Apolipoprotein E expression and behavioral toxicity of high charge, high energy (HZE) particle radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Higuchi, Yoshinori; Nelson, Gregory A.; Vazquez, Marcelo; Laskowitz, Daniel T.; Slater, James M.; Pearlstein, Robert D.

2002-01-01

Apolipoprotein E (apoE) is a lipid binding protein that plays an important role in tissue repair following brain injury. In the present studies, we have investigated whether apoE affects the behavioral toxicity of high charge, high energy (HZE) particle radiation. METHODS: Sixteen male apoE knockout (KO) mice and sixteen genetically matched wild-type (WT) C57BL mice were used in this experiment. Half of the KO and half of the WT animals were irradiated with 600 MeV/amu iron particles (2 Gy whole body). The effect of irradiation on motor coordination and stamina (Rotarod test), exploratory behavior (open field test), and spatial working and reference memory (Morris water maze) was assessed. ROTAROD TEST: Performance was adversely affected by radiation exposure in both KO and WT groups at 30 d after irradiation. By 60 d after radiation, the radiation effect was lost in WT, but still apparent in irradiated KO mice. OPEN FIELD TEST: Radiation reduced open field exploratory activity 14, 28, 56, 84, and 168 d after irradiation of KO mice, but had no effect on WT mice. MORRIS WATER MAZE: Radiation adversely affected spatial working memory in the KO mice, but had no discernible effect in the WT mice as assessed 180 d after irradiation. In contrast, irradiated WT mice showed marked impairment of spatial reference memory in comparison to non-irradiated mice, while no effect of radiation was observed in KO mice. CONCLUSIONS: These studies show that apoE expression influences the behavioral toxicity of HZE particle radiation and suggest that apoE plays a role in the repair/recovery from radiation injury of the CNS. ApoE deficiency may exacerbate the previously reported effects of HZE particle radiation in accelerating the brain aging process.

Apolipoprotein E expression and behavioral toxicity of high charge, high energy (HZE) particle radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higuchi, Yoshinori; Nelson, G.A.; Slater, J.M.; Pearlstein, R.D.; Laskowitz, D.T.

2002-01-01

Apolipoprotein E (apoE) is a lipid binding protein that plays an important role in tissue repair following brain injury. In the present studies, we have investigated whether apoE affects the behavioral toxicity of high charge, high energy (HZE) particle radiation. Sixteen male apoE knockout (KO) mice and sixteen genetically matched wild-type (WT) C57BL mice were used in this experiment. Half of the KO and half of the WT animals were irradiated with 600 MeV/amu iron particles (2 Gy whole body). The effect of irradiation on motor coordination and stamina (Rotarod test), exploratory behavior (open field test), and spatial working and reference memory (Morris water maze) was assessed. Rotarod test: Performance was adversely affected by radiation exposure in both KO and WT groups at 30 d after irradiation. By 60 d after radiation, the radiation effect was lost in WT, but still apparent in irradiated KO mice. Open field test: Radiation reduced open field exploratory activity 14, 28, 56, 84, and 168 d after irradiation of KO mice, but had no effect on WT mice. Morris water maze: Radiation adversely affected spatial working memory in the KO mice, but had no discernible effect in the WT mice as assessed 180 d after irradiation. In contrast, irradiated WT mice showed marked impairment of spatial reference memory in comparison to non-irradiated mice, while no effect of radiation was observed in KO mice. These studies show that apoE expression influences the behavioral toxicity of HZE particle radiation and suggest that apoE plays a role in the repair/recovery from radiation injury of the central nervous system (CNS). ApoE deficiency may exacerbate the previously reported effects of HZE particle radiation in accelerating the brain aging process. (author)

Apolipoprotein E expression and behavioral toxicity of high charge, high energy (HZE) particle radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Higuchi, Yoshinori; Nelson, G.A.; Slater, J.M.; Pearlstein, R.D. [Loma Linda Univ., CA (United States). Medical Center; Vazquez, M. [Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States); Laskowitz, D.T. [Duke Univ., Durham, NC (United States). Medical Center

2002-12-01

Apolipoprotein E (apoE) is a lipid binding protein that plays an important role in tissue repair following brain injury. In the present studies, we have investigated whether apoE affects the behavioral toxicity of high charge, high energy (HZE) particle radiation. Sixteen male apoE knockout (KO) mice and sixteen genetically matched wild-type (WT) C57BL mice were used in this experiment. Half of the KO and half of the WT animals were irradiated with 600 MeV/amu iron particles (2 Gy whole body). The effect of irradiation on motor coordination and stamina (Rotarod test), exploratory behavior (open field test), and spatial working and reference memory (Morris water maze) was assessed. Rotarod test: Performance was adversely affected by radiation exposure in both KO and WT groups at 30 d after irradiation. By 60 d after radiation, the radiation effect was lost in WT, but still apparent in irradiated KO mice. Open field test: Radiation reduced open field exploratory activity 14, 28, 56, 84, and 168 d after irradiation of KO mice, but had no effect on WT mice. Morris water maze: Radiation adversely affected spatial working memory in the KO mice, but had no discernible effect in the WT mice as assessed 180 d after irradiation. In contrast, irradiated WT mice showed marked impairment of spatial reference memory in comparison to non-irradiated mice, while no effect of radiation was observed in KO mice. These studies show that apoE expression influences the behavioral toxicity of HZE particle radiation and suggest that apoE plays a role in the repair/recovery from radiation injury of the central nervous system (CNS). ApoE deficiency may exacerbate the previously reported effects of HZE particle radiation in accelerating the brain aging process. (author)

The Growth Hormone Receptor Gene-Disrupted (GHR-KO) Mouse Fails to Respond to an Intermittent Fasting (IF) Diet

Science.gov (United States)

Arum, Oge; Bonkowski, Michael S.; Rocha, Juliana S.; Bartke, Andrzej

2009-01-01

SUMMARY The interaction of longevity-conferring genes with longevity-conferring diets is poorly understood. The growth hormone receptor gene-disrupted (GHR-KO) mouse is long-lived; and this longevity is not responsive to 30% caloric restriction (CR), in contrast to wild-type animals from the same strain. To determine whether this may have been limited to a particular level of dietary restriction (DR), we subjected GHR-KO mice to a different dietary restriction regimen, an intermittent fasting (IF) diet. The IF diet increased the survivorship and improved insulin sensitivity of normal males, but failed to affect either parameter in GHR-KO mice. From the results of two paradigms of dietary restriction we postulate that GHR-KO mice would be resistant to any manner of DR; potentially due to their inability to further enhance insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity may be a mechanism and/or a marker of the lifespan-extending potential of an intervention. PMID:19747233

ApoER2 Function in the Establishment and Maintenance of Retinal Synaptic Connectivity

Science.gov (United States)

Trotter, Justin H.; Klein, Martin; Jinwal, Umesh K.; Abisambra, Jose F.; Dickey, Chad A.; Tharkur, Jeremy; Masiulis, Irene; Ding, Jindong; Locke, Kirstin G.; Rickman, Catherine Bowes; Birch, David G.; Weeber, Edwin J.; Herz, Joachim

2011-01-01

The cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for the development of inner retinal circuitry are poorly understood. Reelin and apolipoprotein E (apoE), ligands of apoE receptor 2 (ApoER2), are involved in retinal development and degeneration, respectively. Here we describe the function of ApoER2 in the developing and adult retina. ApoER2 expression was highest during postnatal inner retinal synaptic development and was considerably lower in the mature retina. Both during development and in the adult ApoER2 was expressed by A-II amacrine cells. ApoER2 knockout (KO) mice had rod bipolar morphogenic defects, altered A-II amacrine dendritic development, and impaired rod-driven retinal responses. The presence of an intact ApoER2 NPxY motif, necessary for binding disabled-1 (Dab1) and transducing the Reelin signal, was also necessary for development of the rod bipolar pathway while the alternatively-spliced exon19 was not. Mice deficient in another Reelin receptor, very low-density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR), had normal rod bipolar morphology but altered A-II amacrine dendritic development. VLDLR KO mice also had reductions in oscillatory potentials and delayed synaptic response intervals. Interestingly, age-related reductions in rod and cone function were observed in both ApoER2 and VLDLR KOs. These results support a pivotal role for ApoER2 in the establishment and maintenance of normal retinal synaptic connectivity. PMID:21976526

An intact Pms2 ATPase domain is not essential for male fertility.

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Jared M; Dudley, Sandra; Miller, Ashleigh J; Liskay, R Michael

2016-03-01

The DNA mismatch repair (MMR) machinery in mammals plays critical roles in both mutation avoidance and spermatogenesis. Meiotic analysis of knockout mice of two different MMR genes, Mlh1 and Mlh3, revealed both male and female infertility associated with a defect in meiotic crossing over. In contrast, another MMR gene knockout, Pms2 (Pms2(ko/ko)), which contained a deletion of a portion of the ATPase domain, produced animals that were male sterile but female fertile. However, the meiotic phenotype of Pms2(ko/ko) males was less clear-cut than for Mlh1- or Mlh3-deficient meiosis. More recently, we generated a different Pms2 mutant allele (Pms2(cre)), which results in deletion of the same portion of the ATPase domain. Surprisingly, Pms2(cre/cre) male mice were completely fertile, suggesting that the ATPase domain of Pms2 is not required for male fertility. To explore the difference in male fertility, we examined the Pms2 RNA and found that alternative splicing of the Pms2(cre) allele results in a predicted Pms2 containing the C-terminus, which contains the Mlh1-interaction domain, a possible candidate for stabilizing Mlh1 levels. To study further the basis of male fertility, we examined Mlh1 levels in testes and found that whereas Pms2 loss in Pms2(ko/ko) mice results in severely reduced levels of Mlh1 expression in the testes, Mlh1 levels in Pms2(cre/cre) testes were reduced to a lesser extent. Thus, we propose that a primary function of Pms2 during spermatogenesis is to stabilize Mlh1 levels prior to its critical crossing over function with Mlh3. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fra halt ko til taberko

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Peter

2009-01-01

En halt ko kan meget nemt ende som en taberko, hvis der ikke gribes ind i tide. Ubehandlede haltheder vil ofte være  starten på en ond cirkel, som ender med, at koen bliver en taberko. Udgivelsesdato: 2009......En halt ko kan meget nemt ende som en taberko, hvis der ikke gribes ind i tide. Ubehandlede haltheder vil ofte være  starten på en ond cirkel, som ender med, at koen bliver en taberko. Udgivelsesdato: 2009...

Differentiation in boron distribution in adult male and female rats' normal brain: A BNCT approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goodarzi, Samereh, E-mail: samere.g@gmail.com [Department of Nuclear Engineering, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, PO Box 19395-1943, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Pazirandeh, Ali, E-mail: paziran@yahoo.com [Department of Nuclear Engineering, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, PO Box 19395-1943, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Jameie, Seyed Behnamedin, E-mail: behnamjameie@tums.ac.ir [Basic Science Department, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Baghban Khojasteh, Nasrin, E-mail: khojasteh_n@yahoo.com [Department of Nuclear Engineering, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, PO Box 19395-1943, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2012-06-15

Boron distribution in adult male and female rats' normal brain after boron carrier injection (0.005 g Boric Acid+0.005 g Borax+10 ml distilled water, pH: 7.4) was studied in this research. Coronal sections of control and trial animal tissue samples were irradiated with thermal neutrons. Using alpha autoradiography, significant differences in boron concentration were seen in forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain sections of male and female animal groups with the highest value, four hours after boron compound injection. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Boron distribution in male and female rats' normal brain was studied in this research. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Coronal sections of animal tissue samples were irradiated with thermal neutrons. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Alpha and Lithium tracks were counted using alpha autoradiography. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Different boron concentration was seen in brain sections of male and female rats. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The highest boron concentration was seen in 4 h after boron compound injection.

Dyrtid (II): Hvordan vasker man bedst en ko?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gjerløff, Anne Katrine

2008-01-01

bagsideartikel om danske landmænds problemer med effektive ko-vaskemidler i 1800-tallets sidste halvdel.......bagsideartikel om danske landmænds problemer med effektive ko-vaskemidler i 1800-tallets sidste halvdel....

Exercise training and antioxidant supplementation independently improve cognitive function in adult male and female GFAP-APOE mice

OpenAIRE

Kiran Chaudhari; Jessica M. Wong; Philip H. Vann; Nathalie Sumien

2014-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if antioxidant supplementation, moderate exercise, and the combination of both treatments could ameliorate cognitive performance in adult mice and whether the apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype as well as sex could influence the functional outcomes of the treatments. Methods: For a period of 16 weeks, separate groups of male and female mice expressing either the human APOE3 or APOE4 isoforms were fed either a control diet (NIH-31) or the co...

Central dopamine D2 receptors regulate growth-hormone-dependent body growth and pheromone signaling to conspecific males.

Science.gov (United States)

Noaín, Daniela; Pérez-Millán, M Inés; Bello, Estefanía P; Luque, Guillermina M; Casas Cordero, Rodrigo; Gelman, Diego M; Peper, Marcela; Tornadu, Isabel García; Low, Malcolm J; Becú-Villalobos, Damasia; Rubinstein, Marcelo

2013-03-27

Competition between adult males for limited resources such as food and receptive females is shaped by the male pattern of pituitary growth hormone (GH) secretion that determines body size and the production of urinary pheromones involved in male-to-male aggression. In the brain, dopamine (DA) provides incentive salience to stimuli that predict the availability of food and sexual partners. Although the importance of the GH axis and central DA neurotransmission in social dominance and fitness is clearly appreciated, the two systems have always been studied unconnectedly. Here we conducted a cell-specific genetic dissection study in conditional mutant mice that selectively lack DA D2 receptors (D2R) from pituitary lactotropes (lacDrd2KO) or neurons (neuroDrd2KO). Whereas lacDrd2KO mice developed a normal GH axis, neuroDrd2KO mice displayed fewer somatotropes; reduced hypothalamic Ghrh expression, pituitary GH content, and serum IGF-I levels; and exhibited reduced body size and weight. As a consequence of a GH axis deficit, neuroDrd2KO adult males excreted low levels of major urinary proteins and their urine failed to promote aggression and territorial behavior in control male challengers, in contrast to the urine taken from control adult males. These findings reveal that central D2Rs mediate a neuroendocrine-exocrine cascade that controls the maturation of the GH axis and downstream signals that are critical for fitness, social dominance, and competition between adult males.

The first Koç Han: Pioneering modern architecture in Ankara

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Oya Atalay Franck

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Koç Holding is the most established conglomerate in Turkey. Th e company’s beginnings date from the mid 1920s, when Ahmet Vehbi Koç, founder of Koç Holding, had his first own company registered with the Ankara Chamber of Commerce. In 1932, Koç moved his business from his father’s store on Anafartalar Street to a new building, the first Koç Han, erected the same year on Çankırı Street Nr.13 in Ulus. Th e building’s designer was Swiss-Austrian architect Ernst Arnold Egli, who had come to Turkey only five years earlier upon invitation by the government to work as chief architect of the Ministry of National Education. During his stay, which lasted from 1927 until 1940, Egli realized about 40 projects and worked on many more. Koç Han is the rare example of a commercial building by Egli. At a time when the urban aspect of the old town center of Ankara consisted mostly of one-or two-storeyed stone-and-wood houses, the first Koç Han represented an altogether new building type for the town, in being a multipurpose edifice with space for shops at street level, with large storage facilities below ground, and providing off ices and housing on the upper fl oors. Th e functional rigor of the plan and the sober modernism of the building’s facades contrasted strongly with the architecture of the time. In this respect, the first Koç Han was a strong statement regarding Ahmet Vehbi Koç’s belief in a modern Turkey and to the contribution of the building’s architect, Ernst Arnold Egli, to this project.

Infection with koala retrovirus subgroup B (KoRV-B), but not KoRV-A, is associated with chlamydial disease in free-ranging koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus).

Science.gov (United States)

Waugh, Courtney A; Hanger, Jonathan; Loader, Joanne; King, Andrew; Hobbs, Matthew; Johnson, Rebecca; Timms, Peter

2017-03-09

The virulence of chlamydial infection in wild koalas is highly variable between individuals. Some koalas can be infected (PCR positive) with Chlamydia for long periods but remain asymptomatic, whereas others develop clinical disease. Chlamydia in the koala has traditionally been studied without regard to coinfection with other pathogens, although koalas are usually subject to infection with koala retrovirus (KoRV). Retroviruses can be immunosuppressive, and there is evidence of an immunosuppressive effect of KoRV in vitro. Originally thought to be a single endogenous strain, a new, potentially more virulent exogenous variant (KoRV-B) was recently reported. We hypothesized that KoRV-B might significantly alter chlamydial disease outcomes in koalas, presumably via immunosuppression. By studying sub-groups of Chlamydia and KoRV infected koalas in the wild, we found that neither total KoRV load (either viraemia or proviral copies per genome), nor chlamydial infection level or strain type, was significantly associated with chlamydial disease risk. However, PCR positivity with KoRV-B was significantly associated with chlamydial disease in koalas (p = 0.02961). This represents an example of a recently evolved virus variant that may be predisposing its host (the koala) to overt clinical disease when co-infected with an otherwise asymptomatic bacterial pathogen (Chlamydia).

Estradiol-induced neurogenesis in the female accessory olfactory bulb is required for the learning of the male odor.

Science.gov (United States)

Brus, Maïna; Trouillet, Anne-Charlotte; Hellier, Vincent; Bakker, Julie

2016-08-01

Odors processed by the main and accessory olfactory bulbs (MOB, AOB) are important for sexual behavior. Interestingly, both structures continue to receive new neurons during adulthood. A role for olfactory neurogenesis in sexual behavior in female mice has recently been shown and gonadal hormones such as estradiol can modulate adult neurogenesis. Therefore, we wanted to determine the role of estradiol in learning the odors of sexual partners and in the adult neurogenesis of female aromatase knockout mice (ArKO), unable to produce estradiol. Female wild-type (WT) and ArKO mice were exposed to male odors during 7 days, and olfactory preferences, cell proliferation, cell survival and functional involvement of newborn neurons were analyzed, using BrdU injections, in combination with a marker of cell activation (Zif268) and neuronal fate (doublecortin, NeuN). Behavioral tasks indicated that both WT and ArKO females were able to discriminate between the odors of two different males, but ArKO mice failed to learn the familiar male odor. Proliferation of newborn cells was reduced in ArKO mice only in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. Olfactory exposure decreased cell survival in the AOB in WT females, suggesting a role for estradiol in a structure involved in sexual behavior. Finally, newborn neurons do not seem to be functionally involved in the AOB of ArKO mice compared with WT, when females were exposed to the odor of a familiar male, suggesting that estradiol-induced neurogenesis in the AOB is required for the learning of the male odor in female mice. Aromatase knockout mice (ArKO) presented deficits in olfactory preferences without affecting their olfactory discrimination abilities, and showed no functional involvement of newborn neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) in response to the odor of a familiar male. These results suggest that estradiol-induced neurogenesis in the female AOB is required for the learning of the male odor. © 2016 International

Population trends of Goričko agricultural landscape birds

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Denac Katarina

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Due to numerous bird surveys in the past 20 years, the avifauna of Goričko is relatively well known. For some species, the very first national ecological researches were conducted in this area. The article summarizes all bird surveys so far. It presents population trends of farmland species which is one of the most threatened bird groups in Europe. Most of the qualifying species of this habitat that are protected within the Natura 2000 network have suffered a decline at Goričko, specifically Quail Coturnix coturnix, Scops Owl Otus scops, Hoopoe Upupa epops, Woodlark Lullula arborea and White Stork Ciconia ciconia. The number of breeding pairs of the latter has not changed, but its fecundity has decreased. Furthermore, populations of other farmland bird species have decreased, for example Skylark Alauda arvensis, Stonechat Saxicola rubicola, Serin Serinus serinus and Common Linnet Linaria cannabina, as well as butterfly populations and tracts of grassland habitat types. National agricultural and nature conservation policies are evidently inefficient in protecting the biodiversity of Goričko. The most probable cause for bird population decline is agricultural intensification, which manifests itself at Goričko as disappearance and intensification of meadows, land consolidation, degradation of traditional orchards and use of pesticides. As a result of land consolidation hedges, uncultivated strips between fields, individual trees and bushes and minority habitat types are disappearing, whereas the surface of arable fields is increasing. Nature conservation measures performed by the Public Institute Goričko Nature Park with the support of DOPPS – BirdLife Slovenia volunteers seem to be efficient, but are spatially and temporally constrained. For this reason, they cannot serve as a substitute for insufficient systemic financing which could be improved by substantive and financial reform of the agri-environmental scheme. Currently, a negligible

An intact Pms2 ATPase domain is not essential for male fertility

OpenAIRE

Fischer, Jared M; Dudley, Sandra; Miller, Ashleigh J; Liskay, R Michael

2015-01-01

The DNA mismatch repair (MMR) machinery in mammals plays critical roles in both mutation avoidance and spermatogenesis. Meiotic analysis of knockout mice of two different MMR genes, Mlh1 and Mlh3, revealed both male and female infertility associated with a defect in meiotic crossing over. In contrast, another MMR gene knockout, Pms2 (Pms2ko/ko), which contained a deletion of a portion of the ATPase domain, produced animals that were male sterile but female fertile. However, the meiotic phenot...

Sarcocystis neurona infection in gamma interferon gene knockout (KO) mice: comparative infectivity of sporocysts in two strains of KO mice, effect of trypsin digestion on merozoite viability, and infectivity of bradyzoites to KO mice and cell culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Dubey, J P; Sundar, N; Kwok, O C H; Saville, W J A

2013-09-01

The protozoan Sarcocystis neurona is the primary cause of Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM). EPM or EPM-like illness has been reported in horses, sea otters, and several other mammals. The gamma interferon gene knockout (KO) mouse is often used as a model to study biology and discovery of new therapies against S. neurona because it is difficult to induce clinical EPM in other hosts, including horses. In the present study, infectivity of three life cycle stages (merozoites, bradyzoites, sporozoites) to KO mice and cell culture was studied. Two strains of KO mice (C57-black, and BALB/c-derived, referred here as black or white) were inoculated orally graded doses of S. neurona sporocysts; 12 sporocysts were infective to both strains of mice and all infected mice died or became ill within 70 days post-inoculation. Although there was no difference in infectivity of sporocysts to the two strains of KO mice, the disease was more severe in black mice. S. neurona bradyzoites were not infectious to KO mice and cell culture. S. neurona merozoites survived 120 min incubation in 0.25% trypsin, indicating that trypsin digestion can be used to recover S. neurona from tissues of acutely infected animals. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Impaired memory of eyeblink conditioning in CaMKIV KO mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ka Hung; Chatila, Talal A; Ram, Rana A; Thompson, Richard F

2009-04-01

The calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type IV (CaMKIV) is highly expressed in cerebellar cortical granule cells and deep nuclear neurons in the cerebellum. It mediates the phosphorylation and activation of the cAMP-dependent response element binding protein (CREB). In several paradigms CREB-dependent transcription is required for cellular events underlying long-term memory processes. Also, CaMKIV deficiency results in impaired long-term depression (LTD) induction in cerebellar cortex. To investigate the function of CaMKIV in the cerebellum, Wild-type (WT) and CaMKIV KO mice were tested with delay eyeblink conditioning. KO and WT mice did not differ in acquisition, but the KO mice showed a significantly lower conditioned response (CR) percentage than the WT mice in the retention testing and retraining period. The CR peak latencies for the two groups did not differ in acquisition but were shorter for the KO mice in the testing period. No significant differences were found between KO and WT mice in spontaneous eyeblink activity, auditory brainstem response (ABR) amplitudes, and tail-flick latency. The results suggest an important role for CaMKIV in long-term memory in the cerebellum. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Loss of PDZK1 causes coronary artery occlusion and myocardial infarction in Paigen diet-fed apolipoprotein E deficient mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayce Yesilaltay

2009-12-01

Full Text Available PDZK1 is a four PDZ-domain containing protein that binds to the carboxy terminus of the HDL receptor, scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI, and regulates its expression, localization and function in a tissue-specific manner. PDZK1 knockout (KO mice are characterized by a marked reduction of SR-BI protein expression ( approximately 95% in the liver (lesser or no reduction in other organs with a concomitant 1.7 fold increase in plasma cholesterol. PDZK1 has been shown to be atheroprotective using the high fat/high cholesterol ('Western' diet-fed murine apolipoprotein E (apoE KO model of atherosclerosis, presumably because of its role in promoting reverse cholesterol transport via SR-BI.Here, we have examined the effects of PDZK1 deficiency in apoE KO mice fed with the atherogenic 'Paigen' diet for three months. Relative to apoE KO, PDZK1/apoE double KO (dKO mice showed increased plasma lipids (33% increase in total cholesterol; 49 % increase in unesterified cholesterol; and 36% increase in phospholipids and a 26% increase in aortic root lesions. Compared to apoE KO, dKO mice exhibited substantial occlusive coronary artery disease: 375% increase in severe occlusions. Myocardial infarctions, not observed in apoE KO mice (although occasional minimal fibrosis was noted, were seen in 7 of 8 dKO mice, resulting in 12 times greater area of fibrosis in dKO cardiac muscle.These results show that Paigen-diet fed PDZK1/apoE dKO mice represent a new animal model useful for studying coronary heart disease and suggest that PDZK1 may represent a valuable target for therapeutic intervention.

Characterization of the insulin sensitivity of ghrelin receptor KO mice using glycemic clamps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morgan Kristen

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background We and others have demonstrated previously that ghrelin receptor (GhrR knock out (KO mice fed a high fat diet (HFD have increased insulin sensitivity and metabolic flexibility relative to WT littermates. A striking feature of the HFD-fed GhrR KO mouse is the dramatic decrease in hepatic steatosis. To characterize further the underlying mechanisms of glucose homeostasis in GhrR KO mice, we conducted both hyperglycemic (HG and hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic (HI-E clamps. Additionally, we investigated tissue glucose uptake and specifically examined liver insulin sensitivity. Results Consistent with glucose tolerance-test data, in HG clamp experiments, GhrR KO mice showed a reduction in glucose-stimulated insulin release relative to WT littermates. Nevertheless, a robust 1st phase insulin secretion was still achieved, indicating that a healthy β-cell response is maintained. Additionally, GhrR KO mice demonstrated both a significantly increased glucose infusion rate and significantly reduced insulin requirement for maintenance of the HG clamp, consistent with their relative insulin sensitivity. In HI-E clamps, both LFD-fed and HFD-fed GhrR KO mice showed higher peripheral insulin sensitivity relative to WT littermates as indicated by a significant increase in insulin-stimulated glucose disposal (Rd, and decreased hepatic glucose production (HGP. HFD-fed GhrR KO mice showed a marked increase in peripheral tissue glucose uptake in a variety of tissues, including skeletal muscle, brown adipose tissue and white adipose tissue. GhrR KO mice fed a HFD also showed a modest, but significant decrease in conversion of pyruvate to glucose, as would be anticipated if these mice displayed increased liver insulin sensitivity. Additionally, the levels of UCP2 and UCP1 were reduced in the liver and BAT, respectively, in GhrR KO mice relative to WT mice. Conclusions These results indicate that improved glucose homeostasis of GhrR KO mice is

Social Success Skills: Black Male High School Students' Perspectives on Society and Their Media Experiences

Science.gov (United States)

Degand, Darnel

2013-01-01

This dissertation's purpose was to better understand how messages received through different cultural mediums influences the development of social success skills. Black male students were chosen as the focal participants for this year-long study because they are included among the groups whose social success skills development are thought to…

Superoxide Stabilization and a Universal KO2 Growth Mechanism in Potassium-Oxygen Batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wanwan; Lai, Nien-Chu; Liang, Zhuojian; Wang, Yu; Lu, Yi-Chun

2018-04-23

Rechargeable potassium-oxygen (K-O 2 ) batteries promise to provide higher round-trip efficiency and cycle life than other alkali-oxygen batteries with satisfactory gravimetric energy density (935 Wh kg -1 ). Exploiting a strong electron-donating solvent, for example, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) strongly stabilizes the discharge product (KO 2 ), resulting in significant improvement in electrode kinetics and chemical/electrochemical reversibility. The first DMSO-based K-O 2 battery demonstrates a much higher energy efficiency and stability than the glyme-based electrolyte. A universal KO 2 growth model is developed and it is demonstrated that the ideal solvent for K-O 2 batteries should strongly stabilize superoxide (strong donor ability) to obtain high electrode kinetics and reversibility while providing fast oxygen diffusion to achieve high discharge capacity. This work elucidates key electrolyte properties that control the efficiency and reversibility of K-O 2 batteries. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Dietary cladode powder from wild type and domesticated Opuntia species reduces atherogenesis in apoE knock-out mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Garoby-Salom, Sandra; Guéraud, Françoise; Camaré, Caroline; de la Rosa, Ana-Paulina Barba; Rossignol, Michel; Santos Díaz, María del Socorro; Salvayre, Robert; Negre-Salvayre, Anne

2016-03-01

Dietary intake of Opuntia species may prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases. The present study was designed to characterize the biological antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of Opuntia species and to investigate whether Opuntia cladodes prevent the development of atherosclerosis in vivo, in apoE(-)KO mice. The effects of the two Opuntia species, the wild Opuntia streptacantha and the domesticated Opuntia ficus-indica, were tested on the generation of intra- and extracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and kinetics of the LDL oxidation by murine CRL2181 endothelial cells and on the subsequent inflammatory signaling leading to the adhesion of monocytes on the activated endothelium and the formation of foam cells. Opuntia species blocked the extracellular ROS (superoxide anion) generation and LDL oxidation by CRL2181, as well as the intracellular ROS rise and signaling evoked by the oxidized LDL, including the nuclear translocation of the transcription factor NFκB, the expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 adhesion molecules, and the adhesion of monocytes to CRL2181. In vivo, Opuntia significantly reduced the formation of atherosclerotic lesions and the accumulation of 4-hydroxynonenal adducts in the vascular wall of apoE-KO mice, indicating that Opuntia cladodes prevent lipid oxidation in the vascular wall. In conclusion, wild and domesticated Opuntia species exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiatherogenic properties which emphasize their nutritional benefit for preventing cardiovascular diseases.

Prevajanje športne terminologije v priročniku Osnove košarke NBA

OpenAIRE

Kajič, Matic

2016-01-01

Pri prevajanju strokovnih besedil ne gre le za vestno opravljanje veščin, ampak za visoko intelektualno delovanje: reševanje vedno novih problemov. To velja tudi za košarkarsko terminologijo, saj obstaja veliko ameriških košarkarskih izrazov, za katere nimamo ustreznic v slovenskem jeziku. Posebnost priročnika Osnove košarke NBA avtorja Marka Vancila se kaže v velikem številu strokovnega košarkarskega izrazja, ki od prevajalca zahteva veliko mero strokovnega poznavanja področja. V diplomskem ...

Longitudinal Links between Fathers' and Mothers' Harsh Verbal Discipline and Adolescents' Conduct Problems and Depressive Symptoms

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ming-Te; Kenny, Sarah

2014-01-01

This study used cross-lagged modeling to examine reciprocal relations between maternal and paternal harsh verbal discipline and adolescents' conduct problems and depressive symptoms. Data were from a sample of 976 two-parent families and their children (51% males; 54% European American, 40% African American). Mothers' and fathers'…

Exercise and the Prevention of Oesophageal Cancer (EPOC) study protocol: a randomized controlled trial of exercise versus stretching in males with Barrett's oesophagus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winzer, Brooke M; Paratz, Jennifer D; Reeves, Marina M; Whiteman, David C

2010-01-01

Chronic gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and excessive body fat are considered principal causes of Barrett's oesophagus (a metaplastic change in the cells lining the oesophagus) and its neoplastic progression, oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Metabolic disturbances including altered levels of obesity-related cytokines, chronic inflammation and insulin resistance have also been associated with oesophageal cancer development, especially in males. Physical activity may have the potential to abrogate metabolic disturbances in males with Barrett's oesophagus and elicit beneficial reductions in body fat and gastro-oesophageal reflux symptoms. Thus, exercise may be an effective intervention in reducing oesophageal adenocarcinoma risk. However, to date this hypothesis remains untested. The 'Exercise and the Prevention of Oesophageal Cancer Study' will determine whether 24 weeks of exercise training will lead to alterations in risk factors or biomarkers for oesophageal adenocarcinoma in males with Barrett's oesophagus. Our primary outcomes are serum concentrations of leptin, adiponectin, tumour necrosis factor-alpha, C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 as well as insulin resistance. Body composition, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease symptoms, cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength will also be assessed as secondary outcomes. A randomized controlled trial of 80 overweight or obese, inactive males with Barrett's oesophagus will be conducted in Brisbane, Australia. Participants will be randomized to an intervention arm (60 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic and resistance training, five days per week) or a control arm (45 minutes of stretching, five days per week) for 24 weeks. Primary and secondary endpoints will be measured at baseline (week 0), midpoint (week 12) and at the end of the intervention (week 24). Due to the increasing incidence and very high mortality associated with oesophageal adenocarcinoma, interventions effective in

An Essential Physiological Role for MCT8 in Bone in Male Mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Leitch, Victoria D; Di Cosmo, Caterina; Liao, Xiao-Hui; O'Boy, Sam; Galliford, Thomas M; Evans, Holly; Croucher, Peter I; Boyde, Alan; Dumitrescu, Alexandra; Weiss, Roy E; Refetoff, Samuel; Williams, Graham R; Bassett, J H Duncan

2017-09-01

T3 is an important regulator of skeletal development and adult bone maintenance. Thyroid hormone action requires efficient transport of T4 and T3 into target cells. We hypothesized that monocarboxylate transporter (MCT) 8, encoded by Mct8 on the X-chromosome, is an essential thyroid hormone transporter in bone. To test this hypothesis, we determined the juvenile and adult skeletal phenotypes of male Mct8 knockout mice (Mct8KO) and Mct8D1D2KO compound mutants, which additionally lack the ability to convert the prohormone T4 to the active hormone T3. Prenatal skeletal development was normal in both Mct8KO and Mct8D1D2KO mice, whereas postnatal endochondral ossification and linear growth were delayed in both Mct8KO and Mct8D1D2KO mice. Furthermore, bone mass and mineralization were decreased in adult Mct8KO and Mct8D1D2KO mice, and compound mutants also had reduced bone strength. Delayed bone development and maturation in Mct8KO and Mct8D1D2KO mice is consistent with decreased thyroid hormone action in growth plate chondrocytes despite elevated serum T3 concentrations, whereas low bone mass and osteoporosis reflects increased thyroid hormone action in adult bone due to elevated systemic T3 levels. These studies identify an essential physiological requirement for MCT8 in chondrocytes, and demonstrate a role for additional transporters in other skeletal cells during adult bone maintenance.

'Femoral head necrosis' in metabolic and hormonal osteopathies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heuck, F.H.W.; Treugut, H.

1984-07-01

The pathogenesis of bone necrosis is discussed with special attention and with respect to metabolic, hormonal, and vascular factors. The influence of statics and dynamics of the hip joint bones for the development of aseptic necrosis are discussed. 45 patients with ''idiopathic femoral head necroses'' were observed, including 6 cases of renal osteopathy following renal transplantation and immune suppression therapy, 14 cases of long term corticoid therapy, and 11 cases of liver diseases of different genesis. The femoral head necrosis understood as complication of an osteopathy. In our patients there were 31 males and 14 females - which means higher involvement of males. Plain radiological findings and CT-findings of changes of the femoral heat structure in different stages of the disease are described. Early diagnosis of metabolic and hormonal osteopathies is demanded for a joint keeping therapy of the beginning femoral head necrosis. 90 refs.

ApoE and the role of very low density lipoproteins in adipose tissue inflammation

Science.gov (United States)

Our goal was too identify the role of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and apoE, a major apolipoprotein in triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, in adipose tissue inflammation with high-fat diet induced obesity. Male apoE-/- and C57BL/6J wild-type mice fed high fat diets for 12 weeks were assessed for metab...

Overview of the KoRIA Facility for Rare Isotope Beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, S.W.; Bak, S.I.; Chai, J.S.; Ahn, J.K.; Blumenfeld, Y.; Cheon, B.-G.; Choi, C.I.; Cheoun, M.-K.; Cho, D.; Cho, Y.S.; Choi, B.H.; Choi, E.M.; And others

2013-01-01

The Korea Rare Isotope Accelerator, currently referred to as KoRIA, is briefly presented. The KoRIA facility is aimed to enable cutting-edge sciences in a wide range of fields. It consists of a 70 kW isotope separator on-line (ISOL) facility driven by a 70 MeV, 1 mA proton cyclotron and a 400 kW in-flight fragmentation (IFF) facility. The ISOL facility uses a superconducting (SC) linac for post-acceleration of rare isotopes up to about 18 MeV/u, while the SC linac of IFF facility is capable of accelerating uranium beams up to 200 MeV/u, 8 pμA and proton beams up to 600 MeV, 660 μA. Overall features of the KoRIA facility are presented with a focus on the accelerator design. (author)

Oestrogen-deficient female aromatase knockout (ArKO) mice exhibit depressive-like symptomatology.

Science.gov (United States)

Dalla, C; Antoniou, K; Papadopoulou-Daifoti, Z; Balthazart, J; Bakker, J

2004-07-01

We recently found that female aromatase knockout (ArKO) mice that are deficient in oestradiol due to a targeted mutation in the aromatase gene show deficits in sexual behaviour that cannot be corrected by adult treatment with oestrogens. We determined here whether these impairments are associated with changes in general levels of activity, anxiety or 'depressive-like' symptomatology due to chronic oestrogen deficiency. We also compared the neurochemical profile of ArKO and wild-type (WT) females, as oestrogens have been shown to modulate dopaminergic, serotonergic and noradrenergic brain activities. ArKO females did not differ from WT in spontaneous motor activity, exploration or anxiety. These findings are in line with the absence of major neurochemical alterations in hypothalamus, prefrontal cortex or striatum, which are involved in the expression of these behaviours. By contrast, ArKO females displayed decreased active behaviours, such as struggling and swimming, and increased passive behaviours, such as floating, in repeated sessions of the forced swim test, indicating that these females exhibit 'depressive-like' symptoms. Adult treatment with oestradiol did not reverse the behavioural deficits observed in the forced swim test, suggesting that they may be due to the absence of oestradiol during development. Accordingly, an increased serotonergic activity was observed in the hippocampus of ArKO females compared with WT, which was also not reversed by adult oestradiol treatment. The possible organizational role of oestradiol on the hippocampal serotonergic system and the 'depressive-like' profile of ArKO females provide new insights into the pathophysiology of depression and the increased vulnerability of women to depression.

A new human photosensitive subject with a defect in the recovery of DNA synthesis after ultraviolet-light irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fujiwara, Y.; Ichihashi, M.; Kano, Y.; Goto, K.; Shimizu, K.

1981-09-01

A non-sensitive, 8-yr-old male patient (termed UV81KO) with only acute recurrent sunburns and without any other physical or neuromental retardations was studied. The patient's skin exhibited lowered minimal erythema doses between 280 and 300 nm monochromatic wavelengths without delayed peaking of erythema. UV81KO skin fibroblasts in culture was 5-fold more sensitive to 254 nm UV killing than normal cells, though the response of obligatory heterozygotes was normal. UV81KO cells were also more sensitive to killings by fluorescent sunlamp (295-300 nm UV-B) radiation, 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide, and N-hydroxy-acetyl aminofluorene, but not by monofunctional decarbamoyl mitomycin C, bifunctional mitomycin C, and alkylating agents (methyl methanesulfonate, ethyl methanesulfonate, N-methyl-N-nitrosourea). Assays for unscheduled DNA synthesis, T4 endonuclease V-susceptible sites (pyrimidine dimers), endogenous excision-break accumulation by arabinofuranosyl cytosine-plus-hydroxyurea, single-strand-break rejoining, and molecular-weight increase of pulse-chased DNA in irradiated cells indicated no apparently detectable defects in nucleotide-excision repair processes and in replicative bypass in UV81KO cells. Despite the repair proficiency as such, UV81KO cells showed the defective recovery of DNA synthesis after 254 nm UV irradiation with 1 and 5 J/m2, at which dose the recovery occurred in normal cells. The base line level of sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs) was higher in UV81KO cells (10-12 SCEs/cell) than in normal cells (5 SCEs/cell), although the induction rate of SCEs by 254 nm UV in UV81KO cells was the same as in normal cells. Such clinical, cellular and molecular characteristics and comparison to those in the other photodermatoses (xeroderma pigmentosum, Cockayne's syndrome, the 11961 disorder, Bloom's syndrome) can make a clear distinction of UV81KO from the others.

Functional consequences of brain glycogen deficiency on the sleep-wake cycle regulation in PTG-KO mice

KAUST Repository

Burlet-Godinot, S.

2017-12-31

Introduction: In the CNS, glycogen is mainly localized in astrocytes where its levels are linked to neuronal activity. Astrocytic glycogen synthesis is regulated by glycogen synthase (GS) activity that is positively controlled by protein targeting to glycogen (PTG) expression levels. Although the role of glycogen in sleep/wake regulation is still poorly understood, we have previously demonstrated that, following a 6 hour gentle sleep deprivation (GSD), PTG mRNA expression and GS activity increased in the brain in mice while glycogen levels were paradoxically maintained and not affected. In order to gain further insight on the role of PTG in this process, we studied the sleep/wake cycle parameters in PTG knockout (PTG-KO) mice under baseline conditions and after a 6 hour GSD. Glycogen levels as well as mRNAs expression of genes related to energy metabolism were also determined in several brain areas. Materials and methods: Adult male C57BL/6J (WT) and PTG-KO mice were sleep-recorded under baseline conditions (24 h recordings, 12 h light/dark cycle) and following 6 hours GSD from ZT00 to ZT06. Vigilance states were visually scored (4 s temporal window). Spectral analysis of the EEG signal was performed using a discrete Fourier transformation. Glycogen measurements and gene expression analysis were assessed using a biochemical assay and quantitative RT-PCR respectively, on separate cohorts in WT vs PTG-KO mice at the end of the 6 hours GSD or in control animals (CTL) in different brain structures. Results: Quantitative analysis of the sleep/wake cycle under baseline conditions did not reveal major differences between the WT and the PTG-KO mice. However, during the dark period, the PTG-KO mice showed a significant increase in the number of wake and slow wave sleep episodes (respectively +26.5±8% and +26.1±8%; p< 0.05) together with a significant shortening in their duration (-21.6±7.2% and -14.3±2.8%; p< 0.01). No such quantitative changes were observed during

Datengeleitetes Lernen im studienbegleitenden Deutschunterricht am Beispiel des KoGloss-Ansatzes

OpenAIRE

Dubova, Agnese; Proveja, Egita

2016-01-01

Der vorliegende Aufsatz stellt den sprachdidaktischen Ansatz KoGloss vor und beschreibt die Möglichkeiten seines Einsatzes im studienbegleitenden Deutschunterricht. Als eine der Formen des datengeleiteten Lernens ermöglicht der KoGloss-Ansatz eine forschungsorientierte und lernerzentrierte Herangehensweise, die insbesondere im akademischen Sprachunterricht gefragt ist. Eine korpusbasierte Erschließung von (Fach-)Wörtern und komplexen sprachlichen Mustern, das learning by doing, die Kooperatio...

Dose-Dependent Rescue of KO Amelogenin Enamel by Transgenes in Vivo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felicitas B. Bidlack

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Mice lacking amelogenin (KO have hypoplastic enamel. Overexpression of the most abundant amelogenin splice variant M180 and LRAP transgenes can substantially improve KO enamel, but only ~40% of the incisor thickness is recovered and the prisms are not as tightly woven as in WT enamel. This implies that the compositional complexity of the enamel matrix is required for different aspects of enamel formation, such as organizational structure and thickness. The question arises, therefore, how important the ratio of different matrix components, and in particular amelogenin splice products, is in enamel formation. Can optimal expression levels of amelogenin transgenes representing both the most abundant splice variants and cleavage product at protein levels similar to that of WT improve the enamel phenotype of KO mice? Addressing this question, our objective was here to understand dosage effects of amelogenin transgenes (Tg representing the major splice variants M180 and LRAP and cleavage product CTRNC on enamel properties. Amelogenin KO mice were mated with M180Tg, CTRNCTg and LRAPTg mice to generate M180Tg and CTRNCTg double transgene and M180Tg, CTRNCTg, LRAPTg triple transgene mice with transgene hemizygosity (on one allelle or homozygosity (on both alleles. Transgene homo- vs. hemizygosity was determined by qPCR and relative transgene expression confirmed by Western blot. Enamel volume and mineral density were analyzed by microCT, thickness and structure by SEM, and mechanical properties by Vickers microhardness testing. There were no differences in incisor enamel thickness between amelogenin KO mice with three or two different transgenes, but mice homozygous for a given transgene had significantly thinner enamel than mice hemizygous for the transgene (p < 0.05. The presence of the LRAPTg did not improve the phenotype of M180Tg/CTRNCTg/KO enamel. In the absence of endogenous amelogenin, the addition of amelogenin transgenes representing the most

KoFlux: Korean Regional Flux Network in AsiaFlux

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, J.

2002-12-01

AsiaFlux, the Asian arm of FLUXNET, held the Second International Workshop on Advanced Flux Network and Flux Evaluation in Jeju Island, Korea on 9-11 January 2002. In order to facilitate comprehensive Asia-wide studies of ecosystem fluxes, the meeting launched KoFlux, a new Korean regional network of long-term micrometeorological flux sites. For a successful assessment of carbon exchange between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere, an accurate measurement of surface fluxes of energy and water is one of the prerequisites. During the 7th Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) Asian Monsoon Experiment (GAME) held in Nagoya, Japan on 1-2 October 2001, the Implementation Committee of the Coordinated Enhanced Observing Period (CEOP) was established. One of the immediate tasks of CEOP was and is to identify the reference sites to monitor energy and water fluxes over the Asian continent. Subsequently, to advance the regional and global network of these reference sites in the context of both FLUXNET and CEOP, the Korean flux community has re-organized the available resources to establish a new regional network, KoFlux. We have built up domestic network sites (equipped with wind profiler and radiosonde measurements) over deciduous and coniferous forests, urban and rural rice paddies and coastal farmland. As an outreach through collaborations with research groups in Japan, China and Thailand, we also proposed international flux sites at ecologically and climatologically important locations such as a prairie on the Tibetan plateau, tropical forest with mixed and rapid land use change in northern Thailand. Several sites in KoFlux already begun to accumulate interesting data and some highlights are presented at the meeting. The sciences generated by flux networks in other continents have proven the worthiness of a global array of micrometeorological flux towers. It is our intent that the launch of KoFlux would encourage other scientists to initiate and

Predicting Maps of Green Growth in Košice

Science.gov (United States)

Poorova, Zuzana; Vranayova, Zuzana

2017-10-01

The paper deals with the changing of the traditional roofs in the city of Košice into green roofs. Possible areas of city housing estates, after taking into account the conditions of each of them (types of buildings, statics of buildings), are listed in the paper. The research is picturing the prediction maps of Košice city from 2017 to 2042 in 5-years interval. The paper is a segment of a dissertation work focusing on changing traditional roofs into green roofs with the aim to retain water, calculate the amount of retained water and show possibilities how to use this water.

Cellular chloride and bicarbonate retention alters intracellular pH regulation in Cftr KO crypt epithelium.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Nancy M; Liu, Jinghua; Stein, Sydney R; Stefanski, Casey D; Strubberg, Ashlee M; Clarke, Lane L

2016-01-15

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), an anion channel providing a major pathway for Cl(-) and HCO3 (-) efflux across the apical membrane of the epithelium. In the intestine, CF manifests as obstructive syndromes, dysbiosis, inflammation, and an increased risk for gastrointestinal cancer. Cftr knockout (KO) mice recapitulate CF intestinal disease, including intestinal hyperproliferation. Previous studies using Cftr KO intestinal organoids (enteroids) indicate that crypt epithelium maintains an alkaline intracellular pH (pHi). We hypothesized that Cftr has a cell-autonomous role in downregulating pHi that is incompletely compensated by acid-base regulation in its absence. Here, 2',7'-bis(2-carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein microfluorimetry of enteroids showed that Cftr KO crypt epithelium sustains an alkaline pHi and resistance to cell acidification relative to wild-type. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed that Cftr KO enteroids exhibit downregulated transcription of base (HCO3 (-))-loading proteins and upregulation of the basolateral membrane HCO3 (-)-unloader anion exchanger 2 (Ae2). Although Cftr KO crypt epithelium had increased Ae2 expression and Ae2-mediated Cl(-)/HCO3 (-) exchange with maximized gradients, it also had increased intracellular Cl(-) concentration relative to wild-type. Pharmacological reduction of intracellular Cl(-) concentration in Cftr KO crypt epithelium normalized pHi, which was largely Ae2-dependent. We conclude that Cftr KO crypt epithelium maintains an alkaline pHi as a consequence of losing both Cl(-) and HCO3 (-) efflux, which impairs pHi regulation by Ae2. Retention of Cl(-) and an alkaline pHi in crypt epithelium may alter several cellular processes in the proliferative compartment of Cftr KO intestine. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Cellular chloride and bicarbonate retention alters intracellular pH regulation in Cftr KO crypt epithelium

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Nancy M.; Liu, Jinghua; Stein, Sydney R.; Stefanski, Casey D.; Strubberg, Ashlee M.

2015-01-01

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), an anion channel providing a major pathway for Cl− and HCO3− efflux across the apical membrane of the epithelium. In the intestine, CF manifests as obstructive syndromes, dysbiosis, inflammation, and an increased risk for gastrointestinal cancer. Cftr knockout (KO) mice recapitulate CF intestinal disease, including intestinal hyperproliferation. Previous studies using Cftr KO intestinal organoids (enteroids) indicate that crypt epithelium maintains an alkaline intracellular pH (pHi). We hypothesized that Cftr has a cell-autonomous role in downregulating pHi that is incompletely compensated by acid-base regulation in its absence. Here, 2′,7′-bis(2-carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein microfluorimetry of enteroids showed that Cftr KO crypt epithelium sustains an alkaline pHi and resistance to cell acidification relative to wild-type. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed that Cftr KO enteroids exhibit downregulated transcription of base (HCO3−)-loading proteins and upregulation of the basolateral membrane HCO3−-unloader anion exchanger 2 (Ae2). Although Cftr KO crypt epithelium had increased Ae2 expression and Ae2-mediated Cl−/HCO3− exchange with maximized gradients, it also had increased intracellular Cl− concentration relative to wild-type. Pharmacological reduction of intracellular Cl− concentration in Cftr KO crypt epithelium normalized pHi, which was largely Ae2-dependent. We conclude that Cftr KO crypt epithelium maintains an alkaline pHi as a consequence of losing both Cl− and HCO3− efflux, which impairs pHi regulation by Ae2. Retention of Cl− and an alkaline pHi in crypt epithelium may alter several cellular processes in the proliferative compartment of Cftr KO intestine. PMID:26542396

Dose-Dependent Rescue of KO Amelogenin Enamel by Transgenes in Vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Bidlack, Felicitas B; Xia, Yan; Pugach, Megan K

2017-01-01

Mice lacking amelogenin (KO) have hypoplastic enamel. Overexpression of the most abundant amelogenin splice variant M180 and LRAP transgenes can substantially improve KO enamel, but only ~40% of the incisor thickness is recovered and the prisms are not as tightly woven as in WT enamel. This implies that the compositional complexity of the enamel matrix is required for different aspects of enamel formation, such as organizational structure and thickness. The question arises, therefore, how important the ratio of different matrix components, and in particular amelogenin splice products, is in enamel formation. Can optimal expression levels of amelogenin transgenes representing both the most abundant splice variants and cleavage product at protein levels similar to that of WT improve the enamel phenotype of KO mice? Addressing this question, our objective was here to understand dosage effects of amelogenin transgenes ( Tg ) representing the major splice variants M180 and LRAP and cleavage product CTRNC on enamel properties. Amelogenin KO mice were mated with M180 Tg , CTRNC Tg and LRAP Tg mice to generate M180 Tg and CTRNC Tg double transgene and M180 Tg , CTRNC Tg , LRAP Tg triple transgene mice with transgene hemizygosity (on one allelle) or homozygosity (on both alleles). Transgene homo- vs. hemizygosity was determined by qPCR and relative transgene expression confirmed by Western blot. Enamel volume and mineral density were analyzed by microCT, thickness and structure by SEM, and mechanical properties by Vickers microhardness testing. There were no differences in incisor enamel thickness between amelogenin KO mice with three or two different transgenes, but mice homozygous for a given transgene had significantly thinner enamel than mice hemizygous for the transgene ( p structure, but only up to a maximum of ~80% that of molar and ~40% that of incisor wild-type enamel.

The trochlear cleft: the &apos;&apos;black line&apos;&apos; of the trochlear trough

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wissman, Robert D.; Nepute, Joshua; Fischer, Nathaniel von; Radhakrishnan, Rupa; Hendry, Daniel [University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati, OH (United States); Ingalls, Jerrell [Desert Radiologists, Las Vegas, NV (United States); Kenter, Keith [University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Cincinnati, OH (United States)

2012-09-15

The &apos;&apos;cartilage black line sign&apos;&apos; is a recently described T2 dark cartilage lesion that we have identified appearing as a cleft in the trochlear trough. The purpose of our study was to define the MR imaging characteristics of a trochlear cleft, determine its incidence, and correlate the MR findings with arthroscopy. A total of 1,300 consecutive MR examinations of the knee were retrospectively reviewed by consensus of two fellowship-trained musculoskeletal radiologists. The MR imaging characteristics and location of a trochlear cleft were determined. Imaging results were compared to arthroscopy when available. Patient age and gender were compared to 25 randomly selected control patients without trochlear clefts. A total of 25 (1.9%) individuals (11 females and 14 males; age range 19-45 years; mean age 28 years) were diagnosed with a trochlear cleft. The control group consisted of 11 females and 14 males; age range 19-83 years; mean age 46 years. Mean cleft length was 7 mm (range 6-12 mm); cleft location was consistently in the lower trochlear trough. No full-thickness cartilage defects were identified in the eight individuals in whom arthroscopic correlation was available. A grade 2 cartilage lesion was identified in a single individual; another progressed from grade 0 to a full-thickness trochlear lesion over an 8-month interval. Eight individuals were athletes. No significant difference in gender was noted between the two groups, however, the study group was significantly younger p < 0.0001. A trochlear cleft is a rare finding in young active individuals. It most likely indicates an incomplete cartilage fissure which may rarely progress to a full-thickness defect. (orig.)

Ekološko oblikovana embalaža za naravno kozmetiko

OpenAIRE

Šepec, Urša

2017-01-01

Namen diplomskega dela je bil raziskati področje ekološkega oblikovanja, zahteve in priporočila pri embaliranju na področju kozmetične industrije ter načrtovati in izdelati inovativno ekološko oblikovano funkcionalno embalažo za kolekcijo trdnih mil in šamponov, ki po odprtju služi kot podstavek za milo na umivalniku. Poleg embalaže smo izdelali tudi etikete za ostale kozmetične izdelke, kot so losjoni, kreme in mazila. V teoretičnem delu je opredeljeno ekološko oblikovanje embalaže ter s...

The founder of the church of Saint George at Pološko

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavlović Dragana

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The paper seeks to establish who was the founder of the church of Saint George at Pološko and revise the conclusions of previous researchers regarding this issue. According to the opinion commonly adopted in the scholarly literature, Jovan Dragušin, a cousin of King Dušan, had merely undertaken the construction of church at Pološko, whereas his mother was responsible for the completion of construction and painting of frescoes in the church. Through an analysis of written and visual sources the conclusion is reached that the sole person responsible for the construction and painting of the church at Pološko was the nun Maria, the mother of Jovan Dragušin. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 177036: Srpska srednjovekovna umetnost i njen evropski kontekst

Altered Immune Cytokine Expression Associated with KoRV B Infection and Season in Captive Koalas

Science.gov (United States)

Higgins, Damien P.

2016-01-01

Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) populations are increasingly vulnerable and one of the main threats is chlamydial infection. Koala retrovirus (KoRV) has been proposed as an underlying cause of the koala’s susceptibility to infection with Chlamydia and high rates of lymphoid neoplasia; however, the regionally ubiquitous, endogenous nature of this virus suggests that KoRV A infection is not sufficient for immune suppression to occur. A recently discovered exogenous variant of KoRV, KoRV B, has several structural elements that cause increased pathogenicity in related retroviruses and was associated with lymphoid neoplasia in one study. The present study assesses whether KoRV B infection is associated with alterations in immune function. Cytokine gene expression by mitogen stimulated lymphocytes of KoRV B positive (n = 5–6) and negative (n = 6–7) captive koalas was evaluated by qPCR four times (April 2014-February 2015) to control for seasonal variation. Key immune genes in the Th1 pathway (IFNγ, TNFα), Th2 pathway (IL 10, IL4, IL6) and Th17 pathway (IL17A), along with CD4:CD8 ratio, were assessed. KoRV B positive koalas showed significantly increased up-regulation of IL17A and IL10 in three out of four sampling periods and IFNγ, IL6, IL4 and TNFα in two out of four. IL17A is an immune marker for chlamydial pathogenesis in the koala; increased expression of IL17A in KoRV B positive koalas, and concurrent immune dysregulation, may explain the differences in susceptibility to chlamydial infection and severity of disease seen between individuals and populations. There was also marked seasonal variation in up-regulation for most of the cytokines and the CD4:CD8 ratio. The up-regulation in both Th1 and Th2 cytokines mirrors changes associated with immune dysregulation in humans and felids as a result of retroviral infections. This is the first report of altered immune expression in koalas infected by an exogenous variant of KoRV and also the first report of

Region-Specific Defects of Respiratory Capacities in the Ndufs4(KO Mouse Brain.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ernst-Bernhard Kayser

Full Text Available Lack of NDUFS4, a subunit of mitochondrial complex I (NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase, causes Leigh syndrome (LS, a progressive encephalomyopathy. Knocking out Ndufs4, either systemically or in brain only, elicits LS in mice. In patients as well as in KO mice distinct regions of the brain degenerate while surrounding tissue survives despite systemic complex I dysfunction. For the understanding of disease etiology and ultimately for the development of rationale treatments for LS, it appears important to uncover the mechanisms that govern focal neurodegeneration.Here we used the Ndufs4(KO mouse to investigate whether regional and temporal differences in respiratory capacity of the brain could be correlated with neurodegeneration. In the KO the respiratory capacity of synaptosomes from the degeneration prone regions olfactory bulb, brainstem and cerebellum was significantly decreased. The difference was measurable even before the onset of neurological symptoms. Furthermore, neither compensating nor exacerbating changes in glycolytic capacity of the synaptosomes were found. By contrast, the KO retained near normal levels of synaptosomal respiration in the degeneration-resistant/resilient "rest" of the brain. We also investigated non-synaptic mitochondria. The KO expectedly had diminished capacity for oxidative phosphorylation (state 3 respiration with complex I dependent substrate combinations pyruvate/malate and glutamate/malate but surprisingly had normal activity with α-ketoglutarate/malate. No correlation between oxidative phosphorylation (pyruvate/malate driven state 3 respiration and neurodegeneration was found: Notably, state 3 remained constant in the KO while in controls it tended to increase with time leading to significant differences between the genotypes in older mice in both vulnerable and resilient brain regions. Neither regional ROS damage, measured as HNE-modified protein, nor regional complex I stability, assessed by blue native

Heat Flux Tests of the ITER FWQMs at KoHLT-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bae, Young Dug; Kim, Suk Kwon; Shin, Hee Yun; Lee, Dong Won; Hong, Bong Guen

2009-05-01

As a party of the ITER, especially as a procurement party of the ITER blanket, we have designed the First Wall Qualification Mockup (FWQM) and fabricated five FWQMs. Two of them have been tested up to 12,690/12,020 cycles at a heat flux higher than 0.625 MW/m 2 at the KoHLT-1 facility established in the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI). Two KO FWQMs successfully passed the normal heat flux tests, and there was no indication of defect in the Be-to-CuCrZr joints

Altered Clock and Lipid Metabolism-Related Genes in Atherosclerotic Mice Kept with Abnormal Lighting Condition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhu Zhu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background. The risk of atherosclerosis is elevated in abnormal lipid metabolism and circadian rhythm disorder. We investigated whether abnormal lighting condition would have influenced the circadian expression of clock genes and clock-controlled lipid metabolism-related genes in ApoE-KO mice. Methods. A mouse model of atherosclerosis with circadian clock genes expression disorder was established using ApoE-KO mice (ApoE-KO LD/DL mice by altering exposure to light. C57 BL/6J mice (C57 mice and ApoE-KO mice (ApoE-KO mice exposed to normal day and night and normal diet served as control mice. According to zeitgeber time samples were acquired, to test atheromatous plaque formation, serum lipids levels and rhythmicity, clock genes, and lipid metabolism-related genes along with Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1 levels and rhythmicity. Results. Atherosclerosis plaques were formed in the aortic arch of ApoE-KO LD/DL mice. The serum lipids levels and oscillations in ApoE-KO LD/DL mice were altered, along with the levels and diurnal oscillations of circadian genes, lipid metabolism-associated genes, and Sirt1 compared with the control mice. Conclusions. Abnormal exposure to light aggravated plaque formation and exacerbated disorders of serum lipids and clock genes, lipid metabolism genes and Sirt1 levels, and circadian oscillation.

Function of brain α2B-adrenergic receptor characterized with subtype-selective α2B antagonist and KO mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Luhrs, Lauren; Manlapaz, Cynthia; Kedzie, Karen; Rao, Sandhya; Cabrera-Ghayouri, Sara; Donello, John; Gil, Daniel

2016-12-17

Noradrenergic signaling, through the α 2A and α 2C adrenergic receptors modulates the cognitive and behavioral symptoms of disorders such as schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and addiction. However, it is unknown whether the α 2B receptor has any significant role in CNS function. The present study elucidates the potential role of the α 2B receptor in CNS function via the discovery and use of the first subtype-selective α 2B antagonist (AGN-209419), and behavioral analyses of α-receptor knockout (KO) mice. Using AGN-209419 as radioligand, α 2B receptor binding sites were identified within the olfactory bulb, cortex, thalamus, cerebellum, and striatum. Based on the observed expression patterns of α 2 subtypes in the brain, we compared α 2B KO, α 2A KO and α 2C KO mice behavioral phenotypes with their respective wild-type lines in anxiety (plus maze), compulsive (marble burying), and sensorimotor (prepulse inhibition) tasks. α 2B KO mice exhibited increased marble burying and α 2C KO mice exhibited an increased startle response to a pulse stimulus, but otherwise intact prepulse inhibition. To further explore compulsive behavior, we evaluated novelty-induced locomotor hyperactivity and found that α 2B KO and α 2C KO mice exhibited increased locomotion in the open field. Interestingly, when challenged with amphetamine, α 2C KO mice increased activity at lower doses relative to either α 2A KO or WT mice. However, α 2B KO mice exhibited stereotypy at doses of amphetamine that were only locomotor stimulatory to all other genotypes. Following co-administration of AGN-209419 with low-dose amphetamine in WT mice, stereotypy was observed, mimicking the α 2B KO phenotype. These findings suggest that the α 2B receptor is involved in CNS behaviors associated with sensorimotor gating and compulsivity, and may be therapeutically relevant for disorders such as schizophrenia, ADHD, post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction, and

Estrogen receptor-independent catechol estrogen binding activity: protein binding studies in wild-type, Estrogen receptor-alpha KO, and aromatase KO mice tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Philips, Brian J; Ansell, Pete J; Newton, Leslie G; Harada, Nobuhiro; Honda, Shin-Ichiro; Ganjam, Venkataseshu K; Rottinghaus, George E; Welshons, Wade V; Lubahn, Dennis B

2004-06-01

Primary evidence for novel estrogen signaling pathways is based upon well-documented estrogenic responses not inhibited by estrogen receptor antagonists. In addition to 17beta-E2, the catechol estrogen 4-hydroxyestradiol (4OHE2) has been shown to elicit biological responses independent of classical estrogen receptors in estrogen receptor-alpha knockout (ERalphaKO) mice. Consequently, our research was designed to biochemically characterize the protein(s) that could be mediating the biological effects of catechol estrogens using enzymatically synthesized, radiolabeled 4-hydroxyestrone (4OHE1) and 4OHE2. Scatchard analyses identified a single class of high-affinity (K(d) approximately 1.6 nM), saturable cytosolic binding sites in several ERalphaKO estrogen-responsive tissues. Specific catechol estrogen binding was competitively inhibited by unlabeled catechol estrogens, but not by 17beta-E2 or the estrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182,780. Tissue distribution studies indicated significant binding differences both within and among various tissues in wild-type, ERalphaKO, and aromatase knockout female mice. Ligand metabolism experiments revealed extensive metabolism of labeled catechol estrogen, suggesting that catechol estrogen metabolites were responsible for the specific binding. Collectively, our data provide compelling evidence for the interaction of catechol estrogen metabolites with a novel binding protein that exhibits high affinity, specificity, and selective tissue distribution. The extensive biochemical characterization of this binding protein indicates that this protein may be a receptor, and thus may mediate ERalpha/beta-independent effects of catechol estrogens and their metabolites.

