear power stations and reprocessing plants within the Community in 1978 amounted to approximately 500 man Sv. The collective dose commitments associated with discharges from the nuclear power stations was approximately 50 man Sv, being almost entirely due to airborne carbon-14. The total collective dose commitment from the reprocessing plants was approximately 450 man Sv, about two-thirds of which was due to radiocaesium in the liquid effluent from Sellafield. (UK)

Hibiscus sabdariffa (Roselle) Extracts and Wine: Phytochemical Profile, Physicochemical Properties, and Carbohydrase Inhibition.

Science.gov (United States)

Ifie, Idolo; Marshall, Lisa J; Ho, Peter; Williamson, Gary

2016-06-22

Three varieties of Hibiscus sabdariffa were analyzed for their phytochemical content and inhibitory potential on carbohydrate-digesting enzymes as a basis for selecting a variety for wine production. The dark red variety was chosen as it was highest in phenolic content and an aqueous extract partially inhibited α-glucosidase (maltase), with delphinidin 3-O-sambubioside, cyanidin 3-O-sambubioside, and 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid accounting for 65% of this activity. None of the varieties significantly inhibited α-amylase. Regarding Hibiscus sabdariffa wine, the effect of fermentation temperature (20 and 30 °C) on the physicochemical, phytochemical, and aroma composition was monitored over 40 days. The main change in phytochemical composition observed was the hydrolysis of 3-O-caffeolquinic acid and the concomitant increase of caffeic acid irrespective of fermentation temperature. Wine fermented at 20 °C was slightly more active for α-glucosidase inhibition with more fruity aromas (ethyl octanoate), but there were more flowery notes (2-phenylethanol) at 30 °C.

Programming Amazon Web Services S3, EC2, SQS, FPS, and SimpleDB

CERN Document Server

Murty, James

2009-01-01

With this book, you'll learn how companies can take advantage of Amazon Web Services (AWS) to rent" computing power, data storage and bandwidth on Amazon's vast network infrastructure. Programming Amazon Web Services gives developers the background and technical detail they need for using Amazon's subscription-based Simple Storage Service (S3), Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), Simple Queue Service (SQS), Flexible Payments Service (FPS), and SimpleDB to build web-scale business applications. "

The EC TACIS project 'Social impact of closing Chornobyl NPP' objectives, tasks and intended outcomes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schoen, A.

2001-01-01

Being part of the common activities of Slavutich and ChNPP, our EC TACIS project representatives already actively participated in the elaboration of the state programme aimed to ensure the social security of the ChNPP personnel and the population of Slavutich in the result of the final shut down of ChNPP

New innovative electrocoagulation (EC) treatment technology for BWR colloidal iron utilizing the seeding and filtration electronically (SAFETTM) system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denton, Mark S.; Bostick, William D.

2007-01-01

full-scale SAFE TM System has been deployed to Exelon's Dresden NPP as a vault cleanup demand system. This is a 30 gpm EC system to convert vault solids/sludges to a form capable of being collected and dewatered in a High Integrity Container (HIC). This initial vault work will be on-going for approximately three months, before being moved to additional vaults. During the past year, additional refinements to the patent pending SAFE TM System have included the SAFER TM System (Sealant and Foulant Electronic Removal) for the removal by EC of silica, calcium and magnesium. This has proven to be an effective enabler for RO, NF and UF as a pretreatment system. Advantages here include smaller, more efficiently designed systems and allowed lower removal efficiencies with the removal of the limiting factor of scalants. Similarly, the SAFE TM System has been applied in the form of a BAC-UP TM System (Boric Acid Clean-Up) as an alternative to more complex RO or boric acid recycle systems. Lastly, samples were received from two different DOE sites for the removal of totally soluable, TDS, species (e.g., cesium, Cs, Sr, Tc, etc.). For these applications, an ion-specific seed (an element of the SMART TM System) was coupled with the Cs prior to EC and subsequent filtration and dewatering, for the effective removal of the cesium complex and the segregation of low level and high level waste (LLW and HLW) streams. (authors)

Acute toxicity assessment of perfluorinated carboxylic acids towards the Baltic microalgae.

Science.gov (United States)

Latała, Adam; Nędzi, Marcin; Stepnowski, Piotr

2009-09-01

The presence of high-energy carbon-fluorine bonds in perfluoro compounds lends them great stability and causes them to be environmentally persistent. Relatively little is known about the acute toxicity of perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) to ecotoxicological markers such as aquatic plants and animals. This study tested the toxicity of these compounds to the green alga Chlorella vulgaris, the diatom Skeletonema marinoi and the blue-green alga Geitlerinema amphibium, which are species representative of the algal flora of the Baltic Sea. The EC(50) values obtained range from 0.28 mM to 12.84 mM. A distinct relationship between hydrophobicity and toxicity is demonstrated. For every extra perfluoromethylene group in the alkyl chain, the toxicity increases twofold. LogEC(50) values are very well correlated linearly with both the number of carbon atoms in the perfluoroalkyl chain and the partition coefficients. The results also indicate that there are clear differences between the responses of particular taxonomic groups of algae: blue-green algae and diatoms are far more sensitive to PFCAs than green algae, probably because of differences in cell wall structure.

The application of 99mTc-EC renal dynamic imaging in urinary system calculus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dai Ruqi; Li Shiyun; Liu Xueshu; Huang Wei

2002-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the clinical value of 99m Tc-EC renal dynamic imaging (RDI) for diagnosis of urinary system calculus. Methods: 135 case with confirmed urinary system calculus by ultrasound and IVP were examined by 99m Tc-EC renal dynamic imaging and to analyze the degree of hydronephrosis and the remaining renal function. The quantitative indexes used were effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) and peak uptake rate (PUR). Results: RDI almost accorded with IVP in renal calculus complicated by mild and moderate hydronephrosis cases. On other cases of the severe hydronephrosis and serious renal insufficiency, RDI was more sensitive than IVP which had no excretion in 6 patients with hydronephrosis. ERPF and PUR showed the remaining function of the morbid kidney more accurately than other methods. In severe and mild hydronephrosis the ERPF were 84.3 ± 49 ml/min and 202.2 ± 52.4 ml/min, the PUR were 20.4 ± 11.5% and 48.5 ± 13.6% respectively. Conclusion: RDI can correctly reflect the degree of hydronephrosis and the remaining function of the morbid kidney in urinary system calculus, which would be helpful for the clinical surgical planning

A novel screen-printed microfluidic paper-based electrochemical device for detection of glucose and uric acid in urine.

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Yong; Zhang, Chunsun

2016-10-01

A novel screen-printed microfluidic paper-based analytical device with all-carbon electrode-enabled electrochemical assay (SP-ACE-EC-μPAD) has been developed. The fabrication of these devices involved wax screen-printing, which was simple, low-cost and energy-efficient. The working, counter and reference electrodes were screen-printed using carbon ink on the patterned paper devices. Different wax screen-printing processes were examined and optimized, which led to an improved method with a shorter heating time (~5 s) and a lower heating temperature (75 °C). Different printing screens were examined, with a 300-mesh polyester screen yielding the highest quality wax screen-prints. The carbon electrodes were screen-printed on the μPADs and then examined using cyclic voltammetry. The analytical performance of the SP-ACE-EC-μPADs for the detection of glucose and uric acid in standard solutions was investigated. The results were reproducible, with a linear relationship [R(2) = 0.9987 (glucose) or 0.9997 (uric acid)] within the concentration range of interest, and with detection limits as low as 0.35 mM (glucose) and 0.08 mM (uric acid). To determine the clinical utility of the μPADs, chronoamperometry was used to analyze glucose and uric acid in real urine samples using the standard addition method. Our devices were able to detect the analytes of interest in complex real-world biological samples, and have the potential for use in a wide variety of applications.

Synthesis and bioactivities of Phenazine-1-carboxylic acid derivatives based on the modification of PCA carboxyl group.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Zhipeng; Niu, Junfan; Liu, Hao; Xu, Zhihong; Li, Junkai; Wu, Qinglai

2017-05-01

Phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) as a natural product widely exists in microbial metabolites of Pseudomonads and Streptomycetes and has been registered for the fungicide against rice sheath blight in China. To find higher fungicidal activities compounds and study the effects on fungicidal activities after changing the carboxyl group of PCA, we synthesized a series of PCA derivatives by modifying the carboxyl group of PCA and their structures were confirmed by 1 H NMR and HRMS. Most compounds exhibited significant fungicidal activities in vitro. In particular, compound 6 exhibited inhibition effect against Rhizoctonia solani with EC 50 values of 4.35mg/L and compound 3b exhibited effect against Fusarium graminearum with EC 50 values of 8.30mg/L, compared to the positive control PCA with its EC 50 values of 7.88mg/L (Rhizoctonia solani) and 127.28mg/L (Fusarium graminearum), respectively. The results indicated that the carboxyl group of PCA could be modified to be amide group, acylhydrazine group, ester group, methyl, hydroxymethyl, chloromethyl and ether group etc. And appropriate modifications on carboxyl group of PCA were useful to extend the fungicidal scope. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Engineering an ATP-dependent D-Ala:D-Ala ligase for synthesizing amino acid amides from amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Miki, Yuta; Okazaki, Seiji; Asano, Yasuhisa

2017-05-01

We successfully engineered a new enzyme that catalyzes the formation of D-Ala amide (D-AlaNH 2 ) from D-Ala by modifying ATP-dependent D-Ala:D-Ala ligase (EC 6.3.2.4) from Thermus thermophilus, which catalyzes the formation of D-Ala-D-Ala from two molecules of D-Ala. The new enzyme was created by the replacement of the Ser293 residue with acidic amino acids, as it was speculated to bind to the second D-Ala of D-Ala-D-Ala. In addition, a replacement of the position with Glu performed better than that with Asp with regards to specificity for D-AlaNH 2 production. The S293E variant, which was selected as the best enzyme for D-AlaNH 2 production, exhibited an optimal activity at pH 9.0 and 40 °C for D-AlaNH 2 production. The apparent K m values of this variant for D-Ala and NH 3 were 7.35 mM and 1.58 M, respectively. The S293E variant could catalyze the synthesis of 9.3 and 35.7 mM of D-AlaNH 2 from 10 and 50 mM D-Ala and 3 M NH 4 Cl with conversion yields of 93 and 71.4 %, respectively. This is the first report showing the enzymatic formation of amino acid amides from amino acids.

EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA); Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of a health claim related to a combination of plant sterols and Cholesternorm®mix and reduction of blood LDL-cholesterol concentrations pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tetens, Inge

Following an application from Health Concern B.V., submitted for authorisation of a claim pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 via the Competent Authority of the Netherlands, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion on the sci......Following an application from Health Concern B.V., submitted for authorisation of a claim pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 via the Competent Authority of the Netherlands, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion...... on the scientific substantiation of a health claim related to a combination of plant sterols and Cholesternorm®mix and reduction of blood LDL-cholesterol concentrations. The food which is the subject of the health claim is a combination of plant sterols (free and in esterified form) and Cholesternorm......®mix and provides at the levels of the proposed conditions of use around 0.52 g plant sterols, 0.95 g linoleic acid, 0.13 g alpha-linolenic acid and 0.13 g pectins per day. The combination of plant sterols and Cholesternorm®mix, which is the subject of the claim, is sufficiently characterised in relation...

Seismic slope stability of embankments: a comparative study on EC8 provisions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zania, Varvara; Tsompanakis, Y.; Psarropoulos, P.N.

2011-01-01

According to EC8 provisions, seismic stability assessment of natural slopes is currently performed based on simplified methods i.e. the pseudostatic and the Newmark’s sliding block method. The application of these methods requires the beforehand consideration of major assumptions necessary...... for the selection of either the seismic coefficient or the acceleration time history of the rigid block. Although both ULS and SLS are defined according to acceptable level of deformations at the slope, the assigned level of displacements is not clarified. In the current study the seismic slope stability...

Nematicidal Activity of Kojic Acid Produced by Aspergillus oryzae against Meloidogyne incognita.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Tae Yoon; Jang, Ja Yeong; Jeon, Sun Jeong; Lee, Hye Won; Bae, Chang-Hwan; Yeo, Joo Hong; Lee, Hyang Burm; Kim, In Seon; Park, Hae Woong; Kim, Jin-Cheol

2016-08-28

The fungal strain EML-DML3PNa1 isolated from leaf of white dogwood (Cornus alba L.) showed strong nematicidal activity with juvenile mortality of 87.6% at a concentration of 20% fermentation broth filtrate at 3 days after treatment. The active fungal strain was identified as Aspergillus oryzae, which belongs to section Flavi, based on the morphological characteristics and sequence analysis of the ITS rDNA, calmodulin (CaM), and β-tubulin (BenA) genes. The strain reduced the pH value to 5.62 after 7 days of incubation. Organic acid analysis revealed the presence of citric acid (515.0 mg/kg), malic acid (506.6 mg/kg), and fumaric acid (21.7 mg/kg). The three organic acids showed moderate nematicidal activities, but the mixture of citric acid, malic acid, and fumaric acid did not exhibit the full nematicidal activity of the culture filtrate of EML- DML3PNa1. Bioassay-guided fractionation coupled with (1)H- and (13)C-NMR and EI-MS analyses led to identification of kojic acid as the major nematicidal metabolite. Kojic acid exhibited dose-dependent mortality and inhibited the hatchability of M. incognita, showing EC50 values of 195.2 µg/ml and 238.3 µg/ml, respectively, at 72 h postexposure. These results suggest that A. oryzae EML-DML3PNa1 and kojic acid have potential as a biological control agent against M. incognita.

Conference-EC-US Task Force Joint US-EU Workshop on Metabolomics and Environmental Biotechnology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

PI: Lily Y. Young

2009-06-04

Since 1990, the EC-US Task Force on Biotechnology Research has been coordinating transatlantic efforts to guide and exploit the ongoing revolution in biotechnology and the life sciences. The Task Force was established in June 1990 by the European Commission and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The Task Force has acted as an effective forum for discussion, coordination, and development of new ideas for the last 18 years. Task Force members are European Commission and US Government science and technology administrators who meet annually to enhance communication across the Atlantic, and to encourage collaborative research. Through sponsoring workshops, and other activities, the Task Force also brings together scientific leaders and early career researchers from both sides of the Atlantic to forecast research challenges and opportunities and to promote better links between researchers. Over the years, by keeping a focus on the future of science, the Task Force has played a key role in establishing a diverse range of emerging scientific fields, including biodiversity research, neuroinformatics, genomics, nanobiotechnology, neonatal immunology, transkingdom molecular biology, biologically-based fuels, and environmental biotechnology. The EC-US Task Force has sponsored a number of Working Groups on topics of mutual transatlantic interest. The idea to create a Working Group on Environmental Biotechnology research was discussed in the Task Force meeting of October 1993. The EC-US Working Group on Environmental Biotechnology set as its mission 'To train the next generation of leaders in environmental biotechnology in the United States and the European Union to work collaboratively across the Atlantic.' Since 1995, the Working Group supported three kinds of activities, all of which focus one early career scientists: (1) Workshops on the use of molecular methods and genomics in environmental biotechnology; (2) Short courses with theoretical

Quality assurance - quality control in the framework of the EC-open market events

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asshauer, S.; Kinzinger, K.

1994-01-01

The declared target of the EC-commission is to merge the national markets into a common market. The companies which are mentioned in the sector guideline and which exceed the determined liminal values in the procurement are forced to submit their demand all over Europe. In this work a report is given on the experiences, procedures and the further developments taking into consideration the quality assurance and the quality control at gas works in Hamburg. (orig.) [de

Composition en acide alphalinolénique des esters de cholestérol plasmatiques : un marqueur de consommation chez l’homme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Combe Nicole

2002-07-01

Full Text Available Le lien existant entre qualité et quantité des acides gras de l’alimentation, et santé est de plus en plus évident et défini, comme l’indique la revue des travaux plus spécifiquement consacrés aux implications dans le risque de maladies cardiovasculaires (MCV (cf. premier exposé de ce dossier. Néanmoins, si un grand nombre d’études épidémiologiques ou d’intervention ont permis d’aboutir à un consensus qui s’est traduit, en France, par la publication en 2001 des Apports Nutritionnels Conseillés [1], un débat perdure au sein de la communauté scientifique internationale sur les meilleurs apports en acides gras monoinsaturés versus poly-insaturés [2, 3]. Les études récentes de Rudel et al. [4-6] indiquent en effet que des singes nourris avec un régime très enrichi en acide oléique (18:1n-9 : 24% de l’apport énergétique développent une athérosclérose des artères coronaires qui pourrait être en relation avec l’accumulation subséquente d’oléate de cholestérol dans les LDL aux dépens du linoléate de cholestérol. Par ailleurs, eu égard aux effets bénéfiques reconnus à l’acide alphalinolénique (18:3n-3 vis-à-vis des risques d’infarctus du myocarde, de cardiopathie ischémique [7-9] et d’accident vasculaire cérébral [10, 11], le niveau de 18:3n-3 dans les esters de cholestérol (EC du plasma apparaît comme un bon indicateur de protection. En effet, l’étude conduite par Sandker et al. [12], sur deux groupes d’hommes âgés, issus des cohortes crétoises (Seven Countries Study et hollandaises (Zutphen Study, a permis de faire émerger l’intérêt de ce marqueur biologique. En moyenne, le pourcentage de 18:3n-3 mesuré dans les EC plasmatiques des Crétois était significativement plus élevé comparé à celui des Hollandais (0,9% vs 0,32% des acides gras, dont la cohorte présentait un taux de mortalité coronarienne 5 fois plus grand que celui de la cohorte crétoise. En outre, l�

Gene expression responses linked to reproduction effect concentrations (EC 10,20,50,90 of dimethoate, atrazine and carbendazim, in Enchytraeus albidus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara C Novais

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Molecular mechanisms of response to pesticides are scarce and information on such responses from soil invertebrates is almost inexistent. Enchytraeus albidus (Oligochaeta is a standard soil ecotoxicology model species for which effects of many pesticides are known on survival, reproduction and avoidance behaviour. With the recent microarray development additional information can be retrieved on the molecular effects. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Experiments were performed to investigate the transcription responses of E. albidus when exposed to three pesticides - dimethoate (insecticide, atrazine (herbicide and carbendazim (fungicide - in a range of concentrations that inhibited reproduction by 10%, 20%, 50% and 90% (EC(10, EC(20, EC(50 and EC(90, respectively. The goal of this study was to further identify key biological processes affected by each compound and if dose-related. All three pesticides significantly affected biological processes like translation, regulation of the cell cycle or general response to stress. Intracellular signalling and microtubule-based movement were affected by dimethoate and carbendazim whereas atrazine affected lipid and steroid metabolism (also by dimethoate or carbohydrate metabolism (also by carbendazim. Response to DNA damage/DNA repair was exclusively affected by carbendazim. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in gene expression were significantly altered after 2 days of exposure in a dose-related manner. The mechanisms of response were comparable with the ones for mammals, suggesting across species conserved modes of action. The present results indicate the potential of using gene expression in risk assessment and the advantage as early markers.

Bioproduction of L-Aspartic Acid and Cinnamic Acid by L-Aspartate Ammonia Lyase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Arti T; Akhani, Rekha C; Patel, Manisha J; Dedania, Samir R; Patel, Darshan H

2017-06-01

Aspartase (L-aspartate ammonia lyase, EC 4.3.1.1) catalyses the reversible amination and deamination of L-aspartic acid to fumaric acid which can be used to produce important biochemical. In this study, we have explored the characteristics of aspartase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 (PA-AspA). To overproduce PA-AspA, the 1425-bp gene was introduced in Escherichia coli BL21 and purified. A 51.0-kDa protein was observed as a homogenous purified protein on SDS-PAGE. The enzyme was optimally active at pH 8.0 and 35 °C. PA-AspA has retained 56% activity after 7 days of incubation at 35 °C, which displays the hyperthermostablility characteristics of the enzyme. PA-AspA is activated in the presence of metal ions and Mg2+ is found to be most effective. Among the substrates tested for specificity of PA-AspA, L-phenylalanine (38.35 ± 2.68) showed the highest specific activity followed by L-aspartic acid (31.21 ± 3.31) and fumarate (5.42 ± 2.94). K m values for L-phenylalanine, L-aspartic acid and fumarate were 1.71 mM, 0.346 μM and 2 M, respectively. The catalytic efficiency (k cat /K m ) for L-aspartic acid (14.18 s -1  mM -1 ) was higher than that for L-phenylalanine (4.65 s -1  mM -1 ). For bioconversion, from an initial concentration of 1000 mM of fumarate and 30 mM of L-phenylalanine, PA-AspA was found to convert 395.31 μM L-aspartic acid and 3.47 mM cinnamic acid, respectively.

Comparative performance of anodic oxidation and electrocoagulation as clean processes for electrocatalytic degradation of diazo dye Acid Brown 14 in aqueous medium.