Mixed municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment in Waste centre Spodnji Stari Grad, Krško

OpenAIRE

Kortnik, Jože; Leskovar, Jože

2015-01-01

Review paper Received: October 25, 2013 Accepted: November 7, 2013 Mixed municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment in Waste centre Spodnji Stari Grad, Krško Ravnanje z mešanimi komunalnimi odpadki v Zbirnem centru Spodnji Stari Grad, Krško Jože Kortnik1'*, Jože Leskovar2 University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Department of Mining and Geotechnology, Aškerčeva 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia 2Kostak, d. d., Leskovška cesta 2a, 8270 Krško, Slovenia Correspo...

Spin-orbital superexchange physics emerging from interacting oxygen molecules in KO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solovyev, I V

2008-01-01

We propose that the spin-orbital-lattice coupled phenomena, widely known for the transition-metal oxides, can be realized in molecular solids, comprising of orbitally degenerate magnetic O 2 - ions. KO 2 is one such system. Using the first-principles electronic structure calculations, we set-up an effective spin-orbital superexchange model for the low-energy molecular bands and argue that many anomalous properties of KO 2 indeed replicate the status of its orbital system in different temperature regimes

Male risk taking, female odors, and the role of estrogen receptors.

Science.gov (United States)

Kavaliers, Martin; Clipperton-Allen, Amy; Cragg, Cheryl L; Gustafsson, Jan-Åke; Korach, Kenneth S; Muglia, Louis; Choleris, Elena

2012-12-05

Male risk-taking and decision making are affected by sex-related cues, with men making riskier choices and decisions after exposure to either women or stimuli associated with women. In non-human species females and, or their cues can also increase male risk taking. Under the ecologically relevant condition of predation threat, brief exposure of male mice to the odors of a sexually receptive novel female reduces the avoidance of, and aversive responses to, a predator. We briefly review evidence showing that estrogen receptors (ERs), ERα and ERβ, are associated with the mediation of these risk taking responses. We show that ERs influence the production of the female odors that affect male risk taking, with the odors of wild type (ERαWT, ERβWT), oxytocin (OT) wildtype (OTWT), gene-deleted 'knock-out' ERβ (ERβKO), but not ERαKO or oxytocin (OT) OTKO or ovariectomized (OVX) female mice reducing the avoidance responses of male mice to cat odor. We further show that administration of specific ERα and ERβ agonists to OVX females results in their odors increasing male risk taking and boldness towards a predator. We also review evidence that ERs are involved in the mediation of the responses of males to female cues, with ERα being associated with the sexual and both ERβ and ERα with the sexual and social mechanisms underlying the effects of female cues on male risk taking. The implications and relations of these findings with rodents to ERs and the regulation of human risk taking are briefly considered. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Effect of Jinlida on DGAT1 in Skeletal Muscle in Fat-Induced Insulin Resistance ApoE -/- Mice].

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Xin; Zhang, Hui-xin; Cui, Wen-wen

2015-06-01

To investigate the effect of Jinlida on DGAT1 in skeletal muscle in fat-induced insulin resistance ApoE-/- mice. Eight male C57BL/6J mice were used as normal group. 40 male ApoE -/- mice were fed high-fat diet for 16 weeks and divided into five groups: control group, rosiglitazone group, and Jinlida low, middle and high dose groups. Then corresponding drugs were administrated intragastrically for eight weeks. TG content in skeletal muscle was measured by enzymic enzymatic, Glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was used to evaluate the degree of insulin resistance in mice. The mRNA and protein expression of insulin receptor substrate (IRS-1) and diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) in skeletal muscle were measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR)and Western blot. Jinlida particles reduced fasting blood glucose (FBG) cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), free fatty acid (FFA)and fasting insulin (FIns) levels, raised insulin sensitive index (ISI), improved glucose tolerance, and reduced skeletal muscle lipid deposition in ApoE -/- mice significantly. Jinlida particles increased the expression of IRS-1 mRNA and protein, and reduced DGAT1. Jinlida can alleviate the expression of DGAT in skeletal muscle in fat-induced insulin resistance ApoE-/- mice.

Explosive hazards analysis of the eutectic solution NaK and KO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Commander, J.C.

1975-06-01

Planning, preparation, conductance, and evaluation of field tests are reported to determine the explosive hazards associated with the combining of the sodium-potassium eutectic alloy (NaK) with the superoxide of potassium (KO 2 ) under various conditions of state, contamination, and detonation initiation. The planning and preparation was conducted by Aerojet Nuclear Company (ANC) at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, and the explosive hazards testing was done by Cook Associates, Inc., at IRECO Chemicals Pelican Point Research and Development facility in Utah. The test results showed that binary combinations of pure NaK and KO 2 could not be made to detonate, although the mixtures will spontaneously ignite and burn. However, tertiary combinations of NaK, KO 2 plus a water or hydrocarbon contaminant produced explosive hazards under a variety of conditions. The work was performed as part of the Decontamination and Decommissioning (D and D) of the first Experimental Breeder Reactor (EBR-I) and was funded by 189c I-215. (U.S.)

Pielāgojama norēķinu sistēma mākoņskaitļošanas pakalpojumiem

OpenAIRE

Surženko, Dmitrijs

2013-01-01

Šajā darbā apskatīts mākoņskaitļošanas jēdziens un mākoņskaitļošanas mākoņu veidi un to funkcionālā klasifikācija. Apskatīti norēķinu sistēmas pamati balstoties uz telekomunikāciju norēķinu sistēmas pamatiem. Aprakstīta uzņēmuma N mākoņa pārvaldības infrastruktūra. Definētas mākoņskaitļošanas brokera prasības uz uzņēmuma N piemēra. Veikts vairāku mākoņskaitļošanas pakalpojumu norēķinu sistēmas apskats un aprakstīta to atbilstība pielāgojamai norēķinu sistēmai un mākoņskaitļošanas brokera pras...

Fatty acid desaturase 1 knockout mice are lean with improved glycemic control and decreased development of atheromatous plaque

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, David R; Gay, Jason P; Smith, Melinda; Wilganowski, Nathaniel; Harris, Angela; Holland, Autumn; Reyes, Maricela; Kirkham, Laura; Kirkpatrick, Laura L; Zambrowicz, Brian; Hansen, Gwenn; Platt, Kenneth A; van Sligtenhorst, Isaac; Ding, Zhi-Ming; Desai, Urvi

2016-01-01

Delta-5 desaturase (D5D) and delta-6 desaturase (D6D), encoded by fatty acid desaturase 1 (FADS1) and FADS2 genes, respectively, are enzymes in the synthetic pathways for ω3, ω6, and ω9 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Although PUFAs appear to be involved in mammalian metabolic pathways, the physiologic effect of isolated D5D deficiency on these pathways is unclear. After generating >4,650 knockouts (KOs) of independent mouse genes and analyzing them in our high-throughput phenotypic screen, we found that Fads1 KO mice were among the leanest of 3,651 chow-fed KO lines analyzed for body composition and were among the most glucose tolerant of 2,489 high-fat-diet-fed KO lines analyzed by oral glucose tolerance test. In confirmatory studies, chow- or high-fat-diet-fed Fads1 KO mice were leaner than wild-type (WT) littermates; when data from multiple cohorts of adult mice were combined, body fat was 38% and 31% lower in Fads1 male and female KO mice, respectively. Fads1 KO mice also had lower glucose and insulin excursions during oral glucose tolerance tests along with lower fasting glucose, insulin, triglyceride, and total cholesterol levels. In additional studies using a vascular injury model, Fads1 KO mice had significantly decreased femoral artery intima/media ratios consistent with a decreased inflammatory response in their arterial wall. Based on this result, we bred Fads1 KO and WT mice onto an ApoE KO background and fed them a Western diet for 14 weeks; in this atherogenic environment, aortic trees of Fads1 KO mice had 40% less atheromatous plaque compared to WT littermates. Importantly, PUFA levels measured in brain and liver phospholipid fractions of Fads1 KO mice were consistent with decreased D5D activity and normal D6D activity. The beneficial metabolic phenotype demonstrated in Fads1 KO mice suggests that selective D5D inhibitors may be useful in the treatment of human obesity, diabetes, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. PMID:27382320

Model validation of GAMMA code with heat transfer experiment for KO TBM in ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yum, Soo Been; Lee, Eo Hwak; Lee, Dong Won; Park, Goon Cherl

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► In this study, helium supplying system was constructed. ► Preparation for heat transfer experiment in KO TBM condition using helium supplying system was progressed. ► To get more applicable results, test matrix was made to cover the condition for KO TBM. ► Using CFD code; CFX 11, validation and modification for system code GAMMA was performed. -- Abstract: By considering the requirements for a DEMO-relevant blanket concept, Korea (KO) has proposed a He cooled molten lithium (HCML) test blanket module (TBM) for testing in ITER. A performance analysis for the thermal–hydraulics and a safety analysis for the KO TBM have been carried out using a commercial CFD code, ANSYS-CFX, and a system code, GAMMA (GAs multicomponent mixture analysis), which was developed by the gas cooled reactor in Korea. To verify the codes, a preliminary study was performed by Lee using a single TBM first wall (FW) mock-up made from the same material as the KO TBM, ferritic martensitic steel, using a 6 MPa nitrogen gas loop. The test was performed at pressures of 1.1, 1.9 and 2.9 MPa, and under various ranges of flow rate from 0.0105 to 0.0407 kg/s with a constant wall temperature condition. In the present study, a thermal–hydraulic test was performed with the newly constructed helium supplying system, in which the design pressure and temperature were 9 MPa and 500 °C, respectively. In the experiment, the same mock-up was used, and the test was performed under the conditions of 3 MPa pressure, 30 °C inlet temperature and 70 m/s helium velocity, which are almost same conditions of the KO TBM FW. One side of the mock-up was heated with a constant heat flux of 0.3–0.5 MW/m 2 using a graphite heating system, KoHLT-2 (Korea heat load test facility-2). Because the comparison result between CFX 11 and GAMMA showed a difference tendency, the modification of heat transfer correlation included in GAMMA was performed. And the modified GAMMA showed the strong parity with CFX

Gul'ko, descriptive, and Gruenhage compact spaces

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Fabian, Marián; Montesinos, V.; Zizler, Václav

2010-01-01

Roč. 104, č. 2 (2010), s. 201-220 ISSN 1578-7303 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA100190901; GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA100190610 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10190503 Keywords : Gul'ko * descriptive * fragmentable compact spaces * network Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.400, year: 2010 http://link.springer.com/article/10.5052%2FRACSAM.2010.14

ApoE rs429358 and rs7412 Polymorphism and Gender Differences of Serum Lipid Profile and Cognition in Aging Chinese Population.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhen, Jie; Huang, Xiaochen; Van Halm-Lutterodt, Nicholas; Dong, Shengqi; Ma, Weiwei; Xiao, Rong; Yuan, Linhong

2017-01-01

ApoE gene polymorphism has been reportedly associated with serum lipids and cognition. However, very few studies have explored the combined effects of ApoE gene polymorphism and gender on serum lipid profile with subsequent impacts on cognition in Chinese population. A total of 1,000 Chinese community dwellers aged 55 years and above were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Demographic information of the participants was collected using well designed self-administered questionnaires. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test was employed to evaluate the cognitive status of the participants. Semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to obtain the dietary intake information. Fasting venous blood samples were taken for ApoE genotyping and serum lipid measurements. Significant gender differences in cognition, serum lipid profile and dietary fat-rich foods consumption were observed ( p < 0.05). Cognition of the subjects was found to be associated with ApoE genotypes ( p < 0.05). ApoE rs429358 and rs7412 variants demonstrated a significant effect on cognitive performance in the male subjects; especially within the attention and language cognitive domains as well as the total MoCA score ( p < 0.05), respectively. Serum lipid profile and cognition of Chinese adults are significantly linked with gender and ApoE genetic polymorphism. The ApoE variant rs429358 is found to be notably associated with cognition in aging male Chinese population.

Synergistic effects of high fat feeding and apolipoprotein E deletion on enterocytic amyloid-beta abundance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dhaliwal Satvinder S

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Amyloid-β (Aβ, a key protein found in amyloid plaques of subjects with Alzheimer's disease is expressed in the absorptive epithelial cells of the small intestine. Ingestion of saturated fat significantly enhances enterocytic Aβ abundance whereas fasting abolishes expression. Apolipoprotein (apo E has been shown to directly modulate Aβ biogenesis in liver and neuronal cells but it's effect in enterocytes is not known. In addition, apo E modulates villi length, which may indirectly modulate Aβ as a consequence of differences in lipid absorption. This study compared Aβ abundance and villi length in wild-type (WT and apo E knockout (KO mice maintained on either a low-fat or high-fat diet. Wild-type C57BL/6J and apo E KO mice were randomised for six-months to a diet containing either 4% (w/w unsaturated fats, or chow comprising 16% saturated fats and 1% cholesterol. Quantitative immunohistochemistry was used to assess Aβ abundance in small intestinal enterocytes. Apo E KO mice given the low-fat diet had similar enterocytic Aβ abundance compared to WT controls. Results The saturated fat diet substantially increased enterocytic Aβ in WT and in apo E KO mice, however the effect was greater in the latter. Villi height was significantly greater in apo E KO mice than for WT controls when given the low-fat diet. However, WT mice had comparable villi length to apo E KO when fed the saturated fat and cholesterol enriched diet. There was no effect of the high-fat diet on villi length in apo E KO mice. Conclusion The findings of this study are consistent with the notion that lipid substrate availability modulates enterocytic Aβ. Apo E may influence enterocytic lipid availability by modulating absorptive capacity.

Perbandingan Ko-kultur 2D dan 3D dengan Metode Hanging Drop untuk Menghasilkan Micro-environment yang Lebih Relevan Secara Klinis

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Radiana Dhewayani Antarianto

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Ko-kultur sel 2 dimensi (2D kurang menyerupai micro-environment seperti in vivo sedangkan ko-kultur 3 dimensi (3D membentuk mikromassa yang lebih mirip micro-environment in vivo sehingga bermanfaat dalam penelitian biologi dasar. Penelitian ini membandingkan ko-kultur 2D dan 3D sel punca serta sel stelata hepatik dengan metode hanging drop untuk menilai morfologi sel dan pembentukan sferoid dari mikromassa yang terbentuk. Studi in vitro ini dilakukan di Pusat Virologi dan Kanker Patobiologi (PRVKP UI dan laboratorium histologi FKUI pada bulan September 2015 sampai Oktober 2016 menggunakan sel punca yang diisolasi dari darah tali pusat manusia dan sel lestari LX2 (stelata hepatik manusia. Darah tali pusat disortir dengan MACS CD34 dan dianalisis flowcytometry. Ko-kultur sel punca sumsum tulang atau darah tali pusat dan LX2 dilakukan dengan metode hanging drop untuk ko-kultur 2D dan ko-kultur 3D. Triplikasi eksperimen dilakukan untuk tiap set ko-kultur. Hasilnya menunjukkan terdapat perbedaan morfologi ko-kultur 2D dan 3D hanging drop dibandingkan monokultur. Di ko-kultur 2D terdapat mikromassa dan di monokultur 2D tidak terbentuk mikromassa. Di ko-kultur 3D hanging drop, terdapat sferoid yang lebih kecil dibandingkan monokultur 3D hanging drop. Morfologi sel ko-kultur 2D dan 3D dengan metode hanging drop dibandingkan monokultur menunjukkan perubahan fenotip sel-sel yang tergabung dalam mikromassa. Normal 0 false false false false IN X-NONE X-NONE Normal 0 false false false false IN X-NONE X-NONE Heavy metals in the air between Krompachy and Košice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Slanèo Pavel

2000-09-01

Full Text Available The metallurgic activity of Kovohuty Krompachy (Non-ferrous Metal Works in Krompachy in the past left its visible devastation sign on the nature. It was evident that the dispersion of some elements, especially Cu, Pb, Sb and As, in the air was caused by the activity of metal works and their point sources. The properties of these metals may cause changes in health of biological objects as a result of long-term effect on the natural or communal spheres. After the treatment activities in ŽB Rudòany enterprise ended, Kovohuty Krompachy bought a treatment concentrate from ŽB Rudòany, which was freed from mercury. This concentrate still contained a lot of Cu, Sb, As, Bi and it should have been processed in Kovohuty to the so called black copper. The Municipality of the city of Košice, its department of the environment, expressed its apprehension of the possibility that this processing could cause that heavy metals may be spread in a direction of prevailing winds, i.e. south-east direction, where the city of Košice is situated. This was a reason for a task to monitor movement and occurrence of heavy metals on the route between Krompachy and Košice, as well as to monitor the share of individual sources of pollution on the quality of air in Košice urban agglomeration.Two methods applied were chosen for research purposes. The dust deposition was monitored, i.e. dust that sediments from air, its value is stated in g.m-2. 30 days-1. Another method used was the so called aspiration dust content, when air is sucked through a suitable filter and the value is stated in mg.m-3. In the given locality, there were 15 newly built or renovated sedimentation stations, where samples of sedimented dust were taken by the end of 1999 in six stages. They are marked by letters A to F. The samples of dust were analysed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The presented paper shows the results of phases A and D, or B and D.Aspiration method was used for fine

Anti-Trichomonas vaginalis properties of the oil of Amomum tsao-ko and its major component, geraniol.

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Min; Peng, Cheng; Peng, Fu; Xie, Chengbin; Wang, Pinjia; Sun, Fenghui

2016-01-01

Trichomonosis, caused by the flagellate protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis, is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease (STD) and 5-nitroimidazole drugs are used for the treatment. However, a growing number of T. vaginalis isolates are resistant to these drugs, which make it becomes an urgent issue. The current study was designed to evaluate the anti-T. vaginalis activity of the essential oil from A. tsao-ko used in traditional Chinese medicine and as a spice and its main component, geraniol. The anti-T. vaginalis activities of A. tsao-ko essential oil and geraniol were evaluated by the minimum lethal concentration (MLC) and 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) in vitro. The morphological changes of T. vaginalis were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Additionally, sub-MLC concentration treatment with sub-MLC A. tsao-ko essential oil and geraniol was also performed. This study shows that MLC/IC50 of A. tsao-ko essential oil was 44.97 µg/ml/22.49 µg/ml for T. vaginalis isolate Tv1, and 89.93 µg/ml/44.97 µg/ml for T. vaginalis isolate Tv2. Those of geraniol were 342.96 µg/ml/171.48 µg/ml, respectively. After A. tsao-ko essential oil or geraniol treatment, obvious similar morphological changes of T. vaginalis were observed by TEM: the nuclear membrane was damaged, nuclei were dissolved, and the chromatin was accumulated; in the cytoplasm, numerous vacuoles appeared, rough endoplasmic reticulum dilated, the number of ribosomes were reduced, organelles disintegrated, the cell membrane was partially damaged, with cytoplasmic leakage, and cell disintegration was observed. The action time did not increase the effect of A. tsao-ko essential oil or geraniol against T. vaginalis, as no significant difference was observed after sub-MLC concentration treatment for 1, 3, and 5 h with A. tsao-ko essential oil and geraniol. The study describes the first report on the activity and morphological changes of A. tsao-ko essential oil and

Magnetic properties of the alkali metal ozonides KO3, RbO3, and CsO3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lueken, H.; Deussen, M.; Jansen, M.; Hesse, W.; Schnick, W.

1987-01-01

The magnetic susceptibilities of KO 3 , RbO 3 and CsO 3 have been determined between 3.6 and 250 K. Above 50 K Curie-Weiss behaviour is observed. Magnetic moments of 1.74 μ B (KO 3 , CsO 3 ) and 1.80 μ B (RbO 3 ) calculated from the Curie-Weiss straight lines correspond with spin-only moments expected for isolated O 3 - species with one unpaired electron. The Weiss constants Θ are -34 K (KO 3 ), -23 K (RbO 3 ) and -10 K (CsO 3 ). The low temperature behaviour of KO 3 and RbO 3 (broad maxima in susceptibility at 20 and 17 K, respectively, and minima at 6 K) is typical of systems which show with decreasing temperature low-dimensional antiferromagnetic and three-dimensional magnetic ordering. Inspecting the intermolecular distances between oxygen atoms the pathways of exchange interactions are discussed. (author)

Blood pressure is the major driving force for plaque formation in aortic-constricted ApoE-/- mice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansson, Maria E.; Wickman, Anna; Skøtt, Ole

2006-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Using an aortic constriction model in mice, we studied whether the increase in pressure or the activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and its main receptors is the main driving force for plaque progression. METHODS: Male ApoE mice underwent sham surgery or placement of a supr...

ApoE rs429358 and rs7412 Polymorphism and Gender Differences of Serum Lipid Profile and Cognition in Aging Chinese Population

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jie Zhen

2017-08-01

Full Text Available ApoE gene polymorphism has been reportedly associated with serum lipids and cognition. However, very few studies have explored the combined effects of ApoE gene polymorphism and gender on serum lipid profile with subsequent impacts on cognition in Chinese population. A total of 1,000 Chinese community dwellers aged 55 years and above were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Demographic information of the participants was collected using well designed self-administered questionnaires. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA test was employed to evaluate the cognitive status of the participants. Semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ was used to obtain the dietary intake information. Fasting venous blood samples were taken for ApoE genotyping and serum lipid measurements. Significant gender differences in cognition, serum lipid profile and dietary fat-rich foods consumption were observed (p < 0.05. Cognition of the subjects was found to be associated with ApoE genotypes (p < 0.05. ApoE rs429358 and rs7412 variants demonstrated a significant effect on cognitive performance in the male subjects; especially within the attention and language cognitive domains as well as the total MoCA score (p < 0.05, respectively. Serum lipid profile and cognition of Chinese adults are significantly linked with gender and ApoE genetic polymorphism. The ApoE variant rs429358 is found to be notably associated with cognition in aging male Chinese population.

Paluch koślawy w stopie reumatycznej – leczenie operacyjne i rehabilitacja

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Agnieszka Prusinowska

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Paluch koślawy jest deformacją stopy często występującą u chorychreumatycznych (ryc. 1. W znacznym stopniu zaburza funkcjępodporową w czasie chodu oraz czynności związane z większymdynamicznym obciążeniem stopy (bieganie, skakanie. Deformacjata nasila ból, który wynika również z niedopasowania obuwia.Usprawnianie chorych z rozpoznaniem reumatoidalnego zapaleniastawów (RZS zawsze jest uzależnione od aktualnego stanu funkcjonalnegopacjenta i przeprowadzonego zabiegu operacyjnego.W artykule opisano mechanizm powstawania typowych zniekształceńprzodostopia w przebiegu RZS oraz przegląd technikoperacyjnych stosowanych w leczeniu palucha koślawego (ryc. 2.Autorzy skoncentrowali się na przedstawieniu usprawniania pokorekcji palucha koślawego z wykorzystaniem zarówno metod stosowanychw celu zmniejszenia obrzęków pooperacyjnych, jak i stabilizacjiskorygowanego chirurgicznie stawu. Do metod tych zaliczasię zarówno zabiegi z zakresu fizykoterapii, jak i ćwiczenia czynneze wsparciem kinesiotapingu (ryc. 3.

Selective deletion of apolipoprotein E in astrocytes ameliorates the spatial learning and memory deficits in Alzheimer's disease (APP/PS1) mice by inhibiting TGF-β/Smad2/STAT3 signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Jin-Yu; Sun, Jian; Ji, Chun-Mei; Shen, Lin; Chen, Zhong-Jun; Xie, Peng; Sun, Yuan-Zhao; Yu, Ru-Tong

2017-06-01

Astrocytes and apolipoprotein E (apoE) play critical roles in cognitive function, not only under physiological conditions but also in some pathological situations, particularly in the pathological progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The regulatory mechanisms underlying the effect of apoE, derived from astrocytes, on cognitive deficits during AD pathology development are unclear. In this study, we generated amyloid precursor protein/apoE knockout (APP/apoE KO ) and APP/glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-apoE KO mice (the AD mice model used in this study was based on the APP-familial Alzheimer disease overexpression) to investigate the role of apoE, derived from astrocytes, in AD pathology and cognitive function. To explore the mechanism, we investigated the amyloidogenic process related transforming growth factor β/mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (TGF-β/Smad2/STAT3) signaling pathway and further confirmed by administering TGF-β-overexpression adeno-associated virus (specific to astrocytes) to APP/GFAP-apoE KO mice and TGF-β-inhibition adeno-associated virus (specific to astrocytes) to APP/WT mice. Whole body deletion of apoE significantly ameliorated the spatial learning and memory impairment, reduced amyloid β-protein production and inhibited astrogliosis in APP/apoE KO mice, as well as specific deletion apoE in astrocytes in APP/GFAP-apoE KO mice. Moreover, amyloid β-protein accumulation was increased due to promotion of amyloidogenesis of APP, and astrogliosis was upregulated by activation of TGF-β/Smad2/STAT3 signaling. Furthermore, the overexpression of TGF-β in astrocytes in APP/GFAP-apoE KO mice abrogated the effects of apoE knockout. In contrast, repression of TGF-β in astrocytes of APP/WT mice exerted a therapeutic effect similar to apoE knockout. These data suggested that apoE derived from astrocytes contributes to the risk of AD through TGF-β/Smad2/STAT3 signaling activation

Öko tähendab edu / Liis Kängsepp

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kängsepp, Liis, 1981-

2008-01-01

Kaubandusturul on populaarsust kogumas mahe- ja ausalt toodetud (fair trade) kaubad. Vt. samas: Mis on mahetoit; Fair Trade; Roheline liikumine: tarbi vähem!; Mätas: pane öko peale ja müüb!; Treener Kristel Tamm jõudis ökoni oma lapsele head pakkuda tahtes

Osbpl8 deficiency in mouse causes an elevation of high-density lipoproteins and gender-specific alterations of lipid metabolism.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olivier Béaslas

Full Text Available OSBP-related protein 8 (ORP8 encoded by Osbpl8 is an endoplasmic reticulum sterol sensor implicated in cellular lipid metabolism. We generated an Osbpl8(-/- (KO C57Bl/6 mouse strain. Wild-type and Osbpl8KO animals at the age of 13-weeks were fed for 5 weeks either chow or high-fat diet, and their plasma lipids/lipoproteins and hepatic lipids were analyzed. The chow-fed Osbpl8KO male mice showed a marked elevation of high-density lipoprotein (HDL cholesterol (+79% and phospholipids (+35%, while only minor increase of apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I was detected. In chow-fed female KO mice a less prominent increase of HDL cholesterol (+27% was observed, while on western diet the HDL increment was prominent in both genders. The HDL increase was accompanied by an elevated level of HDL-associated apolipoprotein E in male, but not female KO animals. No differences between genotypes were observed in lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT or hepatic lipase (HL activity, or in the fractional catabolic rate of fluorescently labeled mouse HDL injected in chow-diet fed animals. The Osbpl8KO mice of both genders displayed reduced phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP activity, but only on chow diet. These findings are consistent with a model in which Osbpl8 deficiency results in altered biosynthesis of HDL. Consistent with this hypothesis, ORP8 depleted mouse hepatocytes secreted an increased amount of nascent HDL into the culture medium. In addition to the HDL phenotype, distinct gender-specific alterations in lipid metabolism were detected: Female KO animals on chow diet showed reduced lipoprotein lipase (LPL activity and increased plasma triglycerides, while the male KO mice displayed elevated plasma cholesterol biosynthetic markers cholestenol, desmosterol, and lathosterol. Moreover, modest gender-specific alterations in the hepatic expression of lipid homeostatic genes were observed. In conclusion, we report the first viable OsbplKO mouse model

Promjene na koži lica inducirane UV-zračenjem

OpenAIRE

Bojčić, Zrinka

2016-01-01

Promjene inducirane UV zračenjem obuhvaćaju različite kliničke entitete. Zbog svoje biološke aktivnosti i sposobnosti da induciraju oštećenje DNK, UV-B zrake najvažniji su etiološki čimbenik u nastanku opeklina i karcinoma kože. Iako je UV-A zračenje glavna komponenta ultraljubičastog zračenja, manje je biološki aktivna od UV-B. UV-A zračenje ima posebno važnu ulogu u fotostarenju kože. Klinička slika akutnih promjena induciranih UV zračenjem ovisi o količini energije apsorbirane u jednoj ...

Analysis of glomerulosclerosis and atherosclerosis in lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase-deficient mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Lambert, G; Sakai, N; Vaisman, B L; Neufeld, E B; Marteyn, B; Chan, C C; Paigen, B; Lupia, E; Thomas, A; Striker, L J; Blanchette-Mackie, J; Csako, G; Brady, J N; Costello, R; Striker, G E; Remaley, A T; Brewer, H B; Santamarina-Fojo, S

2001-05-04

To evaluate the biochemical and molecular mechanisms leading to glomerulosclerosis and the variable development of atherosclerosis in patients with familial lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase (LCAT) deficiency, we generated LCAT knockout (KO) mice and cross-bred them with apolipoprotein (apo) E KO, low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLr) KO, and cholesteryl ester transfer protein transgenic mice. LCAT-KO mice had normochromic normocytic anemia with increased reticulocyte and target cell counts as well as decreased red blood cell osmotic fragility. A subset of LCAT-KO mice accumulated lipoprotein X and developed proteinuria and glomerulosclerosis characterized by mesangial cell proliferation, sclerosis, lipid accumulation, and deposition of electron dense material throughout the glomeruli. LCAT deficiency reduced the plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (-70 to -94%) and non-HDL cholesterol (-48 to -85%) levels in control, apoE-KO, LDLr-KO, and cholesteryl ester transfer protein-Tg mice. Transcriptome and Western blot analysis demonstrated up-regulation of hepatic LDLr and apoE expression in LCAT-KO mice. Despite decreased HDL, aortic atherosclerosis was significantly reduced (-35% to -99%) in all mouse models with LCAT deficiency. Our studies indicate (i) that the plasma levels of apoB containing lipoproteins rather than HDL may determine the atherogenic risk of patients with hypoalphalipoproteinemia due to LCAT deficiency and (ii) a potential etiological role for lipoproteins X in the development of glomerulosclerosis in LCAT deficiency. The availability of LCAT-KO mice characterized by lipid, hematologic, and renal abnormalities similar to familial LCAT deficiency patients will permit future evaluation of LCAT gene transfer as a possible treatment for glomerulosclerosis in LCAT-deficient states.

APOE AND ALZHEIMER DISEASE: A MAJOR GENE WITH SEMI-DOMINANT INHERITANCE

Science.gov (United States)

Genin, Emmanuelle; Hannequin, Didier; Wallon, David; Sleegers, Kristel; Hiltunen, Mikko; Combarros, Onofre; Bullido, Maria J; Engelborghs, Sebastiaan; De Deyn, Peter; Berr, Claudine; Pasquier, Florence; Dubois, Bruno; Tognoni, Gloria; Fiévet, Nathalie; Brouwers, Nathalie; Bettens, Karolien; Arosio, Beatrice; Coto, Eliecer; Zompo, Maria Del; Mateo, Ignacio; Epelbaum, Jacques; Frank-Garcia, Ana; Helisalmi, Seppo; Porcellini, Elisa; Pilotto, Alberto; Forti, Paola; Ferri, Raffaele; Scarpini, Elio; Siciliano, Gabriele; Solfrizzi, Vincenzo; Sorbi, Sandro; Spalletta, Gianfranco; Valdivieso, Fernando; Vepsäläinen, Saila; Alvarez, Victoria; Bosco, Paolo; Mancuso, Michelangelo; Panza, Francesco; Nacmias, Benedetta; Bossù, Paola; Hanon, Olivier; Piccardi, Paola; Annoni, Giorgio; Seripa, Davide; Galimberti, Daniela; Licastro, Federico; Soininen, Hilkka; Dartigues, Jean-François; Kamboh, M Ilyas; Van Broeckhoven, Christine; Lambert, Jean Charles; Amouyel, Philippe; Campion, Dominique

2011-01-01

Apolipoprotein E (APOE) dependent lifetime risks (LTRs) for Alzheimer Disease (AD) are currently not accurately known and odds ratios (ORs) alone are insufficient to assess these risks. We calculated AD lifetime risk in 7,351 cases and 10,132 controls from Caucasian ancestry using Rochester (USA) incidence data. At the age of 85 the LTR of AD without reference to APOE genotype was 11% in males and 14% in females. At the same age, this risk ranged from 51% for APOE44 male carriers to 60% for APOE44 female carriers, and from 23% for APOE34 male carriers to 30% for APOE34 female carriers, consistent with semi-dominant inheritance of a moderately penetrant gene. Using PAQUID (France) incidence data, estimates were globally similar except that at age 85 the LTRs reached 68% and 35 % for APOE 44 and APOE 34 female carriers, respectively. These risks are more similar to those of major genes in Mendelian diseases, such as BRCA1 in breast cancer, than those of low-risk common alleles identified by recent GWAS in complex diseases. In addition, stratification of our data by age- groups clearly demonstrates that APOE4 is a risk factor not only for late- onset but for early- onset AD as well. Together, these results urge a reappraisal of the impact of APOE in Alzheimer disease. PMID:21556001

Reversal of fragile X phenotypes by manipulation of AβPP/Aβ levels in Fmr1KO mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cara J Westmark

Full Text Available Fragile X syndrome (FXS is the most common form of inherited intellectual disability and the leading known genetic cause of autism. Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP, which is absent or expressed at substantially reduced levels in FXS, binds to and controls the postsynaptic translation of amyloid β-protein precursor (AβPP mRNA. Cleavage of AβPP can produce β-amyloid (Aβ, a 39-43 amino acid peptide mis-expressed in Alzheimer's disease (AD and Down syndrome (DS. Aβ is over-expressed in the brain of Fmr1(KO mice, suggesting a pathogenic role in FXS. To determine if genetic reduction of AβPP/Aβ rescues characteristic FXS phenotypes, we assessed audiogenic seizures (AGS, anxiety, the ratio of mature versus immature dendritic spines and metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR-mediated long-term depression (LTD in Fmr1(KO mice after removal of one App allele. All of these phenotypes were partially or completely reverted to normal. Plasma Aβ(1-42 was significantly reduced in full-mutation FXS males compared to age-matched controls while cortical and hippocampal levels were somewhat increased, suggesting that Aβ is sequestered in the brain. Evolving therapies directed at reducing Aβ in AD may be applicable to FXS and Aβ may serve as a plasma-based biomarker to facilitate disease diagnosis or assess therapeutic efficacy.

Poland&apos;s syndrome: radiologic findings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bazzi Junior, Joao Lourenco, E-mail: joaobazzijr@gmail.com [Clinica Via Imagem, Xanxere, SC (Brazil); Matta, Eduardo Simoes da [Pro Circulacao - Clinica de Angiologia, Cirurgia Vascular e Ecografia Vascular, Xanxere, SC (Brazil); De Bortoli, Luciano [Materclinica Materno Infantil, Xanxere, SC (Brazil); De Bortoli, Felipe Raasch [Universidade Catolica de Pelotas (UCPel), Pelotas, RS (Brazil). Fac. of Medicine

2012-05-15

Poland&apos;s syndrome is a rare non-inherited congenital anomaly. The authors describe the classic radiologic findings of Poland&apos;s syndrome by reporting the case of a male four-year old patient with asymmetry of hands and chest, illustrating the fundamental imaging criteria for a conclusive diagnosis. (author)

The role of endoplasmic reticulum stress in hippocampal insulin resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Sims-Robinson, Catrina; Bakeman, Anna; Glasser, Rebecca; Boggs, Janet; Pacut, Crystal; Feldman, Eva L

2016-03-01

Metabolic syndrome, which includes hypertension, hyperglycemia, obesity, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia, has a negative impact on cognitive health. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is activated during metabolic syndrome, however it is not known which factor associated with metabolic syndrome contributes to this stress. ER stress has been reported to play a role in the development of insulin resistance in peripheral tissues. The role of ER stress in the development of insulin resistance in hippocampal neurons is not known. In the current study, we investigated ER stress in the hippocampus of 3 different mouse models of metabolic syndrome: the C57BL6 mouse on a high fat (HF) diet; apolipoprotein E, leptin, and apolipoprotein B-48 deficient (ApoE 3KO) mice; and the low density lipoprotein receptor, leptin, and apolipoprotein B-48 deficient (LDLR 3KO) mice. We demonstrate that ER stress is activated in the hippocampus of HF mice, and for the first time, in ApoE 3KO mice, but not LDLR 3KO mice. The HF and ApoE 3KO mice are hyperglycemic; however, the LDLR 3KO mice have normal glycemia. This suggests that hyperglycemia may play a role in the activation of ER stress in the hippocampus. Similarly, we also demonstrate that impaired insulin signaling is only present in the HF and ApoE 3KO mice, which suggests that ER stress may play a role in insulin resistance in the hippocampus. To confirm this we pharmacologically induced ER stress with thapsigargin in human hippocampal neurons. We demonstrate for the first time that thapsigargin leads to ER stress and impaired insulin signaling in human hippocampal neurons. Our results may provide a potential mechanism that links metabolic syndrome and cognitive health. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Implementation of KoHLT-EB DAQ System using compact RIO with EPICS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, Dae-Sik; Kim, Suk-Kwon; Lee, Dong Won [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Seungyon [National Fusion Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

EPICS (Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System) is a collection of software tools collaboratively developed which can be integrated to provide a comprehensive and scalable control system. Currently there is an increase in use of such systems in large Physics experiments like KSTAR, ITER and DAIC (Daejeon Accelerator Ion Complex). The Korean heat load test facility (KoHLT-EB) was installed at KAERI. This facility is utilized for a qualification test of the plasma facing component (PFC) for the ITER first wall and DEMO divertor, and the thermo-hydraulic experiments. The existing data acquisition device was Agilent 34980A multifunction switch and measurement unit and controlled by Agilent VEE. In the present paper, we report the EPICS based newly upgraded KoHLT-EB DAQ system which is the advanced data acquisition system using FPGA-based reconfigurable DAQ devices like compact RIO. The operator interface of KoHLT-EB DAQ system is composed of Control-System Studio (CSS) and another server is able to archive the related data using the standalone archive tool and the archiveviewer can retrieve that data at any time in the infra-network.

Advanced RF-KO slow-extraction method for the reduction of spill ripple

CERN Document Server

Noda, K; Shibuya, S; Uesugi, T; Muramatsu, M; Kanazawa, M; Takada, E; Yamada, S

2002-01-01

Two advanced RF-knockout (RF-KO) slow-extraction methods have been developed at HIMAC in order to reduce the spill ripple for accurate heavy-ion cancer therapy: the dual frequency modulation (FM) method and the separated function method. As a result of simulations and experiments, it was verified that the spill ripple could be considerably reduced using these advanced methods, compared with the ordinary RF-KO method. The dual FM method and the separated function method bring about a low spill ripple within standard deviations of around 25% and of 15% during beam extraction within around 2 s, respectively, which are in good agreement with the simulation results.

A new Job&apos;s tear cultivar &apos;'Hatohikari'&apos;

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishida, M.; Chiba, I.; Kato, M.; Okuyama, Y.; Sugawara, S.; Tanosaki, S.; Shindo, K.; Ishikura, N.; Seki, K.; Endo, T.; Shibata, M.

1997-01-01

A new Job&apos;s tear cultivar &apos;'Hatohikari'&apos;, developed at the Tohoku National Agricultural Experiment Station, Morioka, Japan was registered as Norin No.2 Job&apos;s tear and released by Japan&apos;s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 1995. &apos;'Hatohikari'&apos; is a progeny from a gamma-ray radiated mutant of &apos;'Okayama-zairai'&apos; in 1980. &apos;'Okayama-zairai'&apos; shows high yield and good quality. However, its demerits are late maturity and long plant height. The major agronomic characteristics of the new cultivar &apos;'Hatohikari'&apos; are as follows: The maturity is earlier than that of &apos;&apos;Okayama0zairai&apos;&apos;, yielding ability is 38% higher than that of &apos;&apos;Okayama-zairai , the plant height is 30 cm shorter than that of &apos;'Okayama-zairai'&apos; and it is suitable for combine harvest. &apos;'Hatohikari'&apos; has large seeds with good quality for tea processing. Shattering is easy, and resistance to leaf blight is medium. &apos;'Hatohikari'&apos; is adaptable to middle mountain regions in chugoku district of Japan. This cultivar has been recommended in Hiroshima prefecture since 1995

Mākoņdatošanas izmantošana informātikas priekšmetā vidusskolā.

OpenAIRE

Jēkabsone, Kristīne

2013-01-01

Izanalizējot informātikas standartu vidusskolā izpētīta mākoņdatošanas izmantošanas iespējas vidusskolā. Veikta aptauja vidusskolas klases skolēnu vidū. Aplūkots vidusskolas izglītojamo pieejamais tehnoloģiju klāsts. Meklēta atbilde uz pētniecisko jautājumu: kādas ir mākoņdatošanas izmantošanas iespējas informātikas priekšmeta apguvē vidusskolā? Sniegti ieteikumi skolotājiem strādājot ar mākoņdatošanu. Atslēgas vārdi: informātika, mākoņdatošana, Google Drive, Skydrive, Dropbox....

Martwica kości szczęk związana ze stosowaniem bifosfonianów. Opis przypadków

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wojciech Leśniak

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Bifosfoniany należą do silnych inhibitorów osteoklastów. Znajdują szerokie zastosowanie w leczeniu chorób przebiegających ze wzmożoną resorpcją kości: osteoporozy, choroby Pageta i osteogenesis imperfecta. Leki te zmniejszają adhezję komórek nowotworowych do kości, ograniczają osteolizę wywołaną nowotworem i hiper‑ kalcemię. Zmniejszają dolegliwości bólowe w szpiczaku mnogim i w przerzutach do kości. Powszechnie panu‑ jące przekonanie o bezpieczeństwie spowodowało rozszerzenie wskazań do ich stosowania. Pacjenci onkolo‑ giczni przyjmujący bifosfoniany dożylnie, w wysokich dawkach są bardziej narażeni na działania niepożądane terapii niż pacjenci przyjmujący je doustnie. Jednym z najpoważniejszych powikłań jest martwica kości szczęk. W 2003 roku opisano po raz pierwszy związek pomiędzy terapią bifosfonianami a martwicą kości szczęk. W piśmiennictwie znajdujemy coraz więcej przykładów tego działania niepożądanego, także po stosowaniu leków doustnie. Mogą pojawiać się ból, obrzęk, owrzodzenie, odsłonięcie kości, przetoki, złamania patologiczne, uciążliwe dla pacjenta i obniżające jakość życia. Leczenie martwicy kości szczęk jest trudne i rzadko przynosi spodziewany efekt. Główną rolę odgrywa leczenie zachowawcze i redukcja objawów. Odstawienie bifosfonia‑ nów nie ma bezpośredniego wpływu na przebieg martwicy kości szczęk, ze względu na kumulację leku w kości. Istotne jest przygotowanie pacjenta przed rozpoczęciem podawania bifosfonianów, wymagające stałej współ‑ pracy pomiędzy lekarzami onkologami, ortopedami i chirurgami szczękowo-twarzowymi. Higiena jamy ustnej i leczenie chorób współistniejących stanowi ważny element postępowania. Celem pracy jest przedstawienie trzech przypadków martwicy kości szczęk u pacjentów poddanych leczeniu bifosfonianami.

Is Cass&apos;s Model of Homosexual Identity Formation Relevant to Today&apos;s Society?

Science.gov (United States)

Kenneady, Donna Ann; Oswalt, Sara B.

2014-01-01

Cass&apos;s Homosexual Identity Formation Model (1979) is one of the most well-known and well-referenced models of identity development for gay males and lesbians. This article provides a review of Cass&apos;s six steps of the model, as well as research support for and critiques of the model. As the model was developed more than 30 years ago, the…

Altered lipid partitioning and glucocorticoid availability in CBG-deficient male mice with diet-induced obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Gulfo, José; Ledda, Angelo; Serra, Elisabet; Cabot, Cristina; Esteve, Montserrat; Grasa, Mar

2016-08-01

To evaluate how deficiency in corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG), the specific carrier of glucocorticoids, affects glucocorticoid availability and adipose tissue in obesity. C57BL/6 (WT) and CBG-deficient (KO) male mice were fed during 12 weeks with standard or hyperlipidic diet (HL). Glucocorticoid availability and metabolic parameters were assessed. Body weight and food intake were increased in KO compared with WT mice fed a standard diet and were similar when fed a HL diet. Expression of CBG was found in white adipose tissue by immunochemistry, real-time PCR, and Western blot. In obesity, the subcutaneous depot developed less in KO mice compared with WT, which was associated with a minor adipocyte area and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ expression. Conversely, the epididymal depot displayed higher weight and adipocyte area in KO than in WT mice. CBG deficiency caused a fall of hepatic 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 expression and an increase in epidymal adipose tissue, particularly in HL mice. Deficiency in CBG drives lipid partitioning from subcutaneous to visceral adipose depot under a context of lipid excess and differentially modulates 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 expression. © 2016 The Obesity Society.

Rate constant and thermochemistry for K + O2 + N2 = KO2 + N2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sorvajärvi, Tapio; Viljanen, Jan; Toivonen, Juha

2015-01-01

in the form of double exponential decays of [K], which yielded both kR1 and the equilibrium constant for KO2 formation. kR1 can be summarized as 1.07 × 10-30(T/1000 K)-0.733 cm6 molecule-2 s-1. Combination with literature values leads to a recommended kR1 of 5.5 × 10-26T-1.55 exp(-10/T) cm6 molecule-2 s-1...... over 250-1320 K, with an error limit of a factor of 1.5. A vant Hoff analysis constrained to fit the computed ΔS298 yields a K-O2 bond dissociation enthalpy of 184.2 ± 4.0 kJ mol-1 at 298 K and ΔfH298(KO2) = -95.2 ± 4.1 kJ mol-1. The corresponding D0 is 181.5 ± 4.0 kJ mol-1. This value compares well...

V labyrintech Holanovy pozdní lyriky : Nad knihou Zdeňka Kožmína

OpenAIRE

Křivánek, Vladimír

2005-01-01

This essay on the late lyric verse of Vladimír Holan, inspired by Zdeněk Kožmín’s Existencionalita, also presents an overview of previous important interpretations of Holan’s work – apart from Kožmín, it mentions the work of Přemysl Blažíček and Jiří Opelík.

Down, But Not Out: Partial Elimination of Androgen Receptors in the Male Mouse Brain Does Not Affect Androgenic Regulation of Anxiety or HPA Activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chieh V; Brummet, Jennifer L; Jordan, Cynthia L; Breedlove, S Marc

2016-02-01

We previously found that androgen receptor (AR) activity mediates two effects of T in adult male mice: reduction of anxiety-like behaviors and dampening of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal response to stress. To determine whether brain ARs mediate these effects, we used the Cre/loxP technology seeking to disable AR throughout the central nervous system (CNS). Female mice carrying the floxed AR allele (ARlox) were crossed with males carrying cre recombinase transgene controlled by the nestin promoter (NesCre), producing cre in developing neurons and glia. Among male offspring, four genotypes resulted: males carrying ARlox and NesCre (NesARko), and three control groups (wild types, NesCre, and ARlox). Reporter mice indicated ubiquitous Cre expression throughout the CNS. Nevertheless, AR immunocytochemistry in NesARko mice revealed efficient knockout (KO) of AR in some brain regions (hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex [mPFC]), but not others. Substantial AR protein was seen in the amygdala and hypothalamus among other regions, whereas negligible AR remained in others like the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and dorsal periaqueductal gray. This selective KO allowed for testing the role of AR in hippocampus and mPFC. Males were castrated and implanted with T at postnatal day 60 before testing on postnatal day 90-100. In contrast with males with global KO of AR, T still modulated anxiety-related behavior and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity in NesARko males. These results leave open the possibility that AR acting in the CNS mediates these effects of T, but demonstrate that AR is not required in the hippocampus or mPFC for T's anxiolytic effects.

Development and deployment of a novel &apos;'yellow'&apos; demulsifier for the gullfaks &apos;'A'&apos; platform

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jackson, S.J.; Ingebrigtsen, T.; Breen, P.J.; Waage, J.; Thorstenson, T.; Melby, S.

2006-03-15

Oil producers are increasingly under pressure to produce their product in an environmentally sound manner. Releases to the environment are undesirable and, where permitted to make such releases, oil producers should minimise their environmental impact. The bulk of treatment chemicals designed to improve separation and provide clean water for disposal can themselves be harmful to the environment and must conform to very stringent rules to be considered environmentally acceptable, or &apos;'green'&apos;. Here we present data on the development of a green demulsifier for Statoil&apos;s Gullfaks &apos;'A'&apos; platform, which not only meets the very stringent regulations but also exhibits a significant improvement in product performance. While the&apos;&apos;bottle test&apos;&apos; remains the industry standard method for selecting demulsifiers, in recent years the &apos;&apos;mini trial&apos;&apos; method for product selection has gained favour. We describe using a combination of both methods for the development of the novel demulsifier technology described here. (Author) (tk)

The strategic &apos;'pull'&apos; and operational &apos;'push'&apos; of total quality management in UK regional electricity service companies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McAdam, R.; McLean, J.; Henderson, J.

2003-04-30

The aim of this paper is to evaluate whether the UK regional electricity companies (RECs) has used total quality management (TQM) as a &apos;'push'&apos; or as a &apos;'pull'&apos; change methodology. &apos;'Push'&apos; is the operational improvement role of TQM; &apos;'pull'&apos; is the strategic or direction giving, improvement role of TQM. Following the onset of privatisation in 1990 there has been evidence of the RECs adopting TQM in both &apos;'push'&apos; and &apos;'pull'&apos; methodologies with varying degrees of success. An evaluation of the change processes involved will enable improved change models to be developed leading to increased business effectiveness in this 30 billion pounds sterling industry. Other possible benefits include the possible generalisations to other utilities such as water, roads, gas and telecoms. The research methodology includes a comparative case study analysis of five RECs, which have used TQM as their overarching approach to change. One of the cases is analysed to a more in-depth level based on the multiple case findings. The findings indicate that the &apos;'push-pull'&apos; analysis enables the full range of TQM activities to be evaluated in the RECs studied. Overall, there is a need to have a balanced portfolio of operational or &apos;'push'&apos;-based TQM activity that is driven by strategic or &apos;'pull'&apos; based TQM planning and activity. (author)

Farklı stres koşullarında Rhodotorula glutinis’ten antioksidan üretimi için biyoproses koşullarının geliştirilmesi

OpenAIRE

ÜNLÜ BÜYÜKTOPÇU, Ayşe Ezgi

2012-01-01

Source of spill ripple in the RF-KO slow-extraction method with FM and AM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noda, K.; Furukawa, T.; Shibuya, S.; Muramatsu, M.; Uesugi, T.; Kanazawa, M.; Torikoshi, M.; Takada, E.; Yamada, S.

2002-01-01

The RF-knockout (RF-KO) slow-extraction method with frequency modulation (FM) and amplitude modulation (AM) has brought high-accuracy irradiation to the treatment of a cancer tumor moving with respiration, because of a quick response to beam start/stop. However, a beam spill extracted from a synchrotron ring through RF-KO slow-extraction has a huge ripple with a frequency of around 1 kHz related to the FM. The spill ripple will disturb the lateral dose distribution in the beam scanning methods. Thus, the source of the spill ripple has been investigated through experiments and simulations. There are two tune regions for the extraction process through the RF-KO method: the extraction region and the diffusion region. The particles in the extraction region can be extracted due to amplitude growth through the transverse RF field, only when its frequency matches with the tune in the extraction region. For a large chromaticity, however, the particles in the extraction region can be extracted through the synchrotron oscillation, even when the frequency does not match with the tune in the extraction region. Thus, the spill structure during one period of the FM strongly depends on the horizontal chromaticity. They are repeated with the repetition frequency of the FM, which is the very source of the spill ripple in the RF-KO method

Scyntygrafia kości w diagnostyce reumatoidalnego zapalenia stawów

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Witold Tłustochowicz

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Celem pracy była ocena przydatności trójfazowej dynamicznejscyntygrafii kości w diagnostyce reumatoidalnego zapalenia stawów.Badaniem objęto 39 chorych hospitalizowanych i diagnozowanychz powodu dolegliwości stawowych. Przeprowadzono diagnostykęobejmującą: badanie podmiotowe, przedmiotowe, badania laboratoryjneoraz obrazowe, w tym trójfazową scyntygrafię kości z użyciemtechnetu 99m. Scyntygraficzne cechy zapalenia stawówstwierdzano, gdy obserwowano wzmożone gromadzenie znacznikawe wszystkich trzech fazach badania.Po ukończeniu diagnostyki rozpoznano u 13 chorych wczesne reumatoidalnezapalenie stawów, u 4 reumatoidalne zapalenie stawów(łącznie 17 pacjentów, a u 1 niezróżnicowane zapalenie stawów.Scyntygrafia kości wykazała cechy zapalenia stawów u 13spośród nich (72,2%, u 4 osób (22,2% wzmożone gromadzeniestwierdzono tylko w fazie statycznej, a u 1 pacjenta (5,6% uzyskanoprawidłowy wynik badania. U 21 chorych wykluczono chorobęzapalną stawów (u 19 rozpoznano fibromialgię, u 2 chorobęzwyrodnieniową. W grupie bez zapalenia stawów u 14 pacjentów(66,6% nie stwierdzono istotnych nieprawidłowości w obraziescyntygraficznym, u 6 (28,6% występowało wzmożone gromadzenieznacznika w badaniu statycznym, a u 1 chorego (4,8% opisanoscyntygraficzne cechy zapalenia stawów.Wbadanej grupie czułość scyntygrafii dynamicznej kości w wykrywaniuzapalenia stawów wynosiła 72,2% (95% CI: 57,5–76,8, a swoistość 95,2% (95% CI: 82,8–99,1. Dodatni wynik badaniadynamicznego wskazuje z dużym prawdopodobieństwem naobecność zapalenia stawów [PPV 92,9% (95% CI: 74,2–98,7].Mniej wiarygodny był ujemny wynik badania [NPV 80% (95% CI:69,5–83,3]. Wyniki niniejszej pracy wskazują, że trójfazowa scyntygrafia dynamicznakości może mieć zastosowanie w diagnostyce reumatoidalnegozapalenia stawów.

A Note on Ko-Type O-Ending Syllables in Old Japanese

Science.gov (United States)

Unger, J. Marshall

1975-01-01

Further evidence is offered to support the argument that ko-type o-ending syllables may have been secondary in nature in Old Japanese. Pre-Old Japanese indicates the */uwa/ sequence was manifested as /uwe/ and /uwu/ endings of o-ending syllable verbs. (SCC)

Minimum joint space width (mJSW) of patellofemoral joint on standing &apos;'skyline'&apos; radiographs: test-retest reproducibility and comparison with quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simoni, Paolo; Jamali, Sanaa; Alvarez Miezentseva, Victoria [CHU de Liege, Diagnostic Imaging Departement, Domanine du Sart Tilman, Liege (Belgium); Albert, Adelin [CHU de Liege, Biostatistics Departement, Domanine du Sart Tilman, Liege (Belgium); Totterman, Saara; Schreyer, Edward; Tamez-Pena, Jose G. [Qmetrics Technologies, Rochester, NY (United States); Zobel, Bruno Beomonte [Campus Bio-Medico University, Diagnostic Imaging Departement, Rome (Italy); Gillet, Philippe [CHU de Liege, Orthopaedic surgery Department, Domanine du Sart Tilman, Liege (Belgium)

2013-11-15

To assess the intraobserver, interobserver, and test-retest reproducibility of minimum joint space width (mJSW) measurement of medial and lateral patellofemoral joints on standing &apos;'skyline'&apos; radiographs and to compare the mJSW of the patellofemoral joint to the mean cartilage thickness calculated by quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI). A couple of standing &apos;'skyline'&apos; radiographs of the patellofemoral joints and MRI of 55 knees of 28 volunteers (18 females, ten males, mean age, 48.5 {+-} 16.2 years) were obtained on the same day. The mJSW of the patellofemoral joint was manually measured and Kellgren and Lawrence grade (KLG) was independently assessed by two observers. The mJSW was compared to the mean cartilage thickness of patellofemoral joint calculated by qMRI. mJSW of the medial and lateral patellofemoral joint showed an excellent intraobserver agreement (interclass correlation (ICC) = 0.94 and 0.96), interobserver agreement (ICC = 0.90 and 0.95) and test-retest agreement (ICC = 0.92 and 0.96). The mJSW measured on radiographs was correlated to mean cartilage thickness calculated by qMRI (r = 0.71, p < 0.0001 for the medial PFJ and r = 0.81, p < 0.0001 for the lateral PFJ). However, there was a lack of concordance between radiographs and qMRI for extreme values of joint width and KLG. Radiographs yielded higher joint space measures than qMRI in knees with a normal joint space, while qMRI yielded higher joint space measures than radiographs in knees with joint space narrowing and higher KLG. Standing &apos;'skyline'&apos; radiographs are a reproducible tool for measuring the mJSW of the patellofemoral joint. The mJSW of the patellofemoral joint on radiographs are correlated with, but not concordant with, qMRI measurements. (orig.)

Source of spill ripple in the RF-KO slow-extraction method with FM and AM

CERN Document Server

Noda, K; Shibuya, S; Muramatsu, M; Uesugi, T; Kanazawa, M; Torikoshi, M; Takada, E; Yamada, S

2002-01-01

The RF-knockout (RF-KO) slow-extraction method with frequency modulation (FM) and amplitude modulation (AM) has brought high-accuracy irradiation to the treatment of a cancer tumor moving with respiration, because of a quick response to beam start/stop. However, a beam spill extracted from a synchrotron ring through RF-KO slow-extraction has a huge ripple with a frequency of around 1 kHz related to the FM. The spill ripple will disturb the lateral dose distribution in the beam scanning methods. Thus, the source of the spill ripple has been investigated through experiments and simulations. There are two tune regions for the extraction process through the RF-KO method: the extraction region and the diffusion region. The particles in the extraction region can be extracted due to amplitude growth through the transverse RF field, only when its frequency matches with the tune in the extraction region. For a large chromaticity, however, the particles in the extraction region can be extracted through the synchrotron ...

Ethanol production from marine algal hydrolysates using Escherichia coli KO11.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Nag-Jong; Li, Hui; Jung, Kwonsu; Chang, Ho Nam; Lee, Pyung Cheon

2011-08-01

Algae biomass is a potential raw material for the production of biofuels and other chemicals. In this study, biomass of the marine algae, Ulva lactuca, Gelidium amansii,Laminaria japonica, and Sargassum fulvellum, was treated with acid and commercially available hydrolytic enzymes. The hydrolysates contained glucose, mannose, galactose, and mannitol, among other sugars, at different ratios. The Laminaria japonica hydrolysate contained up to 30.5% mannitol and 6.98% glucose in the hydrolysate solids. Ethanogenic recombinant Escherichia coli KO11 was able to utilize both mannitol and glucose and produced 0.4g ethanol per g of carbohydrate when cultured in L. japonica hydrolysate supplemented with Luria-Bertani medium and hydrolytic enzymes. The strategy of acid hydrolysis followed by simultaneous enzyme treatment and inoculation with E. coli KO11 could be a viable strategy to produce ethanol from marine alga biomass. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Key on demand (KoD) for software-defined optical networks secured by quantum key distribution (QKD).

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Yuan; Zhao, Yongli; Colman-Meixner, Carlos; Yu, Xiaosong; Zhang, Jie

2017-10-30

Software-defined optical networking (SDON) will become the next generation optical network architecture. However, the optical layer and control layer of SDON are vulnerable to cyberattacks. While, data encryption is an effective method to minimize the negative effects of cyberattacks, secure key interchange is its major challenge which can be addressed by the quantum key distribution (QKD) technique. Hence, in this paper we discuss the integration of QKD with WDM optical networks to secure the SDON architecture by introducing a novel key on demand (KoD) scheme which is enabled by a novel routing, wavelength and key assignment (RWKA) algorithm. The QKD over SDON with KoD model follows two steps to provide security: i) quantum key pools (QKPs) construction for securing the control channels (CChs) and data channels (DChs); ii) the KoD scheme uses RWKA algorithm to allocate and update secret keys for different security requirements. To test our model, we define a security probability index which measures the security gain in CChs and DChs. Simulation results indicate that the security performance of CChs and DChs can be enhanced by provisioning sufficient secret keys in QKPs and performing key-updating considering potential cyberattacks. Also, KoD is beneficial to achieve a positive balance between security requirements and key resource usage.

„Nekad su mi znali reći da nisam bolja od svog sina“ - stigma obitelji temeljem intelektualnih teškoća člana obitelji

OpenAIRE

Buljevac, Marko; Leutar, Zdravka

2017-01-01

Rad se bavi stigmom obitelji temeljem intelektualnih teškoća člana obitelji. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je dobiti uvid u perspektive članova uže obitelji osoba s različitim stupnjem intelektualnih teškoća o stigmi obitelji temeljem intelektualnih teškoća. Istraživačko pitanje bilo je: „Kako članovi obitelji osoba s intelektualnim teškoćama doživljavaju stigmu obitelji?“. Sudionici istraživanja bile se 22 osobe koje su članovi uže obitelji osoba s različitim stupnjem intelektualnih teškoća (10...

Aspects of the cosmological &apos;&apos;coincidence problem&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Velten, H.E.S.; Marttens, R.F. vom; Zimdahl, W. [Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo (UFES), Departamento de Fisica, Vitoria, Espirito Santo (Brazil)

2014-11-15

The observational fact that the present values of the densities of dark energy and dark matter are of the same order of magnitude, ρ{sub de0}/ρ{sub dm0} ∝ O(1), seems to indicate that we are currently living in a very special period of the cosmic history. Within the standard model, a density ratio of the order of one just at the present epoch can be seen as coincidental since it requires very special initial conditions in the early Universe. The corresponding &apos;&apos;why now&apos;&apos; question constitutes the cosmological &apos;&apos;coincidence problem&apos;&apos;. According to the standard model the equality ρ{sub de} = ρ{sub dm} took place &apos;'recently'&apos; at a redshift z ∼ 0.55. The meaning of &apos;'recently'&apos; is, however, parameter dependent. In terms of the cosmic time the situation looks different. We discuss several aspects of the &apos;&apos;coincidence problem&apos;&apos;, also in its relation to the cosmological constant problem, to issues of structure formation and to cosmic age considerations. (orig.)

TWEAK Receptor Deficiency Has Opposite Effects on Female and Male Mice Subjected to Neonatal Hypoxia–Ischemia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anton Kichev

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Tumor necrosis factor (TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK is a multifunctional cytokine member of the TNF family. TWEAK binds to its only known receptor, Fn14, enabling it to activate downstream signaling processes in response to tissue injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of TWEAK signaling in neonatal hypoxia–ischemia (HI. We found that after neonatal HI, both TWEAK and Fn14 expression were increased to a greater extent in male compared with female mice. To assess the role of TWEAK signaling after HI, the size of the injury was measured in neonatal mice genetically deficient in Fn14 and compared with their wild-type and heterozygote littermates. A significant sex difference in the Fn14 knockout (KO animals was observed. Fn14 gene KO was beneficial in females; conversely, reducing Fn14 expression exacerbated the brain injury in male mice. Our findings indicate that the TWEAK/Fn14 pathway is critical for development of hypoxic–ischemic brain injury in immature animals. However, as the responses are different in males and females, clinical implementation depends on development of sex-specific therapies.