Science.gov (United States)

Bassyouni, D G; Hamad, H A; El-Ashtoukhy, E-S Z; Amin, N K; El-Latif, M M Abd

2017-08-05

In this study, a laboratory scale for the treatment of a recalcitrant and toxic synthetic wastewater containing diazo dye, acid brown 14 (AB-14) has been comparatively performed by two electro-catalytic treatment processes, namely anodic oxidation (AO) and electrocoagulation (EC) using a new batch electrochemical cell. Additionally, the influence of several operating parameters such as; current density (j), initial dye concentration (C o ), NaCl concentration (C N ), and pH on the color removal efficiency and chemical oxygen demand (COD) are evaluated. The powerful capability of the AO and EC of AB-14 which related to the mechanistic reaction pathway is shown. The poor degradation is ascribed to higher C o and pH, while the enhancement of j and C N is responsible for better degradation of AB-14 dye. The results indicate that the EC is more effective than AO under the same operational condition. A kinetic model is developed for evaluation of the pseudo-first-order-rate constant (k app ) as a function of various operational parameters. The results emphasize the high efficiency of AO and EC and the clean processes which are hopeful alternative for the treatment of the large volume wastewater of the textile industry. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reciprocal Effects of Oxidative Stress on Heme Oxygenase Expression and Activity Contributes to Reno-Vascular Abnormalities in EC-SOD Knockout Mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomoko Kawakami

2012-01-01

although, HO activity was significantly (P<0.05 attenuated along with attenuation of serum adiponectin and vascular epoxide levels (P<0.05. CoPP, in EC-SOD(−/− mice, enhanced HO activity (P<0.05 and reversed aforementioned pathophysiological abnormalities along with restoration of vascular EET, p-eNOS, p-AKT and serum adiponectin levels in these animals. Taken together our results implicate a causative role of insufficient activation of heme-HO-adiponectin system in pathophysiological abnormalities observed in animal models of chronic oxidative stress such as EC-SOD(−/− mice.

Improved design of an ITER equatorial EC launcher

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, K.; Kajiwara, K.; Kobayashi, N.; Kasugai, A.; Sakamoto, K.

2008-01-01

New design improvements for an ITER equatorial EC launcher are described. A design of the front shield modules was evaluated analytically. The results indicate that these modules can withstand the electromagnetic forces induced by plasma disruption and vertical plasma motion. The steering mirror mock-up including the spiral cooling tubes was fabricated based on the present design with application of the hot isostatic pressing technique to bond the copper alloy mirror body and the embedded stainless steel cooling tubes. The test of water flow was carried out and the expected flow rate was successfully obtained. A quasi-optical (QO) transmission layout has been proposed instead of the waveguide lines. The advantage of this option is possibly to increase the reliability in terms of fabrication and refurbishment. According to the beam propagation analysis, it is verified that transmission loss at the QO region is 1.1%-2.2%, which is comparable to the reference design. The peak heat load on the steering mirror surface could be reduced by 55%, which relaxes the mirror design

Larvicidal activity and possible mode of action of four flavonoids and two fatty acids identified in Millettia pinnata seed toward three mosquito species.

Science.gov (United States)

Perumalsamy, Haribalan; Jang, Myung Jin; Kim, Jun-Ran; Kadarkarai, Murugan; Ahn, Young-Joon

2015-04-19

Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus and Culex pipiens pallens mosquitoes transmit dengue fever and West Nile virus diseases, respectively. This study was conducted to determine the toxicity and mechanism of action of four flavonoids and two fatty acids from Millettia pinnata (Fabaceae) seed as well as six pure fatty acids and four fatty acid esters toward third instar larvae from insecticide-susceptible C. pipiens pallens and A. aegypti as well as wild A. albopictus. Efficacy of 12 experimental liquid formulations containing M. pinnata seed methanol extract and hydrodistillate (0.5-10.0% liquids) was also assessed. The contact toxicities of all compounds and 12 formulations were compared with those of two larvicides, temephos and fenthion and the commercial temephos 200 g/L emulsifiable concentrate (EC). The possible mode of larvicidal action of the constituents was elucidated using biochemical methods. Larval mortality and cAMP level were analyzed by the Bonferroni multiple-comparison method. Potent toxicity was produced by karanjin, oleic acid, karanjachromene, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, pongamol, pongarotene, and elaidic acid toward C. pipiens pallens larvae (24 h LC50, 14.61-28.22 mg/L) and A. aegypti larvae (16.13-37.61 mg/L). Against wild A. albopictus larvae, oleic acid (LC50, 18.79 mg/L) and karanjin (35.26 mg/L) exhibited potent toxicity. All constituents were less toxic than either temephos or fenthion. Structure-activity relationship indicates that the degree of saturation, the side chain length, and the geometric isomerism of fatty acids appear to play a role in determining the fatty acid toxicity. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is the main site of action of the flavonoids, oleic acid, and palmitic acid. The mechanism of larvicidal action of elaidic acid, arachidic acid, and behenic acid might be due to interference with the octopaminergic system. Linoleic acid and linolenic acid might act on both AChE and octopaminergic receptor. M. pinnata seed

The competitive advantage of nations: the importance of the national environment for strategic management in the EC

NARCIS (Netherlands)

F.A.J. van den Bosch (Frans); T. Elfring (Tom); P. de Wolf (Peter)

1991-01-01

textabstractSummary: In this paper we investigate the usefulness for strategic management of Porter's framework of analysis of the competitive advantage of nations in particular regarding the importance of the changing national environment within the EC. It appears that Porter's framework

The GPCR membrane receptor, DopEcR, mediates the actions of both dopamine and ecdysone to control sex pheromone perception in an insect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antoine eAbrieux

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Olfactory information mediating sexual behavior is crucial for reproduction in many animals, including insects. In male moths, the macroglomerular complex of the primary olfactory center, the antennal lobe (AL is specialized in the treatment of information on the female-emitted sex pheromone. Evidence is accumulating that modulation of behavioral pheromone responses occurs through neuronal plasticity via the action of hormones and/or catecholamines. We recently showed that a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR, AipsDopEcR, with its homologue known in Drosophila for its double affinity to the main insect steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E, and dopamine (DA, present in the ALs, is involved in the behavioral response to pheromone in the moth, Agrotis ipsilon. Here we tested the role of AipsDopEcR as compared to nuclear 20E receptors in central pheromone processing combining receptor inhibition with intracellular recordings of AL neurons. We show that the sensitivity of AL neurons for the pheromone in males decreases strongly after AipsDopEcR-dsRNA injection but also after inhibition of nuclear 20E receptors. Moreover we tested the involvement of 20E and DA in the receptor-mediated behavioral modulation in wind tunnel experiments, using ligand applications and receptor inhibition treatments. We show that both ligands are necessary and act on AipsDopEcR-mediated behavior. Altogether these results indicate that the GPCR membrane receptor, AipsDopEcR, controls sex pheromone perception through the action of both 20E and DA in the central nervous system, probably in concert with 20E action through nuclear receptors.

EC assisted start-up experiments reproduction in FTU and AUG for simulations of the ITER case

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Granucci, G.; Ricci, D.; Farina, D.; Figini, L. [Associazione EURATOM-ENEA sulla Fusione, IFP-CNR, Via R. Cozzi 53, 20125 Milano (Italy); Cavinato, M. [F4E C/Josep Pla2, Torres Diagonal Litoral - Building 83 08019 Barcelona (Spain); Mattei, M. [CREATE via Claudio 21, 80125 Napoli (Italy); Stober, J. [Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, EURATOM Association, Boltzmannstr. 2, 85748 Garching bei München (Germany); Tudisco, O. [Associazione EURATOM-ENEA sulla Fusione, C.R. Frascati, Via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Roma) (Italy)

2014-02-12

The breakdown and plasma start-up in ITER are well known issues studied in the last few years in many tokamaks with the aid of calculation based on simplified modeling. The thickness of ITER metallic wall and the voltage limits of the Central Solenoid Power Supply strongly limit the maximum toroidal electric field achievable (0.3 V/m), well below the level used in the present generation of tokamaks. In order to have a safe and robust breakdown, the use of Electron Cyclotron Power to assist plasma formation and current rump up has been foreseen. This has raised attention on plasma formation phase in presence of EC wave, especially in order to predict the required power for a robust breakdown in ITER. Few detailed theory studies have been performed up to nowadays, due to the complexity of the problems. A simplified approach, extended from that proposed in ref[1] has been developed including a impurity multispecies distribution and an EC wave propagation and absorption based on GRAY code. This integrated model (BK0D) has been benchmarked on ohmic and EC assisted experiments on FTU and AUG, finding the key aspects for a good reproduction of data. On the basis of this, the simulation has been devoted to understand the best configuration for ITER case. The dependency of impurity distribution content and neutral gas pressure limits has been considered. As results of the analysis a reasonable amount of power (1 - 2 MW) seems to be enough to extend in a significant way the breakdown and current start up capability of ITER. The work reports the FTU data reproduction and the ITER case simulations.

Acidic minespoil reclamation with alkaline biosolids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drill, C.; Lindsay, B.J.; Logan, T.L.

1998-01-01

The effectiveness of an alkaline stabilized biosolids product, N-Viro Soil (NVS), was studied at a wild animal preserve in Cumberland, OH. The preserve occupies land that was strip mined for high-sulfur coal. While most of the land has been conventionally reclaimed, several highly acidic hot spots remain. Two of these hot spots were studied through concurrent field, greenhouse, and laboratory projects. In April 1995, NVS was applied at rates ranging from 0--960 mt/ha (wet wt.) to plots at the two sites. The plots were seeded using a standard reclamation mix and soil samples were analyzed for chemical characteristics before and after application and also in 1996 and 1997. Soil pH increased from 3.5 to about 11 in the amended plots and soil EC values increased from 21.0 mmho/cm to a maximum of 6.0 mmho/cm in the amended plots immediately after application. Soil Cu and Zn concentrations also increased in the NVS amended plots, but this did not affect plant germination or growth. By the summer of 1996, soil pH values had decreased to 7.3--8.7 and EC values decreased to 0.34--1.36 mmho/cm to the amended plots. Soil samples were collected in September 1995 for physical analyses. N-Viro Soil improved the moisture retention and water conductivity properties of the spoil. The plots were monitored for growth during the summer of 1995 and plant biomass and soil samples were taken in 1996 and 1997 for trace element and nutrient analysis. NVS did not significantly increase trace element concentrations in the biomass. The addition of NVS to acid mine spoil improves the chemical and physical properties of the spoil material thus aiding vegetative establishment and growth. NVS improves the chemical nature of the spoil by increasing pH and providing micro and macronutrients and improves the physical properties of the spoil with the addition of organic matter

Evaluation of reliability of EC inspection of VVER SG tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stanic, D.

2001-01-01

Evaluation of eddy current data collected during inspection of VVER steam generators is very complex task because of numerous parameters which have affect on eddy current signals. That was the reason that recently ago INETEC has started related scientific project in order to evaluate the reliability of eddy current (EC) inspection of VVER steam generator (SG) tubing. In the scope of project the following objectives will be investigated: 1. Determination of POD (Probability of detection) of various types degradation cracks, where their basic parameters are variables (basic parameters are depth, length, width, orientation, number) on three different sets of tubes (clean ideal tubes, tubes with pilgering, tubes electroplated with copper) 2. Sizing quality (accuracy, repeatability) (same data sets as defined in 1.) 3. Effect of fill factor on POD and sizing quality. 4. Effect of tube bends on POD and sizing quality. 5. Effect of other tube geometry variations on POD and sizing quality (tube ovality, transition zone region, expanded (rolled) part of tube, dents, dings). Investigation will start with bobbin probe technique which is the most used technique for general purpose VVER tube examination. Since INETEC is the only world company which successfully developed and applied rotating probe technique for VVER SG tubes, scope of the project will be extended on rotating probe technique utilizing 'pancake' and 'point' coil. Method reliability will be investigated first on the huge set of EDM notches representing various defect morphologies and simulating different factors, and the second part will be investigated on sets of degradation defects obtained by artificial corrosion. In the scope of the project the measures for enhancing the method reliability have to be determined. This considers the proper definition of parameters of examination system, as well as establishment of the suitable analysis procedures. This article presents the temporary results of the first part of

Plant Life Management of the EC6 Concrete Containment Structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abrishami, Homayoun; Ricciuti, Rick; Khan, Azhar [CANDU Energy Inc., Mississauga (Canada)

2012-03-15

Aging of reinforced concrete structures due to service conditions, aggressive environments, or accidents may cause their strength, serviceability and durability to decrease over time. Due to the complex nature of safety-related structures in nuclear power plants in comparison to other structures, they possess a number of characteristics that make them comparison to other structures, they possess a number of characteristics that make them unique. These characteristics are: thick concrete cross-sections, heavy reinforcement, often one-side access only, subjected to such ageing stresses as irradiation and elevated temperature, in addition to other typical ageing mechanisms (i. e., exposure to freeze/thaw cycles, aggressive chemicals, etc.) that typically affects other types of non-nuclear structures. For a new plant, the Plant Life Management Program (PLiM) should start in the design process and then continues through construction, plant operation and decommissioning. Hence PLiM must provide not only Ageing Management program (AMP) but also provide requirements on material characteristic and the design criteria as well. The purpose of this paper is to present the Plant Life Management (PLiM) strategy for the concrete containment structure of EC6 (Enhanced CANDU 6) Nuclear Power Plant designed by CANDU Energy Inc. The EC6 is designed for 100-year plant life including a 60-year operating life and an additional 40-year decommissioning period of time. The approach adopted for the PLiM strategy of the concrete containment structure is a preventive one, key areas being: 1) design methodology, 2) material performance and 3) life cycle management and ageing management program. In addition to strength and serviceability, durability is a major consideration during the design phase, service life and up to the completion of decommissioning. Factors affecting durability design include: a) concrete performance, b) structural application, and c) consideration of environmental

Plant Life Management of the EC6 Concrete Containment Structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abrishami, Homayoun; Ricciuti, Rick; Khan, Azhar

2012-01-01

Aging of reinforced concrete structures due to service conditions, aggressive environments, or accidents may cause their strength, serviceability and durability to decrease over time. Due to the complex nature of safety-related structures in nuclear power plants in comparison to other structures, they possess a number of characteristics that make them comparison to other structures, they possess a number of characteristics that make them unique. These characteristics are: thick concrete cross-sections, heavy reinforcement, often one-side access only, subjected to such ageing stresses as irradiation and elevated temperature, in addition to other typical ageing mechanisms (i. e., exposure to freeze/thaw cycles, aggressive chemicals, etc.) that typically affects other types of non-nuclear structures. For a new plant, the Plant Life Management Program (PLiM) should start in the design process and then continues through construction, plant operation and decommissioning. Hence PLiM must provide not only Ageing Management program (AMP) but also provide requirements on material characteristic and the design criteria as well. The purpose of this paper is to present the Plant Life Management (PLiM) strategy for the concrete containment structure of EC6 (Enhanced CANDU 6) Nuclear Power Plant designed by CANDU Energy Inc. The EC6 is designed for 100-year plant life including a 60-year operating life and an additional 40-year decommissioning period of time. The approach adopted for the PLiM strategy of the concrete containment structure is a preventive one, key areas being: 1) design methodology, 2) material performance and 3) life cycle management and ageing management program. In addition to strength and serviceability, durability is a major consideration during the design phase, service life and up to the completion of decommissioning. Factors affecting durability design include: a) concrete performance, b) structural application, and c) consideration of environmental

Energy-constrained open-system magmatic processes IV: Geochemical, thermal and mass consequences of energy-constrained recharge, assimilation and fractional crystallization (EC-RAFC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wendy A. Bohrson Department of Geological Sciences, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington, 98926, USA; Frank J. Spera Institute for Crustal Studies and Department of Geological Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA

2003-01-01

A wealth of geochemical and petrological data provide evidence that the processes of fractional crystallization, assimilation, and magma recharge (replenishment) dominate the chemical signatures of many terrestrial igneous rocks. Previous work [Spera and Bohrson, 2001 ; Bohrson and Spera, 2001] has established the importance of integrating energy, species and mass conservation into simulations of complex magma chamber processes. An extended version of the energy-constrained formulation, Energy-Constrained Recharge, Assimilation, Fractional Crystallization (EC-RAFC), tracks mass and compositional variations of melt, cumulates, and enclaves in a magma body undergoing simultaneous recharge, assimilation, and fractional crystallization [Spera and Bohrson, 2002]. Because many EC-RAFC results are distinct from those predicted by extant RAFC formulations, the primary goal of this paper is to present a range of geochemical and mass relationships for selected cases that highlight issues relevant to modern petrology. Among the plethora of petrologic problems that have important, well-documented analogues in nature are the geochemical distinctions that arise when a magma body undergoes continuous versus episodic recharge, the connection between erupted magmas and associated cumulate bodies, the behavior of recharge-fractionation dominated systems (RFC), thermodynamic conditions that promote the formation of enclaves versus cumulates, and the conditions under which magma bodies may be described as chemically homogeneous. Investigation of the effects of continuous versus episodic recharge for mafic magma undergoing RAFC in the lower crust indicates that the resulting geochemical trends for melt and solids are sensitive to the intensity and composition of recharge, suggesting that EC-RAFC may be used as a tool to distinguish the nature of the recharge events. Compared to the record preserved in melts, the geochemical and mass characteristics of solids associated with particular

Radio-sensitization of esophageal cancer EC9706 cells to X ray by histone deacetylase inhibiter Trichostatin A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Xiaoli; Qin Guangyong; Fang Huasheng; Zhang Fengqiu; Ya Huiyuan

2009-01-01

Cell apoptosis and the expression of DNA damage repair-related genes XRCC2, ATM and Lig4 were detected separately by flow cytometry analysis and real-time fluorescence quantitative (RT-PCR), in order to investigate the effect of Trichostatin A (TSA) pre-treatment on the radiosensitivity of esophageal cancer EC9706 cells to X ray in vitro. The results indicate that pre-irradiation exposure to TSA enhances cell apoptotic rate by X ray markedly (P<0.05) and the mRNA levels of XRCC2, ATM and Lig4 (except 8Gy) are up-regulated by X ray individually (P<0.05). TSA alone and TSA in combination with X ray all reduce mRNA levels of XRCC2, ATM and Lig4. In conclusions, TSA may radio-sensitize EC9706 cells to X ray by reducing mRNA levels of XRCC2, ATM and Lig4. (authors)

Acute toxicity of metals and reference toxicants to a freshwater ostracod, Cypris subglobosa Sowerby, 1840 and correlation to EC50 values of other test models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khangarot, B.S.; Das, Sangita

2009-01-01

The ostracod Cypris subglobosa Sowerby, 1840 static bioassay test on the basis of a 48 h of 50% of immobilization (EC 50 ) has been used to measure the toxicity of 36 metals and metalloids and 12 reference toxicants. Among the 36 metals and metalloids, osmium (Os) was found to be the most toxic in the test while boron (B), the least toxic. The EC 50 values of this study revealed positive linear relationship with the established test models of cladoceran (Daphnia magna), sludge worm (Tubifex tubifex), chironomid larvae (Chironomus tentans), protozoan (Tetrahymena pyriformis), fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus), and aquatic macrophyte duckweed (Lemna minor). Correlation coefficients (r 2 ) for 17 physicochemical properties of metals or metal ions and EC 50 s (as pM) were examined by linear regression analysis. The electronegativity, ionization potential, melting point, solubility product of metal sulfides (pK sp ), softness parameter and some other physicochemical characteristics were significantly correlated with EC 50 s of metals to C. subglobosa. The reproducibility of toxicity test was determined using 12 reference toxicants. The coefficient of variability of the EC 50 s ranged from 6.95% to 55.37% and variability was comparable to that noticed for D. magna and other aquatic test models. The study demonstrated the need to include crustacean ostracods in a battery of biotests to detect the presence of hazardous chemicals in soils, sewage sludges, sediments and aquatic systems.

Intestinal enzyme distribution after supralethal irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Becciolini, A; Gerber, G B; Buracchi, A; Deroo, J [Florence Univ. (Italy). Istituto di Radiologia; Centre d' Etude de l' Energie Nucleaire, Mol (Belgium). Dept. de Radiobiologie)

1977-07-01

The activity of some intestinal enzymes has been studied after 2 kR irradiation. Brush border enzymes, maltase and leucineaminopeptidase (LAP) show an increase 20 hours after irradiation, while after 72 hours their activities are reduced to very low levels. Lysosomal enzymes show a completely different behaviour: acid phosphatase activity increases only 72 hours after irradiation, whereas ..beta.. glucuronidase increases significantly after 20 hours and reaches values two or three times higher than controls after 72 hours. The histologic picture at the first interval after irradiation shows gross alterations in the crypt region, but the villi appear nearly normal. Seventy-two hours after irradiation the whole epithelium is affected and very numerous leukocytes are present in the stroma.

Interactions among the branched-chain amino acids and their effects on methionine utilization in growing pigs: effects on plasma amino- and keto-acid concentrations and branched-chain keto-acid dehydrogenase activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Langer, S; Scislowski, P W; Brown, D S; Dewey, P; Fuller, M F

2000-01-01

The present experiment was designed to elucidate the mechanism of the methionine-sparing effect of excess branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) reported in the previous paper (Langer & Fuller, 2000). Twelve growing gilts (30-35 kg) were prepared with arterial catheters. After recovery, they received for 7 d a semipurified diet with a balanced amino acid pattern. On the 7th day blood samples were taken before (16 h postabsorptive) and after the morning meal (4 h postprandial). The animals were then divided into three groups and received for a further 7 d a methionine-limiting diet (80% of requirement) (1) without any amino acid excess; (2) with excess leucine (50% over requirement); or (3) with excesses of all three BCAA (leucine, isoleucine, valine, each 50% over the requirement). On the 7th day blood samples were taken as in the first period, after which the animals were killed and liver and muscle samples taken. Plasma amino acid and branched-chain keto acid (BCKA) concentrations in the blood and branched-chain keto-acid dehydrogenase (BCKDH; EC 1.2.4.4) activity in liver and muscle homogenates were determined. Compared with those on the balanced diet, pigs fed on methionine-limiting diets had significantly lower (P < 0.05) plasma methionine concentrations in the postprandial but not in the postabsorptive state. There was no effect of either leucine or a mixture of all three BCAA fed in excess on plasma methionine concentrations. Excess dietary leucine reduced (P < 0.05) the plasma concentrations of isoleucine and valine in both the postprandial and postabsorptive states. Plasma concentrations of the BCKA reflected the changes in the corresponding amino acids. Basal BCKDH activity in the liver and total BCKDH activity in the biceps femoris muscle were significantly (P < 0.05) increased by excesses of leucine or all BCAA.