&apos;&apos;de novo&apos;&apos; aneurysms following endovascular procedures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Briganti, F.; Cirillo, S.; Caranci, F. [Department of Neurological Sciences, Services of Neuroradiology, ' ' Federico II' ' University, Naples (Italy); Esposito, F.; Maiuri, F. [Department of Neurological Sciences, Services of Neurosurgery, ' ' Federico II' ' University, Naples (Italy)

2002-07-01

Two personal cases of &apos;&apos;de novo&apos;&apos; aneurysms of the anterior communicating artery (ACoA) occurring 9 and 4 years, respectively, after endovascular carotid occlusion are described. A review of the 30 reported cases (including our own two) of &apos;&apos;de novo&apos;&apos; aneurysms after occlusion of the major cerebral vessels has shown some features, including a rather long time interval after the endovascular procedure of up to 20-25 years (average 9.6 years), a preferential ACoA (36.3%) and internal carotid artery-posterior communicating artery (ICA-PCoA) (33.3%) location of the &apos;&apos;de novo&apos;&apos; aneurysms, and a 10% rate of multiple aneurysms. These data are compared with those of the group of reported spontaneous &apos;&apos;de novo&apos;&apos; aneurysms after SAH or previous aneurysm clipping. We agree that the frequency of &apos;&apos;de novo&apos;&apos; aneurysms after major-vessel occlusion (two among ten procedures in our series, or 20%) is higher than commonly reported (0 to 11%). For this reason, we suggest that patients who have been submitted to endovascular major-vessel occlusion be followed up for up to 20-25 years after the procedure, using non-invasive imaging studies such as MR angiography and high-resolution CT angiography. On the other hand, periodic digital angiography has a questionable risk-benefit ratio; it may be used when a &apos;&apos;de novo&apos;&apos; aneurysm is detected or suspected on non-invasive studies. The progressive enlargement of the ACoA after carotid occlusion, as described in our case 1, must be considered a radiological finding of risk for &apos;&apos;de novo&apos;&apos; aneurysm formation. (orig.)

The adductor magnus &apos;'mini-hamstring'&apos;: MRI appearance and potential pitfalls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broski, Stephen M.; Murthy, Naveen S.; Collins, Mark S.; Krych, Aaron J.; Obey, Mitchel R.

2016-01-01

To examine the anatomic MRI characteristics of the adductor magnus mini hamstring (AMMH) and explore its involvement in cases of hamstring avulsion. An IRB-approved retrospective review of patients undergoing &apos;&apos;hamstring protocol&apos;&apos; MRI between March 2009 and June 2014 was performed. Two musculoskeletal radiologists recorded multiple AMMH anatomic characteristics and involvement in cases of hamstring avulsion. Seventy-six AMMHs were analyzed in 66 patients [35 females and 31 males, mean age 49.3 ± 15.2 years (range 17-81)]. Eleven percent of AMMHs were poorly visualized, 51 % visualized, and 37 % well visualized. Seven percent demonstrated round, 73 % ovoid, and 21 % flat/lenticular tendon morphologies. Most (88 %) demonstrated typical origins. Average cross-sectional area (CSA) was 22.4 ± 10.6 mm 2 (range 6-56), diameter was 7.2 ± 2.5 mm (range 2.9-15), medial distance from the semimembranosus tendon was 7.5 ± 2.5 mm (range 3-14), and tendon length was 6.8 ± 3.3 cm (range 1.2-14.1). There was no gender difference in AMMH anatomic measurements or correlation between age and CSA or diameter. Of 17 complete hamstring avulsion cases, the AMMH was intact in 13, partially torn in 3, and completely torn in 1. The AMMH is a constant finding with variable anatomic characteristics. It is visualized or well visualized by MRI in 88 % of cases and is a sizable tendon located in close proximity to the semimembranosus tendon. Because it is uncommonly completely torn (6 %) in cases of complete hamstring avulsion, radiologists should be aware of its presence and appearance to avoid diagnostic confusion. (orig.)

The adductor magnus &apos;'mini-hamstring'&apos;: MRI appearance and potential pitfalls

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Broski, Stephen M.; Murthy, Naveen S.; Collins, Mark S. [Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (United States); Krych, Aaron J. [Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (United States); Obey, Mitchel R. [Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education, Rochester, MN (United States)

2016-02-15

To examine the anatomic MRI characteristics of the adductor magnus mini hamstring (AMMH) and explore its involvement in cases of hamstring avulsion. An IRB-approved retrospective review of patients undergoing &apos;&apos;hamstring protocol&apos;&apos; MRI between March 2009 and June 2014 was performed. Two musculoskeletal radiologists recorded multiple AMMH anatomic characteristics and involvement in cases of hamstring avulsion. Seventy-six AMMHs were analyzed in 66 patients [35 females and 31 males, mean age 49.3 ± 15.2 years (range 17-81)]. Eleven percent of AMMHs were poorly visualized, 51 % visualized, and 37 % well visualized. Seven percent demonstrated round, 73 % ovoid, and 21 % flat/lenticular tendon morphologies. Most (88 %) demonstrated typical origins. Average cross-sectional area (CSA) was 22.4 ± 10.6 mm{sup 2} (range 6-56), diameter was 7.2 ± 2.5 mm (range 2.9-15), medial distance from the semimembranosus tendon was 7.5 ± 2.5 mm (range 3-14), and tendon length was 6.8 ± 3.3 cm (range 1.2-14.1). There was no gender difference in AMMH anatomic measurements or correlation between age and CSA or diameter. Of 17 complete hamstring avulsion cases, the AMMH was intact in 13, partially torn in 3, and completely torn in 1. The AMMH is a constant finding with variable anatomic characteristics. It is visualized or well visualized by MRI in 88 % of cases and is a sizable tendon located in close proximity to the semimembranosus tendon. Because it is uncommonly completely torn (6 %) in cases of complete hamstring avulsion, radiologists should be aware of its presence and appearance to avoid diagnostic confusion. (orig.)

Cluster and principal component analysis based on SSR markers of Amomum tsao-ko in Jinping County of Yunnan Province

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Mengli; Lei, En; Meng, Hengling; Wang, Tiantao; Xie, Linyan; Shen, Dong; Xianwang, Zhou; Lu, Bingyue

2017-08-01

Amomum tsao-ko is a commercial plant that used for various purposes in medicinal and food industries. For the present investigation, 44 germplasm samples were collected from Jinping County of Yunnan Province. Clusters analysis and 2-dimensional principal component analysis (PCA) was used to represent the genetic relations among Amomum tsao-ko by using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Clustering analysis clearly distinguished the samples groups. Two major clusters were formed; first (Cluster I) consisted of 34 individuals, the second (Cluster II) consisted of 10 individuals, Cluster I as the main group contained multiple sub-clusters. PCA also showed 2 groups: PCA Group 1 included 29 individuals, PCA Group 2 included 12 individuals, consistent with the results of cluster analysis. The purpose of the present investigation was to provide information on genetic relationship of Amomum tsao-ko germplasm resources in main producing areas, also provide a theoretical basis for the protection and utilization of Amomum tsao-ko resources.

Epidemic juvenile hypothyroidism among a population of Hanford &apos;downwinders&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grossman, C.M.; Nussbaum, R.H.; Nussbaum, F.D. [Northwest Radiation Health Alliance, Portland, OR (United States); Kordysh, E.; Goldsmith, J.R. [Dept. of Epidemiology, Ben Gurion Univ. of the Negev, Beer Sheva (Israel)

2001-07-01

Self-defined &apos;downwinders&apos; responded to questionnaires as to their health and their potential exposures to emissions from the Hanford Nuclear Facility in the U.S. The area considered was between the Cascades and the Rocky Mountains, primarily to the East and Northeast of the facility. Of 801 questionnaires, returned, 518 were from women. Of these, 210 reported that they had been diagnosed by their physicians as having hypothyroidism. 31 of the 283 men had reported being diagnosed as hypothyroid. The condition is generally found to be frequent among adult women, but is uncommon in children. 54 of the 210 cases among females were diagnosed among those less than 20 years of age, and 5 out of 31 males were found in this age range. Peak years for diagnosis among females were from 1945 to 1965, with only three juvenile cases occurring after 1970 among 80 female hypothyroid cases overall. Among males there were five juvenile cases in 1955-1960 out of 7 overall, but no juvenile cases among 24 cases at other times. The timing of the onset of this epidemic follows closely after the massive release of I{sup 131} from the facility in 1945, so that a causal relationship is strongly suggested. The counties of residence of cases corresponds to the counties with high cumulative dose estimates in children&apos;s thyroid glands. Validation of the diagnostic criteria was checked in a sample of cases. Other types of thyroid abnormalities were also increased. One case of juvenile thyroid cancer was reported. While thyroid cancer in adults was unusually frequent, the first cases occurred in 1955 and the highest number (8) in 1985. Our findings are consistent with the clinical finding that hypothyroidism in children frequently follows radiation of the head and neck. Similarities with the Marshall Islanders exposed to the nuclear test, &apos;Bravo&apos; and to those exposed near Chernobyl are discussed. (orig.)

Experimental transmission of AA amyloidosis by injecting the AA amyloid protein into interleukin-1 receptor antagonist knockout (IL-1raKO) mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, K; Uchida, K; Chambers, J K; Tei, M; Shoji, A; Ushio, N; Nakayama, H

2015-05-01

The incidence of AA amyloidosis is high in humans with rheumatoid arthritis and several animal species, including cats and cattle with prolonged inflammation. AA amyloidosis can be experimentally induced in mice using severe inflammatory stimuli and a coinjection of AA amyloid; however, difficulties have been associated with transmitting AA amyloidosis to a different animal species, and this has been attributed to the "species barrier." The interleukin-1 receptor antagonist knockout (IL-1raKO) mouse, a rodent model of human rheumatoid arthritis, has been used in the transmission of AA amyloid. When IL-1raKO and BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally injected with mouse AA amyloid together with a subcutaneous pretreatment of 2% AgNO3, all mice from both strains that were injected with crude or purified murine AA amyloid developed AA amyloidosis. However, the amyloid index, which was determined by the intensity of AA amyloid deposition, was significantly higher in IL-1raKO mice than in BALB/c mice. When IL-1raKO and BALB/c mice were injected with crude or purified bovine AA amyloid together with the pretreatment, 83% (5/6 cases) and 38% (3/8 cases) of IL-1raKO mice and 17% (1/6 cases) and 0% (0/6 cases) of BALB/c mice, respectively, developed AA amyloidosis. Similarly, when IL-1raKO and BALB/c mice were injected with crude or purified feline AA amyloid, 33% (2/6 cases) and 88% (7/8 cases) of IL-1raKO mice and 0% (0/6 cases) and 29% (2/6 cases) of BALB/c mice, respectively, developed AA amyloidosis. These results indicated that IL-1raKO mice are a useful animal model for investigating AA amyloidogenesis. © The Author(s) 2014.

Characterization and behavior in the environment of the crude oil &apos;'Prestige'&apos;; Caracterisation et comportement dans l&apos;environnement du fioul &apos;'Prestige'&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-03-01

This study presents analysis realized on the crude oil of the tanker &apos;'Prestige'&apos; which sunk the 19 november 2002. The specifications on the product and its behavior in sea water are detailed. All the analysis are compared to the &apos;'Erika'&apos; crude oil. (A.L.B.)

Single-centre review of radiologically guided percutaneous nephrostomy using &apos;mixed&apos; technique: Success and complication rates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Montvilas, Paulius, E-mail: paulmont@rm.dk [Department of Radiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Brendstrupgardsvej 100, 8200 Aarhus N (Denmark); Solvig, Jan, E-mail: jansolvi@rm.dk [Department of Radiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Brendstrupgardsvej 100, 8200 Aarhus N (Denmark); Bjerklund Johansen, Truls Erik, E-mail: tebj@skejby.rm.dk [Department of Urology, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Brendstrupgardsvej 100, 8200 Aarhus N (Denmark)

2011-11-15

Aim: A review of complication and success rates of the &apos;mixed&apos; technique in percutaneous nephrostomy using both the Seldinger and one-step techniques in dilated and non-dilated systems. Materials and methods: We retrospectively analysed 500 percutaneous nephrostomies in dilated an non-dilated systems in 353 patients from 2006 to 2007 (208 males (range 19-95 years), 127 females (range 27-91 years) and 21 children (range 3 months-16 years: 6 females, 15 males)). Percutaneous nephrostomy was considered successful if catheter was placed in renal pelvis and drained urine spontaneously. Successful percutaneous nephrostomies were classified as primary (renal system drained instantly) or postponed (drainage achieved within 24 h after initial failure). Number of complications was registered. Results: All of the 500 nephrostomies were successful within 24 h (96.2% primary; 3.8% postponed). The success rate of primary nephrostomy in dilated and non-dilated systems was 98.2% and 82%, respectively. Major complications occurred in 0.45% and minor complications in 14.2%. Conclusion: Percutaneous nephrostomy using the &apos;mixed&apos; technique is very successful in dilated systems, is not superior to other PCN techniques in non-dilated systems and has a very low rate of major complications.

&apos;'Old'&apos; locked inflation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Yang; Piao, Yun-Song [College of Physical Sciences, Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Si, Zong-Guo, E-mail: liuyangbyf@mail.sdu.edu.cn, E-mail: yspiao@gucas.ac.cn, E-mail: zgsi@sdu.edu.cn [Department of Physics, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China)

2009-05-15

In this paper, we revisit the idea of locked inflation, which does not require a potential satisfying the normal slow-roll condition, but suffers from the problems associated with &apos;&apos;saddle inflation&apos;&apos;. We propose a scenario based on locked inflation, however, with an alternative evolution mechanism of the &apos;&apos;waterfall field&apos;&apos; {phi}. Instead of rolling down along the potential, the {phi} field will tunnel to end the inflation stage like in old inflation, by which the saddle inflation could be avoided. Further, we study a cascade of old locked inflation, which can be motivated by the string landscape. Our model is based on the consideration of making locked inflation feasible so as to give a working model without slow roll; It also can be seen as an effort to embed the old inflation in string landscape.

[Effect of Jinlida on changes in expression of skeletal muscle lipid transport enzymes in fat-induced insulin resistance ApoE -/- mice].

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Xin; Zhang, Hui-xin; Zhang, Yan-fen; Cui, Wen-wen; Bi, Yao; He, Qi-long; Zhou, Sheng-shan

2015-03-01

To study the effect of Jinlida on changes in expression of skeletal muscle lipid transport enzymes in fat-induced insulin resistance ApoE -/- mice. Eight male C57BL/6J mice were selected in the normal group (NF), 40 male ApoE -/- mice were fed for 16 weeks, divided into the model group (HF), the rosiglitazone group ( LGLT), the Jinlida low-dose group (JLDL), the Jinlida medium-dose group (JLDM), the Jinlida high-dose group (JLDH) and then orally given drugs for 8 weeks. The organization free fatty acids, BCA protein concentration determination methods were used to determine the skeletal muscle FFA content. The Real-time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription PCR ( RT-PCR) and Western blot method were adopted to determine mRNA and protein expressions of mice fatty acids transposition enzyme (FAT/CD36), carnitine palm acyltransferase 1 (CPT1), peroxide proliferators-activated receptor α( PPAR α). Jinlida could decrease fasting blood glucose (FBG), cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), free fatty acid (FFA) and fasting insulin (FIns) and raise insulin sensitive index (ISI) in mice to varying degrees. It could also up-regulate mRNA and protein expressions of CPT1 and PPARα, and down-regulate mRNA and protein levels of FAT/CD36. Jinlida can improve fat-induced insulin resistance ApoE -/- in mice by adjusting the changes in expression of skeletal muscle lipid transport enzymes.

Liver steatosis study_PFAA treated Wild type and PPAR KO mouse data

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Data set 1 consists of the experimental data for the Wild Type and PPAR KO animal study and includes data used to prepare Figures 1-4 and Table 1 of the Das et al,...

Middle-aged human apoE4 targeted-replacement mice show retention deficits on a wide range of spatial memory tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Bour, Alexandra; Grootendorst, Jeannette; Vogel, Elise; Kelche, Christian; Dodart, Jean-Cosme; Bales, Kelly; Moreau, Pierre-Henri; Sullivan, Patrick M; Mathis, Chantal

2008-11-21

Apolipoprotein (apo) E4, one of three human apoE (h-apoE) isoforms, has been identified as a major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and for cognitive deficits associated with aging. However, the biological mechanisms involving apoE in learning and memory processes are unclear. A potential isoform-dependent role of apoE in cognitive processes was studied in human apoE targeted-replacement (TR) mice. These mice express either the human apoE3 or apoE4 gene under the control of endogenous murine apoE regulatory sequences, resulting in physiological expression of h-apoE in both a temporal and spatial pattern similar to humans. Male and female apoE3-TR, apoE4-TR, apoE-knockout and C57BL/6J mice (15-18 months) were tested with spatial memory and avoidance conditioning tasks. Compared to apoE3-TR mice, spatial memory in female apoE4-TR mice was impaired based on their poor performances in; (i) the probe test of the water-maze reference memory task, (ii) the water-maze working memory task and (iii) an active avoidance Y-maze task. Retention performance on a passive avoidance task was also impaired in apoE4-TR mice, but not in other genotypes. These deficits in both spatial and avoidance memory tasks may be related to the anatomical and functional abnormalities previously reported in the hippocampus and the amygdala of apoE4-TR mice. We conclude that the apoE4-TR mice provide an excellent model for understanding the mechanisms underlying apoE4-dependent susceptibility to cognitive decline.

Staranje cevi uparjalnikov v Jedrski elektrarni Krško: Aging of tubes in the Krško nuclear power plant's steam generators:

OpenAIRE

Androjna, Ferdo; Cizelj, Leon

2000-01-01

The paper reviews the domestic efforts devoted to the safe and reliable operation of the Krško nuclear power plant (NPP) at full power, close to the design limit of the steam generators (18% of plugged tubes) for a full decade. This includes an overview of the recent status and history of the degradation processes, discussion of repair criteria, defining the acceptable size of defects and selected results from safety analyses supporting the operation of degraded steam generator (SG) tubes. It...

Serum Levels of ApoA1 and ApoA2 Are Associated with Cognitive Status in Older Men

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Cheng; Li, Jin; Bao, Zhijun; Ruan, Qingwei; Yu, Zhuowei

2015-01-01

Background. Advancing age, chronic inflammation, oxidative damage, and disorders of lipid metabolism are positively linked to the late-life cognitive impairment. Serum biomarkers may be associated with the cognitive status in older men. Methods. 440 old male subjects with different cognitive functions were recruited to investigate probable serum markers. Pearson Chi-Squared test, univariate analysis, and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to evaluate biomarkers which may be associated with cognitive status. Results. Levels of fundus atherosclerosis (AS) (P age (P age, AS levels, POD, IL-6, HDL-C, ApoA2, and ApoC2 were significantly related to cognitive status. Moreover, ApoA1 and ApoA2 were independently associated with cognitive impairment and late-life dementia. PMID:26682220

Zdeněk Kožmín a strukturalismus

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Sládek, Ondřej

2016-01-01

Roč. 19, č. 2 (2016), s. 32-48 ISSN 1213-2144 Institutional support: RVO:68378068 Keywords : Kožmín, Zdeněk * Mukařovský, Jan * Structural ism * Structural poetics and aesthetics * TheoryofInterpretation * Philosophy and Literature * Mukařovský, Jan * Structural ism * Structural poetics and aesthetics * Theory of Interpretation * Philosophy and Literature Subject RIV: AJ - Letters, Mass-media, Audiovision

&apos;&apos;House in park&apos;&apos; gold plated. Subsequent certification for the new office building; &apos;&apos;Haus im Park&apos;&apos; vergoldet. Nachtraegliche LEED-Zertifizierung fuer neues Buerogebaeude

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herzog, Kati; Wildhack, Alice [Bilfinger Berger AG, Mannheim (Germany). Abt. Nachhaltigkeit/Energieeffizienz

2011-07-01

In March 2011, the &apos;&apos;house in park&apos;&apos; received the signet LEED {sup registered} of the U.S. Green Building Council (Washington, North Carolina, U.S.A.) in &apos;'gold'&apos;. In general, it is the second German project that was awarded with &apos;'gold'&apos; in the certification version &apos;&apos;New Construction, version 2009&apos;&apos;. The special challenge: In the planning phase, no aspects relevant to planning and execution with regard to LEED were implemented. In total there are 15 LEED-certified buildings actually in Germany (worldwide: 7,894). 115 Projects are registered (worldwide: 23,238). The trend is increasing, both nationally as well as internationally.

The experiences to improve plant performance and reliability of Ko-Ri nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Ho Weon

1998-01-01

This paper provides a discussion of the lessons learned from operational experience and the future plans to improve performance of the Ko-Ri plant. To operate nuclear power plants safely with good performance is the only way to mitigate the negative image of nuclear power generation to the public and to enhance the economical benefit compared to other electrical generation method. Therefore, in a continuous effort to overcome a negative challenge from outside, we have driven an aggressive 'OCTF' campaign as part of safety. As a result of our efforts, the following remarkable achievements have been accomplished. (1) 3 times of OCTF during recent three years (2) Selected twice as a top notch power plant on the list of NEI magazine in terms of plant capacity factor (3) No scram recorded in 1997 for all 4 units at Ko-Ri site. Ko-Ri is now undergoing the large scale plant betterment projects for retaking-off our operating performance to the level of new challenge target. Such improvement of critical components in the reactor coolant system and turbine system greatly contribute to increase the safety and reliability of the plant and to shortening of the planned outage period as well as to reduction of radiation exposure and radwaste. (Cho, G. S.). 5 tabs., 10 figs

&apos;et&apos; special: &apos;&apos;E-world of energy&apos;&apos;; &apos;et&apos;-special: &apos;&apos;E-world of energy&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

2001-02-01

The &apos;et&apos; special on the conference &apos;E-world of energy&apos;, held from February 13 - 15, 2001 in Essen (Germany) presents contributions of experts who offer solutions to issues and many topical questions arising in the business of traders and utilities as participants of (international) energy markets at various stages of transition towards workable competition. The translated titles of the 15 contributions reproduced in this &apos;et&apos; special indicate the major contents of the conference papers: 1. Internet-based wholesale power trading as a competitive option to the power exchange. 2. Forward graphs in European electricity markets. 3. Portfolio management in energy trading. 4. Risk management concepts in energy trading. 5. E-commerce as a driving force of a change in the energy markets. 6. eHuman resources management - a vital aspect of corporate success. 7. A brand policy for electricity? 8. Is it really only the price that counts for the customers? 9. The City Power network: an example of successful customer loyalty strategy for local and regional utilities. 10. The Call Center, an important instrument for customer loyalty programmes. 11. eCommerce or eLlusion? 12. eBusiness as a corporate strategy. 13. Meeting the challenges of increasing IT requirements. 14. IT solutions for transmission and distribution network management. 15. Target costing - pinpointed cost planning and control for the energy supply industry. (orig./CB) [German] In dem &apos;et&apos;-Special zur Konferenz &apos;E-world of energy&apos;, die vom 13.- 15. Februar 2001 in Essen stattfand, bieten Experten Loesungsvorschlaege fuer die aktuellen Fragen und Probleme an, die sich auf dem Weg zu liberalisierten Energiemaerkten stellen. Die folgenden Titel der 15 Beitraege geben eine Uebersicht ueber den Inhalt der Konferenzbeitraege. Themen: 1. Internetbasierte Grosshandelsmaerkte als Konkurrenz zu Energieboersen 2. Forward-Kurven in europaeischen Strommaerkten 3

Cytogenetic changes in the liver of progeny of irradiated male rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kropacova, K.; Slovinska, L.; Misurova, E. [P.J. Safarik Univ., Kosice (Slovakia)

2002-06-01

The transgenerational transmission of radiation damage of rat genom was studied on the basis of cytogenetic changes in somatic cells (hepatocytes). It was found, that the irradiation of rat males with dose of 3 Gy of gamma radiation caused latent cytogenetic damage to the liver, which was expressed during the course of an induced proliferation of hepatocytes (by partial hepatectomy) by lower proliferative activity and a high frequency of chromosomal aberrations. In the progeny of irradiated males (in the F{sub 1} generation), the radiation damage to DNA was manifested by similar changes, i.e. by lower proliferation activity and increase in &apos;'spontaneous'&apos; chromosomal aberration occurrence in liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy. Irradiating the progeny of irradiated males (the total radiation load of the progeny being 3 Gy+3 Gy) caused slighter changes in compared with irradiating the progeny of non-irradiated control males (the total radiation load of the progeny being 0 Gy+3 Gy), which suggests some kind of adaptive response, which was also found in other experimental systems and parameters. An analogous course of RNA and DNA quantitative changes in the liver of the F{sub 0} and F{sub 1} generations of rats confirms the partial transmission of radiation damage of genom to the progeny. (author)

Sex modifies the APOE-related risk of developing Alzheimer disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Altmann, Andre; Tian, Lu; Henderson, Victor W; Greicius, Michael D

2014-04-01

The APOE4 allele is the strongest genetic risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer disease (AD). Case-control studies suggest the APOE4 link to AD is stronger in women. We examined the APOE4-by-sex interaction in conversion risk (from healthy aging to mild cognitive impairment (MCI)/AD or from MCI to AD) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker levels. Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) for an APOE-by-sex interaction on conversion in controls (n = 5,496) and MCI patients (n = 2,588). The interaction was also tested in CSF biomarker levels of 980 subjects from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Among controls, male and female carriers were more likely to convert to MCI/AD, but the effect was stronger in women (HR = 1.81 for women; HR = 1.27 for men; interaction: p = 0.011). The interaction remained significant in a predefined subanalysis restricted to APOE3/3 and APOE3/4 genotypes. Among MCI patients, both male and female APOE4 carriers were more likely to convert to AD (HR = 2.16 for women; HR = 1.64 for men); the interaction was not significant (p = 0.14). In the subanalysis restricted to APOE3/3 and APOE3/4 genotypes, the interaction was significant (p = 0.02; HR = 2.17 for women; HR = 1.51 for men). The APOE4-by-sex interaction on biomarker levels was significant for MCI patients for total tau and the tau-to-Aβ ratio (p = 0.009 and p = 0.02, respectively; more AD-like in women). APOE4 confers greater AD risk in women. Biomarker results suggest that increased APOE-related risk in women may be associated with tau pathology. These findings have important clinical implications and suggest novel research approaches into AD pathogenesis. © 2014 American Neurological Association.

XVII International Scientific Conference &apos;&apos;RESHETNEV READINGS&apos;&apos;

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

The International Scientific Conference &apos;RESHETNEV READINGS&apos; is dedicated to the memory of Mikhail Reshetnev, an outstanding scientist, chief-constructor of space-rocket systems and communication satellites. The current volume represents selected proceedings of the main conference materials which were published by XVII International Scientific Conference &apos;RESHETNEV READINGS&apos; held on November 12 – 14, 2013. Plenary sessions, round tables and forums will be attended by famous scientists, developers and designers representing the space technology sector, as well as professionals and experts in the IT industry. A number of outstanding academic figures expressed their interest in an event of such a level including Jaures Alferov, Vice-president of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Academician of RAS, Nobel laureate, Dirk Bochar, General Secretary of the European Federation of National Engineering Associates (FEANI), Prof. Yuri Gulyaev, Academician of RAS, Member of the Presidium of RAS, President of the International Union of Scientific and Engineering Associations, Director of the Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics of RAS, as well as rectors of the largest universities in Russia, chief executives of well-known research enterprises and representatives of big businesses. We would like to thank our main sponsors such as JSC &apos;&apos;Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems&apos;&apos;, JSC &apos;&apos;Krasnoyarsk Engineering Plant&apos;&apos;, Central Design Bureau &apos;'Geophysics'&apos;, Krasnoyarsk Region Authorities. These enterprises and companies are leading ones in the aerospace branch. It is a great pleasure to cooperate and train specialists for them. (preface)

[Rehabilitation in the View of Small and Midsized Enterprises: Knowledge, Appreciation and Possibilities to Cooperate - Results of the KoRB-Project

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hesse, B.; Heuer, J.; Gebauer, E.

2008-01-01

The experiences of small and midsized enterprises (SME) with medical rehabilitation were investigated in the KoRB-Study (KoRB= KOoperation Rehabilitation und Betrieb) for the first time. Opportunities for a targeted cooperation between the statutory pension insurance and these enterprises were...

Inner boundary reform in Košice: The most fragmented city in Slovakia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Csachová Stela

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In the first part of the paper the aim is to provide the reader with a theoretical insight into models of government structure at the local level and provide evidence from European countries that underwent reforms during the second half of the 20th century. In the Slovak Republic (Slovakia the renewal of local self-government in 1990 brought changes to the administrative boundary map with more than 200 municipalities reestablished bringing the current number to 2,929 local administrative units. This has resulted in some discussion regarding a reduction in the number of local government units in this country. The second part of the paper is focused on Košice; the second largest city in Slovakia with 234,000 in­habitants. The city is organised at two administrative levels; one covering the whole city, the other covering 22 wards. When compared to cities of a similar size, Košice has been criticised for its high number of city wards and councillors, with the concomitant financial inefficiency it can bring. There has been an ongoing debate on reducing their number since 2010. The paper reports on the search for an admin­istrative structure that would best tailor to the citizens' needs and provide effective management in Košice. It uses traditional methods of qualitative research (historical method, content analysis and syn­thesis accompanied by statistical data organised in tables and figures.

[Andreeva, E. and Belobrovtseva, I. "Tol'ko Vy poimete sleduiushchii tekst..."] / Avril Pyman

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Pyman, Avril

2014-01-01

Arvustus: Andreeva, E. and Belobrovtseva, I. "Tol'ko Vy poimete sleduiushchii tekst...". Perepiska N. E. Andreeva i L. F. Zurova. Baltiiskii arkhiv: Russkaia kult'tura v Pribaltike, 13. Tallinna Ülikooli Slaavi Keelte ja Kultuuride Instituut, Tallinn, 2013

Infection with koala retrovirus subgroup B (KoRV-B), but not KoRV-A, is associated with chlamydial disease in free-ranging koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus)

OpenAIRE

Waugh, Courtney A.; Hanger, Jonathan; Loader, Joanne; King, Andrew; Hobbs, Matthew; Johnson, Rebecca; Timms, Peter

2017-01-01

The virulence of chlamydial infection in wild koalas is highly variable between individuals. Some koalas can be infected (PCR positive) with Chlamydia for long periods but remain asymptomatic, whereas others develop clinical disease. Chlamydia in the koala has traditionally been studied without regard to coinfection with other pathogens, although koalas are usually subject to infection with koala retrovirus (KoRV). Retroviruses can be immunosuppressive, and there is evidence of an immunosuppr...

&apos;'SMART'&apos; MULTIFUNCTIONAL POLYMERS FOR ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Charles McCormick; Andrew Lowe

2004-10-20

Herein we report the aqueous polymerization of acrylamide using reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization to perform a comprehensive study on the polymerization of acrylamide. More specifically, the effect of polymerization conditions on the polymerization kinetics, molecular weight control, and blocking ability were examined. With this in mind, it was necessary to prepare &apos;'A'&apos; block (corona of the micelle) from a hydrophilic monomer. The responsive &apos;'B'&apos; block present in the core will be disclosed in the next two reports.

Results of Clinical Tests of Phytopreparation &apos;&apos;Tkis Nobati&apos;&apos;

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khositashvili, V.; Khositashvili, L.; Atuashvili, N.; Osmanova, V.; Chankseliani, Z.

2005-01-01

The present paper deals with the results of the study of natural vegetative extract of Folium pini. On the basis of multiple experiments it has been established that phytopreparation &apos;&apos;Tkis Nobati&apos;&apos; strengthens the leucocytoprotection of organism and improves physiological state in oncologic patients in the process of chemoradiotherapy treatment. The preparation &apos;&apos;Tkis Nobati&apos;&apos; provides the elimination of heavy metals from the organism. (author)

CT Angiographic Demonstration of a Mesenteric Vessel &apos;Whirlpool&apos; in Intestinal Malrotation and Midgut Volvulus: a Case Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bozlar, Ugur; Ugurel, Mehmet Sahin; Ustunsoz, Bahri [Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara (Turkmenistan); Coskun, Unsal [Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Turkish Armed Forces Rehabilitation Center, Ankara (Turkmenistan)

2008-10-15

Although the color Doppler ultrasonography diagnosis of intestinal malrotation with midgut volvulus, based on the typical &apos;whirlpool&apos; appearance of the mesenteric vascular structures is well-defined in the peer-reviewed literature, the combination of both the angiographic illustration of these findings and the contemporary state-of-the-art imaging techniques is lacking. We report the digital subtraction angiography and multidetector computed tomography angiography findings of a 37-year-old male with intestinal malrotation.

First monitoring report &apos;&apos;The future of the power&apos;&apos;; Erster Monitoring-Bericht &apos;&apos;Energie der Zukunft&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-12-15

The Federal Government has initiated the reconstruction of the energy supply towards a highly efficient and renewable energy systems using the energy concept from September, 2010, and using the energy political resolutions from June, 2011. The energy policy turnaround is ambitioned in its objectives as well as broadly defined. In order to consider the energy policy turnaround as well as the development of the energy market continuously, the Federal Government initiated the monitoring process &apos;&apos;Energy of the future&apos;&apos; with the aim to review regularly the implementation of the measures of the energy concepts as well as the progress in the goal achievement with a view on a secure, economical and environmentally compatible energy supply. The first monitoring report &apos;&apos;Energy of the future&apos;&apos; under consideration is the onset of this process. This report is an important basis for the current fact-based attendance of the energy policy turnaround.

&apos;Crazy-Paving&apos; Patterns on High-Resolution CT Scans in Patients with Pulmonary Complications after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marchiori, Edson; Escuissato, Dante L.; Gasparetto, Taisa Davaus; Considera, Daniela Peixoto [Federal University, Sao Paulo (Brazil); Franquet, Tomas [Hospital de Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona (Spain)

2009-02-15

To describe the pulmonary complications following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) that can present with a &apos;crazy-paving&apos; pattern in high-resolution CT scans. Retrospective review of medical records from 2,537 patients who underwent HSCT. The &apos;crazy-paving&apos; pattern consists of interlobular and intralobular septal thickening superimposed on an area of ground-glass attenuation on high-resolution CT scans. The CT scans were retrospectively reviewed by two radiologists, who reached final decisions by consensus. We identified 10 cases (2.02%), seven male and three female, with pulmonary complications following HSCT that presented with the &apos;crazy-paving&apos; pattern. Seven (70%) patients had infectious pneumonia (adenovirus, herpes simplex, influenza virus, cytomegalovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, and toxoplasmosis), and three patients presented with non-infectious complications (idiopathic pneumonia syndrome and acute pulmonary edema). The &apos;crazy-paving&apos; pattern was bilateral in all cases, with diffuse distribution in nine patients (90%), predominantly in the middle and inferior lung regions in seven patients (70%), and involving the anterior and posterior regions of the lungs in nine patients (90%). The &apos;crazy-paving&apos; pattern is rare in HSCT recipients with pulmonary complications and is associated with infectious complications more commonly than non-infectious conditions.

Financial and tax risks at implementation of &apos;&apos;Chayanda- Lensk&apos;&apos; section of &apos;&apos;Sila Sibiri&apos;&apos; gas transportation system construction project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharf, I V; Chukhareva, N V; Kuznetsova, L P

2014-01-01

High social and economic importance of large-scale projects on gasification of East Siberian regions of Russia and diversifying gas exports poses the problem of complex risk analysis of the project. This article discusses the various types of risks that could significantly affect the timing of the implementation and effectiveness of the project for the construction of the first line of &apos;&apos;Sila Sibiri&apos;&apos;, the &apos;'Chayanda-Lensk'&apos; section. Special attention is paid to financial and tax aspects of the project. Graphically presented analysis of the dynamics of financial indicators reflect certain periods of effectiveness in implementing the project. Authors also discuss the possible causes and consequences of risks

Differential contributions of ApoE4 and female sex to BACE1 activity and expression mediate Aβ deposition and learning and memory in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xu eHou

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Alzheimer’s disease (AD, the most common form of dementia, disproportionately affects women in both prevalence and severity. This increased vulnerability to AD in women is strongly associated with age-related ovarian hormone loss and apolipoprotein E 4 allele (ApoE4, the most important genetic risk factor for sporadic AD. Up to date, the mechanism involved in the interaction between ApoE4 and sex/gender in AD is still unclear. This study evaluated the sex-dependent ApoE4 effects on learning and memory, Aβ deposition and potential mechanisms, using mice bearing both sporadic (ApoE4 and familial (APPSwe, PS1M146V, tauP301L; 3xTg AD risk factors and compared with sex- and age-matched 3xTg or nonTg mice. Compared to nonTg mice, transgenic mice of both sexes showed spatial learning and memory deficits in the radial arm water maze and novel arm discrimination tests at 20 months of age. However, at 10 months, only ApoE4/3xTg mice showed significant learning and memory impairment. Moreover, molecular studies of hippocampal tissue revealed significantly higher protein levels of Aβ species, β-site APP cleavage enzyme (BACE1 and Sp1, a transcription factor of BACE1, in female ApoE4/3xTg when compared with female nonTg, female 3xTg and male ApoE4/3xTg mice. Significantly increased BACE1 enzymatic activities were observed in both male and female mice carrying ApoE4; however, only the females showed significant higher BACE1 expressions. Together, these data suggest that ApoE4 allele is associated with increased BACE1 enzymatic activity, while female sex plays an important role in increasing BACE1 expression. The combination of both provides a molecular basis for high Aβ pathology and the resultant hippocampus-dependent learning and memory deficits in female ApoE4 carriers.

Maria Avdjuško väntab Priimäest filmi / Verni Leivak

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Leivak, Verni, 1966-

2009-01-01

Näitlejanna debüteerib režissöörina, vändates lühimängufilmi, kus Linnar Priimägi peategelasena kehastab iseennast. Operaatoriks on Istvan Borbas Rootsist, näitlejateks veel M. Avdjuško ja Taavi Eelmaa

Radiobiological study of the radioprotective activity of a natural Iranian compound, &apos;'Shir-Khecht'&apos;; Etude radiobiologique de l&apos;activite radioprotectrice d&apos;un compose naturel Iranien: le &apos;'Shir-Khecht'&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rouhanizadeh, N. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, 92 - Fontenay-aux-Roses (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1968-01-01

After reviewing the primary mechanisms of the action of ionizing radiation, the possible mechanisms of the action of radioprotective substances, the various chemical structures having a protective effect and the methods for studying chemical radioprotection, the author presents the results he has obtained with natural Iranian product: &apos;'Shir-Khecht'&apos;. Tests with this product at lethal and sublethal doses have been carried out on the rat using various means of introduction. The effect of radiation, both with and without protection, has been studied using histological and biochemical methods. The product examined has, in effect, a protective action; it is, furthermore, non-toxic and active when taken orally. (author) [French] Apres avoir rappele les mecanismes primaires de l&apos;action des rayonnements ionisants, les mecanismes possibles de l&apos;action des substances radioprotectrices, les diverses structures chimiques possedant un effet protecteur et les methodes d&apos;etude de la radioprotection chimique, l&apos;auteur presente les resultats qu&apos;il a obtenus en utilisant un compose naturel iranien: le &apos;'Shir-Khecht'&apos;. Des essais de ce produit, chez le rat, par diverses voies d&apos;introduction, a dose letale et subletale ont ete effectues. L&apos;effet des radiations, avec et sans protection, a ete etudie a l&apos;aide de methodes histologiques et biochimiques. Le compose essaye possede un pouvoir protecteur; il est, de plus, non toxique et actif par voie orale. (auteur)

A Comparison of Dietary Intakes between Male and Female Korean American College Students: A Two Generation Study

Science.gov (United States)

Tam, Chick F.; Lew, PoLong; Schwartz, Miriam; Poon, George; An, JaeYoon; Lee, Jina; Chan, Katie; Li, Kenneth; Cheung, Yuen Ting; Luong, Duyen; Davis, Rebecca; Kim, James C.; Kim, Rachel Byungsook; Kim, Samuel Saychang

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to observe the differences in dietary intakes between two generations, male and female Korean American college students with their respective parents, living in the Los Angeles Areas. This study compared dietary nutrient intakes between old Koreans (KO) (n=28, average age: 53.4[plus or minus]6.4 years, with 13 males…

Professor Krystyna Kotełko and her contribution to the study of Proteus endotoxin.

Science.gov (United States)

Różalski, Antoni W

2018-04-01

Professor Krystyna Kotełko was working as a microbiologist at the University of Łódź (Poland). Her main object of study was the LPS (endotoxin) of opportunistic urinary pathogens from the genus Proteus. She demonstrated, for the first time, the presence of uronic acids and amino acids, as well as two heptoses (L- glycero-D- manno-heptose and D- glycero-D- manno-heptose) and hexosamines in Proteus LPS, and developed a classification scheme of the Proteus LPS into chemotypes. Prof Kotełko also initiated studies on the chemical structure of Proteus O-specific polysaccharide and investigations on the serological specificity of this part of LPS, as well its core region. She also analysed the virulence factors of these bacteria, such as haemolysin and invasiveness.

Sildenafil (Viagra® Prevents Cox-1/ TXA2 Pathway-Mediated Vascular Hypercontractility in ApoE-/- Mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcos A.S. Leal

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: The atherosclerotic apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE-/- mouse exhibits impaired vasodilation and enhanced vasoconstriction responsiveness. The objectives of this study were: a to determine the relative contribution of cyclooxygenases (Cox-1 and Cox-2, thromboxane A2 (TXA2 and endothelin-1 (ET-1 to enhancing vascular hyperresponsiveness in this model of atherosclerosis and b to investigate the beneficial effects of the phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor sildenafil on this endothelial dysfunction. Methods: Adult male apoE-/- mice were treated with sildenafil (40 mg/kg/day, for 3 weeks and compared with non-treated ApoE-/- and wild-type mice. The beneficial effects of sildenafil on vascular contractile response to phenylephrine (PE in aortic rings were evaluated before and after incubation with Cox-1 (SC-560 or Cox-2 (NS-398 inhibitors or the TP antagonist SQ-29548, and on contractile responsiveness to ET-1. Results: ApoE-/- mice exhibited enhanced vasoconstriction to PE (Rmax ∼35%, p<0.01, which was prevented by treatment with sildenafil. The enhanced PE-induced contractions were abolished by both Cox-1 inhibition and TP antagonist, but were not modified by Cox-2 inhibition. Aortic rings from ApoE-/- mice also exhibited enhanced contractions to ET-1 (Rmax ∼30%, p<0.01, which were attenuated in sildenafil-treated ApoE-/- mice. In addition, we observed augmented levels of vascular proinflammatory cytokines in ApoE-/- mice, which were partially corrected by treatment with sildenafil (IL-6, IL-10/IL-6 ratio and MCP-1. Conclusion: The present data show that the Cox-1/TXA2 pathway prevails over the Cox-2 isoform in the mediation of vascular hypercontractility observed in apoE-/-mice. The results also show a beneficial effect of sildenafil on this endothelial dysfunction and on the proinflammatory cytokines in atherosclerotic animals, opening new perspectives for the treatment of other endothelium-related cardiovascular abnormalities.

The essential oil of Amomum tsao-ko Crevost et Lemarie from Vietnam

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dung, N.X.; Bien, Le Kiem; Leclercq, P.A.

1992-01-01

The essential oil of the seeds of A. tsao-ko of Vietnamese origin was analyzed by a combination of gas chromatog. and gas chromatog./mass spectrometry. Twenty-one components were identified, of which the major ones were 1,8-cineole (30.6%), 2-decenal (17.3%), geranial (10.6%), and neural (7.0%)

MicroRNA and Transcriptomic Profiling Showed miRNA-Dependent Impairment of Systemic Regulation and Synthesis of Biomolecules in Rag2 KO Mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Reza, Abu Musa Md Talimur; Choi, Yun-Jung; Kim, Jin-Hoi

2018-02-27

The Rag2 knockout (KO) mouse is a well-established immune-compromised animal model for biomedical research. A comparative study identified the deregulated expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in Rag2 KO mice. However, the interaction between deregulated genes and miRNAs in the alteration of systemic (cardiac, renal, hepatic, nervous, and hematopoietic) regulations and the synthesis of biomolecules (such as l-tryptophan, serotonin, melatonin, dopamine, alcohol, noradrenaline, putrescine, and acetate) are unclear. In this study, we analyzed both miRNA and mRNA expression microarray data from Rag2 KO and wild type mice to investigate the possible role of miRNAs in systemic regulation and biomolecule synthesis. A notable finding obtained from this analysis is that the upregulation of several genes which are target molecules of the downregulated miRNAs in Rag2 KO mice, can potentially trigger the degradation of l-tryptophan, thereby leading to the systemic impairment and alteration of biomolecules synthesis as well as changes in behavioral patterns (such as stress and fear responses, and social recognition memory) in Rag2 gene-depleted mice. These findings were either not observed or not explicitly described in other published Rag2 KO transcriptome analyses. In conclusion, we have provided an indication of miRNA-dependent regulations of clinical and pathological conditions in cardiac, renal, hepatic, nervous, and hematopoietic systems in Rag2 KO mice. These results may significantly contribute to the prediction of clinical disease caused by Rag2 deficiency.

MicroRNA and Transcriptomic Profiling Showed miRNA-Dependent Impairment of Systemic Regulation and Synthesis of Biomolecules in Rag2 KO Mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abu Musa Md Talimur Reza

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The Rag2 knockout (KO mouse is a well-established immune-compromised animal model for biomedical research. A comparative study identified the deregulated expression of microRNAs (miRNAs and messenger RNAs (mRNAs in Rag2 KO mice. However, the interaction between deregulated genes and miRNAs in the alteration of systemic (cardiac, renal, hepatic, nervous, and hematopoietic regulations and the synthesis of biomolecules (such as l-tryptophan, serotonin, melatonin, dopamine, alcohol, noradrenaline, putrescine, and acetate are unclear. In this study, we analyzed both miRNA and mRNA expression microarray data from Rag2 KO and wild type mice to investigate the possible role of miRNAs in systemic regulation and biomolecule synthesis. A notable finding obtained from this analysis is that the upregulation of several genes which are target molecules of the downregulated miRNAs in Rag2 KO mice, can potentially trigger the degradation of l-tryptophan, thereby leading to the systemic impairment and alteration of biomolecules synthesis as well as changes in behavioral patterns (such as stress and fear responses, and social recognition memory in Rag2 gene-depleted mice. These findings were either not observed or not explicitly described in other published Rag2 KO transcriptome analyses. In conclusion, we have provided an indication of miRNA-dependent regulations of clinical and pathological conditions in cardiac, renal, hepatic, nervous, and hematopoietic systems in Rag2 KO mice. These results may significantly contribute to the prediction of clinical disease caused by Rag2 deficiency.

Water source heat pumps at the &apos;'Oceanopolis'&apos; park of Brest; Des PAC sur boucle d&apos;eau au parc &apos;'Oceanopolis'&apos; de Brest

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

2000-01-01

The creation of the new &apos;polar&apos; and &apos;tropical&apos; lodges of the &apos;Oceanopolis&apos; park (aquarium and greenhouses) of Brest (Brittany, France) has led to chose the solution of water source heat pumps for the energy production. More than 30 thermodynamic machineries are used to supply both heat and coldness to the installations. This paper describes the technical characteristics of the heating/refrigerating installations, their energy performances and the estimated cost-benefit aspects. (J.S.)

Investigation of vertebral &apos;&apos;end plate sclerosis&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, S.W. [Dept. of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic Univ., Hung Hom (Hong Kong); Mathie, A.G.; Jackson, J.E. [Diagnostic Radiology, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London (United Kingdom); Hughes, S.P.F. [Div. of Surgery, Anaesthetics and Intensive Care, London (United Kingdom)

2001-08-01

To evaluate the association between vertebral &apos;&apos;end plate sclerosis&apos;&apos; and neck pain. A retrospective study was carried out of lateral cervical spine radiographs with a Picture Archive and Communication System (PACS). Two hundred patients&apos; files were randomly assessed, comprising four equal groups, A to D. The mean ages of the patients were 62{+-}7.4 years, 61{+-}7.5 years, 40{+-}5.6 years and 23{+-}5.6 years respectively. In group A, all patients had symptoms of neck pain and a radiographic diagnosis of &apos;&apos;end plate sclerosis&apos;&apos; of the cervical spine. In groups B to D, asymptomatic patients were recruited and their age groups were 50-69, 30-49 and 10-29 years respectively. Using the PACS, the radiographic density and the sagittal diameter, thickness and area of the end plates at the C5 level were measured. Results and conclusions: No significant differences were found in the radiographic density of the end plates either between the symptomatic and asymptomatic groups (groups A and B), or between different age groups (groups B, C and D). A significant increase in end plate area and thickness was found, however, in both group B (P<0.005) and group C (P<0.01) in comparison with group D. This indicates that the extent of end plate sclerosis increases with age. Our results suggest that the radiographic density of cervical vertebral end plates correlates neither with neck pain nor with increasing age. The radiological sign of &apos;&apos;end plate sclerosis&apos;&apos; may be over-reported, further limiting its value in the assessment of patients with cervical spondylosis. (orig.)

Kampen om den røde ko - dominerende temaer i dansk kvægavl i 1800-tallets slutning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gjerløff, Anne Katrine

2009-01-01

En analyse af kvægavlslitteratur fra 1800-tallets anden halvdel viser spændingerne mellem avlernes ønske om profit og hensynene til racerenhed og national og regional identitet. Ideen om den perfekte ko var omdiskuteret og modsætningerne mellem koens udseende og dens ydelse er tydelige i periodens...... bedømmelser af "den gode ko". Artiklen komkluserer at et fokus på opfattelser og brug af dyr kan give nye vinkler på traditionelle historiske emnefelter. Udgivelsesdato: april...

Comparison of PCDD/Fs levels and profiles in leachates from &apos;'new'&apos; and &apos;'old'&apos; municipal landfills

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dudzinska, M.; Czerwinski, J.; Rut, B. [Lublin Univ. of Technology (Poland)

2004-09-15

Although the presence of PCDD/Fs in landfill leachates has been confirmed, not many experiments have been undertaken in this area, probably because of a very low solubility of PCDD/Fs in water. Modern, properly designed landfills should secure (seal) all deposited wastes and possible leakings within the damp. Leachates are collected and treated on the site or transported to a wastewater treatment plant, so they should not cause a release of any pollutants into the soil or groundwater. But PCDD/Fs as well as a number of chlorinated compounds, which may act as precursors of dioxins under aerobic or anaerobic conditions have been identified as trace contaminants in municipal wastes. The formation of dioxins during municipal waste deposition has not been studied, contrary to the formation of OCDD from precursors under aerobic conditions during composting of waste or treatment of sewage sludge5. Some information about the possible dioxin formation during landfilling might be obtained from the comparison of PCDD/F levels in the leachates from &apos;&apos;old - closed&apos;&apos; and &apos;'new'&apos; sites.

Transport systems of Ventricaria ventricosa: I/V analysis of both membranes in series as a function of [K(+)](o).

Science.gov (United States)

Beilby, M J; Bisson, M A

1999-09-01

The current-voltage (I/V) profiles of Ventricaria (formerly Valonia) membranes were measured at a range of external potassium concentrations, [K(+)](o), from 0.1 to 100 mm. The conductance-voltage (G/V) characteristics were computed to facilitate better resolution of the profile change with time after exposure to different [K(+)](o). The resistance-voltage (R/V) characteristics were computed to attempt resolution of plasmalemma and tonoplast. Four basic electrophysiological stages emerged: (1) Uniform low resistance between -60 and +60 mV after the cell impalement. (2) High resistance between +50 and +150 for [K(+)](o) from 0.1 to 1.0 mm and hypotonic media. (3) High resistance between -150 and -20 mV for [K(+)](o) of 10 mm (close to natural seawater) and hypertonic media. (4) High resistance between -150 and +170 mV at [K(+)](o) of 100 mm. The changes between these states were slow, requiring minutes to hours and sometimes exhibiting spontaneous oscillations of the membrane p.d. (potential difference). Our analysis of the I/V data supports a previous hypothesis, that Ventricaria tonoplast is the more resistive membrane containing a pump, which transports K(+) into the vacuole to regulate turgor. We associate state (1) with the plasmalemma conductance being dominant and the K(+) pump at the tonoplast short-circuited probably by a K(+) channel, state (2) with the K(+) pump "off" or short-circuited at p.d.s more negative than +50 mV, state (3) with the K(+) pump "on, " and state (4) with the pump dominant, but affected by high K(+). A model for the Ventricaria membrane system is proposed.

Kirtland Operations progress report, January--March 1991

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1991-01-01

Kirtland Operations (KO) is an integral part of EG G Energy Measurements, Inc., whose primary mission is to support the US Department of Energy&apos;s (DOE&apos;s) programs in weapons development and testing and in nuclear safeguards and security. KO performs much of its work in close coordination with and often at the technical direction of Sandia National Laboratories. In addition to aiding Sandia&apos;s weapons programs, KO provides a wide spectrum of technical support to other Sandia activities, particularly their safeguards, security, and treaty verification programs. Support is also provided to other elements of the Department of Energy community and to other federal agencies, primarily in weapons testing and safeguards. This report documents our support to these porgrams from January to March 1991.

High ethanol and acetaldehyde impair spatial memory in mouse models: opposite effects of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 and apolipoprotein E on memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Jamal, Mostofa; Ameno, Kiyoshi; Miki, Takanori; Tanaka, Naoko; Ono, Junichiro; Shirakami, Gotaro; Sultana, Ruby; Yu, Nakamura; Kinoshita, Hiroshi

2012-05-01

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 deficiency may directly contribute to excess acetaldehyde (AcH) accumulation after ethanol (EtOH) drinking and AcH mediates some of the behavioral effects of EtOH. Apolipoprotein E has been suggested to be involved in the alteration of attention and memory. We have chosen Aldh2-knockout (Aldh2-KO), ApoE-KO, and their wild-type (WT) control mice to examine the effects of EtOH and AcH on spatial memory and to compare the possible relationship between genetic deficiency and memory using two behavioral assessments. Mice were trained for 4 days, with EtOH (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 g/kg) being given intraperitoneally on day 4. A probe trial was given on day 5 in the non-EtOH state in the Morris water maze (MWM). The results showed that 2.0 g/kg EtOH increased errors, indicating memory impairment on the eight-arm radial maze (RAM) for all the mice studied. One gram per kilogram EtOH impaired the performance of Aldh2-KO and ApoE-KO mice, but not WT mice. We found similar effects of EtOH on the MWM performance, with 2.0 g/kg EtOH increasing the latencies. One gram per kilogram EtOH increased the latencies of Aldh2-KO and WT mice, but not ApoE-KO mice. The 2.0 g/kg EtOH-induced memory impairment in Aldh2-KO mice was greater, suggesting an AcH effect. Furthermore, time spent on the probe trial was shorter in mice that had previously received 2.0 g/kg EtOH. ApoE-KO mice learned more slowly, while Aldh2-KO mice learned more quickly. Both the RAM and MWM results suggest that high EtOH and AcH impair spatial memory in mice, while lower doses do not have consistent memory effects. In addition, we conclude that genetic differences might underlie some of EtOH's effects on memory. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Citation analysis of The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine from KoMCI, Web of Science, and Scopus.

Science.gov (United States)

Huh, Sun

2011-03-01

The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine (KJIM) is the international journal published in English by the Korean Association of Internal Medicine. To understand the position of the journal in three different databases, the citation indicators were elucidated. From databases such as Korean Medical Citation Index (KoMCI), Web of Science, and Scopus, citation indicators such as the impact factor, SCImago journal rank (SJR), or Hirsch Index were calculated according to the year and the results were drawn. The KJIM 2010 impact factor increased to 0.623 in Web of Science. That of year 2009 in KoMCI was a 0.149. The 2009 SJR in Scopus was 0.073, with a ranking of 27/72 (37.5%) in the category of internal medicine and 414/1,618 (25.6%) in the category of medicine, miscellaneous. The Hirsch Index from KoMCI, Web of Science and Scopus were 5, 14, and 16, respectively. The KJIM is now cited more by international researchers than Korean researchers, indicating that the content of the journal is now valued at the international level.

Case story for upgrading of a &apos;'hot'&apos; ESP; Modernisation d&apos;un precipitateur electrostatique &apos;'chaud'&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chidambaram, T.V.S; Christensen

2001-06-01

The &apos;Hot&apos; Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) equipped with COROMAX pulse system is a very attractive solution for dedusting of the &apos;Hot&apos; exhausted gases from the cement kilns especially on cement plants, where good quality of water is not available on the site. Furthermore, the Electrostatic Precipitator is still the preferred solution in the cement plants for dedusting the cement kiln. It is favored because of its high degree of reliability, its low power consumption, and its low maintenance cost. (author)

Post-Copenhagen: the &apos;new&apos; math, legal &apos;additionality&apos; and climate warming

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferrey, Steven

2010-05-15

Control of carbon emissions to the atmosphere is the environmental issue of this decade - perhaps of this entire generation. Its importance has been equated to the survival of the planet. It may all come down to the novel legal concept that sounds like second-grade math: &apos;'additionality.'&apos; However, it is the &apos;'new'&apos; math. (author)

Preparation of data relevant to &apos;&apos;Equivalent Uniform Burnup&apos;&apos; and Equivalent Initial Enrichment&apos;&apos; for burnup credit evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nomura, Yasushi; Okuno, Hiroshi [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment; Murazaki, Minoru [Tokyo Nuclear Service Inc., Tokyo (Japan)

2001-11-01

Based on the PWR spent fuel composition data measured at JAERI, two kinds of simplified methods such as &apos;&apos;Equivalent Uniform Burnup&apos;&apos; and &apos;&apos;Equivalent Initial Enrichment&apos;&apos; have been introduced. And relevant evaluation curves have been prepared for criticality safety evaluation of spent fuel storage pool and transport casks, taking burnup of spent fuel into consideration. These simplified methods can be used to obtain an effective neutron multiplication factor for a spent fuel storage/transportation system by using the ORIGEN2.1 burnup code and the KENO-Va criticality code without considering axial burnup profile in spent fuel and other various factors introducing calculated errors. &apos;&apos;Equivalent Uniform Burnup&apos;&apos; is set up for its criticality analysis to be reactivity equivalent with the detailed analysis, in which the experimentally obtained isotopic composition together with a typical axial burnup profile and various factors such as irradiation history are considered on the conservative side. On the other hand, Equivalent Initial Enrichment&apos;&apos; is set up for its criticality analysis to be reactivity equivalent with the detailed analysis such as above when it is used in the so called fresh fuel assumption. (author)

PROTEKSI VAKSIN MONOVALEN DAN KOKTAIL SEL UTUH TERHADAP KO-INFEKSI Mycobacterium fortuitum DAN Aeromonas hydrophila PADA IKAN GURAME, Osphronemus gouramy Uni

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uni Purwaningsih

2014-08-01

serangan agen patogen. Pemberian vaksin diharapkan dapat merangsang respons imun spesifik dan non spesifik pada ikan. Keberhasilan vaksinasi dipengaruhi oleh konsentrasi antigen, reaksi silang dan kompetisi di antara antigen yang berbeda. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis level proteksi vaksin monovalen dan koktail sel utuh terhadap ko-infeksi M. fortuitum dan A. hydrophila pada ikan gurame. Respons imun perlakuan vaksin monovalen maupun koktail pada gurame pasca ko-infeksi menunjukkan nilai parameter-parameter yaitu: hematokrit, hemoglobin, indeks fagositik, persentase fagositik, titer antibodi, uji respiratory burst (NBT, aktivitas komplemen, dan diferensial leukosit yang berbeda nyata (P<0,05 dibanding kontrol. Vaksin monovalen A. hydrophila menunjukkan nilai RPS sebesar 92,3% dan monovalen M. fortuitum sebesar 78,6% setelah ditantang dengan infeksi tunggal bakteri homolog namun menunjukkan proteksi yang rendah terhadap ko-infeksi. Vaksin koktail 50Mf :50Ah memberikan proteksi yang lebih baik dari vaksin monovalen pasca uji tantang dengan ko-infeksi bakteri M. fortuitum dan A. hydrophila.

A highly luminescent dinuclear Eu(III) complex based on 4,4&apos;-bis (4&apos;&apos;,4&apos;&apos;,4&apos;&apos;-trifluoro-1&apos;&apos;,3&apos;&apos;-dioxobutyl)-o-terphenyl for light-emitting diodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu Shenggui [State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, Ministry of Education Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); School of Chemistry Science and Technology, Zhanjiang Normal University, New Materials Engineering and Technology Development Center of University in Guangdong, Zhanjiang 524048 (China); He Pei; Wang Huihui; Shi Jianxin [State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, Ministry of Education Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Gong Menglian, E-mail: cesgml@mail.sysu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, Ministry of Education Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China)

2009-08-15

A dinuclear Eu(III) complex Eu{sub 2}(btbt){sub 3}.4H{sub 2}O.CH{sub 3}CH{sub 2}OH.N(CH{sub 2}CH{sub 3}){sub 3} was synthesized, where H{sub 2}(btbt) was 4,4&apos;-bis (4&apos;&apos;,4&apos;&apos;,4&apos;&apos;,-trifluoro-1&apos;&apos;,3&apos;&apos;-dioxobutyl)-o-terphenyl. The composition and structure of the complex were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV-vis and FAB-MS spectroscopy. The complex emits the characteristic red luminescence of Eu{sup 3+} ion due to the {sup 5}D{sub 0} {yields} {sup 7}F{sub J} (J = 0-4) transitions under {approx}395 nm-light excitation with good luminescent quantum efficiency (32%) and exhibits high thermal stability (337 deg. C). Bright red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were fabricated by coating the complex onto a {approx}395 nm-emitting InGaN chip. When the mass ratio of the red phosphor to the silicone is 1:30, the efficiency of the fabricated LEDs with the europium complex is 0.98 lm w{sup -1}. The CIE chromaticity coordinates of the LEDs are x = 0.6057 and y = 0.3137, which are close to the National Television Standard Committee (NTSC) standard values for red color. The results indicate that the complex may act as a red component in the fabrication of near UV InGaN-based white light-emitting diodes with high color-rendering index.

A new soybean variety &apos;'Ichihime'&apos;

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hajika, M.; Takahashi, M.; Igita, K.; Sakai, S.; Nakazawa, Y.

2002-01-01

Ichihime, a new soybean variety registered as &apos;&apos;Soybean Norin 103&apos;&apos;, was developed at Kyushu National Agricultural Experiment Station in 1995. It was selected from the progeny induced by a cross between Kankei 2 and Kankei 1 using gamma-ray irradiation. &apos;'Ichihime'&apos; is a medium-early maturing variety with determinate growth. It has broad leaflets, and purple flowers. The color of its pubescence is light tawny and its pods are dark brown. The main stem length, number of main stem nodes, and seed size are medium. It has strong resistance to the soybean mosaic virus (SMV), medium resistance to the soybean cyst nematode, and medium resistance to purple seed stain. The yield of Ichihime is slightly lower than Suzuyutaka, but classified as medium. The protein components of its seeds are medium and the firmness of the tofu (soybean curd) is the same as that of Suzuyutaka. Ichihime lacks all seed lipoxygenase isozymes and is recommended for new type of soybean food processing materials. Ichihime is suitable for growth in the southern part of the Tohoku area and the northern part of the Kanto area

Hippocampal &apos;&apos;gliosis only&apos;&apos; on MR imaging represents a distinct entity in epilepsy patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hattingen, Elke; Enkirch, Simon Jonas; Jurcoane, Alina; Kruse, Maximilian [University Clinics Bonn, Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, Bonn (Germany); Delev, Daniel [University Clinics Bonn, Department of Neurosurgery, Bonn (Germany); University Clinics Freiburg, Department of Neurosurgery, Freiburg (Germany); Grote, Alexander [University Clinics Bonn, Department of Neurosurgery, Bonn (Germany); Evangelic Hospital of Bethel, Department of Neurosurgery, Bielefeld (Germany); Becker, Albert [University Clinics Bonn, Institute of Neuropathology, Bonn (Germany)

2018-02-15

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether patients with drug-resistant mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) due to hippocampal &apos;&apos;gliosis only&apos;&apos; have different MRI features than those with hippocampal sclerosis (HS). Most TLE patients have HS corresponding to severe neuronal loss and gliosis, but a few have &apos;&apos;gliosis only&apos;&apos; without significant reduction of neuronal density. We analyzed the morphology of cerebral 3 T MRIs (T1, T2, and FLAIR) of 103 patients with HS and 20 with &apos;&apos;gliosis only&apos;&apos; concerning hippocampal and amygdala aspect, volumes, and signal intensity (SI) using Fisher&apos;s exact test, Student&apos;s t test, and principal component analysis. Visually, the ipsilateral hippocampus was hyperintense in both groups, but SI was markedly increased in 74% of HS and in 25% of &apos;&apos;gliosis only&apos;&apos; patients; the ipsilateral hippocampus was smaller in 92% of HS and in 50% of &apos;&apos;gliosis only&apos;&apos; patients, and its internal architecture was lost in 57% of HS and 5% of &apos;&apos;gliosis only&apos;&apos; patients; the contralateral hippocampal SI was altered in 25% of HS and in 70% of &apos;&apos;gliosis only&apos;&apos; patients (all p < 0.001). Ipsilateral hippocampus of HS patients had lower volume (mean ± SD 2.86 ± 0.87 ml) compared with that of &apos;&apos;gliosis only&apos;&apos; patients (3.4 ± 1.02 ml) and had higher SI than the contralateral hippocampus of HS patients and then the hippocampus of &apos;&apos;gliosis only&apos;&apos; patients (all p < 0.01). &apos;&apos;Gliosis only&apos;&apos; has different MRI hippocampal characteristics than HS: less volume loss, less increase of the T2-w signal intensity, preservation of internal architecture, and more contralateral affection. (orig.)

Hippocampal &apos;&apos;gliosis only&apos;&apos; on MR imaging represents a distinct entity in epilepsy patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hattingen, Elke; Enkirch, Simon Jonas; Jurcoane, Alina; Kruse, Maximilian; Delev, Daniel; Grote, Alexander; Becker, Albert

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether patients with drug-resistant mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) due to hippocampal &apos;&apos;gliosis only&apos;&apos; have different MRI features than those with hippocampal sclerosis (HS). Most TLE patients have HS corresponding to severe neuronal loss and gliosis, but a few have &apos;&apos;gliosis only&apos;&apos; without significant reduction of neuronal density. We analyzed the morphology of cerebral 3 T MRIs (T1, T2, and FLAIR) of 103 patients with HS and 20 with &apos;&apos;gliosis only&apos;&apos; concerning hippocampal and amygdala aspect, volumes, and signal intensity (SI) using Fisher&apos;s exact test, Student&apos;s t test, and principal component analysis. Visually, the ipsilateral hippocampus was hyperintense in both groups, but SI was markedly increased in 74% of HS and in 25% of &apos;&apos;gliosis only&apos;&apos; patients; the ipsilateral hippocampus was smaller in 92% of HS and in 50% of &apos;&apos;gliosis only&apos;&apos; patients, and its internal architecture was lost in 57% of HS and 5% of &apos;&apos;gliosis only&apos;&apos; patients; the contralateral hippocampal SI was altered in 25% of HS and in 70% of &apos;&apos;gliosis only&apos;&apos; patients (all p < 0.001). Ipsilateral hippocampus of HS patients had lower volume (mean ± SD 2.86 ± 0.87 ml) compared with that of &apos;&apos;gliosis only&apos;&apos; patients (3.4 ± 1.02 ml) and had higher SI than the contralateral hippocampus of HS patients and then the hippocampus of &apos;&apos;gliosis only&apos;&apos; patients (all p < 0.01). &apos;&apos;Gliosis only&apos;&apos; has different MRI hippocampal characteristics than HS: less volume loss, less increase of the T2-w signal intensity, preservation of internal architecture, and more contralateral affection. (orig.)

&apos;&apos;Social capitalism&apos;&apos; in renewable energy generation: China and California comparisons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clark, Woodrow W. II.; Li, Xing [Clark Strategic Partners, PO Box 17975, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (United States)

2010-03-15

With a population of over 1.3 billion people, demand for renewable energy is expected to grow to a USD $12 billion market in the near term. Under Renewable Energy Law (REL) in February 2005 in the People&apos;s Republic of China (PRC) passed by the National Congress, renewable energy projects will be able to receive a range of financial incentives starting in 2006, which will more than double the PRC current renewable energy generation from 7% to 15% by 2020. Most of the increase will be in hydroelectric generated power. Nonetheless, the nation and especially the provinces are moving rapidly to develop a wide range of renewable energy generation including solar, wind, geothermal and run of the river. Because China practices &apos;&apos;social capitalism&apos;&apos; as expressed in it&apos;s recurrent Five Year National Plans since 1999, the national government and all the provinces have programs, unlike many western and industrialized nations, to &apos;'plan'&apos; and provide for infrastructures. This paper concerns only the energy infrastructure sector and renewable energy generation in particular. The planning process includes financial incentives and investments which are a major part of the Chinese law focused on &apos;&apos;encouraging foreign investment industries&apos;&apos;. The key part of the law is to guarantee long-term power purchase agreements with state owned and controlled &apos;'utilities'&apos;. In short, China may have gotten the economics of the energy sector correct in its concern for planning and finance. The paper develops these energy infrastructure ideas along with the legal and financial requirements as &apos;'lessons'&apos; learned from the USA and especially California. These lessons now apply to China and allow it to learn from the American mistakes. Empirical data will be drawn from work done in China that examine the renewable energy generation and infrastructures and hence allow the RPC and its

&apos;&apos;Die Dependance&apos;&apos; - Logistic center of the fair at Francfort; &apos;&apos;Die Dependance&apos;&apos; - Das Logistikzentrum der Messe Frankfurt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klein, W.; Fleischer, J. [Brendel Ingenieure, Frankfurt/Main (Germany); Hummel, D. [FH Zwickau (Germany)

2006-07-01

In early November 2004, the logistic center &apos;&apos;Die Dependance&apos;&apos; was commissioned after a construction time of 21 months. It is the second building (after Hall 3) designed by London&apos;s star architect Nicholas Grimshow for the Frankfurt Fair. The new building will house the fairground managers and the Accente Gastronomie Service GmbH. Accente is a modern caterer for the fairground halls, Its kitchen in the new building is big enough for preparing up to 10,000 meals every day. (orig.)

Switzerland as Europe&apos;s &apos;'battery'&apos;. Wishful dream or reality?; Die Schweiz als &apos;&apos;Batterie Europas&apos;&apos;. Utopie oder Realitaet?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kammer, Adrian; Zurmuehle, Damian; Salzmann, Michael; Baumgartner, Raphael; Mignone, Domenico [Bernische Kraftwerke (BKW), Bern (Switzerland). Energiewirtschaftliche Planung und Prognose

2015-04-15

There are plans for Swiss pumped hydrostorage systems to absorb large quantities of excess electricity from European wind and solar power generation. Model-based analyses have shown however that &apos;'Europe&apos;s battery&apos;&apos;, as Switzerland would like to see itself, will not be needed until the middle of this century. Even if all extension projects currently in progress should be completed, Switzerland will not have sufficient pump capacity or import capacity to absorb large amounts of excess electricity. Furthermore, the primary means of making storage capacity available for import electricity would be to reduce reservoir power plant capacity. In view of all this Switzerland&apos;s hopes for a role as a major European electricity storage provider appear somewhat exaggerated even in the long-term perspective.

Pumped storage project &apos;&apos;Energiespeicher Riedl&apos;&apos;; Das Projekt Energiespeicher Riedl

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mayr, Dominik [Verbund Hydro Power AG, Vienna (Austria); Schmauss, Juergen [Regierung von Niederbayern, Landshut (Germany); Neuwerth, Sabine [Grenzkraftwerke GmbH, Simbach am Inn (Germany)

2012-07-01

The &apos;&apos;Donaukraftwerk Jochenstein AG&apos;&apos; (DKJ) plans at the river power plant Jochenstein on the Danube in the district of Passau, Bavaria, South-east Germany, the construction of a modern pumped-storage hydropower plant with a capacity of 300 megawatts, the pumped storage &apos;&apos;Energiespeicher Riedl&apos;&apos;. The planned plant is a regionally significant project by the Regional Planning act. Therefore, the DKJ as applicant submitted the documents for the regional planning proceedings to the Government of Lower Bavaria, which completed the process with the positive regional planning assessment under provisos on 01.08.2011, which led to an optimization of the project layout. (orig.)

KoVariome: Korean National Standard Reference Variome database of whole genomes with comprehensive SNV, indel, CNV, and SV analyses.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jungeun; Weber, Jessica A; Jho, Sungwoong; Jang, Jinho; Jun, JeHoon; Cho, Yun Sung; Kim, Hak-Min; Kim, Hyunho; Kim, Yumi; Chung, OkSung; Kim, Chang Geun; Lee, HyeJin; Kim, Byung Chul; Han, Kyudong; Koh, InSong; Chae, Kyun Shik; Lee, Semin; Edwards, Jeremy S; Bhak, Jong

2018-04-04

High-coverage whole-genome sequencing data of a single ethnicity can provide a useful catalogue of population-specific genetic variations, and provides a critical resource that can be used to more accurately identify pathogenic genetic variants. We report a comprehensive analysis of the Korean population, and present the Korean National Standard Reference Variome (KoVariome). As a part of the Korean Personal Genome Project (KPGP), we constructed the KoVariome database using 5.5 terabases of whole genome sequence data from 50 healthy Korean individuals in order to characterize the benign ethnicity-relevant genetic variation present in the Korean population. In total, KoVariome includes 12.7M single-nucleotide variants (SNVs), 1.7M short insertions and deletions (indels), 4K structural variations (SVs), and 3.6K copy number variations (CNVs). Among them, 2.4M (19%) SNVs and 0.4M (24%) indels were identified as novel. We also discovered selective enrichment of 3.8M SNVs and 0.5M indels in Korean individuals, which were used to filter out 1,271 coding-SNVs not originally removed from the 1,000 Genomes Project when prioritizing disease-causing variants. KoVariome health records were used to identify novel disease-causing variants in the Korean population, demonstrating the value of high-quality ethnic variation databases for the accurate interpretation of individual genomes and the precise characterization of genetic variations.

&apos;&apos;Measuring the Costs of Climate Change Policies&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Montgomery, W. D.; Smith, A. E.; Biggar, S. L.; Bernstein, P.M.

2003-05-09

Studies of the costs of climate change policies have utilized a variety of measures or metrics for summarizing costs. The leading economic models have utilized GNP, GDP, the &apos;&apos;area under a marginal cost curve,&apos;&apos; the discounted present value of consumption, and a welfare measure taken directly from the utility function of the model&apos;s representative agent (the &apos;&apos;Equivalent Variation&apos;&apos;). Even when calculated using a single model, these metrics do not necessarily give similar magnitudes of costs or even rank policies consistently. This paper discusses in non-technical terms the economic concepts lying behind each concept, the theoretical basis for expecting each measure to provide a consistent ranking of policies, and the reasons why different measures provide different rankings. It identifies a method of calculating the &apos;&apos;Equivalent Variation&apos;&apos; as theoretically superior to the other cost metrics in ranking policies. When regulators put forward new economic or regulatory policies, there is a need to compare the costs and benefits of these new policies to existing policies and other alternatives to determine which policy is most cost-effective. For command and control policies, it is quite difficult to compute costs, but for more market-based policies, economists have had a great deal of success employing general equilibrium models to assess a policy&apos;s costs. Not all cost measures, however, arrive at the same ranking. Furthermore, cost measures can produce contradictory results for a specific policy. These problems make it difficult for a policy-maker to determine the best policy. For a cost measures to be of value, one would like to be confident of two things. First one wants to be sure whether the policy is a winner or loser. Second, one wants to be confident that a measure produces the correct policy ranking. That is, one wants to have confidence in a policy measure&apos;s ability to correctly rank

ApoE polymorphisms in narcolepsy

Science.gov (United States)

Gencik, Martin; Dahmen, Norbert; Wieczorek, Stefan; Kasten, Meike; Gencikova, Alexandra; Epplen, Jorg T

2001-01-01

Background Narcolepsy is a common neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by increased daytime sleepiness, cataplexy and hypnagogic hallucinations. Deficiency of the hypocretin neurotransmitter system was shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of narcolepsy in animals and men. There are several hints that neurodegeneration of hypocretin producing neurons in the hypothalamus is the pathological correlate of narcolepsy. The ApoE4 allele is a major contributing factor to early-onset neuronal degeneration in Alzheimer disease and other neurodegenerative diseases as well. Methods To clarify whether the ApoE4 phenotype predisposes to narcolepsy or associates with an earlier disease onset, we have genotyped the ApoE gene in 103 patients with narcolepsy and 101 healthy controls. Results The frequency of the E4 allele of the ApoE gene was 11% in the patient and 15% in the control groups. Furthermore, the mean age of onset did not differ between the ApoE4+ and ApoE4- patient groups. Conclusion Our results exclude the ApoE4 allele as a major risk factor for narcolepsy. PMID:11560764

ApoE polymorphisms in narcolepsy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kasten Meike

2001-08-01

Full Text Available Summary Background Narcolepsy is a common neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by increased daytime sleepiness, cataplexy and hypnagogic hallucinations. Deficiency of the hypocretin neurotransmitter system was shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of narcolepsy in animals and men. There are several hints that neurodegeneration of hypocretin producing neurons in the hypothalamus is the pathological correlate of narcolepsy. The ApoE4 allele is a major contributing factor to early-onset neuronal degeneration in Alzheimer disease and other neurodegenerative diseases as well. Methods To clarify whether the ApoE4 phenotype predisposes to narcolepsy or associates with an earlier disease onset, we have genotyped the ApoE gene in 103 patients with narcolepsy and 101 healthy controls. Results The frequency of the E4 allele of the ApoE gene was 11% in the patient and 15% in the control groups. Furthermore, the mean age of onset did not differ between the ApoE4+ and ApoE4- patient groups. Conclusion Our results exclude the ApoE4 allele as a major risk factor for narcolepsy.

Both chronic treatments by epothilone D and fluoxetine increase the short-term memory and differentially alter the mood status of STOP/MAP6 KO mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Fournet, Vincent; de Lavilléon, Gaetan; Schweitzer, Annie; Giros, Bruno; Andrieux, Annie; Martres, Marie-Pascale

2012-12-01

Recent evidence underlines the crucial role of neuronal cytoskeleton in the pathophysiology of psychiatric diseases. In this line, the deletion of STOP/MAP6 (Stable Tubule Only Polypeptide), a microtubule-stabilizing protein, triggers various neurotransmission and behavioral defects, suggesting that STOP knockout (KO) mice could be a relevant experimental model for schizoaffective symptoms. To establish the predictive validity of such a mouse line, in which the brain serotonergic tone is dramatically imbalanced, the effects of a chronic fluoxetine treatment on the mood status of STOP KO mice were characterized. Moreover, we determined the impact, on mood, of a chronic treatment by epothilone D, a taxol-like microtubule-stabilizing compound that has previously been shown to improve the synaptic plasticity deficits of STOP KO mice. We demonstrated that chronic fluoxetine was either antidepressive and anxiolytic, or pro-depressive and anxiogenic, depending on the paradigm used to test treated mutant mice. Furthermore, control-treated STOP KO mice exhibited paradoxical behaviors, compared with their clear-cut basal mood status. Paradoxical fluoxetine effects and control-treated STOP KO behaviors could be because of their hyper-reactivity to acute and chronic stress. Interestingly, both epothilone D and fluoxetine chronic treatments improved the short-term memory of STOP KO mice. Such treatments did not affect the serotonin and norepinephrine transporter densities in cerebral areas of mice. Altogether, these data demonstrated that STOP KO mice could represent a useful model to study the relationship between cytoskeleton, mood, and stress, and to test innovative mood treatments, such as microtubule-stabilizing compounds. © 2012 The Authors Journal of Neurochemistry © 2012 International Society for Neurochemistry.

Provenience studies of the Ko-Kutani ware by neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawashima, Tatsuro.

1990-01-01

The instrumental neutron activation analysis has been applied to the multielemental analysis of eight samples of the Ko-Kutani ware including the Aote's that is one of semi-porcelain body. Each sample was compared with concentration of the useful index element, such as Ta, Sc, Ba, Hf, Th and rare earth, to discriminate the Arita group from the Kutani group. Eight samples were judged as products of the Arita, just as in previous paper. (author)

Report of working committee 4 &apos;&apos;transmission of gases&apos;&apos;; Rapport de la commission 4 &apos;&apos;transport des gaz&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Volskij, E.

2000-07-01

Report of the WOC 4 Transmission contains the results of works carried out during 1998-2000 by the Committee members and the three study groups. The most important is: - review of actual situation and prospects for the gas pipeline transmission system development; - report of SG-4.1 &apos;Pipeline Ageing and Rehabilitation&apos;, including analysis of pipeline steels, welding and insulation, methods of rehabilitation, the program of pipeline reconstruction; - report of SG-4.2 &apos;Emission monitoring&apos; including appraisal of gas losses and methods of lowering of methane and other emissions of the gas units in different countries; - report of SG-4.3 &apos;Pipelines Integrity Management and Safety&apos; including basic information on gas pipeline failure intensity, key elements of the Integrity Management System of the gas transmission, methods of risk evaluation and the effectiveness of the approach. (authors)

2001-2003 &apos;&apos;public utility&apos;&apos; contract between the French government and Gaz de France; Contrat de &apos;&apos;service public&apos;&apos; 2001-2003 entre l&apos;etat et Gaz de France

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-07-01

The &apos;&apos;public utility&apos;&apos; contract aims at specifying the actions of Gaz de France (GdF), the French gas utility, in terms of national development and public utility presence at the local scale. It extends and completes the &apos;contract of group&apos; established between the government and GdF in the domain of quality of the services offered to clients, development of gas infrastructures and extension of gas supplies, and sustainable development. (J.S.)

Switzerland as Europe&apos;s &apos;'battery'&apos;. Wishful dream or reality?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kammer, Adrian; Zurmuehle, Damian; Salzmann, Michael; Baumgartner, Raphael; Mignone, Domenico

2015-01-01

There are plans for Swiss pumped hydrostorage systems to absorb large quantities of excess electricity from European wind and solar power generation. Model-based analyses have shown however that &apos;'Europe&apos;s battery&apos;&apos;, as Switzerland would like to see itself, will not be needed until the middle of this century. Even if all extension projects currently in progress should be completed, Switzerland will not have sufficient pump capacity or import capacity to absorb large amounts of excess electricity. Furthermore, the primary means of making storage capacity available for import electricity would be to reduce reservoir power plant capacity. In view of all this Switzerland&apos;s hopes for a role as a major European electricity storage provider appear somewhat exaggerated even in the long-term perspective.

Extra-marital sexual partnerships and male friendships in rural Malawi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shelley Clark

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Extra-marital sexual partnerships (EMSPs are a major route of HIV/AIDS transmission in sub-Saharan Africa. In this paper, we investigate the roles of two types of male friendships - best friends and friends with whom they talk about AIDS - in determining whether men have EMSPs. Using data from men in rural Malawi, we find that men&apos;s current extra-marital sexual behavior is most closely correlated with their best friends&apos;, but that the behaviors of both types of friends are associated with men&apos;s subsequent EMSPs. These findings suggest that men&apos;s friendships could be used to help combat the AIDS epidemic.

Genetic diversity analysis of Amomum tsao-ko in Jinping County of Yunnan Province using SSR markers

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Mengli; Wang, Tiantao; Lei, En; Meng, Hengling; Xie, Linyan; Zhu, Kunlong; Duan, Shaoze; Li, Wenqiang; Lu, Bingyue

2017-08-01

Genetic diversity analysis is very important for germplasm resources conservation and utilization. The objective of this study was to assess the genetic diversity among 44 individuals of Amomum tsao-ko from Jinping County of Yunnan Province using 5 selected SSR (simple sequence repeat) markers. A total of 23 polymorphic loci were detected among these germplasms, with an average of 4.6 polymorphic loci per SSR primer combination. The percentage of polymorphic loci was 100%, whereas the mean effective number of alleles (Ne), observed heterozygosity(Ho), expected heterozygosity (He), Shannon's information index (I), and the mean polymorphism information content (PIC) were 3. 410, 0. 491, 0. 679, 1.266 and 0. 672, respectively, indicating that the Amomum tsao-ko germplasms from Jinping County had high genetic diversity.

Beta3 adrenoceptors substitute the role of M(2) muscarinic receptor in coping with cold stress in the heart: evidence from M(2)KO mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Benes, Jan; Novakova, Martina; Rotkova, Jana; Farar, Vladimir; Kvetnansky, Richard; Riljak, Vladimir; Myslivecek, Jaromir

2012-07-01

We investigated the role of beta3-adrenoceptors (AR) in cold stress (1 or 7 days in cold) in animals lacking main cardioinhibitive receptors-M2 muscarinic receptors (M(2)KO). There was no change in receptor number in the right ventricles. In the left ventricles, there was decrease in binding to all cardiostimulative receptors (beta1-, and beta2-AR) and increase in cardiodepressive receptors (beta3-AR) in unstressed KO in comparison to WT. The cold stress in WT animals resulted in decrease in binding to beta1- and beta2-AR (to 37%/35% after 1 day in cold and to 27%/28% after 7 days in cold) while beta3-AR were increased (to 216% of control) when 7 days cold was applied. MR were reduced to 46% and 58%, respectively. Gene expression of M2 MR in WT was not changed due to stress, while M3 was changed. The reaction of beta1- and beta2-AR (binding) to cold was similar in KO and WT animals, and beta3-AR in stressed KO animals did not change. Adenylyl cyclase activity was affected by beta3-agonist CL316243 in cold stressed WT animals but CL316243 had almost no effects on adenylyl cyclase activity in stressed KO. Nitric oxide activity (NOS) was not affected by BRL37344 (beta3-agonist) both in WT and KO animals. Similarly, the stress had no effects on NOS activity in WT animals and in KO animals. We conclude that the function of M2 MR is substituted by beta3-AR and that these effects are mediated via adenylyl cyclase rather than NOS.

Facility Management journal special feature on energy. Intelligent energy supply and air conditioning concept for the &apos;&apos;Bonner Bogen&apos;&apos; buildings; Facility Management-Special &apos;'Energie'&apos;. Intelligentes Energie- und Klimakonzept fuer den &apos;&apos;Bonner Bogen&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

2009-11-15

In the &apos;&apos;Bonner Bogen&apos;&apos; construction project, the focus was on resources-saving technology and maximum user comfort, resulting in an integrated planning and implementation process. According to the investor, BonnVisio, the technical infrastructure and energy center of the building - based on groundwater geothermal energy with aquifer storage - is unique in Germany and Europe in terms of size, mode of operation, and efficiency. (orig.)

&apos;Minergie&apos; as an opportunity for trade; &apos;Minergie&apos; als Chance fuer das Gewerbe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Graf, R.; Buergi, H.; Hotz, R.

2000-07-01

This collection of short articles is dedicated to the promotion of the Swiss &apos;Minergie&apos; building standard, covering the following points: &apos;Minergie&apos; - a standard for the future; well-insulated and air-tight - two of the three main &apos;Minergie&apos; requirements; solar collectors as a &apos;Minergie&apos; component; radiators for low-energy-consumption buildings; hot water from the sun on six out of seven days; the &apos;Minergie&apos; module as a factor for success; the &apos;Habitus&apos; ventilation unit - a new Swiss product. The first contribution introduces the &apos;Minergie&apos; Standard. Its application in the building and building technical services trades offers from considerable advantages and opportunities for profit. The Standard, which aims to increase the comfort and reduce the energy consumption of buildings, is introduced and the basic principles involved, including energy usage figures, are discussed. A second contribution describes two of the three main requirements for reaching the &apos;Minergie&apos; Standard, air-tightness and good thermal insulation. The main advantage of the standard - a higher level of comfort - is emphasised and an example is given. The third short article takes a look at the use of thermal solar collectors as a source of heat in &apos;Minergie&apos; buildings. A solution involving a combined solar heating and hot-water supply is discussed. The fourth contribution discusses the use of low-temperature radiators in &apos;Minergie&apos; buildings. Examples are given of heat requirements calculation and the factors involved in dimensioning the radiators are discussed. A fifth article describes a commercially available compact solar hot-water system and discusses questions of solar fraction. Returning to basic aspects, the sixth contribution introduces a labelling system for the various components of a &apos;Minergie&apos; building - such as ventilation units, insulation material, radiators, boilers etc

Effects of BM-573 on Endothelial Dependent Relaxation and Increased Blood Pressure at Early Stages of Atherosclerosis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miguel Romero

Full Text Available Endothelial dysfunction is considered to be an early event in atherosclerosis and plays a pivotal role in the development, progression and clinical complications of atherosclerosis. Previous studies have shown the beneficial effects of combined inhibition of thromboxane synthase and antagonism of thromboxane receptors by BM-573 on atherosclerosis; however our knowledge about the beneficial effects of BM-573 on endothelial function and increased blood pressure related to early stage of atherosclerosis is limited. In the present study, we investigated the effects of short-term (3 μM, 1 hour and chronic (10 mg/L, 8 weeks treatments with BM-573 on vasodilatory function, nitric oxide (NO bioavailability, oxidative stress and systolic blood pressure in 15 weeks old apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-KO mice. ApoE-KO mice showed a reduced endothelium-derived relaxation. In addition, NO bioavailability was reduced and oxidative stress and blood pressure were increased in ApoE-KO mice versus wild-type mice. BM-573 treatments were able to improve the relaxation profile in ApoE-KO mice. Short-term effects of BM-573 were mainly mediated by an increased phosphorylation of both eNOS and Akt, whereas BM-573 in vivo treatment also reduced oxidative stress and restored NO bioavailability. In addition, chronic administration of BM-573 reduced systolic blood pressure in ApoE-KO mice. In conclusion, pharmacological modulation of TxA2 biosynthesis and biological activities by dual TP antagonism/TxAS inhibition with BM-573, already known to prevent plaque formation, has the potential to correct vasodilatory dysfunction at the early stages of atherosclerosis.

Korea&apos;s 1-watt plan &apos;&apos;Standby Korea 2010&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Yungrae

2010-09-15

Korea announced standby power of all electronics shall be reduced to below 1W by 2010. Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE, Korean government) and Korea Energy Management Corporation (KEMCO) established &apos;&apos;Standby Korea 2010&apos;&apos; which is a roadmap to limit standby power below 1W by 2010. Korea implemented mandatory program over a relatively short period of time, incorporating the better elements from the more established national program and adding new initiatives, such as the threat of using mandatory warning label for products that fail to meet standby power targets.

Effects of gender on locomotor sensitivity to amphetamine, body weight, and fat mass in regulator of G protein signaling 9 (RGS9) knockout mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Paul D; Jarosz, Patricia A; Bouhamdan, Mohamad; MacKenzie, Robert G

2015-01-01

Regulator of G-protein signaling (RGS) protein 9-2 is enriched in the striatum where it modulates dopamine and opioid receptor-mediated signaling. RGS9 knockout (KO) mice show increased psychostimulant-induced behavioral sensitization, as well as exhibit higher body weights and greater fat accumulation compared to wild-type (WT) littermates. In the present study, we found gender influences on each of these phenotypic characteristics. Female RGS9 KO mice exhibited greater locomotor sensitization to amphetamine (1.0mg/kg) treatment as compared to male RGS9 KO mice. Male RGS9 KO mice showed increased body weights as compared to male WT littermates, while no such differences were detected in female mice. Quantitative magnetic resonance showed that male RGS9 KO mice accumulated greater fat mass vs. WT littermates at 5months of age. Such observations could not be explained by increased caloric consumption since male and female RGS9 KO mice demonstrated equivalent daily food intake as compared to their respective WT littermates. Although indirect calorimetry methods found decreased oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production during the 12-hour dark phase in male RGS9 KO vs. WT mice which are indicative of less energy expenditure, male RGS9 KO mice exhibited lower levels of locomotor activity during this period. Genotype had no effect on metabolic activities when KO and WT groups were compared under fasting vs. feeding treatments. In summary, these results highlight the importance of factoring gender into the experimental design since many studies conducted in RGS9 KO mice utilize locomotor activity as a measured outcome. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Design and implementation of a &apos;'cheese'&apos; phantom-based Tomotherapy TLD dose intercomparison

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schiefer, Hans; Buchauer, Konrad; Heinze, Simon [Medical Physics Group, Department of Radiation Oncology, St. Gallen (Switzerland); Henke, Guido; Plasswilm, Ludwig [Department of Radiation Oncology, St. Gallen (Switzerland)

2015-11-15

The unique beam-delivery technique of Tomotherapy machines (Accuray Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif.) necessitates tailored quality assurance. This requirement also applies to external dose intercomparisons. Therefore, the aim of the 2014 SSRMP (Swiss Society of Radiobiology and Medical Physics) dosimetry intercomparison was to compare two set-ups with different phantoms. A small cylindrical Perspex phantom, which is similar to the IROC phantom (Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core, Houston, Tex.), and the &apos;'cheese'&apos; phantom, which is provided by the Tomotherapy manufacturer to all institutions, were used. The standard calibration plans for the TomoHelical and TomoDirect irradiation techniques were applied. These plans are routinely used for dose output calibration in Tomotherapy institutions. We tested 20 Tomotherapy machines in Germany and Switzerland. The ratio of the measured (D{sub m}) to the calculated (D{sub c}) dose was assessed for both phantoms and irradiation techniques. The D{sub m}/D{sub c} distributions were determined to compare the suitability of the measurement set-ups investigated. The standard deviations of the TLD-measured (thermoluminescent dosimetry) D{sub m}/D{sub c} ratios for the &apos;'cheese'&apos; phantom were 1.9 % for the TomoHelical (19 measurements) and 1.2 % (11 measurements) for the TomoDirect irradiation techniques. The corresponding ratios for the Perspex phantom were 2.8 % (18 measurements) and 1.8 % (11 measurements). Compared with the Perspex phantom-based set-up, the &apos;'cheese'&apos; phantom-based set-up without individual planning was demonstrated to be more suitable for Tomotherapy dose checks. Future SSRMP dosimetry intercomparisons for Tomotherapy machines will therefore be based on the &apos;'cheese'&apos; phantom set-up. (orig.) [German] Die einzigartige Bestrahlungstechnik mit Tomotherapie-Bestrahlungsgeraeten (Accuray Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, USA) erfordert spezifische

Radiological assessment of skull base changes in children with syndromic craniosynostosis: role of &apos;'minor'&apos; sutures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Calandrelli, Rosalinda; D' Apolito, Gabriella; Gaudino, Simona; Stefanetti, Mariangela; Colosimo, Cesare [Universita Cattolica Sacro Cuore, Institute of Radiology, Rome (Italy); Massimi, Luca; Di Rocco, Concezio [Universita Cattolica Sacro Cuore, Institute of Neurosurgery, Rome (Italy)

2014-10-15

This study aims to identify the premature synostosis of &apos;'major'&apos; and &apos;'minor'&apos; sutures of the four &apos;&apos;sutural arches&apos;&apos; of the skull and to perform a morphometric analysis in children with syndromic craniosynostosis in order to evaluate changes in the skull base linked with premature suture synostosis. We reviewed multiplanar high-resolution CT images, implemented with 3D reconstructions, from 18 patients with complex syndromic craniosynostosis and compared them with 18 age-matched healthy subjects. We assessed the calvarial sutures and their extension to the skull base, and then we correlated specific types of synostosis with the size, shape and symmetry of the cranial fossae. We found a marked asymmetry of the skull base growth in all patients. The synostotic involvement around the coronal ring caused a reduction in the growth of the anterior and middle fossae. The size of the posterior cranial fossa was related not only to &apos;'major'&apos; but also to &apos;'minor'&apos; suture synostosis of the lambdoid and parieto-squamosal arches. Changes in the skull base and craniofacial axis symmetry are due to structural and functional relationships between &apos;'major'&apos; and &apos;'minor'&apos; skull sutures, suggesting a structural and functional relationship between the neurocranium and basicranium. The early recognition of prematurely closed skull base sutures may help clinicians and neurosurgeons to establish correct therapeutic approaches. (orig.)

Experimental project with &apos;&apos;green fingers&apos;&apos;. A monitoring informs on successes and failures of Helsinki&apos;s Eco-City; Experimentelles Projekt mit &apos;&apos;gruenen Fingern&apos;&apos;. Ein Monitoring gibt Auskunft ueber Erfolge und Misserfolge von Helsinkis &apos;'Oeko-Stadt'&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, Ulf [Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS (United States). Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design

2012-07-01

Of all things, at the extreme edge of Europe, the future of the European city is being rethought: with the new neighborhood &apos;'Viikki'&apos; the Finnish capital Helsinki has built their first eco-city. Eight years after its completion it is time for an evaluation. The founders draw a quite self-critical summary. The monitoring of Eco-Viikki is unusually accurate and thus gives interesting insights for other construction projects in Europe.

Bone imaging of the heel in Reiter&apos;s syndrome. [/sup 99m/Tc-pyrophosphate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khalkhali, I. (Univ. of California, Sacramento); Stadalnik, R.C.; Wiesner, K.B.; Shapiro, R.F.

1979-01-01

Classic Reiter&apos;s syndrome, which affects young adult males, is characterized by arthritis, conjunctivitis, and nongonococcal urethritis. Other features of probably equal significance include circinate balanitis, shallow ulcerations of the buccal mucosa, and a dermatitis. Reiter&apos;s arthritis is usually asymmetrical and tends to involve lower extremity joints. Talalgia, or heel pain, is an often underrated characteristic feature of the arthritis. With an incidence of 50% talalgia can be localized to either the posterior aspect of the heel or to the plantar surface of the heel. Radiographic alterations in these regions are common in patients with recurrent or chronic disease, but are infrequent or minimal in patients with acute Reiter&apos;s syndrome. Recent observation of a young male with Reiter&apos;s syndrome suggests that bone imaging may help substantiate this clinical feature before radiography reveals calcaneal spurs.

Effect of constitutive inactivation of the myostatin gene on the gain in muscle strength during postnatal growth in two murine models.

Science.gov (United States)

Stantzou, Amalia; Ueberschlag-Pitiot, Vanessa; Thomasson, Remi; Furling, Denis; Bonnieu, Anne; Amthor, Helge; Ferry, Arnaud

2017-02-01

The effect of constitutive inactivation of the gene encoding myostatin on the gain in muscle performance during postnatal growth has not been well characterized. We analyzed 2 murine myostatin knockout (KO) models, (i) the Lee model (KO Lee ) and (ii) the Grobet model (KO Grobet ), and measured the contraction of tibialis anterior muscle in situ. Absolute maximal isometric force was increased in 6-month-old KO Lee and KO Grobet mice, as compared to wild-type mice. Similarly, absolute maximal power was increased in 6-month-old KO Lee mice. In contrast, specific maximal force (relative maximal force per unit of muscle mass was decreased in all 6-month-old male and female KO mice, except in 6-month-old female KO Grobet mice, whereas specific maximal power was reduced only in male KO Lee mice. Genetic inactivation of myostatin increases maximal force and power, but in return it reduces muscle quality, particularly in male mice. Muscle Nerve 55: 254-261, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Contemporary population and development challenges in the Municipality of Dubrovačko Primorje, Croatia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helena Karlić Mujo

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to define the basic issues and opportunities challenging the modern development of the Municipality of Dubrovačko Primorje, their causes and effects. The processes of depopulation affected this poorly developed rural region since 1960s, which had been influenced by various factors: development polarisation caused by intensive development of tourism, the poor traffic infrastructure in the highland-area of the Municipality and the unsolved water supply issue. In 1990s a series of events intensified negative demographic trends as follows: aggression on Croatia, occupation during which residential, economic and infrastructural buildings were destroyed and burnt, as well as an earthquake which happened after the return of the refugees. The long-lasting rural emigration from this region towards Dubrovnik caused not only an instantaneous decrease of population but also a contraction of the renewing basis and an accelerated decrease of natural growth in the Municipality of Dubrovačko Primorje. In that way the emigrational depopulation as a consequence of a specific socioeconomic development, became the cause of the current biological depopulation. The intensity of the depopulation processes has been established by an analysis of a total population dynamics and the changes in biological and economic population structure. The conclusion of the study indicates activities which have promising development in the Municipality of Dubrovačko Primorje and which might partly stop the negative demographic trends. Those are mainly traditional activities in this region which are not commercially used enough. They should prevent any further emigration and perhaps even attract those who immigrated, back to their place of birth.

Contemporary population and development challenges in the Municipality of Dubrovačko Primorje, Croatia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helena Karlić Mujo

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to define the basic issues and opportunities challenging the modern development of the Municipality of Dubrovačko Primorje, their causes and effects. The processes of depopulation affected this poorly developed rural region since 1960s, which had been influenced by various factors: development polarisation caused by intensive development of tourism, the poor traffic infrastructure in the highland-area of the Municipality and the unsolved water supply issue. In 1990s a series of events intensified negative demographic trends as follows: aggression on Croatia, occupation during which residential, economic and infrastructural buildings were destroyed and burnt, as well as an earthquake which happened after the return of the refugees. The long-lasting rural emigration from this region towards Dubrovnik caused not only an instantaneous decrease of population but also a contraction of the renewing basis and an accelerated decrease of natural growth in the Municipality of Dubrovačko Primorje. In that way the emigrational depopulation as a consequence of a specific socioeconomic development, became the cause of the current biological depopulation. The intensity of the depopulation processes has been established by an analysis of a total population dynamics and the changes in biological and economic population structure. The conclusion of the study indicates activities which have promising development in the Municipality of Dubrovačko Primorje and which might partly stop the negative demographic trends. Those are mainly traditional activities in this region which are not commercially used enough. They should prevent any further emigration and perhaps even attract those who immigrated, back to their place of birth.

Regulation imposed to nuclear facility operators for the elaboration of &apos;waste studies&apos; and &apos;waste statuses&apos;; Reglementation imposee aux exploitants d&apos;installations nucleaires pour l&apos;elaboration &apos;&apos;des etudes dechets&apos;&apos; et &apos;&apos;des bilans dechets&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-09-04

This decision from the French authority of nuclear safety (ASN) aims at validating the new versions of the guidebook for the elaboration of &apos;waste studies&apos; for nuclear facilities and of the specifications for the elaboration of &apos;waste statuses&apos; for nuclear facilities. This paper includes two documents. The first one is a guidebook devoted to nuclear facility operators which fixes the rules of production of waste studies according to the articles 20 to 26 of the inter-ministry by-law from December 31, 1999 (waste zoning conditions and ASN&apos;s control modalities). The second document concerns the specifications for the establishment of annual waste statuses according to article 27 of the inter-ministry by-law from December 31, 1999 (rational management of nuclear wastes). (J.S.)

Emotions, visions and communications. &apos;&apos;Heartbeats inclusive&apos;&apos;; Emotionen, Visionen und Kommunikationen. &apos;&apos;Herzklopfen inklusive&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rinderknecht, F.M. [Rinspeed AG, Zumikom (Germany)

2006-07-01

Emotional aspects become more and more relevant and important in today&apos;s consumer world. It is not only the technical features or the price which influence decisions for buying or not, but non-tangible elements as brand name, image, imaginary value, personal positioning and other emotions. Products become more and more equal as well as their performance sets no differentiation. Therefore marketing and sales strategies call for emotional differentiations. One very successful example on today&apos;s market is the I-Pod - nothing simpler than a MP3-player which fetches three times the monetary revenue and has some times even a waiting list. Why? Because it is &apos;'cool'&apos; and a status symbol to own one. The same thinking needs to be applied in the marketing and sales activities of natural gas as a mobile fuel as well. Having many important functional disadvantages over gasoline such as a small number of filling stations, limited range of models offered and sometimes limited range and national offer, not only the financial aspects of saving fuel costs, but the emotional positioning of the buyer is very important: To be environment conscious, to be the first, to be different, to be responsible, to be looked at as a trend-setter, and to possibly have power equal to the equivalent in gasoline engines. (orig.)

Experience of Ko-Ri Unit 1 water chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tae Il Lee

1983-01-01

The main focus is placed on operational experience in secondary system water chemistry (especially the steam generator) of the Ko-Ri nuclear power plant Unit 1, Republic of Korea, but primary side chemistry is also discussed. The major concern of secondary water chemistry in a PWR is that the condition of the steam generator be well maintained. Full flow deep bed condensate polishers have recently been installed and operation started in July 1982. Boric acid treatment of the steam generator was stopped and only the all volatile treatment method was used thereafter. A review of steam generator integrity, the chemistry control programme, secondary water quality, etc. is considered to be of great value regarding the operation of Unit 1 and future units now under startup testing or construction in the Republic of Korea. (author)

Flux quantization in &apos;autistic&apos; magnets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Costa de Beauregard, O.; Vigoureux, J.M.

1974-03-15

The Dirac electron theory for the evanescent wave surrounding an infinitely long cylindrical magnet with zero surface polarization and the requirement of the single valuedness of this wave are used to show that the magnetic flux is quantized in units h/2e emu. The same quantization is shown for a general &apos;'autistic'&apos; magnet (i.e. magnet completely trapping its flux), thus establishing complete external equivalence of the &apos;'autistic'&apos; magnet with the &apos;&apos;perfect solenoid&apos;&apos;. An experimental test of the predicted quantization is suggested.

Spherically symmetric conformal gravity and &apos;&apos;gravitational bubbles&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berezin, V.A.; Dokuchaev, V.I.; Eroshenko, Yu.N., E-mail: berezin@inr.ac.ru, E-mail: dokuchaev@inr.ac.ru, E-mail: eroshenko@inr.ac.ru [Institute for Nuclear Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 60th October Anniversary Prospect 7a, Moscow, 117312 (Russian Federation)

2016-01-01

The general structure of the spherically symmetric solutions in the Weyl conformal gravity is described. The corresponding Bach equations are derived for the special type of metrics, which can be considered as the representative of the general class. The complete set of the pure vacuum solutions is found. It consists of two classes. The first one contains the solutions with constant two-dimensional curvature scalar of our specific metrics, and the representatives are the famous Robertson-Walker metrics. One of them we called the &apos;&apos;gravitational bubbles&apos;&apos;, which is compact and with zero Weyl tensor. Thus, we obtained the pure vacuum curved space-times (without any material sources, including the cosmological constant) what is absolutely impossible in General Relativity. Such a phenomenon makes it easier to create the universe from &apos;'nothing'&apos;. The second class consists of the solutions with varying curvature scalar. We found its representative as the one-parameter family. It appears that it can be conformally covered by the thee-parameter Mannheim-Kazanas solution. We also investigated the general structure of the energy-momentum tensor in the spherical conformal gravity and constructed the vectorial equation that reveals clearly some features of non-vacuum solutions. Two of them are explicitly written, namely, the metrics à la Vaidya, and the electrovacuum space-time metrics.

Plasmodium falciparum Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinase 2 Is Critical for Male Gametocyte Exflagellation but Not Essential for Asexual Proliferation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abhisheka Bansal

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Drug development efforts have focused mostly on the asexual blood stages of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Except for primaquine, which has its own limitations, there are no available drugs that target the transmission of the parasite to mosquitoes. Therefore, there is a need to validate new parasite proteins that can be targeted for blocking transmission. P. falciparum calcium-dependent protein kinases (PfCDPKs play critical roles at various stages of the parasite life cycle and, importantly, are absent in the human host. These features mark them as attractive drug targets. In this study, using CRISPR/Cas9 we successfully knocked out PfCDPK2 from blood-stage parasites, which was previously thought to be an indispensable protein. The growth rate of the PfCDPK2 knockout (KO parasites was similar to that of wild-type parasites, confirming that PfCDPK2 function is not essential for the asexual proliferation of the parasite in vitro. The mature male and female gametocytes of PfCDPK2 KO parasites become round after induction. However, they fail to infect female Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes due to a defect(s in male gametocyte exflagellation and possibly in female gametes.

66. The safety engineering at reprocessing of raw material from &apos;zero&apos; mark and &apos;slaked lime&apos;

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivanov, A.V.

1993-01-01

The safety engineering at reprocessing of raw material from &apos;zero&apos; mark and &apos;slaked lime&apos; was studied. All operational conditions at reprocessing of raw material from &apos;zero&apos; mark and &apos;slaked lime&apos; were discussed.

Wild-Type Male Offspring of fmr-1+/− Mothers Exhibit Characteristics of the Fragile X Phenotype

OpenAIRE

Zupan, Bojana; Toth, Miklos

2008-01-01

Fragile X syndrome is an X-linked disorder caused by the inactivation of the FMR-1 gene with symptoms ranging from impaired cognitive functions to seizures, anxiety, sensory abnormalities, and hyperactivity. Males are more severely affected than heterozygote (H) females, who, as carriers, have a 50% chance of transmitting the mutated allele in each pregnancy. fmr-1 knockout (KO) mice reproduce fragile X symptoms, including hyperactivity, seizures, and abnormal sensory processing. In contrast ...

Deep-sea drilling. Practical aspects of 4D seismic: what an engineer needs to know. Developments in Iran: &apos;SIRRI&apos; of the Total company and &apos;DOROOD&apos; of the Elf company. The &apos;DOROOD&apos; operating plan. The &apos;SIRRI&apos; operating plan; Le forage en eau profonde. Aspects pratiques de la sismique 4D: ce qu&apos;un ingenieur doit savoir. Developpements en Iran: &apos;SIRRI&apos; de Total et &apos;DOROOD&apos; d&apos;Elf. Le projet &apos;DOROOD&apos;. Le projet &apos;SIRRI&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Claverie, P. [Schlumberger Sedco Forex, 92 - Montrouge (France); Bauquis, P.R. [Association Francaise des Techniciens et Professionnels du Petrole, AFTP, 92 - Paris-la-Defense (France); Seiller, B.; Geronimi, X. [Elf France, (France); Barthe, D. [Total Fina, 92 - La Defense (France)

1999-08-01

In this &apos;Drilling-Production&apos; section, in which 7 papers are gathered, 3 main topics are developed: (1)the deep-sea drilling (2)the practical aspects of 4D seismic (3)the &apos;SIRRI&apos; and &apos;DOROOD&apos; operating plans in Iran. Concerning the first point, it can be noticed that nowadays, mobile platforms are located in great offshore where water depths are of about 2400 m. In the second point is particularly detailed what 4D is, what it can do, what the primary conditions for it works are and how it costs. The third point is the more particularly detailed in this section (15 pages). At first an introduction indicates why Iran has to call to international petroleum investors, what the current problems of Iran are, what Iran has to do to attract foreign investment and technology and what the challenges to foreign companies are. Then the two operating plans: &apos;SIRRI&apos; and &apos;DOROOD&apos; are exposed into details. A synthesis of these plans, called of &apos;Buy Back&apos;, (production, investment, refund) is given as well as their advantages and disadvantages. (O.M.)

New quality assurance program integrating &apos;&apos;modern radiotherapy&apos;&apos; within the German Hodgkin Study Group

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kriz, J.; Haverkamp, U.; Eich, H.T. [University of Muenster, Department of Radiation Oncology, Muenster (Germany); Baues, C.; Marnitz-Schulze, S. [University of Cologne, Department of Radiation Oncology, Koeln (Germany); Engenhart-Cabillic, R. [University of Marburg, Department of Radiation Oncology, Marburg (Germany); Herfarth, K. [University of Heidelberg, Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg (Germany); Lukas, P. [University of Innsbruck, Department of Radiation Oncology, Innsbruck (Austria); Schmidberger, H. [University of Mainz, Department of Radiation Oncology, Mainz (Germany); Fuchs, M.; Engert, A. [University of Cologne, Department of Internal Medicine, Koeln (Germany)

2017-02-15

Field design changed substantially from extended-field RT (EF-RT) to involved-field RT (IF-RT) and now to involved-node RT (IN-RT) and involved-site RT (IS-RT) as well as treatment techniques in radiotherapy (RT) of Hodgkin&apos;s lymphoma (HL). The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the establishment of a quality assurance program (QAP) including modern RT techniques and field designs within the German Hodgkin Study Group (GHSG). In the era of modern conformal RT, this QAP had to be fundamentally adapted and a new evaluation process has been intensively discussed by the radiotherapeutic expert panel of the GHSG. The expert panel developed guidelines and criteria to analyse &apos;'modern'&apos; field designs and treatment techniques. This work is based on a dataset of 11 patients treated within the sixth study generation (HD16-17). To develop a QAP of &apos;&apos;modern RT&apos;&apos;, the expert panel defined criteria for analysing current RT procedures. The consensus of a modified QAP in ongoing and future trials is presented. With this schedule, the QAP of the GHSG could serve as a model for other study groups. (orig.) [German] Nicht nur die Zielvolumendefinitionen haben sich von der Extended-Field- (EF-RT) ueber die Involved-Field- (IF-RT) bis zur Involved-Node- (IN-RT) und Involved-Site-Radiotherapie (IS-RT) weiterentwickelt. Auch die Radiotherapie(RT)-Techniken in der Behandlung von Patienten mit Hodgkin-Lymphom haben Aenderungen erfahren. Wir moechten aufzeigen, wie die Arbeit des Qualitaetssicherungsprogramms (QAP) innerhalb der Deutschen Hodgkin Studiengruppe (German Hodgkin Study Group [GHSG]) in der Aera der &apos;&apos;modernen RT&apos;&apos; hinsichtlich intensitaetsmodulierter RT (IMRT) und bildgefuehrter RT (IGRT), aber auch hinsichtlich moderner Felddefinitionen wie bei der IN-RT angepasst wurde. In der Aera der &apos;&apos;modernen RT&apos;&apos; wurde das QAP vom radiotherapeutischen Expertenpanel der GHSG im Rahmen einiger

Phase analysis of Košice meteorite: Preliminary results

Science.gov (United States)

Sitek, J.; Dekan, J.; Degmová, J.; Sedlačková, K.

2012-10-01

Meteorite fall was observed by the Košice town in Slovakia in February 2010 and it was classified as an ordinary chondrite H5. The samples were prepared in powder form scratched from the surface. Mossbauer spectra were measured at room temperature and liquid nitrogen temperature. Spectra consist of components related to iron-bearing phases with different content. Non-magnetic part was fitted with three quadrupole doublets. According to its parameters, we identified olivine, pyroxene, and traces of Fe3+ phases. Magnetic part consists of an iron-rich Fe-Ni alloy with hyperfine magnetic field similar to kamacite α-Fe(Ni,Co) and troilite. Main elements were also determined by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy.

Students&apos;, Guardians&apos;, and Teachers&apos; Perceptions of Student-Led Conferences

Science.gov (United States)

Orso, Charlotte Lindsey

2013-01-01

The purpose of the study was to examine the ELL and non-ELL students&apos;, guardians&apos;, and the English as a second language (ESL) teachers&apos; perceptions of student-led conferences. Specifically, the study examined if ELL students&apos; and guardians&apos; preferences were similar to non-ELL students&apos; and guardians&apos; preferences…

Coral bleaching and ocean &apos;&apos;hot spots&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goreau, T.J. (Global Coral Reef Alliance, Chappaqua, NY (United States)); Hayes, R.L. (Howard Univ., Washington, DC (United States). College of Medicine)

1994-05-01

Global sea-surface temperature maps show that mass coral-reef bleaching episodes between 1983 and 1991 followed positive anomalies more than 1 deg C above long-term monthly averages (&apos;&apos;hot spots&apos;&apos;) during the preceding warm season. Irregular formation, movement, and disappearance of hot spots make their detailed long-term prediction impossible, but they can be tracked in real time from satellite data. Monitoring of ocean hot spots and of coral bleaching is needed if the Framework Convention of Climate Change is to meet its goal of protecting the most temperature sensitive ecosystems. 47 refs, 3 figs

Scenarios for an integrated sustainability policy - using the example of the &apos;&apos;Sustainable City 2030&apos;&apos;. Vol. 2; Szenarien fuer eine integrierte Nachhaltigkeitspolitik - am Beispiel: Die nachhaltige Stadt 2030. Bd. 2. Teilbericht &apos;&apos;Kreislaufstadt 2030&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verbuecheln, Maic; Grabow, Busso; Uttke, Angela; Schwausch, Mandy [Deutsches Inst. fuer Urbanistik (DiFu), Berlin (Germany); Gassner, Robert [Institut fuer Zukunftsstudien und Technologiebewertung gGmbH (IZT), Berlin (Germany)

2013-04-15

The partial report &apos;&apos;Recycling City 2030&apos;&apos; was prepared for the Federal Environment Agency (Dessau, Federal Republic of Germany) as a part of the project &apos;&apos;Scenarios for an integrated sustainability policy - the example of &apos;The Sustainable City 2030 &apos;'&apos;. This partial report is based on research activities of the German Institute of Urban Affairs (Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany) and Institute for Futures Studies and Technology Assessment (Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany). The objectives of this partial report are: (1) Description of the challenges and trends in urban regions; (2) Recycling city and its importance in the current debate on sustainability; (3) Identification and optimization of existing cycle approaches in urban habitats; (4) Analysis of the actual state as well as designation of developments and constraints; (5) Discussion on the interface between the sectors; (6) Options for action for the interaction between the actors in interdisciplinary topics; (7) Outline of ways and perspectives of the implementation of the &apos;&apos;Recycling City 2030&apos;&apos;.

Optimisation of biological reactors using the &apos;biological resonance&apos; phenomenon; Ansatz zur Optimierung biologischer Reinigungsstufen durch das Phaenomen der &apos;&apos;Biologischen Resonanz&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schmid, A.

2003-07-01

The microbial catabolic activity of biological reactors can be increased by up to 75% through external stimulation with intermittent stress loads at intervals of several minutes. Under these process conditions, the &apos;&apos;biological resonance&apos;&apos; phenomenon determines the system and leads to an increased synthesis of enzymes. In addition to computer simulations, experiments with activated sludge were carried out in a 10-litre bioreactor. By modulating the stress intervals, a permanent increase in catabolic activity of about 60% was achieved during these experiments. By relying on the &apos;&apos;biological resonance&apos;&apos; phenomenon, the required reaction volume of biological treatment units can probably be reduced by up to 40%. (orig.)

Reduced Metabolsim in Brain &apos;Control Networks&apos; Following Cocaine-Cues Exposure in Female Cocaine Abusers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Volkow, N.D.; Wang, G.; Volkow, N.D.; Tomasi, D.; Wang, G.-J.; Fowler, J.S.; Telang, F.; Goldstein, R.Z.; Alia-Klein, N.; Wong, C.T.

2011-03-01

Gender differences in vulnerability for cocaine addiction have been reported. Though the mechanisms are not understood, here we hypothesize that gender differences in reactivity to conditioned-cues, which contributes to relapse, are involved. To test this we compared brain metabolism (using PET and {sup 18}FDG) between female (n = 10) and male (n = 16) active cocaine abusers when they watched a neutral video (nature scenes) versus a cocaine-cues video. Self-reports of craving increased with the cocaine-cue video but responses did not differ between genders. In contrast, changes in whole brain metabolism with cocaine-cues differed by gender (p<0.05); females significantly decreased metabolism (-8.6% {+-} 10) whereas males tended to increase it (+5.5% {+-} 18). SPM analysis (Cocaine-cues vs Neutral) in females revealed decreases in frontal, cingulate and parietal cortices, thalamus and midbrain (p<0.001) whereas males showed increases in right inferior frontal gyrus (BA 44/45) (only at p<0.005). The gender-cue interaction showed greater decrements with Cocaine-cues in females than males (p<0.001) in frontal (BA 8, 9, 10), anterior cingulate (BA 24, 32), posterior cingulate (BA 23, 31), inferior parietal (BA 40) and thalamus (dorsomedial nucleus). Females showed greater brain reactivity to cocaine-cues than males but no differences in craving, suggesting that there may be gender differences in response to cues that are not linked with craving but could affect subsequent drug use. Specifically deactivation of brain regions from &apos;control networks&apos; (prefrontal, cingulate, inferior parietal, thalamus) in females could increase their vulnerability to relapse since it would interfere with executive function (cognitive inhibition). This highlights the importance of gender tailored interventions for cocaine addiction.

European day &apos;&apos;in town, without my car&apos;&apos;; Journee europeen &apos;&apos;en ville, sans ma voiture&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-10-01

70 million inhabitants took part in the day &apos;&apos;In town, without my car&apos;&apos; on 22 September of this year. It is a great success for this European first. The objective of Energie-Cites association being to promote sustainable local energy policies, that is to say policies aimed at improving energy efficiency, increasing the use of renewable energy sources and limiting nuisance and pollution linked to energy consumption, the association is pleased that this event helped focus public attention on transport. It is indeed in this sector that uncontrolled upswings in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are the most important. This report presents the evaluation of this European initiative and details the actions in some towns. (A.L.B.)

Recognizing IT risks - acting with foresight or: &apos;&apos;practical reasons for comprehensive IT security&apos;&apos;; IT-Risiken erkennen, vorausschauend handeln oder: &apos;&apos;Praktische Gruende fuer umfassende IT-Security&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schaeffer, P.A.R. [TUeV Rheinland Secure iT GmbH, Koeln (Germany)

2006-07-01

Comprehensive IT security expects all threats and every possible consequence to be identified in order to deduce and develop appropriate counter measures. This article describes two exemplary threats to an IT infrastructure: &apos;Hacking Internal Networks&apos; and &apos;A High Promising Target: Web Applications&apos;. (orig.)

Agreement &apos;&apos;power networks and environment&apos;&apos; 2001-2003; Accord &apos;&apos;reseaux electriques et environnement&apos;&apos; 2001-2003

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-01-01

This agreement, discussed between the French government and Electricite de France (EdF) group, proposes some engagements for the 2001-2003 era for a better environmental integration of power transmission and distribution networks. The agreement is made of two parts: 1 - public distribution networks: realization of new workmanship (medium and low voltage power lines, new lines in dense urban areas), actions on existing workmanship (consequences of December 1999 storms, aesthetical aspects, burial of the main overhead lines in wooded areas, reinforcement of EdF&apos;s environmental commitment, remedial actions for environmental &apos;black points&apos;), general measures of implementation (increasing network safety, protection of birds fauna, coordination of works); 2 - public transportation network (RTE): development and safety improvement of the public transportation network (reinforced arrangement for the establishment of regional development schemes, development of international interconnections, safety improvement of the public transportation network, RTE&apos;s environmental plan); line projects (arrangements during projects elaboration, accompanying program); long lived RTE&apos;s commitment (environmental management and ISO-14001 certification, vigilance with respect to electromagnetic fields, R and D). (J.S.)

Trends in Energy. &apos;The consumer decides&apos;; Trends in Energy. &apos;De consument bepaalt&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brzezowsky-Ruys, Y.; Van der Zalm, M.; Van Zutphen, M. (eds.)

2012-03-15

A report is given of the Capgemini organised congress &apos;Trends in Energy 2011&apos; which has the Dutch subtitle &apos;De consument bepaalt&apos; (The consumer decides&apos;. The focus of the articles, interviews, debates and presentations is on the role of the consumer in the supply of and demand for energy. Parts of the report are in Dutch and English [Dutch] Dit rapport bestaat uit een verslag van het congres &apos;Trends in Energy 2011. De consument bepaalt&apos; en een aantal artikelen met achtergrondinformatie over onder meer de rol van de consument in vraag en aanbod van energie.

Abnormal type I collagen post-translational modification and crosslinking in a cyclophilin B KO mouse model of recessive osteogenesis imperfecta.

Science.gov (United States)

Cabral, Wayne A; Perdivara, Irina; Weis, MaryAnn; Terajima, Masahiko; Blissett, Angela R; Chang, Weizhong; Perosky, Joseph E; Makareeva, Elena N; Mertz, Edward L; Leikin, Sergey; Tomer, Kenneth B; Kozloff, Kenneth M; Eyre, David R; Yamauchi, Mitsuo; Marini, Joan C

2014-06-01

Cyclophilin B (CyPB), encoded by PPIB, is an ER-resident peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase) that functions independently and as a component of the collagen prolyl 3-hydroxylation complex. CyPB is proposed to be the major PPIase catalyzing the rate-limiting step in collagen folding. Mutations in PPIB cause recessively inherited osteogenesis imperfecta type IX, a moderately severe to lethal bone dysplasia. To investigate the role of CyPB in collagen folding and post-translational modifications, we generated Ppib-/- mice that recapitulate the OI phenotype. Knock-out (KO) mice are small, with reduced femoral areal bone mineral density (aBMD), bone volume per total volume (BV/TV) and mechanical properties, as well as increased femoral brittleness. Ppib transcripts are absent in skin, fibroblasts, femora and calvarial osteoblasts, and CyPB is absent from KO osteoblasts and fibroblasts on western blots. Only residual (2-11%) collagen prolyl 3-hydroxylation is detectable in KO cells and tissues. Collagen folds more slowly in the absence of CyPB, supporting its rate-limiting role in folding. However, treatment of KO cells with cyclosporine A causes further delay in folding, indicating the potential existence of another collagen PPIase. We confirmed and extended the reported role of CyPB in supporting collagen lysyl hydroxylase (LH1) activity. Ppib-/- fibroblast and osteoblast collagen has normal total lysyl hydroxylation, while increased collagen diglycosylation is observed. Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) analysis of bone and osteoblast type I collagen revealed site-specific alterations of helical lysine hydroxylation, in particular, significantly reduced hydroxylation of helical crosslinking residue K87. Consequently, underhydroxylated forms of di- and trivalent crosslinks are strikingly increased in KO bone, leading to increased total crosslinks and decreased helical hydroxylysine- to lysine-derived crosslink ratios. The altered crosslink

Do we need a &apos;&apos;green medicine&apos;&apos;?; Brauchen wir &apos;&apos;Gruene Medizin?&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bauer, M.; Daschner, F.; Scherrer, M. [Universitaetsklinikum Freiburg (Germany)

2006-07-01

Spontaneously, we do associate &apos;&apos;green medicine&apos;&apos; with terms like naturopathy, natural healing substances, herbal active agents, homeopathy, healthy food, preventive medicine and similar things, and finally we think of ecology. This is the focus of the following article. First of all, the following question arises: Are there any environment-friendly and cost-saving alternatives to the present medicine? There is an increasing number of environment-caused diseases. Therefore, a medicine not coping with the environment is not credible. In today&apos;s medicine, for example, there are too many persistent detergents, water-polluting disinfectants, and many disposable materials. Too much water ist consumed, whereas the use of renewable energies is only limited. And too little natural healing methods are applied in diagnostics and therapy. Presently, in Germany, 16,7 million in-patients are treated in Germany, 1,16 million out-patients have surgeries in 2166 hospitals by ca. 1,1 million medical staff. All this work needs energy and materials which bring various risks to environment and the patients. During the last two decades, however, many efforts were made in the field of environment protection in medicine. There is hardly a hospital left which has not taken measures of protecting the environment. In the branch-specific quality management system KTQ (=cooperation for transparency and quality in the health system). environment protection measures are interrogated and systematically assessed.

&apos;&apos;Is it really green?&apos;&apos; Long-term performance of monocrystalline solar modules as illustrated by the example of a photovoltaic pumping station in a natural reserve (&apos;&apos;Schwenninger Moos&apos;&apos;); &apos;&apos;Is it really green?&apos;&apos; Langzeiterfahrung mit monokristallinen Solarmodulen am Beispiel der photovoltaischen Pumpstation Schwenninger Moos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assbeck, Franz [Hochschule Furtwangen (Germany). Fakultaet Computer und Electrical Engineering

2010-03-15

In 1991, a photovoltaic pumping station was commissioned in the natural reserve &apos;&apos;Schwenninger Moos&apos;&apos; in the southern Black Forest. The pumping station was dismantled when the land was used for the 2010 Baden-Wuerttemberg &apos;Landesgartenschau&apos; (garden festival). After 18 years of operation, the plant provided valuable information on the long-term performance of monocrystalline solar modules, so the author made detailed measurements and evaluations just before the plant was dismantled, in an attempt to find out about its long-term performance and cost efficiency. The results are presented here. (orig.)