Effect of Silicic Acid on some Anatomical and Biochemical Characteristics of Pelargonium graveolens under Salinity Stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

fateme hasanvand

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens is a perennial plant of the family Geranium (Geraniaceae. Although CaCl2 at higher concentrations than NaCl in the soils and ground water in many areas of the word, most studies have been based on experiments that NaCl is the predominant salt. Relatively few studies have focused on the effects of CaCl2 on plant growth and physiology. Silicon (Si is considered as an essential element in several crops enhancing growth and alleviating different biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, the role of Si in alleviation the deleterious effects of salinity on geranium have been studied. Materials and Methods: This experiment was conducted in spring-summer 2014 in research greenhouse situated on the Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran. The greenhouse temperature was 16.5–37.5 ◦C and relative humidity of greenhouse was 30–80%. Terminal stem cuttings with five nodes were obtained from mother plants in the same greenhouse and placed in a sand substrate for rooting in April. Uniform rooted cuttings were then transplanted into plastic pots (22 cm diameter and height filled with sand substrates and grown hydroponically. Transplanting was done in May and one plant per pot was cultivated. Cultivated plants were irrigated with Hoagland’s medium electrical conductivity (EC 1.8 dS/m, (pH 5.8 twice a day. Experiment was arranged as factorial based on a completely randomized design with five replications. Factors consisted of daily application of 1.8, 4 and 6 ds/m CaCl2 and weekly application of 0, 0.5 and 1 mM silicic acid in nutrient solution. Plants were harvested in November. In this research some characteristics include the number of leaf, leaf area, photosynthetic pigments (chla, chlb. Total chl, carotenoids, MDA, EL, RWC, proline, number of stomata in surface unit of leaf, density of stomata and stomata index and antioxidant enzyme include CAT and POD measured. Results

The decolorization and mineralization of Acid Orange 6 azo dye in aqueous solution by advanced oxidation processes: A comparative study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hsing, H.-J. [Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, 71 Chou-Shan Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Chiang, P.-C. [Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, 71 Chou-Shan Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China)]. E-mail: pcchiang@ntu.edu.tw; Chang, E.-E. [Department of Biochemistry, Taipei Medical University, 25 Wu-Shin Street, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Chen, M.-Y. [Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, 71 Chou-Shan Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China)

2007-03-06

The comparison of different advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), i.e. ultraviolet (UV)/TiO{sub 2}, O{sub 3}, O{sub 3}/UV, O{sub 3}/UV/TiO{sub 2}, Fenton and electrocoagulation (EC), is of interest to determine the best removal performance for the destruction of the target compound in an Acid Orange 6 (AO6) solution, exploring the most efficient experimental conditions as well; on the other hand, the results may provide baseline information of the combination of different AOPs in treating industrial wastewater. The following conclusions can be drawn: (1) in the effects of individual and combined ozonation and photocatalytic UV irradiation, both O{sub 3}/UV and O{sub 3}/UV/TiO{sub 2} processes exhibit remarkable TOC removal capability that can achieve a 65% removal efficiency at pH 7 and O{sub 3} dose = 45 mg/L; (2) the optimum pH and ratio of [H{sub 2}O{sub 2}]/[Fe{sup 2+}] found for the Fenton process, are pH 4 and [H{sub 2}O{sub 2}]/[Fe{sup 2+}] = 6.58. The optimum [H{sub 2}O{sub 2}] and [Fe{sup 2+}] under the same HF value are 58.82 and 8.93 mM, respectively; (3) the optimum applied voltage found in the EC experiment is 80 V, and the initial pH will affect the AO6 and TOC removal rates in that acidic conditions may be favorable for a higher removal rate; (4) the AO6 decolorization rate ranking was obtained in the order of O{sub 3} < O{sub 3}/UV = O{sub 3}/UV/TiO{sub 2} < EC < Fenton; (5) the ranking of TOC removal efficiency of selected AOPs was in the order of O{sub 3} = Fenton < EC < O{sub 3}/UV < O{sub 3}/UV/TiO{sub 2} for 30 min of reaction time.

Analytical calculation of current drive synergy between LH and EC waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dumont, R.; Giruzzi, G.

2001-01-01

An analytical model for the evaluation of electron cyclotron current drive efficiency improvement in lower hybrid current drive regimes is presented. The adjoint equation is written and solved by a perturbation treatment, allowing to derive a response function including both collisional and lower hybrid effects, in the limit where the former still dominate. This allows an analytical demonstration of the current drive synergy effects, previously found by numerical solutions of the kinetic equation. The model is especially useful for the determination of appropriate wave parameters optimizing this synergy effect, such as the EC launching angles suitable for a given LH target plasma. Under these conditions, it is shown that a significant improvement of the ECCD efficiency can be obtained

Structural aspects of catalytic mechanisms of endonucleases and their binding to nucleic acids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhukhlistova, N. E.; Balaev, V. V.; Lyashenko, A. V.; Lashkov, A. A., E-mail: alashkov83@gmail.com [Russian Academy of Sciences, Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography (Russian Federation)

2012-05-15

Endonucleases (EC 3.1) are enzymes of the hydrolase class that catalyze the hydrolytic cleavage of deoxyribonucleic and ribonucleic acids at any region of the polynucleotide chain. Endonucleases are widely used both in biotechnological processes and in veterinary medicine as antiviral agents. Medical applications of endonucleases in human cancer therapy hold promise. The results of X-ray diffraction studies of the spatial organization of endonucleases and their complexes and the mechanism of their action are analyzed and generalized. An analysis of the structural studies of this class of enzymes showed that the specific binding of enzymes to nucleic acids is characterized by interactions with nitrogen bases and the nucleotide backbone, whereas the nonspecific binding of enzymes is generally characterized by interactions only with the nucleic-acid backbone. It should be taken into account that the specificity can be modulated by metal ions and certain low-molecular-weight organic compounds. To test the hypotheses about specific and nonspecific nucleic-acid-binding proteins, it is necessary to perform additional studies of atomic-resolution three-dimensional structures of enzyme-nucleic-acid complexes by methods of structural biology.

A comparison study on flesh quality of large yellow croaker ( Larimichthys croceus) cultured with three different modes

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaoqin; Li, Baian; Chen, Naisong; Huang, Xuxiong; Hua, Xuemin; Leng, Xiangjun

2017-12-01

To compare the flesh quality of large yellow croaker cultured with three different modes, enclosure culture (EC), cage culture with feeding trash fish (CCF) and cage culture with feeding formula diet (CCD), thirty six fish individuals of EC (484.6 ± 79.8 g), CCF (432.7 ± 87.9 g) and CCD (416.9 ± 49.5 g) were sampled to measure body color, flesh water holding capacity, flesh proximate composition, amino acids and fatty acids composition, and collagen and inosinic acid contents. The analysis showed that there was no significant difference in the yellowness of skin and the contents of crude protein and inosinic acid between CCD and EC (P >0.05), and the two modes showed higher values than CCF ( P 0.05). EC and CCD had higher contents of collagen, free AA and lower drip loss than CC ( P < 0.05). In polyunsaturated fatty acids, EC showed significantly higher levels of C20:5n-3 and C22:6n-3 than CCF and CCD ( P < 0.05), but CCD had significantly higher C18:2n-6 than CCF and EC ( P < 0.05). In conclusion, the flesh quality of CCD fish is similar to EC fish, and these two modes have better flesh quality than CCF.

NATIONAL MINORITIES IN THE LAW OF THE EC/EU

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Šmihula

2008-09-01

Full Text Available In the law of the EC/EU the protection of national minorities is still a marginal matter. The EU has relied on general international law and on a European regional system of international law and, in case of necessity, accepted their norms. But in the 1990s there began a process of “de-economisation of the European integration” and the importance of national minorities became higher. Protection of the national minorities has not become a generally accepted legally binding principle of the EU, although in several legal acts issues of national minorities are mentioned. On the other hand, the political relevance of national minorities´ protection is very high. The importance of protection of national minorities in future will probably grow. It is a result of the adoption of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU (2000 and of the discussions regarding the European constitution and the Treaty of Lisbon.

Gamma radiation and osmotic potential of the nutrient solution differentially affect macronutrient concentrations, pH and EC in chilhuacle pepper fruits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Victor Garcia-Gaytan, Libia Iris Trejo-Tellez; Olga Tejeda-Sartorius; Maribel Ramirez-Martinez; Julian Delgadillo-Martinez; Fernando Carlos Gomez-Merino; Soledad Garcia-Morales

2018-01-01

Chilhuacle pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seeds were exposed to gamma radiation (GR) doses (0, 10, 80 and 120 Gy), and plants were grown in hydroponics with different osmotic potentials (OP) (- 0.036, - 0.072, - 0.092, and - 0.108 MPa) in the nutrient solution. We measured the nutrient concentrations, pH and electrical conductivity (EC) in fruits at different time points after transplanting (70, 90 and 130 dat), and found the GR, nutrient solution OP and their interactions differentially affected N, P, K, Ca, and Mg concentrations, as well as pH and EC in chilhuacle peppers. (author)

Tratamiento con progestágenos y ECG tras el parto en cabras de la raza Serrana – ecótipo Transmontano

OpenAIRE

Valentim, Ramiro; Azevedo, Jorge Manuel Teixeira de; Correia, Teresa Montenegro; Almeida, José Carlos; Fontes, Paulo J.; Galvão, Lurdes; Maurício, Raimundo; Coelho, Alípio

2003-01-01

El principal objetivo de este trabajo fue estudiar la eficacia de la utilización del tratamiento – FGA + eCG – en la retoma de la actividad ovárica postparto en cabras de la raza portuguesa Serrana, ecótipo Transmontano, paridas a final de la estación reproductiva. Para el efecto, en la ciudad de Bragança (latitud 41° 49' N, longitud 6° 40' W y altitud 720 metros), 30 cabras (2-6 años) de la raza portuguesa Serrana, ecótipo Transmontano, apareadas por monta natural y que parieron sin ningún p...

Hematopoietic stem cell capture and directional differentiation into vascular endothelial cells for metal stent-coated chitosan/hyaluronic acid loading CD133 antibody.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shixuan; Zhang, Fan; Feng, Bo; Fan, Qingyu; Yang, Feng; Shang, Debin; Sui, Jinghan; Zhao, Hong

2015-03-01

A series of metal stents coated with chitosan/hyaluronic acid (CS/HA) loading antibodies by electrostatic self-assembled method were prepared, and the types of cells captured by antibodies and their differentiation in vascular endothelial cells (ECs) evaluated by molecular biology and scanning electron microscope. The results showed that CD133 stent can selectively capture hematopoietic stem cells (HSC),which directionally differentiate into vascular ECs in peripheral blood by (CS/HA) induction, and simultaneously inhibit migration and proliferation of immune cells and vascular smooth muscle cells (MCs). CD34 stent can capture HSC, hematopoietic progenitor cells that differentiate into vascular ECs and immune cells, promoting smooth MCs growth, leading to thrombosis, inflammation, and rejection. CD133 stent can be implanted into miniature pig heart coronary and can repair vascular damage by capturing own HSC, thus contributing to the rapid natural vascular repair, avoiding inflammation and rejection, thrombosis and restenosis. These studies demonstrated that CD133 stent of HSC capture will be an ideal coated metal stent providing a new therapeutic approach for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease.

Determination of molecular structure of succinic acid in a very complex conformational landscape: Gas-phase electron diffraction (GED) and ab initio studies

Science.gov (United States)

Vogt, Natalja; Abaev, Maxim A.; Rykov, Anatolii N.; Shishkov, Igor F.

2011-06-01

The molecular structure of succinic acid has been investigated by the gas-phase electron diffraction (GED) method for the first time. According to predictions of MP2/cc-pVTZ calculations, the molecule has 18 stable conformers with the C sbnd C sbnd C sbnd C chain in the gauche ( G) or anti ( A) configuration, and four of them, I ( G), II ( A), III ( G) and IV ( A) belonging to the C 2, C 2h, C 1 and C 1 point groups, respectively, with relative energies ΔE ZPE within 2.2 kcal/mol can be present at the experimental temperature of 445 K in noticeable amounts. The ratio of the conformers I:II:III:IV = 45(15):20(15):10(assumed):25(15) (in %) has been determined in the GED analysis guided by theoretical predictions. To take into account vibrational effects, the corrections Δ( r e - r a) to the experimental r a bond lengths were calculated from the MP2/cc-pVTZ quadratic and cubic force constants. The obtained equilibrium structural parameters of the dominant conformer I are the following (bond lengths in Å, angles in degrees): r e(C sp3sbnd C sp3) = 1.508(3), r e(C sp3sbnd C sp2) = 1.499(2), r e(C sbnd O) = 1.343(2), r e(C dbnd O) = 1.202(1), e(C sbnd C sbnd C) = 111.8(4), e(C sbnd C sbnd O) = 112.0(4), e(O sbnd C dbnd O) = 123.0(1), τ(C sbnd C sbnd C sbnd C) = 69.9(11). Yielding the best agreement with the GED structure, the MP2/cc-pVQZ approximation overestimates the C sbnd O and C dbnd O bond lengths by ca. 0.005(2) Å.

Can Adverse Effects of Acidity and Aluminum Toxicity be Alleviated by Appropriate Rootstock Selection in Cucumber?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Youssef Rouphael

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Low-pH and aluminium (Al stresses are the major constraints that limit crop yield in acidic soils. Grafting vegetable elite cultivars onto appropriate rootstocks may represent an effective tool to improve crop tolerance to acidity and Al toxicity. Two greenhouse hydroponic experiments were performed to evaluate growth, yield, biomass production, chlorophyll index, electrolyte leakage, mineral composition and assimilate partitioning in plant tissues of cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus L.‘Ekron’ either non-grafted or grafted onto ‘P360’ (Cucurbita maxima Duchesne × Cucurbita moschata Duchesne; E/C or figleaf gourd (Cucurbita ficifolia Bouché; E/F. Cucumber plants were cultured in pots and supplied with nutrient solutions having different pH and Al concentrations: pH 6, pH 3.5, pH 3.5 + 1.5 mM Al and pH 3.5 + 3 mM Al (Exp. 1, 14 d and pH 6, pH 3.5 and pH 3.5 +0.75 mM Al (Exp. 2, 67 d. Significant depression in shoot and root biomass was observed in response to acidity and Al concentrations, with Al-stress being more phytotoxic than low pH treatment. Significant decrease in yield, shoot and root biomass, leaf area, SPAD index, N, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, and B concentration in aerial parts (leaves and stems in response to low pH with more detrimental effects at pH 3.5 + Al. Grafted E/C plants grown under low pH and Al had higher yield, shoot and root biomass compared to E/F and non-grafted plants. This better crop performance of E/C plants in response to Al stress was related to i a reduced translocation of Al from roots to the shoot, ii a better shoot and root nutritional status in K, Ca, Mg, Mn, and Zn concentration, iii a higher chlorophyll synthesis, as well as iv the ability to maintain cell membrane stability and integrity (lower electrolyte leakage. Data provide insight into the role of grafting on Al stress tolerance in cucumber.

NWT-02, a fixed combination of lutein, zeaxanthin and docosahexaenoic acid in egg yolk and reduction of the loss of vision: evaluation of a health claim pursuant to Article 13(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sjödin, Anders Mikael

2018-01-01

Following an application from Newtricious R&D B.V., submitted for authorisation of a health claim pursuant to Article 13(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 via the Competent Authority of the Netherlands, the EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) was asked to deliver...

Effect of Potassium Sulphate and Humic acid on Growth, Yield and Essential Oil Content in Hypericum perforatum L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Kaboli Farshchi

2016-07-01

.4 cm was recorded at the lowest level of potassium sulphate (K0 treatment. On the other hand, the highest stem (80.33 cm was achieved with the highest level of humic acid treatment. No significant difference was observed between the highest level of humic acid (H40 and the second level (H20, while both mentioned levels showed a significant difference with control (H0. This means that the control plants possessed the lowest stem height (66.7 cm. The DPPH method for evaluation of antioxidant activity reflects the ability of the present compounds to scavenge hydrophilic free radicals. DPPH inhibition was investigated and the results were evaluated as relative activities against α-tocopherol as positive control. A lower EC50 indicates a higher antioxidant activity. As it is shown, the least EC50 which indicates the highest antioxidant activity belonged to plants treated with potassium sulphate at (100 kg.ha-1. Control plants possessed the least antioxidant activity and showed no significant difference compared with plants treated with 60 kg.ha-1 of this fertilizer. Humic acid had a significant effect on antioxidant activity of H. perforatum. The lowest value of EC50 was related to the highest level of humic acid, while the highest value of EC50 was obtained from control plants. There was also significant difference between control and two other levels (20 and 40 L ha-1 of humic acid. Applied fertilizers at their high levels showed significant effects on EC50 decrease, which means the increment of antioxidant activity of H. perforatum. The high antioxidant activity of this medicinal plant is the reason of flavonoids and phenols existence. It seems that application of these fertilizers have led to increment of the mentioned secondary metabolites and followed by an increase of antioxidant activity in comparison with control plants. Totally, H. perforatum possessed a high antioxidant activity. Based on recorded data of the present study, application of the mentioned

Effect of alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists on gastric pepsin and acid secretion in the rat.

Science.gov (United States)

Tazi-Saad, K.; Chariot, J.; Del Tacca, M.; Rozé, C.

1992-01-01

1. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the effects of the alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists clonidine, guanabenz, detomidine and medetomidine on pepsin secretion in conscious rats provided with gastric chronic fistula and to compare this with acid secretion. 2. Basal interdigestive gastric secretion, which is mainly neurally driven in the rat, and the secretion directly stimulated by the two main stimulants of chief cells, cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK8) and methacholine, were studied. 3. Basal secretion of pepsin and acid was inhibited by all four drugs with comparable EC50S. 4. CCK-stimulated pepsin and acid secretion was less sensitive than basal pepsin and acid secretion to alpha 2-adrenoceptor inhibition. 5. Methacholine-stimulated pepsin and acid secretion was not changed by clonidine and guanabenz; methacholine-stimulated acid was even marginally increased by clonidine. 6. These results do not favour the presence of alpha 2-receptors on chief cells in the rat stomach. They rather suggest that pepsin inhibition by alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists is indirect and due to central or peripheral inhibition of the discharge of nerve fibres activating pepsin secretion. PMID:1356566

The legal situation relating to the reprocessing in other EC member countries of spent fuel from German nuclear power stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haedrich, H.

1993-01-01

The author states that reprocessing can continue, showing by his analysis that discontinuing the reprocessing of spent fuel from Germany in installations in France or Great Britain would mean a breach of - prior-ranking - Euratom law, which offers equally efficient protection of public security and public health and safety in accordance with the internationally defined and accepted state of the art in science and technology. In addition, such a decision would mean an infringement of the basic principles of the free market economy as laid down by the Euratom treaty and by the EC treaty, as there are no facts or conditions allowing application of the exemption provision given by the EC treaty. (orig./HP) [de

Human triose-phosphate isomerase deficiency: a single amino acid substitution results in a thermolabile enzyme.

OpenAIRE

Daar, I O; Artymiuk, P J; Phillips, D C; Maquat, L E

1986-01-01

Triose-phosphate isomerase (TPI; D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate ketol-isomerase, EC 5.3.1.1) deficiency is a recessive disorder that results in hemolytic anemia and neuromuscular dysfunction. To determine the molecular basis of this disorder, a TPI allele from two unrelated patients homozygous for TPI deficiency was compared with an allele from a normal individual. Each disease-associated sequence harbors a G X C----C X G transversion in the codon for amino acid-104 and specifies a structurally...

Environmental policies and regulations on the electricity market in EC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boucher, J.

1990-01-01

The use of natural resources like ground and water, the emissions of noxious gases and particles, the thermal rejections, the production of waste and the noise are the main environmental impacts associated with the production of electricity. Emission regulations and standards have been selected so far by the European Community (EC) and the different Member States to deal with the abatement problem. They simply consist in defining some ceilings or regulations for the different types of noxious gases and particles which are emitted by power plants and forcing the power generation companies to comply with these norms within some pre-determined time period. They can also take the form of a general constraint on the sulfur content of the fuel, for example. Tables of emission limits for various gases from existing and new plants are presented. 3 figs., 8 tabs

Electrochemical Behaviour of a PPy(DBS)/Polyacrylonitrile (PAN):LITF:EC:PC/ Li Cell

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vidanapathirana, K.; Careem, M.A.; Skaarup, Steen

2006-01-01

The electrochemical behaviour of Li rechargeable cells with Polypyrrole (PPy) as the cathode material was investigated using cyclic voltammetry. The PPy used was doped with the large surfactant anion dodecyl benzenesulphonate (DBS-). The cells were constructed with PAN:LiTF:EC:PC gel electrolyte...... with Li as anode. The results indicate that during the first reduction, cations are inserted into the PPy film forming LiDBS neutral salt. During the next oxidation/reduction cycles, the mechanism then switches to anion movement. Cyclic voltammetry studies also verified that complete electrochemical...

Certification of a plutonium dioxide reference material for elemental analyses (EC-NRM 210)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Duigou, Y.

1990-01-01

A new EC plutonium reference material is made available in the form of 5g samples of plutonium dioxide powder. Before weighing the material must be calcined at 1 250 0 C for two hours. The plutonium content (880.26 ± 0.44) g.kg -1 has been derived from plutonium measurements performed by three different laboratories each applying a different oxydo-reductive method. The results of the plutonium measurement, the statistical evaluation of the uncertainty of the plutonium content together with information on the impurities present in the material are given in the report

Changes of the value added tax in the tax-harmonization process with EC directives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Votavová

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article is to bring near the topical process of the assimilation the Czech law of value added tax to the EC-directives. The attention will be paid to the development of the harmonization this law in 1993 – 2003 and I will describe and analyse the choice sections of the value added tax law (with the effective date from 1. 5. 2004. I will explain the changes by tax rates.