The role of &apos;&apos;momentum removal&apos;&apos; in divertor detachment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kukushkin, A.S. [Kurchatov Institute, Moscow (Russian Federation); NRNU MEPhI, Moscow (Russian Federation); Pacher, H.D. [INRS-EMT, Varennes, Quebec (Canada)

2016-08-15

The role of &apos;&apos;momentum removal&apos;&apos; (the drag force on the plasma ion flow) in divertor detachment is considered and analysed in detail. This analysis of the 2D modelling results shows that the drag force cannot reduce the power and particle flux to the target directly. However, it is essential for creating the conditions for efficient radiation and volumetric plasma recombination, which in turn do the job. (copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Development of an object oriented lattice QCD code &apos;'Bridge++'&apos;

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ueda, S; Aoki, S; Aoyama, T; Kanaya, K; Taniguchi, Y; Matsufuru, H; Motoki, S; Namekawa, Y; Nemura, H; Ukita, N

2014-01-01

We are developing a new lattice QCD code set &apos;'Bridge++'&apos; aiming at extensible, readable, and portable workbench for QCD simulations, while keeping a high performance at the same time. Bridge++ covers conventional lattice actions and numerical algorithms. The code set is constructed in C++ with an object oriented programming. In this paper we describe fundamental ingredients of the code and the current status of development

Outcomes in diabetic foot ulcer patients with isolated T2 marrow signal abnormality in the underlying bone: should the diagnosis of &apos;'osteitis'&apos; be changed to &apos;&apos;early osteomyelitis&apos;&apos;?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duryea, Dennis; Bernard, Stephanie; Flemming, Donald; Walker, Eric; French, Cristy [Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Department of Radiology, H066, 500 University Drive, PO Box 850, Hershey, PA (United States)

2017-10-15

To evaluate the variability of clinical treatment and outcomes based on reporting of diabetic foot ulcer MRI findings of adjacent marrow T2 hyperintensity with normal T1 signal. A retrospective review was conducted of 46 MRI examinations evaluating diabetic foot ulcers that demonstrated normal T1 marrow signal, but T2 marrow hyperintensity deep to the ulcer. The cohort was divided based on MRI report impressions into three groups; &apos;&apos;osteitis without osteomyelitis&apos;&apos; (OW), &apos;&apos;osteitis but cannot exclude early osteomyelitis&apos;&apos; (OCEO) and &apos;&apos;early osteomyelitis&apos;&apos; (EO). Patient demographics (age, gender) and accessory MRI findings of ulcer and sinus tract depth were recorded. Initial clinical assessment and medical treatment (route and duration of antibiotics), healing versus disease progression and histology or microbiology results were recorded. The isolated marrow T2 signal hyperintensity was reported as OW in 12 patients, OCEO in 18, and EO in 16. No statistical difference in clinical assessment was demonstrated between the OW, OCEO, and EO groups. Pathological condition was available in 15 patients within 0-7 days (mean 2.4 days) of the MRI examination, with 14 (93%) of these positive for osteomyelitis by histopathology or positive cultures. Initial diagnosis of or progression to osteomyelitis was shown in 28 patients (61%). Treatment of suspected osteomyelitis is heavily determined by clinical factors. Patients who initially demonstrate only T2 marrow signal abnormality under a diabetic ulcer are eventually diagnosed as osteomyelitis in 61% of cases and deserve aggressive treatment as early osteomyelitis when meeting clinical parameters. (orig.)

Pulmonary perfusion &apos;&apos;without ventilation&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chapman, C.N.; Sziklas, J.J.; Spencer, R.P.; Rosenberg, R.J.

1983-12-01

An 88-yr-old man, with prior left upper lobectomy and phrenic nerve injury, had a ventilation/perfusion lung image. Both wash-in and equilibrium ventilation images showed no radioactive gas in the left lung. Nevertheless, the left lung was perfused. A similar result was obtained on a repeat study 8 days later. Delayed images, during washout, showed some radioactive gas in the left lung. Nearly absent ventilation (but continued perfusion) of that lung might have been related to altered gas dynamics brought about by the prior lobectomy, a submucosal bronchial lesion, phrenic nerve damage, and limited motion of the left part of the diaphragm. This case raises the issue of the degree of ventilation (and the phase relationship between the lungs) required for the entry of radioactive gas into a diseased lung, and the production of a &apos;&apos;reversed ventilation/perfusion mismatch.&apos;&apos;

The German &apos;'Energiewende'&apos;. Evaluation after the Paris-agreement; Die Deutsche Energiewende. Bewertung nach dem Klima-Abkommen von Paris

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roth, Eike

2016-08-01

The World-Climate-Summit 2016 in Paris agreed to exacerbated goals for climate protection. This paper will scrutinize whether Germany can comply with its Paris-obligations by continuing the ongoing German &apos;'Energiewende'&apos;. The result is clear-cut: The German &apos;'Energiewende'&apos; is inadequate. Due to the cap-and-trade system of the EU the &apos;''Energiewende'&apos;.

Internet of &apos;'printed'&apos; Things: low-cost fabrication of autonomous sensing nodes by inkjet printing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawahara, Yoshihiro

2014-01-01

&apos;&apos;What if electronics devices are printed using an inkjet printer even at home?&apos;&apos; &apos;&apos;What if those devices no longer need a battery?&apos;&apos; I will introduce two enabling technologies for the Internet of Things concept. 1. Instant Inkjet Circuits: A low cost, fast and accessible technology to support the rapid prototyping of electronic devices. We demonstrated that &apos;'sintering-free'&apos; silver nano particle ink with a commodity inkjet printer can be used to fabricate printed circuit board and high-frequency applications such as antennas and sensors. The technology is now commercialized by AgIC, Inc. 2. Wireless Power: Although large amounts of data can be exchanged over a wireless communication link, mobile devices are still tethered by power cables. We are trying to solve this problem by two different approaches: energy harvesting. A simple circuitry comprised of diodes and capacitor can convert ambient radio signals into DC current. Our research revealed the signals from TV tower located 6.5km apart could be used to feed 100 microwatts to power microcontrollers

Humanized HLA-DR4.RagKO.IL2RγcKO.NOD (DRAG) mice sustain the complex vertebrate life cycle of Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

Science.gov (United States)

Wijayalath, Wathsala; Majji, Sai; Villasante, Eileen F; Brumeanu, Teodor D; Richie, Thomas L; Casares, Sofia

2014-09-30

Malaria is a deadly infectious disease affecting millions of people in tropical and sub-tropical countries. Among the five species of Plasmodium parasites that infect humans, Plasmodium falciparum accounts for the highest morbidity and mortality associated with malaria. Since humans are the only natural hosts for P. falciparum, the lack of convenient animal models has hindered the understanding of disease pathogenesis and prompted the need of testing anti-malarial drugs and vaccines directly in human trials. Humanized mice hosting human cells represent new pre-clinical models for infectious diseases that affect only humans. In this study, the ability of human-immune-system humanized HLA-DR4.RagKO.IL2RγcKO.NOD (DRAG) mice to sustain infection with P. falciparum was explored. Four week-old DRAG mice were infused with HLA-matched human haematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and examined for reconstitution of human liver cells and erythrocytes. Upon challenge with infectious P. falciparum sporozoites (NF54 strain) humanized DRAG mice were examined for liver stage infection, blood stage infection, and transmission to Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes. Humanized DRAG mice reconstituted human hepatocytes, Kupffer cells, liver endothelial cells, and erythrocytes. Upon intravenous challenge with P. falciparum sporozoites, DRAG mice sustained liver to blood stage infection (average 3-5 parasites/microlitre blood) and allowed transmission to An. stephensi mosquitoes. Infected DRAG mice elicited antibody and cellular responses to the blood stage parasites and self-cured the infection by day 45 post-challenge. DRAG mice represent the first human-immune-system humanized mouse model that sustains the complex vertebrate life cycle of P. falciparum without the need of exogenous injection of human hepatocytes/erythrocytes or P. falciparum parasite adaptation. The ability of DRAG mice to elicit specific human immune responses to P. falciparum parasites may help deciphering immune correlates

Application of analytic hierarchy process in landscape management: Case study area Košutnjak park-forest

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lakićević Milena

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Proper management is one of key elements of the natural landscape protection strategy. Park-forests with protected and conserved natural elements represent attractive eco-tourism urban zones. Košutnjak is the most visited park-forest in Serbian capitol Belgrade, unfortunately with increasing number of degraded and devastated areas as a consequence of negative human impacts in the past. In order to conserve natural values in this popular forested city area, and to improve its tourism potential, we found that in achieving that goal, it is meaningful to asses possible management practices and identify the most desired one by applying the analytic hierarchy process (AHP, scientifically sound multi-criteria decision making tool. Based on the obtained results, a recommended strategy is to renovate natural vegetation and to promote recreational and tourism offer in Košutnjak with respect of the sustainability principle.

Irradiation as a quarantine treatment of &apos;Carabao&apos; (&apos;Manila Super&apos;) mangoes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manoto, E.C.; Resilva, S.S.; Del Rosario, Ma.S.; Casubha, L.C.

1990-01-01

Researches using gamma radiation for disinfestation of Oriental fruit fly in &apos;Carabao&apos; (&apos;Manila Super&apos;) mangoes were undertaken using the Probit 9 or 99.9968% mortality test. The results showed that the mature larvae of the fruit fly are the most tolerant stage of this insect to irradiation with the eggs as the most sensitive. On treating more than 100,000 mature larvae in mangoes, a minimum dose of 100 Gy was found to prevent emergence of adult fruit flies and maintain quarantine security or a complete elimination of the possibility of introducing this pest into the importing country. Therefore, the use of 100-Gy irradiation as a quarantine treatment against Oriental fruit fly in the mature green Philippine &apos;carabao&apos; mango fruits is recommended

Progress Report: DE-FG03-97ER20274, &apos;&apos;Microbial Production of Isoprene&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ray Fall

2002-03-13

We have discovered that microorganisms produce and emit the hydrocarbon isoprene (2-methyl-1,3-butadiene), and have suggested that if isoprene-producing enzymes and their genes can be harnessed, useful hydrocarbon-producing systems might be constructed. The main goal of the proposed work is to establish the biochemical mechanism and regulation of isoprene formation in the bacterial system, Bacillus subtilis. Specific objectives of the proposed work are the following: (A) to characterize the physiological regulation of isoprene formation in B. subtilis; (B) to characterize mutations in B. subtilis 168 that suppress isoprene formation, clone these genes, and determine how isoprene and isoprenoid carbon flow are regulated; and (C) to test &apos;'overflow'&apos; and &apos;'signaling'&apos; models for Bacillus isoprene formation. We are also pursuing the isolation and cloning of B. subtilis isoprene synthase, which we believe may be a regulatory enzyme.

The German &apos;'Energiewende'&apos;. Evaluation after the Paris-agreement; Die Deutsche Energiewende. Bewertung nach dem Klima-Abkommen von Paris

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roth, Eike

2016-12-15

The World-Climate-Summit 2016 in Paris agreed to exacerbated goals for climate protection. This paper will scrutinize whether Germany can comply with its Paris-obligations by continuing the ongoing German &apos;'Energiewende'&apos;. The result is clear-cut: The German &apos;'Energiewende'&apos; is inadequate. Due to the cap-and-trade system of the EU the &apos;'Energiewende'&apos; can in no way contribute to climate protection.

The &apos;electric power&apos; experience: Between nostalgia and the future. Erlebnis &apos;Strom&apos; zwischen Nostalgie und Zukunft

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moergeli, H.P. (Moergeli und Partner, Muri bei Bern (Switzerland))

1994-03-04

The &apos;'Muehleberg'&apos; is a concept which is mostly used in connection with the nuclear power station. But there is more to the &apos;'Muehleberg'&apos; than at first sight. A hydroelectric station, a waste dump gas plant and the brandnew works management centre of the Bernische Kraftwerke AG (BKW) constitute the framework for a host of other attractions in the field of electric power; among others, examples of technological culture in the BKW museum, which are worth seeing. (orig.)

PF-KO system for single bunch mode operation of a storage ring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohgaki, H.; Sugiyama, S.; Mikado, T.; Chiwaki, M.; Yamada, K.; Suzuki, R.; Sei, N.; Noguchi, T.; Yamazaki, T.

1994-01-01

A new RF-KO (RF knockout) system for the single bunch mode operation of a storage ring has been developed. The knockout signal is modulated by the sum signal of the RF acceleration frequency of the storage ring and a bunch selection signal. We do not need any special device or a timing unit with this method. We obtain a high purity of bunch structure in a short knock out time. The single bunch impurity of 0.2% has been achieved. (author)

Iran&apos;s &apos;Risk-Taking&apos; in Perspective

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shahram, Chubin

2008-07-01

Assessing any state&apos;s intentions is a difficult undertaking - especially at a specific moment in time. When a state is considered hostile, its behaviour erratic, and its system opaque, what is difficult under normal circumstances becomes nearly impossible. It may thus often seem prudent to attribute the worst of intentions to such states, but this can create a self-fulfilling prophecy. Iran with its revolutionary pretensions, fiery rhetoric and nuclear ambitions, is a case in point, since it is particularly difficult to &apos;read&apos;. Located in the centre of a geo-politically sensitive and conflict-driven area, Iran is in a position to influence - positively or otherwise - the Persian Gulf, the Caucasus, the Middle East and South Asia. This influence may furthermore be expanding as a result of the weakening of Iraq and Lebanon, divisions among the Palestinians, and the more general rise of the Shi&apos;i across the broader region. Add to this the ambiguous aims of Iran&apos;s nuclear programme and the shadow this has already thrown across the region, and the need to assess Iran&apos;s intentions accurately appears crucial. Here, Iran&apos;s past behavior may provide some help, especially when it comes to Iran&apos;s proclivity for risk taking - provided the acquisition of a nuclear capability does not alter Iran&apos;s intentions or behavior so as to make the past irrelevant. Some commentators believe that Iran&apos;s ideology and past behaviour suggest that a nuclear-capable Iran will be inclined to take on a high level of risk, without concern for the potential costs of this recklessness, and that Iran may perhaps even welcome the risks involved. By contrast, the recent National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), a composite of US intelligence agency estimates, has concluded that Iran&apos;s &apos;decisions are guided by a cost-benefit approach&apos; and therefore &apos;may be more vulnerable to influence&apos; than they had previously (i.e.2005) judged. These

Studies of N ~ 40 Ni isotopes via neutron-knockout (nKO) and deep-inelastic (DI) reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Chiara, C. J.; Recchia, F.; Gade, A.; Janssens, R. V. F.; Walters, W. B.

2013-10-01

V. BADER, T. BAUGHER, D. BAZIN, J.S. BERRYMAN, B.A. BROWN, C. LANGER, N. LARSON, S.N. LIDDICK, E. LUNDERBERG, S. NOJI, C. PROKOP, S.R. STROBERG, S. SUCHYTA, D. WEISSHAAR, S. WILLIAMS, NSCL/MSU, M. ALBERS, M. ALCORTA, P.F. BERTONE, M.P. CARPENTER, J. CHEN, C.R. HOFFMAN, F.G. KONDEV, T. LAURITSEN, A.M. ROGERS, D. SEWERYNIAK, S. ZHU, ANL, C.M. CAMPBELL, LBNL, H.M. DAVID, D.T. DOHERTY, U. of Edinburgh/ANL, A. KORICHI, CSNSM-IN2P3/ANL, C.J. LISTER, U. of Mass.-Lowell, K. WIMMER, Central Mich. U. -- Excited states in 68Ni were populated in 2nKO reactions at NSCL. Prompt γ rays were detected with the GRETINA array located in front of the S800 separator. A hodoscope at the S800 focal plane captured the 68Ni ions, where isomeric decays could be correlated with prompt γ rays. Decay of the first excited state, a 0+ isomer, was observed, confirming that its energy substantially differs from the literature value. Comparing the decay patterns of excited states with shell-model calculations provides insight into their underlying structure. Data from 70Zn + 208Pb DI reactions studied with Gammasphere provide results consistent with the 2nKO. Single-particle strengths are also under investigation in the odd- A Ni isotopes via 1nKO reactions. Supported in part by the DoE (DE-FG02-94ER40834, DE-AC02-06CH11357), NSF (PHY-1102511), and NNSA (DE-NA0000979).

Nuclear waste disposal. A wicked and highly conflict bearing societal problem; Nukleare Entsorgung. Ein &apos;'wicked'&apos; und hoechst konfliktbehaftetes Gesellschaftsproblem

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brunnengraeber, Achim; Mez, Lutz [Freie Univ. Berlin (Germany). Forschungszentrum fuer Umweltpolitik; Di Nucci, Maria Rosaria; Schreuers, Miranda [Freie Univ. Berlin (Germany)

2012-12-15

The final disposal of nuclear wastes is called &apos;'messy'&apos; or &apos;'wicked'&apos; in the political science literature. The highly complicated problems are characterized by a number of features such as intra- and inter-generational aspects and ethical questions. In the case of stakeholders the differences concern ideologies, interests, merits and preferences that cause conflicts. The search for solutions is complicated due to interacting political, social, ecologic, economic and technical aspects. The concepts &apos;&apos;wicked problems&apos;&apos; and &apos;'multi-level-governance'&apos; are promising approaches to solve the complicated situation.

Functional consequences of brain glycogen deficiency on the sleep-wake cycle regulation in PTG-KO mice

KAUST Repository

Burlet-Godinot, S.; Allaman, I.; Grenningloh, G.; Roach, P.J.; Depaoli-Roach, A.A.; Magistretti, Pierre J.; Petit, J.-M.

2017-01-01

in the brain in mice while glycogen levels were paradoxically maintained and not affected. In order to gain further insight on the role of PTG in this process, we studied the sleep/wake cycle parameters in PTG knockout (PTG-KO) mice under baseline conditions

Desacyl Ghrelin Decreases Anxiety-like Behavior in Male Mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahbod, Parinaz; Smith, Eric P; Fitzgerald, Maureen E; Morano, Rachel L; Packard, Benjamin A; Ghosal, Sriparna; Scheimann, Jessie R; Perez-Tilve, Diego; Herman, James P; Tong, Jenny

2018-01-01

Ghrelin is a 28-amino acid polypeptide that regulates feeding, glucose metabolism, and emotionality (stress, anxiety, and depression). Plasma ghrelin circulates as desacyl ghrelin (DAG) or, in an acylated form, acyl ghrelin (AG), through the actions of ghrelin O-acyltransferase (GOAT), exhibiting low or high affinity, respectively, for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) 1a. We investigated the role of endogenous AG, DAG, and GHSR1a signaling on anxiety and stress responses using ghrelin knockout (Ghr KO), GOAT KO, and Ghsr stop-floxed (Ghsr null) mice. Behavioral and hormonal responses were tested in the elevated plus maze and light/dark (LD) box. Mice lacking both AG and DAG (Ghr KO) increased anxiety-like behaviors across tests, whereas anxiety reactions were attenuated in DAG-treated Ghr KO mice and in mice lacking AG (GOAT KO). Notably, loss of GHSR1a (Ghsr null) did not affect anxiety-like behavior in any test. Administration of AG and DAG to Ghr KO mice with lifelong ghrelin deficiency reduced anxiety-like behavior and decreased phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation in the Edinger-Westphal nucleus in wild-type mice, a site normally expressing GHSR1a and involved in stress- and anxiety-related behavior. Collectively, our data demonstrate distinct roles for endogenous AG and DAG in regulation of anxiety responses and suggest that the behavioral impact of ghrelin may be context dependent. Copyright © 2018 Endocrine Society.

What do we mean by the word &apos;'Shock'&apos;?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Runnels, Scott Robert

2015-01-01

From one vantage point, a shock is a continuous but drastic change in state variables that occurs over very small time and length scales. These scales and associated changes in state variables can be measured experimentally. From another vantage point, a shock is a mathematical singularity consisting of instantaneous changes in state variables. This more mathematical view gives rise to analytical solutions to idealized problems. And from a third vantage point, a shock is a structure in a hydrocode prediction. Its width depends on the simulation&apos;s grid resolution and artificial viscosity. These three vantage points can be in conflict when ideas from the associated fields are combined, and yet combining them is an important goal of an integrated modeling program. This presentation explores an example of how models for real materials in the presence of real shocks react to a hydrocode&apos;s numerical shocks of finite width. The presentation will include an introduction to plasticity for the novice, an historical view of plasticity algorithms, a demonstration of how pursuing the meaning of &apos;'shock'&apos; has resulted in hydrocode improvements, and will conclude by answering some of the questions that arise from that pursuit. After the technical part of the presentation, a few slides advertising LANL&apos;s Computational Physics Student Summer Workshop will be shown.

&apos;Green Isle&apos; on the &apos;Red Isle&apos;. The gasometer in Berlin becomes a centre of the &apos;European Energy Forum&apos;; &apos;Gruene Insel&apos; auf der &apos;Roten Insel&apos;. Der Berliner Gasometer wird zum Zentrum des &apos;Europaeischen Energie Forums&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, Ulf

2013-06-01

If the ARD political talk show with Guenther Jauch starts on Sunday night after the crime thriller, only few viewers know that they are tele-guests on the former gasometer site in Berlin-Schoeneberg. Currently, this site is being transformed into an environmentally friendly campus called the &apos;European Energy Forum&apos; (EUREF). According to the will of the owner and architect Reinhard Mueller, the campus will become the largest CO{sub 2} neutral office and business location in Europe. Totally 600 million Euro will be invested. All new buildings should be ecological &apos;green buildings&apos; and received the LEED Gold certification.

Design of the fuel element &apos;snow-flake&apos; in uranium oxide, canned with aluminium, for the experimental reactor EL 3 (1960); Etude d&apos;un element combustible en oxyde d&apos;uranium gaine d&apos;aluminium, type &apos;&apos;cristal de neige&apos;&apos; pour la pile EL 3 (1960)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gauthron, M.; Guibert, B. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France).Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1960-07-01

This report sums up the main studies have been carried out on the fuel element &apos;Snowflake&apos; (uranium oxide, canned with aluminium), designed to replace the present element of the experimental reactor EL3 in order to increase the reactivity without modifying the neutron flux/thermal power ratio. (author) [French] Ce rapport resume les principales etudes qui ont ete faites sur l&apos;element combustible &apos;Cristal de Neige&apos; (a oxyde d&apos;uranium, gaine d&apos;aluminium) destine a remnlacer l&apos;element actuel du reacteur experimental EL3, afin d&apos;en augmenter la reactivite sans modifier le rapport flux neutronique-puissance thermique. (auteur)

Chamber transport of &apos;'foot'&apos; pulses for heavy-ion fusion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharp, W.M.; Callahan-Miller, D.A.; Tabak, M.; Yu, S.S.; Peterson, P.F.

2002-02-20

Indirect-drive targets for heavy-ion fusion must initially be heated by &apos;'foot'&apos; pulses that precede the main heating pulses by tens of nanoseconds. These pulses typically have a lower energy and perveance than the main pulses, and the fusion-chamber environment is different from that seen by later pulses. The preliminary particle-in-cell simulations of foot pulses here examine the sensitivity of the beam focusing to ion-beam perveance, background-gas density, and pre-neutralization by a plasma near the chamber entry port.

Development and utilization of a mechanical barrier for large-calibre cavern necks. The &apos;&apos;Spider Plug&apos;&apos;; Entwicklung und Einsatz einer mechanischen Absperrung fuer grosskalibrige Kavernenhaelse. Der &apos;&apos;Spider Plug&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pfeifer, K.; Maut, D. [UGS GmbH, Mittenwalde (Germany)

2013-08-01

An hydraulic separation of a well and the cavern can be necessary for different workover applications, e.g. casing milling or underreaming. The separation is needed to ensure a mud circulation during such operations. In that case a barrier is set after flooding the cavern, which will then be used as a mechanical abutment for the cement bridge. If the diameter of the cavern neck has been enlarged due to e.g. unwanted leaching processes or unstabilized underreaming processes, it might get impossible to set a standard plug with the available technologies into those diameters. Therefore UGS GmbH has developed a mechanical plug, which is set hydraulically. The so called &apos;Spider Plug&apos; is used as basis for a cement bridge and can be removed by drilling after the workover has been done. Depending on the dimension of the setting tool a cavern neck up to 50&apos;&apos; diameter can be plugged by the &apos;Spider Plug&apos;. Up to now a number of successful operations on different locations has shown, that the &apos;Spider Plug&apos; is a practicable and cost-efficient solution for a mechanical abutment of large cavern necks. (orig.)

Editorial: X-chromosome-linked Kallmann&apos;s syndrome: Pathology at the molecular level

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prager, D.; Braunstein, G.D. (Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA (United States))

1993-04-01

Kallmann&apos;s syndrome or olfactogenital dysplasia refers to a disorder characterized by hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and anosmia or hyposmia which can occur sporadically or in a familial setting. Originally described in 1856, the first familial cases were reported by Kallmann et al., in 1944. Based on segregation analysis of multiple families, three modes of transmission have been documented: X-linked, autosomal dominant with variable penetrance, and autosomal recessive. Kallmann&apos;s syndrome occurs in less than 1 in 10,000 male births, with a 5-fold excess of affected males to females, suggesting that the X-linked form is the most frequent. By genetic linkage analysis the X-linked form of Kallmann&apos;s syndrome was localized to Xp22.3. This was confirmed by the description of patients with contiguous gene syndromes due to deletions of various portions of the distal short arm of the X-chromosome. Such patients present with complex phenotypes characterized by a combination of Kallmann&apos;s syndrome with X-linked icthyosis due to steroid sulfatase deficiency, chondrodysplasia punctata, short stature, and mental retardation. DNA analysis has identified and mapped the genes responsible for these disorders. 10 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.

Three ways to storage solution. &apos;&apos;Lead or Lithium?&apos;&apos;. This is not the only basic issue in a storage system; Drei Wege zur Speicherloesung. &apos;&apos;Blei oder Lithium?&apos;&apos; Dies ist nicht die einzige Grundsatzfrage bei einem Speichersystem

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Welter, Philippe; Siemer, Jochen

2013-06-15

The number of solar power storage systems offered is now in the hundreds, if one includes all possible product combinations. We show in the following pages a selection of examples of typical solutions, which are by the KfW program &apos;&apos;Renewable Energy - Storage&apos;&apos; eligible&apos;&apos;. With various modifications, they can be divided into three groups: battery inverter with built-in storage, external storage on the DC side of the PV system and stand-alone systems on AC power. [German] Die Zahl der angebotenen Solarstromspeichersysteme geht mittlerweile in die Hunderte, wenn man alle moeglichen Produktkombinationen einbezieht. Wir zeigen auf den folgenden Seiten eine exemplarische Auswahl an typischen Loesungen, die mittels KfW-Programm &apos;&apos;Erneuerbare Energien - Speicher&apos;&apos; foerderfaehig sind. Mit diversen Modifikationen lassen sie sich in drei Gruppen einteilen: Akkuwechselrichter mit integriertem Speicher, externe Speicher an der Gleichstromseite der Photovoltaikanlage und Stand-alone-Systeme am Wechselstromnetz.

Abnormal type I collagen post-translational modification and crosslinking in a cyclophilin B KO mouse model of recessive osteogenesis imperfecta.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wayne A Cabral

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Cyclophilin B (CyPB, encoded by PPIB, is an ER-resident peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase that functions independently and as a component of the collagen prolyl 3-hydroxylation complex. CyPB is proposed to be the major PPIase catalyzing the rate-limiting step in collagen folding. Mutations in PPIB cause recessively inherited osteogenesis imperfecta type IX, a moderately severe to lethal bone dysplasia. To investigate the role of CyPB in collagen folding and post-translational modifications, we generated Ppib-/- mice that recapitulate the OI phenotype. Knock-out (KO mice are small, with reduced femoral areal bone mineral density (aBMD, bone volume per total volume (BV/TV and mechanical properties, as well as increased femoral brittleness. Ppib transcripts are absent in skin, fibroblasts, femora and calvarial osteoblasts, and CyPB is absent from KO osteoblasts and fibroblasts on western blots. Only residual (2-11% collagen prolyl 3-hydroxylation is detectable in KO cells and tissues. Collagen folds more slowly in the absence of CyPB, supporting its rate-limiting role in folding. However, treatment of KO cells with cyclosporine A causes further delay in folding, indicating the potential existence of another collagen PPIase. We confirmed and extended the reported role of CyPB in supporting collagen lysyl hydroxylase (LH1 activity. Ppib-/- fibroblast and osteoblast collagen has normal total lysyl hydroxylation, while increased collagen diglycosylation is observed. Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS analysis of bone and osteoblast type I collagen revealed site-specific alterations of helical lysine hydroxylation, in particular, significantly reduced hydroxylation of helical crosslinking residue K87. Consequently, underhydroxylated forms of di- and trivalent crosslinks are strikingly increased in KO bone, leading to increased total crosslinks and decreased helical hydroxylysine- to lysine-derived crosslink ratios. The altered

Abnormal Type I Collagen Post-translational Modification and Crosslinking in a Cyclophilin B KO Mouse Model of Recessive Osteogenesis Imperfecta

Science.gov (United States)

Cabral, Wayne A.; Perdivara, Irina; Weis, MaryAnn; Terajima, Masahiko; Blissett, Angela R.; Chang, Weizhong; Perosky, Joseph E.; Makareeva, Elena N.; Mertz, Edward L.; Leikin, Sergey; Tomer, Kenneth B.; Kozloff, Kenneth M.; Eyre, David R.; Yamauchi, Mitsuo; Marini, Joan C.

2014-01-01

Cyclophilin B (CyPB), encoded by PPIB, is an ER-resident peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase) that functions independently and as a component of the collagen prolyl 3-hydroxylation complex. CyPB is proposed to be the major PPIase catalyzing the rate-limiting step in collagen folding. Mutations in PPIB cause recessively inherited osteogenesis imperfecta type IX, a moderately severe to lethal bone dysplasia. To investigate the role of CyPB in collagen folding and post-translational modifications, we generated Ppib−/− mice that recapitulate the OI phenotype. Knock-out (KO) mice are small, with reduced femoral areal bone mineral density (aBMD), bone volume per total volume (BV/TV) and mechanical properties, as well as increased femoral brittleness. Ppib transcripts are absent in skin, fibroblasts, femora and calvarial osteoblasts, and CyPB is absent from KO osteoblasts and fibroblasts on western blots. Only residual (2–11%) collagen prolyl 3-hydroxylation is detectable in KO cells and tissues. Collagen folds more slowly in the absence of CyPB, supporting its rate-limiting role in folding. However, treatment of KO cells with cyclosporine A causes further delay in folding, indicating the potential existence of another collagen PPIase. We confirmed and extended the reported role of CyPB in supporting collagen lysyl hydroxylase (LH1) activity. Ppib−/− fibroblast and osteoblast collagen has normal total lysyl hydroxylation, while increased collagen diglycosylation is observed. Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) analysis of bone and osteoblast type I collagen revealed site-specific alterations of helical lysine hydroxylation, in particular, significantly reduced hydroxylation of helical crosslinking residue K87. Consequently, underhydroxylated forms of di- and trivalent crosslinks are strikingly increased in KO bone, leading to increased total crosslinks and decreased helical hydroxylysine- to lysine-derived crosslink ratios. The altered

Energy saving retrofitting of a prefabricated panel construction kinder-garden - demonstration project &apos;'Plappersnut'&apos; in Wismar.; Energetische Sanierung einer Kindertagesstaette in Plattenbauweise - Demonstrationsbauvorhaben &apos;'Plappersnut'&apos; in Wismar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wollensak, Heidi [Institut fuer Gebaeude + Energie + Licht Planung, Alter Holzhafen 19, 23966 Wismar (Germany); Wollensak, Martin [Hochschule Wismar, FG Baukonstruktion und Baustofftechnik (Germany); Roemhild, Thomas [Hochschule Wismar, FG Entwerfen, Gebaeude- Klima- und Lichtplanung (Germany); Mainka, Georg-Wilhelm; Winkler, Heiko [Lehrstuhl fuer Baukonstruktionen und Bauphysik, Institut fuer Bauingenieurwesen, Universitaet Rostock (Germany)

2005-12-01

The project &apos;&apos;kindergarten Plappersnut&apos;&apos; in Wismar focuses on cutting the energy consumption of the in 1972 build prefabricated plate construction down to one third by mainly 3 means: - improving the relation between building volume and outside surface by replacing the corridor building between the two main wings with a light membrane roof, covering the whole space, - eliminating energy loss through the building structure by coating the whole building with different isolation systems, - replacing all of the technical installation under the aspects of ecological energy supply and energy retrieving systems. The project was classed as a demonstration project of the EnSan-Program, supported by the German Ministry for Economy and Technology. (Abstract Copyright [2005], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.) [German] Das Sanierungsprojekt der 1972 in Plattenbauweise errichteten Kita &apos;'Plappersnut'&apos; stand im Zeichen der Reduzierung des Energiebedarfs auf ein Drittel durch drei wesentliche Massnahmen: - Verbesserung des Verhaeltnisses Gebaeudevolumen zu Aussenwandflaeche durch Entfernung der Verbindungsgaenge zwischen beiden Gebaeudeteilen und Ueberdachung des entstehenden Hofes mit einem Membrandach, - Verminderung der Energieverluste durch die Gebaeudehuelle mit Hilfe verschiedener Waermedaemm-Massnahmen, - Ersatz der gesamten Gebaeudetechnik durch energiesparende Systeme und unter Einsatz von erneuerbaren Energien. Das Projekt wurde im Rahmen des EnSan-Programms vom Bundesministerium fuer Wirtschaft und Technologie gefoerdert. (Abstract Copyright [2005], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Body size, carcass and meat quality of three commercial beef categories of &apos;Serrana de Teruel&apos; breed

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ripoll, G.; Albertí, P.; Alvarez-Rodríguez, J.; Blasco, I.; Sanz, A.

2016-11-01

The aim of this study was to analyse three commercial beef categories of the &apos;Serrana de Teruel breed&apos; to define the appropriate commercial option. Twenty &apos;Serrana de Teruel&apos; male calves at 9 months were assigned to the commercial beef categories (young bulls, bulls and steers), slaughtered at 12, 22 and 22 months of age, respectively. The in vivo ultrasound backfat thickness was greater than the dorsal fat thickness, and the young bulls and steers had a similar fat thickness, that was greater than the bulls in both areas. The slaughter weight and cold carcass weight were significantly different between the commercial categories. However, the differences were not sufficient to modify the dressing percentage, carcass conformation and fatness degree between the young bulls and bulls. The maximum stress of the muscle at 7 d of ageing was lower in the steers than in the young bulls and bulls. In general, the lightness of the meat in the bulls was lower than that in the young bulls and steers. The subcutaneous fat of the bull carcasses had a vivid colour and stored more carotenoids than that of the young bulls and steers. Hence, bulls produced heavier and better conformed carcasses with more edible meat and less fat than the other categories. However, steers are recommended to produce large carcasses with more trim and cover fat than the other categories. Finally, it seems that bulls are the most suitable commercial category to &apos;Serrana de Teruel&apos; breed. (Author)

Promoting Financial Literacy and Latino Males&apos; Success at Community Colleges

Science.gov (United States)

Salinas, Cristobal, Jr.; Hidrowoh, Jacob R.

2018-01-01

Latino males across the country enroll in community colleges with the purpose of obtaining an educational degree, which could lead to accomplishing professional and personal aspirations. Even if Latino male students enroll in post-secondary education, they continue to be disenfranchised, vanished, and often rejected through the higher education…

Effects of Restoration of Blood Flow on the Development of Aortic Atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- Mice With Unilateral Renal Artery Stenosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Pathak, Alokkumar S; Huang, Jianhua; Rojas, Mauricio; Bazemore, Taylor C; Zhou, Ruihai; Stouffer, George A

2016-04-03

Chronic unilateral renal artery stenosis (RAS) causes accelerated atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE(-/-)) mice, but effects of restoration of renal blood flow on aortic atherosclerosis are unknown. Male ApoE(-/-) mice underwent sham surgery (n=16) or had partial ligation of the right renal artery (n=41) with the ligature being removed 4 days later (D4LR; n=6), 8 days later (D8LR; n=11), or left in place for 90 days (chronic RAS; n=24). Ligature removal at 4 or 8 days resulted in improved renal blood flow, decreased plasma angiotensin II levels, a return of systolic blood pressure to baseline, and increased plasma levels of neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin. Chronic RAS resulted in increased lipid staining in the aortic arch (33.2% [24.4, 47.5] vs 11.6% [6.1, 14.2]; Prenal blood flow at either 4 or 8 days after unilateral RAS had a beneficial effect on systolic blood pressure, aortic lipid deposition, and atheroma inflammation. © 2016 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.

Inorganic profile of some Brazilian medicinal plants obtained from ethanolic extract and &apos;&apos;in natura&apos;&apos; samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferreira, M.O.M.; de Sousa, P.T.; Salvador, V.L.R.; Sato, I.M.

2004-10-03

The Anadenathera macrocarpa, Schinus molle, Hymenaea courbaril, Cariniana legalis, Solidago microglossa and Stryphnodendron barbatiman, were collected &apos;&apos;in natura&apos;&apos; samples (leaves, flowers, barks and seeds) from different commercial suppliers. The pharmaco-active compounds in ethanolic extracts had been made by the Mato Grosso Federal University (UFMT). The energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) spectrometry was used for the elemental analysis in different parts of the plants and respective ethanolic extracts. The Ca, Cl, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Rb, S, Sr and Zn concentrations were determined by the fundamental parameters method. Some specimens showed a similar inorganic profile for &apos;&apos;in natura&apos;&apos; and ethanolic extract samples and some ones showed a distinct inorganic profile. For example, the Anadenathera macrocarpa showed a similar concentration in Mg, P, Cu, Zn and Rb elements in &apos;&apos;in natura&apos;&apos; and ethanolic extract samples; however very different concentration in Na, S, Cl, K , Ca, Mn, Fe and Sr was observed in distinctive samples. The Solidago microglossa showed the K, Ca, Cl, S, Mg, P and Fe elements as major constituents in both samples, suggesting that the extraction process did not affect in a considerable way the &apos;&apos;in natura&apos;&apos; inorganic composition. The elemental composition of the different parts of the plants (leaves, flowers, barks and seeds) has been also determined. For example, the Schinus molle specimen showed P, K, Cl and Ca elements as major constituents in the seeds, Mg, K and Sr in the barks and Mg, S, Cl and Mn in the leaves, demonstrating a differentiated elementary distribution. These inorganic profiles will contribute to evaluate the quality control of the Brazilian herbaceous trade and also will assist to identify which parts of the medicinal plants has greater therapeutic effect.

Heat shock protein 27-derived atheroprotection involves reverse cholesterol transport that is dependent on GM-CSF to maintain ABCA1 and ABCG1 expression in ApoE-/- mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Pulakazhi Venu, Vivek Krishna; Adijiang, Ayinuer; Seibert, Tara; Chen, Yong-Xiang; Shi, Chunhua; Batulan, Zarah; O'Brien, Edward R

2017-06-01

Recently, we demonstrated that heat shock protein (HSP)-27 is protective against the development of experimental atherosclerosis, reducing plaque cholesterol content by more than 30%. Moreover, elevated HSP-27 levels are predictive of relative freedom from clinical cardiovascular events. HSP-27 signaling occurs via the activation of NF-κB, which induces a marked up-regulation in expression of granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), a cytokine that is known to alter ABC transporters involved in reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). Therefore, we hypothesized that HSP-27-derived GM-CSF has a potent role in impeding plaque formation by promoting macrophage RCT and sought to better characterize this pathway. Treatment of THP-1 cells, RAW-Blue cells, and primary macrophages with recombinant HSP-27 resulted in NF-κB activation via TLR-4 and was inhibited by various pharmacologic blockers of this pathway. Moreover, HSP-27-induced upregulation of GM-CSF expression was dependent on TLR-4 signaling. Recombinant (r)HSP-27 treatment of ApoE -/- female (but not male) mice for 4 wk yielded reductions in plaque area and cholesterol clefts of 33 and 47%, respectively, with no effect on GM-CSF -/- ApoE -/- mice. With 12 wk of rHSP-27 treatment, both female and male mice showed reductions in plaque burden (55 and 42%, respectively) and a 60% reduction in necrotic core area but no treatment effect in GM-CSF -/- ApoE -/- mice. In vitro functional studies revealed that HSP-27 enhanced the expression of ABCA1 and ABCG1, as well as facilitated cholesterol efflux in vitro by ∼10%. These novel findings establish a paradigm for HSP-27-mediated RCT and set the stage for the development of HSP-27 atheroprotective therapeutics.-Pulakazhi Venu, V. K., Adijiang, A., Seibert, T., Chen, Y.-X., Shi, C., Batulan, Z., O'Brien, E. R. Heat shock protein 27-derived atheroprotection involves reverse cholesterol transport that is dependent on GM-CSF to maintain ABCA1 and ABCG1

Digital technical map of Košice city

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Štefan Kuzevič

2007-06-01

Full Text Available The digital map of a city is comprised complex of the map. Process of creation of the digital map of a city is time consuming and financially demanding. The digital map is created as co-operation of the local authority, technology network administrator, companies, and local government. The exact and current digital map of the city utilizable for multilateral applications is the result of this co-operation. The digital map of city catch all important phenomenon and objects which are needed for making decisions and planning to all grades controlling the local authority. The Geographic information systems tools make possible updating digital map, analyses and syntheses spatial phenomena and theirs relationships. The digital map of city is created step by step. The digital technical map of city is one of very important part of the digital map. Illustration of the part digital technical map of Košice is showed in the Fig. 1.

Influence on cervical MR imaging by fear and anxiety. Comparison of MR image quality between the first time and experienced patient&apos;s

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iseki, Tadahiro; Okano, Tamotsu; Kanou, Norio; Tanaka, Kazuharu; Kawasaki, Kouichi [Yujinkai Medical Corp., Yujin Yamazaki Hospital, Hikone, Shiga (Japan); Kawachi, Toshiaki [Ohgaki Municipal Hospital, Gifu (Japan)

2002-08-01

MR image quality was hampered by patient&apos;s emotion. We compared MR image quality between first time (group A) and experienced patient&apos;s (group B), and between male and female. B group score was better than A group score, but no significant difference was observed between these two groups. And female score was better than male in the group A. The score difference between male and female in the group B was small. (author)

Proceedings of the DGMK-conference &apos;Synthesis gas chemistry&apos;. Authors&apos; manuscripts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoenicke, D.; Kohlpaintner, C.; Luecke, B.; Reschetilowski, W. [eds.

2000-07-01

The main topics of the DGMK-Conference &apos;&apos;Synthesis Gas Chemistry&apos;&apos; were: production of synthesis gas from several educts, new catalysts, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, hydroformylation, steam reforming and carbonylation.

Improvement in remote sensing of low vegetation cover in arid regions by correcting vegetation indices for soil &apos;'noise'&apos;

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Escadafal, R.; Huete, A.

1991-01-01

The variations of near-infrared red reflectance ratios of ten aridic soil samples were correlated with a &apos;&apos;redness index&apos;&apos; computed from red and green spectral bands. These variations have been shown to limit the performances of vegetation indices (NDVI and SAVI) in discriminating low vegetation covers. The redness index is used to adjust for this &apos;&apos;soil noise&apos;&apos;. Dala simulated for vegetation densities of 5 to 15% cover showed that the sensitivity of the corrected vegetation indices was significantly improved. Specifically, the &apos;'noise-corrected'&apos; SAVI was able to assess vegetation amounts with an error four times smaller than the uncorrected NDVI. These promising results should lead to a significant improvement in assessing biomass in arid lands from remotely sensed data. (author) [fr

Exposure to CB-153 and p,p&apos;-DDE and human sperm chromatin integrity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rignell-Hydbom, A.; Rylander, L.; Joensson, B.A.G.; Hagmar, L. [Dept. of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund Univ. Hospital (Sweden); Giwercman, A. [Fertility Centre, Malmoe Univ. hospital (Sweden); Spano, M. [Section of Toxicology and Biomedical Sciences, ENEA Casaccia Research Centre, Rome (Italy)

2004-09-15

In Sweden, the consumption of fatty fish from the Baltic Sea (off the Swedish east coast) is the single most important source of exposure to persistent organochlorine pollutants (POPs). Fishermen from the east coast have averagely higher plasma levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and total POP derived TEQ in plasma than both west coast fishermen and men from the general population. Dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene (p,p&apos;-DDE), a relevant biomarker for POP is still present in relatively high serum concentrations in men consuming fish from the Baltic Sea. Several studies have shown that POPs are capable of interfering with reproductive and endocrine function in animals. Human studies have shown that exposure to PCBs and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) has a negative effect on male reproductive function, and especially sperm motility seems vulnerable. However, studies relating to human sperm genetic integrity are few. The aim of the study was to investigate whether exposure to POP using 2,2&apos;,4,4&apos;,5,5&apos;- hexachlorobiphenyl (CB-153) and p,p&apos;-DDE as biomarkers, are associated with sperm chromatin integrity. In order to ensure a sufficient variation in POP exposure fishermen from both the Swedish east (&apos;&apos;more exposed&apos;&apos;) and west coasts (&apos;&apos;less exposed&apos;&apos;) formed the study base.

General practitioners&apos; willingness to request plain lumbar spine radiographic examinations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ryynaenen, Olli-Pekka E-mail: ollipekka.ryynanen@uku.fi; Lehtovirta, Jukka; Soimakallio, Seppo; Takala, Jorma

2001-01-01

Objectives: To examine general practitioners&apos; attitudes to plain lumbar spine radiographic examinations. Design: A postal questionnaire consisting of questions on background data and doctors&apos; opinions about plain lumbar spine radiographic examinations, as well as eight vignettes (imaginary patient cases) presenting indications for lumbar radiography, and five vignettes focusing on the doctors&apos; willingness to request lumbar radiography on the basis of patients&apos; age and duration of symptoms. The data were analysed according to the doctor&apos;s age, sex, workplace and the medical school of graduation. Setting: Finland. Subjects: Six hundred and fifteen randomly selected physicians working in primary health care (64% of original target group). Results: The vignettes revealed that the use of plain lumbar radiographic examination varied between 26 and 88%. Patient&apos;s age and radiation protection were the most prominent factors influencing doctors&apos; decisions to request lumbar radiographies. Only slight differences were observed between the attitudes of male and female doctors, as well as between young and older doctors. Doctors&apos; willingness to request lumbar radiographies increased with the patient&apos;s age in most vignettes. The duration of patients&apos; symptoms had a dramatic effect on the doctor&apos;s decision: in all vignettes, doctors were more likely to request lumbar radiography when patient&apos;s symptoms had exceeded 4 weeks. Conclusions: General practitioners commonly use plain lumbar spine radiographic examinations, despite its limited value in the diagnosis of low back pain. Further consensus and medical education is needed to clarify the indications for plain lumbar radiographic examination.

Les Houches &apos;&apos;Physics at TeV Colliders 2003&apos;&apos; Beyond the Standard Model Working Group: Summary Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allanach, B

2004-03-01

The work contained herein constitutes a report of the &apos;&apos;Beyond the Standard Model&apos;&apos; working group for the Workshop &apos;&apos;Physics at TeV Colliders&apos;&apos;, Les Houches, France, 26 May-6 June, 2003. The research presented is original, and was performed specifically for the workshop. Tools for calculations in the minimal supersymmetric standard model are presented, including a comparison of the dark matter relic density predicted by public codes. Reconstruction of supersymmetric particle masses at the LHC and a future linear collider facility is examined. Less orthodox supersymmetric signals such as non-pointing photons and R-parity violating signals are studied. Features of extra dimensional models are examined next, including measurement strategies for radions and Higgs&apos;, as well as the virtual effects of Kaluza Klein modes of gluons. Finally, there is an update on LHC Z&apos; studies.

Biological effect and tumor risk of diagnostic x-rays. The &apos;&apos;war of the theories&apos;&apos;; Biologische Wirkung und Tumorrisiko diagnostischer Roentgenstrahlen. Der &apos;&apos;Krieg der Modelle&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Selzer, E.; Hebar, A. [Medizinische Universitaet Wien, Abteilung fuer Strahlenbiologie, Klinik fuer Strahlentherapie, Wien (Austria)

2012-10-15

Since the introduction of ionizing radiation as a treatment and diagnostic tool in humans, scientists have been trying to estimate its side effects and potential health risks. There is now ample evidence for the principal existence of a direct relationship between higher doses and the risks of side effects. Most of the uncertainties lie in the field of low-dose effects especially with respect to the risk of cancer induction. Low-dose effects are usually of relevance in diagnostic medicine while high-dose radiation effects are typically observed after radiotherapeutic treatment for cancer or after nuclear accidents. The current state of the &apos;&apos;war of theories&apos;&apos; may be summarized as follows: one group of scientists and health regulatory officials favors the hypothesis that there is no threshold dose, i.e. the linear-no-threshold hypothesis (LNT) of radiation which can be regarded as safe. On the contrary, the critics of this hypothesis suggest that the risks of doses below 50 mSv are not measurable or even of clinical relevance and are not adequately described by a linear dose-response relationship. The aim of this article is to summarize the major unresolved issues in this field. Arguments are presented why the validity of the LNT model in the low-dose range should be regarded as at least inconsistent and is thus questionable. (orig.) [German] Seit der Einfuehrung ionisierender Strahlen als ein Mittel zur Behandlung und Diagnose beim Menschen haben Wissenschaftler versucht, ihre Nebenwirkungen und potenziellen Risiken fuer die Gesundheit einzuschaetzen. Es gibt nun ausreichende Evidenz fuer das grundsaetzliche Vorliegen einer direkten Beziehung zwischen hoeheren Dosen und Nebenwirkungsrisiken. Die meisten Unsicherheiten liegen auf dem Gebiet der Niedrigdosisforschung v. a. im Hinblick auf das Risiko der Induktion von Krebs. Niedrigdosiseffekte sind ueblicherweise von Bedeutung in der diagnostischen Medizin, waehrend Hochdosisbestrahlungseffekte

Functional and morphological parameters with tissue characterization of cardiovascular magnetic imaging in clinically verified &apos;&apos;infarct-like myocarditis&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schwab, Johannes [Paracelsus Medical Univ., General Hospital Nuremberg (Germany). Dept. of Cardiology and Radiology; Rogg, H.J.; Pauschinger, M.; Fessele, K. [Paracelsus Medical Univ., General Hospital Nuremberg (Germany). Dept. of Cardiology; Bareiter, T.; Baer, I. [Paracelsus Medical Univ., General Hospital Nuremberg (Germany). Dept. of Cardiology and Neuroradiology; Loose, R. [Paracelsus Medical Univ., General Hospital Nuremberg (Germany). Dept. of Radiology

2016-04-15

Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has increasingly proved to be a valuable diagnostic tool for evaluating patients with suspected myocarditis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of functional and morphological parameters including tissue characterization in patients with &apos;&apos;infarct-like myocarditis&apos;&apos;. 43 patients with clinically verified cases of &apos;&apos;infarct-like myocarditis&apos;&apos; (median time to MRI scanning after admission for acute symptoms 3 days) and 35 control patients matched by age and sex were included in this retrospective case control study. In this study we used a 1.5 T MRI scanner conducting steady-state-free-precession sequences, T2-weighted imaging, T1-weighted imaging before and after contrast administration and late gadolinium enhancement sequences. According to the recommendations for CMR diagnosis of myocarditis (Lake Louise consensus criteria), a scan was positive for acute myocarditis if 2 of 3 CMR criteria were present. 30 % of the patients with &apos;&apos;infarct-like myocarditis&apos;&apos; had a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, 11 % had an increased LV end-diastolic volume index and 35 % had an increased LV mass index. The sensitivity of wall motion abnormalities was 63 % with a regional distribution in 49 %. In 47 % of cases regional wall motion abnormalities were present in the lateral left ventricular segments. Pericardial effusions were discovered in 65 % of cases with a circular appearance in 21 % and focal manifestation in 44 %. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CMR in patients with &apos;&apos;infarct-like myocarditis&apos;&apos; were 67 %, 100 % and 82 %, respectively. The LGE alone was the most sensitive test parameter with 86 %, providing a specificity of 100 % and accuracy of 92 %. Our study results can be applied to the subgroup of patients with &apos;&apos;infarct-like myocarditis&apos;&apos;, where we found that LGE alone was the

Design Concept of a Seal-off Type 14 MeV Neutron Generator of 10&apos;&apos;1&apos;&apos;1n/s Range

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In, S. R.; Oh, B. H. [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-15

The total neutron fluence during the life time is expected to be around 10MW·yr/m&apos;&apos;2 which may cause a damage of -100 dpa in materials. To estimate the adaptability of candidate materials in a few years, a 14MeV neutron source with a flux level of 3 - 5 x 10&apos;&apos;1&apos;&apos;8 n/s·m&apos;&apos;2, which is the goal of the IFMIF facility costing more than ¤1000M, is necessitated. The problem in making an intense neutron generator of beam target type is really not on the neutron production rate, but on the huge heat generated in the target, because the fusion power is only one of thousands of beam power exerted on the target. We have a plan to develop neutron generators step by step from a 10&apos;&apos;8 n/s level. The final goal is establishing a 14MeV neutron irradiation facility at 10&apos;&apos;1&apos;&apos;4 intensity level.. Up to the 10&apos;&apos;1&apos;&apos;0 n/s level, there occurs basically no critical thermal problem, because beam power density is in the range of tens W/cm&apos;&apos;2. The neutron generator designed in a sealed-off type because of tritium safety is mainly composed of an ion source, target, reaction chamber, and getter pump.. The major design concepts for the neutron generator with the neutron production rate of 10&apos;&apos;1&apos;&apos;1 n/s range were presented. The specifications of the ion source, target and getter have been determined for attaining the goal of the neutron generation rate.

NDA National Graduate Programme &apos;nucleargraduates&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dawson, Carl

2010-07-01

The aim of this paper is to outline the NDA National Graduate Programme (nuclear graduates). The NDA has a remit under the Energy Act (2004) &apos;to maintain and develop the skills for decommissioning and nuclear clean-up&apos;. Although current research is now being reviewed, there is significant evidence to suggest that the age profile in the Site Licence Companies is skewed towards older workers and there is likely to be a skill shortage in 3-5 years. As nuclear clean-up is a national issue; skill shortages also become a national issue in a very real sense. In addition, evidence suggests that the industry needs to be constantly challenged in order to achieve its targets for decommissioning. The NDA has a unique position under the Act. It is both a strategic overseer and direct employer. To this end the &apos;National Graduate Programme&apos; is aligned to both the NDA&apos;s previous succession plans and the needs of the industry. Industry needs leadership that challenges the status quo and moves the UK nuclear industry to become best in class; Industry needs a dedicated to programme to address skills shortages and difficult to recruit areas such as, but not exclusively, estimators, schedulers, contract managers, site engineers, decommissioning technicians, safety monitors; The NDA has indicated a &apos;commercial and politically savvy&apos; cohort is required to meet its own internal challenges and to ensure sustainability in its own workforce, and to be sensitive to the needs of customers and suppliers alike; Need to create a more diversified workforce in the nuclear industry and also plan for new skills evolving from research and development breakthroughs; Need to ensure that Tier 1, 2, 3 and 4 contractors invest in the leadership and skills for the future. World Class - delivery will be benchmarked against UK based multinational companies who operate in a global graduate attraction and development marketplace. The graduates targeted will be from leading

&apos;Modernization property&apos; of our country is visualized / TAISEI; Wagakuni no &apos;kindaika isan&apos; wo eizoka / taiseisensetsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-11-10

TAISEI was about rapidly promoted from Days of the Tokugawa shogunate over Meiji and Taisho this, and the documentary film which focused on building and &apos;the modernization property&apos; which are related to industry and traffic and civil engineering which made the base of the our country development was planned and was produced. The title of the movie is &apos;travel to the Japan modernization property&apos;. The movie which really introduced such modern age property is rare, and it s as an image material precious. It tries to pick up main thing, The oldest lighthouse &apos;Mikomotojima Island lighthouse (Shizuoka Prefect.1870)&apos; and covers Shiga Prefecture and Kyoto prefecture,&apos;The Lake Biwa hydrophobic&apos;, in our country, the first gravitational concrete dam &apos;Nunobiki Gohnmatsu dam, Kobe City, 1900&apos;Length furnace for the cement baking which remains in Yamaguchi Prefect. &apos;The ONODA CEMENT (Pacific Ocean cement) sake bottle furnace&apos;. In becoming modernization property which widely remains in our country and so on the guide person, Mr. Shinbo Minami of the illustrator has introduced it. The narration is the Mr. platform step of the actress. Still, screening party of this movie is done in the following schedule (admission free). The detailed query is Japanese movie new Co. (141-0021 2-10-17 Kami-Osaki, Shinagawa ku, Tokyo), TEL 03-3442-7251 FAX 03-3442-7360. (translated by NEDO)

Criteria of transformation of object &apos;'Ukryttya'&apos; in environmentally safe system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batyij, V.G.; Jegorov, V.V.; Rud'ko, V.M.; Shcherbyin, V.M.

2015-01-01

The analysis of criteria of division of radioactive wastes (RAW) of object &apos;'Ukryttya'&apos; is executed on short-lived and long-lived, and their activity. It is shown that to short-lived RAW underactive belong and insignificant part of me-dium-activity waste. Hundreds of thousands of m3 of RAW on overhead marks belong to long-lived medium-activity wastes. Organization of burial place of such wastes in stable geological structures is an unrealistic task. It is suggested to create the special depository for such RAW, and buried in stable geological structures high-activity wastes only

From the &apos;PCR&apos; function to the &apos;PCR&apos; profession; de la fonction &apos;PCR&apos; au metier &apos;PCR&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perrin, L. [CERAP, 91 - Gif sur Yvette (France)

2008-07-01

After having recalled the legal context concerning the appointment and training of a radiation protection expert (PCR for &apos;personne competente en radioprotection&apos;), the author outlines that the PCR&apos;s role has notably evolved: his function is now of primary importance in the company and his activity does not correspond to the legal framework any longer. Moreover, with the application of a European directive, some small establishments possessing ionizing radiation sources are disadvantaged, and the PCR is now facing an increasing number of missions and tasks. The author gives a list of them and assesses a needed time of 146 days per year: this means PCRs cannot have an other activity within their company

The best selled car. &apos;'Twizy'&apos; leads the sales statistics of electrically powered vehicles - a test report; Der Meistverkaufte. Renaults &apos;'Twizy'&apos; fuehrt die E-Mobil-Verkaufsstatistik an - ein Fahrbericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Welter, Philippe

2013-02-15

Four wheels, two seats, one steering wheel: What does it require more for a small, electrically powered city car? Nothing, says the manufacturer. Two side windows, that is our opinion. With a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour and a range of 100 kilometers, the vehicle is certainly ideal for many applications over short distances in the city. PHOTON now uses the &apos;'Twizy'&apos; for almost a year, and gained consistently good experiences.

Fus1 KO Mouse As a Model of Oxidative Stress-Mediated Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease: Circadian Disruption and Long-Term Spatial and Olfactory Memory Impairments.

Science.gov (United States)

Coronas-Samano, Guillermo; Baker, Keeley L; Tan, Winston J T; Ivanova, Alla V; Verhagen, Justus V

2016-01-01

Insufficient advances in the development of effective therapeutic treatments of sporadic Alzheimer's Disease (sAD) to date are largely due to the lack of sAD-relevant animal models. While the vast majority of models do recapitulate AD's hallmarks of plaques and tangles by virtue of tau and/or beta amyloid overexpression, these models do not reflect the fact that in sAD (unlike familial AD) these genes are not risk factors per se and that other mechanisms like oxidative stress, metabolic dysregulation and inflammation play key roles in AD etiology. Here we characterize and propose the Fus1 KO mice that lack a mitochondrial protein Fus1/Tusc2 as a new sAD model. To establish sAD relevance, we assessed sAD related deficits in Fus1 KO and WT adult mice of 4-5 months old, the equivalent human age when the earliest cognitive and olfactory sAD symptoms arise. Fus1 KO mice showed oxidative stress (increased levels of ROS, decreased levels of PRDX1), disruption of metabolic homeostasis (decreased levels of ACC2, increased phosphorylation of AMPK), autophagy (decreased levels of LC3-II), PKC (decreased levels of RACK1) and calcium signaling (decreased levels of Calb2) in the olfactory bulb and/or hippocampus. Mice were behaviorally tested using objective and accurate video tracking (Noldus), in which Fus1 KO mice showed clear deficits in olfactory memory (decreased habituation/cross-habituation in the short and long term), olfactory guided navigation memory (inability to reduce their latency to find the hidden cookie), spatial memory (learning impairments on finding the platform in the Morris water maze) and showed more sleep time during the diurnal cycle. Fus1 KO mice did not show clear deficits in olfactory perception (cross-habituation), association memory (passive avoidance) or in species-typical behavior (nest building) and no increased anxiety (open field, light-dark box) or depression/anhedonia (sucrose preference) at this relatively young age. These neurobehavioral

The &apos;&apos;rising bubble&apos;&apos; sign: a new aid in the diagnosis of unicameral bone cysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jordanov, Martin I. [Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Nashville, TN (United States)

2009-06-15

The observation of a bubble of gas at the most non-dependent margin of a lytic bone lesion which has sustained a pathologic fracture implies that the lesion is hollow and can assist the radiologist in making the diagnosis of a unicameral bone cyst. The imaging studies of two patients who sustained pathologic fractures through unicameral bone cysts and exhibited the &apos;&apos;rising bubble&apos;&apos; sign are shown. The sign&apos;s basis, proper utilization, and potential pitfalls are discussed. (orig.)

Further Development of Ko Displacement Theory for Deformed Shape Predictions of Nonuniform Aerospace Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Ko, William L.; Fleischer, Van Tran

2009-01-01

The Ko displacement theory previously formulated for deformed shape predictions of nonuniform beam structures is further developed mathematically. The further-developed displacement equations are expressed explicitly in terms of geometrical parameters of the beam and bending strains at equally spaced strain-sensing stations along the multiplexed fiber-optic sensor line installed on the bottom surface of the beam. The bending strain data can then be input into the displacement equations for calculations of local slopes, deflections, and cross-sectional twist angles for generating the overall deformed shapes of the nonuniform beam. The further-developed displacement theory can also be applied to the deformed shape predictions of nonuniform two-point supported beams, nonuniform panels, nonuniform aircraft wings and fuselages, and so forth. The high degree of accuracy of the further-developed displacement theory for nonuniform beams is validated by finite-element analysis of various nonuniform beam structures. Such structures include tapered tubular beams, depth-tapered unswept and swept wing boxes, width-tapered wing boxes, and double-tapered wing boxes, all under combined bending and torsional loads. The Ko displacement theory, combined with the fiber-optic strain-sensing system, provide a powerful tool for in-flight deformed shape monitoring of unmanned aerospace vehicles by ground-based pilots to maintain safe flights.

Maintain levels of nicotine but reduce other smoke constituents: a formula for &apos;'less-hazardous'&apos; cigarettes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robinson, J.C.; Young, J.C.; Rickert, W.S.

1984-09-01

Twenty-two volunteers who smoked more than 20 cigarettes with &apos;'high'&apos; nicotine yields (0.8 to 1.2 mg) per day participated in an 8-week study designed to test the hypothesis that smoking cigarettes with a constant level of nicotine but reduced deliveries of tar, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen cyanide leads to a decrease in smoke absorption. All subjects smoked their usual high-nicotine brand for the first 3 weeks (P1), and the absorption of smoke constituents was determined from levels of thiocyanate and cotinine in saliva and serum, levels of carbon monoxide in expired air, and levels of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood. During the final 5 weeks (P2), the treatment group (16 subjects) switched to the &apos;'light'&apos; version of their usual brands (similar yields of nicotine but with reduced yields of tar, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen cyanide); the control group (6 subjects) smoked their usual brands for the duration of the study. Average levels of cotinine for the subjects who switched during P2 were not significantly different from those of the control group as was expected. Slight reductions were noted in average expired-air carbon monoxide levels, blood carboxyhemoglobin, and saliva thiocyanate, but these reductions were smaller than anticipated based on brand characteristics. The results suggest that the ratio of smoke constituents is different when individuals, rather than machines, smoke cigarettes. Yields determined under subject-defined conditions are necessary in order to properly evaluate the role of nicotine in the design of &apos;'less-hazardous'&apos; cigarettes.

Gugulipid causes hypercholesterolemia leading to endothelial dysfunction, increased atherosclerosis, and premature death by ischemic heart disease in male mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Leiva

Full Text Available For proper cholesterol metabolism, normal expression and function of scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI, a high-density lipoprotein (HDL receptor, is required. Among the factors that regulate overall cholesterol homeostasis and HDL metabolism, the nuclear farnesoid X receptor plays an important role. Guggulsterone, a bioactive compound present in the natural product gugulipid, is an antagonist of this receptor. This natural product is widely used globally as a natural lipid-lowering agent, although its anti-atherogenic cardiovascular benefit in animal models or humans is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of gugulipid on cholesterol homeostasis and development of mild and severe atherosclerosis in male mice. For this purpose, we evaluated the impact of gugulipid treatment on liver histology, plasma lipoprotein cholesterol, endothelial function, and development of atherosclerosis and/or ischemic heart disease in wild-type mice; apolipoprotein E knockout mice, a model of atherosclerosis without ischemic complications; and SR-B1 knockout and atherogenic-diet-fed apolipoprotein E hypomorphic (SR-BI KO/ApoER61h/h mice, a model of lethal ischemic heart disease due to severe atherosclerosis. Gugulipid administration was associated with histological abnormalities in liver, increased alanine aminotransferase levels, lower hepatic SR-BI content, hypercholesterolemia due to increased HDL cholesterol levels, endothelial dysfunction, enhanced atherosclerosis, and accelerated death in animals with severe ischemic heart disease. In conclusion, our data show important adverse effects of gugulipid intake on HDL metabolism and atherosclerosis in male mice, suggesting potential and unknown deleterious effects on cardiovascular health in humans. In addition, these findings reemphasize the need for rigorous preclinical and clinical studies to provide guidance on the consumption of natural products and regulation of their use in the

The &apos;diester partners&apos; want to be movers...; Les &apos;&apos;partenaires diester&apos;&apos; se veulent moteur...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tourneur, J.C.