Acute toxicity of metals and reference toxicants to a freshwater ostracod, Cypris subglobosa Sowerby, 1840 and correlation to EC{sub 50} values of other test models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khangarot, B.S., E-mail: bkhangarot@hotmail.com [Ecotoxicology Division, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (Formerly: Industrial Toxicology Research Centre), Post Box No. 80, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow 226001 (India); Das, Sangita [Ecotoxicology Division, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (Formerly: Industrial Toxicology Research Centre), Post Box No. 80, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow 226001 (India)

2009-12-30

The ostracod Cypris subglobosa Sowerby, 1840 static bioassay test on the basis of a 48 h of 50% of immobilization (EC{sub 50}) has been used to measure the toxicity of 36 metals and metalloids and 12 reference toxicants. Among the 36 metals and metalloids, osmium (Os) was found to be the most toxic in the test while boron (B), the least toxic. The EC{sub 50} values of this study revealed positive linear relationship with the established test models of cladoceran (Daphnia magna), sludge worm (Tubifex tubifex), chironomid larvae (Chironomus tentans), protozoan (Tetrahymena pyriformis), fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus), and aquatic macrophyte duckweed (Lemna minor). Correlation coefficients (r{sup 2}) for 17 physicochemical properties of metals or metal ions and EC{sub 50}s (as pM) were examined by linear regression analysis. The electronegativity, ionization potential, melting point, solubility product of metal sulfides (pK{sub sp}), softness parameter and some other physicochemical characteristics were significantly correlated with EC{sub 50}s of metals to C. subglobosa. The reproducibility of toxicity test was determined using 12 reference toxicants. The coefficient of variability of the EC{sub 50}s ranged from 6.95% to 55.37% and variability was comparable to that noticed for D. magna and other aquatic test models. The study demonstrated the need to include crustacean ostracods in a battery of biotests to detect the presence of hazardous chemicals in soils, sewage sludges, sediments and aquatic systems.

Quality parameters and RAPD-PCR differentiation of commercial baker's yeast and hybrid strains.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Fiky, Zaki A; Hassan, Gamal M; Emam, Ahmed M

2012-06-01

Baker's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is a key component in bread baking. Total of 12 commercial baker's yeast and 2 hybrid strains were compared using traditional quality parameters. Total of 5 strains with high leavening power and the 2 hybrid strains were selected and evaluated for their alpha-amylase, maltase, glucoamylase enzymes, and compared using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). The results revealed that all selected yeast strains have a low level of alpha-amylase and a high level of maltase and glucoamylase enzymes. Meanwhile, the Egyptian yeast strain (EY) had the highest content of alpha-amylase and maltase enzymes followed by the hybrid YH strain. The EY and YH strains have the highest content of glucoamylase enzyme almost with the same level. The RAPD banding patterns showed a wide variation among commercial yeast and hybrid strains. The closely related Egyptian yeast strains (EY and AL) demonstrated close similarity of their genotypes. The 2 hybrid strains were clustered to Turkish and European strains in 1 group. The authors conclude that the identification of strains and hybrids using RAPD technique was useful in determining their genetic relationship. These results can be useful not only for the basic research, but also for the quality control in baking factories. © 2012 Institute of Food Technologists®

Sugar and protein digestion in flowerpiercers and hummingbirds: a comparative test of adaptive convergence.

Science.gov (United States)

Schondube, J E; Martinez del Rio, C

2004-04-01

Flowerpiercers are the most specialized nectar-feeding passerines in the Neotropics. They are nectar robbers that feed on the sucrose-rich diet of hummingbirds. To test the hypothesis that flowerpiercers have converged with hummingbirds in digestive traits, we compared the activity of intestinal enzymes and the gut nominal area of cinnamon-bellied flowerpiercers (Diglossa baritula) with those of eleven hummingbird species. We measured sucrase, maltase, and aminopeptidase-N activities. To provide a comparative context, we also compared flowerpiercers and hummingbirds with 29 species of passerines. We analyzed enzyme activity using both standard allometric analyses and phylogenetically independent contrasts. Both approaches revealed the same patterns. With the exception of sucrase activity, hummingbirds' digestive traits were indistinguishable from those of passerines. Sucrase activity was ten times higher in hummingbirds than in passerines. Hummingbirds and passerines also differed in the relationship between intestinal maltase and sucrase activities. Maltase activity was two times higher per unit of sucrase activity in passerines than in hummingbirds. The sucrase activity of D. baritula was much lower than that of hummingbirds, and not unlike that expected for a passerine of its body mass. With the exception of aminopeptidase-N activity, the digestive traits of D. baritula were not different from those of other passerines. Copyright 2004 Springer-Verlag

Mechanical analysis of the EC upper launcher with respect to electromagnetic loads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vaccaro, A.; Kleefeldt, K.; Spaeh, P.; Strauss, D.

2009-01-01

The design of the EC upper launcher for ITER approaches maturity and thus it needs to be qualified with respect to the critical loads. One major source of critical loads are eddy currents, which are induced in the structure during plasma instabilities, of which the most severe conditions may happen during a vertical displacement event (VDE) followed by a fast current quench. High mechanical loads are then acting on the front end of the cantilevered launcher structure as a consequence of the interaction between the static toroidal field and the eddy currents. The EC upper launcher has a length of about 6 m and the nominal gap to the neighbouring components is 20 mm. The targeted limit for the launcher displacements is 10 mm, when accounting for tolerances in manufacturing, positioning and thermal displacement. The conceptual design of the launcher is at risk to miss this requirement, thus different configurations of the main frame are considered and analysed. Especially, the cross-section of the single wall segment has been varied to identify the most efficient strategy for increasing the stiffness of the structure. For this purpose, the mechanical loads from an upward VDE (linear current decay from 15 to 0 MA within 40 ms) are used as input to a finite element analysis with the ANSYS software tool. The displacement at the free plasma facing end of the launcher is calculated and analyzed. Its main component is in toroidal direction and the effort of mitigation is concentrated primarily on the bottom-wall. The approach satisfies the limitations given by the space requests of the mm-wave system which is to be integrated into the port plug.

Studying of cellular interaction of hairpin-like peptide EcAMP1 from barnyard grass (Echinochloa crusgalli L.) seeds with plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium solani using microscopy techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Vasilchenko, Alexey S; Yuryev, Mikhail; Ryazantsev, Dmitry Yu; Zavriev, Sergey K; Feofanov, Alexey V; Grishin, Eugene V; Rogozhin, Eugene A

2016-11-01

An interaction of recombinant hairpin-like cationic peptide EcAMP1 with conidia of plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium solani at the cellular level was studied by a combination of microscopic methods. EcAMP1 is from barnyard grass (Echinochloa crusgalli L.), and obtained by heterologous expression in Escherichia coli system. As a result, a direct relationship between hyphal growth inhibition and increasing active peptide concentration, time of incubation and fungal physiological condition has been determined. Dynamics of accumulation and redistribution of the peptide studied on fungal cellular cover and inside the conidia cells has been shown. The dynamics are dependent on time of coupling, as well as, a dissimilarity of EcAMP1 binding with cover of fungal conidia and its stepwise accumulation and diffuse localization in the cytoplasm. Correlation between structural disruption of fungal conidia and the presence of morphological changes has also been found. The correlation was found under the influence of peptide high concentrations at concentrations above 32 μM. The results indicate the presence of a binding of EcAMP1 with the surface of fungal conidia, thus, demonstrating a main specificity for its antifungal action at the cellular level. These results, however, cannot exclude the existence of attendant EcAMP1 action based on its intracellular localization on some specific targets. SCANNING 38:591-598, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of Eurycoma longifolia provision on blood sugar level, cholesterols, and uric acid of Etawa Crossbreed Goat

Science.gov (United States)

Pratomo, Hurip

2018-05-01

Previous research on male white rat with provision of Eurycoma longifolia until the 3rd days has increased significantly on the formation of final spermatid from spermatozoon, and testosterone, and increase activity of pituitary cell producing the LH hormone. However, these researches yet studied on possibility of side effects caused by provision of Eurycoma longifolia for 6 days on male EC goat. The research aims to measure the effect of Eurycoma longifolia on the levels of: 1). Blood sugar, 2). Cholesterols, and 3). Uric acid of Male Etawa Crossbreed (EC) goat. This research was conducted through two treatment groups, namely : 1). Control group (provision of aquadest) for 1 day, 3 days, and 6 days, 2) Eurycoma longifolia group with a dose of 90 mg/kg body weight (bb) for 1 day, 3 days, and 6 days. Measurements on the sugar blood, cholesterol and uric acid level were conducted in the 1st, 2nd and 6th days. The obtained data were analyzed using Duncan test with confidence level by 95% (α=0,05) comparing the sugar blood, cholesterol and uric acid measured from the control group in the 1st, 3rd and 6th days with the same compound level measured from the Eurycoma longifolia treatment group in the 1st, 3rd and 6th days. The result obtained there were no significant changes on the sugar blood, cholesterol and uric acid levels between all Eurycoma longifolia treatment groups compared to the control group in the 1st, 3rd and 6th days. Thus, the Eurycoma longifolia provision until in the 6th day did not provide any negative side effects and can be applied in the Etawa crossbreed goat farm.

EC verifications of the infrastructure subsystem; EG-Pruefungen im Teilsystem Infrastruktur

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koeppel, M. [EISENBAHN-CERT, Bonn (Germany)

2006-07-15

With the entry into force of the TSIs (technical specifications for the interoperability) of the high-speed railway system, a new procedure has been created in Germany for authorizing railway infrastructures to enter service. It involves the nominated body for interoperability, Eisenbahn-Cert (EBC), in a role which inserts it ahead of the Federal Railway Authority (EBA). This article discusses the EC verification procedure on the basis of the experience already accumulated with it and the cases pending at present. It also deals with substantive rules concerning the infrastructure TSIs, comparing them with the national equivalents, and takes a look into the future as regards the rules that are going to be necessary for attaining interoperability for both high-speed railway systems and conventional ones. (orig.)

Mouse repeated electroconvulsive seizure (ECS) does not reverse social stress effects but does induce behavioral and hippocampal changes relevant to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) side-effects in the treatment of depression.

Science.gov (United States)

van Buel, Erin M; Sigrist, Hannes; Seifritz, Erich; Fikse, Lianne; Bosker, Fokko J; Schoevers, Robert A; Klein, Hans C; Pryce, Christopher R; Eisel, Ulrich Lm

2017-01-01

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective treatment for depression, but can have negative side effects including amnesia. The mechanisms of action underlying both the antidepressant and side effects of ECT are not well understood. An equivalent manipulation that is conducted in experimental animals is electroconvulsive seizure (ECS). Rodent studies have provided valuable insights into potential mechanisms underlying the antidepressant and side effects of ECT. However, relatively few studies have investigated the effects of ECS in animal models with a depression-relevant manipulation such as chronic stress. In the present study, mice were first exposed to chronic social stress (CSS) or a control procedure for 15 days followed by ECS or a sham procedure for 10 days. Behavioral effects were investigated using an auditory fear conditioning (learning) and expression (memory) test and a treadmill-running fatigue test. Thereafter, immunohistochemistry was conducted on brain material using the microglial marker Iba-1 and the cholinergic fibre marker ChAT. CSS did not increase fear learning and memory in the present experimental design; in both the control and CSS mice ECS reduced fear learning and fear memory expression. CSS induced the expected fatigue-like effect in the treadmill-running test; ECS induced increased fatigue in CSS and control mice. In CSS and control mice ECS induced inflammation in hippocampus in terms of increased expression of Iba-1 in radiatum of CA1 and CA3. CSS and ECS both reduced acetylcholine function in hippocampus as indicated by decreased expression of ChAT in several hippocampal sub-regions. Therefore, CSS increased fatigue and reduced hippocampal ChAT activity and, rather than reversing these effects, a repeated ECS regimen resulted in impaired fear learning-memory, increased fatigue, increased hippocampal Iba-1 expression, and decreased hippocampal ChAT expression. As such, the current model does not provide insights into the

Mouse repeated electroconvulsive seizure (ECS does not reverse social stress effects but does induce behavioral and hippocampal changes relevant to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT side-effects in the treatment of depression.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erin M van Buel

Full Text Available Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT is an effective treatment for depression, but can have negative side effects including amnesia. The mechanisms of action underlying both the antidepressant and side effects of ECT are not well understood. An equivalent manipulation that is conducted in experimental animals is electroconvulsive seizure (ECS. Rodent studies have provided valuable insights into potential mechanisms underlying the antidepressant and side effects of ECT. However, relatively few studies have investigated the effects of ECS in animal models with a depression-relevant manipulation such as chronic stress. In the present study, mice were first exposed to chronic social stress (CSS or a control procedure for 15 days followed by ECS or a sham procedure for 10 days. Behavioral effects were investigated using an auditory fear conditioning (learning and expression (memory test and a treadmill-running fatigue test. Thereafter, immunohistochemistry was conducted on brain material using the microglial marker Iba-1 and the cholinergic fibre marker ChAT. CSS did not increase fear learning and memory in the present experimental design; in both the control and CSS mice ECS reduced fear learning and fear memory expression. CSS induced the expected fatigue-like effect in the treadmill-running test; ECS induced increased fatigue in CSS and control mice. In CSS and control mice ECS induced inflammation in hippocampus in terms of increased expression of Iba-1 in radiatum of CA1 and CA3. CSS and ECS both reduced acetylcholine function in hippocampus as indicated by decreased expression of ChAT in several hippocampal sub-regions. Therefore, CSS increased fatigue and reduced hippocampal ChAT activity and, rather than reversing these effects, a repeated ECS regimen resulted in impaired fear learning-memory, increased fatigue, increased hippocampal Iba-1 expression, and decreased hippocampal ChAT expression. As such, the current model does not provide insights

EC law relating to legal and technical aspects of natural gas and water supply. EC legal provisions for internal market harmonization of the regime of product specification and standardization, and their unification with German law. EG-Recht der Gas- und Wasserversorgungstechnik. Regelungen der Europaeischen Gemeinschaft zur Harmonisierung der Produktanforderungen und ihre Umsetzung in deutsches Recht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rienen, W. van; Wasser, U.

1999-01-01

This new publication presents an analysis of the relevant EC legislation and standards and its impacts for the German industrial branches resulting from implementation in German national law. It is an invaluable source of reference for the German natural gas industry and the water supply sector, as well as licensing and supervisory bodies. The book contains comprehensive information on all aspects of interest to public authorities, marketers and manufacturers, presenting the material in a systematic framework based on EC law and in a way designed to help finding the answers arising in practice. As for example: EU directives and regulatory guides relating to the products of interest (certification, standards); obligations and liabilities of those responsible for manufacture, marketing, installation and application of products; general principles of EC law to be observed in addition to regulatory guides; scope of discretion remaining for the German legislator in implementation of the law; resulting modification of duties and scope for action of the competent public authorities; availability of domestic and EC judicial remedies; how to prevent risks and exploit the rights offered by the law so as to be as successful as possible in the deregulated internal market; novel strategies opened up or called for by the novel legal instruments. (orig./CB)

EC/β+ decay of 161Er

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalinnikov, V.G.; Ibraheem, Y.S.; Stegailov, V.I.

2004-01-01

Full text: The study of odd-proton nuclei in rare-earth region has been performed to get more information on the nuclear structure of these nuclei. In the framework of a program at the ISOL complex of YASNAPP-2 at JINR to study the decay of odd-nuclei, 161 Er has been investigated. The experiments have been focused on the 161 Ho level scheme populated in the EC/β + decay of 161 Er for which a few results have been previously reported [1,2]. Spectra of single γ-ray, γ-γ coincidence and internal conversion electrons were measured. There are appreciable disagreements between results of some γ-ray intensities obtained by us and in [2]. The greatest difference was for relative γ-ray intensity of the 11.28 keV, which has reported value I γ ∼ 10 (I γ 211 =1000) in [2], but this leads to an overpopulation of the 211 keV level by 14% of the decay [3]. The relative intensities of transitions with Eγ γ211 =1000). Inaccuracy of Iγ in [2] is probably due to a sudden change in the efficiency curve of their Ge(Li) detector in the low energy region while our HPGe detector feature a much smoother variation in the efficiency curve in this γ-ray energy region. Besides, the levels earlier introduced by us in [4], three new levels in 161 Ho were proposed from γ-γ coincidences at energies 693.2 keV, 859.6 keV, and 957.97 keV. Spins, parities and Nilsson quantum characteristics of some 161 Ho levels were established

The EU commission and national governments as partners: EC regulatory expansion in telecommunications 1979-2000

OpenAIRE

Mark Thatcher

2001-01-01

Explicitly or implicitly, general models of European integration claim that EC regulatory expansion involves a struggle for power between Commission and national governments. The Commission is seen as a policy entrepreneur, taking the initiative to drive forward integration (Sandholtz and Zysman 1989). It seeks regulatory expansion due to constraints on its expenditure (Majone 1996, ch4). Neo-functionalists emphasise the Commission's ability to expand its role against the wishes of government...

VLBA DETERMINATION OF THE DISTANCE TO NEARBY STAR-FORMING REGIONS. IV. A PRELIMINARY DISTANCE TO THE PROTO-HERBIG AeBe STAR EC 95 IN THE SERPENS CORE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dzib, Sergio; Loinard, Laurent; Rodriguez, Luis F.; Mioduszewski, Amy J.; Boden, Andrew F.; Torres, Rosa M.

2010-01-01

Using the Very Long Base Array, we observed the young stellar object EC 95 in the Serpens cloud core at eight epochs from 2007 December to 2009 December. Two sources are detected in our field and are shown to form a tight binary system. The primary (EC 95a) is a 4-5 M sun proto-Herbig AeBe object (arguably the youngest such object known), whereas the secondary (EC 95b) is most likely a low-mass T Tauri star. Interestingly, both sources are non-thermal emitters. While T Tauri stars are expected to power a corona because they are convective while they go down the Hayashi track, intermediate-mass stars approach the main sequence on radiative tracks. Thus, they are not expected to have strong superficial magnetic fields, and should not be magnetically active. We review several mechanisms that could produce the non-thermal emission of EC 95a and argue that the observed properties of EC 95a might be most readily interpreted if it possessed a corona powered by a rotation-driven convective layer. Using our observations, we show that the trigonometric parallax of EC 95 is π = 2.41 ± 0.02 mas, corresponding to a distance of 414.9 +4.4 -4.3 pc. We argue that this implies a distance to the Serpens core of 415 ± 5 pc and a mean distance to the Serpens cloud of 415 ± 25 pc. This value is significantly larger than previous estimates (d ∼ 260 pc) based on measurements of the extinction suffered by stars in the direction of Serpens. A possible explanation for this discrepancy is that these previous observations picked out foreground dust clouds associated with the Aquila Rift system rather than Serpens itself.

Padrões de distribuição da avifauna em área de Ecótono Cerrado-Caatinga no Nordeste do Brasil

OpenAIRE

GONÇALVES, Gabriela Silva Ribeiro

2015-01-01

Ecótono é a zona de transição entre sistemas ecológicos adjacentes, que possui um conjunto de características definido pela força das interações entre os sistemas, tendo muitos mecanismos e fatores que podem afetar a diversidade, sendo o ambiente apontado como o principal responsável pela estruturação da comunidade. Nosso objetivo foi identificar os padrões da diversidade de aves em áreas de ecótono envolvendo a Caatinga e o Cerrado no Nordeste do Brasil, verificando quais variáveis ambientai...

Long-term trends and spatial variability in nitrate leaching from alpine catchment–lake ecosystems in the Tatra Mountains (Slovakia–Poland)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kopáček, Jiří; Stuchlík, E.; Wright, R. F.

2005-01-01

Roč. 136, č. 1 (2005), s. 89-101 ISSN 0269-7491. [ Acid Rain 2005. International Conference on Acid Deposition /7./. Prague, 12.06.2005-17.06.2005] Grant - others:EC(XE) EMERGE EVK1-CT-1999-0032; EC(XE) MOLAR ENV4-CT95-0007; EC(XE) EURO-LIMPACS GOCE-CT-2003-505540 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z6017912 Keywords : nitrogen * recovery * acid ification Subject RIV: DJ - Water Pollution ; Quality Impact factor: 2.451, year: 2005

Experimental study of the correlation between 99Tcm-EC-MNZ SPECT imaging and the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1α in tumor tissuse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Jie; Lu Xueguan; Tang Jun; Fan Wo

2005-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the correlation between 99 Tc m -ethylene dicysteinc-metronidazaole ( 99 Tc M -EC-MNZ) SPECT imaging and the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in tumor tissue. Methods: Twelve S180 sarcoma-bearing Kunming mice tumor models were established. Hypoxic imaging was obtained by SPECT with 99 Tc m -EC-MNZ and the corresponding tumor/muscle ratios (T/M) were measured. Then the animals were sacrificed and the tumor specimen was resected, the expression of HIF-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was measured by immunohistochemistry. Results: Three hours after injection of 99 Tc m -EC-MNZ, the T/M ranged from 1.93 to 4.46 (median 3.13). The expression of HIF-1α ranged from 31.2% to 60.8% (median 50.4%) and was linearly correlated with the T/M (t=2.732, r=0.654, P=0.021). The expression of VEGF ranged from 33.8% to 57.5% (median 53.1%) and also linearly correlated with the expression of HIF-1α (t=3.011, r=0.690, P=0.0131). Conclusions: There is linear correlation between 99 Tc m -EC-MNZ hypoxic SPECT imaging and the expression of HIF-1α. Combining them can reliably reflect the hypoxic status of the tumor. (authors)

Effect of amino acids on tannase biosynthesis by Bacillus licheniformis KBR6.