2003-09-01

Diester is the French name given to the biofuel (methylic ester) made from vegetal oils (1 t of vegetal oil + 0.1 t of methanol leads to 1 t of diester + 0.1 t of glycerin). The French club of &apos;diester towns&apos; gathers all local authorities of towns that use up to 30% of diester in the diesel fuel of their vehicle fleets (buses, trucks, commercial vehicles). In March 2003, the association has opened to new members, in particular private companies which are diester users and become &apos;diester partners&apos;, in order to sustain the fight against the greenhouse effect. The consumption of 1 t of diester allows to save 2.5 t of CO{sub 2} thanks to the photosynthesis. In other words, a vehicle fueled with 30% of diester and 70% of diesel fuel reduces its greenhouse gas emissions of 23%. (J.S.)

The energy and monetary implications of the &apos;24/7&apos; &apos;always on&apos; society

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loveday, Dennis L. [Department of Civil and Building Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU (United Kingdom)], E-mail: d.l.loveday@lboro.ac.uk; Bhamra, T.; Tang, T. [Department of Design and Technology, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU (United Kingdom); Haines, V.J.A. [Ergonomics and Safety Research Institute (ESRI), Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU (United Kingdom); Holmes, M.J. [ARUP, 13, Fitzroy Street, London W1T 4BR (United Kingdom); Green, R.J. [Institute for Energy Research and Policy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT (United Kingdom)

2008-12-15

This paper reviews the trends in society, technology and energy demand of the past 30 years, together with the growth of the &apos;on-demand&apos; culture. The &apos;24/7&apos; or &apos;always on&apos; society can be defined as one where people demand-and generally receive-what they want &apos;now&apos;. It has grown up in parallel with developments in information technology, which have produced the services needed to meet that demand. Larger numbers of appliances, resulting from greater affluence and disposable income, have increased energy use, despite energy efficiencies in other areas. While monetary factors suggest that changes brought about by the 24/7 society will generally be self-correcting at the macro-economic level, there will nevertheless be effects for individuals, such as potentially severe impacts on the fuel poor as electricity prices rise. We conclude with a view of future directions. As the 24/7 culture continues to grow, there is scope for designers and for information technology to manage and reduce energy consumption. This includes buildings, their services systems, and the mix of new technologies that will be deployed over the next 20 years or so, including the possibilities for data exchange and control at the interface between energy suppliers and consumers, coupled with greater understanding of the behaviour of the consumers themselves.

Field measurement of the piping system vibration of Ko-Ri unit 4 during the load-following operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Tae-Young; Hong, Sung-Yull; Kim, Bum-Nyun.

1989-01-01

During the load-following operation of nuclear power plants, flow rate, temperature, and pressure in the piping system can be varied by changing the electric power output level, and these variations can cause different vibration phenomena in the piping system. The piping system vibration is important because it is directly related to the dynamic stress of the piping system and can affect the life of the piping system through structural fatigue. An assessment of vibration levels for the classes II and III piping systems of the Ko-Ri Unit 4950-MW nuclear power plant was performed according to the given pattern of the load-following operation to study its feasibility from the viewpoint of piping system vibration. The classes II and III piping system vibration of the Ko-Ri Unit 4 may not cause any potential problem under the given pattern of the load-following operation; however, it is recommended that long-term operation in the 85 to 95% power range be avoided as much as possible

Review of the study &apos;&apos;Development of the energy markets - energy reference forecast&apos;&apos; from the perspective of brown coal; Bewertung der Studie &apos;&apos;Entwicklung der Energiemaerkte - Energiereferenzprognose&apos;&apos; aus Sicht der Braunkohle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dyllong, Yvonne [DEBRIV e.V., Koeln (Germany); Maassen, Uwe [Statistik der Kohlenwirtschaft e.V., Koeln (Germany)

2014-12-15

In June 2014 the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) published an expertise prepared by the EWI, GWS and Prognos institutes entitled &apos;&apos;Development of the energy markets - energy reference forecast&apos;&apos;. This study presents probable developments in the energy economy up to the year 2030 (reference forecast) on the assumption of a yet more stringent energy and climate protection policy as well as continuing impediments to its implementation. Complementing the forecast is an outlook up to the year 2050 (scenario of trends). But what do the findings of this expertise say about the future utilization of Germany&apos;s greatest domestic energy resource, namely brown coal? This question is addressed in the following article.

Why Germany&apos;s &apos;Messy&apos; energy transition should be a lesson to other nations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shepherd, John [nuclear 24, Brighton (United Kingdom)

2015-03-15

Germany&apos;s so-called &apos;&apos;energy transition&apos;&apos; (&apos;'Energiewende'&apos;) is increasingly drawing the intention of the international community - but it seems for all the wrong reasons. US Senator Lamar Alexander said recently that German energy policy is one of the reasons the US should not abandon nuclear, but actually encourage increased investment in nuclear power plants. Alexander&apos;s remarks were made in an article published by the US Nuclear Energy Institute, in which he outlined his reasons why the US should not follow Germany&apos;s lead. Alexander rightly pointed out that the cost of attempting to replace nuclear power with wind, solar, and accompanying infrastructure is estimated by the German government at some 1.2 trillion US dollars (about 1 trillion Euros). The senator also made the point that Germany &apos;&apos;does not produce enough reliable, baseload energy for an important manufacturing economy&apos;&apos;. He also expressed concern at Germany&apos;s reliance on buying natural gas from Russia. While Germany has been forcing the closure of nuclear power plants others, including the oil-rich United Arab Emirates (UAE), have been investing in new nuclear, Alexander said. Judging from Alexander&apos;s remarks, it seems that Germany&apos;s energy transition experience will, after all, have a long-lasting legacy. That legacy will be a valuable lesson to other major industrialised nations in why they should not follow Germany&apos;s lead in abandoning a sensible energy mix, if they wish to maintain and develop economic and industrial productivity while keeping to international commitments to tackle climate change.

Generation and testing anti-influenza human monoclonal antibodies in a new humanized mouse model (DRAGA: HLA-A2. HLA-DR4. Rag1 KO. IL-2Rγc KO. NOD).

Science.gov (United States)

Mendoza, Mirian; Ballesteros, Angela; Qiu, Qi; Pow Sang, Luis; Shashikumar, Soumya; Casares, Sofia; Brumeanu, Teodor-D

2018-02-01

Pandemic outbreaks of influenza type A viruses have resulted in numerous fatalities around the globe. Since the conventional influenza vaccines (CIV) provide less than 20% protection for individuals with weak immune system, it has been considered that broadly cross-neutralizing antibodies may provide a better protection. Herein, we showed that a recently generated humanized mouse (DRAGA mouse; HLA-A2. HLA-DR4. Rag1KO. IL-2Rgc KO. NOD) that lacks the murine immune system and expresses a functional human immune system can be used to generate cross-reactive, human anti-influenza monoclonal antibodies (hu-mAb). DRAGA mouse was also found to be suitable for influenza virus infection, as it can clear a sub-lethal infection and sustain a lethal infection with PR8/A/34 influenza virus. The hu-mAbs were designed for targeting a human B-cell epitope ( 180 WGIHHPPNSKEQ QNLY 195 ) of hemagglutinin (HA) envelope protein of PR8/A/34 (H1N1) virus with high homology among seven influenza type A viruses. A single administration of HA 180-195 specific hu-mAb in PR8-infected DRAGA mice significantly delayed the lethality by reducing the lung damage. The results demonstrated that DRAGA mouse is a suitable tool to (i) generate heterotype cross-reactive, anti-influenza human monoclonal antibodies, (ii) serve as a humanized mouse model for influenza infection, and (iii) assess the efficacy of anti-influenza antibody-based therapeutics for human use.

THE LONG-LIVED UV &apos;'PLATEAU'&apos; OF SN 2012aw

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bayless, Amanda J.; Roming, Peter W. A. [Southwest Research Institute, Department of Space Science, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78238 (United States); Pritchard, Tyler A. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Penn State University, 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Kuin, Paul [Mullard Space Science Laboratory, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT (United Kingdom); Brown, Peter J. [Texas A and M University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, College Station, TX 77843-4242 (United States); Botticella, Maria Teresa; Dall' Ora, Massimo [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, via Moiariello 16, I-80131 Napoli (Italy); Frey, Lucille H.; Even, Wesley; Fryer, Chris L. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Maund, Justyn R.; Fraser, Morgan [Astrophysics Research Center, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen' s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN (United Kingdom)

2013-02-10

Observations with the Swift UV Optical Telescope have unambiguously uncovered for the first time a long-lived, UV &apos;'plateau'&apos; in a Type II-P supernova (SN). Although this flattening in slope is hinted at in a few other SNe, due to its proximity and minimal line-of-sight extinction, SN 2012aw has afforded the first opportunity to clearly observe this UV plateau. The observations of SN 2012aw revealed all Swift UV and u-band light curves initially declined rapidly, but 27 days after the explosion the light curves flattened. Some possible sources of the UV plateau are the same thermal process that causes the optical plateau, heating from radioactive decay, or a combination of both processes.

Experiences from the exercise &apos;'MERLIN'&apos; for the detection of radioactive substances with the participation of special-purpose vehicles; Erfahrungen aus der Uebung &apos;'MERLIN'&apos; zur Detektion radioaktiver Stoffe unter Beteiligung verschiedenen Einsatzfahrzeuge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Griesbach, M. [Hessisches Ministerium des Innern und fuer Sport, Wiesbaden (Germany)

2009-08-15

Experiences of an exercise with hazardous goods, in particular with radioactive substances (measurements and taking environmental samples) are described. Several special-purpose vehicles with equipment and specially trained crews were used together with radiation protection experts according to the concept of Hesse. It has been the greatest exercise in Hesse with regard to hazardous goods and in particular with regard to &apos;&apos;incidents with radioactive substances&apos;&apos;. (orig.)

Żydzi w dyskursie Kościoła katolickiego

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marzena Makuchowska

2016-01-01

anti-Semitism. After 1989 in Poland anti-Jewish inclinations returned, especially in the circle of the so callled Catholicism of the Maryja Radio. Again Jews are accused of causing damage to Poles, and the language of those statements is very much like in the discourse before the Council.   Żydzi w dyskursie Kościoła katolickiego Artykuł opisuje ważne zmiany w dyskursie Kościoła katolickiego w odniesieniu do wyznawców judaizmu, które pojawiły się po Soborze Watykańskim II. Jedną z nich jest różnica pomiędzy stanem tekstów w dwóch różnych momentach: przed i po soborze. Dlatego pierwszą część artykułu autorka poświęca charakterystyce przedsoborowego (i w większości przedwojennego dyskursu na temat Żydów, a część drugą – głównym kierunkom zmian spowodowanym realizacją postulatów soboru. Część trzecia pokazuje objawy kontynuacji starych, głęboko zakorzenionych schematów. Analiza częściowo odnosi się do ogólnych tekstów Kościoła, a częściowo do tekstów Kościoła publikowanych w Polsce. Polski przedsoborowy dyskurs o Żydach był wyjątkowo negatywny. Liturgia katolicka przedstawiała Żydów jako tych, którzy torturowali i zabili Jezusa (mit bogobójcy. W kazaniach, listach duszpasterskich i katolickiej prasie Żydów pokazywano jako wrogów nie tylko chrześcijan, lecz szczególnie Polaków, ponieważ Kościół w Polsce zaangażował się w kreowanie narodowo i religijnie homogenicznego kraju pod sloganem „Polska dla Polaków”. Reprodukowano wszystkie tradycyjne mity (Żydzi jako szkodnicy, spiskowcy, rozpustnicy itd. Używano wiele środków lingwistycznych, by zdegradować Żydów, np. zdrobnienia, animalizację (czyli mówienie o Żydach jako o zwierzętach czy tak zwany kakofemizm (czyli używanie słów o pejoratywnym znaczeniu, aby sprowokować uczucie moralnego i fizycznego obrzydzenia. Po Vaticanum II treści reprodukujące przedstawienie Żydów jako bogobójców zostały usunięte z liturgii

Thirty years ago: &apos;&apos;InterCity 79&apos;&apos; - every hour, every class; Vor 30 Jahren: IC 79 - jede Stunde - jede Klasse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaensch, Eberhard

2009-05-15

The &apos;&apos;IC 79&apos;&apos; system, which was introduced thirty years ago, has permanently moulded the shape of long-distance passenger services in Germany (with Deutsche Bundesbahn and later Deutsche Bahn). Since then, top-grade passenger trains have been running regularly every hour on several routes. They provide links with short travel times between the country&apos;s most important towns and cities. &apos;&apos;IC 79&apos;&apos; became the backbone of long-distance rail travel in Germany. The ideas underlying it and the way they were implemented are still considered exemplary today. (orig.)

&apos;'Routine'&apos; brain CT in psychiatric patients - does it make sense?; &apos;'Routine'&apos;-Schaedel-CT in der psychiatrischen Diagnostik

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pickuth, D.; Heywang-Koebrunner, S.H.; Spielmann, R.P. [Martin-Luther-Universitaet Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Germany). Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Diagnostische Radiologie

1999-11-01

Purpose: To prospectively assess the spectrum of brain CT findings in psychiatric patients and to determine the number of patients that had an underlying cause for the symptoms. Patients and methods: Over a period of six months, 142 patients (78 males, 64 females; median age 61 [18-91] years) were referred for CT brain scans. Their scans were reviewed, along with the clinical information that was provided in the request form. All the hard copies were reviewed to assess areas of ischaemia, infarction, atrophy, tumours, and haematomas. The majority of requests were to exclude vascular event or space-occupying lesions. Clinical indications included mood disorders (depression, mania), schizophrenic disorders, dementia, personality and behavioural disorders. Results: 31 (22%) were normal. 111 (78%) had varying degrees of ischaemia, infarction and cerebral/cerebellar atrophy. 7 (4.9%) had space-occupying lesions which included two gliomas and five meningiomas. There were two chronic subdural haematomas and one arteriovenous malformation. Conclusion: 1. In our series, pathologic findings in &apos;routine&apos; brain CT&apos;s were encountered in 78%. 2. The incidence of brain tumours was 4.9%, compared with 0.00005% of the general population. 3. CT scanning in psychiatric patients is cost-effective and especially indicated when there is an atypical presentation, or inadequate response to standard treatment. (orig.) [German] Hintergrund: Bei psychiatrischen Patienten wird vielerorts routinemaessig eine kraniale Computertomographie (CCT) durchgefuehrt. Ob der Nutzen die Kosten rechtfertigt, wurde im Rahmen einer Prospektivstudie untersucht. Patienten und Methode: In einem Zeitraum von 6 Monaten wurde bei 142 psychiatrischen Patienten (78 Maenner, 64 Frauen, 18-91 Jahre, Median 61 Jahre) ein CCT angefertigt. Die Untersuchung erfolgt nativ in 5-mm-Schichtdicke, bei klinischem Verdacht auf eine intrakraniale Raumforderung auch kontrastverstaerkt. Ueberweisungsdiagnosen waren v

ApoER2 Controls Not Only Neuronal Migration in the Intermediate Zone But Also Termination of Migration in the Developing Cerebral Cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirota, Yuki; Kubo, Ken-Ichiro; Fujino, Takahiro; Yamamoto, Tokuo T; Nakajima, Kazunori

2018-01-01

Neuronal migration contributes to the establishment of mammalian brain. The extracellular protein Reelin sends signals to various downstream molecules by binding to its receptors, the apolipoprotein E receptor 2 (ApoER2) and very low-density lipoprotein receptor and exerts essential roles in the neuronal migration and formation of the layered neocortex. However, the cellular and molecular functions of Reelin signaling in the cortical development are not yet fully understood. Here, to gain insight into the role of Reelin signaling during cortical development, we examined the migratory behavior of Apoer2-deficient neurons in the developing brain. Stage-specific labeling of newborn neurons revealed that the neurons ectopically invaded the marginal zone (MZ) and that neuronal migration of both early- and late-born neurons was disrupted in the intermediate zone (IZ) in the Apoer2 KO mice. Rescue experiments showed that ApoER2 functions both in cell-autonomous and noncell-autonomous manners, that Rap1, integrin, and Akt are involved in the termination of migration beneath the MZ, and that Akt also controls neuronal migration in the IZ downstream of ApoER2. These data indicate that ApoER2 controls multiple processes in neuronal migration, including the early stage of radial migration and termination of migration beneath the MZ in the developing neocortex. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The implementation of the &apos;&apos;Smart Grid&apos;&apos; - preached but not practised; Die Realisierung des &apos;&apos;Smart Grids&apos;&apos;. In aller Munde, aber nicht in der Umsetzung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Augenstein, Friedrich [Duale Hochschule Baden-Wuerttemberg, Stuttgart (Germany). Bereich BWL-Dienstleistungsmanagement; Einhellig, Ludwig; Kohl, Ingmar [Deloitte, Muenchen (Germany)

2011-07-15

The development of smart power grids is still in its infancy in Germany, in spite of extensive pilot programmes, competition from foreign power suppliers as well as unanimous opinion among experts that there is no way around them. Although a legal obligations has existed since the beginning of this year to offer &apos;'variable-load'&apos; tariffs, and despite their being desired by the political realm and having been laid down in the Energy Concept of the Federal Government, lack of consumer demand has so far inhibited the development of intelligent grids. But is it really because of the consumer, or is it more due to other parameters that Germany is threatening to lose the race in smart grid technology.

Environmental and safety aspects. The best of &apos;powder handling and processing&apos; 1989 - 1997. &apos;Bulk solids handling&apos; 1992 - 1997 (H/2000)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Woehlbier, R.H. (ed.)

2000-07-01

The book contains articles published either during 1992-1997 in &apos;&apos;bulk solids handling&apos;&apos; or during 1989-1997 in &apos;&apos;powder handling and processing&apos;&apos;. Main topics are aspects of safety and environmental protection in bulk solids handling: dusts, hazardous powders, prevention and mitigation of dust explosions, powdered coal handling, dedusting, filters, electrostatic precipitation, materials recovery, occupational safety.(uke)

Men&apos;s and women&apos;s migration in coastal Ghana: An event history analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Holly E. Reed

2010-04-01

Full Text Available This article uses life history calendar (LHC data from coastal Ghana and event history statistical methods to examine inter-regional migration for men and women, focusing on four specific migration types: rural-urban, rural-rural, urban-urban, and urban-rural. Our analysis is unique because it examines how key determinants of migration-including education, employment, marital status, and childbearing-differ by sex for these four types of migration. We find that women are significantly less mobile than men overall, but that more educated women are more likely to move (particularly to urban areas than their male counterparts. Moreover, employment in the prior year is less of a deterrent to migration among women. While childbearing has a negative effect on migration, this impact is surprisingly stronger for men than for women, perhaps because women&apos;s search for assistance in childcare promotes migration. Meanwhile, being married or in union appears to have little effect on migration probabilities for either men or women. These results demonstrate the benefits of a LHC approach and suggest that migration research should further examine men&apos;s and women&apos;s mobility as it relates to both human capital and household and family dynamics, particularly in developing settings.

Scientists from all over the world attend the &apos;&apos;Frederic Joliot/Otto Hahn Summer School 2009&apos;&apos; at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT); Wissenschaftler aus aller Welt bei der &apos;&apos;Frederic Joliot/Otto Hahn Summer School 2009&apos;&apos; am Karlsruhe Institute of Technologie (KIT)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanchez Espinoza, Victor Hugo; Fischer, Ulrich [Karlsruhe Inst. of Tech. (KIT), Campus Nord/Inst. for Neutron Physics and Reactor Tech. (INR), Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany)

2009-11-15

The &apos;&apos;Frederic Joliot/Otto Hahn Summer School&apos;&apos; is organized each year alternately by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and the Commissariat a l&apos;Energie Atomique (CEA), Cadarache. This year&apos;s Summer School, the 15th since its foundation, was run at the Advanced Training Center (FTU) of KIT Campus Nord on August 26 to September 4. The key topic this year was &apos;&apos;The Challenges in Implementing Fast Reactor Technology.&apos;&apos; These are the items discussed: Principles and challenges of future fast reactor designs, Fuels, fuel cycle, and recycling of minor actinides, Innovative cladding tube and structural materials, Special aspects of coolants and the challenges they pose, Fast reactor safety. Experts from 8 leading international research establishments and universities presented and discussed with the 58 participants from 16 countries the current state of the art and the latest development trends in the topics listed above. (orig.)

Adipose tissue (P)RR regulates insulin sensitivity, fat mass and body weight.

Science.gov (United States)

Shamansurova, Zulaykho; Tan, Paul; Ahmed, Basma; Pepin, Emilie; Seda, Ondrej; Lavoie, Julie L

2016-10-01

We previously demonstrated that the handle-region peptide, a prorenin/renin receptor [(P)RR] blocker, reduces body weight and fat mass and may improve insulin sensitivity in high-fat fed mice. We hypothesized that knocking out the adipose tissue (P)RR gene would prevent weight gain and insulin resistance. An adipose tissue-specific (P)RR knockout (KO) mouse was created by Cre-loxP technology using AP2-Cre recombinase mice. Because the (P)RR gene is located on the X chromosome, hemizygous males were complete KO and had a more pronounced phenotype on a normal diet (ND) diet compared to heterozygous KO females. Therefore, we challenged the female mice with a high-fat diet (HFD) to uncover certain phenotypes. Mice were maintained on either diet for 9 weeks. KO mice had lower body weights compared to wild-types (WT). Only hemizygous male KO mice presented with lower total fat mass, higher total lean mass as well as smaller adipocytes compared to WT mice. Although food intake was similar between genotypes, locomotor activity during the active period was increased in both male and female KO mice. Interestingly, only male KO mice had increased O2 consumption and CO2 production during the entire 24-hour period, suggesting an increased basal metabolic rate. Although glycemia during a glucose tolerance test was similar, KO males as well as HFD-fed females had lower plasma insulin and C-peptide levels compared to WT mice, suggesting improved insulin sensitivity. Remarkably, all KO animals exhibited higher circulating adiponectin levels, suggesting that this phenotype can occur even in the absence of a significant reduction in adipose tissue weight, as observed in females and, thus, may be a specific effect related to the (P)RR. (P)RR may be an important therapeutic target for the treatment of obesity and its associated complications such as type 2 diabetes.

Fus1 KO mouse as a model of oxidative stress-mediated sporadic Alzheimer’s disease: circadian disruption and long-term spatial and olfactory memory impairments.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guillermo Coronas-Samano

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Insufficient advances in the development of effective therapeutic treatments of sporadic Alzheimer's Disease (sAD to date are largely due to the lack of sAD-relevant animal models. While the vast majority of models do recapitulate AD's hallmarks of plaques and tangles by virtue of tau and/or beta amyloid overexpression, these models do not reflect the fact that in sAD (unlike familial AD these genes are not risk factors per se and that other mechanisms like oxidative stress, metabolic dysregulation and inflammation play key roles in AD etiology. Here we characterize and propose the Fus1 KO mice that lack a mitochondrial protein Fus1/Tusc2 as a new sAD model. To establish sAD relevance, we assessed sAD related deficits in Fus1 KO and WT adult mice of 4-5 months old, the equivalent human age when the earliest cognitive and olfactory sAD symptoms arise. Fus1 KO mice showed oxidative stress (increased levels of ROS, decreased levels of PRDX1, disruption of metabolic homeostasis (decreased levels of ACC2, increased phosphorylation of AMPK, autophagy (decreased levels of LC3-II, PKC (decreased levels of RACK1 and calcium signaling (decreased levels of Calb2 in the olfactory bulb and/or hippocampus. Mice were behaviorally tested using objective and accurate video tracking (Noldus, in which Fus1 KO mice showed clear deficits in olfactory memory (decreased habituation/cross-habituation in the short and long term, olfactory guided navigation memory (inability to reduce their latency to find the hidden cookie, spatial memory (learning impairments on finding the platform in the Morris water maze and showed more sleep time during the diurnal cycle. Fus1 KO mice did not show clear deficits in olfactory perception (cross-habituation, association memory (passive avoidance or in species-typical behavior (nest building and no increased anxiety (open field, light-dark box or depression/anhedonia (sucrose preference at this relatively young age. These

Habitat Characteristics of Bracken-Covered Areas Intended for Afforestation in Ličko Sredogorje

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zvonko Seletković

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Background and Purpose: Forest cultures in continental part of Croatia are mainly based on bracken-covered areas and moors on deserted agriculture soils and pastures. Successful afforestation i.e. establishment of forest cultures depends among other things on the understanding of habitats and ecology of forest trees. The choice of best species of forest trees for afforestation needs to be based on the research in soil and climate characteristics of target habitats. The aims of this research were to show mesoclimatic characteristics of Ličko sredogorje and microclimatic and pedological characteristics of Ličko polje. Also, based on habitat characteristics and ecology of forest trees, the aim was to determine species of forest trees suitable for afforestation of bracken-covered areas. Materials and Methods: Climate, microclimate, pedological and plant nutrition researches were done at the area of Lika highlands. Climate analysis was done according to air temperatures, amount of precipitation, relative air humidity and other climate elements and appearances. Composite soil samples were taken from the depth of 0-30 cm in order to determine plant nutrition potential. Samples were prepared for further analysis in the laboratory. Results: The highest average annual air temperature of 9.6 °C was found at weather station Gračac and the lowest at Korenica station (8.1 °C. Average amount of precipitation for this region was around 1500 mm. Monthly rain factors were ranging from arid to perhumid. Considering thermal character of the climate, the area has moderately warm climate. Average volumetric soil humidity is 14.2 %. Soil has strong acid reaction, is very humus, good to richly supplied with total nitrogen, content of physiologically active phosphorus and potassium is low, and C/N ration normal. Conclusions: According to habitat characteristics in the area of Ličko sredogorje and ecological demands of forest tree species, forest cultures of Common

&apos;&apos;Camouflage line&apos;&apos; for 380 kV; Erfahrungen mit einer 380-kV-&apos;'Tarnleitung'&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Egger, H. [FAS Berndorf GmbH and Co. KG, Berndorf (Austria); Lugschitz, H. [Verbund-Austrian Power Grid GmbH, Wien (Austria)

2000-10-16

Overhead transmission lines are under increased public discussion. One method to minimize their influence on the environment and therefore to increase their acceptance is to camouflage lines by coating their components. Towers, conductors and fittings of a line which was erected recently in the Austrian Alps are coated in dark green colour to make the structure less visible against the background. For further reduction of visibility the line is constructed as compact line. The smaller tower size was achieved by use of short insulator strings and by oversized conductors with special advantageous mechanical properties. This paper explains the consideration which led to the configuration as compact line and for the decision to coate the complete line. It also presents long term experience with in-factory-coating of towers. Factory-coated supports were introduced 1982 in the company&apos;s network, first with the main goal to ease maintenance and second to reduce impacts on the environment. The first complete &apos;camouflage line&apos; (coloured supports and coloured conductors) in the Austrian grid was set into operation end of the year 1995. (orig.) [German] Freileitungen stehen unter zunehmender oeffentlicher Diskussion. Eine der Methoden, ihren Einfluss auf die Umwelt zu reduzieren und damit ihre Akzeptanz zu erhoehen, ist, die Tarnung von Leitungen durch Faerbung ihrer Komponenten. Maste, Leiter, Erdseile und Armaturen einer in den Oesterreichischen Alpen errichtenden Leitungen wurden in dunkelgruener Farbe beschichtet, um die Anlage gegenueber dem Hintergrund geringer sichtbar zu machen. Zur weiteren Reduktion der Sichtbarkeit ist die Leitung als &apos;Kompaktleitung&apos; ausgefuehrt. Die geringeren Mastabmessungen wurden durch die Verwendung von kuerzeren Isolatorenketten und Leiterseilen mit besonders vorteilhaften mechanischen Eigenschaften erreicht. Die Verfasser erklaeren die Ueberlegungen, die zu der Ausfuehrung als Kompaktleitung und zur Beschichtung der

Electrolyzed-water generator &apos;SaniBoy&apos;; Eisei jokinsuik kyokyu sochi &apos;SaniBoy&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Inoue, M.; Kakiuchi, H.; Muto, K. [Fuji Electric Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

2000-03-10

In the food industry, injuries due to food poisoning have been increasing. Especially the mass outbreak of food poisoning by Escherichia coli such as O-157 in 1996 gave warning on the importance of food sanitation management. Public efforts such as the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system have been made to prevent food poisoning. Recently, disinfection made by electrolyzing water with some salt added has attracted attention. Fuji Electric has developed the generator &apos;SaniBoy&apos; that produces weak alkaline electrolyzed water without wasting water. The environment-friendly &apos;SaniBoy&apos; will contribute to sanitation in various fields. (author)

Short circuit - How our power supply became more expensive and got worse. A critical balance after eight years &apos;'deregulation'&apos; of the German Energy Economy; Kurzschluss - Wie unsere Stromversorgung teurer und schlechter wurde. Eine kritische Bilanz nach acht Jahren &apos;'Liberalisierung'&apos; der deutschen Energiewirtschaft

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leuschner, U.

2007-07-01

Since 16 years the author, a journalist, pursues the economical and political development of the German power economy. Many facts of this book prove: the impacting consequences as the clear scarcity of 1998 introduced deregulation, which has permitted 8 years long the discrimination of competitors and enabled in this way an exampleless concentration of market might (pt. 1); how supply reliability became worse and power and gas got more and more expensive (pt. 2); the complete insufficient practice of cartel agreements which is exchanged by administrative grid charges respectively &apos;&apos;incentive regulation&apos;&apos; (pt. 3); the relation between management and policy which has become still more distantless than in the epoche of membership books (pt. 4); the development of the German power economy from the beginning in the 19th century to the deregulation incl. the reorganization on the area of the former German Democratic republic. (GL) [German] Im ersten Teil des Buches (&apos;&apos;Stromwirtschaft im Umbruch&apos;&apos;) befasst sich Leuschner nun noch eingehender mit den politischen Hintergruenden der verfehlten Deregulierung. Er stellt fest, dass es die letzte Regierung unter Helmut Kohl war, die von Anfang an die Weichen falsch gestellt hat. Die Hauptverantwortung fuer die Nichtkorrektur des Fehlers und den fortgesetzten &apos;&apos;Schmusekurs mit den Konzernen&apos;&apos; sieht er aber bei den beiden folgenden rot-gruenen Bundesregierungen. Er verdeutlicht ferner, dass die erhoehten Belastungen durch Stromsteuer, EEG und KWK-Gesetz keine hinreichende Begruendung fuer den Strompreisanstieg liefern. Wo nicht minder wichtige Faktoren fuer den Preisanstieg liegen, veranschaulicht er im Kapitel ueber die &apos;&apos;Preisveredelung an der EEX&apos;&apos;. Im zweiten Teil, der die technischen Hintergruende und Risiken der Deregulierung behandelt, findet man jetzt auch ausfuehrlich die europaweite Netzstoerung beschrieben, die EON am 4. November 2006

Effect of Lactobacillus delbrueckii on cholesterol metabolism in germ-free mice and on atherogenesis in apolipoprotein E knock-out mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Portugal L.R.

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Elevated blood cholesterol is an important risk factor associated with atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Several studies have reported a decrease in serum cholesterol during the consumption of large doses of fermented dairy products or lactobacillus strains. The proposed mechanism for this effect is the removal or assimilation of intestinal cholesterol by the bacteria, reducing cholesterol absorption. Although this effect was demonstrated in vitro, its relevance in vivo is still controversial. Furthermore, few studies have investigated the role of lactobacilli in atherogenesis. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of Lactobacillus delbrueckii on cholesterol metabolism in germ-free mice and the possible hypocholesterolemic and antiatherogenic action of these bacteria using atherosclerosis-prone apolipoprotein E (apo E knock-out (KO mice. For this purpose, Swiss/NIH germ-free mice were monoassociated with L. delbrueckii and fed a hypercholesterolemic diet for four weeks. In addition, apo E KO mice were fed a normal chow diet and treated with L. delbrueckii for 6 weeks. There was a reduction in cholesterol excretion in germ-free mice, which was not associated with changes in blood or liver cholesterol concentration. In apo E KO mice, no effect of L. delbrueckii was detected in blood, liver or fecal cholesterol. The atherosclerotic lesion in the aorta was also similar in mice receiving or not these bacteria. In conclusion, these results suggest that, although L. delbrueckii treatment was able to reduce cholesterol excretion in germ-free mice, no hypocholesterolemic or antiatherogenic effect was observed in apo E KO mice.

The United States and international climate cooperation: International &apos;pull&apos; versus domestic &apos;push&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bang, Guri [Center for International Climate and Environmental Research, Oslo (Norway); Froyn, Camilla Bretteville [Center for International Climate and Environmental Research, Oslo (Norway); Hovi, Jon [Center for International Climate and Environmental Research, Oslo (Norway) and Department of Political Science, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1097, 0317 Oslo (Norway)]. E-mail: jon.hovi@stv.uio.no; Menz, Fredric C. [Center for International Climate and Environmental Research, Oslo (Norway); School of Business, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY 13699 (United States)

2007-02-15

The US government is being pressured by both international and domestic influences to re-engage in international climate control. This paper considers whether the international &apos;pull&apos; and the domestic &apos;push&apos; will be strong enough to accomplish this. First, we discuss whether changes in the architecture of the current climate regime might induce the United States to re-engage at the international level. We argue that the United States is unlikely to rejoin any global climate regime that is based on the Kyoto architecture, even if Kyoto were to be &apos;reformed&apos;. Second, we discuss whether domestic political developments might eventually cause the United States to re-engage. We conclude that US re-engagement is likely to require the emergence of a new climate regime that basically extends US regulation to other countries. However, the forging of a unified US climate policy is still in the making. Furthermore, a new regime can gain widespread participation only if the Kyoto countries accept the idea of replacing Kyoto with some alternative architecture, which seems unlikely in the near future.

Fizičko-hemijske i detonacione karakteristike nitraminskih eksploziva - RDX, HMX i CL-20

OpenAIRE

Anđelković-Lukić Mirjana

2002-01-01

U radu su prikazane fizičko-hemijske i detonacione karakteristike nitraminskih brizantnih eksploziva, heksogena i oktogena, uporedene sa osobinama novog cikličnog nitraminskog eksploziva CL-20. Novi visokobrizantni eksploziv CL-20 postoji u četiri kristalne forme, stabilne na različitim temepraturama. Ima bolje detonacione karakteristike od heksogena i oktogena veću gustinu i brzinu detonacije, all mnogo veću osetljivost na udar i trenje, reda PETN. Zbog toga se ovaj eksploziv flegmatizuje sa...

Accidents, &apos;black swans&apos; and risks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luxat, J.C. [McMaster Univ., Dept. of Engineering Physics, Hamilton, Ontario (Canada)

2013-06-15

Major accidents and natural disasters with severe consequences have occurred in all sectors of industrial activity with relatively high frequency. The severe consequences of concern involve either significant loss of life or major economic loss, or both loss of life and economic loss. Such events have the last two years been referred to as &apos;black swan&apos; events following publication of Taleb&apos;s bestselling book. These events demonstrate limits to PRA application that arise from the underlying high uncertainty associated with the estimation of frequency of occurrence of such events. An approach is proposed in this paper that, consistent with the concept of defense in depth employed by the nuclear industry, augments probabilistic risk assessment with a methodology based upon &apos;threat - risk assessment&apos;. This approach shifts these very low frequency high consequence &apos;black swan&apos; events out of the probabilistic risk assessment domain into a deterministic emergency response assessment domain. (author)

Bookshelf (&apos;&apos;Neutrons, Nuclei and Matter&apos;&apos;, by J. Byrne)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansen, P.G.

1994-01-01

Time was when a neophyte wanting to do experiments with neutrons would be told first to read D.J. Hughes&apos; classic &apos;&apos;Pile Neutron Research&apos;&apos; (1952). The book by J. Byrne is in many respects a modern equivalent, although if you were to send your student away with it, you will risk not seeing him or her again for a considerable time. What is immediately striking is that the book, rich in information and quite long, is cross-disciplinary and touches essentially all the main areas of modern physics. It covers parts of particle physics, such as the internal structure of the neutron, time-reversal violation as revealed by the (still hypothetical) electric dipole moment of the neutron, and the coupling constants for the weak interaction. From the field of basic quantum physics there are chapters on neutron optics, wave phenomena with neutrons and on the applications of these in solid-state physics. Other chapters again delve deeply into nuclear structure, nuclear reaction theory, as well as their applications: nuclear reactors and nuclear energy. At a time with specialization rampant and many physicists tending to believe that venturing outside their own cloisters is uninteresting and even dangerous, it is a pleasure to come across a book that is basically just about physics. J. Byrne of Sussex has for long been active in neutron research at the British-French-German Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) research reactor in Grenoble, where he has worked on subjects such as weak interactions and fundamental symmetries. He has clearly intended &apos;&apos;Neutrons, Nuclei and Matter&apos;&apos; as a vade-mecum that will allow the practitioner to find the necessary information and formulas. But I believe that many others not directly engaged in neutron research will gain new insight from its many examples. To take just one case, I had not been aware of the simple physical principles that permit cold neutrons to be stored in a bottle. (The main point is that a

On the universality of the &apos;'smile'&apos;-gap in the density of states of a chaotic Josephson junction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reutlinger, Johannes; Belzig, Wolfgang [University of Konstanz, Department of Physics (Germany); Nazarov, Yuli [Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft (Netherlands); Glazman, Leonid [Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, CT (United States)

2015-07-01

The superconducting proximity effect strongly modifies the local density of states in chaotic Josephson junctions. Recently we found that besides the well-known minigap a secondary gap appears just below the superconducting gap edge Δ in the limit of a large Thouless energy E{sub Th} >or similar Δ. To check the universality of this novel gap phenomenon we study the effect of nonideal contacts and show that the &apos;'smile'&apos;-gap crucially depends on the transmission eigenvalue distribution. In a next step we use the random matrix method to investigate the &apos;'smile'&apos;-gap. This allows us to approach the statistics of Andreev levels, going beyond the quasiclassical Greens function method. It turns out that the hard gap edge softens similar to what is already known from the minigap.

&apos;&apos;Confession statement against the nuclear nation&apos;&apos;. The protestant church in Germany and the conflicts concerning nuclear energy 1970 - 1990; &apos;&apos;Bekennen gegen den Atomstaat&apos;&apos;. Die evangelischen Kirchen in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland und die Konflikte um die Atomenergie 1970-1990

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schuering, Michael [Florida Univ., Gainesville, FL (United States)

2015-07-01

The book on &apos;&apos;Confession statement against the nuclear nation&apos;&apos; discusses the conflicts of the protestant church in Germany concerning nuclear energy in 1970 - 1990. The introduction covers the state of research and the historical sources. The following chapters discuss the issues philosophic-ideological fundamentals: atomic energy and theology, the political church, the new protest culture and comparative perspectives: the catholic perspective, Three Mile Island&apos;s shadow.

EAGLE: &apos;EAGLE&apos;Is an&apos; Algorithmic Graph Library for Exploration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2015-01-16

The Resource Description Framework (RDF) and SPARQL Protocol and RDF Query Language (SPARQL) were introduced about a decade ago to enable flexible schema-free data interchange on the Semantic Web. Today data scientists use the framework as a scalable graph representation for integrating, querying, exploring and analyzing data sets hosted at different sources. With increasing adoption, the need for graph mining capabilities for the Semantic Web has emerged. Today there is no tools to conduct "graph mining" on RDF standard data sets. We address that need through implementation of popular iterative Graph Mining algorithms (Triangle count, Connected component analysis, degree distribution, diversity degree, PageRank, etc.). We implement these algorithms as SPARQL queries, wrapped within Python scripts and call our software tool as EAGLE. In RDF style, EAGLE stands for "EAGLE &apos;Is an&apos; algorithmic graph library for exploration. EAGLE is like &apos;MATLAB&apos; for &apos;Linked Data.&apos;

ApoE4-specific Misfolded Intermediate Identified by Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benfeard Williams

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD is associated with the APOE gene, which encodes for three variants of Apolipoprotein E, namely E2, E3, E4, differing only by two amino acids at positions 112 and 158. ApoE4 is known to be the strongest risk factor for AD onset, while ApoE3 and ApoE2 are considered to be the AD-neutral and AD-protective isoforms, respectively. It has been hypothesized that the ApoE isoforms may contribute to the development of AD by modifying the homeostasis of ApoE physiological partners and AD-related proteins in an isoform-specific fashion. Here we find that, despite the high sequence similarity among the three ApoE variants, only ApoE4 exhibits a misfolded intermediate state characterized by isoform-specific domain-domain interactions in molecular dynamics simulations. The existence of an ApoE4-specific intermediate state can contribute to the onset of AD by altering multiple cellular pathways involved in ApoE-dependent lipid transport efficiency or in AD-related protein aggregation and clearance. We present what we believe to be the first structural model of an ApoE4 misfolded intermediate state, which may serve to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying the role of ApoE4 in AD pathogenesis. The knowledge of the structure for the ApoE4 folding intermediate provides a new platform for the rational design of alternative therapeutic strategies to fight AD.

First case of human babesiosis in Korea: detection and characterization of a novel type of Babesia sp. (KO1) similar to ovine babesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jung-Yeon; Cho, Shin-Hyeong; Joo, Hyun-Na; Tsuji, Masayoshi; Cho, Sung-Ran; Park, Il-Joong; Chung, Gyung-Tae; Ju, Jung-Won; Cheun, Hyeng-Il; Lee, Hyeong-Woo; Lee, Young-Hee; Kim, Tong-Soo

2007-06-01

We report on the first case of human babesiosis in Korea. The intraerythrocytic parasite (KO1) in the patient's blood mainly appeared as paired pyriforms and ring forms; but Maltese cross forms were not seen, and the parasite showed morphological features consistent with those of the genus Babesia sensu stricto. The sequence of the 18S rRNA gene of KO1 was closely related to that of Babesia spp. isolated from sheep in China (similarity, 98%). The present study provides the first evidence of the presence of a hitherto unidentified, new type of Babesia parasite capable of infecting humans.

Revisiting T2KK and T2KO physics potential and ν{sub μ}- anti ν{sub μ} beam ratio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hagiwara, Kaoru [Theory Center, KEK, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan); Sokendai, Department of Accelerator Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan); Ko, Pyungwon [KIAS, School of Physics, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Okamura, Naotoshi [International University of Health and Welfare, Department of Radiological Sciences, Ohtawara, Tochigi (Japan); Takaesu, Yoshitaro [University of Tokyo, Department of Physics, Tokyo (Japan)

2017-03-15

We revisit the sensitivity study of the Tokai-to-Kamioka-and-Korea (T2KK) and Tokai-to-Kamioka-and-Oki (T2KO) proposals where a water Cerenkov detector with the 100 kton fiducial volume is placed in Korea (L = 1000 km) and Oki island (L = 653 km) in Japan, respectively, in addition to the Super-Kamiokande for determination of the neutrino mass hierarchy and leptonic CP phase (δ{sub CP}). We systematically study the running ratio of the ν{sub μ} and anti ν{sub μ} focusing beams with dedicated background estimation for the ν{sub e} appearance and ν{sub μ} disappearance signals, especially improving treatment of the neutral-current π{sup 0} backgrounds. Using a ν{sub μ}- anti ν{sub μ} beam ratio between 3:2 and 2.5:2.5 (in units of 10{sup 21}POT with the proton energy of 40 GeV), the mass-hierarchy determination with the median sensitivity of 3-5 σ by the T2KK and 1-4 σ by the T2KO experiment are expected when sin{sup 2}θ{sub 23} = 0.5, depending on the mass-hierarchy pattern and CP phase. These sensitivities are enhanced (reduced) by 30-40% in Δχ{sup 2} when sin{sup 2}θ{sub 23} = 0.6 (0.4). The CP phase is measured with the uncertainty of 20 {sup circle} -50 {sup circle} by the T2KK and T2KO using the ν{sub μ}- anti ν{sub μ} focusing beam ratio between 3.5:1.5 and 1.5:3.5. These findings indicate that inclusion of the anti ν{sub μ} focusing beam improves the sensitivities of the T2KK and T2KO experiments to both the mass-hierarchy determination and the leptonic CP phase measurement simultaneously with the preferred beam ratio being between 3:2-2.5:2.5 (x 10{sup 21}POT). (orig.)

Classical and alternative activation and metalloproteinase expression occurs in foam cell macrophages in male and female ApoE null mice in the absence of T- and B-lymphocytes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elaine Mo Hayes

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Rupture of advanced atherosclerotic plaques accounts for most life-threatening myocardial infarctions. Classical (M1 and alternative (M2 macrophage activation could promote atherosclerotic plaque progression and rupture by increasing production of proteases, including matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs. Lymphocyte-derived cytokines may be essential for generating M1 and M2 phenotypes in plaques, although this has not been rigorously tested until now.Methods and Results: We validated the expression of M1 markers (iNOS and COX-2 and M2 markers (arginase-1, Ym-1 and CD206 and then measured MMP mRNA levels in mouse macrophages during classical and alternative activation in vitro. We then compared mRNA expression of these genes ex vivo in foam cells from subcutaneous granulomas in fat-fed immune-competent ApoE knockout and immune-compromised ApoE/Rag-1 double knockout mice, which lack all T and B cells. Furthermore, we performed immunohistochemistry in subcutaneous granulomas and in aortic root and brachiocephalic artery atherosclerotic plaques to measure the extent of M1/M2 marker and MMP protein expression in vivo. Classical activation of mouse macrophages with bacterial lipopolysaccharide in vitro increased MMPs-13, -14 and -25 but decreased MMP-19 and TIMP-2 mRNA expressions. Alternative activation with IL-4 increased MMP-19 expression. Foam cells in subcutaneous granulomas expressed all M1/M2 markers and MMPs at ex vivo mRNA and in vivo protein levels, irrespective of Rag-1 genotype. There were also similar percentages of foam cell macrophages carrying M1/M2 markers and MMPs in atherosclerotic plaques from ApoE knockout and ApoE/Rag-1 double knockout mice. Conclusions: Classical and alternative activation leads to distinct MMP expression patterns in mouse macrophages in vitro. M1 and M2 polarization in vivo occurs in the absence of T and B lymphocytes in either granuloma or plaque foam cell macrophages.

Technology centre &apos;&apos;aspern IQ&apos;&apos;. Office buildings in the plus-energy building as a benchmark for future projects; Technologiezentrum &apos;&apos;aspern IQ&apos;&apos;. Buerohaus im Plus-Energie-Standard als Benchmark fuer kuenftige Projekte

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Achammer, Hannes [ATP Wien (Austria); IWP Liebhartstal II, Wien (Austria); Technologiezentrum aspern IQ, Wien (Austria)

2012-11-01

With 240 hectares per 20,000 residents and working people the future seaside town Aspern is one of the largest urban development projects in Europe and the largest in Vienna (Austria). At the end of August 2012, the component 1 of the technology centre &apos;&apos;aspern IQ&apos;&apos; of the Vienna Business Agency has been completed at the first construction site. This first building construction was designed in the plus-energy standard. As a flagship project it exemplary shall be adapted to the local resource supply, provide the highest possible user experience and meet the requirements of sustainability.

Metrology for the radiological early warning system in Europe. The &apos;'MetroERM'&apos; project; Metrologie fuer die radiologischen Fruehwarnsysteme in Europa. Das &apos;'MetroERM'&apos;-Projekt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neumaier, Stefan; Dombrowski, Harald [Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig (Germany)

2017-10-01

In the European radiological early warning system about 5500 stationary sensors are actually implemented that measure continuously the local dose rate. Alongside several hundred air dust collecting systems attribute to the measurement of airborne radioactivity. The local dose rates are transmitted hourly to a central data base that is operated on behalf of the EU commission. In significantly larger time intervals the measured data of the airborne radioactivity are transmitted. In case of a cross-border radiological accident these data are the basis for recommendations given by the EU commission to the member states for national counter measures. The focus of the project &apos;&apos;Metrology for radiological early warning networks in Europe&apos;&apos; is an improvement of the metrological quality and harmonization these data and the development of improved measuring systems and evaluation methods.

Developmental coxa vara associated with spondylometaphyseal dysplasia (DCV/SMD): &apos;&apos;SMD-Corner Fracture Type&apos;&apos; (DCV/SMD-CF) demonstrated in most reported cases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Currarino, G. [Texas Univ., Dallas, TX (United States). Dept. of Radiology; Department of Radiology, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, 2222 Welborn Street, Dallas, TX 75219 (United States); Birch, J.G.; Herring, J.A. [Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, Dallas, TX (United States)

2000-01-01

Background. This paper reports three children with short stature: developmental coxa vara unilateral in the first case and bilateral in the other two; somewhat squared and &apos;'ovoid'&apos; vertebral bodies in the first patient, and normal to slightly tall vertebral bodies in the third; metaphyseal changes in some long tubular bones including bone fragments similar to the corner fractures seen in child abuse in all three patients. Materials and methods. The first and second patients were sisters; their mother, also quite short, had surgical procedures in early life for bilateral &apos;&apos;coxa vara&apos;&apos;; their brother, also of short stature, had bilateral coxa valga with otherwise normal femoral heads and necks, and mild metaphyseal changes associated with two minute &apos;&apos;corner fractures&apos;&apos; in the proximal metaphysis of the left tibia. Results. A review of reported cases of developmental coxa vara associated with spondylometaphyseal dysplasia revealed that simulated corner fractures were present in most instances. (orig.)

Knockout of Murine Mamld1 Impairs Testicular Growth and Daily Sperm Production but Permits Normal Postnatal Androgen Production and Fertility.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyado, Mami; Yoshida, Kaoru; Miyado, Kenji; Katsumi, Momori; Saito, Kazuki; Nakamura, Shigeru; Ogata, Tsutomu; Fukami, Maki

2017-06-19

MAMLD1 has been implicated in testicular function in both human and mouse fetuses. Although three patients with MAMLD1 mutations were reported to have hypergonadotropic hypogonadism in their teens, the functional significance of MAMLD1 in the postnatal testis remains unclear. Here, we analyzed the phenotype of Mamld1 knockout (KO) male mice at reproductive ages. The reproductive organs of KO male mice were morphologically unremarkable, except for relatively small testes. Seminiferous tubule size and number of proliferating spermatogonia/spermatocytes were reduced in the KO testis. Daily sperm production of KO mice was mildly attenuated, whereas total sperm counts in epididymal semen remained normal. Sperm motility and morphology, as well as androgen levels in serum and testicular tissues and the number of pups born from cross-mated wildtype (WT) female mice, were comparable between WT and KO male mice. These results indicate that MAMLD1 contributes to the maintenance of postnatal testicular growth and daily sperm production but is dispensable for androgen biosynthesis and fertility. MAMLD1 likely plays supporting roles in multiple and continuous steps of male reproduction.

Knockout of Murine Mamld1 Impairs Testicular Growth and Daily Sperm Production but Permits Normal Postnatal Androgen Production and Fertility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mami Miyado

2017-06-01

Full Text Available MAMLD1 has been implicated in testicular function in both human and mouse fetuses. Although three patients with MAMLD1 mutations were reported to have hypergonadotropic hypogonadism in their teens, the functional significance of MAMLD1 in the postnatal testis remains unclear. Here, we analyzed the phenotype of Mamld1 knockout (KO male mice at reproductive ages. The reproductive organs of KO male mice were morphologically unremarkable, except for relatively small testes. Seminiferous tubule size and number of proliferating spermatogonia/spermatocytes were reduced in the KO testis. Daily sperm production of KO mice was mildly attenuated, whereas total sperm counts in epididymal semen remained normal. Sperm motility and morphology, as well as androgen levels in serum and testicular tissues and the number of pups born from cross-mated wildtype (WT female mice, were comparable between WT and KO male mice. These results indicate that MAMLD1 contributes to the maintenance of postnatal testicular growth and daily sperm production but is dispensable for androgen biosynthesis and fertility. MAMLD1 likely plays supporting roles in multiple and continuous steps of male reproduction.

Active pollution reduction in the &apos;off-road&apos; sector. Proceedings; Aktive Schadstoffminderung im &apos;Off-road&apos; Bereich. Tagungsband

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-07-01

The state of the art and trends in off-gas purification and filters were gone into. The focus was on technical aspects, performance information and cost of diesel engines with high-efficiency exhaust purification systems as well as on sulfur-free fuels. [German] Mit der Tagung &apos;Aktive Schadstoffminderung im &apos;'Off-road'&apos; Bereich&apos; bieten wir eine besondere Gelegenheit zur Information und Auseinandersetzung mit dem derzeitigen Stand und den Entwicklungsperspektiven der Abgasreinigung und Filtertechnik bei Neubeschaffungen und in der Nachruestung. Gerade in staedtischen Ballungsgebieten, aber auch in geschlossenen Raeumen und Produktionshallen sind die Reduzierung der lokalen Emissionen und Vermeidung von Geruchsbelaestigungen unabdingbar. Im Mittelpunkt stehen Technik, Betriebserfahrungen und Kosten von Dieselmotoren mit hocheffizienter Abgasreinigung sowie schwefelfreie Kraftstoffe. (orig.)

Proliferation Resistance and Safeguards by Design: The Safeguardability Assessment Tool Provided by the INPRO Collaborative Project &apos;'INPRO'&apos; (Proliferation Resistance and Safeguardability Assessment)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haas, E.; Chang, H.-L.; Phillips, J.R.; Listner, C.

2015-01-01

Since the INPRO Collaborative Project on Proliferation Resistance and Safeguardability Assessment Tools (PROSA) was launched in 2011, Member State experts have worked with the INPRO Section and the IAEA Department of Safeguards to develop a revised methodology for self-assessment of sustainability in the area of proliferation resistance of a nuclear energy system (NES). With the common understanding that there is &apos;&apos;no proliferation resistance without safeguards&apos;&apos; the revised approach emphasizes the evaluation of a new &apos;User Requirement&apos; for &apos;'safeguardability'&apos;, that combines metrics of effective and efficient implementation of IAEA Safeguards including &apos;'Safeguards-by-Design'&apos; principles. The assessment with safeguardability as the key issue has been devised as a linear process evaluating the NES against a &apos;&apos;Basic Principle&apos;&apos; in the area of proliferation resistance, answering fundamental questions related to safeguards: 1) Do a State&apos;s legal commitments, policies and practices provide credible assurance of the exclusively peaceful use of the NES, including a legal basis for verification activities by the IAEA? 2) Does design and operation of the NES facilitate the effective and efficient implementation of IAEA safeguards? To answer those questions, a questionnaire approach has been developed that clearly identifies gaps and weaknesses. Gaps include prospects for improvements and needs for research and development. In this context, the PROSA approach assesses the safeguardability of a NES using a layered &apos;&apos;Evaluation Questionnaire&apos;&apos; that defines Evaluation Parameters (EP), EP-related questions, Illustrative Tests and Screening Questions to present and structure the evidence of findings. An integral part of the assessment process is Safeguards-by-Design, the identification of potential diversion, misuse and concealment strategies (coarse diversion path

Analysis of Košice Meteorite by Mössbauer Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Sitek, Jozef; Dekan, Július; Sedlačková, Katarína

2016-07-01

The 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy method was used to investigate iron-containing compounds in town Košice meteorite fallen on the territory of Slovakia in February 2010. The results showed that the Mössbauer spectra consisted of magnetic and non-magnetic components related to different iron-bearing phases. The non-magnetic phase includes olivine, pyroxene and traces of Fe3+ phase and the magnetic component comprises troilite (FeS) and iron-rich Fe-Ni alloy with hyperfine magnetic field typical for kamacite. Samples from meteorite were obtained in powder from different depths to inspect its heterogeneous composition. The content of kamacite increases to the detriment of troilite from the surface toward the centre of the sample. Measurements at liquid nitrogen temperature confirmed phase composition of investigated meteorite. Main constituent elements of studied samples were also determined by X-ray fluorescence analysis.

The &apos;&apos;smart consumer&apos;&apos;. Consequences and future challenges from the modified customer role for the established energy supplier; Der &apos;&apos;smarte Verbraucher&apos;&apos;. Konsequenzen und kuenftige Herausforderungen aus der veraenderten Kundenrolle fuer die etablierten Energieversorger

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hense, Andreas [Capgemini Consulting, Koeln (Germany)

2011-07-01

Growing decentral generation, digitalization of the whole utilities sector and smart technologies are changing the role fo the &apos;'utilities'&apos; customers. From pure end consumers they will more and more shift to energy-conscious, demanding market players acting as well as producers of energy. This breaks the traditional value chain. In order to participate on the business chances of this development utilities have to build up new, innovative business models around the smart customer. Sustainable success of these approaches depends on some key requirements. (orig.)

IMA status seminar &apos;biotic damaging factors/epidemiology&apos;. Summaries. IMA-Statusseminar &apos;Biotische Schadfaktoren/Epidemiologie&apos;. Kurzberichte

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stuettgen, E. (ed.)

1986-07-01

This workshop is concerned primarily with the effects of biotic factors on forest decline. The possible involvement of viruses, mycoplasma-like organisms (MLO), rickettsia-like bacteria (RLB), fungi, insects and nematodes in diseases and pests of forest trees has to be investigated. Beside abiotic factors these agents are the cause of different die-back symptoms and damage of trees, but it is not yet known to what extent they contribute to the symptoms man associate with the forest decline &apos;'Waldsterben'&apos;.

Rhabdomyolysis resulting in concurrent Horner&apos;s syndrome and brachial plexopathy: a case report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Susan C.; Geannette, Christian; Sneag, Darryl B. [Hospital for Special Surgery, Department of Radiology and Imaging, New York, NY (United States); Wolfe, Scott W. [Hospital for Special Surgery, Hand and Upper Extremity, Department of Orthopedics, New York, NY (United States); Feinberg, Joseph H. [Hospital for Special Surgery, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, New York, NY (United States)

2017-08-15

This case report describes a 29-year-old male who presented with immediate onset of Horner&apos;s syndrome and ipsilateral brachial plexopathy after sleeping with his arm dangling outside a car window for 8 h. Outside workup and imaging revealed rhabdomyolysis of the left neck musculature. Subsequent electrodiagnostic testing and high-resolution brachial plexus magnetic resonance imaging at the authors&apos; institution attributed the Horner&apos;s syndrome and concurrent brachial plexopathy to rhabdomyolysis of the longus colli and scalene musculature, which had compressed - and consequently scar tethered - the cervical sympathetic trunk and brachial plexus. This case of co-existent Horner&apos;s syndrome and brachial plexopathy demonstrates the role of high-resolution brachial plexus MRI in diagnosing plexopathy and the importance of being familiar with plexus and paravertebral muscle anatomy. (orig.)

Probing the existence of the kaonic nuclear cluster &apos;&apos;ppK{sup -}&apos;&apos; with help of a PWA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Epple, Eliane [Physik Dept. E12, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Garching (Germany); Excellence Cluster ' ' Universe' ' , TEM, Garching (Germany); Collaboration: HADES-Collaboration

2015-07-01

The &apos;&apos;ppK{sup -}&apos;&apos; is a well established state in theory and is a candidate for a new kind of hadronic matter formed by antikaons and nucleons. The HADES spectrometer at GSI has probed the existence of such a state by measuring its possible decay products p and Λ. These decay products have been studied specifically in the reaction p+p → p+K{sup +}+Λ at a beam kinetic energy of 3.5 GeV. A partial wave analysis, performed on this final state, helped in describing the event distributions, which is a necessary condition to search for an additional small signal in the statistic. We have found no indication for the production of a kaonic nuclear bound state in our data and have, thus, set an upper limit for its production cross section. Furthermore, did we repeat the analysis of the DISTO collaboration in which a signal like distribution appeared in so-called deviation spectra. We can show that this method is error-prone in terms of the applied selection cuts and is, thus, not reliable in order to make statements about the &apos;&apos;ppK{sup -}&apos;&apos;.

Porosity. &apos;&apos;The good, the bad and ugly&apos;&apos; of Radiographic Testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vaughan, Hugo

2016-01-01

&apos;&apos;Radiographic Testing is a NDT method to detect inherent volumetric discontinuities in materials such as castings and welds&apos;&apos; A common type of discontinuity found and most often misinterpreted and evaluated is rounded indications, whether isolated, aligned or clustered. This paper addresses the acceptance criteria of rounded indications based on various codes and standards and intends to lay at rest the confusion related to this type of discontinuity. The following are important considerations: 1. Interpretation of rounded indications based on codes and standards used in the various sectors of NDT. 2. What types of discontinuities can be regarded as rounded indications? 3. What discontinuity sizes can be regarded as relevant discontinuities? 4. What are the acceptance and rejection criteria for relevant rounded indications 5. Compiling relevant student assignments to facilitate the proper understanding of this aspect.

&apos;&apos;Wie alles sich zum Ganzen webt&apos;&apos;: on a new orientation for the concept of matter, based on relations between quantum physics and cosmology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goernitz, T. [Inst. fuer Didaktik der Physik, J.W.Goethe-Univ., Frankfurt/Main (Germany)

2007-07-01

It is common sense between physicists that in the beginning the cosmos is in a narrow relationship to quantum phenomena. Because of the universal validity of quantum theory this relation remains significant in the whole cosmic evolution. Whereas a classical approach is sufficient for the description of many phenomena it is no more useful at last for the case of the ground state of a system. This holds also for the cosmos. The black holes are that part of physics where quantum theory and gravitational theory come into close contact. There a Gedankenexperiment becomes possible that clarifies the fundamental role of abstract quantum information. We give it a new name (Protyposis) because it must be imagined without emitter, receiver and moreover without any concrete meaning. This meaning-free abstract quantum information is defined by means of black holes and cosmology. Protyposis enables a new conception for &apos;'matter'&apos; and makes possible to overcome the problems of the &apos;'Lego-world-view'&apos;, which result from the attempt to find the &apos;&apos;simple and therefore basic concepts&apos;&apos; in the range of spatial smallness. Matter can be understood now as &apos;&apos;formed and condensed quantum information&apos;&apos;. But on a first view it is nothing to see from its character of being information, as like matter does not appear as &apos;&apos;pure motion&apos;&apos;, what it is also because of E=mc{sup 2}. (orig.)

&apos;'VaneCAM'&apos; - the third generation of camshaft adjustment systems; &apos;'VaneCAM'&apos; - Nockenwellenversteller der dritten Generation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Knecht, A. [Hydraulik-Ring GmbH, Nuertingen (Germany). Entwicklung Motorentechnik; Stephan, W. [Hydraulik-Ring GmbH, Nuertingen (Germany); Hannibal, W. [Fachhochschule Suedwestfalen, Iserlohn (Germany). Labor fuer Konstruktion und CAE-Anwendungen

2002-04-01

Continuously variable camphasers are now well established for modern spark-ignition engines in high-volume production. With the latest generation of camshaft adjustment systems using the vane-type actuator principle, it is possible to move rapidly and reliably through a large adjustment angle. The layout of these adjusting systems is very simple. The production costs are low in comparison to the first generation of camphasers using spur/helical gears to vary the valve timing. The new-generation systems are mechatronic, with the function depending on the coordination and tuning of hydraulic actuation and engine electronics. The term &apos;VaneCAM&apos; is used for the continuously variable systems of this new generation supplied by Hydraulik-Ring in Nuertingen, Germany. (orig.) [German] Stufenlos wirkende Nockenwellenversteller haben sich an modernen Ottomotoren in den letzten Jahren in der Grossserie etabliert. Mit der neuesten Generation von Nockenwellenverstellern, die nach dem Schwenkmotor-Prinzip aufgebaut sind, lassen sich grosse Verdrehwinkel sehr schnell und betriebssicher verstellen. Der Aufbau dieser Versteller ist einfach, und die Herstellkosten sind gering im Vergleich zur ersten Generation von Verstellern. Bei den Systemen der neuen Generation handelt es sich um mechatronische Systeme, deren Funktion von dem Zusammenspiel und der Abstimmung von hydraulischer Ansteuerung und Motorelektronik abhaengt. Mit dem Begriff &apos;VaneCAM&apos; werden die stufenlos wirkenden Systeme dieser neuen Generation von Hydraulik-Ring aus Nuertingen bezeichnet. (orig.)

Conference-debate &apos;When nuclear science provides health care&apos; - Proceedings; conference debat &apos;Quand le nucleaire soigne&apos; - Recueil des presentations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-03-15

At the occasion of the 2. issue of the &apos;Industry week, the &apos;French society of nuclear energy (SFEN) young generation&apos; and the &apos;Women in Nuclear (WIN)&apos; associations have organised in partnership with Nucleopolis and the Cherbourg-Normandie Techno-pole, a conference day on the topic &apos;why and how nuclear energy is used for cancer therapy&apos;. Professors Jacques Foos, Jean Datchary and Denis Agostini were invited to treat this question. This document is the compilation of their 3 presentations: 1 - The discovery, principle and medical applications of radioactivity (J. Foos, CNAM); 2 - Cancer diagnosis and therapy with nuclear medicine (D. Agostini, CHU Caen); 3 - From diagnosis to therapy: the various radiotherapy methods (J. Datchary)

Sustainable Agriculture: enhancing the &apos;neem cake&apos;

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mariani, Susanna

2015-01-01

The &apos;neem cake&apos; is the scrap processing of the industrial chain producing neem oil and azadirachtin. The ENEA Technical Unit Environment and Sustainable Development Innovation the Agro-Industrial System, developed a promising experiment to promote the use of &apos;neem cake&apos; as an insecticide, and fertilizer of low cost in sustainable agriculture. [it

Parents&apos; Views of Schools&apos; Involvement Efforts

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, Raymond J.; Blatz, Erin T.; Elbaum, Batya

2014-01-01

Individual and focus group interviews were conducted with 96 parents of students with disabilities in 18 schools to explore parents&apos; views of schools&apos; efforts to engage them in their child&apos;s education. A mixed-methods approach was used to identify and evaluate the relative importance of eight themes related to schools&apos; efforts…

Fundamental limitations on &apos;warp drive&apos; spacetimes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lobo, Francisco S N [Centro de Astronomia e AstrofIsica da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Ed. C8 1749-016 Lisbon (Portugal); Visser, Matt [School of Mathematical and Computing Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington (New Zealand)

2004-12-21

&apos;Warp drive&apos; spacetimes are useful as &apos;gedanken-experiments&apos; that force us to confront the foundations of general relativity, and among other things, to precisely formulate the notion of &apos;superluminal&apos; communication. After carefully formulating the Alcubierre and Natario warp drive spacetimes, and verifying their non-perturbative violation of the classical energy conditions, we consider a more modest question and apply linearized gravity to the weak-field warp drive, testing the energy conditions to first and second orders of the warp-bubble velocity, v. Since we take the warp-bubble velocity to be non-relativistic, v << c, we are not primarily interested in the &apos;superluminal&apos; features of the warp drive. Instead we focus on a secondary feature of the warp drive that has not previously been remarked upon-the warp drive (if it could be built) would be an example of a &apos;reaction-less drive&apos;. For both the Alcubierre and Natario warp drives we find that the occurrence of significant energy condition violations is not just a high-speed effect, but that the violations persist even at arbitrarily low speeds. A particularly interesting feature of this construction is that it is now meaningful to think of placing a finite mass spaceship at the centre of the warp bubble, and then see how the energy in the warp field compares with the mass-energy of the spaceship. There is no hope of doing this in Alcubierre&apos;s original version of the warp field, since by definition the point at the centre of the warp bubble moves on a geodesic and is &apos;massless&apos;. That is, in Alcubierre&apos;s original formalism and in the Natario formalism the spaceship is always treated as a test particle, while in the linearized theory we can treat the spaceship as a finite mass object. For both the Alcubierre and Natario warp drives we find that even at low speeds the net (negative) energy stored in the warp fields must be a significant fraction

Evolution of glycaemia in the blood of mice in the presence or absence of imidazole; Evolution de la glycemie sanguine chez la souris protegee ou non par l&apos;imidazole

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Polverelli, M.; Teoule, R. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Grenoble (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1969-07-01

With respect to the radioprotective properties of the heterocyclic compound, imidazole, the authors followed the action of this product on blood sugar levels of mice X irradiated with a lethal dose. The main results of this work are: probably a hypo-glycemic action of the imidazole; an abolishment of the post-irradiation hyperglycemia by imidazole; an appreciably difference between male and female towards irradiation. (author) [French] Dans le cadre de l&apos;etude des proprietes radioprotectrices de l&apos;imidazole, nous nous sommes attaches a suivre l&apos;action de ce produit sur le taux de glucose sanguin de souris irradiees a dose letale. Les principaux resultats de ce travail sont les suivants: l&apos;action probablement hypoglycemiante de l&apos;imidazole; en tant que radioprotecteur, cet heterocycle azote supprime l&apos;hyperglycemie consecutive a l&apos;irradiation; une difference assez sensible entre males et femelles vis-a-vis de l&apos;irradiation. (auteur)

Reconstruction of surface morphology from coherent scattering of &apos;'white'&apos; synchrotron radiation in hard X-ray regime

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sant, Tushar

2009-07-01

Energy Dispersive Reflectometry (EDR) beamline at BESSY II provides &apos;'white'&apos; X-rays in the useful energy range of 5apos;'trivial'&apos; samples to determine the so called apparatus function. In addition I measured coherent reflectivity maps from thin film of highly scattering material of Pt with high atom number, Z=78 and patterned semiconducting surface like a GaAs surface grating which provides a certain periodicity in the measured scattering intensity. Finally I measured the surface speckles from a spatially confined Si wafer under the constraint that the size of the sample is smaller than the footprint of the incoming beam at the sample position. To reconstruct surface morphology from coherent reflectivity data is a typical inverse problem. Conventional phase retrieval algorithms like Gerchberg-Saxton (GS) algorithm, error reduction (ER) algorithm, hybrid input-output (HIO) algorithm are used in earlier work by other authors. I modified the conventional GS algorithm and ER algorithm which takes into account the additional Fresnel propagator term and also the illumination function at the sample position. I tested the modified algorithm successfully for a model surface in the form of a surface grating. I used the modified algorithm to reconstruct surface morphology from various static speckle measurements I performed at EDR beamline. The surface profiles reconstructed for different samples from the data at different energies (below the critical energy for the material at a particular incident angle) show almost the same roughness behavior for surface height with mean roughness of {proportional_to}1 nm. With the static speckle data I measured I could retrieve a one-dimensional picture of the sample surface with spatial

&apos;&apos;After the Genome 5 Conference&apos;&apos; to be held October 6-10, 1999 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roger Brent

1999-10-06

OAK B139 The postgenomic era is arriving faster than anyone had imagined--sometime during 2000 we&apos;ll have a large fraction of the human genome sequence. Heretofore, our understanding of function has come from non-industrial experiments whose conclusions were largely framed in human language. The advent of large amounts of sequence data, and of &apos;&apos;functional genomic&apos;&apos; data types such as mRNA expression data, have changed this picture. These data share the feature that individual observations and measurements are typically relatively low value adding. Such data is now being generated so rapidly that the amount of information contained in it will surpass the amount of biological information collected by traditional means. It is tantalizing to envision using genomic information to create a quantitative biology with a very strong data component. Unfortunately, we are very early in our understanding of how to &apos;&apos;compute on&apos;&apos; genomic information so as to extract biological knowledge from i t. In fact, some current efforts to come to grips with genomic information often resemble a computer savvy library science, where the most important issues concern categories, classification schemes, and information retrieval. When exploring new libraries, a measure of cataloging and inventory is surely inevitable. However, at some point we will need to move from library science to scholarship.We would like to achieve a quantitative and predictive understanding of biological function. We realize that making the bridge from knowledge of systems to the sets of abstractions that constitute computable entities is not easy. The After the Genome meetings were started in 1995 to help the biological community think about and prepare for the changes in biological research in the face of the oncoming flow of genomic information. The term &apos;&apos;After the Genome&apos;&apos; refers to a future in which complete inventories of the gene products of

Pemanfaatan Teknik Ko-Kristalisasi Untuk Produksi Serbuk Ekstrak Sirsak

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lukman Junaidi

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Research on application of co-crystallization technique on production of soursop extract powder conducted to diversify soursop product that could be used as industrial commodity. Treatment on this research was influence of: (1 anti-caking magnesium oxide (MO, magnesium carbonate (MC, and magnesium silicate (MS, and (2 storage period (0, 1, 2, and 3 months, on the characteristics of soursop powder quality. The results showed co-crystallization could be applied to produce soursop powder that met the requirements of SNI 01-4320-1996. Based on its quality characteristics, soursop powder oursop powder MC resulted a better quality compared to s MO and s MS. MC had a quality characteristics: oursop powder Soursop powder water content 1.89%, pH 4.17, sugar content 83.75%, vitamin C 42.7  total soluble solids 98.1%, TPC mg/100g, 55 colonies/g, soursop powder until coliform < 3 MPN, and contain no mold and yeast. Storage of 3 months increased water content, pH, and TPC, and contrarily decreased sugar content, vitamin C  total soluble solids.  Based on the quality characteristics, soursop powder that , and was stored for 3 months still met the SNI 01-4320-1996 requirements.ABSTRAK Penelitian pemanfaatan teknik ko-kristalisasi untuk produksi serbuk ekstrak sirsak dilakukan untuk diversifikasi produk olahan buah sirsak yang dapat dijadikan komoditas industri. Perlakuan yang diamati meliputi pengaruh: (1 penggunaan jenis anti-kempal magnesium oksida (MO, magnesium karbonat (MC, dan magnesium silikat (MS dan (2 masa simpan (0, 1, 2, dan 3 bulan terhadap karakteristik mutu serbuk sirsak. Hasil penelitian menunjuk-kan bahwa teknik ko-kristalisasi dapat dimanfaatkan untuk menghasilkan serbuk sirsak yang memenuhi persyaratan mutu SNI 01-4320-1996. Berdasarkan karakteristik mutunya, serbuk sirsak MC memberikan hasil yang lebih baik dibandingkan dengan serbuk sirsak MS dan serbuk sirsak MO.  Serbuk sirsak MC memiliki karakteristik mutu: kadar air 1,89%, pH 4

Differential Impact of miR-21 on Pain and Associated Affective and Cognitive Behavior after Spared Nerve Injury in B7-H1 ko Mouse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Franziska Karl

2017-07-01

Full Text Available MicroRNAs (miRNAs are increasingly recognized as regulators of immune and neuronal gene expression and are potential master switches in neuropathic pain pathophysiology. miR-21 is a promising candidate that may link the immune and the pain system. To investigate the pathophysiological role of miR-21 in neuropathic pain, we assessed mice deficient of B7 homolog 1 (B7-H1, a major inhibitor of inflammatory responses. In previous studies, an upregulation of miR-21 had been shown in mouse lymphocytes. Young (8 weeks, middle-aged (6 months, and old (12 months B7-H1 ko mice and wildtype littermates (WT received a spared nerve injury (SNI. We assessed thermal withdrawal latencies and mechanical withdrawal thresholds. Further, we performed tests for anxiety-like and cognitive behavior. Quantitative real time PCR was used to determine miR-21 relative expression in peripheral nerves, and dorsal root ganglia (DRG at distinct time points after SNI. We found mechanical hyposensitivity with increasing age of naïve B7-H1 ko mice. Young and middle-aged B7-H1 ko mice were more sensitive to mechanical stimuli compared to WT mice (young: p < 0.01, middle-aged: p < 0.05. Both genotypes developed mechanical and heat hypersensitivity (p < 0.05 after SNI, without intergroup differences. No relevant differences were found after SNI in three tests for anxiety like behavior in B7-H1 ko and WT mice. Also, SNI had no effect on cognition. B7-H1 ko and WT mice showed a higher miR-21 expression (p < 0.05 and invasion of macrophages and T cells in the injured nerve 7 days after SNI without intergroup differences. Our study reveals that increased miR-21 expression in peripheral nerves after SNI is associated with reduced mechanical and heat withdrawal thresholds. These results point to a role of miR-21 in the pathophysiology of neuropathic pain, while affective behavior and cognition seem to be spared. Contrary to expectations, B7-H1 ko mice did not show higher miR-21

The &apos;Energy transition&apos; generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bedossa, Bastien; Boutignon, Gregoire; Sivy, Corentin; Bercault, Florian; Cage, Agathe; Mahammedi-Bouzina, Mehdi; Potton, Gregoire

2015-11-01

The &apos;Cartes sur table&apos; think tank aims at leveraging the opinion of young French people (from 20 to 35 years old) politically leaning to the left, in order to let them become actors in French debates, such as the one on the energy transition policy for a &apos;green growth&apos;. This paper explains the origins and the context of the energy transition policy (the dangers of nuclear power, the high potential of renewable energies, etc.), how to finance the energy transition policy, how to promote energy transition in the daily life (notably in transports and through the struggle against wastage), create a Europe of energy, and so on

TRAF3IP2 mediates atherosclerotic plaque development and vulnerability in ApoE−/− mice

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad, Sakamuri Siva Sankara Vara; Higashi, Yusuke; Sukhanov, Sergiy; Siddesha, Jalahalli M; Delafontaine, Patrice; Siebenlist, Ulrich; Chandrasekar, Bysani

2016-01-01

Background and aims Atherosclerosis is a major cause of heart attack and stroke. Inflammation plays a critical role in the development of atherosclerosis. Since the cytoplasmic adaptor molecule TRAF3IP2 (TRAF3-Interacting Protein 2) plays a causal role in various autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, we hypothesized that TRAF3IP2 mediates atherosclerotic plaque development. Methods TRAF3IP2/ApoE double knockout (DKO) mice were generated by crossing TRAF3IP2−/− and ApoE−/− mice. ApoE−/− mice served as controls. Both DKO and control mice were fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks. Plasma lipids were measured by ELISA, atherosclerosis by en face analysis of aorta and plaque cross-section measurements at the aortic valve region, plaque necrotic core area, collagen and smooth muscle cell content by histomorphometry, and aortic gene expression by RT-qPCR. Results The plasma lipoprotein profile was not altered by TRAF3IP2 gene deletion in ApoE−/− mice. While total aortic plaque area was decreased in DKO female, but not male mice, the plaque necrotic area was significantly decreased in DKO mice of both genders. Plaque collagen and smooth muscle cell contents were increased significantly in both female and male DKO mice compared to respective controls. Aortic expression of proinflammatory cytokine (Tumor necrosis factor α, TNFα), chemokine (Chemokine (C-X-C motif) Ligand 1, CXCL1) and adhesion molecule (Vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, VCAM1; and Intercellular adhesion molecule 1, ICAM1) gene expression were decreased in both male and female DKO mice. In addition, the male DKO mice showed a markedly reduced expression of extracellular matrix (ECM)-related genes, including TIMP1 (Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1), RECK (Reversion-Inducing- Cysteine-Rich Protein with Kazal Motifs) and ADAM17 (A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase 17). Conclusions TRAF3IP2 plays a causal role in atherosclerotic plaque development and vulnerability, possibly by inducing the

The location selection act or &apos;the Emperor&apos;s new clothes&apos;; Das Standortauswahlgesetz oder &apos;Des Kaisers neue Kleider&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feldmann, Ulrike

2013-10-15

As is generally known, the governing parties CDU/CSU and FDP agreed a few weeks ago in the 17{sup th} legislative period of the German Bundestag in a rare show of unanimity, together with the parties SPD and Buendnis 90/Die Gruenen, as well as with the Laender, on a &apos;law to search and select a location for a permanent disposal site for heat-generating radioactive waste products and to change other laws&apos;, in brief a location selection act also called StandAG. The law was received with animated approval from the ranks of the parties - with the exception of the (left-wing) party Die Linke. This praise is a tad bewildering, since the Bundesumweltministerium (Federal Department of the Environment) named solving the task within a single generation as one of the principles for the StandAG, and it was emphasised again and again in the debates about the StandAG that the problem of permanent disposal must not be shifted to the next generation. Conclusion: - The StandAG leads to a postponement of solving the permanent disposal site issue by a least several generations with its predictable, long-winded selection method. - The decision not to explore Gorleben conclusively could lead to the site being permanently (&apos;wasted&apos; or) &apos;burned&apos;. - The de-central, interim disposal site Gorleben is likewise &apos;burned&apos; without having a resilient alternative solution for the glass coquilles that must be taken back. - The people&apos;s protest is exponentiated by the number of the potential sites for the StandAG. - The costs for the alternative site search will not be shifted to the producers of the waste that are obliged by law to deliver the waste because of the financial provisions of the constitution. - The third party protection dogma has not been broken up, which will at least lead to delays in the procedure and will have effects on other major projects in the long run. (orig.)

&apos;Minergie&apos; modernisation - Test in practice; Praxistest Minergie-Modernisierung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruetter, H.; Ruetter-Fischbacher, U. [Ruetter und Partner, Soziooekonomische Forschung und Beratung, Rueschlikon (Switzerland); Haessig, W. [Haessig Sustech GmbH - Ingenieurbuero fuer Minergie und nachhaltige Gebaeudetechnik, Uster (Switzerland); Jakob, M. [TEP Energy GmbH, CEPE ETH, Zuerich (Switzerland)

2008-07-01

This comprehensive report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) examines the results obtained in practice concerning the use of the &apos;Minergie&apos; low energy consumption standard. Experience gained with &apos;Minergie&apos; refurbishment projects is reviewed and the critical points and constraints found are discussed. Further, recommendations for improvements in the use of the &apos;Minergie&apos; standard are made. The study is based on questions posed to building owners in the German speaking part of Switzerland who have carried out refurbishment projects to meet &apos;Minergie&apos; standards as well as questions posed to those who did not adhere to &apos;Minergie&apos; standards in the refurbishment of their buildings. The reasons quoted for using / not using the standard are listed and discussed. Possible tightening of energy regulations concerning renovation work are discussed. The recommendations resulting from the survey are also noted and discussed.

Photoluminescence of acupoint &apos;Waiqiu&apos; in human superficial fascia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Yuan [Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Department of Physics, Surface Physics Laboratory (State Key Laboratory) of Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Yan Xiaohui [Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Department of Physics, Surface Physics Laboratory (State Key Laboratory) of Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Liu Chenglin [Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Department of Physics, Surface Physics Laboratory (State Key Laboratory) of Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Dang Ruishan [Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Zhang Xinyi [Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Department of Physics, Surface Physics Laboratory (State Key Laboratory) of Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China) and Shanghai Research Center of Acupuncture and Meridian, Pudong, Shanghai 201203 (China)]. E-mail: xy-zhang@fudan.edu.cn

2006-07-15

The spectral characters of an acupuncture point named &apos;Waiqiu&apos; in superficial fascia tissue have been studied by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy under the excitation of 457.9 nm. The PL around &apos;Waiqiu&apos; acupuncture point consists of two sub-bands resulting from the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and phospholipids, and the porphyrins (including purine, isoxanthopterin and tryptophan), respectively. More emission due to FAD and phospholipids is found inside the acupuncture effect area of &apos;Waiqiu&apos; than its marginal or outside acupuncture regions. The ratio of emission intensity of FAD and phospholipids to one of porphyrins gradually decreases along the direction away from the center of the acupuncture point. It implies that the component proportion changes between FAD, phospholipids and porphyrins around the &apos;Waiqiu&apos; acupuncture point. We suggest that there might be a certain relationship between redox function of FAD and &apos;Waiqiu&apos; acupuncture effect.

Accidents, &apos;Black Swans&apos; and risk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luxat, J.C., E-mail: luxatj@mcmaster.ca [McMaster Univ., Dept. of Engineering Physics, Hamilton, Ontario (Canada)

2013-07-01

Major accidents and natural disasters with severe consequences have occurred in all sectors of industrial activity with relatively high frequency. The severe consequences of concern involve either significant loss of life or major economic loss, or both loss of life and economic loss. Such events have in the last two years often been referred to as &apos;Black Swan&apos; events following publication of a best-selling book. The events demonstrate limits to the application of Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) that arise from the underlying unquantifiable uncertainty associated with the estimation of the frequency of occurrence of such events. An approach is proposed in this paper that, consistent with the concept of defense in depth employed by the nuclear industry, augments probabilistic risk assessment with a methodology based upon &apos;threat -risk assessment&apos;. This approach shifts these very low frequency, high uncertainty, and high consequence &apos;Black Swan&apos; events out of the probabilistic risk assessment domain and into a deterministic emergency response assessment domain. (author)

Accidents, &apos;Black Swans&apos; and risk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luxat, J.C.

2013-01-01

Major accidents and natural disasters with severe consequences have occurred in all sectors of industrial activity with relatively high frequency. The severe consequences of concern involve either significant loss of life or major economic loss, or both loss of life and economic loss. Such events have in the last two years often been referred to as &apos;Black Swan&apos; events following publication of a best-selling book. The events demonstrate limits to the application of Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) that arise from the underlying unquantifiable uncertainty associated with the estimation of the frequency of occurrence of such events. An approach is proposed in this paper that, consistent with the concept of defense in depth employed by the nuclear industry, augments probabilistic risk assessment with a methodology based upon &apos;threat -risk assessment&apos;. This approach shifts these very low frequency, high uncertainty, and high consequence &apos;Black Swan&apos; events out of the probabilistic risk assessment domain and into a deterministic emergency response assessment domain. (author)

DGMK spring meeting of the &apos;Exploration and Production&apos; department. Authors&apos; manuscripts; DGMK-Fruehjahrstagung des Fachbereichs &apos;Aufsuchung und Gewinnung&apos;. Autorenmanuskripte

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-07-01

The spring meeting of the Deutsche Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft fuer Erdoel, Erdgas und Kohle e.V. focused on exploration and production. Papers were presented on exploration and production in general, geology, deposit development, extraction of petroleum/natural gas, drilling, underground storage, geophysics and geochemistry. [German] Die Fruehjahrstagung der Deutschen Wissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft fuer Erdoel, Erdgas und Kohle e.V. wurde vom Fachbereich &apos;&apos;Aufsuchung und Gewinnung&apos;&apos; bestimmt. Die Vortraege beschaeftigten sich mit den Gebieten Exploration and Production allgemein, Geologie, Lagerstaettentechnik, Foerdertechnik fuer Erdoel/Erdgas, Bohrtechnik, Untertagesspeichertechnik, Geophysik und Geochemie.

Inactivation of the maternal fragile X gene results in sensitization of GABAB receptor function in the offspring.

Science.gov (United States)

Zupan, Bojana; Toth, Miklos

2008-12-01

Fragile X syndrome is an X-linked disorder caused by the inactivation of the FMR1 gene, with symptoms ranging from impaired cognitive functions to seizures, anxiety, sensory abnormalities, and hyperactivity. Although fragile X syndrome is considered a typical Mendelian disorder, we have recently reported that the environment, specifically the fmr1(+/-) or fmr1(-/-) [H or knockout (KO)] maternal environment, elicits on its own a partial fragile X-like phenotype and can contribute to the overall phenotype of fmr1(-/0) (KO) male offspring. Genetically fmr1(+/0) (WT) males born to H females (H(maternal) > WT(offspring)), similar to KO male offspring born to H and KO mothers (H > KO and KO > KO), exhibit locomotor hyperactivity. These mice also showed reduced D(2) autoreceptor function, indicating a possible diminished feedback inhibition of dopamine (DA) release in the nigrostriatal and mesolimbic systems. The GABAergic system also regulates DA release, in part via presynaptic GABA(B) receptors (Rs) located on midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Here, we show that the locomotor inhibitory effect of the GABA(B)R agonist baclofen [4-amino-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-butanoic acid] is enhanced in all progeny of mutant mothers (H > WT, H > KO, and KO > KO) compared with WT > WT mice, irrespective of their own genotype. However, increased sensitivity to baclofen was selective and limited to the locomotor response because the muscle-relaxant and sedative effects of the drug were not altered by the maternal environment. These data show that GABA(B)R sensitization, traditionally induced pharmacologically, can also be elicited by the fmr1-deficient maternal environment.

Amomum tsao-ko suppresses lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses in RAW264.7 macrophages via Nrf2-dependent heme oxygenase-1 expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bin; Choi, Hee-Jin; Lee, Dong-Sung; Oh, Hyuncheol; Kim, Youn-Chul; Moon, Jin-Young; Park, Won-Hwan; Park, Sun-Dong; Kim, Jai-Eun

2014-01-01

Amomum tsao-ko Crevost et Lemaire, used as a spice in Asia, is an important source of Chinese cuisine and traditional Chinese medicines. A. tsao-ko is reported to exert a variety of biological and pharmacological activities, including anti-proliferative, anti-oxidative and neuroprotective effects. In this study, NNMBS227, consisting of the ethanol extract of A. tsao-ko, exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activities in RAW264.7 macrophages. We investigated the effect of NNMBS227 in the suppression of pro-inflammatory mediators, including pro-inflammatory enzymes (inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2) and cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β) in LPS stimulated macrophages. NNMBS227 also inhibited the phosphorylation and degradation of IκB-α, as well as the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65 caused by stimulation with LPS. In addition, NNMBS227 induced heme oxygenase (HO)-1 expression through the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in macrophages. Using tin protoporphyrin (SnPP), an HO activity inhibitor, we confirmed an association between the anti-inflammatory effects of NNMBS227 and the up-regulation of HO-1. These findings suggest that Nrf2-dependent increases in the expression of HO-1 induced by NNMBS227 conferred anti-inflammatory activities in LPS stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages.

Resource consumption of Germany - indicators and definitions. Development of a glossary on the concept of &apos;'resources'&apos; and calculation of missing characteristic data of resources consumption for further political analysis; Ressourcenverbrauch von Deutschland - aktuelle Kennzahlen und Begriffsbestimmungen. Erstellung eines Glossars zum &apos;'Ressourcenbegriff'&apos; und Berechnung von fehlenden Kennzahlen des Ressourcenverbrauchs fuer die weitere politische Analyse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schuetz, Helmut; Bringezu, Stefan [Wuppertal Institut fuer Klima, Umwelt, Energie GmbH, Wuppertal (Germany). Forschungsgruppe 3: Stoffstroeme und Ressourcenmanagement

2008-02-15

The goals of the reported study are: - to prepare a glossary on the term &apos;'Resources'&apos; in order to support communication based on a harmonised resource term and associated terms and - to provide key data on resource use in Germany in time series since 1991 up to the most recent year for which data were available (2004 in general), and to attribute results to the resource terms. Results achieved are presented and discussed below by the following sections: Provision of a glossary on the term &apos;'resource'&apos;, use of the term &apos;'resource'&apos; at different levels, and provision of data and derived indicators for resource consumption in time series. First, a list of the relevant publications in the topic field &apos;'resources'&apos; was provided and co-ordinated with the client. This publication list is given in the annex to this report. On basis of national and international sources a glossary was provided which clearly describes and comments the resource term, its sub-terms and associated terms. This glossary is in the annex to this report. (orig.)

KONTEC 2013. 11{sup th} international symposium on &apos;Conditioning of radioactive operational and decommissioning waste&apos; and 11{sup th} BMBF status report on &apos;Decommissioning and demolition of nuclear facilities&apos;; KONTEC 2013. 11. internationales Symposium &apos;Konditionierung radioaktiver Betriebs- und Stilllegungsabfaelle&apos; einschliesslich 11. Statusbericht des BMBF &apos;Stilllegung und Rueckbau kerntechnischer Anlagen&apos;. Veranstaltungsbericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

2013-06-15

KONTEC 2013 was held in Dresden on 13 to 15 March 2013. The 11{sup th} event organized under this heading dealt with the subjects of &apos;Conditioning of Radioactive Operational and Decommissioning Waste&apos; and &apos;Decommissioning and Demolition of Nuclear Facilities&apos; including the R and D Status Report by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) on the same subject. The conference was attended by an international audience from 19 countries. The program included plenary sessions on these 4 key topics: - Disposal of Radioactive Residues from Nuclear Facilities&apos; Operation and Decommissioning. - Decommissioning and Dismantling of Nuclear Facilities. - Facilities and Systems for the Conditioning of Operational and Decommissioning Wastes. - Transport, Interim and Final Storage of Non-heat Generating Wastes (i.e. Konrad). These sessions were accompanied by poster sessions and short presentations under the heading of &apos;Kontec Direct.&apos; The best presentations of the categories Plenary Session Presentation, Poster Presentation and Kontec-Direct have been awarded. In detail, &apos;Dismantling of Russian nuclear powered submarines&apos; by Detlef Mietann, &apos;Requalification of &apos;Old Packages&apos; for the Konrad Repository Described for the Model Case of Packages from Storage Annex A and Repackaging of Containers Holding Compacts in Hall 2 of the GNS Plant&apos; by Martina Koessler, Sebastian Schwall and Pascal Budriks, and &apos;Electrochemical process development for cleaning organic, C-14-labelled waste solutions&apos; by Hans-Juergen Friedrich. (orig.)

Proposal of a simple screening method for a rapid preliminary evaluation of &apos;&apos;heavy metals&apos;&apos; mobility in soils of contaminated sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pinto, Valentina; Chiusolo, Francesca; Cremisini, Carlo [ENEA - Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Environment, Rome (Italy). Section PROTCHIM

2010-09-15

Risks associated to &apos;&apos;heavy metals&apos;&apos; (HM) soil contamination depend not only on their total content but, mostly, on their mobility. Many extraction procedures have been developed to evaluate HM mobility in contaminated soils, but they are generally time consuming (especially the sequential extraction procedures (SEPs)) and consequently applicable on a limited number of samples. For this reason, a simple screening method, applicable even &apos;&apos;in field&apos;&apos;, has been proposed in order to obtain a rapid evaluation of HM mobility in polluted soils, mainly focused on the fraction associated to Fe and Mn oxide/hydroxides. A buffer solution of trisodium citrate and hydroxylamine hydrochloride was used as extractant for a single-step leaching test. The choice of this buffered solution was strictly related to the possibility of directly determining, via titration with dithizone (DZ), the content of Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd, which are among the most representative contaminants in highly mineralised soils. Moreover, the extraction solution is similar, aside from for the pH value, which is the one used in the BCR SEP second step. The analysis of bivalents ions through DZ titration was exploited in order to further simplify and quicken the whole procedure. The proposed method generically measures, in few minutes, the concentration of total extractable &apos;&apos;heavy metals&apos;&apos; expressed as molL{sup -1} without distinguishing between elements. The proposed screening method has been developed and applied on soil samples collected from rural, urban and mining areas, representing different situation of soil contamination. Results were compared with data obtained from the BCR procedure. The screening method demonstrated to be a reliable tool for a rapid evaluation of metals mobility. Therefore, it could be very useful, even &apos;&apos;in field&apos;&apos;, both to guide the sampling activity on site and to monitor the efficacy of the subsequent

Einstein-Rosen &apos;bridge&apos; revisited and lightlike thin-shell wormholes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guendelman, E.; Nissimov, E.; Pacheva, S.; Stoilov, M.

2017-01-01

We study in some detail the properties of the mathematically correct formulation of the classical Einstein-Rosen &apos;bridge&apos; as proposed in the original 1935 paper, which was shown in a series of previous papers of ours to represent the simplest example of a static spherically symmetric traversable lightlike thin-shell wormhole. Thus, the original Einstein-Rosen &apos;bridge&apos; is not equivalent to the concept of the dynamical and non-traversable Schwarzschild wormhole, also called &apos;Einstein-Rosen bridge&apos; in modern textbooks on general relativity. The original Einstein-Rosen &apos;bridge&apos; requires the presence of a special kind of &apos;exotic&apos; matter source located on its throat which was shown to be the simplest member of the previously introduced by us class of lightlike membranes. We introduce and exploit the Kruskal-Penrose description of the original Einstein-Rosen &apos;bridge&apos;. In particular, we explicitly construct closed timelike geodesics on the pertinent Kruskal-Penrose manifold.

Long-term total solar radiation variability at the Polish Baltic coast in Kołobrzeg within the period 1964-2013

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kleniewska, M.; Chojnicki, B. H.; Acosta, Manuel

2016-01-01

Roč. 4, č. 2 (2016), s. 35-40 ISSN 2299-3835 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LO1415 Institutional support: RVO:67179843 Keywords : total solar radiation * Kołobrzeg * dimming * brightening Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour

&apos;Bluetooth&apos; for radio-connecting short distance; Kinkyori wo musen setsuzokusuru &apos;Bluetooth&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-03-01

&apos;Bluetooth&apos; is a new connection method for radio-connecting a short distance by means of mobile equipment including a note PC, PC peripheral equipment and portable telephone, using 2.4GHz ISM (Industrial Scientific Medical) band. It is capable of making a network without a complex operation, enabling data and audio communications. In May, 1998, an operation for deciding on the specifications was started under the leadership of five companies consisting of Ericsson, Nokia, Intel, IBM and Toshiba, with the specification version 1.0 completed in July, 1999 and opened to the public. (readable on http://www.bluetooth.com). Using such features as low power consumption, low cost and small size, the &apos;Bluetooth&apos; will be mounted on various kinds of mobile equipment and developed in mobile PAN (Personal Area Network). (translated by NEDO)

Adipose tissue (PRR regulates insulin sensitivity, fat mass and body weight

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zulaykho Shamansurova

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Objective: We previously demonstrated that the handle-region peptide, a prorenin/renin receptor [(PRR] blocker, reduces body weight and fat mass and may improve insulin sensitivity in high-fat fed mice. We hypothesized that knocking out the adipose tissue (PRR gene would prevent weight gain and insulin resistance. Methods: An adipose tissue-specific (PRR knockout (KO mouse was created by Cre-loxP technology using AP2-Cre recombinase mice. Because the (PRR gene is located on the X chromosome, hemizygous males were complete KO and had a more pronounced phenotype on a normal diet (ND diet compared to heterozygous KO females. Therefore, we challenged the female mice with a high-fat diet (HFD to uncover certain phenotypes. Mice were maintained on either diet for 9 weeks. Results: KO mice had lower body weights compared to wild-types (WT. Only hemizygous male KO mice presented with lower total fat mass, higher total lean mass as well as smaller adipocytes compared to WT mice. Although food intake was similar between genotypes, locomotor activity during the active period was increased in both male and female KO mice. Interestingly, only male KO mice had increased O2 consumption and CO2 production during the entire 24-hour period, suggesting an increased basal metabolic rate. Although glycemia during a glucose tolerance test was similar, KO males as well as HFD-fed females had lower plasma insulin and C-peptide levels compared to WT mice, suggesting improved insulin sensitivity. Remarkably, all KO animals exhibited higher circulating adiponectin levels, suggesting that this phenotype can occur even in the absence of a significant reduction in adipose tissue weight, as observed in females and, thus, may be a specific effect related to the (PRR. Conclusions: (PRR may be an important therapeutic target for the treatment of obesity and its associated complications such as type 2 diabetes. Keywords: (Prorenin receptor, Renin-angiotensin system, Adipose

Vertiefungskurs 2014. Safety margins in nuclear power plants. Identify, quantify and extend; Vertiefungskurs 2014 zum Thema &apos;&apos;Sicherheitsmargen in Kernkraftwerken. Identifizieren, quantifizieren, erweitern&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rey, Matthias

2015-02-15

Fifteen speakers dealt with the topic safety margins in nuclear power plants from different points of view at the &apos;&apos;Vertiefungskurs 2014&apos;&apos; of the Nuklearforum Schweiz in Olten, 4 and 5 November 2014. In the context of the &apos;&apos;Vertiefungskurs 2014&apos;&apos; the safety margins in power plants were considered and quantified and possible extensions have been discussed. The conference started with an in-depth introduction of the basis design of existing nuclear power plants. Thereafter speakers told about the main topics emergency preparedness, knowledge management and safety retrofit of nuclear power plants in operation.

MID-INFRARED HIGH-CONTRAST IMAGING OF HD 114174 B: AN APPARENT AGE DISCREPANCY IN A &apos;'SIRIUS-LIKE'&apos; BINARY SYSTEM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matthews, Christopher T.; Crepp, Justin R. [Department of Physics, University of Notre Dame, 225 Nieuwland Science Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 (United States); Skemer, Andrew; Hinz, Philip M.; Bailey, Vanessa P.; Defrere, Denis; Leisenring, Jarron [Department of Astronomy, University of Arizona, 993 N. Cherry Ave, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Gianninas, Alexandros; Kilic, Mukremin [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019 (United States); Skrutskie, Michael [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States); Esposito, Simone; Puglisi, Alfio [Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri Largo E. Fermi I-550125 Firenze (Italy)

2014-03-10

We present new observations of the faint &apos;'Sirius-like'&apos; companion discovered to orbit HD 114174. Previous attempts to image HD 114174 B at mid-infrared wavelengths using NIRC2 at Keck have resulted in a non-detection. Our new L&apos;-band observations taken with the Large Binocular Telescope and L/M-band InfraRed Camera recover the companion (ΔL = 10.15 ± 0.15 mag, ρ = 0.&apos;&apos;675 ± 0.&apos;&apos;016) with a high signal-to-noise ratio (10σ). This measurement represents the deepest L&apos; high-contrast imaging detection at subarcsecond separations to date, including extrasolar planets. We confirm that HD 114174 B has near-infrared colors consistent with the interpretation of a cool white dwarf (WD; J – L&apos; = 0.76 ± 0.19 mag, K – L&apos; = 0.64 ± 0.20). New model fits to the object&apos;s spectral energy distribution indicate a temperature T {sub eff} = 4260 ± 360 K, surface gravity log g = 7.94 ± 0.03, a cooling age t{sub c} ≈ 7.8 Gyr, and mass M = 0.54 ± 0.01 M {sub ☉}. We find that the cooling ages given by theoretical atmospheric models do not agree with the age of HD 114174 A derived from both isochronological and gyrochronological analyses. We speculate on possible scenarios to explain the apparent age discrepancy between the primary and secondary. HD 114174 B is a nearby benchmark WD that will ultimately enable a dynamical mass estimate through continued Doppler and astrometric monitoring. Efforts to characterize its physical properties in detail will test theoretical atmospheric models and improve our understanding of WD evolution, cooling, and progenitor masses.

Differential response of the skin in young and old rats to a combination of X-rays and &apos;wet&apos; or &apos;dry&apos; hyperthermia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamlet, R.; Hopewell, J.W.

1986-11-01

Hind feet of group of female rats aged 7, 14 and 52 weeks were X-irradiated at 20, 25 or 30 Gy. Hyperthermia (42.5/sup 0/C for 1 h) was carried out immediately following irradiation using either &apos;wet&apos; or &apos;dry&apos; heat, by immersion in water or fluorocarbon liquid. Results demonstrated that &apos;wet&apos; heat produced a consistently greater enhancement of the irradiation damage than &apos;dry&apos;. The thermal enhancement ratio for irradiation plus &apos;wet&apos; heat was approximately 1.5 and for irradiation plus &apos;dry&apos; heat 1.17 to 1.39. Immersion of the feet in fluorocarbon liquid at 37/sup 0/C did not significantly modify the irradiation response of the skin. The lower thermal enhancement ratios obtained using immersion in fluorocarbon liquid at 42.5/sup 0/C are close to those obtained in large animal studies and similar to the limited amount of data from clinical studies where microwave or ultrasound heating techniques were used. It has been demonstrated that there are large age-related differences in the response of the rat foot skin to irradiation alone. It has also been shown, using rats of the same age, that the response to irradiation plus hyperthermia was less age dependent.

OBJECTIVE BAYESIAN ANALYSIS OF &apos;'ON/OFF'&apos; MEASUREMENTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Casadei, Diego, E-mail: diego.casadei@fhnw.ch [Visiting Scientist, Department of Physics and Astronomy, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT (United Kingdom)

2015-01-01

In high-energy astrophysics, it is common practice to account for the background overlaid with counts from the source of interest with the help of auxiliary measurements carried out by pointing off-source. In this &apos;'on/off'&apos; measurement, one knows the number of photons detected while pointing toward the source, the number of photons collected while pointing away from the source, and how to estimate the background counts in the source region from the flux observed in the auxiliary measurements. For very faint sources, the number of photons detected is so low that the approximations that hold asymptotically are not valid. On the other hand, an analytical solution exists for the Bayesian statistical inference, which is valid at low and high counts. Here we illustrate the objective Bayesian solution based on the reference posterior and compare the result with the approach very recently proposed by Knoetig, and discuss its most delicate points. In addition, we propose to compute the significance of the excess with respect to the background-only expectation with a method that is able to account for any uncertainty on the background and is valid for any photon count. This method is compared to the widely used significance formula by Li and Ma, which is based on asymptotic properties.

A neural model for transient identification in dynamic processes with &apos;don&apos;t know&apos; response

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mol, Antonio C. de A. E-mail: mol@ien.gov.br; Martinez, Aquilino S. E-mail: aquilino@lmp.ufrj.br; Schirru, Roberto E-mail: schirru@lmp.ufrj.br

2003-09-01

This work presents an approach for neural network based transient identification which allows either dynamic identification or a &apos;don&apos;t know&apos; response. The approach uses two &apos;jump&apos; multilayer neural networks (NN) trained with the backpropagation algorithm. The &apos;jump&apos; network is used because it is useful to dealing with very complex patterns, which is the case of the space of the state variables during some abnormal events. The first one is responsible for the dynamic identification. This NN uses, as input, a short set (in a moving time window) of recent measurements of each variable avoiding the necessity of using starting events. The other one is used to validate the instantaneous identification (from the first net) through the validation of each variable. This net is responsible for allowing the system to provide a &apos;don&apos;t know&apos; response. In order to validate the method, a Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) transient identification problem comprising 15 postulated accidents, simulated for a pressurized water reactor (PWR), was proposed in the validation process it has been considered noisy data in order to evaluate the method robustness. Obtained results reveal the ability of the method in dealing with both dynamic identification of transients and correct &apos;don&apos;t know&apos; response. Another important point studied in this work is that the system has shown to be independent of a trigger signal which indicates the beginning of the transient, thus making it robust in relation to this limitation.

The &apos;&apos;Hybrid Effect&apos;&apos;. Influence of hybridisation on the durability of automatic transmissions; Der &apos;'Hybrid-Effekt'&apos;. Einfluss der Hybridisierung auf die Lebensdauer von Automatikgetrieben

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lavall, Thomas [ZF Getriebe GmbH, Friedrichshafen (Germany)

2009-07-01

The series development of hybrid systems in combination with the new ZF 8-speed automatic transmissions contains also for the testing several aspects of challenge the complex overall system with additional loads, components and functions requires new definitions of testing volumes and load collectives with an ideal integration of testing expertise of all parties involved. This paper describes how, already in an early development stage of the fully hybridised 8-speed transmission system, specific load collectives have been developed with the aid of simulation. So the &apos;'hybrid-effect'&apos; as an additional load and its influence on the durability compared to non hybridised applications could be identified. Also it is shown how testing collectives have been adapted in practice to the hybrid specific needs to the point of a specific assembly of a test bench. The ZF testing concept for hybridised automatic transmissions has the ability of an early and efficient verification of the production readiness also securing highest possible series production quality for prospective hybrid projects. (orig.)

Computerized axial tomography of the chest for visualization of &apos;'absent'&apos; pulmonary arteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sondheimer, H.M. (Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse, NY); Oliphant, M.; Schneider, B.; Kavey, R.E.W.; Blackman, M.S.; Parker, F.B. Jr.

1982-05-01

To expand the search for central pulmonary arteries in six patients with absence of cardiac-pulmonary continuity, computerized axial tomography (CAT) of the chest was performed. The CAT scans were compared with previous arteriograms and pulmonary vein wedge angiograms. Three patients with type IV truncus arteriosus were studied, and none had a central, right or left pulmonary artery on CAT scan. However, two patients with tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia and a patent ductus arteriosus to the right lung demonstrated the presence of a left pulmonary artery. In addition, one child with truncus arteriosus with &apos;'absent'&apos; left pulmonary artery demonstrated a left pulmonary artery on the CAT scan. The CAT scan may therefore enhance our ability to search for disconnected pulmonary arteries in children with complex cyanotic congenital heart disease.

Technical and quality requisites (RTC&apos;s) &apos;a data architecture&apos;; Requisitos tecnicos y de calidad (RTC&apos; s) &apos;una arquitectura de datos&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Munoz G, R.; Jimenez R, B.; Ahedo A, S. [ININ, 52750 La Marquesa, Estado de Mexico (Mexico)]. e-mail: rmg@nuclear.inin.mx

2007-07-01

The RTC&apos;s are notes of technical and of quality requisites that the CLV emits, according to validity procedures of the Nuclear power station, to specify purchasing requisites of equipment with quality assurance category. This document contains a description of the computer program application RTC&apos;s, elaborated by the ININ for the CLV that allows to capture and to process the information of a database whose purpose is to facilitate the elaboration of the RTC&apos;s. Details of its development process are included. (Author)

Synthesis of (+-)-(1,1&apos;- sup 15 N sub 2 , 2&apos;- sup 13 C)-trans-3&apos;-methylnicotine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sirimanne, S.R.; Maggio, V.L.; Patterson, D.G. Jr. (Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA (United States))

1992-03-01

The synthesis of ({+-})- (1,1&apos;-{sup 15}N{sub 2}, 2&apos;-{sup 13}C)-trans-3&apos;-methylnicotine is reported. {sup 15}N-3-Bromopyridine obtained from bromination of pyridine was formylated with nBuLi/(carbonyl-{sup 13}C)-methyl formate. The resulting {sup 15}n-Pyridine-3-({sup 13}C-carbonyl)-carboxaldehyde was reacted with {sup 15}N-methylamine and then the resulting Schiff&apos;s base was condensed with succinic anhydride to give ({+-})- (1,1&apos;-{sup 15}N{sub 2}, 5&apos;-{sup 13}C)-trans-4&apos;-carboxycotinine. Reduction with lithium aluminum hydride and mesylation followed by reduction with Zn/NaI gave ({+-})-(1,1&apos;-{sup 15}N{sub 2}, 2&apos;-{sup 13}C)-trans-3&apos;-methylnicotine. (Author).

Studies on the Interaction of a Novel 6,6&apos;&apos;-bis(1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)- 2,2&apos;:6&apos;,2&apos;&apos;-terpyridine Ligand with Lanthanide(III) Ions and Americium(III)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, Frank W.; Harwood, Laurence M.; Hudson, Michael J.; Drew, Michael G.B.; Modolo, Giuseppe; Sypula, Michal; Desreux, Jean F.; Bouslimani, Nouri; Vidick, Geoffrey

2010-01-01

The new solvent extraction reagent 6,6&apos;&apos;-bis(5,5,8,8-tetramethyl- 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-1,2,4-benzo-triazin-3-yl)-2,2&apos;:6&apos;,2&apos;&apos;-terpyridine (CyMe 4 -BTTP) has been synthesized in 4 steps from 2,2&apos;:6&apos;,2&apos;&apos;-terpyridine. Detailed NMR and mass spectrometry studies indicate that the ligand forms 1:2 complexes with lanthanide(III) perchlorates where the aliphatic rings are conformationally constrained whereas 1:1 complexes are formed with lanthanide(III) nitrates where the aliphatic rings are conformationally mobile. An optimized structure of the 1:2 solution complex with Yb(III) was obtained from the relative magnitude of the induced paramagnetic shifts. X-ray crystallographic structures of the ligand and of its 1:1 complex with Y(III) were also obtained. In the absence of a phase-modifier, CyMe 4 -BTTP in 1-octanol showed a maximum distribution coefficient of Am(III) of 0.039 (±20%) and a maximum separation factor of Am(III) over Eu(III) of 12.0 from nitric acid solution. The metal(III) cations are extracted as the 1:1 complex from nitric acid solutions. The generally low distribution coefficients observed compared with the BTBPs arise because the 1:1 complex of CyMe 4 -BTTP is considerably less hydrophobic than the 1:2 complexes formed by the BTBPs. In M(BTTP) 3+ complexes, there is a competition between the nitrate ions and the ligand for the complexation of the metal. (authors)

&apos;Heat Market Campaign&apos; of the German coal mining industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dach, G.

1983-12-22

The &apos;&apos;Heat Market Campaign&apos;&apos;, presented in June &apos;83 by experts of all fields of coal mining, investigates the possibilities of coal sales promotion. The article reviews the main data of the heat market and discusses the &apos;&apos;Heat Market Campaign&apos;&apos; under the aspects of coal policy and energy policy. The campaign was started with the objectives of energy supply assurance in the Federal Republic of Germany, energy cost reduction on the consumer side, and stabilisation and development of coal markets not affected by the steel crisis. Sales goald on the household, trade and industrial sector are quantified, and obstacles preventing further expansion of the heat market are discussed. Apart from the mining industry&apos;s marketing concept for the heat market, there is also the possibility of receiving financial aid by the Federal government.

Network protocol &apos;EPAP&apos;; Network protokoru &apos;EPAP&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kobori, T.; Fujita, F.; Iwamoto, S. [Fuji Electric Co. Ltd., Toyo (Japan)

2000-10-10

The Ethernet, a standard of information networks, has begun to be applied to the control local area network (LAN). To apply the Ethernet to the field level, Fuji Electric has newly developed the communication protocol &apos;Ethernet precision access protocol (EPAP)&apos; in which a command/response method is structured on the user datagram protocol (UDP) to realize real time and high reliability. Further, we have implemented the EPAP on the bus interface module of the open PIO. This paper outlines the EPAP and its implementation. (author)

Blunt traumatic rupture of a mainstem bronchus: spiral CT demonstration of the &apos;&apos;fallen lung&apos;&apos; sign

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wintermark, M.; Schnyder, P.; Wicky, S. [Dept. of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital, Lausanne (Switzerland)

2001-03-01

Tracheo-bronchial injuries occur in less than 1 % of blunt chest trauma patients. Indirect signs, such as pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, and/or subcutaneous emphysema, are revealed on admission plain films and chest CT survey. In most instances, however, tracheo-bronchoscopy is mandatory in assessing the definite diagnosis of tracheo-bronchial lesion. Occasionally, an abnormal course of a mainstem bronchus or a &apos;&apos;fallen lung&apos;&apos; sign, featuring a collapsed lung in a dependent position, hanging on the hilum only by its vascular attachments, may allow for CT diagnosis of a blunt traumatic bronchial injury. (orig.)

[Evaluation of the Musical Concentration Training with Pepe (MusiKo mit Pepe) for children with attention deficits].

Science.gov (United States)

Rothmann, Kathrin; Hillmer, Jana-Mareike; Hosser, Daniela

2014-09-01

This study evaluates the Musical Concentration Training with Pepe ("MusiKo mit Pepe") for children aged 5 to 10 years with attention deficits. Using a pre-post-control design (N = 108), changes in attention capacity are measured by the Test of Attentional Performance for Children (KiTAP), whereas changes in the quality of life are assessed with the Children's Questionnaire (KINDL-R). Additionally, we utilized the Symptom Checklist for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (FBB-ADHS) and for Conduct Disorder (FBB-SSV) of the Diagnostic System of Mental Disorders in Children and Adolescents II based on ICD-10 and DSM-IV as well as the Child Behavior Checklist and the Teacher's Report Form (CBCL, TRF). Significant pre-post effects were found in both attention and quality of life for children treated by the training compared to controls. Moreover, significant reductions were detected in ADHD symptomatology in parents' and teachers' ratings, and in internal problems in parents' ratings. The effectiveness of the intervention was not affected by age, sex, intelligence, or migration background. The music-based training "MusiKo mit Pepe" is an effective intervention for children with attention deficits, pending replication of these findings in future studies.

Prospects and risks for young technology companies. Chancen und Risiken junger Technologieunternehmen; Ergebnisse des Modellversuchs &apos;&apos;Foerderung technologieorientierter Unternehmensgruendungen&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kulicke, M. (Fraunhofer-Institut fuer Systemtechnik und Innovationsforschung (ISI), Karlsruhe (Germany)); Bayer, K.; Braeunling, G.; Ewers, H.J.; Gerybadze, A.; Mayer, M.; Mueller, R.; Wein, T.; Wupperfeld, U.

1993-01-01

The book summarizes the insights gained from the model project &apos;&apos;Promotion of the establishment of technology-oriented companies&apos;&apos;. The manifold results on capital and consulting requirements, turnover and activity growth, factors determining success and survival and on the problems that arise during the starting phase broaden the informational basis for potential founders, their financers, and for promotion institutions. (orig.). 29 figs.

Human ApoE Isoforms Differentially Modulate Glucose and Amyloid Metabolic Pathways in Female Brain: Evidence of the Mechanism of Neuroprotection by ApoE2 and Implications for Alzheimer's Disease Prevention and Early Intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Keeney, Jeriel Thomas-Richard; Ibrahimi, Shaher; Zhao, Liqin

2015-01-01

Three major genetic isoforms of apolipoprotein E (ApoE), ApoE2, ApoE3, and ApoE4, exist in humans and lead to differences in susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study investigated the impact of human ApoE isoforms on brain metabolic pathways involved in glucose utilization and amyloid-β (Aβ) degradation, two major areas that are significantly perturbed in preclinical AD. Hippocampal RNA samples from middle-aged female mice with targeted human ApoE2, ApoE3, and ApoE4 gene replacement were comparatively analyzed with a qRT-PCR custom array for the expression of 85 genes involved in insulin/insulin-like growth factor (Igf) signaling. Consistent with its protective role against AD, ApoE2 brain exhibited the most metabolically robust profile among the three ApoE genotypes. When compared to ApoE2 brain, both ApoE3 and ApoE4 brains exhibited markedly reduced levels of Igf1, insulin receptor substrates (Irs), and facilitated glucose transporter 4 (Glut4), indicating reduced glucose uptake. Additionally, ApoE4 brain exhibited significantly decreased Pparg and insulin-degrading enzyme (Ide), indicating further compromised glucose metabolism and Aβ dysregulation associated with ApoE4. Protein analysis showed significantly decreased Igf1, Irs, and Glut4 in ApoE3 brain, and Igf1, Irs, Glut4, Pparg, and Ide in ApoE4 brain compared to ApoE2 brain. These data provide the first documented evidence that human ApoE isoforms differentially affect brain insulin/Igf signaling and downstream glucose and amyloid metabolic pathways, illustrating a potential mechanism for their differential risk in AD. A therapeutic strategy that enhances brain insulin/Igf1 signaling activity to a more robust ApoE2-like phenotype favoring both energy production and amyloid homeostasis holds promise for AD prevention and early intervention.

Pharmaceutical induction of ApoE secretion by multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Whitney Mandolin J

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Apolipoprotein E (ApoE is a molecular scavenger in the blood and brain. Aberrant function of the molecule causes formation of protein and lipid deposits or "plaques" that characterize Alzheimer's disease (AD and atherosclerosis. There are three human isoforms of ApoE designated ε2, ε3, and ε4. Each isoform differentially affects the structure and function of the protein and thus the development of disease. Homozygosity for ApoE ε4 is associated with atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease whereas ApoE ε2 and ε3 tend to be protective. Furthermore, the ε2 form may cause forms of hyperlipoproteinemia. Therefore, introduction of ApoE ε3 may be beneficial to patients that are susceptible to or suffering from these diseases. Mesenchymal stem cells or multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs are adult progenitor cells found in numerous tissues. They are easily expanded in culture and engraft into host tissues when administered appropriately. Furthermore, MSCs are immunosuppressive and have been reported to engraft as allogeneic transplants. In our previous study, mouse MSCs (mMSCs were implanted into the brains of ApoE null mice, resulting in production of small amounts of ApoE in the brain and attenuation of cognitive deficits. Therefore human MSCs (hMSCs are a promising vector for the administration of ApoE ε3 in humans. Results Unlike mMSCs, hMSCs were found not to express ApoE in culture; therefore a molecular screen was performed for compounds that induce expression. PPARγ agonists, neural stem cell conditioned medium, osteo-inductive media, dexamethasone, and adipo-inductive media (AIM were tested. Of the conditions tested, only AIM or dexamethasone induced sustained secretion of ApoE in MSCs and the duration of secretion was only limited by the length of time MSCs could be sustained in culture. Upon withdrawal of the inductive stimuli, the ApoE secretion persisted for a further 14 days. Conclusion The data

7th CNS int&apos;l steam generators to controls conference - a compliment to the remarkable CNS &apos;OM+DM utility engagement initiative&apos;

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, W.

2012-01-01

We learned from CANDU Maintenance-Conference of December 2011, that it is our own &apos;ways-of-working&apos; as service-providers for everything from plant-architecture to operational-support, that is holding back &apos;new-build&apos; as well as &apos;re-build&apos;. CMC2011 addressed that by focusing on &apos;Needs-and-Interests of the Operating-Utilities&apos;. SGC 2012 extends that by focusing firstly on &apos;Issue-Identification&apos; to isolate &apos;items-needing-attention&apos;; then on &apos;Issue-Definition&apos; to define the &apos;work&apos; required for &apos;Issue-Resolution&apos;. It also pursues &apos;Task Leadership&apos; as a competence, essential for ... &apos;making things happen&apos;. These events and the CNS &apos;OM+DM [Operations&Maintenance and Design&Materials Divisions] Utility Engagement Initiative&apos; are seen as complimentary initiatives toward such &apos;ways-of-working-improvement&apos; objectives. (author)

A model-independent &apos;&apos;general search&apos;&apos; for new physics with the ATLAS detector at LHC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bianchi, Riccardo Maria

2014-03-18

The LHC particle collider accelerates bunches of protons at energies never reached before, thus opening a completely new landscape of new physics. In this scenario the number of possible physics processes and signatures becomes virtually infinite, making the setup of dedicated analyses impossible. Moreover there are regions of the phase-space where signals of new physics are not very likely to be found, or where suitable theoretical models are missing, and it is important to be able to reveal new processes from such regions as well. At the time this Thesis was started, no model-independent analysis had been set for the ATLAS experiment at LHC. The goal of this work was then to conceive and develop a new model-independent &apos;&apos;General Search&apos;&apos; for ATLAS, and to explore its possibilities. The new analysis has been then implemented and run over the first data which have been collected by the ATLAS experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. This work presents the motivation of the data analysis, describes its implementation and shows the results. The data have shown a very good agreement with the Standard Model expectation and no evidence of new physics has been observed. Nevertheless, an efficient strategy and methodology for a new model-independent &apos;&apos;General Search&apos;&apos; have been defined and they are ready to be used in a next version of this analysis, over a larger set of experimental data. During this work, a new innovative software framework has been also conceived and developed to ease the implementation of physics analysis code using Computer-Aided- Software-Engineering (CASE) principles. The framework has been successfully used to analyze the very first LHC data, and then it has been transformed into an open-source modular framework for HEP data analysis, and presented at Physics and Computer Science international conferences.

In vivo imaging of macrophages during the early-stages of abdominal aortic aneurysm using high resolution MRI in ApoE mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuyu Yao

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Angiotensin II (ANG II promotes vascular inflammation and induces abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA in hyperlipidemic apolipoprotein E knock-out (apoE(-/- mice. The aim of the present study was to detect macrophage activities in an ANG II-induced early-stage AAA model using superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO as a marker. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Twenty-six male apoE(-/- mice received saline or ANG II (1000 or 500 ng/kg/min infusion for 14 days. All animals underwent MRI scanning following administration of SPIO with the exception of three mice in the 1000 ng ANG II group, which were scanned without SPIO administration. MR imaging was performed using black-blood T2 to proton density -weighted multi-spin multi-echo sequence. In vivo MRI measurement of SPIO uptake and abdominal aortic diameter were obtained. Prussian blue, CD68,α-SMC and MAC3 immunohistological stains were used for the detection of SPIO, macrophages and smooth muscle cells. ANG II infusion with 1000 ng/kg/min induced AAA in all of the apoE(-/- mice. ANG II infusion exhibited significantly higher degrees of SPIO uptake, which was detected using MRI as a distinct loss of signal intensity. The contrast-to-noise ratio value decreased in proportion to an increase in the number of iron-laden macrophages in the aneurysm. The aneurysmal vessel wall in both groups of ANG II treated mice contained more iron-positive macrophages than saline-treated mice. However, the presence of cells capable of phagocytosing haemosiderin in mural thrombi also induced low-signal-intensities via MRI imaging. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: SPIO is taken up by macrophages in the shoulder and the outer layer of AAA. This alters the MRI signaling properties and can be used in imaging inflammation associated with AAA. It is important to compare images of the aorta before and after SPIO injection.

Aluminum &apos;'egg-box'&apos; panel as an energy absorber for pedestrian protection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nowpada, Sravanthi; Chirwa, Efford C.; Myler, Peter; Matsika, Emmanuel [Bolton Automotive and Aerospace Research Group (BAARG), School of Built Environment and Engineering, University of Bolton (United Kingdom)

2010-07-15

This paper evaluates the quasi-static performance of lightweight aluminum &apos;'egg-box'&apos; panels which have an improved architecture specifically designed to increase the energy absorption capability. In its entirety, the egg-box panel structure investigated herein is made up of arrays of positive and negative frusta. To understand the collapse mechanism and the factors influencing the energy absorption thereof, compressive tests were conducted under similar test conditions on two single frusta, one constrained in situ and the other separated from the egg-box panel exposing the free-free edges. Their load-displacement histories show characteristics that are similar, with a rise in load to a point where they plateau at a steady state load for the entire collapse time. But the energy absorbed by the in situ constrained frustum is 80% greater than that separated from the egg-box panel with free-free edges. (Abstract Copyright [2010], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Solar tank. &apos;Solar ship&apos; and solar development project at Freiburg; Sonne im Tank. &apos;Sonnenschiff&apos; und Solarsiedlung in Freiburg

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alle, N.

2007-05-15

In the &apos;Vauban&apos; district of the German city of Freiburg, 59 plusenergy terrace houses and one block of offices and shops were constructed during the past five years. The latter is named &apos;solar ship&apos; and has nine penthouses on its roof which generate more power than they consume. The building is 125 m long and is both a building and a power station. (orig.)

Advice relative to the examination of the &apos;clay 2005 file&apos;; Avis relatif a l&apos;examen du &apos;dossier 2005 argile&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-12-15

On request of the general director of the French nuclear safety and radiation protection institute (IRSN), the permanent group of experts for long duration waste disposal facilities has examined the &apos;clay 2005 file&apos; made by the ANDRA and which aims at demonstrating the feasibility of a disposal facility for high level and long living rad-wastes in the argillite formation of the Bure site. The group of experts has examined in particular the critical safety aspects of such a facility and the identification and consideration of uncertainties by the ANDRA in its safety analysis. It has also identified the main additional research works that may be carried out to demonstrate the feasibility of an industrial implementation of a safe disposal facility in the same Callovo-Oxfordian argilite formation. This document is the favourable advice and the recommendations expressed by the group of experts after examination of the ANDRA&apos;s &apos;clay 2005 file&apos;. (J.S.)

Cuts in energy and operating cost with the Swiss system &apos;Energie in ARA&apos; - practical experience in Germany; Energie- und Betriebskosteneinsparungen nach dem schweizerischen System &apos;&apos;Energie in ARA&apos;&apos; - Praxiserfahrungen in Deutschland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Christmann, B. [UmBAUwelt Partnerschaft Architekten und Ingenieure, Riedstadt (Germany)

1999-07-01

German sewage treatment plants, too, have potential for saving energy cost and cutting down on their operating expenditure. Following the systematy developed by the &apos;Energie in ARA&apos; concept, this potential can be harnessed. (orig.) [German] Potential fuer Energiekosteneinsparungen und dadurch initiierte Betriebskosteneinsparungen ist auch bei deutschen Klaeranlagen vorhanden. Die Systematik &apos;Energie in ARA&apos; kann fuer die Erschliessung der Einsparpotentiale verwendet werden. (orig.)

&apos;&apos;1/f noise&apos;&apos; in music: Music from 1/f noise

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Voss, R.F.; Clarke, J.

1978-01-01

The spectral density of fluctuations in the audio power of many musical selections and of English speech varies approximately as 1/f (f is the frequency) down to a frequency of 5 x 10/sup -4/ Hz. This result implies that the audio-power fluctuations are correlated over all times in the same manner as &apos;&apos;1/f noise&apos;&apos; in electronic components. The frequency fluctuations of music also have a 1/f spectral density at frequencies down to the inverse of the length of the piece of music. The frequency fluctuations of English speech have a quite different behavior, with a single characteristic time of about 0.1 s, the average length of a syllable. The observations on music suggest that 1/f noise is a good choice for stochastic composition. Compositions in which the frequency and duration of each note were determined by 1/f noise sources sounded pleasing. Those generated by white-noise sources sounded too random, while those generated by 1/f/sup 2/ noise sounded too correlated.

The Idea of an Innovated Concept of the Košice Geothermal Project

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bujanská Alena

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Slovakia has very limited amounts of fossil resources. However, it has a relatively high potential of geothermal energy which use is far below its possibilities. The most abundant geothermal resource, not only in Slovakia but throughout the central Europe, is Košice basin. Since the publication of the first ideas about the ambitious goal to exploit the geothermal potential of this site, 20 years has passed and three geothermal wells has been made but without any progress. In the article the authors present the idea of a fundamental change in the approach to improve the energy and economic efficiency of the project.

The Czech national long distances measuring standard Koštice - State of play

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ladislav Červinka

2009-11-01

Full Text Available This article gives information about new Czech national long distances measuring standard, which has been preparedat the distance base near the Koštice village. Submitter of the project is the Czech Office for Standards, Metrology and Testing.Research and document preparation for creation of the measuring standard were ensured by the Research Institute of Geodesy,Topography and Cartography. Interlaboratory comparisons were made by staff of the Bundeswehr University in Munich. The paperreports about works, which will be carried out on national standard in the second half of this year. Purpose of this works is to improvecharacteristics of accuracy of national etalon.

Glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration in mouse LDHC-null sperm.

Science.gov (United States)

Odet, Fanny; Gabel, Scott; London, Robert E; Goldberg, Erwin; Eddy, Edward M

2013-04-01

We demonstrated previously that a knockout (KO) of the lactate dehydrogenase type C (Ldhc) gene disrupted male fertility and caused a considerable reduction in sperm glucose consumption, ATP production, and motility. While that study used mice with a mixed genetic background, the present study used C57BL/6 (B6) and 129S6 (129) Ldhc KO mice. We found that B6 KO males were subfertile and 129 KO males were infertile. Sperm from 129 wild-type (WT) mice have a lower glycolytic rate than sperm from B6 WT mice, resulting in a greater reduction in ATP production in 129 KO sperm than in B6 KO sperm. The lower glycolytic rate in 129 sperm offered a novel opportunity to examine the role of mitochondrial respiration in sperm ATP production and motility. We observed that in media containing a mitochondrial substrate (pyruvate or lactate) as the sole energy source, ATP levels and progressive motility in 129 KO sperm were similar to those in 129 WT sperm. However, when glucose was added, lactate was unable to maintain ATP levels or progressive motility in 129 KO sperm. The rate of respiration (ZO2) was high when 129 KO or WT sperm were incubated with lactate alone, but addition of glucose caused a reduction in ZO2. These results indicate that in the absence of glucose, 129 sperm can produce ATP via oxidative phosphorylation, but in the presence of glucose, oxidative phosphorylation is suppressed and the sperm utilize aerobic glycolysis, a phenomenon known as the Crabtree effect.

Nuclear track radiography of &apos;hot&apos; aerosol particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boulyga, S.F.; Kievitskaja, A.I.; Kievets, M.K.; Lomonosova, E.M.; Zhuk, I.V.; Yaroshevich, O.I.; Perelygin, V.P.; Petrova, R.; Brandt, R.; Vater, P

1999-06-01

Nuclear track radiography was applied to identify aerosol &apos;hot&apos; particles which contain elements of nuclear fuel and fallout after Chernobyl NPP accident. For the determination of the content of transuranium elements in radioactive aerosols the measurement of the {alpha}-activity of &apos;hot&apos; particles by SSNTD was used in this work, as well as radiography of fission fragments formed as a result of the reactions (n,f) and ({gamma},f) in the irradiation of aerosol filters by thermal neutrons and high energy gamma quanta. The technique allowed the sizes and alpha-activity of &apos;hot&apos; particles to be determined without extracting them from the filter, as well as the determination of the uranium content and its enrichment by {sup 235}U, {sup 239}Pu and {sup 241}Pu isotopes. Sensitivity of determination of alpha activity by fission method is 5x10{sup -6} Bq per particle. The software for the system of image analysis was created. It ensured the identification of track clusters on an optical image of the SSNTD surface obtained through a video camera and the determination of size and activity of &apos;hot&apos; particles00.

Calogero&apos;s &apos;goldfish&apos; is indeed a school of free particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nucci, M C [Dipartimento di Matematica e Informatica, Universita di Perugia, 06123 Perugia (Italy)

2004-11-26

A many-body system of N nonlinear ordinary differential equations of second order which is amenable to exact treatments (a &apos;goldfish&apos;) (Calogero 2001 The neatest many-body problem amenable to exact treatments (a &apos;goldfish&apos;?) Physica D 152-153 78-84) is shown to be equivalent through an exact transformation to the equations of one-dimensional motion of (N-1) free particles (a school of free particles, indeed). The transformation is obtained by applying the reduction method and Lie group analysis as introduced in Nucci (1996 The complete Kepler group can be derived by Lie group analysis J. Math. Phys. 37 1772-5)

Aharonov-Bohm effect for a fermion field in a planar black hole &apos;'spacetime'&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anacleto, M.A.; Mohammadi, A. [Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Departamento de Fisica, Caixa Postal 10071, Campina Grande, Paraiba (Brazil); Brito, F.A. [Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Departamento de Fisica, Caixa Postal 10071, Campina Grande, Paraiba (Brazil); Universidade Federal da Paraiba, Departamento de Fisica, Caixa Postal 5008, Joao Pessoa, Paraiba (Brazil); Passos, E. [Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Departamento de Fisica, Caixa Postal 10071, Campina Grande, Paraiba (Brazil); Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Fisica, Caixa Postal 21945, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

2017-04-15

In this paper we consider the dynamics of a massive spinor field in the background of the acoustic black hole spacetime. Although this effective metric is acoustic and describes the propagation of sound waves, it can be considered as a toy model for the gravitational black hole. In this manner, we study the properties of the dynamics of the fermion field in this &apos;'gravitational'&apos; rotating black hole as well as the vortex background. We compute the differential cross section through the use of the partial wave approach and show that an effect similar to the gravitational Aharonov-Bohm effect occurs for the massive fermion field moving in this effective metric. We discuss the limiting cases and compare the results with the massless scalar field case. (orig.)

The Effect of a High-Fat Diet on Brain Plasticity, Inflammation and Cognition in Female ApoE4-Knockin and ApoE-Knockout Mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carola I F Janssen

Full Text Available Apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4, one of three common isoforms of ApoE, is a major risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer disease (AD. ApoE-deficient mice, as well as mice expressing human ApoE4, display impaired learning and memory functions and signs of neurodegeneration. Moreover, ApoE protects against high-fat (HF diet induced neurodegeneration by its role in the maintenance of the integrity of the blood-brain barrier. The influence of a HF diet on the progression of AD-like cognitive and neuropathological changes was assessed in wild-type (WT, human ApoE4 and ApoE-knockout (ApoE-/- mice to evaluate the modulatory role of ApoE in this process. From 12 months of age, female WT, ApoE4, and ApoE-/- mice were fed either a standard or a HF diet (19% butter, 0.5% cholate, 1.25% cholesterol throughout life. At 15 months of age mice performed the Morris water maze, evaluating spatial learning and memory. ApoE-/- showed increased spatial learning compared to WT mice (p = 0.009. HF diet improved spatial learning in WT mice (p = 0.045, but did not affect ApoE4 and ApoE-/- mice. Immunohistochemical analyses of the hippocampus demonstrated increased neuroinflammation (CD68 in the cornu ammonis 1 (CA1 region in ApoE4 (p = 0.001 and in ApoE-/- (p = 0.032 mice on standard diet. HF diet tended to increase CD68 in the CA1 in WT mice (p = 0.052, while it decreased in ApoE4 (p = 0.009, but ApoE-/- remained unaffected. A trend towards increased neurogenesis (DCX was found in both ApoE4 (p = 0.052 and ApoE-/- mice (p = 0.068. In conclusion, these data suggest that HF intake induces different effects in WT mice compared to ApoE4 and ApoE-/- with respect to markers for cognition and neurodegeneration. We propose that HF intake inhibits the compensatory mechanisms of neuroinflammation and neurogenesis in aged female ApoE4 and ApoE-/- mice.

Quantifying the &apos;naturalness&apos; of the curvaton model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lerner, Rose N. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Helsinki Institute of Physics (Finland); Melville, Scott [Helsinki Institute of Physics (Finland)

2014-02-15

We investigate the probability of obtaining an observable curvature perturbation, using as an example the minimal curvaton-Higgs (MCH) model. We determine &apos;probably observable&apos; and &apos;probably excluded&apos; regions of parameter space assuming generic initial conditions and applying a stochastic approach for the curvaton&apos;s evolution during inflation. Inflation is assumed to last longer than the N{sub obs}≅55 observable e-folds, and the total number of e-folds of inflation determines the particular ranges of parameters that are probable. For the MCH model, these &apos;probably observable&apos; regions always lie within the range 8 x 10{sup 4} GeV≤m{sub σ}≤2 x 10{sup 7} GeV, where m{sub σ} is the curvaton mass, and the Hubble scale at horizon exit is chosen as H{sub *}=10{sup 10} GeV. Because the &apos;probably observable&apos; region depends on the total duration of inflation, information on parameters in the Lagrangian from particle physics and from precision CMB observables can therefore provide information about the total duration of inflation, not just the last N{sub obs} e-folds. This method could also be applied to any model that contains additional scalar fields to determine the probability that these scalar fields contribute to the curvature perturbation.

Three dimensional visualisation chosen part of Košice city

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miroslav Šimčák

2007-06-01

Full Text Available With development of informatization and internetization in Slovakia go up interest cities and central villages to present themselves by way of web portal. Creation of the virtual cities is a modern trend in the foreign countries. This paper makes possible navigation potential visitors along the significant cultural and historical seightseens. It’s opening possibilities for creation of the virtual shopping centre. It could be interested for business in the city. In the first phase of solution it is creating the digital model of Main Street in Košice city, which is situated in the centre of city, and it is one of the most frequent place in the city. We use GIS tools for creation of 3D model. The basis is creation of the digital model of house buildings. Buildings are described by a simplification like 3D object regular shaped. We use an aerial photograph and photos buildings for creation complex of the digital model of the city.

PubliForum &apos;Electricity and Society&apos;. Citizen Panel Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-06-01

In the Citizen Panel&apos;s Report on &apos;Electricity and Society&apos; we present the first results of three intensive week-ends. In this document, 27 Swiss citizens have recorded their opinions on the future of our electricity supply system. Solutions are sought without making claims on having found the ultimate recipe. The recommendations are the result of an assessment made by a representative cross-section of the public - one could almost say &apos;the voice of the people&apos;. They reflect not only the public&apos;s apprehensions and worries, but also their ideas and desires. (authors)

3&apos;,8&apos;&apos;-biisokaempferide, a cytotoxic biflavonoid and other chemical constituents of Nanuza plicata (Velloziaceae)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pinto, Meri Emili F.; Silva, Marcelo Sobral da; Barbosa Filho, Jose Maria; Castello-Branco, Marianna Vieira S.; Agra, Maria de Fatima; Tavares, Josean Fechine, E-mail: marcelosobral@ltf.ufpb.b [Universidade Federal da Paraiba (UFPB), Joao Pessoa, PB (Brazil). Lab. de Tecnologia Farmaceutica; Schindler, Elisabete; El-Bacha, Ramon dos Santos [Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, BA (Brazil). Inst. de Ciencias da Saude. Lab. de Neuroquimica e Biologia Celular

2010-07-01

A novel biflavonoid, named 3&apos;,8&apos;&apos;-biisokaempferide (1), along with the known compounds amentoflavone (2), patagonic acid (3), (4aR,5S,6R,8aR)-5-[2-(2,5-Dihydro-5-methoxy-2-oxofuran- 3-yl)ethyl]-3,4,4a,5,6,7,8,8a-octahydro-5,6,8a- trimethylnaphthalene-1-carboxylic acid (4), 5-caffeoylquinic acid methyl ester (5), 3,5-di-caffeoylquinic acid (6) and luteolin (7), were isolated of the leaves from Nanuza plicata. The compounds 3, 4, 5 and 6 are reported for the first time in Velloziaceae. The structures of the compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods, especially NMR and MS analyses. The cytotoxicity of 3&apos;,8&apos;&apos;-biisokaempferide was studied in cultures of human glioblastoma GL-15 cells. The effective concentration, which killed 50 % of cells after 72 h was 36.5 {mu}mol L{sup -1}. Changes in cellular morphology, including retraction and degradation of cytoplasm, were observed when cells were treated with concentrations from 20 {mu}mol L-1 of 3&apos;,8&apos;&apos;-biisokaempferide for 72 h. (author)

Pravna priroda obveza iz komercijalne djelatnosti prijevoznika - tumačenje Čl.III 2 Haško-Visbyjskih pravila : (prikaz presude

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivana Oršulić

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Prema common law-u prijevoznik je prima facie dužan krcati, slagati i iskrcavati teret, ali je on ovlašten te svoje obveze prenijeti na drugu osobu. Odredba čl. III 2 Haško-Visbyskih pravila kojom se propisuje dužnost prijevoznika “uredno i brižljivo ukrcavati, rukovati, slagati, prevoziti, čuvati, brinuti se i iskrcavati robu” ne utvrđuje strogo osobnu, neprenosivu obvezu prijevoznika da izvrši navedene radnje već postavlja standard urednog i brižljivog postupanja koji je prijevoznik dužan poštovati ukoliko ugovorom uistinu preuzme obvezu izvođenja kargo operacija. Zbog toga se na ugovorne odredbe kojima se prijevoznik oslobađa odgovornosti za ukrcaj, slaganje i iskrcaj ne može primijeniti čl. III 8 Haško-Visbyskih pravila.

PHS terminal &apos;TEGACKY&apos; dedicated to e-mailing; Mail senyo PHS tanmatsu &apos;TEGACKY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-03-01

The e-mail utilization rate at mobile communication terminals is increasing at a remarkable rate, as if to grow above the rate of communication by voice. Under the circumstances, a PHS (Personal Handyphone System) terminal &apos;TEGACKY&apos; (type name: PM-T101) has been developed, designed exclusively for use for e-mailing. &apos;TEGACKY&apos; is characterized in that its icons may be activated with pen, that input may be made by handwriting, and that its large screen allows a 48-character message consisting of 4 lines of 12 characters to be displayed at one time despite its compact size. It can also perform communication directly with other terminals or e-mail via center, and is provided with an information service function. &apos;TEGACKY&apos; having such distinguished features has created a new category of terminals which are at once e-mailing tools. (translated by NEDO)

Apolipoproteins C-III and E in apoB- and non-apoB-containing lipoproteins in two populations at contrasting risk for myocardial infarction: the ECTIM study. Etude Cas Témoins sur 'Infarctus du Myocarde.

Science.gov (United States)

Luc, G; Fievet, C; Arveiler, D; Evans, A E; Bard, J M; Cambien, F; Fruchart, J C; Ducimetiere, P

1996-03-01

Apolipoprotein (apo) C-III and apoE are components of two major classes of plasma lipoproteins, i.e., apoB- and non-apoB-containing lipoproteins. To analyze the relationship between the distribution of apoC-III and apoE among lipoproteins and coronary heart disease, we compared the distribution of these two apolipoproteins in survivors of myocardial infarction (MI) and control subjects, within and between populations at contrasting risk for MI. ApoC-III and apoE concentrations were determined in plasma devoid of apoB-containing lipoproteins by immunoprecipitation using a specific anti-apoB antiserum. These assays referred to apoC-III-Lp non-B and apoE-Lp non-B, respectively. By examining the difference with total plasma apoC-III and apoE levels, we calculated apoC-III and apoE in apoB-containing lipoproteins (apoCIII-LpB and apoE-LpB, respectively). These determinations were performed in control subjects and in survivors of MI, all males aged 25 to 64 years. They were recruited in Northern Ireland and France, countries characterized by a large difference in the incidence of coronary heart disease. In univariate analysis, apoCIII-LpB appeared significantly higher and the apoC-III ratio (apoC-III-Lp non-B/apoC-III-LpB) significantly lower in MI survivors than in control subjects in both countries. ApoE-LpB was higher in MI survivors than in control subjects in Northern Ireland but not in France. The two French and Irish control populations differed for apoC-ILL-Lp non-B, apoC-III ratio, and apoE ratio, which were higher in France than in Northern Ireland, and for apoC-III-LpB, apoE, and apoE-LpB, which were lower. Multivariate analysis showed that no parameter involving apoC-III and apoE was more discriminatory than HDL-cholesterol, cholesterol, and triglycerides or apoA-I, apoB, and triglycerides between controls and MI subjects. In contrast, the apoC-III ratio was a better discriminatory parameter between the two control populations than the listed parameters. The

The &apos;Transnuklear affair&apos; and its consequences. Die &apos;Transnuklear-Affaere&apos; und ihre Auswirkungen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brinkert, M.

1992-03-01

The &apos;Bribe&apos; and &apos;Drum&apos; Affairs and suspected proliferation in connection with Transnuklear GmbH public around the turn of 1987/88. Many members of the press wished them to speed up the process of opting out of nuclear power. However, none of the accusations specifically related to nuclear power leveled at that time turned out to be tenable. Instead, all violations of the law which had been detected could have been punished in the same way as in any other branch of industry. As a consequence, the impacts arising to regulatory structures in the nuclear sector, especially the measures taken by the Federal Government, may be considered to have been unjustified in scope. The TN Affair and the associated litigation has caused a great deal of confidence in nuclear power to be lost, which now has to be reclaimed by purposeful public relations efforts. (orig.).

Chronic administration of mitochondrion-targeted peptide SS-31 prevents atherosclerotic development in ApoE knockout mice fed Western diet.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meng Zhang

Full Text Available Oxidative stress and inflammatory factors are deeply involved in progression of atherosclerosis. Mitochondrion-targeted peptide SS-31, selectively targeting to mitochondrial inner membrane reacting with cardiolipin, has been reported to inhibit ROS generation and mitigate inflammation. The present study was designed to investigate whether SS-31 could suppress the development of atherosclerosis in vivo.Male ApoE-/- mice (8 weeks old fed with Western diet were treated with normal saline or SS-31 (1 mg/kg/d or 3 mg/kg/d through subcutaneous injection for 12 weeks. Oil Red O staining was performed to evaluate area and sizes of the plaques. DHE staining and immunohistochemical staining of 8-OHDG was performed to assess the oxidative stress. The aorta ATP contents were assessed by the ATP bioluminescence assay kit. Immunohistochemical staining of CD68 and α-SMA and Masson's trichrome staining were performed to evaluate the composition of atherosclerotic plaque. Biochemical assays were performed to determine the protein level and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD. The levels of CD36, LOX-1 and ABCA1 were immunohistochemically and biochemically determined to evaluate the cholesterol transport in aorta and peritoneal macrophages. Inflammatory factors, including ICAM-1, MCP-1, IL-6 and CRP in serum, were detected through ELISA.SS-31 administration reduced the area and sizes of western diet-induced atherosclerotic plaques and changed the composition of the plaques in ApoE-/- mice. Oxidative stress was suppressed, as evidenced by the reduced DHE stain, down-regulated 8-OHDG expression, and increased SOD activity after chronic SS-31 administration. Moreover, systemic inflammation was ameliorated as seen by decreasing serum ICAM-1, MCP-1, and IL-6 levels. Most importantly, SS-31 administration inhibited cholesterol influx by down-regulating expression of CD36 and LOX-1 to prevent lipid accumulation to further suppress the foam cell formation and

Antithyroid drugs as a factor influencing the outcome of radioiodine therapy in Graves&apos; disease and toxic nodular goitre?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koerber, C.; Schneider, P.; Koerber-Hafner, N.; Haenscheid, H.; Reiners, C. [Wuerzburg Univ. (Germany). Abt. fuer Nuklearmedizin

2001-09-01

There is controversy over the factors that may influence the outcome of radioiodine therapy for benign thyroid diseases. Antithyroid medication has been claimed to negatively influence the effectiveness of radioiodine therapy in Graves&apos; disease. In a longitudinal study, we assessed the influence of sex, age, antithyroid drugs, target radiation dose, target mass, applied activity, delivered dose, interval between last meal and application, and TSH, FT{sub 3} and FT{sub 4} levels on the outcome of radioiodine therapy. One hundred and forty-four patients (111 female, 33 male) suffering from Graves&apos; disease (GD) and 563 patients (434 female, 129 male) with toxic nodular goitre (TNG) were entered in the study and followed up until 8 months after therapy. Treatment was defined as successful when the TSH level was found to be normal or elevated. Ninety-eight GD patients and 418 TNG patients were successfully treated. Forward stepwise multiple regression analysis models retained only the target mass in GD and the applied activity in TNG as significantly associated with the outcome of therapy. The predictive value of all variables involved was extremely low in both disease groups. Whereas concomitant antithyroid medication had no influence in GD, it adversely influenced radioiodine therapy of TNG. This effect may be attributed to a radioiodine &apos;&apos;steal phenomenon&apos;&apos; induced by TSH-stimulated normal thyroid tissue, which causes overestimation of the uptake in toxic nodules. (orig.)

Solar campaign &apos;Solar - na klar.&apos; (solar - of course). Final report; Solarkampagne &apos;Solar - na klar.&apos;. Abschlussbericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gege, M.; Kleinsteuber, A.; Krabbe, P.; Kroeger, P.; Maschke, K.; Niedert, S.; Schindelmann, F.; Thunert, A.; Weinberg, H.

2002-03-18

The German market for technically matured solar-thermal systems for generating hot water is growing by 20 per cent per year, with some deviations due to incentive policies. This growth can be and is planned to be increased systematically, with following goals: A practical contribution to the Federal Government&apos;s efforts to achieve the goals regarding the protection of climate; creating future-oriented jobs; supporting ecologically sustainable ways of life and models of consumption by convincing the consumers and other target groups of the fact that it makes sense already today to start utilizing solar energy and to invest also on private basis. These targets are expected to be set up with the help of a three-year mass campaign (1999 until 2001), i.e. the campaign called &apos;&apos;Solar - na klar.&apos;&apos; (solar - of course). [German] Der deutsche Markt fuer die technisch ausgereiften solarthermischen Anlagen zur Warmwassererzeugung waechst mit ca. 20% p.a., mit foerderpolitisch bedingten Schwankungen. Dieses Wachstum kann und soll systematisch gesteigert werden, mit folgenden Zielsetzungen: Praktischer Beitrag zur Erreichung der Klimaschutzziele der Bundesregierung; Schaffung zukunftsorientierter Arbeitsplaetze; Befoerderung oekologisch nachhaltiger Lebensstile und Konsummuster durch die Ueberzeugung der Verbraucher und weiterer Zielgruppen, dass es heute bereits sinnvoll ist, in die Nutzung der Solarenergie konkret einzusteigen und auch privat zu investieren. Diese Ziele sollen mithilfe einer auf drei Jahre angelegten Breitenkampagne (1999 bis 2001), d.h. der Kampagne &apos;Solar - na klar.&apos; erfolgen. (orig.)

The energy and monetary implications of the &apos;24/7 &apos;always on&apos; society

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loveday, Dennis L. [Department of Civil and Building Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU (United Kingdom); Bhamra, T.; Tang, T. [Department of Design and Technology, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU (United Kingdom); Haines, V.J.A. [Ergonomics and Safety Research Institute (ESRI), Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU (United Kingdom); Holmes, M.J. [ARUP, 13, Fitzroy Street, London W1T 4BR (United Kingdom); Green, R.J. [Institute for Energy Research and Policy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT (United Kingdom)

2008-12-15

This paper reviews the trends in society, technology and energy demand of the past 30 years, together with the growth of the &apos;on-demand&apos; culture. The &apos;24/7&apos; or &apos;always on&apos; society can be defined as one where people demand - and generally receive - what they want &apos;now&apos;. It has grown up in parallel with developments in information technology, which have produced the services needed to meet that demand. Larger numbers of appliances, resulting from greater affluence and disposable income, have increased energy use, despite energy efficiencies in other areas. While monetary factors suggest that changes brought about by the 24/7 society will generally be self-correcting at the macro-economic level, there will nevertheless be effects for individuals, such as potentially severe impacts on the fuel poor as electricity prices rise. We conclude with a view of future directions. As the 24/7 culture continues to grow, there is scope for designers and for information technology to manage and reduce energy consumption. This includes buildings, their services systems, and the mix of new technologies that will be deployed over the next 20 years or so, including the possibilities for data exchange and control at the interface between energy suppliers and consumers, coupled with greater understanding of the behaviour of the consumers themselves. (author)

Measure of the e+e-{yields}bb Cross Section at the LEP Energies; Medida de la seccion eficaz e&apos;'+e'&apos;-{yields}bb a las Energias de LEP

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arce Dubois, P.

1992-07-01

In the present work I analyse the data collected during 1990 by the L3 detector, situated in the electron-positron collider LEP. After selecting the events e&apos;'+e'&apos;-{yields} bb through their semileptonic decays into muons, I calculate the cross section for the process e&apos;'+e'&apos;- {yields} bb at different energy points around the mass of the vectorial boson Z, and I measure some parameters of the Standard Model, namely, the Br(b{yields}{mu} ),{gamma}{sub z}n-{yields}bb/{gamma}{sub z}n{yields}had and {gamma}{sub z}n{yields}bb{gamma}{sub z}n{yields}e&apos;'+e'&apos;-. (Author) 26 refs.

Changes in the &apos;medical research&apos; licensing procedure under the German Radiation Protection Ordinance; Neuerungen im Genehmigungsverfahren &apos;Medizinische Forschung&apos; gemaess Roentgen- und Strahlenschutzverordnung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Habeck, M.; Minkov, V.; Griebel, J.; Brix, G. [Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz (BfS), Oberschleissheim-Neuherberg (Germany). Fachbereich Strahlenschutz und Gesundheit; Epsch, R.; Langer, M. [Deutsche Roentgengesellschaft e.V. (DRG), Berlin (Germany). Klinische Studienkoordination

2012-06-15

This publication outlines the &apos;medical research&apos; licensing procedure as specified in the amendment of the German Radiation Protection Ordinance of November 1, 2011. The general licensing requirements for the use of radiation have not been changed by the amendment. Three so-called use restrictions (i.e., dose limits of 10 mSv and 20 mSv, age limit of 50 years) have been modified. They will only apply to healthy volunteers in the future. In addition, there are considerable simplifications with respect to applications and licensing procedures of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (Bundesamt fuer Strahlenschutz, BfS) regarding the use of radiation in the newly introduced &apos;accompanying diagnostics&apos; (&apos;Begleitdiagnostik&apos;) case group. The newly established, independent panel of experts at the German Radiological Society (Deutsche Roentgengesellschaft, DRG) may provide essential support to principal investigators, qualified physicians and sponsors for differentiating between &apos;medical research&apos; and &apos;health care&apos;, the latter not being subject to licensing. An expert statement will be issued by the DRG within four weeks of an inquiry. This consulting service is subject to confidentiality, and is free of charge for inquirers and without any commitment. (orig.)

New updated results of paleomagnetic dating of cave deposits exposed in Za Hájovnou Cave, Javoříčko Karst

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kadlec, Jaroslav; Čížková, Kristýna; Šlechta, Stanislav

2014-01-01

Roč. 70, 1-2 (2014), s. 27-34 ISSN 0036-5343 Institutional support: RVO:67985530 ; RVO:67985831 Keywords : Javoříčko Karst * Za Hájovnou Cave * Early and Middle Pleistocene * paleomagnetic dating Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy

Hybrid coolers allow important water saving; Les refroidisseurs &apos;'hybrides'&apos; permettent des economies d&apos;eau importantes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bitsch, V. [Societe Jaeggi-France (France)

2005-03-01

Air cooling systems used with refrigerating machineries are in general highly water and electricity consuming. The use of &apos;hybrid&apos; systems having the characteristics of both close-cycle evaporative systems and dry coolers allow important water saving. This article presents the operation principle and characteristics of such cooling systems. (J.S.)

Assessment report of research and development on &apos;the abolition measures of nuclear facilities and associated technology development&apos; and &apos;radioactive waste treatment and disposal and associated technology development&apos; (result evaluation, in advance evaluation) and &apos;technology development related to reprocessing of nuclear fuel material&apos; (In advance evaluation)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-07-01

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (hereinafter referred to as &apos;JAEA&apos;) consulted the &apos;Evaluation Committee for Decommissioning and Radioactive Waste Management &apos; for result evaluation and in advance evaluation of &apos;The abolition measures of nuclear facilities and associated technology development&apos; project and &apos;Radioactive waste treatment and disposal and associated technology development&apos; project and &apos;Technology development related to reprocessing of nuclear fuel material&apos; project in accordance with the &apos;Guideline for evaluation of government R and D activities&apos;, the &apos;Guideline for evaluation of R and D in Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)&apos; and the &apos;Operational rule for evaluation of R and D activities&apos; by JAEA. In response to the JAEA&apos;s request, the Evaluation Committee for Decommissioning and Radioactive Waste Management, in accordance with the evaluation method as defined in the Committee deliberations and oral report and deliberation of material about the R and D project of three was conducted. This report summarizes the results of the assessment by the Committee with the Committee report. (author)

Class I HDAC inhibition is a novel pathway for regulating astrocytic apoE secretion.

Science.gov (United States)

Dresselhaus, Erica; Duerr, James M; Vincent, Fabien; Sylvain, Emily K; Beyna, Mercedes; Lanyon, Lorraine F; LaChapelle, Erik; Pettersson, Martin; Bales, Kelly R; Ramaswamy, Gayathri

2018-01-01

Despite the important role of apolipoprotein E (apoE) secretion from astrocytes in brain lipid metabolism and the strong association of apoE4, one of the human apoE isoforms, with sporadic and late onset forms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) little is known about the regulation of astrocytic apoE. Utilizing annotated chemical libraries and a phenotypic screening strategy that measured apoE secretion from a human astrocytoma cell line, inhibition of pan class I histone deacetylases (HDACs) was identified as a mechanism to increase apoE secretion. Knocking down select HDAC family members alone or in combination revealed that inhibition of the class I HDAC family was responsible for enhancing apoE secretion. Knocking down LXRα and LXRβ genes revealed that the increase in astrocytic apoE in response to HDAC inhibition occurred via an LXR-independent pathway. Collectively, these data suggest that pan class I HDAC inhibition is a novel pathway for regulating astrocytic apoE secretion.

Prospects for neutron star equation of state constraints using &apos;'recycled'&apos; millisecond pulsars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bogdanov, Slavko [Columbia University, Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory, New York, NY (United States)

2016-02-15

&apos;'Recycled'&apos; millisecond pulsars are a variety of rapidly spinning neutron stars that typically show thermal X-ray radiation due to the heated surface of their magnetic polar caps. Detailed numerical modeling of the rotation-induced thermal X-ray pulsations observed from recycled millisecond pulsars, including all relevant relativistic and stellar atmospheric effects, has been identified as a promising approach towards an astrophysical determination of the true neutron star mass-radius relation, and by extension the state of cold matter at densities exceeding those of atomic nuclei. Herein, I review the basic model and methodology commonly used to extract information regarding neutron star structure from the pulsed X-ray radiation observed from millisecond pulsars. I also summarize the results of past X-ray observations of these objects and the prospects for precision neutron star mass-radius measurements with the upcoming Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) X-ray timing mission. (orig.)

Energy and the new class. [Assault of &apos;&apos;new breed&apos;&apos; of American on established institutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

King, L.

1979-03-14

The bounty of the US is taken for granted by its population. Nowhere is this misvaluation of a society and its benefits more evident than in the energy industries. But energy represents a tool by which society can be shaped; a device by which the standared of living and the very nature of the national lifestyle can be controlled, modified, amplified, or reduced. Two examples examined to show how energy shapes social order and human life are the women&apos;s movement and the desire to live in the Sunbelt. Five phenomena are then examined to point out the desire to restrain the nation&apos;s rampant pursuit of a higher standard of living, as opposed to the more subjective and seemingly more desirable goal of a better quality of life: the civil rights movement; the environmental movement; the Vietnam War; the Watergate scandal; and the assumption that prosperity at today&apos;s level is irreducible, concrete, and not subject to diminution. The &apos;&apos;new class&apos;&apos; is essentially made up of those educated in the liberal arts, divorced from an understanding of the mechanics of free-enterprise institutions and of the sicences. The antagonistic view of the new class of corporations and its assault on established institutions are noted. Energy companies are frustrated in telling their story, but the story that must be told is not the story of how excellently the energy sector has performed, but the story of how a new breed of Americans is seeking to remake America in its own image without the rest being aware of what is going on. (MCW)

Acute effects of interleukin-6 infusion on apo-B-containing lipoprotein subclasses in humans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bagdade, John; Pedersen, Bente K; Schwenke, Dawn

2011-01-01

B:E) apoB-containing subclasses present in VLDL. Therefore, we have directly measured these subclasses following their isolation by sequential immunoprecipitation in seven healthy male subjects during a 3-h infusion with recombinant human (rh) IL-6. Though plasma TG and apoB-containing particle number were...... unchanged by IL-6, the distribution of TG-rich subclasses was significantly altered. Compared to baseline values, LpB:E + LpB:C:E increased significantly at 0.5 h (p infused controls at 0.5 and 1 h (p

Thyroid Hormone Signaling in Male Mouse Skeletal Muscle Is Largely Independent of D2 in Myocytes

Science.gov (United States)

Werneck-de-Castro, Joao P.; Fonseca, Tatiana L.; Ignacio, Daniele L.; Fernandes, Gustavo W.; Andrade-Feraud, Cristina M.; Lartey, Lattoya J.; Ribeiro, Marcelo B.; Ribeiro, Miriam O.; Gereben, Balazs

2015-01-01

The type 2 deiodinase (D2) activates the prohormone T4 to T3. D2 is expressed in skeletal muscle (SKM), and its global inactivation (GLOB-D2KO mice) reportedly leads to skeletal muscle hypothyroidism and impaired differentiation. Here floxed Dio2 mice were crossed with mice expressing Cre-recombinase under the myosin light chain 1f (cre-MLC) to disrupt D2 expression in the late developmental stages of skeletal myocytes (SKM-D2KO). This led to a loss of approximately 50% in D2 activity in neonatal and adult SKM-D2KO skeletal muscle and about 75% in isolated SKM-D2KO myocytes. To test the impact of Dio2 disruption, we measured soleus T3 content and found it to be normal. We also looked at the expression of T3-responsive genes in skeletal muscle, ie, myosin heavy chain I, α-actin, myosin light chain, tropomyosin, and serca 1 and 2, which was preserved in neonatal SKM-D2KO hindlimb muscles, at a time that coincides with a peak of D2 activity in control animals. In adult soleus the baseline level of D2 activity was about 6-fold lower, and in the SKM-D2KO soleus, the expression of only one of five T3-responsive genes was reduced. Despite this, adult SKM-D2KO animals performed indistinguishably from controls on a treadmill test, running for approximately 16 minutes and reached a speed of about 23 m/min; muscle strength was about 0.3 mN/m·g body weight in SKM-D2KO and control ankle muscles. In conclusion, there are multiple sources of D2 in the mouse SKM, and its role is limited in postnatal skeletal muscle fibers. PMID:26214036

The comparative analysis of &apos;Regulations on safety of radioactive waste management&apos; of China and federal law &apos;On the management of radioactive waste&apos; of Russian

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Lili; Zhang Qiao'e; Fan Yun; Liu Ting; Gao Siqi

2012-01-01

In this article, the &apos;Regulations on safety of radioactive waste management&apos; of China and Federal Law &apos;On the management of radioactive waste&apos; of Russian were compared, from three aspects: overall legislative ideas, respective unique place and difference of common parts. Refining summed up should learn the contents of the Federal Law &apos;On the management of radioactive waste&apos; of Russian, for the learning exchanges. (authors)

Sex differences in insulin resistance in GABAB1 knockout mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonaventura, M M; Rodriguez, D; Ferreira, M L; Crivello, M; Repetto, E M; Bettler, B; Libertun, C; Lux-Lantos, V A

2013-02-27

We have previously demonstrated that the absence of functional GABA B receptors (GABABRs) disturbs glucose homeostasis in GABAB1KO mice. The aim of this work was to extend our studies of these alterations in GABAB1KO mice and investigate the sexual differences therein. Male and female, GABAB1KO and WT mice were used. Glucose and insulin tolerance tests (GTT and ITT), and insulin and glucagon secretion tests (IST and GST) were performed. Blood glucose, serum insulin and hyperglycemic hormones were determined, and HOMA-IR calculated. Skeletal muscle insulin receptor β subunit (IRβ), insulin receptor substrates 1/2 (IRS1, IRS2) and hexokinase-II levels were determined by Western blot. Skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity was assessed by in vivo insulin-induced Akt phosphorylation (Western blot). Food intake and hypothalamic NPY mRNA expression (by qPCR) were also evaluated. Fasted insulin and HOMA-IR were augmented in GABAB1KO males, with no alterations in females. Areas under the curve (AUC) for GTT and ITT were increased in GABAB1KO mice of both genders, indicating compromised insulin sensitivity. No genotype differences were observed in IST, GST or in IRβ, IRS1, IRS2 and hexokinase-II expression. Akt activation was severely impaired in GABAB1KO males while no alterations were observed in females. GABAB1KO mice showed increased food intake and NPY expression. Glucose metabolism and energy balance disruptions were more pronounced in GABAB1KO males, which develop peripheral insulin resistance probably due to augmented insulin secretion. Metabolic alterations in females were milder and possibly due to previously described reproductive disorders, such as persistent estrus. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Influence of Teachers&apos; Conceptions on Their Students&apos; Learning: Children&apos;s Understanding of Sheet Music

Science.gov (United States)

López-Íñiguez, Guadalupe; Pozo, Juan Ignacio

2014-01-01

Background: Despite increasing interest in teachers&apos; and students&apos; conceptions of learning and teaching, and how they influence their practice, there are few studies testing the influence of teachers&apos; conceptions on their students&apos; learning. Aims: This study tests how teaching conception (TC; with a distinction between…

Contributions to the qualification of the &apos;'CRISTAL'&apos; criticality calculi scheme: interpretation of critical experiments. Elaboration of a characterization system of neutronic configurations; Contributions a la qualification du schema de calcul de criticite &apos;'cristal'&apos;: interpretation d&apos;experiences critiques. Elaboration d&apos;un systeme de caracterisation des configurations neutroniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gagnier, E

1999-06-01

This thesis work is about the validation of the new criticality-safety package CRISTAL and contributes to the modernization and the improvement of the computational tools. The first part presents neutronic elements, the objectives of safety criticality studies and the package CRISTAL. Then, the validation work concerned two series of experiments involving uranyl solutions (UO{sub 2}F{sub 2}) and UO{sub 2} powders. For these experiments, the differences between the computation results and the experimental results were analysed. It was highlighted interesting physical phenomena such of the compensations of errors between the approximate representation by the 99 energy group structure on the first resonance of oxygen and the anisotropy of the diffusion simulation as well as the influence of uranium 234 in high enriched solutions in uranium 235. Once the work of the experimental qualification carried out, raises the question of the use the base of qualification and the &apos;'calculation-experiment'&apos; variations which are referred to it. It is often difficult to establish the link between the &apos;&apos;studied configuration&apos;&apos; and the experiments of the base of qualification. The presented characterisation system proposes to answer in a way automatic and quantified this difficulty: - in bringing an answer on the package qualification for the studied configuration, - in giving an estimate of the package bias. To answer these points, it was defined a set of 35 characteristic neutronic parameters representing the behaviour of the medium. To process the information brought by these parameters and to use it to answer the objectives of the system, we called upon statistical methods (Principal Components Analysis and Sliced Inverse Regression). The results obtained in the feasibility studies showed the relevance of these methods for the considered objectives. (author)

Female mice deficient in alpha-fetoprotein show female-typical neural responses to conspecific-derived pheromones.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olivier Brock

Full Text Available The neural mechanisms controlling sexual behavior are sexually differentiated by the perinatal actions of sex steroid hormones. We recently observed using female mice deficient in alpha-fetoprotein (AFP-KO and which lack the protective actions of AFP against maternal estradiol, that exposure to prenatal estradiol completely defeminized the potential to show lordosis behavior in adulthood. Furthermore, AFP-KO females failed to show any male-directed mate preferences following treatment with estradiol and progesterone, indicating a reduced sexual motivation to seek out the male. In the present study, we asked whether neural responses to male- and female-derived odors are also affected in AFP-KO female mice. Therefore, we compared patterns of Fos, the protein product of the immediate early gene, c-fos, commonly used as a marker of neuronal activation, between wild-type (WT and AFP-KO female mice following exposure to male or estrous female urine. We also tested WT males to confirm the previously observed sex differences in neural responses to male urinary odors. Interestingly, AFP-KO females showed normal, female-like Fos responses, i.e. exposure to urinary odors from male but not estrous female mice induced equivalent levels of Fos protein in the accessory olfactory pathways (e.g. the medial part of the preoptic nucleus, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, the amygdala, and the lateral part of the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus as well as in the main olfactory pathways (e.g. the piriform cortex and the anterior cortical amygdaloid nucleus, as WT females. By contrast, WT males did not show any significant induction of Fos protein in these brain areas upon exposure to either male or estrous female urinary odors. These results thus suggest that prenatal estradiol is not involved in the sexual differentiation of neural Fos responses to male-derived odors.

Perceiving, explaining, and observing climatic changes. An historical case study of the &apos;&apos;year without a summer&apos;&apos; 1816

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bodenmann, Tom; Hirsch Hadorn, Gertrude [ETH Zurich (Switzerland). Inst. for Environmental Decisions; Broennimann, Stefan [Univ. of Bern (Switzerland). Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research and Inst of Geography; Krueger, Tobias [Staatsarchiv Solothurn (Switzerland); Weissert, Helmut [ETH Zurich (Switzerland). Geological Inst.

2011-12-15

The role of the &apos;&apos;year without a summer&apos;&apos; (YWAS) in 1816 in shaping the scientific discourse on climatic changes has been investigated in an interdisciplinary project by studying reactions of different knowledge systems to the YWAS as an initially unexplainable event. The analysis of two Swiss newspapers shows that contemporary science did not play a role in perceiving and dealing with the impacts of the YWAS on the population. Since no climate discipline of its own existed, few contemporary scientist, as we would call those men of science today, were ready to take this situation as an opportunity, reinforcing existing ideas in their domain (e.g. botany, geology, astronomy). Nevertheless, the YWAS did have impacts on science. A &apos;'call'&apos; was issued by the Swiss Natural Sciences Society shortly after the event. The work of one of the respondents became influential for the development of the ice age theory. By revealing a general lack of knowledge on climate, the YWAS might have contributed to the construction of meteorological stations at that time. Some contemporary scientists argued that the cold summer in western Europe was caused by huge masses of ice drifting in the North Atlantic. However, there were no theories that could have linked the exceptionally wet weather in Europe with a volcanic eruption on the other side of the globe. Not before the early 20{sup th} century was the YWAS linked to the Tambora eruption of 1815. After almost two centuries, the YWAS has remained a challenge and source of inspiration. (orig.)

&apos;Lifecycle cost&apos; management used in ITER project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xing Chao; Wu Fengfeng

2013-01-01

&apos;Lifecycle cost&apos; management is a new kind of management. The International Nuclear Fusion Energy Program was managing by &apos;lifecycle cost&apos; method. The cost and other factors associated with cost were under control by the method. In the future, the system engineering method should be focused in engineering management, paying equal attention to both evaluation and management, and strengthening the application of information system in the cost management to effectively improve the management level. (authors)

SKI&apos;s and SSI&apos;s review of SKB&apos;s safety report SR-Can

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dverstorp, Bjoern; Stroemberg, Bo (and others)

2008-03-15

This report summarises SKI&apos;s and SSI&apos;s joint review of the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co&apos;s (SKB) safety report SR-Can (SKB TR-06-09). SR-Can is the first assessment of post-closure safety for a KBS-3 spent nuclear fuel repository at the candidate sites Forsmark and Laxemar, respectively. The analysis builds on data from the initial stage of SKB&apos;s surface-based site investigations and on data from full-scale manufacturing and testing of buffer and copper canisters. SR-Can can be regarded as a preliminary version of the safety report that will be required in connection with SKB&apos;s planned licence application for a final repository in late 2009. The main purpose of the authorities&apos; review is to provide feedback to SKB on their safety reporting as part of the pre-licensing consultation process. However, SR-Can is not part of the formal licensing process. In support of the authorities&apos; review three international peer review teams were set up to make independent reviews of SR-Can from three perspectives, namely integration of site data, representation of the engineered barriers and safety assessment methodology, respectively. Further, several external experts and consultants have been engaged to review detailed technical and scientific issues in SR-Can. The municipalities of Oesthammar and Oskarshamn where SKB is conducting site investigations, as well NGOs involved in SKB&apos;s programme, have been invited to provide their views on SR-Can as input to the authorities&apos; review. Finally, the authorities themselves, and with the help of consultants, have used independent models to reproduce part of SKB&apos;s calculations and to make complementary calculations. All supporting review documents are published in SKI&apos;s and SSI&apos;s report series. The main findings of the review are: -SKB&apos;s safety assessment methodology is overall in accordance with applicable regulations, but part of the methodology needs to be

Search for B Meson Decays to eta&apos; eta&apos; K

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aubert, B.

2006-05-05

The authors describe searches for decays of B mesons to the charmless final states {eta}&apos;{eta}&apos;K. The data consist of 228 million B{bar B} pairs produced in e{sup +}e{sup -} annihilation, collected with the BABAR detector at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. The 90% confidence level upper limits for the branching fractions are {Beta}(B{sup 0} {yields} {eta}&apos;{eta}&apos;K{sup 0}) < 31 x 10{sup -6} and {Beta}(B{sup +} {yields} {eta}&apos;{eta}&apos;K{sup +}) < 25 x 10{sup -6}.

What does &apos;nuclear power village&apos; represent in the newspaper articles?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takenaka, I.; Kimura, H.

2014-01-01

Since the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster in 2011, we have often heard the word &apos;Nuclear Power Village (Genshiryoku-Mura in Japanese)&apos; in Japan. &apos;Nuclear Power Village&apos; is used for the Japanese community related to nuclear power generation. In this paper, we analysed Japanese newspapers and clarified usages of &apos;Nuclear Power Village&apos;. As a result, we found there are two images of &apos;Nuclear Power Village&apos;. One image has a common purpose of the promotion of nuclear power. Another image has a common purpose of acquiring gain. We also clarified the characteristics of the images such as interdependence, closed community and so on. (author)

What does &apos;nuclear power village&apos; represent in the newspaper articles?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takenaka, I., E-mail: isshin.takenaka@gmail.com [The Univ. of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan); Kimura, H., E-mail: kimura.hiroshi.0110@gmail.com [Public Outreach, Non-Profit, Tokyo (Japan)

2014-07-01

Since the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster in 2011, we have often heard the word &apos;Nuclear Power Village (Genshiryoku-Mura in Japanese)&apos; in Japan. &apos;Nuclear Power Village&apos; is used for the Japanese community related to nuclear power generation. In this paper, we analysed Japanese newspapers and clarified usages of &apos;Nuclear Power Village&apos;. As a result, we found there are two images of &apos;Nuclear Power Village&apos;. One image has a common purpose of the promotion of nuclear power. Another image has a common purpose of acquiring gain. We also clarified the characteristics of the images such as interdependence, closed community and so on. (author)

Swiss &apos;Electricity&apos; Research Programme 2004-2007; Konzept des Forschungsprogramms &apos;Elektrizitaet&apos; 2004 - 2007

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brueniger, R.

2004-07-01

This report issued by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) provides details on Swiss research in the electricity area that is foreseen for the period 2004-2007. The report discusses the current state of electricity research and the strategic goals for the period and presents the organisations involved and their previous work. The general main areas of interest addressed by the programme are noted, such as the storage and transport of electricity as well as its use in communication technologies, motors, domestic appliances and industrial applications. Figures are presented on the programme&apos;s finances and the concept of &apos;trend-watching&apos; groups is briefly addressed.

A prospective study of 228 cases of Bell&apos;s palsy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soltanzadeh A

1993-05-01

Full Text Available Two hundred and twenty-eight patients who had developed Bell&apos;s palsy were investigated in a prospective study. Among them, 55% were male and 45% were female. The most common age of the disease onset was the third and beginning of the fourth decade of life. We found definite correlation between Bell&apos;s palsy, hypertension, and diabetes; its recurrence rate was 9%. The most important complication was facial asymmetry that remained in 15% of the patients. The most common symptom prior to the development of facial palsy was the existence of pain in the back of ears and neck. Our patients responded well to 8 mg dexamethasone administered for a period of one week

Jevons&apos; paradox

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alcott, Blake [Gretenweg 4, CH 8038 Zurich (Switzerland)

2005-07-01

Technological efficiency; Rebound; Impact; Consumption; Growth; Jevons In The Coal Question William Stanley Jevons [Jevons, W.S., 1865/1965. The Coal Question: an Inquiry Concerning the Progress of the Nation, and the Probable Exhaustion of our Coal-mines. 3rd edition 1905, Ed. A.W. Flux. Augustus M. Kelley, New York.] maintained that technological efficiency gains-specifically the more &apos;economical&apos; use of coal in engines doing mechanical work-actually increased the overall consumption of coal, iron, and other resources, rather than &apos;saving&apos; them, as many claimed. Twentieth-century economic growth theory also sees technological change as the main cause of increased production and consumption. In contrast, some ecologically-oriented economists and practically all governments, green political parties and NGOs believe that efficiency gains lower consumption and negative environmental impact. Others doubt this &apos;efficiency strategy&apos; towards sustainability, holding that efficiency gains &apos;rebound&apos; or even &apos;backfire&apos; in pursuing this goal, causing higher production and consumption. Because many environmental problems demand rapid and clear policy recommendations, this issue deserves high priority in ecological economics. If Jevons is right, efficiency policies are counter-productive, and business-as-usual efficiency gains must be compensated for with physical caps like quotas or rationing.

Synthesis, characterization and biological evaluation of a novel &apos;&apos;3+1&apos;&apos; mixed ligand {sup 99m}Tc complex having an aliphatic thiol as coligand

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rey, A. E-mail: arey@bilbo.edu.uy; Papadopoulos, M.; Leon, E.; Mallo, L.; Pirmettis, Y.; Manta, E.; Raptopoulou, C.; Chiotellis, E.; Leon, A

2001-03-01

A novel &apos;&apos;3+1&apos;&apos; mixed ligand {sup 99m}Tc complex with N,N-bis(2-mercaptoethyl)-N&apos;N&apos;-diethyl-ethilenediamine as ligand and 1-octanethiol as coligand was prepared and evaluated as potential brain radiopharmaceutical. Preparation at tracer level was accomplished by substitution, using {sup 99m}Tc-glucoheptonate as precursor and a coligand/ligand ratio of 5. Under these conditions the labeling yield was over 80% and a major product with radiochemical purity >80% was isolated by HPLC methods and used for biological evaluation. Chemical characterization at carrier level was developed using the corresponding rhenium and {sup 99g}Tc complexes. Results were consistent with the expected &apos;&apos;3+1&apos;&apos; structure and X-ray diffraction study demonstrated that the complex adopted a distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry. All sulphur atoms underwent ionization leading to the formation of a neutral compound. Biodistribution in mice demonstrated early brain uptake, fast blood clearance and excretion through hepatobiliary system. Although brain/blood ratio increased significantly with time, this novel {sup 99m}Tc complex did not exhibit ideal properties as brain perfusion radiopharmaceutical since brain uptake was too low.

Rapid extraction of Amomum tsao-ko essential oil and determination of its chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Qi; Wang, Li-Tao; Liu, Ju-Zhao; Wang, Hui-Mei; Guo, Na; Gu, Cheng-Bo; Fu, Yu-Jie

2017-09-01

A simple, green and efficient extraction method named modified-solvent free microwave extraction (M-SFME) was employed for the extraction of essential oils (EOs) from Amomun tsao-ko. The process of M-SFME was optimized with the prominent preponderance of such higher extraction yield (1.13%) than those of solvent free microwave extraction (SFME, 0.91%) and hydrodistillation (HD, 0.84%) under the optimal parameters. Thirty-four volatile substances representing 95.4% were identified. The IC 50 values of EOs determined by DPPH radical scavenging activity and β-carotene/linoleic acid bleaching assay were 5.27 and 0.63mg/ml. Furthermore, the EOs exhibited moderate to potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against all tested strains including five gram-positive and two gram-negative bacteria (MIC: 2.94-5.86mg/ml). In general, M-SFME is a potential and desirable alternative for the extraction of EOs from aromatic herbs, and the EOs obtained from A. tsao-ko can be explored as a potent natural antimicrobial and antioxidant preservative ingredient in food industry from the technological and economical points of view. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ISO 3171 production hydrocarbons allocation sampling for challenging &apos;'tie-ins'&apos;with pressures close to RVP breakout

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiskoot, Mark

2005-07-01

There are an increasing number of applications where sampling is required for crude oils and condensates at close to vapour breakout in production environments. These are typified where the quality measurement must be extracted/made in the &apos;'oil'&apos; leg of a separator. The exertion of back pressure (pressure loss) on the liquid leg to expand the operating envelope is generally not acceptable due to the effect that this will have on the separator efficiency and this frequently precludes the use of normal metering technologies. These conditions represent some of the hardest for quality determination. In conventional separators, velocities are low to promote separation of the gas and liquids and the therefore the gas pressure within the liquid phase is close to breakout. Frequently there is an envelope of less than 0.5 bar below the operating pressure at which the fluid will start to cavitate. Concurrent with the low velocity is the expectation of some free water that would require mixing to ensure representativity. There are frequently also severe restrictions on space and the piping arrangement in which to achieve a representative off-take. The &apos;'rules'&apos; that are applied to representative sampling are equally applicable to the use of water monitors (water cut, OWD) and to densitometers. An integrated quality measurement system that prevents any impact on the process and also provides the required mixing to allow extraction of a representative off take that can be used for physical samplers as well as process instrumentation such as densitometers, viscometers and water cut monitors can be achieved by careful design. Jiskoot has adapted its CoJetix technology to meet these goals. (author) (tk)

Cardiomyocyte-specific deletion of the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) leads to left ventricular dysfunction and adverse remodeling: A sex-specific gene profiling analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hao; Sun, Xuming; Chou, Jeff; Lin, Marina; Ferrario, Carlos M; Zapata-Sudo, Gisele; Groban, Leanne

2017-08-01

Activation of G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) by its agonist, G1, protects the heart from stressors such as pressure-overload, ischemia, a high-salt diet, estrogen loss, and aging, in various male and female animal models. Due to nonspecific effects of G1, the exact functions of cardiac GPER cannot be concluded from studies using systemic G1 administration. Moreover, global knockdown of GPER affects glucose homeostasis, blood pressure, and many other cardiovascular-related systems, thereby confounding interpretation of its direct cardiac actions. We generated a cardiomyocyte-specific GPER knockout (KO) mouse model to specifically investigate the functions of GPER in cardiomyocytes. Compared to wild type mice, cardiomyocyte-specific GPER KO mice exhibited adverse alterations in cardiac structure and impaired systolic and diastolic function, as measured by echocardiography. Gene deletion effects on left ventricular dimensions were more profound in male KO mice compared to female KO mice. Analysis of DNA microarray data from isolated cardiomyocytes of wild type and KO mice revealed sex-based differences in gene expression profiles affecting multiple transcriptional networks. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) revealed that mitochondrial genes are enriched in GPER KO females, whereas inflammatory response genes are enriched in GPER KO males, compared to their wild type counterparts of the same sex. The cardiomyocyte-specific GPER KO mouse model provides us with a powerful tool to study the functions of GPER in cardiomyocytes. The gene expression profiles of the GPER KO mice provide foundational information for further study of the mechanisms underlying sex-specific cardioprotection by GPER. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In LDL receptor-deficient mice, catabolism of remnant lipoproteins requires a high level of apoE but is inhibited by excess apoE

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dijk, K.W. van; Vlijmen, B.J.M. van; Hof, H.B. van 't; Zee, A. van der; Santamarina-Fojo, S.; Berkel, T.J.C. van; Havekes, L.M.; Hofker, M.H.

1999-01-01

To investigate the quantitative requirement for apolipoprotein (apo) E in the clearance of lipoproteins via the non-low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor mediated pathway, human APOE was overexpressed at various levels in the livers of mice deficient for both the endogenous Apoe and Ldlr genes

Scenarios for an integrated sustainability policy - using the example of the &apos;&apos;Sustainable City 2030&apos;&apos;; Szenarien fuer eine integrierte Nachhaltigkeitspolitik - am Beispiel: Die nachhaltige Stadt 2030. Bd. 3. Teilbericht &apos;&apos;Nachhaltiges Wirtschaften in der Stadt 2030&apos;&apos;

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grabow, Busso; Hollbach-Groemig, Beate; Groepler, Nicolai; Rechenberg, Christoph [Deutsches Inst. fuer Urbanistik (DiFu), Berlin (Germany); Gassner, Robert [Institut fuer Zukunftsstudien und Technologiebewertung gGmbH (IZT), Berlin (Germany)

2013-04-15

The partial report,Sustainability economic activity in the City 2030&apos; was performed as a part of a project of the Federal Environment Agency (Dessau-Rosslau, Federal Republic of Germany) entitled &apos;Scenarios for an integrated sustainability policy - exemplified by using,Sustainable City 2030&apos;&apos;. The objectives of this partial report are: (a) Presentation of the topic and its importance in the current debate on sustainability; (b) Answering the questions: What are the interfaces to the municipal level? What is about the capability of acting at the municipal level? Which framework conditions are necessary on the part of the Federal Government and the State Governments?; (c) Rough outline of the current situation; (d) Outlining the opportunities and perspectives up to the implementation of the sustainable economic activity.

&apos;Atomic Bremsstrahlung&apos;: Retrospectives, current status and perspectives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amusia, M.Ya. [Racah Institute of Physics, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904 (Israel) and Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute, St. Petersburg 194021 (Russian Federation)]. E-mail: Amusia@vms.huji.ac.il

2006-10-15

We describe here the &apos;Atomic bremsstrahlung&apos; (AB)-emission of continuous spectrum electromagnetic radiation, which is generated in collisions of particles that have internal deformable structure that includes positively and negatively charged constituents. The deformation of one or both colliding partners induces multiple, mainly dipole, time-dependent electrical moments that become a source of radiation. The history of AB invention is presented and its unusual in comparison to ordinary bremsstrahlung (OB) properties, are discussed. As examples, fast electron atom, non-relativistic and relativistic collisions are considered. Attention is given to ion-atom and atom-atom collisions. Specifics of &apos;elastic&apos; and &apos;inelastic&apos; (i.e. radiation accompanied by destruction of collision partners) AB will be mentioned. Attention will be given to possible manifestation of AB in nature and in some exotic systems, for instance scattering of electrons upon muonic hydrogen. Some cooperative effects connected to AB will be considered. New classical schemes similar to AB will be presented.

[Ecclesia et civitatis : kościoł i życie religije w mieście średniowiecznym] / Raimo Pullat

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Pullat, Raimo, 1935-

2009-01-01

Arvustus: Ecclesia et civitatis : kościoł i życie religije w mieście średniowiecznym. Pod redakcją Haliny Manikowskiej i Hanny Zaremskiej. Colloquia Mediaevalia Varsoviensia III. Warszawa : Instytut Historii PAN, 2002. Kollokviumi materjalide publikatsioonis käsitletakse peamiselt Sileesia, Preisimaa ja Pommeri linnu, mis käsitletaval perioodil kuulusid Poola koosseisu. Usuelu uurimise metodoloogiast.

Analýza a návrh marketingové komunikace Košík.cz

OpenAIRE

Krupka, Radim

2017-01-01

This Masters thesis deals with the topic of marketing communication. The first part of this thesis is devoted to the theory of marketing, marketing tools, marketing and promotion mix, marketing communication, e-commerce and STDC framework. In the following part of thesis are used the tools and analysis described in the theoretical part and applied on online grocery store Košík.cz. At first there is the application of situation analysis, then application of analysis of marketing mix, current m...

Parents’ Attitudes towards Adolescent Boy&apos;s Reproductive Health Needs and Practice in Tehran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farideh K Abadi Farahani

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Objective: Parents are believed to be among the most influential adults who have a deterministic role in the success of interventional programs on adolescents&apos; reproductive health. The aim of this study is to describe parents&apos; perceptions and attitudes towards adolescent reproductive needs, experiences and associated factors. Method: A population-based study of 539 parents of adolescent boys, aged 15-18 in Tehran was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire. bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the factors associated with parents&apos; attitudes and their reports of adolescent heterosexual relationships. Results: Higher education, higher income, access to satellite programs and internet were associated with a liberal attitude among parents. Some demographic factors including adolescents&apos; age, lack of adolescents&apos; endorsement to religion, access to satellite programs, parents&apos; drinking, and various family factors such as poor parent-adolescent relationship, conflict, parental low valuation on education, parents&apos; low endorsement to morals, difficult parent-adolescent communication on important issues and finally easy communication about sex, were all among the factors associated with more frequent reports of having a girlfriend over the last year for the adolescent males. Parents&apos; reports on their adolescents&apos; sexual relationships with the opposite sex highlighted a significant gap with the figure reported for the adolescents aged 15-18 in a preceding study in 2002(3% vs. 28%. Conclusion: Parents should be advised to build a good relationship with teens, to maintain a close parent-teen communication, and to discuss morals and values with teens .

Thermal management of a &apos;'BC'&apos; size molicel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fouchard, D.; Ruggier, L.; Taylor, B.J.

1987-05-01

The &apos;'BC'&apos; size MOLICEL using the rechargeable system Li/MoS/sub 2/ has already been shown to have performance characteristics appropriate for use in an electric vehicle battery. The cell design, based on the results of thermal modelling studies, has been modified to provide for improved removal of waste heat resulting from planned high power discharge or from accidental electrical abuse. Experimental verification of the various interfacial thermal impedances was done and an appropriate heat sink specified to use air cooling for the final rejection stage. Fully instrumented 45 Ah test cells were built using a design in which waste heat was caused to flow axially in the aluminum foils forming the cathode current collector. The bottom ends of these foils were thermally integrated to the cell can bottom which had air cooling fins attached externally. Two fully charged cells of this special design were subjected to sustained short circuit whilst being cooled on their fins only with air at 25 km/h. Neither cell experienced any excessive heat built-up and no safety hazard occurred. The results show that thermal management of this type of battery can readily be done using a simple cell design modification and requiring minimum complexity for heat disposal to the environment. The system does not impose any extraordinary constraints on electric vehicle design and it would also be feasible to duct warm air from the battery heat exchanger to provide passenger compartment heating. 17 figs., 7 tabs.

Re-evaluation of the criticality experiments of the &apos;&apos;Otto Hahn Nuclear Ship&apos;&apos; reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lengar, I.; Snoj, L.; Rogan, P.; Ravnik, M. [Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana (Slovenia)

2008-11-15

Several series of experiments with a FDR reactor (advanced pressurized light water reactor) were performed in 1972 in the Geesthacht critical facility ANEX. The experiments were performed to test the core prior to its usage for the propulsion of the first German nuclear merchant ship &apos;'Otto-Hahn'&apos;. In the present paper a calculational re-evaluation of the experiments is described with the use of the up-to date computer codes (Monte-Carlo code MCNP5) and nuclear data (ENDF/B-VI release 6). It is focused on the determination of uncertainties in the benchmark model of the experimental set-up, originating mainly from the limited set of information still available about the experiments. Effects of the identified uncertainties on the multiplication factor were studied. The sensitivity studies include parametric variation of material composition and geometry. The combined total uncertainty being found 0.0050 in k{sub eff}, the experiments are qualified as criticality safety benchmark experiments. (orig.)

Resonant light power buildup in ALPS, a &apos;&apos;light shining through a wall&apos;&apos;-experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meier, Tobias; Danzmann, Karsten; Willke, Benno [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Gravitationsphysik, Albert Einstein Institut (Germany); Institut fuer Gravitationsphysik, Leibniz Universitaet Hannover, Callinstrasse 38, D-30167 Hannover (Germany); Ehret, Klaus; Ghazaryan, Samvel; Knabbe, Axel; Lindner, Axel; List, Jenny; Meyer, Niels; Notz, Dieter; Redondo, Javier; Ringwald, Andreas [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, D-22607 Hamburg (Germany); Frede, Maik; Hildebrandt, Matthias [Laserzentrum Hannover e.V., Hollerithallee 8, D-30419 Hannover (Germany); Wiedemann, Guenter [Hamburger Sternwarte, Gojenbergsweg 112, D-21029 Hamburg (Germany)

2009-07-01

We report on the first successfull application of a new experimental technique to search for weakly interacting sub-eV particles (WISPs) coupling to photons. As part of the ALPS experiment located at DESY in Hamburg, this technique uses an optical resonator to enhance the power inside a HERA dipole magnet on the production side of a typical &apos;&apos;light shining through a wall&apos;&apos;-experiment. We use a frequency doubled continuous-wave laser emitting 0.6 W of power at 532 nm that is stabilized to a linear optical resonator with 8 m length. On resonance we achieve a circulating power of 34 W within the magnet. With this we obtained sensitivities corresponding to a coupling strength of g{approx}5.10{sup -7} GeV{sup -1} for interactions of axion-like particles and photons. The experimental setup and possible improvements are described and compared with common experimental designs with pulsed lasers.